Feathers in Our Nest

a blog about faith, family, food, & more written by a wife and stay at home mom of five

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I Feel a Little Guilty

February 25, 2013 by Aliesha

I feel a little guilty each time I announce to the world that I’m pregnant.  I know for some (including some of my very dear friends), getting pregnant has not been easy.

Certainly spending the last almost-3-1/2 years either pregnant or breastfeeding has not been easy.
Being sick in the first trimester with each pregnancy and still having to cook for my family has not been easy.
Two natural births with pretty much no paid meds wasn’t easy.
Having engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis while nursing wasn’t easy.
Parenting two under two and (starting in September-ish) parenting three kids three and under is definitely not an easy task.

But getting pregnant has been easy for us so far, and I tend to carry some feelings of guilt about it.

Why would God allow us to conceive so easily when others have been trying for months or years?
Why would God fill our arms with children while the arms of my friends ache for just one baby?

We adamantly believe that God is the author of life and that He is the One who opens and closes the womb. We trust this… really, we do.

But it’s just hard some days when I know that friends are trying to conceive, and I have yet another healthy baby growing inside me.

I’m sure I have blog readers I don’t even know are struggling in this way too.  Just know that I hurt for you as well, and that you are deeply loved.

It is my prayer that you would come to trust, along with me, that God is the One who brings life into this world, and that His timing and sovereign plan are perfect.

“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Psalm 139:15-16

Filed Under: pregnancy

Fast Chocolate Cake in the Microwave (Healthy Edition!)

February 20, 2013 by Aliesha

This post has also been posted on Baking Whole Grains, a site I write for which compensates me for sharing whole grain recipes.  While I receive compensation, this does not influence my opinions.  All photos and directions are my own.

I don’t know about you, but I looooove chocolate.  I also love eating healthy, so when I indulge in a chocolate dessert, I want to know I’m not filling my body with a ton of junk!

I came across a recipe for a single-serving chocolate cake that you make in the microwave.  I adapted it slightly and made it as a treat recently.  I actually made two… one for me, one for Tad.

This is a great way to use up a bit of freshly ground whole wheat flour you don’t want to waste from grinding wheat for another recipe.  I couldn’t tell that it was made with 100% wheat, but I’m sure my body thanks me. 🙂

Fast Chocolate Cake in the Microwave (Healthy Edition!)
   adapted from here

5 tsp. freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 tsp. cocoa powder (I like Penzey’s Dutch process)
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (I use homemade)
2 tsp. pure maple syrup (I used grade A)
3 Tbsp. whole milk
1 Tbsp. (heaping) good quality chocolate chips

Grind wheat in the WonderMill.

In a small ramekin (at least 3 inches wide and 2 inches deep), combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda using a fork to get rid of most lumps.  Add vanilla, maple syrup, and milk and stir well to combine.  Toss in the chocolate chips and stir again.  Microwave on HIGH for 30-60 seconds, depending on your microwave.  (Start with 30 seconds and then add 10 seconds at a time until it’s done. You don’t want it to be too dry.)  Garnish as desired (with whipped cream and/or fresh/frozen fruit) or enjoy by itself.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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This post contains an affiliate link to the grain mill I use and love!

Filed Under: baking whole grains, desserts, healthy eating, recipes

Valentine’s Day Shirts

February 15, 2013 by Aliesha

Isn’t it amazing when God gives us blessings upon blessings… and things we desire but sometimes don’t even pray about because they are so “little”?

This week I was really wanting some cute Valentine’s Day clothes for Vera and Cordelia to wear so I could take some fun photos of them (see that post here).  Sure, they had pink/red shirts they could have worn, and I was okay with that.  Truly.

I almost bought some shirts at a consignment store, but felt silly purchasing something just for one day.  I hadn’t even mentioned this to Tad (or he probably would have told me to just buy the shirts), and it was such a little thing I hadn’t even prayed about it.

Wednesday when I was talking on the phone with a friend, I happened to go through a big bag of hand-me-down clothes that a friend had generously given me for the girls.  (I’m ashamed to admit how long this bag of clothes had been waiting for me to sort through it.)

Near the top of the bag, under a few dresses, were FIVE pink or red shirts with hearts on them (two of which the girls wore in their Valentine’s Day pictures).

I know this seems like such a little thing, but it’s little things like this that remind me how much God truly cares about ALL of the details of our lives (not just the BIG ones!).

God provided Valentine’s Day shirts for my girls… when I didn’t even ask!

I have dozens and dozens of stories like this (and I’m sure you do too!), and I know that God can be trusted to provide for our family in both big and small ways.  Are you trusting Him to provide for you today?

Filed Under: holidays, struggles

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This blog shares our family's story and our journey from newlyweds to a family of seven. We share milestones, we share struggles, we share sweet memories, and we share about our Savior. Keep reading...

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