little boy B makes three

Phone Dump Friday

2012-02-10T15:42:00.006-06:00

post-haircut

my new kitchen curtains

a winter morning in MN

playing trains

eating at the MOA

checking out Nickelodeon Universe

hiding

long day!

I am sick with a bad head cold... hoping to not give it to Daddy P or B.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!!!!

A Giveaway!

2012-02-09T11:59:00.003-06:00

Who doesn't love a good giveaway??? Anyway, my gal Lara is hosting one on her blog. You want some solid music to jam out to? Give her a comment and next thing you know, you'll have just that waiting for you in your mailbox. Check her blog out HERE.

Recipe: February 2012/Week 1

2012-02-08T16:41:00.001-06:00

Meatloaf
{seriously, I think I have memory issues... sorry, no pic again.}

Prep time: 15 Min
Cook time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hr, 15 Min

INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
-1 1/4 tsp salt
-1 egg
-1 dash ground black pepper
-1 C soft bread crumbs
-1/2 C milk
-1/3 C steak sauce {i used Heinz 57!}
-1 onion, chopped
-1/2 C diced green bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F {175 degrees C}. Lightly grease or spray an 8.5x4.5" loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs. Pour in the milk, 3 Tbsp. of the steak sauce, onion and green bell pepper.
3. Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Brush the top with the remaining steak sauce.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

We enjoyed this meatloaf recipe as the ones we have tried in the past don't have steak sauce, onions, or green pepper!!! Will add to our list of recipes to pick from!

Wordless Wednesday {Jackson Street Roundhouse}

2012-02-08T12:49:00.003-06:00

"You only have one heart"

2012-02-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

said the nurse to my Mother...

We had plans to go to the Train Museum in St. Paul this past Saturday, my Mom, Bennett, Daddy P & myself. I texted my Mom to see what time she would like to meet but she said she didn't sleep well the previous night and was going to pass and take a nap. This was a little strange to me, as far as my Mom goes, but I didn't think much of it. The remaining 3 of us ventured out to the Museum sans Mom. While there, Daddy P received a phone call on his phone from my Dad.... my Mom was at the Hospital.

My Mom is healthy. She is not overweight, she eats small and healthy portions, she exercises somewhat regularly, and she has had a clean bill of health throughout her life minus a run-in with breast cancer that robbed her of one of her "girls". Cancer runs in their family... but this wasn't cancer-related, this was her heart. Evidently, she had woken up with irregular heart beats during the night multiple times... and she just felt that something wasn't quite right. She was shaking with fear.

After deliberation, she went to Urgent Care who quickly referred her to the ER. She had bloodwork done there and stayed the night and had a stress test Sunday AM. She passed the bloodwork and the stress test with somewhat "flying colors" and was given a small dose prescription for her irregular heart issues and saw her regular Dr. for a follow-up today.. which has given her thumbs up.

My Mom is OK.

My Dad's birthday was yesterday and we went over with dinner and a cake and my Mom seemed like she was never even in the hospital, like I hadn't just seen her the night before with a tube in her nose and laying there in that hospital bed... that never makes anyone look good. The entire atmosphere is ominous. If it weren't for the multiple squares of glue residue left on her upper chest area marking where the sensors were taped to her body for the tests, I wouldn't have believed that she was ever in the hospital. I was thankful for that, she looked well. She looked healthy. And thankfully, she is healthy.... praise the Lord.

I know inevitably our Parents will pass on and we will only have our memories to hold on to, but I know that I'm thoroughly not ready for that.. and even when the time does come, I still won't be ready. Just the thought makes me cringe and start to get misty-eyed. Definitely not ready... and so very thankful that I didn't have to be this past weekend.

Life is so precious and we tend to lose sight of this fact because it gets lost in the daily shuffle of every day life. Sometimes it takes things like this to open our eyes to the reality of it all, no matter how scary it may be.

“Life is a precious gift. Don't waste it being unhappy, dissatisfied, or anything else you can be.”

[proud Momma moment]

2012-02-03T13:03:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of my polite boy. er...until he demands ketchup. lol. this kid is a riot.

Phone Dump Friday

2012-02-03T10:55:00.001-06:00

out for a fish fry in Wi

"It's so fun listening to Bennett talk and have conversations! He is so polite and always telling the boys to be careful!"

i love braids :)

Snoozin' on the way home from Wi

Donuts in Green Lake!

Hanging out with Auntie L

Beating on Mommy & Daddy :)

More abuse ;)

on the ice!

minnow!

B's self portrait[s] - 2.2.12

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Thankful Thursday: A Home

2012-02-02T13:37:00.000-06:00

sadly, i don't have an actual pic....thank you, clip art search for this adorable little house!!

I am thankful to have a home. A place to call our own, to personalize to our own tastes, and to share & create memories in. Living in Minnesota, the weather can get pretty brutal....[although right now it's an uncharacteristic February day as we are sitting at 33 degrees!]. I recall nights where the wind is howling outside and the heat is roaring away while I am laying warm and toasty in my bed. I thank the Lord for blessing us with a roof over our heads and walls to shelter us from Mother Nature's nastier sides. I may not have a home that's everything that I want. I may not have all the money to transform it into my perfect place. There are a lot of things I want to change about our home right now... but I am thankful we have a home at all. Daddy P & I started out in a Townhouse that I bought on my own and that was B's very first home where we brought him home to. I still own it as the house market plummeted and we are renting it out at an attempt to keep my credit score safe. I am so thankful we were able to find and move into our current home. We are slowly making it our own and it's become a really fun process. I am hoping to learn to appreciate more of what I have and not focus so much on what I want. So today, I am thankful for our beautiful home that houses my beautiful family. :)

Wordless[ish] Wednesday {GL Edition}

2012-02-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

Hanging out with Auntie L ♥

Sledding Day 1 with GaGa & Auntie L

Sledding with Auntie L

Going back for more!

Sledding with GaGa!

Daddy P got in on the fun

the sunset across the lake was so pretty!

I can go by myself !

Hold the rope !

Extreme sledding with my Sis & Mom...hahaha my favorite part of this was my Mom was a little hesitant as the hill was quite large and a bit intimidating... especially from the top! So my little sister kept telling my Mom she could "bail"... "Mom, just bail if you need to" and my Mom behind me saying "What does that mean?" lol lol
Needless to say, we made it and it was fun and we should have done it at least a couple more times. :)

Bear with me!

2012-01-31T17:25:00.000-06:00

Please bear with me while I try to renovate my site a little bit!!!!
Happy Tuesday everyone!!!!!

Quick Weekend Recap

2012-01-30T13:51:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful time visiting with Auntie L & Uncle M this past weekend. It was too short, as usual, but a good time nonetheless. B went sledding for the first time, Daddy P & myself finally got out onto the ice, and quality time was had by all. Pics to follow!!!

What did you all do this past weekend???

5QF.

2012-01-27T12:01:00.002-06:00

1. Do you swim in the winter?

We just went swimming for B's first pool trip last week at my Aunt Mavis's apartment complex. Obviously we cannot swim in frozen lakes... but we will definitely be going back to visit Aunt Mavis's pool again soon!

2. Do you love or hate winter?

It's a mixed bag for me... I love the way the snow looks but I loathe driving in it!!! I also enjoy Christmas that happens during Winter and ... winter makes the summers and Spring and Fall that much better!!! Although Minnesota Winters can be quite brutal but we manage!

3. Do you put makeup/actual clothes on when you know you're going to be home all day with just family?

Depends on the day... but usually on a day like this, I'll be sporting sweats and a comfy t-shirt!!!

4. How old were you when you had your first alcoholic beverage?

I was probably around 16... shhhhhh, don't tell my Parents!

5. How many ill calls in a 12 month period do you think are acceptable?

I'd say once a month, maybe? I guess if you're actually a person that's more susceptible to illness, you can't really put a limit on that, but if you're one of those people that "abuse" the ill policy... then that's another issue. But... at my job, all of our "sick" and "vacation" time are sort of pooled together, so it doesn't really matter. Hopefully someday in the not-so-distant future I won't have to worry about calling in ill to anyone but myself. Haha.

Happy Friday everyone!!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.... we are off to GL to meet up with Auntie & Uncle L&M... grabbing GaGa too! Pics to follow, of course. :)

Phone Dump Friday

2012-01-27T10:57:00.001-06:00

First time in a pool at Aunt Mavis's...he LOVED it!!!
He's splashing Momma here. :)

B managed to save this, somehow, while dinging around with my phone. Haha.

My new mousepad for work. Thanks Shutterfly!!!

Lunch date with Lady GaGa! ♥ [my Mom...B kind of likes her]

Added love to our hutch in the kitchen!

Tutti Frutti, YUM!

More lunch date love.

Relaxing before bedtime with Daddy & Lexxi.

A tickle for a grin!

Hard to take your eyes off "Chugging-Station"

Boyce Avenue

2012-01-27T10:04:00.006-06:00

I just recently found out about this group... and I am an instant fan. I have always enjoyed covers that are arranged differently than the original... add acoustic to that and bam... it's awesome. They have a long list of cover songs and I have yet to find one that I don't enjoy listening to. Here's one of my favorites so far:

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-26T10:10:00.001-06:00

I am going to try to start a Thankful Thursday post. In my quest to blog more, I think it would be much easier to have some sort of "theme" every day. I have the Wordless Wednesdays, the 5QF ... so here's "Thankful Thursday". We'll see how it goes....

This week, I am thankful for my Husband. I admit that I am not always a walk in the park. I am not always sunshine, rainbows, and bunny rabbits. I have my rough points and I am very thankful to have such a patient, loving, and understanding Husband. I may not always show it the best way either... but I am really lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. Yes, I'm bragging!!!! Not only is he a looker ;), but he has a great sense of humor {we are total dorks together and i do cherish that}, and an absolute heart of gold. I admire him for the man he is, has been, and always will be. I don't give him near enough credit on a daily basis for all the things that he does as a Husband, a Man, and a Father. I need to work on that. I am thankful that he has been able to endure my shortcomings and look forward to our long life together.

Here's to you, Daddy P!

Rock On!

2012-01-26T09:56:00.002-06:00

Wordless Wednesday [play hard]

2012-01-25T08:50:00.000-06:00

Clothes Dilemma

2012-01-24T13:18:00.001-06:00

I have a dilemma. It's minor but it's bugging me and I'm curious as to what others think on the matter.
I think I'm a minor hoarder... not anything like the show but I do tend to prefer to keep things, as opposed to getting rid of them.
I want to simplify my life, I want to simplify my home...along with redecorating, redesigning, remodeling... it. This is going to be a long journey, but I am excited for it. Simplifying means getting rid of excess... so I went through my pile of jeans the other day and only eliminated 2 pair. I grabbed a pair this morning and threw them on in a rush [January has been casual month for me] and now realize they are non-flattering, a bit too large, and just kind of blah. At first thought, I think... I should wash them and put them in the Goodwill pile. But then I start second-guessing myself... I could use them for those bloated days... what if I start gaining more weight? I could use them when I'm gaining baby weight? [NO! I'm not prego right now!!!] This is usually the road block that I encounter while trying to purge. The entire "WHAT IF" mentality. I need to forget about that and just purge, right?

No do that 'gain!

2012-01-24T11:23:00.001-06:00

Someone doesn't want to be video'd....

Recipe: January/Week 3

2012-01-23T15:36:00.003-06:00

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr

[i forgot to take pics again....but I have one casserole container in my fridge that we have yet to dig into, so I will try to update tonight!]

Ingredients:
-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves [i just used 1 package of Gold n' Plump boneless chicken breasts]
-6 oz. egg noodles [i used probably 12 oz. or so, my package was actually 16]
-1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
-1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
-1 C sour cream
-salt to taste
-ground black pepper to taste
-1 C crumbled buttery round crackers
-1/2 C butter

Directions:
1. Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water. [I also added some chicken broth that I had leftover from another recipe, along with some water] Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. Cut chicken into small pieces, and mix with noodles. [I also added sauteed celery, onions, and carrots to this mixture!]
2. In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2 quart baking dish. [I didn't have a large dish so I ended up making 2 mini-casseroles!]
[Before I added the buttery cracker mix found in Step 3, I threw on some remaining Romano cheese I had in the fridge and wanted to use up... and I think it was a good idea! I think any cheese would be a nice addition!]
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. [I used wheat ritz and they were a bit stale but were perfect for this topping... I probably only had 3/4 of a sleeve left and also threw in some sage & onion stuffing] Top casserole with the buttery crackers.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 mins, until heated through and browned on top. [30 min was perfect for my 2 little casseroles and my lazy oven!]

Daddy P & Myself really liked this dish and it would be super easy to make the night before and throw in the oven when you get home from work. Bennett, on the other hand, wouldn't touch it. But that's not because he didn't like it... because he wouldn't even try it. He's been getting a little picky and not eating much lately.... not sure if he's coming down with something or what's up??? Anyone else having anything like this happen??

Anyway, I give this 2 thumbs up!!! Enjoy!

new button!

2012-01-20T10:57:00.001-06:00

I finally created a new button... please grab it and replace the old one! :)

5QF.

2012-01-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?

I actually don't hide anything... I try to keep my boys happy with good food... and I share whatever I have with them!!! We are a snacking family too... but I don't look at food as a negative thing... I love food, and so does my family. :)

2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?

I try to keep my vehicle clean and I proudly say I've been doing a pretty good job lately... but... my trunk is an entirely different story!!! :-P Speaking of chaotic vehicles, I need to figure out where a library book is....

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?

Yes, I've been once. I want to go back....

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?

I love to be cooler and cuddle up with a blanket!!!!!

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?

I can't say that I've had a bad flying experience. There was one time when I was flying with my Mother somewhere and the landing gear wouldn't come out... but the 2nd time around, it did. Thank goodness!!!!

Baby, it's F'IN FREEZING outside!!

2012-01-19T13:33:00.000-06:00

I woke up to this on my phone....

Um.... can I hibernate???

Hope everyone is staying warm today...!!!!

Free Stuff: Market Pantry Mac & Cheese

2012-01-19T13:22:00.002-06:00

$0.00!

In an attempt to keep up with my post yesterday saying that I would try to share my findings of good deals.... Target has online coupons that you can print [2x per computer]. Right now they have one for $1 off Market Pantry Macaroni & Cheese... they are like .74 or .72 in the store... it won't give you money back, but you will get them for exactly .00. Free. :) I haven't tried these yet, so I cannot say they taste just like Kraft... and I am picky when it comes to my Mac & Cheese.... but free is free, right? I know I make quite a few trips to Target and why not grab a couple free boxes while we're already there???

Free Stuff: 101 Puzzle Quizzes for Kindle, etc.

2012-01-18T17:28:00.001-06:00

I am always on the lookout for all things free. I am frugal, I am cheap, I LOVE me a good deal. Anyway... I have decided to try to share these when I find them for myself!!!

I have a Kindle and I am uber-pleased with it, obvs. But, I also have the Kindle app on my iPhone and that has proved to be nice to have as well. I read the first 2 Hunger Games series books on there, as did my Mother! Anyway, I came upon the 101 Puzzle Quizzes for Kindle... and I believe that would also work for the iPhone app! It's super easy to get as well.... you log into Amazon and then you deliver to whichever device and the next time you open it... voila!! Like magic, there it is! It's easy and fast... but beware... if you do purchase something that actually isn't free... it is just as easy!!!! :)

Click HERE to see what I'm talkin' about! I believe this offer ends today, so get it while you can!!! Looks interesting enough to me. And it's free... so what's the harm? Happy Hump day!