Happily Ever After

it has happened!

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

the chair rail that is!

I'm soooo in love with it!

Still need to do the caulking but you can barely tell!

before:

and now: (please ignore the laundry in the corner and crap on the table!)

I need to find a new light.

Looked today at Home Depot but there wasn't a single one that I was in love with.

Anyone have suggestions as to where I should look? Besides Lowes or Home Depot.

(This bottom picture is an iPhone shot, the upper picture shows the true colors of the walls and furniture)

baby nursery

2012-02-08T20:57:00.000-06:00

I have the itch to start on a nursery.

Oh how it would have been nice if we knew what gender this little bean is!

Here is my inspiration photo:

This room is amazing isn't it!?!?!? Our guest room is painted that green color already, and we have this amazing window so the long pink curtains will look amazing! And that tree? Yes, definitely worth loathing over! Pretty sure we'll be finding a chandelier as well!

Here is the room that we'll be turning into a nursery, as long as the bean is a girl... if not, this room will get turned into Logan's.

Speaking of girl.... according to the Chinese Calendar this little bean is a GIRL! :-)

(I'm not superstitious at all.....well, maybe this one time I will be)

Oh, and this is my 20 week belly shot..... (2 weeks ago)

I got my referral to an endocrinologist yesterday, time to go in and see if I can go the rest of my pregnancy without having my thyroid mass biopsy'd again until after the bean is born. The talk at the end of the summer was biopsy it one more time and then remove the right thyroid gland.

Yuck yuck yuck....

Crossing fingers that we can just wait awhile longer before anything drastic happens!

extreme home make-over

2012-01-28T16:18:00.000-06:00

It's taking place in MY house! I'm sooooo excited, can't even describe it! :-)

We bought our house in October 2009 and we had these amazing visions for what we were going to do. Needless to say, the list of about 4,000 "to do's" is only down to about 3,995 Sad right? almost pathetic.

Right away I painted all of the rooms (minus our bathrooms). The dining room I did a 1/2 and 1/2 paint job so that we could put chair railing up. It has sat like that through numerous parties etc and every time I cringe when I see the wall....

before

after

Isn't that white line of paint beautiful? lol

Well today we made a pit stop at the Home Depot and bought the chair rail I picked out TWO years ago! People, let me tell you, it cost us a whopping $32! Laziness is truly the issue here.

It's leaning against the wall in the dining room so hopefully, maybe by the end of this weekend?, we'll have it up on the walls!

Next up: painting the trim room by room. I love me some white trim and cannot wait to have all of the trim be white.

After that: new flooring in the bathrooms and kitchen. I picked out ceramic tiles for the rooms and have saved the pictures along with prices, and stare longingly at the pictures. Today the hubs actually measured all the rooms we'll be tiling, the tile alone for all of the rooms is only $387.00! For reals? We've waited nearly 2 1/2 years to tile because we thought it would be THOUSANDS!

So because we're tiling rookies we're going to start one room at a time, first up is the hall bathroom. Super tiny, and super square, should be a good start right? (minus the sink and toilet but whatevs, we'll figure it out!)

Pictures to come, I can't wait to share!

Also, need some tips/suggestions. Our stairway will be getting a facelift as well, we're trying to figure out what parts we should paint white, or should we live it all stained? And how about the carpet? Pull all of that up and do a runner? Decisions decisions!

So let me have it readers, I need suggestions!

our little bean

2012-01-20T13:05:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we had our sonogram to see how the baby is doing, I'm 19 weeks pregnant now. We managed to stick to our guns and NOT find out the baby's gender! Man that was one of the toughest choices I've made and it's gonna be a really long 5 months waiting to find out what we're having! We're pretty excited about this new addition. If this is a boy we are 100% sure on the name choice. As we talked about our girl name last night it turns out we are back up for options! lol We have this amazing guest bedroom, it has 2 closets and a fantastic window and really high ceilings. When we moved into this house our oldest son asked to have that room, and me being the "amazing" mom that I am told him no. My reasoning: it would be a perfect room for a daughter! Sad isn't it? So we decided that if this baby is a boy we're giving that guest room to Logan and we'll turn Logan's old room into the new baby's nursery. One of the toughest things about this pregnancy, no nursery to get ready, no shopping to do. It's kinda sad! Just gotta keep enjoying the little kicks this baby is blessing with me and focus on baby names.... hopefully time goes fast cause I can't wait to meet this angel! :)

What's in a name?

2011-12-19T17:26:00.000-06:00

Sage: Wise One

Kristen: Christ Bearer

Logan: Small Cove

Riley: A Small Stream

our boy choice: can't say cause it would give the actual name away! lol

our girl choice: gift from God

We have picked our names!!!! YAY! I love them both so much, kinda wish we were having twins, one of each so that I could use both names! :) As of now we aren't going to tell anyone our name choices, we're still trying to decide if we'll wait until the day the baby is born for the big name reveal. We figure since we aren't finding out the gender of the baby until then we might just keep everything else a secret!

What's happening this week?

2011-12-14T19:22:00.000-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along: 14 weeks, Hello Second Trimester!

Size of Baby: a lemon!

Maternity Clothes: Nope! I can still wear all of my clothes, some of them aren't as comfortable anymore but it's still a possibility!

Gender: To be determined. We have decided not to find out what sex the baby is, we'll see if we can stick to it. I'm excited for that surprise but super excited to find out if we're having a boy or a girl!

Movement: According to my weekly updates, he/she is moving around lots but I haven't felt it yet

Sleep: Sleep fine except for my once a night potty break!

What I miss: Nothing so far, wait...... maybe wine

Cravings: nothing specific yet.... I love Vanilla Dr Pepper from Sonic.

Symptoms: heartburn has kicked in already, especially at night when I'm trying to lay down!

Best Moment(s) This Week: I've been home a lot lately! Work keeps canceling, so besides missing my income I'm loving my time at home!

2011-12-01T18:11:00.000-06:00

yesterday I was 12 weeks along, can you believe it? 12 weeks already.... man this is going fast! How have things been going? They're good! I dealt with some sickness at about weeks 6-8, ick is all I can say. Not once have I had morning sickness with kids, this go around it was the all day sickness. And worse at night, which was fantastic for me since I work nights. I'm gonna confess, yes, I threw up in a patient's bathroom. Not my finest moment! I have no belly yet but my boobs are definitely growing! It's making some of my work clothes slightly uncomfortable. I'm in a wedding this Saturday, let me just tell you.....when you order your bridesmaid dress and you are 4 weeks pregnant, order the dress one size bigger. Seriously, the headache I would have saved myself! Luckily David's Bridal worked their magic, got me the same dress from another store and in one day had it sized down from a 20 to me (haha, yeah right, like I'd really put my size on here!). While working their magic was fantastic, it was quite costly. So once again, always order one size bigger!!!!!

So this was my baby update, more life updates to come..... hope you stay tuned! :)

Coming Soon....

2011-11-24T18:56:00.000-06:00

a baby!!!!!!

Miracle baby is on it's way, due date June 13th

To say that we are thrilled is an understatement. This little blessing was a year in the making and we were starting to lose hope, he/she is truly a miracle!

The sonogram above was at 7 weeks along, we're 11 weeks now. I can't wait for another one so I can show you something with arms and legs! :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all, I know I have tons to be thankful for this year!

how'd I do on my yearly goals?

2011-11-16T10:18:00.000-06:00

HA! All I can do is laugh when I see that on my side bar! So, let's see....

~ run a 1/2 marathon - absolutely won't be happening. I haven't continued with my running at all this year

~ read 3 books - haven't opened even 1, so getting 3 in between now and 2012 just isn't looking too promising

~ finish Riley's Christmas stocking - haven't worked on it once.... I suck. But, have faith, maybe I'll get it done before Christmas!

~ lose 30 pounds (as of June I've reached my goal!) - I actually had reached this goal, pretty proud of myself. However, summer was tough and I gained some back. Still down 20lbs but would really like to be back where I was in June!

~ learn to deal with the 2 most difficult people in my life - still a work in progress but at least things are better!

So how are your goals going this year?

3rd annual Turkey Dinner

2011-11-15T09:34:00.000-06:00

Is taking place this Saturday! Guess that means I should go get a turkey huh? I've been waiting for Walmart or Dillons to put theirs on sale but it seems this year no one is having the turkey sale! Can you believe that? What is this world coming to? :(

One friend is bringing mashed potatoes, another is bringing green bean casserole. So I handle the rest. What are you favorite holiday dishes? Here's what's on my menu, but I'm not opposed to changing things up a little so don't be afraid to give me some ideas!

The obvious - Tom the Turkey
stuffing
gravy
rolls
pies - but what kind should I make? pumpkin - yes - but I'd like multiple desserts this time

should I make a fruit salad?
do people really like sweet potato casserole?

Let your ideas flow! :)

where has the time gone?!

2011-11-12T20:08:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I've posted! Wow do I have a lot to share! Let's go back to September from where I last left off.....

I was very excited to meet my new nephew! Elijah Rush was born 9-11-11, he's quite the handsome man!

Also a few weeks before that we brought home our 3rd Boston Terrier.... yes I know you're saying THREE!!!! It's a long story, but we have her and we love her!

Riley turned 3!!!!!

and also got Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.... oh my goodness, if you haven't seen this I pray for your sake you never go through it. This poor child was miserable. He had this back in September and still has some of the side effects from it. These pictures were from the beginning of the sickness, I should have taken some in the middle but forgot. Poor kid had these bumps on his bottom too.... :(

I turned 30 in October, holy smokes! The big 3-0....and I'm gonna admit. I seriously didn't have a problem turning 30, but it seems like ever since then life has given me tons of hurdles. I just keep climbing over them and hope that one day things will get easier.

The kids and I spent a day at the Renaissance Festival, sooo much fun!

October also brought Halloween! Logan was a skeletor, yeah I don't really know what that is either, and Riley was Lightening McQueen!

October also brought the end to my time at my job, I found a job that was closer to home (I have been driving an hour each way). So far the transition has been far from easy. I ask for prayers in giving me strength to keep it up, and if nothing else, prayers that something brighter comes my way soon.

Here are a few other pictures from the last 2 months that I wanted to share....

Mexico

2011-09-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago we flew out to Mexico with 25 of some of our closest friends :) What an amazing time! We were at the El Dorado Royale in Riviera Maya, such a beautiful resort! The weekend before flying out was the wedding of some of our favorite people. Their wedding was on a lake, it was quite lovely!

hubs and me at the rehearsal dinner

Abbie (the bride) and myself

on our limo ride to the wedding

first meal in Mexico!!!!

a few of us lovely ladies...

the happy couple! :)

hanging out at the swing bar

and of course, I made sure we went horse back riding!

just a peak at what I've been doing...

2011-09-19T11:44:00.000-05:00

advice please

2011-09-06T11:54:00.000-05:00

My husband and I own a 2nd house that we use as a rental. About 6 weeks ago we chose to evict the people that were in it. They were out of contract and their payment history was pretty awful. When they moved in a year ago I let them paint on the condition that they re-paint when they left. Their deposit was $600.00. When we went over to change the locks after they moved out we discovered that they didn't re-paint at all. So I was left with a red kitchen, purple room, blue room, and gray room. Fun. They also appeared to have stopped mowing the yard they day we evicted them.... no joke, grass was about 2-3 feet tall. They didn't take all of their stuff out of the house and they definitely didn't clean. A carpet that has always cost me $250 to have cleaned cost me $340 this time because it was so gross. So here is the problem, today the ex-renter texts me and asks me when I'm giving her back her deposit. Seriously? I can't even respond because I'm so frustrated and I don't want to say something I shouldn't. So, what would you do? Give any of it back? The professional cleaners quote was $125, the carpet was $340. Guess I should get a quote for a painter now, and then a mower. I'm torn... help!

the one where I say goodbye

2011-09-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

Turns into the one where I fill you in on life... again....

I logged on tonight deciding that it would be my last post, but then I started catching up on what I've missed for the last few weeks.... Newlywoodwards are moving into their beautiful home! I've loved watching their progress and can't wait to see all of the finishing touches.... Shannon at Living My Life on Purpose, her little girls are so precious.... Jenny at Lucky In Love, well she was probably my first bloggie friend and I love watching her precious Natalie keep getting bigger!

So I've decided I'll keep blogging, at least for now.

What's new with me? Well, everyone else talks about their engagements and their jobs and their pregnancies.... me, well I'm just trying to get pregnant! You'd think (at least I do) that a person who already has 2 babies that it would be easy to get pregnant again. Well you are thinking wrong! This past month was our first go around with fertility drugs and I'm sad to say that we weren't successful. I had to go in for lab work this week and unfortunately my progesterone level wasn't as high as it needs to be, bummer, but, we'll try again. We do talk about adoption every now and then, especially now that we're a year into this process.... but we'll see!

We're about to have a new family member! Remember my gender reveal party? It's hard to believe but Emily and Lonnie are about to welcome their new bundle of joy any day now! Induction is scheduled for the 11th if he doesn't come on his own. This makes me very happy because Sage and I are flying out on the 12th to head to Mexico for a week... I've been pretty worried for the last 9 months that I would miss Eli's grand entrance! Lucky for me, and I think for Eli too, I'll still be in Kansas! ;)

Work.... well work is work. I'm adjusting/adapting, this is new for me. I used to work full time but that hasn't been for 2 1/2 years. It's a big adjustment and I'm working on coping with the struggles that I'm having because of this. Sage is finally back to work, for at least a month now, and we couldn't be happier! He was always so depressed not being able to work every day.

Anyone remember that I own a second house that we use as a rental? Well we do, and about 6 weeks ago I evicted them they had to be out today. Holy mess.... they must have quit mowing the yard about 6 weeks ago, they left all of their trash, they didn't clean or repaint. Can we say, sorry no deposit return for you!

So that's it in a nutshell.... I'm going to try and get better at blogging again. Tasty Tuesday was fun but I've neglected to upload photos of my recipes... finding that extra 5 minutes is tough I tell ya ;)

Hope that everyone has a great weekend!!!!

party party!!!!

2011-08-18T19:11:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning I'll be pulling out of town with a load full of some of my besties! Remember me telling you about my friends Jace and Abbie that are getting married? Well I did! :) I'd link you to the post but seriously, I'm just lazy and don't want to search for it. Pathetic I know. So, the wedding is in just 3 weeks!!!! Yes, in less than a month they'll be saying "I Do" on a dock with a beautiful lake behind them, and then just 2 days after that we'll all be flying out to Mexico for a "Party-Moon! I cannot wait! So back to me pulling out of town, yep, 11 of the finest ladies I know will be helping Abbie by hosting her a fantastic bachelorette party that will last all weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks! WOO HOO!!!!! I cannot wait, good times to be had and all in less than 24hrs!

So..... here's to seeing you on the flip side!

Abbie and I at her bridal shower

2011-08-17T12:07:00.002-05:00

oops! I missed a Tasty Tuesday! Am I the only one who noticed? I will return with it soon.... hopefully!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

looking in....

2011-08-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

do you ever feel like your standing outside a glass box looking in at your life passing by? Man it's going FAST! Things are good with me, work is keeping me busy and stressed, I'm staying busy trying to keep up with my kids, keeping up with friends, and then I have to find the time for me and Sage. Seriously, 24 hrs in a day isn't near enough! I'd love to get a day where I just sit around and do nothing, but man what a waste that would be! lol

School starts next week for Logan, can you believe he'll be in 2nd grade! Yeah, me neither. I'm so bummed, I have to work the night before his first day, which means I can't get back into town early enough to take him in and walk him to class. Stupid hour + drive, I need to find something closer :(

Next weekend I'm heading out for a weekend long bachelorette party at the Lake of the Ozarks, I can't wait! This will be my first time down at the lakes, I've heard it's amazing! In a little over a month I'll be flying out to Mexico!!!!! To say I'm excited is a complete understatement!

Well this is just a quick update, I hope to start blogging more often but seriously, I just don't have the time!

Oh.... still working on the making a baby thing, it's been almost a year long process and we're really getting no where. Who knew that at 29 I'd quit ovulating? Makes me wonder what 30 will bring?

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Chicken Bake

chicken thighs (however many you want, I used 8)

cream of chicken soup

can of rotel

1/2 - 1 c cheddar cheese

salsa

1. place chicken in 9x13 baking dish (I also seasoned with garlic & onion salt first)

2. spread cream of chicken soup over all pieces

3. then top with rotel

4. sprinkle cheese over top, then top with salsa (I didn't have salsa)

5. Bake at 425 for 40-50 minutes

The Review:

Oh my goodness, this one makes my mouth water as I type this. It is soooo good! Kids all loved it, made for great leftovers.... We made some plain pasta and then used the sauce from the chicken to put on the pasta. This will be one of our new favorites, something easy we can make weekly!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pork Chop Bake

4 Pork Chops

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Lipton Soup Mix (I didn't have this so omitted it)

Garlic Salt

Onion Salt

1. Season your chops with garlic and onion salt

2. pour soup on bottom of 9x13 baking dish, place pork chops in dish (I sprinkled with Italian Seasoning, but if you have the Lipton mix this is where I would use that)

3. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes

The Review:

I never got to try this one, I made it when I worked a 3-day stretch and just never took it in for dinner. My husband and kids all enjoyed the meal though! They ate it as leftovers as well and said it was just as good as the first day! (Obviously this is a pretty basic way to make pork chops, but it's a meal that I made so it's making the cut and gets a spot on the blog! :)

The pasta salad above I've been making for years.... scrumptious!

any type of pasta you'd like (1/2 a pound will work, or 1lb will make leftovers!)

can of peas

canned or fresh chicken, if fresh it needs to be cooked and shredded

mayo

mustard

pepper and salt to taste

1. Cook the pasta, drain, rinse with cold water

2. drain can of peas, add to pasta

3. add shredded chicken to pasta

4. add mayo and mustard, along with pepper and salt, garlic/onion salt works as well.... there are no measurements here, it's all to make it to taste

We love this pasta! It's easy to make, lasts a long time, and tastes oh so good!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

Taco Pie

1 package of crescent rolls

1 lb ground beef

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

8 oz shredded mexican style cheese blend

1 (14 oz) bag tortilla chips, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Lay crescent roll dough flat on bottom of 13x9 cake pan and bake according to package directions

3. Meanwhile brown the ground beef in large skillet, add the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and cheese, then top off with the crushed nacho chips.

4. Return to oven and bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

The Review:

YUM!!!!! I know my reviews all are starting to sound the same, but really, what else I can I say? The food tastes great, it was good the next night as leftover, both kids ate it, husband devoured his.... seriously, that's how you know if it's a good recipe or not!

Nutritional:

Servings: 8

Calories: can't we just skip this one? 687 :(

Fat: 43.4g

Cholesterol: 100mg

Sodium: 863mg

Carbs: 50.6g

Fiber: 3.6g

Protein: 24.4g

After reading this nutritional info will any of you even try it? :-)

: recipe recommends using your taco toppings with this as well, lettuce, tomato.... just sprinkle on top...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

Jumbalaya

2 packages of Jumbalaya mix

2 packages of Kielbasa (sausage)

1. follow the instructions on the boxes..... this is as easy as it gets people! :-)

However.... I made an error when I grabbed my 2 boxes of mix..... and I'm gonna recommend this way to all my readers!

1 package of Jumbalaya mix

1 package of red beans & rice mix

(these are right next to each other on the shelf)

FANTASTIC!

Even my kids liked it! Makes for great leftovers as well..... the way that I made this (doubled recipe) gave us dinner for like 3 or 4 nights.... I'm a night nurse so I try and make a large meal the night I go into work so that the boys will have things to eat for the next day or two!

quick vacation

2011-07-15T08:00:00.026-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we loaded up along with my sister and her kids, my other sister & my mom, and headed to St Louis, MO. We headed out of town around 5 am and by 10:30 am we were walking into the City Museum!

If you are near the St Louis area you should definitely check this place out, the kids had a blast! We could have spent hours in there! My only recommendation, wear knee pads! lol No, I'd say at least wear jeans and tennis shoes. I wore shorts and flip flops, big mistake! Along with the museum there is an aquarium.... it wasn't quite what we were expecting but it was still fun none the less.

it's a good way to wear people out! :-)

After the museum we headed to the Gateway Arch, it was nice to see the arch but really exciting seeing all of the flooding down there!

we finished our night off with a dip in the pool, then woke up early the next day and headed to the zoo! We had a great day for the zoo, 82 was the high, we had an occasional breeze.... only problem was the zoo was packed! Apparently Kevin James was there and they were having the premiere of Zookeeper! Unfortunately we didn't get to see Kevin James, but we saw lots of fun animals and had a great time!

Hope you enjoyed the million pictures! We had a blast and will definitely go back again, there is so much to do in St Louis that we didn't even have a chance to see it all!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Cheeseburger Crescent Bake

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained

1/2 c ketchup

1/4 c dill pickle relish

1 1/2 c shredded american cheese (I used cheddar cheese)

1 can Crescent Rolls

1. In 10-inch skillet, mix beef and ketchup. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally; stir in relish and 1 c of cheese. Stir into ungreased 9 or 10 inch glass pie plate.

2. Separate dough into 8 triangles; roll up 1 inch on shortest end. Place dough ontop of meat mixture in spoke pattern. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c of cheese

3. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes

Review:

Another hit! Family loved it, it made a great leftover! Made this with some Spanish rice, very good!

Nutritional:

Servings: 8

Calories: 309

Fat: 19.6g

Cholesterol: 55mg

Sodium: 803mg

Carbs: 15.4g

Fiber: 0.1g

Protein: 16.6g

80's are back!

2011-07-08T08:00:00.010-05:00

Remember that 80's party that I told you Sage and I went to ages ago? Well I'm finally getting around to loading some pictures! We had a great time, good food, good drinks, great music, a lake, boat, games, pool.... what more can you ask for? Here's a few pictures!

(excuse my gut sticking out here! lol)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Tator Tot Casserole

1 lb ground pork sausage

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 c milk

2 eggs

2 lbs tator tots

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Place sausage in deep skillet, brown, then spread over 9x13 baking dish.

3. Spread cheese over sausage

4. In large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour over cheese. Top with tator tots.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. Cool for 5-10 before serving.

Review:

Very good. Made a good leftover as well. Would be great for a breakfast, but we used ours for dinner with corn. The kids loved it!

Nutritional:

Servings: 10

Calories: 476

Cholesterol: 101mg

Fat: 36.4g

Sodium: 848mg

Carbs: 25.9g

Fiber: 2.2g

Protein: 16g

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Enchiladas

7 flour tortilla shells

1 1/2 lbs of hamburger meat, cooked & drained

1 package of taco seasoning

1 c plain yogurt

2 c Mozzarella cheese (I used Cheddar)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1. brown meat then add taco seasoning as instructed on packet

2. in a medium bowl, stir soup, cheese, and yogurt

3. evenly divide meat among tortilla shells, then drop some of the cheese mixture over meat. Roll tortillas up and place into 9x13 dish. Spread remaining cheese mixture over tortillas.

4. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Review:

Good! Fairly easy to make, but I've made better before but they were more difficult! This was easy, good for a quick summer dinner! Hope you enjoy!

where have I been?

2011-06-21T13:27:00.000-05:00

where have I been?
well, a little bit of everywhere!
I tell you what, being a full time mom, wife, and having a full time job is H.A.R.D.!
The funny thing is that I've done this before and I was a full time student included in that, but for some reason this go around is much MUCH more difficult! Maybe it's because there's 2 kids this time?

Whatever the reason, life is busy and I'm feeling stretched to the max... but it's ok cause I'm on this "the glass is half full" kick lately and I'm just loving life and counting my blessings!

So school is out already, this is actually their 4th week out, crazy how fast it's going! We've done the zoo, movies, LOTS of baseball, playing with friends, swimming.... man, what's left to be done? Well, another zoo next week, some water parks and an amusement park.... ummm, I might need to pick up an extra shift or two!

I've got great pics to share with everyone, just need to find a moment to sit down and upload them... as I type I'm baking cookies... I'm such a multi-tasker! We got new neighbors in this weekend who happen to have 2 boys, and it looks like they are the same ages as my boys so we are SUPER excited! Gotta make them a little welcome basket of cookies!

Oh and when I say pics... Sage and I went to an 80's themed birthday party last weekend, oh man, killer pictures! I think it took me two showers to get all of the hairspray out! lol

Another big thing for me lately is the little bit of soul searching I'm doing. There comes a point in life where you feel like you can't count on anyone or anything to always be there, something you can always count on. I've come to that point and instead of getting down about it and letting that take over I'm looking towards higher things. I'm trying to grasp onto those friends that I know are sincere, who love my family for who we are and what we stand for. I'm searching deeper into my faith and trying to use that as my outlet... so far I'm pleased with how things are going and how much higher my spirits are. Life is good people! :)

Like I said, photos are to come....
in the mean time I hope you all are enjoying the weekly recipes! It's about all I have time to keep up with lately! Enjoy this weeks chocolate chocolate cookies.... oh heaven!

oh and p.s. I'm taking my basal body temp every morning... what can that possibly mean? Yup, exciting times to come! :)

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c butter, softened

1 1/2 c white sugar (I used 1/2 white sugar & 1/2 brown sugar)

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 c all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 c semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Health Info:

Servings: 48

Calories: 124

Carbs: 15.5g

Cholesterol: 19.0mg

Fiber: 1g

Fat: 7.1g

Protein: 1.5g

Sodium: 63.1mg

Review:

Now.... I'm not a fan of chocolate, unless it's a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.... but these were amazing! We ate the crap out of them!!!! Definitely try them!

A tip I got was to make the batter and then refrigerate it for an hour before baking, it helps to keep them from going completely flat while baking. It worked wonderfully! :) Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Spaghetti Pizza

1 lb of spaghetti, cooked & drained

1 lb of hamburger meat, cooked & drained

1 jar of spaghetti sauce, add to the cooked hamburger meat

8 oz cream cheese

15 oz sour cream

Mozzarella cheese

1. soften cream cheese, then add sour cream and stir together

2. stir above mixture in with cooked spaghetti, once mixed well stir in spaghetti sauce.

3. Place in 9x13 dish, sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over

4. Bake in 350 for 20 minutes

This is the best way to make spaghetti!!!!!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yumminess?

4 chicken breasts

2 boxes of Mac n Cheese

1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Italian flavored breadcrumbs

parmesan cheese

1. Slice chicken and cook in sauce pan

2. cook Mac n Cheese according to box directions

3. pour a little sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan

put 1/2 of mac n cheese over sauce

put all chicken on top of mac n cheese

put rest of mac n cheese on chicken

pour the rest of the sauce over mac n cheese

sprinkle with Italian flavored breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese

4. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes....

yummy!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-05-31T08:00:00.022-05:00

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 slices bacon

8 oz penne pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

3 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 c milk

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

3. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.

4. In a medium skillet saute the chopped onion, and minced garlic. Take off heat and add chopped cooked bacon and set aside.

5. To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter or margarine over low heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in 2 cups of the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

6. Combine cooked pasta, sauteed vegetables and sauce. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Add the last cup of grated cheddar cheese to top of mixture.

7. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until cheese on top is melted and brown, 15-20 minutes. Serve warm

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 5

Calories: 570

Carbs: 43.9g

Cholesterol: 95.3mg

Fiber: 2g

Fat: 31.7g

Protein: 28.2g

Sodium: 582.5mg

Review:

Fan-freakin-TASTIC! We loved it. I took it to a bbq and it was the first time I'd made it, it was a hit! Plus we had plenty to bring home and eat for dinner the next night - score! So, the things I did differently.....

Used 16oz of pasta

4 slices of bacon

while making the sauce I used:

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Oh, and with the veggies, I probably used 1/2 a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic. I went into this with intentions of doubling the recipe, but halfway through I forgot and only doubled some things instead of all things... lucky for me it still turned out wonderfully!!!!! This one is a must! Takes some time to get the sauce done but it's definitely worth the time!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-05-24T08:00:00.018-05:00

Fruit Pizza

1 (18 oz) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1/2 c white sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 c orange juice

2 tbsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cookie dough out, use either a round pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for awhile at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

3. Arrange fruit to your liking

4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice, and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 8

Calories: 534

Carbs: 62.9g

Cholesterol: 49.1mg

Fiber: 1.3g

Fat: 30g

Protein: 5.5g

Sodium: 405.1mg

The Review:

I made this for Easter and then did an extra one to take into work, it was a hit. I used strawberries, banana, kiwi, and grapes. Yum, yum, YUM! A tip I got for the bananas was to dip them in lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Good tip! :)

Another way to make this, which I just did recently for a bbq, is as follows..... btw I don't have a favorite, they were both good.

Everything is the same, except, here is the middle layer:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1/4 c creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

Tasty Tuesday

2011-05-17T22:14:00.011-05:00

**warning - this may become a new family favorite!**

Toasted Ravioli

2 tbsp whole milk

1 egg

3/4 c italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/2 (25oz) package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed (I used the whole package)

3 c vegetable oil for frying

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 (16oz) jar spaghetti sauce

1. Combine the milk and egg in a small bowl. Place breadcrumbs and if desired, salt in a shallow bowl. Dip ravioli in milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs.

2. In a large saucepan, heat marinara sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to simmer.

3. In a large heavy pan, pour oil to depth of 2 inches. Heat oil over medium heat until a small amount of breading sizzles and turns brown. Fry ravioli, a few at a time, 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately with hot marinara sauce.

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 6

Calories: 377

Total Fat: 19.3g

Cholesterol: 61mg

Sodium: 888mg

Total Carbs 39.5g

Dietary Fiber: 4.3g

Protein: 11.6g

Review:

Even RILEY liked it! That's all I need to say right? It was fantastic! You MUST try it!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-05-10T08:00:00.018-05:00

Veggie Casserole

1 (14.5 oz) can french style green beans, drained

1 (11oz) can white corn, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 (8oz) container sour cream

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of celery soup

1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 (16oz) package cheese flavored crackers, crushed

1/4 c butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In a large bowl, combine green beans, corn, onion, and green bell pepper. Stir in sour cream, condensed soup, and shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, and spread into a 2qt casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix together the crushed crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle over vegetable mixture.

3. Bake in preheated oven, for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

(after 25 min I stirred the mixture and baked another 5 minutes)

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 6

Calories: 483

Total Fat: 30.8g

Cholesterol: 57mg

Sodium: 1263mg

Total Carbs: 41.7g

Fiber: 2.8g

Protein: 10.2g

Review:

This was branching out a lot for my family to do a dish like this that was purely vegetables, people, this one is now in the favorites dish! It was soo good, we all had seconds! I recommend stirring the mixture and letting it bake another 5 minutes, yum yum YUM! Enjoy with your family!

Oh, and incase you're wondering about the big hamburger steak thing.... that's about 3/4 pound of beef, form into a patty, season with salt, pepper, & garlic salt. Then place in pan (I prefer electric skillet) at 325. Once patties are in skillet (and no, all patties normally aren't that big, this one was special for the hubs) then take can of cream of mushroom soup and pour over patties. Cook until done in the soup. Normally once the patties are ready to be flipped I'll flip them then add another can of soup. SUPER good! Not healthy, but nonetheless, good! :-)

Tasty Tuesday

2011-05-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Tuna & Pasta Salad

3 c rotelle pasta (the little wheels)

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1 (12oz) can of tuna, drained and flaked

3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 c chopped celery

1/4 c finely chopped onion

1/2 c roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1 (8oz) can lima beans, drained

3/4 c mayo

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp paprika

salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes, drain and cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine pasta, eggs, tuna, cheddar cheese, celery, onion, roasted red pepper, and lima beans. Whisk together mayo, lemon juice, and paprika. Season with salt. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and mix together.

***I neglected to buy the red pepper so instead I used 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper just to add flavor. Also I didn't have a lemon so I used 1 tsp of lemon juice

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 8

Calories per serving: 314

Total Fat: 13.9g

Cholesterol: 109mg

Sodium: 468mg

Total Carbs: 27.4g

Dietary Fiber: 2.8g

Protein: 20.5g

Review:

Husband and kid approved! Makes for good leftovers as well. The only thing I noticed was the next day it was a little dry, I just made 1/2 of the dressing listed above and mixed it up again. I also used 4 c of noodles instead of 3 so that could explain why it seemed dry the next day. But it's delicious!

ENJOY!

Easter

2011-05-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

I'm just a little late on this one, right? ;)

The Friday before Easter my family spent the day together. The kids and grandma went to see Hop at the theater and then afterwards we met up at my mom and dads to decorate eggs.

Then Easter morning we woke up to find that the easter bunny had came to our house! Shocker right?! :) Logan was so cute, the night before he was mad because the hubs and I were going to stay up and watch a movie, he was absolutely certain that the easter bunny would not come if we weren't all in bed. He relates the easter bunny and Santa to be pretty much the same thing.....

Here are some of my decorations, no wait, ALL of my decorations. Hopefully next year I can add to the decor.... oh, and please excuse my laundry basket in the corner - at least it's clean clothes, right?

the bunny hid eggs all over....

the kids were so excited in the morning to see their baskets and have to look for eggs

(warning: lots of pictures!!!!)

yummy peep!

playing his new "train" horn

yay for a new Spiderman hat!

finding eggs

then it was time for Sunday school and Church

Logan is the front center one

the middle 2 people are my sister Emi & my mom....btw Em felt baby Eli moving for the first time while she was playing bells here!

after church it was time to go to mom's to see what the Easter bunny brought there!
But first, more pictures!

all of the grandkids

me & my siblings.... Sarah, Billy, me & Emily

us kids and our other halves

now the hunt for baskets is on, do any of you have to hunt for your baskets too?

and finally the hunt for eggs

So, was that enough Easter for you? I hope that everyone had as wonderful of an Easter as my family did.... we are definitely blessed!

more of Sarge

2011-04-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

I recently moved Sarge (my horse) to a new barn

I'm fairly certain that he's much happier there....

he gets out to play in a grassy pasture daily, and he's with four other

geldings who are super nice to him

We moved him on a Friday morning, that Sunday morning I showed up to take him for a ride,

he was out in the pasture with his new friends and they were running across the field - SO cute!

Before he would only be running if someone was chasing him, that day looked like it was just a bunch of horses enjoying the beautiful spring day

-Priceless-

Here's my guy a couple of days later

an exciting thing for me is that I can ride to my parents house! Very cool! I rode to my parents place, played around a bit in their back pasture, and then rode back and it only took about an hour and a half.... not bad! It was 3 miles, good work out for my guy! Here's a picture my dad took of me, not sure why I'm doing the fake smile....

then about 3 days a later some horse friends of mine picked us up and hauled us up on the local military base to ride the trails... it was so much fun! Poor Sarge though, I imagine that he was pretty sore having 2 tough rides like that in a 3 day time period! But he's such a good horse, I was pretty dang happy with him!

here's the 3 horses that were with us that day... Sarge, Borego, Cowboy, they were all 3 pretty worn out after our ride that day!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-04-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

Garlic Fried Chicken

2 TBSP garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs

1 c flour

1/2 c milk

1 egg

4 chicken breasts (I used 6 thighs)

1 c oil for frying

1. In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs, and flour. In separate dish, whisk together the milk & egg

2. Heat the oil in electric skillet (350). Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in dry ingredients until evenly coated

3. Fry chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through

Mine probably got a little too crispy but it was still quite tasty.... the family really loved this one.

I have no nutritional information about this meal but lets be honest, anything that we fry isn't gonna look good on a nutritional chart so it's probably best that we don't know!

The Review: much tastier than just traditional fried chicken. Once again, kid and husband approved!!!

a night on the town

2011-04-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sage and I rarely get out with our friends and with no kids..... A couple of weeks ago some of my childhood friends had their birthday celebration.... Happy Belated Birthday post to Jen and Court, my most favorite set of twins EVER! :-) So we had a good time and we were even home at a decent hour. But here was my least favorite part of the night...... prepare yourself for this because it's about to get ugly in here....

the ladies bathroom in the bar we were at.......

N.A.S.T.Y.

I'd rather pee outside, maybe even in a pile of poison ivy, then have to pee in this place....

(btw, like my new top? Love it!!!!)

After the night was ending Sage and I were making the hike back to where we parked... we felt as if maybe we should try and be picking up a working girl? I mean seriously, every girl that was standing around looked as if they were advertising themselves, so here was my attempt to fit in.

(hehe! and I'm completely sober btw, just a little dorky!)

Here are a couple of normal shots from the night of me and Jen, well, one normal and one of us acting completely normal! lol

the change

2011-04-20T22:21:00.001-05:00

isn't happening!
I changed my domain address and was soooo happy with the change, however,
I lost everything from my original blog!
Unless someone smarter than me tells me how to do this then my blog's address won't change after all!

where have I been?

2011-04-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

well, I've been working!!!!!!

Remember a couple of months ago when I said I had gotten a job? Well I've been working for a month now, and all I can say is.... I. L.O.V.E. I.T.

I work with a fantastic preceptor, she's basically my mentor for the next year. I'm amazed at myself every time that I work, sometimes I'm amazed that I actually learned things in nursing school, and other times I'm amazed at the vote of confidence I have in myself.

But one things for sure, I absolutely chose the right career for myself!

here's my name for orientation when I had to sit in boring classes for a week..... I felt pretty cool

BUT, the day I got this bad boy.... oh yeah, DEFINITELY cool!!!!

super cheesy right? Whatever I don't care I was thrilled! :-)

Tasty Tuesday

2011-04-19T08:00:00.020-05:00

Quick Chicken Divan

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli

2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped (I did not cook it beforehand)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Place broccoli in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the chicken.

3. in a small bowl, blend the cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Top with cheddar cheese.

4. Bake 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned

Dietary Info

Makes 8 servings

Calories per serving: 323

Total fat: 24.4g

Cholesterol: 5lmg

Sodium: 743mg

Total Carbs: 9.4g

Dietary Fiber: 1.7g

Protein: 16.1g

The Review:

Needed something else.

Some of the recommendations were to add 1/2 tsp of cumin, I however was fresh out so I couldn't. I did however, bake the dish for 30 minutes, then sprinkled breadcrumbs on top, baked again for an additional 15 minutes. The dinner was good but it wasn't my favorite. In my attempt to cut carbs I only served this with a salad. It would have gone well with pasta or rice. There is a lot of sauce in the dish and would have been great with some carbs! :)

One recommendation was to put rice in the dish first before the other ingredients, however I'm not sure there would have been enough liquid for the rice to be cooked correctly.

Anyway, that's that, it was good, but I liked it more than anyone else in the family... and honestly we've had a lot of broccoli lately so it's time to give it a break!

address change

2011-04-18T05:12:00.000-05:00

hello my ever faithful readers! In the next couple of days I'll be changing my www address to www.happilyeverafter.com make sure to update your saved favorites so that you can continue to read my brilliant work! :-)

how are people liking my Tasty Tuesdays? Has anyone tried any of the recipes? I'd love to hear some feedback!

I have a lot to update everyone on, just finding the time is becoming an issue! Remember I got a job? Yeah, welcome back to reality for me on how busy it is being a full time mom, wife, and employee! Thankfully no longer a student though I'm sure that's still just around the corner!

stay tuned......

Tasty Tuesday

2011-04-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ham Broccoli Braid

2 c cooked ham, chopped

1 c chopped fresh broccoli

1 small onion, chopped

1 TBSP dried parsley

3/4 TBSP yellow mustard

1/4 TBSP dijon mustard

4 oz sour cream

1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Sautee onion & broccoli

(I would have steamed the broccoli instead of sautee, it was still a little crunchier than I prefer...but if you did it just like this it's still delicious!)

3. In a large bowl, combine ham, broccoli, onion, parsley, mustard, sour cream, and cheese. Stir well.

4. Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the filling along the center strip. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown

Servings: 9

Calories per serving: 348

Total fat: 21.3g

Cholesterol: 33mg

Sodium: 898mg

Total Carbs: 22.8g

Dietary fiber: 0.4g

Protein: 14.4g

The Review:

Sweet goodness! This was a fantastic meal! A little hard to figure out what to do with the dough but I made it work and just made two braids instead of one. Plenty of leftovers so that's a plus! My 7 year old LOVE this meal, my 2 year old, not so much. BUT, it has green in it and he refuses to eat green. Technically his opinion doesn't count! :)

The only thing I would change, maybe steam the broccoli instead of sautee it. Oh, and once I had it ready to go in the oven I sprayed the top and sprinkled Season All on top.... perfect!

Oh, and regarding leftovers, the hubby enjoyed it, the kids enjoyed it, I however thought the bread was a little soggy for my taste!

Gender Reveal Party

2011-04-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

Remember this post? Well my sister and her husband found out the sex of their baby a week and a half ago and they did an awesome job of keeping it a secret from everyone! We had a great gender reveal party on Friday night at mi casa..... my entire family was able to make it (well, minus my little brother) and my BIL's parents came. Here's some pics of the big event, and also I need to give credit to Liz at Love and Marriage and Elizabeth at E Myself and I, I borrowed some ideas from you ladies!

To begin with one of my favorite ladies in blog land, Shannon at Living My Life on Purpose, designed these amazing invites for me.... aren't they fantastic?! Thank you again Shannon!!!!!

(the bottom looks funny cause I edited out my address!)

then I contacted a baker and explained what a gender reveal party was, emailed her a copy of the invite, and then gave my sister the cake lady's contact info. Said sister then called the baker and told her what gender the baby was... and the frosting used in between the layers was then made to the appropriate color..... are you excited yet?

there was some fun had with the decorating and my sister made some fantastic appetizers for us

behind this sign is a bowl for people to put their ideas in for Nursery themes.... mine came from Kim at Newlywoodwards from her niece's precious room!

Pink & Blue ribbons incase someone forgot to wear their team color! :)

yummy candies, which yes we had to go through and pick out all of the pink and blues... and no, we did not eat any during that process (well maybe just a few!)

and please excuse the yellow line on my counter, it's a permanent ugliness that I can't make disappear!

Here are the mom and dad to be, cute shirts right?

team pink

team blue (clearly the winners!)

btw, I'm the one smack dab in the middle... hubs is in the striped shirt, Logan is in front of me, and Riley is on my other sister's hip

the cousins to future baby - guess we know what they want!

To keep the suspense going for a little longer we played a game using some Old Wives Tales to see what the baby is "supposed" to be (boy won 8-7)

now for the big reveal.... should I drag this out into TWO posts????

nah, I'll go ahead and satisfy the hunger!

drumroll please....

it's a BOY!!!!!!!

the man of the night

(bad picture I know, I should have just scanned it!)

gifts for the grandmas (BIL's mom)

my mom

gifts for all of the guests

my sister and I... can you tell that I'm THRILLED to be getting a nephew!!!!

and because he's so cute I'm throwing this pic in.....

and this one...

BTW I have to add this in.... there was quite the combo of pink and blue baby stuff, socks, toys, onesie... so all of the boy stuff went home with my sister and here I am left with this girl stuff.... fate? Yes, I think so! I'm feeling positive that this is a sure sign that when it's my turn to have another baby that it will most definitely be a GIRL! :-)

CONGRATS again to my favorite little sister and my favorite BrotherInLaw

-and so that no one thinks I'm playing favorites, she's my only little sister and he's my only BIL!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-04-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Green Chili

1 jar (16oz) salsa verde (it's the green salsa, fyi)

2 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 can (15oz) corn, drained

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed

2 cubanelle peppers, chopped (I omitted this because I couldn't find it!)

1 med onion, chopped

1 TBSP minced garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c chopped cilantro

1. Mix all ingredients except cilantro in a 3 1/2 qt or larger slow cooker

2. cover & cook on high 5-6 hrs or on low 8-9 hrs until chicken is cooked through

3. stir in cilantro, serve with lime and sour cream (I had none of these items and it still tasted fine)

Makes 6 servings

While this photo does not do the meal any justice, it was absolutely delicious! I have a husband who things that substituting beef with chicken is a sin, so he was very skeptical about a chili that had corn and chicken in it.... but he loves it!

Horse stuff

2011-04-02T08:00:00.018-05:00

Remember this pic from about a month ago? This was just from a simple 45 minute ride through the fields. I wanted to walk, he wanted to fight the bit and prance the entire time.

Here's Logan trying to pet Sarge, Logan is still a little nervous around the horses. Sarge is cute, if the boys are near him he's always sniffing all over them.... Logan just wasn't so sure about it!

Looking handsome after a good grooming. Yes this is a bad angle, I swear his wither doesn't normally look at the high and he isn't going sway backed!

After that grooming we went for a ride. He did so good!!!! Look at that chest, just simple sweat, no lather. It was 80 degrees out that day and he's still got a full winter coat on so I expected that sweat. I took him down a couple of highways and he did fantastic! No spooking, no prancing, nothing... just walked along like a pro. This is after a month with no grain. The answer to our problem was definitely the grain.... he is like a toddler cracked out on sugar when he gets fed grain on a daily basis!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-03-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Artichoke Chicken

1 (15oz) can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

3/4 c Parmesan

3/4 c mayo

1 pinch garlic pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. In medium bowl, mix together artichoke hearts, cheese, mayo & pepper. Place chicken in greased baking dish, cover evenly with artichoke mixture.

3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in center & juices run clear

this extra picture is just to show off this amazing dish! Don't you just love it!?

I serve this with any sort of pasta, normally wheat or multi grain since we're on a health kick at my house....

Sorry I don't have any dietary info on this one.... all I can say is, d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.

Review: kids and husband approved! This is one of my favorite meals!

capitols

2011-03-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

last week I had to rush to get my Missouri RN license, so I got to see 2 state capitols in 3 days....

Topeka, KS (under construction)

Jefferson City, MO (as close as I could get ya!)

I know, not the most exciting post but a bit of education for ya! Well sorta, if a picture counts as me teaching you something! lol

ABC's of me

2011-03-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

ABC's about me!!!!

come and join in the fun! :)

A: Age: 29
B: Bed size: King, and I doubt we'll ever go back to a Queen now!
C. Chore you hate: sweeping the floors... such an easy task but I'd rather clean bathrooms then sleep floors!
D. Dogs: 4, and sadly trying to find new homes for 2 of them....
E. Essential start to your day: shower... seriously, I can't function unless I shower
F. Favorite color: green
G. Gold or silver: white gold for jewelry.... house hold accessories: brushed nickel
H: Height: 5’6"
I: Instruments that you can play: clarinet and bass clarinet.... well at least I could 12 years ago!
J: Job title: RN - woo hoo! Love saying that!
K: Kids: 2 awesome boys, 1 horse, 4 dogs, 2 cats - yes, it's a zoo in my house
L: Live: the heart of the USA, Kansas
M: Mom’s name: Karen
N: Nicknames: mom, Kris, I used to be a Doodlebug but it's been years since I've heard that one
O: Overnight hospital stays: when I was 16 I got in a nasty horse riding accident which resulted in a life flight trip and 2 nights stay at a childrens hospital. I've had to 2 kids so I've stayed overnight with them when they were born, and a few overnight stays due to Riley when he's been sick.
P: Pet peeve: do not pull out in front of me at the last minute, and then drive super slow. Oh, and freaking text me back please!!!!
Q: Quote from a movie: the only one I can think of right now is cause I just watched Date Night, but, "shut your vagina", "I think we're gonna get whacked off" I know, juvenile but still funny!
R: Righty or lefty: righty
S: Sibling: there are 4 of us, I have an older sister, and younger sister, and a younger brother
T: Time you wake up: depends on the day.... if Logan has school I'm up at 6:45am, if it's the weekend then I'm up whenever Riley decides it's time!
U: Underwear: definitely... I'm grossed out just thinking that people DON'T wear it! EW!
V: Vegetables you dislike: squash. yuck.
W: What makes you run late: my kids. Seriously, sometimes I only give myself time to get ready and then I think I'm doing awesome, until I realize that I still have 2 little people to get ready and a million dogs to get out to pee & back inside
X: X-rays: lots.... remember above mentioned life flight...
Y: Yummy food you make: I can't even begin to list this out... I'm gonna brag on myself, I rock in the kitchen! :)
Z: Zoo favorite animal: bears? lions? elephants? man that's tough to narrow it down to just ONE favorite!

(woah, sorry for the close up! lol)

Tasty Tuesday

2011-03-22T08:00:00.004-05:00

Baked Fish with Shrimp

3 TBSP of butter (I used 4, per recommendations)

2 TBSP all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 c milk

2 pounds red snapper fillets (I used tilapia, any white fish will do)

1/2 pound cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used nearly a pound)

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in flour and salt to make a paste. Gradually whisk in milk. Stirring constantly, cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. ***I also added 1/2tsp lemon juice and sprinkled a little garlic & onion salt in the paste, per recommendations***

3. Select a pan large enough to accommodate all the fillets in one layer. Coat with cooking spray. Arrange fish in pan, and cover with shrimp. Pour white sauce over shrimp. Sprinkle with grated cheese. ***I also lightly sprinkled garlic & onion salt on the fillets, per recommendations***

4. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.

Nutritional Info:

Servings: 5

Calories: 323

Total fat: 10.8g

Cholesterol: 177mg

Sodium: 484mg

Total Carbs: 4.7g

Dietary Fiber: 0.1g

Protein: 48.8g

The Review:

Absolutely wonderful, my husband and 7 year old LOVED it! I figure I'm not gonna even include my 2 year old in these reviews anymore, seriously, if it isn't peanut butter and jelly he pretty much isn't eating it! Anyway, food was fantastic, the sauce was amazing! Beware, this one is hard to walk away from with just one serving! Recipe says it's 5 servings, we probably got more like 7 out of it. How is it as a leftover? Honestly I think it's even better a couple of days later! Fantastic, definitely a keeper!