Sunday, January 30, 2011

Weekend 1/29-1/30


In honor of my man's birthday!


But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

Friday's Looking Good: Feeling better

I'm about two days late on this blog, but that's ok. The kids (especially my extremely active two year old...) have kept me busy! Sweet T has so much energy built up from being in side for so long, but that's a different post. I'll save that for tomorrow and write about what I came here to write about, my looks.
Last week I wrote about how discouraged I was and how unattractive I feel. I was having a rough day to say the least. I think this nasty weather affects me just as much as my two year old and I'm dealing with a little bit of the "winter blues." Anyway, this past week I had a doctor's appointment and of course they had to weigh me. I was not looking forward to stepping on that scale as I've had a hard time losing this baby weight. I was about 120 before getting pregnant with Little L and I have not been able to get below 130 since then. He's 5 months old and I just can't shed these last 10 pounds (I actually want to get to my pre-Sweet T weight, which is 115)! So the nurse starts messing with the scale and finally lands on... 128.5!!!!! Yahoo!!!!! I know it's only a pound and a half, but finally, FINALLY, I'm below 130! Maybe someday, I will reach my goal afterall.

And I was out of my PJ's everyday except for one ;) Lol...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Thoroughly clean Thursday: Catch up!

Apparently I was a little too comfortable with how good the house looked last week, because I have been slacking ever since. My house is once again a complete mess. We have half a fort in the living room (needed the rest of the chairs to eat lunch, so half is put away, lol), clean toddler undies all over the main floor because Sweet T "helped" me put laundry away but only made it up one flight of stairs, and a mountain of laundry. Yuck. Today is hubby's birthday and I want the house to look nice for him. Time to get BUSY! Actually, I've been trying to get a lot done throughout the day. Good thing my sister was here most of the day to help entertain little ones. So far, I have done a load of dishes, I'm working on the third load of laundry, I cleaned my shower and toilet, shoveled the side walk and hubby's parking space, made my bed, and wiped down kitchen counters. Still to do are dirty diapers, the rest of the bathrooms, another load of dishes (well, just put some in the dish washer because there are not enough to run another load), fold and put away laundry, and CLEAR CLUTTER!!! I better hop off of here and get busy. Wish me luck :)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Wednesday's Walk with GOD: SHUT UP!

Shut up! Yep, that's what God is teaching me. It started on Sunday when our pastor read a verse from James that says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." (James 1:26) I have had a hard time controlling my tongue lately. I say whatever comes to mind without thinking about how it's going to come out or how it's going to affect those around me...particularly my family. And it's not just WHAT I say, but also HOW I say it. Yep, I definitely need to learn to just SHUT UP sometimes. That's all I got right now, so I will end this blog entry with more from James:

1:19-22
My dear brothers, take note of this: Every-one should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tasty Tuesday: Mandarin Beef

My new recipe attempt this week was a complete fail, so hubby gave it a try too. This is one of his all time favorite recipes. His mom makes it and it is DELICIOUS! She gave him the recipe and he made us lunch on Saturday. Why yes, my hubby IS amazing :)
1 lb flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the
grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
6 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
2 T low-sodium chicken broth
1 T light brown sugar
1 t toasted sesame oil (MIL uses safflower)
1 t cornstarch
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
3 T peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 1/4 lbs broccoli, florets cut into bite size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/3 c water
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1.Combine beef and 3T soy sauce in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk sherry, chicken broth, 3 T soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 1/2 t peanut oil in small bowls.
2.Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 1/2 t peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl. Heat 1 1/2 t peanut oil in skillet, and repeat with remaining beef.
3. Add 1 T peanut oil to now empty skillet; heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water. cover pan and lower heat to medium. Seam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Add remaining 1 1/2 t peanut oil to skillet; increase heat to high and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown. about 1 1/2 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic and ginger to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant. 15-20 seconds, then stir mixture into peppers. Return beef and broccoli to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter and serve.

Yummy! Delicious! TIME CONSUMING!!! Seriously, J worked on this meal for a good 2 hours. We ate it with fried rice.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday Madness: Party time!

I am typing this blog post with my Sweet T on my lap. I apologize in advance for any crazy mistakes you might see :)

Sweet T went to his first birthday party this past weekend. I have to say, I'm really proud of the sweet boy he is becoming. A lot of the kids he plays with are 3 or older. He has had a hard time with some of the boys in the past, not because they're mean, just because they are so much older. At this age, a year makes a big difference. We have actually stopped going to a play group because of this. I was a little worried about going to this birthday party because I knew most of the kids would be older than he is but the birthday girl is a really good friend of his, so we went. The party was held at a place called Toddling Time and he HAD A BLAST!!! J and I stood back and just watched him play for quite a while. He did really well with the other kids too. He followed the teacher everywhere she went and was really excited about all of the activities. He even played the games! They had "Pin the flower on Dora's watch" and "Follow the leader" to the freeze dance song. Every time the song stopped, he'd put his hands up in the air and yell "FREEZE!" We have him do that for safety reasons, stop instantly and put his arms up when we say, "freeze." It's really nice to see him playing with other kids!
He had another big milestone today too. He went over to a friend's house without mommy! It was the same friend who had the birthday party. Their family is such a blessing to my family. We have similar values and similar parenting styles. I was worried about him being at a friend's house without me, but when I picked him up and asked if he was ready to go, he said, "Not yet." He is such an independent little man and I'm so proud that he doesn't need me by his side every second.
Little L has hit a big milestone this past week too. He rolled over! He has done it a few times in the past, but it has become intentional. Well, the first time I don't know how intentional it was... Kiddo was on his play mat doing some tummy time and Ty and I walked into the kitchen to get him a snack. Suddenly, Little L started screaming this horrible scream that I've never heard before. There was definitely something wrong, so I went running. Turns out, he rolled over and must have scared himself! He has done it several times since then too. He really has to work at it, but at least he can do it. Without scaring himself now too ;) Little L is officially 5 months old! How in the world did that happen so quickly??? I take pictures each month but still haven't gotten around to taking his 5 month pic yet. I will end this post with a picture of his birthday... Aug 24. 5 months ago... crazy!
Waiting to be induced:

His first picture!!! NICU making sure he's ok (my preemie). Interesting delivery store, L came out with his hand over his mouth and bruised his little face.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Friday looks good: discouraged.

Growing up, I had a lot of people comment on my looks. An agent approached my mom once in a restaurant, strangers commented on my beautiful red hair, people would whistle at me as they drove past, a store owner in San Diego swore I'd be on TV someday (and I'm positive he thinks Lindsay Lohan is me, because she starred in Parent Trap soon after that day and we looked very similar). It happened often enough that it didn't catch me by surprise. I was always in some type of dance (or gymnastics, ice skating). I was even the captain of the Cheer leading squad in early high school. I got a lot of my self confidence from my looks. I may not be smart, but I was pretty. As I started getting older, people stopped commenting as often. In fact, people even started commenting on my sister's looks instead of mine (I'll never forget the first time it happened... on the train traveling to CA. 11th grade). I started losing a lot of my confidence and even started feeling a little insecure. By the time I entered college, I wore huge tee shirts in the summer and baggy sweatshirts in the winter. I always threw my hair back into a pony tail and just tried to blend in, not be noticed. Most of my tee shirts were those free ones you get from special events and my sweatshirts were all picked out by my dad (Yikes!) A couple years ago, friends started commenting on my wardrobe and I finally realized that it was time to change. I have to admit, I hate that I have to TRY to look pretty now. It's very humbling for me. I want to wake up and be naturally beautiful again. But that time in my life has past. When I see pictures of myself, I'm very unhappy with what I see. Even my face looks different now. Just older I guess. Today especially, I'm feeling very glum (ha ha, can you tell we watch/read a lot of Thomas the tank engine?). I guess it's time to learn how to style my hair and put on make up :-/

I guess I should also focus more on this:
1 Peter 3:3-4
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Thoroughly clean Thursday: My White Board :)


In my quest to become organized, I'm trying a few different things. My favorite so far is my new white board. I have thought about buying one for a couple years now and I finally broke down and bought one. It has definitely helped me to see clearly what needs to be done. I have divided it up into four different sections. 1/3 of the board is a weekly calendar that lists our meals for the week and any other event that we need to remember. The middle 1/3 is a section for notes. This doesn't get used much, but I felt it important just in case I needed to talk to J about something but couldn't right away (I often forget if I have to wait). The last 1/3 is divided in half. The top half is my "To Do" list and the bottom half is our grocery list. I like having it there so that I can see everything that needs to be done and I can erase it and rewrite things as I need to.

As far as last week's goal, I believe I wanted to do the 20 minute challenge 5 days. That did not happen, but the house stayed relatively clean. I feel like I've already come a long way and it's only January still. I'm looking forward to keeping it up and hopefully getting even better. My goal for this week is to maintain the main living areas and to clean and organize the basement. Gasp. This is going to be scary!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Wednesday's walk with God, Excellence.

I have started a new devotional this week. Way back in college, my roommate recommended the book "Becoming a Woman of Excellence," by Cynthia Heald. I bought it on sale but never read it. I decided that now is the perfect time to start it, since I'm really trying to become a better wife, mother, housekeeper, and woman of God. So far, I like it. Sometimes she goes pretty in depth and I feel like it's over my head, so I kind of tune out and then have to re-read things, but I'm sure it's good for me to be reading something that goes deeper. The part that really stood out to me yesterday was one of her "reflections." The author talked about her parents teaching her, "If you are going to do anything, do it right!" She goes on to talk about her life over the past several years and how she felt like she started settling for mediocrity and "just getting by." That really hit me, especially because I had said several times yesterday, "if we make it through this day, I'll be happy." (We had a ROUGH day!) If I continue to settle for just getting by, I'm never going to reach my goals. God has so much more for me than that! Today, I'm not settling for just enough, I'm going beyond, all the way to Excellence... and it will be a challenge, especially after our rough day turned into a terrible night.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Tasty Tuesdays: Mexican Chicken Casserole

Last night was new recipe night (it moves around depending on the week). My grandma gave me a cook book for Christmas that was full of recipes that her "butterflies" group made and everyone loved. (side note: her butterflies group is made up of widows who get together often to encourage each other and keep each other from getting lonely) My grandma assured me that all of these recipes were delicious. Not so much the case for this one. It might be partly my oven which apparently doesn't get very hot, but I think it was just a bad recipe. Hubs gave it a 4, I liked it a little more than he did and gave it a 6. T first said it was "yummy" then changed his mind to "yucky." Disclaimer: I am not a cook and still not confident that I made the chicken the correct way. Maybe it tastes better if you know what you're doing ;)

1 1/4 c Hot water
3/4 c salsa, divided
1 T margarine
1 6 oz pkg Stove Top Stuffing mix, chicken flavored
6 boneless skinless chicken breast, halves (this is one area I got confused...)
1/2 c Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350*, stir water, 1/2 c salsa, margarine and contents of vegetable/seasoning packet (from stuffing box) in 2 qt baking pan. Stir in stuffing crumbs to moisten. Arrange chicken over stuffing. Pour remaining salsa over chicken. Loosely cover pan with foil. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, remove to serving plate. Fluff stuffing with fork, serve with chicken. Makes 6 servings. Can add chopped onion and celery if desired.

My side notes. I don't know what it means by "halves" so I cut the chicken in half so I had two fat chunks. Maybe I was supposed to do two thin long pieces? I don't know. Also, after baking for 35 min.s at 350, our chicken was still raw. Very raw. So we turned to oven up to 400 and baked another 25 minutes. This turned out perfect for us, but be careful because as I said, our oven doesn't seem to be working correctly. If you decide to try this recipe, let me know if it turns out better for you! It certainly sounds good...

Monday, January 17, 2011

Monday Madness


I am pretty sure Mondays are going to be used to brag about my kids. It's my blog, so I am not going to feel guilty about it either ;) I'm really proud of my two little guys and would love to be one of those moms who always talks about how wonderful her children are, but I don't think those around me would love it as much as I would. So you lucky readers get to hear it!

My precious Little L is almost 5 months old already and is now in my favorite stage so far! It's the stage where babies start to explore and are constantly learning. (For those who do not personally know me, I feel like I should clarify that Little L was born a month early so is ever so slightly behind. No big deal, he'll catch up and we're not worried. But if you're wondering why I'm so excited about a milestone that many babies reach earlier, that's why) My precious baby has just recently discovered his hands. It's the sweetest thing. He watches his hands as he reaches for an object, he's playing with toys now and grabbing anything he can reach. Last week, he kept reaching out and stroking Sweet T's face. He has also started on baby food to help his little tummy (stupid reflux!). He has tried rice cereal and had bananas for the first time this evening. He's just like his big brother and LOVES eating! I guess that's why my little preemie baby is well over 18 lbs at (almost) 5 months.

Sweet T is at a fun age too. Kiddo is full of energy and excitement. I love to hear him play with his daddy. He is also extremely brave. He flies off his bed like he's invincible. I swear the people in the ER will know us by name as Sweet T gets older and tries jumping from taller objects. My Sweet T has such a tender heart and is very compassionate toward others. Lately, if he thinks I'm sad he will come over to me, gently put his little hand on me and ask in the sweetest way possible, "you need me, Mommy?" He can be pretty picky about who he kisses when (ehem, Aunt Stacy...) but as soon as you tell him that person is sad, he goes right over to her and kisses her. He does things and then says, "That make Mommy (or daddy) happy!"

I could go on and on, but I'm tired and so I'm heading to bed now. On an unrelated note, I got everything done on my to do list today with the exception of mopping. J was a huge help, as always. Together, we did laundry (including a load of diapers), dishes, both full bathrooms, made beds, cleaned clutter, wiped counters/tables, vacuumed, and spent time together as a family at the mall play ground. I wish my hubby could stay home with us every day. I kinda like him!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Psalm 127:3

Behold,children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.


Love my two little gifts :)

Saturday, January 15, 2011

"a sssnowsss Ball!"

Another late post: Friday :)

So I am really falling behind on these blog entries. Oh well, I guess that happens sometimes when life gets busy. So my attempt to look nicer was a huge fail this past week. I've been trying to stay home more because it's too cold and I always seem to spend money when I leave the house. What's the point in dressing up to stay home? Plus, I still haven't figured out the best time to take a shower. I hate showering at night, there's no way I'm waking up before the babies, I want to nap when they nap together (yeah, like that happens ;)), and I do NOT trust sweet T alone with little L... or alone at all for that matter. I need to work on it though. My goal for this week? To be out of my pj's before J gets home at least 4 days. Ha, yep, that's my only goal. And I'm not even sure I'll reach that... ;)

Friday, January 14, 2011

Thoroughly clean Thursday, a little late :)

Yesterday was pretty busy and I just couldn't find time to blog, so today you get two! One for yesterday and one for today. So, cleaning... This week has gone pretty well in the cleaning department, at least compared to the normal week. J and I did "20 minute challenges" every other day and it made a huge difference. It's truly amazing how much two people can get done in a twenty minute period! The thing that surprises me the most, though, is that I actually enjoy it. We are working together as a team, talking and enjoying time together, while seeing a huge improvement in whatever room we're working in. Who would have ever thought that I would ENJOY cleaning??? Sweet T has also continued his new cleaning obsession (He reminds me of J in so many ways!) I think God is using this little guy to help motivate me in my cleaning adventure. The other day I left lunch sitting on the table instead of cleaning it up right away. When Sweet T realized that I hadn't cleaned up, he started telling me, "you need dis (this) in tash (trash)." He was referring to the food that he didn't finish. Then he said, "Pate (plate) goes in sink, mommy." This cleaning obsession could work out for me in a few years when he is capable of doing it for me ;)
Overall, I am very happy with how well we've done this week. My goals for the coming week are to do the "cleaning challenge" at least 5 days and to keep our main living area "company ready." I would also like to teach Sweet T how to make his bed and add that to our morning routine.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wednesday's walk with God.

This week, God has been working on my attitude. I am a very proud person, especially when I am sleep deprived and feel like I'm constantly giving of myself. I feel like I DESERVE to be pampered and like others should cater to my needs and wants because poor, pitiful me, I have to take care of two small children all day long and that is an extremely demanding job. It's not easy, but more and more I'm realizing that I cannot use that as an excuse forever. Just because I have been up every. single. night for the past four and a half months (with the exception of two nights ago...that was close to heaven, I'm sure), doesn't mean I have the right to be rude, unloving, and selfish. God doesn't not say "Respect your husband, unless you are in a bad mood." He simply says to respect your husband. He does not say to control your tongue unless it's too hard at the moment. Nor does He say that it's ok to fly off the handle because your two year old wipes boogies in your hair (true story... yuck!) God calls me to be a godly wife, mother, and woman at all times, not just when it's easy. So, this week God has been showing me what NEEDS to change, hopefully I'll be able to change those areas (with God's help and lots of grace from my family) in the very near future :)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tasty Tuesday: Potato and Ham Soup

This recipe got an 8! Yeah! That means J thought it was DELISH! He rarely rates above a 7 1/2, in fact, I'm not sure he's ever given anything a 10, so I'm really excited about my 8. One thing I could have done to make it better is cut up the ham into smaller pieces. J thought it'd be great to chop it like we did the onion. Besides that, all adults loved it! T liked the ham, but not the potatoes. He's in a picky stage so there isn't much he does like these days. Here's the recipe (from www.allrecipe.com)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
1.Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2.In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3.Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Monday Madness

Normally, I'll talk about my crazy kiddos on Mondays but this past weekend fits this title perfectly, so I'm changing the plan just this once (or maybe for the first of many times...). Saturday started off great! Hubs let me sleep in, which was much needed and very much appreciated. I had some fun things planned, like decorating cupcakes for a friend and then a wedding. I was looking forward to the day. For whatever reason, things got a little...less wonderful when I got out of bed. The kids were fussing, things needed to be done before I left, and J and I were just off (not really arguing or angry, just not connecting like usual). By the time I left to finish the cupcake display, I was feeling frustrated. My mom and I work on cupcakes together, and neither one of us is very good with time management. Our goal was to be at my friend's event at 2 so we could finish by 3 and make it to the wedding by 4. However, we were once again running late. Very late. 45 minutes late to be exact. Yikes! So we get to work and finish the cupcake display (which turned out beautiful if I do say so myself), then rush off to get ready for the wedding...still 45 minutes late. My mom went straight there so she made it on time. Me, on the other hand, well I had to go home to get the boys first. Thankfully hubs had everyone dressed and ready to go, but we were still running too late to make it on time. We went anyway. Finally, we made it. Keep in mind that it's freezing and we have two babies to bundle up. So we find the closest parking space, consider calling a cab to drive us from our parking space to the building, then walk toward the front doors. The wedding was at a small country club and as soon as we get to the doors, we realize that we can't go in. The wedding is RIGHT there and we'd make a huge scene. We were already drawing attention so we decided to wait in the car. By this point, Little L is awake and ready to eat. Plus, he's soaking wet. I mean SOAKING! In the hustle and bustle, we forgot to change his diaper. Oops! So I had to change him in the car. A disposable would have been fine, but the cloth was very difficult as they are still pretty new to us. Ok, the diaper's on. Time to feed him. That's when I realized that my outfit was NOT breastfeeding friendly. So I'm half dressed, nursing a soaking wet baby (his clothes were still drenched) in a crowded car with a toddler climbing all over and pressing every button he could possibly find. That's about the time we got the text say, "ceremony's over. You can come in now." Yeah! The worst was over! Or so we thought. J waited in the car with me while I finished up, then took T and started making the trek back to the building. It took me a little longer to get out of the car because I had thrown everything out of the diaper bag trying to get to something. I look out the window to see the bride and groom taking pictures outside near by. Then without realizing it, J locked the car with L and me still in it. Did I mention that I left my cell at home? No big deal, I'll just unlock it from the inside. We learned something new about our car that day. In front of tons of people, with the bride and groom near by taking their lovely pictures, we learned that our car has an alarm. Yep, true story!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Weekend post.



I just love the way my kids are looking at each other in this picture. Can you tell they love each other???

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

Friday, January 7, 2011

Friday's Looking Good!

As a SAHM, it's hard to find the motivation to get up and get "ready" for the day. As soon as I'm up, I'm rushing Sweet T to the potty, getting Little L his medicine (for reflux), and putting on my chef's hat for our breakfast. Mornings are chaotic from the start. If I brush my teeth before nap time (at 1...), I consider it a good day in regards to my look ;) It's sad, but true. Not to mention, finding something decent to wear is depressing! Little L is four months old and I'm still in maternity clothes. I love my maternity clothes, but only when I have an adorable belly to show off. This left over nastiness is just, well, nasty. It seems silly to waste money on clothes that fit me now because I'm (hopefully) going to lose this darn, stubborn weight some time in the near future. It's affecting my self esteem though, and I'm sure J would like to come home to the attractive (or at least put together) wife he's used to. I'm not sure I'm ready to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe, but I decided to go ahead and buy a few things. Target had a sale on jeans, and I sadly bought two pair of the largest size that I've ever purchased. Ouch! It definitely hurt! But at least I can wear regular jeans again. Plus it's motivation to work a little harder to get back into my old stuff. I also bought a few shirts. They are so nice! And I'm thinking that I'll be able to wear them even as I slim down. I'm also trying to accessorize. It's a scary thing for me and I'm not very good at it, but I guess I gotta start somewhere. I got a pretty, simple pearl necklace for Christmas that I think fits me perfectly. I also got a couple pair of new shoes so that I wont wear my sneakers or beat up boots as often. Already I feel better about myself! And as for the weight, well I've cut out soda. J cut it out of his diet too. It's nice to do this together! I am also hoping that eating at home will help out a lot. A few areas I need to work on are sweets and portion sizes. Oh how I love my sweets! Cookies, candy, cake... I love it all! I used to have great self control and would eat my snacks slowly. One cookie here, a single piece of candy there. J has absolutely no self control and now I find myself eating as much as I can as fast as I can just so I can have some. We'll buy a package of Fudgees (mmm... my favorite) and it will be gone within a day or two. Sometimes I don't even want a cookie, but I want to make sure I get my fair share so I'll eat one anyway. It stinks! And I'm not sure how to change it! Plus, with nursing, I eat a LOT at meals. Pretty sure I can eat as much as my 6 foot 3 hubby. Ugh, it makes me sick thinking about how many calories I must be taking in. It's too cold to go outside for walks and exercise. Plus who has the energy? Not me, that's for sure! Anyway, that's where I am right now. This is where I'm starting. A year from now, I hope to be writing my blog posts looking all spiffy in my size 3 jeans (ok, a 5 or 7 will be good too :)) with perfect hair and a nice bowl of veggies sitting next to me to snack on. Ha! Ok, let's not go crazy. I'll still have my fudgees, just one instead of the whole bag...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Thursday 2.0

Today deserves two posts. Why? Because I'm proud of my little accomplishments. The dirty diapers are now clean (and drying), I vacuumed and swept the main level, and cleaned the half bath on the main level. It might not seem like much, but it's a start! I also found a nice website to help me out a little. It's and I think it will really help me. I also wanted to clarify that my house isn't that terrible. Yeah it can get bad, but J is really good about helping me out and keeping things looking decent. I feel like I need to start doing more though. That's part of my new year's resolution...to be a better house wife :) Now, off to put the baby to bed so I can set my timer and get more done! Yeah!

Thoroughly clean Thursday!


I haven't settled on this name completely, but for now, it works. I want to talk about my house and what I'm doing to make it a home. As I said in my very first blog entry, cleaning has never been one of my strengths. Clutter doesn't bother me. But I know that it DOES bother my family, and I want this to be a calm and peaceful place for us. We vacuumed T's floor the other day and afterward, he walked around saying, "It's cean (he has a hard time with l's). I yike it!" Bless his little heart! He has also started to inform me that the car is "messy." I feel so overwhelmed by it all. How am I supposed to clean up after myself and two little hurricanes while keeping everyone safe and happy? I don't know, but I need to find a way. I have one very big helper and I would like to find ways to take advantage of that. I just bought a bottle of vinegar that I will start cleaning with and I'm going to get a little spray bottle for T to use too. We can wipe down tables, counters, shelves, ect together. He also loves to help sweep and move clothes from the washer to the dryer, and then to the couch where we fold. Ok, so that's plan one. The second part of my plan is to set a timer...maybe for 15 or 20 minutes...every evening after T goes down for bed and CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN as much as I can in that time. J (the hubs) said that he'd do it with me :-D So that's the plan for now. I just need to follow through. Guess I better get off this computer and start that laundry! Boy do we have a lot today! Little L spit up all over our bed this morning and soaked through the comforter and sheets. Yuck! Plus it's diaper day! Gotta make sure my kid has something clean to put on his cute little tush :) Here's a pic in his adorable cloth diaper (see above). See that? I'm procrastinating already! This is definitely going to be a challenge for me....

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The First Wednesday Walk with God :)

So my plan is to talk about how I'm growing in the Lord on Wednesdays, or at least try to share what He's been doing in my life. Here we go:

My family has been through a LOT over the past few weeks. Well, I guess it's been over the past few months. While we were celebrating the birth of a brand new baby (My little L), and celebrated another year with my Sweet T, we found out that my poor dad had Kidney Cancer. (I think I need to stop having babies because every time I do, someone in my family is diagnosed with cancer... my grandma found out she had Breast Cancer the day after Sweet T was born). The tumor was small and easy to get to. Surgery was scheduled for December 21st. Why on earth did they have to schedule it so close to Christmas??? Why did they make him wait TWO MONTHS before removing this CANCER?!?! We'll never know, but that's the way it all went down. We rejoiced in the Lord that it was caught early and was going to be a pretty easy (although painful) surgery. At least it would be over and done with after that...or so we thought. Our prayers were answered and surgery went according to plan. He even made it home just in time for Christmas, Little L's first Christmas! Hooray, Thank You, Jesus! But just a few days later, he was rushed by ambulance back to Walter Reed. Another surgery, a blood transfusion, and lots more pain later, and my dad is doing better. Apparently an artery started hemorraging. It's just been an up and down roller coaster ever since that first surgery. Here we are a couple weeks later and my dad is still having issues. This STINKS! Seriously! So how does this have to do with God? Well, I think that God "speaks" to me mainly through music. I know he uses people and reading too, but for whatever reason, I'm often moved most by songs I hear on the radio. One of the mornings while I was driving all the way to the hospital...again... to see my poor dad who was in terrible pain and not knowing what was going to happen, I heard a song that spoke exactly what I needed to hear. It said what I needed to pray. It was by Kutless and it gave me such peace and reminded me Who my trust is in... the Savior! I'm going to try to post a link to the song on Youtube, but this whole blogging thing is new to me...forgive me if it doesn't work :)

You are everything I need!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

My purpose :)

It's a new year and I have new goals, so why not start a blog??? I'm determined to become a better mommy, wife, and woman of God. That's my goal for 2011. I need to be more patient with my babies (T, 2 years and L, 4 months), make wise and informed decisions based on what's best for THEM, and learn to discipline (the two year old...) in a loving and effective manner. I only have one shot at raising my kids to be Godly leaders, this whole mommy business is not to be taken lightly! As far as becoming a better wife, well I need to work on my appearance. I'm not 18 anymore and it takes a little more work than it used to. Plus I have two kids worth of extra baby weight on me. I'm sure J would never say anything negative about my looks (he would be in sooo much trouble if he ever did ;)), and maybe this one is partly selfish on my end too, but I'm sure J will appreciate it :) I also want to appreciate the things he does for me more, and be a little nicer to him (poor guy gets the worst of my pp hormones!). For my family, I want to do better at cleaning and cooking. These two things have NEVER been strengths of mine, but I need to learn! Quickly! Picking up after yourself is part of being responsible. How can I teach that to my children if I don't do it myself? Plus it's stressful to live in the middle of a mess and embarrassing when people stop by unexpectedly. Time to clean up and declutter! As for cooking, lol, this could be interesting! I am known to burn things, measure wrong, leave out ingredients, and so forth. But not anymore! 2011 is the year that we start eating at home more! I will learn to cook :) My goal is to try one new recipe a week, and to start eating more sides (veggies, bread, what else do you add to dinner???). All of this while saving money too. How will I learn to save money? I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out. By the end of this year, I will be a little closer to be a Proverbs 31 woman! Oh, what is a Proverbs 31 woman? Here, I'll end this post with a link that describes it better than I could...

http://http://proverbs31woman.com/