The one downfall to the whole day was the fact that my battery was dead before we even started. I got one picture before it wouldn't turn on anymore. Bummer!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Zoo Field Trip
I took David to the zoo last Friday, two ago, for a field trip. If you have not made it there during the day, I highly recommend you reconsider your strategy. It was so empty, except for a few schools' field trips. We saw an alligator, tiger, lions, bears, snakes, a crocodile, snakes, and sea lions. We really had such a great time. We picnicked in the zoo. The weather was lovely. Then, we ended the trip downtown with a visit to one of the playgrounds in Hermann Park. After feeding the ducks and geese (no turtles or fish this time), we sat down for an ice cream from the little vendor by the parking lot. It was such a wonderful day and so fun to spend some alone time with Davey. Ethan behaved amazingly as well--not one tear the entire day, after sitting in his stroller for so long. He LOVES being outside.
The one downfall to the whole day was the fact that my battery was dead before we even started. I got one picture before it wouldn't turn on anymore. Bummer!
The one downfall to the whole day was the fact that my battery was dead before we even started. I got one picture before it wouldn't turn on anymore. Bummer!
Date #21
Ryan and I saw Harry Potter last night for our 21st date and then, stopped in at Chili's. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed in Harry Potter. Perhaps, it followed the book?? I don't know. However, I felt like there was a racy scene and that seemed completely uncalled for. Yes, I understand that was the one thing that could hurt Ron the most, but seriously?? I don't know. I liked the previous one much better--even if it was sad that Dumbledore died. Anyway . . .
Ryan and I really had a fabulous time catching up and visiting.
Our date meant that everyone got a date with him this week. He took Matthew to McDonald's on Wednesday for lunch and David got to go to Chick Fil A with him. Then, our date.
It's been a wonderful week! Now, we just need to get the house back together, so that we can decorate for Christmas.
Ryan and I really had a fabulous time catching up and visiting.
Our date meant that everyone got a date with him this week. He took Matthew to McDonald's on Wednesday for lunch and David got to go to Chick Fil A with him. Then, our date.
It's been a wonderful week! Now, we just need to get the house back together, so that we can decorate for Christmas.
Black Friday Finds
I am not a big advocate of Black Friday. In fact, this is the first year I have ever gone (Okay, so last year I did send Ryan to Target at 4 a.m. to pick up a toy and two scooters; and I went to Lowe's at 11 a.m. that morning.) and I am not certain that I would do it again. It was crazy Mayhem, but it was very interesting. I had a lot of fun people-watching and it's the first girls night out fun I've had since football season began.
We started at Toys R Us, which for me was a big mistake. I arrived at 8:40 p.m. roughly, and the line was wrapped half way around the building. CRAZY! It was actually in the 40's or 30's, which is really cold for here. I sported a shirt, jacket, coat, and scarf. And it was raining. Anyway . . . that didn't stop us.
The store opened up at 10. They let us in 50 people at a time. From there, it was total CHAOS! Now, I heard that some individuals waited in line for over an hour, but that was not the case with me. That line zipped along and I waited a total of 10 minutes--AWESOME! However, I didn't find my back-ups, which is what I had primarily gone there for. And some of the back-ups, which I would have purchased, were not properly marked and I felt too stressed to try to figure out the price. Also, there were two women blocking/guarding the Transformers stuff. What?! I had to ask this woman to move 3 times and she never really moved. By then, everything was gone. I did secure, however, some birthday gifts for Ethan's upcoming 1st. Moreover, many drunk people showed up. One guy actually stopped in front of the store, after swerving through the parking lot, blaring his music. The three cops outside immediately were all over the situation. (My two friends and I were right in front of the store, so we witnessed everything first hand.) The guy had a beer in his hand and the cops simply told him, "There are people here and out. You need to drive home." Excuse me?? Um, that is very scary. Why didn't they arrest this individual for a drinking and driving? Oh, because they were not actual police officers.
After Toys R Us, we headed to the mall. Now, this place was insane! We waited in line at The Children's Place for 30-45 minutes; however, I got some amazing deals and found some fabulous clothes for Ethan and church socks and what not for the boys. Next, we hit up Old Navy. Now, this was the worst place of all. Yes, I bought a few things and saved 50 percent on what I bought, but . . . we waited in line for over an hour. The craziest thing here was that it was 1:30 a.m. by this time. Little babies and children were still up and in the store. Wow. That took me by surprise.
We hit up Carter's and then, last, I braved it on my own at Kohl's. The other ladies had accomplished everything, so they went home; although, one debated whether hitting up Target. I stood in line at Kohl's for about 30 minutes and marked the 150th spot roughly. I was pretty worried that my main items would be gone, but . . . everyone must have been wanting the Christmas trees and kitchen stuff, because the two main things I needed were untouched. Hallelujah!!! My shopping is DONE! Mission accomplished.
Friday late morning I made my last two stops at CVS and Walgreens. At CVS, I paid $0.41 for everything. Walgreens required me to pay $3.50 out of pocket for something, but there is a rebate, and then, I paid $1.50 out of pocket. However, I walked away with $5 in store credit, Jingle Cash. Essentially, all of the items below cost me $0.41. AMAZING!!!
We started at Toys R Us, which for me was a big mistake. I arrived at 8:40 p.m. roughly, and the line was wrapped half way around the building. CRAZY! It was actually in the 40's or 30's, which is really cold for here. I sported a shirt, jacket, coat, and scarf. And it was raining. Anyway . . . that didn't stop us.
The store opened up at 10. They let us in 50 people at a time. From there, it was total CHAOS! Now, I heard that some individuals waited in line for over an hour, but that was not the case with me. That line zipped along and I waited a total of 10 minutes--AWESOME! However, I didn't find my back-ups, which is what I had primarily gone there for. And some of the back-ups, which I would have purchased, were not properly marked and I felt too stressed to try to figure out the price. Also, there were two women blocking/guarding the Transformers stuff. What?! I had to ask this woman to move 3 times and she never really moved. By then, everything was gone. I did secure, however, some birthday gifts for Ethan's upcoming 1st. Moreover, many drunk people showed up. One guy actually stopped in front of the store, after swerving through the parking lot, blaring his music. The three cops outside immediately were all over the situation. (My two friends and I were right in front of the store, so we witnessed everything first hand.) The guy had a beer in his hand and the cops simply told him, "There are people here and out. You need to drive home." Excuse me?? Um, that is very scary. Why didn't they arrest this individual for a drinking and driving? Oh, because they were not actual police officers.
After Toys R Us, we headed to the mall. Now, this place was insane! We waited in line at The Children's Place for 30-45 minutes; however, I got some amazing deals and found some fabulous clothes for Ethan and church socks and what not for the boys. Next, we hit up Old Navy. Now, this was the worst place of all. Yes, I bought a few things and saved 50 percent on what I bought, but . . . we waited in line for over an hour. The craziest thing here was that it was 1:30 a.m. by this time. Little babies and children were still up and in the store. Wow. That took me by surprise.
We hit up Carter's and then, last, I braved it on my own at Kohl's. The other ladies had accomplished everything, so they went home; although, one debated whether hitting up Target. I stood in line at Kohl's for about 30 minutes and marked the 150th spot roughly. I was pretty worried that my main items would be gone, but . . . everyone must have been wanting the Christmas trees and kitchen stuff, because the two main things I needed were untouched. Hallelujah!!! My shopping is DONE! Mission accomplished.
Friday late morning I made my last two stops at CVS and Walgreens. At CVS, I paid $0.41 for everything. Walgreens required me to pay $3.50 out of pocket for something, but there is a rebate, and then, I paid $1.50 out of pocket. However, I walked away with $5 in store credit, Jingle Cash. Essentially, all of the items below cost me $0.41. AMAZING!!!
Playhouse
A neighbor cleaned out her attic and found this playhouse in it that her kids were too old for. Mine were so excited to be the recipients. And actually, I was quite surprised to see a similar playhouse at Toys R Us going for $19.99. Anyway, we spent all morning on Wednesday coloring this and it was a lot of fun!
Thanksgiving Feast
Our Thanksgiving dinner turned out AMAZINGLY delicious!!! We tried a new brine recipe from our cousins, Spencer and Mona Kay. It was AWESOME!!! The only bad thing was that I had nightmares all night before about the bag of brine breaking open in my fridge. Thankfully, that did not happen; it happen when I was taking it out of the fridge. It made quite the mess and I panicked about getting that turkey juice cleaned up. However, after much disinfectant and many moppings, I feel satisfied that I cleaned it up properly.
Anyway, the boys each helped make a pie the night before. Matthew made the cherry, which was divine. David helped me make Paula Dean's pumpkin pie, complete with cream cheese in it. And Ryan made a beautiful lemon merengue with me. We had fun.
Oh, the meal was fantastic! I froze some of the turkey, left some in the fridge for sandwiches, and then, I also made turkey noodle soup. Yum!
Anyway, the boys each helped make a pie the night before. Matthew made the cherry, which was divine. David helped me make Paula Dean's pumpkin pie, complete with cream cheese in it. And Ryan made a beautiful lemon merengue with me. We had fun.
Oh, the meal was fantastic! I froze some of the turkey, left some in the fridge for sandwiches, and then, I also made turkey noodle soup. Yum!
Advent Calendar Ideas
I am super into advent calendars this year. I have actually created one from scratch, painted a wooden one, and then, I bought a little felt one from Target. It's going to be a really fun holiday season. Below is the one I created (via the Michael's website) from scratch. It's a 12 Days of Christmas countdown and I LOVE how it turned out!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
At this moment . . .
. . . my house is literally in shambles. Tile and laminate were recently laid, but carpet is still not in. We have dust, saw dust, dirt, grime, and piles of junk. One floor waits to dry, so that we can seal it. One room waits for said floor to dry, so that quarter-round can be put back on and then sanded and repainted and cleaned. Same floor waits for carpet, so that transitions, etc. can be further laid. One toilet, accompanied by a washer and dryer, as well as one precious baby's toys, occupy my family room.
Did I mention that my house is in disarray??--utter and complete chaos???
And yet, cherry and pumpkin pie permeate the walls of my home. A now brining turkey sits on the bottom shelf of my fridge--soaking in deliciousness for tomorrow. My refrigerator shelves are crammed with whipping creams, vegetables, stuffing favorites, nuts, fruits for the salad, mouth-watering bread, yummy ice cream in all of its Blue Bell glory, and sparkling grape juice. One little monkey baby smiles at my feet, waiting for me to kiss his wonderfully smooth and soft cheeks. While waiting, he stands up next to the desk, bouncing, laughing, wiggling, and squirming. Two bigger monkeys giggle in their room; I know, because I can hear them through the wall. One amazing husband slumbers after running a bazillion errands for me. To the left of my desk sits a cardboard playhouse the boys and I built today. We spent two hours coloring our hearts out.
Said bigger monkeys helped create and bake previously-mentioned pies. While one created, mixed, blended, beated, filled, and baked pie, the other hit the town on a "daddy date."
I have not showered today and I sit here in my air-conditioned home in the same clothes I put on first thing this morning.
Tonight before I go to bed, I will bake one more pie with my dearest, while he makes me laugh until my sides hurt. I will read scriptures with my family and kneel together in prayer with them. Children will be tucked into warm beds, dressed in comfortable pajamas, and I will probably soak my tired feet and legs in a hot, over-sized bath, curled up with a copy of the Book of Mormon. During that time, I will most likely hear from a beloved friend or family member by means of text. Before retiring to bed, I will record random thoughts and moments of the day, funny things my children said (like when we asked David about his favorite part of Thanksgiving and he responded with, "I like Christmas better."), and new aspirations, as well as a to-do list, in my journal. Then, I will offer gratitude and supplication to the Lord with my eternal companion. Most likely, he will look at me with those eyes that see deep down into my soul, that let me know that he sees the good in me, that he loves me regardless of my faults, and that will always see me as beautiful. He will embrace me and kiss me with a passion that I didn't realize could still exist after 8 years of marriage. We will go to bed--laughing and discussing things of the day, things to come tomorrow, and the many worries/questions that perplex my mind. Of course, he will answer and patiently listen, as I vent, unload, unwind, fall apart, get excited, or over analyze. Yes, he'll listen, offer his advice, lend his support, and then, afford me his faith.
Truly, I am blessed beyond measure. The house will still be in shambles this night. That endless pile of laundry will still sit on my couch, because I cannot currently access all of the dressers and drawers. A blue tarp with a toilet on top of it will sit in my great room. A disassembled crib will collect dust a little longer and my baby will sleep in the port-a-crib yet another night.
But I will remember that life is good. On this night, I will remember that I chose to focus on the important things: family, things of a higher law and power, and all of the blessings in my life.
Did I mention that my house is in disarray??--utter and complete chaos???
And yet, cherry and pumpkin pie permeate the walls of my home. A now brining turkey sits on the bottom shelf of my fridge--soaking in deliciousness for tomorrow. My refrigerator shelves are crammed with whipping creams, vegetables, stuffing favorites, nuts, fruits for the salad, mouth-watering bread, yummy ice cream in all of its Blue Bell glory, and sparkling grape juice. One little monkey baby smiles at my feet, waiting for me to kiss his wonderfully smooth and soft cheeks. While waiting, he stands up next to the desk, bouncing, laughing, wiggling, and squirming. Two bigger monkeys giggle in their room; I know, because I can hear them through the wall. One amazing husband slumbers after running a bazillion errands for me. To the left of my desk sits a cardboard playhouse the boys and I built today. We spent two hours coloring our hearts out.
Said bigger monkeys helped create and bake previously-mentioned pies. While one created, mixed, blended, beated, filled, and baked pie, the other hit the town on a "daddy date."
I have not showered today and I sit here in my air-conditioned home in the same clothes I put on first thing this morning.
Tonight before I go to bed, I will bake one more pie with my dearest, while he makes me laugh until my sides hurt. I will read scriptures with my family and kneel together in prayer with them. Children will be tucked into warm beds, dressed in comfortable pajamas, and I will probably soak my tired feet and legs in a hot, over-sized bath, curled up with a copy of the Book of Mormon. During that time, I will most likely hear from a beloved friend or family member by means of text. Before retiring to bed, I will record random thoughts and moments of the day, funny things my children said (like when we asked David about his favorite part of Thanksgiving and he responded with, "I like Christmas better."), and new aspirations, as well as a to-do list, in my journal. Then, I will offer gratitude and supplication to the Lord with my eternal companion. Most likely, he will look at me with those eyes that see deep down into my soul, that let me know that he sees the good in me, that he loves me regardless of my faults, and that will always see me as beautiful. He will embrace me and kiss me with a passion that I didn't realize could still exist after 8 years of marriage. We will go to bed--laughing and discussing things of the day, things to come tomorrow, and the many worries/questions that perplex my mind. Of course, he will answer and patiently listen, as I vent, unload, unwind, fall apart, get excited, or over analyze. Yes, he'll listen, offer his advice, lend his support, and then, afford me his faith.
Truly, I am blessed beyond measure. The house will still be in shambles this night. That endless pile of laundry will still sit on my couch, because I cannot currently access all of the dressers and drawers. A blue tarp with a toilet on top of it will sit in my great room. A disassembled crib will collect dust a little longer and my baby will sleep in the port-a-crib yet another night.
But I will remember that life is good. On this night, I will remember that I chose to focus on the important things: family, things of a higher law and power, and all of the blessings in my life.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Updates
One boy lost his first tooth, to which David replied, "Maybe if I break my teeth out the tooth fairy will give me money too." We locked up any loose tools that night--given David's recent tactics to declare all out war on our house. And Ethan is standing and bouncing--trying to walk. Sad. Need I say more (You already know how I feel on the subject.)?
What's On the Menu?
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Penne-Pasta-Salad-2/Detail.aspx
This dish was delicious--even if my boys were less than thrilled about it!
Pre-School Fieldtrip
David and I took a field trip to MJ Peckam park for a nature walk. We had such a fantastic time collecting treasures, walking, singing, looking at fishermen's catches, as well as feeding the ducks and chasing the geese.
Date #20
So much is going on between relief society, kiddies, soccer, basketball/football, as well as house projects that I am way behind on blogging.
For our 20th date we attended the temple and went to dinner. It was glorious and wonderful and spiritually uplifting and exactly what we needed. I love that man so much. He's simply amazing and I'm so happy that he married me.
For our 20th date we attended the temple and went to dinner. It was glorious and wonderful and spiritually uplifting and exactly what we needed. I love that man so much. He's simply amazing and I'm so happy that he married me.
Halloween
Life really is a whirlwind around here lately. October has brought on MANY interesting experiences. Our house is currently in shambles, because of the flood that took place at the beginning of the month. Since that time, we have been to the floor store about a gazillion times and spoken with our agent about the same. I'm ready for this project to be done, so that our house can get back to normal. (Pics to come of everything.)
Halloween was a lot of fun this year. We carved COOL pumpkins, went to the ward chili cook off and trunk-or-treat, as well as attended a block party for one of our friends. And the best part was that Ryan came with us, because he did not have a game that night for the first time in about 5 years.
Also, Halloween brought out so many different sides of each of our boys. You can see from the different pics.
Best conversations lately include:
David: I toldga . . .
David: Mother, are we going to Home Depot hippo whippo?
Matthew: Mom, I'm not going to tell anymore lies.
David: Yeah, and I'm not going to kill anymore caterpillars.
Halloween was a lot of fun this year. We carved COOL pumpkins, went to the ward chili cook off and trunk-or-treat, as well as attended a block party for one of our friends. And the best part was that Ryan came with us, because he did not have a game that night for the first time in about 5 years.
Also, Halloween brought out so many different sides of each of our boys. You can see from the different pics.
Best conversations lately include:
David: I toldga . . .
David: Mother, are we going to Home Depot hippo whippo?
Matthew: Mom, I'm not going to tell anymore lies.
David: Yeah, and I'm not going to kill anymore caterpillars.
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