Infinitely Blessed

KH Photography

2010-08-17T15:42:00.004-05:00

Kyle asked if he could take some pictures with our camera, I said yes, and here are the shots he took!

Miss Leah, 2.5yrs old

Kyle wasn't impressed with this. He said I needed to say "cheese!"
hehe, you always need a self-portrait

Lunch on the stove top.

Pinpin The Spot ****** (last name protected)

Yes, his blanket has a full name. ;)

Don't ask why he's (yes, we talk like it's a person, lol) is in the pantry.

The kids' unhealthy snacks. Out of sight, out of mind!!

I can't believe I'm posting this picture. My nasty microwave!!

So, what'cha think? Can't beat that talent, right?! =)

curtains

2010-03-30T12:36:00.008-05:00

I finally made some curtains for our living room.

Well, we have two big windows.. and I only did one, so I guess I'm half-way there.

I almost don't want to do the other side.

I'm scared it'll start to look small and cramped in there.

But, it looks weird since only one window has curtains! Decisions! LOL

Here's how I made them!

This..

plus.. this..

and some of this..

Equals my curtains!!!

The only thing that drives me a little crazy is that the wrinkles will not come out! I was able to smooth it out.. but I'm sure you could see some of the wrinkles in these pictures. I ironed for hours and finally just had to give up. I have a wonderful sewing machine, but I'm so scared to use it! So I didn't sew one thing on these curtains. Easy peasy AND cheap! ((the drop cloths were $9.70ea or something like that .. the fabric was $4.12 and the hemming tape was just a couple of dollars)). My kind of decorating!

**I think I'll be changing the lampshades out... that's the only white thing in this room. **

** I didn't take a picture of the actual drop cloth and iron-on tape packaging that I bought.. I just googled some images. I think my size drop cloth was different. **

** if you google (use swagbucks.com!! sign up at the bottom! ;)) drop cloth.. you will actually find a lot of projects like mine! they are quite popular! **

**ignore the length on the left side.. that one turned out to be a little bit longer! lol.. I'm done with the notes now! **

free decorating!

2010-03-15T21:48:00.004-05:00

I love our house, I really do. I love having a bigger house.. an extra bedroom.. lots of cabinet space, but I don't like all the extra walls I have to decorate now! It wouldn't be a problem if I was, ya know, a millionaire and could afford to go out and buy all the cool, stylish things. We're a one-income family.. not a whole lot of money going towards beautiful landscape pictures. We also happen to be military folks. Which means, we move a lot. Our next house could be itty-bitty, so I really don't want to buy so much for this house when our next might not even be able to hold it all.

Anywho, all of that to say, I made something and I want to show you guys! ;)

I had to be creative and use what I had around the house.

Before.. another blank wall in the hallway.

A piece of cardboard that came with a package.

(I'm having some real issues moving my pictures around!!) My little sign. I just put some scrapbook paper on the cardboard. Some ribbon on the edges. Glued a little sign onto some more scrapbook paper and that was it!

My not so boring wall! :)

The hallway is kinda tiny (and dark!) so I couldn't get a picture of it all together. Had to do angle shots.

I am sooooooooo happy with it. I love that I used stuff that I had around the house and didn't have to pay a dime for it!! =)

Yummy Banana Pancakes

2010-03-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

My kids will eat bananas, yes, even my picky eater, Miss Leah. But every once in awhile they'll get tired of them real fast. I still want them to eat healthy, so I decided to find ways to sneak in fruits and veggies into things they normally eat. I made these pancakes the other day and my kids seriously kept asking for more! Love it when that happens! :)

1c. flour (I used white, but next time I wil do half whole wheat)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 c. milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 bananas, mashed

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, milk, oil and bananas. Use 1/4c. of the batter for each pancake.

Now time for some notes! ;)

If you have a bigger family you might want to double the recipe. I made this for me and the kids and we had it for breakfast 2 days in a row, with not a whole lot left. My kids asked for more though.

Instead of mixing this by hand, I blended it all in my blender. If not the batter will be lumpy because of the bananas. I wanted it all smooth...so much better!

Be careful not to cook the pancakes on too high of a heat, they can get dark really easily with the centers not be "done" all the way.

a parade!

2010-03-04T22:46:00.009-06:00

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

When my baby girl takes a nap! Unfortunately, Kyle doesn't do the whole sleep thing anymore. But, I can put on a movie or show for him (and he stay quiet) and get a whole bunch of stuff done. That girl of mine is needy!

2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

Ribeye steaks! Yumm!

drooooool!!!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?
For me and my family to live until Christ's return. I really don't want to die and leave my family. Or have any of my family die and leave me. Too sad to think about. I'd rather we all go to heaven together at the same time. =)

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?
People say I'm a hypochondriac......

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

Uh, can I skip this question? No idea!!

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?
An elegant, sophisticated sounding speaker/talker.

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
Australia!

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?
Country. I've always wanted a southern accent.

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?
A super Target... Oh, how I miss Target.

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?
1950's

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?
Black.. I'm sure a lot of people would say that!

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?
(Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)

Sneezy (I have on and off again allergy problems! Really bad here in NM!)
and
Happy (I'm pretty much always happy!)

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?
I really don't like it when a stranger or someone I really don't know that well says my name. It's a weird thing, but it kinda irritates me, lol.

Pretty fun, eh? Go join the parade!

spring wreath

2010-03-02T14:10:00.003-06:00

The other day I was just itchin' to make a wreath. I wanted something bright and fun!

After a trip to the dollar store, some cutting and lots and lots of hot glueing, here's the end result.

One question! Should I add a bow to the top center or not? I think I kinda like it as it. But, feel free to tell me your opinion! The best part is that it cost me about $4 to make.

Circle cardboard cut out - Free
3 bags of plastic eggs - $3.00 (still have a few leftover)
1 bag of shredded green paper - $1

I originally wanted some of the easter grass. But my dollar tree didn't have it, so I used the shredded paper, which is all they had.

I looooove it! Now the only thing that bothers me, is that if centered it hides my peep hole. I use that hole every.single.time someone comes to the door, so it has to be off-centered. Oh, well! My family's safety is more important than a wreath being centered, right?! =)

two

2010-02-27T12:15:00.004-06:00

My baby girl is two now! I can't believe my last baby is growing up so fast.

We didn't do anything "huge" for her birthday. We didn't do a party since we just moved in and to me it would feel like we were just asking for gifts from our new friends.

I took the kids to see the new Veggie Tales movie, came home and made Leah's cake and then we went bowling with our church. It was a good day, but I know when Kyle and Leah get older she won't be too impressed with us. Kyle's 2nd birthday was the biggest party ever. In my defence, we lived in Florida and had family was all around.

Before I show you a few pictures. I need to say that I got lazy with her cake, lol. And I ran out of icing. Laziness + no icing = disastrous cake! I warned you.. just ignore the cake. Boy, Leah's really gonna hate me now, huh? LOL

"Smile, Leah!"

"Cake!!!!!!"

Oh my goodness, that face expression is priceless!! Ignore the cake!! :(

k, turned it around now.. still looks bad, lol

Blowing out the candles! In the end, Daddy helped. ;)

mom guilt

2010-02-24T10:42:00.006-06:00

It didn't take me long to see that Kyle was missing out on something.
It didn't take me long to see that I was the different Mom.
It didn't take me long to see that I was the only Mom who didn't have their kid in preschool.

Is it even called preschool if they are only 3yrs old??

We have been here for right about a month now. And it seems like every one who has a kid who is 3yrs old is already going to school. I keep getting asked if Kyle goes to school. I actually have started to feel a little, tiny, tiny bit guilty saying "no, he doesn't, he stays home with me".

I've started worrying that he's going to feel left out when he does start school. Or that he'll be behind because he was home with his Mama instead of being with an more educated person.

*sigh*

I know there's no right or wrong in this situation.
It's just a parent's choice.
But, why do I feel a little bit of guilt?
He's only a little boy for such a short time, right?
He has the rest of his life to go to school.

For now, I think he's okay staying home with me, even if the guilt does come and go.

No regrets.

Plus, if he went to school, I would never have these million and one adorable pictures of my handsome little man!

"don't give this to a lion"

2010-02-20T14:29:00.000-06:00

Kyle was looking at the back of his Transformers packaging and told me that it meant we couldn't give it to a lion. I could not stop laughing. But, seriously, what does that lion inside the triangle mean!? :

still here!

2010-02-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

Well, we made it to New Mexico! (which most of you guys already know, lol)

We miss Florida, but we really do like it here. It's not as bad as people make it seem. No matter where you go, you'll always run into someone who absolutely hates it.

As we crossed the Florida/Alabama line, I said outloud "goodbye Florida, hello Alabama!". Kyle seriously started crying. Not just sobbing. CRYING LOUDLY. Which of course made the tears start flowing down my face. He kept telling me that he did not want to leave Florida and he wanted to go back. It took about 10mins, but he finally calmed down. After that, every time we crossed into another state he got excited about it.

We stopped in Fort Worth, Texas to spend the night at our friend's house. During the night, the Penske truck that we were using to move ALL of our belongings, got broken in to. It was such a shocker, still is. I never thought something like that could happen to us.. but it does. Thankfully, the dumb criminals didn't empty out the truck. They took mostly lawn equipment, but the worst part was that they took Leah's suitcase of clothes and some of Kyle's toys. Kyle's heart was broken. He was upset when he thought it was just Brandon's stuff.. but once he found out that his stuff got taken, he was a mess. Thankfully Kyle is pretty much over it now. Brandon has a handgun now, so I think he feels a lot safer knowing that if someone tries to steal his stuff again, Daddy will shoot them. I know I feel a lot safer!

I always said "no guns".. and now we have two of them! Never say "never", right?! =)

Well, the day after we got to NM it started snowing. We had so much fun in it. The kids had a blast seeing snow for the first time. I guess the winter this year is unusual because we've had about 17 snow days so far. It doesn't bother me one bit! I haven't seen snow in 3yrs, before that I saw snow every winter since I was born.. so I have missed it!!

We found an awesome church and can't wait to start serving in it. Nothing like having a great church home to make this season of our life better!

We're living in a 2story, 4bdrm military owned house that is off the base, and we are only about 4mins away from wally world! No complaints here!

That's about it, folks! I can't wait until we are completely settled in. Pictures soon to come!

starting over

2010-01-04T09:59:00.004-06:00

Well, it's a new year! I always think about writing out resolutions, but I never really finish my list. I think it's because I don't want to fail!

One of the things last year that I really wanted to do was to lose weight/get healthy. I sorta, kind of did that (well, the exercising thing) for almost the whole year! Starting in October we got sooo busy or we were sick. We got hit with the h1n1 flu and then some colds. Then came Thanksgiving and Christmas! I think I only worked out three times in December!! It's pretty disappointing.. I was doing so well, too. But enough whining, I'm going back!!

One of the things I've realized is that when I'm working out, I excuse myself to eat more or to eat junkier foods. Wondering how I figured this out? I've got some extra padding in and around my mid-section. Not very nice! And I noticed that as soon as I stopped exercising and really watching what I ate, I got sick a lot more often. Being sick is no fun.

So not only do I have to start exercising again, but I really need to watch what I'm eating. No more excuses! Just because I ran that morning, does not mean I can eat a slice of peanut butter pie AND some peppermint bark, right!? Aye, this is going to be hard.... but it will be worth it.

smooth talker

2010-01-04T09:35:00.004-06:00

The other night we were invited to our friend/neighbor's house for dinner and games. About an hour before we had to be there, Kyle started begging us to go just then. I told him that I just had to put some makeup on and then we could leave. He paused for a second and replied with "Mommy, you don't need makeup, you're already pretty!". Oh my goodness, doesn't that just melt your heart!? He has been FULL of compliments recently. After dinner, he'll tell me "Mommy, you make really good food" or "you did a good job, Mommy". I could really get used to this! ;)

the gift

2009-12-30T10:12:00.005-06:00

Christmas morning, I opened up my big present and just started laughing.. and laughing.. and laughing. Brandon gave me the weirdest look and asked me what was wrong. I showed him the box.. this is what was inside.

I'm sure you can figure out that this was NOT what Brandon ordered for me. There was a huge mistake! We had to wait all weekend to get a reply from customer service. Monday morning we found out that my bedspread was sent to a boy in Oklahoma and there was a big mixup. Wondering what that boy got to open up for Christmas????

hehehe.. I am SURE he wasn't laughing just like I was!! :)

No training wheels!!

2009-12-23T08:47:00.004-06:00

December 11th, 2009, my firstborn became a grown little man. We decided to see how Kyle would do without his training wheels. He wobbled back and forth a few times, but in less than 30mins, he was off on his own. He was a pro!! I was so close to crying, but fought back the tears and cheered him on. For a split second, I considered throwing the training wheels back on. I don't like this growing up thing. It happens too fast. *sigh* He'll always be my baby boy. =)

Wondering why Miss Leah is saying "uh,oh!" over and over?? Our neighbor across the street has a blowup Snowman decoration and in the daytime Leah ALWAYS says "uh, oh, sn-man" because it isn't inflated! :)

kids are so funny

2009-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

A recent conversation Kyle and I had on our way to church

"Mommy, are my teachers going to miss me when we move to Mexico?"

"Yes, Baby, they'll miss you a lot"

*quiet*

"Mommy, is there a WalMart at Mexico?"

"Yes, Kyle, they have a WalMart in NEW Mexico"

"YES!!!!!!! Woooohoooo! Me love WalMart! Me so excited!"

*driving past the boat dealership*

"Mommy, me like that boat! Me want it."

"Sorry, Kyle, New Mexico doesn't have beaches"

*quite shocked* "What!? Aw, man! Mexico don't have beaches!?!?"

"Nope, New Mexico is just a desert, Baby"

"Mommy! Are there be cowboys there?!"

*me laughing and quite surprised he knew that cowboys live in deserts, told him "maybe"*

"Mommy, are those cowboys gonna ride horsies??"

That (almost four years old) boy of mine keeps me laughing!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-11-09T17:00:00.001-06:00

My favorite cookies are Chocolate Chip Cookies. Nothing can beat it. What can I say? I'm a simple girl!

For, like, the first 2yrs of our marriage I only made these cookies. They are very, very good. But I really prefer flat and chewy over anything else. It took me a really long time to find my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. But I've found it and I don't use anything else now!! These don't last for very long when I make them, too!

Here you go! Enjoy!

2 1/4 c. flour (I use half whole wheat flour and half white.. but I usually end up using more wheat though. I love what it does to the texture to the cookie! Healthier, too!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
1c. (2sticks) butter, softened (I always use salted for these cookies.. just my preference!)
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2c. milk chocolate chocolate morsels. (I've used semi-sweet and we like milk choc. better)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in mixer.
Add eggs 1 at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.
Drop by tablespoon-fuls on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 9-11mins (mine our done right at 9mins).
Cool a minute or two then transfer to wire racks.

beach

2009-11-06T16:27:00.008-06:00

Okay, I know I said wedding pictures were up next, but we went to the beach yesterday afternoon and watched the sun set. It was absolutely gorgeous and I just had to come and show you guys the pictures! =)

I will definitely miss our 5 minute drive to the beach!!!!

a big blur

2009-11-04T16:26:00.004-06:00

That's what life is like for me right now! My days just seem to blend together. I seriously cannot believe it's already November.

Here's a little glimpse of our schedule right now.

Sundays- Church all day. Services are 945am, 11am, and 6pm. A nap is always needed in the afternoons.
Monday through Thursday - watching my neighbor/friend's two boys, 12-4pm
Monday night - I have my Faith Bible Institute class (I recommend this class to every one who wants to learn more about the Lord and the Bible.. it's excellent!!) to go to, 630-915pm
Wednesday night - Hubby has school, the kids and I have church
Friday night - My husband and I volunteer at our church for the Reformers Unanimous program.

Every Saturday it seems like something is going on. Doing things/helping at church, a wedding, a car show, shopping, something!

Add in housework, homework, running errands, grocery shopping, having a yard sale and dr. appointments (we seem to have a lot of those right now) you can see why I have neglected my blog!!

I'm not complaining at all, I am enjoying life! I'm sure once we move and get settled next year our life will slow down and probably be boring! hehe.

My next post is going to be overloaded with pictures! We went to a wedding not too long ago and I've got some cute photos to share!

Until then, sayonara!

Lime Chicken

2009-10-27T14:51:00.004-05:00

My hubby really likes this chicken recipe. If you aren't a fan of limes (like me) then you don't want to try this one, lol. I think it's too lime-y, but my husband disagrees! Anyways, since Arlene asked me for this one, I thought I would just post it up here for every one else.

2tbsp lime peel
1/4c. lime juice
1/4c. olive oil
2 tbsp cilantro (I usually use more than this)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 small jalapeno chili seeded and chopped (I use 2 or 3)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 chicken pieces flattened to 1/4" thin (I use tenders or breasts)

I just throw everything into a ziploc bag and let it marinate pretty much all afternoon. I have tried cooking this in my crockpot and on the grill and we prefer the grill. I haven't tried the oven yet, but I'm sure once winter rolls around I will try it that way.

I think my blog is turning into a food blog!! Seems like all my posts have been recipes lately. Sorry.. it just seems like I don't have anything to blog about, or if I do, the time just gets away from me. October has been the craziest month this year for us. Is it like that for every one else??

Christmas mood

2009-10-13T12:20:00.006-05:00

I can't wait for Christmas! I just want to skip Fall/Thanksgiving this year and go straight to Christmas. I'm excited to decorate for it! =) Although, the closer it gets to Christmas the closer we get to moving and that is not something I am looking forward to!!

I found this idea on Melissa's blog and I could not stop thinking about this (cheap!!) project! I went to my dollar store and had a hard time finding the platters/plates/whatever they are called. I wasn't sure what section they would be in, but I finally found them on the bottom of a shelf in the baking/cooking section.

Please excuse my horrible pictures. I am a lazy photographer, haha!

Here they are just after I bought them.

Another shot with me in it :P
Spray painted them red

Here's the backside. Look, I'm a lazy spray painter, too!!

The snowflakes that will be hot-glue'd to the tray.

Ta-dah!

Closer up

Aren't they adorable!?

Okay, I said this project was cheap. Here's the price break-down for ya!

2 trays from the dollar store (not dollar general) - $2.00

set of 3 snowflakes again from the dollar store - $1.00

red spray paint from Walmart (have a ton leftover to use for other projects!)- $.98

Total cost - $3.98 for 2 cute Christmas decorations!!

Love it!

I'm going to have to go back and pick up some more. They even have some oval ones. Think of all the possible things you could do with these trays!!

Zesty Chicken and Rice Casserole

2009-10-07T17:00:00.001-05:00

I guess I'm all about comfort foods right now. I recently found this recipe, but it has become a family favorite around here!!

1 box chicken flavored rice dinner
2 chicken boullion cubes with 2 cups boiling water or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope "Good Seasons" Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Prepare rice dinner as directed.

In a mixing bowl, dissolve boullion, and add rest of the above ingredients and place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Bake 30mins, covered with foil, @ 350 degrees. Remove foil, bake another 5-10mins. Casserole will set-up as it cools.

--- My notes ---

This dish can get a little too salty if you aren't careful. I'd recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth and tasting it before you bake it.

We like it really cheesy, so I add a bit more! :)

This doubles just fine in a 9x13 dish.

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

2009-10-01T23:43:00.003-05:00

This recipe is my ultimate favorite comfort food dish! I hardly ever get to eat it, since my hubby is a very big picky eater. If I left out all the ingredients he didn't like, it would't be the same!!

-1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions.
-4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 small onion, chopped
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp lemon juice
-3/4 cup chopped celery
-1 can water chesnuts, chopped
-1/2 cup mayo
-2 hard-boiled eggs (I use 3 or 4, depending on my mood. I love eggs!)
-8oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
-about 2 cups of crumbled Lays potato chips (enough to cover the dish)

Combine all ingredients, except cheese and chips, and mix well. Spoon into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle crumbled chips on top of casserole and bake for 35mins.

I usually skip the refrigeration step. Not sure why the recipe tells you to do that, but I really don't think it's necessary. I just added it in there for you recipe followers out there, hehe.

** shout out to my sister for passing along this yummy recipe! Love you, Marie!! **

big heart

2009-09-28T15:12:00.003-05:00

One day while I was on the treadmill at the gym, I looked up to see my baby (or as he says "Mama, me not a baby, me a KID!") boy really close to tears. He was trying to hold his tears back and his eyes were watery. I immediately slowed down and asked him what was wrong. My first thought was that he somehow got hurt. When I asked him again what was the matter, he said "the kitty drowned and died". I looked over at the movie that was playing on the TV and saw that these two dogs were trying to save the little kitten. I asked him what happened to the kitty and he told me that it got hit by a wave and drowned. I got off the treadmill and tried to get him to come to me, because at this point the tears were ever-so-slowly falling down his cheeks. I looked back at the TV and an old man had come and rescued the drowning kitten. I eventually got Kyle to look at the TV (he kept telling me no, the kitty died) and see that the kitty was okay. When my little boy realized the kitten didn't die, his face lit up.

Oh, that boy warms my heart! Kyle is so loving and he has such a big heart - doesn't matter if it's a person or an animal. I'm so thankful that he gives me these little reminders. Reminders to be more loving, to be more compassionate. To be more like Him.

**this is the second time an animal dying has gotten to him, read about it here**

My Jesus, I Love Thee

2009-09-15T14:10:00.008-05:00

~My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

for thee all the follies of sin I resign.

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

~I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

~In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

William R. Featherstone

Labor Day Meme

2009-09-07T09:54:00.004-05:00

Jill over at The Diaper Diaries decided to do a Labor Day Meme, and I couldn't resist! If you decide to play along let me know!

How long were your labors?
You know, I don't really understand this question. None of my doctors ever told me "Hey! You were in labor for 15hrs!". So, if someone could tell me when the time "starts to count", I'd be grateful.

Anyhow, with Kyle, my contractions started Tuesday evening, didn't get any sleep that night! Wednesday had contractions ALL day long. They got closer and closer around 7pm, so we went in to the hospital. Kyle wasn't born until 4am Thursday.

With Leah, my water broke in bed around 3am. Got to the hospital around 530am. Miss Leah was born at 2:22pm!

How did you know you were in labor?
Kyle: Horrible contractions.
Leah: Water broke.

Where did you deliver?
Kyle: Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
Leah: An AFB in Florida

Drugs?
Kyle: Asked for the epidural as soon as I walked in, had so many problems, and had to get a spinal.
Leah: Wanted to go natural, but asked for an epidural near the end. It wore off in no time, and I kept asking for more, but he wouldn't do anything about it.. next thing I know, I was insisting it was time to push!

C-section?
Nope.

Who delivered?
Military doctors, but my husband could have since he was all up in my business! hahaha.. Love ya, Babe!

fall decorating

2009-09-02T14:32:00.004-05:00

I'm not big on summer. I hate being hot and sweaty. I prefer the cooler months. I love wearing sweaters, lying underneath a cozy blanket, and, uh, not being hot. ;)

I know it doesn't officially become Autumn until mid-September, but I couldn't wait to put up some fall decorations. I only put two things up, but there was one thing I wanted to show you. My homemade wreath!

Isn't it CUTE!? I think I did a pretty good job for it being my first wreath. All I did was grab some garland and wrap it around a metal coat hanger!! So easy. After that I tied it to my wreath hanger ($.50 yard sale find, btw) with some metal wire, and that was it. =)

Here's another view with my little model!

Am I the only one who is glad summer is coming to an end? Sometimes I forget I live in Florida, it really never does get freezing cold (what I miss) here. *sigh*

update on potty-training

2009-09-01T12:56:00.004-05:00

If I didn't have a blog, I probably would still be getting up every few hours each night, to take my son to the bathroom! I took your advice and stopped getting up in the middle of the night, and to limit drinks after 7pm. I'm happy to say that Kyle has only wet the bed 3 or 4 times, since we started!! It's such a wonderful feeling to have him completely out of diapers! One down, one more to go! :)

Speaking of Leah, she has shown a lot of interesting the toilet. She likes to go in there and try to pee, but never really does. I think she's obsessed with the idea of being like her big brother. I put her in one of Kyle's underwear yesterday, but she had an accident and didn't even seem to care that she was wet. So, I will wait on letting her be without her diapers, but still take her to the toilet every once in awhile.

I just wanted to come here and say a big THANK YOU for your potty-training advice!! You guys rock! =)

**picture credit**

Uh-oh!

2009-08-25T20:13:00.003-05:00

I understand that people have different parenting techniques. I understand that some parents choose to not spank, and some are big supporters of spankin's. But, what I don't understand is when a child does something wrong and the parent doesn't do anything about it!

I was at the gym today, and this little girl (probably a month or two older than Leah) colored on the wall. As her Mom was getting ready to leave, she noticed the marks. All she did was ask her daughter if she "uh-oh'd". HUH!? Do what!? The little girl nodded her head. She knew what she did, and she knew it wasn't okay. I think I was running with my mouth open when she said that and then carried on. I was kinda baffled by the fact that she didn't do anything. No talk about why we don't color on walls (especially not our own) or anything!

I really try to stay away from spanking my kids in public, thankfully we don't have to deal with that too often. But, when we do, you bet they get talked to (not in a sweet, pipey voice either) and if they don't cooperate, we go straight to the car to give them a you-know-what.

I know the little girl wasn't even two. But all I could think about was that if she lets her daughter get away with something so small like that, what about when she's older and she vandalizes someone's property with spray paint. Is she going to ask her daughter then if she "uh-oh'd"?!?

mooooooooooovin

2009-08-19T23:36:00.005-05:00

Yep, that's how I've been feelin' since Monday. It's official, we are moving to New Mexico. I was already prepared for that, but what I wasn't prepared for is that we are leaving in January. We were praying for June, but it didn't go through. So, we only have 5 months left here in Florida.

Leah's birthday is in February and Kyle's birthday is in April. This will be their first birthday's that they won't have any family around! Such is the life of a military child!

It is going to be so hard leaving our church and our friends here. I don't allow myself to think about it too much, because the tears will start coming and then they won't stop.

Phew! I know this is God's plan for our life, but it definitely isn't easy!

stay-cation

2009-08-17T13:16:00.015-05:00

My mother and father-in-law came to visit us this past week. They came on Monday and left yesterday. The past week has been a blur! I have so much to catch up on.. laundry, dishes, and blogs, haha. I've missed reading my favorite blogs!!!

While they were here.. we went here.

And here.

And walked through this. (Got in free, too!)

And played some of this.
And played in this water. Okay, they said it's "refreshing".. yeah, right! It's FREEZING. Supposedly 68 degrees all year long.
Add in playing at our favorite kid splash pad and visiting a butterfly house, I think a good time was had by all!

is there any other way?

2009-08-06T14:42:00.003-05:00

My goal is to have Kyle completely potty-trained by October 13th. Why October 13th? It's the day he turns 3 1/2yrs old. I really never thought that I would have a child in diapers for this long. There were a lot of things I thought I would never do.. but things change when you actually start having your OWN kids! Ha!

Anywho, Kyle pees just fine by himself. He goes all by himself. He's now even getting better at telling me when he has to go #2. I now know the whole poop issue is because he has a looong history of constipation problems. But, that's not the problem.

How do you get a child to not wet the bed in the middle of the night? Is it something they just learn by themselves? The past two nights I let Kyle sleep in just his underwear, no diaper. I had to set the alarm every 2-3hrs, get up, carry him to the bathroom, and get him to go pee. No accidents, but I don't want to be waking up every 3hrs every.single.night! Potty-training is HARD work.

I try not to give him anything to drink after 8pm, and I do make him use the bathroom before he goes to sleep. Am I missing something?

before and after - tray

2009-08-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

Serving tray that I got for free.

Serving tray after some spray paint and wrapping paper.

Here's another before.

And the after.

Right now, the tray is sitting on top of our microwave holding a picture frame and a candle. I love it! I have a small obsession with black & white, black & silver combinations, and black toile!

Friday Photo Flashback - Grandparents

2009-07-31T09:15:00.003-05:00

Today I'm sharing a photo of my Mom's parents. I have no idea when it was taken. I know for sure it was before 1980. My Grandfather died before my sister was born, and my Grandmother passed away right after my sister was born (which was in 1980, sorry for tellin' your age, Marie!!!). I would have loved to have met them, I think my Grandmother would have been just like my Mom. Very sweet, soft-spoken, and caring.

I'm linking to Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback!

Build A Bear

2009-07-30T15:50:00.006-05:00

Two weeks ago, I won Sandra's $25 giftcard giveaway to Build A Bear. I was excited not only because I knew how happy Kyle would be, but because I had never been to a Build A Bear workshop before. Brandon didn't share my excitement about it because he thinks the place is over-priced. If you think about it, for a stuffed animal it IS a little pricey, but the experience is fun! It's definitely a special occasion type of thing, for us at least. Saturday we decided to take Kyle out to a mall and let him build his own stuffed friend. I had so much fun building his little bear with him. When we were getting ready to check-out, Kyle took my hand and brought me back to the starting line. He told me we had to get Leah a unicorn because he couldn't share his bear!! What a sweet, thoughtful, big brother! ;)Waiting in line to stuff his bear..

He's so shy!!

Washing his new friend!

Getting Tommy (name of his bear) all dressed up.

Kyle tried two different outfits out on his bear. He put a Batman costume on his bear first, but then decided on a Batman pajama set! It's so cute! Too bad I forgot to take a picture of his finished bear! Whoops! =)

Wordless Wednesday - 1st fish ever caught!

2009-07-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm participating in Wordless Wednesday hosted by 5minutesformom.com.

creative mood strikes

2009-07-16T21:51:00.006-05:00

Recently, I have been reading way too many craft/decorating blogs!!! I've been in a mood to do something...anything creative. This afternoon I found this old picture frame. The back part of it wasn't even there.. just the frame and the glass. I set the frame aside because I knew I could do something to it. Well, I just happened to be bored this evening and had an idea!

What'cha think?? Me? I really, really like it. =)

All I did was add two magnetic strips to the back of the frame, glue on some scrapbook paper and add a scrapbook embellishment (blessing) to the paper! Ta-da~! Super cheap, super fun, and super cute!

1.)Please ignore the rest of the stuff on my fridge. Right now it's super messy and needs to be cleaned off.
2.)I took the pictures a little off on purpose. On top of our freezer it says "Mr. and Mrs. Last Name". I'm not too comfortable (yet) sharing our last name, so I cut it off.
3.)That's Kyle's ultrasound picture. My sister bought us the picture frame.. isn't it cute?!
4.)That recipe on the freezer? It's yummy. I just found it not too long ago and I've already made it twice. It's one of those recipes you cook when you are STARVING (super fast to cook up), but are too BROKE to eat out, LOL.

havin' fun with the timer option

2009-07-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

I love Leah's expression in this one. They were being very loud trying to out-yell each other. I told them to "shh" once, but once they started laughing, I had to laugh, too!
I guess Leah didn't want in on this picture.. she started to take off! LOL

I never got a "decent" picture. Some are too blurry, too high up, too far away, but that's okay. We had fun doing it and we're making memories!

Friday Photo Flashback

2009-07-10T08:54:00.006-05:00

I love seeing pictures of myself as a kid, because I don't have very many. I was about 6years old in this picture. That's my sister's poodle I'm holding. Gray (our dog's name) lived FOREVER. Seriously. We ended up having to put her down because she was blind, could hardly walk, and then got worms in her stomach. It was a sad day, since Gray-chan had been in our lives for, I think it was for over 13years!

Oh, see that vanity I'm sitting in front of?? I took it with me when I got married and moved out of my Mama's house. When we moved from Japan to Idaho, the screws got lost. Hopefully, I can get the husband to find some that fit, so I can have it back together!

Go here to link up to Friday Photo Flashback!!

2009-07-07T09:56:00.003-05:00

We all hear it, right? Never leave your kids alone when they are in the water. Never leave their side. Watch them at all times. Yet, somehow, this past weekend, my little boy almost drowned.

I debated back and forth on whether I should even post this. Mainly because I don't like thinking about it and would rather forget about it. But, then, if I forget about this past weekend, it could happen again, right?

We celebrated 4th of July, by going out on our friend's boat. There were quite a few people who we know that came out, too. We all parked the boats up next to the sand, where we hung out the entire afternoon. Kyle (who was wearing his life jacket the entire time) would go back and forth between staying with us and staying with friends in the water. Brandon came up to me and told me that Kyle had pooped in his swimming trunks. So, I took Kyle into the water to clean his shorts out. In order to do that, I had to take his life jacket off. We go towards the back of the boat, get him and his shorts cleaned out and come back to the sand. We walk back up to the sand and I was standing in the shallow part of the water and started talking to my friend. It wasn't even a minute (probably not even 30secs) before we heard something and my friend gasped. We both ran into the water, and she picked Kyle up who was grabbing at the boat trying to stay up. I guess, Kyle thought he had his life jacket on (I got distracted and forgot to put it back on) and was walking around in the water. He got to the part where it started to drop off and freaked out. We asked him a hundred times if he got any water in his nose or in his mouth, and he said no. We don't think he inhaled any water, since he said it just went in his ears. He calmed down right away and wanted to get right back in the water. It was a terrifying experience that I never want to relive again. Our afternoon could have ended worse if we had never heard him gasping for breath.

I know it's summer and our kids are constantly in the water. Please learn from my mistake and never take your eyes off of your children. I think even if a child can swim, if they are in water that has waves or any type of current..they need a life jacket on.

I am so thankful that the Lord watches over my kids at all times!

Frugal Friday - Unclaimed Money

2009-07-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

I recently came across unclaimed.org. It is a national website to look for unclaimed money in states where you may have resided. There could be funds from unclosed bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, company refunds, utility deposits, etc. that you may have unknowingly left behind when you moved. I didn't believe it at first, but when I searched my hubby's name it said we had around $100.00 that belonged to us! I had Brandon print and fill out the paperwork and we mailed it in. We started to think maybe we weren't owed any money, that it was wrong, and we weren't getting anything. What do you think showed up in our mailbox on Saturday?? Yep, a check for almost $150! It only takes a minute to find your state, and to put in your name. Go search and make sure you don't have any missing money!

To see how other people are saving money, go on over to Life As Mom.

Things I love Thursday - Pizza Chips

2009-07-02T06:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not much of a chip person. I'd rather eat cookies and cake. But, hand me a bag of Japanese chips and I'll eat the entire bag! Sadly, I have never seen these pizza chips in the States. Whenever my Mom sends me package from Japan, she always includes several bags of these delicious chips. They seriously taste better than any pizza I have ever eaten. The best part of these chips is the chunks of goodness on each chip. If you take a closer look at the bag, they even show you a close-up. *drool*

Check out what other people are lovin' at thediaperdiaries!

Shooting

2009-06-23T13:09:00.005-05:00

When we lived in Idaho, we went shooting quite often. We would get old plates and put them all up on a hill and shoot at 'em with my hubby's gun (I don't know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun!). Now that we are going back out to the middle-of-nowhere, I think we'll be doing a lot of this!

2009-06-19T10:56:00.004-05:00

Thank you for your prayers, but Brandon's Great Grandma passed away last night. She was more than ready to go on. I don't think I have ever known anyone who has passed away before. It's really sad that she is gone. But, I think what is more sad is that I don't know if she went to Heaven. She was a great woman and a great grandma, I would like to think she did. I am kind of fearful to find out. She will be missed!

I tried my best to explain to Kyle that Granny Mac is now gone. Just this morning he has asked me if Obachan (my Mom) and his Grandma (Brandon's Mom) has died. Explaining death to a 3yr old is kinda hard, but I felt that he needed to know, especially since he actually knows and remembers her. We showed him pictures of him and Granny Mac and tried to tell him that she is gone. He told us we had to get on an airplane and go see her. *sigh* :(

He did it!!!!

2009-06-18T08:23:00.005-05:00

Remember this test that I had asked you guys to pray about??? The one my hubby had to take earlier than he was supposed to? The one that is super duper hard to make?? Well, my smart husband made it! His first time trying, too! Brandon made Tech!!

Sometimes I get these deep down strange feelings.. and most of the time they are right. I got the feelings when I was pregnant with both my kids. I just KNEW what sex they were. I was right! Last night, before Brandon and I fell asleep we were talking about the results coming out tomorrow. I just KNEW he made it. I just had that feeling. Of course, I didn't tell him that, just in case my little feelings fail me one time, haha.

For those who don't believe in the power of prayer... here's my tongue sticking out at you! LOL. Okay, maybe not, but prayer does work!!!!! Thank you all for praying, it means a lot!

I just want to scream I am so excited!! I've always been proud of my husband, but him making Tech. his first time makes me even more proud. I love you, Babe, and I am so, very proud of you. And so very proud to be your wife!!!

Granny Mac

2009-06-17T14:02:00.004-05:00

Granny Mac and Leah 06/08

If you all could say a little prayer for Brandon's Great Grandma, we'd really appreciate it. I guess the doctors have said that she has less than a week to live. She's almost 90yrs old, so we knew the time was coming soon, but it's still hard. Please pray for Brandon's Grandma and all his Aunt's, it's gotta be really hard on them! Granny Mac has been battling a few health problems, but I think she is now just giving up and doesn't want to live anymore. :( I'll keep you all updated! Thank you!

Granny Mac is all the way on the left-hand side (in black).

Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-06-15T07:55:00.000-05:00

Pictures taken -5/04/09

Money Saving Mom's Favorite Whole-Wheat Waffles

Yields 6-8 waffles.

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil or melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl. Lightly beat together wet ingredients in another. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter onto lightly-oiled waffle iron and bake until done.

These really are delicious! We love them. I usually double the batch and then freeze the waffles. When we're ready to eat some, I take it out and pop them in the microwave. As you can tell from the pictures, Miss Leah enjoys them a whole lot, too! ;)

Happiness

2009-06-10T07:18:00.002-05:00

I'm happy. Very happy. I can't imagine how a lost (non-Christian) person feels. I wonder if they feel a certain emptiness, a certain void...?

I grew up in church and even in a small, private Christian school. So, going to church was just something we did. Once I got married and moved away, things changed. Finding a church that I loved was impossible, especially here in Florida. In Idaho, it was such a small place it was easy to find a good Baptist church. I kept comparing churches to FBC in Misawa. It was the only church I knew! I wish we would have gone to the church we are attending now a long time ago. The two years of church-hopping was pretty much miserable. I hated not being a member of a GOOD church. I hated getting disappointed every time we went home. I hated the emptiness.

I love our church now. The main reason I hate to leave here is because of our church. It is great! Our Pastor doesn't just preach the fru-fru feel good stuff .... he preaches the goooood stuff. I know a lot of people go to church just so that they feel better about themselves. I like to be encouraged, too. But I also want to be convicted. If I'm not convicted how am I going to change?

I'm so happy that I am saved and that I am absolutely positive about where I am going when I leave this earth. I'm so happy that my kids are in church and are learning about Jesus at such a young age. It's amazing how having a great church, that you are a part of, can change your aspect on life and the place you live.

I learned a song a loooooong time ago and I can't remember all the lyrics. Someone help me out! If you know this song, please leave a comment and help me finish the song. I really like this one, but can't for the life of me remember the whole thing!!! It goes like this..

I've got *clap* happiness,

I've got *clap* peace of mind,

I've got the *clap* joy of living

.....?

I've got real contentment...?

Four Years

2009-06-04T09:07:00.006-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Babe!! The past four years have been the best of my life and I hope to spend many, many, many more with you! I love you!!!

News

2009-05-28T08:56:00.003-05:00

We're going from this...

and this.

To this...

and this.

We're moving!!!!!! Oh, and if you think those <-------- exclamation marks are out of excitement.. they aren't! We are definitely not happy, but what can we do, right? It's pointless to whine and complain about it. The military decides where we are going to live and for how long. This was unexpected. We thought we were moving to New Mexico a few months ago, but we got out of it. This time they are sending 50 families and not just 2! We don't have the official paperwork yet, who knows when those will appear. The only nice thing about this move is that we will be 13hrs away from my sister and brother, compared to 20+ hrs. Oh, and if you are wondering when we will be moving.. it will either be January or June of next year (we are hoping for the latter!). A wonderful 5 year anniversary gift from the military! LOL.

Wordless Wednesday - Nest

2009-05-19T19:26:00.006-05:00

For more Wordless shots go to 5minutesformom!

Still alive!

2009-05-18T18:50:00.003-05:00

I caught my husband checking my blog the other day. Before the page could even load, I told him there was nothing new and I hadn't blogged in a really, really long time. I seem to blog here and there and then stop for a really long time, and then do the same thing over again. I don't mean to, but life is just a bit crazy. When I started this blog, my hubby was on swing-shift (roughly 2:30pm-after midnight). So, I had a lot of time on my hands in the evenings. Now that he works a normal schedule (comes home for lunch AND usually gets home EARLY), blogging is a last priority. Having two kids under the age of three definitely keeps me busy!

Last Tuesday, I took Kyle in to see his Pediatrician. He has had issues with constipation for about 6 months and I was tired of him "pushing" all day without pooping. I was stressed, and I'm sure he was, too!! Kyle was prescribed citrate of magnesium (or something like that), and pooped (more like diarrhea'd) non-stop for 2 days straight!! He still has semi-runny diapers thanks to the Miralax he is on. We haven't figured out the perfect amount for him yet. Hopefully after Kyle is cleaned out, we can go back to toilet-training and be completely diaper free by October! October is when he will be 3 1/2 and I am so ready to be done with diapers! I have heard that girls are easier to potty-train! I am so praying that's true!!!

I wish I could tell you that I haven't blogged in a really long time because we've been on a super duper fancy vacation. But, that's not the case. I am just now getting over a cold that lasted almost 2wks!! Not a whole lot going on here, but I'm okay with that!

I do have something exciting to tell/show you. But, I need to get my digital camera back from our friends so I can show you the pictures! Nice teaser, huh? ;)

It's amazing to think that people from all over the world, come here, to where I live, to vacation!!! When we're out on our friends boat, we see dolphins all the time! I can watch them all day long! This is my life!!

Things I love Thursday - Vonage

2009-05-06T14:40:00.006-05:00

We've been using Vonage for over a year now and we love it! Before Vonage, our bill would get very high from all the phone calls to Japan. Now with Vonage we get unlimited local, long-distance, and the Asia plan for $34.99. Now I no longer have to say "Sorry, Mom! We've been talking for 30mins now, gotta go!". Vonage's customer service is very friendly and very helpful, too! For getting my sister to sign up we both got a month free of service. Right now, the promotion is "refer a friend-get two months FREE". How cool is that?! Vonage is definitely useful for people who have family living overseas. I have a few military friends who use Vonage, too. I wish I was getting paid to right this, but I'm not. Just sharing my love for Vonage! =)

Head on over to TheDiaperDiaries to check out what other people are lovin'!

Figure Eight... Number Eight...

2009-04-29T22:21:00.010-05:00

Well, since I can't sleep and I just got tagged for this meme by Courtney.. I'm going to share some information you probably don't care about! =)

Eight Things I'm Looking Forward To:

My sunburn healing, LOL. I mistakenly used SPF 15.. thought it was 50! Ouch!
Our 4yr wedding anniversary (June 4th). No idea what we are going to do, but still excited
My husband's family reunion in June. There are still a lot of people I haven't met yet and we get to see family that we don't see often.
Going to Disney. Again, no idea when, but I've never been and can't wait.
Being in a single digit clothing size! So close!!!
Our church's Mother and Daughter Luncheon. I have always dreamed of going with my own little girl and now I get to!!! Yay!
Going to Publix tomorrow and getting in on some good deals.
Finishing our yard projects.

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:

Ran/walked 3.8 miles.
Played Phase 10 with my hubby.
Made Pepperoni Pizza Casserole for dinner and one for the freezer.
Scheduled Kyle's 3yr checkup.
Searched for lost sippy cups.
Cleaned my side of the closet.
Watched Oprah's Earth Day episode.
Complimented my husband's amazing smile.

Eight Things I Wish I Could Do:

Run a mile and a half in 10mins.
Draw/paint.
Read my Bible all the way through. Hate that I still haven't done this.
Visit Europe.
Go back to highschool. K, maybe not really..but I wish I had studied harder and paid more attention.
Give my Mom a hug.
Be closer to my niece and watch her grow up.
Shuffle cards.

Eight Shows I Watch: (occasionally)

American Idol
Oprah
Semi-homemade w/ Sandra Lee
Desperate Housewives
The Hills
Grey's Anatomy
Keeping up with the Kardashian's
The Amazing Race

Eight People I Tag:
I'm not going to tag anyone. If you feel like doing it, let me know so I can read your 8 things!! :)

First Giveaway Winner & Giving Thanks

2009-04-27T10:59:00.011-05:00

My first giveaway was an impromptu giveaway, but that's okay! Still fun, right? I used random.org and the # it gave me was... #2. KCShipe @ BooksNBoys wins the Clean and Clear package! Congrats!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was driving home from my doctor's appointment today and just couldn't stop thinking about things in my life that I am so grateful for. Here are just a few things that were running through my head today!

we don't have to worry about my husband losing his job

I am able to stay at home and take care of our house and children

we have "free" medical care

the four of us are very healthy

we have two running cars

we live in a nice house

we aren't starving and have plenty of food

we are able to go to the gym for free

and it even has a child and parent room

our kids have toys and clothes, probably too much of both!

I could go on and on, as I am sure you could, too! Sometimes I just get caught up in the day to day things and forget to stop and just be thankful.

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul, Thank you, Lord, for making me whole; Thank you, Lord, for giving to me Thy great salvation so rich and free.

(picture credit, Allposters.com)

Friday Photo Flashback

2009-04-24T08:51:00.003-05:00

Alicia over at More Than Words has started her own fun bloggy carnival. Friday Photo Flashback!! I'm still a youngin' (not saying anyone's old, LOL) and don't have a lot of pictures that are super old or that are even from the pre-digital camera days. I was five when my parents went through a nasty divorce and somehow my brother and I only have less than a handful of baby pictures. Sad, huh? Well, enough of that. I love this picture of me and my brother. I was six and he was almost four. Ever since we were born we have been super close!

Things I love Thursday - BzzAgent & Clean and Clear

2009-04-23T09:04:00.008-05:00

I've been a member of BzzAgent (a word of mouth marketing company) for awhile now. They send me products to try and even a sample product to give to someone else. Included in the packages are several high value coupons. Recently, I was sent products made by Clean and Clear. I received the Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes and a bottle of Soothing Eye Makeup Remover. The wipes are my new bestfriend. My bedtime routine of washing my face is so much easier now. My sister has always told me to use makeup removing wipes, but I never really listened. I am starting to think that maybe that is the reason why I have been having really bad break-outs! Just maybe I wasn't getting all of my makeup off. I have used wipes in the past and after 20 seconds, your little towellete is all dried out! Not these things. These babies stay nice and moist.

All that to say, I am giving away a package of their wipes, 2 coupons for $2 off (one for you and the other to share with someone else!) and a little Clean and Clear makeup bag. Now, I know I don't have a million readers and I really don't care. I am just spreading the word! ;) All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me your favorite skin care brand! That's it. I'll randomly select a winner on Monday. =)

Thanks to TheDiaperDiaries for hosting Things I love Thursday!

the weekend

2009-04-20T20:10:00.008-05:00

I found out last week that my Mama is able to read my blog now. Her boyfriend prints out each of my blog posts for her!!!! My Mom doesn't have internet, nor does she even know how to work a computer. But her bf does! I'm so excited!!! Hi, Mom!!!!!!!!!! :) It's time to put the babies to bed, so here's a re-cap of our weekend in pictures!

Kyle opening his presents

He wanted a Hulk cake. It was the only thing he talked about.

Our present to him.. a bike!! Before I know it, we're going to be taking the training wheels off, huh?!?

Whoops! Helmets are important!

Miss Leah pointing at an airplane

Kyle in Destin

Kyle ran off with his other parents (Matt and Bek), lol, so it was just us 3.

I'm so blessed to have a beautiful family!! Us with Brandon's parents

Birthday Boy

2009-04-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

Kyle turned 3 years old on Monday. Yesterday I realized I didn't blog about it!! LOL. Bad Mommy!! I guess since we aren't celebrating his birthday until Saturday, it sort of slipped my mind. Yikes! We didn't tell him it was his birthday until the afternoon and then we asked him what he wanted to eat for dinner, of course his answer was pizza. We explained that he wouldn't be opening his presents or getting his cake until Saturday. Happy Birthday, Buddy!!

How did we go from him being this little, tiny baby..

to this big, handsome, non-stop talking boy!?!

Or his first Easter (well, technically his 2nd, since his first one he was only 3days old!)..

..to his 3rd Easter!!!

I wish the time would slow down just a little. *sigh* I have a three year old now!

What's in your purse?

2009-04-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

I try to clean out my purse often. But, I guess with two kids, it's just going to get nasty!

Here's my list, what's yours??

3 notepads

a cough drop

a water bill

9 coupons

2 mints

5 church bulletins

2 letters from mypoints, that had giftcards enclosed

a lollipop

a pack of wipes

my wallet (not even gonna list what's in there!)

checkbook

2 small picture album things

stamps

ugh, crumbs and broken crackers *shy face*

some black unknown object!

wrappers from a straw, cookies, lollipops, and coughdrop

a set of keys and a lock (Kyle loves keys)

a broken cell that is used as a toy for the kids, lol

a frequent haircut card

hand sanitizing wipes

small bottle of lotion

dayquil pills

a hair tie and clip

13 receipts

my coach wristlet

a bouncy ball

3 tampons

2 perfume samples

a pengrocery lists on random pieces of paper

2 comment cards for the base gym

120 yen.. yeah, haven't been to Japan since Nov of 2006!!! Another thing Kyle loves.. coins!

lip gloss x2

lipstick

lip plumper, lol, like I need that!

chapstick still in the package

4 grocery pamphlets w/ coupons

and a keychain my mom gave me back in November of last year.

Crazy! I'm almost embarrased to even show how filthy the inside of my purse was. I love BIG purses, but I know for a lot of people huge isn't their thing. I think my sister is my only friend who shares a passion of big bags with me! BTW, I got a great deal on that purse. I found a BIG name brand purse that I wanted... it was about $300. I told the husband about it, so we went shopping (not for that pricey one.. I personally can't justify spending that kind of money on a purse!). Well, we went into Nine West, and what do you know! I found that purse's twin! I think mine even looks better than the $300 one, hehe. I paid less than $30 for mine, and we even donated a few dollars to a charity! Score! =)

Here's a picture of my purse and my handsome model, LOL. He's gonna hate me for that one, huh??

Friday Funnies

2009-04-10T08:36:00.003-05:00

Kyle was patiently (or so I thought) waiting by the door for me and Leah to finish getting ready, so we could go to the gym. As I was putting my shoes on, Kyle says "Come on, Woman!". I started laughing and thought maybe I heard him wrong. I asked him what did he just say and he replies "Come on, Woman, hahaaha". I couldn't stop laughing. I know he picked it up from my hubby. It was just too funny to get on to him about talkin' to me like that. LOL. =)

To get your laugh on, head here!

I guess I'm boring ;)

2009-04-06T14:58:00.002-05:00

My husband said that I haven't posted pictures on my blog for a really long time.. and now it's boring! Why, thanks, Babe! =) I think I am the only wife who has a husband who checks her blog daily!

I decided to just come here and post some pictures....of my handsome hubby.. hehe. Teaches him to tell me my blog is boring! ;)

This picture shows just how much my hubby takes really good care of things he owns. He came home on his lunch break and then .. finished waxing his car! Still in his blue's (that's not his daily uniform.. this one is a "dress" uniform).

And lastly, our bestfriend's got a boat!!! So here's a picture of Brandon on it. My husband and Matt spent the day Saturday cleaning it up and changing the oil on it. I have a feelin' I'm going to be super tan this summer!! Goodbye pasty white legs!! ;)

chat

2009-03-31T20:17:00.005-05:00

I just feel like chit chattin' for a second. Is that okay?

I made this soup for dinner the other night. It was really, really good. It was almost like a dip, but it was still delicious!! Kyle especially loved it.. he had 2 bowls the first night!! Next time I think I will add in some black beans or some other filler like corn. I didn't use as much water as it called for. And I also didn't make the Pico de Gallo.

The girls and one guy @ The Sisterhood of Shrinking Jeans are giving away SEVEN copies of Jillian Michaels' DVD, 30 Day Shred! Go here to enter for yourself!

My face has looked like one of a 15yr olds these past few months. I really don't know what is going on. It's super frustrating though. I have tried Acne Free and even ProActiv and still am broken out. I need to make an appt. with a dermatologist, but I'm still unsure of how to do that. You know 'cause we're military and I'm just the spouse. I need to figure it out and maybe can get prescribed something to help! *sigh*

I am still working out! I feel really good about myself. I've been going 5 days a week and yet have gained 2lbs. If I gain another pound, I think I'll cry. Actually, I know I will.

Leah is now 13 months old and she is still nursing. When I took her in for her 1yr check-up. Her pediatrician told me I deserved an award for breastfeeding her this long. He even told me "you rock!" haha. It was great. We are down to 2 feedings a day, so I know it won't be too much longer until it's over.

We have found a really great church. We have been church-hoppin' for quite some time now. I had an issue with them 2yrs ago (it was about their nursery and not anything to do with their beliefs or doctrines).. and I am now ok. The 1st Sunday we went there, I told the nursery workers about what happened with Kyle and I think they understand. I still make a note when I sign her in, just in case. This is the first church that Kyle really enjoys. He doesn't cry at all when we drop him off, so that's a good sign, right? :)

Speaking of Kyle, he's going to be turning three next month (or this month, depending on when you are reading this). I am not prepared whatsoever!!! I always tell him that he's my baby and he says to me "No, Mommy, me Kyle!" hahahaha. What a goofball!

Okay, it's bed time for me now!! Goodnight ya'll!!

what a funny boy

2009-03-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kyle talks a lot now. A whole lot. He talks in sentences. He even surprises me when he uses words like awesome, comfortable, amazing, and so on. ((Isn't it amazing how fast little children can pick things up!?)) Last week, he learned the word special. I'm sure Kyle is tired of me saying "Baby, say...", just 'cause I think it's cute. He is definitely at that age where the things he says are just cute and funny! I've always looked forward to this point!

Last Tuesday, I told Kyle that I had a haircut appointment, his immediate response was - "you gonna get a lollipop, Mommy?". LOL. We took Kyle to get his haircut at the barber shop once, and afterwards he got a sucker. Wouldn't it be great if we got one afterwards, too?? ;)

When I came out of the salon and got in the car (Brandon and the kids were waiting for me), Kyle says "Mommy! I like your haircut". Aww, he melted my heart! I don't think my hair looks that much different. I just got about an inch and a half, maybe two inches, taken off and added lots and lots of layers. But, he definitely made me feel good! =)

Do you Redbox?

2009-03-27T09:39:00.001-05:00

I do! Confused? These little red machines are slowly starting to pop up around here. Every Monday, Redbox gives out a code for a free rental.

Here are a few codes that will give you a free movie.

~REDBOX (this will only work if it is used as your first order)

~BREAKROOM

~DVDONME

Every Monday, I just go online and google redbox code. There are a ton of sites that will have the code for you. If you sign up online, Redbox will email you the code to your cell. But, I don't want to use up my minutes doing it that way. You have to use your credit or debit card, but you won't be charged. There will be a $1 hold on your account, but after you return the movie it goes away. You have to return the movie, the next day by 9pm, or you will be charged a $1 and then another $1 each day. After 25 days, or $25, the movie is yours to keep. Who can turn down a free movie? I can't! ;)

Don't forget to hit the "rent with a promo code" button on the lower left hand side before you begin!! ;-)

Potato Soup

2009-03-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

My husband loves Outback's Potato Soup, so awhile back ago I went on a hunt to find a potato soup that he would enjoy. We love, love, love this soup. It is very tasty and a whole lot cheaper! ;)

Ingredients
8 potatoes
4 cans of chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup butter, or 2 sticks
1 1/2 cups colby-monterey jack cheese
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/4 green onion

DIRECTIONS.
Potatoes,diced and boiled; save till the end.
In pot, add broth, onions, salt, pepper, and water simmer 20 minutes.
In small pot, melt 2 sticks butter and 3/4 cup flour together and add to broth slowly.

Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream slowly to thicken.
Simmer 20 mins, add potatoes and serve.
Garnish with Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, bacon bits, and green onions. Enjoy!!

Thank you, thank YOU

2009-03-17T21:08:00.004-05:00

My hubby got the job!!!!!

I can't thank you enough for praying for him and his work issues. My hubby used to work on the F-16's, but in his career field he can also work on the CV-22 (what he has been doing for almost 2yrs now) and he can also work on F-22's and UAV's (which he has never touched before). He really wants to go back to working on the 16's, but that won't be happening for at least another 2yrs, if not more. All that to say, this spot as Security Manager was a way to get out of working on the CV-22. He is very excited and probably a little nervous as he has no idea what to expect. He has been working out on the flight line every single day for the past 7 years that he has been in the Air Force. And now he's doing an office job. So you can imagine what a change this is going to be! If you could remember to say a little prayer for him, that would be great. I know I seem to be asking you guys for lots of prayers recently, but God still answers prayers! Anyways, he starts tomorrow!! And, the best part is that he's on day shift (7am-3/4pm)!!! No more workin' nights! Yeah!

Keepin' it real - part 2

2009-03-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

I caught a nasty cold on Thursday and today the cold is 100% gone. But, now Kyle and Leah seem to be a little sick. *sigh*

Remember when I said my husband had his test date pushed up because he was going TDY (a business trip) to another country? Well, he applied for an office job as a security manager and he might be getting it.. sooooooooo, they took him off of the TDY. He really wants to switch, so if you all could say a prayer, we'd appreciate it a lot! If he doesn't get the spot, he's going to be bummed. Not only because he doesn't get to leave the CV-22, but also because he lost the opportunity to go a military paid vacation, haha. Okay, so it's not always a vacation, but we do get paid extra!

Whenever Leah wakes from her nap, I am heading to the gym! I will step on the scale and check my weight. It will be the first time I have checked in over 2wks. Last time it said I gained 2lbs. You can see why it's been that long! ;)

I've got nothing else for ya! How about another 'keepin it real' post? I should make that a weekly meme or something, haha!

Man, oh-man, oh-man! I am quite embarrased to show these pictures, but I like to keep things real around here. haha. Here's a before and after picture of my sink. No matter how much I scrubbed those sinks, there was still a nasty yellow stain on the bottom. I thought I was doomed and it was permanent. I didn't think to use bleach! duh! So, I put a little bleach in the sink, let it sit, and wow, don't I feel dumb!! =)

Grilling Goodness #21

2009-03-06T14:33:00.007-06:00

1. What do you do when you get mad? Depends on who I'm mad at, I guess! But, usually I just vent to my husband or my sister!

2. Do you wash your hair everyday? Oh, yes! Hardly ever miss a day! I guess it's a good thing that my husband doesn't go in to work until 230pm. I get to shower for as long as I like.. and alone!=)

3. How often do you speak to your parents? My Mom lives in Japan, so with the time difference's it's not as often as I like. Definitely a few times a month though. I don't talk to my Dad, ever. But, that's a whole 'nother post!

4. Your nails - painted or nude? Toe-nails are always painted. Can't stand them naked. My fingernails are painted right now, but not always.

5. What pair of shoes do you wear most often? My pink and grey flats, I think. Or my black flippy-flops!

6. If you could do anything you wanted to do this weekend, what would it be? Lay out @ the beach. But it's not nearly hot enough to do that just yet.

7. What's the best cough medicine you know of? I don't know. Not a medicine taker! And I don't give my kids cough medicine. Only Tylenol or Motrin if NEEDED.

8. How do you feel about 'springing forward'?? Still not used to Daylight Savings Time. I know I've been living in the US for 3yrs now, but we didn't have to do this in Japan!

Thank you Tina for hosting Grilling Goodness each Friday!!

a bittersweet time

2009-03-05T18:32:00.004-06:00

Now that Leah has turned a year old, I decided to try to start weaning her.

I have loved (almost) every minute of breastfeeding. I only BF Kyle for 2 months, so to go this long with Leah feels great. It doesn't bother me too much to go longer than a year, but I most likely wouldn't go longer than 18 months. My husband, on the other hand, wants me to finish pretty much now.

I decided I would start after she turned a year old. She's one now and we're down to 2-3 feedings a day. We started a week ago and she has been fine with just those 2 feedings. I know I will miss nursing her when we are done.. probably a lot more because I know she is our last baby! :(

A good thing about weaning her, is that she is a lot less dependent on me to go to sleep. I have probably only ever rocked her to sleep (before now) a handful of times. Last night, she let me rock her for awhile without fussing and lay her down. She went right to sleep! I was very, very shocked. She's ALWAYS had to nurse, fall asleep while eating, and then I would lay her down. Then, this afternoon, I sensed she was tired so I started rocking her. Within 5 mins, she was out! Just looking at her sleeping peacefully in my arms made me want to cry!!

*sigh* Why, oh, why do they have to grow up so stinkin' fast!?

Things I Love Thursday - Creamer

2009-03-05T08:55:00.003-06:00

I'm not your average drink a cup or two of coffee in the morning gal. I do like coffee though. And the only way I will drink it is with Coffee-mate's Hazelnut creamer. It's my fave!! Recently, Mr. Creamer has been used a lot! We have been trying hard to not eat out as much.. and one of the things I have tried to stop buying is Hazelnut Iced Coffee's from McDonald's. So, I have been drinking my coffee with ice, LOL. Definitely doesn't come close to McDonald's, but it gets rid of the craving! Thanks to my sister, Marie, for introducing me to Coffee-mate's Hazelnut creamer a long time ago!!

Go visit thediaperdiaries to see what other people are lovin'!

Wordless Wednesday (almost) - Shark

2009-03-03T22:00:00.004-06:00

Don't know exactly what you should be lookin' at??? How about this one? ...

The "perks" of living in Florida.. seeing a SHARK on a truck while driving home from the gym! This truck/shark caused a lot of traffic, but no wrecks that I know of! :p

To see other Wordless Wednesday posts, go to 5minutesformom!!

ONE

2009-02-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Girl. Mommy loves you, oh-so much!

I enjoyed being pregnant with you.. I just knew you were going to be a girl!

You were such a little chunker! But, I always wanted a chubby baby..

I got a kick out of seeing you suck your thumb at such an early age.. you stopped after only a few months though..

Your cheeks were and still are perfect for kissing..

You did so good when you got your ears pierced! You stopped crying as soon as your Daddy stood up.

Your smiles are hard to catch on camera.. but that makes it all the more special..

Your brother adores you.. and you adore him. He already cares and loves for you so much.
I hope the two of you become the best of friends..

You love to get in to every thing, which is why there are locks on all the cabinets. But, surprisingly, you hardly ever touched the Christmas tree.

You are a Daddy's girl. He loves you more than you can imagine. It didn't take you long before you had him wrapped around your fingers.. ;)

I'm so thankful that I'm the one you call "Mama".

I am having some serious picture issues w/ blogger.. after 2hrs, I give up. This is as good as it's gonna get! :(

Kmart Deal

2009-02-25T20:16:00.001-06:00

If you have a stash of coupons and you have a Kmart near you, don't walk, RUN there! My friend Rebekah and I decided to go take advantage of their double coupon days - and we scored! Here's a picture of every thing I bought. My total with tax was $37.43. How much did I save? $76.85!!

Here's a detailed list of what I got and how much I paid for it.

L'oreal Eyeshadow - free

Suave body wash -2.97 for 3

Revlon eyelash curler - 1.79

Colgate Kid's toothpaste - 1.50 (needed this!!)

Crest toothpaste - all 4 for free

Secret Deodorant - .58 for 2

Gillette shampoo - 1.00 for 2

Always pads - free

Dove shampoo - .49

Dayquil - 1.29

Carefree pads - free

Dawn soap - .99

Easyups training pants - 7.49

Bounty papertowel - .49

Pampers diapers - 7.99

Bounce dryer sheets - .79

Pringles - both free

animals crackers - 1.29 (a just because item for Kyle)

If I didn't buy the diapers, my total would have been $21.48! Not bad, huh? Check online to see if the Kmart near you is participating in double coupon days.

It's a party!

2009-02-25T14:00:00.002-06:00

We threw Leah's 1st birthday party on Saturday. She doesn't actually turn the big ONE until tomorrow, but it was better for everyone's schedule if we did it a week before. I still can't believe she will be a year old. I know everyone says it, but it really does seem like she was JUST born. *sigh* Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Group shot of all the kids

Rebekah, Me, Nicole

The cake I made for Leah's party (thanks for helping Bek!)

Poor Kyle, he kept wanting to open all of Leah's presents!

Yummmmm!

Leah actually ate her cake. When Kyle was turning one, he didn't even touch his cake!

prayer

2009-02-23T14:38:00.004-06:00

Life has been going in fast foward these past couple of days. I haven't had time to blog or even read blogs this past weekend. I just wanted to get on here really quick and ask for your prayers. My husband is testing for his next rank tomorrow. He wasn't supposed to test for another 2wks, but his date got pushed up. This rank (Tech) is, I guess, the hardest rank to make in the Air Force. A lot of people have to test two to three, or sometimes even more, times to pass. So, if you can, please lift up a prayer for him. Pray that he remembers everything he has studied and, of course, that he passes! The worst part of testing is that you don't find out for a few months if you passed or not! If my hubby makes Tech Sgt., it's about another $600 a month! ;) Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers!

44 questions

2009-02-18T15:00:00.002-06:00

I need a break from all the cleaning, so since Alicia tagged me, I figured I would do this. This is definitely more fun than dusting!

1) Favorite object in your room? The bed!
2)What's your favorite ice cream flavor? I can't pick a favorite. I love icecream period. Just no nuts, please.
3) Do you own guns? Yes, we have one. So don't be tryin' to break in, mmk?
4) What flavor do you add to your drink at sonic? I always get a Strawberry or Watermelon Limeade.. yummmm
5) Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Always.
6) What do you think of hot dogs? I love the fact that I finally got my friend Rebekah to start eating them.. well, the only beef ones.
7) Favorite song? Too many to list!
8) Can you do push ups? Hahaha.. maybe a few of the girlie kind
9) Can you do a chin up? A big fat NO
10) Favorite type of jewelry? Anything
11) Do you like blue cheese? I do.
12) Ever been in a car wreck? Yep.
13) What's one trait that you hate about yourself? Lack of self-confidence.
14) Middle name? Marie
15) Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. 1. I'm annoyed that it started pouring... had to close the windows :( 2. Why did I eat that smore!? 3. I want a nap.
16) Name 3 things you bought yesterday. 1. a butterfly cake pan, 2. new razor refills, 3. popcorn
17) Name 3 drinks you drink regularly? Water, Milk, and Water
18) Current worry. Not necessarily worrying, but I have no idea what to make along with burgers and hotdogs on Saturday. NOTHING sounds good to me!!!! Aye!
19) Current hate right now? Kyle's messy room.
20) How did you bring in the New Year? With the family and friends
21) Where would you like to be right now? Just want my family here :(
22) Name three people who will complete this and let them know. Whoever is bored like me!
23) Do you own slippers? Yep!
24) What shirt are you wearing? Blank tank top and a gray zip-up short-sleeve sweater thingie, lol. No idea what it's called.
25) Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I think it would be nice!
26) Can you whistle? I can.
27) Would you be a pirate? No thanks.
28) What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever is on our shower radio.
29) Favorite girl's name? Don't have a favorite. I guess I should say 'Leah' since I named my daughter that, right? LOL
30) Favorite boy's name? I really, really like Matthew, but the hubby doesnt. And I really, really like Jake. If we ever have a "whoops, we're pregnant!" thing and it's a boy, definitely naming him Jake!
31) What's in your pocket? Nada
33) Best memory as a child? Being carefree and having no worries.
34) Worst injury you've ever had? Not sure.
35) Do you love where you live? It's ok.
36) How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
37) Who is your loudest friend? Umm, I don't know.
38) How many dogs do you have? None.
39) Does someone have a crush on you? I hope not!
40) What is your favorite candy? Anything with chocolate!
41) Favorite Sport team? Don't have one.
42) Where is the next place you want to travel to? Japan.. we're trying to go next year!! :)
43) What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sitting on our bed w/ the laptop, while talkin' to the hubby
44) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? "what time is it?"

keepin' it real

2009-02-17T16:01:00.016-06:00

~~I have had so much on my mind lately. I don't even know where to begin. Right now I'm in one of those moods where all I want to do is read blogs, not write them.

~~Oh! It's lookin' like we are winnin' the challenge!!! Our friends have eaten out, I think, 3 times (and that's being nice, since, a certain husband has been buying soda at work, lol)! But, anywho, we went to the outlet mall in Alabama yesterday, the hubby and Kyle had pizza and I got a drink. So, now it's 2 to 1. I am very proud that we have only eaten out once so far this month. I don't think we will be eating out as much anymore.

~~I went through our statements for Dec and Jan and got so sick to my stomach. I wasn't going to tell you all how much we spent on eating out.. but I'm keepin' it real! So.... for the month of December we spent $356.45 and the month of January we spent $259.91. That's ONLY on eating out.. not including groceries. Do you know how many car payments that is for us!? :( Now, I know we had birthday's and all, but there is no reason for us to spend that much on fast food and restaurants! Ugh. I am so disappointed, but we are moving on. We've decided to stop eating out as much and start putting the money we would spend into a separate savings account. So we can't touch it!

~~I have been keeping track of pretty much every single penny we have spent. This month is going to be a high-spending month since we got our income tax return. We also had to buy new tires for Brandon's car, an expensive car part, a big girl seat for Leah and all brand new sippy cups (man, those are over-priced!). Now I hope I can keep this up every month!

~~I am still working out 4x a week! I feel great and I am finally starting to see a difference. I even got hit on at CVS!!! LOL. It was flattering, but a little creepy! I am getting better with what I am putting into my mouth, but I definitely need to work on not eating all that chocolate.

~~My MIL and FIL are coming on Friday for Leah's birthday party on Saturday, so it's going to be a busy week of cleaning! Speaking of Leah, I can't believe she is going to be ONE on the 26th! Her first year definitely went by way too fast. *sigh*

~~I think I have done enough rambling! I figured I would just throw all this into one post!

Hmmm. How about some new pictures of my babies?

Show and Tell Saturday - Favorite Shoes

2009-02-14T11:10:00.006-06:00

I have been wanting to participate in Show and Tell Saturday (hosted by Homesteaders Heart) for about 2 weeks now, and now I finally get to do it! I have a hard time posting on the weekends, but I just love this meme, so I made it a point to get on today! LOL.

This week's theme is your favorite shoes! This one is actually hard for me! I love shoes! I went and counted.. I have 64 pairs! Of course it's mainly because of my obsession with flip-flops. I think 25 of them are flip-flops. But, anyways, I decided to just show my current favorite pair. The pair that I pretty much wear with anything. The pair that are seriously starting to get a little too worn in! Here's a before picture of them.

Hmm, think she has anything to do with my shoes being worn in too fast?!

Grilling Goodness

2009-02-13T16:52:00.008-06:00

1. How long has your longest friendship been? Um, I met my first bestfriend in K5 and we were bestfriends up until we were 18. I got married and he went to college. I haven't spoken to him in about 3yrs. Even though it's been that long, I still consider him my friend. So, that friendship would be 17yrs long. Then my other longest friendship is with Arlene, and I've been bestfriends with her for, I think, now it's 12yrs!

2. What made you happy this week? Finally seeing a difference in my body after working out for over a month. No more elliptical for me! As soon as I started just running & walking on the treadmill I noticed a change.

3. Are you planning any kind of event right now? Nope, I'm not!

4. Do you wear your wedding ring? What is it made of? Only when I go out! :O I know! I just can't wear them around the house. They are made of gold!

5. Do you shave your legs in the winter? I shave my legs every day, no matter the season!

6. What time do your kids go to bed? Leah goes down anywhere between 830-10pm. And Kyle usually goes to bed between 10-11pm. Only because we are on Daddy's schedule!

7. Right this minute, is your laundry caught up? Almost. One load left!

8. Do you want flowers for Valentine's Day? Not necessarily ON Valentine's Day, flowers are over-priced then. But any other day is nice! We're not big Valentine's Day celebraters anyways.

Thanks to Tina for hosting Grilling Goodness!

Wordless Wednesday - He has a bed, I promise!

2009-02-10T21:58:00.003-06:00

For more Wordless Wednesday shots, go to 5minutesformom!

Here fishy fishy

2009-02-10T17:17:00.003-06:00

My husband took us fishing on Saturday! Add this to my list of first! My first time and Kyle's, too. We didn't catch any fish, but it was still fun. My husband knows me so well, he bought me a pink and purple fishing pole, haha! My two favorite colors. We went out again on Sunday after church, and we still didn't catch anything! I'm not so sure about this fishing thing anymore, but I so intrigued by it, that I want to keep going until I catch something. I want to experience the thrill of catching one of those suckers! For those of you who have caught a fish before, is the feeling really that great??? I wanna know!

update on our 'challenge'

2009-02-09T09:01:00.002-06:00

We did it! We went a whole week without eating out. We didn't even buy a drink here and there and my hubby didn't buy anything from the snack bar at work. During the week it wasn't hard at all, but the weekend is where we were tested. I was invited to a movie and dinner, with a local play group, but it was a Mommy's night out type of thing. But, since we are doing this challenge, I couldn't go. I would like to have gone, to meet other Mom's and such, but there's always next time.. I hope. We realized that since we can't eat out this month, we really can't go anywhere. So we stayed closed to home. On Saturday, we did something (another first for me, which I'll blog about later) and I made sandwhiches to take along. Not only are we saving money by not eating out, we are saving money on gas since we aren't going out and about. One week down and only two weeks and five days left. But, I'm not counting or anything!!! ;) Who am I kidding?! A Hazelnut Iced coffee from McDonald's is calling my name!

Totally off subject -
I am still in my pj's when I should be in my workout clothes. Today is a day that I do NOT want to go to the gym. But, as soon as I hit publish post. I AM GOING! I can do it! :)
Eat Healthy & Exercise!

World Marriage Day

2009-02-08T19:18:00.004-06:00

Today is World Marriage Day! ((I know. The day is almost over, but I have a hard time getting online during the weekend!)) I'll just say it now, but I am a firm believer that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Nothing more to say about that.

I really like the idea of World Marriage Day, it's a cute idea! :)

My husband and I met at the end of August in 2004. We started dating in January of 2005 (I think it was the 6th, I have all the dates written down.. somewhere!). He proposed the end of March, and we were married on June 4th, 2005! So, needless to say we didn't know each other very long, but we knew we were meant for each other. We've been married almost 4yrs now and we couldn't be happier. I am so extremely thankful the Lord sent my hubby from a itty-bitty town in Florida all the way to Japan. He is my bestfriend, my other half, the love of my life.

I don't think you need me to tell you, but go tell your lover how much you love and adore them and how thankful you are for them!!!

Happy World Marriage Day!!!

Grilling Goodness

2009-02-06T14:34:00.004-06:00

I love this meme! If you would like to participate, go over to Tina's where she host's Grilling Goodness!

1. Have your children corrected you somehow this week? I don't think so. They are still little to do that :~)

2. Are you waiting for a particular something to happen? Kind of. My husband found out that he has to go TDY for 5wks, so we had to postpone our trip to Disney World! :'(

3. Do you chat online? Not as often as I used to! I don't have time for that anymore!

4. What is the oldest thing you own? Pictures from my childhood.

5. What's for dinner tonight? No idea! Hubby works nights, so it's up to me and Kyle.

6. Are you artistic? Not even a little bit.

7. Are you getting an income tax refund? Plans for it? We already got ours! We paid quite a bit on our Mustang, we spent a little on stuff we needed/wanted, and the rest is in savings for our vacation to Disney.

8. Do you use 'zero payments/zero interest for XX months' to buy things? We have used it before. We don't do it often, and we always pay it off in like 3 months or less.

Things I Love Thursday - Quaker Mini Delights

2009-02-04T21:46:00.003-06:00

The other day I received a sample in the mail --Quaker's Mini Delights. I had planned on eating it later, but Kyle saw it and opened it up. So we split the bag. Oh my goodness. These 90 calorie packs are my new favorite snack! They are so delicious. I was heading out to Wally World later that day, so I had to pick two boxes up. I bought the Chocolately Drizzle and the White Chocolate Mini Delights. They are both awesome! I really like the Chocolately Drizzle though. So far, it is my favorite. I can't wait to try the other flavors they have out there. I honestly didn't think I would like these, I've tried rice cakes/snacks/crackers before and have always been disappointed. That's no longer the case with Mini Delights and with only 90 calories, I'll take it!

What do you love? Go on over to TheDiaperDiaries, link up, and share with us!!

just a little.. discouraged..

2009-02-03T20:28:00.009-06:00

I was telling my husband today that I wish as soon as you started working out, that you could see instant results. It's been almost 3 weeks and I haven't seen a difference. But, I will keep on pushing. Keep on working out four times a week. And keep trying my best to eat healthy. I am almost tempted to bump my exercising up to 5-6 times a week. Can you tell I can be a little impatient at times?

On Saturday, we went to a friend's house for a going away/watch a fight game get together. And then to another friend's house on Sunday for the SuperBowl. So, needless to say I so did not eat very well this weekend. I drank way too much soda, too! But, I am not going to beat myself up for it. It's over with, and now I just need to concentrate on eating better now. I'm not going to say "I can't eat that" or "I'm not going to eat this", because not eating something I love will just make me cranky. So, I need to work on portion controls. I'm going to allow myself to eat a choc. chip cookie, or to eat some sausage dip -- just not 10 cookies or 2 bowlful's of dip. I think I'll be okay if I can work on portion sizes.

How is every one else doing with their eating habits and exercise routines?

A Challenge

2009-01-30T19:30:00.001-06:00

The husband and I were looking at our finances the other day. Something we do every so often. We did all the math to see how much we were bringing in and how much we were spending. We added up all our bills and all that fun stuff. After all the important things are paid and our money goes to it's proper places, we still have a significant amount of money left over. But it got me thinking, where exactly is our money going?? I want to know how much we are spending a month on food, on diapers, on clothing, on every thing! Of course I have an estimate on how much we spend, but I want to know down to our last penny.

I've tried in the past to keep every single receipt for that month so I could see what we were buying. I've even tried writing every thing down in a notebook and it didn't work. I would always lose a receipt or two and just give up. It's hard when you have to remember to get the receipts from the hubby, too. I could go online and check, but that would only tell me how much we spent and not on what. But after looking at our budget today, I am motivated to find out. It's going to be a lot of work, but it needs to be done. A trip to DisneyWorld is a big motivater, too!! ;)

Last night, we were talking to our friends and we decided to have a little challenge. Absolutely no eating out for the month of February. No quick stops through the drive-thru. No more being lazy --start packing a lunch every night for the husband. Not only will it be healthier for us, but I want to see if there is a drastic change in our checking accounts. The winner of the challenge has to buy dinner at a Japanese restaurant on the 1st of March! Pretty good incentive, right? =)

If anybody has a better, easier way to track spending your spending, I'd love to hear it!

Things I love Thursday - Heavenly by VS

2009-01-29T08:59:00.002-06:00

I'll just come right out and say it. I love Victoria's Secret. I do. I know some people think that they are over-priced. Others think that their clothes are too revealing. And that their catalogs aren't very family-friendly. I pretty much agree with all of that.

I do think that their stuff is pricey. But, if you know me at all, you know that I never pay full price for ANYTHING. During the holidays you can score some pretty sweet deals from VS. They also pretty much always have coupon codes to use, and you can almost always get stuff for free with certain purchases.

I don't buy their clothes, only undergarments and pajamas (I was going to use their pj's for my things i love thursday post, but the ones I love are only sold during early winter). But, you are going to find not-so-modest clothing at any store you go to.

All that to say, I love VS's perfumes. Heavenly is my all-time favorite though. It just smells great and I always, always get compliments on it! :) People can't stop sniffing me, hehe. I first got a sample of it with one of my purchases and fell in love. I told my sister about the perfume and she just so happened to have a huge bottle of it... that she didn't care for! Score!

If you'd like to participate in Things I love Thursday, go on over to The Diaper Diaperies and add your link to Mr. Linky :) Or just go over to read what other people love!

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset

2009-01-27T21:35:00.004-06:00

To participate in Wordless Wednesday, go on over to 5minutesformom!

She wants to be fit, too!

2009-01-26T21:37:00.002-06:00

It has been almost 2 weeks since I have started working out again. How am I doing? Great! This week I am bumping my exercise routine up to 4x a week! Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays! I am addicted!!

In addition to working out, I am trying (key word = trying) to eat better.. but it's so hard! I am a huge desserts/sweets girl. I'm also a huge baker and it's killing me not to bake any goodies. I could just bake something and send it off with the husband to work ----- but I know I won't be able to resist any fresh, warm cookies straight from the oven. I'm not that strong yet, haha.

You know, I thought I drank a lot of water, because that's pretty much all I like to drink. But once I started actually counting how many fluid ounces I was drinking.. yeah, not even close to what is recommened!! So, I have been working on that.

How is everyone else doing with their diets and exercise routines? Hopefully well! Let's keep on motivating each other, k? =)

--Sorry the pictures are so large, but I am too lazy to go back and re-upload them to a smaller size. I guess it's a good thing Leah is just so stinkin' cute, right? hehe--

Wordless Wednesday - Sleepy Boys

2009-01-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

To participate in Wordless Wednesday, check out 5minutesformom!

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-01-20T09:12:00.002-06:00

Our closet next to the front door was a disaster! It needed to be cleaned out and organized. This closet held mainly my hubby's work gear, so I was a little apprehensive to touch anything! I guess that's what took me so long to get in there and clean it up. But, I did it!

Here are the before pictures.

Half-way point!

All done! I even arranged our jackets.. mine and Leah's are on the left side, and Brandon and Kyle's are on the right. I took a photo with and without my exercise ball. I have nowhere else to store that thing, so it has to go in there. But, the ball just makes the closet appear messy. *sigh*

If you'd like to participate in Tackle it Tuesday or just want to browse, head on over to 5minutesformom!

Close to 30

2009-01-19T13:04:00.002-06:00

Wondering what the title means? Today is my dear hubby's 26th birthday!! So, he is closer to 30 than he is 20!! (hahaha, love you, babe!) For about a month, the husband and I are only three years apart, but now we're back to four! Unfortunately, Brandon is feeling really really sick, so he's in bed trying to get better! What a way to celebrate your birthday, huh!? He did get a super nice birthday present though. A brand new grill!! The one we had was given to us by friends of a friend's.. and they got it from one of my sister's friends! How confusing is that? Needless to say, it was time for that thing to go! Here's the new grill, isn't it a beauty!?

Happy Birthday, Honeybuns!!!! I love you and hope to spend many more birthdays with you!!! MWAH!

Chewy Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2009-01-17T09:55:00.001-06:00

After Christmas, I got a TON of candy on sale for dirt cheap.. as in, like, $.20 a bag! Well, I got a bunch of M&M's not only because those are one of my favorite types of candy, but because you can make some awesome cookies with them. I love, love, love Paula Deen's Monster Cookies, but I decided to try something new with the M&M's. I went to the M&M site and was pretty amazed at all the desserts you can make! I ended up making these cookies and now they rank high on my favorite cookies list .. well, if I had one of those, right? ;)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits (I just used the regular-sized ones)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits. Drop by rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; transfer and cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container. MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES.

Things I Love Thursday

2009-01-15T09:42:00.000-06:00

This is my first participating in Thing I love Thursday, but I am sure it won't be my last! If you'd like to participate, go on over to TheDiaperDiaries!

The thing I am sharing today that I absolutely love is my black Scunci hair clip.. FOR thick hair! One year when my sister came to visit she had one.. and by the time she got on the airplane to go home, that little ole hair clip was in my hair. I have super thick, wavy, mid-length hair, and this clip holds every single piece. No slipping out.. nothing.. it stays put! I love it. It's the only thing I can and will use now. Scunci has a whole line of products made specifically for thick hair. Genius! If you see me in any of my pictures, I pretty much always have this clip in my hair. The only time I really don't have it in.. is in bed! That's it. Who knew something so simple like a hair clip could make me so happy? :)

Here is my clip, but I only have it in black.

On my way..

2009-01-14T19:52:00.003-06:00

to being skinny!! I have been saying (for a really long time) that I would go to the gym and work out. Today I didn't just say I was gonna do it, I actually did it! I dragged my friend Nicole with me and we took our babies. One of the gym's we have on-base has a parent and tot room, they are such great ideas! It's just a room devoted to parents and their kids. There is a sectioned off area for the kids to play in and the equipment out of the gated area. We were the only one's in there, too! I know I am going to wake up in the morning sore, but it's worth it! After I was done working out, I felt great about myself. I don't know why I don't work out more often. My goal is to go to the gym at least 3x a week. Now, if only I could put down the yummy M&M cookies I baked the other day! :-(

Rodeo

2009-01-12T09:59:00.014-06:00

I don't know if I live a sheltered life or what, but ever since I met my husband I have had a lot of firsts. I have done things, went places, and tried things I never thought I would do.

~He got me to try snowboarding (he didn't listen when I told him I would really suck at it, and now he will even tell you it was a bad idea to go! HaHa).

~He's bought/rented movies that I had never seen, like - Jaws, Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the list goes on.

~He got me to go snorkeling in Jamaica! I don't even know how to swim and am deathly scared of the water. Thinking back on it now, I can't believe I did it. Crazy!

~He's gotten me to shoot his gun (I used to be the girl who would go nowhere near a gun, but I got to the part where I actually enjoy shooting them!).

~My husband even has me hooked on NASCAR. So much that I even watch it when he's not around. LOL. I can see my sister rolling her eyes right now.. she doesn't understand how great it is to watch cars go around and around, hehe ;)

~He's taken me to my first Pro football game, Pro baseball game, and this past weekend he took us to a Rodeo.

We had a blast. I loved it. They only had the bull-riding part.. I guess they do other things at some other bull-riding events, but I wouldn't know. But it still was a lot of fun and I can't wait to go to another one!

Brandon showing Kyle where the bulls are

Leah's 1st pro bull-riding event, too! a video of the clown jump-roping

waiting for them to let the bull out...

And he fell off right away :(

It was so sad seeing some of the guys fall off right away and get soooo upset. They would punch the fence or wall! I felt so bad for the guys! :(

An Interview!

2009-01-11T22:23:00.004-06:00

Alicia over at More than Words gave me these questions to answer. And ya'll know how much I loooooove doing/reading question thingymabobs. Such a cute little idea!

1. Did you know you wanted to marry your spouse when you first met him? Hehe, nope! His friends were actually trying to hook him up with my bestfriend! So, yeah, no!!

2. Have you ever traveled to another country? I was born and raised in Japan. Moved to the United States almost three years ago. I went on a two day cruise to Nova Scotia when I was about 13yrs old. And in August of 2007, my hubby and I went on a cruise to the Grand Cayman Islands and Jamaica (it was for our friend's wedding). So, I've been to a few countries, but there a lot more I would like to visit.

3. Can you speak another language? I am half Japanese, but I can only speak a little Japanese. I understand pretty much all of it though! Oh, I took a year of Spanish in highschool, but the only thing I remember are the Bible verses we had to memorize.

4. Did you grow up in a Christian home? Kinda. My Mom went to church with us for a majority of my childhood, but for some reason just stopped as we got to be teenagers. But, my brother and I kept on attending church services. We even went to a Christian private school that our church in Japan had.

5. Do you keep in touch with any friends from high school? Yes, pretty much all of them actually! I guess it's not that big of a shocker since I only just graduated a few years ago, haha. Oh, and our school was SMALL, so it's easy to stay in touch.

I had so much fun doing this! If any of you would like your own questions to answer, let me know and I'll try to think of some good ones. But, be warned, I am super nosey!!! :~)

Grilling Goodness

2009-01-08T22:10:00.004-06:00

I can't believe another week has gone by. It's Friday already! I love doing surveys and questionaires, so this meme is totally me! If you would like to participate head on over to Tina's where she hosts Grilling Goodness!

What's your 'dream machine' - as in vehicle? An Escalade!! Love them!!
Do you think you'll ever own it? Yes! My hubby is getting a Corvette one day and I'm getting my Escalade. Bling Bling ;)
Can you water ski? hahaha, nope! I don't even know how to swim!
What kind of milk to you prefer? Well, if I didn't struggle with my weight, I would so drink whole milk. But, I drink 2% most of the time. I'm slowly working on 1% though!
Have any of your pet peeves 'gotten your goat' this week? Ummm, I don't know. But, probably so.
How do you prepare your taxes? HR Block, Turbo Tax, by hand - or does someone else do it for you? My hubby uses something online, LOL. I think maybe it's Turbo Tax???
Did you start a workout program this New Year? Nah, I get in little exercise moods here and there. Some days I'll watch a workout show on TV or I'll get on my treadmill. But, I have a goal to lose a significant amount of weight by June (more on that later!).
Do you have a certain meal that you cook each and every week? No, I don't. But we do eat spaghetti at least once or twice a month. And I love me some Tuna Casserole. It's one of my comfort foods, so I make it quite a bit. There's nothing I make every week though.
When do you normally write your blog posts? Whenever I get a free moment, haha. Either first thing in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast and watching cartoons, nap time, or late at night.

Slow Cooking Thursday

2009-01-08T09:17:00.003-06:00

Decadent Chocolate Delight

Prep time: 5-10mins

Cook time: 6 to 8hrs on Low OR 3 to 4hrs on High

1 package (about 18 ounces) chocolate cake mix

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup water

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 package (4 serving size) instant chocolate pudding mix

1. Grease the inside of the slow cooker stoneware with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients together, mix well, and place in prepared stoneware.

3. Cover and cook. Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

I was going to post a picture of this. But, uh, I couldn't wait long enough to snap a photo and now I'm too embarassed to show just how much of it I ate!!! :( It was delish!!

If you would like to participate in Slow Cooking Thursday, or just want to check out some yummy recipes, go on over to Sandra's blog!!