Our Christmas Tree!

Today was the day! We got our Christmas tree! If you live in Washington or Oregon, picking out your Christmas tree may be quite an event but here in SoCal you can just buy it and load it onto your car along with the diapers and other Costco items. I had to hold my hubby up when the total came up on the cash register; $94 for 2 perishable items. Poor hubby, the money goes so fast especially during this time of year.

I love that Allie is old enough to really enjoy all of the Christmas festivities this year. She, with some help from her daddy, placed the star on top of our tree.

Her triumphant grin.

I lost track of the amount of times that I had to tell Katie "no touch," and I know I'm not done yet.

O I just love those little faces!

She smiles so big when she is about to do something she knows she is not supposed to...

And a picture of the 5 of us :)

Tomorrow we are off to Knott's Berry Farm! It will be fun but also a lot of work since Katie thinks she is in charge of our every destination. Next week I am planning on baking my first batch of buckeyes so if you'd like to stop by and help me dip them in chocolate I would very much appreciate the help :)



Two Ladybugs at Sea World

Last Sunday we made the trip down the hill to Sea World with some pretty cool friends of ours.

Allie was super excited and she told everyone who asked that she is a "ladybug princess" because she couldn't be just any ordinary ladybug :)

Katie had no clue as to what we were about to do but she made it quite clear that she would not wear her antenna or wings, and that she didn't think the dress was comfortable.

Here is the group of kiddos with some pretty outrageous fish.

Once Katie found out that people were putting treats in her bucket she was all on board! (Notice that I was able to sneak her wings on for a little bit).

Allie and her friend Molly

This is what happens when our little bug doesn't get a nap.

But she perked up on the ride.

Allie was thrilled to be able to have a picture with a mermaid princess.

We had such a wonderful time with our family and friends. Allie has been asking everyday to wear her costume and can't wait for me to finally allow it tomorrow. We are looking forward to attending the Fall Festival at our church and spending time with our little ladies.



A New Bedroom...

Josh and I have been married over five years now and our bedroom set has consisted of a mismatched array of Ikea furniture, most of it given to us. About a year ago, I saw my ideal bedroom set in a Crate and Barrel catalogue. I knew this set would normally be way out of my price range but with my sister's work discount, I would soon have enough money to buy it. Well, about two weeks before I planned to buy the furniture, my sister got a new job. I was really disappointed but I found an ad on Craig's list for a really nice set that would cost a lot less. Two weeks later, Josh took me to the warehouse on Miramar Rd. and we made the long awaited purchase. A week passed and the company never called to schedule the delivery so Josh called them and found out that the entire set was on backorder so we would be waiting three more weeks. Waiting seems to be the story of my life lately. After all of that, my furniture was delivered yesterday! I absolutely love it!

Before pics....

And after pics....

I still have a few more things I would like to add and change; a new computer desk, one more bookshelf, a mirror for over my dresser, and some decorative pillows for the bed. Everytime I walk by my doorway I just stop and stare. My bedroom is my favorite spot in our house now :)
Other than the new furniture, my life has been pretty routine lately, hence the lack of posts over the past month.
Allie started Awanas last month and she is absolutely loving it. She comes home so excited that it takes an hour to settle her in bed. She has been doing really well with her scripture memorization.

Here she is sporting her Awana vest...

I can't believe she will be 4 years old in just a couple months.

It seems like every day the girls play more and more with eachother. Tuesday, they were in Allie's room sitting on her bed playing, giggling, and snuggling, it was so precious. Motherhood has seemed less demanding and I find myself enjoying it more with each passing day.

The girls having a tea party.

One huge blessing over this past year has been meeting more friends at church and getting more involved. Meeting with my girlfriends during the week has been such an encouragement. So thank you, Ladies, for the playdates, coffee dates, and just living life together. :)

Little Katie Kat has been busy with her toddler mischief. Here she is doing what she loves most, stealing daddy's phone, eating snacks, and having a golf date with daddy. While I'm getting ready in the morning, Katie loves to stand on her stool by the bathroom sink and stick her toothbrush in the water and then into her mouth. Well Tuesday she was doing this exact same routine and then all of the sudden she said "where diditgo?" (I love how she talks) and I see that the end of her tooth brush is barely visible down the bathroom sink drain. When Josh went to retrieve it later he found not 1 but 3 toothbrushes. So needless to say, I have had to find a different routine for her in the morning.

Two peas in a pod...

I am looking forward to more Fall festivities this month accompanied with pictures and another blog post!

Janelle





New York!

Josh and I were able to fly to New York for a week, from September 5-12. We had such a great time! This was the first time we had a week to ourselves with no work and no kids. We stayed right outside of the city in New Jersey.

This was the view from our hotel room at the Sheraton in the Meadowlands.

The hotel provided a shuttle to the train station nearby and then it was about a 10-15 minute train ride into Penn Station in the city.

The day we arrived, we just relaxed and had a nice long dinner, used the hot tub, and watched a movie in our room. The next day we went into the city and started with Times Square.

My Hubby's first look at Times Square :)

It was sprinkling when we first arrived but as we walked to Central Park it started pouring. Our shoes and pants were soaked in minutes so we decided to return to the hotel and pray for better weather. The forecast looked grim that night so we went to a nearby Walmart and purchased rain boots and a large umbrella.

We were determined to see some sites the following day so we set out despite the rain.

We went to Battery Park to catch the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty. As we were walking through the park, we saw flags being driven into the ground. Each flag represented someone who died in the 9/11 attacks and the names of each person were printed on the flag. Josh and I were each able to put one in the ground.

(I really like my rainboots)

After that we were off to see Lady Liberty!

Thursday was finally sunny so we spent time in Central Park!

Josh eating his hot dog :)

The Bull (he also posed with the other end)

I really wanted these 8 oz Reese's Cups but they were $22! O well, a girl can dream.

In the middle of Times Square. We also saw the Naked Cowboy here but I think I'll pass on his picture :)

A picture of the ferris wheel inside the 3-story Toys R Us. We had fun shopping for the girls here!

Little Italy

Some mouthwatering pizza...o yeah!

We saw and did so much over the week that it would probably take 5 posts to describe everything and I will be making a photobook from Costco to contain ALL of the pictures we took!

It was beyond amazing to spend such quality time with my man. The girls behaved wonderfully for both sets of grandparents (which was such a relief for me). Allie squealed with delight when we got home and has been showering me with hugs, kisses, and "I love you"s; Katie just stared at us with a blank expression on her face so I'm not sure what she thought of the whole experience. Katie will cuddle me one minute and then throw a tantrum the next so I think she is a little upset with me for leaving her for so long.

Back to reality, though. The laundry is finally finished for the week, the house has once again been cleaned, playdates resumed, and the Husband worked last night *sigh*

I am dreaming of a more tropical location for our next vacation :)

Janelle

 

Feelin' Lighter

Almost 2 weeks ago now, I started that cleanse. I made it through 5 days (better than I expected) and I lost 5 lbs!
The first day started out well; a bowl of fruit for breakfast was no big deal. I went to church feeling great. And then the afternoon hit and I was feeling really tired and weak so I ate another bowl of fruit and then an hour later, hunger pains drove me to eat an apple, and then the battle began. I started rationalizing with myself and I came so close to caving in. We were invited to have dinner with some friends that evening so I went, toting along my 2 very full containers of fruit. As we sat down for dinner and I saw them digging into their amazing ribs, I looked down at my plate of watermelon and cantaloupe and I thought "this sucks!" I avoided giving in, however, by holding their little newborn and focusing on how cute she is instead of how good those ribs smelled. It was really hard to sleep that night, though, because I was just so dang hungry. I couldn't tell if it was mental hunger or my stomach really was empty.
Day 2 started with a baked potato, which tasted heavenly! The rest of the day I chomped away on some fresh veggies. That night I felt so incredibly weak so I ate half of a chicken breast so that I wouldn't be tempted to binge and give up altogether.
Day 3 was fruits and veggies. I took the girls to the beach with some friends and that ended up being a great distraction from my stomach. I munched away on my fruits and veggies and dreamed of looking incredibly good in a bikini :) I thought I would want to give up on this day, but for some strange reason I felt compelled to go on. There was a pizza at Bible study that night that smelled so good but seeing a 3 lb weight loss on my scale that morning, took away any desire to partake.
Day 4 was milk and bananas and this was the easiest day for me. I ate a banana for breakfast and then made a milk and banana smoothie for lunch and it was so filling that I wasn't even tempted to eat anything else.
Day 5 was beef and tomatoes. I'm not a fan of tomatoes, unless they are chopped up in salsa, but my friend brought me some of her home-grown tomatoes and they tasted really good on top of my beef portions for the day.
Day 6 I decided to stop the cleanse and start eating with my family. This cleanse really helped me with my major sweet tooth. I haven't craved sweets as strongly as before and I have been eating way more fruits and veggies each day. I want to keep the weight off, so I have been focusing on eating well and in moderation.
I think the cleanse is realistic and I plan to do it again next year to help me stay on track and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I did try 3 new recipes this week; they weren't incredibly healthy but it was fun to try something new.

The first recipe was Grilled BBQ Potato Skins and it was a hit!

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup Cheddar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, warm
1/2 pound pulled pork
sour cream, for topping
2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake potatoes on middle rack until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Bake 4 strips of bacon on a small sheet pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Crumble bacon when it's cooled.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise, and spoon out the flesh, leaving a half inch shell.
Melt butter in saucepan and add minced garlic. Brush potatoes with the butter and garlic mixture. Flip over and butter the bottoms.
Place potatoes on grill and cook until crispy, about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes on each side and remove from grill.
Divide the cheese, barbecue sauce and pulled pork among the potatoes. Top potato skins with sour cream, crumbled bacon and chives for garnish.

I made this as a meal so I mixed the insides of the potatoes in some butter and sour cream and then re-stuffed with potatoes and then added left-over pulled pork from the day before. It was delish! The crunch of the grilled potato skins made it even better! I think these would be a hit at a party!

I know these really don't go along with the cleanse but they are definitely a good dish to make if you want to indulge :)
I also tried a Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup because I wanted to have a special breakfast dish to make but it didn't turn out so I won't bother including the recipe.
The other dish I made was a Four Cheese Baked Penne and it was really good (the girls even liked it):

Ingredients
1 pound whole-wheat penne
1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup Parmesan
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.
Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.
Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

Josh and I are leaving for New York on Monday morning and we will be gone an entire week! I am so excited because we haven't had an entire week to ourselves in almost 4 years! I am praying the girls are on their best behavior for their grandparents while we are gone. I know I'm going to miss them so bad by the end of the week. It is so crazy how I desperately want a break from them but then I miss them so much while we are apart.

Janelle

The "not so nice" part of life

Fruits and veggies are not my favorite things but I have been making myself eat more of these so that I can be a better example for the girls. I have lost all of the weight I gained from being pregnant with Katie but the scale is just not budging as I have been trying to achieve my pre-Allie weight. So....desperate times call for desperate measures. A friend of mine suggested the General Motors diet/cleanse. After looking at the 7-day plan I thought "I can do this!" We are embarking on this week of self-control and keeping eachother accountable. I will be starting it tomorrow morning so I indulged a little bit today and had rolled tacos for lunch and ate my last birthday cupcake :) The diet goes as follows:

Day 1: All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on the first day are very good.
Day 2: All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top with one pat of butter.
Day 3: A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.
Day 4: Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities.
Day 5: Today is feast day. You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz portions of lean beef. Hamburger is ok. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to clanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.
Day 6: Beef and vegetables. Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your heart's content.
Day 7: Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

You must drink 10 glasses of water each day and refrain from alcohol. 

I am excited and nervous for the week ahead. I am determined not to cave in on day #2; I must finish strong. I am motivating myself with the vision of a slimmer me and maybe some new sexy jeans :) I will post next week with results (good or bad) and thoughts on this diet.
Here I go!

Janelle

A New Addition

Ok....sooooo we welcomed a new member to our little family.

Meet...

Ginger :)

I never thought we would EVER get another dog after our last puppy catastrophe. When Katie was 5 months old, we got an adorable German Shepherd puppy but I was woefully unprepared for the daunting task of raising and training a puppy (they are worse than newborns); so I begged my husband to give the puppy away after a week of getting no sleep. I had made up my mind that I just wasn't an animal person anymore. Well, little Katie adores dogs (as does my husband) and so when we heard that some friends could no longer keep their 3-year-old Golden Retriever, who was already trained, we decided we would take her. Ginger has been a wonderful dog. She sleeps on her bed in my room at night and never disturbs me. Katie and Ginger have a special bond that is just adorable. I have found them lying on the floor together before bed.

On Saturday, I took Allie to see the movie "Winnie the Pooh" and Josh took Katie on a date to the golf course :)

The girls have been playing really well together recently, which gives me a little extra "me" time during the day! They are such goofy little girls.

I'm pretty sure Allie is going to become a fashion designer. Her clothing choices crack me up but it is rather difficult when we are going out in public because she does not like what I make her wear :)

And here is my little bathing beauty. I don't like to waste diapers when we are in the backyard and Katie doesn't seem to mind.

I am planning on ordering a Bible study by Beth Moore on the life of David and developing a heart like his. If anyone is interested in joining me, I would love to have company.

Janelle