{Quite possibly, the worlds longest post}..with pics!

On Friday, we had our monthy card/game night! It's something Steven and I look forward to a lot. Its always the highlight of our week! We will usually play 3-4 card games and then whoever is hosting it will provide some sort of little dessert. This time, it was at our house and yes, you guessed it, I made my ice cream/oreo cookie concoction...even though we didnt win, we still had a great time!

On Saturday, Steven was finally home for the first time in a few weeks. I woke up to him outside washing my car! I was so happy, it had been a few months since my car had been cleaned. From there, we loaded up the car and drove up to Bellevue Square. We were on a mission to find Jacob a bed frame (backboard and footboard, he's already got a frame) and dresser. Unfortunatley, we didnt see anything we were head over heels for. We still had a great time! Jacob loved the lego store, the "Sweet Factory" and Pottery Barn Kids...I enjoyed all of the baby stores and even Steven got his fix at the "Bose" store. I really love that mall and wish we lived closer...maybe its a good thing we're a little further away (wink, wink)

That night, my good friend Ricci invited us over to dinner with some of our other good friends. She made the most amazing lasanga with chicken, spinach and cream sauce! (Ricci, if you are reading this, will you send me the recipie?) :) I also made my ice cream dessert for this one too! We all played a few rousing games of Guitar Hero (the new one) and I like it so much more than the older one. The songs are much better and you can have muliple players too! I was also able to pick out 7 more clips for Norah! Ricci makes these adorable little clips (and big clips too!) she sells them on etsy and they are very reasonably priced! Check her out here...

Sunday we headed to church and afterwards had a few of our friends over to watch the Superbowl. We all had such a good time and the kids did really good too! I was able to take some really cute maternity pictures of our friend Becky and if she gives the "ok" I'd love to share a few of my favorite with you! Stay tuned!


Speaking of Becky, on Monday we celebrated her, and the soon to be birth of her little boy! Her friend put on a great shower for her at our church. It was a lot of fun and I think Becky had a great time! I cant wait to meet little Daniel!

Tueday morning, the kids and I headed off to Mops. It was our love/marriage themed week and we were so lucky to have an amazing couple come and speak to us. Everything they said was so amazing and really touched me. I found myself tearing up a few times...He is a Pastor up in Summit and also works as a marriage counselor. I have a new found appreciation for my marriage and feel so blessed to have heard what they had to say. It was so very true.
One of the gals in our group made homemade bathsalts in a jar for all of us and I am excited to try them out! We were also given little favors from our table leader (thank you Alicia!) and we made the most adorable craft! They are coupon books for our hubbys! (see below) I can't wait to fill it out and give it to him on Valentines Day! For our icebreaker, we wrote our names on a piece of paper and walked around writing words of affirmation on the backs of everyone elses! It was so much fun to see what everyone said about us!

That night we got together with Suzie and Andy for another movie night..this time it was "Taken" we all agreed hands down it was one of the best movies we'd seen in a very long time. We rushed over to my parents house to tell them all about it. I can't wait to get it when it comes out on video! It's full of suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seats the whole time! 2 thumbs up from us! Anyways, we had a great time as always and Im already planning our next "double date" night!

That pretty much "sums" up the last few days in our crazy life!
Sorry for the ramblings...I also use this blog as my diary too and like to keep current!

{Date with Mommy}

I decided to take Jacob on a little 'date' yesterday! Lucky, for me, a 2 year old doesn't require too much in order to be satisfied! It had been awhile since we'd been to the park (thanks to the not-so-lovely-weather we'd been having) but for the last few days, we've actually been hit with some sun. Not only was I able to wash my car on Saturday, but it has surprisingly remained clean ever since. Usually, with my luck, the second my car is clean, the rainclouds come in.

Anyhoots, he had a blast playing for a good hour or so on the toys and meeting some new friends. Since it was still fairly early (to me, at least) it wasn't too busy. I'd say there were only about 4 little toddlers total which gave all the kids enough running room!

For lunch, we went to the ever so popular, McDonalds. Ive come to the conclusion that chicken nuggets should be a food group in themselvs...Jacob could eat them day in and day out and they would never get old, one of the few things Jacob will actally eat.

Next, we went shopping and he got to pick out a few more cars...he's building up quite the collection of those little things, but they're cheap and he enjoys them so I'll give in.

Of course, I brought my camera in hopes to get a little more practice in and here's what I got...

{Opposites Attract?}

A few days ago, my best friend, Angela posted a blog talking about how her and her family have removed high frutose corn syrup from their diet, she has told me how much better she feels how she lost quite a few pounds by doing so.
"There are so many studies out there that link HFCS to the rise in obesity and the rising numbers of people with diabetes. Just this week a new study came out that shows that HFCS contains mercury" she said.

Therefore, Angela, in honor of your post, I have decided to show off this......
{Pioneer Woman style}

I guess the saying is true, opposites DO attract!!
Hehe



There really is no official title for this very easy dessert so I'll just call it
" Heaven on Earth"
..just kidding
I'll let you come up with your own title!



{First off, the cast of characters:}

1 pkg of Oreo cookies
1 box of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream (you can use any flavor but I think this tastes the best), 16oz of whipped topping...aka "Cool Whip"
(yes, I know I am showing 32 oz in the picture, it's because I made this dessert 2 times this week.)
(if you're cheap, I mean "frugal" like me, I just use generic brands)
and that's it!



1.) First you're going to mash up 1/2 of the package of Oreo to fairly small pieces and spread them over the bottom of your 9x13 dish
(I usually break them up with my hands)



2.) Next, you're going to take your softened ice cream and spread it evenly over the Oreo crust.

3.) Next, take your softened cool whip and spread it over the ice cream
(Did you know you can keep cool whip in the fridge?)
I never knew that and it made it so much easier to spread!
cool whip is a pain...

5.) And for you last and final step, break up the remaining 1/2 of your Oreos just like before, only this time they are going to go.......

...on top of your cool whip!
Place it back into the freezer to allow everything to harden back up.
Take it out about 10-15 minutes prior to serving in order to make it easier to cut up.

..and that's it!
Most of you who know me, have tried this at one time or another.
If you've tried it, what do you think?
Was it "blog-worthy?"

Cheap, easy, and yummy
Right up my alley...
Enjoy!

{Stay tuned, more recipies are a coming...}

{I wanna play!}

I have noticed over the last few days that a few of my friends are doing giveaways on their blogs...who doesnt love free stuff right??

I feel left out and now am looking for something I too, can giveway!

Any suggestions?

The obvious would be a nursing cover...but then again, not all of my readers are pregnant or breastfeeding (hehe).. but they do make great gifts!

Hmm...

Drop me a comment if you have any other suggestions, if not, a nursing cover it will be!

{Playing catch up}

Its Monday night, my workout is done, Steven is upstairs tiling the guest bathroom and the kids are asleep. I love this time of night, I just get to sit back and relax while catching up on some tv shows, emails or having a kid free conversation with my hubby.

Our church recenlty merged together with another church in Edgewood. We began meeting at a new location at the beginning of January and at first it was somewhat overwhelming but after just a few weeks I am really enjoying it! The music has been great, the sermon, wonderful, just like before and with so much more space (except for in the parking lot) we have the much needed room we'd been missing in the previous building. I have already met some great friends and I can't wait to further our friendships, I can sense many playdates in the near future!

Sunday after church we met up with Chris and Angela and took the kids to The Ram because on Sundays kids eat for 1.00! They get a ton of food too! The only problem was that our server was horrible and we were there for over 2 hours...thankfully Chris spoke to the manager and we got a nice gift card as compensation :)

Monday night, my parents offered to watch both kiddos (yes both!) so Steven and I could go to a movie with our good friends Andy and Suzie...the last time we went to the theater to see a movie was also with them..but it was to see I Am Legend...yeah, its been awhile. We saw a great thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again...(this time much sooner than last)

Our Mops table got together last week and took the kiddos to Jumpin Jack n Jills in Sumner, I have mentioned this place in the past but just want to remind all of you south-sounders how fun this place is! Its a great place for the kids to run free when it's freezing outside and you're looking for a place to go kill a couple of hours.

Alicia and Stephanie and I went for a girls dinner on Tuesday at The Rock. It is probably my favorite pizza joint and if you've never been, I strongly suggest the "My Generation" pizza...it's to die for!

Friday night, all of the moms in our mops group got together for a night of food, fun, games and a silent auction...it was so much fun and I came away with 3...yes 3 baskets! One of them was filled with scrapbooking materials/magazines and even a book. The other was a movie night themed basket complete with 3 movie ticket, candy, a dvd and some cute popcorn holders...and finally the last was a camelback water bottle, tshirt, book and a coupon for a free Emerald City Smoothie, my cheeks hurt so bad from laughing so hard and it was definatley a great time!

Sunday, we celebrated Steves Grandma and Papa and cousins birthday...it was so nice to see everyone and Jacob had a blast playing with his cousins...we dont get to see his side of the family enough and we are going to work on getting together a lot more this year...

That brings me to tonight...we celebrated the birth of Adelynne Grace with a fun baby shower at church, her mama and I have become good friends and they have recently started attending our church. We are so happy to have them and I love getting to hold this beautiful new baby! She just melts my heart...it's not really helping my baby fever either!

The kiddos are doing great! Norahs had a bit of a cold but I think its starting to go away...Jacob has become quite the big brother. He's now helping me a lot more with her...at first I think he just pretended she didnt exist. Now I will catch him bringing her toys, putting her pacificer back in her mouth, kissing her and bouncing her in her jumper (she really likes that!) On Friday, Norah goes in for her 6 month appt...I am excited to see how much she weighs...should be interesting...do you think The Biggest Loser takes infants? hehe. j/k I love me some baby fat!

On that happy note,
goodnight!

{Game On}

It's official, we have scheduled our getaway with our best buds, Chris and Angela! Thanks to our crappy economy and the wonderful thing called "debt", we have decided to keep our destination in the lower 48 states and save Maui until next year. In the meantime, we still wanted to head somewhere warm, inexpensive, and where we could find some great entertainment and still lay by a pool...and thats when we came up with...



Eeeekkk!!
We are all so excited, we've all been before but neither of us have had a kid free vacation in a long time! We will be leaving the first week of April but will get back in time for Easter egg hunts on Saturday (we're leaving the week of Easter)...we are going to drive down and make it a little mini road trip! Their van has gps and a dvd player...we always have a blast when we're together so this should prove to be a roarin' good time! We will each drive for 4 hours and stop for meals and pit stops, with gas prices as low as they are, it works out to only 35.00 per person each way...so much cheaper (and more fun) than flying!

We will be at the MGM Grand and have found rooms for under 60.00/night, so as you can see, this wont be a budget buster! Thankfully, we have some amazing family that will be watching the kiddos and we know they will be taken care of!

The real meaning of this post is because of my urgent need to shed some pounds, I have joined a mini weight loss group with some close friends! We are all doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred... I had first heard about it from Amy and Pam but I very quickly realized that I know a bunch of people doing this dvd (and they are all loving it, and seeing results). I started it today and can definatley feel the burn! As I workout, I will text Amy and Pam and they will do the same so we all keep tabs on each other...Pam gives us a sticker and once we reach 30 stickers we'll reward ourselves! I am hopeful that through dedication and better eating, I can look and feel better on our trip!
So...here's to no more junk food, big portion sizes, less soda and eating late at night!

...and bring on the breakfasts!

Let's get shredded!

{Photoshop Fun}

I guess you could say Im a tad bit addicted to Photoshop Elements ... I have been stalking a few websites that have been a huge help is guiding me to create some amazing effects on my pictures. The next stop will be taking a class at one of the local colleges in town which will show me even more in depth all I need to know about my camera. I figure that we have an amazing camera so why not use it to it's full advantage! As I was 'learning' today this is what I came up with....I know its in the pumpkin patch but I really like this picture...stay tuned, way more to come!!

Before::


After::

{Linky Love::}

As I was at dinner tonight with my friends Stephanie and Alicia, we got to talking about blogs and we began listing a few of our favorites...thought I'd point out a couple that have either been strongly recommended to me or have weighed heavily on my heart for various reasons...

Pioneer Woman-
This one was referred to me by my good friend, Alicia. She tells me she's personally spent hours laughing out loud reading the hilarious stories written by this woman. She also gives great tips on photography, home and garden and homeschooling!

Kelly's Korner-
Please pray for baby Harper, she is just a few days old and has already endured so many obstacles but we can already see God is healing her, praise the Lord!

{Pictures::6 Months Old}

1/2 a year already!
I can't believe how fast time has flown by...
I hooked up with Stacy last week and she took some fabulous shots of Norah for me! I cant decide which are my favorites...thats ok though!
Now that Norah is nearly 6 months old I can't help but to mention a few of her little milestones
(for family that reads this) lol.
Shes full on crawling across the floor, which has meant a lot more vaccuming on my part...
She still isnt a fan of any fruits or veggies but is now beginning to accept oatmeal...
She loves to say "bababababa" ...
Shes sleeping through the night :) (amen) ...
If you smile at her, she'll glady shoot a smile right back at ya..
She loves other babies/toddlers (especially Jacob)...they dont have to do much and she's laughing histerically...
....and her favorite toy of all...the jumparoo, she catches some serious air in that thing...its pretty funny to watch her go to town on it!

Needless to say we are having so much fun with her, she has definatley been a blessing in our lives and we thank God for her everyday!

{Here are a few of my favorite pics from her 6 month photo shoot}
Enjoy!

{Can I brag a little?}

It is currently 10:25pm on a Saturday night, you may wonder why that is signifigant to me and I will tell you it's because my husband has been hard at work (on a side job) since 8am. I am so amazed at his dedication and hardwork, not only tonight but the 3 late nights he worked last week as well and his normal 7-4:30 job. Every time I've talked to him today he's sounded so happy and as much as I know he's missing us, he's helping our family out tremedously! I dont know when he'll be home, but he's planning on working as late as he needs to in order to not have to go back tomorrow, plus, football is on, and that's a good motivator!

shhhh.....
{He doesnt know this but Im secretly planning a dream vacation to Maui for him} he thinks it's all up in the air for now and pending our tax return and some scheduling issues, I hope to take his breath away when he finds out what's happening} hehe, I love surprising him!


So I am going to relax, watch some tv, and not complain for having to spend yet another night by myself and just be thankful for a man who is willing to sacrifice so much (including his weekend) for us!

{The Challenge::)

I saw this link on Katies blog, it got my attention and I couldnt have put it better when she said, "There's nothing better than a happy hubby, and enjoying one of God's greatest gifts to married couples at the same time!"
Im actually really excited to do this!
And yes, my kids are going to be so embarrassed someday too!

I joined...
What about you??

{Click the link/icon for more details}

{Girls night::}

On Saturday, I hosted a girls night out with my Mom and Baby Group. We met in the spring of 2007 at Good Samaritian Hospital and have remained very close friends ever since. It helps that our babies are all within a few months of each other, there are even a few of us on round 2! Although we dont get to see each other nearly as much as we'd like, we try and do things at least once a month...
Here are a few of my favorite pictures...
We had so much fun!!

{Renee, Morgan and Jessica}


{Michelle and Amy}


{Amy and Michelle}

{Bree}

{Renee}

{The music came on, and we were dancing!}

{Our neighbors must have thought we were crazy...}

{My house can beat up your club}

{Me, Bree, Danielle and baby Tyler}

{We went "kniving" a neighbors house...he's a friend and
also a fellow practical joker}

{The finished product!}

{Fun times!}

{Some of the girls in the back of the truck!}

{Michelle}

{Michelle, Steph, and Amy}

{Bree}

{ I } ::

I am: spoiled
I think: gas prices are starting to go back up...ugh!
I know: more now that when I was younger...
I want: to be free from credit card debt
I dislike: most vegtables
I miss: sleepovers and girls nights with my friends...
I fear: dying... and leaving my children while they are young
I hear: Jay Leno
I smell: like Britany Spears perfume
I crave: soda and slurpees
I cry: at movies that involve animals dying...
I search: etsy, craigslist, and ebay way too often
I wonder: when the economy and housing market will get better..
I regret: the whopper I ate for lunch
I love: sewing!!
I care: about my parents...
I always: clean clean clean!!
I worry: about Steven losing his job...
I am not: a chef
I remember: my wedding day...perfect!
I believe: in GOD
I dance: and have a lot of fun while doing it...
I sing: even though Im not good at it...
I don't always: floss...
I argue: when I know Im right
I write: lists..all the time!
I win: at Guitar Hero all the time, I think its beginning to bug Steven
I lose: my cell phone and debit card and license on a daily basis...
I wish: we could built our dream home now and not have to wait on the market!
I listen: as much as I can...I try and be there for my friends
I don't understand: how anyone could hurt a child or an animal
I can usually be found: at Joanns, Target, Church, my house, or my parents
I am scared: of possums and moths
I forget: how much it hurts to have a baby...thats why I want more!
I am happy: when the house is clean.... the kids are tucked into bed.... when I get to work out!!

If your read this, you're it!!


TAG... if you are reading this... you are it!

{Randomness}:: Flood update, Great quote, and my attempt at photography...

So this post is all over the place...I apologize, if you know me, I am a random person!

{Flood Update}
We were able to come back home last night and thankfully, our home remained unharmed. Praise the Lord!! Parts of hwy 162 were covered in water but they still opened it back up for all of the residents..phew!! We were visited by the Governor of our state today as well as congressmen and other state officials, it really put Orting on the map!) Steven and I are so thankful to have my parents living so close by. They were a lifesaver and totally helped us out...plus I got a ton of sewing done and didnt have to cook at all (whoo hoo!), we think Jacob knew there was something going on because when we got there, he was so hyper and excited, it was cute. Thank you to everyone who has called, emailed, and texted me in the last few days, it really meant a lot to know there were so many people out thinking of us...

{My attempt at photography}
While at my parents house, I noticed a cream colored piece of fabric, since Norah has such fair skin, that color looks really good on her...so I got out my camera and attempted to photograph Norah as best as I could...
Here's what I came up with:

{Great Quote}
I saw this quote on the side of The Old Cannery today, I really liked it...
"Dont get caught up making a living, that you forget to make a life"

Have a great weekend!!