Tuesday, September 28, 2010

You know those times....

  • when you are so tired you cant see straight
  • you are super stressed out from work and home responsibilities
  • when the dishes are pilled sky high and there is a layer of food on the floor
  • when the clean laundry is spilling over but yet you seem to refuse to fold it
  • when you just want to go away for a few days??
This week (yes its only Tuesday) has left me feeling like that.
I feel behind in work, home, kids, and husband.
I never feel like I can give my kids enough time.
I never feel like i give my self enough time with my husband.
I feel like a failure for dragging my kids to visiting teaching appointments
I feel too stressed to breath right now. 
I want a mommy time out, I want a break I need some girl time....the only issue is my life is so busy I don't have time for it.

The Good
  • we just got gym passes (for a screaming deal!) so i am hoping going to the gym in the morning or right after work will help bring down the stress level
  • my kids are adorable and understanding
  • Abby has learned how to give kisses and always wants to give them to us
  • I have faith that sooner then later we will have a better work situation worked out
  • I do have a wonderful job that I enjoy and I really enjoy the people i work with

Monday, September 27, 2010

what could be better?

Then homemade gooey chocolate chip cookies? oh yeah maybe eating the dough and them!  :)

Derek needed a treat for young mens last week so i made up some chocolate chip cookies....can i tell you how sad it was not to be able to eat the dough...we gave some to our neighbors and they asked for the recipe so here it is....if your like me you will bake half the cookies and save half the dough to eat :) i always double my recipe so we can have lots to share and I can eat the dough :) but here is just the normal recipe but i know you all will want to double it ;)



2 eggs
1 cup butter flavored Crisco (DO NOT USE BUTTER!!!)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

blend all above ingredents together

add
1 tesp vanilla
1 tesp baking soda
1/2 tesp salt

mix well

add 2.5-3 cups flour

then add 1/2 a bag of chocolate chips! (i love to do 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 peanut butter chips)

bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes here is the trick (or just the way i like mine!) if you want them gooey and to stay soft for days to come you want them to be barley brown on top they will look a bit undercooked but they cook outside of the oven since they are still hot :) there ya go darn it all now i want some...hers to waiting for thanksgiving!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

because i like to make my life harder

I have decided to add no french fries to my goal, I had my last ones yesterday.  I want to eat better and feel better.  On the list soon will come exercising more.  I really want to be healthy when we decide to have another baby lol if i ever decide to do it all gain haha ...although if I gain a lot of weight it might freak me out! haha I started both pregnancies over weight and ended up hardly gaining any...but that might have had to do with having my head in the toilet who knows.

so here's to no french fries and no sugar :) lets do it!

Monday, September 20, 2010

changes...

****warning this post will mention breast feeding and have the words boobs in it!  Please continue at your own risk ;)



Well my baby is one and with that means we are stopping nursing/pumping.  I wanted to go longer at first, but she is not willing and wanting to nurse anymore, and I can do without the biting, pinching, and bleeding :)
When i stopped with Jackie it was really easy, at least what I can remember of it.  I remember a day of feeling like i was going to expolde but that was about it.  This time i decided to do it really slow like we area talking removing a feeding session every 1.5 weeks.  Well i got my self down to one and then decided to stop.  I was thinking of doing every other day, but i was ready to just stop. 
Can i just say how much my boobs HURT! dang its been a week and I still look bigger then a double D! take a look for your self! I have now had 3 people comment on it haha
(its up on my moms facebook)
Argh! For now i am icing and hoping it will go away soon :) lol anyway the REAL purpose was to write that my new goal is to give up sugar (we are talking sugar foods here not like oh milk has sugar cant drink it) until thanksgiving! My weight loss has had a lot to do with eating better and nursing but i still have had those few treats now and again.  but I am done :) although i did decide if I am running late to work i will still have chocolate milk :)!
So we will see how it goes! I made it through my brothers homecoming which was not as hard as I thought! I forget that with both kids i could not really eat sugar when pregnant, now if i can just up the running/work out dvds maybe i can get rid of the  last 15lbs-20lbs (pretty sure my boobs weigh like 5 lbs or at least i am hopping i did not gain that much weight this last week! EK!) 

Friday, September 17, 2010

Happy one year baby!

Abby, 

Today you turn one.  Somehow it does not seem real.  This past year has gone by way to quickly for me!  You are really no longer a baby!! As of now you LOVE:
  • STAIRS! you always want to climb up them
  • being out doors
  • JACKIE JACKIE JACKIE
  • the sandbox....you LOVE to eat dirt!
  • food (as long as its not baby) in any shape or form! 
  • feeding your self
  • playing with Jackie
  • your new ball toy grandpa and nana got you
  • attention
  • but also playing on your own...you let us know what you want!
  • sleeping! go sleep for a 13 hours at night! 
  • sadly waking up at night has become a thing with you again! Luckily you go right back down! 
You dislike
  • being kept in one placce for too long
  • walking...you can stand but have no want to walk at the moment (mommy is fine with this one!)
  • mommy atempting to take away your bottle
  • diaper changes 

You are the best baby i could have asked for! You are so very mellow and wonderful to be around! Everyone always comments on how easy going you are!  You are starting to talk right now you saw
mama
dada
ba (bottle or ball)
hi
bye
WEEEEE
no
eeese (for the camera) 


You pick up any phone and say hi dada its pretty cute
We turned your car seat around and now when we go on rides you say WEEEEEEEEEE WEEEEEEEEEEE WEEEEEEEEEEE it cracks me up! You adore your sister and always want to be around her and doing what she is doing!

Its been a great year Abigail! I cant wait to see what the next year will bring us!

Monday, September 13, 2010

recipes from Abbys party

Abby's first birthday party is done! We had a great time pictures and a post on it to come, I am at work without pictures! :) But almost everyone asked for the recipes to all the food we had there (a sure sign I picked a good menu i say!) anyway below are all the recipes for what I made

a note i hate recipes and hardly go off of them :) so here is my attempt to right them down...please note spices I NEVER measure i go off look/taste/smell so get the spoon out and try it! :) Oh and i can tell a huge difference when i use kosher salt as opposed to regular salt in these recipes so try it out!


Cafe Rio Rice

3 cups rice
6 cups water
4tsp. chicken bouillon
1 Tbs. butter
1/2 onion chopped
4 tsp. minced garlic
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. salt

Saute onion and garlic with the butter until the onion is soft. Add the rice and water and all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.


Homemade re fried beans (you will NEVER go back to canned!) 

3 cups dry pinto beans
1 large tomato diced
1 medium onion diced
1 can green chilies
2 tes garlic 
2 tes kosher salt
1 tes cumin
1/2 jalapeno seeded (unless you want some spicy beans!:))

put all ingredients in pot and fill with water so it just covers the beans, then let it sit over night in the fridge (yes these beans are a labor of love but I promise you SO WORTH IT!)

in the morning pull out of fridge, almost all the water should be gone now and the beans will have tripled in size! (i was pretty shocked the first time i made them at how much bigger they got!)

Fill up again with water so the water is about 2 inches above beans and bring to boil.  Turn to low and cook for 8 hours.  check back to make sure there is water and stir occasionally. 

After 8 hours put beans and water that is in pot in food processor and blend up how ever much you like! (if you dont have a food processor you can mash them and then beat them with beaters)

After the are blended heat a table spoon of oil in a skillet and fry the beans up! You will have to do it a few times dont put all hte beans in at once,  add as much salt as wanted (they need a lot!) and enjoy the goodness of homemade re fried beans! (they do freeze pretty well if you want to make a big batch, i freeze them before the re fry step so i can re fry them when we are going to have them)

Beef Tacos 


  • take a roast ( i usually get around a 3lbs roast)
  • You are going to rub the roast on all sides with garli, kosher salt, peepe,r onion salt, and cumin.  
  • then sear the roast on all sides (to sear heat oil in large skillet and just let the roast brown up)
  • put in a crock pot
  • add 5oz tapatio hot sauce (you can add more if you want it really spicy this makes it just a bit spicy)
  • add 1/2 large onion chopped
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • 1 jalapeno seeded or not just depending on how spicy you want it
  • 4 tes. beef bullion
  • 2 tes red pepper
  • 2 tes pepper 
  • 1 tes. garlic 
  • 2 tes kosher salt
  • 2 tes cumin
  • then add enough water to cover 3/4 of the roast
  • cook on low over night and shred beef through out the day!
you  might need to add some more water during the day but when you are ready to eat it the water should be about all gone.  My favorite way to eat these is on corn tortillas (heated on the stove with some oil)  with some fresh pico.

 Crispy Chicken Tacos


These were a big hit with those who do not like spicy food


4 lbs chicken ( i used thigh meat it was on sale)
1 onion diced
2 cloves garlic cut up
2 tes red peper
2 tes kosher salt
2 tes pepper
1 tes cumin
put in crock pot for 8+ hours (you just want it to shred up)

once its done drain chicken and add 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
2 tesp cumin
2 tes  salt
then add 2 cups cup chopped cilantro

grab some corn tortillas and warm them up (i just throw them in the microwave wrapped in a damp towel , note for beef tacos don't hear the corn tortillas this way use the oil and stove we are frying these up so the microwave does not mater here 

put chicken mixture in and fry up (about 2 min a side) mmmm tasty and oh so unhealthy :)


Fresh Salsa

4 roma tomatos halved
1/2 onion
1/2 jalapano
1/2 cup ciliantro
1/4 green pepper 
1/2 tes salt
1/2 tes garlic
1/2 tes cumin 

put in food processor or blender and mix up! I  added in some of the above ingredients just diced up so its chunky
( the pico is not really any different then this just no food processor and  a bit more green pepper)

DANG writing these out makes me feel like I did A LOT more work then it felt like :) let me know if you try any of them

Friday, September 10, 2010

dream bed

I got a bit bored today and started looking at bunk beds.....I have ALWAYS wanted my girls to have bunk beds haha :) anyway today i found my dream bed for them granted its over $1000 more then i would ever pay but hey i can think big right? you can view it here too

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Thankful Thursdays!

First off it is Thursday right?  This whole 4 day work week is really throwing me through a loop!!! Anyway thought it was time to make a list of what I am ever so thankful for in my life

  • what would a list be with out including my darling daughters! 
    • Jackie for being her sweet self and keeping me laughing with all of her little comments!
    • Abby for being so dang sweet and easy all the time!
  • My hubby for loving me even though I am crazy
  • A great place to live with great neighbors (even if they are moving this week! EKK!) 
  • a car with AC :) 
  • always knowing there is some one there
  • the gospel 
  • Parents, seriously where would we be with out our parents in our life
  • my brother gets home on Tuesday from his mission! I am ever so proud of him for taking 2 years out of his life to serve! I cant wait to introduce him to Abby! and wow have him see Jackie, he used to be her favorite but she so much bigger now! 
  • Price matching at wal-mart :) it is a WONDERFUL WONDERFUL thing :) one day I will up my couponing...but for now price matching is my friend
  • jobs for be and the hubs....even though it sucks we hardly are home together i am so happy we have jobs and get to sleep in the same bed every night!
  • our recent night away :) it was wonderful to spend a day with just my husband!

there ya go folks...what are you thankful for today :) come one try it out promise it will make you feel good! :) 

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

mondays (yes i know its tuesday but it feels like monday) reasons to smile

My sweet little Abby makes me smile every day! her two tooth smile is too cute to not grin back!
did you notice what those 3 pictures of Jackie have in common? she is SMILING in them ALL! i know shock anyone?

My girls love the sandbox! best thing ever for little kids.,....minus the sand mess it brings

dont trust the face she loves cooking with mama! notice the flowers?  Derek sent them to my work for our anniversary!

i really love this girl!


Miss Abigail always has to be on the go! she LOVES the stairs!

Friday, September 3, 2010

5 years

5 years ago was one of the happiest days of my life.  After a SUPER short engagement and courtship, I married the man of my dreams.  Since then life has gone in every direction possible, we have been through a lot together but just as a our first day together
We take every step hand in hand.  I am amazed at how much my love for him as grown.  How much I have learned about him, how much i care for him, and how much he cares for me. 
One thing has never changed, we love to have fun with each other and goof around.  I am just glad a married a guy with the guts to smash the cake in my face on our wedding day :)


I am so glad I am married to a man who still makes my heart melt, whos touch still makes me giddy.  I cant wait to continue our forever.


                                                       
. Here is to you babe.  Thank you for always being there.  Thank you for putting up with  me when i get a tad crazy.  Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for being so wonderful to our daughters.  Thank you for honoring your priesthood.  Thank you for pushing me to be better.  Thank you for these last 5 years.  I cant wait to see what the next five will bring!