Celebrate the Warmth! {Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili}

The winter months can bring such a chill to the air, 

but cooking in the kitchen can always add warmth to a soul.

I am enjoying the beautiful landscapes that surround us on every side in our new home in north Idaho. I am also enjoying being able to make "warm" recipes that would have had everyone roasting in Houston, Texas. I am celebrating the warmth with a new recipe I found on the Williams Sonoma "what's in season now" website.

My husband makes a pretty mean chili, but a different spin on chili sounded interested. the sweet potatoes are in season, and the garnishes sounded fresh-tasting. Plus, this recipe looked surprisingly easy to make.

Indeed it was both easy to make, interesting, and delicious! I did make a few changes from the original recipe, so be sure to read both if you are interested in making this chili for yourself.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Home is With the Heart {Video Tour + Pictures!}

Putting our home together has been such a pleasure the past week. I am so blessed to have space, amenities (like running water!), and furnishings.

The real blessing, however, lies in the knowledge that home is where the heart is. My heart is with my husband and our soon to be Earth-side Abigail. I feel so honored to be responsible for the care and overall environment of the place they rest, eat, play, learn, and live. God is truly good!

Without further ado, here's an updated video tour of our home. (Please ignore my breathlessness-- 35 weeks pregnant....) Pictures follow the video along with an explanation of various areas & God's provisions since moving in.

A Couple of Cookies {Apple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip}

After my husband and I had our Shabbath service Friday evening, we invited my family and good friends over for dessert. (Teach your children- and possibly yourself- how to distinguish dessert from desert: remember 'ss' for super sweet!)

My parents and our friend's daughter were the only ones able to come over, so we missed everyone else. But... I enjoyed the company of those who could come.

The original plan was to serve sorbet; however. I had a cookie recipe I wanted to try, and my sweet man wanted Abuelita hot chocolate, so... Bam. Plan changed. :-) We're so flexible. Haha

The cookies were a hit! I called mine 'Apple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip' cookies. They tasted 'light' and had a 'nice flavor,' as my guests remarked. The almond extract also gives them a delicious scent and flavor. And they were all gone by the end of the evening- proof of their tastiness.

You can find the original recipe here, as I did change just a few parts in my version posted in this blog.

Home Progress {Pictures}

"It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home." -unknown

The Hillers have taken up residence & are ready to build a home!

We moved into our new home on Friday, January 16. We are renting a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home with a fenced yard about three blocks from my husband's work. The home also includes a basement, which can be assessed from the outside. The basement is the size of the whole home, without the walls. Water and sewer are included in the rent. We pay the rent, electricity, heating oil, and trash pick up. If you missed my video tour of the home, you can view it here.

When we first viewed the home, we were not impressed with the exterior. In fact, it was a little... ugly. :-) But we definitely liked what we saw on the inside.

Welcome to Our New Home! {Tour}

The Lord is very good to us! Since Friday night, we are sleeping in a new home.

I know our home is 'tiny' by many standards, but it's quite large relative to a motor home the size of a van. I am so excited to make this home our own. We plan to rent it for the long term-- until we find a home /or land we would like to buy or until we can no longer fit in it.

I will post more pictures and videos, as we add touches to our home like curtains, furniture, decorations, and daily living.

Just think... this is the home our daughter will be born in. This is the home where family will visit. This is the home where I'll experiment in the kitchen, becoming a better cook and baker- where I'll explore natural alternatives to the toxic chemicals we place in, on, or around our bodies- where our friends and family will gather and share memories- where our lives will be lived. How exciting!

*Please forgive the quality, shakiness, and low volume of the video. It's only 2 minutes long, as I walk through the house to show you the layout.*

Our Daughter's Name

Google Image

I'm not sure what the scene may have looked like, as the woman fell on her face before the future king. He and his men came with swords and vengeance; she came with gifts and humility.

The Bible describes this woman as "a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance," despite her husband's stubborn and ungodly nature. She is the epitome of Biblical submission and diplomacy. Jewish tradition reveres her as one of the most intelligent and beautiful women of their history. Her name means "father's joy" or "gives joy."

December 2014 Life Update!

What do you do when you've travelled four days, need to use the restroom, and there's no running water at your destination?

Hello, John. My name is Jill.

You use an outhouse.... Welcome to our December 2014!

The outhouse on my family's property.

Quick Blurb on Submission

Our family faces a lot of changes in this new year. Of course, with changes come decision-making.

Decision making can be a hot topic in some families, and submission seems to be a filthy word to some.

Biblical submission is not about a step ladder of authority, inferiority and superiority, or control. 

Biblical submission is about trust and peace and being empowered in who Christ has made a man (husband) and a woman (wife) to be. 

I can become completely obsessed with a decision that needs to be made, but when I say, 'Handsome, I trust that you're going to make the decision you believe is best for us.' I receive so much peace. 

I am thankful for a husband who hears my thoughts, discusses decisions with me, but ultimately takes the lead and responsibility(!) of the decision. I find that the husband's role is so much more difficult than a wife's role, and I am tremendously appreciative of my husband!

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

32 Weeks Pregnancy Update!

The time of our darling child's arrival is approaching quickly, and this mama-to-be is still getting settled in her new home. 32 weeks of pregnancy completed and counting! I have LOTS to share in this pregnancy update!

December 25, 2014-- photography from a friend

All About Baby

Our sweet child is 32 weeks old and will be 33 weeks old either this Wednesday or this Friday. 

At 22-23 weeks, we had our first ultrasound. My husband and I considered our options for finding out baby's gender. Ultimately, we decided that, since this child is our first and because we are only having one ultrasound, we would like to know the baby's gender so that the technician can point everything out to us on the ultrasound. During the ultrasound, our baby was active as ever-- kicking and moving about. 

The baby gave us plenty of opportunities to see that.... SHE'S a GIRL! She is definitely the sweetest, cutest darling I have ever (sort of) seen. During the ultrasound, she was sucking in amniotic fluid with adorable pursed lips. At one point, she also yawned, which stole mine and her daddy's heart.

Everything on the ultrasound looked "perfect" in the words of the technician. We are so excited to meet our daughter whenever she arrives. Judging by her movements in my womb, I know what a spirited, active child we are about to have. Thankfully, she will have the majority of my time and devotion with my new occupation-- stay at home wife/mom!

Now that we know her gender, we have also chosen a name. I will create a separate post with her name and the story(ies) behind her name soon.

All About Mama-To-Be

Some women hate pregnancy and find it miserable.... I am definitely NOT one of those women! I feel great. I feel like I look great. I am enjoying my pregnancy thus far-- and I'm almost through. The Lord has been very good to me to give me a healthy child, a healthy pregnancy, and peace!

At my last appointment, I am measuring right on target (still a little on the smaller side). I have gained one pound each week of the last two months.

December 25, 2014-- photography from a friend

I have had a few rough spots in the pregnancy.... In my first trimester, I experienced all day morning sickness and extreme motion sickness. The sickness completely went away two days into my second trimester. Hallelujah! In my second trimester, I was also working full time and experienced chronic fatigue. Toward the end of my second trimester, I decided to visit the chiropractor to get aligned for an optimal labor and birthing experience. Interestingly, the thermal scan revealed that several vertebrae in my back and neck were misaligned and could cause chronic fatigue. After about three weeks of consistent chiropractic care, my bed time began to become normal again.

This third trimester, though, has been so occupied with the move to north Idaho and trying to become settled in a home that I've scarcely had a moment to think about what's going on with the pregnancy. Of course, I am ever aware of our sweet daughter;'s presence, but I have not thought about how I'm feeling or what may be going on with my body. I feel like my normal self-- just with a belly.

Unfortunately, I am not quite my normal self, although I am not experiencing anything too terrible. 

At my most recent midwife prenatal appointment (more on the midwife next!), I learned that I am anemic. My iron levels were 9 (units unknown), which is below the normal 12 (units unknown). My midwife recommended that I take Floradix Iron + Herbs. She will be reassessing my iron levels at my next appointment (two weeks from last appointment). My midwife said that she looks at a pregnant woman's iron levels to determine how she will do in the postpartum period.

My midwife also recommended that I consume more protein. She likes a pregnant woman to consume at least 60-80g of protein a day. She uses the Garden of Life Raw Meal (vanilla flavor) and recommended it to me, so I bought a large container of it. At first, I found that I was having to supplement with the raw meal at least twice a day. (If you are wondering, yes! It is tasty.) Since becoming more aware of my protein intake, however, I have not had to take the raw meal the last two days. I have made my breakfasts larger to include an egg, oatmeal, and fruit with peanut butter. I am trying to eat more meat than I usually would, too. So far, my protein has been over 60g each day.

In addition to the iron + herbs supplement and raw meal protein, I drink my red raspberry leaf tea religiously and take my Garden of Life raw prenatal not so consistently. I began drinking one cup of red raspberry leaf tea every day at 20 weeks. Since 30 weeks, I have tried to drink a double brew of the tea daily. My midwife says I will begin drinking large batches of the tea starting at 35 weeks. As for my Garden of Life raw prenatal... out of sight, out of mind, unfortunately. Our new, but temporary home is very small. I put the prenatals in a cabinet and continued to forget to take them. Now, I have put them on the counter top, and I am beginning to take them again. I was taking cod liver oil; however, we accidentally left the bottle in the refrigerator when we moved from Texas to Idaho.

Last of all, I have just recently (within the past two weeks) begun experiencing mild to severe right rib pain. One night in particular was extremely painful, and I could not fall asleep for the longest time. I looked up this symptom, and apparently it is a common complaint in late pregnancy. As the uterus pushes up and out, my poor ribs have very few places to retreat to.  The pain is not constant throughout the day and usually only comes in the evening. I have found that lifting my right arm above my head helps relieve the pain. Also, in severe circumstances, I kneel on my knees with my knees and head on the ground in an A frame of sorts. I find a lot of relief in that position. I'm hoping that going to the chiropractor regularly will also relieve this pain.

My youngest sister built a pregnant snow woman for me. I think her belly may be bigger than mine, but hey-- we look good together! haha :-)

All About Our Situation (Pregnancy Related)

Our first midwife was not willing to travel from Texas to Idaho for the birth of our daughter (haha-- we were not expecting her to), so we had to find a new midwife in the area. Thankfully, north Idaho moms often use a midwife, and so we had several women to choose from. The Lord brought our current midwife, Kim, into our focus shortly after we moved. You can find information about her and her care on her website. We are loving the experience and knowledge she is bringing to this pregnancy. She is also faith-based, and we feel very comfortable with her.

In Texas, we were planning a homebirth. Since moving to Idaho, we have been living in a motor home (without running water). I thought I might give birth in a birthing center. The nearest birthing center is over an hour away, though, which may not be the most comfortable or safest ride of my life.... We are planning to move into a new home (hopefully within the week), and we will have our midwife travel to our home for our desired homebirth.

Also, with the move and the holidays, my husband and I have found ourselves in one another's company all day long. What a treat!! In a way, we are experiencing an unplanned babymoon. I'm not sure if we will have an official babymoon with our precious girl coming soon and with the expense of the move. The time with my wonderful husband has been priceless!

Until Next Time...

Be on the look out for the story of our daughter's name. I would also like to share our birth plan and vision in a future post.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

We've Made a Move!

We have moved! Yes... my darling husband and I have traded traffic and hastiness for wildlife and slow paced-living.

Where are we now?

As the photograph suggests, we are in the beautiful panhandle of Idaho. We are surrounded by mountains, natural bodies of water, evergreen trees, snow (for the season), quaint communities, and personable people. Sounds attractive, doesn't it? We thought so, too.

Why the move?

For the short explanation of our move: my husband's employment. For the long explanation of our move: my husband's employment, slower pace of life, family-oriented lifestyle, nature, and looking for like-minded believers.

When did we move?

We moved December 13, 2014. My last day of work was Friday, December 12. We finished loading our blessing Dodge Grand Caravan that Saturday morning and were on the road by 3pm. Moving in the middle of December seems a little crazy when north is the destination; however, we had a safe and comfortable drive.

Pictures?

Absolutely! I actually did not take too many pictures, and I did not edit any of these pictures. Please enjoy a few photographs that document our travels.

Texas

Texas is so large! We took Saturday and Sunday to get out of Texas. We stayed in a bed and breakfast our first night of travelling. Breakfast was delicious! The majority of our second day of travelling was actually in a mechanic's shop.... Our brakes were feeling kind of funny. Sure enough! The rear brakes were not correctly aligned, and the extra weight of our loaded down van were causing the front brakes to overwork.

Part of leaving work included writing one week's worth of detailed lesson plans for the substitute.

Our first glimpse of snow! Not really. Texas "snow"- cotton. Memphis, TX

Adrian, TX- just east of the New Mexico/Texas border

New Mexico

Because of our lengthy layover in Texas (for our brakes), New Mexico took us the rest of the second day. We also experienced 35-40mph winds with 60mph gusts just east of Albuquerque. Brrr... how cold! Even with our weighed down van, we could feel the resistance against the wind. Since we were heading directly into the wind, our miles per gallon exponentially decreased during that stretch of road. We stayed at a hotel our second night.

When we noticed that our gasoline was draining quickly due to the wind, we looked for a gas station immediately. Before my sweet husband got out, he geared up to face the wind-- fuzzy hat, coat, scarf, and gloves. I thought we would be blown away each time he opened the door. He thought he would be blown away every time he got out of the van!

The land was mostly flat with some large slopes. At one point, we saw all these lights from a city... But there were no cities around, and Albuquerque was still 60 miles away.  It was Albuquerque! Wow...

Our first view of mountains just south of the Colorado border!

Colorado, Utah, southern Idaho, & Montana

The third day of our journey included four different states. We woke up in New Mexico (just south of the Colorado border) and went to bed at a quaint hotel in Montana. Day three was definitely the most scenic!

Durango, CO-- This town would be interesting to visit for a while!

Mancos, CO-- SNOW!

Mancos, CO

Guess where we are now?! Such a beautiful state....

The photograph cannot quite capture this moment-- We saw the red coloring of the clays and rock structures, the greens of trees, and the blue/white hues of the mountains. Monticello, UT

One of my favorite structures that we saw on the trip! Monticello, UT

Dealing with the sun when wearing glasses doesn't have to be a necessary evil-- just wear your sunglasses over your glasses. Salt Lake City, UT

The Rocky Mountains were beautiful in Salt Lake City, UT.

We stayed at a quaint hotel in Dillon, MT. The snow and cold were definitely present! Ice, too....

Dillon, MT

Last Day of Travel!

After leaving Dillon, MT, we did not have much longer to travel. The Pacific Northwest terrain definitely began to take precedence as we drove nearer to the Idaho/Montana border. 

St. Regis, MT- We stopped in at a travel store to use the restroom. It had an interesting gift shop (that I would love to visit and purchase items from!) and restaurant (we didn't eat there), too.

Couer d'Alene, ID

We're Here! (North Idaho)

Our last day of travel included a small portion of Montana and the remaining distance to our destination in Idaho. (Our location is undisclosed for privacy.) A generous and gracious friend welcomed us into her home while our current (and still temporary) home was being fixed up. (THANK YOU, dear friend!!!!!!) Here are a few pictures of our new home!

On the day we arrived...

After a snow... :-)

Living Life to the Fullest

We are now in our new home (location-wise, we will be moving into a different structure soon). I am so thankful for safe travels and to be in a slower-paced, friendly place. I am so glad we will be able to bring our first child into the world in this peaceful area. Whether we stay in this area or move on in the future, the Lord knows. As for know, I am living life to the fullest to the extent that I can.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Faith Section Up!

Hello, friends!

It's Up-- Finally!

I am excited about a new addition to our blog-- the Faith section. Since this blog's creation a year ago, the Faith section has simply said "Under Construction." Today, the Faith section actually has a brief blurb about our faith and a link to one of our study documents.

The Vision

My hope is that rather than creating long "articles of faith" statements, we can document the research we have done into various topics and share them with others. For example, instead of stating: "We believe that a, b, and c are foundational the Christian living," we can provide a link to a document with all the research and study that we have personally done that has guided our beliefs.

Understanding another person's perspective is a lot easier when you can see their "trail of thoughts" leading up to their perspective. Our thought behind posting our trail of thoughts is so that we can continue learning. We welcome your thoughts and studies on the various topics we post, as well.

We believe that it's not about "being right." The purpose of study is knowing Christ and drawing closer to Him. That's it. We humbly share our beliefs and studies. We will not be offended should you disagree with our beliefs and definitely not be offended if you humbly share your own beliefs and studies.

So I hope you enjoy the Faith section and check it periodically for new studies.

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel

Summing Up Autumn 2014

Long time, no see friends!

Life has been busy and full this past Autumn with teaching at the elementary school and expecting our sweet child. We've had some HUGE changes, but since I have not blogged in so long... I will have to make all our updates in separate posts. Stay tuned!

Escaping the Stress

If I could sum up Autumn 2014 with few words, I would say "stressed, but blessed." With my first year of teaching came lots of personal and professional growth opportunities, which I welcomed wholeheartedly. I have a choleric personality, and I am always striving to be efficient, productive, take initiative, and become a better person.

That being said, I experienced excessive fatigue through constant working and trying to grow a baby at the same time. By November, I was going to bed around 6pm-- completely exhausted upon lying down and upon rising the next morning.

The only way I could stay sane was to keep a balance between work and home. I started leaving work earlier and earlier to counter balance my earlier and earlier bed time. After leaving work, I would come home and my husband and I would try to get out and go somewhere to walk around and such. We went to several parks and green spaces to help clear my head and relax before I would be heading to bed....

The Farm

One of the places we enjoyed going was to a farm just north of our home. We bought our milk, butter, eggs, and kefir from the farm and also enjoyed petting some of the animals.

Down South....

We also enjoyed going down toward the coast and visiting with my husband's mom and family.

The Arboretum

Our community had a large arboretum that we regularly visited. The arboretum consisted of a planted/planned garden and flower area with several acres of wild plants, tall trees, and trails. 

The Woodlands

The river walk in the Woodlands is a beautiful man-made green space (although, admittedly, there is a lot of concrete, too). The river walk is often lit by trees wound with lights. During the holiday season, we also enjoyed seeing multi-colored water fountains that played holiday tunes.

And Just Around Town

We spent time just hanging around town-- Hermann Memorial Park, Old Town Spring, and the like.

Stressed, but Blessed

So cliche, I know... but how else can I describe a time in my life that was filled with such stretching and growing? Change can be stressful, but it can also be a blessed time.

I am so thankful for my sweet husband leading our family and helping me to keep my perspective balanced and positive. When I didn't feel confident in my abilities to teach well-- when I mourned not being able to make our home ours (for lack of energy)-- when I was upset with myself for being so tired and forgetful, he loved me and encouraged me. What a darling man he is! 

And how so like our Savior.... Jesus looks at the inward man and considers our nature. He does not nitpick our shortcomings or cause more tension on stress. Rather, He is our peace and calm and strength. He teaches us through the seasons of our life and loves us unconditionally as we change as a result of His loving influence. I am so thankful for the way of the Lord! He is so good.

I hope that when you experience seasons of stress, that you, too, find the blessings and balance. Life is often experienced in seasons, and you may not dwell in the same season for long. Trust in God and lean on His understanding!

God bless you and keep you,

~Raquel