This weekend

We had a great weekend! Robert had duty on Saturday. The boys and I went up to where he was and watched movies and ate dinner. It was great to spend time with him. Jeremy, Shanna, and Haili stopped by and Thompson ended up going with them to stay the night. So Brycen and I headed home. We all got up early and got ready to go furniture shopping. Jeremy dropped Haili and Thompson off at the house. Haili was going to attempt to spend her first night away from home with us.

So we loaded up the kids and made our first stop at In-N-Out Burger. It's been a while since I had been there and boy was it good!

Thompson enjoyed his hat!

Haili did too!

She got sad right before our food came and started to cry and say that she wanted to go home. It broke my heart! I am not used to such a soft-hearted child. After she ate a little bit, she put on her hat, and drank her shake! She definitely started to feel better.

So on to the furniture shopping. We went to a few furniture stores and found a sectional that we loved!!! One problem, it only came in one color and that color was hideous! I had to break it to Robert that no matter how comfy that couch was, we were NOT getting it. I win.

So we went to another store and found a couch/loveseat that was so pretty!! If we got a couch and loveseat we wanted ones that had recliners in it since we will probably be moving our recliner chair out. Well we hit the jackpot! We sat down in the loveseat that had 2 recliners! Then we sat on the sofa and it had 2 recliners! But... listen to this! The sofa has POWER recliners. I am not kidding. I said this was apparently for the extra lazy people! Ha! Literally you push a button and it reclines it for you. Being the tight wad I am, I made sure this feature wasn't extra money or that they didn't have one that just had regular recliners. They said that this was the standard for it. So, we broke down and bought them. We get the sofa today and they are having to order the loveseat. So we will get that next week or so. Oh, and we did opt for the leather protection plan. So if anyone jabs a pen, takes a marker to it, breaks the frame, or anything it is replaced! With 2 boys, I have a feeling that something will happen.

But here is the big realization from yesterday. Three kids is hard! Especially when they are 3, 2, and 5 months. Usually I grab Thompson and Robert grabs the baby and we are off. But with three, we definitely had to get a routine established. I have always wanted three kids, but I don't think so now. Ha! It's not that they were even bad, they were all really good! It's just that I felt that I had no time to think. I was constantly doing something at all times. So, I am happy with my two boys! And you know what was funny, people really do look at you differently! They almost had a "Oh, that poor girl!" look on their face! I know they did when I had Thompson and Haili in the double stroller and I was carrying Brycen in the carrier by myself. (Robert hadn't made it there yet.)

Well we got home and the kids watched a movie. I painted Haili's toes and fingernails and we ate some dinner. Haili ended up going home before bedtime. She wanted her mom and dad so bad! So they came and got her. Maybe next time she will stay with us! :)

I did try and catch some pictures of the kids last night.

And just because I can't resist an adorable little boy...

Happy Memorial Day!

Today is Memorial Day and I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am to the men and women who serve our country past and present. We are so lucky to be able to live in a land where we are free to go to church, free to love our children openly, free to pray, free to be ourselves. How great is that!

I am also so grateful to those who have sacrificed their lives to make sure that my freedom stays free. Some give up their family lives to go fight a war while others give the ultimate sacrifice, their lives.

Today is a day that we honor these men and women. Don't forget to give thanks. Pray for them, pray for their families.

When I try to think of beautiful patriotic songs, the one that comes to mind is "America the Beautiful" by Ray Charles



I believe that I could listen to this all day and still get goosebumps. Through all of the bad things our country is going through, we have so much to be thankful for!! Hope everyone has a great day, CELEBRATE!!!

To go or not to go? That is the question...

I am seriously contemplating about going to grad school and getting my Master's Degree. Seriously.

I honestly jumped for joy when I finished school, swearing off papers, tests, and all of the ridiculously priced books that I had to buy over the years. But in the grim economy we live in today, I feel like I have no other choice.

I always, always thought that if you have your Bachelor's degree you were set. Set! You would get a great job and move up the ladder onto bigger and better things over the next years. I never thought that just finding the job part would be the hard part. I have been looking over the past few months at what is out there for when I do want to go to work. Not very promising at all.

I remember seeing this great title "HR Assistant, Bachelor's degree required". I silently started screaming "Oooooh, Oooooh! That's me!!" But then I looked a little harder. And then I saw that what they were paying for this "degree required" job was what I could make doing what I did all through high school without a degree!

I realized that what I want to do requires more education or more work experience. But I have one question. How am I supposed to get work experience if I can't get a job in my field because I don't have previous experience? Hmmmm??? Doesn't make sense.

So, I thought that while my babies are still young I would go back to school. Perfect excuse to stay home with them as well. ;) I have always said that "your children are only young once, and I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to work!"

So here is the hard part. Tuition is ridiculous. Almost as bad as those textbooks. I still have about $2200 left out of my grant I received last year. That will pay for a about a fifth of it, I am guessing. So I started doing a little research online tonight to find out about some scholarships. Geesh! There are a lot out there. So, I am going to go to the Education Center in June and talk to them about what I need to do and what schools they recommend. I would love to get my MBA from the U of A, but I don't know if that is a possibility with me being in California. So we will see!

Wish me luck!!

Oh, and here are some sweet words out of the adorable mouth of my two year old...

"I like chicken, but I love you Mom!"

I think I'll keep him! :)

Home Alone

Well, I am not technically all alone. I still have my two sleeping babies here with me, but Robert will be gone until Friday night. So.... what to do????

I rented these this morning when I woke up from Redbox. Is anyone else obsessed with Redbox?! These movies came out today in the Redbox machines and I am like a mad woman waking up at the crack of dawn to make sure I reserve it before anyone else does! Looks like I might have a little too much time on my hands! Ha!!

It is also my favorite show's season finale!!!

I have this on DVR just in case some freak accident happens and I miss it! I know, I am pretty pathetic.

I also made an angel food cake last night. Oh, goodness. It is probably the healthiest (is that even possible for a cake??) cake I could make, but it doesn't help that I am the only one here to eat it. Looks like I know what Thompson will be having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Just kidding. ;)

Speaking of cakes, Robert and I are about to celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary! It still amazes me of all we have 4 years after we got married. I am serious, we literally started with nothing. We had a car and everything we could put in it. That's it! Crazy! Which brings up a good question... What the heck were my parents thinking letting their 20 year old daughter get married and run off to California?? Apparently they had a little trust and faith that we would make it. Which I am so glad they did. Look at what we have now!

So let's get down to the real question...

What in the world do I do for our anniversary???

We are going to AR together in August, so I might wait til then to do something so that way I can have some babysitters! Lol. I just really don't know if I trust someone that I don't know. But, if we do do something it will probably be kid-friendly. That's where I am stumped. Is it possible to be all romantic and such when you have a 2.5 year old and a 6 month old? I am stumped. So if anyone, ANYONE has any ideas, please shoot them my way!

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

What's for dinner???

There is nothing that I hate more than trying to figure out something to cook for dinner. I beg Robert to just tell me what he wants. Well, since he has been working so much lately, I have just had to figure out stuff on my own. Well tonight Robert gave a special request for chicken alfredo. So... I thought I throw my own twist and add some summer veggies to it.

This is what you will need!

I L-O-V-E the Giada pasta sauces from Tar-jay! And the pasta came from there as well, but you can use fetticini or whatever. I also have a little alfredo, any preferred brand will work!

Chop your squash and zuchnni into slices.

And halve/quarter your mushrooms.

I used half of the package of mushrooms.

Throw all of the veggies into a ziplock baggie (or whatever you have!) and toss with this:

EVOO, salt, garlic powder, and Mrs. Dash- Italian seasoning

Use about 2 tbsp. EVOO, just enough to get everything coated. Let this set for a minute. After it has soaked up all of the goodness, throw it all on a sheet pan and roast in a 425 degree oven. Be sure to turn the veggies once they start getting soft. I believe this will take about 20 minutes or so. You will know when they are done!

Cook your pasta according to the directions.

Slice the boneless skinless chicken breast into strips. I use 2 big breasts, probably a pound. Sautee the strips in a skillet in 2 tbsp. melted butter over high heat. Brown on each side to thoroughly cook the chicken. When done, add a little bit of each sauce. I think the combination is your own preference. Some prefer more white over red, vice versa. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cover. When your pasta is ready, add it to it. You can add a little pasta water to thin it out if your sauce is really thick. After your veggies are done roasting, throw it all in the pan together, stir, and serve. Oh I almost forgot... I added about a 1/4 cup of parmesean cheese at the end. Yumminess.

It was super good and really easy! And I love using fresh veggies! And I love "throw-it-in-a-pot" kinda meal.

And here is a cute boy that loves to have his picture made!

Brotherly Love

I am not going to lie, I have always, always wanted a baby girl. I just knew that I would have one. I mean growing up with 3 sisters, girls were only a natural thing. When Thompson was born, I really didn't know what to do. I soon learned fast that baoys are wild!!! And then when we found out we were having another boy, I prayed and prayed for an abundance of patience and mercy. Needless to say, my boys have yet to disappoint. :)

Our life is anything but dull. We spend our days playing with trucks and trains, reading John Deere books, riding bikes, and waiting for the ice cream truck.

One moment today that just made me laugh so hard was when I feeding Brycen some sweet potatoes and he blew a raspberry shooting the food all over him and me. Thompson came up and said "No, Brycen. We don't pit" (spit) Too funny. I feel like a broken record sometimes with how much I have to repeat myself, but now I have proof that something is sinking in. Ha!

But my favorite thing is when I see Brycen watching Thompson. Brycen is a natural smiler, but this baby just lights up when he sees his brother. It's like no other! He could be in the middle of something and see his big bother walk by and he just locks his eyes onto him. It's priceless!

I may not have little girls to dress up in tutu's or wear big hairbows, but I think I have two of the best boys in the world that have no trouble melting thier momma's heart!

Happy 5 Months Brycen Boy!

Oh, goodness! I can't believe how big you are. It makes me so happy to look at you with such a big smile on your face. But my heart breaks at the same time... you are growing up way too fast. Chances are, you will be our last baby and knowing realizing that you are not so "baby-ish" anymore is just so sad. I miss the way you cuddled on my chest. That wouldn't even cross your mind today! You are SO active. I swear that your feet NEVER stop moving. If you aren't a runner like your daddy, I would be surprised!

Over the past month, you traveled to Arkansas again. You adore all of your family there. We will be back quite a bit this summer, which I know everyone will love!

I haven't measured you, but we will get that at your 6 month check up. You are weighing between 16-16.5 pounds. You are sleeping through the night and wake up around 8 in the morning. You have a bottle, play for a bit, and then back to sleepy land for a couple more hours. You are on a great schedule and I am so proud for that! It definitely makes my life a little easier.

I always say that you are my good child. You are so easy going and are just so happy. Everyone will walk by and you will just flash that big grin at them. We even had some ladies following us around the grocery store today just to see if you would smile at them. :)

You are wearing anywhere from 6-12 months in clothes. Your shorts are about 6 months. Your tops are 6-9 months. And your rompers are usually 12 months. Big Boy!!

You are wearing a size 2 diaper and size 2 shoes.

The only thing you are lacking on is your hair. Ha! Poor Jude, he is so worried about you not ever having any hair! He even said to his mom "You know that baby, Thompson's brother? Will he EVER grow any hair?!?" I think that you will one day grow some hair, but I think it is going to be blonde. Maybe sandy blond. Definitely not black like your momma's was when she was little. But I could be wrong. Your poor brother has my curly hair, I pray yours is straight like your dad's.

You are sitting great in your bumbo chair and you love to play in the exersaucer. I will probably break out the jumperoo soon. Thompson would go crazy in that thing! I hope you like it as much as he did.

We started you on a little baby food the other day. So far you love the applesauce. I have also tried green beans, which you turn your nose up at. So funny. You tolerate peas. Thompson hated green baby food. You might just be the same way! We will try them again to make sure there aren't any allergies, then we will move on to the carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes! You still take about 5 bottles a day, 6 ounces at a time.

You are just growing up, baby boy. Soon, I won't be able to call you a baby! :( But your daddy and I love you so much! Happy (belated) 5 months!

Overdue

Ok, so we are back from Arkansas! It was a GREAT trip! Graduation was fast, but wonderful. Literally, I felt like I had to walk across that stage in 5 seconds! Ha!

Me and my babies!

On the way...

We had a great party afterwards! And a YUMMY Rick's Bakery red velvet Razorback cake! So good and so cute!

While there, we also had my cousin's, Tiffany, bridal shower. It rained the entire day, but she still had a great turn out! And she was blessed with such nice gifts. She registered for the same brand of dishes that I have and I am in love with hers! I want to buy these canisters and a serving bowl to add to mine.

Are these not seriously cute?!

The hostesses and the bride

Aren't these peonies beautiful? They came out of my mom's flower bed!

Tiffany and her adorable cake!

My best friends!

Speaking of rain, it rained the ENTIRE time we were there. Not kidding. Not just rain either, it was complete with many tornadoes! Crazy! Remember the last time I was back home? It was freezing cold the entire time we were there and had snow storms.

We always love visitors! Kari and Kalli came up one day and played!

Brittany, Brycen, and I

Brittany, Denver, and the kids!

Since we have been back, I am trying my best to get everything back in order! Moving is so crazy! I rearranged furniture yesterday and have been putting stuff on the walls. It is slowly coming together. I need to go to Lowe's to buy some hanging baskets for my front porch and some pave stone for our patio. Lots to be done over the next few weeks!

Robert is still working like a dog. Poor guy. He is working anywhere from 16-20 hours a day. Last night he got home at 9:30 which was great! I was actually awake! But then he has to be up by 2:30 to get to work by 3:40. He is almost finished with his cycle, so just another week.

I forgot (not really forgot, but more so didn't have time) Brycen's 5 month post! So, I will get that up asap. Hope everybody has a fabulous weekend! We, I am sure, will be spending plenty of time outside. Thompson got a new bike (Thanks, Papa) and he is in love. He talks about his bike 24/7.

Next week, Sex and the City 2 comes out! I am definitely going to be leaving the kids with Robert so I can catch it!

Still Alive... Maybe

Boy, has it been a whirlwind of a week. We moved in last Thursday and it has been hectic ever since.

It's official...

I HATE moving! Loathe it.

We had so many boxes (half which are still unopened). The packers did an awesome job of making sure nothing got broke. I mean, ensuring that my seasoning packets were individually wrapped was the best. I bet I could fill my house with packing paper.

Other than that, it is slowly coming together. I will post pictures later on once I get everything more settled.

But!

Time for a mini vaca! The boys and I are headed to AR tomorrow for my graduation on Saturday! I am super excited for it. The three hour plane ride, not so much. Pray for me. I mean that. Please pray for me. Flying with children is already stressful, but doing it with 2 children by myself will be challenge.

To all the mothers out there with children, fur babies,and future babies, Happy Mother's Day! I know that I sure have one of the best! She is everything I hope to be!