Happy Memorial Day!

Today is Memorial Day, but in our house, it has been FAMILY day.  We have had an absolutely wonderful day playing together as a family.  First, we all slept in a little bit.  Then, after doing some things around the house, we all got around and got dressed and headed out the door.  We surprised the kids with a trip to our local zoo, the Columbian Park Zoo.  It was VERY busy, but so fun.  We saw lots of animals, like wallabies, monkeys, tortoises, bald eagles (only appropriate on this Memorial Day).  We also saw a very pretty llama that made my heart hurt for it.  Someone really needed to clean the shavings out of the poor animal.  He (she?) was so soft though and had such kind eyes.  I have a soft spot for llamas since people make yarn out of their fleeces.  I actually asked the zoo employee what they do with the fleece when they shear the llama (yes, I am a nerd, but come on you knew that already!).  For the record, the shearer takes it.  The kids really liked the butterflies and the goats the best I think.  The girls enjoyed looking for prairie dogs in their tunnels, but we didn't see any today.  Maybe next time.  Here are some pics of the kiddos at the zoo:

After the zoo, we watched the Memorial Day Parade.  L asked why they were having a parade.  We explained to her the reason we celebrate Memorial Day.  We told her it is to thank those that have served in any of our armed forces, our police, and the fire department, or anyone who works and serves to keep us and our country safe.  She has been asking questions about death (I think this has something to do with the funerals I have been singing at), so we had to explain to her that we particularly want to give thanks for those that have died while serving our country.  She said she understood and we watched the parade.  Afterwards, we were driving past a cemetery and there were a lot of American flags posted at the graves.  She asked, "Is that why we celebrate Memorial Day?".  Yes L, yes it is.  She is so smart.

Then we went to McDonald's for lunch.  We even went inside.  This is an exciting thing for my kids because we RARELY go inside when we get McD's.  If I am by myself, it is just too difficult for me to handle all three of them.  I would rather go through the drive-through and bring it home.  Anyway, we had lunch and then treated the kids to ice cream cones.  The evidence is below!

We decided to make a list of things we want to do as a family this summer.  Then we will see how many of them we can get done before Labor Day.  Our list is already pretty long.  But, we are open for any ideas you have!

Everyone but mom is napping now, but after the Diet Coke from McD's, I'm a little wired.  I am going to knit a little while watching the Cubbies play Houston.  Trying to come up with more things to do with the kids when they wake up.  What a great day it has been!  I hope that your day has been wonderful too.

Before I go though, I want to post a big, huge, gigantic THANK YOU to all of our service men and women; past, present, and future.  I know that our freedom isn't free, and I appreciate so much the price you are willing to pay to keep us all safe.  May the Lord be with all of you.  Thank you.

With Love!

Run Eric, Run!

I am so very proud of my wonderful hubby. Right now he is participating (and hopefully finishing) his very first FULL marathon! For those that don’t know, a full marathon is 26.2 miles. Yep, you read that right: Twenty-six point two miles. I think he might be a little crazy! He has already completed 5 half-marathons, but that is only 13.1 miles (Only! Yeah right!). He is hoping for a finish time of 4 hours. That is about 9 minutes per mile. Like I said, crazy! But, I am immensely proud of him and can’t wait to be there when he crosses that finish line. I will repeat again, just in case you missed it the first time. He is RUNNING 26.2 miles right now. You might think about saying a prayer for him. I know I am! Oh, and L is very excited that daddy will be bringing home another medal for her. She doesn’t quite get that the 5 medals he has are NOT exactly hers. Crazy girl.

You might be wondering what I am doing while he is running.  Well, right now, I am in a Starbucks on the campus of the University of Illinois.  I had to walk about 2 miles to find ONE coffee shop!  That is crazy!  At Purdue, there is a coffee shop on just about every corner it seems.  But, I have my knitting, I have WiFi, and I have movies.  I am set for the next couple of hours! Yeah Me Time!!

So, we are trying to potty-train J. You would think that this would not be a difficult thing as we have done it before with L. Right? Uh, no. She is the most STUBBORN little girl. She says she “wants to be a baby like M.” I asked her if we needed to get her a bottle and if she needed to go back to sleeping in a crib. She said yes. How do you use reverse psychology on a kid like that? We are slowly getting there I guess. She has been using the little potty one or two times per day for the past week. She just doesn’t understand how to hold it until she can get to the potty. I’ve even tried the bribe that she can go to Vacation Bible School with sissy if she learns to use the potty. No luck. Any advice here would be much appreciated.

L did MUCH better at soccer practice Thursday night. As long as she figures out to take her hands out of her pockets while she is running, she’s going to be just fine. She still isn’t really aggressive, but for the most part she isn’t really an aggressive person. In fact, we are working with her on standing up for herself. There is a little girl in her pre-school class that has been pulling her hair and spitting at her. L says she has told the girl she doesn’t like her doing it, but the girl continues to do it. I think I am giving it the week and if she can’t get it to stop, I may say something to the teachers or the girl’s mom. I’m torn though. I don’t want to fight L’s battles for her, but she doesn’t understand how to fight them herself. We told her if she tells the girl she doesn’t like what she is doing and would she please stop and the girl WON’T stop, THEN she needs to go talk to her teachers. What do you think? Should I just let L handle it or should I step in? This little girl isn’t this way with JUST L. She has this aggressive behavior towards a lot of the other children in L’s class, but L seems to catch a lot of it.

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here in the fabulous state of Indiana, we are considering building Arks. I’m not even kidding the littlest bit. We have had so much rain. I am pretty sure it is the wettest April ever on record. As a farmer’s daughter, I learned a long time ago, you NEVER ask the rain to stop. However, a pause would be fantastic. I guess we did get that yesterday and today as it was absolutely gorgeous outside yesterday. It was about 62 degrees and sunny. It is a little cooler today and the sun isn’t out, but at least it isn’t raining…yet. But, there is water standing everywhere. It is times like these that I am really glad my hubby works at a lumber company. Anyone have any blue prints for an Ark? How about a canoe? Any type of water craft?
Have a great weekend!
With Love.

Missing Grandma

Five years ago today, we said good-bye to a very special member of our family.  My grandmother (my mom's mom) passed away and went to join my grandfather in God's loving arms.  My grandfather has been gone since December 12, 1990 and my grandmother had been alone for 15 years.  They had been married for 45 years.  Can you imagine being without your other half for that long?  I can not even fathom it, nor do I ever want to. 

Grandma Helen and Grandpa Phil were blessed with 5 children on their farm in Winamac, IN.  They sadly had to learn what it was to lose a son in 1976 to a semi-truck accident.  They loved their children and their 9 grand-children so much and taught us what it meant to work hard.  Grandpa had been in the ARMY and Grandma had been a nurse, both during WWII.  Grandma continued her nursing working as a labor and delivery nurse and then later as a hospice nurse.  She cared greatly for others.

Man, my grandma could COOK too!  Most of my greatest memories of grandma take place in her kitchen.  She made awesome cinnamon rolls, incredible potato soup, amazing Reuben sandwiches (especially at midnight!) and my favorite was her Polish Perogies.  NO ONE makes perogies like grandma did.  Luckily she did teach me how she made them.  Hopefully one day they will be as good as grandma's were.  They were so good and I haven't made any in a while.  I might have to change that very soon!  I remember many visits waking up at midnight and having grandma in the kitchen making rolls for the next morning or frying up a Reuben sandwich for us.

Now, I know grandma wasn't perfect.  Like anyone, she had her good points and not so good points.  But, the woman knew how to love and she loved us all with all over her heart.  She kept us busy (you didn't DARE comment that you were bored in her presence), but was always quick with a smile. 

When she died, we had been waiting for the moment.  I remember my mom calling me and I knew before I even picked up the phone.  I had just left the hospital and came home to make sure L took a nap (she was only about 6 months old).  I picked up the phone and just started crying.  I remember putting L back in the car and heading back to the hospital.  I remember E meeting me at the hospital and hugging me tight.  I remember L having a complete blow-out at the hospital and trying to change her through my tears.  I remember going into her room and holding her hand and just telling her I loved her and would miss her, but that I was so happy she was with Grandpa now.

I have NO DOUBT that Grandma and Grandpa are in God's Kingdom.  They were both strong Catholics and loved God with all of their hearts.  I can easily picture Grandpa meeting her at Peter's Gate with open arms. 

I miss Grandma very much.  And as much as I know how much I miss her, I know my mom misses her even more.  I wish I knew what to say to her.  She seemed so sad when I talked to her yesterday.  She was a little better today, but I know she misses her mama.  I can only imagine how she feels knowing how much I would miss her if she were gone. We both know that grandma is in a wonderful place and is healthy now.  We know she is with her true love again and will be there to welcome us to heaven when our time comes.  We miss you grandma.  God Bless.  We will see you again!

With Love,
Theresa

Getting To Know You Sunday!

Happy Sunday!!  It has been a very busy day here in the our household.  I got up early and did Day 2 of 30 Day Shred (read about my challenge to myself here) and then got the kiddos around with breakfast and everything.  Then got ready and went to church.  L had Sunday school and I had to rehearse what I was singing for mass.  Mass was excellent.  Our priest really is inspiring.  This morning, the gospel was about Lazarus and Father talked about death and funerals.  I know his words were much better, but to sum up a point that he made that really spoke to me was this:  To live a happy life, look at your life backwards starting with your funeral. Who do you want there? What do you want to happen? How do you want to be remembered? Live your life accordingly!  It really made me think.  Am I living life how I want to end it?  I have an amazing husband and three beautiful children.  I have a wonderful family and incredible friends.  I like to think that when it is my time, people will remember me fondly.  They will remember that I am kind, I love to laugh and will start singing spontaneously.  I hope that they will know that I am always there to lend a helping hand when I can.  I know they will remember that I will and do knit just about everywhere and I'm sure some will find that funny.  I pray that they will know and remember that I tried to be the best Christian I could be.  I am not always perfect in that endeavor and it has taken me some time to find my way back to church, but I have always known that God was there waiting for me.  I hope no one has to find out any of this anytime soon and that I have a long time left on this earth, but I like to think I am happy and that when my time comes, that will be evident.

Today we went to the Purdue University Spring Fest/Bug Bowl.  What an experience!!  I never got to go when I was in college because I seemed to always have a different commitment that weekend.  We went with some friends and really had a fun time.  L "learned" how to rope a cow and rode a peddle tractor, we watched a cricket spitting contest (Our friend Matt spit one over 40 feet!!), M LOVED his balloon and kept trying to catch it, and we even got to see a rocket launched!  For me one of the biggest things though was J.  She has in the past been TERRIFIED of animals.  She would see a dog or cat and absolutely start shaking and crying.  At my parent's house with the horses, she was scared to go out to the barn.  She did better last time we were there and actually sat in the saddle atop one of the horses.  Well at the Spring Fest, she pet 2 dogs, 3 bunnies, and a piglet!!  She wanted to pet the sheep too (as did mommy), but couldn't get to them.  Every animal she saw she wanted to pet. She really loved the bunnies and REALLY wanted to pet the 2 week old lamb. It made me SO happy to see her starting to get over this fear.  The only thing that bummed me out was the garbage can full of wool that they had thrown away after they did a shearing of a sheep.  I almost cried at all that wool in the trash.  What a waste!!

OK, so now onto Getting To Know You Sunday!  If you would like to participate, go over to MannLand5 and get the questions and link up!  Leave me a link below in the comments too so I make sure I check you out!





1. Do you watch/read the news?  Sometimes.  I try and catch the 12 o'clock and the 5 o'clock news if I can.  It isn't always possible, but I try.  If something comes up on my MSN homepage that looks readworthy, I will read it.  I usually have E keep me informed about the world news that I need to keep up on.  No, not the most socially responsible way to get my news, but at least I am getting it!


2. How would you describe your "look"?  Ha!  This makes me laugh a little.  I don't know that I really have a "look" really.  I really don't care what is "in style" right now.  I wear what is comfy to me.  I see some styles and I like them so I will go with them.  If I don't like them, I don't wear them.  Skinny jeans took me a while to come around to, and I don't wear them that often, but I do like them.  A lot of it depends on what I am doing as well.  Most often you can find me in workout gear with a bandanna in my hair and sneakers on my feet.  If it is something that I get to dress up a little more, I do like to be a little funky, maybe pairing things that other people wouldn't think of.  My friend Casey says I have style, so maybe I do.  But, it is my style, not what Cosmo says I should wear!

3. Did you play sports in high school or college?  I did play sports in High School.  I played volleyball, basketball, and I threw shotput and discus in track.  I LOVED playing sports and am so excited that L is starting soccer!!  I am super competitive about it though and struggle already to remember that she is only 5.  I would have loved to play volleyball in college (and actually had some interest from some schools), but I wanted to sing at Purdue, so I became a Purduette instead!

4. Would you rather give up lipstick/gloss or high heels?  I'd give up lipstick/gloss in an instant over my heels.  I will never get rid of them.  I will be the stooped over 80 year old tottering around in heels, I guarantee it!  I love my heels.  I may be 6 feet tall, but I married a 6 foot 5 man for a reason!!  Love them, love them, love them!!  Besides, I have zero arch in my feet and wearing heels pulls my arch up and makes wearing shoes much more comfortable than just a pair of flats.

5. What's your favorite show to watch on TV?  I don't even know where to begin with this list!!  I don't think I can narrow it down to just one, so how about my top 5?  I love LEVERAGE, True Blood, Sons Of Anarchy, Army Wives, and Modern Family.  Seriously this list could go on a lot longer!!  I do not do reality shows except The Biggest Loser though.

6. Would you rather bake or cook?  I absolutely LOVE to bake.  I really like to cook too.  I don't bake a whole lot though because then I have the baked goods here at the house and I just want to eat them which doesn't really aid in the weight loss progress.  I just wish I could have someone else clean up the mess.

7. Shorts or skirts?  Skirts.  I do not like to wear shorts and it is a rare occasion for me to be found in them.  I'll wear skirts over them every time.  In fact, I actually only own 3 pairs of shorts and they are all gym shorts, one for occasionally working out in and 2 for wearing around the house. 

8. What's your favorite scary movie?  Scary movie or horror movie?  I think they are two different things.  I do not like horror movies.  You know the kind I mean, where someone is always chopping up someone else.  There is always that madman (or woman) like in Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or Halloween.  I just don't dig those, well with the exception of the Scream series, those I like.  Now scary movies are different to me.  Scary movies can be thrilling without being terrifying or vomit inducing!  I LOVE vampire and werewolf movies (and I'm not just talking Twilight here people!).  I like murder mystery type movies too. But my favorite scary movie?  Hmm...Silence Of The Lambs!! 

Well, that is it for me today.  I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend!!
With Love!

Humble Pie

This morning was an example how one experience can make you feel so many emotions, it is difficult to even comprehend them all. My beautifully talented daughter, L, sang at church this morning with the Little People’s Choir. They do this twice a year, at Valentine’s Day and at Thanksgiving. It is about 10 kids all under the age of about six standing in front of the altar singing their little hearts out and doing a little sign language. What they lack in music ability, they make up in pure enthusiasm and volume. It is just about the most adorable thing you could think of! L stood up there before mass and sang “Jesus In The Morning” with a huge smile on her face. Then after Communion they sang “His Banner Over Me Is Love” complete with arm motions. It is so cute! I was lucky enough to be able to cantor this morning as well. I really enjoyed it; the music selection our choir director came up with was great. The “Allelujia” was particularly fun, as it was very soulful and I was able to play with it a little bit. My cousin and L’s Godmother came to mass with her family to watch L. It was great to see them. Well, the homily this morning was fantastic. I have typed and re-typed trying to explain as Father did, but I am really unable to do it justice. Just know that it was very moving and inspiring. Well, I stopped into the Sacristy to tell Father how much I enjoyed mass and particularly his homily. He thanked me and then gave me one of the best compliments I think I have ever been given. He told me that he truly enjoys my singing during mass and finds it inspiring. WOW! For a Priest to find something I do inspiring was both humbling and flattering at the same time. Then L stuck her head in the door and Father told her what a great job she did singing too. He told me what a beautiful family I had and he was so thankful that we belonged to the church. Seriously, I did not think it was possible to feel so humble, flattered, proud, and inspired all in one morning. I truly felt God’s presence this morning and am grateful that I have found my way back to the church.

It has really been a wonderful weekend. Yesterday, we went to my niece’s 4th birthday party. It was a lot of fun. We went to a skating rink and everyone had a great time. E and I even got to skate hand in hand. Yes, it was completely corny and cheesy, but so fun. It brought back a lot of fond memories of skating parties when I was younger. We even put L and J in skates! They weren’t really sure the first time around, but started enjoying themselves once they forgot about falling and just tried to enjoy themselves. Then we went to Mass this morning and afterwards L and I went to WalMart for a couple of supplies. She asked me if I would make Banana Pudding for dessert tonight. After her wonderful performance this morning, how could I even refuse? After we got home I did some computer work and then we cleaned the house. The toys are all in their boxes and the laundry is all done. It’s been a good day!

The computer work I did today was to get a Biggest Loser Contest set up. I really didn’t expect it to be huge, but seriously, we are talking about a lot of people! I am so excited. The winner of this contest is going to win a lot of money. I am going to quite literally work my tail off to give myself the best shot possible to win. I started gaining back some of the weight I took off last year, and I just refuse to let it go any further. I want to hit my goal! I am seriously excited about this!
With Love,
Theresa

Back To Blogging

I am seriously so excited! I now have a fun new little toy that will enable me to blog much more often and should make it much more convenient to do so! I am very excited about this. In case you can't figure it out, I just got a new computer. Be patient with me though as I am still trying to figure out the new bells and whistles! :)

So, you are probably wondering what has been going on? A lot of course! The kids are crazy and we are all super tired of this weather. Last week it snowed and iced and we couldn't really get out much. Then, to top it off, L had Strep. This was our first experience with the dreaded sickness. I really felt bad because apparently she had had it for a week and I wrote all her symptoms off as the stomach flu. But, she tested positive for it and we got her on anti-biotics and she is doing MUCH better now! Back to her normal self and eating us out of house and home. I swear the kid has a hollow leg!!!

J is doing OK. Speech therapy is going very well and she is doing great! I am trying to get the paperwork in order for her to get going with GLASS where she will actually go to Pre-school anywhere from 1 to 3 days a week for therapy. She really is speaking so much better though. The other night at dinner, she said a full prayer. I was so happy, I had tears coming out of my eyes.

Our Captain Stinky-pants, aka M, is getting so big. He is just a big bulldozer. I'd call him a bully, but he's so sweet about it I just can't. He gives these huge open mouthed smooches that are just adorable. He is starting to say many words too. He is saying "mama", "bye", "cracker", "tractor", and "boo". It is very cute. If you ask him where people are he will point to them. He loves to play with his basketball goal and throw everything like it is a ball.

Things in my life are OK. I have been trying to get back onto the weight loss track, but I just have no motivation. Actually, let me clarify that. In my mind, I have the motivation, but am having trouble making actual progress with it. I have decided to start my own Biggest Loser Contest on Facebook and hope that that will help with the motivation, since it did at this time last year.

I have been doing a lot of knitting. I hope I can get some pics up of things here shortly. I have had a lot of people ask me to make things for them. I just have trouble pricing myself. There is NO WAY to actually get paid for the actual work I put into them, but I would like to make a LITTLE money. I am trying to do some research to figure out how to better price myself. Anyone have any other advice?

I have been reading a lot this year. I need to fix my list at the right of the books that I finished in 2010. I also have a list to put up for 2011. It seems like I am reading a lot of Para-normal fiction recently. I just finished Kitty Goes To Washington by Carrie Vaughn. I did enjoy it. I like how the books take a different perspective on the genre. It seems that most of the para-normal fiction genre revolves around a main character vampire with werewolves in the background. Kitty in these books is a werewolf and the books are all about how she struggles to keep her human life in balance with the Wolf inside of her. I am currently reading Kitty Takes A Holiday and am enjoying it too!

What else? Well, I am super duper tired of this weather. I want spring. I know I live in the WAY wrong state for not liking cold weather, but I can't help it. Actually, I don't mind a little of the cold, but this is getting ridiculous! At least I have pretty and fun knitwear I can use!

Finally, just in case you were wondering, my grandfather is doing okay I guess. He fell earlier this week so that set him back a little bit. He is okay, just a little sore. We are hoping that he will be out of the hospital and home by the end of the month. Thanks for all of the prayers!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day! God Bless!
With Love,
Theresa

Drama

Seriously, there is just WAY too much drama in my life right now!

My grandfather is sick and is in the hospital. He had his carotid artery cleaned out last week and apparently had a stroke on the table. Well, they didn't know this until Monday after he ha been home for 4 days. So, I am really worried. He is doing well, but he is not a spring chicken. I am super close with my grandpa and am just so worried.

Then, there is drama going on in my family. I don't really want to get into details in case any of the involved parties would read this, but let's just say it is giving me indigestion!

My best friend flies back to Ireland on Friday. I keep telling myself that she is only going to be gone for 11 months and then will be HOME for GOOD! We figured it up and that is only like 331 days. I can handle that right? I love you Charger! December better hurry!

Then, on top of it all I got sick yesterday. YUCK! So, not much to say today because I could really go off about some things and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I will just say, God Bless, pray for a little patience and go on with life!
With Love,
Theresa

What A Crazy Week This Has Been!

I'm really not doing very well here with this blogging the past 2 weeks, am I? I apologize, life just has been crazy as I am sure it is for all of you!

Last week was the week of doctor appointments in this house! M had an ENT appointment, L and I had eye doctor appointments, and M had an eye appointment and had one eye probed. Then this morning, he had tubes put in his ears. Crazy huh? Good news is that L's eyes are fine and she doesn't need glasses. I am getting new specs and can't wait for them to come in!! They are extremely cool!! M is doing well now, he is resting comfortably in his room and hopefully will be feeling great when he wakes up (doubtful, but one can hope!) He still has to have the other eye probed, but that will be in June. So, after a stressful week of appointments, we can rest a bit!

It is Tuesday and I do have some weight loss to report! Technically this week I lost about 6 pounds, but not really. Remember? I had gained 3 at my mom and dad's house over last weekend, but I'm not really counting those. So, I really lost about 3.2 pounds. In total I am down 48.8 pounds!!! I have hit my 4% goal for in between Biggest Loser contests. The next one begins June 1st. I know that I most likely won't win it, but I am going to use it to help me get the next 20 pounds off! I would love to ht my goal before the end of it!!

I know I have missed the past 2 Munchy Time Mondays so you are probably really wanting a recipe huh? I know you all just crave my wonderful culinaryness (no, not a word, but one I will use anyways!). So, I have given this some thought and decided on Chili Parmesan Chicken and Cake Cookies. The chicken is SO good and moist and the cookies are a very easy recipe that always gets RAVE reviews!! I could sit down and eat them all by self! Not that I would mind you as that would be bad. Nor have I ever done that, nope not me, not ever! :) Okay, maybe once! :)

Chili Parmesan Chicken
(from www.kraftfoods.com)
1/4 c. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 rs. chili powder
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix cheese and chili powder in pie plate. Add chicken, turn to evenly coat all sides. Place chicken in shallow baking dish (spray first!!). Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Cake Cookies
(origin unknown)

1 box cake mix (I've tried these with just about ANY kind, lemon though are my favorite!)
1 egg
2 c. cool whip
powdered sugar

Mix first 3 ingredients. The mixture will be dry...do NOT add more Cool Whip, trust me on this!! Shape into balls, roll into powdered sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes in 350 degree oven. Let cool on pan for about 2 minutes, move to wire rack to finish cooling (assuming they last that long!) Makes around 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

I hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!!

Have a great day everyone!
With love,
Theresa

And The Days Go By...

I'm so sorry I've been MIA for a week! Last week got really busy and so far this week shows NO sign of slowing down! It is doctor appointment central this week, seriously!!

Today is Take It Off Tuesday and I am supposed to tell you about my weight loss. Well, huh. I weighed myself on Friday morning because I knew I was taking 3 days off from exercising and from eating as I have been eating because I was going to visit my parents and I knew it would be a glutton food fest! We went to Red Lobster on Saturday for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. That's right, I wrote 60! Isn't that amazing? It is just so inspiring to see 2 people still so in love after all those years. They are so cute together! Anyways, I ate WAY too much! Then my aunt made breakfast for everyone Sunday morning and it was awesome! So, I was really feeling it come yesterday morning. This morning, I got on the scale, knowing full well that I was going to have to accept the damage I did over the weekend. Well, I GAINED 3 pounds since Friday!! Yes, I know that some of that is water weight and I am feeling a little PMSy too, but still! Wow! So, I really worked my tail off in the gym today. Let's hope that I can get that off soon. I really would like to hit 50 pounds in the next 2 weeks! Wish me luck!

I am finding though that this will forever be a battle. I just love to eat. The thought of not counting points now really scares me. I only have so much self control. If the bad stuff isn't around me, I do okay, but when faced with it directly, it is very difficult for me to walk away from. I dream of ice cream and cake and pizza and steak. I just love food! I think I could have been a foodie, but when it comes down to it, I'm really not all that particular. I just really like to eat. So, once I hit my goal, I am probably going to have to work even harder just to keep it off than I did getting it off. Anyone else have experience with this? Any advice?

I hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day on Sunday! I did. We didn't do much, but it was really nice. I did get two beautiful pansies in pretty pots painted by my adorable girls thanks to my wonderful neighbor! They are very cute! What fun things did your family do?

I hope that you all have a wonderful day!!
With Love,
Theresa

Lovely Monday (Munchies!!)

What a great Monday!! Yes, not usually the highlight of the week, but I have really had a great one! First, I was able to actually get a shower, fix my hair, and do my makeup this morning. If you are not a mom, you have NO IDEA just how wonderful of a thing that is! Then I went to MOPS. I feel SO good about myself after MOPS. Everyone was telling me how great I looked. Seriously, I feel HOT!! Then the kiddos and I came home, grabbed lunch and went to the gym. I wasn't sure how they would do with being in child care in 2 different places, but they were great! I had a good hard workout and am now ready to weigh-in in the morning. We had a great dinner of Grilled Chicken (thanks E!) and then we all went and played outside for a while. It was a fun fun day! I am exhausted! Tomorrow the kiddos are getting their pictures taken by my beautiful wonderfully talented cousin, Jennifer. Between the 2 of us, we have so many ideas! I can't wait!

Are you ready for a recipe? Now, don't judge before you try them! I made Salmon Patties the other night. I have memories of my mom making these when I was a kid and I hated them! Not only did they smell, but it always bugged the heck out of me that the can was smaller at the bottom than it was at the top. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but it did. But, I know salmon is good for you and E likes it so I thought I would give it a try. Now, I feel like I should warn you. When you open the can, be prepared for the fish skin and some cartilage. I was not expecting that at all! E laughed at me some as I yelled, "What the hell?" Once I got over my initial shock, I got to work. These are SUPER easy and they were really good! I will make them again.

Theresa's Salmon Patties

2 cans salmon, drained (don't feel like you have to get ALL the liquid out, a little won't hurt!)
1 c. bread crumbs (I used the 2 heels of my Brownberry Double Fiber bread and just ran them through my food processor)
1/2 onion, minced
2 eggs (whip them up a little in a bowl before you add them)

Mix everything together! Spray your pan with cooking spray. Make 1/4 c. patties and smash with your impeccably clean hands! Cook until brown on one side, flip and cook until brown on that side. Pretty simple.

I got about 16 patties out of this. They will reheat well too. The only thing I would do differently next time is add some spices (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Cayenne pepper, maybe some cumin, salt,pepper, whatever you like!). I also served with low-fat sour cream which was really good. E had horseradish sauce with them and said they were fantastic! I figured these to be 2.5 POINTS for each patty.

Let me know if you have any questions. Oh, you might want to open a window while making these though, they are a little stinky.

Well, have a great day! See you tomorrow!
With Love,
Theresa

Big Day!! (Take It Off Tuesday!)

Wow, OK, so it is only 11 am here and it has been a BIG DAY!!! I apologize for not posting yesterday, but I didn't really have a recipe to share and I was pretty busy with 2 of the kiddos (L is at Grandma's) who were crying a lot! So, on to today!

This morning J had to get tubes put in her ears. Yes, it is a routine procedure, but when it is your kid and they are little and they put them under, But, she did fantastically! She didn't even cry when the anesthesiologist took her back (and before you ask, yes, I did, but I didn't do too badly!). The nurse said she didn't cry when she woke up either. She started fussing a little when they had to take off the heart monitor patches and when the ears started to be a little sore, but other than that, she did AWESOME! At home, she was back to her old self and has already said "beans" and "ball". I about cried again! It is so great. She is napping right now and I told her we could go to either McDonald's or Burger King for a treat for lunch.

In other big news....I lost 4.8 pounds this week! I am floored! I know I did well, I worked my TAIL off, but I wasn't expecting that! E was happy as he had told me that by having a smaller number last week that I would probably have a big one this week! He loves it when he is right! But, I am very happy. I looked in the mirror today I can really start to tell a difference. It makes me feel so good and I'm really proud of myself for all my hard work. I have 20 more days until my contest is over...it would be SO awesome to win!!

We had a wonderful Easter holiday. I hope you did too. I need to go as M is starting to get fussy (shocking!), but I hope you have a wonderful day!
With Love,
Theresa

Fruit Loops, Sloppy Joes, and Sleepless Nights!

Hello there! Happy Munchy Time Monday! Did you have a good weekend? We did. We didn't do anything special, but enjoyed some family time. Saturday we all worked out here at home (the girls included). It is hilarious to watch J do squats! Then we went to the gym together. I ran into an old co-worker on the treadmill. I am seriously uncoordinated enough, but try walking on the treadmill and talking to the person next to me was an experience. I swear I about wiped out about 4 times! Then we came home and everyone took a nap after lunch (it was wonderful!). We had a great family dinner after watching Purdue get spanked. Sunday M and I went and picked up L's trial bed and then went and got some bedding. I was able to get MOST of the house clean thanks to my wonderful hubby.

So, at this point I am just downright exhausted. M doesn't want to sleep at night, or during the day or any time if he is not being held! I am trying to determine if he is old enough to Cry It Out yet. I hate to, but Mama's gotta get some sleep little boy! As I type this (from my phone of course since M INSISTS on being held) L & J are supposed to be napping in their room together for the first time. We shall see! I've already put J down 3 times now!

MUNCHIES:

I don't know if I have posted this recipe in the past, but it is worth posting again! This is one of my favorite all-time treats! My MIL gave me the recipe and I would eat it everyday if I could. To make it even better, it only takes 2 ingredients and about 5 minutes plus a little drying time!

Loopy Bark
1 box Fruit loops (I SO use generic!)
1 large block white chocolate or vanilla almond bark

Poor Fruit Loops into a large bowl. Melt bark according to pkg. directions. Poor melted bark over fruit loops. Stir well until Loops are all covered. Spread onto wax paper until dry. Store in air tight container. Enjoy!!

Now I realize this is gross, but feel I should mention it just in case you give this to your kiddos (which come on, if you have kids, you KNOW they will want some!). If you eat too much of this, your poop will be black, or dark blue or green. I can only tell you that I learned this the hard way when I changed my daughter's diaper. I just want you to be prepared! Don't say I didn't warn you!

Now, for my latest meal. I have ALWAYS been ONLY a Manwich person when it came to Sloppy Joes. No generic for us! Then I started doing Weight watchers and found a recipe for sloppy joes in one of their recipe books. I have heavily adapted it, but I will tell you it started out like the Barbecue-Sauced Sloppy Joes from the Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites if you want to see the original. Now for my version...

Theresa's BBQ Sausage Joes:

Cooking Spray
1-1 1/2 onions, chopped,
1 lg. green pepper, seeded and chopped
at least 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey sausage
Chili powder
Ground cumin
dried oregano
mustard powder
garlic powder
nutmeg (just a pinch!!!)

1/2 c. prepared BBQ sauce

8 oz. can tomato sauce

Spray large skillet. Cook Onions and peppers until soft. Add Turkey Sausage and cook until no longer pink. Add spices. Now, as you can see I don't give you amounts because, well, I don't measure them! :) I just throw them in until it looks about right. But, I'm going to guess it is about 1 or 2 tsp. of each spice except for the nutmeg. I only add a pinch just to bring out flavor. Trust me on this! Mix together. Then add BBQ Sauce and Tomato Sauce. Stir and cook until heated through. I serve this with Brownberry Double Fiber Bread (1 PT. per slice). So total, this is about 5 points per slice.

I hope that you enjoy today's munchies. I know that I have! Tune in tomorrow for Take It Off Tuesday to see if I hit my 2.6 pound goal for the week (I am HIGHLY doubting it, but you never know!).

With Love,
Theresa

Free For All Friday!!!

TGIF! That is all I can really say! This has been one heck of a week and I am more than happy to see it come to an end! As I type at least PART of this post, I am sitting at the doctor's office AGAIN! I have been to the doc's office every week for a month, and I still have to bring J next week for her 2 year appointment! Today we are waiting to get M's ears checked to determine if he has another ear infection or if he has teeth coming in. Fun!

The girls seemed to sleep better last night. J slept in the bed and we let L "camp" out in the living room (she was thrilled). They have at least been in better humor today. I think we are going to borrow a twin bed to see if they can at least sleep in the same room together. Here's hoping!

I might have to break my promise of not knitting anything other than my MIL's scarf right now (see yesterday's post). A friend of my cousins has asked if I would commision some hats for her. Depending on how quickly she wants them (I am not a fast knitter) I will probably do it. I look forward to talking with her!

Friday is grocery shopping night (are we exciting or what?). Grocery shopping is one of those things that I would love to avoid, but somehow I miss when I don't get to do it. When I was on bed rest and couldn't go.

I hope you have enjoyed the first week of topics! Have a great weekend!
With Love,
Theresa

Snip, Snip, End of the Road

Monday E got the big Snip Snip. He got along just fine, actually better than fine, he really got along great. He didn't have much pain and was back at work today (Thursday). He probably could have gone back yesterday, but the doc said no work until Thursday!

We now have 3 beautiful children. They are wonderful and we love them so much (see previous post!). We do not want to have any more children. If for no other reason, than I am not sure I could handle another pregnancy. My body didn't tolerate M very well at all. I am sure that I do not want any more. So why is there this part of me that is a little sad that I won't have any other babies and will never be pregnant again? Is this a little masochistic? I really have NO desire to be pregnant again and once M is through with the newborn stage, I am done with that too. But, there is just that part. That part that gets a little sad that I will never feel a baby kick me from the inside again. I will never feel him or her get hiccups again. I won't get to drive my friends and family crazy by not finding out the sex of the baby again. I will not get to diaper a baby with those tiny newborn size Pampers again. There is just something there that makes me truly sad. I don't know why. Is that normal? To want (if want is actually the word here) what you can't have?

We put up the Christmas tree this past weekend. It doesn't have a whole lot of ornaments on it as we are chasing J around the house with the few that are on there. I will put up the stockings (as soon as I find them) and the nativity scene. But, I just don't have a whole lot of Christmas spirit this year. One would think that with all that my family has been through this year, I would have Spirit coming out the Yin Yang. But, I don't. I tried listening to Christmas music this evening, and nothing. I don't know if I am just overwhelmed with all that has happened, that it is just too much. I feel really badly about it. The kiddos deserve a great Christmas and M will never have another first one. I just am not feeling it. Any advice???
Love,
Theresa

My Joy

I am a Facebook poster. I have a lot of friends on there and love that I can celebrate or vent as needed. Yesterday was a bad day in our house. Both girls were very difficult and Marshall wouldn't let me put him down without screaming bloody murder. It was a very difficult day. I was in tears half the day and I posted this on Facebook. Well, today I posted that I was determined to have a better day (which so far we have) and a Facebook friend (who shall remain nameless) posted the following:



"...There are alot of times I read ur updates and I feel that way about grown adults.. need a nap, constantly wining, asking the same questions a billion times, and my personal fav is do something to just make u mad cause they can... See this is y i am never having offspring.. I am surrounded by them... sigh..."



This makes me very sad as a mother and makes me doubt how good of a mom I am. Do I really complain about my children that much? I figure I must, which makes me sad. And why do I complain about them that much? I mean, it isn't their fault that they are all under the age of 4!



I hadn't planned on being a parent. To be honest, I hadn't really planned on ever getting married, until I met Eric. When I met him and got to know him though, I KNEW I wanted to marry him and have his children. This is a decision I do not regret at all. I honestly LOVE being a mom! I love that I get to spend my day playing with these 3 wonderful creatures of God. Sure, there are plenty (and I do mean PLENTY) of days that I doubt my abilities as a parent, but I have to believe that GOD would not have given me these lovely gifts if he did not trust and know that I could take care of them. He has made them my JOY. This JOY that fills my heart with a simple smile, an "I Love You", or a hug around the legs. There is no better JOY for me than these children. They help make me the person I am and for that, I am so thankful to God. I love these three children so much and I truly do not know why I complain about them. I guess that is just human nature, to complain about the JOYs we have in life. But, I need to do better. My children are my JOY and I need to share that feeling with the world, not complain about it.



So, thank you my Facebook friend for making me realize how much my children mean to me. Even if you do not want to have children, as that is completely your choice, know that I hope that you find the JOY in your own life. And that you let that JOY fill you up inside.



May you all find your Joy,

God Bless,
Theresa

Holy Crap, We Have A Son!!

Yep, you read that right, after 2 beautiful little girls, we have a SON! Marshall George made his appearance into this world on October 26, 2009 at 1:54pm! He was 8 pounds, 15 ounces and 21 inches long! He is a big boy, but not chunky at all, he is really long and lean! He is absolutely beautiful and I spend half the day just staring at him. The girls seem to really like him too, at least they haven't been mean to him yet! :) I'm sure that will come soon.

If you want all the gory details of the birth, here you go. If you don't want to read them, you might want to skip this part, although to be honest, it wasn't all that gory! :)

I was scheduled to be induced at 6:30am on the 26th. Well, by the time they got me into the room and everything, it took a while. My veins suck something awful and after having so many IV's that I have had this pregnancy, the nurses were a little gun shy about messing with them. So, we waited for Dan, who is one of the anesthesiologists. He put in my IV the week before when we thought I might be in labor (but was of course not!). He is SLICK! I didn't even feel it. If you are delivering at Clarion Arnett here in Lafayette, ask for Dan! I didn't feel a thing. He also did the epidural and I didn't feel anything there either! So, it was about 8:30am by the time they started the Pitosin for the induction. The drugs worked pretty quick, but I think it was about 11:30 before I asked or any relief. They gave me a shot of Nubain, but I think that after all of the drugs I have had these past 5 months, it did NOTHING! I got the head rush, but no relief. So, at 12:30pm the nurse checked me and I was at 5 cm, so she grabbed Dan and he came in and put in the epidural. Again, I barely felt anything. He was quick too...he had been heading into a C-section and was trying to fit me in! :) After he was done, he as asking me some questions. It was about 5 minute after the epi was in that my eyes bugged out! He asked, "well, did your water break?" I smiled and said, "Either that or I just wet myself severely!" Sure enough, my water had broken, which was SO weird. I have never had that happen, the doc has always broken it. Weird feeling! Well, about 10 minutes after the epidural was in, I wasn't really feeling the contractions anymore, but felt SO much pressure! It was crazy! Eric and his mom went down stairs to grab a quick lunch and the Doc was next door in the C-Section. My mom sat there and held my hand while I tried to breathe through the contractions. Yeah, the abdomen didn't hurt, but I felt so much pressure in my rear end, I thought, well, I really don't know what I thought, just that it HURT! After about 45 minutes of this, I remember looking at mom and telling her, "Oh My Gosh, I have to push!" She got all serious, and said, "Oh No You DON'T!" and paged the nurse. The nurse came in and checked me and I was past 9 cm., and on my way to 10! She went next door to check where the doc was and he was just finishing up. My mom called Eric and told him he better get back up to the room as it was time! A couple of other nurses came in to help. One of them was one of my sorority sisters Marcia (sorry, I can't remember her last name). She assured me that she had delivered a baby before in case kiddo came fast! Well, everything kind of happened at once! The doctor came in and so did Eric and his mom. The doc checked me out and told me to push! I pushed for about 20 minutes and out he came! He really came out pretty easy. I barely felt him crowning. Well, I felt it, of course I felt it! But, it wasn't as painful as the other 2 were. The worst part were his shoulders because they are really broad. Well, they took care of him and stitched me up (2nd degree tear), but all in all it was seriously a relaxing delivery. Doctor Schaefer just kind of let me push and didn't say much. Once I got over everyone staring at me, all was good! Eric and Mary were huge helps. Mom really just watched, but I think she really appreciated that so she could really watch him being born. Once I quit shaking after the epidural was wearing off, I got to hold him and nurse him. He took to that like a duck to water! He nursed for a long time (and that hasn't changed a bit!). Everyone held him and loved on him. The nurses said he was perfect and that I was an efficient pusher! That made me kinda giggle. I remembered when Jennifer had Dylan that the doc told her that shot put throwers made some of the best pushers. Well, I'm going with that theory! :) Once we got settled in our room, I got a little light headed, but that passed after a bit. It was still just such a shock having a little boy I think!

Changing the boy diapers has been an experience too! I've learned to cover up the penis or risk getting wet, and even that doesn't always work! Dealing with the circumcision has been interesting, but we are getting there. We are all learning as we go I think!

I am so glad that we have a little boy. Don't get me wrong, I would have been perfectly happy with another girl. But I am excited that not only Eric has a son, but my Dad has a Grandson. Being the only kid and being a girl can put some pressure on you and now I am really glad my dad has a boy to love on. That is why his middle name is George, after my dad! My dad started crying when he heard this. We didn't tell him Marshall's name until he got to the hospital. It was one of my greatest joys to hand my dad his grandson and telling him to meet Marshall George! So cute! The name Marshall came from this show that we watch called "How I Met Your Mother!" We have been watching this show for several seasons and I have always liked the name of the character! To make it even more perfect, the characters full name is Marshall Ericson. Too perfect! Marshall is most definitely Eric's Son! :)

As for me, I am feeling really good. One week after Marshall was born I was in a real pair of jeans. They aren't a perfect fit and are probably the ONLY ones I can wear, but who cares! They have a button and a zipper! :) I think I look pretty great after just having a baby. My only problem has been a condition on my hands. It has a big long name, but most people call it PUPS. My hands itched and swelled and hurt. It has really sucked big time! But, the doc put me on steroids and it is helping. My left had is completely better and my right is on its way!

Well, I think that is all. We are all loving the addition to our family. He fits right in! We are complete! I know we may not have planned on the addition of Marshall, but I am SO glad that the good LORD knew better than we did! He is wonderful and we couldn't love him more! Thank you Lord!