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Pregnancy Update!!! (Yes, FINALLY! ;) )

Whew, it's been a while since I visited this little blog of mine. So sorry for my absence! Let me get you caught up to date! :) Remember the post from way-back-when (i.e. May!) when I announced that we were expecting? Well, I am now 31 weeks along, believe it or not!! I, for one, cannot for the life of me believe that we are 9 or so weeks away from meeting our precious little Baby Hargraves! :)

So, here's a little of what we've been up to as of late. :)

Pregnancy Symptoms

Oy vey, have I ever had every pregnancy symptom in the book, it seems!! 

During the first trimester, these consisted of:

• terrible, terrible all-day "morning" sickness (I lost 4 pounds from all the nausea, vomiting, and food aversions during this time!)
• constipation
• heartburn (this came as a real surprise to me-I thought I would be spared this issue until late pregnancy when my digestive organs were all overly crowded. But, nope, thanks to the little hormone progesterone, heartburn raged for weeks during my first trimester (usually at night when I was trying to sleep)
• nasal sensitivity (This was crazy! Even my poor husband stank to me. It was weird!)

During my second trimester, I experienced:

• Continued digestive issues and vomiting at times (though much reduced, thanks to phenergan and a comprehensive digestive enzyme)
• Lower back aches (These have since largely gone away even though I am now larger, thanks to my sweet husband and his awesome back rubs! I now only have back pain when I do a lot of leaning over, such as to clean the tub)
• Restless legs/leg cramps (I had one night where I literally got no sleep, due to an incredibly annoying dull ache in my legs. Now that I'm taking this great magnesium powder regularly, these issues have gone away)
• Headaches (my amazingly awesome midwife suggested I apply a drop of lavender essential oil to both temples, and it worked! No more pregnancy headaches! :) )

At 31 weeks, I am now about 3 weeks into my third trimester, and am currently experiencing:

• Exhaustion! I get so, so tired during the day, and just have to crash sometimes. There are literally times when it's all I can do to keep my eyes open! But, thankfully, I'm still sleeping pretty well at night, too, and not dealing with the pregnancy insomnia I've heard so much about. I feel guilty for taking naps so often, but as my mom pointed out, if I'm sleeping well at night and still this tired sometimes during the day, my body obviously needs the extra rest. After all, it takes a lot of energy to grow a human! ;) 
• Stretch marks and itchy belly (I know that scratching those itches makes the stretch marks worse, supposedly, but, boy, there are just times when you need some relief!! ;) I am applying an all-natural anti-stretch mark, moisturizing belly lotion as often as I think to, but I have several stretch marks already. The funny thing is, they are all in front down low, beneath my belly button. I expected them along my sides, but so far-none there.)
• Nose bleeds (I'm sorry if this is getting too personal, but hey-these symptoms are real, ladies! lol And if you're expecting and going through this, I at least want you to not feel alone! ;) ) 
• Lots and lots of movement! :) Our little one is an active little bugger! And I love it. :) 

Now, how about some picture updates? :) We've been chronicling the growth of my baby bump every few weeks or so. Here is what we have so far:

You've seen this one before:

5 1/2 weeks along

Ultrasound at 6 weeks, 6 days. :) Our little one already had a heart rate of 139 beats per minute. :)

Baby Bump at 15 weeks

18 weeks

22 weeks

 We took this picture the day before my ultrasound at 21 weeks, when we would find out whether we had been blessed with a boy or girl. :)

Our precious, sweet, adorable, perfect little baby GIRL!!!!! :D :D :D We had been wanting a girl so badly! :) And, ever since finding out it was for sure a girl (Ok, I'll be honest-even before we knew!), Owen regularly sings Dean Martin's "Daddy's Little Girl" to Anna. It's always such a precious moment. :) And Anna has lately been moving to whichever side her Daddy is on when he begins to sing. :)

How we made the announcement on Facebook :)

Baby Hargraves is Anna Katherine! :)

24 weeks (and I swear the camera added 10 pounds!)

27 weeks

And, at last-31 weeks. :) This picture was taken Sunday. I have gained a total of 23 pounds so far, and they like you to aim for 25-35, so I would say, so far so good in that area!

What we've been up to lately:

• Attending Bradley Method birthing classes each Monday night. These are awesome classes which focus on educating mom and dad as to what is going on during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, what to expect, exercises for Mom to do to prepare for labor and delivery, and all-natural methods to deal with the pain of childbirth, such as different relaxation techniques, etc. The Bradley Method focuses on equipping the husband and father to be the birthing coach and a great help to Mama as she goes through labor, and finally, delivery. We're really enjoying these classes, and I have to say-I have been blessed with one awesome coach! Owen is totally on board with everything, reminds me to do my exercises (and has been known to do them with me! ;) ), gives me awesome practice massages each night to help us nail down the relaxation technique we're working on in that week, etc. He's an awesome husband, and will be a terrific father. 

En route to our first Bradley class! Can't believe we're already on week 6 of 12! It's going by so quickly! The "big day" will be here before we know it!!

• Registering!

One of Owen's favorite parts of wedding planning was doing the wedding registries. We had so much fun together, and he would get so excited every time we would go register. Well, it's much the same this time around with baby registering! :) He makes everything fun, and this was no different. :) Crazy fact: this time last year was when we were registering for our wedding! Little did we know what the Lord had in store for us at the time! ;)

And, that's that! Check back soon for more updates, and in 9 or so weeks, you can join us in welcoming our little Anna Katherine Hargraves into the world. :)


Blessings,
Mrs. Hargraves

So, I've had a very good reason for not posting Monday's Meal Mondays' Recipe........

Yep, that's right! We just found out we're EXPECTING!! And I am as sick as a dog from morning (and afternoon and evening and whenever it decides to strike) sickness. So, if you don't see any recipes floating around here anytime soon, you'll understand. ;)

Please be in prayer for us for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Miscarriage is far too common, and that, combined with typical first-time Mommy fears, causes me to worry about this baby far more than I should. Prayers would be appreciated! :)

5 Tips for Girls in the Throes of Wedding Planning

     The other day, a young woman who used to read my old blog came across Hargraves Home and Hearth (which is great, seeing as how, with not remembering my old password, I couldn’t make a post on my old blog directing my readers to this one!). She mentioned that she is just over 40 days away from getting married. She is in the middle of wedding planning in addition to all the other duties of her daily life, and suggested that I do a post on the topic of wedding planning. I’m so glad she gave me this idea, as one's attitude as you approach wedding planning can greatly make or break the good memories you want to have of your engagement period, as well as greatly impact the first months of your marriage. What follows are a few lessons I learned over the months of our engagement, as well as some I wish I had fully grasped prior to the wedding. May they be a help and encouragement to you as you prepare for this incredibly important time of your life!

1. Don’t focus so much on all the little details: remember that what is important is the marriage, not the wedding.

We girls all want our wedding to be a fairytale day for us where we feel our most beautiful, are surrounded by the smiling faces of those who are the closest to us, and where, on the day we pledge our love and devotion to the man of our dreams, we have an atmosphere of beautiful trinkets and decorations everywhere. But what makes a great marriage is not the grandness of the wedding ceremony. Yes, the ceremony should be tasteful and sacred and beautiful. It’s a serious occasion! But it’s only the beginning. It’s only the first day of the rest of your life. If we have not been students of the Word and have not immersed ourselves in God’s teachings on marriage and the expectations He holds for husband and wife, it doesn’t matter how perfect or imperfect the wedding day is-the marriage itself will be weak. In a culture where divorce is rampant among even professing Christians, it is of utmost importance that we prepare ourselves well for marriage. One can’t prepare oneself for every little thing that will come up in a marriage or every little circumstance one may face, of course. But if it is our nature to expect our needs to always be met, to place ourselves and our wants first, to get huffy when we don’t get our way, and to indulge our every fancy, not only can this lead to an exceedingly extravagant wedding, but it can lead to disillusionment and bondage in a marriage. The engagement period should not be so much for picking out flowers, bridesmaid dress colors, and cake flavors, but for preparing yourself for the covenant of marriage you will soon be making and for living the rest of your life with the man the Lord handpicked just for you. You will only get one engagement period, so spend it seeking the wise advice of other married couples you know-your parents, your in-laws-to-be, couples in your church, your pastor and his wife, etc. And, of course, immerse yourself in the Scriptures. In the midst of all the hubbub of wedding planning, above all, make sure your head is in the right place. Believe me, this is FAR easier said than done! This is one of those lessons I wish I had grasped more fully before our wedding day. People told me to not focus so much on the little details, but to instead look at the big picture, but when you’re planning the most important day of your life, it can be a little hard to keep the right perspective! ;) In all seriousness, though, ladies, pray and ask the Lord to keep your mind where it should be. The wedding will be over in a matter of moments, but that marriage that follows is to last a lifetime. And that brings me to my next tip…

2. Don’t get so wrapped up with looking forward to your wedding day that you forget the here and now. 

I know, this seems a little counterintuitive to my last tip, doesn’t it? Hear me out, though. When a bride-to-be is in the middle of wedding planning, her tendency is to get all wrapped up in the details and in looking to the future that she forgets to live out every day with purpose and to live life to the fullest in the here and now. Now, I know that a girl about to be married will have the idea that her purpose in life right now is to plan that awesome wedding and to get married. And while that may be true to a degree, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun. Likewise, Paul tells us in Philippians 4:11 that in whatsoever state he found himself, he was content therein (as we, too, should be). So, in the midst of planning your beautiful wedding and dreaming of marrying and living with your Prince Charming, take advantage of the here and now, as well. Once you walk down that aisle, you are no longer single. When you choose to marry, you must choose to die to your single years and all that came before. After your wedding, while your family and friends will still remain a big part of your life, nothing will be the same as it was prior to your wedding day. Your family members will all become extended family or relatives, while your new husband will be your family. Your friends, likewise, will still (or at least should be!) very important to you, but the days of being able to have slumber parties or call up a friend on the phone and go meet up for lunch at the drop of a hat, will largely be all but over. You can and should still get together with friends and preserve those relationships after you get married, of course, but the freedom you had as a single girl will largely become but a memory. So, in these, the last weeks and months of your life as a single girl, don’t squander and waste them with the worry and stress that comes from putting wedding planning onto a pedestal it was never designed to be on. Instead, take full advantage of these days. Spend time with your family, making valuable memories you will never forget. Get together with your girlfriends and be silly and giggle as only girls can. Make memories with your sister-friends that will be in your heart forever. Don’t cause yourself to wake up one morning with sadness in your heart as you regret not making the most of days you will never get back. As a side note, this living in the moment should be applied as much as is at all possible when it comes down to your wedding day, as well. Prior to our wedding, so many people told me that the day would be such a blur and that I would look back and remember little to nothing about it. Well, I for one, was intent on not letting that happen! ;) So, while there are, of course, times when I see wedding pictures people took and say, “Wow, I don’t remember posing for that picture!”, by and large, I remember a great deal of that beautiful, unforgettable day. And to this day, nearly two months later, I can talk with my mom, or dear friends, or husband and say, “Hey, you remember when….” That is so precious and those memories are priceless. There are things you will not remember, but as best as you can, be proactive and be open to every moment of your special day rather than just letting it fly by in a crazy blur.

3. Make a budget for your wedding day and stick to it! 

A big mistake made by so many brides today is that they (or their parents, of course) spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on an event that will only last a few short hours, rather than investing in the marriage and family that will begin during those hours. If your parents (or other family members/guardians standing in place of your parents) are paying for your wedding, sit down with them and ask what they feel comfortable paying and what they feel is a wise amount. Don’t be greedy and excessive in your desires by insisting on a high amount (see tip #1 again! ;) ). Every girl wants a nice wedding, yes, but a nice wedding does not and should not have to cost a boatload. Don’t force your parents into debt just because you want a wedding day to top all others. Pride goes before a fall, anyway (Prov. 16:18) ! Rather, exhibit a thankful heart for all they are willing to shower you with. If you and/or your husband-to-be are the ones paying for the wedding, pray and ask the Lord for wisdom regarding the amount to dedicate to your special day. When determining that amount, remember that any money that goes towards your wedding (which, again, only lasts for a very short time) cannot go towards your honeymoon, a down payment on a house, necessities for your first place, food on the table, or anything else you’ll need to concern yourself with during the course of your marriage. I’m not at all saying to skimp so much on your wedding that you look back regretting that you didn’t make it special or that you didn’t pay for the ability to have it commemorated on film, or what have you. What I am saying is that planning a wedding does not release us from the command to be good stewards. After all, it’s not technically our or our parents’ money, anyway-it’s God’s and has only been entrusted to us for a time. After all, ask yourself the question: at the end of the day, would you be more pleased with the expensive, extravagant, breathtaking diamond-studded details in the decor, or would you be more pleased with all the money you saved by decorating in a tasteful, lovely, yet inexpensive way?

4. While engaged, remember that you aren’t married and don’t act as if you are. 

This can, in some ways, be the hardest one. The tendency of many couples, even very well-meaning ones, can be to view themselves as already married once they’ve reached the status of engaged. This is so, so easy to do. Trust me! This kind of thinking creeped its way into my mind sometimes, as well, and our wonderful pastor addressed this topic in our own premarital counseling. But, when this thinking creeps in, remember that during that time, you are only engaged to be married. You are not actually married. You may be the closest you’ve ever been to getting married, but you’re not quite there yet. So, make sure, make sure, make sure, that you put into place boundaries in your thinking as well as in practical action that will preserve your heart and mind during this time of your life. These include physical boundaries-preserve your purity for your wedding night and every day thereafter. Save your body for that special man you’re marrying and do what it takes for you to be able to present it to him and him alone as a gift. Not just to him alone, but to him at the right time, as well. Again, Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything-a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing (Eccles. 3:5). Help your wedding night and honeymoon, and indeed your marriage itself to be all it can be by placing physical boundaries in the here and now. You will regret going too far, but you will never, ever regret keeping all you can for marriage. My husband and I personally made the decision to save our very first kiss for during our wedding ceremony, and we are so very glad we did. It made it so extra special for us. So sit down with your fiancé now and come up with the physical boundaries you yourselves will stick to and do what it takes for you to be able to stick to them. Other boundaries to consider include relational boundaries-this wonderful, wonderful man you are about to marry will soon become the leader of your home and the one to whom you hold allegiance. But you are not called to submit to him or be his helpmeet until you become his wife. So, hard as it may be at times, when you are so head-over-heels in love, keep that in mind, as well. You only have a very short time left to wait, and then that man will be yours for the rest of your life! It's so very worth the wait!

5. Borrow, bargain-hunt, and barter! ;)

There are literally countless ways to pinch pennies and save money when acquiring the items you will need for your wedding and reception. These include borrowing items that other people already have. If you want mason jar centerpieces at your reception, it may just be that you have a fantastic friend who owns a boatload of mason jars and would be more than happy to let you borrow them (if you’re wondering, yes, we did have mason jars at our reception ;) ). Hunt around and consider what connections you may have not only in those who can let you borrow items, but also those who would like nothing more than to help you in your work of wedding planning and may be crazy gifted in a particular area. The lady  I babysit for, for example, made our wedding programs. She did a fantastic job at a fraction of the cost. Don’t be a one woman show! Accept help. You and your spouse-to-be will be all the better for it! You will be less stressed and will make precious memories along the way (not to mention, you’ll make those people who have been dying to help very happy!). Also, when acquiring the items you’ve chosen to have at your wedding and reception, consider whether or not it truly is cheaper to rent rather than buy. For example, my mom and I looked into renting tablecloths for the reception, but found that doing so would have been far more expensive than simply ordering them online. The quality we got was fantastic, and now Mama has 20 tablecloths she can use again whenever she wants! Or, you know, she can let someone else borrow them for their reception! ;) Also, you would be surprised just what great wedding and reception decor items you can find even at the dollar store! And, if you’re wondering, yes, our reception tables were indeed graced with lovely vases found at the dollar store (and apart from those friends and family members now reading this blog post, our guests were none the wiser. ;) ). Keep pinterest in mind, as well! DIY projects are your friend when it comes to wedding planning-you can make things yourself at a much reduced rate and can incorporate your own interests and personality into the day. Just don't get too many such projects on your plate that you start wanting to pull your hair out. ;) Again, remember the first tip! 

Whew! I guess I didn’t quite know what all I was getting into when I set out to write this article, huh? It may be longer than I anticipated, but I’m so grateful that the commenter on a previous post took the time to suggest just such a post as this. One’s engagement period can make or break the first days, weeks, and months of a marriage, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is a special time in the life of a couple and should be treasured and used wisely. I pray this article has proven to be a blessing to you, and if any of you have any other suggestions, further questions, or words of wisdom to share, by all means, do so in the comment section. God bless!

~Mrs. Rebekah Ann Hargraves

Oh, and one last note-in accordance with tip #1, remember that even if all does not go perfectly well on your wedding day, it really is ok! Your goal is not (or at least shouldn’t be!) to have the world’s most amazing wedding and reception. The goal of your day is to marry the man God has for you. Even if your dress gets stained, the flower girl gets sick, and the cake falls over (ok, take a deep breath-I’m totally exaggerating here, this many mishaps very, very rarely -if ever-happen in one wedding! ;) ), at the end of the day, you are married, girl! And that is all that matters. Not only that, but it is really those things that you will look back on and laugh about. It will be those little memories that you and your husband will reminisce over perhaps the most, and will be those shared memories which cement the two of you together even more. So, rest easy! It really will all be ok in the end, no matter what! :) 

Meal Monday: Homemade Italian Sausage!

As promised last Tuesday, today I am beginning a new weekly feature here on the blog, entitled Meal Mondays, where I'll share a new recipe (or two or three) with you each Monday for you to use to bless your family and friends. I'm super excited about today's recipe, so without further ado, here we go!

We all have several of them: recipes (such as lasagna, pizza, various soups and casseroles, spaghetti, manicotti, and the list goes on) which call for that tasty ingredient known as Italian sausage. But along with that oftentimes comes all the yucky, bad-for-you additives and preservatives found in store-bought Italian sausage, such as, among other harmful things, sodium nitrites, which have been proven to cause colon cancer and many other intestinal problems. In addition, store-bought Italian sausage can be extremely high in fat and calories. Well, now you don't have to worry about all that anymore, because what follows is a super easy, quick, amazingly yummy recipe for homemade Italian sausage! You're welcome. ;) 

Homemade Italian Sausage

1lb.  lean ground turkey or ground beef

2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic (I use the minced garlic from a jar right now, though I want to get out of  doing that)

2 tsp. ground paprika

1/2 tbsp whole fennel seeds (these are not as hard to find as they may seem-most any grocery store or health food store should have them down the spices aisle)

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (or a heaping tsp as I like to do ;) )

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1. Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to blend.

2. To precook for use in recipes, coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray (if you have a cast iron skillet,  use it and do not spray it first!), and preheat over medium heat (or less, if using cast iron-it holds its heat very well!). Add the sausage, and cook, stirring to crumble (or, here's a shout-out to my favorite Pampered Chef item-use the amazing Mix 'N Chop instead!), until the meat is no longer pink. Use as directed in your recipe. Enjoy! :)

A Call to Realness: Going from Picture-Perfect Homemaker to a Woman in Need of Grace

Upon getting married nearly two months ago and undertaking the role of keeper of my home, I have had many thoughts whirling around in my head as to the work and ministry of homemaking. There are countless wonderful blogs out there which so aptly point to the purpose and design God has in mind for the home. These portray the home as a domain of hospitality, dominion, ministry, a place for “transforming souls”, if you will. Indeed, the home is all that and more, and as homemakers, the queens of our homes, the ones whose role it is to make sure our homes are carrying out that calling for which they were created, we have a high and lofty vocation and responsibility on our shoulders. We should take great pride in this, ladies. We are the sole ones whom the Lord has called and equipped to carry out this most important, world-changing mission. Our work is valuable and important, friends! What we do in our homes has the potential to alter the course of nations. But in light of all this, I think we sometimes make a mistake. And that mistake is that we, on our blogs specifically, have the tendency to portray our view of the day-to-day work that must be done in a home as all-glorious, magical, amazing, and fulfilling. Now, don’t get me wrong-we shouldn’t view our work as drudgery. Not at all! Far from it, in fact. Even little things like cleaning the tubs, scrubbing toilets, and washing dishes have an eternal impact on those who enter the four walls of our homes and are a ministry in and of themselves. But when we begin to have blogs depicting the excitement we receive from sweeping the floor for the third time in one day, this is where I begin to feel uncomfortable. 

What I mean is this: while every little aspect of homemaking is indeed valuable, important work which we should delight in and find fulfillment from, no homemaker feels that way at all times. No homemaker wakes up each morning doing jumping-jacks and singing, “Hallelujah, glory be, today the dusting is the thing for me!!” While that may be the attitude for which we should strive, we do not live in a broadway musical and no homemaker has or ever will arrive at that point, living in such a way day after day. It just doesn’t happen. And this brings me to my main point. 

The last thing we want to do in our Christian walk is to act like we have it all together. Like we have somehow arrived at perfection and everyone else would do well to follow in our footsteps. Oh, and if they don’t? Well, that poor, pitiful sinner! Such an attitude, though human and so easy for us to fall into, is the direct antithesis of meekness, grace, love, and compassion-traits for which we should be known. 

So, here’s is my proposition, ladies: let’s be real. Let’s admit it when we’re overwhelmed with all the tasks on our to-do list. Let’s confess it when we need to clean the bathroom, sort the laundry, scrub the baked-on pots and pans, and dust the bookcases when all we want to do is curl up in our recliners with a cup of tea and a good book. Let’s share with a friend about those days when the thought of mopping the kitchen floor detests us and seems empty and pointless and it would be way more fun to go a-pinteresting or to chill out for hours on end on Facebook. Or, hey, how about total honesty-not just sharing that we feel that way sometimes, but telling how we actually give into those feelings sometimes and how there are, in fact, days when the computer screen receives far, far more of our attention than the home we make for our families does. Can I get an amen, ladies? ;) 

As Christians, our mission is to be an ambassador of Christ and to minister to and love others. We are to lift each other up, encourage and edify each other, love on each other, and be a blessing. And the only way we can do that is if we are open with people. If we share with others our own failures, struggles, and weaknesses. There is no glory in portraying oneself as the quintessential homemaker. Certainly we are to strive for such a high and lofty goal and endeavor to be an inspiring example of godly womanhood to others. But the most inspiring women I have met have been those who easily admitted they didn’t have it all together. Who would tell you point blank that they had to rely on the strength of Christ to be all they were called to be and to do all that they were called to do. What made them inspiring? It was the fact that the work of Christ was so evident in their lives-the proof that God is at work and that He will complete the good work in us which He has begun. That we are not alone and without help in the world. 

One of the notions that many brides-to-be have, I think, is the notion that married life will be a fairytale at all times. Now, when you’re married to the perfect man for you and are head over heels in love, marriage can certainly feel that way. But along with marriage itself comes all the responsibilities of keeping a home functioning in working order-many of which one has to carry out when her beloved husband is away at work and things seem decidedly less fun sometimes. And this is something a new bride learns very soon upon coming home from her honeymoon. Because, I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: I do not do jumping jacks and shout for joy at the thought of cleaning the bathtubs. Even in my newlywed state! ;) That is a job I have always struggled with attempting to like, and while things are a little different now that they are my own bathtubs rather than just my parents’, I have nevertheless not grown into an instant lover of bathroom-cleaning!

Herein is the rub. That newly-married girl who finds herself suddenly not quite as enamored with all things homemaking as she thought she would be, could find herself stumbling onto a blog wherein is written article after article on the glories of working at home and begin to feel inadequate or like she doesn’t quite measure up. Now, please understand, that as stated above, I believe in, espouse, and delight in the ministry of working at home and believe all Christian women are to do likewise. But we need realness. We need to know that we are not failures. That there are other women out there who struggle with the same issues we do when it comes to delighting in the home and who also struggle with the thought that we just do the same tasks day after day after day and wonder if our work is really all that profitable. It is when we come clean about those thoughts and admit our struggles that we can gain strength and perspective from others, and in turn lift up and encourage other downtrodden, discouraged women. 

So, ladies, here is what I have in mind: by all means write about the glories of homemaking and the irreplaceable work that is the homemaker’s. Encourage each other and lift each other up by letting fellow ladies know that everything they do at home is worthwhile and important. But also encourage one another in another way-allay other ladies’ fears that there is something wrong with them when they don’t like to dust by being open and honest about your own distaste for mopping (or fill in the blank with whatever it is ;) ). Then lift each other up, express that the other person is not alone and that you, too, have those days, and pray for and encourage each other in your daily walk as keeper at home. We’ll all be the better for it! :) 

New Poll Open Now!

To your right, you'll see a poll asking what you would like to see more of here at Hargraves Home and Hearth. Please be sure to cast your vote! :)

BBQ Chicken and Mac & Cheese!

If you're anything like me, then you just love to try new recipes! I take after my mom that way. ;) I get so excited when I come across something new to make, and, after discovering a new recipe, am just itching to get into the kitchen to try it. So, without further ado, here are a couple new recipes I've recently tried that were big hits here (read: my husband raved and raved about them ;) ).

A couple weeks ago, I made some BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner. I still had plenty of BBQ sauce left over that I needed to use, and so I went a-pinteresting for an oven-baked BBQ chicken recipe.  And this is what I found! :)

Super Moist Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

4 chicken breasts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (can also use good old regular paprika)

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 - 3/4 tsp kosher salt

pepper to taste

1 c. of your favorite prepared BBQ sauce (can be homemade or store-bought)

1. Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag.
2. Combine olive oil, smoked paprika, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl and pour over chicken.
3. Let chicken marinade for at least an hour, up to 24 in the fridge (note: I learned that it can marinate a lot longer and not cause any problems. ;) I had originally placed the chicken in the fridge to marinate on a Saturday night so that we could have it for lunch Sunday after church. My sweet hubby surprised me by taking me out to lunch after church instead, and so I just made the chicken for our dinner Monday night. Marinating the chicken for 48 hours is just fine, trust me. ;) )
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Remove chicken from bag and place in desired dish. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 20 minutes and brush a layer of BBQ sauce on the chicken. Return to the oven and repeat brushing with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes longer. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when read with a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
7. Enjoy! :)

The evening we had the BBQ chicken for dinner, I paired it with broccoli and a brand new Mac&Cheese recipe. It was great!

Skillet Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

3 1/2 c. water, plus extra if needed

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

12 oz. (about 3 c.) elbow macaroni

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp hot sauce (we had Louisiana hot sauce on hand, but you can use what you want)

6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 c.)

6 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 c.)

2 tbsp butter, cut into small chunks

ground black pepper, to taste

1. Bring water, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the macaroni, and 1/2 tsp salt to a simmer in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat (I actually made this all in my deep dish cast iron skillet; it was great! If you choose to do so, do not have it over H heat-you will scorch your food!). Cook at a vigorous  simmer, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender and the liquid has thickened, 9-12 minutes.
2. Whisk the remaining 1/2 c. evaporated milk, the cornstarch, mustard and hot sauce together in a small bowl, then stir into the skillet. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
3. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses, one handful at a time, adding a little water as needed to adjust the consistence of the sauce. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
4. And again, enjoy! :)

If my husband's reaction is any sign, you're going to LOVE these recipes! :) I have to say, I was really pleased myself with how they turned out. The chicken was just as moist when the leftovers were heated up in the oven 2 days later. And I loved that the macaroni could be made start-to-finish in just one pan. We will definitely be having these for dinner again sometime!

You can expect to see many more recipes posted here in the future. Starting next Monday, Hargraves Home and Hearth will feature "Meal Monday"-a post every Monday containing one or two (or three or four.... ;) ) new recipes for you to try in your own home. Stay tuned!

The About Me Page is Now Up and Running!

Go check it out! :)

The Home: A Place for Transforming Souls

Love this! Let's aspire to make our homes into just such a place, ladies! What an honor and a most important job, wouldn't you agree?

"Household life is not primarily a sphere for cooking, keeping things tidy, sweeping and dusting, nursing and training of children, hospitable entertainment of friends, and the thousand things that must be done each day. It is a sphere for transforming souls into radiant Christly beauty!" 

~J.R. Miller, The Shining Light

Confessions of a "Know-it-all"

As noted in my first blog post here at Hargraves Home and Hearth, I began my life in the blogosphere   at the age of 15 with my first blog, By His Grace and For His Glory.  While I still fully support and endorse many of the posts which were written for that blog, others I could not stand by now in good conscience. Looking back at my 15 or 16 year old self, I can see what a know-it-all I was at the time. Not only that, but I can now see areas where I was just plain wrong and definitely erring on the side of legalism in some of my beliefs. In a few of the future posts here on Hargraves Home and Hearth, I would like to address a couple of those topics and share with you what the Lord has been teaching me over the past year or two. These issues include the following ideas:

• The false belief that it is Biblically wrong for a woman to wear pants and that in order to be feminine, a lady must wear only skirts and dresses

• The false belief that it is wrong for women to have any sort of job outside the home

• The false idea that in order to live Biblically between graduation and marriage, a young woman  absolutely must live at home with her parents 24/7, should not attend a college campus, and should not hold down any kind of job outside the home

This post is a little hard for me to write, as for years, these issues were extremely important to me and I fought tooth and nail on my old blog to defend them. But while I wholeheartedly embrace Biblical femininity, teach Biblical roles for women, love to wear skirts and dresses, believe a woman's primary sphere of influence and responsibility is to be the home, embrace the idea that an unmarried young woman would do well to consider remaining at home with her family as she prepares for marriage,  that women would do well to pursue home businesses and higher education at home, etc. etc., I no longer espouse the legalistic stances that I once did in these areas. While this is difficult to post for several reasons, I believe it to nonetheless be a very, very important post to write. The Scriptures alone (and not man-made laws which misconstrue those Scriptures!) are to be our sole basis for our faith and practice. We are not to add to nor take away from anything in Scripture, and it is a serious error on our part when we do so. Problems follow when we take a wonderful Biblical principle and run with it, adding to it our own boundaries and limitations. For this reason as well as my past experience in legalism and the realization of how miserable one can be when stuck in the web of legalism, I desire to address some of these ideas in the near future and pray the Lord will see fit to bless you through those future posts and to bring you closer to His heart and His Word alone.

Blessings!

Mrs. Rebekah Ann Hargraves

A Different Kind of Woman.....

Several years ago when I really began to more actively study the topic of Biblical womanhood and what it means to be a godly woman, Elisabeth Elliot became one of my favorite authors. She can sometimes put things into words as no one else can. What follows is one of my favorite of her quotes. I pray it inspires you today to be different. To be set apart. To be salt and light.

"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman."

For more encouragement, be sure to check out her book, Let Me Be a Woman. It's great!

Hi there, blog world!!! :)

Wow, to be back in the blogosphere again! Or is that back in the saddle again..... Ok, never mind. ;)

Anywho, some of you may remember me as Miss Rebekah Ann S. from www.byhisgraceandforhisglory.blogspot.com. I began that blog at the age of 15 and faithfully posted on it for a few years. In more recent years, life got busy (read, my problem with procrastination grew! ;)) and I would go 6 months or a year at a time without posting anything. Due to this, when I finally went to sign back in to my old blog today (the blogging bug has started to bite again!), I discovered I couldn't even remember my old blog password! I know, I know, pitifully sad, right?

Well, long story short, that issue combined with the fact that I am no longer Miss Rebekah Ann S., but rather Mrs. Rebekah Ann Hargraves (eeeep!), caused me to think that it is time to begin anew. New life=new blog! :)

For those who were familiar with my blog before, you know that my passion was to educate and edify young ladies to be all they could be as Christians, as daughters, as sisters, and as unmarried young women hoping to be married one day with families of their own. The majority of my posts were centered around homemaking, marriage, Biblical womanhood, femininity, the issues with feminism, doctrine, etc. My hope was to inspire young ladies to read up on all these topics, to study the issues of the day so that when they might find themselves getting married and beginning homes and families of their own, they would not despair or feel inadequate to rise to their new tasks. It was (and is!) my firm belief that if we aspire to be godly, wise, strong, industrious, educated wives, mothers, and homemakers, it should be our life's work when we're unmarried young women to do all we can to prepare ourselves for those noble roles and tasks.

Well, now I'm on the other side of things! :) No longer am I the 15 year old girl dreaming about future home and family life, preparing to be married and to run a home of my own. Now I'm a 21 year old woman, married for 3 weeks (yeah, I know, only 3 weeks! ;) ), and working to make our house into a home. I am now a wife, helpmeet, and homemaker-those things I dreamed of being not all that long ago. And, let  me tell you-I do not for one second regret any of the study or preparation I put into becoming equipped for this life! As any of you who read my old blog know, I purposefully chose to not go to college or begin a "career" following high school graduation. Because I felt it was more important for me to prepare for the life's work that I felt the Lord would one day call me to. I spent the nearly 4 years between graduation and my wedding day babysitting; trying new recipes; studying nutrition; immersing myself in history and theology studies; advancing my home business; learning what the Bible had to say about Biblical womanhood and the blueprint the Lord has for us as women; discovering that wives are called to be helpmeets to their husbands, to care for their homes and make them a haven, to delight in, embrace and practice hospitality, and the list goes on. It was my desire to not just sit around pining for that time of my life, but to actually prepare for that life that I so longed to live out. And so, 3 weeks into my marriage, I (and my husband, I'm sure! ;) ) am reaping the benefits of all that study and preparation. If any of you young ladies happen to be reading this and have chosen that uncommon, unpopular path to spend your after-highschool years preparing yourselves for the blessed callings of wife, mother, and homemaker, then take heart! It is hardly all for naught! You will reap the benefits of that choice, I promise you. Because of the preparation I put myself through following high school (and even before that, really), I was able to come home from my honeymoon not dreading homemaking or wondering how on earth I was supposed to feed my husband or trying to figure out what the word "budget" meant and what to do about it. This is not to say that you ladies who entered marriage not really knowing how to do these things are any less than. Not at all! We're all learning new things each day of our lives (or should be! ;) ), and none of us has ever or will ever "arrive". I mean, take me for instance-I may feel at home in the kitchen or behind a sewing machine or when choosing color schemes for my home, but you try to put me behind a drill or screwdriver and tell me to put up a fan or light fixture.....well, let's just say you better have the fire department on speed dial for that one! So, take heart! I say all of this to simply encourage women-young or old-to delight in the roles God designed for them. To desire to be all you can be while living out those roles that were uniquely given to us as ladies.

I have to say, writing this post is so surreal for me. I remember the countless hours sitting in front of my computer screen in my room at my parents' house typing up blog posts for By His Grace and For His Glory, dreaming of the day when I would get to put into practice some of the things I was writing about. And now, here I am sitting in front of my computer in the home I share with my wonderful husband beginning a new blog to go along with my new life as a wife, helpmeet, and homemaker. Isn't God good? I'm reminded so often these days of the beautiful verse in Psalm 37, 'Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.' That verse is so true! And I am living proof of it today.

So, today, as I embark on a brand-new life in blogosphere, I welcome you to join me. Come along on this new journey and discover along with me day by day the riches there are in Christ. The beauty of loving and serving your husband. The joy found in making your house into a home where family, friends, and neighbors alike can come and find themselves refreshed. On this blog, there will be a ton of topics covered. Everything from Christian living, doctrine and theology, Biblical womanhood, marriage, homemaking, cooking and baking, diy projects, health and nutrition, feminism (and what's wrong with it! ;)  ), what it looks like to be a helpmeet, posts on our daily life and happenings at the Hargraves House, and the list goes on. And, of course, there will be plenty of articles directed solely at young, unmarried ladies, as well. Because my passion is still to come along side girls and encourage them in the ways of God.

I don't know about you, but I'm excited! I'm ready to begin this new journey with all of you, and I thank you for choosing to join me in it. I pray it will be a blessing to you!

In Christ alone,

~Mrs. Rebekah Ann Hargraves~

Note: For a little more about my former blog, check out this post.