No More Tears...

of joy will be shed during my workouts anymore!  When I went to get into my car to go to the gym this morning, I noticed that someone (I won't name names) left the van side door open last night.  And my ipod is missing in the little compartment I keep it in.  :(  or should I say WAAAAAAAAA!  It just deflated me!  My workout was long, hot, and sweaty without that thing!!  I've depended on it for so long!!  I keep hoping for it to turn up.  But now that the house is upside down, I'm most certain it was taken!  That thief!  It's kind of scary thinking that someone out there is just waiting for that little slip up to take advantage.  My neighborhood isn't that bad.  It feels like any sort of friendly neighborhood!  

Anyway,  I know that my header up there still says "September" but I'm still mourning and don't feel productive.  We are headed to the pumpkin patch today.  Hopefully that will boost my spirits and catch a cute pic there.  

I've been Tagged!

Okay!  So I've been tagged by Sandy Toes!  This is my first time I've been tagged (that I know of)  and honestly have had a hard time coming up with these six random things about me.  Am I that boring?  Anyway, here we go....

1.  I've been pretty religious about going to the gym every morning for that last 3 years. When I miss a day or so due to illness or a vacation, I almost cry with joy listening to my ipod as I get back in touch with that elliptical when I return.  Tears literally well up!  I know, pathetic!

2.  I LOVE going to bed when the dishwasher is running!  It just lulls me to sleep and totally relaxes me!!  Just a reminder as I dose off that the house is clean.  :)

3.  I used to play the guitar and sing in a small girl band.

4.  My husband proposed to me on a sandy beach in Jamaica.

5.  I once played the guitar and sang to Ricky Schroeder.  ( A story I'll have to share sometime!)

6.  When I was a child I IDOLIZED  Marie Osmond!  I had a banner across my room that read "I LOVE MARIE OSMOND"  that I colored!  I even went as far to draw a mole near my left eye like her!

So here are the rules:

If your tagged, this is what you do:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people
4. Please pass it along for fun...

I tag:

Stacey

Marilee

Kirstin

Emily

Chantel

Kelly

Chicken Pot Pie a Must try!

I've never made or had much desire to make a chicken pot pie.  Although it always sounds so good!   I found this recipe in my new 101 Things To Do With A Casserole cookbook and thought I'd give it a try.  It was so good and EASY!  The family just INHALED it! A definite new fave!

The Recipe:

2 cups frozen veggies (instead, I cut up fresh veggies and boiled them. sweet potatoes, carrots)

I added frozen corn and peas but mixed them in frozen with everything so they wouldn't be too soggy after baking.

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken (2 ckn breasts)

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (I used just one)

3/4 cup Milk

1/2 t. Thyme or Rosemary (I used thyme, my favorite! 1/2 t. was a little too strong.  I'll do 1/4 t. next time)

1/2 t. black pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

1 can refrigerated flaky biscuits

Cook and Cut veggies into bite-sized pieces.

Combine all ingredients except biscuits in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake @ 400 uncovered for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir.  Quickly cut biscuits in half and place them cut side down over hot chicken and veggie mixture.  Bake 15-20 minutes more until biscuits are golden brown and done in the center.  

A total winter meal but it was great to try something new that the family enjoyed!

Homesick...

(Sadie in front of the tower that kept chiming at 9, Noon and 5.  She loved it!)

for Midway.  We had the pleasure of tagging along with Kevin while he had to work in Midway Tues.-Fri. last week.  We stayed at the beautiful Zermatt Resort!  I met Kevin up there for Wednesday night without the kids and then my parents brought the kids up to stay the night Thursday.  This place was fabulous!   The indoor/outdoor pool was a blast for the kids! Cole swam all over that place!  I'm really sorry, but I am going to swamp you with pictures!!  Since this is my "scrapbook"  there are some pictures I can't live without!!    There were SO many great "backdrops" for pictures!  I went a little crazy with my camera.  I know I took a couple hundred!  Hey, just trying to get used to the thing! ;)

Did I mention that there was a Carousel nestled in the mountain right out our hotel room window!  The kids were just "dying" to ride it the moment they saw it!

Which they did ride several times!  With no additional company.  Just ourselves!

The kids (and myself) loved the idea that daddy was working just downstairs!  They loved peeking their head in to say hello!  And while he was working, I took the kids to this beautiful meadow area, laid out a blanket, and snapped away!  If only I knew what I really was doing with that camera!  I kept thinking, this spot must be a photographers dream and I don't know where or how to even begin!  I just need to take that darn class!

Here is the only "normal" one of Cole I shot of him in this adorable tree!  Bless his heart, He just can't get that natural smile thing down!

Well, and then there is Sadie!!  Miss poser for the camera!  She was in her own world and would just wander around SINGING and saying, "take a picture of me mommy", as she would pose so delicately!  I think she REALLY believes she's a princess!!

MaryJane loved just being outdoors, free and clapping her little hands!   Oh can't get enough!!

And this is how it always is.  The kids just maul MaryJane!  They are SO cute to her!!  That little baby is so adored!

So here is my slide show in case you didn't get enough!  It was such a great little get away!  To be together in a different environment was so fun!!  Thanks Mom and Dad for helping us make it happen!  And of course to Kevin for allowing us to tag along!

What to do with all the pictures I keep taking!?!  Any suggestions?  

"I want Curly Hair!"

All Summer Sadie has been pointing out curly hair to me saying things like, "Mom, I want you to have curly hair like her!" But more recently has asked for it on herself.  Lucky for her, her mom is a hairstylist!!  So we played salon one day and I curled her hair as she sat looking at the new American Girl Doll magazine! (it's a good thing this  new one came because the old one was hanging on by a thread.) And she just talked and talked and talked. Something she's become an expert at.  Hmm I wonder where she got that from?  I was a cute moment.  Such a big girl!

She was so happy all day!  For these pictures I had to pull her away from the newish movie Enchanted.  SOOOO cute I might add!  She wasn't to happy missing the movie but either way, she was happy with her curls!  I might have to invest in a smaller curling iron if this becomes a regular request!!  Maybe I'll try sponge curlers next!  

9 Months!!

Oh my sweet baby is growing up so fast!  I keep saying that but I can't get enough of her!  Luckily I have a really great camera that allows me to capture most of her precious moments!  Both of our worlds are about to change! She is mobile!  She'll roll, scoot, reach, and even crawl a bit to get what she wants.  In fact, nothing can get her to crawl better than a domino tower built by her brother!  She can't wait to take that thing down!  She'll just scream to get it!  So cute!  I don't have a picture of that one, but I'll work on it!

Forget crawling!! She pulled herself up on the kids table and chairs and I about died!  SO BIG!  

Patty-Cake!  Is her latest discovery!  She loves the sound it makes!  In the middle of the night when I make her a bottle it's dark and she's snuggling me patting my arm.  I'll sure miss those little pats!  Oh how I wish I could savor that for forever!

And here she is (with her big eyes and pour FLASH photography) DEVOURING corn!!  I couldn't get it out of her hands!!

So Fun...

was Sadie's first day of Preschool!  I can't believe how fast the years go when they are young and at home with you!  It's hard to let them grow up!   She was so excited to go to "Cole's school!"  Where Cole had gone to Preschool.  I have just loved Ms. Dana!  And my kids do too!  Now that Cole is in kindergarten, I am SO grateful for Ms. Dana!  She really prepared him well!  I'm so excited for Sadie to experience her class.  She acts like such a big girl and has no fear of being dropped off! She definitely is not a shy child!

After school, I took Sadie for a little first day treat to

that a friend told me about.  And it was 

And

Sadie was

And the cupcakes were

I love all these cute cupcake stores popping up all over the place!  Such a fun treat!  Sadie now asks for one everyday!  This could lead to an awful amount of weight gain for me!  Luckily they sell those minis!  Thanks Marille for the tip!

Feeling So Refreshed!!

MY NEW HAIR CUT!

So,  people (from afar) have requested a picture of me with my new dew!  Not too different,  just shorter!  It feels great!  My hair was getting way to long and thin!  Not to mention, it was in a pony tail all the time!  I finally came to the realization that I'll never have Miley Cyrus hair!  Especially without those extensions and personal hair stylists! 

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of going to a salon, as a client for a haircut! The first time in 13 years!  I never told him that I do hair.  I just sat, relaxed and enjoyed being pampered for an hour!  For those of you who do hair, I highly recommend it!  It was so fun!! And taught me so much from a different perspective!

United We Stand

In memory of our fallen heros, I thought it would be appropriate to play my favorite National Anthem by the Catcus Cuities! The maturity and harmony of their voices BLOWS ME AWAY!!  I must have listen to it 10 times the first time I heard it!  LOVE IT!

A fun little project!

A Picnic Blanket.

I saw this pattern on See Mama Sew and had to give it a try!  So simple for my first(adult size) blanket!  I made it just before we went to Bear Lake but just keep forgetting to post it!

On top,  cute bright fabric  from Heather Bailey and on back just an old pale pink sheet. 

Love all the patterns!

And especially,  these cute corner pockets which hold a small rock, so the blanket won't blow away!  In fact, I liked that idea so much, I think that was the main reason I made the blanket!  That and the cute bright fabric!!  Perfect for a cute outdoor blanket!!  Hey! It kinda matches my blog!;)

In good hands

This may look silly seeing my Son pushing a baby doll stroller.  But it gets even more comical when you hear the story.  Over Labor Day weekend I was out running some errands.  Kevin was at home with the three kids and had to drop something off, by wheel barrel to a friend down the street and around the corner.  When I had called to check in, he was in the process of completing his errand. And the conversation went something like this:

A: Hey!  How's it going?

K: Fine!  Were are just headed to drop this box off at Phil's

A: With the 3 kids!!

K: That's right!

A: Where is the baby?

K: Cole is pushing her in the doll stroller.

A: The DOLL STROLLER! WHICH ONE? (we have a couple)

K: The jogger looking one.

A: WHAT IF SHE FALLS OUT!?!

K: Don't worry I got that covered. I just ducked tape the buckle so it won't loosen. (well thought out) I'm making sure Cole's is walking real slow. 

A: OH! HOW EMBARRASSING!!!  I don't think that would be too comfortable for her! (again) How embarrassing! 

K: Whatever!  She is loving it!!  Hasn't made a peep!  The kids are taking turns pushing her! 

Leave it to Kevin to do a task in such a oddly manner.   None the less, the task is complete.

So since the event (that I so sadly missed out on) I had to do a little reenactment.  And every time I would put her in the stroller, she would get a great big smile on her face and instantly kick her legs!  Having flash backs of the joy ride!

Who is this BEAUTIFUL little princess?

A whole new meaning to dress-up! 

I found this princess WIG at the store the other day and could not refrain!!  It is a riot to see Sadie walk around wearing this!  She loves it!!  Solves all problems in the "wanting long hair with curls"  look! (for now)  I also bought the Sleeping Beauty one so her sister or a friend won't feel left out during dress-up.  Also, it is a great addition to our Halloween costume box (a collection my husband started before we were married)!

 

Not the best of pictures but you get the idea.