"The Kubeczka Family"

Valentine's iPhone Wallpaper

2012-01-27T08:46:00.000-06:00

So how many of you have an iPhone? Last night I got this wild hair to make a few wallpapers for mine and thought I would share them with everyone. I love changing mine up and with Valentine's coming I thought these would go perfectly. What do you think? I am in love. Here's an example from my iPhone...

here are the wallpapers I made for the lock screens.. click on the image you want; right click and save; email it to yourself and save to your photo album, from there you can designate as a wallpaper.

and here are the home screen ones.. same procedure.

Enjoy & Happy Friday!

What is so Funny??

2012-01-26T08:03:00.001-06:00

I've got two comedians in training over here. Seriously they have been like little laughing machines all week. Everything is funny. They even stop and ask each other if they're being funny. Really? I don't know what has gotten into them, but I decided to bust out my camera and share. I promise you sometimes the best pictures are those that are unplanned. These were taken yesterday after checking the mail, something I can never do alone. ;)

I'm treating this just like another stage, laughing right along side em'.

Happy Thursday!

iPhone App & Pesto Pasta

2012-01-25T09:22:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday! We've made it mid-week and I am still feeling above water.. amazing! I thought I would take a minute and share with you an app that I have fallen head over heels for, literally. It's called Red Stamp.. have you heard? It's probably the coolest free app out right now, and you can do all kinds of fun things.. make greeting cards, baby announcements, invitations.. pretty much anything you can think of. Then you can either save it to your photo album, send it to twitter or facebook, text message or email, or even better you can have it mailed out!

Just for fun I decided to use it to post the dinner I made last night..

It was super yummy, quick & easy. Basically right up my alley. LOL.

Happy Hump Day!

Our Whatever Weekend

2012-01-23T10:22:00.000-06:00

This weekend was fun. It was one of those where nothing was planned out and you just kind of did whatever came your way. It's kind of nice to have those every once in a while and give your planner a break! Saturday we had lunch with my sister and brother-in-law at willie's ice house.. the kids love that place because they have a sandbox, go figure. After that we went shopping for wood flooring getting quotes left and right and feeling totally overwhelmed. Geez, I am one indecisive person, which I'm sure my husband could have told you right off the bat. ;)

After our floor shopping adventure I had a hair appointment to make.. and caught a wild hair for change. I did something I haven't done in probably five plus years.. highlights. I love it and it's a very subtle change, nothing drastic and nothing I have to keep up with. I have decided change is good.

We had a little late night family rondevu at Lowe's of all places.. it's that place where as a homebuyer the ideas and possibilities are endless. It's where you walk in to get one thing and you walk out with something totally different. And I never thought I would be saying this, but it's one of those places I could spend hours on end. I talked the hubby into upgrading our kitchen faucet and playing plumber till the wee hours just because I am impatient. Thank God he loves me and my crazy ways. I wanted something with a tall neck.. I think I got it! LOL.

Sunday I met up with a friend for lunch and then we took it to a whole another level and hit up the chocolate bar down on University. It was like heaven. The smell of chocolate fumes hitting you right smack in the middle of the face as you walk in. You could find anything and everything dipped in chocolate and you can even have your chocolate personalized. This is that place where you feel like a kid in a candy store, literally. I went crazy and ended up on a 24 hour chocolate high and probably consumed more calories in 30 minutes than I normally do all week. I busted out that you only live once attitude and never looked back.

how about a giant peanut butter cup...

or s'mores..

or chocolate covered oreos ready for valentine's..

I got home to kiddos running wild playing outside with friends and this little man driving at lightning speed making me chase him for a quick pic. It was a fun evening visiting with new neighbors that seem to be long lost friends.

We ended the night on the couch catching up with guilty pleasures, deep conversation and me slapping on a new set of sally hansen nail polish strips like I was a pro.

Here's to another work week.. I'm giving it all I got!

Happy Monday!

I'm still here..

2012-01-21T10:37:00.001-06:00

just been a little MIA this week. I was actually going to sit down last night and type this post, but I just didn't have the energy. I did a lot yesterday and that includes tending to a sick little boy. I have to say though it hasn't been all too bad. He wants some extra attention and I don't seem to have any problem giving it to him. I think his little body's been trying to fight off something the past 24 hours, because he keeps getting a low grade fever on and off. Nothing else really except that you can tell he's not his normal self, which saddens me. Today he woke up with no fever, slept through the night and looks a whole lot better than yesterday, so my fingers are crossed he won the battle.

In other news here's a quick recap of our week.. Tuesday was the premiere of Ink Master.. something I would normally not watch, but because my cousin is a contestant I am glued to the TV. Tuesday was also his mom's (my aunt's) birthday, so we had a double party going on, which was loads of fun to watch while getting the "inside" scoop. He made quite the impression on the first episode and I was really proud of him. His name is Jeremy Miller for those that are curious, and for those that might be even more curious I have zero tattoos, not that I have anything against them.

We soaked up the afternoons with outside playtime. Both kids love to be outside and the weather this week hasn't been all too bad. It's in the 70's, which is a little hotter than I would like for January, but hey whatever. Jacob has gotten so good at riding his big boy bike too!

Allow me to share with you my latest obsession.. Sally Hensen nail polish strips. They are super easy, look cute and last for a very long time. Here's the first set I did last week and because I'm a freak of nature, when I find something I like I buy a lot of it, crazy I know, I've already boughten two more sets that I want to try next. Have you tried em'? Did you like em'? I thought the minute I put them on they were only going to last me about 2 days, but boy was I wrong.. I can't seem to get them off!

These next two are called blue ice and love letter.. I think the love letter will be perfect for February! ;)

Yesterday I woke up feeling all fresh faced and ready to tackle my day, which is rare, so it was one of those moments were I didn't waste anytime. I jumped out of bed and got to cracking. I started with my kitchen drawers. I don't know what it is, but it seems that everything and anything ends up in my kitchen drawers. Does anyone else have this problem? I have one drawer designated to the kids coloring books and colors, but it too is getting a little out of hand. So I called in a container, it's my go to for getting anything organized. LOL. Although with as many broken crayons we have, we should have a melting party! Just not so sure that would solve my problem, because I could see them breaking those too! Ugh!

After the cleaning of drawers, starting the laundry, dusting and vacumming, it was time to whip out this bad boy. I think I posted something in the past about my Shark breaking on me, but because it was over 4 months they wouldn't let me exchange it. Well, try telling someone like my mom that, yeah right. She said let me handle it and bam she comes over with this.. an even better one than I had. Dang, go mom!

It was right at noon when I finished my cleaning spree, so it was time to get the kids lunch and run a few quick errands. Jacob wasn't feeling so hot and with the whole fever up and down thing I didn't want him playing. I figured eating outside would be a distraction and it was... a quick bite at Chick-fil-a and we were off.

I made a stop at home goods to stock up on some of my favorites.. I have a thing for their almond room spray. It smells so good and pretty inexpensive.

Hobby Lobby has frames 50% off this week, so I made a stop by there as well. I've been needing some frames to replace my old ones for a while now, so I decided on these. I didn't have any updated pictures on hand, so I just used what I had for now. And after seeing those sweet baby cheeks again, they are going to be tough to replace. Wasn't he just the cutest baby ever?!? {baby fever}

We ended our Friday afternoon adventures with some yummy goodness.. frozen yogurt from tutti frutti. I had the nutella, which was yummy and pomegranate raspberry topped with crushed reeses peanut butter cups. I totally don't go there and try to be healthy in case you're wondering. ;)

We had a low key evening because Jacob wasn't feeling all too well.. daddy snuck off to a cook off with some buddies while I snuggled up with little man and crashed pretty darn early. I think my body needed it because today I woke up feeling like a million bucks. ha! I am hoping to get a few things more done around the house today and pay a visit to the floor store. I think it's high time I start trying to get this house fully decorated. I've been moving at turtle speed, but I do have hopes of crossing that finish line!

Happy Saturday!

Monster Jam 2012

2012-01-15T18:10:00.000-06:00

Saturday we decided to take the kids to see the monster trucks while they're in town. We got pit passes along with our regular tickets so we could take them up close in personal. It was really cool too! Jacob was in complete awe meeting those guys and sitting on their bikes. Those trucks are so freakin' big.. I felt little. Here we are cheesing it for some random person I asked to take a picture of us. I know, weird. {memories}

they were cracking us up with the whole thumbs up and totally took it to another level in some pics.

see what I mean about how big they are.. the kids barely made it up to half of the tire.

boy did he think he was hot stuff with his sister on back.. watch out!

they got to color posters to hold up during the show.. Katelynn is such a perfectionist and I have no clue where she gets that from!! My husband was like come on already.. we waited patiently. ;)

and this is one of those "took it to a whole another level pics" LOL

show time baby..

maximum destruction was our favorite..

I bet he'll be setting out cars anyday now and running his big trucks over em'..

he was having a good ol' time waving that flag of his..

and her, well she made me proud... girls can do boy stuff too!

Today was game day for the Texans, but it didn't end so pretty. Like anything, it was good while it lasted. They gave it their best and that's all you can ask for. We had a good time watching the game and vegging out with family. Now it's time to whind it down and get ready for another work week. Man, Sunday's are so bittersweet. The good news is that I am feeling much better, so that's a plus.

Happy Sunday!

Valentine's DIY & Frozen Hot Chocolate

2012-01-13T17:09:00.000-06:00

I bet that title caught your attention... ha-ha.. anything with chocolate catches mine, don't feel bad you are not alone! But first let me share this DIY Valentine's project that I tackled today. I got the idea from Emily, over at Anderson Crew. I knew the minute I saw them, I had to make them. BUT, I didn't want this to only be for the kids. I thought it would be a great way for the hubby and I to share our thoughts and sweet little somethings everyday. Life for us gets so busy at times, that we don't always get to say those little things. And believe it or not, those little things can sometimes be BIG things. So I'm super excited and can't wait to see what I get in my little mailbox everyday! ;) You have to give this a try!

I got the mailboxes from Target in the dollar section, then just simply bought a pack of paper letters and glued them on. I kept it simple and cheap. I found Valentine's notepads in the dollar section as well, so we can use those to write our notes.

Now let's get to the good stuff.. I first tried frozen hot chocolate in Vegas this past summer and well have been craving it ever since. It's dangerous, and by dangerous I mean you will crave it the next day and the day after that. So when I saw that Picky Palate had went to serendipity not long ago and re-created the frozen hot chocolate I went complete nutts. I knew I had to try it ASAP. I've listed the recipe below and the only thing I did differenly was adding the chocolate chips into the mix. I personally think it taste better, but that is coming from a chocolholic, so you be the judge. Either way you won't be disappointed, promise. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

and so we walked..

2012-01-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

yesterday was tough.. I am battling a nasty cold/allergy and well we all know finding the time to rest with two little ones is tough. So we walked. It was five o'clock and we were waiting on daddy to get home. I needed to keep them busy and I probably could have used some fresh air myself. Believe it or not the weather was nice, almost 70' degrees and sunny. Tonight it's suppose to get back down to freezing, which is totally keeping my allergies on their feet.

loved the beautiful sunset happening right in front of us..

he is such a little flirt.. and super sweet!

of course she was trying to show him the "right" way to blow.. cause she's the expert! LOL

they had fun running up and down.. burning all that kid energy they have!

I loved this shot.. his expression says it all to me..

and we had to take a picture of the "rocket" the kids saw.. ;)

Happy Thursday!

Sunday stroll with my little lady

2012-01-10T08:06:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a relaxing day to say the least.. I took a little time for myself in the a.m., which is another "resolution" of mine. Being a mommy, wife and co-worker can sometimes be very demanding. I told the husband I work better when feeling rejuvenated and needed a massage. He did the smart thing and sent me off. LOL.

That afternoon while the boys were napping we decided to go out for a walk. The weather was wonderful so we took full advantage. She found, picked and blew just about every dandelion she could. She was having such a fun time and I was getting a kick out of just watching her. She is growing up so much and man, that's a tough pill to swallow. It's so hard to believe that she will be five this year and starting school in August. I seriously need to work on getting my act together.

Here are some pictures we captured with my iPhone...

Happy Tuesday!

Texans & Football Food

2012-01-09T08:55:00.000-06:00

We had a pretty fun, low key weekend to say the least. Saturday was the "big" win for the Texans that will send us to our second playoff game on Sunday! The kids were super cute and funny as all get out with people over. They both had on their Texans gear and came downstairs with their cowboy hats & stick horses. I quickly grabbed my camera and started snapping. ;) What can I say.. kids.

my son has started saying "cheese" a bit too serious. LOL

So I tried those Buffalo Chicken Bites that I had been wanting to try on Saturday and I told ya'll I would pass on the recipe if it was worthy. So here you are. It was more than worthy & very easy. I made the rotisterie chicken myself first, then shredded it, but I think next time I might get lazy and just buy one. Who knows! I don't think it makes a big difference to be honest with you, but to each is own. Enjoy!

Happy Monday!

Just an Update..

2012-01-07T11:46:00.000-06:00

Man oh man how the time is just flying right on by.. I am still hung up on the fact that Christmas is over. Geez.. this week was a little rough getting back into our normal routine. I guess it's always hard to adjust to getting back on schedule after a long holiday weekend. Nothing too exciting going on around our house this week, just been trying to keep up. The kiddos are loving the heck out of their swing set, which is exactly what we were hoping for. Everyday this week they've been out playing. It hasn't felt much like winter around here this week. In fact, I might have to turn on the a/c today. Crazy Houston weather!!

Today is game day for Houston.. it's the first time the Texans have made it into the playoffs, so we're having a little party. Any excuse for me to cook and bake, I'm all over it! I'm trying out these buffalo chicken bites, so I'll have to pass on the recipe if it's worthy. I'll be the taste tester for you! ;) I've already consumed my fair share of cookie dough this morning as well, so my hands are at full speed typing this post.. sugar high!

I haven't taken many pictures this week, as I've been taking full advantage of the kids being so occupied outside. I did manage to snap these two cute pics of them having a good ol' time. Katelynn got her first hula hoop this week and she's been doing the "hula dance" all week! I also caught her on camera to share with everyone.. don't ask me why she is saying happy new year, I guess she to is feeling the time fly a bit too fast.

Happy Weekend!!

Soccer 101 with Daddy

2012-01-02T19:01:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend we took the kiddos to a nearby school for some basketball and soccer practice. They had a great time and are really learning how to play both sports. Katelynn's not into basketball, so she decided to play around while the boys did a little shooting. She was all over soccer though when it came time. I captured a few little clips to share.

They are both getting so big! I miss having my babies be babies if that makes any sense?!? I wish the time would just stop. Although seeing them do things all by themselves makes me happy and proud. I have truly enjoyed having these past few days off with them, but tomorrow that will come to an end. I hope everyone had a wonderful new years. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds for my family! Here's to making it the best we possibly can and creating memories that will last a lifetime. From our family to yours.. Happy New Year!

George Ranch Historical Park

2011-12-30T11:56:00.000-06:00

My sister and I decided to get together and take the kiddos to the George Ranch Historical Park yesterday for some fun. The weather was perfect and we all had a nice time. Such a neat place to visit if you're from around this area. I think we all learned a little something yesterday!

my camera was in overdrive with all the beautiful scenery..

all the houses were so neat to walk through..

I was amazed at the little log cabins..

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little freaked out by this bridge.. hints the reason I was last to go!

it was so neat seeing how they lived and everything back in the day.. they were creative!

and we got to watch the piggies eat.. grose!

and onto my favorites..

the kids couldn't believe how they used to wash and dry their clothes.. makes me thankful.

check out those horns.. wouldn't want to mess with him.

they also learned how to rope a calf and then watch the cowboys do it for real, pretty neat!

They came home and told daddy all about it.. so I take it they had a lot of fun! My son now wants a baby calf and rope for the backyard. Maybe next Christmas! ;)

Happy Friday!

Santa's BIG Gift..

2011-12-28T16:10:00.000-06:00

a new swing set! Our kiddos must have been extra good this year!

they might have had to wait an extra day b/c Santa was busy, but I bet it was well worth the wait!

my son cracks me up.. he gets a little wild at times and feels the need to put his hands up while sliding down.

they are already in love..

Yesterday we celebrated daddy's birthday.. I surprised him with a new grill for his truck, which was surprisingly easier than I thought to pull off. We had a nice dinner and celebrated with yummy cake!

Happy Birthday Daddy! We love you always!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T11:42:00.000-06:00

This year was great.. we hit every house and went out with a bang. The kids had a wonderful Christmas and we couldn't be more thankful. We had a truck load of toys and are still working on getting them all open. I swear it takes a miracle and maybe some not so nice words to get half these toys out of the package, but we're getting there. I was going to do a post for each house, but then I just decided to flood ya'll with one big post with a ton of pictures, so you welcome. ;)

Our first stop was on Christmas Eve with Steven's parents where the kids got a surprise visit from Santa. He came bearing gifts, so there were no tears. My two think Santa is cool and they know he brings toys, so they suck up every chance they get. lol.

opening their presents..

say cheese.. ;)

Then it was time for Christmas at home.. Santa brought them all kinds of goodies, so they must have been good little boys and girls. They even have a special gift coming today, but that sucker is getting it's own post! ;)

Daddy must have been good to this year, cause Santa brought him a kindle fire.. fancy. ;)

and me.. well I'm always good! LOL. I think Santa knows my husband likes my cooking & my cleaning!

Our next stop was my mom's house.. where the kids got more presents.. I'm jealous of K's toothbrush.

and I want my own froggy towel...

we always try and take family shots.. heck, there's always a new addition!

and because we can't be too serious for too long..

and yes, our kids take after us. ;)

and man how having these two around can change everything.. love them!

our last and final stop was to visit Steven's grandparents..

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and got everything they wanted. 2011 has been a great year and I look forward to what 2012 brings to our family. Life is truly what you make of it.

Merry Christmas!

Decorating Gingerbread Houses..

2011-12-24T08:59:00.000-06:00

was a total first for us this year, but loads of fun! I think daddy and I were the one's that were taking it a bit more serious than the kiddos. They were more intrested in eating all the candy than actually helping us out! I lost my partner half way through because she wanted to be on the "boys" team, thanks Katelynn. I must say the "boys" team really impressed me, I was quite worried at first. BUT, I still think mine turned out better. LOL.

Today is Christmas Eve.. can you believe it?? I was a baking fool last night and have a few things I need to finish up this morning, but I just had to share with ya'll my latest baking craze.. peppermint pattie stuffed chocolate chip cookies. And yes, they are as good as they sound, that is if you like peppermint. ;)

Merry Christmas Eve!

Santa's Wonderland

2011-12-20T07:55:00.000-06:00

This weekend was our re-scheduled annual trip to Santa's Wonderland with my family. It's something we've been doing for about three years now and it truly is a lot of fun. The kids go crazy over the lights and petting zoo, while I of course go crazy over the food! It's the perfect event to kick off the Christmas season.

they have a huge bubble machine going on right as you walk in that looks like snow...

the town is all lit up..

my sister snapped a picture of me and my man enjoying the huge fire pit..

and oh the petting zoo.. how nobody can forget you. My kids love animals and while I think they are very "not clean" I myself seem to be a sucker as well. There's just something about a petting zoo that instantly makes you feel young again.

we won't be surprised if he becomes a farmer...

and there were pony rides.. and dancing with frosty..

these babies were ridiculous and about 2 inches thick...

love me some hot cocoa..

the hayride through the lights is probably my favorite.. they have an amazing display.

we didn't get to roast s'mores last year, so this year was a must! ;)

and had I have had any more room in my belly I would have tried a cobbler pie.

fun night with my people..

Happy Holidays, let the countdown begin!

Tea for Two Please

2011-12-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

Friday Katelynn and I had a special lunch date planned out with some friends from dance. We decided to take the girls for tea, which was not only a first for Katelynn, it was a first for me too! We had a great time and the girls loved it. Katelynn couldn't get over the fact that she got her own tea pot and cup. Let's just say I am on a mission for a nice set to have at home. ;)

I loved watching her pour her own tea.. nice and steady

We let the girls dress up and it was not planned for both to be Snow White. LOL.

She's lacking the pinky.. ha!

It's been a crazy, busy weekend and I promise I've got more pics coming your way, so stay tuned. Can you believe this week is Christmas?? My mind is already going 90 to nothing just thinking about everything I have left to do. Today I am off with both kiddos because my sitter fell ill, so I am going to take advantage and try and get as much stuff done as I can.

Happy Monday!

Kids meet Santa & Cookies

2011-12-13T08:29:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a productive one to say the least.. not only did we accomplish ice skating, we also paid a visit to the big guy with a white beard. After waiting a very long three hours it was our turn. The kids couldn't have been more happier and me, well it was worth the wait. Jacob asked Santa for a motorcycle and Katelynn asked for a stick pony. Lucky for me I have both! ;)

and yes, I'm a sucker for the mall Santa, let's just call it a tradition.

I have to share with you this fabulous Chocolate Cake Reeses Peanut Butter Cookie that Picky Palate herself came up with.. trust me, you will thank me later. One they are easy as pie and two they are delish! I snapped a picture for you to drool over..

and just imagine that with a tall glass of milk. YUM!

Happy Baking!

Ice Skating 101

2011-12-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

Today I took the kiddos ice skating for the second time. The first was last year which I technically wouldn't count because I held them, but for the sake of being totally honest, let's count it. Today they were on their own and well neither had any problem with that! I was so excited seeing them out there and man, who knew my daughter would fall so in love. The girl went as far as saying this was her dream! ;)

I love how they stick together.. tag team baby.

and of course she looks out for him always.

he was so cute.. he only made it one full circle and called it quits.

she on the other hand wouldn't get off... she just kept saying one more time mommy!

I'm just glad I chose to stand sideline and take pictures. I wasn't about to try multi-tasking it in front of a full crowd solo.

It was a fun time and I'm sure we'll be doing it again very soon, maybe this time I'll get brave. Maybe. ;)

Happy Sunday!

Peppermint Bark & Christmas Cards

2011-12-09T09:20:00.004-06:00

So I had my first ever try at peppermint bark last night and well I would say I almost nailed it. I mean afterall it's really not that hard. Melt some chocolate, crunch up some peppermint and then just pour it into a pan. See, I told you it was easy! When I set out to make some I of course went straight to Pintrest to see if there were any special ideas I could get. Well, what do you know, as I mentioned before Pintrest will never let you down. I found a couple different sites that used a silicone mold pan and I just thought that was brilliant! It easily pops right out because the pan is so flexible and it leaves you with a cute little design. Have a look...

Cute uh? I will say that I kind of cheated, but I promise in a good way, listen up. A lot of the recipes I found called for peppermint extract, well when I was at Hobby Lobby getting my chocolate I found they already have "mint" flavored chocolates. I know, I know.. you can thank me later! I'm down for whatever makes my life a little easier. ;)

I thought since I had so much time on my hands last night and I had the energy of my three year old that I would go ahead and get our Christmas cards designed and sent out. I wanted something simple and it was a must that I included the red houndstooth, so this is the final outtake. For those family members that read my blog.. well now you know what to look for in the mail. Just act surprised. Ha!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Reindeer Cupcakes & Shirts

2011-12-08T08:01:00.000-06:00

Man, has it been a crazy week or what? Please tell me I'm not the only one that feels as though they have ten billion things going on all at once. I have so many fun things I am wanting to try out and well appliqued shirts has been one of them! I have to first admit that this was totally stepping out of my element, so you will not be seeing perfection. In doing some research I have found a couple of great tutorials and the reindeer was my fave. I figured it would be a perfect starting point in getting my feet wet. I found this tutorial over at noodles and milk, she has the cutest blog and some great pointers. I followed her tutorial step-by-step and she didn't disappoint! I have two others that I am working on and will share those when I am finished.

Another fun thing we tried out last night were these cuties... we were on a reindeer kick! LOL

I got these off Pintrest, afterall what can you not find on Pintrest right? The littles and I searched everywhere for the candy eyes, but we just couldn't find them, they must be popular. So I put my thinking cap on and we ended up with m&m's, it worked. They are taking them to the sitters today for all their friends. ;)

Happy Thursday!

Katelynn's Christmas Program

2011-12-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

I am one proud mama and plan to gush about my big girl for a few, afterall she deserves it! Her Sunday school class got the chance to perform in front of the entire church service today and did a wonderful job. I know there were a ton of proud parents in the audience and we were of the many. It was so sweet seeing her smile and sing loud and proud. I was so worried about her getting stage fright, but nope, not a chance! Can you spot her out?

We had both songs down pat and sung them just about everyday this week. Daddy was funny driving into church this morning because he said it was crunch time, which resulted in us all singing at the top of our lungs the entire way there.

and so you can really get an idea of her performance, here's some video..

I also couldn't resist showing you these.. we celebrated my niece's 5th birthday over the weekend at incredible pizza. The kiddos had a blast and so did we. They were killing me with their high fives to daddy while bowling.

Katelynn went the extra mile and did a little cheer after every turn, that's my girl!

It's been a fun weekend with a side of productivity.. today I managed to clean out both kids closets and get all of my laundry caught up. Check back with me tomorrow on the laundry and I'm sure I'll be one load deep!

Happy Sunday!

Thankful Thursday|Christmas Decor

2011-12-01T08:22:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I got home and kicked it in high gear.. I managed to snap some of what I consider to be better pics of my tree. Can you see all the green? I told you it wasn't all red. lol.

and here's a shot of the tree during the day and in the evening..

and um, yeah this is me being creative or silly..

I kept the fireplace simple this year and by simple I mean not adding my red "mesh" garland. Although I am kind of missing it. I did add a little addition to the fireplace this year, and that would be the red glitter trees. I am loving the heck out of those things.. and are seriously debating on going back and getting the larger size tree for the other side. I've got a few other little things around the house, but for the most part kept it simple.

I am so glad that today is Thursday.. I have been majorly slacking in the thankful Thursday department, so I am hoping to get back on track. I have so much to be thankful for, but this week in particular I am thankful that my husband has found a better opportunity in his career. I am so proud of him for always grabbing the bull by the horns. Seriously, he is such a go-getter and always striving to do better for his family. I commend him for that and are truly lucky to have him. I pray that God will watch over our family during this transition and provide extra strength to my husband.

What are you thankful for this week? Link up below and let us know!

Happy Thursday!

Oh Christmas Tree.. Oh Christmas Tree..

2011-11-29T13:08:00.000-06:00

how you have caused me so much headache!! I never knew decorating a tree could be so much work.. geez! We decided to get brave and probably smart and spend a pretty penny on a fake tree this year. I'm sure next year when I'm not shelling out any money for a real one I'll be a much happier camper. Seriously, the price of Christmas trees are a bit much for me. I decided to go with a "skinny" one as my mom calls it this year, simply because I wanted to enjoy it. And by enjoy it, I mean stare at the sucker every night. You see a big "fat" tree wouldn't fit in our living area and the next best place for it would be the dining room, but that's empty folks. Remember me saying I was going to take my time on the new house.. um yeah, this is me taking my time. My "plan" in the big scheme of things is to catch a deal on a "fat" tree after Christmas and use that in the dining room for next year. I've got my fingers crossed for a dining room make-over at some point next year, so it just made sense to start with the "skinny" tree. You agree? Although with all the work that went into this tree I am not sure I want a second one. lol. ;)

I wanted a tree full of mesh, really red and green mesh, but because I am so terribly impatient and couldn't find green mesh to save my life, red it was. My husband said I accomplished my goal and then some. lol. It was a bit too red at first, but it is growing on me. I did go back and add a few more green bulbs along with some green flares to stick out, but I am DONE. I just need to snap some better pictures to share. We set out some of our Christmas decorations, but not all of them. I am thinking about keeping things simple this year, as our tree speaks volumes people. haha.. I can only laugh.

This year we decided to put the "kids" tree upstairs in the game room. This is where they spend most of their time, so we figured they would get to enjoy it more. They love this tree. It's been around since my daughter's first Christmas, so it has a lot of special meaning behind it. Every year we let them each pick out a new ornament to add to their tree and we plan on carrying out that tradition, although we might need to invest in a bigger tree at some point. ;)

I hope everyone is having a great week so far and getting back in the swing of things. It's always tough after a long holiday weekend. I am working on a load of laundry a day in hopes of one day catching up. I know, something that will probably never happen, but a girl can dream right?

Happy Tuesday!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T12:01:00.000-06:00

I love Thanksgiving.. it's a holiday that brings everyone together and gives everyone the opportunity to say something they are thankful for, or at least that's how my family does it. We start off with a prayer before dinner and then everyone has to say what they are thankful for, then we get to eat. I know, such a process. lol. This year we celebrated with Steven's family first, had a nice big lunch and watched the kiddos run around playing with one another. They are all getting so big..

The weather was perfect, so the kiddos got to eat outside. There were no complaints.

Katelynn loves checking on grandpa's birds..

bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.. who doesn't love bubbles!

Next stop was my sisters house to celebrate with my side of the family. We had our appetites prepared all week for two houses, so we did it big. And this is where things got a little hazy...

SHOCKER!! I am so excited that I am going to be an auntie again.. it's so crazy! I was so shocked I almost hit the floor, and probably would have had I not been trying to take this picture with my iPhone....

You see, this is after our family prayer where everyone is going around saying what they are thankful for. My mom went first of course, then my sister and her husband went and threw everyone off. LOL. After that we totally broke tradition and all shouted out in pure joy. I was so excited the rest of the night that I forgot to take any pictures with my good camera.

Yep, totally me. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for. I have someone who puts up with me 24/7 and never thinks anything of it. I have two kids that make me smile daily and think I am the bestest mommy ever. I have some amazing friends, a wonderful job and most importantly the best family. God truly does work in mysterious ways folks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Parties & Kids

2011-11-21T20:35:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we had two birthday parties to attend. One was kid friendly and the other not so much. Thankfully the kids party was first, because after Saturday night I was pretty much useless the rest of the weekend. Let's just say staying up way past my bedtime and too many drinks was not in my favor. Getting old sucks. Katelynn was so happy that she could do just about everything in the gym herself.

and this dude was all smiles and kept right on her tail.

today we squeezed in some playtime before dinner and before the sun went down. Don't get me wrong, I love the time change and all, but it doesn't leave much room for outdoor play during the week. These two seriously crack me up. They are beyond two peas in a pod. She loves him and he tries to love her more. It truly is the sweetest thing.

I hope everyone is having a great week. It's almost Turkey day!

Pizookie Love

2011-11-19T11:10:00.000-06:00

Okay, seriously.. these babies are dangerous!! You see on Sunday I whipped up a batch of these, but only used half the cookie dough. So this week I decided to try out a pizookie. Keep in mind I have seen people make these with store bought cookie dough and rave about em', so don't think you have to make a homemade cookie dough in order to enjoy this yummy goodness. All you do is take a small set of corningware/oven safe mini bowls, fill it about half way with cookie dough, bake at 350' for about 15 minutes and that's it. Let em' cool for about 10 minutes then top with ice cream. I will warn you those are going to be the longest 10 minutes you've ever endured, but it'll be well worth the wait! You could get all fancy and top with chocolate and caramel sauce, but I kept mine pretty simple. The cookie alone was pure heaven. This would be a great idea for a dinner party or something with a large group of people. I can't wait to make them again! ;)

and because I can't close a post without pictures of my kiddos... my daughter is dying to turn 16, thank the lord we have 12 long years ahead of us because the girl needs some practice. Not to mention a huge growth spurt would help.

and she was complaining because brother was squeezing too tight.. the boys got a lot of love to give I tell ya.

Happy Saturday!

Pitstop at the Park

2011-11-15T16:43:00.000-06:00

Sunday was just another day we decided to randomly hit up the park. It's kind of what we do when we're bored and the kiddos are restless. A quick trip and everyone is happy. We've been having some weird weather lately, so that should explain the long sleeve shirt and shorts my son is wearing. I got them dressed for church in what I was hoping would be in the 50's, but boy was I wrong. We're hanging in the 80's here in Houston, but stay tuned that will more than likely change by tomorrow and then be back up in the 80's by the weekend. We like to keep our weatherman busy. lol.

I seriously need to get rid of the baby spoons, but for some reason I am having a hard time letting go.

does this face not scream there's mom again with the camera?

and he wasn't putting down his cars phone to push his sister in the swing, so he was winging it with one hand. Pretty freakin' clever if you ask me. He's learning to multi-task at such a young age, perhaps he could give me a few pointers. ha!

This week I am praying for cooler temps.. I am also praying that my craving for turkey and dressing can hold off another week. Does anyone else have that craving? All this Thanksgiving talk has got my mouth watering. We only have 9 days left and I am already starting on my grocery list. Last year I made a big feast for my own little family and I am thinking about doing it again, but simplifying it a bit. I found a great and super easy way to make turkey that I am dying to try.

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend iPhone Pics

2011-11-14T08:56:00.000-06:00

This weekend was nice and I was able to get caught up on a lot of things I was behind on, but please don't be fooled my list is never ending. Friday the kids and I did our little morning routine.. started the laundry, straightened up the house and then made our weekly Target run, okay sometimes twice a week. After all that it was time to fill our bellies, so we stopped in at Newk's, which was super yummy. They seriously have the best cesar salads in town and their soups are pretty tasty as well.

after lunch I took the kiddos to get out some of the energy that had been boggled up inside of them, basically getting them prepared for their afternoon nap. lol. The park seems to be the one thing that can never let a mama down. ;) It also gave me the opportunity to snap some pics using my iPhone at which I have fallen head over heels for. I can sense my husband's jealousy.

that evening I went to a wedding with my mom and I have to say it was probably one of the coolest weddings I've ever been to. They got married in a hanger at the airport. It's one of my mom's best friends and they own part of the airport, so it had a lot of special meaning behind it. I totally took advantage and snapped a few pics as I was in pure amazement at some of the aircrafts. I wish it would have been daylight, cause some of the jets were super neat looking. They even had some that fly in our local airshows. I am planning on taking little man for a tour and probably winning mommy of the year with that one. lol. So hopefully I'll have some more pics to share soon, along with one happy boy!

Saturday Katelynn and I attended a baby shower and man was she pure entertainment on the ride there and back. She seriously is never quiet. She had Steven's mom and grandma cracking up and heck, me too. She wanted me to wrap her piglet up like a baby because he was cold, so I used the old swaddle technique and she loved it. I can't believe I still remembered how to do it!

Sunday was church and then lunch.. I am so proud that we have gotten in a more routine with church. When the kids were little it was so challenging and much easier to just stay home. I am glad that we have changed that and are getting more involved. We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at home resting gearing up for another work week. I'm really hoping to see some cooler temps coming our way, because it makes celebrating Fall a bit tough.

Happy Monday!

Being Random

2011-11-11T08:58:00.001-06:00

is pretty much what this post is all about... I wish I could say we haven't had much going on, but that would be a lie. This week has been a busy one and this weekend is looking to be about the same. I managed to snap a few pics from my iPhone of our week, most of which were spent in the car. This is my view from our living room and I thought on this particular evening it was amazingly beautiful. I'll let you be the judge of that. ;)

I think this was from Wednesday.. we actually got rain!

and then my daughter caught this on our drive home.. so pretty!

for dinner one night this week I busted out the foil bakes.. it's one of my favs and super quick and easy, not to mention overall pretty healthy. I like to use baby carrots, celery, brocoli and turkey sausage, but seriously you can use whatever and however you want. It's also really good with potatoes. I use a vegetable seasoning and then top with 2-3 squares of unsalted butter, wrap em' up in foil and bake at 400 for about an hour. The kids love em' and so do we.

my brother-in-laws dad passed away and yesterday we celebrated his life in a very nice service. It's always such a blessing to see everyone come together as a family for those in a time of need. I know my brother-in-law was very happy with the turn out and it was a beautiful day. God truly works in mysterious ways.

and in other news mama's got a new iPhone!! Can ya tell I'm excited? Heck, I even splurged and got a kate spade case, which really wasn't much more than some of the others. Dang cases are $$$$. I am addicted to the camera because it's just a click of a button and my phone is never too far from my hand. lol. So in other words you might be seeing lots of iPhone pics going forward, get ready.

I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead.. I am off to break up my kids fighting over the last pop tart.

Happy Friday!

Family Photos in 8 Minutes

2011-11-08T08:20:00.000-06:00

Seriously, no lie. I planned it just right too. You see my husband doesn't mind taking pictures, but it's when I "plan" to take pictures that he's not a fan of. Plus, I've noticed it becomes a big to do with everyone trying to figure out the perfect outfits. So Sunday I stuck my camera in the car in hopes of maybe just maybe getting a quick family shot, but not telling anyone. So we go to church, we have lunch afterwards and then right smack before we hit our street I ask the husband if I can have five minutes to just get a quick family shot. His response was surprising and he said where? I said just pull over right here, he said here, and I said sure. Beggars can't be choosers right? He's willing to take a picture then I'm willing to have it done wherever. So we get out and he said you have five minutes and my daughter is bouncing around because she has to go potty. No pressure. So I threw up the tripod and set the timer and we all said cheese. They are not perfect by any means, but they were free, quick and easy. And hey, I got my one shot and a few others. I'll take that and run with it my friends.

and the lord must have been watching out for us b/c the husband & I matched. sweet.

my daughter's photography skills impress me. ;)

Happy Tuesday!

Half of our Weekend...

2011-11-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

I promise I am not jumping off the blogging bandwagon just yet, it's just things have been a bit busy. Our weekend has been wonderful and it started off with a surprise from the hubs. Did I mention I love surprises? Well, I do. Do I get them often? No. So when I do it's like hitting the lotto. Okay, maybe not quite that big, but pretty darn close.

We spent the day doing something mommy does best, shopping. I'm sure my husband was probably thinking he could have saved himself some money by going into work. lol. I actually do pretty good with shopping, my daughter not so much. She thinks everything is pretty and I mean everything. ;)

That evening we got some very sad news.. my brother-in-laws father had passed away. It really hits home when someone passes, but I also try to lean on my faith hard. I know God has a plan for everyone and while it can be hard for us to understand at times, it's something we have to remember. He leaves behind a lot of family including my little nephew. My sister and her husband have been through a lot in the last 24 hours, so I have been helping out and keeping him. He is truly the sweetest thing ever and it hurts that he doesn't understand everything going on around him right now.

I will say he hasn't lacked any attention that's for sure.. he's probably ready to run at any given minute. I at times can relate. lol. They make a pretty good tag team to say the least. ;)

and because I have to make sure I document this one.. he must have put in a rough one because half way through his hair cut he passed right out. I was laughing so hard that I couldn't get a clear picture. That and my iphone camera stinks, but that's a whole another story.

we also hit up one of our favorite yogurt places after lunch today.. they just opened one probably not even 2 miles from our house, cruel I know.

tonight we decided to have a little fun and wear the kids out. We took them to mountasia and ended up having just as much fun as the kids. We played deal or no deal and had the highest case twice in a row. We've discovered the kids love air hockey and should probably invest in one, that outta keep em' busy.

I guess you could say we wore em' out alright, goodnight!

Happy Saturday!

Trick-or-Treat.. Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-01T11:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was fun. I scheduled a much needed vacation day and spent the day with these two. They are always keeping me on my feet!! We had a few errands to run and then made a quick pit-stop to snap a couple of pics. My son seems to think photo shoots should be nothing but fun and a little quirky. My daughter on the other hand seems to take the task a little more seriously and bust out her inner diva. I swear sometimes they are so alike, yet very different. As for me, well my thoughts are whatever works. I just snap, scrapbook and share. ;)

A quick outfit change and they became a wicked witch and yogi bear.. they went around saying trick-or-treat and thank you to just about every single one of our neighbors. Yogi was on top of his game this year and seriously racked up.

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween. Until next year..

Halloween Party 2011

2011-10-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend was fun. We attended a Halloween party with the family and some close friends. The kids had a ball and so did the adults. I was determined to find a costume straight out of my closet and not spend any money. I did just that. The overalls were big, but I wore em' anyways, thanks babe. Let's just say I blended right in. lol. And so did my hubby and son. My daughter, not so much. She prefers the lime light. ;)

my husband has way too much camo gear.. I am never buying him anything of such.

my sister from another mother.. seriously she grew up at our house.

we sprayed her hair purple and she just couldn't get over it. tonight outta be interesting.

my boys. even have the husband sporting my team. although he swears it's only b/c of the camo. right.

and because going to the bathroom had to be memorable for me.

We also hit up another fall festival on Sunday, this time at our church. It was loads of fun and we walked away with one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had, seriously delish. The kids fueled up on candy and walked away with cotton candy that they have been begging me all morning to open. I am almost ready to just say "yes". I didn't take many pics, but I did capture some cute ones of them on the "big" fire truck. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T08:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday I decided to take the kiddos to pick out some more pumpkins for around the house. I mainly wanted two really big ones for the front porch, and there were plenty to choose from. And in case you can't tell we had a very bright and sunny Sunday.. kind of makes it hard to go full blown fall spirit, but we did anyways. Always making the best of everything.

he requested a picture by the horse pumpkin..

and he wouldn't let anyone else pull the wagon..

her requested photo prop..

my nephew joined us and enjoyed checking out all the pumpkins..

and he finally decided to crack a smile.. 1,000 pictures later. lol. ;)

and they always have each others back, no matter where they are.

Happy Tuesday!

Fall Festival Fun

2011-10-23T20:12:00.001-05:00

Have I mentioned I love this time of year? Well, I do. The pumpkin patches, the fall festivals and oh yeah the cooler weather. Not to mention all the fall baking that usually takes place in our house. Although this weekend I was on my best behavior, only because we were too busy. We had a great weekend and Jacob had a great birthday. We took the kiddos to their first fall festival of the year.. they had a blast and so did we. They consumed way too much candy and so did I. But that's the fun part right? Both my sisters and my mom were there too, so all the kiddos got to run wild. I snapped a few pics to share.

Let's just say that he's got the hang of the slide..

There were so many games for the kids too.. ring toss, memories.

and plenty of carnival food too.. grandma sneakin' in for a bite.

These two girls are growing way too fast for me.. slow down please!

Aggies bean bag toss, my brother would be proud. ;)

nothing like a little throw football..

he totally rocks my socks people..

my little niece is growing like a weed, I had to question my sister what she was feeding her.

daddy trying to help him win big!

and probably mommies favorite booth.. cookie decorating. Yum!

we might just have a pro basketball player on our hands, never say never.

and she's another that pretty much can talk her way out of anything..

they had a cute fall photo prop.. so we took advantage, blue lips and all.

all in all it was a great Saturday and the weather was wonderful, don't think you could have asked for more.

Happy Sunday!

Thankful Thursday, Kids, and Cooking

2011-10-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

I am normally jumping up and down that it's Thursday, but because I have to work tomorrow I am not nearly excited. Although this is the last Friday for a while, thank goodness. My body can't take another and neither can my house. lol. This week has been pretty busy.. the kids had gymnastics on Tuesday and well tonight we have dance.

Yesterday after we got home they were being silly, so I decided to bust out the camera and capture their silly faces. I told ya'll before my daughter is like the dress up queen.. she changes probably five times a day, no lie. She hasn't given up on trying to recruit her brother to play with her. I just wish I would have had the camera out when he came down the stairs dressed as snow white, although my husband would have probably killed me for posting that one. lol. He was quick to rip it off and reiterate he's a "boy". haha.. I did manage to capture him putting up with his sister's ways a bit and I would say he's a trooper. She's known for not stopping until she gets her way, and I of course have no idea where she gets that from! ;)

She was pretending that the study doors were her closet. Her imagination goes for miles.

Last night I decided to make some lasagna rolls by Gina over at Skinny Taste, you can go here for the recipe. They came out great, but I should have known that my kids wouldn't like the spinach and I of course couldn't bring myself to make them eat it. Way too many bad memories as a child. So I just scooped out the inside and they ate the noodles. I think next time I'll make them the same, but maybe leave out the spinach, since I'm not a big fan either and just replace it with ground turkey meat. They might like that better, we'll see. Anyhow, it was great and super easy to make too.

This week I am thankful for the cooler weather that is coming our way.. it is such a pleasant surprise and very welcomed. The forecast for this weekend should read "plan an outdoor activity" which works out great for us. I am also very thankful that both kids are back to feeling 100% and happy. What are you thankful for this week?

Happy Thursday!

Cars Birthday Party..

2011-10-17T09:23:00.004-05:00

Sunday we gathered with a group of friends and family to celebrate our ~~little~~ big boy turning three. He was so happy that everyone came and he got to have his cars party. We all bounced, had pizza and enjoyed cake & ice cream. I can't believe my baby is about to be three years old{his real birthday is the 22nd}. Seriously.. where has the time gone?

If you follow me on Twitter you know we had a rough weekend. It started off on Friday with Katelynn being sick. She caught some nasty virus that pretty much caused our house to shut down. I was just praying Jacob didn't get sick and that all would be good to go for Sunday. Well, my prayers were answered and both kids seemed fine. I could tell Jacob wasn't feeling too hot, but it didn't keep him from putting a smile on his face and having a good time. Such a sport! ;)

I love all these kids.. they are all so sweet and were so excited to go jump!

I had his shirt made by gigi's babies and I loved the way it turned out.

and please take note of her shirt.. she picked it out herself and just had to have it for Jacob's party. lol.

I kept things pretty simple with the party decor. Most everything came from Arne's as far as the paper goods go. I scored some cute cars puzzles and crayons from the dollar store a while back, then just printed the coloring pages from the Disney website. The goodie boxes were purchased from favor me designs and just simply filled with candy. I have to admit it was pretty simple finding anything cars related.. it's just what's in I guess.

Love group pictures.. especially with everyone in them!

I didn't even attempt to make the cupcakes with Katelynn being sick, so I just scooped these up from Sam's. The cake came from Maureen's Bakery in Sugar Land, but I wasn't feeling what it was put on, so I kind of transferred it to something of my own. Creative much? Ha! I made the water bottle labels myself and picked up the cars juice boxes and pretzels from Wal-mart.

I hope all of his wishes come true..

him and daddy went shopping Saturday night and together they picked out a bunch of goodies.. his Astros hat for one, that he has yet to remove from his head. His very first baseball and glove, I am forseeing a lot of this in our future.

a classic my dad can out hunt your dad shirt.. yes, my husband had to pick that one out.

and a Texans shirt to add to his collection. Boys. ;)

he loved the king chair.. and probably wishes he had one at home.

nothing beats a funny shot.. it was a must.

and this.. well one word. brothers.

A big thanks goes out to everyone that came and to everyone who wishes they could have been there. We understand things come up and life takes a course of its own. He received so many nice gifts and we can't thank you enough for supporting our family. Here's to another year little man, we all love you dearly.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jacob!

Thankful Thursday, Party Planning & Recipes

2011-10-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

and I think that about covers this post. lol. This week has been a busy one for a number of reasons.. One it's a long work week for me, which is something I am not used to and second I had to push my son's birthday party up to this weekend instead of next. So yeah, I'm a bit stressed. I am however thankful that we are getting to have it at the place we really want. Apparently they lost their lease and this weekend is going to be the last of parties before they close. My jaw just about hit the floor when I got the news and I was a little upset, but it seems to all be working itself out. All my son has been talking about is having a Cars party.. so I am giving him just that! One look at his cute face and I'm sure you'd be saying the same.

the invite I put together to send out to everyone..

and the party supplies are coming together... I wasn't feeling the Cars plates and napkins, so I kind of found my own to go along with the whole Cars theme. I'm noticing a color pattern.. the OCD comes out even when I'm not trying. lol. I have serious issues people. ;)

Be on the look out for more pics to come!! I love parties!!

Switching topics.. last night I was making dinner and tweeting about what I was making.. I do that some times. I had a few people come back and ask for the recipe so here you are. It's super easy and seriously delish.

{Taco Soup}

1 pack ground turkey

1 pack of taco seasoning

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of corn

1 can of kidney beans {drained}

Ground your turkey first, after that's done then using the same pot mix in all the ingridents and simmer for about 45 minutes. Top with cheese and serve. My husband loves cornbread, so I usually make that to go along. Last night I made honey butter, which is the best thing ever. Whipped butter and honey mixed together.. YUM!

and no meal is ever complete without dessert right?? Come on ladies.. I know I can't be the only one that craves a little something sweet. These mini pudding pies were a hit with the kiddos and really not that bad for you at all.

{Mini Pudding Pies}

1 pack of Keebler graham cracker ready crust

1 pack of chocolate instant pudding {you can use any flavor}

1 tub cool whip

It's simple.. make the pudding as directed, I personally use 1% milk, fill your pies and refrigerate. Top with cool whip before serving. See, I told you it was easy and the kids loved it!! They even thanked me. Ha!

So what are you thankful for this week?

Picking Pumpkins..

2011-10-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after work we decided to make a stop at our local garden center and pick up a few small pumpkins for around the house. We're working on getting into that fall spirit even though the weather isn't. The kiddos had a blast picking out their pumpkins and couldn't wait to go home and show daddy. It's like they had some kind of strategy or something. Hey, whatever works right? ;)

still on the hunt..

we found corn!!

she told me she was taking her pumpkins home and putting them in her room to grow... only her.

the baby ones are my fav..

I seriously can't believe we are already in October and that Christmas is only weeks away. Perhaps I should get to crackin'. Playing Mrs. Claus is hard work, especially when Mr. Claus gets to slackin. I'm gonna have to stay on top of him this year. lol.

Happy Tuesday!

Rainy Weekend..

2011-10-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

I am so not complaining about all the rain we have been receiving.. it's very much needed. We haven't had rain like this since before I can remember. It went along great with our weekend too! Everything was very laid back, not planned and enjoyed. I don't think the kids knew what to think of all the rain and were a bit bummed when they couldn't go out and play yesterday.

Last week was parent participation for gymnastics, so I was able to sneak in a few up close pictures to post. These two love gymnastics and really seem to do well. At first I was a bit concerned about them being in the same class, but it's been great so far. It's funny because the teacher does separate them a bit and they go looking for one another. Let's just say that next year being without Katelynn is going to kill him. My heart already aches for him. I think it will be an adjustment for her as well.

They love the rock climb up..

She's very well balanced..

Grandma K picked a great day to come watch... Jacob was showing off. lol.

Here's to a long work week for me.. my plan is to make the best of it.

Happy Monday!

Thankful Thursday | Embrace the Camera

2011-10-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got to spend some much needed time with the three people I love most in life. We had an unscheduled family day that turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. We took the kiddos to see Dolphin Tale, which was such a sweet and inspiring story. We had the whole movie theatre to ourselves, which was beyond cool. That afternoon we decided to take a walk.. a long walk with just the four of us. Today I am dedicating my thankful thursday to them, because they deserve it.

there will be times in life that you get tired..

and there will be times in life where you need a little help..

but doing it together is what matters most..

What are something's you are most thankful for this week?

Birthday Parties & Snow Cones

2011-10-04T08:36:00.000-05:00

pretty much sums up the fun part of our weekend. Saturday we spent the day around the house doing a few odds and ends, marking things off my To Do list. That afternoon we had my cousins birthday party to attend. The kiddos had a blast bouncing out all of their energy as I sat back and watched. Friday I was in total baking mode, so my aunt lucked out and got cake pops and sugar cookies to go along with the party. I used Bakerella's red velvet cake ball recipe for these and just put them on sticks. The key for me in making these were to let the balls get nice and firm, then go back and re-shape them. I am itching to get the babycakes cake pop maker.. I've heard nothing but wonderful things, so that's next on the list. And I have a feeling those will be much easier to make. I kind of went crazy with the sprinkles.. but for some reason kids are fascinated with sprinkles, so I had a little fun.

I didn't have one complaint and my son was in love.. ha!

She was having a princess party, so princess cookies it was.

If she's not smiling, something is wrong. #loveher

Sunday we got to meet up with more cousins for a treat. It's not often they see all of their cousins in one weekend, so I know they were all smiles. They got to visit a bounce house place and then go for yummy snow cones. I tried to capture a pic of them all, but standing right smack in the sun probably wasn't the brightest idea, hint the squinting eyes. At least they were all trying to look and smile.

Jacob requested bubble gum..

and she requested rainbow..

The rest of the weekend was pretty much laid back and spent with my feet up. This week's been a little rough and I am ready for a nice escape from everything going on around me. Tonight we have gymnastics so for now we shall ride in the fast lane, but soon we'll be using our blinker. ;)

Happy Tuesday!

DIY Photo Canvas

2011-09-30T16:06:00.001-05:00

I am jumping with pure joy right now and am so excited to share with you this photo canvas DIY tutorial. And let me just say that if I can do it, so can you, yeah YOU! ;)

{Supplies needed}

Canvas {I used 16X20}

Photograph {same size as canvas}

MATTE Mod Podge

Acrylic Paint {I used black}

First things first.. lay out some parchment paper to keep things clean and the canvas won't stick. Then take your acylic paint, I used black for this, but you can use whatever color you like and paint the sides. It's perfectly okay to go over the top of the canvas because your going to glue your picture over it anyways.

The next step is to glue down your photo using the mod podge. Where you surprised by my photo choice? I put a little on back and the sides then stuck it down to the canvas. After that use a sponge brush and paint all over. It will look a bit fuzzy, but it will dry clear, I promise. And again, feel free to use color photos as well, I just wanted the black and white for my project.

After that is dry, which should only take about 10-15 minutes, go over the edges using an old sponge with the black acrylic paint. I liked mine to go over the photo a bit to give it that old fashion look and feel, but you don't have to do that if you don't want. Just run over the photo edges to ensure there's no border of the photo showing. Did I mention that trying to actually do the project and taking pictures as you go is hard work? Geez.. my arms were hurting, the things I do for this blog. Ha! ;)

Then give it about 10-15 minutes to dry and tada.. your done! {insert hands clapping & me jumping up & down}

I can't wait to get this baby hung and I know the perfect spot! It's kind of another project I have in the making.. I'll give you a hint.. it has to do with their playroom. Stay tuned.

Just a couple of side notes for you... I bought a pack of five 16X20 canvas for $14.99 at Michael's and had my photos printed from Walmart for $10 a piece. I already had the mod podge and acrylic paint on hand. So basically for $65 dollars you can have yourself five homemade photo canvas's. Not bad if you ask me. In doing this, I also ran across another site that did almost the exact samething, but used scrapbooking paper for the edges, which I thought was a neat idea too. So there you have it folks.. give it a whirl and you can thank me later.

Happy Friday!

Thankful Thursday | Embrace the Camera

2011-09-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

YaY!! I am so excited today is Thursday because I have lots to be thankful for and one of those is that today is my Friday. Woot Woot! I am totally spoiled when it comes to having Friday's off and would be a complete basket case if I ever had to give those up, so yeah, it's something I am most thankful for. This week's been a little crazy, but I guess in a good way. Ready to see what the weekend has in store and just overall ready for some family time.

Here is my list this week...

{Kiddos}

They truly brighten my day and add so much joy to my life. They are both very unique and special in their own way. Watching them grow up and become their own is truly amazing and something that I cherish. They both have such a goofy side to them that I think I now know where it comes from. lol.

{Weather}

It's suppose to be cooling off here in Houston this weekend.. and by cooling off I mean in the upper 80's people. I seriously doubt we get a real fall this year, but hopefully I am wrong. I'm so ready to start buying winter clothes and spending my husband's money. Ha.. Just kidding!

{TV Shows}

I am loving TV at night, which is rare for me. I'm not a big TV watcher, but I feel my husband is converting me slowly but surely. I'm happy Grey's is back, but I have to say I wasn't impressed with last week, hopefully tonight will be better. I am though very excited about Private Practice coming back tonight, do any of ya'll watch that? It truly is the best show on right now. I'm still stuck with Desperate Housewives, and I probably will be considering this is the final season. I've kept up with Dancing with the stars so far, but I have to admit it's losing me. I like watching Rob though. ;) The X-Factor catches my attention every now and then and we're going on week two of watching Up all night. See, I told you I was turning into a TV junkie!

Another fav show of mine is the T.O. Show.. it comes on VH1 and I love it!! Kita cracks me up and she pretty much makes the show. I have a thing for the Cowboys, so T.O. will always be a fav of mine. I know, I know.. not a lot of people like my boys, and that's okay. I believe in being your own. We do like the Texans too!

I'm also embracing my gal pal this week in iphone pics.. she totally rocks my socks! ;)

What are you thankful for this week? Link up and share with us, we're all ears. ;)

Happy Thursday!

Show Stopper..

2011-09-28T08:04:00.001-05:00

Last week in dance the girls had a special treat for us mommies.. a tap show they put together in just three days! I was so excited and couldn't wait to see what she was about to show us. She was all smiles and very excited about performing in front of us. Take a look..

The girl is truly one of a kind.. she is all girl and has most recently added barbies into the mix. I get a kick out of watching her play with em', because she takes her job very seriously. I am just waiting for that trip to Target when she discovers "boy" barbies and tries to recruit Jacob. lol. I'm sure my husband would just love that! ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Relaxing Weekend..

2011-09-26T08:22:00.001-05:00

This weekend was nice and very much needed. We were home bodies most of the time, which if you know me is kind of rare. I enjoy living in the fast lane, but on occasion desire the slow lane. Saturday we spent the day out at a benefit for a close family member and I was very thankful of the turn out and participation. It always amazes me to see complete strangers come together for someone in the time of need. Just simply amazing. God is good.

{iphone}

Sunday was spent around the house. Our morning consisted of deep cleaning and the afternoon consisted of lounging around, football, vegging out, and watching the kiddos run wild.

They have a silly side to them that comes out without asking. ;)

They like to bring all their toys outside and play.. it keeps them fairly busy so we don't complain.

I indulged in the best piece of pecan pie ever made..

I promise he's not being choked.. I say cheese & it becomes a natural instinct to grip hold of each other.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready to take on another week. I can't believe by the end of the week we'll be in October.. just crazy.

Happy Monday!

Friday Fun with the Kiddos

2011-09-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Today has been a busy one and it started off with a visit to the gym. I figured after eating so badly yesterday I kind of owed it to myself. Some things are worth the extra work outs if you know what I mean. After that we hit up a bounce house place to give it a whirl. Let's just say that I could have skipped the whole gym thing. Seriously, the place was out of control and had not one but two rooms full of bounce houses. Total craziness. All that bouncing got us hungry so we stopped for a quick bite and then somehow still had the energy left to hit up our local park. Both kids are now passed out in their beds and I'm contemplating joining them. ;)

Did I mention I hate tennie shoes?

We saw a bunch of falling leaves, which can only mean one thing.. Fall is coming!! You ready?

Happy Friday!

First trip to the Dentist..

2011-09-21T17:37:00.001-05:00

went surprisingly well, no cavities and all checked out good. It was so funny because I kept telling the kids they were going to get their teeth cleaned, but never once did I mention by whom. So you can imagine the smiles I got when they saw grandma. Her office made it super special and gave them VIP treatment. lol.

Jacob offered to go first so Katelynn let him have it.. I think she was secretly hoping he would step up to the plate anyways. He did good and nothing seemed to phase him. He loved mr. thirsty but wasn't feeling the fluoride. I hate that part too! What am I talking about, I hate the whole thing!

Then it was Katelynn's turn and Jacob felt the need to be right by her side. I started laughing and telling my mom he'll probably want to be a dentist now. Kind of runs in my family, well all except me. I know, I'm special. lol.

I now have two sparkly white teethed kids.. works for me! ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies..

2011-09-20T10:22:00.001-05:00

I feel as though I should put some kind of warning up about these cookies before going any further.. So please keep in mind that once you make these you will want to eat them ALL and continue the craving after they are all gone. So there, moving on.. I got the recipe from none other than Picky Palate herself. She is the original Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookie creator and well I can see why. They were absolutely delish and the batter alone was heaven. I got a little creative and decided to start stuffing cookies with just about anything I could find, and of course have some ideas brewing in my head for the next batch. Cause you can bet your booty I will be making these babies again very soon.

I give you the Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookie...

The Kit Kat stuffed chocolate chip cookie...

And the Reece's stuffed chocolate chip cookie...

All were seriously yummy, but I have to say the Oreo stole the show.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies, I used the double stuff

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sassy 6th Birthday Party

2011-09-18T21:29:00.004-05:00

Okay, so let me just start off by saying this was probably the coolest party we have ever been too. My daughter and myself were on cloud nine just soaking it all in. All I can say is where was this place when I was younger? Seriously ya'll.. it was every little girl's dream come true. I've been into the store before, but only briefly and it was to get one thing and leave. So basically I walked in and walked right back out when I should have scoped the place out.

It was such a neat experience getting to see my gal getting all glammed up and really just enjoying the heck out of herself. She was the smallest girl there, but it never once phased her. All the girls got dolled up and got to walk the "runway" and then dance on stage. I took some video as well, because the minute Justin Bieber came on my gal knew to shake it. Haha.. we both have a thing for him. Don't worry it's no secret and my husband is totally okay with it. ;)

I just loved the outfit she picked out.. she did it all by herself. and check out her hair?? The girl that did it was awesome, so we will defiantly be going back if we need a quick updo. They also have an entire salon.. mani, pedi's.. the works people. I am secretly a little jealous, okay a lot.

Oh, and here are the cookies I made for her party.. the zebra print was totally up my alley.

And to set the party off my sister booked the party limo.. one word, okay two.. TOO COOL! I was probably more excited than the kids, seriously.. a pink limo!! We totally had the time of our lives and again, such a neat experience with my daughter. She was in ahh the whole time.

Yes, this picture was totally necessary. I never want to forget this moment.

Katelynn was anxious to meet up with her brother and tell him all about it. He missed her and she of course missed him. I know, too stinkin' cute. Man, I love them.

Here's a little video I got of them dancing, you can mute the music at the bottom of my blog and sing along. Can I just say what a cool job this would be.

Happy Sunday!

Thankful Thursday {link-up}

2011-09-15T09:11:00.000-05:00

Sorry I missed last week, things got a little crazy and well yeah, that happens. I'm back this week and better than ever ready to shout out my thankful list for this week.

So here goes..

This week just like all others, I am thankful for my kiddos. They have been giving me a run for my money this week, but I still love and adore the heck out of em'. My husband for bringing me Starbucks at gymnastics because I needed it oh so badly. He totally thinks it's way overpriced and not that I don't agree with him, I just think some things are worth the money. The dentist because she went easy on me when she totally didn't have too. I need to start flossing!! My family for always pulling together and making stuff happen. Cooler weather because gosh we need it. All the Firemen for working so hard in getting all the Texas wildfires contained. It has been such a scary site over the past few weeks and my prayers go out to those that have been directly affected by such a mess.

What are somethings you are thankful for this week? Link up and share.

Happy Thursday!

Football Sunday..

2011-09-14T10:09:00.001-05:00

was rather relaxing for the kiddos and I.. daddy went to watch the game with friends while we went and hung out with cousins. My sister was still on this side of town, so we all took the kiddos to lunch at Husky's, which has this super cool game room that is just ideal for parents. Hey, they get to play while we get to eat, works for me! After that we went to hang out at my mom's for a while and visit. She's been dying for an updated pic of her grandbabies, so we gave her just that. Not bad of an out take if you ask me. Getting six kids to smile is like asking for a miracle, no lie.

This cat is named Tiger and is always hanging around my mom's house, it's the neighbor's cat, but I swear it loves my mom. Kind of funny, because she's not the animal lover type. It's got to be a love/hate relationship, I'm convinced.

On the way home we got the munchies and decided to stop at Bucee's to grab a sandwich {they have the best turkey croissants}. We only had a few hours left of sunshine, so we decided to make the best of it by having a picnic outback, that was until the ants decided to join the party. YIKES!

I have discovered Brookies.. brownies stuffed with a chocolate chip cookie, need I say more?

Oh, and yes the Texans won! ;)

Happy Wednesday!

First Birthday Party Fun

2011-09-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

This birthday party was a special one and I think we managed to make it just that. I know my sister was over the moon with everything and well that's all that really mattered. I worked so hard helping her with everything and together we pulled it off. I wish I would have gotten better pictures of the Elmo & Cookie Monster sugar cookies I made, but whatever. I did post some on my Instagram when they were finished. The food spread was yummy and I think just about everything got eaten. We had pizza, dipped pretzels, dirt cake {which was a huge hit with the kiddos, just chocolate pudding with oreo crumbs topped off with a gummy worm}, fruit kabobs, goldfish, cookies, cupcakes, cake, water & Juice. We made all the food except we outsourced the cupcakes and cake from Krogers, which we were really impressed with. The elmo juice boxes came from Sam's, so not a lot of work had to be put into those. I designed the invitations and the food labels, seriously getting plenty of practice with this stuff ladies. My niece's birthday party is this coming weekend and I can't wait to share her party goods. Let's just say sweet and sassy, so think hot pink and zebra print, my two favs! ;) I tried to capture as many party pics as I could and try to enjoy myself as well. I could kick myself in the teeth for not getting a shot with the man of the hour.. really bummed me out.

We also had a little photo booth and had each of the kids write their name down and hold it up, which they loved! Here's my two hammin' it up for the camera. ;) And by photo booth I mean we just stuck some wrapping paper along the wall, easy uh? Fun idea for any party age really.

Happy Monday!

First Birthday Photo Shoot & Message

2011-09-09T14:42:00.001-05:00

I'm still here I promise, just been a little busier than norm. This weekend we have my nephew's first birthday party, so I have been knee deep in assisting my sister with the party planning. Along with all my other mommy chores. I can't wait to show you guys everything we have put together.. but first I have to share a few of my favorite shots I got the other day. He was such a little ham and wasted no time diving right into that cake! Let's just say it made photographing very easy and entertaining. ;)

I'm also on another cookie mission and putting the final touches on them as we speak. Last night was a long night, but I got it done and in good spirits. Here's to keeping my head held high and scoring a touchdown,{football season is in full swing around our house, so I thought it was fitting.} lol.

Oh, and before I forget.. here's a little video my kids made just for my readers.. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

Our Extended Weekend...

2011-09-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

could not have been any better. I enjoyed every second of it and hated to have to come back to work today. I felt like a kid ready to cry because I obviously wasn't getting my way. Boo! I got this wild hair to go iphone camera crazy over the weekend, so that will explain the three photo collages below. Let me break it down for you..

Friday was just me and the kiddos, kind of like every other Friday really.. we went shopping, grabbed lunch and hit up the cupcake shop. Sad, I know but it's something we enjoy. They really need to stop coming up with new cupcakes, then perhaps I wouldn't go back. That night after the hubs got home we decided to take a drive out to the Woodlands to let the kiddos play with their cousins. We met at this place called Incredible Pizza and the kids had a blast. We got to ride go karts, which yes me and my gal totally whipped up on those boys and came in first place. I'm well known for my speed. lol. Jacob loved the glow in the dark putt putt and so did his dad.

Saturday we got to sleep in, which was amazing. My son is an early riser, like sometimes before the sun comes up kind of riser, so it was a special treat to sleep in. We hit up this water park called Pirate's Bay, which was super fun and probably the cleanest water park I have ever been too. I am dying to go back. Not to mention it didn't break the bank for a family of four to have a nice time. After a day in the water the kids were knocked out cold and were pretty much ready to call it a night. They ended up having a sleep over at grandma's with their other cousins while mommy and daddy went out. We had a nice time and went all out.. dinner, drinks, and a little one-on-one bowling. Let's just say I need some practice, but hey after a few drinks my bowling wasn't looking so bad. Ha!

Sunday was spent recuperating from the night before. lol. No really, we didn't leave the house and stayed in our jammies all day. Ordered the greasiest pizza we could find and loaded up on coke icees. Later that night we had dinner plans for my sister-in-law's birthday, so it was nice to get out after being inside all day. I am so not the kind of person that likes to stay home, but every once in a while I soak it up.

Monday the weather couldn't have been any better.. I got up and went out to water the yard just because I wanted to be outside. We loaded up the truck and decided to take the kids fishing for the day. I of course had the "most catches" while the husband had "the biggest catch". The kids well.. Katelynn gets distracted and would rather be picking flowers, while Jacob was fascinated with the worms.

And there you have it folks, our weekend in a nutshell or better yet iphone pics. Oh, and I have not forgotten about my accent vlog.. I just can't get the dang thing to upload. I've tried Blogger and YouTube and nothing. I did manage to get a video of the kids doing their own vlog attempt, so I'll have to post that one tomorrow and hopefully in the meantime I can get mine to work too! Better late than never right? ;)

Happy Wednesday!

Thankful Thursday | Embrace the Camera

2011-09-01T08:37:00.001-05:00

Boy am I glad today is Thursday.. honestly it's never looked so good! I am so ready to take on an extra long weekend with the fam and enjoy every minute of it. Here's to sleeping in and getting off schedule. Ha!

This week I have decided to let my husband shine because 1) he deserves it and 2) he's someone I am extremly thankful for. You see, he's the lucky man that gets to hold this mama together, I guess you could say he's my glue. Whenever I start to fall apart, he's there to put me back together. And well one can appreciate that. Things in our household do not always go over smoothly, but I will say that we sure as heck do a good job at handling them. We stick together and know our places and boundaries with each other. Marriage is something that sometimes with kids in the mix can get a little backseat treatment. Every once in a while we have to be reminded that we're the front seat drivers. You catch in' my drift or have I lost ya? ;)

What I'm trying to get at here is basically remind yourselves that you two are still important. Remember that you sail the ship and steer it where it needs to go. Embrace one another and together you will come out on top. That's the best advice I've got today folks, take it and run.

Happy Embracing!

Gymnastics Class

2011-08-30T20:41:00.000-05:00

was too much fun! The kids had a blast and they want to go back tomorrow. lol. They were originally signed up to start last semester, but with dance and the whole Vegas trip we just decided to hold off for the fall. They are in the same class, which is nice and they don't seem to be phased by one another either, which is good. I some how managed to snap a few pics for daddy and the blog. There were kids everywhere, so getting a clear shot was almost impossible, but I managed. ;)

They have the whole jumping thing down pat, I was almost afraid Jacob would fly off.

He's the only boy in the class, so I think at times he might have been showing off. Maybe just a little.

This little guy came along to watch his cousins..

I'm glad they are liking it, I'm all for burning energy out somewhere other than our house.

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Pictures..

2011-08-29T17:31:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures that I caught over the weekend with my littles...

Can you tell which filter is my fav.. haha! We had a good time fishing, swimming and doing some much needed cleaning out. Okay, so maybe the whole cleaning out part wasn't that much fun, but it sure as heck needed to be done. I pretty much set a bomb off upstairs and cleaned out both kids closets and organized their playroom to a tee. They now have containers that are labeled with all of their belongings. I know OCD set in big time for this project. I'm just glad we got it done and am hoping it can last longer than a week. We'll see about that.

These two just love the water.. it always brings out the smiles in them.

Happy Monday!

Decorated Sugar Cookies...

2011-08-26T09:07:00.006-05:00

is hard work people, no lie. To be honest I don't even know why I am putting myself through the pain, but I am. I guess you can say I'm determined. I came up with this brillant idea that I need to start making everything for my kids parties and well I've already mastered cupcakes, so I figured sugar cookies were next in line.

I tried to get some close up's so you can see my flaws, yes I have them, I'm human. I finally got the cupcake cookie cutter, so I gave those a try last night. Looking back I should have gotten the smaller one, cause it would have made decorating a lot easier. Anyways, I was such a nervous wreck that I divided up my icing, colored it pink and brown and got to trucking. What I didn't do was save a little and dye it red for the cherry. So somehow my brain triggered and grabbed the closest thing I could find that would work. Skittles, thanks for filing in. ;)

I also tried my hand at making dot cookies, which was a little tricky. I am seriously starting to wonder how some of you ladies make your cookies look so beautiful. Usually I am relaxed in the kitchen, but for some reason these cookies have something against me. Perhaps I should take an easier approach. Got any tips?

I probably used too big of a tip for my outlining, but it was all I had. Remember I'm a newbie. Go easy on me.

All in all I'm not beating myself up, afterall staying up till midnight and waking up 6 hours later with a sore back is brutal enough. I am happy with them and proud of myself for not walking straight out of that kitchen and leaving a huge mess. You know what they say, practice makes perfect!

Happy Friday!

Thankful Thursday {link-up} | Embrace the Camera

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

YaY, it's Thursday!! Let's all do a happy dance.. okay, so maybe I'll just be doing the happy dance. lol. This week has been a busy one and I am so glad to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here are a few things that I am thankful for this week in particular..

{RAIN}

Yep, you heard right.. Houston got RAIN!! And if that wasn't enough it's still raining out this morning. Now that's something to be thankful for people. Our yard is celebrating and so am I, not that I don't love our evening chats and all. Now if we could just do something about this heat.

{Planner}

I've been seeing lots of bloggers talk about these amazing planners, and while I would have loved to have one I guess I was a little late in getting this amazing deal. You snooze you lose right! But in all honestly I was at Office Depot a few weeks ago and picked up this beauty for only $10 and it gets the job done. Can I just say that I thought I was the only person on earth that still used a planner. Seriously, I never knew a thing could be so popular. And yes, I am OCD and use my iphone planner as well. Just call me crazy, it's okay.

{Kiddos}

I probably mention them every week, but hey it's something I'm thankful for every minute of the day and we took what I think is a cute family {minus the hubs} pic while at my granny's last weekend and I wanted to use that as my embrace the camera photo. It's called killing two birds with one stone, there I said it. ;)

Happy Thursday!

What are you thankful for this week?

Growing Pains..

2011-08-24T07:47:00.001-05:00

Okay so lately I have really starting seeing my kids grow up right before my eyes. It amazes me just how much they know and I don't mean that loosely. Let's take my daughter for example.. she just turned four and apparently she's learned everything there is to know overnight. No kidding. She tells me when she wants to do something and when she doesn't want to do something. She sees nothing wrong with being bossy and pretty much blames everything on her brother. She too is "re-discovering" time-out and that lying isn't the cool thing anymore. Oh how the toddler years are such a catch 22. Not to worry though, cause I'm soaking in every minute, good or bad, happy or sad.

On the ~~flip~~ better side of things she has gotten so good at knowing all her colors, shapes and numbers. She can now put together puzzles all by herself {unless brothers around}, which is way cool. She got a new bike for her birthday and has been riding it like a champ, training wheels and all. Her love for playing dress up still remains and she tries to recruit her brother everyday to play with her. He does give in from time to time and seems to have no shame in his game while wearing a good pair of heels. Let's just not tell his daddy that okay. I can't believe that this time next year she will be starting kindergarten. It seriously saddens me and I pray that from now until then I can get my act together so I won't look like such a train wreck on her first day of school. She is so excited to start school and ride the bus with all the big kids, but oh how she reminds me she needs a backpack first. lol.

And then there's my son whom is just two months shy of turning three and probably one of the biggest copy cats I know. He does whatever Katelynn does whether it's good or bad. He's slowly but surely learning that he shouldn't listen to everything she tells him to do, as it gets him in trouble. Poor guy. He's mastered the whole potty training and has taken it to a whole new level by getting up and going in the middle of the night. Showoff. I'm secretly hoping he can start waking his sister up and teaching her for me. Lazy I know, but cool if it works!

He's still big into cars, trucks or whatever Katelynn is playing with that he can't have. Aren't all siblings that away? He's learning his numbers and knows the alphabet. He occasionally comes up with his own letters and then gets off track, but for the most part he gets an "A" for effort. They are both big into coloring right now.. which explains the gazillion pictures of art work we have all around our house. My daughter's favorite thing to ask after every picture is "Isn't it beautiful" and yes it is.

Life is moving fast just wish it had a pause button. I don't want my babies to become big kids, but I guess that's what happens right? I remember when they were little I always said I couldn't wait for this or that, and now I guess I've developed a patient button because I can wait. They are the two people that keep us on our toes and begging for more. I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

Babies, Babies & More Babies..

2011-08-21T13:47:00.001-05:00

This weekend was jam packed with meeting all my newest cousins. It was crazy, insane and felt like a daycare, but we all had a blast getting together. One of my cousins had twin girls, and the other had a boy. They are all about a month, month in a half old. Let's just say that holding those twins felt extremely overwhelming and I have no clue how my cousin does it. Not to mention she makes it look like a total breeze! Heck I was having trouble trying to figure out how to hold them both at the same time. lol. Apparently I need some more practice. ;)

This was all the great grandkids minus 3. {Take 20} There's always someone crying, just not mine this time.

While we were down there we celebrated my granny's birthday. I think having us all there was probably the greatest gift she could have asked for. She is such a wonderful lady and truly deserves the best. She is always doing so much for other people and never expects a thing in return. It's such an honor to have her as a grandmother. I am so thankful she is around to watch my kids grow up just like she watched us.

The kiddos had such a blast playing with all their cousins..

My son is such a cool dude rockin' my 5 year old cousins swim trunks. lol.

All in all it was a fab trip, the kids did great and we made it home safe and sound.

Happy Sunday!

TT {link-up} | Zoo Trip | Embrace

2011-08-18T07:52:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday was my daughter's birthday, so we decided to take a family trip to the Houston Zoo to embrace it all. The kids loved it and had a great time. I think my sons favorite part was the cotton candy for sure. While we were there they have the new Dora & Diego's 4D Adventure, so we did that as well. Very neat and highly recommend it if you're out that way.

We also got to see the two latest editions to the zoo.. ;)

This girl has some major love for animals...

Smiling is contagious..

They seriously fit right in with the monkey's. lol.

YaY, I am so thankful today is Thursday.. that means another week down!! This week has been a bit crazy in our household so I'm looking forward to a much more calmer weekend. This week I am so thankful for all the wonderful friends and family that came out to celebrate our daughter's birthday. It meant the world to her and we couldn't be more thankful for that.

Now it's your turn.. What are something's you are thankful for this week?

Happy Thursday!

Cowboys & Cowgirls on the Range...

2011-08-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a second batch of hearty pictures from Katelynn's birthday bash this past weekend. I think animals hold some sort of secret power or something because they always seem to make kids happy. I know it can't be because of their smell.

I always attempt a group shot.. brave of me, I know.

I had so much fun watching the kids ride ponies, they were all smiles.

Some of the animals had the most unusual haircuts I've ever seen. Hey, nothing wrong with standing out. ;)

It was a day on the range to remember and a day that I will forever cheerish. Yee-Haw!!

Cowgirl 4th Birthday Party...

2011-08-14T10:27:00.000-05:00

Oh how hard work truly does pay off.. yesterday was probably the best party I've ever put together. And that's not just because we got to make a mess and walk away. lol. I have to give a big shout out to Laura over at Eco Glam Events for helping me out with all of the paper designs. She has such amazing prices and more importantly all of her products are eco-friendly. Not to mention she hand delivered everything to me, so thank you Laura again for all your help. Her shirt was designed by Selena over at Bebe Boutiques, which was super cute and a great quality. My Sister and I made all the cupcakes and cookies, which was hard work might I add. Sugar cookies are not as easy as they look, that or I am a lot farther from Betty Crocker than I think! ;)

I'm a big believer in sweets, it's just what comes to mind when I think party! ;)

This little girl deserves the world people. She is bright, intelligent and so thankful. I pray that her future is wide open and that she will always have the best outlook on life. May all her wishes come true.

The pictures to me are priceless.. thank you camera for being on my side that day.

She's 4!!!!!!

Family matters, don't ever forget that. Without these two we would be lost.

Little man was a champ.. by far the best looking cowboy I've ever seen.

The pink pony.. birthday hit! ;)

The boy that turned into a pro-rider overnight. lol.

The smiles that made the party..

This boy truly gets you when he wants too.

The party was loads of fun and we can't thank everyone enough for coming out and helping us celebrate. I have a ton of pictures to share, so I'll be posting over the next couple of days. Up next.. kids on the range!

Happy 4th Birthday Katelynn!!

We love you!

Thankful Thursday | Embrace

2011-08-11T08:34:00.001-05:00

YIPPEE!! So glad today is Thursday and I made it through another week. I can't even begin to describe just how excited I am for this weekend to hurry up and get here. We have BIG plans. And by BIG I mean we get to celebrate a certain someone that is turning 4!! I just love birthdays and always try my hardest to make sure they are extra special for my little ones.

Today I decided to dedicate thankful thursday to my daughter. She is truly my everything and I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to witness her growing up. Time flies and I have learned to treasure the time we get to spend together. I pray that we will always be close and always make time for one another. Having a daughter has been something that has changed my life for the better.

For Embrace this week I decided to share a picture that my daughter, yes my daughter snapped of me and little man yesterday. With all the attention going to big sister this weekend, I thought I would give him a chance to shine too. Isn't he just the cutest? That smile seems to get me every time. Okay, so maybe not every time, but enough. And while we're on the subject.. here's to hoping the terrible two's are coming to an end. However I am hearing the three's are a bit more difficult. I am praying ya'll are wrong.

Happy Thursday!

Las Vegas | Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden

2011-08-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

Oh how I loved the Mirage hotel.. it was huge and just so pretty! In front of the hotel they have a volcano show, which I've heard is pretty neat, but we didn't stick around long enough to see it. We were busy bodies remember. lol. We did manage to see the pirate show that Treasure Island puts on, and that was neat. Truly the city that never sleeps! ;)

The white tigers were amazing and so fun to watch.. I wish they were still performing, because I would have loved to see that. Such beautiful creatures.

The leopard was my fav I think.. just such an amazing coat.

They also have dolphins, which are always fun to watch. What I would have given to jump in that water with them.. Vegas is hot people!!

Well, I think that just about sums up most of the highlights from our Vegas trip. All the pictures can be found here if your interested. It was such a neat place and I can't wait to go back!

Las Vegas | Site Seeing

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

You don't go to Vegas and not have your picture taken with Elvis.. ha-ha.. but seriously. You truly never know who you will run into down there, it's crazy! We spent most of our time walking and walking and oh yes walking! We tried to see as many hotels as we possibly could in a short amount of time. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. I would have been fine just staying in one hotel the entire time. I still can't get over just how BIG they really are and gorgeous too!

I wanted so badly to ride the roller coaster on top of New York New York, but I stuffed my face with a to-die-for ice cream sundae and didn't think the two would mix very well. Next time baby.

I thought these pictures turned out super neat.. best view of the strip was from the Eiffel tower. Lovely.

The Bellagio water show.. perfect timing. ;)

If you live in Vegas or plan on visiting Vegas anytime soon, you have to check out Serendipity, they had the best frozen hot chocolate. No lie. Something that I am so not trying to find here in Houston, nope, not at all. Anyone know of a place?

I am in love with the Venetian, not to mention it photographs well at night.

Inside the Bellagio.. so pretty!

Vegas was a blast and has not seen the last of me. ;)

Up next, Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden...

Las Vegas | Sugar Factory

2011-08-06T12:57:00.000-05:00

So yes, this was the #1 thing to do on my list of must see's and can ya blame me? I'm not lying when I say I felt like a kid in a candy store either. Heck, it was better than any toy store I could have ever imagined. We stayed at the Paris hotel, which by the way is AMAZING and home of the Sugar Factory! Stupid me was a bit overwhelmed and didn't capture many inside shots of the hotel. There will be a next time, I promise. I did manage to snap a few of inside the Sugar Factory, so enjoy. The sweets were to die for, literally.

This was the chocolate bar/lounge.. the smell about gave me a heart attack.

Celebrity lollipops came with a hefty price tag.. $25 for one lollipop was a bit much. But I did think long and hard about it. I went for the sweets instead. More bang for your buck. ;)

Oh the cupcake selection they had.. I could have made a few trips back.

It was everything I expected and more.. made the trip worth every penny and pound I gained. lol.

Up next.. site seeing in Vegas

Las Vegas | Wedding Bells

2011-08-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

So I thought instead of flooding the blog with photos all at once, I would just do a couple of highlights from our Vegas trip in various posts. One in particular my brother's wedding. They truly couldn't have picked a better place and everything was just perfect. I think it exceeded all of our expectations to say the least. I am very happy for them both and look forward to what's to come. I believe actions speak louder than words, so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

All the wedding pictures can be found on my photo site if your interested. ;)

Up next.. our trip to the Sugar Factory!! A.K.A my favorite part!!

Thankful Thursday | Embrace the Camera

2011-08-04T07:52:00.014-05:00

YaY.. it's Thursday and it's time to fill you in on everything that I am thankful for this week in particular. It's been a crazy week and we just got back from an awesome vacay, so let's hop to it.

{Frozen Hot Chocolate}

There I said it. I am guilty as charged. While in Vegas I visited Serendipity twice, not once, but twice! It was just that good. We had such a great time in Vegas and I can't wait to go back! I have a ton of pictures that I am going to try and start uploading asap. I had a list of certain things I wanted to do and see and well we exceeded that list, so I was happy. Here's a pic I snapped of the inside of Serendipity with my cell, it was such a cute atmosphere.

{Husband}

I am also very thankful for my husband.. we celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary while in Vegas, and he couldn't have made the trip anymore special. We had such a nice time and enjoyed spending time together. Here's to many more years!

{Safe Flight}

I was so nervous about flying, as it's been soo long. The flight there was great, but the flight home was a little shaky. Don't think I've ever been more excited to be home, and seeing my kiddos was probably the best feeling on earth.

{Grandparents}

Steven & I wouldn't have been able to have near the amount of fun we had, had our kiddos not been well taken care of. They had such a great time with their grandma and grandpa and yes, the new puppy. You see that was the big surprise.. G & G got a new puppy the week before, just in time for the kiddos to come and stay. Let's just say that I think both the puppy and my kids slept very well at night. lol. Here's a pic my MIL sent me while we were away, it's my favorite.

I have missed out on so much of the blogging world, so I'll have to play catch up for the next few days. Right now the only thing that sounds good is my bed. Vegas time killed me and I'm still paying for it. Hopefully I'll be back in full swing sooner rather than later. So please bare with me folks.

Happy Thursday!

Busy Body

2011-07-27T17:34:00.001-05:00

to say that we I have been busy would be an understatement at this point. I am knee deep in a to do list that I probably should just throw right out the window, as it's driving me crazy. Post-it's have truly been my friend this week. We leave Friday for Vegas, very bright and early, which for my husband is going to be tough. He's not a morning person, so I'm hoping he wakes up on the right side of the bed. Literally. I have so much stuff to do between now and then, it's just insane. Packing for the kids to stay at their grandparents for five days, and then packing for us as well. I have also been trying to keep up with the laundry, but who am I kidding. Just when you have the basket empty, clothes just seem to somehow magically appear in there again. Constant battle, but I will someday win. #determined

I did take off work tomorrow to try and get a few things done sans kiddos. I bust out suitcases and they thinks it's playtime for some reason. The funny thing is they could truly fit into my suitcase. lol.

This is our first time leaving them for more than one night and well.. I am already feeling it. Is it possible to be sad and happy at the same time? I am so looking forward to this time with my husband, but on the other hand will be missing these two sweet faces like crazy. I know they will be in good hands and heck, probably not even notice we're gone. They are in for a surprise too.. so I'll have to post more on that when we get back. ;)

I thought I would leave you with some random pics.. yes, my daughter is in her minnie mouse costume, which if you know her well it shouldn't come as a surprise. She owns just as much dress up clothes as she does real ones. What can I say.

I doubt I will have time to post thankful thursday tomorrow, so I'll have to double up next week for sure. Did I mention I am also in the midst of party planning for a certain little girl who just so happens to turn "4" a week and a half after we get back. I dig the fast lane peeps. It's like my calling.

Here's to a Safe & Fun trip! Be back soon with pics!

Bachelorette Party..

2011-07-24T11:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend we celebrated my brother and sister-in-law's bachelor & bachelorette parties separately of course. I think they both had a nice time out and are really getting excited for the wedding this coming weekend. I know I am. ;)

You gotta love the ebarrasing moments.. and yes, I used white out.

The card welcoming Samantha into our "girl group" lol.

Good food, good company, good drinks equals a good time. Let the wedding countdown begin folks.

Happy Sunday!

Thankful Thursday{link-up}|Embrace

2011-07-21T07:51:00.001-05:00

I just love Thursdays and for various reasons at that.. one is that I get to share what I am thankful for each week with you all and the other is that it's the start of my weekend. And hey, I don't argue with that!

Here are a few things in particular I am thankful for this week..

[Sales]

You see we have my brother's wedding next weekend in VEGAS and of course I was totally freaking out about what to wear. Your probably not going to believe me when I tell you I found a dress for $20. Yes, I said $20. I was jumping for joy as my kids were running back and forth under the dress racks. It's called picking and choosing your battles, that and the carts at Marshall's are way too small.

[Kiddos]

These past couple of weeks I have really started seeing my kids grow up and my son in particular. He is learning new things and saying new things. Some good, some not so great. BUT the best part of all is that he has learned to say "I'm sorry" really quick, followed by a cute grin with batting eyes. ;)

[Patience]

I feel like this week in particular my levels of patience has gone up, which is a good thing. It's something I have always struggled with, especially since having kids. On that note, I will say that I have like 4 loads of laundry piled high and just waiting to be washed. Sometimes you just have to put things off. It's not going anywhere and you need a break. I always seem to come back strong once given that chance.

How about you? What are you thankful for this week?

I also decided to let daddy embrace this week, just cause seeing this picture tugs at my heartstrings and I didn't make a grand entrance in any. Man do these boys know how to make this mama smile. Love them!

Happy Embracing Thursday!

P.S. Just an FYI that I still am not able to comment on those blogs that have their comments embedded below the post. To change this, please go to your settings; comments; then either select pop up or full page.

P.S.S. If you have any suggestions on places I have to visit while in Vegas, please hit me up!

Bringing back memories..

2011-07-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, first off let me just say that holding a camera in one hand and spraying kids with a water hose in another is true multi-tasking. Then you throw in a little excitement and yeah, my camera almost got wet. You see when we were kids we had the ultimate dream backyard.. pool, play set and trampoline. So of course every once in a while we would come up with some fun stuff to do after we got bored and well, this was one of em'. And I must say I don't think my mom minded, because it kept us all entertained and outside.

Seeing their sweet faces light up in pure excitment was worth every minute.. just wish I could have focused in better with one hand. ;)

I promise we were careful and nobody got hurt.

My son was the most excited.. he could live in his swim trunks.

Then it was time to fill their buckets with water.. I am sensing a serious streak with him.

It was a fun Sunday afternoon and I was this close to getting in with them, but I held back. Next time I'll have to get the hubs to capture photos while we jump. I'm sure those would be a site to see. lol.

Birthday Party Fun..

2011-07-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

Man did my kiddos have fun today.. as a matter of fact they are both passed out as I am typing this, which to me is a sign of a good party! Today we celebrated my cousin's little boy's birthday and I think it turned out great. All the kiddos were having so much fun and yes the weather was on our side. I'll take clouds that bring in cooler weather anytime.

These two love birthday cake and ice cream.. and okay, so does their mama. ;)

The water slide was a hit and it's something they now own, so yes I will be trying it out at some point.

We had a water balloon toss.. that my son was taking very serious. lol.

She is such a daddy's girl.. in what she calls her "kini" she leaves off the "bi"

Such good times with friends and family.. Happy Birthday Caleb!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and making the most of it.

Happy Saturday!

Thankful Thursday|Embrace

2011-07-14T07:56:00.003-05:00

Last week was crazy and well I am back and thankful as ever this week, so without dragging my feet let's get started! Here are a few things I am thankful for this week in particular..

{Big Brother}

Yes, I totally just put that on my thankful thursday list. I am loving this season so far, although I do have to say and won't spoil it for those that haven't seen it yet. That last night took a turn for the worst I think.. although I am curious to see how the season will play out. What I will say is how cute was Jeff giving that motivational speech??

{Family Time}

I'm sure you guys know by now that my family means the most to me. I try everyday to put them first and am always so thankful for them. My kids bring so much joy to my life and my husband brings me peace.

{Nail Polish}

I know, kind of corney, but hey.. it's something that makes me happy and in turn I am thankful. I am loving all these bright summery colors and did you hear the Kardashian's are coming out with their own line from OPI? Excited much! ;)

Now it's your turn.. link up and let us know what your thankful for this week.

I'm also embracing the camera.. Enjoy!

Kids Pet & New Lamps

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

So after my other two lamps broke because of two certain little people might I add, I have been on the hunt to find new ones. I always find the best lamps at Hobby Lobby, and this time was no different. Then you catch them on a 50% off week and bam, you buy them! I actually like these way better and they came with tassels, so yeah, I snatched em' right up. I secretly have a thing for tassels. ;)

In other news I thought I would make note that Katelynn has really gotten into puzzles. Big and small ones and she's putting them together all on her own. I was so proud of her and she's teaching brother too!

Now for the pet news.. you see we have this bunny in our backyard that's been with us for like 2 months. He is pretty much always back there and if he's not he can be found in the front. It's kind of funny because when he sees me watering the front yard, he'll come right up and just sit. If he sees the kids, well he burns rubber. I can't say I blame him though.

So yesterday I told the kids you know what, we should put out some carrots and see if he eats them. You can only imagine the excitement in their faces, they dart to the fridge. Needless to say they were gone this morning, so I think we have inherited a new pet.

Okay, last but not least.. do any of you instagram? It's an awesome app for your iphone that I have become addicted too. And well now they have web-stagram. It's basically a web feed version. Here's mine if you want to check it out. Very cool.

Happy Wednesday!

Picnic on the Lake..

2011-07-10T15:53:00.001-05:00

First off let me just say that yesterday was HOT!! Which is why we have sweaty red faces and pulled back hair. We got up and the husband decided to take yet another road trip.. I am beginning to see myself we travel like way too much. I promise for the next two weekends we will be at home eating PB & J's. ;)

We did end up having a good time and the kids got to run wild. We had a nice little picnic courtesy of Bucee's, which was wonderful by the way. We've only been to this lake one other time and that was about five years ago, before kiddos. I was really looking forward to going back, and seeing how things have changed. There wasn't many changes, and we didn't see near the wild life like before. I don't know if it's because of the heat or what. Even the lake was terribly low. The great state could really use some rainfall, along with our yard.

Lake Texana. I wish I would have taken a picture of where the water should have been.

There was a playground, so of course they made themselves at home.

My boy gathered sticks as if we were planning to build a fort, he's truly all boy.

They brought along their buckets and decided to dig up dirt. Jacob's idea I'm sure. ;)

This was probably the funniest part of the trip.. nature trails and my kids don't mix. My husband was surprised at my daughter because she pretty much complained the whole time. She was hot, the bugs were bitting her and oh yes, her sandals were getting dirty. lol. Then it was my son, whom was scared something was going to pop out of the woods and eat him. I just sat back and laughed and took it all in. He thinks they need to understand mother nature a little bit more, so he brought home a map that has all the state parks listed. This outta be interesting.

I love the weekends and always look forward to the next. Today has been relaxing and I am enjoying the good ol' AC. I am off to bake sugar cookies with my littles and hopefully master royal icing. Wish me luck!

Happy Sunday!

Lunch Date with Cousins...

2011-07-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

The kiddos love getting all together so this past weekend my sisters and I made it happen. The place we went was awesome and I think we'll be seeing a lot more of it very soon. It was the best stomping ground for kids and let's just say they had no problem taking over the place. Please excuse their little red faces.. it's Houston and well it's HOT!

I thought this Peacock was the coolest thing.. check out those feathers.

Of course my son wasn't shy and made sure all the horses got plenty to eat. Not to worry, I made him wash his hands very good. However, if it were up to him, I think he would have forgotten that part. lol.

We all had a nice time and of course the kiddos had a blast. Let me just say that I am thinking "barnyard" birthday party themes at the moment. Nothing is set in stone, but I am in deep thought. The possibilities are endless folks.

On the road again...

2011-07-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

There's something about last minute trips that make them the best. I don't know if it's the "I forgot to pack" {the hubs b/c he doesn't pack} or the "I don't know how to read the map" {this ones usually me} or the "are we almost there yet" {kids}.. but something just makes them memorable. This trip was unlike any other.. we had a plan, we knew how to get there and we had everything we needed. But it's hearing "we are at capacity" that threw this mama for a loop, dad into a rage and the kiddos into tears. Seriously people.

You see we had planned on going to a certain water park, but when we couldn't get in we had to quickly and I mean quickly come up with a plan B. Trying to explain to two little ones that were ready to dive into the water we can't get in is just plain crazy talk.

So after a little detour, speaking of which check out this bridge.. pretty neat uh? I was a bit freaked out, me and bridges aren't that close, but I did think it was pretty.

We ended up at Schlitterbahn in Galveston and had a really nice time. The kiddos were fearless and we hit up just about every slide they had. I got a few pics before we headed inside.

They were a bit anxious..

After being in the water for so many hours we had worked up quite an appetite, so we decided to have dinner along the seawall since we were already close by. Of course nobody goes to the seawall without visiting the beach.. or at least not us. Our kiddos have a thing for sea shells and they think it's fun to see just how many they can collect.

He's such a good sport..

Nothing like a little team work baby..

I can only pray that she will always look up to me..

Dinner was great topped off with a sweet treat for our drive home. There's this divine frozen custard place that I just can't live without. I'm just thankful it's not at arm's reach, cause I would be in some serious trouble. The day was wonderful and I wouldn't have traded it for the world's series folks. Even if every time my dinner hits the table somebody's gotta go to the restroom. Just think, one day they won't need my help and I'll be wishing they did. If only they could stay little forever. ;)

Happy Tuesday!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T19:41:00.000-05:00

We hope that you all had a wonderful 4th of July.. we've been keeping pretty busy and have really enjoyed the ~~extended~~ holiday weekend. Tomorrow is going to be rough. It's been all of productive, fun with a little R & R thrown in there somewhere. I have lots of pictures to post and stories to go along with em'. But right now I am off to enjoy the evening of peace and quiet with my husband. Our kiddos hit the hay a bit earlier than norm, so we're taking advantage. ;)

Happy 4th of July!

Dance Recital Videos

2011-07-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

Better late than never right?? Enjoy! ;)

Hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Thankful Thursday{link-up}

2011-06-30T08:21:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that I am super excited today is Thursday.. and I am already in vacay mode. Really looking forward to spending sometime with my family, kicking up my feet and having a good time.

Here are just a few things I am thankful for this week in particular.

{Family}

I truly don't know where I would be without them. They have always been a big part of my life and I wouldn't trade them for the world. When I found out about my cousin this past weekend it hit me hard. It just goes to show you life is short and it just reassures me that I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to be happy. I want to succeed. I want to be the best mother to my kids. And most of all I want to live with no regrets.

{Baking}

I can't wait to get in the kitchen this weekend and try a bunch of yummy new recipes. I love baking and I love trying new things. I'm not saying I'm good at it, I'm saying it's something I enjoy. ;)

{Husband}

I've just gotta put him on my list this week.. because by God he deserves it. He's always so sweet to me and sometimes I can take that for granted. We may not get as much time together as we would like, and we may not always agree, but in the end we always pull through together. And that to me is the true meaning of a good marriage.

What are you thankful for this week?

Mom to Mom Diaper Review

2011-06-30T02:21:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was asked about doing a review for Randall's mom to mom diaper campaign. They are re-launching their line of diapers and training paints and were looking for moms to try them out. I normally don't participate in too many reviews, as I try to keep my blog about my family. However when I found out the review would be about my kids I jumped at the opportunity. Not to mention I was given two $25 gift cards as a thank you for participating. So thank you Randall's for that.

I must say I was very impressed with the quality and the durability. I have to be honest in saying I wish I would have known about these sooner. Both my kiddos are now potty trained, but they do still wear training pants at night. The training pants were super soft and had a hypoallergenic liner with aloe, vitamin E, and organic botanicals. Even the kids said they liked em' and that they were super soft! And trust me they aren't afraid to voice their opinion. They would be ideal for potty training too because they have easy sides that open up, which is a feature not all training pants have. I remember going through the potty training stage with Jacob and there were times we would be out and he needed to be changed, but I didn't want to strip him {shoes and all} right then and there. So the open sides would have come in handy for sure.

Be sure to check out their site as they have lots of baby products from diapers to wipes to formula to toiletries. Thanks again Randall's for allowing me to participate and give my opinion on your product.

{mom to mom}

Cha Cha Changes..

2011-06-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

Have you come to our blog and thought am I in the wrong place? Well, good news.. you're not! I've just been busy doing a little revamping around here. I've tried making things a bit more simple and user friendly. I added some tabs up top that you might find pretty interesting and/or helpful. I always get asked lots of questions, so I thought the FAQ would be helpful to some. Go ahead explore and take a look around. Let me know what you think too. I am always up for suggestions.

{Quick update} Things have been a little crazy around our house.. my cousin is doing much better, still in the hospital but doing better. Thank you all so much for your sweet thoughts and concerns.

This past weekend we took the kiddos to see Cars 2 and they loved it! I thought I would share two pics that were what I call "cute caps" from our weekend. And before you ask, the puppy is not ours. He belongs to my brother and well this is how he looks after spending a full day with my kiddos. Ha!

Happy Wednesday!