I LOVE a great deal!

I just bought a ton of stuff at Half Price Books.

I got all this for $57.00! Can I get a Yeehaw!?!

Layla picked out several (5) books, and she even picked out one for her brother Manny's Book of Tools. It is the cutest book...the tools are movable. She got several cartridges and coordinating books for her My First Leap Pad...they were $6.00. REally? I found some dry erase markers for one of her coloring activities. Bingo!! She will probably leave the lids off and they will dry out, so for $1.98 you can't go wrong. I got several CD's on clearance...ok wait for it...$2.00 a piece!! And then the whole reason we went was for the book Siblings Without Rivalry. I also got another book that looked interesting and I read about it at Amazon. It is called How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. I love parenting books. I rarely make time to read, but GOSH I wish I could. I love fiction books too. I would love to finish the Twilight series, but gee...no time. I have a stack of magazines I need to read also.

The parenting books alone on Amazon would have been $20.00. So yay me!

Anyway, I hope you all had a good afternoon!

I did and it is only gonna get better because Gary is coming home from a 4 day business trip. Another Yeehaw!!

And sorry for the hugely long paragraph. I am having spacing issues lately. I'm frustrated about it. No matter how many times I press enter to break up my words...when I publish it doesn't space the way I want. ARGHHHH!!

wordless wednesday

strawberries

I posted yesterday about being ready for the fall season. I am, but I will miss the spring and summer fruits. My kids LOVE fruit. Strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, watermelon and grapes are just a few that we eat EVERYDAY!

So, I don't want to rush things/time, but around the end of July I am about done with the heat that Texas serves us in the summertime. We probably still have a few months to go. But in winter don't you get sick of the cold? I wish I did, but we don't get enough cold weather here. Anticipation...it keeps us going and looking ahead!!

Anyway back to the fruit and kiddos...Hayden is my good eater, he will eat ANYthing. Layla was the same way when she was his age. I know that I can always get her to eat fruit, even if she is not hungry. She is so particular on some days. Tonight I was thinking she wouldn't eat...I made grilled salmon and baked sweet potatoes. She asked for seconds, and Hayden wouldn't eat the salmon. Hmmmm...I give up!

Anyway, I will enjoy the rest of the fruit supply in my grocery store while it lasts.

Are you ready for some football?

We LOVE football season!!

I am so excited about the cooler weather and fun fall Sundays filled with NFL football games.

But yes it is only July...training camp is a day or two away, and yes Layla is wearing a sweatshirt. She wanted to go outside with it on, It is approximately 101 degrees outside in Texas.

Silly girl! And boy...really?!? A football in your mouth?!?
and a shirt full of drool...silly teeth :)

I'm Batman

See my teeth...

HC's super hero powers weren't working for him so well yesterday.

He had a rough birthday due to teething frustrations.

We still had fun, but just a bit of cranky~ness at times.

Batman with a dryer sheet...off to save the laundry!

Happy 1st Birthday Hayden Cole

HC is about to tear into his mini cake...LK helped him blow out the candle.

He still has a sleepy face and pj's on. We are carrying on our tradition of a cupcake/cake for breakfast! Every birthday the kids get to start their day with birthday fun :)

Super Yummy!!

Hayden is one today!

He is such a sweet little man. He loves food and is a much happier baby since he eats 'big boy food.' I was telling friends last night that he cried the first 6 months of his life. It was amazing when he stopped drinking formula {I know you should have babies on formula or breast milk for the first year, but he didn't like it} he was a new boy. Now at age 1 he is a walking, babbling, eating, ALL boy machine :) He's getting a tooth for his birthday..hehe! He will soon have 7 teeth...4 on top and 3 on bottom. These days he is walking around aimlessly. He really likes to pick things up and walk around the house with them. He thinks he is big stuff now that he is walking...he walks with enthusiasm. He doesn't say much, and that is ok for now...sister talks for all of us! I don't usually put shoes on him. He walks around bare footed all the time. Yesterday I dug around and found some shoes for him, and he didn't like them. Hayden loves water. He loves taking a bath and splashing in the pool. He loves trucks...he pushes them all around the house. He loves balls and throws great! Hayden really loves our dogs. He crawls all over them, and they don't mind too much. He is the sweetest boy and I am so thankful for him.

We are having a low key day and going to our neighbors birthday party tonight. He turns 2 today...Luke and Hayden share a birthday.

Happy birthday boys!

Oh My Yummyness~Cheesecake

I am so excited about my cheesecake! It is so yummy. I am a huge cheesecake fan...it is my all time favorite cake. or is it pie? Anyway, I found this recipe on the back of the Philadelphia cream cheese box. It isn't New York Style cheesecake, but it sure beats the no bake kind.

3 Step Cheesecake

1 lb Philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 graham cracker pie crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended.

Pour into crust.

Bake 40 minutes...Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

So go buy the stuff and try it!

Proudest Mommy Ever!

I am very happy to be the mom of an amazing 4 year old girl. My heart is swelling with the proudness [is that even a word?] I am feeling. My tooterpants is the sweetest, smartest and kindest girl.

We do have moments of anger and jealousy. The sibling rivalry won't go away...I'm hoping it will, but everyone says it won't. Brothers and Sisters right? But that would be the only issue we have with LK. She is a joy otherwise!!

She loves to paint, color, draw and make 'invitations' to her dolls 'birthday parties'. She writes all her letters and does a great job doing it. She can do a 70 piece puzzle ALL by herself. She loves puzzles...she loves to learn...it makes her happy to learn!

My princess amazes me everyday. Most of her learning is 'her' idea. I wanted to help her learn to read this summer. I felt like she was ready, but now I am just letting her take the reigns.

You go girl!

I can't wait until LK reads this post someday.

I want her to always know how proud I am to be her mommy :)

wordless wednesday

Favorite picture from the weekend

I am so thankful for ALL my friends. This past weekend I got to see some of my buddies that live in other cities. I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. We get busy with our everyday lives...changing diapers, grocery store trips, keeping a baby boy on a sleep schedule, laundry, dinner, lawn work, you get the idea. My point of this post you ask?!? I have been so busy adjusting to 2 kids this past year. Sometimes I feel very out of touch. I thank God for my friends and the ability to just pick up where we left off and be together like we used to before life got wild! I hope they know how much they mean to me.

Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life.

friend makin' monday~vacations

Happy Monday!

Today's version of Friend Makin' Monday is all about vacations!

Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments is hosting this week. I'm excited to read about my blog friends vacations. I'm hoping to get some ideas of places to put on my 'places to visit' list.


This task has two parts. You can do either one or both ~ it's up to you...but join in on the fun!

1. Tell us about the best {or worst} vacation that you've ever taken.

2. Tell us FIVE places/vacations that you would like to take at some point your life. It doesn't have to be next year...maybe it's the vacation of a lifetime or somewhere you just dream of going years from now.

~The best vacation EVER~

Breckenridge Colorado

I love the mountains. Waking up and seeing the snow covered trees glistening in the sun is amazing. It is so relaxing to head up the mountain and ski slowly down. Or for Gary...to speed ski down. Me, I am just a nice and slow 'take in all the scenery' skier. Just thinking about it makes me excited about our next trip. I have been to many ski areas, but my favorite is Breckenridge. It is the place I want my kids to fall in love with, as Gary and I have!








~Five places I'd love to go~




1. Myrtle Beach...ever since I saw the chic flick Shag I have wanted to go...ha!

2. Boston, Massachusetts...I want fresh Lobster Bisque :)


3. New York City...I'm not a big shopper, but would certainly do it there!


4. Naples, Florida...I love beaches.

5. Snowbird, Utah...can you say snow ski??

Your turn~link your blog to Jolanthe's and tell us your favorite vacay spots!

Whitney weekend

I took this picture of the boat cruising the lake last night. I was looking at the water from the cliff where our cabins are. Life is so busy, and I am thankful for the time that we spend with our group of friends that I call my 'Whitney' friends!! None of us are from Whitney, but we love hanging out on Lake Whitney.

bacon wrapped pork tenderloin~fabulous food friday

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 lb)
3 scallions, trimmed & cut lengthwise in strips
5 strips low sodium bacon
fresh mushrooms sliced
brown sugar
black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees.


Make a long slit lengthwise down center of tenderloin, being careful not to cut all the way through. Open like a book. Place scallions and mushrooms on one cut side of pork, and fold pork back over to close.

Wrap bacon slices around pork to cover completely. Secure with toothpicks. Place in small roasting pan. Rub 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 Tbs brown sugar over bacon. Roast 35 minutes or until center is 150 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! I can't believe I have a 4 year old. In one week I will have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Time flies when you are having fun :)) Whoop!

Game of Tag

I am playing a photo tag game today. I am glad it is somewhat of an adult game. Shutes and Ladders and CandyLand get old sometimes! hehe:))

My friend Alli tagged me, and I have to pick the 6th photo in the 6th folder of my pictures file. And then tell about what is going on.

So here goes!

This picture was taken on May 24, 2009. We had the Miller family over for dinner. Our kids were playing on the slip and slide. Gary and I just got our new camera and we were taking turns snapping random shots. He took this one of me...pretty typical if you know me! Mouth open laughing LOUDLY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now I am off to get some things done around the house. It has been crazy around here. I have barely had time to blog...oh the horror!! Blogging is my favorite thing to do.

I am so excited about another fun weekend ahead.

Good friends~good times!

Play-Doh Delight

Can we make you a treat?

Layla & Hayden's Birthday Bash

THAT is a super duper water slide!

Alex cannonball style




A few of the girls taking a cupcake break


Mia



The birthday girl!

Check out the water slide we had last year. It was tons of fun. I didn't get to slide last year because Hayden was growing in my tummy. This year I did slide, and it was a ball!

Happy Birthday Layla & Hayden

Dr. Pepper, Animal and Sun Chips...to name a few

Today is Friend Makin' Monday in blog world.

Kasey the creator of Friend Makin' Monday on vacation, so Mamarazzi over at Dandelion Wishes is hosting today. She had a FAB idea...she wants us to list 5-10 of our favorite things! What a great way to find new products and get opinions about cool stuff.

These can be things you think everyone must have, a collection of things you have, or some product or miracle invention that has changed your life...it's YOUR list of favorite things...

This is a new salad I grabbed in a hurry at the grocery store the other day. I was thinking it could get my by in a pinch if I needed to take a salad to a potluck or summer picnic. Wow whee it is YumE! Very simple and easy and I think you should try it. We are addicted to it!

I think Target is amazing! It is my favorite store...do I need to say more?

I love my new camera.

I am learning so much about photography, and this camera rocks! It is the Cannon Rebel XSi.

My Dyson Animal has changed my life. We have two dogs and they shed. When Hayden starting crawling I knew we had to do something about the dog hair. Our Eureka just wasn't cutting it!

Our dogs usually only come in the house at night, but lately here in Texas it is 103 during the day...so they have been in hanging with us. The Animal makes cleaning up fun. I was thinking it was silly at first to spend so much on a vacuum cleaner, but when we added up all the cheap vacuums we have bought over the years it was a no brain er. When I used it the first time I was so happy! Gary likes vacuuming with it too!

I LOVE Dr. Pepper.

I do not allow myself to purchase sodas for our house. If I were to have this wonderful drink in my fridge I would drink it all the time. So...I save soda for special occasions or hot summer treats. I sure wish I had one now!

I love Sun Chips, any flavor. They are so yummy and complete my lunch of a turkey and cheese sandwich!

and last but not least...

My blue Ipod!

I love music of all kinds, and this fun toy is the best invention EVER!

Happy 4th Birthday Layla Kate

Every birthday morning we wake up to a traditional birthday cupcake! Layla was very excited and ready for her cake. She didn't care for the candles...she isn't so big on fire.

We are going to have a fun day of adventures...more pics to come!!

Post It Note

LK had a ball sticking the sticky notes everywhere...even on the dogs!

HC had fun eating them! hehe

Whe life gives you lemons...

give them to your kid!

Layla insisted on having the lemon from my water today at On The Border.

She declared how much she liked it despite her comical reaction.

and we have a walker...

On Saturday with a little support

Today...moving with passion...he is having a ball!



Walking and so happy!

I know TERRIBLE diaper shots, but you gotta snap shots when it happens. He had just eaten and had a bath. And I was using my OLD point and click camera...but he is having so much fun and thinks he is a big boy!

Friend Makin' Monday~Best Friend

Today's topic for Friend Makin' Monday is...

Tell us about your BFF...where did you meet, was it BFF at first sight, how long have you been friends, etc. What makes him/her your BFF...what is it about this person that makes him/her so special to you?-
For the rules, if you are new or need to be reminded of them, go here.

My best friend is Gary, my husband.

He is the most amazing husband, best friend, and father. We met 13 years ago when he started working with me. We were great friends for a couple of years. We did everything together, and even vented about the people we were dating at the time...which wasn't each other...we'd always say we were just friends! But really that is the best part...we have always been friends. I married my best friend, and in September we will be married for 9 years.

I still get excited when he comes home from work. The kids faces light up when he walks in the door, but mine does too. We talk about everything and share the same hopes and dreams. He makes me laugh and holds me when I cry; he knows me inside and out! He is an amazing cook and cleans too. When I am tired...he knows and lends a helping hand. We watch football and Nascar together. Maybe one day I will pick up my golf clubs again and we can play together. He goes shopping with me occasionally...I'm not a super big time shopper...he's probably glad about that!

This picture was taken about 4 years ago. We were at Lake Whitney with 5 other couples for our summer getaway. That getaway is coming up in a few weeks. Me and hubby time...woohoo!! I love you Gary more than you will ever know. Thanks for being the most amazing best friend EVER!