And a Happy New Year...

Well, we survived, one with an insane 'sthounds all forts of clugged up' cold and three other relatively healthy people! This was the first Christmas that our oldes really got to enjoy and it was so much fun to see her running across the room with her new things 'Mama, mama, see?!' And then there was poor Char who couldn't talk really well and couldn't breathe all that well, but she made the best of it and groggily smiled away!

The Favorites--
Sarah's favorite would have to be her American Girl doll, Marie Grace. For a girl that can not STAND anything else in her bed besides her and her blanky, this doll as made a definate difference as she hasn't left her side or her bed since Christmas.

My dad made Charlotte a latch board (you know, the ones that you see going for $70 bucks!). It's amazing what a couple of Uncles and a Papa can do for a little girl! She sits there and stares, then reaches... no, she didn't want the padlock... Another reach, nope, not for the sliding latch... Then.... TWANG. She found the door stopper. They were nice enough to install a rather noisy, yet delightful to a child, door stopper. At least I know exactly where she is at in the house! TWANG..... twang.... twang.... TW TW TW TWWWWAAAANNNNGGGGG...

Update on Life...

In my post yesterday I forgot to tell all you wonderful peoples about the newest member of our tribe (no i'm NOT pregnant, my parents seem to think this is funny to ask everytime I tell them I have big news...).

This is Annie-

She's adorable and she's the perfect addition. I decided whenever I want a baby i'm going to get a puppy, it fufills the need to have something little itty bitty around and still SO much easier than a newborn!!

Well after the saga from yesterday afternoon the day just didn't seem to get any better! We decided to head outside in hopes of fresh air and some peace and though we got the fresh air, we lacked in the peace department. Sarah accidentally pushed her sister down the concrete steps of the pront porch so a goose egg, a scraped nose, and a bloody nose later, Charlotte wasn't in on having a good time. Can't say that I blame her. She stayed glued to my hip for the rest of the outing. I tried to take some pictures since we were out there and my two little funny people weren't going for it.

                                                        See how adorable my bug is?!

                                                    A little better, but you can see her poor nose :(

                                                             And my little explorer!

Today started out a little bit better and Sarah and I have big plans... We are going to make cookies for Santa! I'm a HUGE sucker for sugar cookies (my hips are too... but we won't go there), and if you put frosting on them... yes, it spells trouble for my jeans' zippers. Regardless, Santa loves Sugar cookies so he needs at least three to get him through his long night in two days! ;)

Mothering...

There are days that being a mother is unbelievably rewarding, amazing, creating an insane love for life... Then there are days that go to the butter... Yes, that's right. To the butter.

Enter:
My Bug...

Note: This is the second drawer up... I have no clue how she got up there.  This was yesterday, we have since had a few hiccups since then. Today, Mommy decided to TRY (note the EMPHASIS on TRY) to clean the back room floor. The insanity of my household over the last few days has forced me to lack in the housecleaning department, thus creating a mudball of my back room. So off I go with a broom, a dustpan, a box of swiffer sweeper wipes, and a swiffer mop. In the middle of moving things around my back room I must have missed the sounds of moving dining room chairs in the kitchen. I come out with a half clean back room to find my beautiful baby on the kitchen table with an entire stick of butter smeared on her, her clothes, my table, the chairs, and last but not least... My freshly mopped kitchen floor.  Off goes Charlotte to the bathtub, smearing butter all over her Mama's freshly washed clothes. Why I even try to look nice during the day, I have yet to grasp. To add insult to injury, I put Charlotte in her crib to give Mommy a break while I tried to clean the kitchen and slipped and fell on butter I missed on the floor.

BAM

Sarah comes running out screaming 'Are you ok, Mama Mama Mama!!!' In awe of the fact that my little girl was coming to make sure I was ok, I held it together and tried to get up. I should have known it was too good to be true. Sarah stood there as if she was waiting for something, so suspiciously, I asked her what was going on...

'Mama, There's a big mess in the bathroom...'

Really?! Really??!! I decided to finish cleaning up the butter so there weren't any more mishaps (in other words, I wouldn't fall through the floor....) then move on to the bathroom. I figured as long as I didn't open that door it couldn't really be that bad. When I finally mustered up the courage to open that door, what before my eyes did appear, three rolls of t.p. strewn across the floor.  I have to admit, I had a 'snap' moment... I'm sure anyone who is a mom knows the feeling of taking a huge leap forward just in time to realize that you just got shoved five steps back. There is nothing more frustrating than being pushed backward by two little people a third your size. These girls want to play hardball, I swear!!! Sarah was very put out having to help me put the bathroom back together, I came out, sat down in my comfy chair and realized....

The back room STILL wasn't done.

*sigh*

Holiday Baking...

Well My holiday baking push is done.. Thank goodness. I plowed out fudge, cookies, cake, and homemade stroganhoff for dinner yesterday. My kitchen is still partially a disaster but i'm making Turkey enchiladas for dinner tonight so is there a real point in cleaning up? I rationalized this way when I was about 7 and was told to make my bed. I'm going to be getting back in it in eight hours, why make it?! Unfortunately I have grown since then and the itch to go scrub the kitchen is starting so i'm probably going to go clean clean clean as soon as i'm done. Does anyone else do any holiday baking? What are your favorites? I am a total baker, I love the smell of goodies, and with the amount of sugar and butter typically used, even if they aren't great, things rarely turn out bad! Today, everything will be divied up into adorable gingerbread men tins and distributed to the families on the ranch. I can't have it all in the house otherwise I would eat most if not all of it. The only disappointing thing about yesterday's baking day is that I didn't get to cook madeleines. I have been dying to try out the recipe but my lack of a list this last weekend proved that I can't remember everything and forgot to get a madeleine tin... Oh well, hoping for better memory this week! I am planning an assortment of cakes and pies for Christmas day, so my baking isn't quite done yet. On the menu is a Candy Bar pie (think cheese cake with snickers), a cherry pie (self explanatory), and a boston cream pie (never tried making one before, totally excited!!!). All Preceded by Ham, and fresh green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes, and candied yams!

It gives a new meaning to 'dreams of sugar plums dance in their heads', i've been dreaming desserts for days!

New things i'm in love with:
My mom's peach butter she made this summer, oh so very very yummy!
An old 'Christmas Traditions' scented candle I found.
And....
Last but not least...
Colbie Caillat's Christmas album...
I sincerely encourage you to listen to it on Spotify or buy it on Itunes. It's wonderful!!

Novel vs. Classic....

I'm going to say something and ask for no judgement.... I like Twilight.  I'm sorry I do... I'm a sucker for romances and though some would say that it's no better than tacky velevet painting I thought they were good. The writing was marginal, but the story was really a good one (please don't judge by the movies!). What it seems pitted against is the Harry Potter series (yes I am a huge fan!). Harry Potter wins in pretty much every category, story line, character portrayal, movies, etc. So I hardly think we should compare. Both writers created a phenomenon for today's youth and both have good values. What I think we should take away from both series is what WE got out of the books (Harry Potter movies in my case, I have yet to get my hands on the books!) and characters. Harry Potter instilled loyalty, bravery, hope, and fortitude in it's readers and watchers. Twilight instilled a sense of historical fantasy (think Dracula), loyalty, and chastity... How many movies today really push teenagers to be faithful till their wedding day? Not many, i'm afraid. I'm not going to lie that the glittery skin was a tad over the top (not thinking Dracula), but werewolves and vampires have been part of history, legend, and tradition in some cultures for centuries. It was truly a new spin on a new age tale.

So what separates a novel from a classic? If Harry Potter could (in a sense) be compared to The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, will it take it's place among the ranks of classics by phenomenal authors? All of them had a story unwind around a world of witchcraft, wizardry, and creatures from myth and legend. Will Twilight be next in line to be inducted into the classics for it's similarity to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and Frankenstein? All were fanciful books about blood sucking men and humans with an alter ego or personality and the living dead... I think only time will tell, As I am not the person who could tell you whether or not a book could be a classic.

What do you base your opinion of a book on? There are multiple authors I adore that I set any book I read against, I love Jane Austen, Willa Cather, C.S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein, L. M. Montgomery, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, and countless others that have taken place in the classic writers hall of fame... What I'm looking for is your specs on what you read? What makes it a masterpiece in your eyes? Is it the storyline, the characters, the writing style, the setting, or the cumulation of all?

Thoughts for the day....

Adventures in Puppy Sitting...

Today I got the privelege of watching a 12 week old Mini-Aussie today, and it has been a blast. The girls have been running non-stop, playing with Rio has been their job today. And just when I got into the groove of hey, it's not that bad, it became more of a challenge!

Sarah and I took Rio outside to go potty, he was much to interested in playing with Sarah to even think about doing his business so we went back inside. Five minutes later I catch Rio pacing, nose to the ground in my living room. Anyone who has dogs knows that's never a good sign. So wet soapy hands and all I take Rio outside in a rush. He goes potty... whew... relief!! Bring little Mr. back inside and resume doing dishes... Less than five minutes later I hear Sarah shriek. Figuring Rio got a little too playful I walk over and Sarah is shreiking over the dog doo doo on my living room floor. Think fast think fast! Pick up puppy, take him outside.. first logical course of action. But what about the girls? Sarah won't touch it, but Charlotte has always been a hands on learner. Pick up Charlotte and puppy, take both outside. Yeah right, Sarah would be shrieking in about two seconds. Hurry hurry hurry!!! I finally settled on 'Sarah, pick up your sister, take her to your room. Keep her there until Mommy says it's ok' Take puppy outside, leave door open, come back pick up doggy doo doo, yell at Sarah it's ok, run back outside and grab Rio. Rio goes in kennel, girls go to Little Einsteins, Mommy goes to floor with bucket of soapy water. Whew.... That scenario was a total of about one minute. Can't say Mama's don't think on their feet!

Finally feeling better, thank goodness! So back to working out I went this morning. Christmas party and Little Black dress T-minus 8 days and counting! One thing I have learned through this journey of getting fit and healthy, is that a support group is key in any success. I have been so lucky to have my hubby be my rock... He's told me to push harder, when i'm paying too much attention to the tv instead of the insane elliptical workout i'm doing he oh so gently reminds me that i'm not going to get the body I want by not sweating. He's supportive, he's gentle, he's amazing! There are also two women that have helped me in my Journey as well. Nicole has been great.. She messaged me on facebook offering tips and advice, we became fast friends and she's been amazing to turn to when I have questions or need to vent about lack of progress. She has both a page and blog that anyone who wants to look and feel better should check out immediately!!!
Nicole's Page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/coachnicolemurray
Nicole's Blog
http://nik4213.blogspot.com/

My other friend that has been unbelievably helpful and supportive is Melissa. She just had a baby three and a half months ago and looks so amazingly good. Dedication could be her word!  She believes in clean eating and major fitness and if you want to look like that, you're gonna have to work, and you're gonna have to work hard. And work hard she does. Defiantely another page to check out!
Melissa's Page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/strongisthenewskinny0816

Thank you girls for all your love, support, and help! I wouldn't be where I am today without you! Goal for 2013 you ask?

Run a half marathon.
And i'll reach it :)

Could someone hand me.....

A tissue? And another one? Maybe one more... never mind, I need the whole box.

Bryce was nice enough to hand me his nasty cold right after I got done with the first one. He also then graciously bestowed the bug on two little girls that are rather grumpy. They are currently being soothed by a tub full of warm steamy water, to be followed by warm towels and apple juice. While in the bath it's so much fun to see how even though they're sick, they play their own games. It amazes me how smart they are with each passing day. Sarah got into the tub and pronounced that she was making tea, but will conquer the land of the mermaids... Then Char started scooping handfulls of water on the top of her head saying 'wash wash wash wash...' the whole time. I'm still sitting here watching them, even though dinner should be started, because though a clean house is important missing out on these little pleas of joyful laughter is much much more. They don't have nearly as many toys in here as they used to (Sarah went riding in the tractor with Daddy yesterday morning and Mama 'cleaned' the toy rooms), but they seem to be having twice the fun. Runny noses aside, today actually hasn't been too bad. I got 3 pounds of fudge made, did some laundry, killed a gazillion gnats that have been plague-ing my kitchen lately... I can't figure out how to get rid of the stupid little things. They never die!!!! Oh well, come summertime when the windows are open all the time i'm sure they will find greener pastures. Until then, apple cider vinegar resides on my counter adjacent to the fly swatter.

So does anyone out there in cyber land have any Christmas traditions they would like to share? Thought it's only been three years, Bryce and I have made a couple, one more starting this Christmas eve. We always eat sea food for Christmas eve dinner... Just to mix it up :) This year it's Tilapia tacos with a new sauce that will have a review come Christmas! We also decided that following an early dinner, the girls will get to stay up later (a probable failing attempt at getting them to sleep in) and we bought a new Disney movie to watch. Popcorn and apples with Caramel dip will be on the menu. And just in case you were wondering, I WILL be working out like a crazy fiend after the holidays! We bought Lady and the Tramp, something neither Bryce or I have seen in probably longer than a decade, and the girls have never seen it. Can't wait! Nothing can beat the old Disney movies!

On another Christmas note, I have recently found that I have a little elf in the house. Sarah has become my Christmas helper galore... She has given me helpful hints on the tree, told me she wants the super yummy cake from my Taste of Home for Christmas, and helped me pick out Char's Christmas presents. I finally had to banish her to her room so I could finish up my online shopping with a present for her, but I was instantly reminded.... I haven't even started Birthday shopping yet. It's so hard having a little girl with a Birthday so close to a major Holiday, I almost feel like she's cheated out of her special day. This year we are going to make a BIG deal out of it though.... Yee-Haw!!!! :) :) This sicky is signing off, Have a wonderful monday, dear readers!!!!!

Can I see....

A show of hands for how many of you have tried to karate kick your husband? Anyone? No-one? Well don't. A moment of playful fun has me sentenced to the couch for at least today.

The Series of Events:
Bryce, Emily, and Sarah playing in the kitchen... Sarah tried to 'kitcha' Bryce in the ankle, she missed. So of course I had to show her how it was done! I was aiming for his butt, but where I ended up was the floor. I suprise myself with my own strength sometimes... Not! Well I had jumped up and ended up landing on my ankle and tailbone. As I type my foot is still twitching and my ankle is about the size of a golfball. So if anyone asks why I decided to be a grumpy, non-fun person, it's because it seems like everytime I have fun I end up balling and in insane pain. My wonderful hubby put me on the couch with some ice and a hug, then put the girls to bed for me. After what had been such a wonderful day, it was really sad to have it end on such a bad note. Another sleepless night, this time of my own design, was just the icing on the cake.

On a brighter side of things, I have almost all my leather orders caught up, and will hopefully be sent out on Friday. Everything has turned out so well, I'm so excited! I did a belt and wallet for a dear friend, a wallet for a new customer, and a wallet for Bryce's grandma. All turned out beautifully!

In conclusion, I would really like to warn all you fun women out there.... It doesn't pay to try and kick your husband's butt :)

Fa La La La La......

It appears that it is the Christmas season yet again! If I wasn't feeling so horrible I would get up and take a picture of our tree (it's a fake tree this year, pine needles and me are not friends), but i'm so excited to get Christmas going!! I've got a list going for Christmas baking and it might just be longer than the menu for the month. Thank goodness i've been working out like crazy, because it's going to be treat central in this house. Another wonderful part about Christmas is the Christmas parties. I love to dress up and do my hair and make up all pretty. It's the only time of year other than branding where the ranch crew gets to unwind and talk about the year. Black friday coincided with our trip to Hermiston so my Mama and I got a chance to do some black friday shopping at my favorite clothing place... Maurices. Not only did I get to see some good friends that I miss a ton, I got to shop for some clothes! There is nothing better than a little black dress and my I can't wait to wear my new one! There is something about Maurices that I absolutely love... Maybe it's the stellar customer service in the Hermiston store, maybe it's the killer clearence section. Whatever it is, I love them!!! I got a few shirts and a new lbd. Pictures will be posted before we hit the Christmas party!! Happy Holidays everyone!

Different Definitions...

Cold. It can be taken one of three ways... A noun, it is cold. A state of being, you are cold. Or my personal favorite. You have a cold. Yep, this Mama caught a cold. I wouldn't mind being sick for a month straight after both girls leave for college, as long as the entire term of being Mommy was sick-less. There is nothing worse than a headache, lack of sleep, a sore throat, and a fever with two kids who are healthy and running around like crazy! I wouldn't call it the pits though, the flu with children is ten times worse. Let's cross our fingers that we all stay healthy this year!

Hoping everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we sure did! We made a suprise trip back to our old home town. Sorry for the absence from writing, I happen to be horrible with secrets and was afraid i'd slip! Now that I have the liberty to speak freely, have no fear, I will do so! We got some amazing time with our family and our friends too. The best part though! What is it?! Well, Bryce and I got a new brother! Bryce's mom and dad welcomed Rhett Lloyd into the world a little over two weeks ago! He is the sweetest little guy, can't wait to watch him grow up! Everyone got a good giggle out of taking pictures of Sarah holding her baby Uncle, and Char was the epitome of jealousy whenever I got a chance to snuggle with the little man.
Thanks to my wonderful Mama, Bryce and I got a couple evenings out to spend with friends and we were in absolute bliss. Pretty much all of our friends have little ones now, so even if my babies were in bed, there were always another baby to hold. It's so funny, you beg borrow and plead for an hour or two away, then if there is another baby around, you can't wait to get your hands on that little one! The beauty of motherhood!
Suprisingly, both girls did really good in the car (it's ten hours both ways). Char had some troubles coming home but that was solved with some juice and apple slices. The girl is a sucker for fruit of any kind. She was a trouble baby when it came to sleep though, a note to all you other wonderful moms. Travel with your children!!! I think I got about 16 hours of sleep the four days we were there, and even less since we've been home. Char is such a creature of habit though, that it will take a little bit to get back into a routine.
One wonderful thing about being home is mail! Our family pictures came in the mail while we were gone and it was so exciting to get on there and see our family, all beautiful! There were some questions about whether the rosy cheeks and noses would make for good pictures and I would have to say it was a definite success....

Why the Bug looks so puffy lipped I don't know... But regardless she and her sister were troopers and beautiful!! Happy Holidays everyone!!! Recipes coming soon!!!

How does one...

Judge a cookie? Who should be a judge? What is it about a cookie that makes it great? What is the criteria?  Well I found how out how you judge a cookie today, who should judge, and what the criteria of a GREAT cookie truly is.

Meet my judge...

Charlotte is an incredible judge of food in general but she gave me the low-down on how to judge a cookie today, and I quote:

'1. To judge a cookie, you must have the right cookie to finger connection. You have to be able to feel the texture and gooey-ness
2. Who should be a judge? A small child, I can't honestly think of anyone who might deserve or cherish it more.
3. A cookie is made great by multiple things, but the thing I look for most is how much chocolate is in the cookie. ((I personally think she is bias, anything chocolate is her favorite))'

So there it is, what we all have been looking for. Charlotte also discovered her love for meatball marinara sandwiches this week. They were homemade and everyone cleaned them up, which is amazing because the girls have been on a picky streak. It's a grand thing... but one thing will always be certain... As long as there are two little girls, and of course, one husband, in this house, there will always be a love for Cookies!

The Road Home...

Relationships take time and work, going to boot camp, graduating, then going back to grad school... Anyone who says they have the perfect relationship obviously doesn't worry about money time, shared spaces, or children! While watching Sex and the City The Movie this morning, it came to a part where Samantha says 'I've figured out that a relationship doesn't mean happiness, what about you?' gesturing to a very pregnant Charlotte 'I'm happy everyday.... Not all day every day, but every day.' And Thank you Charlotte for speaking the God's honest truth. After a very long day in town where everything that could go wrong did go wrong, we salvaged the day with a series of things going very right! Then the trip home. As I said in an earlier post, we had a bit of a blizzard a few days ago, so coming home we expect far from perfect road conditions, but not the kind where you get buried in a drift!! Apparently the wind had decided to blow, drifting snow across the road to the top of the tires (this is a prime example of the stuff that makes it VERY difficult to live out here). Thank the Lord for wonderful neighbors! We got stuck about a half mile away from a family on the Dana Ranch and Justin came up with his chained up pick up and pulled us out of the drift and half way home. We rolled in at about 8:30 pm, having started down the 24 miles road at about 5:45 pm. My amazing husband always gets us home! :)

Mexican Emily's Style...

I can't stand taco seasoning from a packet! It's a total pet peeve now, all I can taste is intense amounts of salt (yuck) so it spurred me into finding a less sodium clustered way to make taco meat.

Please ignore the massive amount of grease in the bottom of the pan, I squeeze it out before I put it on a plate but this is my culinary masterpiece for the week.

Taco Meat
1lb ground beef
1/2 Cup Tomato sauce (pre-salted can)
2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef, tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, pepper, together in skillet. The tomato sauce will absorb into the meat along with all the yummy spices and you have a low calorie low sodium solution to high sodium taco seasoning!!  This is very similar to a seasoning mix that the Mexican crew that comes up here to work in the summer uses on their meats (which are to die for!), and i'm too chicken and know too little spanish to ask what they use.

Howdy Neighbor...

There are things in life out here that flat out suck (the blizzard the last two days), but then there are the things that are downright hysterical. I saw a picture a few days ago that had a deer looking in the front door at Fuddruckers (yes that happens frequently up here), and I laughed, deer are funny creatures. Now cows, oh cows, they are anything but predictable. A cow gets chased by horses, humans, and dogs it's entire life being taught to respect authority. There is nothing scarier than an angry cow who decides to turn on you and face off. However, there are things that go beyond the typical behavior for cows.

Hello, Mr. Bull... Though I appreciate your plea to come inside the warm house, I do believe it would be excrutiatingly hard to fit you through the front door! :/  And yes, it snowed all night long! I knocked on the window to get his attention for the picture (he was trying to eat my porch mat) and he gave me the most pathetic/annoyed look ever. Bryce got up and shooed him out of the yard and closed the gate but not before he said goodbye with a few angry tail swishes!

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

But swims inside are so delightful! My girls and I decided yesterday that we were going to take a trip to the tropical, ever warm, waters of Hawaii. Our tropical pool may have been the bathtub but the girls splashed around in their bathing suits and had a blast.

Now, a day later, we are covered up in snow... The thick white cold stuff that has a tendency to ruin pretty much ANY outdoor plans? Yup, it decided to come down in buckets!

It appears winter is here to stay... 18 inches on the ground and counting!

Menu Shmenu....

Menus save my life! For thirty days I have one less thing to think about! I try to go grocery shopping just once a month, using coupons and utilizing loss leader sales. I found that I can feed a family of four, including diapers, on about $250 a month. This last sale at Albertsons was one for the record books, it seemed as though they had seen my menu and put everything on sale accordingly! From pineapple, to turkeys, they were having a sale on everything. I try to shun Wal-Mart as much as possible, I honestly can't think of a worse store... Ever. Bryce and I have had our share of the 'wal-mart reds' where we are in the WORST possible moods until we have checked out, unloaded and are back in the car. Yuck. My favorite part of shopping this month was the meat sale. After Bryce shot his elk, we got our bi-annual 1/2 a steer so we were more than set for red meat, but I don't know about you guys, red meat can get a little old after a while! So onto our monthly shopping we went, Albertsons had a buy one get one that just about made me jump for joy, buy a ham, get a turkey free! The even better part.... I had a coupon for the ham! Boo-Yeah! Ok so that was a little cheesy, but getting stuff on sale excites me!

As far as the menu goes, I plan by using different cuts, 20 ground beef meals, 5 shredded beef or elk meals, and then 5 'other' meat meals (This month Turkey, Chicken, and a couple veggie meals!). Part of the daily routine consists of preparing as much as I can before I am crunched for time so in the mornings I get out everything I need to make the meal and set the meat out to defrost. Not only does this make things easier, dinner becomes just that much more simple to fix when you have a husband and two children screaming at you that they're hungry!

A new spin...

On Dr. Seuss... My wonderful little girl woke up this morning with one task in mind... Reading Mama a story! So while Bryce was getting ready for work I sat down with Sarah and she opened the Dr. Seuss book 'One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish'. I snuggled with her as she carefully opened the first page and waited for her to start 'reading'. She sighed and said.

'Mommy told me no.... Daddy tell me no.... (turned the page) Mama told me no more, Daddy told me no more.'

Startled, I looked at the page, then realized that my sweet girl was inventing a story all her own. I truly never thought that the fact that she gets told 'no' on a pretty regular basis would have any implication on her story telling. Apparently this Mama was wrong!

So this morning i'm stuck here thinking, is that what she is going to remember? Her childhood memories are going to be littered with 'Mama telling me no...', or her sitting in the corner. I know that i'm WAY over thinking it, because i'm not here to be a competetive player in Sarah's popularity contest, but i'd like to be seen as mostly positive!! Why couldn't she have put in 'Mommy took me trick or treating, Daddy took me trick or treating....' We had a blast! The girl was shivering cold with her coat on but she just kept going and going!! We got into the car at the end of the block and she looked at me and said 'Thank 'em Mama, I love you!'.

Note the bright red shoes!!! She's asked to be Dorothy every day since Halloween :)

Gratitude...

With Christmas fast approaching, the television commercials are popping up more and more frequently. The Target one is cute, the dog running through all the people and small buildings, but the one that has my head spinning is the the one from Famous Footwear.  The one wear the blonde teenage girl says 'she won't ever get us, understand us, or get us what we...' then is so suprised and overjoyed when her mother 'gets' her enough to buy her a pair of Madden Girl boots. Her younger brother shares her excitement, and then the mother proceeds to get a hug from her daughter followed by the worst line of all 'This is a Christmas miracle!' I find this to be extremely disturbing. I realize that every teen says the same thing, our parents don't ever get us, that they don't understand us, blah blah blah. Thank God we grow out of that stage, but I have to admit that on Christmas morning I never ever felt the way that that girl spilled on a nationally distributed television commercial. And since when did parents find it an achievement to BUY their childrens gratitude and love? 'A Christmas Miracle'? That would be the reason for the season, that would be the gift of spending time with your family, or being alive to live the day. Not to mention the fact that our children are watching these commercials and the way that girl acted towards her mother and the gift is how our children could take our gifts on Christmas day.  How in the world is this right?

Feel the Burn...

My husband is amazing... I'm not just bragging because he truly is amazing! We ended up with sausage and pepperoni pizza last night for dinner (hubby didn't say a word about it being boring, so, success!!), and I was debating whether or not I would go for a third piece when I noticed it was still light outside. I hopped up like a shot and told Bryce I'M GOING RUNNING! He smiled and said go go go go, so I was running around the house finding my shoes, ipod, and under armour shirt (my version of a warm up!). I told myself that at the minimum I was going to do one mile, and at that I was going to pound it out. I cranked up some Taylor Swift (don't judge.) and hit the road....

This is my run... I was about a 1/4 mile into it when I took the picture, and you see where the green turns to brown? That's where I stop! There and back is exactly two miles and there is nothing sweeter than getting there and coming back knowing what you just accomplished. I've read and heard a ton of sappy stories where exercise made these women better people and I filed it under the 'hogwash' column in my brain. Well I can officially un 'hogwash' it due to the fact that i'm living it. I am more centered, less moody, I can play longer and harder with the girls, I push myself harder, I am alot more patient, and the extra bonus, i'm soooo much stronger willed and stronger bodied!  There is something to running two miles, finishing a Jillian Michaels dvd without stopping, telling yourself you can you can you can until you did you did you did!!! Hoping to get a 5k in sometime soon, my goal is for the end of next summer is to be able to run a half marathon. That would mean getting to the end of the road and back... that's alot of will power and alot of work. But i'll get there!!

One cool thing I did read was that the chances of your children being healthier and wanting to exercise more increase with the amount of physical activity introduced by the parents... Maybe Sarah will become my running partner someday? I see Char as more of a sit in the shade and sip lemonade, yoga, pilates, type personality. Everything Sarah does is big! We went for a jog yesterday and I was so suprised at how well she kept up! Looks like it's time for some Nikes for that girl!!

So, my cheesy mantra for the day...

You CAN you CAN you CAN!!!

'Bored with Dinner...'

After raving about last night's dinner my hubby told me today that he was bored with what we have been eating for dinner. Total blow to the ego (totally kidding!!). I enjoy challenges... I am a pusher (horrible awful trait!), so it will be fun to rise to the occasion. As a food entrepreneur, this will be a problem that can only be solved by going through every. single. cookbook I own! From Julia Child to Taste of Home's best of hamburger recipes we will go through every. single. one!! How do you guys change it up when things get too bland in the kitchen?! 

A recipe!

I promised a few game recipes, and I have one to share with you today! You can do just about anything you can with beef, with game. It's just a bit more flavorful, so I would suggest seasoning less. I make my own seasoning so i'll go ahead and give that to you too!

Red meat seasoning:
Equal parts of-
Garlic Salt
Onion Powder
Creole seasoning
and a touch of pepper.

I put ^^ On just about everything, hamburgers, steak, round steak, pot roast, everything!! It's so yummy!!

Strip Steak Tostadas-

1lb stripped 'Backstrap' (you can use round steak, sirloin, hamburger even) seasoned with the above mix.
1 can Kidney beans
1 1/2 Cups Cheddar cheese (Can use mexican)
1/2lb button mushrooms sliced and sauteed
7 tostada shells

Preheat Oven to 550 F. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil, set tostada shells on sheet. Layer meat, kidney beans, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese on tostada shells. Place cookie sheet in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

My husband just about swooned over these last night (end of the month empty cupboard woes can actually make for some interesting meals).

Next month is Thanksgiving, and i'm planning a huge table full of food! What are all you wonderful people out there planning for the holidays?! With the winter weather settling in, we are trying to keep warm. And as for me, i'm just trying to keep the weight gain to a minimum! My own cooking can be my Kryptonite! Hopefully there will be some breaks in the weather where I can get a few runs in!

Threads...

There are many different definitions for 'Thread'. The actual cotton thread in clothing and sewing machines, a blog post could be called a 'thread', and then there are the threads of life, resembling that in clothing, breaking if strained, stronger the tighter you stitch.

The things you think about while sewing right?

I finished Bryce's new shirt, with minimal mistakes. I'm not going to say that there weren't any, because there most definately are some!!! For the most part though, it's very pretty and I can't wait to put on some snaps! I'm sure there will be a post on that adventure too!

On a sadder note, I'm down five more chickens... My white one disappeared three days ago in the snow, last night something got into the coop and i'm missing two and found two dead in the yard. Man, this has not been a good chicken year. Maybe we can re-up the chicken count come spring. I'm thinking some aracaunas this time!! They lay pretty green eggs and seem a bit hardier than the other ones!!!

One more week to Halloween, and trick or treating!

A Series of Events...

It has been quite a weekend/Monday. It started off with a bang (literally) when my husband shot a raghorn elk! :) Yay! Love game meat! The only bad thing is after a while beef starts to take on a blander taste. Will post with some great game recipes a while later!

We then went into town on Sunday and had a great time, did some Christmas shopping, got some clothes for pictures on Nov. 4th (so Excited!!!). A local photographer Lady Bird Photography is going to be doing our photos and i'm ecstatic to see what happens, I love her work! I'm making a shirt for Bryce for pictures so cross your fingers my creativity can fill in the blanks where the pattern seems to be lacking a little bit!

Soon after we went shopping we went and got some pizza from Papa Murphy's to take home. We did, we ate, aannnddd this girl got the lucky piece that came with a little treat we all know as food poisoning :/ Not the best ending to such a blissful weekend. Finally got to sleep around 5 this morning and the girls got up at 6:15. Isn't that the way it always works? Mama's sick, let's get up SUPER early!! So we got up, we got started (super slow on my part) on our day. About an hour after Bryce went to work he was home again. He looked like he was in pain and then I happened to notice that there were huge blood spots on his knees. A 4-wheeler had rolled over on top of him. He's got a puncture on one knee and a pretty bad scrape on the other. Not the best 24 hours! This evening has gone off without a hitch though, Tenderloin, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli for dinner.

I decided to get a little more housewively creative a few days ago and decided to make Sarah's halloween costume. She's going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, our dog Molly going as Toto. I'm not going to post any close ups so you can't see all the places I messed up but over all it looks good! Very excited for Sarah's first dress up, trick or treating experience!! We have been practicing Trick or Treating, and I have to say, she's pretty much totally adorable!!!

My bug.... Oh my bug. She had an eventful weekend too! My little girl decided that this weekend she would learn how to scale the dining room chairs and table. Mommy forgot to put away lunch and this is what happened.....

Yes, my baby is mischevious. And this Mama desperately adores her girls!

Happy Birthday to two special babes!

Six hours of labor brought me a 5lb 15oz little girl that changed me life. Just like bringing her sister here, it was defiantely a trial but the benefits were so far beyond the realm of imagination. I can't imagine life without her and I can't believe she is a whole year old. There are no words to truly express the feeling of holding a brand new baby in your arms, the ultimate gratitude for this little one really is beyond expression. Today she is walking and talking, and sitting down on your lap if you sit on the floor. I found the most beautiful little dress at OldNavy for my baby girl to wear on her big day (that being Sunday when we are having her party). Happy Birthday sweet girl, Mama loves you sooooooo much!

There is someone else's birthday that I would like to write about. This sweet boy has touched so many lives, mine included. The day I brought my daughter home from the hospital I found out that my best friend was going to lose her son. I cried over Charlotte, asking God why I just got gifted a beautiful healthy baby and my dear friend couldn't keep hers. I was so angry at the injustice in life.

Meet Miloh Brenner....

Miloh was born on October 17th 2011, at 18 weeks 3 days gestation. His early arrival was due to a birth defect called Anencephaly. This sweet baby was taken away from his mother and from this life much too early. Miloh has touched me more than any child besides my own and my brothers. He has brought awareness to the brutal reality of mothers that lose their children. There is not a day that goes by while I watch my daughters grow and develop that I don't think that Miloh should be right there with them, growing under his Mother's watchful eye, being made to laugh by his sweet older brother, being held protectively by his father. So on this day that I am celebrating Charlotte's first birthday, I would like to celebrate Miloh's birthday as well.

Sweet Miloh, you have touched us all, and you are one of the people I can't wait to meet when I get to that other side. I know your Mother misses you, your brother and Daddy too, but will all get to see you someday, so beautiful and innocent, having been nutured in the arms of the Almighty. We love and miss you desperately, you will always be in our hearts and minds.... Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to two special little ones--

Charlotte & Miloh

Quantity vs. Quality

From the time I was little I remember all the commercials for the fast food chains. You want a Biggie! Supersize it! Big Mac! Deep fried yummies! As i've gotten older i've gotten a deeper appreciation for food and how it makes us tick. Me and the girls sat down to lunch today, sliced turkey, cheese, pickles, olives, cottage cheese, and a handful of chips divided amongst us three. With an apple for dessert we almost hit all food groups in a meal. Since i've been actively working out, I have also learned quite a bit about the quality of caloies you are intaking... Say a Whopper is 700 calories... you could have had a footlong turkey sandwich from subway with a ton of fresh vegetables. Not only would that last you longer, it would be SO much better for you. That being said, I don't completely go with Michelle Obama's ideas of school age nutrition. Maybe instead of downsizing the calories, we should replace the beef filler with real beef. We are the world's highest exporter of prime beef, why not use some of that for our kids? Bryce and I have both endeavored to become healthier and in so doing but our portion sizes down to appropriate sizes. It is amazing what a good diet and exercise can do for a body! We all have our guily pleasures (Bryce's is the bag of cookies in the pantry, mine happens to be a bowl of cake in the evenings!) and we should never have to give those up, but everything in moderation! Like a glass of chocolate milk has fewer empty calories and is ten times better for you than coffee in the morning. As much as I adore coffee, chocolate milk is hardly a bad substitution! And there are short cuts like that everywhere! I tried Jillian Michael's diet that went with her video and she focuses on both quality and quantity, but I don't like humus or pita chips so every snack in a week is out! I have dropped many inches and about 10 pounds of weight while just restraining myself in regards to eating and letting myself go go go in regards to exercise! I will post more recipes I have made more healthy or brand new ones I just found over the next few days!

365 Days

Weather report: cloudy, slightly warm, kind of gloomy!

It's almost overwhelming to look back and see where you were a year ago! A year ago today, my wonderful Mom (Bryce's Mama!) came to help Bryce and I bring Charlotte into this world. A year ago today I woke up not feeling too great, contractions were coming and going, then at about 7pm we decided to go to the hospital. If any of you out there have had children you know that they don't allow you to eat anything when you come in to have a baby so I begged Bryce to stop off at the local cafe to get me a grilled cheese sandwich. My knight in shining armor did so and with a semi-satisfied tummy we were off to Benefis. As of 12:37am Charlotte entered our lives, just one exact hour after I had guessed she would be here. This sweet girl has lit up our lives in ways we could never imagine, from her leaving a trail of binkies where-ever she does, to her overly enthusiastic wave, she is the perfect addition to our little family. The last couple days while i've been working out and running I find that all my thoughts keep spinning back to this time a year ago. A pregnant belly, all the kicks in the ribs, general lack of sleep, and trying to keep up with a two year when you can't fully bend over. Not to mention the fact that Bryce had just had surgery on his arm and was in constant pain and discomfort as well. I have been blessed with small babies and Bryce has always told me that you can barely tell that i'm pregnant. Sarah was never in that category! So from one baby to another....

The week before I had Sarah. Please ignore the wreck that was the house!

 

The week before I had Charlotte.. as you can tell, much much smaller with the Bug!

 

 

A party is on the horizon for this house and I should probably get to cleaning. I am going non conventional for Char's Birthday Cake. The girl loves apples, so Mama is making an apple cake! Can't wait to watch her dig in! More pictures soon! 



Arts and Crafts!

My girls and I may have had a chilly frumpy day (my hair is piled on top of my head, this is day 3 without make up and i'm wearing a large tshirt over a pair of leggings!) but we sure did have a crafty one. I realized about mid-day that I managed to get birthday gifts for one of the little boys here and totally forgot to buy wrapping paper! :-/ So I sat Sarah down to paint some craft paper with finger paints and I sat down on the kitchen floor with some white paint and Char's little toes! Most of these crafts that we do are either from 'The Book' (see earlier post!) or Pintrest: Emily's Pinterest.

 

The results!

Our toesy ghosts!!!

Sarah's beautiful wrapping paper!

And my baby's big smile!! (Don't judge, she's still in pj's!!)

Only a Cookie....

Can be named after a facial expression and a child's drawing!

Oh Snickerdoodles... how fast you go to my thighs, but how yummy you taste...

Knowing how fast they tend to go in this family I decided to try and find a better way to make them. I think I may have just found the best way to make them! First off, the recipe comes from Taste of Home just search 'Snickerdoodles' or click there!! I altered the recipe so it is lower in fat and refined sugar. Instead of a half cup of butter I used 1/4c butter and 1/4 applesauce. I am running short on the super sugary refined white sugar so I decided to go with brown, it worked for all those wonderful ladies 100 years ago right?

The result... a sweet, super soft, darker cookie! They won't be that white shortbread style but after letting them cool and putting them in the Cookie Jar overnight I guarantee you that if you like soft chewy cookies, they are Top Ten!!

Jingle Bells... Wait.... What??!!

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen.. It's snowing... And no, i'm not happy about it!! I love the romance and softness around the edges that snow can give a landscape, but we haven't chopped firewood yet! Panicing a little bit here!

Here I was going to blog about how wonderful of a weekend it was and my hilariously awful day yesterday but it's almost sad posting all the beautiful sunny pictures of this weekend while it's so miserable outside! Maybe at the end...

So let's get into Tuesday. I have managed to have monday at least twice a week for the last three weeks, hoping for a difference this week was my last thread of hope but alas, it wasn't any different. Char's birthday party is next weekend and it was a day of 'Ok, cleaning the baseboards, whoa, the heaters are clogged in dust, wait a minute, did I get the windowsills, geez, the door frames need to get done, hold the phone... I never finished the baseboards!'. The girls were my Kryptonite yesterday... They decided that since I had mopped the floor, they should spill milk, since I just did the baseboards, that they were the best place to draw with chalk, and you can spill cheerios all over where mommy isn't watching where she's stepping? Grind them into carpet? Yes yes yes yes!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!! After all the cleaning I decided to hop in the shower and rinse off before hubby came home (I hate smelling like bleach) so I set up Sarah with Tangled and Cheerios, Char with a sippy cup and Cheerios and ran to the bathroom. I was three minutes into my 5 minute shower and I hear a 'bloop' I peak out and Sarah said she had to go potty and so I said ok, shut the toilet when you're done (anyone see where this is going yet?). I was doing the final rinse off and I here a 'plop' I look out and find Char elbow deep in the flushing toilet and see her binky going down with it. Sarah looked at me and said 'Binky go bye bye?' And then Char as if on cue looks down the toilet and very sadly waves 'bye bye'. I got dried off and dressed, sat down and balled. There are just days that require emotional breakdown. Yesterday was that day!!!

Last Sunday was the sunday of my dreams! I got to read, sleep, ride, and run!

And the leaves turn...

Wednesday was the very last branding of the year. It was a chilly morning, with a light fog at the base of the mountains, slightly overcast, definately a day to pack coats for the girls. We got out to a later start than I would have liked, but by the time we made it up to Middle Creek, branding was in full swing. My hubby was on Fred, Scott on Roany, Lloyd on Dalcie, and Matt on his horse (he's the new guy, I don't know his horse's names yet!). It's moments where being so isolated and so far away from town is so so so worth it. As the crowd of calves began to thin, and lunch was being set out, it was official, summer had come to a close. The days have gotten a little cooler, a little calmer, a little shorter, and fall has rolled in with a whisper.  At around one it was time to head home, and with two tuckered out little girls we made the half hour trip back to the house.

 Sarah waving to her Daddy!

 The bug!

Miss Sarah and her beautiful blue eyes!

Bryce and Lloyd

 

And that is how peacefully the seasons change.... 

Fall Fun!!

What can I say, the man still has it! Today was a glorious day off and we decided to spend it going to breakfast in Cascade and playing with the girls in the park. Both were fabulous ideas!! Even though the basketball was a little flat, Sarah was disappearing picking flowers, and Char was trying to eat every rock in Montana, it was so nice just to relax and have some family time.

Told you she had a thing for flowers!! Wish away my love!!!

 Char playing keep away... Bryce says he sees a future player! :)

These are our other daughters, aged respecively at 1 and 2 they have made life a little more joyful. Within the first month of owning her, Molly broke her leg, then right before Sadie came, she broke it again!! Then in the last couple months we have had two near misses with both of them being pregnant. Thank God neither one of them were! Life wouldn't be the same without these girls...

 

 The above shot is so that everyone knows that Bryce can still dunk it.. Me on the other hand... Haha... yeah, I would be the reason the saying 'White girls can't jump' exists!!

In all it was a wonderful day and now we are off to ride our new pony, Pepper. I wonder if Bryce is ever going to get anything male around this place... His only company is Fred and our rooster, but maybe he just loves all the feminine attention... This man gets doted on alot!! :)

Swai filets for dinner!!

 

Options...

My Bug's tastes are evolving every day. Since the day she was born, Charlotte enjoys having options. Where Sarah needs to focus on one thing at a time, Char needs to have options. From binkies to toys, the more diverse and colorful the better. Sarah loves to wing it, moving erraticly and never either following through or planning ahead. Char loves to move things methodically, she moves carefully, and likes routine. At night we cuddle, then I lay her down in her crib followed by her 'options'. Her blanky has to be tucked up over her ear (she won't sleep if you don't), and she gets given 5 binkies. It is a gamble which colors she will choose but she usually goes one of two ways. She will take the pink one, the purple one, and the green one, (one for each and and one for her to suck on) or she will go for all green. Rarely does she use two green and a pink or purple. How she eats is another options game. Going with the different color behavior I try to make our meals diverse, green peas, white chicken, brown bread. She picks from each category and eats accordingly. I've never met a neater baby. As I speak she has her bottle in one hand and her sippy cup in the other, switching drinks on the go!

Shortly after this picture was taken, she found the purple binky and dropped the second green one!

The Book

Ever have a ton of magazines around the house and you don't want to get rid of them because you have an article you want to keep? I found a solution to that and it's becoming my household Bible!

 

 

The first section, My Style section! All of these are torn out of those 'one article' magazines, placed into page protectors and put into a 3 inch binder!

 



 My home section, my organizing wizard, my future kitchen, and decorating! This one might be in the top 3 of this book. I can't wait to own my own home and actually put these ideas to good use!

 

The money saver section... Self explanatory and mandatory for a family!

 

My recipe section, most definately the biggest section... A variety of recipes from Travel magazines, Cooking Light, and Taste of Home! Yum!

 

 

Aaahhhh Travel. This is my favorite section, just a huge reminder of all the things I want to do in my life!

 



Bryce's section, filled with cows, horses, dirt and silver!

Yes, that does say 'How to Raise a Foodie'! The girl's section, from children's saddle, to how to cook with your kids... Another top pick in The Book!

 

Just had to share what my limited creativity created!!!