The Tolman Tales!

Gender to-do list

2013-01-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

How anybody waits until the birth to find out what the gender of their baby is, completely amazes me. I have never been the most patient person, so it probably comes as no surprise that we will be finding out the gender of our little nugget, just like we did the other two. There is just too much planning that needs to happen on my end, and finding out the gender early, makes it a whole lot easier on me. (Probably not the hubby's wallet though! Shhh!)
We will find out if we will be planning for Pink or Blue in just over a week. A long, slow going week at that! But here are some things that I've got to get done once we know which way to go...

The Crib

I have been obsessed with this crib for so long! It's a 3-1 convertible crib. It goes from infant crib, to toddler bed, to a full size bed. The tough choice is the color! If we have a girl, then we will go with this ivory color shown above! If we have a boy, we will go with a darker, more of a mahogany color!

The Nursery Decor

I love decorating, so the sooner I can get my hands on decorating or picking out decor for the baby's room, the happier I'm going to be. I'm loving grays, teals, and pinks right now. I'm also kind of partial to deep purples. Tough choices ahead on this one!

The Name!

We are very traditional with our naming options. We don't really like gender neutral names (not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not our thing). For girls we like very girly names, and boys we like very boy names. We have one boy name that we can agree on, and two/three girl names that we like. Once we know what gender we are dealing with, will can narrow down (or in a boy's case, expand) our options.

The New Year Brings...

2013-01-01T19:00:00.002-08:00

For most people, with every new year brings resolutions. You have already seen my list of goals for the year, so I guess I have 50 resolutions! But we have some major events coming up in our family during the year 2013, here are just a few that we are most excited about!

1. A NeW bAbY!!!!! It's no surprise that this would be at the top or my list right?
2. My BrOtHeR's WeDdIng!!!! Scheduled for July in Oregon! Road trip!
3. WyAtT sTaRtS kInDeRgArTeN!!!! He's been so excited to go to school ever since Adam has gone!
4. BiG jAkE gRaDuAtEs CoLlEgE!!!! My bro-in-law Jake. We call him Big Jake because I have two brother in laws named Jacob and then there is my brother Jacob. It's a big confusing mess I know!

What are some big things you have to look forward to this year? Hope it's a good one for you!

Goals of 2013

2012-12-28T17:37:00.002-08:00

Usually for my annual goal posting, I post the goals from the previous year, marking the ones I achieved in bold, then posting my new goals for the new year. Well, I may have accidentally saved my new goals over the old goals and therefore, cannot paste the old ones. But I can list a few of the major goals that I know were on there that were achieved!

Student Teach

Graduate from College!

Get Pregnant

Get back patio concrete poured

Read at least 5 books not required by school or book club (I think I finished 9)

Teach Wyatt to Read (He's getting better every day!)

Those are just a few of the goals that were knocked off of my goals list. There were 50 total, and 23 of them were achieved! I know some people look at these goal lists as silly, but I believe that looking back at it every once in a while reminds me of what I want to accomplish during the year. Since I have been doing it for about 5 years now, I really notice a difference between the years when I look at it at least once a month, and when I only look a couple times a year. The reminders help! So without further adieu...

GOALS FOR 2013

1. Have a healthy baby after 36 weeks

2. Get a teaching job!

3. Get certified.

4. Go on a date every time Ben is home

5. Read 2 classic books with the boys (such as Stuart Little, Trumpet of the Swan)

6. Get air conditioning

7. Finish the basement

8. Take a vacation that’s not to visit family

9. Make the denim family blanket

10. Get Book Club started again

11. Get new couches for basement

12. Make 2 extra house payments

13. Start paying back student loans

14. Volunteer at Adam’s school

15. Get large family photo printed on canvas

16. Pour concrete in back corner

17. Dress up for Halloween with the boys

18. Pay off Ben’s New Truck

19. Go to Florida for Christmas

20. Go camping at Redfish

21. Get a new dining set

22. Host Annual Christmas party

23. Can peaches, spaghetti sauce, peach jam, peach pie filling, applesauce, apple pie filing, pears, corn (freeze), salsa, zucchini (freeze)

24. Grow a garden in the back yard.

25. Get a new camera

26. Build up my stockpile

27. Make a new quilt for each of the boys, including Ben

28. Repair old blankets

29. Lose baby weight and then some!

30. Set up a budget and save $300/month

31. Get Wyatt a new bike

32. Bake birthday cakes for all of the boys

33. Get old couches cleaned

34. Paint master bedroom

35. Get curtains for Master bedroom

36. Teach Wyatt to read! (he’s so close!)

37. Build my home library

38. Build my classroom library

39. Get Adam in Cub Scouts

40. Visit Stephanie in DC and see the sites!

41. Put Adam in Baseball and Wyatt in Soccer

42. Get a new guest bed (make own headboard if possible!)

43. Read 5 books.

44. Don’t chop off hair after baby is born.

45. Put together family picture wall for basement

46. Plant trees in the back yard

47. Get boys a trampoline

48. Learn to sew a dress

49. Make 2 baby blankets for new baby

50. Keep our family safe, happy, and healthy!

Have a good year!

Mmm Mmm Monday Ham and Cheese Sliders

2012-12-24T09:55:00.002-08:00

Along with Christmas usually comes a Christmas Ham. But what to do with those leftovers that you are always left with? Introducing the BEST way to use ham leftovers for maximum potential. I found this recipe over a year ago from one of my favorite, low fat recipe blogs Gina's Skinny Recipes. She has some of the most amazing dishes I have ever eaten, and breaks everything down so you know how many calories, protein, carbs, ect are going into everything. She even has what the Weight Watchers points would be on most recipes.

So I am stealing this recipe from her, because it is one of my families favorites and we will be making them tomorrow from our leftover ham we make tonight!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

24 good white dinner rolls

24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce (you probably could half this...I had plenty extra)
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard (I use Dijon mustard and it's amazing!)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

** sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

These may take a little more time than a regular ham sandwich, but trust me, they are sooooo worth it!

Mmmm Mmmm Monday Mistake

2012-12-17T20:30:00.002-08:00

Today's recipe I have eaten before and am OBSESSED with it. However, when I tried to make it today, I made a critical mistake! Disclaimer: I have never made pulled pork before. This was my first attempt. It was not a successful attempt. I will now attempt to prevent you from making this awful, terrible, no good, very bad mistake like I have done. Here goes nothing!

I received this recipe from a good friend of mine who lives and loves by her crock pot. But really, what busy mom/wife doesn't love a good crock pot meal to take the edge off of preparing dinner for your family during a busy life? I love cooking meat in a crock pot. It's always so tender and juicy! So pulled pork is a no brainer for a crock pot recipe, right? Apparently not so easy for the crock pot impaired...eh hem...I may or may not be included in that particular group. Anyway, moving on.

Fist I guess I should share the recipe, THEN I will share with you all my awful, terrible, no good, very bad mistake.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
3 tsp chili powder
1boneless pork shoulder (3lbs) trimmed of fat
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
2 canned chipotle chiles, finely chopped
1 Tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
20 burger buns
5 medium avocados, peeled thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray and turn on low. In a small bowl, mix first 5 ingredients, then rub on pork shoulder. Place pork into crock pot, and sprinkle with any left over mixture. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
2. Remove pork from crock pot. Let cool slightly, then shred pork with forks (or in my case, cut into fourths and place in kitchen aide mixer with paddle attachment on speed 4 for 1 minute)
Drain liquid from crock pot, and place pork, tomato sauce, chilis, and adobo sauce over meat. Mix well. If desired, add some of the reserved cooking liquid for desired moistness.
3. Increase heat to High. Cover and cook for 15-30 minutes.
4. Serve on buns with avocado slices. Pork can be kept warm in crock pot for up to 2 hours on low or warm setting. Enjoy!

Sounds easy enough right?
WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
Remember those members of the crock pot impaired group? Ok, ok, I will finally admit that I am one of them. All was going well with the meal, I cooked the meat, shredded it in my mixer (which is the easiest thing and takes no time at all, plus no mess!). I tasted the pork at this point and it was amazing! Here is where I went wrong.
You see where the recipe calls for 2 CANNED CHIPOTLE CHILES CHOPPED. Well, when I was reading the recipe, I thought I read 2 CANS OF CHIPOTLE CHILES CHOPPED. So basically, instead of using 2 chiles, I used about 10. OUCH!!!

This pork ended up being so hot, nobody could really eat it. We tried toning it down with sugar and peanut butter (got that idea from my pulled pork expert mother), but unfortunately there was now fixing this mistake. I am so bummed that I messed this up. But note to self...read instructions carefully! Hope your attempt goes better than mine! I will try again soon though. I refuse to fail!

Mmm Mmm Monday

2012-12-10T17:07:00.001-08:00

I think I am going to start dedicating Mondays to recipe days! And to kick it off, I'm going to start with our family tradition of Christmas punch!

What you will need:

Sprite (I like to get a couple 20oz bottles because I think they keep the carbonation better than a 2L bottle does.)

Vanilla Ice Cream

Lime Sherbert

Pineapple Juice (We usually get a large can of pure pineapple juice.)

How to make it:

Scoop about 2 cups vanilla ice cream and lime sherbert into a large punch bowl.

Pour about 20oz Sprite into bowl

Pour about 10oz pineapple juice in bowl.

Now mix together carefully. You don't want large chunks of ice cream, so we use a metal potato masher to make the mixture a little more smooth.

Here is where the taste testing comes in, some like the punch to have more of a pineapple kick to it, some like a little more carbonation, and some like more of a lime flavor. You can add more of whatever you want to make it the consistency and taste that you like best. We like to dish it out then top with an extra scoop of ice cream and sometimes a pineapple garnish if we happened to pick one up.

I hope you try this with your family for Christmas this year, I know we will be making it! Let me know how it turns out or if you make any adjustments! Recipes are ever changing in my book and I would love to see what you do for Christmas punch ideas! Merry Christmas and enjoy!!!

The Bump...

2012-12-09T15:40:00.002-08:00

As many of you probably already know, and if you don't this will come as a surprise...I'm PREGNANT!!!
We just announced it to the world a few weeks ago and could not be more excited. My due date is June 14, but I have no doubt that I will deliver this little bundle earlier judging by my previous history of pregnancies.
I'm going to attempt to put up one of those pregnancy countdowns on here, so we will see how that goes! Right now I am 13 weeks along and feeling pretty good. The only problem is that I am hungry...all the time! So every few weeks I will hopefully get around to posting pictures of "the bump" and answering a set of factual questions about my pregnancy.
So here is up to week 13 so far!

How many weeks: 13

Weight Gain: -.5 lbs (Weird right!)

Cravings: Anything and everything at this point. I have been so hungry from about week 6.

Clothing: Most of my shirts I can still wear if they are longer, and a couple pants. I have bought 2 maternity pants and a couple shirts though. There's only so far I can roll my pants over!!

Feeling: Tired, but very excited!

I will get some pictures up here later I promise! I just need to get them off of my phone! Oh BTW I won't find out the gender probably until the end of January :(

End of an era

2012-12-09T13:09:00.002-08:00

e·ra

/ˈi(ə)rə/

Noun

A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.
A system of chronology dating from a particular noteworthy event.

So what is this era I speak of? What is my noteworthy event that has ended? I am officially a college graduate!!! Yes, it's true! After starting my college career at Utah State University in August 2004, getting married, having two children, taking 2 years off, moving multiple times, and transferring to a different college, I have graduated in December 2012 from Idaho State University with my BS in Elementary Education and an Emphasis in English. So this truly is the end of an era. It's doesn't feel completely real to me just yet. My diploma isn't here yet, my teacher certification isn't here yet, but it's all in the works. If ISU had a winter graduation ceremony I would post some pictures, but they don't. So I guess you will just have to trust me on this one :) Now the real work begins...time to find a job!

Long time coming...

2012-12-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it. It has been a really, REALLY long time since I have updated my blog! I've been wanting to get back to it for months, but finally reading my good friend Meagan's blog this morning prompted me to get back into the swing of things. The last 8 months (I know I shutter to think it has really been that long too!) have been some of the most eventful, crazy, and exciting times in my life and I can't wait to share everything with you! But for my first post back, I just wanted to say hello!

Precious

2012-04-30T13:10:00.003-07:00

Today is a tough day. I believe that every day holds its own challenges, but today is a tough day. Having children is the greatest gift that has ever been given to me and I try to cherish them on a daily basis, and sometimes it is so hard and not take any moment with them for granted.

Today a good friend of mine had to say goodbye to her little girl who lost her battle with cancer. 4 years old. It's heartbreaking. Yet it amazes me the courage that this little girl had and the strength that her momma showed.

I thank God every day for my healthy children and the time I get to spend with them here on Earth. I'm going to go hold my babies now, I hope you all do the same.

The best things

2012-03-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling like a bit of a random streak has hit me today, so I thought I would make a list of the best parts of things in my life...here goes! (These are by no means complete, just some thoughts)

Being a mom:

Snuggles and hugs whenever I feel like I need them

Being called mom, momma, mommy

Picking out little features in my kids that I know they get from me or their dad

Teaching them is an everyday thing, and we all know I love to teach!

Being married:

No drama in the dating pool!

Having my best friend by my side

Somebody I can count on

Combining families

My relationship with my Hubby:

We have been married 7 years, together for 11.5

He was my first kiss ever!

We can be so silly, but serious too.

He is my best friend.

Being a student:

Umm...j/k there's bound to be one right?

Always knowing that I have a schedule

I've made so many friends through school

I know that there are other parts to my life that I didn't include, I was just thinking about these things today and thought I would jot them down.

Tag..I'm it. Are you next?

2012-03-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

So a couple weeks ago I was tagged in a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Meaganover at Two Little Love Birds. Ya, me, myself, I can't believe it either! It has taken me a few weeks to get to it because I'm cramming for some major exams right now.

If any of you have ever taken the Praxis II exams for becoming a teacher, you know what I'm talking about. Let's just say my house is not lookin' too pretty right now since my nose is stuck in books most of the day. Ya, let's just leave it at that.

So the name of the tagging game is...

Well I guess I don't know if there is a name, but I'm it. Here are the rules:

The Rules...
1. You must post the rules.
2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.
4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.
5. Let them know you've tagged them!

12 fun filled facts about ME:

1. I find it EXTREMELY awkward when people cry in front of me. No matter what it is about and why they are crying (with or without a legit reason), I feel super uncomfortable. I never know what to say and just want to get out of there ASAP most of the time. EEK!

2. I met my husband when I was barely 14! He was my first kiss ever! I love that I am married to the man that was part of such a huge milestone in my life. That was the first of many milestones we made together!

3. I think my hubby is the only person that knows this next one about me, so brace yourself! If I had the confidence, the body, and the opportunity (all at once), I would totally pose for Playboy! haha. Well I say that, but if all those things ever came along at the same time, who knows if I would actually do it. Probably not now that I have kids :) That would be awkward when my boys are teenagers...oops!

4. I am super competitive...and a sore loser. I mean really sore. But I have really tried the past couple years to tone it down, and put on a good face for if I lose at something. But all the while inside I am feeling like...

5. After having kids, my equilibrium is WAY off. I get motion sickness very easily now. Car sick if I am sitting in the backseat (sometimes in the front too). And really sick when taking off and landing in an airplane. You ever wonder if people actually use the little sick baggies at each seat? Ya, this girl does. Gross I know!

6. I want to learn fluent Italian, French, Spanish, and Dutch. I have taken classes in High School for French and Italian and loved it, but I can hardly remember anything. Spanish is such a common language around the word, it would be nice to know what people are saying :). And my family is Dutch, my paternal grandparents are first generation immigrants and speak fluent Dutch, as well as my Dad, I think he can understand it more than he can speak it now. Once I learn them all, I want to travel to each place to "practice" my skills. Off on a jet plane, sick baggie and all!

7. I get pretty bad test anxiety. So much so that I can hyperventilate, get sick, and overall just freak out. So over the years I have become accustomed to a little test prep pump up song...

I listen to this song a few times before taking an exam and I am ready to go! Enjoy the video!

8. If I won the lottery and could do anything I wanted to do, I would go to culinary school. I love to cook and I find it really relaxing. I wanted to be a chef growing up, but having kids so young and being settled, it's just not a possibility since there are no good culinary schools close to home. Maybe one day :)

9. I am such a ball baby when it comes to movies! I cry over sad and happy things all the time. My best friend still to this day makes fun of me for crying in Mighty Joe Young when it came out years and years ago. You know that part when Joe, the giant gorilla falls off the Ferris Wheel at the end and they think he's dead...ya imagine me sobbing so much that I had to leave the room! I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that now.

10. I have a hard time thinking of all babies as cute. There are some pretty ugly babies out there! What do you do when somebody you know has an ugly baby? You know they are looking for you to say how cute, beautiful, handsome, or adorable they are right! I can't do it. If they have an ugly baby, of course I won't tell them that, that's just mean. I will just say something about a feature on them. Like commenting on their hair, little toes, how small they are... things like that. But of course my babies were the most beautiful ever :)

11. I have always wanted to chop my hair off so short that it's like a boy cut...but I'm a chicken. I've heard it is so hard to grow out once you cut it so short because it just looks awkward at certain stages, so you cut it again to stay short. This is what I would do if I every got up the nerve to do it...

12. My ideal night alone would be snuggling up by a fire with a good book and a glass of wine. Something is so relaxing about those three things. Love it!

Meagan's questions for me:

1. What is your guilty pleasure food?

Sour Punch Straws or Bites. If they are even in my vicinity, I will find them. I will eat them.

2. If you could choose a song to represent who you are, what would it be?

Haha, See number 7 above!

3. What is your favorite book, movie, or TV show? You choose.

My favorite book is probably The Lovely Bones, Movie: Pride and Prejudice, TV show: Grey's Anatomy.

4. What do you want to be when you grow up? :)

Alive :) A teacher, great mother and wife, friend.

5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I think Australia would be a fun place to visit. I could speak English, and it's not someplace that a lot of people immediately think of to visit.

6. What is your favorite hobby?

I love to sew and do crafts, but finding time to do it is another story.

7. Dress up or jeans?

I love to get dressed up, but there is nothing like a good pair of jeans and some flip flops to feel truly relaxed.

8. What would you do if you won the lottery? Besides jump up and down screaming, of course.

See #8 above. We would pay off our house, our parents homes, and probably open a restaurant of my own.

9. Favorite Quote?

I don't have a favorite quote, I think if you are going to quote someone for inspiration, let it be yourself!

10. Most embarrassing moment?

Going down a large water slide with a friend in high school, only to have her untie my bathing suit top as we were going down. I had no idea until after coming out the slide at the bottom, arms raised and screaming, only to find a shocked lifeguard at the bottom! hehe

11. Biggest Pet Peeve?

I hate being late. I hate when other people are late. Even one minute and I start to get frustrated. And I feel so embarrassed if I am ever late.

12. What are 3 things you love about yourself?

I love my laugh. I love my hair. I love my family.

I tagged...

Ashley @ Ashley and Donnie MacKay

Angela @ Bergstrom Bliss

Hailey @ Cass.Hailey.Ryker

Chylie @ The Hagmans

Keshia @ Walk in my shoes

Kim @ They Tell Me I'm a Housewife

Serene @ Serene is my name, Not my life.

Whittney @ Ryan and Whittney

Kellie @ Oh Henrys

Jess @ Jessica and Deg

Courtney @ jake & court

Cherie @ Brock.Cherie.River.Presley.

My questions for you...

1. If you could do anything with the guarantee of never getting caught, what would you do?

2. Do you have any piercings and/or tattoos? Where?

3. When was your first kiss? How old and with whom?

4. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

5. What do you think are the worst boy and girl names ever?

6. If you could make a list of 5 celebrities you could sleep with, who would be on it?

7. What is your biggest fear?

8. Morning person or night owl?

9. What is your favorite Disney movie and why?

10. If there was no danger to you, what is the one extreme sport you would try without thinking twice about it? (ie: skydiving)

11. If you could look like any celebrity, who would it be?

12. What is your favorite type of flower, bush, or tree?

Like a kid again...

2012-02-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

While growing up, there are just certain things that you have to have done to have a successful childhood. Such as, jumping from pillow to pillow to couch to avoid falling in the lava, hula hoop, roller skate, jump rope, ride a bike...you get the idea.

Well this last Saturday was date night with our best friends ever Josh and Lindsie! And when I say best friends I mean we have all known each other for so long (I met Josh when I was 12! And he introduced me to my hubby at 14!) that we are 100% comfortable around each other. Sometimes a little too comfortable but I will leave that for an entirely different post!

So for our date night we got all dressed up (sort of) and hit the town!

Here is me and my amazing (and hot) husband on our way to dinner.

We met up with our friends at a cute little Italian place that none of us had ever tried before (and sadly probably won't again). Sounds like a pretty normal double date so far right?

Next we decided that we wanted to do something that none of us had done in years, YEARS!!! Guess what?

Starlight Skating! Or rollerblading in my case! (Even as a little kid I could never stay up on roller skates...strange?)

I don't think I had been to a skating rink since I was in middle school, at least. Ben and I did go ice skating for our 4th anniversary, but for some reason that seems more romantic than childish. So childish it was tonight!

Here is the 4 of us (sorry for the blurry pic, we had a 10 year old giggling girl take the picture, enough said.) But we were so excited to get on the floor!

Rockin' the blades. We even did "time trials" for one lap around the rink, not surprisingly to me, I totally dominated and won by about 3 seconds.

Aren't they cute! They obviously felt more comfortable on the skates than Ben and I did!

We had so much fun skating and I felt just like a kid again...and believe me, there were TONS of kids there. The 10 year old giggling girl that took the group photo for us was so smitten with Ben, she kept telling him "You are just so cool, even the teenagers think you are cool!" It was really sweet, and of course it helped boost Ben's ego a little. But I think he is pretty cool too.

I'm thinking that for one of our birthday's coming up we should rent out the skating rink and invite all our family and friends! It would be a great party!

Soon to be...

2012-02-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Oh the joys of buying a house with an unfinished basement! Of course there are pro's and con's to everything so here are some from my basement...

Pros Cons

I can make it my own Starting from scratch is a little daunting

I get to choose the layout It's expensive

Expanding is exciting It takes FOREVER!!!

I could probably list a few more cons to having an unfinished basement, but this is intended to be a happy post! Why you ask? Because we are slowly but surely getting it finished. The framing is finished, electrical will be done in the next 2 weeks. The tub/shower is set in and plumbing is finished. But the most exciting part of it all is going in soon. Now I really had to fight for this, I am so in love with it, and my only winning argument was that it would be great for resale value down the line. The big reveal...

Isn't it beautiful? I know! The only differences will be instead of the wood paneling it will just be the white boarding (wood won't really match my decor plans). The back of it will be closed off, and inside the bench will be pull out storage! I am so excited to add this to my basement it makes me want to scream. Like I said I really had to fight for it, so I am sure I will be putting it to good use with all of my reading! I give you all permission to be jealous now. Go on, it's okay :)

Understated...

2012-02-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Overwhelmed just doesn't quite cut it these days. I think that everybody tries really hard to do their best most of the time, they really do. And with trying comes both success and failure. Let me just tell you right now that I do not do well with failure (I'm sort of a sore loser, just a little). Some of my friends even say that I am borderline OCD with some of aspects of my life. And part of being my OCD, overachieving self means that I put a lot on my plate.

Mommy
School (20 Credits)
Teaching 5 days a week
Book Club
Single Mommy most of the time since Ben works away
Cooking
Cleaning
Homework (both mine and Adam's)
Baking (more of a stress reliever)

All this stuff adds up to a very busy...well...me. And another part of my OCD, overachieving self, tends to bottle frustrations up inside. Today was a tough day, not buy any measure terrible, but just an off day. And it got me thinking about why I think I have to be so "on it" all of the time. Why am I beating a dead horse so to speak over why I am having my "off day" today? Something to think about, something to work on. I know I already posted my goals for 2012, but I am going to add one tonight.

Don't criticize yourself so much! You don't have to do everything perfectly!

Rules of Possession

2012-01-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

I think my boys are pretty good at sharing with other children, but all those please and thank you's seem to fly out the window when it comes to sharing with each other. Ya, their brothers. It's pretty obvious. So I came across some rules of possession when it comes to kids (although I can't remember where I found it!) But I think this fits my boys so well! And it doesn't just apply to toddlers!

My best friend, and worst enemy!

2012-01-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

What constitutes a best friend?

They stick by your side.
They really know how to get inside your head.
They tell you when you may need to take it easy or relax.
They will never let you go.

What constitutes an enemy?

They can be hurtful.
They also really know how to get inside your head.
They try to make every aspect of your life harder.

Ok so these may not be the best ways to describe your best friend and worst enemy, but they are accurate for my most constant. Who is my best friend these days? Or should I say WHAT is my best friend?

HEADACHES!!!!

I have never been a person that get's headaches very easily, and have maybe had 3-4 migraines through my entire life. Until recently. Since about November, I have headaches almost daily. Maybe the stress of school is really starting to get to me, but come to think of it, that is around the time when Ben started working out of town!?! Figures. Do you have a best friend and worst enemy like mine? If not I am willing to share, please take it from me!

Armed and extremely useless...

2012-01-15T15:39:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I hate worse about being sick, it is my kids being sick. And when it comes to my kids, Adam and Wyatt are polar opposites. Adam is sick all of the time. Wyatt is sick, well, never. I attribute Adam's poor immune system to him being so premature when he was born (10 weeks early) and then to top it all off, he has severe allergies and asthma.

So with all of Adam's ailments, I feel like a 24 hour pharmacy some days. But today, being armed with asthma medication, allergy medication, cough syrup, cough drops and throat lozenges, a humidifier, children's Tylenol, and a thermometer, I am still feeling extremely useless against this terrible cough that Adam has worked up.

I have ruled out that it is Asthma induced, he just says he has a tickle in his throat that is relentless! And aside from his high spirits, I can't help but wince ever time that deep throat cough makes itself known. Grrr! What is a mom to do but keep the cough drops coming and wait for it to subside. Poor kid.

The best decision I ever made...and 7 things.

2012-01-08T15:57:00.001-08:00

Today I am celebrating my 7 year anniversary of being married to ^ that handsome hunk up there! Granted he is out of town for work so we can't really celebrate today, but we will eventually when he gets home. It's crazy to think that 7 years of marriage has just flown by, and not without struggle of course. So for recognition of the 7 years that Ben and I have been married, I though I would list 7 of my favorite things about our relationship!

We get each others stupid (but mildly funny) jokes
Even after 7 years, if I make something that doesn't taste so great, he still tries really hard not to tell me that it's "not so great".
We have never gone a day without saying "I Love You"
We have made the most beautiful thing that can come out of a relationship, our two beautiful boys.
Even though we love spending time with each other, we understand the need for time with our friends or an occasional night out.
Ben still opens doors for me, a true Southern gentlemen.
We are stronger now than we have ever been before!

I love you so much babe and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together! Muah xoxo!

Yeah, we were made for each other!

Warning: New Family Picture Overload Ahead!

2012-01-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

We were able to squeeze in a family photo session with our favorite photographer Ashley MacKay over Thanksgiving break and now I wanted to show you a few of our favorites. Ok, more than a few of our favorites, a lot of them. So scroll down at your own risk, it may take a while!

What a cute family I have right? I know! All my boys are just so handsome and Ashley did a great job at capturing it! New Pictures for a New Year! Happy 2012 everyone!

Goals from 2011

2011-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

So as I did last year, I posted my goals for 2010 and highlighted what had been fulfilled, then posted my goals f0r 2011. This has been a yearly tradition for me since about 2006. I think that making a list of things you want to accomplish throughout the year, and looking back on it often, makes things happen faster than if you didn't have your goals written out. So here are my goals that I chose for 2011, and the ones that are highlighted at the ones that were completed!

Goals for 2011

1. Take 10 credits over the summer

2. Get a 3.5 or better every semester

3. Finish the room under the kitchen.

4. Take a vacation.

5. Get Adam a new bed

6. Get Wyatt into a toddler bed

7. Teach Adam to shower without help

8. Get Adam in swim lessons (January)

9. Make the denim family blanket

10. Join a bookclub. (I started it!)

11. Get new couches!

12. Make at least 2 extra house payments

13. Get the carpets cleaned

14. Take a cooking class! (Kind of, it was a cake decorating class J)

15. Have a big 4^th of July bar B Q

16. Do a wedding album

17. Do a wedding scrapbook

18. Teach Adam to ride his bike w/o training wheels.

19. Send out Christmas cards

20. Get concrete poured on the side of the house

21. Annual Cabin trip!

22. Get everybody to the Dentist!

23. Dress up for Halloween with the boys

24. Read a really good book!

25. Lose 30 pounds

26. Keep our family safe, happy and healthy!

27. Pay off Ben’s truck

28. Finish the bathroom in the basement (ALMOST!)

29. Go visit Grandma in Florida/Georgia

30. Go to California for Bassett reunion in June

31. Go camping to Redfish at least 2x

32. Get new dining set

33. Get new camera

34. Do more crafts with the kids.

35. Learn to coupon, for real!

36. Keep up on the blogs.

37. Find a way to make money from home.

38. Get both boys a savings account, put $50 a month in them

39. Learn to make a quilt.

40. Repair the blankets that are falling apart.

41. Get Electrical wired in basement

42. Get sheet rock up

43. Host Annual Christmas Party!

44. Pay off Ben’s surgery bills

45. Vegas for Spring Break! Wahoo!

46. Get couches cleaned.

47. Get accepted into the Education program.

48. Can Spaghetti Sauce, applesauce, peaches, corn, zucchini and salsa

49. Get rest of planting areas planted. Flower/shrub/trees in front

50. Put in stone patio in back with Fire pit.

Not bad for one year, almost half of them! I usually try to continue onto the next year with ones that I didn't get finished, so some of my 2012 list will look familiar, but I combined a few so there are plenty of new goals for 2012!

GOALS FOR 2012

1. Graduate from College!

2. Get a 3.5 or better every semester, Spring, Summer, Fall

3. Get air conditioning

4. Get a fireplace downstairs

5. Finish the basement

6. Take a vacation

7. Make the denim family blanket

8. Keep up with book club

9. Get new couches for basement

10. Make 2 extra house payments

11. Get carpets cleaned

12. Get large family photo printed on canvas

13. Pour concrete outside (patio and side of house)

14. Dress up for Halloween with the boys

15. Student teach!

16. Pay off Ben’s truck

17. Go visit Grandma in Florida/Georgia

18. Go camping at Redfish

19. Get a new dining set

20. Host Annual Christmas party

21. Can peaches, spaghetti sauce, peach jam, peach pie filling, applesauce, apple pie filing, pears, corn (freeze), salsa, zucchini (freeze)

22. Get a new camera

23. Build up my stockpile

24. Make a new quilt for each of the boys, including Ben

25. Repair old blankets

26. Lose another 25 pounds

27. Set up a budget and save $300/month

28. Get pregnant!

29. Get Adam a new bike

30. Bake birthday cakes for all of the boys

31. Get old couches cleaned

32. Put in stone patio with fire pit in back

33. Paint master bedroom

34. Get curtains for Master bedroom

35. Make our own ice cream

36. Take kids swimming and to the park at least once a week in the summer

37. Pay off Ben’s four wheeler

38. Teach Wyatt to read!

39. Build my library

40. Get Adam into White Pine

41. Get Adam in Karate lessons

42. Put Adam in Baseball and Wyatt in Soccer

43. Get a new guest bed (make own headboard if possible!)

44. Read 5 books not required by school or book club!

45. Grow my hair out (only trims are permitted!)

46. Put together family picture wall for basement

47. Plant trees in the back yard

48. Learn to sew a dress

49. Take the kids sledding

50. Keep our family safe, happy, and healthy!

You should really try this! I find that it helps and it's always a great feeling to go over it though the year and cross off things that you have accomplished! Happy 2012 everyone!

Giveaway results!

2011-12-15T14:03:00.001-08:00

So ya know that giveaway that I posted about a week or so ago that I entered (and also posted a link for you all to enter) from my neighbors blog giveaway? I WON! Ya, me, moi, myself, I! I never win anything, so I am pretty pumped, just found out today so it will probably be a little while before I receive my winnings. What did I win you ask?

A super cool awesome fabulous blender/chopper/mixer set thing! Ya I will know more about it when it gets here! Don't worry I will post pictures! Yahoo!

Crafty, well I try...

2011-12-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

So you see the sign that we are holding in the picture up there?

Ya, I totally made that. (Not that I am one to brag or anything!)

So since I decided to be crafty for our family pictures, I thought I would share how it was done!

What you need:

Wooden Letter blocks (Mine were black but plain wood would work). One for each letter in the saying you want.
Scrapbook paper of your choosing
Glue (to attach paper to letters)
assorted buttons, or any other decorations to go on the letters
Ribbon of color choice (make sure it is wire enforced for strength)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Razor blade cutter for cutting paper.

Directions: (Wishing now I would have taken pics of the step by step)

Trace with the letter blocks, the pattern onto scrapbook paper.
Cut it out.
Glue onto wooden letters.
Once dry, attach decorations with hot glue (buttons, pearls, and bows in my case)

Once all decorations are attached, place letters on ribbon to check spacing. Leave about 3-4 inches or ribbon on each end to make loops for hanging.

Once you have figured out your spacing (I left a space between words for a bow)
use the hot glue gun to attach the letters to the ribbon, making sure to only glue the top half so the letters hang below the ribbon.

For the loops at the end of the ribbon, take the extra length, fold in half, and glue shut with glue gun. Once letters and loops are dry, you are ready to hang (or hold!).
Finished product:

How about a recipe?

2011-12-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

So I know I don't post recipes on here very often, maybe I should because I have some to die for recipes. I thought I would share today some cupcakes that I made over the summer. Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes! They are a little bit of work, but totally worth it. I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs that I follow Inside Blue Crew Life. She always has some yummy treat to share with her followers, and even if my thighs may not like the attention, my taste buds sure do! You should check it out! But as a teaser, here is the incredible recipe!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

strawberry cake mix
1/4 c. sour cream

Mix up the cake mix according to the box. Add the sour cream in with the oil. Bake at 350* for 22 minutes, or until the tops spring back. Cool on a wire rack. Use a melon scooper and scoop out a small hole for the cheesecake filling. Fill. Frost with fresh strawberry butter cream frosting. Keep refrigerated.

Cheesecake Filling
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix well. In a small bowl, beat the milk and pudding mix on low for 2 minutes. Stir it into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped topping.

***You will have extra filling left after filling the cupcake holes. So you can either make 1/2 a batch, or refrigerate it and I have another recipe for you to use up the leftover cheesecake filling:-)

Strawberry Butter Cream
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. strawberry preserves, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. strawberry extract
1/2 c. finely chopped strawberries (I used a pampered chef food chopper)
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Beat shortening and butter until creamy. Add the salt, water, vanilla & strawberry extract, and chopped strawberries and cream again. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Put the strawberry preserves in a microwave bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and add to the frosting. Beat the frosting for a minute. Add another 1-2 tbsp. water, beating after each one. You want the frosting to be creamy, but stiff enough to frost cupcakes.

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did! The filling is so good I had to tell myself not to just eat it straight from the piping bag (not that that really stopped me!) Happy Eating!

CUTE and CRAZY

2011-12-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Wyatt's hair is getting pretty long (as you can see from the family picture above).

And by long, I mean unmanageable on a daily basis. You would think that having long hair my entire life, this wouldn't be such a big deal.

When his hair is done, it really does look adorable on him, like in the picture above. But there is virtually only one way to get it to stay like that. Straight after a bath, combing it down, and letting it either dry on it's own that way, or I have to blow dry it. Doesn't sound too difficult right?

WRONG!

We do baths before bedtime at our house, I mean what mother has time to bathe their kids in the morning among getting them dressed, fed, and out the door to school and daycare, before they head off to school or work? I really don't know of any.

So what does that leave me with in the morning?

So cute that he thought I wanted a picture of him reading, but seriously look at that crazy hot mess on top of his head! What am I supposed to do with that? A hat, his favorite Alabama hat, that's my quick fix to this cute little rag top! He can have cute hair on the weekends right?