Spunky Junky

Cody, Wyoming

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 22:44:00 +0000

A few weeks ago we went to Cody, Wyoming to see my sister and her husband. Have you been there? I'm sure I've mentioned it quite a few times because we often find ourselves traveling there more than anywhere else it seems. It's this quaint cowboy town that boasts itself on the shoulders of Buffalo Bill, all things western, and the Cody Night Rodeo. It's also home to a Rib n' Chop House which has always landed itself on our top choices of eateries, fried green tomatoes with a cajun aoili? Yes, it's to die for.

Supposedly from our house to theirs the fastest route is through Yellowstone National Park but I'm a bit skeptical, everyone seems to screech to a sudden and abrupt stop at the siting of every bear, elk, and Uinta Ground Squirrel so the drive usually takes three times as long, but again I'm told it's the fastest route. Once there we had the good fortune of going to the Buffalo Bill Museum, which if by happenstance you seem to find yourself in the Northern parts of Wyoming it's a must see. It just so happens that my brother has been working there this Summer before he jets off to England for grad school so our tour guide unfortunately had to succumb to a vast amount of questions that really had no relevance to Buffalo Bill and most of which centered around the obscure uses of guns, particularly a gun with a bayonet made specifically for the Boy Scouts of Australia. Can you imagine giving boy scouts bayonets? It really was a mind boggling predicament that we debating for way too long.

Our trips to Cody usually are so short that we come and go in a matter of two days so we always try to pack them with as much fun as possible. Kambrie and Joel took us into the mountains to check out an abandoned goal mining town called Kerwin. The drive is accessible by truck but we took the four wheelers to make it a little more fun. I wish I would have taken my camera along the drive but Brecken decided to tag along which turned out to be much better than picture taking anyway. He just kept giggling and peering under John's arm trying to get a glimpse of where we were going. Each time we would hit a bump he would lean his head back against my chest laughing until the wind caught him off guard. It was so a great memory that I don't even think picture taking would have done it justice. It was a great weekend. Go to Cody. Book a flight. Rent a car. Whatever you do, put it on our Bucket List for your Wild West Exploration. And try roasting Starbursts over the campfire. mind. blown. That's all.

Now I'm off to systematically keep packing each room in our house. We still have a month to go in our rental, but when you get the itch you get the itch? You know what I mean.

Favorite lighting

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 05:30:00 +0000

1// 2// 3// 4// 5// 6// 7//

I love Summer, almost to the point that by the time October rolls around I am ready to pack our bags and head South. So when this Summer turned out to be more serious-home-building and not so much Summer bucket-listing-busting I kind of got a bit sad that we'd missed out on so many family memories. But by golly those little munchkins sure know how to make lemonade at out lemons. I would venture to say that Brecken has not only grown attached to the large dirt mounds in the back yard, but he has mentioned in a not-so-obvious way that he would forego the grass to keep the dirt. Typical I suppose for a four-year-old boy. Addy on the other hand lives to clean and what better area to thrive than in a home being built. I would say free child labor, but that might sound like I'm breaking some child labor law and believe me she lives for this kind of junk.

No matter the case John promised us a Memorial Day to Labor Day house baby. So with it's due date approaching like super fast I'm coming to terms with it being overdue (pregnancy analogy for a house may be a little much..) Anyway, I hope that all the pool time missed and the hours of watching movies in the car as we've worked on the house will pay off. Because it better. Because I really cherish my pool time. And house or no house...we like swimmin' and tannin' and eating melting popsicles and then jumping in the pool to clean off. Really, we (as in babes and I) were meant to live in California....

We (as in John) decided to save ourselves a little money (as in a lot of money) and to tackle all the painting on our own. Not sure if it was worth the money because I've stormed out on John a handful of times. Who knew how much painting actually went into a home?! It's like the entire thing inside and out needs to be taken care of--sarcasm aside, we're finally near the end of painting careers. I hope. And to commemorate the end of painting our lights will be hung next week. #6 is my favorite! It, along with it's brothers and sisters will be hung nice and tight on my ol' sitting porch. Beauty, right?

Time Saving Tips for Building a Home Part: I

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 20:07:00 +0000

I wish I could report a one-stop-shop process for building a home, but as I'm sure most of you can imagine it's no easy endeavor. Someone told us that building a house either makes a breaks a relationship--honestly, there haven been moments where I wanted to cry or at the very least throw a can of paint but seeing the progress has been so rewarding. We've lived in this house once before, we just couldn't get enough of it I suppose, so the thought of building it again has made us kind of giddy. I already know exactly how my furniture will fit and where my dishes will go, I'll hang up the kids growth chart on the same wall, and I'll stumble through the darkness with a little more ease this time, I hope...

The last time we built this home a general contractor managed all the day-to-day chaos and this time we decided to take it upon ourselves to general it. With that being said, I think we've both learned some valuable lessons and pocketed a few tricks that we hope to use in the next home. Here are just a few of the things that I hope can help those of you that are planning to muddle through the murky course of home building:

1. Find reputable sub-contractors. Saving a penny is great but sometimes having a good name who does the job right the first time is worth paying the extra cost.

2. Plan accordingly. Map out a time frame for each contractor. Sometimes they will overlap, but make sure to provide a little bit of cushion for those unexpected events i.e. weather, faulty equipment, slowness of other contractors.

3. Imagine the big picture. A new house to call a home is totally the end result, but getting there takes some work. Here is how the progress has moved along so far with us Survey-Excavation-Concrete-Framing-Concrete-Excavation-Siding-Roofing-Plumbing-HVAC-Electrical-Plumbing-Drywall.....See? It's kind of complex. (I'll make sure to post John's excel spreadsheet soon).

4. Skip a few sneaky steps. If you're building a basement you can save some time by skipping a few steps. After the concrete is dry in the basement and between the floor going down see if there is any way you can put your tub and dry wall in the basement. This will save your plumber time and effort and it may save some of your walls by not having to navigate down the stairs and through framing. By having drywall materials placed in the basement before the main floor is put down it means less cutting and hauling down the stairs for the drywall dudes. Less time for them, means more money saved for you. Does that make sense?

5. Pinterest is not always friendly. Pinterest has literally turned into a smorgasbord of ideas. Just because an idea is cool doesn't mean it will be the coolest idea for a home. So I'm trying to minimize my overload of Pinterest in the home. I've incorporated a few fun "home ideas" while also realizing I don't need to put all 576 pins in my home. Could you imagine? Oi.

6. Being neutral is kind of like being Switzerland. And we all know the Swiss have great chocolate and killer Alps. We're nearing the stage of painting/setting cabinets/and laying down floors. I tried to pair darker floors with neutral walls and light cabinets. This in turn gives me the flexibility to accessorize with fun colors which I can trade out depending on the seasons or if it goes out of style. Remember friends don't let friends go color crazy on walls.

Well, there you have it. When it come to building questions, you'll have to ask John specifics whereas I'm well versed in carpet weights, cabinet styles, and which colors of paint pair well with circular sawn wood floors.

Happy Birthday 'Merica

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 22:06:00 +0000

I've been holding back from writing as of lately. I'm not sure why. Our lives are in one of those transitional periods where there are a few open doors and not enough information to make an easy sure-footed decision. Even in the midst of this chaos I find that I am really happy right now. I've stood up for myself in a few hard ways, I've managed to let go of things that should have been lifted from my shoulders months ago, and I'm trying to appreciate the knowledge that I'm nowhere where I imagined myself to be but I'm happy for where I've landed. And the best way of finding these things out for myself was to step away from the world of technology which has an uncanny ability to suck us into a vortex of comparison. And how refreshing it's been to not wake up judging my life again someone who I only "knew" through a internet footprint.

I'm finding by living a life of less comparison I've become more appreciative for the here-and-now. Little things like playing in the backyard and visiting the farmers market seem to be readily enjoyed instead of looking for the next photo opportunity for Instagram or my blog. And surprisingly enough, by removing myself from behind the camera I seem to be capturing more of those instantaneous moments with my family too.

I, however, am a victim of holidays and the need for overindulging in the picture taking department. The morning of the Fourth Brecken asked me why we were celebrating Captain America's birthday. He never seems to miss a beat in the department of leaving me tongue tied. I'm sure it's been said over and over again but I'm enjoying this stage of Motherhood more than the last (and I'm sure I'll say it about the next one too). My babies are communicators and both of them tend to wear their feelings on their sleeves, which makes for more than their fair share of dramatic moments, but it also means that they tend to express their feelings of love, excitement, and enjoyment more readily too.

John, on the other hand, has never been known to show emotion but he remarked late into the night on the Fourth how this holiday was his favorite. There's no real commercialized market that goes on for months, it's simply a time to eat good food, be with family, and (his words) "blow things up." And I guess that would make good ol' Mother 'Merica proud. She is a she right? I think she is. She must be.

I hope y'all had an amazing holiday. I'm back. My head is a bit cloudy these days with house building and all, and exciting things are happening!

24 months.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 21 May 2014 23:18:00 +0000

Dear Addy,

I would venture to say I know why were were given to me. Clearly it's a huge assumption on my part to believe that I know the answers right now as to why you are mine and what I did to deserve you but I truly think I know. You are me, maybe not so much in looks but your personality bleeds through with shining colors in perfect resemblance to your momma. You're bubbly and friendly with a side that becomes easily frustrated while still tender-hearted, all of which has been packaged into an itsy bitsy body of sorts. Sometimes your frustrations are so overwhelming that you can't control them and you sob and cry uncontrollably because, well, you just know of no other way to express yourself. Luckily, your larger than life emotions will fade over time and you'll learn to control them.

I know the feelings of frustration that you already carry and I already know how big your heart has grown and will continue to do. I know that in a flip of switch you will go from bubbly to meltdown and right back again in a matter of minutes. Right now you've just finished a nice meltdown on floor--it's a common occurrence around here. And in an instance you then climbed up next to me at the bar and you are now lost in a sea of pen swirls while incessantly reminding me of the dog barking outside. It's a beautiful moment and no amount of picture taking or videoing can truly capture the love I feel for you at this very moment. It's a perfectly ordinary moment that seems to have captured the most perfect moment of parenthood and it's times like now that I must keep on reminding myself to "remember this."

I know that along with your strong personality comes this thickness. It's more than thick skin, it's confidence, determination, and with a hint of stubborness, all of which will serve you well later on in life. I love with an enduring type of love. It never wavers, it continually grows, and it fill me with the greatest type of joy every day.

I love you baby girl.

And just so you know...

You love you baby dolls and your the most amazing mother to all of them. Constantly tucking them in and kissing them "good night."

You're a Frozen fan. It's to be expected I suppose.

You still nap. Most times you just lay in bed talking to yourself, but you nap at least for a little while.

Your foods of choice are watermelon, carrots, and popcorn.

You've started to say the prayer at night. Whenever your Dad says the word "to" during the prayer you will immediately say "three." It's cute and comical.

You are slowly learning your ABC's but your block building skills are reveled by none :)

You kiss with your tongue...

French Maracons

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 20 May 2014 14:37:00 +0000

I've had the pleasure of working with Chocoley, an online provider of gourmet chocolate ingredients and candy making supplies to help with all my baking necessities for Addy's 2nd birthday. Usually I lean towards festive decorations and fun gift bags when planning parties for my family but this year I decided to dedicate more time to baking and since one of my goals for my 30 Before 30 was to successfully bake french macarons I thought now would be the perfect opportunity to test out my not-so-natural baking skills.

Chocoley so graciously provided the key ingredients to make my tasty little morsels a success. And because I'm a firm believer in trying true and tasted recipes you can follow this tutorial for foolproof french maracons. I also believe that one of the key factors in creating good food is good ingredients. For my macarons I went with a creme de' menthe chocolate ganache and a light lemon cream cheese frosting. The two flavors though drastically different were perfect compliments for one another.

Cool Creme De'Menthe Chocolate Ganache

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

12 ounces Bada Bing Bada Boom Candy & Molding Formula in Extra Dark

1/2 Cool Creme DeMenthe Flavoring

Bring the heavy whipping to a light boil (Edges should be bubbling). Pour over chocolate. Add in cool de'menthe flavoring then stir with a clean spoon until all the chocolate disks have melted. Allow adequate time to cool, then use a piping bag to place ganache on the french macaron cookies.

Light Lemon and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 brick cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup softened butter

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 TSP sour cream or 1 TSP heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp Lemon Flavoring Oil

100 drops yellow food coloring OR 1 tsp yellow food coloring

Mix ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Use piping bag to place frosting on the french maracon cookies.

For party favors I used white ballotin candy boxes and filled each with french macarons to complete the perfect party for perfect little girl.

Enjoy.

And because some may ask I got my silicone fiberglass mat here. It helps beginners (like me) make evenly shaped cookies.

Two it is!

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Mon, 19 May 2014 19:53:00 +0000

Addy Mae turned two yesterday! Between building the house and all the other little things that have been consuming both our days and nights we decided to do a small low-key party with the few family members who were visiting. It was so nice having my little brother here and my babes absolutely adore him. He's missed so many little milestones living so far away and we're so happy we get to see him now, even if it's only for the summer. And between you and me, it was surprisingly perfect having a small party--less dishes, no large meal to cook, just a small cake and a few presents made for a perfect day. And in reality, a two-year-old doesn't really care, it's more for the parents anyway. And simplicity of less to clean-up made it that much sweeter.

This little girl is so perfect. She's fiery and sassy and in some of the most cherished moments her little heart abounds with so much love that I just want to bottle her up forever. I love her dearly and I am so happy I get to be her Momma!

Happy Birthday baby girl. We love you!

Here's more sweet moments of our baby girl: birth//one

Busy. Busy. Like Busy.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 13 May 2014 19:42:00 +0000

We've been busy. I'm sure if I said it was a good-type of busy John would strongly disagree with that assumption but I find that I thrive when our schedule is a bit chaotic and the days seem to fleet by in an instance. I guess our lives are taking one of those dramatic turns that happens occasionally. You know the kind, where you're just puddling along and all of the sudden there are a million and one changes happening simultaneously. Yes, that's where we're at in life.

And we're playing T-Ball, which has been a little nerve racking. Albeit, it has been wildly entertaining to watch a passel of small four and five-year-olds bee line it to third base only to realize that they were going the wrong direction. My poor boy has the genetics of his mother and was bred for the warmth of Arizona so a majority of the pictures taken have been those moments of desperation where he thinks his toes and fingers are going to fall off. But cold weather or not we have braved the fields every Saturday and I find that the far off dream of childhood sports is now upon us in full swing and I couldn't be more delighted.

We're also building a home. Yes, a bonafide-no-longer-rental-of-a-home-with-hardwood-and-granite- and-absolutely-under-no-circumstances-will-there-be-carpet-in-the-dining-room kind-of-home. I'm sure you've gathered by now that all the hyphens are to show my utmost disdain for carpet, especially in areas of eating. For two years we've lived in a rental and I feel like a small part of me died when we moved it, many boxes have still remained packaged up, and making memories in a place that has never felt like our own has always been a bit unsettling. The thought of once again having our own home is not only my saving grace right now but it also means I get to start decorating again and I love to decorate. Ask John, he'll roll his eyes...

I would say our level of busy is currently under the somewhat sane tinkering on the edge of crazy stage. We decided long ago to general our own house this go around and so far the work has been tremendously hard, I should clarify that it has been hard John, I just do as I am told and follow orders. It's been so hard in fact that I have made a household rule that the last few minutes of the day have to involve talking about anything other than tile/flooring/carpet/hardwood/porches/decks/light fixtures...just so I can go to sleep without dreaming about our home.

I'm excited to share the journey with all of you and I'm exciting for all the little details I get to plan and I'm so eeeking (it's not a word, I know) to finally be able to decorate the babes' room with all the items I've collected over the past few years.

Days to ground breaking: 12 and counting...

Easter 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 20:25:00 +0000

Is it just me or does Spring time directly correlate with insane busy-ness?! It really has been insane-- Easter egg hunts, egg decorating, stealthy Easter egg hiding at five in the morning, deviled egg makins' and such. My head has kind of been spinning. Not to mention John and I both spoke in church on Easter Sunday which turned out to be such a blessing. Throughout the entire week of chaos that Sunday morning really brought into perspective all the things that had been weighing heavily on my mind the past few months and I truly felt so blessed for all that I have--

//This picture may be a new current favorite. If you can't tell...she was really happy.//

"In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be.” Dieter Uchtdorf.

I hope you all had a great Easter and thank you for all the great messages of support for our little family right now.

Instagram and a little about where we're at...

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 20:35:00 +0000

I guess I write this post not really knowing what to say, I know a "thank you" is in order for all of those that have helped us over the last month and my heart is full of gratitude for those that have shown us so much love. This past month's roller coaster of emotions felt like the carnival ride that would never end. And between the sickness and pain and sometimes the most somber moments of sadness I've been reminded that being strong is never skin deep.

Lately, it feels like we've been living in this perpetual state of repetitive questioning, the questions and concerns haven't bothered me and the unceasing love for my family has been a reminder that people are good. Mostly I've been asked "How are you doing?" at first my reaction was simple and direct about the pain but as time passed I began to realize more and more that I wasn't quite sure how I was doing. So in the most matter-of-fact way I don't really know where my emotions are at these days and I'm fine with not knowing or even understanding them completely.

Two weeks ago or so John and I decided as a united front that it was time to sell off all our baby items (I know it may seem a bit rash)--basically the whole gamut of swings, clothes, shoes, bouncers, you name it, it's now gone. When it came to finally get rid of it all I had a small panic attack at the years of memories that were filled within each box, but as I went through each item one-by-one only trying to only keep the most precious and memorable pieces a weight slowly lifted off my shoulders. And it wasn't until the last thing finally sold that John and I realized we had made the right decision for our family. It seemed that holding onto each article of clothing and every morsel of babyhood had taken it's toll on us, it was like a small army of baby items had bogged us down in trench that could only be escaped by purging it all. And when it was all gone I cried out of relief and a bit out of guiltiness.

And as with all fresh starts I'm trying to find one for myself as well. We've been steam rolled over the last five years in terms of pregnancies and realizing the burden that each one has placed on our marriage made us realize even more that a break was in order. A break from babies, a break from worrying about the inevitable, a break from dreading the worst, and a break from feeling completely helpless. So we're breaking. I don't know if it's a permanent one or not and while I'm so sad, a sadness that seems so hard to even describe, I know my focus needs to be on being a wife and a mother to the people that I already have in my life.

And I finished Whole30 yesterday, which has been a small victory for me and big victory for my pants. More on that later. Happy Easter, friends!

A baby.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 22:03:00 +0000

I was pregnant and now I'm not. The finality of saying it stings more than I hoped it would. We had seen the baby, heard the heart beat and had begun to plan for its little arrival, but after a few months it ended. The heart beat was gone and a little piece of me had died.

I was strong the first few days, even though the baby was still there, but as the hemorrhaging began I had to witness the loss leaving me. It was hell, in every way imaginable. The sickness, the labor pains, the blood, the passing out, the inability to hold my other children left me crippled for days and at the end of each night the sadness was so strong that I woke up in the morning weak with exhaustion.

Trying to remain strong for myself and my family was virtually impossible. The physical exhaustion left me helpless and at the mercy of others and our devastation was openly evident, it was then that family and friends began to carry our burden. They fed us, cleaned our house, rubbed the knots in my back, and tried to console in the best way possible and for that I will be forever grateful. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives who at a moments notice would jump in the car or run down the street to help us. Thank you, you know who you are.

I thought I could muddle through my emotions after hemorrhaging for four days and then I found out that I would still need to have surgery. It was the crushing blow to an already unbearable situation. I cried. I cried out of sadness. I cried out of exhaustion. I cried out of pain. And when it was all I had left I cried out of sheer hopelessness. This body of my that had been so strong for so long was now fighting me in ways I never imagined and the lack of control left a burdening toll on my every move. Luckily, the surgery was quick which was a welcomed relief from the previous weeks of pain and a sense of recovery had finally been dealt my way.

Looking back John was the strong one, he always has been. After each of our trialing pregnancies he's known who to call, how to keep our home in order, and what to say to keep us all functioning--he has rarely shown emotion and his calm and collected demeanor has been the anchor to our rocking ship. I would like to think that we could make it through any trial and while there are still things we haven't experienced yet (or may never) I know that through each pain staking experience that has been placed before us he's remained by my side through the tears and the pain.

In the end, many have told us that we should count our blessings on the miracles that we already have--especially Brecken. And I do, everyday. But it still can't diminish the overwhelming sadness of having another miscarriage and the missed opportunity to be the mother to another child. I know God has a plan and that little by little my pain will heal and my body will find a way to mend, but for now my emotions are raw and the little life that was once there has left me with an emptiness that can't be quenched. It may sound a bit silly to make an issue when there are far worse problems in this world, but today this is my trial and it's one we've suffered before and more than likely we may have to suffer again. I don't know why this trial is ours but I hope someday to understand its meaning.

For now I will miss my baby, miss the dreams of its future, and miss the hope of being its Momma here on earth.

I love you baby, wherever you may be.

to love life, to love it even

when you have no stomach for it

and everything you've held dear

crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,

your throat filled with the silt of it.

When grief sits with you, its tropical heat

thickening the air, heavy as water

more fit for gills than lungs;

when grief weights you like your own flesh

only more of it, an obesity of grief,

you think, How can a body withstand this?

Then you hold life like a face

between your palms, a plain face,

no charming smile, no violet eyes,

and you say, yes, I will take you

I will love you, again

-Ellen Bass

Whole 30 (and a recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 19:31:00 +0000

Last week I started doing Whole30 in a effort to try to get my body back in sync with itself. The program intentionally steers away from calling itself a diet because it's more focused around still eating food (and lots of it) but making a conscious effort to cut out grains, dairy, sugar, and processed foods with the hope of a giving a body a needed break from all the junk that seems to be put into it.

The first day was hard, my body had become so dependent on sugar that by noon I was suffering from a migraine and shaking hands. Torturing myself didn't seem like enough so I decided to clean out our pantry on day one and it was then that I realized that I had been filling my body with between 200-500 calories of wasted junk a day. A chip here, a cookie there, a few reese's, a sip of coke, a bowl of popcorn--each portion was so small that I didn't think it was really hurting me until I looked at the overall picture and realized my careless eating habits were slowly contributing to a number of health problems. On Day 2 my body seemed to slowly be acclimating to the clean change but I was still so weak, I found that by keeping my body nourished all day long and never letting myself get hungry I was at less of risk of binge eating.

My journey started with reading "It Starts with Food," this book was such an eye opener to the effects that food have on our bodies. Food can either be the best medicine for us or the drug that ultimately kills us. For weeks I had been procrastinating on starting because excuse after excuse would build up--I have a conference, there are holidays, I'll start on Monday, I'll wait until the Summer....they just kept creeping into my mind. But one quote from the book finally pushed me to the point of starting, "It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard...." It just seemed like there was so many other things in this world that are hard that finding a way to limit the junk intake to my body for 30 days should just be...well, easy.

And the results after just 7 days have been so rewarding. I mean it's really hard to even put it in words. I have a 19-year-old flat stomach again, less bloating, no bags under my eyes, I go to sleep more quickly, I wake up refreshed--it really was the exact medicine I needed. Did I mention the weight loss? It really has been such an eye opener to how my food choices have been negatively impacting my body.

If you're interested in learning more about Whole30 start here and here. I also have a Pinterest Board with lots of great recipes and tips and tricks if you need more insight. And what would a post be if there was an added bonus, made these bad boys last night and they were delish!

Whole30 Beef (or elk) Fajitas

1-2 Flank Steaks (we used elk steak)

1 Roma Tomato

1 head of Romaine or Butter Lettuce

2 Ripe Avocados

Red Pepper

White Onion

4 Garlic Cloves

2 Limes

1 Lemon

Cumin

Organic Fajita Seasoning

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Garnish: grape tomatoes and olives

Steak Marinade Recipe:

1 TSP Olive Oil

2 TSP Lime Juice

1 TSP Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Salt and Pepper

1/2 organic Fajita Seasoning

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 crushed or minced garlic cloves

Guacamole Recipe:

2 Ripe Avocados

1 small Roma Tomatoe

1/4 C diced White Onion

1 TSP Lime Juice

1 tsp Cumin

1 minced garlic clove

Dash of Salt and Pepper

Sauteed Vegetables Recipe:

1 Sliced Red Pepper

1 Sliced White Onion

1 minced Garlic Clove

1 TSP Organic Fajita Seasoning

1/4 tsp Cumin

Olive Oil

Mix marinade ingredients together and pour of steaks. Allow them to marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes. While they steaks marinade mix all guacamole ingredients together and place in refrigerator for cooling. Begin cooking steaks on BBQ, depending on the size of the steak cook for roughly 5 minutes on both sides. While steaks are on the BBQ begin to saute the vegetables and ingredients, cook until the onions are a nice translucent color. Pull steak from the BBQ and thinly slice, mix in with the sauteed vegetables. Serve over lettuce and top with guacamole and tomatoes.

Enjoy!

A few of my favorite art pieces right now

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 17:12:00 +0000

I never really viewed my parents as artists until much later in my adult life. My Mom has always been an amazing seamstress with a specific knack for developing patterns and putting them into motion. Need a BBQ cover? check. Want a cover for a kindle that will also house cords and a phone? check. She really is amazing. In addition to her sewing skills she has also been blessed with an amazing mind that can draw almost anything from memory. My Dad while also amazing at drawing has a unique set of skills for putting those images on leather, whether it be making a saddle or designing a pair of chaps. Now that I'm older I look back and see how each of their unique skills transcended down to each of their children in one way or another and it really feels me with a sense of pride and a checking accounting that spends way too much at Joanns....

In addition to being creative my parents also owned a blossoming archery business in the heart of Utah County when I was young. My Dad spent a good portion of the winter traveling around the country to trade shows and while gone he seemed to always acquire a new piece of artwork whether it be a bronze sculpture or painting on each trip. Each item would arrive home in either a well traveled tube or already matted to a perfectly fit frame. I never viewed having nice artwork around our house as anything out of the ordinary and it wasn't until I went to college and took a few pieces with me that I understood--college kids don't have nice artwork in the homes. For a few reasons... :)

Today, John and I still appreciate the value of good artwork. Even though we live in a rental where the thought of putting a hanging display on the wall would send our landlord into frenzy it hasn't stopped our love of finding unique pieces for our home. And let me tell you, it's a crime we can't decorate these walls--stark white, perfect natural lighting--it's a match made in heaven really.

So I've settled for more creative measures of decorating, and most of them require resting the artwork on mantles and credenzas. Whatever the case, when we do finally get back into a house of our own again each of these beauties will have a special place.

here's my two cents:

one//Caitlin Connolly is by far one of my favorite artists. This piece entitled "I'm tired. I'm tired too." was hot of the press when I bought it and there was something about it that just spoke to me as a parent of young kids. Every time I look at it I envision a scenario that plays out daily with John and I. The way the woman's hand rests on her knee and how the man in gently leaning in towards her just speaks leaps and bounds to the relationship of this couple and their enduring love even though the restless (and sleepless) times. I could probably go on and on about my favorite pieces but I would say it is well worth your time to view them for yourselves here.

two// I own this moose. It's not white but it is the same moose. It hangs in our kids play area and there is just something about it that screams modern//funky//Montana. I figured I could get away with putting it in our house because a) it's a moose b) John has a thing for taxidermy c) this is kind of like taxidermy but cheaper. He would say no to that rationale. But it's in the house and for a woman who would prefer to not be completely rustic this still provides a little bit of a "natural" element with a modern touch. Find it here.

three//So I stumbled upon Lady Noel a few months ago on Instagram. The juxtaposition of flashy colors used to turn an ordinary bear into something with flare is just too cool to pass up, right? Again, I think I could get away with this in my house for the same reasons as above bear=Montana. Montana=manliness. manliness=John. Find said bear here.

four//I have big plans for this print. When we finally are in a house of our own again and I have the liberty to go a little crazy this bad boy will be in Brecken's room. Because this kid is all about warm fuzzy feelings and hugging. Lots and lots of hugging. I mean lots. Find it here.

There you go folks. enjoy.

30 before 30

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I haven't blogged much lately. I've struggled with finding my voice and rather than write crap I decided to step aside to take a breather. This blog of mine has morphed over time and while it has been a steady avenue for chronicling my tiny family it hasn't always been the truest form of myself (as I'm sure most blogs are). The struggles to write honestly run deeper than trying to find the right words to type and somewhere inside me I knew that my own feelings of self worth and identity seemed to be the common triggers for my lack of motivation. Not too long ago John asked me what my hobbies were and for the life of me I couldn't think of any. And even more alarming I realized I had been using my children as the crutch for not developing my own talents--I'm too busy. Someone has to parent. I'll find a hobby when they go to school. You know what I mean. My identity has become so attached to my children that my own sense of self-worth was lost somewhere along the way--their happiness is my happiness? And honestly, how am I to write if I don't have interests of my own? sad. I know.

So I threw away all the ice cream turned off the Netflix and sat down late one night and decided to write down all those things that I have wanted to do but never did because of one excuse or another. After awhile the list seemed so daunting that I finally decided to capture 30 goals just for myself.

Here it is: 30 before 30.

Do something drastic to my hair.
Read at least 10 books.
Try new recipes.
Start playing the piano again.
Send more packages.
Help someone in need.
Make a dream into reality.
Plant a garden. (I kill plants).
Be published.
Reupholster a piece of furniture.
Go on a road trip.
Eat something new.
Try fly fishing
Take a photo-a-day for thirty days
Date my husband.
Learn to be more forgiving.
Ride a bike more often.
Spend more time outdoors.
Learn how to make French macarons.
Finish a daunting project.
Keep weightlifting. just keep going...
Do something spontaneous.
Play in the ocean.
More phone calls.
See a Broadway show
Learn to let go.
Go on a one-month spending cleanse.
Conquer a fear.
Do more random acts of kindness.
Visit some place new.

John turned 30.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:25:00 +0000

It's hard to catch John in spontaneous moments, he's not a huge fan of me snapping pictures and he's even more reluctant when I write posts specifically about him. A few days ago he turned 30 and while he kept remarking that it wasn't a big deal a part of me slightly wondered where our twenties went? For most of it we were together and we battled through some tough trials and some even bigger life changes and yet I still thought, did we accomplish enough? I would venture to say that he would roll his eyes and remark "yes."

Before we got married I remember our Bishop once telling us in a pre-marital class that there are many Johns in this world and not a lot of Halseys. From what I could gather it wasn't meant to be an insult as to suggest that John encompassed one of those personality types that was calm and collected and did everything by the book while still remaining true to his beliefs. I'm sure you can imagine I was described more as ricocheting bullet, I stilll pray there are more calm and collected people in this world...

The past two years haven't been easy on us, I'm sure I've resembled more of a bear than a loving wife, yet John has still stood by silently helping through the tears and the emotions. He's good that way. He gives our relationship the space we need to grow as individuals but when times are tough he always seems to be a steady force to hold on to. The words always seem to escape me when I try to describe how much I love him. I know I don't show my love and gratitude nearly enough and I know I demand more than I give and somehow he still loves me. He's a great man and a even amazing husband and Dad and I hope the next ten years are even more exciting than the last.

Happy Birthday Johnny B, you are loved!

Awesome Sauce Valentine Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 03:12:00 +0000

I've come to realize that procrastination is the key to success in our house. So if you're still looking for a last-minute valentine that is easy (and relatively healthy) here you go! Cheers, friends. I'm with family all weekend while John is gone on his birthday vacay--we've reached that pinnacle point in our marriage where we shrug off being together for the biggest love fest of the year. By golly, I'll just say every day is a love fest in our home :)

See you next week!

Sunny AZ

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 17:18:00 +0000

We're all sick here. I usually make it through all the bugs and germs without a snitch of cold, but this one is coming in with a fiery. Sore throats, running noses, ugly coughs, and no-eating-all-day-sleeping babies have been on the docket for the past four days. So here I sit all stuffy nosed and sore throat-like trying to type because there is much more you can do when you can't talk and it's like -36 degrees outside. really....

And I just started to torturing myself even more by looking back on pictures of our trip and I thought, "Halsey, you completely forgot to post pictures of Arizona!" It must have been meant to be because these pictures are the only things holding me over. Did I mention that our propane tank is at 10% as well so John turned down the heat to 60 degrees (remember it's -36) and now there are three space heaters heating our entire house. I tell ya what, this day just keeps getting better.

Anyway, back to Arizona. This was my maiden voyage to sunny AZ. Crazy, right (especially, since I'm from Utah ). It really was all I expected and more--basically the epitome of perfection in my book. I am a creature of warmth so I'm sure you can imagine how I flourished in the sunny, arid, dry heat without a stitch of humidity. I remarked time and time again to John that I could stay in Arizona, I would need the kids flown down of course... While there we stayed at The Boulders, a resort north of Phoenix. Literally (and I use that word in the literal sense) it was hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen--small bungalow-style casitas with a southwestern flare, beautiful golf courses, amazing food, a gorgeous spa (I got a full body scrub and at one time I felt like I was being water boarded..a story for another time..) and a small hike to view some of the more serene desert views.

I really could go on and on gushing about the place. It's one of those places you have to see to believe. And believe me, it's worth seeing.

Toddler books for restless days

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 22:46:00 +0000

The winters in Montana can sometimes be torturous when little babies have big ideas of being let loose outside (and it always seems to happen on the coldest days of course). And I'm sure most parents would agree that building block towers and crafting with cotton balls can only satisfy young minds for so long before someone starts going a little stir crazy. Luckily in our house when this happens we have a steady stream of books. For as long as I can remember I've always been drawn to books and I'm so happy that it's carrying through to my babes. And as their little minds continue to grow it has been exciting to see the new fascination that grows with each new book. Below, are some of their favorites right now (I'm sure it will change by next week).

1//2//3//4//5//6

29.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:48:00 +0000

{Heckler Photography}

John and I closed out yesterday with one of those come-to-Jesus types of arguments. After eight years together we're still surprised by the moments where we're back at square one trying to figure each other out. Unfortunately that time fell smack-dab on my birthday. The fight was over communication (or the lack there of) and a lot of crying was done on my part and a lot of frustration was aired out on his and all I really wanted was birthday cake.

When we married a lot of people gave us advice--advice of kids, advice on fighting, advice on cooking, advice on making it through the hard times. Someone even suggested that we should always fight naked (we tried it once..) :) But no one ever gave us advice on how to work through the stable times. The times where life would be good and the newness of marriage would be replaced with a blossoming partnership full of children and memories. I think that's what made this argument sting a little more than others, there was no impending trial or problem and the only fingers to point were at each other and when that happened words were said that can never be taken back.

I'm hopeful that whatever was amiss was just a small bump in the road and that when we look back on the story of us we'll see it as a moment of triumph and growth because no matter how many doors were slammed or how many tears were shed I still fall asleep at night knowing that John is my go-to person. My friend, my shoulder to cry on, my taste-tester of new meals, my strength when I falter, and the logic behind my irrationality. So I'm 29 and I'm not sure if we have all of our crap together, but I do know we're both in it for long haul. He's my last I love you at night and my first sight each morning and when it comes down to it I guess he's better than any piece of birthday cake anyway...

Minted: Red Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 17:58:00 +0000

1//2//3//4//5//6//7//8//9//10//11//12

I'm a connoisseur of sorts and a keeper of all this paper. Between the stacks and piles randomly dispersed throughout our home my love for paper has never ceased. Book after book has been delicately filled with announcement after announcement as if to preserve a small snippet in time. I assume it's safe to say that paper really is a amazing conduit for expressing emotion, but I'm bias towards paper, remember. :)

And what better way to share the love than with a company that prides itself on working with the best independent designers who produce the most raw and awe-inspiring paper art. Whether it be birth announcements (which will inadvertently make your uterus hurt), party décor, wedding invitations, holiday cards, or a small note of thanks, Minted strives to transform the simplest forms of paper expression into unique pieces of hand held art.

I forewarn you.

Your choices are endless and your checkbook will be doing flips over the hundreds of designs and most preciously curated pieces of paper art you'll ever find, but it's worth it. I promise.

This post has been sponsored by Minted. Compensation has been received, all opinions are my own.

Cali forn I A

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 19:24:00 +0000

Last week John and I went to California and Arizona (without the kids). It was a little bit of work and a whole lot of fun, and it's crazy the amount of activities you can jam into a day when you're not packing around two babes. I was a bit of an emotional roller coaster leaving the kids for the first time, but Brecken reassured me throughout the week that he would rather live with Grandma and his cousins than with me anyway. No worries on his end I suppose.

I had high hopes of documenting our entire trip--between the rides and roller coasters I only managed to pull out my camera while deep sea fishing. Which was a marvel in itself because I was doped up on Zofran and praying for the moment I could kiss the dirt again. John on the other hand is a lover of movement so any activity that forced my head in between was legs warranted. And he's no slouch when it comes to scheduling either. We managed to pack in Santa Monica Pier, Malibu, Universal, a Clippers Game, Newport Beach, deep sea fishing, Medieval Times (John's choice), annnnnd Disneyland all in a 3.5 day period. And I was nauseated the entire time. I'm not much for rides or water or roller coasters so each day was a new form of torture. On our last day, which happened to be Disneyland, John remarked, "you are a trooper for doing this." Yeah, I know (blehk).

John had also lived in California for a few years so he was comfortable driving which was great for me but bad for the nausea. The constant swerving in-and-out of traffic culminated with California's rolling hills and less than straight roads just added to my vertigo. BUT all the nausea aside it felt so great to feel the sun's warmth and walk around in something other than a parka and snow boots. Boots are cozy but sandals are my go-to apparel. And palm trees, well they kind of speak my language. The humidity was a bit of a culture shock when we've become so accustomed to our arid high desert/mountain environment and my hair was va-va-voom the entire tripe which made a pulled up bun a necessity. The alternative resembles Medusa if you can imagine.

Hands down the highlight of the trip was Disneyland. Have your been to California Adventure before? It was amazing! We just can remarking how much our kids would love it--I'm sure we said it a hundred times. And Radiator Springs! Wow, Disney gets an A+ on awesome and mind blowing. It was life-like and huge and just like the movie. Our goal was to hit up Disneyland by ourselves since neither of us had been there since childhood and scope out what we must do with the kids and to actually determine if they were ready to go. Addy may still be a bit small, but Brecken would be in heaven. I can't imagine going back again without the kids but for a first-go around as adults it was so much fun to see the park without having to man handle little ones while reading the map.

Cali was warm, and fun, but deep down I kind of missed my open (and smog-free skies) and snow. Ha! Who am I kidding. Fact: I am not a fan of snow.

One Little Word: Compassion

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:17:00 +0000

For those of you that follow me on Instagram or Facebook I'm sure you've already seen this, but it's worthy of one more share (or at least I think so and the Instagram typos have been fixed ;)). This is a post I wrote on Christmas Eve about a particular experience that happened while trying to frantically track down a package:

"Last weekend we went to visit my parents and it wasn't until we were headed home that I realized I had left my DSLR camera at their house. In a panic I had my mom overnight it to me with the hope of having it in time for Christmas. Because what's the point of a camera if not for Christmas morning?

So in the hustle and bustle of things I stopped by the post office to pick it up on Christmas Eve to only find out that it missed its connection and was stuck at another post office. The Postmaster said that there was no way it would get to me, but if I wanted to drive an hour into town I could pick it up myself. The kids were screaming and plans had already been made for the day and I knew there would be no way I could strategically fit in a last-minute run into town so I went home broken hearted. As I got into the car I started to cry, and as someone that is not normally a crier the tears of frustration begun to gush out without an end in site.

Pulling into the driveway I became an emotional basket case as I saw my husband sitting there patiently waiting. As I unloaded the babes from their carseats I proceeded to air my grievances to John. It seemed so silly to be crying over a camera, but it seemed that all the anxiety of the holidays and laundry list of last minute details were finally catching up to me. And as with most circumstances that are out of my control I began to erratically clean my house--because that's what I do when I'm near my breaking point. Not long after that the Postmaster called and asked me to come back to the office. I picked myself up, cleaned my mascara stained cheeks, and tried to pull myself back together. It was nearly noon and the post office was closing in a matter of minutes and yet a line was still lagging around waiting to haul away last-minute gifts. And in a post office that is lucky to receive 50 packages a day the days proceeding inundated our tiny little office with over 500 packages. It was a crowded and chaotic little place with winter-clad patrons bustling in and out all day while the post office staff worked unceasingly to adhere to their every needs.

I noticed upon my return that Pat, the postmaster, had disappeared and that only one post office attendant was meeting the needs of all the customers. As I patiently waited the line slowly trudged along until Pat returned. When she called me to the front she held in her hands a small black case. In the last minutes of the holiday rush she had left the post office to rush home to retrieve her own camera. As I looked at her in disbelief she said "you deserve to take pictures of your babies on Christmas morning." As I started to cry again I said "no one has ever done something like this for me, there's no way I can accept your camera" and she gently held my hands and said "it's the least I can do." As the tears welled in both of our eyes I knew that her simple gesture was a magnified sense of compassion for someone in need.

As I left the post office that day my heart was bursting with the spirit of compassion and love. In those last frantic moments these two wonderful ladies had sacrificed their time and resources in the hopes that I would be able to capture those tender sweet moments of my babies. Cheryl, took the burden upon herself to help the bustling line of patrons by herself and Pat gave of herself in the best way she knew how--a camera."

Over the last few weeks I've considered what my "one little word" would be for the year. After looking back on years past I noticed a common theme of self-improvement and trying to find ways to make my own life better. Then I began to wonder, how often do I work at making the lives of those around me better? Sadly, not enough. How many experiences have I missed to help another because I've been so consumed with my own life? I'm sure there are many.

So this year I wanted to find a way to focus less on "me" and more on "them."

This year I want to be more compassionate.

I want to take the time to connect with my children. I want to learn from them and know that their little hearts are full of so much good--that maybe I can even learn from their sweet spirits.

I want to spend more time with my husband and realize that the frustrations don't need to escalate into big ordeals.

I want to look for the good in others and strive to be more in tune to their needs.

I want to find a way to do simple acts of kinds without any expectation of praise.

I want to forgive, even when not in the wrong, understanding that sometimes forgiveness means letting go and moving on.

I want to inspire myself to give more, even if it is just a simple task like opening a door or saying good morning. Because it really is the little things that count.

Happy New Year friends. Thanks for reading.

My one little word for 2012, 2013

Christmas 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Christmas was on a completely different scale this year than years past. And not so much in the way of so-busy-my-head-my-burst-catergory. It was more along the lines of laid-back, should we make breakfast at three in the afternoon kind of way. Which was so refreshing. Annnnnd it was also our first Christmas where we were all on our lonesome. A scary thought at first, but totally worth having the kids sleep-in (yes!) in their own beds.

It was fun making Christmas traditions for ourselves. And it was even more fun mixing both of our traditions from our families--Christmas pjs, sugar cooking-making for Santa, coconut shrimp for Christmas Eve, Secret Santa door bell ditching, Christmas lightshow perusing, and ringing a bell Christmas morning. It was kind of jam packed that when we went to bed that night we had completely forgotten about watching a Christmas movie with the kids before bed, John merely remarked that there was no way we were keeping the kids up until midnight (um, I disagree--the longer they're up the later they sleep)? And along with all the traditions I gained a new appreciation for my Mom-- how did she stuff the stocking so perfectly?! I believe the orange in the toe is the kicker.

We decided early on this year that we wanted our little family Christmas to be simple. Less gifts equals less wrapping (and clean-up), which is a win for me because I end up doing both. It didn't matter though because once both kids found their toy of choice (Brecken-Angry Birds, Addy-baby doll) there wasn't really any desire to unwrap any other gifts. Ironically, I spent most my time unwrapping all the gifts I had wrapped the night before... ;)

Later that afternoon we spent time with John's family, sledding, and eating, and unwrapping gifts, annnd eating again because it's just the way we are. We also had a white elephant gift exchange. everyone was coming off a sugar-high and a prime rib induced food coma which all culminated into lamp shade wearing, cowboy hate toting hysteria. you had to have been there. We came home with cookies cutters and Depends....

Christmas, you were good. And you brought us lots of memories. Until next year friend.

The day(s) Addy thought Santa was an ax murderer

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 20:50:00 +0000

So we are in fact sure that Addy does not care much for Santa. I guess we should have learned that bearded man was not clearly her favorite person the first time we went to see Santa, but we thought we would do our due diligence and take her again.

//Has begun to see her life flash before her eyes. And I am sure Santa is thinking the same thing..//

And there you have it folks. I think she's still skeptical and completely scared out of her mind. I could be wrong.

His birthday. a month late.

noreply@blogger.com (Spunky Junky) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 22:31:00 +0000

So Brecken's birthday was over a month ago and I just now realized that I never posted his party. This kid. I could write a book about him and all the things that come out of his mouth. Just this morning he went and laid on the couch and said, "Maaaa, come cuddle me and stare at the beautiful Christmas tree." I mean who could turn that down. But as soon as I laid next to him he said "Maaa! I need your phone to make me feel better." right. It's all about priorities.

And remember the life size Angry Birds display John built? I posted it on Instagram. Well we set it up in the garage for his birthday and the kids were entertained for hours and the gobs of candy and chocolate I shoved down their throats made me an obvious hit with their parents.

My kid is four. Four! Which makes me feel old and it makes me really appreciate the miracle and resilience of kids because I've never been able to keep a plant alive yet we've somehow mastered parenting which is kind of ah-mazing.

Happy (late-late) Birthday kid, you're cool and I really like that.