"I've been baking..."

This was the opening line of our big announcement that I had a bun in the oven, expected to arrive sometime near March 18 (J's birthday!)  Since then, our lives have been filled with doctor appointments ("Our baby has a spine!  Our baby has fingers!  I hope our baby doesn't look like an alien like this ultrasound shows!"), casual baby-name discussions ("No, that's so-and-so's dog's name!"), and preparing a nursery ("Is this crib supposed to look like this?") in anticipation for our new, little bundle of joy.

I finally have the profile of a pregnant lady.  Up until a month ago, I longed to look like I was carrying a bun, not just rolls and muffin tops!  (Please excuse the baking references.)  Now, my wardrobe options are getting slimmer and slimmer and I have resorted to maternity clothing.  I am at the point where stretch marks are dreaded, but stretchy-waisted pants are welcomed.  This is it.  It's really happening.

In preparation for the baby's arrival, we have been remodeling the upstairs of our house.  There, we'll have a couple of guest bedrooms and the nursery.  Renovating projects included: new windows, painting, new carpet, new window treatments, and a new guest bed.  Most of these tasks were completed with the help of my parents, whom I can't thank enough!!  Here's a glimpse of the nursery...

Let's be clear that the first photo is BEFORE, and the second one is how the room looks now; a work in progress.  The crib was a totally-unexpected-but-so-appreciated gift from the gals that I work with.  The colored blocks on the wall will coordinate with the yet-to-be-acquired crib bedding, and they will have a special touch added by a friend of mine.  Stay tuned to see the completed project...

 

This inherited dresser will soon become a changing table. 

Just a few coats of paint and new hardware, and it is good as new!

Don't see anything baby blue or pale pink?  Well, that's because we don't know yet what "kind" of baby we are going to have; a little hockey player or a mini-shopaholic...  All we know so far is that everything is progressing smoothly.  It is purely amazing each month in the doctor's office when we get to hear the heartbeat of our offspring.  I am anxious for these next few months to rush by so that we can meet him/her! 

Winter Wonderland

This...

...is why I call it God's Country.  Who else could have created this majestic sight?

Yes, I enjoyed this view from inside the house and only stepped outside into the frigid cold long enough to snap this photo, but it is majestic nonetheless, agreed?

This snow is the remnant of our first big winter storm this week, so it is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas.  The house was decorated for Christmas long before Thanksgiving, Christmas cards are in the mail, Christmas baking will be in full force this week with help from my sister-in-law, Christmas shopping lists are made, and I changed the background on this blog, so I am more than ready for the holidays to begin. 

'Tis the season!

Thanksgiving Success!

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year, and I will un-humbly admit that it was a success!  My parents and brother, as well as J's grandma and sister's family were our guests.  J's grandpa and his wife joined us for pie afterwards, and we missed our other family members who were far away but not forgotten.  The men deep fat fried a turkey outside, while the women roasted one inside, but no "winner" was proclaimed; they were both delicious!  I am thankful for....elastic-waist maternity pants this Thanksgiving!
Although J's other sister and her husband were missing, they had an excellent excuse for their absence: they had a baby that day, so J and I have another new neice!  She is precious!

Welcome!

Here it is; the blog that some of you have requested, and the rest of you are becoming aware of in case you want to take a peak now and then! In my ceremonious "first post," I'll get a few questions out of the way so you know what to expect in the future:

Why do you think you live in "God's Country?" Doesn't everyone think that their home is in God's Country? Well, I particularly feel that we have settled in God's Country for many reasons. When J and I were newly dating, I was driving up to see him by myself for the first time. He entitled an email with detailed directions (cross the river....look for the sugarbeet piler that looks like big yellow metal things...turn at the motel...) "Directions to God's Country." It is the kind of place where people say, "I've known J since we were knee-high to a grasshopper!" It is a place where I moved and was accepted with open arms by a community where your personal life and professional life merge together as one. I am reminded that this really is God's Country when I am 10 miles from home returning after working in the "Big City" and looking up at the sky on a clear night to see more stars than I have ever seen in my whole life. The experiences that will be blogged about may take place at our farmyard in northwestern Minnesota, but our God's Country could include a large radius stretching into all of North Dakota and Minnesota, or even travelling all over the states and Canada visiting family and vacationing.

Why did you decide to start a blog? I have found that since we got married (2 years and 2 days ago to be exact), I have plenty of stories that I personally think are interesting enough to share. Coming from the city and knowing nothing about living on a farm, I have experienced many "firsts" after moving with J to his grandparents farm, which has been in the family for generations. As newlyweds, some of these stories were quite amusing (like when the cat gave birth in the backseat of one of the farm cars that was just getting cleaned up and ready for auction), and some have become a normal part of my life that other people may find quite unusual (like when we recently went to a fish-fry at a hunting cabin in the middle of the woods complete with fried walleye, a bonfire, an outdoors tent housing a DJ where the dance was held, and that week's "kill" hanging a couple feet away from our gathering). After sharing these stories, responses similar to "You should start to blog!" entailed, so here it is!

What do you plan to blog about? As mentioned above, I will continue to share stories pertaining to my experiences regarding "High heels and tractor wheels" (a quote borrowed from another blogger who can relate to my life transition). I wanted to get a head start on the blog, because in the near future, this blog is sure to be overtaken by our joys and trials of becoming new parents sometime in mid-March. J and I have also embarked on many projects around our farmhouse in order to make it "ours." Stay tuned for photos of our latest ventures...

So there you have it: an introduction to Living in God's Country. God's Country; a place that I am grateful for every day, and a life I give special thanks to on this "Thanksgiving Eve."
Happy Thanksgiving.