Little Miss Rylee

Be Right Back!

2011-08-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

You know you're a blogger when you haven't blogged for 4 days and you nearly develop a twitch.

I've got lots go blog about friends...really, I do...just no time to do it!

Work is crazy right now so my normal blog during lunch routine isn't working because...well, I'm working through my lunches.

BUT....I've big exciting stuff happening around here! In just a few days you will see a brand new big girl blog...with my own URL and everything! I've been working on it for a while now here and there and I'm just about ready to share it with everyone.

So, fingers crossed, by the end of the week be on the lookout!

Until then...I will leave you with my current favorite photo {that doubles as a sneak peek}.

Camping One-Liners/Notes on Camping/Alternative Post Titles

2011-08-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Oregon Girls Rock. {period}

Because who doesn’t love not one, but THREE{!} giant, swollen mosquito bites on their face!?

I can make a fire with twigs and moss. Can you?

Up with the sun…and my ass hole dog.

Nothing beats a quiet morning, the crackling of a campfire, the rush of a stream and a hot cup of coffee.

Ry thinks napping while camping is for the birds…suckers.

{AKA} This must be why people don’t take their kids camping until they’re {much} older.

Nothing like rushing water to help you sleep…and make you have to pee.

OFF! Spray: An undiscovered aphrodisiac. {Actually, I lied. It’s not. At ALL.}

Are you going to bury my poop so Dante doesn’t eat it?

I’m practically a pro at peeing outside. No really, you’d be impressed.

Rylee? Doesn’t so much have the hang of peeing outside—good thing we packed extra pants.

This year we scaled back and left the triple burner camp stove with BBQ box & griddle attachments at home. {Never again.}

Is camping without s’mores really camping?

Clearly, camping is ROUGH for a husky-wolf dog.

Who knew brushing your teeth outside could be SO! MUCH! FUN!

Baby wipes: not a very good alternative to a shower—but better than nothing.

He was not give the nickname Ranger Rice for nothing.

I am better at rolling sleeping bags than my husband. And for this I thank my father.

Nothing measures the effectiveness of your communication as a couple better than putting up a tent together.

I must be immune to Poison Ivy because after further inspection I’m pretty sure I’d been peeing on it all weekend.

Ice for the cooler: $4.75 Gas for the Suburban: $75.00 Seeing your 3 year old catch her first fish: PRICELESS

Unplugging is good for the soul.

A List-Maker's DREAM!

2011-08-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm a perpetual planner with a heavy slight ok, heavy obsession with list making.

If you're a list making fool like me I'm going to let you in on a little secret.

Camping.

Stick with me here...just think about it for a second. Picture this: you're getting ready to go camping.

Well, you need to figure out what you're going to eat while you're there...for every single meal.

For example:

Day One:

o Breakfast: eggs, pancakes, bacon

o Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit

o Dinner: Steak fajitas, black beans

Day Two:

o Breakfast: well...you get the idea...

Then, after that, you need to break it down even further...what are you going to need to actually MAKE each meal...

Breakfast:

o Eggs: 5, pre scrambled

o Pancakes:

- 1 Cup bisquick

- 1 cup milk

- 1 egg

o Bacon: Lots...obviously

Lunch:

o Sandwiches

- Bread

- Cheese

- Meat

- Mayo

- Mustard

- Lettuce

- Peanut butter

- Jelly

Again you get the idea here...

Then that all turns into a grocery list. Don't forget the snacks! And the beverages! And the s'more fixins'!

But wait! Let's not forget about what to pack...

The gear...

The cooking gear. The campfire gear. The sleeping gear.

The clothes...

And not just your clothes, but the kid's clothes too!

What can I say? I'm kind of in heaven right now.

And yes, I did make all these lists in the green tab of my multi-subject mini planner.

Stop judging.

And stop laughing.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to finalize my lists and check them twice.

Soon enough I'll be enjoying this view...

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Excited about Camping

2011-08-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

In just a couple of days we will be headed out into the Oregon Wilderness to do some camping.

Thinking about how excited I am, I got all nostalgic and started looking at our photos from Ry's first camping trip last Summer.

{Linking Up With: The Paper Mama, BabyBabyLemon, Parenting By Dummies}

I am SO ready for this folks...well...mentally but not actually physically ready {I'll be packing like a mad woman tonight}.

From Across the Terminal

2011-08-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

As I settled down into bed after a long few days of traveling for work, I let my mind wander as I listed to the familiar hum of the fan in our bedroom on medium speed.

It wandered back to just a few hours before while sitting in the airport waiting to board my plane.

That's when I first saw her.

A seemingly timid, tender older lady that took her seat across the waiting area.

She sat quietly. Content.

She had this look about her that kept my attention. A certain sparkle in her eyes that kept me captivated.

She smiled a sweet, knowing smile...

At the lady across from her knitting away.

At the two ladies next to her that stuck up a random conversation.

At the little boy running up and down the terminal.

Truthfully, she reminded me of my grandmothers. They had that look in their eyes once.

I secretly wished her seat would be next to mine.

I wanted to know what the sounds of her voice was like. I imagined it sweet and a bit soft-spoken.

I wanted to know her story.

While I didn't get to sit next to her on the flight home and no words were ever exchanged, this women left quite an impact on me.

What did the others waiting for our flight think about me? Did anyone secretly hope they got to sit next to me? Did I have a sparkle in my eyes?

I learned something from this stranger.

I learned the importance of smiling with your eyes because you never know who will be watching from across the terminal.

Fashion Police Friday - Video Edition

2011-08-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS THIS!? A video Friday Fashion Police!?

I know folks...we're gettin' crazy around here. We'll say this is an extra special FPF for my birthday.

Yea...that sounds good.

Oh my...My Child? Well, this girl has some mooooves...or something.

Outfit:
Butterfly Shirt: Old Navy
Colorful-Flowered Shorts: Target
Dance Moves: All her own

1 Camera, 2 Kids, 137 Pictures (give or take)

2011-08-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, Santa brought Rylee one of those Toddler-tough digital cameras. She thought it was the bees-knees for about two weeks, then like a lot of toys, the "new" wore off and it landed somewhere in the giant plastic tub we call her toy box.

Then, Andy started watching a friend's boys one day a week this Summer. You might remember "Tee-ann", as Ry calls him. He's 5 months older than Rylee and they are the best of friends. Well, he up and found this camera and now it's like the COOLEST TOY EVERRRRR!!! And every week Kian is over, they play with the camera.

Last week the batteries ran out, so I figured it was a good time to upload the photos from the camera. Some where total crap, others I was pretty impressed with. Some might be good candidates for those super-duper-slose-up guess this object type games.

Anyway, if you have a toddler and they are obsessed with your camera, I HIGHLY recommend spending the $40 to get ones of these toddler tough digital cameras. So awesome. And really, it will provide hours of entertainment for your little one AND you!

I mean really...I get a kick out of these pictures!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Summer Bliss

2011-08-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Linking Up With: The Paper Mama, Baby Baby Lemon, Live and Love Out Loud, Parenting By Dummies

This was our first family activity of the Summer. Pathetic but true. {The rental project is done. CAN I GET AN AMEN!?}

We started out the day sleeping until almost 8:30...almost unheard of in our house! We hit the road around ten. Made our first stop at the Summer home of Andy's mom's cousin and her husband {ya follow me!?} that have a house in Florence. We ended up visiting with them for a lot longer than we had thought but it was so great to catch up with them.

Then we hit the beach. It's the one we always go to whenever we go to the coast {you know, once a year}. We normally don't have very good luck with the weather but this day was gorgeous. We played in the sand. Touched our toes in the nipply Pacific. Then headed back to the Jeep for a hatchback picnic!

Just looking at these photos has me letting out a big {SIGH}. What a fantastic day...our little family of three needed this fun day at the beach.

Fashion Police Friday - Country Girl Edition

2011-08-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

You guys...I have 3 {yes THREE!} weeks worth of FPF to choose from today! You're all in for a treat for the rest of this month!

First of all, I apologize because these photos are actually horrible but someone was not being very helpful in the stand-still-so-I-can-get-a-decent-photo-of-you department.

Gotta love three year olds!

This outfit cracks me up. She decided out of the blue that this Saturday would be a great day to wear her Carhartt coveralls.

You know, very practical for the things we had on our to-do list that day like grocery shopping.

Coveralls: Carhartt {because duh, every country girl needs a pair of Carhartts!}

Grey flowered ruffly sleeved shirt: Old Navy

At least she did get to help Andy on the tractor for as long as her attention span would allow. {10 minutes in case you were wondering}

I would also like to take a moment to note two things:

1. Look how clean my house looks! (that was the day after our carpets were cleaned) and

2. Yes, I am letting my kid "play" with a Swiffer duster!

me = genius!

Happy Friday Friends!

On blogging and creeping and new friends

2011-08-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

One day a while back as I was creeping stalking reading one of Mandy's posts, I saw a comment from someone that said they were moving to Oregon. Well, I quickly did some more stalking creeping research and made contact with Lindsey. Turns out she was moving to Eugene so her husband could start grad school. I tried to play it cool but, I'm not gonna lie, I was probably inappropriately excited to learn that a fellow blogger (and a pretty awesome one!) was moving so close to me. We quickly made plans to meet up once they got in and settled.

Well last Saturday Rylee and I met up for bagels, coffee and fun with Lindsey and Otto. We had a great time!

It was great to meet a new friend and nice to hang out with someone who "gets" blogging and that when it was brought up I didn't get all weird and awkward and embarrassed about how much I actually like love it. (For the record, all my family and friends are supportive of the blog and even like it as far as I know, but it's different when talking to someone who actually does it too.)

And the kids? Well they were typical 2/3 year olds that sort of played together and sort of didn't. It was adorable to stand back for a few and watch them take turns pushing each other on the "rocket ship" swings. Then I about died from the cute when they hugged each other good-bye.

I know Ry had fun because later that day she couldn't stop talking about Otto and telling Andy all about their adventure at the park.

What's the most ironic about this whole blogging friend meeting thing is that not only did I not take a single photo, it took me 3 days to actually blog about it!

If there was ever a time I should have my blogging card revoked this would have been it!

But guess what...I kind of like this whole blogging thing and the awesome people I have gotten to know (and now meet!) over the course of the last couple of years.

I'm not turning in my blogging card anytime soon so, too bad for you...you're stuck with me!

Recipe: Cheesy Stuffed Eggplant {AKA: We're Having WHAT for Dinner?}

2011-08-02T10:06:00.000-07:00

Since nearly every night directly after dinner for the last month or soAndy has been heading down to the rental for the renovations, dinners have had to be quick and easy. I feel like we've slumped into an all too easy food rut lately.

So, this weekend while planning this week's dinners and making my grocery list, I started thumbing through some of the cookbooks I rarely use an came across this gem. I knew Andy had eaten (and liked) eggplant parmesan before but that he would be skeptical of this...so I opted NOT to tell him about it. When I started pulling ingredients out of the fridge he looked at everything and said "and WHAT exactly are we having for dinner?"

I got the original recipe from America's Test Kitchen's 30-Minute Suppers, Winter 2010 then made some of my own additions/adjustments. {I seriously love, LOVE ATK!}

Ingredients:
4 small eggplants, stem ends trimmed (small = about 6" in length)
1 pound ground italian sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
3 Tbl chopped fresh basil
1 Cup shredded italian style cheese
1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbl Olive oil
1/3 C Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees, adjusting your oven rack to the upper-middle position. Slice off the top third of each eggplant lengthwise and set aside. Scoop out the insides of each eggplant, leaving a 1/2-inch layer of flesh all the way around. Arrange the eggplants, cut side down, in a baking dish. cover with plastic wrap and microwave until eggplant is completely tender, 6 to 10 minutes (mine was 7 1/2 minutes), removing plastic halfway through. While the eggplant is in the microwave, chop up the remaining eggplant you had previously set aside. {Using all the chopped eggplant makes A LOT, so I would recommend only using 1/2 of it}

Cook the sausage until no longer pink. Add the onion and chopped eggplant and cook until soft...5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and most of the cheeses.

Spoon the mixture into your eggplant shells. In a separate bowl, combine Panko, olive oil and remaining cheese. Top stuffed eggplants with panko/cheese mix. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.

Enjoy!

The verdict: I thought it was really, really good! By the end of it though I found myself eating just the guts and leaving about 1/4 of the eggplant itself. Andy? Well, he like the guts but was not a fan of the eggplant. He said the flavor was good, but it was a texture thing for him. So he literally just ate the stuffing part.

The original recipe was meant to be vegetarian and I'm sure it would be great by following the recipe as well.

Wow...it's come a LONG way!

2011-07-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

Dare I say it? Do I see a light at the end of the never-ending rental renovation tunnel?

I don't want to jinx it or anything, but today after spending over an HOUR in our local home improvement store I think we made our last purchase on crap supplies for said rental renovation.

I hope.

Fingers crossed.

After we got home and ate lunch, I headed down to the other house to check on the progress.

I am in shock and awe and amazement.

I saw the potential in that dingy, poorly lit, unfinished upstairs and the stairway that reminded me of something from a bad horror flick. But somewhere over the last 2 months, a dozen or so nights of going to sleep without Andy next to me and umpteen bazillion hours of work on his part I lost sight of the overall project.

At one point, after a 10+ hour work day, Andy wearily crawled into bed, let out a big sigh and said, "I'm too old for this shit." All the while, I'm thinking, "We're too young for this shit"

I got burnt out and I wasn't even the one doing the work.

I am so proud of Andy and all the work he has done. I think I'd have to turn over my blogging card if I didn't show you the progress. It is, of course, always more impressive if you see it in person and the iphone photos don't even do it justice, but I hope/think you'll get the gist.

You ready for it!!??

Angle 1:

Angle 2:

Awesome right!? It's like a real, deal usable area now! It doesn't even look like the same space.

Now, as I write this, he is down at the house working again...but this time it's putting up the finishing touches!

{Also a HUGE thank you to those who came to lend a hand!}

I am so ready to have my husband back. And we have a month left of summer and we are planning on soaking up every possible ounce of it!

For the record, I still hate renting. I still hate being a landlord. But I am oh-so proud of my husband...for his hard work and his selflessness, always doing what's best for our family.

On Guilty Pleasures and Just Plain Guilt

2011-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days of getting a pedicure every 3 weeks because...you know honey, our pregnant sister in law can't go by herself!

True story...when our sister in law was pregnant I went with her every three weeks throughout nearly her entire pregnancy to get a pedicure.

That was also the time we were renting a house, with a (comparatively) tiny little yard.

When all we had to worry about was ourselves. And what we were going to do that weekend.

Fast forward just over 5 years (holy crap our niece is 5 years old!), one giant mortgage, one giant piece of land, two houses, two demanding careers, a dog and one kid later and I recently realized it's been over a year since my last pedicure.

Over.A.Year.

Total white girl problems, I know, but seriously...when did this happen?

I'm going with a girlfriend this evening to get a pedicure and you know what? I feel bad about it.

I have guilt over a freaking pedicure.

Do I deserve to pamper myself? Have I worked hard enough for it? I mean, really, in the grand scheme of things Andy works way harder than I do. He deserves some kind of relaxing something...and if he doesn't do something fun, why should I?

Yes I know I should go.

And yes, I know that once I'm there I will enjoy it.

And yes, I know that after this glorious 75 minute spa pedicure my mind and my heart (and my feet) will thank me.

And I have a phone message for you...

2011-07-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

I can't help but laugh a little bit every time I watch this.

I think we have a future Ms. Corporate America on our hands.

Do you think they'll let her take her blanket into board meetings?

What We've Been Up To... v.2

2011-07-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well it happened again...I went to bed last Wednesday night and I woke up almost a week later.

Ok, maybe that's not exactly how it happened but holy moly did this last week/weekend fly by.

So here we go...our last week via iPhone photo dump with a little bit of words.

Our new renters moved in over the weekend so that meant that Andy worked around the clock, literally, nearly all last week to finish up the renovations on the upstairs. He's still not done with it (touch-up painting and flooring to go), but it was at least mostly move-inable. When I say around the clock I really mean it...one day/night/morning he was crawling into bed about 10 minutes before my alarm was set to go off. That man? He's crazy. See also: hard working, dedicated, rock star, glutton for punishment

However...it has come a LONG way and it looks pretty awesome, if I do say so mahself.

A little peak at the stairway? stairwell? Whatever, the stairs.

My bed-mate and snuggle-mate while all the renovations have been taking place.

In related news: I really miss my husband. We all do.

I have been trying out some new recipes.

Did you know you get a deal when you have carpets cleaned in TWO houses!?

What my Friday nights now look like. See also: lame

My mom and younger brother & sister came out to help Andy one day. Ry & Keri made me a bouquet.

On Saturday since the new renters were moving in so Andy did work outside. Rylee was eager to help him. (that lasted about 10 minutes)

Rylee & I have been spending LOTS of Mama/Daughter time together so far this summer.

Ry wanted to play in "Daddy's orange thing". Oh Sweet Rylee...so does Daddy....

Yesterday at work we unloaded a 54 foot truck with approximately 20,000 units on it...in less than 2 hours. That? Oh that's just a giant bruise on my leg. Proof of the hard work.

This?...this is what happens when you put on a pair of pants you haven't worn in a long time after you've lost weight...they fall about 4 inches lower than normal and the top of your underwear hangs out. Thank goodness for long shirts, ammiright!?

Just a little cheese before leaving for work this morning. Gosh I love that kid.

If I only knew what I was in for...

2011-07-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends!

I wasn't blogging back when I was pregnant with Rylee or you probably would have read something like this already.

If you recall, I'm married to a very, very hardworking teacher. Most of the time this is a good thing...Summers off, 2 weeks at Christmas, it's a mostly fulfilling job. All in all, a good gig that I can't complain about. Unless we're talking about baby names...

As we're rounding the bend of Baby #2, it's all coming back to me now...

Today I'm guest posting for Alisha while she enjoys her brand new baby boy. Stop on over, check it out and feel free to have a laugh at my expense!

Go...Right NOW! Just click HERE.

photo credit

Rylee's Recap: Her 3-year Well Check

2011-07-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Rylee had her 3-year well check...two months late, I know. Whatevs.

Since it's Summer break Andy took her. That meant I got the "Rylee recap" when I got home.

It went a little something like this...

{Me} Ry, tell me about your visit with Dr. Barstow today. How did it go?

{Rylee} Pretty good.

{Me} Oh well that’s good...

{Rylee} Yea. But... I gotted a shot.

{Me} Oh?

{Rylee} Yea…it hurt me. So… so… and then I cried. But…it doesn’t hurt anymore. And I got a band-aid! But you don’t pull it off, otay? {she says as she wags her finger at me}

{Me} Oh yea, shots do kind of hurt, but they help us stay healthy. What else happened?

{Rylee} I jumped on a thing. And {as she points to her arm} I got blood pressure. It gave my arm a tight hug. But, it didn’t hurt. And I got a soccer ball! And a penguin book!

I love the way she tells me stories...she makes me laugh.

Here’s the 3-yr stats:

Height: 3’ 3”, 85^th percentile

Weight: 32 lbs, 8 oz, 55^th percentile

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Lasagna

2011-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Since Andy has been working NONSTOP down at the rental to get it ready for our new tenants (T-minus 5 days, folks) I knew I needed to have really fast, really easy dinners this week. But I also didn't want them to all be hotdogs.

My slow-cooker and I kind of have a hate-hate relationship. I'm convinced it actually cooks on sterroids because anytime I cook something on "low" heat it's done if HALF the time the recipe says it will. HALF...that totally throws off the entire concept of a "turn it on before you leave to work then have dinner ready when you get home" slow cooker.

However, since Andy was going to be home with Rylee for the day, I thought this would be a pretty safe, non-hotdog recipe to try.

Although I will admit... I was very skeptical.

I found the recipe on my go-to easy recipe website, the trusty old Kraft Foods. Instead of my typing it all out or trying to mess with the formatting of copy & paste, you can find the recipe HERE.

I did alter a few things in the recipe...for example: I used a spicy italian sausage instead of ground beef, I used part skim ricotta cheese and I used fresh basil instead of parsley.

I was able to get most of this prepped the night before so that I could throw it together Monday morning and put it back in the fridge for Andy to turn on later that day. I had Andy put it in at 2 PM because according to the recipe it only takes 4 hrs to cook and I figured w/ my track record I'd better skim off an hour or so.

Here's the quick run-down...

The goods...

About this time I'm thinking "Really? This is supposed to work?"

All assembled.

The after-math. Yes, it was so good that 2 of us ate almost half of it.

Judge away folks...

So there you have it! Easy. And it was ready when I got home from work...all I had to do was melt some more cheese on top.

And also? Please make a note that this is NOT mexican food!

Fashion Police Friday - July 15, 2011

2011-07-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Oh friends, I do love Summer. Of course for the SUN actually gracing us with its presence and the fresh veggies and all that jazz. But I also love Summer because it means there's typically good "fashion police" material!

Earlier this week it rained. Wha?? In Oregon? In July? Whatever. I was actually kind of happy because it meant I didn't have to water my garden.

Anyway.

When I came home from work that night I found this awesome ensemble on the monster.

When I asked her who picked out her clothes she puffed out her chest and proudly declared "ME!".

When I asked her if I could take a picture because I thought it was so awesome she replied, "Sure! If you want to."

Blue/White Stripy Sailor Dress: Old Navy

Grey Sweats w/ pink & purple hearts/other shapes: Hanes

Various bracelets: gifts from grandma

Shoes: I believe she wore her pink plaid fake cons.

Clearly she didn't want the rain to stop her from wearing a dress.

I love this kid.

Dear Rylee: Looking ahead to your teenage years

2011-07-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

My Dear Miss Rylee,

I know you only recently turned 3, and that your teenage years seem so far off, but I've been thinking lately and I wanted to go over a few things about what you can and cannot expect when you hit those dreaded wonderful teen years. And while I'm at it, I'll also throw in a few tips that'll make the whole world a happier place.

I don't even know where to start...

I guess since it's Summer break and I've been running into this a lot lately (no pun intended) we'll start here...

When you're a teenager and you cross a street or parking lot or anywhere else you could potentially hold up traffic, DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE! You need to be considerate of other people my dear. That means I want you to run that sweet little behind across the road so that the car doesn't have to stop just because you've got the "pedestrians have the right of way" mentality. And also? If you're on a road with a sidewalk, for the love of all things holy, use.the.sidewalk.

I want you to be mindful of others. That means when you're walking through the mall (or football game or where ever) with your little pack of girlfriends, don't take up the entire walkway. People may want to go around you you know. And people also don't want to hear about "how drunk you were at so-n-so's party last week" or that those shorts that girl had on made her look like such a skank...or whatever mean term you crazy kids will use by that point.

I happen to think that last little bit also ties in with not being hateful or judgmental or rude.

Back to being mindful of others, and considerate for that matter, if you notice someone close-ish behind you as you are walking into a building, wait and hold the door for them. Then smile at them too. It'll brighten their day. This rule also applies to any pregnant lady, mom with babies/toddlers, any older person and anyone with their hands full. Don't question it, it's just the right thing to do.

Never, ever underestimate the power of a solid handshake and eye contact. I know you might think it's silly, but rust me on this one. Oh, and you'd be smart to mention that to any boy you plan on dating too.

Honey I am going to tell you right now, you are not going to get paid for good grades...ever. I don't care if all of your friends get paid for every A they get. You need to try your hardest, that's all your dad and I ask. If you don't get straight A's, that's fine as long as you put forth your very best effort.

As long as you are busy in school with sports, or some other extra curricular activity like 4H or FFA or DECA or whatever you choose, your father and I will provide you with a vehicle to drive and pay for your gas and insurance. The minute you stop participating in sports or your chosen activity for whatever reason? You better plan on getting a job. Period.

Well, baby girl, I think that's all I've got for now but don't be surprised if I add to this list someday.

I want you to love your teenage years, but I also want you to be a well rounded kid that has some common courtesies that are no longer so common.

If you want me to teach you a proper handshake, just let me know.

I love you more than life itself,

Your Mama

Photo Credit

*******

Have anything to add to my list? Leave me a comment...I want to hear!

Pity...party of one.

2011-07-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

These last few days I've just been in a funk. Last night it all seemed to be rising quickly to my breaking point and I had this great post I was writing in my head all about the crappy stuff and how tough my life is and woe is me. A regular old pity party.

Things like having a three year old who loves to push your buttons until she finds just the right one to make you snap. The stupid asshole dog got skunked again. My garden that I finally got under control and planted has decided to take a shit and none of my cucumbers sprouted and the beans all sprouted then died soon after. I'm ready to just cover that section back up with the winter cover and call it a day. And the weeds...oh the weeds. (I am completely convinced that weeds are another one of God's way to punish Adam and Eve...and now us). And how my wonderful, hardworking husband came home from his 12 day trip to turn right around a few days later and work a 12 hour, then a 14 hour day on the rental...during my weekend. When I specifically requested he get help with Ry during the week so that we could have family time on the weekends. Then there was the realization that, after the rental project was over and the new renters are in, our focus is going to shift to all the other projects on the property that will have been neglected...like painting the barn and repainting the front of our house and mowing the grass on the back half of our property, and by the times that's all done the front part will need to be brush hogged again. Plus that's also on top of the regular mowing of our "yard". Suddenly, all of the fun summer "to-dos" I had swirling around in my head seemed to come to a screeching halt.

Combine all that with the fact that I just went off of a medication I'd been on going on 3 years and my hormones are just all sorts of crazy and it was getting to me. Holy balls was it getting to me...

Then, last night after I put Rylee to bed, while Andy was (still) down working at the rental I picked up the phone and made a phone call. While there was nothing deep and philosophical about the conversation, it automatically made me feel better. The mini bowl of chocolate ice cream probably helped too.

After I hung up the phone I thought for a few minutes. And I prayed.

This whole shit storm? Guess what...it's just life. And it's a life that we chose. Sure we might not get to go on all the amazing camping trips I had planned out in my head. But it doesn't mean that we can't go on one. And we can do plenty of other fun stuff. I need to stop being so selfish. It's time for me to put my big girl britches on and suck it up.

We chose this.

P.S. Shout out to my very best friend Julia...my B. Just...thanks...

4th O July Recap

2011-07-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a few days late here folks but I've been enjoying these last two days off. Soaking up all the sunshine and family time I can get. Do you blame me?

I didn't think so.

Moving right along...

Our 4th of July was nothing short of perfect. Well, as perfect as it can be while missing the man of the family but Rylee and I made the most of it!

We started out the morning going on a hike with cousins we never see nearly enough. It was so great to spend some time with them. The hike was pretty easy (perfect for carrying an extra 30+ pounds on your back!) and it was gorgeous!

(click the photo to enlarge)

After we got home I turned a movie on for Rylee so I could shower and make the nearly-world-famous "Marlene Dip" for our Fourth of July party. We go to the same party every year. Andy's been going for the last 15+ years and I've gone for as long as Andy and I have been together! It's always a ton of fun and there's so.much.food. I'm not even kidding...I'm pretty sure I ate an entire day's worth of calories in the span of about 2 hours! This year the gathering was smaller than normal, but it was perfect. Rylee had a great time playing with her buddy "Tee-an" (as she calls him). She is still not a huge fan of fireworks so we stayed until she told me she was ready to go home.

I'm still busy catching up on things...how was your 4th of July?

Distance makes the heart grow...crazy?

2011-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Right now as I sit on the couch and scan my living room I see a basket of clothes that needs to be folded. A basket of clothes waiting to be put away. A stack of pillows on a chair. My gym back, yoga mat and picnic blanket on another chair. And the floor is scattered with various toys, baby dolls, a half-played game of Candy Land and some suit cases.

But instead of milling about picking up the clutter here I sit.

Listening to a sound that I have missed so much.

The whole house is quiet but for this one noise.

His voice. Reading our little girl a story before nap.

Oh how I have missed that voice.

I'm not going to lie, I have relished in the quiet during his absence. There's times I like nothing more than to sit in silence. These last 12 days, after the Monster was in bed, there was plenty of silence to be had.

However, if I had to choose silence or the sound of his strong, reassuring, comforting voice there would be no contest as to which I would choose.

Going on ten years together we have never been apart for that long. I know the actual saying is "Distance make the heart grow fonder" and I would agree with that statement up to about day 5. After that point it's crazy.

All day yesterday while I counted down the seconds minutes hours until I got to pick him up from the airport I was like a giddy teenager. My stomach had butterflies. My heart pounded. I couldn't stop smiling. See? Crazy.

I swear I love that man more now than I did 10 years ago. Watching him with our daughter. Seeing his face light up when he got to drive his Cruiser for the first time in 4 years. The calmness that is about him just because it's Summer.

My heart? It overflows. It gushes. It causes me to write mushy "I just threw up in my mouth" type posts.

But you guys? I missed that voice.

Wife of the year? Perhaps...

2011-07-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Do you know how hard it is for me to keep a secret!?

Well...it's hard. Really, really hard.

So the fact that I've been scheming and saving and keeping a HUGE secret since December has been killing me. Sure, I have told a few people, but I didn't tell the one person I tell everything to. Andy.

Let me tell you a bit about my secret.

I know this guy...his name is Andy. I'm married to him actually. And one of the reasons I fell so in love with him is because of his huge, giving heart. It also happens to be one of his biggest downfalls because it means he always puts himself last.

His "other love" needed a little TLC. I was going to have his 1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser fixed for him.

It all started back on our first date...when he picked me up from my dad's house in his Cruiser. I thought it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. And then he told me he had TWO of them! One he'd keep stock but the other one...well, he had BIG plans for that one...Including a new motor in one, lifting it, new wheels & tires, a new paint job...and the list went on and on. And he did all those things. Mostly the week before our wedding so we had a cool vehicle to drive off in. It's his other love, so it just made total sense it was included in our wedding day, right?

Well, with the new motor meant there was a lot of extra heat under the hood and eventually he burnt out the plug wires. It went into the garage until he would have time to fix it. And well, there's always something that needs to be done when you have 12 acres, and then your wife gets pregnant and you have a kid, and then there's more stuff that has to be done and...well...there the Cruiser sits...in the same spot for the next 4 years.

He's talked about fixing it every Summer since it stopped running. I decided that was enough talking...it was time to take action! I decided it was time he was able to have a little fun too.

So, while he was on his once-in-a-lifetime TWELVE DAY fishing trip in Alaska I decided I would do something I knew he really wanted done but would never have time to do on his own.

That goofy grin he had on his face in the video? Never left his face the rest of the night.

And...even if I don't win wife of the year this was so worth it!

Curious...you know...some of life's TOUGH questions

2011-06-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have these questions that seem to haunting me lately...

Creeping into my mind at the most inopportune times.

I'm curious...about Curious George.

Why does the man with the yellow hat seem to have no name? What the hell is that man's name? And why does he always wear a yellow hat?

And what does he do for a living anyway!? I mean, think about it...he never seems to be working. He's friends with all kinds of scientists and doctors. He has a home in the country and an apartment in the city. He's gotta be raking in the dough somehow.

And can someone please tell me how it is socially acceptable for a freaking monkey to go everywhere with this man with no name!? And half the time the monkey is going places by himself!?

Folks...the monkey helps cook in an italian restaurant! HOW IS THAT EVEN SANITARY!?

Any why does George never actually get into trouble? All I know is that if I made an igloo in my living room in the middle of the night when I was little I would have been in SO.MUCH.TROUBLE.

Or if I would have taken the brake off of a neighbor's buggy/wagon to use on a soap box race car I was making? My ass would've been grass. But NOOOooo...not George.

I'm not even kidding...these are the things that go through my head when Rylee watches this show and when I read her Curious George books.

Anyone have any answers for me?

I'm for Change. Are you?

2011-06-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
*****

Being a female working in the heavily male dominated hunting industry, I don't have the luxury of being timid or soft spoken. I have to be willing to speak up. Take charge. Lead a project. Give direction.

It's my job to make things happen.

I have been very fortunate in my life to be surrounded by strong, amazing women who have taught me what it means to stand up for what I believe in, to be independent, to take charge and to never look back. Women like…

My grandma...who was a parachute packer in WWII, got her driver's license at the age of 36, who battled cancer and beat it twice and who, up until the last minute of her life, had such a thoughtful heart.

My mom...who ran a successful handmade business while raising 4 kids.

My cousin...who became a widow when she was only 22, with a 2 year old and another just weeks from being born.

My sister...who worked hard through college and landed an amazing job not long after graduation not only using her degree but incorporating her passion for the outdoors.

My youth pastor…who showed me that it’s ok to just be yourself.

Growing up with them to look up to taught me so much about life and the true meaning of "it may not always be blue skies, but there's always a silver lining".

I really don't know where I'd be in my life right now if it wasn't for the influence of these women.

It's hard for me to imagine that there are girls growing up right now without a strong, independent female role model to look up to.

Enter Girls For A Change.

I only recently learned about Girls For A Change, or GFC. But from what I know, I'm pumped. I love what they stand for.

“Girls For A Change (GFC) is a national organization that empowers girls to create social change. We invite young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods. GFC empowers girls for personal and social transformation. The program inspires girls to have the voice, ability and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers, create visionary change and realize their full potential."

I love this. Every single young girl should know that it's OK to speak up and make things happen. Don't you?

You can help!

Right now Yahoo! will donate $10 to GFC for EACH PERSON who clicks here to make Yahoo! their home page. Up to $10,000! Pretty awesome, am I right!?

I'm the kind of person that likes to make things happen so I've done it.

I'm willing to make the change for such a great cause.

What about you?

Are you willing to make things happen?

What We've Been Up To...

2011-06-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

It seems like we've been on warp speed this last week. Not much time for blogging so I thought I'd just share some of the pics I snagged on my phone. If you follow me on instagram, you've seen these. Some have even been floating around facebook.

Amy over at A Good Life Blog hosts a weekly iPhone photo link-up. It's a really fun way to recap your week.

Testing out the hiker-pack we're letting a friend borrow. // Showing me her art project from school.

Enjoying some quiet time outside in the early morning hours.

Fact: balloons are a fantastic prop for a toddler photo session. // In related news: A photo session wears the toddler out.

We spent lots of time outside this weekend.

We set-up Rylee's sandbox. // And the neighbors hayed our field.

Got the garden in working order. AND PLANTED! // Dante just tried to stay out of the sun.

All the sun wore Rylee out. // My dad spoiled me by making me his famous breakfast.

Did I mention we were outside a lot this weekend?

We wrapped up the weekend by picnicking on the front patio.

We also worked in a used book sale where we scored almost 30 books for $7! And Rylee's first trip to build-a-bear.

In short? Our weekend was glorious.

How was yours?

In the Blink of an Eye

2011-06-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

Holy moly. You hit "post" about a cute little Father's Day story on a Monday. Then you blink and it's almost a week later.

How did that even happen!?

This last week was spent soaking up all the family time I could get before my handsome, well deserving husband jetted off for the fishing trip of a lifetime.

Now I'm attempting to wrangle a toddler solo. I've said it before and I will say it again. I have so much admiration for mamas, or any parent for that matter, that does it on their own.

Oh what's that? You want to know more about those adorable little photos you already peeked on? Well, a couple of months ago I won my very first giveaway! A photo session with Marissa from Marissa Lynn Photography. After two previous attempts at booking an outdoor photo session, the crazy Oregon weather finally decided to cooperate and the result was cute that would kill you if you would have witnessed it first hand. I stole err...borrowed these two shots from the "teasers" she posted on her facebook page.

I am already in love and cannot wait to see the rest of them!

Wife Fail? Or Super Sweet?

2011-06-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate our Father's Day as our little family of three on Saturday. Leaving Sunday to celebrate with our own dads.

The day went a little something like this:

Rylee wakes up at 7 AM. I get up with her.
Andy gets out of bed about 9:30 AM.
Father's Day cards given to Andy before we leave for the day.
Starbucks drive-thru. Sure, sure, Andy doesn't even like the smell of coffee, but, Happy Wife, Happy Life. Right?
Off and running to Cabela's where we check out the newly opened store and Andy gets some new long underwear for his impending trip to AK.
From Cabela's we head to the Springfield Police K-9 Unit annual competition. Very cool event. Ry loved it! We met up with some friends there. We knew one of the competitors (he won 1st place by the way!).
Ry fell asleep on the way home. Napped after we got home.
I made an awesome dinner of jerk-chicken and veggie kabobs and jasmine rice.

That was pretty much that. An awesome day. So why the "wife fail" you ask? Well, let's rewind a couple of weeks...

Rylee and I are at Target and we decide to pick up some Father's Day cards. I am intently reading all the husband ones and letting Ry pick out her own. She finds one. I glance at it. It's got a dog on the front holding a trophy that says "#1 DAD!". Perfect. I tell her to put it in the cart.

We get home from Target and I hide the cards in my dresser. Saturday morning I pull the cards out of the dresser and hand Rylee's card to her with a pen so she can "sign" in. I sign mine. Ry hands me her signed card. I put it in the envelope, she licks it and we head out to the living room to present Daddy with his specially picked out Father's Day cards.

Andy opens Rylee's card first. I'm sitting at the other end of the couch. He kinda smiles, let's out a chuckle looks up at me and says...

"Happy Birthday!?...really Babe?"

Ok so...I never once actually READ the card Rylee had chosen for Andy. It wasn't a Father's Day card at all...whoops.

I think it's safe to say that this will be a Father's Day memory neither of us forget any time soon.

***For the record: Andy thought it was funny and he loves the card Rylee picked out for him.***

Rockin' the Bump, like woah.

2011-06-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ok...I'm doing it. I'm linking up with the "Rockin' the Bump" deal some other mama's are doing. I couldn't resist...my photos are just...too good not to. HAHA! {My "more traditional" bump photos are still stuck on my old computer.}

These were taken less than 2 weeks before I had Rylee.

Damn straight...I was out turkey hunting less than 2 weeks before giving birth.

I had to get creative on my hunting hear that fit, but I was totally working it!

Don't you think?

P.S. Be kind...I'm not one to get up an extra 10 minutes earlier to put makeup on when my alarm was already going off before 5 AM!

I can do this... I think I can do this... Can I do this?

2011-06-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, I have a question." she says to me as we settle down in her room for the night. She's had a bath, has fresh PJ's on and has her head lying on her little sheep pillow.

"Ok, Ry, shoot." I respond with a smile and a bit of a chuckle. {where does this kid come up with this stuff!?}

She sits up on her knees, looks me square in the eyes and says "So, how was your day?"

I pause for a quick second and actually think about it. I tell her I had a great day and ask her if she knows what my favorite part of it was.

"No, Mommy, what was your favorite?"

"My favorite part of my day was the special night we had tonight. We played ball outside... We laughed a lot... We ate ice cream... We read books... We had fun tonight, didn't we?"

She smiles and says "yea..." lays her head down on the pillow then taps the bed right next to her and says "One more minute..."

As I lay there I think, I can totally do this.

This time next week Andy will be on his way to Alaska for his EPIC Alaskan Fishing trip with his dad and best friend. So while he's off traveling the great state of AK for an adventure of a lifetime, I will be playing the single mom role.

With nights like last night it's easy to think, "pshhh, this will be nuthin'!"

But then...I think back to Saturday. Oh how easily it all comes back to me.

The crying.
The screaming.
The hitting.
The timeouts.
More crying & screaming.
The anger.
The frustration.

The overwhelming feeling that I'm an awful mother who can't even handle her own child.

Can I really do this? By myself? For 12 whole days?

Last night was great. Maybe it's all mental? I was "ready" to have a fun night with just Rylee and me. Maybe it was the promise of ice cream after dinner?

By no means am I any sort of expert in the way of parenting, but here's what I do know:

I am going to go into next week with a smile on my face and a freezer full of ice cream.

Wordless Wednesday: Summertime Evening Walk

2011-06-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

Steppin' Out...well sort of...

2011-06-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

Today I am linking up with Mandy over at The Hap's!

Yesterday was Andy's school's graduation. We got invited to a couple of grad parties. Since he had to be out the for the graduation itself the plan was for Rylee and I to head out there after her nap.

So while she slept I got all dolled up and ready to Step Out!

Then she woke up and decided to be a holy terror and we ended up not going. Cue the sad trombone.

I was able to snag a couple of pictures before I changed back into my jeans. Why waste the cute outfit, right?

It's Story Time

2011-06-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

Rylee has always loved books. We've been reading her books for so long that she has some of them memorized and lately, she's been reading to us!

Sweetest thing ever...

And again..if you wouldn't mind...can you spare 2 clicks for me? Just click this banner below. Then it will take you to a landing page. Click the cute little owl on the left. It's that simple. And I really appreciate it! I only ask when the numbers have been reset like they were yesterday. You can vote once every 24 hours if you love our little blog. Top Baby Blogs is a great way that I have connected with other mamas (and some papas!) it's full of really fun blogs. So thank you for helping!

Because I Feel Like I should Blog: On Joy and some other stuff

2011-06-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have known for a long time just how blessed I am with Rylee. She was such an easy baby. And she is literally the most well behaved 3 year old I know. She says please and thank you, without being prompted. She actually listens to directions. She eats her vegetables. She's happy and healthy.

Sure we have our struggles, but really, what 3 year old does not challenge. She's learning her boundaries. Those times, while frustrating, are few and far between.

Long story short...Rylee is such a joy to have in our lives. My heart explodes when I think about the love she has brought into our family. Her smile is contagious. Her laugh, infectious. Her heart is generous and kind and open.

I love this little girl so much that there's times when I cannot even fathom having enough love in my heart for another little. Then there's times where I see her with babies and I cannot wait to see the love she will have for a little sibling.

There's times I am literally moved to tears when watching her grow and develop and learn new things. So many times I don't have the words. All I can do is smile and beam with pride.

I can't help but think we're raising her right.

These are some of the photos I snagged on my phone over the weekend. Andy took the tractor out to do some field mowing for some people so Rylee and I had a lot of time to spend together... just us girls. The sun shined all weekend so we spent a lot of time outside.

Rylee's Stellar Headband Placement // Andy loading up the tractor

63 Degrees at 9 AM on Saturday! // Rylee made me lunch

First water fight of the Summer // Relaxing as a family after a busy weekend

__________

In other news: you can see my day-to-day updates on my 30 Day Shred Challenge here. You can watch my progress on my 31 Days to Clean here. Since they are just "pages" within the blog, they do not show up in reader when I do update them. Mostly every day.

And lastly? Can you spare a couple of clicks for me? Pretty please? They just reset the listings...

Hungry Goats & Party Hats

2011-06-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to a birthday part out at a local farm place. We had a great time. They have one of those "goat walk" deals where you can feed the goats. Of course we went ahead and spent a ridiculous amount of money ($1) for a tiny bit of feed. Ry had a blast.

I don't know who would actually fill up one of those buckets...it would literally cost $100!

Rylee and Daddy petting the goats.

Well, that one kind of freaked her out!

Trying out the goat feeder pully-system thingie. It was a hit.

A view of the goat walk.

Lots of goats lined up for some food. Rylee only liked the "little ones".

She was totally digging her birthday hat. She still wears it for breakfast each morning.

And NO this does not mean we are getting, or even want, any goats. So don't even suggest it...Mom.

Thanks for pointing that one out, Ry!

2011-06-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you have a child that's talking, you'll know what I mean. If you don't, trust me...you will.

I'm amazed how kids pick up on things and how, even though they might not know what they are saying, they have impeccable timing. Rylee has been...uhhh...impressing us with this gift of toddlerhood quite a bit lately. These moments are keeping us on our toes and laughing. These moments always seem to be at the expense of someone else...ok, me. She has a knack for pointing out our imperfections in such an innocent way. These ones are pretty mild, but I'm sure as she gets older we'll be in store for lots more laughs.

There's never a bad time to laugh so I thought I'd share a few of these moments...

For Rylee's Birthday, her actual birthday, I picked up one of those giant pieces of cake for the three of us to share after our gourmet taco dinner. Since it wasn't an actual whole cake, I just put it on a plate, then stuck some candles in it. Then I got us our own bowls for ice cream. So, as we were munching on our cake and ice cream...I had loaded up my fork with a bite of both cake and ice cream. As I ws bringing it up to my mouth Rylee looks at me, puts her spoon down, and goes, "Uhhh...really mommy? Really?!"

Ouch kid.

I may or may not have this really bad habit of never putting away my clothes. Newsflash: there's not maybe about it. It's awful really. I will literally go weeks to even a couple of months before I will actually put my clothes away. Anything that has to be hung up will just be draped over the chair next to my bed. Last night, Andy was in so much pain he pretty much passed out after he put Ry to bed. Since I wasn't tired, and since I'm starting the 31 Days to Clean project, I figured it'd be a good time to actually put my clothes away. This morning, Ry ended up in our room like she does every morning. As her and I were getting out of bed, she looked over at the empty chair, and with a big {GASP!} "What happened to all your clothes Mommy!?"

Again...ouch kid.

Last week Rylee was doing her business. I was in there, um, supervising? While I was in there I let out a big burp. A few seconds after that, I may have let one go from the other end. Ry looked up at me and gasped, then giggled and pointed out (loud enough that Daddy started laughing from the kitchen) "Mommy! You just burped out of your mouth and tooted out of your bum!"

Thanks for that on Ry! {I'm just glad we were at home!}

A couple of months ago, Rylee and I decided to hit up our local library for the first time. While we were there she decided she had to go to the bathroom. So, we made our way to the restroom. As we walked in, we also walked into a brick wall of stank. Like, I had to shake my head, stank. It didn't take long for Rylee to figure it out...with a loud {SNIFF.} {SNIFF!} "Mommy I smell something!!" {SNIFF!} "I smell POOP!"

I about fell over...luckily there was nobody else in there. I might have died right then and there.

I mean really...what else can we do besides laugh? And if we can't laugh at ourselves, well, I don't actually know what, but with a toddler, you have to keep a sense of humor. Am I right or am I right?

Ok, spill it...I want to hear some of your stories like this. I know I can't be the only one!

More like Mary or Martha?

2011-06-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

I don't talk a lot, or even at all, about my faith, religion, beliefs, etc. on the blog. I don't know why, but I've just never been one to "evangelize". It's been on my heart for a while I don't really feel like my place is in a church right now, I don't know why, I can't explain it, it's just how I feel. It's really foreign for me to even write that considering I grew up in the church and how involved I was just a few short years ago. But, I've still had it on my heart to connect, make some time for worship and reflection.

Anyway, that being said, I was given the opportunity to take part in a focus group for Sarah Mae author of the e-book "31 Days to Clean, Having a Martha House the Mary Way." It's a 31 day book that has day-by-day reflections, Mary and Martha challenges, motivating relevant bible verses and a daily cleaning list. It's all based on the bible story of when Jesus came to Martha & Mary's house. Sarah Mae has new Martha challenges that aren't a part of the current e-book so she wanted to get some readers together to test them out and give her feedback on them.

So, my plan is to follow the 31 day plan and blog about it here and there along the way. I'll have a new tab up there with the rest of them if you want to keep tabs on my journey. It starts June 6.

The more I skim through the e-book, the more I am really excited to get started on this!

Sound like something you're interested in? Sarah Mae has told me I can share the download code with 3 of my family or friends. Just let me know if you'd like to go on this journey with me!

Recipe: Really awesome dip that has no official name

2011-06-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

If you’re in the market for a new BBQ/pot-luck/football game friendly crowd-pleasing appetizer you have come to the right place! My mother in law is pretty much famous for this Mexican Dip and is pretty much shunned if she doesn’t bring two pans of it to the annual 4^th of July Bash we attend every year. It’s that good. She shared the recipe with me a few years ago, and ever since Andy and I have been taking it to pretty much any BBQ we attend!

Now, before I go sharing this recipe, you have to promise me one thing…just because you have this little piece of awesome, you still have to invite us over for BBQ’s. Deal? Seriously…not joking. Andy wanted me to make sure and point this out. Ok?

Ok, now that we’ve got that out of the way…

Officially, we have no idea what the name of it is.

Unofficially, we call it “Mom’s Mexican Dip”.

Seriously…try it. You will love it. And you will thank me.

Ingredients:

1- 28 oz Can Refried Beans (or 2 regular size cans. Whatev.)

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Pack Taco Seasoning

1- 7 oz Green Taco Sauce (or ½ the 14 oz jar if you’re like us)

16 oz Sour Cream

Cheese, shredded

Olives, sliced

Brown ground beef, and prepare as instructed on taco seasoning packet. While the meat is cooking, spread beans in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream and taco sauce. Once meat is ready, spread evenly over the top of the beans. After that, spread the sour cream mix. Then top GENEROUSLY with cheese. Seriously…error on the side of A LOT. Sprinkle with sliced olives. Cover with aluminum foil (remember to spray the foil w/ non-stick spray!). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy. BOOM.

Ok it's your turn...what's your favorite go-to dish for BBQs?

The one that solidified the Type-A CRAZY {Keeping a Working Mama Sane}

2011-05-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

I don't claim to be the master of anything. I'm ok at crafting and scrapbooking. Gardening? Ehh...questionable. I handle my own in the kitchen. But there's one thing that I like to think I do pretty well. Ummm...most of the time anyway.

As a working mama/ double career family, I think we've got our routine down pretty well. We get home and I made dinner. This happens nearly every night. If I'm not the one making dinner, it's Andy. We rarely eat out. Maybe...m a y b e once a month.

I've had some discussions with some other working mamas wondering how I come up with dinner ideas. How do I find time to make dinner every.single.night. So I thought I'd share some of my tips, tricks and go-to recipes.

First off I'm not going to lie...we eat tacos once a week and sometimes? we just eat hotdogs. There I said it.

Now that I've got that out of the way...

By the end of the month my calendar
looks like this...and yes it's color coded.
Type-A...remember?

Every Saturday morning while Rylee is eating breakfast, I sit down with the weekly food ads to my left, the calendar to my right and start my weekly meal planning. I figure out what we we're going to eat each night the rest of the weekend through to Friday. Once I've got that figured out, I make a grocery list accordingly. Having it actually written up on the calendar reminds me what I need to take out of the freezer so it's actually defrosted and ready to cook...amazing concept, I know.
I go grocery shopping once a week. Occasionally, if we're having spaghetti on a Wednesday, I'll have Andy swing in to grab some garlic bread, but that's about it.
There are certain things we always have on hand. Like a jar or two of spaghetti sauce. Or a box of pasta. Or canned green beans. Or tortillas, cheese and black beans. We eat tacos a lot. And in a pinch? Cooking up frozen ground beef always seems to be the easiest thing to do.
I buy things when they're on sale and I buy a lot of it. I'm not any kind of super-couponer or anything, but if boneless, skinless chicken breast is on sale for anything less that $2 per lb, I buy at least 10 lbs of it, then vacuum seal it in 2 breast packs. I do the same thing with pork chops. And bacon. And we buy beef a 1/2 cow at a time so I always have a freezer full of meat. (that's what she said)
I try to plan on leftovers and what I'm going to do with them. For example: I know that Andy and I can never finish a whole roasted chicken. Since they normally take way too long to make on a week night, I will make it on a Sunday, then after our meal, debone the rest of it and then I'll use the leftover chicken to make homemade fettucini Alfredo on Monday!
Kraft Foods has some really great, easy recipes. Like...
Caribbean Jerk Chicken It's also great for broiling or baking. I serve it with jasmine rice and salad.
Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
Cheeseburger Joes I use real cheese as opposed to the Kraft singles stuff.

You can even type in ingredients you have on hand and it will give you suggestions. However, while browsing, be prepared for a lot of dressed up Kraft mac-n-cheese. A lot. Oh and also casseroles. Ew.

Ok, so for those of you dyeing to know what our magical meal plan is, I went ahead to put it all into iCal for you. You can click on the image to make it larger. Before you do that though, I think it's only fair I am able to note a couple of things first: 1. We do NOT normally eat tacos that often in a month...I swear. 2. We actually had more family dinners away from home this month than normal. My sis was in town from Chicago for Mother's Day! 3. It's really not that exciting. But it meets my requirements: mostly healthy. affordable. fast.

What kind of tips and tricks do you use? What's your favorite go-to weeknight recipe? I'd love to hear!

And you people wonder why we call her monster...

2011-05-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

You guys? There's a reason we've been calling Rylee "Monster" since she was just a wee baby.

When she was just about a year old, I came home from work one day to find Andy spent all day teaching Rylee the now infamous "Who's the Monster!?" party trick.

We got mixed reactions with that one...most everyone would respond with "Oh, she's not a monster!"

Hate to break it to you people...she is.

And I really actually mean that in the best way possible. It's what makes Rylee Rylee. She's got spunk and panache. And she's full of piss and vinegar. I love it.

But seriously, you cannot watch this video and still wonder why we call her Monster.

Happy Friday!

Completely Overwhelmed, but Totally Excited

2011-05-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so after yesterday's post, let's lighten things up, shall we?

It's almost Memorial Day. Which means here in the good old Pacific Northwest we're starting to get a little tease here and there of the elusive Summer weather. Memorial Day weekend also marks the time on the calendar when gardens should be planted. We have big plans for our veggies this year. We are going to do a big plot of corn for canning. I am going to do some black beans to dry. I want to can spaghetti sauce from my tomatoes. And of course there's always the fresh cucumbers and grilled zucchini to be enjoyed on the daily.

See? I'm excited.

I love gardening. And don't ask me how that happened because all the memories I have from my childhood are me being forced to weed for one.whole.hour. every.single.weekend. Rough, I know.

Late last week, we had a solid day of sun which meant the flowers I have on my porch were thirsty by the time I got home. So, Rylee and I decided to give our little friends a drink.

She may have also inadvertently sprayed herself and then freaked her freak.

I might have laughed.

Hard.

After the flowers on the porch/front area were properly doused hydrated, we headed over to my garden.

My beautiful 30 ft x 40 ft completely fenced, always a work in progress garden.

I was very happy to see the broccoli, carrots, onion, strawberries and artichoke doing so well!

But then?

Well, then I turned around and looked at the "other half" of my garden. Insert a rushing wave of overwhelming-ness.

That right there? That's not a jungle. That's my garden.

It's going to be a lot of work to get it going this year, but at least I have my little helper and her trusty yellow shovel.

Dear Grandma

2011-05-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Grandma,

I found this half-written post the other day...

_______

"If I were to say that these last couple of weeks have been hard, I would be making a massive understatement. Shoot, even saying these last 6-8 months are hard would be an understatement. These last couple of weeks, though, have been particularly hard. On Monday, May 24 we lost a very important and integral member of our family.

Grandma Rice

always thinking of others up until and at the point of death. At one point she woke up and gave her typical impatient, hurried sigh and started grumbling about how she hated all this 'dilly-dallying' She never lost her tenacity and even made sure to get one last dig in about all of Andy's cars...junkers as she called them"

________

Well, I guess I wouldn't even say it's half finished. It looks to me like it was all I could get out before I couldn't write anymore. It looks like I was having a tough time putting into words what was heavy on my heart.

It's hard to believe it's already been a year since you've been gone. There's little pieces you and Grandpa left on our hearts and in our home that makes us think about you two every day.

The Jeep you gave us has been a huge lifesaver. But, I hate to break it to you, Andy never did get rid of any of his "junkers" like you told him to! He's kind of stubborn like that...wonder where he gets that from?

I see Andy do the "finger-wave" to Rylee, just like you did. Sometimes I see her do it back to him and I can't help but smile. There's even times I catch myself doing it.

Andy still hates broccoli and tea...and really at this point, I'm not sure he'll ever "grow into it" like you said. That boy is just bound to have immature tastes.

Your house is for sale...it's been all fixed up and ready to go. It's...empty. All the treasures it once held from yours & Grandpa's life full of love and world travels have been divided among family or sold.

You had such an impact on all of our lives. Especially Andy's. The day he had to go to all of your grocery stops without you is something I know he never wants to do again. That was a hard day for him. But I think that was his closure. He always treasured the time you and him spent grocery shopping every Friday...and I know he always will.

Grandma, I guess what I'm trying to say is you may be gone, but you are surely not forgotten. And you will always be missed. Always.

Be Still My Heart

2011-05-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

I forgot I had these photos in my camera from Rylee's birthday.

I had to share really quick, because...

My heart? It seriously overflows.

Holy cow I love my husband more than words could ever describe.

Dead From Cute. The End.

2011-05-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Three Years. An Interview.

2011-05-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

I know I said it when I posted a photo of my sleeping baby toddler kid this morning but I will say it again. How is it possible that this little piece of perfection is 3 years old today. It boggles my mind.

I'll deal, I'm sure.

Last year I did a 2-year interview. I decided to make it an annual thing. She was not super cooperative this morning, but you get the jest. Sorry about the length. If you watch the whole thing I will reward you.

I promise.

And so, Rylee's 3 year interview...

Did you make it through the whole thing?

Promise?

Ok, here's your reward...

Rylee all ready to go to school this morning!

And, that may be a piece of chocolate in her hand. What? It's her birthday...

Uff Da! Rocks my socks! Again.

2011-05-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

It's no secret how much I love Emily and her awesome creations over at Uff Da Designs. Rylee loves her Uff Da goodies too! If you don't believe me, just go here, here and here.

I think she should offer a headband punch card or something...buy 5 get 1 free or something. Because I'd be on my way to getting a free one. {Let's keep that one between you and I and leave Andy out of it, mmkay?}

Anyway, a couple months back Emily put it out there that she had an idea for a new product and if anyone had a birthday coming up she'd like to send a product in exchange for some pictures. Um, DUH!

And so ladies and gentlemen, we have the Felt Banner...

I am kind of in love. The colors went with the theme perfectly! It was fun and festive. It is very well made, like everything Emily does, (duh!). And the best part? It's totally going up in Ry's room now...Two for one!

She'll have them available in her shop soon.

Also?

I may have had her make me a matching headband just for the party...Shhh...

And for the record, doing a little review had nothing to do with the reason Emily originally sent us the banner. My thoughts are all my own, I just love her and her little felt creations that much!

Sweet and Simple 3rd Birthday!

2011-05-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

When I first started thinking about Rylee's birthday party there was the great debate of is she old enough to throw her a "friends" party? I had this whole big Dora themed, DIY adventure party planned complete with star catching. Alas, we decided to wait at least another year before we do the two party thing.

So I stuck with a semi-Dora theme...think stars and a lot of pink and orange. And since my kid is CRAZY and doesn't like cake, I opted to go for an ice cream sundae bar and cake balls. Success.

The afternoon was filled with family, friends, love and laughter.

Again, I saw...success.

1. Home made cake balls. Recipe founds HERE. I used Wilton's vanilla flavored candy melts instead of chocolate. The picks I made with colored toothpicks, Dora stickers from the dollar store and scrapbook paper. The "cake stand" I threw together with a couple of platters and a vase stuffed with leftover pink, orange and yellow paper scraps that I had. 2. Some sundae toppings! 3. Close up of some cake balls. Even went for some star shaped sprinkles! 4. Ry's uh, cake? I found these star shaped candles at the store on a whim. HAD to have them!

1. Homemade birthday banner. Which I may have saved from last year. 2. Fruit Kabobs. Because duh, I bet Dora loves pineapple. 3. Some favors: I used the leftover candy melt and made some star shaped candy. Put them in some green favor bags I had left over from Christmas and tied them off with some pink ribbon. Stuck them in a fish bowl on top of more leftover fun colored paper scraps. Which I might have forgot to give anyone which is why they are sitting on my kitchen island. Whoops. 4. A pretty orange and pink bunting sent just for Ry's party courtesy of the lovely Miss Emily over at UffDa Designs. (more on this later!) 5. STARS! Made them with orange, yellow and pink scrapbook paper and stencils I had on hand. Strung them up with pink and orange ribbons. 6. Raspberry lemonade to help quench some thirst. Plus it's yellow and pink. 7. Food. Just kept it simple with some veggies and chips and salsa. Again, I bet Dora loves salsa and guacamole.

1. Ry enjoying her birthday sundae and people making their own sundaes! 2. Rylee not so sure about everyone singing her happy birthday. 3. Connor's a fan of the cake balls.

1. Ry and Kian testing the awesome-ness of her new bubbles. 2. Papa showing Ry how to cast her new fishing pole! 3. "Here kids, get together and say cheese!" Yea right. 4. Connor's so cool he doesn't need pants to ride a horse. 5. Mama & Ry self portriat. 6. Ry showing Tussin Tonner how to use the bubbles. 7. Family pic! And, if you didn't notice, I totally may have had Emily at UffDa make me a poppy headband to coordinate with the party. Maybe.

One Word: EXHAUSTING

2011-05-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

That is how my weekend can be summarized.

This weekend was the fastest, longest weekend in the history of weekends. If that makes any sense at all.

It all came to a head Thursday when I realized everything we were trying to take on.

Grocery shopping. 3rd birthday party prep. Ry's 3 year photos. Showing our rental to about 11 different interested parties. Dishes. Tons and tons of dishes. The actual birthday party. Remembering to feed and bathe my child.

On top of all that, Rylee woke up Thursday with a nasty little cough (she still has it!). And it was supposed to rain all weekend.

I ended up and rescheduled Ry's photo shoot. Which I was sad about but it was the smartest thing to do.

I was up late and up early all weekend and this morning? Today I'm feeling it and I have the venti iced coffee to prove it.

All in all, the weekend turned out great. Thanks, in a huge part, to my brother who came to my rescue to help with the party prep and toddler wrangling! The house showing was a success. We have some great applicants, now we just need to do our homework before we offer it to anyone. The party was all in all a success. And I somehow even remembered to bathe Rylee on Saturday night.

This week will be busy as well, but I promise I will post Ry's party. I also have a cute video of Ry singing Happy Birthday to Andy and another of her "reading" a book to her Cousin Connor. And I was even thinking about doing a series on the renovations we're doing on the upstairs of the rental house. Interesting? Yes? No?

For now, I will leave you with this...

That's it for now. I'm going to go fill up my coffee cup. If anyone would like to join me in a strongly worded letter writing campaign to instate nap time in the work place, let me know. Because I am really, really considering it.

How was your weekend?

Serious Nerd Alert!!

2011-05-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

You guys? Friday night I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. And after I ate as much pizza as I did, it's a good thing I laughed as hard as I did...you know, extra calorie burning and all.

Since my sis from Chicago was in town for the weekend, we had a family dinner at our dad's house with all of his brothers and sisters. I've blogged about it before, but when we all get together we laugh a lot.

This night was no exception, but instead of laughing about my family's crazy neighbors when they were growing up, we had a slide show.

Straight outta the early 90's ya'all.

And I learned something this night...

When Derek W broke up with me in the 8th grade for being to weird? He kinda had a point. Oye. These photos are from years before that, but as you've seen here and here, I really haven't changed at all.

Please excuse the poor quality iphone photo from a slide projector screen, but you get what you get and I don't think you'll be disappointed...

Now, let me be your tour guide through this walk down memory lane...

Here's a shot from the summer of 1989. My whole family went back to Wisconsin for a big family reunion. This one isn't weird, it just makes me happy. Notice the shoe box in my sister's hand? Yea, we brought home a wild turtle we found in the middle of the road while we were out there. Airplane regulations have only changed a little since, ammiright? heh.

Now we're in the early 90's. Here I am wearing a super-sweet blue visor and pretending I know how to play the piano. Fun fact: That piano is still in that same exact spot!

I think I'm showing off the pilgrim style grocery bag vest I made. Also sporting my dad's smokey the bear hat, killer shades, a glow bracelet and no front teeth. EPIC.

We're now in the "francis era" as I like to call it...or should I say as my sister's like to call me. Somewhere around 2nd grade my mom decided to cut my hair. You guys remember Francis from Swiss Family Robinson? Yes, that. Also? Check out those hot pants. Pretty sure my mom made those.

Ok excuse my language but Ho-Ly SHIT! Wow. At least I can honestly say this was Halloween so there was some sort of justification for this hot mess.

Unfortunately, there's no justification for this hot mess. What you can't see, is that I have a pilgrim style hat and shirt cover thingie that I'm modeling. The next slide was a shot from Thanksgiving. And I kind of wish I still had those socks.

Fast forward to my senior prom...we had some pretty amazing photos on this day. And by amazing, I mean I can't stop shaking my head and laughing. We thought we were so.damn.cool.

In conclusion: at least my style has gotten better. and at least I married the husband before he saw any of these! HAHA!

You're welcome.

A happy heart

2011-05-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was filled with family, food and laughter. It was fantastic!

My sister flew in from Chicago for the weekend to surprise my mom. It was a short trip, but I think we made the best of it. We had a mother's day celebration for my mom on Saturday night. She made us a big turkey dinner. I know, that's backwards, but she wanted to do it. We all did the dishes.

I just love it when my sisters and I are together. They really are two of my very best friends.

{Please, PLEASE for the love of all things mothery (or something) click this image...I made a little animated goodie but it's not showing up here like it should!!}

And here's the happy mama with all of her kidlets.

Since we celebrated Mother's Day with my mom on Saturday and since Andy's mom is out of town, that freed up Mother's day for well...me. And it was divine. More on that later.

Hope all you mamas had a great Mother's Day!

Happy Monday!

Fashion Police Friday - May 6, 2011

2011-05-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Oh this made my heart smile and my belly laugh.

It's been a while. But I'm happy to say Rylee had a fantastic outfit choice last weekend and I couldn't help but get all excited.

This outfit was all Ry...head to toe.

First, please note the clippie placement on the top of her head.

Blue Sweater...she's kind of obsessed with it.

Grey shirt w/ white, yellow and pink flowers.

Grey sweat pants with pink and black hearts on them.

Purple & orange polka-dot socks.

And she wore her pink/yellow/orange plaid fake cons.

And yes, for all those wondering, we went out in public like this!

Recipe: Shredded Beef Enchiladas (Homemade, from scratch)

2011-05-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

Have you guys noticed that all of my recipes so far have been Mexican food? We kind of eat that a lot. I was watching America's test kitchen one Sunday morning and they were making shredded beef enchiladas. I thought it looked really good so I figured I try them out. I couldn't find the actual recipe, so I went off of memory, and combined a couple of other pieces from other recipes I found. This is what I ended up with and you guys? It's de-lish!

It's pretty hands on in the very beginning and at the end and overall it takes about 3 1/2 hours, so keep that in mind! If you try it, you have to tell me what you think!

Ingredients:

For the sauce/filling:
2 lbs Beef {I use a 3 lb chuck roast and trim fat/cut out the bone}
1 Large onion, chopped
3 Tbl chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
4 oz water
4 oz heavy cream
Cilantro

For Enchilada Assembly:
12 corn tortillas
More Cilantro
Cheese...lots of cheese

How this magic all goes down:

Heat up olive oil in a heavy bottomed ducth oven over med-high heat until shimmering. Brown the beef approx. 4 minutes on both sides. Remove meat and set aside.

Sauté onion in beef drippings until just softened. Then add in all of your spices. Cook until fragrant. Only about a minute.

Stir in tomato sauce, water and cream.

Stir in chopped cilantro. Bring just to a boil.

Return the beef to the sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

After 2 hours or so, remove meat from sauce and set aside. Using a colander, sift the sauce into a bowl. Keep all the onion and cilantro goodies. Place the goodies and the meat into a bowl and shred using 2 forks. Mix well.

Pour enough sauce to just cover the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Then, heat 2 to 3 tortillas at a time in the microwave, using wet paper towels in between and on top so they do not try out.

Assemble the enchiladas with meat, cheese and more chopped cilantro until all the meat mix is used.

Top with the remaining sauce and cheese...lots of cheese. Cover as much of the tortillas as you can so they do not dry out in the oven. Cover with tin foil {make sure you spray your tin foil w/ non stick spray before!!}. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes...just long enough for the cheese to brown a bit.

Then serve and enjoy!!!

Also? Happy Cinco De Mayo!

{I actually had this whole post planned for today before I realized that today was in fact May 5.}

Wordless Wednesday: Ry's New Hat

2011-05-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

5th Times a Charm?

2011-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

We spent quite a bit of time outside this weekend and before I go any further can I just say that I love not really having any neighbors! Because, hello white legs in shorts!

But I digress...

I think I was spoiled when Ry was really little because she was really photogenic. A ham even. {I have no idea where she got the from}

Lately? Oye. It's been tough to get a decent picture of the girl. Even when she's in a fantastic mood. It's really kind of comical.

Observe...

We have her 3 year photos coming up in a couple of weeks...here's to hoping the monster cooperates for the photographer better than she does for me!! Either that or it looks like all the family is getting a school picture disaster repeat.

Future Rockstar?

2011-04-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ry got this guitar from Uncle Willie for Christmas almost a year and a half ago. She's been jamming on it ever since but I've never been able to catch it on video.

Uncle Willie...this one's for you...

Sunshine? I know you're out there somewhere...

2011-04-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Gosh yesterday sucked. Actually, overall the day was fine/great/whatever. But the weather? That sucked. I' pretty sure it rained like 37 inches or something. I might be off a bit though, I've never been good with estimation.

And I know I'm not normally one to complain about the weather and rain, but as I sat in front our wood stove, I realized something...it's almost May.

What the heck!?

Just the day before Andy had picked Rylee up from daycare, and the sun was peeking through the clouds so I had a chance to get outside with my camera.

So I suppose until the sun is actually here to stay for longer than minutes at a time, I will just look at these photos to tide me over.

Flashback!

2011-04-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

So, last night I had a rare few minutes free at home alone so I decided to bust out some old cd’s to upload them onto my computer so I could transfer them to my iphone. It was seriously like a walk down memory lane…

I found this CD:

If you can’t tell by the awesome art what that says, it’s: Kim & Katherine’s Shopping Mix 12.17.01

That’s right…apparently, an afternoon of shopping needed it’s own dedicated CD. Well, at least according to my 16 year old, Senior in high school self and my awesome bestie Kim. Pssshhh…DUH.

I couldn’t wait to pop it into my computer to see the treasures it held.

Here’s the problem though…back in the day we didn’t have the option to “burn with text” so they all showed up as track 1, track 2, etc. So I tried to listen to all of them because surely, I would know what every single song was…

WRONG!

Out of the 16 songs on the CD here’s the ones I came up with:

1.     All about Me. Toby Keith
2.     Some country song by Jessica Andrews
3.     Same Ole G Ginuwine
4.     I’m already There Lonestar
5.     Let’s Get married Jagged Edge Run DMC
6.     Whenever You Call Mariah Carey
7.     Rascall Flats
8.     I wanna be Bad. Willa Ford
9.     Butterfly Kisses

I used up all of my 5 free shazam tags in less than that many minutes to even get that many songs figured out. The rest was an equal mix of gangster hip-hop and country. Because, you know, we were cool like that.

I found myself shaking my head and laughing while at the same time tapping my foot to the beat and picturing us driving along in Kim's Honda Prelude, radio way too loud, dancing along and belting out every single word to every single song.

Because you know that’s exactly what happened.

**********

On a side note, it has become clear to me that I have a ridiculous amount of mix CDs just like this one. That was all the rage in 2001…{that’s also some time around Napster, I believe}I only wish I had enough hours in the day to listen to all of them and figure out each and every song. Apparently my last year of high school didn’t suck nearly as bad as I remember it.

An Easter Win and an Easter Fail

2011-04-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have a dilema.

Andy spoils me at Christmas and buys me a great new camera and during the "important" times like holidays, parties and such, I never take photos. I know it's because I am busy prepping food and what not, but really? I should totally be able to be in two places at once because these photos from our awesome Easter weekend are just kinda lame...

On Saturday, Ry and I had a quick Target/grocery run, then I had to go into work for a few hours. Auntie Kristen arrived not long after I got home. We had a glorious hot dog and french fry dinner, then colored our Easter eggs!

{Uhhh...nice face kid.}

{All ready to go.}

{Rylee wanted nothing to do with Andy & Me...it was all about Auntie.}

{Having FUN.}

{Patiently waiting...}

And all of Easter...this? is the best picture I got on Easter morning? Really?

I did get a short video of Rylee finding her Easter basket. I will get that up at some point this week. And I know that Kristen took a few photos on her camera, so I'll have her e-mail them to me and I'll work on getting those uploaded later this week too.

Rylee was a serious kick in the pants...totally into the egg dying and egg hunting and Easter dress wearing and basket finding and appetizer eating.

And oh my word...speaking of eating...I ate (and drank) entirely too much. {Ok, well, I suppose I could have drank more, but that's beside the point!} We had a nice spread of meats and cheeses and crackers for apps then moved on to Prime Rib, ham, mashed potatoes, salad, deviled eggs, asparagus and rolls for dinner. Then, we followed it all up with strawberry cheesecake and blackberry rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream and not to mention the occasion chocolate egg for dessert.

Excuse me while I go cry in the corner...

2011-04-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

You guys? I less than one month I am going to have a three year old. THREE!

How the hell did that happen?

I swear just last month, this is what I brought home from the hospital...

And now? I have a 3 foot something little human that sleeps in a "big girl bed" {for most of the night anyway}, uses the toilet, even wakes up dry most mornings! She sings the alphabet, even recognizes all but about 4 letters of the alphabet on her own. She spells her own name. She mostly colors inside the lines. She pumps her legs on the swing. She totally messes with Andy & me {she's just like her Daddy}. She uses a fork. She drinks from a "big girl cup". She eats burritos. She loves sour cream. {I mean come one...what little kid loves sour cream!?}

What happened to my BABY!?

I love the things we are able to do because she's a big girl. But I can't help it...I kind of miss her being little and squishy.

This morning? When I dropped her off at daycare, they mentioned her birthday. Then they said that she'd be moving up to the three year old class.

That's officially preschool. Where they have music programs at Christmas time. Where the kids are only allowed to have their lovey at naptime. Where they have a "what we're learning about" theme each week. Where they go on fieldtrips to the pumpkin patch. Where they ride on their school's float in the community parade.

I have a pre-schooler!?

I have a pre-schooler...

Holy hell...I have a pre schooler.

Someone hold me.

Free Hula-Hoop Lessons

2011-04-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

I grabbed a few hula-hoops at the dollar store last year before Ry's birthday party. Last weekend, she saw one of them in the garage and asked me to get it out for her. So of course I grabbed the camera...

P.S. Can I just say how awesome I think it is that my kid is so nonchalant about hearing a gun shot? Love it.

Happy Friday!

2011-04-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, Mandy posted some photos she recently rediscovered on her phone. It inspired me to scroll through the pics I've taken on mine.

Can you say random!?

So, I thought for your Friday viewing pleasure, I'd go ahead and share in the random. Trust me...you won't be disappointed.

Beautiful view on the way home from work...

THIS is how I woke up one Saturday morning...

This is quite literally a snapshot into how my brain operates...

What's the minimum age requirement for a farm permit? Cuz she's ready folks...

Sometimes this is just the way to kick back and read a good book...

Best invention ever...the 1/2 loaf of garlic bread...

Look what my dad found!! Yep, that's my glamour shots pic when I was 10 years old...

Just another beautiful day at the office...

Little Rock Star!...complete with lip gloss...

Mama doesn't pull off the glittery Dora sunglasses quite so well...

Ry taking my blood pressure last week when I was sick...PS nice face kid...

This one just melts the heart, no?

Ry loves her pink deer hat!

Vintage Rylee...TOUCHDOWN!

Uh...who's bed is this anyway?...

Happy Friday friends!!

Easter Egg Dying-Round 1

2011-04-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went over to my dad's house for a little early Easter egg decorating. Rylee was totally into it! I have such fantastic memories of holidays growing up and I hope we are making those same kind of memories for Ry.

Patiently waiting with Daddy to start the fun stuff!

Cousin Maria and Uncle Jonny's "Before".

First egg of the night! Rylee's special color request was yellow.

Also figuring out how to use the egg dipper.

Rylee's "Rylee" egg.

{I love her little fingers.}

Rylee helping with the "Daddy/Mommy" egg.

Checking the progress...

Moving along to help Grandad with his egg.

Waiting patiently.

SO MUCH FUN!

Ok...maybe not everyone is having as much fun as Ry...teenagers.

Family photo showing off the goods.

{Someone needs to tell Grandad how to center and/or zoom the camera, eh?}

Really? We're done already?

We're done...for now...

Wordless Wednesday: Becoming Self Sufficient

2011-04-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

A Cute Photo and BIG News!

2011-04-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

NO...the big news is not that I'm pregnant!

The big news is that today I am guest posting over on Brandee's blog, Chill Mama Chill!

She's a first time mama who, after a whole year of maternity leave, is back at work. To help make her life a little easier during this transition, she's letting some other working mamas take over her blog with their "day in the life" stories.

It's big news because this is my first-ever guest post!

So, be a dear and go check it out!

Oh Hai Mom!

Also? It's TACO TUESDAY!!!

My Little Red Headed Mini-Me.

2011-04-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning as we walked out of the house, I noticed we were both wearing a zip-up hoodie, solid colored long sleeve tee underneath, jeans and brown sandals to show off our matching newly red-polished toenails.

First we headed to Albertson's to pick up an iced coffee for me.

Then we headed to WinCo where we sipped from our respective cups as we shopped from our matching grocery lists...

{And I just want to point out that it was her idea to make her own list and rummaged through our pen drawer to find her own special clip and specifically asked for a coupon too.}

She was killing me with the cute yesterday...seriously killing me...

Well Hello There

2011-04-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

For the record? When I just typed "Well Hello There" for the title, I may have said it in the voice of Tank's Mom from Dinosaur Train.

Moving on...

On a whim, I went ahead and decided to join up in a blog hop. So, if you're clicking over here from Spearmint Baby...welcome! You can read more about me here.

Feel free to look around. Stay a bit. I mostly blog about the adventures of raising a sweet little almost 3 year old monster with my super-dad husband. Sometimes I'll write about other non-kid stuff. And there's even times I will throw out a recipe. You know...to keep you on your toes...or something.

Some of my favorite posts include:

The one where I complain about how awesome my husband is.

The one where I met the devil.

The one where I talk about losing loved ones.

The one with the ridiculously cute video of my kid making monster cookies with potty treats.

The one where I admit that having a girl isn't so bad after all.

And there you have it. Thanks for stopping by!

I'll Take It

2011-04-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to complain about the weather...I mean really...I live in Oregon...it's technically a rain forest.

I love it here.

And even though I know Spring Time in Oregon means rain, light rain, showers, partial showers and/or drizzles, I tend to frequent weather.com.

This is what I found this morning...

I will take rain throughout the week all day long if it means Sunny weekends...am I right!? I'm already making a list of everything I want to get done outside!

Disclaimer: Duh, I know that this forecast will likely change a dozen time or more before the weekend actually gets here, but a girl can dream, right?

The one where I skipped the gym to blog instead...

2011-04-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

First of all...you're welcome. I mean...really, I'm totally skipping the gym for you guys...

{did you just believe that? Good then...moving on.}

How has it already been one whole week since the last time I logged into le' old blog? Seriously...where did last week go?

I don't even have any "work was slammed" type of excuse.

I suppose I just got caught up in...life.

Tuesday & Wednesday are so long ago I don't remember anything about them...

Thursday was my dad's birthday so my lunch break was spent running errands for his birthday dinner. Kristen came down and made a great dinner and we followed it up with ice cream cake. Rylee had so much fun playing with Grandad and Auntie Tisten. It was nice just hanging out with the family.

Friday was a gorgeous day in the good old Willamette Valley. And in my infinite wisdom, I decided that instead of going to the gym on my lunch break, I'd go for a run...outside...one the first real nice day of the season...in the grass seed capital of the world...without taking any allergy medicine. It was about as awesome as that sounds. I was miserable for the rest of the day and super sore to boot. Road running kicked my fanny, folks.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early for a yoga class at the gym. I seriously love me some yoga. Later that day we headed into town to pick up some garden-goodness from Grammy's house. The in-laws came over for dinner. We hadn't seen them for nearly 3 weeks as they were out enjoying retirement or something...

Sunday morning I made a mad dash to the grocery store for some speed shopping. Got home, put away the groceries and we all jumped in the car to meet Julia and Spencer for brunch. After brunch, which of course ended with them giving Ry a bag of "potty treats", we headed home to change our clothes and go outside! Aside from Ry's quick 1 hr nap, we literally spent the entire rest of the day outside! We weeded the garden, planted trees our front and in our ever-expanding "orchard", I started some broccoli, carrots, onions, rhubarb, artichoke and potatoes in the garden. I am SO ready to get in and get the rest of the garden planted!

We wrapped up Sunday night eating one of the best meals I have ever made {insert humble brag comment here}. Seriously though...it was so good. I made FROM SCRATCH shredded beef enchiladas. It took about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish and so worth it! Also? so begins the weekends of not eating until almost 8 PM just so we can be outside for as long as possible. {Next time I make it I will take pics and post the recipe}

Today? I am tired...oh so tired...I forgot how hard/tiring yard work is on your body. I also forgot out exhausting working in the sun can be. And, apparently so did Rylee...

This is how I found her when I went to make sure she was covered up before going to be last night...really kid?

How was your weekend!?

Also? Happy Monday...

Nobody likes a droopy butt.

2011-03-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't done any sort of mcfatty update in quite some time, but I assure you, I've been keeping at it.

There have been ups--like doing "Oga" with Rylee a few nights a week, like being told my the yoga instructor at my gym that I have beautiful yoga form, like cutting way, way back on my ice cream intake to almost nothing, like confidently rocking my 2 piece bathing suit last weekend while taking Ry swimming, like resisting the urge to eat an entire bag of Cadburry mini eggs, etc.

There have been downs--like my gym canceling all of our lunchtime fitness classes so having to get creative on when I go to the gym, like not going to the gym at least 3 days a week for a couple of weeks, like not drinking my daily allotted amount of water every day, etc.

Despite all of the ups and downs, I have had success!

The brown work slacks that I had to buy in August because I couldn't fit into any of my other pants? Yea, I put those on last week and I had major droopy butt.

And you know what else? My jeans? Yea...within seconds of putting them on, I've got droopy butt in those too.

I'm constantly pulling my pants up. And it's annoying.

I vented some of this newfound frustration yesterday whilst walking through the house and you know what Andy said? My dear, sweet, loving husband told me to buy new ones!

Yes, HE TOLD ME TO GO SHOPPING!

Oh happy day!

Mama's goin' shopping.

This is me...excited to go shopping.

Damn Him and His Self Motivation & Common Sense

2011-03-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

You guys all know how Type-A I am.

I am a creature of habit...like hardcore.

I do not like change one bit.

So when I get home from work last night and Andy mentions nonchalantly during dinner that he switched around the washer and dryer I sort of freaked my freak.

As soon as dinner was over I went into the laundry room and just stood and stared.

As I assessed the damage, this is what went through my head...

Later that night, when Andy saw what I was doing he got all sorts of fake offended and picked apart my picking...punk.

Observe...

He also wanted me to be sure I pointed out the following:

He does about 85% of the laundry in our house.
It took me longer to put together that photo than it did for him to actually move the washer & dryer.
He does most of the laundry.

I suppose maybe I should just shut the hell up and be thankful I have a husband that does the laundry?

But really...where's the fun in that?

Toddlers are Weird, Man

2011-03-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

Because apparently puzzles are way better when done while sitting in a blue crate next to a pile of all your clean blankets...DUH.

And of course, those fabric Ikea bins aren't meant to hold your blocks...oh no...they're meant to be worn around your waist. Again...DUH.

Seriously...toddlers are weird.

Oh Hello Spring!

2011-03-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday? Well, yesterday was one of the very best days ever. Period.

First of all...it was Tuesday. And Tuesdays have been long known as my very favorite day of the week. Mostly because it's Taco Tuesday in our house and NCIS night!

Last night though? Woah. I ended the evening feeling incredibly blessed.

I left work right at 5:00 PM because the sun was shining and Andy was home working outside.

Rylee and I got home and this is what we did for the next hour...

We smelled the one and only daffodil that has bloomed in our yard...

We waked down by the pond to see all the hard work Daddy did that day...

Rylee picked flowers for me...

We spent lots of time at the swing set. Also? When did my BABY learn how to pump her legs!?

Even Dante hung out with us.

Rylee wanted to make sure I had a turn too. So she pushed me...

Then it was Daddy's turn...

It started to get a little chilly, so we headed inside and Rylee helped me make tacos. After dinner, we had ice cream cones! Here's how this went down:

Ry & Andy eating their ice cream cones. I had a dish of ice cream.

Ry: Mommy, you going to wash this cone when I all done?
Me: No Ry, we don't re-use the cones.
Andy: Rylee, you eat the cone...like this ::takes a big bite::
Ry: ::eyes wide:: GASP! OOOOOHHHH!!! Hahahaha!! O-tay!

I pretty much died of the cute right then and there.

We wrapped up the evening with a brand new episode of NCIS and amazing family snuggles.

See? The best day ever.

Happy Spring Friends!

We're SO close!...(last time, I promise)

2011-03-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance if these blog posts and faceook updates have started to annoy you...the "liking" ends on Monday, so this is the last time I'm going to ask...promise!

Here's the thing though, in order to qualify for the final judging, we need to be one of the TOP 10 "liked" photos.

And we are close...

SO close.

If you are one of the 50+ of my friends or friend of friends that have helped out, THANK YOU! So, so much. Rylee and I have a little something planned to show you our gratitude. :) You'll have to wait until next week though.

If you want more info on how to help, in two easy steps, here it is:

1. "Like" Modern Bird Studios on facebook by clicking HERE. {PS-Don't worry, they won't fill up your news stream with annoying stuff}
2. "Like" Our photo in the Spring Contest Album (#14). Here's a link right to the photo so it's easier for you to "like" it. LINK

-OR-

Do you see that button up top over there on the sidebar? ----->

You can click there and it will take you right to the contest album.

Just look for this photo:

If you're curious about what's on the line, I'll tell ya...Modern Bird Studios turns your favorite photos into custom pieces of amazing art! Truly beautiful, one-of-a-kind art. You should seriously go check out their portfolio to see what I'm talking about. The piece we would win normally sells for over $300!!!

So, there you have it...this is the last time I'm going to ask.

Thank you for helping!!!

Namaste

2011-03-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Rylee has recently become obsessed with Yoga...or "Oga" as she likes to call it.

My daughter is clearly nothing short of a future yoga master.

I suppose yoga means different things to different people. For me, yoga is a time to be peaceful and mindful of my body. Rylee and I like to do oga together a few times a week. It helps us clear our minds...errr...calm down...and Clearly, that's what's happening in this video...despite the Cheap Trick playing in the background, the washing machine going off balance and the crazy cat-cow action.

That's real life people.

If you're not familiar with the art of yoga, you may be confused with what Rylee is saying at the end of the video. Namaste is said at the end of all of my yoga classes. Literally translated it means "I bow to you". It is a form of respect and it "allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom." {source}

So, Namaste, Friends...

Namaste.

Holy Contest Entries...I need your help please!!!

2011-03-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

You guys remember this picture? It's pretty much my FAVORITE.photo.ever.

{Although, I have to give all the credit to my sister for this one since she took the photo}

Anyway, another one of my FAVORITE things? Modern Bird Studios!

{They make amazing custom art. Seriously...go check them out...I dare you not to fall in love with them!}

So, really, how awesome would it be if two of my favorite things combined into one?

I entered this photo into a Modern Bird contest where if I win, they'll make this photo into a one-of-a-kind piece of art!

This is where you come in...

There are over 150 entries for this contest!

The way it works is Modern Bird has posted all of the entries into an album on their facebook page. The top 10 images with the most "likes" by the end of the allotted time period will then be judged by a panel who will choose the ultimate winner.

All you have to do to help is like Modern Bird on facebook. Then go to their contest album and like my photo. It's that simple!

If you're feeling extra supportive, you could even ask your friends to help me out. ::side eye::

So...can you help me out?

Please?

Fun with Clouds

2011-03-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

You guys? I love clouds.

I snapped these images from my back step last weekend using the bracketed feature on my Nikon D5000 and then edited them using HDR Pro in photoshop.

See? There's always a silver lining...sometimes you just have to make one with photoshop. :)

When you miss a friend...

2011-03-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

You look at all the pictures you have from the last time you played together!

Rylee was supposed to have a playdate last weekend with her best buddy Kian, but ended up getting sick. We both agree it's been far to long since we've seen Kian and his family. Until we're all better, these photos will just have to be enough.

Too Busy to Be Original

2011-03-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

Friends? I have been busy this week...not in a bad way, just in a "how the heck is it already Thursday and oh my I haven't posted in almost a week" kind of way. I saw the idea for this on a blog I've been crushing on lately, Classic Ivory. And she actually got the idea from A Beautiful Journey.

I hope to be able to catch up with some bloggy-type stuff this weekend! Until then, I hope this tides you over.

*********

Outside my window…

I see another wave of rain rolling in...but hey, it's March in Eugene. I actually kind of like the rain.

I am thinking…

About Little Miss Rylee...she's been sick and started the day with a 103.6 degree temp and I can't be with her...it's breaking my heart.

I am thankful for…

A husband who works so hard for our family. To have a good job that I really enjoy working with great people. That we have family close that is willing to help out with Rylee so much...seriously couldn't do what we do without them!

What I am learning…

That my daughter is just as stubborn as her father...it make discipline super fun! Oh and that no matter what, when it comes to design work, done doesn't mean "done". Ever.

From the kitchen…

This whole week's meal plan has been off a day. My kitchen is a mess. Luckily, my mama made homemade soup last night and sent me home with some...that's what we'll be eating tonight!

I am wearing…

Jeans, a cami, a 1/4 zip pull over and tennis shoes. Rylee and I were up every 20 minutes or so last night so I went with easy this morning. Plus also? I work in a barn...nobody cares.

I am creating…

Installation instructions for a new product my company is launching.

I am going…

Cuddle up with Rylee tonight. I miss that girl...she needs mama snuggles.

I am reading…

The newspaper lately. Before Grandma Rice passed away she transferred over her year of pre-payed newspaper subscription into our name. I've only actually started reading it within the last few weeks. I feel all sorts of grown up. I am also toying with the idea of doing a Lenten bible study...any suggestions on a good one!?

I am hoping…

That Rylee gets better soon.

I am hearing…

Clicking of keyboards and "Goodbye Earl" by Dixie Chicks {Holla B!} courtesy of Pandora. I heart Pandora.

Around the house…

Oye...my house is currently an overwhelming mess.

One of my favorite things...

Yoga. Or as Rylee calls it "Oga". We do it together a few times a week. Keep your eyes peeled for ridiculous cute.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Hopefully Andy will be home at a decent time tonight. Work tomorrow. Yoga Saturday morning, then grocery shopping. Assuming Rylee is all better, family dinner on Saturday night to celebrate my cousin's 12th birthday, hopefully church on Sunday morning, cleaning my house and laundry needs to be worked in somewhere. Oh yea, and we can't forget some time for blogging! I'm tired already!

A picture I wanted to share:

I know this is an old one, but I just entered this photo in a contest to win a Modern Bird piece of art. I love it...a lot. Oh yea...stay tuned on that one because I'll be asking for your help in winning here in a week or so! :)

Math has Never Been My Strong Suit but...

2011-03-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

So, a few weeks ago we got a registration renewal from the DMV.

Before I even opened it up I thought, "Didn't we just get one of these!?"

And then I thought, "I swear get these like every six months..."

Then I opened it up...it was for the Suburban.

After I picked my jaw off the ground when noticing the renewal price almost doubled, I started really thinking about it and doing the math...

When you have 7 vehicles, and you keep 4 of them registered, and the registration has to be renewed every 2 years...{2 divided by 6, times 4, carry the one...} we literally do get one of these in the mail every six months.

And yes, I know when I take the math even further...7 vehicles, 2 drivers in the household...it just doesn't add up. Right?

{photo credit}

But talk to Andy, my ever-loving husband, the math teacher, it totally adds up...we neeeeeed every one of those vehicles. Yep, every.single.one {side eye}

The Jeep is the one we use for Rylee, so duh.

The Buick is the daily driver that gets 30 MPG for Andy and his 60+ miles he drives 4 days a week.

The Suburban is just so versatile {Andy's words, most definitely NOT mine}...it tows the utility trailer when helping people move/taking stuff to the dump/etc, it tows the car hauler when he need to take the tractor to help a friend/when one of the 6 other vehicles is not running and needs to be moved , it has seating for 8 people and none of our other vehicles does that, and it's just fun to drive. {Again, not my words...I hate the suburban with a passion, but that's another post all on it's own}

The Yamaha V-Star 1100 motorcycle is used for Andy to take back and forth to work when the weather is nice...oh yea, and it's cool.

The Farm Truck doesn't leave the property and is, well, we live on 12 acres... it's all sorts of useful.

The 1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser is the "fun rig" that has a built 350 motor, a 4" lift and bikini top...that Andy has had since long before me...oh and hasn't run since before Rylee was born...

The OTHER 1978 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser (yep, we've got 2 of them) is completely stock and will stay that way and it's so cool and it's gotta be worth money or something and it will stay in our family forever and Andy's had it longer than the other Cruiser and oh yea...it hasn't run for longer than the other one...

There's our list of 7 vehicles. And did you pick up the other items in there? Yea, our 2 trailers and the tractor. Oh, I almost forgot, the car hauler trailer needs registration renewal every 4 years, so there's that.

Now to Andy's credit...out of all those, we only have payments on the tractor and with 12 acres, that really is truly a necessity.

Back to the math...if when we get all these vehicles running and on the road that means I'll be getting these things in the mail every 3 months.

Shoot me now people...

...or send me wine...

Fun with Photo Booth

2011-03-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, well, I'm pretty sure no one will think these are nearly as funny as we thought they were, but I figured I'd share anyway.

Julia and Spencer had come over for dinner a couple of Saturdays ago and when Julia & Rylee were done making my hair pretty, we had fun with the photo booth application on my MacBook. We were just about in tears.

Of course Spencer & Andy were looking at us like we were crazy, but hey, maybe that's what almost 27 years of friendship will do to you. :)

I love how Rylee is doing pretty much everything Julia is. Someone love their Auntie much?

WW: Walkin' Boots

2011-03-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

On Memories

2011-02-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

Today my grandma would be 89 years old. The impact that this woman has had on my life is immeasurable. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her.

{Photo Credit}

We recently had a family dinner out at my house and while I was going to write a post about that night, thinking about it brought back so many memories of my childhood I couldn't ever completely collect my thoughts about that night in particular. I kept going back to those family dinner nights spent at my grandma's house. So, since I've been thinking about them so much lately, I decided that to celebrate Grandma's birthday, I'd write a post about some of my favorite memories.

My grandma's house was the one my dad and is brother and sisters grew up in. My grandma and grandad moved in when my dad was about a year old. That house is rich with memories.

Every so often, we'd get together as a family over at Grandma's house. And the way I remember it, it pretty much always went the same.

We'd walk in the side door (we never used the front door), the smell of fresh baked apple pie filling the air. Grandma would greet us at the top of the steps, half apron tied around her waist. She would place both of her hands on each of my cheeks, half smile and make a little "tsk" noise, followed by a big hug. Hugs for everyone (we're a huggy type of family).

We'd gather around the dinner table, hold hands, say blessing and eat dinner soon after our arrival. While the main course would always vary, it seems like we always had green bean casserole. And by we, I mean not me. I've never liked that stuff. (No joke, up until about 6 years ago, I always thought it was some weird, nasty secret family recipe. Imagine my surprise when I saw the recipe on the side of a French's Onion can. {For shame.})

The apple pie that filled the air as we arrived would be our dessert every time. Well, that and a scoop or two of Umpqua Vanilla ice cream. And, like clockwork, every single time as it was being served Grandma would always "warn" us that she wasn't sure how it turned out and that she didn't think it was going to be that great. I don't ever remember having a bad piece of pie in that house.

The laughter that resonated through that dining room will be forever engrained in my head and my heart. There was always laughter. Many times to the point of tears. The more of my dad's siblings that were gathered, the more laughter there was. They would reminisce about childhood. Tell stories about the Johnsons...the crazy neighbors that ran over their kid not once, but twice.

thud-thud-"IS THAT YOU HEROLD!?...GET OUT FROM UNDER THAT CAR!!!" -thud-thud-

If it got really crazy, my normally very reserved dad would even do his impressions.

After dinner and dessert were finished, we'd retreat to the living room. Or, if it was a nice summer evening, we'd be out on the deck. If there was a particular event we were celebrating, (or if my sister had a new boyfriend over) there'd always be a trip down the hallway, permanent market in hand, to the last closet. On the wall inside the closet, we'd write the date and whatever occasion it was we were celebrating. I'm not even sure how that tradition got started, but that closet holds years of memories for our family...history even.

Eventually, I'd get "cold" just so I could snuggle into one of Grandma's sweaters that hung in the first hall closet.

The evening would wind to a close. More hugs would be shared. Goodbyes would be said. I'd sleepily settle into my seat in the car. As we pulled out of Grandma's driveway, she'd always be standing in the window, with a smile on her face, waving goodbye.

*************

What about you? What are some of your favorite memories of your grandparents?

Not from Yesterday, but Even Better...

2011-02-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

This post could alternately be titles: Self Humiliation.

But, one of our family rules is "Laugh Often - especially at yourself".

Also? You're welcome.

Rylee has been super into making "pretty hair" where the word pretty actually means "not at all pretty". She was doing this to me last night and I happened to post something on facebook, so of course my super supportive, ever loving family asked for photos.

Well, I didn't take any photos, but that's because I already had some. Better ones. Last weekend Julia and Spencer came over for dinner and after I drank nearly a whole bottle of wine, I let Auntie Julia and Rylee make my hair "pretty".

Pretty right? I'm almost positive that every single clippie was out of the jar and in my hair. It was super fun to take out.

Oh the things we do for our kids...

Also? If you feel extra bad for me, perhaps you wouldn't mind sparing a couple of clicks for LMR? Just click the banner below, then once more on the next screen in brings up. Easy as that.

If you do that favor for me, I'll be sure to hide all the clippies next time you come over to my house so Ry can't make you "SOOoo pretty". :) Unless you want her to, of course.

Happy Sunday Friends!

Snow Much Fun!

2011-02-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday we awoke to snow on the ground. And in Eugene, a whopping 2 inches that's gone by noon will shut down the town. Normally the snow doesn't scare me and I'll drive to work. Normally when there is snow like this Andy's school gets closed so he doesn't have to work. Normally when that happens that means I am driving by myself...No little monster distractions coming from the back seat. So normally, I don't get a call from Andy telling me that our road is pretty nasty and his 3/4 ton Suburban is sliding all over the road.

{The view from our back door.}

But Andy didn't get the phone call that school was cancelled yesterday, so he headed out at 6:30 am like he does every morning, so I got the phone call that our road was pretty nasty, so I decided I'd work from home with the monster because I didn't want to drive. {And yes, I did get a good amount of actual work actually done}

Turns out Andy's school was cancelled that day, only the district's auto-dialer system was down so none of the teachers knew that. So they all showed up. Let me tell you, personally, I LOVE it when my husband drives his Suburban that gets 13 MPG 45 miles one way to work, so I know he was stoked. Despite their annoyance they made the best of it and went out for breakfast.

Within 30 seconds of Rylee waking up so noticed the snow and instantly said "SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!" then asked if we could go play outside. Then about 5 minutes after that she told me she wanted to build a snowman. Then during breakfast she told me she wanted to catch a snowflake with her tongue.

The cute was killing me.

{"What do you mean we can't go outside yet!?" Like the clippies? We were killin' time waiting for Daddy to get home. All her choices.}

I told her we needed to wait for Daddy to get home before we went outside because he wanted to play too. After that, she kept trying to trick me, telling me Daddy was home, telling me she heard him drive up and that we could in fact go outside.

So, when he did get home about 11:30 am, he wasn't in the door 30 seconds before Ry was getting ready to go out!

{OK Mom, I got my boots ready!}

To say this girl was excited to go play in the snow would be a huge understatement!

So, we went out. It lasted a grand total of 25 minutes before she was done with the snow. But that 25 minutes? Was awesome.

We had a snowball fight.

We Made a snowman.

And we went sledding.

{This video could also be titled: Where Mama gets Mauled by a Wolf}

Post Summary: Snow Days are fun...especially when it's followed by a 3 hour nap so mama can actually get some work done! Oh and that Rylee and Andy are pretty much the cutest ever.

WW: Attack of the Clippies

2011-02-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Just like me...only the opposite

2011-02-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here's the thing...I have a love/hate relationship with secrets and surprises. I can keep a secret like no other. However, if I know someone has a secret or a surprise planned (for me in particular), I can't handle it. I have.to.know.

Growing up, (ok, even to this day) my best friend and I had this rule, if I tell you I bought you a present and you ask me two times what it is, I have to tell you and vice versa. Apparently that rule doesn't apply to anyone else. Dumb.

I can tell already that Rylee loves secrets and surprises too. Only...she's the opposite of me...

Monday was Valentine's Day, as you're aware. And even though I'm over the whole Valentine's Day thang, we still exchange cards. Of course, I also picked one up for Andy from Rylee. So, that morning, after Andy left for work, I called Ry into the kitchen to have her sign the card. She happily scribbled a little something into the card and then asked what it was for. When I explained to her that it was a card for Valentine's Day to give to her Daddy she got all sorts of excited.

She giggled a little bit. Rubbed her hands together excitedly. Put her fingers up to her mouth. And smiling, she declared in a super high pitched, semi-whisering voice, "We got a card a you too, Mommy!!!!!"

She clearly new she was letting me in on a juicy little secret.

I smiled and laughed and thought "how cute". And besides telling Andy the cute story that evening, I never really gave it another thought.

Fast forward to yesterday. I was at Walmart for work. Since I never shop there and have no idea where anything is, I find myself wandering through the entire fricken store just to find toilet paper. However, my travels bring me through the men's clothing department where I spot a shirt perfect for my husband. It's a Mickey Mouse shirt and it says "Mr. Perfect" on it. So, if you know Andy, you know this is the perfect shirt for him. I grab it, figuring I can give it to him for his birthday or Easter or something like that. There happens to be a $5.00 price tag on it. Upon checkout, I actually score the shirt for $2.50.

{And no, that will not make me shop at Walmart more}

Anyway, later that day I pick Rylee up from daycare and as we get home, I get her out of her car seat and start unloading the car. She inquires about the bag. So I tell her it's a new Mickey shirt for Daddy for his birthday. She seems satisfied with the answer and runs to the front porch to hold the door for me. Sweet kid, I know.

We get in the house and go about our normal business. Rylee and I make a fire. She tries to open my Nalgene bottle do drink my "special water" from the straw. She plays on her toy computer in her little pop-up house thing. She asks over and over again if she can have those cookies sitting on the island in the kitchen only to be told "after dinner" over and over again. She goes potty. We start dinner.

She never again mentions the shirt for Daddy.

Andy walks in the door about an hour and a half later. Rylee's face lights up as it does every night he walks in the door. She rushes to him and wraps her arms around him. He picks her up, hugs her and sets her back down on the ground so he can get his coat off.

Within 10 seconds (TEN seconds, people!) she giggles a little bit. Rubs her hands together excitedly. Puts her fingers up to her mouth. And smiling, she declares in a super high pitched, semi-whisering voice, "Mommy got a present a you Daddy!!!!"

To which Andy smiles and responds, "Oh really?"

And Rylee replies in the same high pitched voice as before, this time grinning from ear to ear and pointing at him with both of her index fingers while shaking her head yes, "Yea! A Mickey shirt a you!"

Andy and I both laugh.

Be warned...secrets are officially no longer safe with the little monster.

Don't let that super sweet, innocent looking face fool you people.

"It Feels Like First"

2011-02-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I may have just quoted the movie "Bring it On".

And I may actually be talking about 3rd place, not 2nd place like they got in the movie.

And I may even be talking about my feeling toward 3rd place and not the actual members of the squad that received the award.

But really? I can't help it. I am so proud of my brother and his JV cheer squad for placing Third in State and their competition this last weekend!

My brother? He rocked it. He nailed his back tuck. His jumps were high. The stunting he back spotted on were solid.

He was really happy with how he did because he did his absolute best.

How can I not be proud of that!?

Please excuse the excessive "woo-ing" after he landed his tuck. What can I say? Kristen and I (and Kelli via Skype) were a little bit excited.

Also please excuse the out of focus-ness...my camera went out of focus right before they started...you get the jest.

I wouldn't say I'm ANTI Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T14:00:00.000-08:00

But I really just don't care about it.

Don't get me wrong, growing up it was awesome. I have great memories of carefully writing out my classmates' names on cards, making a Valentine's mailbox or pouch for my desk and then the super awesome Valentine's party my class would have. My mom would make dinner and set the table and the lights in the dining room would be off and there'd be a special little treat in our seat. However, I do remember the year I had a boyfriend break up with me the day before Valentine's day...and the day before the dance. That was less than awesome, but whatevs, I got over it. Overall, like I said, Valentine's Day was always pretty awesome.

But really, anymore? Eh...not that big of a deal to me.

In honor of Valentine's Day I've noticed a lot of other bloggers writing all these mushy posts about how much them love their spouse/significant other, blah, blah, blah. Not gonna lie...I kind of threw up a little bit in my mouth.

I figured I'd write my own kind of post...but not how much I love Andy, or how great he is, or how I fall in love with him all over again...blech...how about the opposite. How about a post about all the things we "LOVE" about each other.

I LOVE that he puts more ranch dressing and cheese on your salad that there is lettuce.
I LOVE that he almost always forgets to flush the toilet after you get out of the shower then when I get home from work 10 hours later there's still pee in the toilet.
I LOVE the weird throat-clearing-thingy he does when he's trying to make a point.
I LOVE that he's always hot and feels the need to have a fan blasting on us every night for bed.
I LOVE when he trims his beard/shave his face a bunch of the trimmed hair is left in the sink.
I LOVE that he still think it's hilarious when I unknowingly walk into a room after he's let out a stinky fart.
Speaking of farts...I LOVE that he taught our daughter "pull my finger".

Oh, and don't worry, I know this LOVE is a two way street...here's a list of things I know Andy LOVES about me!

I know Andy LOVES how I have the knack for leaving random strands of hair all over the house.
He LOVES that after I spend all day at work sitting with my face staring at a computer I can do the same thing after Ry goes to bed until I go to bed.
He LOVES that I sleep with with a sheet, wool blanket, quilt and another blanket on top because I'm always cold.
He LOVES that I can't remember simple things like calling to make a vet appointment for the dog but I can remember what I was wearing the day of our first kiss.
He LOVES that every single time he comes inside after I have been playing outside with Rylee I say "Sorry I didn't pick up the toys out of the yard, it was time for Ry to get in the house and she was not having it."
And I know he LOVES that I taught Rylee how to pick her nose.

Keep in mind this is all in fun. I really do love my husband. But really...every spouse does things that drives the other crazy.

Some things I will never understand

2011-02-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night, I had the worst dream I have had in a very, very long time. It shook me to the core and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

The setting was pretty much present time, not too far in the future. I was pregnant with baby #2. I had just got home from picking Rylee up and we were getting ready to get dinner started. Andy had just called to let me know he was on his way home from work. A typical weeknight evening. Then it happened...

I received a phone call from someone telling me that Andy had been in an accident and that he didn't make it. My heart sank. The tears started instantly. The rest of the dream was me making the same phone call over and over again to all of our family and close friends to tell them the news. With every call I made the tears kept streaming and the crying grew louder.

In my dream, I just remember thinking why...how...I just didn't understand...

I know exactly what my subconscious was doing. Earlier on Tuesday I learned about a friend of a friend who lost his battle with cancer. I'd never even met this man, or his family, but my heart broke. My heart broke for his wife. My heart broke for his 3 young children. My heart broke for their family. My heart broke for their friends. I couldn't begin to imagine what the wife is going through. And I just couldn't stop thinking about it. Why did this have to happen to him? Someone so young? Someone with such young children? I just didn't understand.

After I had that dream, I wanted nothing more than to curl up next to Andy. For him to wrap his arms around me...however a little toddler had snuck into our bed in the middle of the night and lay in the way from that happening. I slept horribly the rest of the night. When Andy finally rolled out of bed the next morning, I stopped him in the bathroom and made him wrap his arms around me. I didn't want him to ever let me go. As we stood there, I couldn't stop thinking about that dream. And I couldn't stop thinking about this man's wife and children. And I couldn't help the tears that started to roll down my cheeks when I realized that my nightmare was just that...a bad dream but this is now this woman's reality. She will never be able to have her husband's reassuring arms wrapped around her again.

There are some things I will never understand...

WW: Fine...Don't Smile. This is Just as Cute.

2011-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Right Kind of Hurt

2011-02-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

I think I found my groove.

Last week was great.

My pants? I actually put them all in the dryer over the weekend in hopes to shrink them a bit. Pretty soon, I may be able to bust out the pants I've got stowed away in the next size down.

I can tell I'm getting in better shape. The day after my last Power class I could actually walk. Don't get me wrong, I was sore, but it wasn't unbearable. It was the kind of hurt that you feel after a good workout, not the kind that has you wondering what truck you were hit by when you weren't looking.

My next Power class? Oh yea, I'm gonna go cray-zay and even put some weight on the bar!

Watch the heck out!

I still need to be better about drinking water on the weekends. Oh, and you know, not eating tacos 5 out of 7 days in a week.

All in all, I'm finding myself with more energy. Drinking less coffee and more water. I'm finding my legs getting restless after a day without a good workout. I find myself craving that after workout burn. And to top it off, I've lost almost 7 pounds!

Super Easy, Really Tasty Tortilla Soup

2011-02-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

When I put it out there to the Facebook world that I was looking for a tortilla soup recipe, I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get. First of all...thank you to everyone who sent me their recipes! Secondly...holy moly there are lots of different ways to make tortilla soup! I decided to take bits and pieces from different recipes and make one up myself. Daring, I know. Since this was a new kind of adventure, I thought I'd share it with you, no matter how it turned out.

Tortilla Soup
Yields: 6 servings
Total Time: approx. 1/2 hour, start to finish

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cooked
6 Corn Tortillas
2 Cans Chicken Broth
1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1-1/2 Cups Salsa
1/4 Cup Sour Cream

Serve With:
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees. Take 2 of the tortillas and slice them in thin strips, place on a baking stone or cookie sheet and toss with olive oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, checking and tossing again and salting if desired halfway through.

While you're at it, chop up the remaining 4 tortillas into bite size pieces, set aside.

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, sauté the chicken on medium heat in a little bit of olive oil.

(I did this mostly to break up the chicken)

Add the chicken broth, black beans corn and tortilla pieces. Stir well.

In a food processor, or a blender if you're lazy like me, combine the salsa and sour cream.

Add it to your soup. Stir well.

At this point, you may wish to season it with different spices. I used some red pepper flakes and a touch of salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Dish it up and top with the crispy tortilla strips.

I also served it up with some shredded cheese, sour cream and sliced avocado along with a nice, big salad.

I got so caught up in my excitement to eat it that I forgot to take a photo of the soup all dished up and topped with cheese and sour cream.

Andy really enjoyed the soup (WIN!) and you know it's good when he goes back for a second HUGE bowl AND takes some for lunch the next day. My husband? Not a leftover guy.

And for the double win? One serving of this soup, including cheese and sour cream on top was only 350 calories!

Things I will try next time: chopped onion sauteed with the chicken. And maybe some garlic, because really, garlic makes nearly everything better.