December 25th, 2011

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Life lately.

Besides being busy lately (as usual of course!) with everyday life, I've been working on other things. Things like re-doing the living room, Roy's room and our room. It's a slow process as I search out and look for items I like for the different areas and try to find that perfect little piece to complete a room. It takes time but I know I'll be so much happier if I'm sure, and I mean really sure I'll like something before I buy it. :-) I did take before pictures but since I'm not rushing in re-decorating it will probably be a while before I post any.

Other than that I've been trying to keep the house clean with the occasional help from my wonderful Mum and sisters (Family is awesome to have around. ;-P) and working on making sure I cook more healthy meals. Definitely going to have to get a menu plan worked out sometime soon.

Little man is sick right now. It's a rather nasty cold/flu that is going around and so he's into lots of cuddles and drinking lots of goats milk. Poor little guy! He did sleep really well last night which was surprising since his nose was stuffy.  Here's to hoping he gets better really soon!

I made Cheesecake Caramel Pumpkin Cups the other day and they were excellent with a cup of tea (or coffee! :-) I plan on making them again soon, especially since I now have some leftover pumpkin that just has to be used up! ;-) Oh and I didn't make them in a mini muffin tin, well, I didn't have one so I had to use my regular sized tin. It was such a bummer!:-D

Well, I'm off to make lunch or should I say, re-heat the leftovers from last night for lunch. (It's a wonderful garlic cheese sauce (recipe from sis, T.W) over noodles so it'll be yummy!:-)

Bye!

A Resource I Love!

If you are like me and try to go the more natural route when it comes to buying anything from Shampoo to makeup to baby wash, then you'll love this website. I found it on another blog and since then I've been going through it searching to find out what exactly the products in my bathroom cupboards have in them. Its nice that it rates them from 0-10 with 10 being the worst for your body. A very nice website for reference if you want to be more careful what you use everyday on your skin, in your mouth,...etc...,!

Keep in mind that I don't think one should go all out and only buy products that are rated 0 or should throw away everything and start fresh but it does give one a good place to refer to if you are concerned or curious about what you use.

Anyways, I've enjoyed searching the website and its been a nice resource for me and hopefully it can be for others.

Happiness is.......

...getting up early to go yard sale-ing (sp?) with Jay.

...helping him do paperwork.

...feeling baby's gentle kicks.

...having a hot cup of homebrewed Starbucks coffee.

...trying on maternity clothes from last pregnancy and finding new favorites I've bought since then.

...Roy smelling sweet and clean after getting a bath.

...the fresh smell after a gentle rain.

...waiting for the newest cousin to arrive sometime this month!

...homemade strawberry smoothies.

Life is good!

Something new...

I know it’s been a while since I've posted and lots has happened since I've done so but I saw this Blog party post on my sisters blog and thought it would be lots of fun to do. So, here goes....

1. What are two songs that describe your life right now/you as a person?

Oh boy.....I have no idea! Sometimes I feel like the song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers "Oh, What a beautiful Morning..." I'm afraid that's only one song but I've been up since 4am and thinking of another this late in the day sounds painful. ;-)

2. Do you like the color pink?

Yes, but not to wear really unless its mixed with other colors in a print or something and its not the dominant color in the group. 

3. What is your favorite flower?

Calla Lilies, I love their quiet elegance and beauty. I always meant to have them in my wedding bouquet but when it actually came time for that momentous occasion I was so distracted by the incredible man I was marrying that I forgot! Sounds corny I know but its true!!! :-)

4. How many states have you been to?

Um, quite a few I think....let me attempt to remember them all....Oregon, Idaho, California, Washington, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Washington D.C., Ohio (I think...?) 

5. What is your favorite thing about June?

The green hills and fields and the wildflowers that dot them. They are a definite reminder to me that we have a God that loves beauty and his creation.

6. What do you most fear?

I have many fears. Maybe one of them is being too trusting of others? 

7. What color dominates your wardrobe?

Green and denim most definitely. My style is sporty/natural and therefore denim is a favorite of mine, the green is just because I love the color and it looks good on me or so I've been told.

8. How do you normally do you hair?

Down mostly and pulled back with barrettes or hair clips. I'm kind of in the stage of not really being sure what I want to do with it but I keep it trimmed and neat and I'm trying to decide on my course of action. After getting it permed recently I'm a little at a loss as to what it needs now. What does one do with semi frizzy hair that has a mind of its own?!?! 

9. Do you prefer milkshakes or smoothies?

Milkshakes are delicious but when I was pregnant fruit and kefir smoothies were the order of the day and my were they good!!! 

10. Describe your “dream wedding location”

Uh, I guess I didn't see this question before. Is this blog party for un-married ladies only? Oops! Well, I had fun answering the questions anyways if it is and as to the answer to this one, I'm married and our wedding was at my dream wedding location, a building styled to look like a vintage barn with the interior furnished and able to seat people in comfort. It was a beautiful wedding planned expertly with (mostly by :-) my awesome sister, K.

Well, that's all folks!

Roy's Attempt at Irish Clogging.

Don't Laugh.....

I know this is hardly the time to post pictures of Christmas presents but I was so proud of my attempt at wrapping "designer" packages this last Christmas that I just have to share the results with ya'll. (I won't mention that these took over 4 hours (way over) to wrap....:-o) Anyways...so without further eloquence......(I love saying that! :-D) here is a sample of the wrapped and be-ribboned packages.

And a picture of my little man thrown in....

I love being a Wife and Mother!!!

Wow! When I got married I knew it was going to be wonderful but I definitely had no idea how awesome it was really going to be. Taking care of my man and little guy is so fulfilling, I couldn’t imagine being a working Mom who says goodbye to her husband as he heads off to his work and she to hers, dropping her child (or children) off at daycare on the way.* I would feel crushed to know that someone else was pretty much raising my kid so I could sit in an office (or something like that) all day. What if I wasn’t there to greet Jay when he gets home from work and hang up his jacket for him? Or hold his hand while we pray for dinner? Or listen to how his day went? Or there to discover Roy’s first tooth coming through? Or see him start crawling? Or hear his first giggle? I couldn’t imagine missing any of that, well, actually I could and even the thought of it hurts. I would miss so much and it would be something I could never get back, something I would miss and never see again in this lifetime. 

What an amazing calling it is to be a wife and mother. I love taking care of my guys!

*Disclaimer* I’m not in any way bashing the women who work outside the home. What they do is completely up to them and is their own business. I’m only saying how I know it wouldn’t be right for me to be a working Mom and I’m glad I have the opportunity to be a housewife and stay at home.

Scrapbooking

Jay’s Mom gave us an album with all the pictures of Jay’s growing up years and little notes beside each picture to explain when they were taken and where. I think it’s wonderful since I want to learn as much about Jay as I can and you know how they say “a picture is worth a thousand words!”  Well, that is definitely true in my opinion so I’ve decided to start keeping a scrapbook for Roy. Just one that has different shots of him starting from day one and as he grows up, so when he gets older and eventually married (I know that’s not for a while yet but hey, one has to plan ahead, right? ;-) his future wife can look at his scrapbook and see what an adorable baby he was. :-D 

So, I bought a scrapbook, scrapbooking pages, (you know, all those adorable little baby themed ones at Jo-Ann’s. Oh, when they were on sale of course!;-) stickers, tags, glue, scissors, tape and various other assorted odds and ends for scrapbooking. Now, I just have to find the time to work on it. Roy does have a schedule (for the most part at any rate) and usually I don’t have much time to work on “fun” stuff. Not that I don’t do fun stuff, I do, everyday in fact. Just taking care of Jay and Roy is fun in itself but I want to work on household stuff first like dishes, laundry, cleaning and cooking before I work on other things and by the time I’m done with those, it’s time to feed Roy again. (You know those people who ask stay-at-home-moms what they find to do in a day like we couldn’t possibly have that much to do? They have no idea!!! :-) So, crafting and such type things are put on the back burner ‘till that day when I’ve run out of other things to do. I don’t mind, I’m still taking pictures, and writing down things so when I do have time to work on the scrapbook I will have stuff to put in it. 

Maybe I should start a wedding day scrapbook too………..hmmmm…….for now I need to get to the housework and start baking. Oh, like those truffles I’ve been wanting to make and bathing my little boy so he smells all clean and cuddly. Wow, we housewives do have a tough time of it! (Can you hear the sarcasm dripping from my words?:-D)

More of Roy's Cuteness

No teeth so far but he sure does like his fingers.

*Grin* Feeling a little shy?

About to let out a yell!

Relaxing. (This picture is not staged. Roy posed his toy all by his little self. ;-)

The Best Invention

 My crock-pot has been marvelous for those days when I'm in town all day shopping and I need something quick but healthy for dinner. Coming in the front door of our cabin and smelling the wonderful aroma after a long day of running errands and only having to add a few finishing touches and then just dish dinner up is awe-some!!!
A favorite of ours is a roast with potatoes, carrots and gravy. Nothing like a good Irish dinner to fill you up!

My new truck.

I've had it for a few months and I absolutely love it! For starters I feel taller than everyone else on the road and for someone who is always being teased about being short, it's a grand feeling! :-D Plus, getting Roy in and out of the back is so much easier with 4-doors instead of only 2-doors and that is wonderful to me. Now I just need to start lifting weights so I can reach his car-seat to get him in and out! (Just kidding! It is tall but I don't have any trouble. Honest! ;-) Another good thing is that I feel like I could go anywhere in it and I won't get stuck, snow and ice don't seem to trouble "Lariat" and even though I'm still cautious in aforementioned conditions I feel much safer knowing I won't get stuck trying to drive up an icy mountain and start sliding backwards and sideways towards the drop-off. (Its happened before in a Mini-van and lets just say it was a little worrisome, trying to brake when you're sliding and nothing's happening makes for a interesting drive to say the least.;-) Anyways, I really like it and it is an awesome truck.

Pictures........

Dirty (And no, I didn't go mudding, that's all from driving on our driveway. :-)

 Nice and clean!

 Do any of my readers think I post about too many odd things? ;-)

Updates for the New Year!

I decided to take a break from blogging over the holidays and I know I should've let ya'll know but it slipped my mind with all the busyness of the season, but I've several posts planned for the next month that I hope ya'll will enjoy.

For the first post I've got new pictures of my little man Roy to share. He has grown up so much in the past month that I'm starting to feel a little bit old. ;-) 

He prefers his hat on sideways so it doesn't fall over his eyes, he gets quite distraught if he can't see. (Its rather cute really but don't tell him that! ;-) ) He has also started scooting around which is the beginning stage of crawling in my opinion. He definitely gets where he wants to go and we're going to have to get baby gates soon I'm thinking. He has also started saying "ma-ma" when he wants something, I don't think he's figured out that I'm "Mama" yet but he has figured out that if he wants attention, it works much better than fussing. And that's more than alright with me! :-)

I'd better sign off now, its time to finish up shopping and head home so Roy can stick to his schedule, he's a much happier little fella if he knows what to expect and when.

More later dear readers!