Easter 2012

Well, Easter came and went this year without much fanfare at our house.  However, it was Asher's first, so we snapped a cute pic of him in his Easter bib! (below)  The boys had a little something from the bunny and we had a small indoor egg hunt.  (Online plea to my husband: Can't hunt eggs outside when the grass is to our knees.  PLEASE mow the yard honey!)  I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays with their families!  I know I enjoyed spending some quality time with my three boys. :)

6 months already... Asher is getting SO BIG!

Can someone please show me how to slow down or turn back the clock?!  My babies are growing up right before my eyes.  Asher turned 6 months old on March 13th.  Happy 1/2 Birthday little man!!  At his six month check-up, he weighed 17lbs, 10oz and was 26" long.  Little trooper was smiling when he left the doctor's office, even though he had to get some shots in his baby legs.



New things Asher has learned:
Reach for his bottle and put it in his mouth
Roll from back to tummy
Roll from tummy to back
Reach for and grab onto toys
Grab his feet and pull on his socks
Blow raspberries

Asher even had a first this week... His first taste of juice! Apple flavor on March 18th.  He didn't act crazy about it, so we tried White Grape juice instead.  He drank that down in less than a minute!  I would say he is already showing taste preferences.  He loves Sweet Potatoes, but is not a fan of carrots!

To remember this amazing milestone, we asked Katie Cole Photography to snap some shots of our little guy.  Check out a couple of my faves below.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.."
James 1:17

Thank you LORD for this perfect gift!!

Getting Healthy... Step 1

Sooooo, I have a serious confession to make... I am overweight and I need to lose 30 pounds.  YIKES!! Yes, I said 30.  How did I get here??  The answer would be one donut, one slice of pizza and one bowl of pasta at a time.  "Hi. My name is Jenny and I am a junk food addict."  Whew!  It feels good to say, er, rather type that out loud.  But, I have finally gotten to a point in my life where I just want to get healthy.  I want to enjoy going clothes shopping and I want to feel good about myself again.  I want to be healthy, not only for me, but for my kids.  I want to be able to set a good example on living a healthy lifestyle for my two little boys.  I'm so tired of telling myself I "can't" do things.  I can't lose weight, I can't give up fatty foods, I can't run a marathon...  It's time to make a change and I CAN DO IT!  Last week I committed the $18.95 per month and signed up on Weight Watchers Online.  I will tell you those first two days were a true test of will power.  I went to work the day after signing up and saw a buffet of cheese dip and oreos next to my desk.  Yes, it was another food day!  Another excuse to sit at my desk and eat fatty foods while getting ZERO exercise!  I knew after a couple hours of smelling the aroma of the cheese dip, that this weight loss thing was going to be very difficult for me.  I went to bed hungry those first two nights and couldn't bare to look in the pantry where the opened box of girl scout cookies seemed to call my name from the shelf.  But, I did make it through my first 7 days on the program, and I am very pleased to be able to say I lost 4.8 pounds in my first week.  I was hoping for 2 and I got almost 5 instead.  So here we go...  I'm taking the first steps towards a healthy lifestyle.  I CAN do this... one day at a time, one meal at a time, one step at a time...

Cool pic!

I stopped by the jewelry store on the way home the other day and had my wedding rings cleaned.  They were in desperate need of some TLC and I was very glad I did b/c the jeweler told me my center stone had come loose.  YIKES!  Anyhow, I snapped this pic afterwards because I was in awe of my bling and didn't realize at the time what a cool shot it was.  Check out that background!  I just might be a photographer in the making!



What a happy little accident.  This pic makes me smile!

It's a Girl! Baby Shower

Well, it was another baby shower this past weekend!  This time I was the hostess!  My sister-in-law Brandee is having her first baby.  My brother and Brandee are moving to Japan in a few weeks, so we planned to host the shower early in the pregnancy before they leave the states.  It turned out very nice.  A BIG THANKS to my mom for opening her home and helping finance the necessities.  And thank you to the ladies who took time out of their day to join us in celebrating Baby Elliana's coming arrival! Thank you Mary, Cindy, Whitney, Charlene, Natalie, Florence, Heather, and Kim for joining us!  I wish I had more pics to share, but I was too busy being the hostess!

The Cake


The Punch (Two 2 liters of 7-Up, Two tubs Rasberry Sherbert, Sliced Lemons)


The Food Table


The mommy-to-be!


From Left: Natalie, Mom (Terri) and Charlene


From Left: Whitney and Me


I also forgot to get a picture of the baby washcloth bouquet I made from yet another idea on Pinterest.  I did get a pic when it was "in-progress" though. (below) I added a pink tulle bow to the finished product.  It was not as easy as I thought it would be, but I'm not a crafty person to say the least.

And last but not least, the sweet little burp cloths I had embroidered with Elliana's name.  Aren't they just the cutest?


I have two boys so it will be fun to have a little girl in the family!  Although, I will miss not being able to see her as much as I would like.  Brandee and Sean are moving to Japan for a 3-year tour of duty with the Air Force.  Sayonara Sean, Brandee and Elliana! We will miss you!!

Sayonara (Sa-yo-na-ra) is Japanese for Goodbye.  Can't wait to say Konnichiwa (Kon-ee-chee-wa)!  That would be Hello! :-)

Baby Naming Business

I'm going to be an aunt!  My (only) brother and sister-in-law are having their first child and we recently found out it's a GIRL!  My parents are beyond excited by this, since I have already provided them with two grandsons and a girl was definitely in order.  It's time to think pink!!  Of course the first question was: "what are you naming her?"  The baby naming business is important.  It's the first question people ask and they are normally very opinionated about your choices.  I have noticed that nobody thinks to ask what the baby name means?  The meaning of the name is probably only important to the parents... but still important nonetheless.  Drum roll please....   My niece will be named Elliana.

Hello Miss Ellie!


I have never heard this name before so I decided to look it up.   It is French Origin meaning "Light, moon."  It was listed #421 in 2010 on the U.S. Popularity Ranking.  This got me to thinking about my boys' names and I wanted to share the meaning of their names as well, just because it's fun!

Aiden James born January 12, 2005.

Aiden is Irish Origin and means "Fiery."  It was listed #50 in 2005 on the U.S. Popularity Ranking and has since moved up to #9 in 2010.
James is Hebrew Origin meaning "one who supplants."  It was listed #17 in 2005 on the U.S. Popularity Ranking and was #19 in 2010.

Asher Jaxon born on September 13, 2011.

Asher is Hebrew Origin and means "lucky, blessed, happy."  It was listed #139 in 2010 on the U.S. Popularity Ranking.
Jaxon is English Origin meaning "son of Jack."  It was listed #99 in 2010 on the U.S. Popularity Ranking.

Origins, meanings and rankings found online at Babycenter.  http://www.babycenter.com/baby-names
Feel free to share your baby names and their meanings in the comments below!

I can't cook, but I can crock!

I am the first to admit, when it comes to cooking, I am a complete idiot.  I am intimidated by the whole process... the list of ingredients, the utensils and that stove which always seems to mock me!!  I grew up with one of those moms who did everything... the cooking, the cleaning, EVERYTHING!  I'm sure she tried to teach me a few things about cooking, but I probably never showed any interest in learning.  Well, I am now a wife and a mother, and cooking is one of my many duties.  Unfortunately, I married a man who can't even boil water, so us together in the kitchen is like a double negative.  Needless to say, we eat out A LOT!  However, if you give me a recipe and detailed instructions, normally I can make it work.  So once I discovered Pinterest, I was inspired to give this cooking thing another try.  When it comes to pinning recipes I have certain rules: I will not pin a recipe if the list of ingredients is longer than my arm, or if there are more than 3 steps to the preparation, or if there are ingredients I have never heard of.  So if you are looking for extravagant recipes, STOP reading here.  I have discovered some great EASY recipes on Pinterest as well as a newfound love for my crockpot.  This one kitchen appliance seemingly does all the hard work for me!!  In the last 7 days I have used my crockpot three times.  I figured I better share some of my successes online for my fellow non-cooking friends... So here they are:

Success #1: Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Even my 7 year old son (and extremely picky eater) liked these!
You will need:
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Fresh or Frozen)
1 jar Salsa (16 oz) (can substitute 1 can Rotel)
1 envelope Taco Seasoning
8-10 soft flour tortillas

Dump all three ingredients into the crockpot and stir to blend.  Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.  When done, the chicken will shred easily.  Serve with your choice of toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and/or sour cream.  YUM!

This is the website where the recipe was pinned from:
http://mychocolatetherapy.blogspot.com/2012/01/crockpot-chicken-tacos.html

Success #2: Betty Crocker's Crockpot Chili
You will need:
2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16 oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat until browned; drain.  Mix beef, onion and remaining ingredients in crockpot.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

This is the website where the recipe was pinned from:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-family-favorite-chili/c6f4c4e2-8298-4d9d-8f21-d4ca19d35cb7

I won't share the third recipe I "crocked" this week, as it was not a success.  Oh well... you win some and you lose some, right?!  If you decide to give either of the above recipes a try, then I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine did.  And I will try to remember to include photos next time I blog about recipes.  Happy crocking!!