Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was again busy as usual. Scott had his final game for the season on Friday night. I went with the boys and had a good time talking with all the wives. I have to say that I have really enjoyed it through the summer. As working parents, we never really have big plans on Friday night anyways so this was a way to see friends, let the kids play and relax. I hope they do it again in the Fall when the weather will be perfect! Saturday, Scott worked so I got up with the boys and we ran what seemed like an endless list of errands - haircuts, a trip to the bank, Target and the mall for back to school shopping and a present for Stevi's baby shower. Then I took the boys to Joni's to spend the night. The baby shower was a couples shower so it was nice to visit with everyone and have a glass of wine without worrying about the kiddos. Stevi and Jamey got a ton of cute stuff for sweet baby boy #2. Who I believe finally has a name - Denton James. So cute! Scott even made the comment that now he sees why when I come home from a baby shower I want another baby. (Typically a short lived thought!) Maybe I need to start making him attend all showers for our family! After the shower, Scott went to a housewarming party for our friends Nick and Brittany. We had to split up our night because it was also a b-day party for Courtney, so he went to one and I went to the other. I had a few hours to kill before I was going to meet up with Courtney so I went to the Highlands and got a much need pedicure. I downloaded some new songs to my i-Pod before the night out. Nolan asked me on Friday if I had heard the new Miley Cyrus song. I told him no and he then told me "It's SO good - you are gonna really like it. She even talks about Britney in it." That made me laugh! Of course when I added it to my i-Pod he was right - I did love it. Hudson, Nolan and I have pumped it up all week. The chorus says something about put your hands up in the air and of course we all do it and dance. I sure am going to enjoy this last week before Nolan starts school and realizes that it probably not cool for a little boy to like Miley Cyrus. I even tortured Courtney, Jen, Becca and Rachel with it on Saturday night. They can say whatever they want but they liked it too! In fact, I think I am going to add it to my blog songs right now! I only snapped two pictures all weekend and they were from Stevi's shower. I love the first one with her eating cake - too funny!

Cooking Kick

Me and Becca have been on a major cooking kick the past few months. B, me and my mom went to see Julie and Julia. It was the perfect movie for us to watch since we have so into cooking lately. It was a cute movie and nice to spend the afternoon with them. We even finished the afternoon with a trip to Kroger to grab a few things. Becca and I spend about 80% of our conversations talking about food, recipes, cooking shows and shopping for food. It's hilarious! And add Kroger to our list of things we talk about - I love Walmart for my basics because it is cheaper and they will price match, but Kroger has way better produce, deli and bakery (don't even get me started on their freshly made tortillas - awesome!). Our mom was always a good cook but she tends to stay pretty basic. Our grandmothers both cook like any good grandmother should with lots of southern favorites. Over the past few years we have figured out that we want to be more adventurous in our cooking and seem to have recently found our groove. Scott and Conner both think we are crazy but are sure enjoying the meals! I have been trying to watch what I eat and I do a better job of that if I am trying out new healthy recipes. I love summer when everything is so fresh, in season and CHEAP! Gotta take advantage while it's here - soon enough the produce will go back to it's less than amazing status. I have found a few new favorites and have really enjoyed making them. I like to spend Sundays cooking and it's nice to have some stuff prepped and ready for the work week. Becca just sent me a new recipe today for oven fries that look awesome. I sent her one for spinach/artichoke dip from Cooking Light. Looks really good and I plan to use it to stuff pork chops and add into my quiche. Like I said, we have been crazy with the new recipes! I really like this phase of my relationship with Becca. I saw a friend at a shower this weekend and she was talking about how even though she has three little ones she wishes she could have one more girl because she has two boys and one girl right now. I had not even thought about that but how true - if we had another baby and it was a girl I would feel so said for her not to have a sister. There is something pretty special about it; in a weird way that I don't even typically talk about. Because there are three of us, we have always had plenty of sisterly love and always an extra ear to listen when we wanna complain about the the other sister (which ever one that might be at the moment!). Ha ha! No seriously - I like that we are all grown up and able to relate on a much deeper level now that they are married and more in the same phase of life that I have been in for a while now. Seemed like they would never catch up and then all the sudden they have. It was something that I used to only have with my girlfriends - I mean, I love my girlfriends too and of course they are like my sisters too, but it's nice to have my actual sisters in the mix now! For example, yesterday I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Becca talking about what I was buying at the store and what I planned to cook that night. I then went home and started working on the recipes. I took her the some of the leftover ingredients - rotisserie chicken, heavy cream and celery so that she could use them for a different dish. I also took her some of the chicken dumplings that I had made since Scott can't eat chicken. She even picked up a few of the things on her grocery run for me that I forgot since I was coming over anyways. It just worked out perfectly. Not sure how long our cooking phase will last but at least I know our sisterly love will last a lifetime!

Busy Week

We have had a really busy couple of weeks. I haven't had a chance to post anything from the last two weekends. Last weekend we had a double header for Scott's softball team on Friday night, we went to eat Chick-fil-a with Nicole and Addyson before the games and they had a clown there, Lochlan's 1st b-day pool party Saturday day, Cari's 29th b-day party and a movie date with my mom and Becca. Here are a few pics from everything -

This Woman's Work

I ran across this song tonight when I was updating my blog songs and picking out all my favorite songs from John Hughes movies. I forgot about it and how much I liked it. Just one of the those powerful songs and instantly gives me a lump in my throat as a wife and a mother. So much in my life that I have done - yet so much still out there left for me to finish. I love my family and friends and feel so blessed to have this amazing life. A song like this just reminds me how nothing is guaranteed and to live each day like it's my last. Here are the words -

Pray God you can cope.
I'll stand outside
This woman's work,
This woman's world.
Ooh, it's hard on the man.
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.

I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking:
All the things I should have said, but I never said.
All the things we should have done, but we never did.
All the things I should have given, but I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away!

Give me these moments.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your, give me your hand babe.
give me your pretty hand

(I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.)

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking
Of all the things I should have said, but I never said.
All the things we should have done, but we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All the things that you wanted for me.
All the things that I should have given, but I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.

The pledge...

I asked Nolan if he remembered the Pledge of Allegiance since we are going to see the soldiers arrive home from Iraq tomorrow morning. He said yes, and then began to recite it. It was perfect until he got to the line "One Dalmatian, Under God". So cute I didn't even correct him. Love him!

Liver, were going to the river!

The past weekend we took our annual trip down to New Braunfels for a weekend of tubing! It was awesome. I didn't take very many pictures but the ones I did were pretty funny. I was trying to get picture of everyone kissing (something that sounded like a good idea after a few beers!) and my favorite is the one of Courtney and Keith. So funny!! We went to the outlets in San Marcus on Friday, tubed on the river on Saturday and came on Sunday. It was a blast. After we floated the river we just posted up on the river right in front of our camp and relaxed in the water for a few more hours. The weather was perfect and it was so nice to just drink with friends and laugh. We really needed some adult time and it was nice to have it! I wish I was a river rat! :) On Saturday night we went to eat at Mamacita's like we always do after a river trip. Yummy! Sunday we slept late and then hit the road to go home. Renting a cabin was perfect - it made the trip even better! We stopped in Gruene and did a little shopping in the old country store and then ate lunch at the Gristmill Restaurant. It was SO good. They had these amazing green beans that they of course call "Gruene Beans". I asked the waiter what was in them and he said that they had fresh green beans, pico, bacon and a little feta cheese. I found a copycat recipe online so I am going to try them out this weekend. If they are good I will post the recipe. I love our annual river trip - this was our 10th year and it just gets better every time!

Trip to the circus!

On Wednesday night I took Nolan to the circus. PaPa's work (Vought) has a box out at the AA center and he was given two tickets for the show. I hadn't been to the circus in years. We had a great time! I thought that Nolan might lose interest but he really liked it. Scott and Hudson hung out at home and it was nice to have a night out with just me and Nolan. They have a "pre-show" that was great. They let all the families go out on the actual arena floor and mingle with the clowns. One of the elephants came out and painted a picture. I think Nolan liked that part the best because we were so close. I couldn't believe all the crappy toys they try to sell ya...there were little booths set up everywhere we went!! Of course I was talked into an $18 toy that will probably be broken within the week. The biggest shock was when I decided to get us some cotton candy. The guy was going up and down the aisles selling it and lots of families were buying it so I was completely shocked (after yelling for some and having it passed down to us about 10 seats in) when I found out the cost was $12 dollars!!!! Are you kidding me? That was out of control!! I was not going to make all those families pass it back - too embarrassing. Too top it all off, Nolan took one taste and gagged. It was his first time to try it and he didn't like it at all. He said "The texture is disgusting in my mouth!" I almost forced him to try it again until he said that - how do you argue with that? Ha ha! So I ate the $12 cotton candy and he wore the cheap 2 cent hat that came on top of the bag. Go figure. Good thing we had free tickets and a parking pass!