A New Addition!

My blogging has been on the back burner for the past 3 months because I've been busy working on an even sweeter project, the best addition we've ever made to our home....

We are expanding our family by two feet!  Meet Baby Lo!

Lilo, our nickname for "Little Lo," will be here in mid-September.  We are praising God for the blessing of this sweet life!

You may remember me sharing in past posts that 13 is a special number for our family.  Truman was born on December 13.  I was born on April 13.  We were married on May 13.  And Lilo is due on September 13!  We'll see if baby Lo carries on the tradition!

Our 1st ultrasound at 7 weeks

I have had a rough first trimester, so my days have been filled with hour upon hour of resting on the couch, naps, Sprite, and watching every show on On Demand and our DVR.  My amazing husband has been busy doing all of our grocery shopping, preparing dinner, doing laundry, and cleaning, while I watch from the couch.  But, we are so incredibly thankful for this little life and know that this season of sickness is a small price to pay for a lifetime as parents!

Our 1st belly shoot at 13 weeks

Lilo was the size of a peach at 13 weeks

I am 14.5 weeks pregnant and hoping that the 2nd trimester will bring less time on the couch and more time in my craft room!  I have a whole stack of fabric waiting to be turned into baby gifts for friends who have welcomed new additions to their families, and ideas for a baby scrapbook for Lilo swimming around in my head.  I will continue to share pregnancy news and photos of my growing belly, but I hope to be sharing new craft projects soon too!  And of course, I'm sure there will be some nursery photos in the coming months as we prepare for Lilo's arrival!

Food For Friday: French Dip Sandwiches

Are you ready for one of the easiest crockpot recipes ever?  These French Dip Sandwiches are way more delicious than the effort you need to put into them!  They have the perfect juicy roast beef flavor and leftovers warm up just as good, if not better, than the first night you make them. My husband and I both love these sandwiches!  They are perfect for a busy day when you have just a few minutes to toss something into the crockpot in the morning and just a few minutes to get it on the table at dinner time.  Crockpot to table will take you 10 minutes, tops.

Ingredients:
1 beef roast of your choice (I recommend a chuck roast)
1 can beef broth (I use low sodium organic)
2 & 3/4 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
1 pkg dry Italian seasoning

1 package bakery sub rolls
1 package of sliced provolone cheese

Cut your roast into 2 or 3 large chunks.  Put all of the ingredients from the roast down through the Italian seasoning into your crockpot.  There is no need to dissolve the bouillon cubes before adding them.  Just throw them into the liquid in the bottom of the crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours. If your at home, flip the chunks of beef over once or twice during the cooking time.  To serve pull out the beef roast and shred into a bowl.  Skim any fat off the top of the au jus juice left in the crockpot.  Drizzle the shredded roast beef with a little bit of the au jus juice and stir together. 

Cut each sub roll in half lengthwise if not presliced.  Lay open and top with 2 slices of provolone cheese.  Bake in the oven or toaster oven at 350 until bread is warm and cheese is melted.  Fill bun with shredded roast beef and serve with a side of the au jus.  The au jus is so, so good!  I didn't include it in the photograph because au jus just doesn't photograph well.  My husband also likes to add a little horseradish sauce to his sandwich.

Note:  To store leftovers, I put the shredded roast beef in a separate container from the remaining au jus.  After you have refrigerated the au jus, you will be able to skim additional fat off the top.  To reheat, put the amount of roast beef in a bowl that you desire, drizzle with some of the au jus, and warm in the microwave until hot.  Put a side of au jus in a small bowl and heat that through in the microwave as well.