Sunshine, romantic movies and plumpness

This morning I went and saw Something Borrowed with my mom. It was fun to have some mother/ daughter time. Really cute movie. I'm a sucker for a chick flick. I have to admit, though, I hate when I leave a chick flick feeling like "WHY isn't this my life?" Poor Shaun, I think I come home giving him the evil eye. The men are always so attentive and sweet in these movies. So pretty much, PERFECT. Which, of course, has us women leaving these movies with much to be desired in real life! You know how irrational we are. So this week I will be expecting roses delivered, baths ran for me, random massages, hand holding and other things that even I am unsure of lol. Perhaps I will even expect a beautifully written poem to be read to me. Good luck, Shaun.

Really , though, why aren't our lives like these romantic movies?? Why am I not a woman with a beautiful slender body and perfect hair? Married to a man with an amazing job, washboard abs, excess compassion and an equal amount of modesty? Who knows but damn those movies.

As I write this I sit here trying to filter out the sound of Shaun's snoring. AHHHH. It drives me insane. Breathe right strips? What a crock. That worked about as well as everyone not pumping gas worked to reduce gas prices. Some nights I gently nudge him. This approach usually fails TERRIBLY. I , then, begin to nudge with my elbow. Lovingly, of course. This is a 50/50. If both prior mentioned methods fail I move onto things such as what I like to call a love pat. We will just leave it at that but it typically works. I then lay my head down really fast and pretend as if I were asleep the whole time. Next step: ear plugs.

Something else that has been heavily on my mind: my weight. Not exactly just my weight but my overall fitness or lack thereof. I wish it didn't bother me so much. It does though. I am about 25-30lbs away from my healthy goal weight. Had you told me 10 years ago that I would weigh what I do now I'd have slapped you and hard. I was doing good at the gym but now with Shaun being gone 16 hour days I just haven't found a way to juggle the gym, kids, laundry, cooking, cleaning, bathing kids... you get the idea. Then everywhere I turn there are women with babies freshly popped out that look as if they were never pregnant. I'm not quite sure how this is fair. I say this as I look down at my 9 month post partum belly looking about 5 months pregnant. Yeah yeah my husband is fine with my looks so I should be.... in a perfect world. I find myself not wanting to even go out of this house because I don't feel comfortable in anything I own. I just don't feel comfortable in my own body right now. I pray that this changes. Either my body or my attitude about my body.

We had beautiful weather this weekend. BEAUTIFUL. Shaun and I took the kids to the zoo on Sunday. They really had a great time. There was a baby polar bear that was just so cuuute. I'm not sure how people eat at the zoo, it smells terrible. I am working on uploading pictures from our weekend adventures but I am just so slow about it lately.

OH how could I forget this?! For the first time, ever, in this household: a pink princess sippy cup sits in the cupboard. Silly, I know. I was so excited to buy sippy cups with the Disney princesses on them lol Ya know, maybe I will just use them, too. Buying little girly things brings me back to being a little girl. I can't wait for barbies, baby dolls and play makeup!


I am sorry I have been slacking on pictures. I will get caught up soon. I am just tired and limited on time.

Random weekend happenings:
- We made delicious lemon pepper chicken wings... twice.
- I heard my 2 boys singing and playing with my little girl, through the baby monitor, when she woke up fussing <3
- Discovered a new favorite restaurant
- Mother/daughter time with my mom
- date night with hubby
- Doing 200 jumping jacks with my 7 year old because he is going to "get me into shape" lol


Now for my random thoughts:
- Why do people say things like "I could care less" If you could care less then do so, care less. It's I COULDN'T care less.
- Why can't chocolate be weight loss food?
- My coffee addiction is ridiculous

That is all for now.

4 day weekends rock :)

I've been thinking a lot about how I may really be done having babies. It's hard to believe. It makes my heart sink a bit. Shaun is more sure than I am on this subject. I know he is concerned for my well being. I have had 3 c sections already and I had some heart issues in my 3rd trimester of my 3rd pregnancy.

I think it is, partly, because so many people my age are just starting having babies. It feels weird to be "done". Am I crazy??? I am always extremely sick for at least 5 months of pregnancy. Another c section seems crazy. Heart problems... scary! I'm not sure why I can't feel 100% sure in my heart.  Time will tell, right? I sure hope that I can eventually feel at ease with it.

The kids have been keeping me really busy! Taveon is on summer break (which I love). Damon is doing his best to make Taveon wish he were still in school. Isla is getting really good at crawling, climbing, pulling up to standing.

You never know how annoying infomercials are until you have kids who get sucked into believing them! I was just told that, by Taveon, that he needs a sleep number bed because he wakes up with "neck pain". One time, when he was 2 or 3, he had a huge fit at the front of the store. He saw space bags and was convinced that he NEEDED them. I am going to create infomercials for spankings, room cleaning technique, eating vegetables and changing diapers. Let's see how much of it he chooses to believe then :) .

Shaun's mom babysat for us so we could go to dinner last night. We went to Don Jose's. Neither of us has ever been there but it was really good! Especially my margarita. Then we went and visited with a few friends. It was really nice to get out without our little tribe of children and have some adult conversation.

Shaun is on a 4 day weekend. He usually works 5 days a week and goes to school, as well, on 4 of those days. So, to have him here for 4 days straight is so nice. We are taking the kids to the zoo and BBQing since it's a nice day again! I will pray that the sun stays out for us and especially for my pale white self.

I will make another post, with pictures, after our zoo trip. Isla just woke up crying and the boys are up there dancing and singing to her. I hear it all through the monitor. It's really pretty cute.


My random thoughts for now:

- Please ladies please... wear bras. Just do it for the good of everyone involved.

- 4 way stops: They really aren't that hard to do, people! Stop, wait your turn (which you will determine when you stop), then go.

- There's always that one cashier's line who you avoid at the grocery store.

Road trip

Thursday was the last day of school. Shaun had Friday off, due to working this weekend. So, we decided to take a road trip to Seward and take the kids to the sea life center. Our goal was to be gone by 10am. I believe we were walking out the door around 11, pretty good for us. Getting 3 kids and 2 adults prepared for a day trip is a little crazy. I will just outline the highlights of our day. Hmm, maybe I should just say moments that stand out as some are NOT highlights.

- On the way to Seward we had to stop for a bathroom break. There were these "rest stops". I use this term loosely because they did not look like somewhere I felt like I could "rest". No way, was I going in there. Shaun and Taveon went in after I told T "DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING". Sure enough someone had pooped all over the toilet seat and FLOOR! THIS, my friends, is why I don't use "bathrooms" where there is no cellphone signal.

- Just a bit further up the road, Damon had taken his shirt of,f somehow. Pulled over, fixed that....

- Just a bit further and Isla needs a diaper change.

-We finally got there and about got blown away by the wind!

- I got schooled by Taveon that they are not "star fish" they are sea stars because they are not really a FISH.

The kids had a great time at the sea life center. We ate at a great little restaurant called Apollos, got a coffee across the street from Apollos (I can't remember the name for the life of me). I enjoyed the ride and conversations with my husband.

On another note, Shaun and I have started watching the Harry Potter series. Yeah yeah I know. Neither of us had seen any of them before this weekend. We have now watched the 1st 2 and I have to admit, much better than I thought.

Overall, great weekend. Shaun had to work but, last night, we just lounged around.

Today I was awoken by a 2 year old in a puddle of pee in his crib. Apparently, he thought it was a good idea to remove his diaper? Lord, help me with this kid.

See, Sarah Palin really CAN see it from her yard  lol

Our ride home

Jelly fish. I loved these!

Have to go for now but I am hoping to post more later.

A few random thoughts from my crazy head:

- Is anyone REALLY surprised that no "rapture" happened this weekend? Please, say no.
- I need coffee
- Some people cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go. (we all know a few of these)
- I am determined to drink AT LEAST 60oz of water today
- I need coffee

Birthdays, blahs and bugs

I have been in such a funk lately. I am not sure why. I have SO much to be thankful for. A hard working husband, 3 healthy kids, a roof over my head ..... SO WHY am I in such a place of BLAH??? I feel there is a whirlwind of BLAH flying around in my head. I just can't seem to get things accomplished lately. My weight is really bothering me. The fact that my house is just never as clean as I like. I could go on and on but I don't really want to dwell on that stuff. Just needed to get it out. Maybe seeing it "out there" will help me somehow.

Yesterday was Shaun's 31st birthday :) I made him a homemade white cake with delicious homemade whipped cream cheese frosting. I am doing my best to STAY AWAY from the darn cake. It keeps getting to me through my peripheral vision. Sneaky little devil, that cake. On another, yet related a bit, note; I was looking at birthday cards and I started to wonder, why do I take all of this time picking out the perfect card and then also feel obligated to write some kind of personal note in the card? I mean, if I'm going to feel the need to write in it then why not just buy a blank card?

Today has been crazy and uneventful all at once. I haven't really sat down yet I am not sure if anything was accomplished. I still have laundry to do, floors to vacuum and counters to wipe down.

Earlier Damon found a bug and kept yelling CATERPILLAR at me. I had NO idea what he was saying. Finally he just says BUG. Shaun is in class so I couldn't do the usual "SHAUN KILL IT. KILL IT" I had to kill it, myself. Ick! As I beat the thing several times, you know to make SURE it's dead, Damon is cheering me on! "YEAH YEAH YEAH" and he was jumping up and down all giddy lol I had Taveon flush it and I overheard him telling Damon that it went to bug heaven.

OH! How could I forget to share this... Isla is fully crawling now! My BABY is mobile *sniff sniff*

I feel this post is just a bunch of rambling but that's pretty much how I have felt this week.  Thank you for reading and joining in on my insanity.

Now for my (even more) random thoughts of the day:
The booty pop and the pajama jeans: Don't do it, neither of them. Just don't.

Never trust a fart; just ask Taveon.

When the girl at the coffee shop has your drink started before you even order, when she sees your car in line... this is a sign you may have a problem. Yes, I am speaking to myself on this one.

When people say "the last thing I wanted to do was (fill in the blank)" Does this mean they still wanted to and it was just last on their list??? Shouldn't they say "I never wanted to..."

Ok that is all for now. I turned around to see Damon attempting to ride on Isla's back like a horse while Isla is chewing on darth vader's head. Oh the excitement in this house!

It's been awhile

I have not written in so long. How terrible! I guess I got caught up in life and all things crazy. I suppose I should make this a quick catch up post. I promise to be better about writing. Let's face it, I have no great excuse as to why I haven't written. My life is not some fabulous, wild, crazy (eh, that one maybe), over the top extravaganza that keeps me tied up lol.

So let's see. Isla is over 8 months old now. Actually in 11 days she will be 9 months old. She is crawling and growing bigger and more beautiful by the day. She is quickly picking up on how to give her big brother (Damon) payback. One day we are riding along in the car and he starts yelling about his waffle (he always brings one in the am) is gone. I say to him "You have to wait until we get home for another one!". Finfally, I get so flustered with his carrying on that I pull over, get out and open his door. What do I find? Isla snatched his waffle and was eating it and holding it out away from him! Lord, help me!

Damon is his crazy little self. He is so cute and outgoing yet so wild and crazy all at once. If you have ever seen any pictures of him you know the glimmer in his eye and you know he's up to SOMETHING. Damon is 2 and a half and has finally starting really talking better. Maybe I should say yelling because, mainly, that's what seems to go on lately. His latest is "you see dat?" and "how about....". I must admit, it's really cute.

Taveon is finishing up 1st grade this week. I could not be more proud of him. He will be going into the gifted program next year (proud mommy, hehe) and he is such a smart and happy kid. He is a little reserved and shy but he seems to make friends pretty darn easily. I can not believe my first baby is getting so big. I wish I could slow down time, rewind, pause, whatever! He calls me "mom" now and doesn't really want to be seen holding my hand BUT he will do, reluctantly, to make me happy. Good boy! Oh, Taveon has also started little league. He is SO cute in his uniform. I will have to post a picture.

Shaun is working FT and going to school FT. He is gone 15-16 hours a day. I miss him and I can not wait for  him to graduate next year! He is on the deans list. What an accomplishment for working, going to school and having a family!

I am busy busy busy. The life of a mother. I am blessed with business :) I have lost my pregnancy weight but still have a ways to go to my GOAL! 25 more lbs and I'm at my goal. I will do it and then I will be able to share then and now progress pics :)

Must go, have a pretty little baby crying for her mama. I will write again soon and I will include some yummy recipes again!
TTFN :)

Happy thursday!

So far this day is off to a great start, sans coffee and all. Taveon got up and ready in good time. Damon has only had 2 meltdowns. Isla is sitting with her blankie, sucking her little thumb. Let's hope the day continues along this path.

I sit here watching noggin with Damon. I have to ask, what in the world is up with DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba? This guy seriously creeps me out. Is it his outfit? His dance moves? His crazy smile? Check, check, check. It is all of the above. If you have NO idea who I am talking about, well then I think you are lucky but I will share him with you. I read another blog once where the guy described "Muno" (the tall red bumpy character as a red nobby di**o. You fill in the blank. Whenever I see this show now that is all I can think of when that guy starts dancing around. I need help, I know. Unfortunately, Damon loves this show so I am subjected to it daily. It will probably haunt me well into my 80s.

Onto an even more fun subject. I had to go to the dr yesterday for an exam. As I am laying there he tells me to scoot forward on the table and he motions his hands like come forward more, more, ok. You ladies all know what I am talking about here! Why did I feel like I was pulling into a bay for an oil change? I told him that and I am pretty sure he was laughing inside even if on the outside he looked at me partly crazy lol

My facebook friends have already seen this but I will share for those of you who have not. Last night Taveon asked us if there is a mcdonalds in heaven. He was so serious. Shaun said everything in heaven is so much better than anything here and anything you could imagine. Taveon's reply? "Oh ok so they have another version of mcdonalds". I had to chuckle at that. 

On the subject of Taveon. He was recently tested for the gifted program at school. He passed! What a smart little guy we are blessed with. I pray that he continues to work hard and enjoy school. Makes me one happy momma. 

TTFN :)

Slacking over here

I am so sorry. I have completely been slacking on my blog. I'm sure I have a ton to write about so bear with me if my thoughts go from this to that :)

My "little" baby is 5 months old already! HOW in the world did that happen? I feel like just yesterday I was sitting up all night full of anxiety, waiting to drive to the hospital for my c-section. But, she is growing so beautifully and is so healthy and sweet. I am blessed for that. 

I am sure I have a ton of funny kid stories since I last posted on here. The one that stands out in my mind would be this one... Last week Taveon fell asleep on the couch. I start going through his backpack and find his underwear in a  baggy. I think what in the world? I wake him and ask him "why are you still wearing your jeans if you peed your pants?" He raises his head and says "I didn't pee! I JUST sharted!" Shaun just puts his hands up over his face and says please tell me you did NOT say that to your teacher. Well of course he did. I had to hide around the corner and laugh but seriously... how embarrassing!

Nothing very exciting has been happening. That's ok, I like calm and boring for the most part though :) We did find out that Shaun's work contract will be renewed! That is great news for us. Also, we went on our first double date in years! My friend Kaile and her husband went to see a movie with us. That was refreshing. Isla even took a bottle for grandma, SUCCESS!

Well I have 2 fussy sick babies today. So This has to be cut short. I am going to do my best to post a few times a week from now on. Maybe even daily but there are no promises on daily!

I will share my new favorite recipe before I go!

Bean nachos:

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed

1/2lb shredded cheese (I used the mexican blend)

Restaurant style tortilla chips

Small can of sliced olives

Salsa

Sour cream

Guacamole

Pre heat oven to 350

Cover pan in foil (I used my pizza stone)

Empty both cans of beans into a sauce pan and heat them

Spread your chips out over the foil. Pour beans over chips. Sprinkle with the cheese. Then sprinkle with olives.

Place in the oven until cheese is melted. This took 5 minutes or less.

Remove from over. Top with sour cream, salsa, guacamole. 

ENJOY!

Long time no post!

I have totally slacked on blogging this month! So much has been going on. Let's see.... where to start.

At the beginning of the month we discovered that my step father had to have a quintuple heart bypass surgery. That was definitely shocking and scary. Thank God, he came through it fine and is at home recovering now. Things like this force me to stop and realize life is truly short and precious. Tomorrow is never promised. I need to make some changes in my life and live with no regrets. That is for sure. Changes in progress.

Then, of course, life has been busy with the holidays. Shopping, wrapping, get togethers, decorating. So hectic but so worth it. I'm not sure if it's just my family (and I am thinking not) but get togethers can be so nerve wracking when not everyone is getting along. Makes for some interesting times. I start reflecting on relationships, around the holidays. Especially the ones that no longer exist. Past friendships etc. I'm not sure if that hurt ever diminishes. I hope it does. I'm just not certain though. There have been people in my life who I truly cared.. err care.. about but for one reason or another they are no longer a part of my life. I have a hard time letting go of those relationships for whatever reason. In the past 2 years I have lost 2 of my best friends. By lost, I do not mean they have died but they are just no longer in my life. Not necessarily by my choice. Quite honestly, I am not positive as to why, actually. Regardless, I know it's best for me to let go of those relationships but it's just never that easy (especially since some are family). I have to come to terms with the fact that I won't always have all of the answers and there will always be "whys" lingering and I just need to be ok with that. I have plenty of blessings in my life. I have some really amazing and I mean AMAZING friends and I am more than thankful for them. So time to let go of the past and move forward with no regrets.

Onto Christmas! Christmas was wonderful. I LOVE seeing the excitement in my children's faces on Christmas morning. It reminds me of being a child. Not being able to fall asleep on Christmas eve, listening for reindeer hooves and the next day LOOKING for reindeer prints on the roof, waking up at 6am to tear into our gifts. Oh the magical world of a child. I hope I am doing a good job at raising my own children with that much joy and excitement inside of them. I love when they rip open a present and their eyes light up and they yell out "LOOK AT WHAT SANTA BROUGHT".  I love how sometimes the box or the wrapping paper intrigues them even more than the gift itself. This was the first Christmas I was able to buy a DOLL! I bought Isla a little cabbage patch doll. I always loved mine when I was a little girl. That was fun shopping for little girl things and reminiscing.

I am going to share my favorite holiday treat recipe this year. It is layered peppermint fudge and I am pretty sure plenty of it has stuck with me, if ya know what I mean ;)

LAYERED PEPPERMINT FUDGE:
INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 2 cups (12 ounces) HERSHEY’®S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vanilla or white chips
• 3 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 to 2 drops green food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

• Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease the foil with butter and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and 1 cup milk over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth. Remove from the heat. Add vanilla; stir for 3-4 minutes or until creamy. Spread half of the mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm. Set remaining chocolate mixture aside.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt vanilla chips and remaining milk over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth (mixture will be thick). Remove from the heat. Add peppermint extract and food coloring; stir for 3-4 minutes or until creamy. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm

• Heat reserved chocolate mixture over low heat until mixture achieves spreading consistency; spread over mint layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until firm
• Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in the refrigerator.

I am sorry but I do not have a picture of this recipe. Must've eaten it before I thought to take one lol I promise it is yummy though!


Here are some pictures of our Christmas. Enjoy!

Look at those sweet face and tell me I am not blessed! I am more than happy with my life. God is good :)

Letting go

I am feeling really sentimental and mushy tonight. Maybe it's the holiday season. Maybe it's still those evil post baby hormones or maybe I actually do have a heart!

Very few people in my life have come to see Isla since she was born 3 months ago. That makes me a bit sad. The people who have made time to come see my sweet little girl, I really do appreciate. Every new mom wants the people she cares about to meet her new baby! I promise we don't have germs... well actually this week we do, all of the kids are sick. Under normal circumstances though... we don't!

Lately I had been dwelling on some people and situations in my life. Negative people and situations. Things I should not give any thought to or let into my life. It's pretty hard to just ignore when it is family and people you thought were great friends. Best friends, even. Sometimes growing up really sucks. Realizing who people truly are can be a real let down. 

I realized (something I already KNOW but just really realized) that I need to only focus on the positives in my life. Positive people, positive relationships, all of the things that I am so blessed to have in my life. Those other things are just draining and not worth my energy. I should pour my energy into those who I love and who love me back. I AM very blessed in life. I have some very wonderful people in my life. I have some amazing friends. I have wonderful children and a great husband, too.

So I think my new years resolution this year will be to LET GO. Let go of the negative situations. Let go of the negative people and energy. Let go of expecting perfection.  Let go and Let God. Yep, that's my resolution. I am sure it will take some encouraging sometimes but I am confident that the great people in my life will keep me on track. 

Speaking of my blessings....

The other night I was SO tired. Isla wouldn't fall back asleep. All I could think was "PLEEEAAASSEEE go to sleep, I AM TIRED and have to get up in a few hours." I  laid there cuddling with her, hoping for some rest soon. Before I realized it, she was asleep. Then I got so caught up in looking at her that I was laying there awake. When just moments before, I was begging for sleep. She is asleep and there I was awake and  looking at her tiny little nose, and beautiful eyelashes, perfect little baby mouth and soft chubby cheeks. I am in awe of the beauty God creates in these tiny little bodies. Sometimes I can't believe how incredibly blessed I am with these wonderful little people I was given the opportunity to help mold and watch grow. 

So this post didn't contain any yummy recipes, sorry! I just had some thoughts I wanted to get out of my non stop brain. 

Goodnight friends 

Gobble gobble 'til you wobble wobble

For the first year in... I don't even know how long, we did not have thanksgiving dinner with family. Oh the fun of dysfunctional times. My amazing friend Kaile invited us to her home for dinner. It was an amazing dinner and I am so thankful I can call her my friend. Friends ARE the family you get to choose. We had so much good food. Goodbye weight loss plan hello every growing butt.

That brings me to another thought... am I crazy? Who tries losing weight over the holidays? ME! This post baby weight is really making me feel like a fatty. The healing from this c section has been quite a long road. With the boys I healed up and hit the gym by 6-8 weeks. This time I am 13 weeks out and still sore and not able to work out. I, apparently, tore an abdominal muscle. That muscle is not healing so quickly and I have set myself back several times.

So Kaile and I thought we'd hit toys r us last night at 10pm. Once again.. CRAZY! I see a pattern here. We got there and the line was around both sides of the building. We skipped it and went to walmart to grab a few things. At 11:15 pm people were at walmart, standing around the pallets (we keep hearing , over the intercom "DO NOT TOUCH THE PALLETS", they take this SERIOUS), with their hands on them waiting for the sale to start. We heard, over the intercom, that some of the sales weren't even starting until 5am!! These people are out of their minds. Standing around for 6 hours... heck no. On another note, I wish I had my camera because I saw some great "peopleofwalmart" material. We got out of there after laughing at the madness. We decided to see if toys r us had cleared out any. I found  a parking space and we went in. We notice a line weaving up and down and around the whole store. This was the check out line! I swear it was 3 hours long. Needless to say, we left. I'll pay the extra money and skip those lines! I did make it out to target and fred meyer this morning and scored some good deals with less crowds. My total at one store was $133 and I saved $249! I love when I save more than I spend. Who doesn't?

The best part of the day was taking a long nap. All 3 kids napped all afternoon and so did I. I feel like tonight's post is a bit boring but my brain is long past tired. I am going to post a recipe for my favorite cookies (which I am baking right now) and I am going to take a few pics. I must share because let's face it... I can't gain holiday weight all by myself. Sharing is caring.

Each cookie is 292 calories!!! Proceed with caution...

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-2/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 5 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the coconut and chips. Shape 3 tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball; repeat with remaining dough.
• Place balls 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a microwave, melt candy coating if desired; stir until smooth. Dip one end of cooled cookies in candy coating. Allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

Turtle cheesecake and memories of last Christmas

So last night I stayed up super late baking. I baked a turtle cheesecake to bring to my dr's office. No way can I keep that thing around here. Way too dangerous!!
I am going to share the recipe here:
Ingredients
Crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, chopped

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ganache:

• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• Optional garnish: pecan halves and additional caramel ice cream topping

Directions

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup flour, cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate until blended. Spread over crust.
• Combine caramel topping and remaining flour; stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chocolate batter. Top with remaining batter. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
• Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
• Place chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Spread over cheesecake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until set. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves and additional caramel topping if desired

While baking my mind starts running sometimes. I was thinking back to this time last year. I was already baking for the holidays, like a mad woman. Little did I know that I was just weeks away from finding out about a sweet little surprise later to be named Isla :) 

On December 23rd 2009 I had my regular annual visit with my dr and to get an rx for birth control (haha). I actually did start the nuva ring that day. When I left there I just felt "off". My cycle wasn't late or even due yet but something just wasn't right. I went to the grocery store and got a box of 2 store brand tests, thinking I was just being crazy, didn't want to spend the big bucks on a better test. I went home took one and a very faint line appeared. NO WAY, I thought. So... being me, I took another. I was in disbelief. The lines were so faint they must be wrong....right? Plus I was 6 or so days away from even being due for my period. Here is a picture of that first test:

So they next day was Christmas eve. My mom was having a get together. Shaun was still at work. I went by my mom's and asked if I could leave the boys while I ran to the store for "some milk". I get there and the parking lot is CRAZY. After 15 minutes I decided I'd throw in the towel and come back another day. My friend called and said oh no you better find parking and go in there and get another test! I went around one more time and found a spot. Pushed past the crowds of crazy last minute shoppers. Grabbed a 2 pack of First response tests. I pay for them and went right to the bathroom. I took a test in the bathroom stall at the grocery store... how classy. I can still remember. It was the 2nd stall in and as soon I peed on that stick the 2nd line came up. I still remember the feeling of anxiety, panic AND excitement all at once. I called my friend immediately to get my "i told you so" from her. 

I wrapped a bow around the test. I went and picked Shaun up from work so we could head back over to my mom's. I handed him the test and I believe his exact words were "awwww damn" but what he REALLY meant was "what an awesome surprise", I'm sure of it ;)

We went back and finished the evening with family like nothing was going on but inside I was dying of excitement and nerves. Damon was only 13 months old! I tell ya, when God has a plan GOD HAS A PLAN!

We told our families within the next week with this picture:

Then if you know me... you know I had to take a few more tests to be SURE... this made it clear:

What an exciting time. That was the best Christmas present ever.I have been reminiscing about that a lot this week. So bittersweet since there will be no more babies here (I guess you never know though ;) )

 Now she's here. Safe and sound. Beautiful and sweet. We are certainly blessed. 

I'm back! A quick update..

So I decided to try this thing again. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't follow through with my blog before. I guess I got so busy with being pregnant and having two other little ones to care for that I just let it go.

To catch up on family life....
Isla Simone was born August 27th. She has been a wonderful addition to our family. Taveon adores her and Damon is coming around. She is a happy baby overall, who enjoys 1am play time :)

Damon just turned 2 and being the over achiever that he is, he began his terrible 2's early. Days with him can be both difficult and rewarding. Difficult because he challenges EVERYTHING. Rewarding because I love seeing his smile and he's usually a happy boy with a silly personality.

Taveon just turned SEVEN! How have these 7 years flown by so fast? On one hand it makes me happy that I am lucky enough to watch my boy grow. The other hand I am sad that it goes by so fast. Taveon is in 1st grade and doing amazingly well! He is being tested for the gifted program, reading at a 4th grade level and has been moved up to 2nd grade math. I am one proud momma. He is playing hockey for his 2nd year and still very much enjoying it.

Shaun and I just celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary in September. We are so blessed to have made it this far together. With the ups and downs of marriage and life in general, it isn't always easy but it IS ALWAYS worth it.

Since I last posted, Shaun has finished his associates and has started a really great job. We couldn't be happier about that. Things are looking up and we are grateful!

That is all for now. I just wanted to share a quick family update and I will be blogging more later for sure.
Life is great :)

So let me start out by saying I am exhausted! Damon is 14 months old and has yet to sleep through the night. Today we decided to try crying it out. 40 minutes into it Shaun and I both caved, so weak I know, and Shaun laid with him for maybe 10 seconds and Damon fell asleep. It was a mess. Damon was crying, I was crying and Shaun felt horrible.

Yesterday Taveon lost his very first tooth. That caused lots of excitement around here. I asked him what he thought the tooth fairy would bring and he said 500 pennies! Then I asked him if he wanted HIS tooth fairy to be like the one in the new Dwayne Johnson movie and he said "Mom that is FICTION". He cracks me up. The tooth fairy brought him $6 since he is 6 and a certificate for losing his tooth.

This morning I got to hold a 1 day old baby girl and she is just precious! I forgot how tiny they are! Damon seems like such a giant after holding her. Made me a bit more excited about our new baby on the way.

Pregnancy wise everything is calm. No sickness yet except one day last week. I do tend to lack an appetite but I am sure I will make up for it later! My first appt. is set for the first week of february and it seems so far away! I will be 10 weeks then. I have already been thinking about baby names and we have a girl name picked, haven't decided if we will keep it a secret or not and am still working on a baby boy name.

Yay I am proud of myself for making another entry :)

I am off to bed because I am TIRED and Damon is asleep.

My first post and our Christmas SURPRISE

I have decided to finally start on my blog! Yay me, let's hope I keep up with this now.

I will give some background here since this is my first post.

Shaun and I have been married 10 years and have 2 boys together. Taveon is 6 and in kindergarten. Damon is 14 months and I stay home with him. Shaun works as a car salesman (really he isn't that bad, I promise), attends college full time and is a member of the alaska army national guard. Busy busy man.

Taveon is our laid back, sweet child. He has always been a pretty easy child. He just started hockey this year after being in love with hockey since the age of 2! He also started kindergarten this fall and so far so good!

Damon is 14 months old and a bit of a high energy little guy! He is learning to walk and loves giving kisses. He also loves climbing, jumping and getting into anything and everything! So, he keeps us pretty busy.

Shaun and I had planned on having one more baby and were thinking to wait until Damon was around 2.5 or 3 years old. Those plans were reconfigured when on Christmas eve I got a positive pregnancy tes... ok well 4 lol We are very excited but a bit nervous to have them so close since Damon is a bit high maintenance! I do know that the good Lord will only give us what we can handle though and I will have to trust in that.

I, am of course, hoping for a little princess. Guess we will find out in about 4 months! That seems so long but I am sure it will be here before we know it.

Have to go for now but I will do my best to update this blog often!