Life in Fast Forward

Echols/Deutsch Family Fun

2012-01-26T06:00:00.003-06:00

The night before The Deutsch Family had to leave & return to Venezuela, we all went out for some family fun. There is a place in Southlake called Urban Air Trampoline Park. It is a huge building with wall to wall trampolines. There is plenty of space for kiddos to exert their energy, and for adults to feel like they are kids again. We had a lot of fun (thanks for the great idea, Kath!), and Jackson has been asking to go back ever since. We'll need to visit again soon.

Mother/Son Date Nights

2012-01-25T19:44:00.001-06:00

Jackson and I have a blast on our date nights. A few weeks ago, we headed up to Grapevine Mills Mall to visit the aquarium, and enjoy other fun activities. I cherish these special times with my little boy!

When we got home, Scott had a fun surprise for me! He went shopping for me while we were away. He bought me a new workout shirt, a Rangers shirt and an iPhone case (mine had been broken for a long time). All of these gifts were just because. Such a sweet and thoughtful thing to do!! I think I'll keep him. :)

Bird feeder

2012-01-17T18:00:00.001-06:00

Jackson is an animal lover. His very favorite are puppies or dogs. He also really likes to look out for the squirrels, birds, and occasional bunnies in our backyard. We have 5 or 6 bird nests tucked away in the trees in our backyard right now. So a few weeks ago, Jackson and I made a little bird feeder with a toilet paper roll, peanut butter, and some bird seed. It was a fun little pinterest inspired project, and Jackson was excited to watch for the birdies to come eat. I think it's a little hard for the birds to eat off this thing, though, because there is nowhere for them to land. I am inspired to up our game and make a more bird-friendly feeder soon.

Contains almonds.

2012-01-09T19:00:00.003-06:00

Has anyone tried these before?! I bought them at the grocery store this week to bring to work. I need to have something sweet in the afternoon that isn't completely awful for me. These gems are perfect. Dark chocolate cocoa roasted almonds. They aren't coated in chocolate as you may think...just roasted/dusted in a cocoa powder. YUM!

I was taking a peak at the list of ingredients, and started to laugh.

CONTAINS ALMONDS.

Really?! Are you sure?

1 John 4:18

2012-01-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

I struggle with anxiety. I get tense and nervous in certain situations. I have insomnia because I cannot get my brain to stop over-thinking at night. I worry about my child, my family, and my friends. And believe it or not, I worry about strangers.

I was listening to the Shane & Shane station on Pandora, when one of their songs that I had not heard before came on: Your Love. A snipet of the lyrics:

I'm overcoming fear

With Your perfect love, Your perfect love

You're opening my ears to hear

The sound of a lover's voice

You're calling out, You're calling out

Let me see your face, Your loving face

Your love tears me up

And when it's done

Puts me together

Your love calls me out

Of my death and my failure

When I heard this song, it reminded me of 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear..." My anxiety is fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of being unable to control situations. And a complete lack of trust and faith that no matter what happens, it WILL be okay. I have much room to grow here. I know these things in my head, but I have to work on knowing them in my heart. I have to allow the spirit to fill me with the overflowing peace that He promises all of us. I have to learn to live with fearless abandon.

A football tradition

2012-01-05T19:42:00.000-06:00

I'm not exactly 100% on this story, but I just asked Scott the other day, and this is what I recall:

Scott's dad was the mascot for Gainesville football (high school, I guess?) when he was a little boy. He wore this costume while he was mascot. His parents kept the costume over the years, and now all of the children & grandchildren in Scott's family have a picture in this little football outfit. I think it is the coolest and cutest thing ever. Jackson had such a great time playing around outside in the outfit while I snapped a few pictures of him.

I want to get this one framed and up in our house. Precious!!

I can't remember who #44 stands for, but the back #37 is for Doak Walker. He played college ball at SMU (where Scott's dad also played), and then went on to play for the Detroit Lions.

2011 at a glance

2012-01-04T18:00:00.001-06:00

When I was first thinking back on last year, I thought: bring on 2012, because 2011 was awful. But then I'm so glad I had the idea to look back through the titles of my blog posts for all of last year (one of the reasons why I love having this blog!). Because, even though we had some rough months and a few bumpy roads, 2011 was pretty great. I guess I have a tendency to focus on the few bad things that happened, instead of see the million awesome things. That's going to stop right now. Whew, I'm so glad I got that over with.

(My hyperlinks were barely looking like hyperlinks, so to distinguish I made them bold. Just in case you wondered why there were random bold words throughout this post.)

I started off the year making 2 goals for 2011: 1. Run a 1/2 marathon, and 2. lose 20 lbs. I succeeded in running that half marathon, but totally failed at losing that weight. 6 of those lbs are gone, leaving me 14 to deal with in 2012. No big deal, I'm on it.

In February, Jackson enjoyed his first Texas snow. It was so precious watching him tromp around in snow up to his ankles. Loved it!

In March, I completed one of the goals on my life list: run a 1/2 marathon. I'm not sure if I'll run another one, but am so thankful I crossed that one off with my sister by my side.

April was our bumpy month: 2 car wrecks a week apart, 2 cars with hail damage (one of them being a rental car that we had while my wrecked car was in the shop), and a termite invasion. One expensive month! But April was also the month that our sweet Jackson turned 2, and I had so much fun planning and celebrating his birthday!

In May, Jackson said goodbye to his crib, and hello to his twin bed. Later that month, our air conditioner had a clog in the line, and water overflowed to flood Jackson's closet/bedroom. Nothing that a call to the home owner's insurance, and several fans couldn't fix. :)

In June, our precious Godson, Landon Michael Tapella, was born to our dear friends Jacqueline and Travis. He is such an angel baby, and we love him so much! We also had our roof replaced in June due to the bad hail storms we had earlier in the year. Funny that the one night it decided to terrential downpour in June, was the same night our roof was partially replaced, and was only 1/2 completed. There was no tarp to cover it, and we had some unwanted water leaking in a few spots throughout the house. Scott's closet had a minor flood, and the cedar wood floors had to be replaced. Whew!

In July, Cousin Luke got to spend a few nights with us while his mom and dad went out of town.

In August we were trying our best to avoid the heat with many trips to indoor play spaces.

September brought a much needed Mexico getaway for me and Scott. What a beautiful place, and a great time with my love.

In October, I got to take a cooking class with my sister, and Scott took me to see West Side Story. We also discovered that Jackson hates Halloween Costumes. Or at least this year he did. :)

In November, we started weekly play dates with cousins Parker & Preston. This was the best idea we've had in a long time. The boys are soo close now, and have a blast together. I am pretty sure that Aunt G's house is one of Jackson's favorite places in the world.

In December, we spent the month enjoying the Christmas season with family. And to top off the year, my childhood best friend, Mary, got engaged to a wonderful man named Todd! I am so mad at myself that I don't own any pictures of Mary & Todd together. So this one is stolen from Facebook, and will have to do for now. I am going to rectify this situation as soon as possible.

Congratulations, Mary & Todd! I am so excited to be a part of your special day!!

Here's to a happy, healthy, and blessed 2012!!

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-04T17:15:00.001-06:00

Jackson really got into Christmas this year, and loved all of the aspects. He enjoyed reading his stories and prayers about Jesus. He loved learning about Santa, and sitting on his lap for the first time. He had so much fun making Christmas crafts, taking a ride on the North Pole Express in Grapevine, driving around to look at Christmas lights, decorating the tree, and awaiting Christmas morning. He loved it all so much that he was so sad when we packed up all the Christmas decorations. He kept saying "I want Christmas!" Me too, buddy. It's my favorite time of the year!

Jackson woke up on Sunday morning to find that Santa had paid him a visit!

He went straight for his new bike and started riding around the house. :)

After checking out everything else Santa brought, he opened his presents from mommy & daddy.

Who made all that mess?!

After Jackson finished opening presents at our house, we packed up and headed to Mimi & Grand-dad's. Again, I hope Scott has more pictures on his phone, because I failed miserably at taking them while we were there. Jackson, Scott, and Luke had a fun time wrestling.

Thanks to Kat-Kat, Jackson discovered one of his favorite games ever. Hungry hungry hippos has been played about 100 times since he opened it on Christmas Day. I don't even think I'm exaggerating.

After a fun-filled day at mimi & grand-dad's we headed back home. We let Jackson stay up a little later than usual so he could play with some of his new toys that we left home.

I'd say this little boy had a great Christmas Day!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-04T17:00:00.004-06:00

Our little family was sick over Christmas weekend. We spent most of Christmas Eve laying around our house, miserable. But, with the help of 12 hour Sudafed, we packed up and headed to Aunt G's house to spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family.

We made this pizza a few weeks before Christmas, but I just thought it was too fun not to post. :) Fun and yummy, all in one!

Here is an updated picture of our christmas card wreath after some of the cards began rolling in. Soon after this picture was taken, it was so full, we were running out of room. I LOVE getting everyone's Christmas cards!! Thank you to all who sent one!

I managed to scrounge up enough strength to bake cookies for Santa with Jackson. We HAD to have cookies to put out for Santa on Christmas Eve! J-Man had a blast!

We headed to my sister's around dinner time. I am hoping there are more photos on Scott's iPhone, because I didn't feel like taking many pictures, so therefore I only have a few. After dinner & opening presents, the kids decorated cupcakes for Jesus' birthday.

PP boys enjoying their cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

First Shower

2012-01-03T17:15:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, Jackson took his first shower with daddy. He was giggling the whole time, and thought it was so fun! Can I just tell you how excited I am that we are at this stage? I will still give him baths from time to time, or anytime that Scott isn't feeling up to sharing shower space. But, this shower stuff is great!

Daddy showers at night. Jackson bathes at night. 2 birds. 1 stone. :) This makes much more sense!

An abundance of yardwork

2012-01-03T17:00:00.001-06:00

I mentioned in a previous post how we have several large trees in our front and back yards that produce a plethora of leaves in the fall. Well....I didn't really realize just how many leaves they were going to produce. One day I left for work with a completely visible driveway and backyard, and that very afternoon I returned home to this:

This is just a section of our driveway and backyard. The whole thing looked exactly like this. Crazy, huh?! You can't even see the grass or driveway under all those leaves!

Scott spent a morning and afternoon raking and bagging leaves. He got 4 bags finished.

A post-Christmas elf came, and surprised us by paying a lawn crew to finish the job. We are sooo thankful for that surprise - especially Scott! These 8 bags are the result of the lawn crew. SO MANY LEAVES!

Movie Night w/ Cousins

2011-12-07T18:05:00.000-06:00

Preston & Parker came over to our house on Sunday, and we had so much fun. We played cars & trains, we had dinner, and then we all watched Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It was such a fun night with all the cousins together.

Each boy got their own cup full of popcorn.

Enjoying popcorn on the couch.

Old school cartoon movies are great. The boys started to lose interest pretty quickly, though. I think they prefer the new-school shows. :)

Making memories together...sooo precious.

Crafty Child

2011-12-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

Jackson and I have been having a lot of fun lately making crafts, coloring pictures, baking brownies, etc. It's been a lot of fun for both of us!

We made marshmallow snowmen the other day. Jackson was sneaking a marshmallow into his mouth every single chance he could get. He even tried to take them off his paper AFTER he glued them down, to eat them. Ha! What a nut!

Tonight, he had a blast putting pony beads on pipe cleaners. He then decided he needed to take them all out of the cup, and line them up one by one in a straight line on the table. If one of them would get bumped out of line, he started whining "Mommy! It messed up! I messed it up!!" Oh boy, I think we have a perfectionist on our hands.

First Pinterest Craft Project

2011-12-05T11:49:00.001-06:00

Along with many other people, I have developed a Pinterest obsession. I mostly use this to my advantage when cooking in the kitchen. Recently, I've branched out from my recipe boards into the craft space. My first Pinterest craft was this cutesy Christmas card holder wreath. It didn't turn out as awesome as the original picture looked, (my circle isn't exactly perfect), but I still think it's cute! I'm excited for more Christmas cards to roll in, so I can fill it up! I just ordered ours yesterday...a little late this year!

Another first

2011-11-28T22:34:00.001-06:00

We went to the mall tonight to do a quick bit of Christmas shopping. While we were there, Jackson had another first.

And yes, this was his first time on Santa's lap. We are terrible parents and didn't take him to see Santa for his first 2 years. Shhhh...he'll never know! The first time on Santa's lap was a huge success. We were playing at the play area, and I asked him if he wanted to go see Santa. He emphatically said "Yes!" Couldn't turn that down...so off we went.

He asked Santa for a puppy this year. Uh oh!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T22:27:00.000-06:00

I kind of jumped the gun w/ my Christmas time post...and forgot I needed to post pictures from Thanksgiving.

Jackson was actually interested in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade this year. It was so fun to look for all the character balloons together. He would get so excited when he saw something he was familiar with.

We had Thanksgiving at my sister's house this year. This is a picture of my second cousins Wade & Kyle (twins) & their sister Julie w/ Jackson, Preston & Parker. IMPOSSIBLE to get them all to look. :)

Me & Julie

Me & Cousin Mary

Mom & Dad

Rodney taking his nap. He decided at the start of the day that he was going to eat every 3 hours, and have a nap in between feeding #1 and feeding #2. He pretty much stuck to it for the most part. Hilarious.

I LOVE THIS MAN!!

Watching cartoons to settle down before nap time.

Best.Sister.Ever. Seriously.

I made a pumpkin roll for dessert.

My mom's homemade chocolate pie.

And her homemade refrigerator brownies. These suckers are sinful!

There was pumpkin pie too. I also forgot to take a picture of the 23 pound bird my sister cooked. Quite impressive!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great time with our families over the long weekend!!

Christmas time is here!

2011-11-28T22:18:00.000-06:00

It has been so fun decorating for Christmas this year, because Jackson is at the age where he wants to help, and really get into it. It is so much more fun to share in his joy and excitement!

Scott collected nutcrackers when he was growing up. Scott's mom saved all of them for him over the years, and handed them over this year for us to have. This isn't even all of them. We had to get rid of some of them because we don't have any room, or some of them broke. Some of them are too scary for me! I am a little weirded out by things like clowns, dolls, and the like. Nutcrackers are right on the line. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't somewhat afraid of these suckers, but it's pretty cool that Scott collected them all those years! We have to display them! I just keep thinking I'm going to have a nightmare about nutcrackers. Haha! I'm a weirdo.

Jackson helping daddy put the spire on the top of the tree. Precious moment.

LOVE!!!

Tents & Forts

2011-11-28T22:10:00.000-06:00

Stools + kitchen chairs + spare sets of sheets = fun for hours!

These are pictures from Jackson's first tent/fort of his very own. To say he had fun would be an understatement.

The leaves are falling

2011-11-28T22:05:00.000-06:00

I love when the leaves change from green, to yellow, to radiant orange, sometimes red, to brown, and then fall to the ground. It has been GORGEOUS driving in our neighborhood with the leaves changing and falling all around us. Lucky for us, we have several large trees, and never a shortage of leaves covering our yard. Jackson and I headed outside while daddy was raking the leaves, and enjoyed a good hour of romping around in them! What joy to experience life through a 2 year old's eyes. I remember when my dad used to rake the leaves for us, and let us run and jump around in them. It was so much fun back then, but even more so now that I get to do it with my own son.

Thank you, Jesus, for the small things. For the simple blessings.

Please open our eyes, that we may notice them everyday and give thanks.

Tiny Prints

2011-11-21T13:23:00.000-06:00

I was reading one of my favorite blogs full of party and entertaining ideas, when I came across a promotion from Tiny Prints for 50 free Christmas Cards! What a huge blessing that is! Scott and I were thinking about saving some money this year, and foregoing Christmas Cards, but this offer is too good to pass up. Now we just need to have a photo shoot with our little man.

Tiny prints has an awesome photo card selection. One of my favorites is this Joy to the World card.

So simple & so pretty. I love the silver and red combination, and the minimalistic approach of this card: one single photo with the words to one of my favorite Christmas songs "Joy to the World!" There are so many great options to choose from, though. I'm going to have to spend some time looking through them all. If you haven't already ordered your Christmas Cards for 2011, then I highly encourage you to go check out the great selection at Tiny Prints!

Mr. Independent

2011-11-12T09:59:00.001-06:00

We are grateful to have a little park right down the street in our neighborhood. We can literally walk to it, but a lot of times we are lazy and get in the car to drive the 1/4 of a mile down to the park. We were soaking up some of the last beautiful weather days before the cold front hit, and headed to the park. It really hit me this time, that Jackson is becoming such an independent and grown up kid. When we were at the park this day, he did all of the climbing activities for the first time without my help. I was so proud!

This ladder doesn't look that big of a deal, but the spaces in between the rungs are so big that he never wanted to do it before. He was always afraid he'd fall through. Not anymore...he can't get enough climbing in on this thing.

He is swinging on the BIG swings now, instead of the baby swing.

Climbing up this swirly thingy all by himself.

I just think these trees, and the area surrounding the park is so beautiful.

My little man LOVES the park!

Halloween 2011. The year of the meltdown.

2011-11-12T09:53:00.000-06:00

I took these cuties to Mrs. Lanette's house so Jackson and his buddies could have a healthy Halloween snack, instead of junk food or candy.

After I got home from work on Halloween, we attempted to get Jackson dressed in his Lightning McQueen costume so we could go see Mimi & Grand-dad. Jackson had the biggest meltdown ever, and started screaming "I don't want to wear that! I don't want it on my body!!" After forcing it on him, and him crying so hard he could literally not breathe, I decided it wasn't worth it. We improvised at the last minute, and he went out as a Texas Tech football player. We headed to Mimi & Grand-dad's to trick or treat, and say hello. I don't have any pictures of our time at their house on my phone. I'll have to get them from Scott soon, and upload them.

Later that evening, we went to Nanna's house to celebrate my sister's birthday and to go trick or treating. My nephews were dressed up as Elvis, and it was hysterical.

When we got home from Nanna's, there were still kids trick or treating in our neighborhood, so we let Jackson go to a few more houses.

And this is the perfect picture to sum up the night. Little stinker was pointing to his "should have been" costume, saying..."I don't want that!"

(And yes, he picked it out at the store himself. Gotta love those 2 year old mood swings.)

Future tree climber

2011-11-12T09:44:00.000-06:00

Jackson likes to ask Scott to put him up in the tree, just about every time we are outside. He also is a huge fan of climbing on anything and everything these days. Climb, climb, climb! I have a feeling it won't be too many years from now when Jackson's favorite thing to do is climb those huge trees in our backyard.

Play dates with cousins

2011-11-12T09:38:00.001-06:00

We started a new thing w/ Angie & Rodney. Every week, we get the 3 boys together for a night of fun. One week, Scott and I keep the twins, and the next week Angie and Rodney keep Jackson. We alternate back and forth every week, and it is such a great thing we have going! The boys LOVE to play together, and it gives the parents a night off every other week. Win-Win! I don't know why we didn't think of this a long time ago. Here are a few pictures from play dates at our house so far.

I love me some Preston!

Parker did not want to stop playing long enough to smile. :)

Best shot possible of all 3 while playing. Haha...they're just too busy to stop and pose.

Love that man!

Parker loves those trains, and I love that sweet face!

Painting pumpkins

2011-11-12T09:31:00.000-06:00

Jackson's favorite activity this fall has been painting pumpkins. He really enjoys creating his pumpkin masterpieces.

I love how focused and determined he is while painting. It's like he is really putting some thought into where to put that paint, and what design he wants to create. I think he gets his creative and artistic side from his daddy...because his momma sure doesn't have it!

10 year reunion

2011-11-12T09:27:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Scott and I went to our 10 year high school reunion. We had a lot of fun catching up with people we hadn't seen since high school, and hanging out with others we still keep in touch with. I really wish I had taken my camera, and took more photos. I think we were more interested in talking with people and catching up than taking photos.

Friday night @ the Coppell High School football game. Jacqueline, Mary, and I have been friends forever, and will continue to be. I cherish my friendship with both of those girls SO MUCH! Love them!

Here we are again on Saturday night @ Hard Eight BBQ.

10 years ago, we were good friends. 5 years after that we were BEST friends. 5 years later, we are at our high school reunion, married, and with a 2 1/2 year old little boy.

I would have never thought 10 years ago that I'd be standing next to this man, feeling blessed beyond measure to be his wife and the mother of his child.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-12T09:20:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of October, my mom, sister, and I took the 3 boys to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. It's nearly impossible to get a cooperative photo with 3 two and a half year olds, so these are literally the best I have.

This train ride was interesting. The man drove a tractor that pulled these little barrels on wheels. The guy would swerve in and out, do quick little circle turns, and Jackson and I nearly fell out of our barrel. When we got out of the train, Jackson said "Whoa! That was a crazy train!"

Nanna & Preston

Preston & Parker

Nanna chasing Jackson around the field of pumpkins.

My attempt at getting Jackson to smile at me with the Little Einsteins.

Picnics

2011-11-12T09:14:00.000-06:00

While the weather was at it's best, we had many picnic lunches and dinners outside on our patio. Jackson LOVES to eat out there!

Face lift

2011-11-04T15:43:00.001-05:00

I decided to give our blog a much needed face lift. I'm hoping it will inspire me to post more often. Let's see how that goes. :)

"I will set you free."

2011-11-03T12:07:00.005-05:00

Lately, I've been feeling a little down. I had a pretty great day today, so I am thinking I'm on the up. However, the past few days (and maybe even weeks), I've been having some dull days.

I think I finally realized it when I looked around the house and saw clean sheets in the corner of our bedroom that had been waiting to be folded for about a week. In the kitchen, there were paint cups that needed washing from when Jackson and his cousins painted pumpkins about a week ago. Laundry to be hung up, laundry to be washed, dishes to be put away, mail to be sorted through, and the list goes on. If you know me, you know that I am pretty on top of things and don't like to sit around a whole lot. So when I realized all of that was just sitting there, not being done...I decided to admit that I was going through some sort of funk.

Parenting a 2 1/2 year old is not easy business. Jackson is the most amazing and incredible gift God has bestowed upon us, but I'd be lying if I said it was all fun and games right now. We are entering the territory of "NO!", "I don't want to!", and countless dramatic cry-fests and tantrums. Like, every.single.day. Multiple times a day. Jackson is an emotional roller coaster these days, which has taken its toll on me lately. I know that every parent goes through this, and I know that it is temporary. I've been warned by many that 3 is more challenging than 2, so I'm bracing myself for that reality. The problem is, I've been taking it too personally. I've been thinking it is something I am doing wrong. That I'm not parenting well enough. That I'm not teaching him effectively enough. That I'm failing. I have felt like a failure. And I've felt alone. Like I'm failing at being a good wife and a good mother. That nothing I do is ever enough. That all of my efforts are for nothing.

While driving to and from work yesterday, I popped in one of my favorite worship/praise CDs that an old friend of mine burned for me. One of my favorite songs on the CD is by Telecast, and it's called "I Just Need You". When I got to this verse, I just started to weep:

I hear the rain and the thunder

And in it hear your voice

Crying out to me

"Come to Me you who are weary

And I will give you rest

I will set you free."

I was weary. And I needed rest. Amen. I am so thankful for His word. For the reminders in scripture, that we cannot do it alone. We are not enough. It must be through Him that we are able to get through everyday. So at that moment, I decided to lay it all at His feet. Give it up, and realize it is okay if there are things that don't get done. They will eventually. It's okay that Jackson is at the age where he is testing boundaries, and having meltdowns. It is temporary. He will get through it. And the Lord is providing countless opportunities for me to teach him how to handle his emotions, to teach him right from wrong, to teach him how to love as Jesus loved, and how to treat others. Being a parent is one of the most incredible blessings and honors, and hands down the most difficult job ever.

I pray for patience, for understanding, for wisdom, and for the strength to continue raising Jackson to be the best he can be. To be a loving and kind little boy, and to know and love Jesus with all of his heart. I will never be able to do it on my own. Lord God, please continue to show me the way.

Our godson is the CUTEST!

2011-10-15T07:31:00.006-05:00

A few nights ago, I got to babysit Landon while his mommy & daddy went to dinner for their anniversary. I am telling you, he is the BEST baby. He never cries unless it's time to eat, you're burping him mid-bottle feeding, or it's time for bed. And even then, it's not like a big cry, it's just fussiness. Well, except for when burping him. He is just like Jackson was when he was a baby - does NOT like it when the food is taken away. Too cute! I had such a great time playing with him. Here are a few pics I snapped, and a video I took while I was there.

Cutest face EVER!!!

He is only 4 months old, and is HOLDING HIS BOTTLE! Pretty strong little dude. Cutie patootie!!!

I loved listening to his precious coos the whole night!

West Side Story

2011-10-15T07:29:00.002-05:00

For my birthday (back in June), I asked for tickets to see West Side Story. Scott got me some tickets, and October finally arrived. We went to see the show last weekend, and it was fabulous. We both agreed that our favorite character was Anita, but the whole cast did an excellent job. Such a fun night out!

Precious moments

2011-10-15T07:24:00.002-05:00

Scott was putting Jackson to bed a few nights ago, and he fell asleep right there in the bed with him. Usually, one of us will stay in the room with Jackson for a little while, and when we come out - it is time for the Jenny/Scott nightly routine of watching one of our DVR'd shows. I was waiting and waiting and waiting for Scott, until I realized that he probably fell asleep. When I checked the monitor, this is what I found. Too precious!

My little artist

2011-10-15T07:16:00.002-05:00

The other morning we were playing in the playroom, and Jackson was drawing on the chalkboard. He said "look mommy, I drew an apple!" I turned around, not expecting to see anything much but a circle-ish looking drawing, but you guys - he DREW AN APPLE! This is one of those moments, that completely took me back, and made me realize that my baby is in fact growing up at light speed. He drew an apple. What a big boy. I never thought that I would feel so much pride over his first real drawing, but I am oozing with pride. Parenthood is AWESOME in more ways that I can describe.

Happy Birthday to my love!

2011-10-15T07:12:00.002-05:00

Scott's birthday was a few weeks ago, and we spent the whole weekend celebrating. I just love birthdays! I love to plan surprises, purchase gifts, bake cakes, and try my best to make the birthday as special as it can be. The night before his actual birthday, we celebrated with a few gifts from Jackson. I snapped this picture right before Scott opened his presents. I am pretty sure this is the first time I asked Jackson to smile, and he actually responded and smiled!

I love love love these boys!

Cooking Class

2011-10-15T07:06:00.003-05:00

For my sister's birthday present, we took a cooking class together at Central Market. The class was called 7 wonders of a Rotisserie Chicken, and we made some pretty yummy recipes. Angie and I had a great time volunteering to make Chicken Tettrazini, drinking our samples of wine, and laughing the night away. I just love my sister! We weren't very close growing up, since we are 4 1/2 years apart...but we sure are close now. There aren't many days that go by, that we don't call or text each other. And usually she is saying something that is making me laugh so hard. She is a funny one. I sure do love her, and am so thankful that we have each other! Her birthday isn't for a few more weeks, but Happy Early Birthday to my seester!! I love you more than you know!

Let me be the warning to you...

2011-10-15T06:58:00.002-05:00

Be careful around the stove! I mean, I know you already know it, but just let me be your reminder. I have been cooking up a storm, trying out new Pinterest recipes. Well, one morning I decided to make us a little monkey bread. I melted the sauce on the front left burner of the stove. When it was finished, I pushed it to the back burner to sit while I finished doing another step in the recipe. Note to self - don't assemble the rest of the dish around the stove top. Do it on a different counter.

Anywho, while I was working on a different step of the recipe, I completely forgot the front burner was still hot, and set my hand down on it. It took about 10 or 15 seconds for me to register the fact that: OUCH!, my finger was burning. And this is the end result:

This baby took a good couple of weeks to go through the stages of healing, and was easily one of the worse injuries I have dealt with. I hope you all are more careful than I am. Let me be your warning. :)

Outside fun

2011-10-15T06:53:00.003-05:00

With the weather cooling off, we have been soaking up the afternoons in the sun. Jackson loves to be outdoors, and it's so great to be able to let him run off some energy again.

Gotta have a popsicle every now and then.

Jackson still loves to play with these stacker circles from when he was a baby. He takes them outside and throws them across the yard to see how far they can go. Cheap entertainment. :)

The circle version of hopscotch...I guess? Not really sure why I drew circles. Haha.

Nephews/Cousins

2011-10-15T06:43:00.006-05:00

A little over a month ago, Scott and I kept Preston & Parker while Angie & Rodney got away to Napa Valley, California. They had a great time, and we had a great time with the boys. It is so fun to get Jackson together with his cousins.

Jackson was rocking out on the guitar.

Preston is going to town with the weed eater.

Playing trains & doctor.

That chainsaw really makes a loud noise, and Bella was so scared...I had to take a picture. Poor Bella! (But it was pretty funny!)

Yogurt time!

What a cutie worker!

We went for a walk...

we searched for bunnies in the bushes...

and we dipped our toes in the water. What a fantastic time!

WL Status Week 13 & 14

2011-09-21T07:11:00.002-05:00

Week 13/14 Loss: 1.1 lbs

Total Loss To Date: 8.4 lbs

Scott and I have been a lot more relaxed about what we've been eating since we returned from vacation. I think we have been in the vacation slump. So, I'm honestly surprised I lost any weight the last couple of weeks. I'll take it, although it's time to return to making healthy choices more consistently.

Jackson-isms

2011-09-13T07:04:00.002-05:00

Last night, Jackson said a few things that made me laugh out loud. I need to start recording these in a book so we have these memories written down forever. Scott's mom wrote down all of the funny things her children said, and sometimes brings the book out when we are all gathered around the dining room table for dinner. It is so funny to hear the things they all said when they were little. I love this idea, and should have started it a year ago!

Anywho...last night:

Jackson loves to listen to music and dance. He asked me to put on the "mu-gsic", and turn it on the Jingle Spit song. I cracked up laughing! He really likes to dance to John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt. But apparently the song is titled Jingle Spit. :)

After dinner, since Jackson ate his meat and veggies, I gave him a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream that he requested. I warned him that if he took too big of a bite, his head would hurt. He's done this before, and usually cries when it happens. So I warned him, and literally 20 seconds later, he starts to get a pained look in his face, and says "My brain's getting freeze!!!"

Mexico

2011-09-10T07:33:00.008-05:00

Packing time

At the airport, enjoying a Dos Equis & some Blue Mesa...you know...get in the Mexico mood!

First night there, before dinner. The lighting at night was pretty terrible, and my camera didn't know what to do with it....or the operator...either one. :) I assure you that my husband looked super handsome.

A view of the lobby

I can't get this picture to turn the right way...but they brought in spider monkeys, so you could get your picture taken with them. On your shoulder, on your head, however you wanted. I chose to take a picture of them on someone else's shoulder. :)

Overlooking the grounds at the resort

These little (or big) guys were hanging out all over the resort.

Beach huts = fabulous! We were under one pretty much everyday.

Scott, looking for fish in the ocean. They were everywhere.

The view I had while resting, and reading a book. Currently reading Hunger Games series, and can't finish it fast enough. So intrigued!

Scott almost stepped on this little guy one night after dinner.

Watching a little TV & relaxing in the room.

They had these leather couch cabanas down by the beach that were super comfortable, and perfect to lounge around on. We spent some time there. :)

We thought it was kinda funny that there was a box of Jonas Brothers tissues in our room.

Cute little animal...but what is it?!

We Recycle a bunch of stuff, and last on the list is PET?!?! I'm sure it stands for something, but we had a good laugh about this one.

Love this man!

This fire dancing show was pretty incredible!

A view from the top

2011-09-10T07:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, we decided to cash in on a Ranger ticket special, and get the $10 seats. Why not?! Ranger baseball for $20...what a deal! Well, we've been a little spoiled with our tickets in the past, and were not use to sitting way up top. It's quite a different experience. It was still a great time, but we sure did miss being closer to the action.

It was HOT! So please excuse our melty faces.

Date night w/ my man to see some Rangers Baseball!

At least you have a nice view of the entire ballpark from way up top. :)

A child of God

2011-09-10T07:19:00.003-05:00

Scott and I were asked by our childhood friends, Travis & Jacqueline, to be Landon's godparents. Without question, we agreed, and are so happy to take on this role in Landon's life! Here are a few pictures from sweet boy's baptism.

Looking mighty handsome in his baptism outfit

He wasn't a huge fan of the baptismal font...but his mommy & daddy quickly calmed him down.

As we were sitting, waiting for our turn to go, Scott leaned over to me and said "Apparently Hurley got off the island!" I cracked up! If you are a LOST fan, doesn't this guy look a lot like Hurley?! Too funny, I had to snap a picture!

Picture time w/ Deacon Pete

At this point, Landon was D.O.N.E. If he could talk, I imagine he'd have said "stop with the paparazzi!!!"

It was such a wonderful day, and we felt so honored to be a part of it, and a witness to Landon's first sacrament in the church.

Momma loves her boy!

2011-09-10T07:15:00.002-05:00

Jackson and I often take shots with my iPhone while we are out and about. I love capturing our special time together, even if the pictures don't turn out great. I have so much fun with this little boy, and have more love in my heart for him than I can describe.

What a blessing he is to me!

Training

2011-09-10T07:09:00.003-05:00

We've been working on potty training w/ Jackson. Since neither of us stay home from work, it's a bit difficult to be vigilant with it. During the week, we have to rely on the sitter (who has a house full of 6 children all day) to keep reminding Jackson of his need to go potty. I think it is going to be a longer process for us, but that's okay. He'll get it eventually.

I think there is just something absolutely adorable about a little boy in underwear. :) And they are Cars underwear, of course. Whatever motivation works!

WL Status - Week 11 & 12

2011-09-07T06:45:00.002-05:00

Week 11 Gain - 1.5 lbs

Week 12 Loss - .9 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 7.3 lbs

I apparently got too busy before we left on our trip to post week 11's gain. Here's what I don't understand. Week 11: I was working out, eating healthy, and doing what I've been doing...and I gained. Week 12: I go on vacation, eat whatever I want, drink whatever I want, only workout 2 of the 5 days, and I lose weight. Confusing! All I know is that it is time to get back on track with working out and eating healthy. I went for a run yesterday evening, and I could tell that I'd taken a week off, with the exception of 2 days of running in between. I was definitely more winded than usual, and it took all I had to keep going.

On a different note, how about this awesome weather?! I'll take it, even if it's suppose to turn around next week and be in the 100's again. We are going to spend every single afternoon and evening outdoors, because we CAN now! Jackson is so happy that we can go to the park again, and play outside longer than 5 minutes. :) And so am I!

WLS - Week 10

2011-08-24T06:59:00.002-05:00

Week 10 Loss - .8 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 7.9 lbs

It's been a good week. The only thing I would mention this week, is that after listening to several Jillian Michaels podcasts (my newest favorite thing!), I have decided to start buying some grocery items organic. Meats, milk, eggs, and some fruits and veggies are now on my list for organic purchases. I think I'll do a separate post about this sometime.

Oh, and a great resource I've been using to keep tabs on my food intake is fitday.com. It truly is a wonderful resource. There is a database of foods that you can search, and add to your daily food log. There is a place for entering your daily activity / calories burned. It automatically charts your nutritional intake and needs, based on what you've eaten for the day (vitamins, iron, etc.). Overall, a great resource that is FREE and pretty easy to use. I highly recommend it! There is also an iPhone app for using when you're on the go, and still want to track. Love it!

I hope everyone has a great week!

A must read

2011-08-20T06:57:00.002-05:00

This book is incredible. I'm sure, by now, most readers have already read this book. But for those of you that haven't, I encourage you to do so. And after you read the book, go see the movie. The movie was one of the few that actually follow the book very closely. There are a few minor differences, but not enough to matter.

I saw the movie last night, and I was touched. I was touched when I read the book, but the movie just made it more alive and real to me. It was heart breaking, it was hilarious in parts, and it was just plain wonderful.

The interesting dynamic for me, was that I was sitting in a movie theater that was full of predominately white people. However, the couple sitting to my left was black. They were extremely nice people. We smiled to one another as I sat down. They were talking out loud to the screen, and to one another, as the movie went on. This would normally irritate me, but for some reason, this time, I didn't mind. The whole time we were watching the movie, I just kept thinking how (not that long ago) it would have been impossible for me to sit next to a black woman in the movie theater. I may, or may not, have wanted to sit next to a black woman in a theater. That thought right there is scary. Would I have been like the rest of the caddy white women who treated their maids like trash, or would I have taken a stand and treated them just like they should be - as normal people. As humans. I would like to think I would have done the right thing, the thing I would do now...but I guess you never know unless you are in that time and day.

I, of course, cried many times during the movie. I wanted to reach right into the movie screen and hug those women, the maids who put up with far too much. The maids who loved those babies as their own. And after I hugged them, I wanted to turn to my left and hug the woman sitting next to me. I wanted to tell her how happy I was that we were able to sit next to each other and watch this movie together. I wanted to know what emotions she was experiencing as she watched this. I wanted to apologize for all of the awful things white men and women had done to black women during that time period.

Whew, what an emotional ride, and what an incredible book and movie.

I highly recommend both!

WL Status - Week 9

2011-08-17T06:51:00.002-05:00

Week 9 Loss - .9 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 7.1 lbs

I had some sort of stomach bug from Monday through Saturday of last week. It was off and on throughout the week, and extremely weird. Praise the Lord, I feel back to normal now! I started getting back into the workout routine on Sunday, and it felt good to sweat again.

3 more lbs, and I'm halfway to my goal!

WL Status - Week 8

2011-08-10T06:06:00.003-05:00

Week 8 Loss - 1.4 lbs

Loss to Date - 6.2 lbs

Eating pretty well, working out hard, and enjoying life. :) One word about working out: If I had more time to do it, I would. I have been working out at least 5 days a week, but my workouts aren't as long as I'd like them to be. Ideally, I'd love to spend an hour and a half at the gym several days a week. With so many other responsibilities, that just isn't going to work. So I squeeze in my workouts...45 minutes at the gym one day, 40 minute workout DVD another day, a night time run (to avoid heat stroke!) w/ free weights and abs, etc. Jillian Michaels has some great DVDs out there that are just perfect for my lack of time. Her DVDs are always high intensity, no resting, circuit workouts, and HARD. I've been doing her 30 day shred, yoga, and ab DVDs, and they are no walk in the park. So sore!

Lots of fun coming up!

2011-08-08T16:35:00.003-05:00

The next month and a half is packed full of lots of fun!

Next weekend, one of my best friends from college, Rebecca, is meeting up with me in Ft. Worth for a girl's weekend. There are so many reasons why I am excited about this. First of all, I have not seen her since her sweet baby girl, Tally, was about a month old. Tally is about to be 1 in a few weeks. It has been WAY.TOO.LONG. Second of all, I have not gone on a girl's weekend since I've been married and had Jackson. I have major guilt issues, being away from my boys for a whole weekend, yet I know that it is going to be so good for me. I am still going to feel bad, because that's who I am, but I am also still SO EXCITED about this. We are staying at The Omni in Ft. Worth, and plan on having a lot of fun. We are hitting up the spa, we are going to lay out by the rooftop pool. We are going to eat yummy food, drink some wine, laugh, cry, and have a blast. I am beyond excited!

The following weekend, Jacqueline and Travis are celebrating the baptism of their son, Landon. We are so honored to have been asked by them to be Landon's Godparents. What an amazing honor this is! I am looking forward to standing by this sweet family's side, and witness this amazing sacrament. How exciting it will be to watch him grow over the years, in his relationship with the Lord.

The rest of August includes birthday parties, more birthday parties, and preparing for our trip in September. Which brings me to...

OUR TRIP IN SEPTEMBER!!! Oh my goodness I am so excited about this. Scott and I will have 4 nights, and 5 days alone. Together. Sleeping in, catching rays..oh I think I've talked about this before on this blog. I'm just so excited about it, and it's SO CLOSE! Wahoo for our first real trip alone since our Honeymoon!

After we get back from vacation, we return the babysitting favor, and watch our precious nephews while my sister & brother-in-law head to Napa Valley. I'm so excited for them to be able to enjoy a nice romantic trip in the wine country. It is SO beautiful there, and I cannot wait until Scott and I can go together. I went while I was in high school, with my parents, so I wasn't of-age and able to enjoy the wine tastings, and the full experience. One day!

THEN...the next weekend we are headed to Lake Texoma for the Colwell Cousins Reunion. We are renting a cabin on the lake with the rest of the Colwell Cousins, and are sure to have an exciting fun-filled weekend on the lake. The Colwells are Scott's family on his mom's side. All of the cousins decided to get together and bring their families to the lake to meet those they haven't met before, and catch up with those they haven't seen in awhile. What a great idea! I'm excited to meet new people, and develop deeper relationships with the ones I've already met. I'm sure Jackson is going to be ecstatic playing with his best buds Logan & Leah as well. And he gets to meet some new cousins, too!

What an exciting couple of months we have ahead of us!

Artist

2011-08-06T07:54:00.002-05:00

Train ride w/ Nanna

2011-08-06T07:52:00.001-05:00

My nephews are rock stars

2011-08-06T07:51:00.001-05:00

Seriously, I don't know if they can be any cuter!

Preston

Parker

Sea Life Aquarium

2011-08-06T07:42:00.004-05:00

A new aquarium opened up at Grapevine Mills Mall, so we had to go check it out. I ended up buying a year pass, because Jackson is free until he turns 3, and the pass has already paid for itself - we've only gone twice. The lines are crazy at this place, and if you have a year pass, you get to go in a shorter line. It is definitely worth it.

The aquarium is definitely nothing like the Dallas World Aquarium, but it is a cute little aquarium with plenty of fish to keep a toddler interested for long enough.

Sharks

Sting Rays

A dark picture of cousins Luke & Jackson

Luke got to hold a starfish

A trip to G-Vine Mills wouldn't be complete without a train ride. :)

Thanks for going with us, Luke! We had a great time!

Loving the pool

2011-08-06T07:34:00.001-05:00

Dance Dance Dance!

2011-08-06T07:21:00.001-05:00

Random pictures

2011-08-06T06:59:00.003-05:00

Some random pictures I've taken over the past month:

Dominoes is a new favorite game of Jackson's

He loves his sticker book, that helps him learn letters, numbers, and how to spell.

Cheese face

Watching fireworks for the first time on 4th of July weekend

Feeding monkey a little Kashi cereal - monkeys get hungry, too!

Posing on his bike

B-ball w/ daddy

I love my sweet boy!

WL Status - Week 7

2011-08-03T06:54:00.002-05:00

Week 7 GAIN! - 1.6 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 4.8 lbs

I really didn't want to weigh myself this morning. Last night, Scott and I had an anniversary celebration FEAST at The Melting Pot. Endless amounts of fondue, a 4 course meal consisting of cheese, bread, salad, meat-fest, sauces, and not to forget chocolate heaven! I am still full from last night. Boo on the gain, but it was still fun to celebrate.

My workouts have been great and consistent. My clothes are fitting looser. I can fit back into my 1 pair of designer jeans. They are tight-fitting, but I don't have to wrestle to get them zipped up, and I don't have a "muffin top" while wearing them. I think that is a small success. :)

Gotta stay motivated this week and get back on track. Funny how one day of not eating well can cause so much damage. Can't let it keep me down...must get moving again. Next week, the first line of my post will say LOSS. Deal.

WL Status - Week 6

2011-07-27T06:19:00.002-05:00

Week 6 Loss - 2.0 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 6.4 lbs

I'm thankful that I was able to lose the weight I gained last week, and a little extra. 6 weeks into my journey, I've averaged about a pound a week. It's going slowly, but that's okay!

In 5 weeks from tomorrow, Scott and I will be on a plane to the Riviera Maya. We are staying at an adults-only resort, and plan on having a lot of fun resting, relaxing, sun bathing, reading, and doing whatever the heck we want! I am so excited about this trip, and it's given us both a little bit of a push to work harder over the next 5 weeks to get in better shape. I'm hoping to lose about 5 more lbs before our trip so I can wear those bikinis without thinking twice.

Here's to another week of hard work and discipline!

WL Status - Week 5

2011-07-20T06:54:00.002-05:00

Week 5 GAIN! - 1.3 lbs

Total Loss to Date - 4.4 lbs

You read that right...I gained a little over a pound this week. Boo, yuck, eew, blech, alright I'm over it. We had a fun-filled weekend, and I'm paying for it. Unhealthy food, beer, and dessert @ Rough Rider's game = fail. Popcorn and candy at movie theater = fail. You get the idea.

The plus side of last week is that my workouts were more consistent, and more intense. I'm noticing changes, and that's a good thing.

Now...I need to get this weekend eating under control! I'm off to tackle this week, with the hope of better numbers to report next time.

Landon Michael Tapella

2011-07-16T17:28:00.002-05:00

Our sweet friends, Jacqueline & Travis just had their firstborn about a month ago. It has been so beautiful to watch them grow as a married couple over the past several months, preparing for his arrival. Once he arrived, you could see the love in their eyes had grown a million times more. It is such a miracle, and such a blessing to witness! I have loved every second I've gotten to spend snuggling with their precious angel. He is so perfect!!

I was sooo excited to be able to watch Landon for a few hours one Sunday while Jacqueline & Travis attended their baptism class. We snuggled on the couch...it was pretty much heavenly!

Travis, Jacqueline, and Landon - just about 10 days after Landon was born. How amazing do they look?!

We shared some smiles. :)

Sweet snuggles

2011-07-16T17:26:00.002-05:00

The other day after breakfast, Jackson said "I want to snuggle daddy!" It was just so sweet how at that very moment, all he wanted to do was cuddle with his daddy. I had to snap a picture of this, because I know it won't be long before he'll be too cool to give us hugs. :( Why do they have to grow up so fast?!

Cousin Luke

2011-07-16T17:17:00.002-05:00

About a month ago, Luke's parents went out of town, so he got to spend a few days with us. Luke is our nephew, and Jackson's cousin. It was so much fun to see them play together and have a good time. Jackson loves "Lukie!"

Over the weekend, we went to a park...

(looking for a squirrel in the tree)

we played with bubbles outside...

and we played with bouncy balls in the house.

One of my favorite things we did that weekend was take the boys to a place called Bounce U. It is a place full of inflatable bounce houses, slides, obstacle courses, etc. I might have had even more fun playing and running around then they boys did. We will definitely be going back! I had so much fun, I didn't remember to bring in my phone, and I don't have a single picture of our fun time there. :(

Playing a little golf with dad

2011-07-16T17:15:00.002-05:00

My birthday

2011-07-16T17:08:00.003-05:00

This year, I had a great time celebrating my birthday with family and friends. Here are a few pictures from various celebrations. My side of the family came to our house one Sunday after church for brunch. All of us crammed into the play room for some fun.

My two best friends from high school, Jacqueline and Mary, took me to lunch at my favorite little tea room, The Chocolate Angel. It was delicious, and a great time catching up! I am so blessed to have these two beautiful friends in my life!

WL Status - Week 4

2011-07-13T06:46:00.002-05:00

Week 4: Lost .6 lbs

Total Loss to Date: 5.7 lbs

I am finding it easier to eat healthy during the week (for the most part), and more challenging to do so on the weekend. We have had several nights out, and family events over the last few weekends. In those situations, I find it is a lot more tempting for me to indulge more than I would on a normal day. Workouts have been great, when I have the time for them. I was extremely sore this past week, which felt nice in a weird way.

In other news, my incredible husband has lost 14 lbs. I am so very proud of him!! Way to go, Scott!! I can definitely see a difference. He's doing such a great job eating healthy, and working out. :)

Jackson's 2 Year Stats

2011-07-07T17:22:00.004-05:00

I meant to blog this a long time ago, but better late than never. :)

Back in May, we took Jackson for his 2 year well checkup. Here were his stats at the time:

Height: 34 3/4 inches (50-75%)

Weight: 31 1/4 lbs (75-90%)

Head size: 20 1/4 (90-97%)

Our pediatrician is extremely cautious about children's weight. If they are underweight, she is concerned and follows it closely (not an issue with Jackson). If they are borderline overweight, she is concerned and recommends a few dietary changes to try to get the numbers down (this is where Jackson falls). We are suppose to go back in October to get him re-weighed, to make sure he is slowing down on his weight gain. We have really been trying hard to limit his unhealthy food intake, but it is so very hard when your child is at a babysitter 5 days a week, and you have no idea what he eats there. We like our babysitter, but I have a feeling there are many times a week he doesn't eat the healthiest options at her house. All we can do is control it at home, and we've been doing a pretty decent job. He has lost a pound or so since we were there, so I think we're on the right track. I am really hoping we don't have to put him on any type of restrictive diet when we re-weigh in October.

In other news, Jackson is your typical 2 year old. Lots of energy, lots of fun, and learning at an extremely fast rate. He is also very stubborn, can be very impatient, and can be quick tempered. A pretty normal 2 year old. :) I have so much fun laughing and giggling with him, and even more fun watching him have a blast with his daddy. Those 2 are like 2 peas in a pod lately. Jackson is Scott's shadow, following him around everywhere he goes. They have so much fun together, and I love watching the two of them. It makes my heart grow bigger and bigger everyday. Jackson is really doing a great job with putting sentences together, and seems to learn new ones every single day. Sometimes he'll say something, and I will just sit there and think "Where did he learn that? Where did my baby go? He's all grown up!"

Jackson is now sitting in a normal seat at the dinner table, he is in a twin bed, and we are almost about to venture into full-on potty training. Jackson will potty in the big potty if you ask him if he needs to go, but he hasn't started asking to go consistently. I am about to take a Friday off of work, so I can dedicate a full weekend to potty training. I am pretty confident he is ready to begin, and we are ready to be done with diapers! :)

Precious Jackson, why do you have to grow up so fast?! I am so proud of you, and the sweet little boy you are becoming! I am so blessed to be your mommy, and I can't wait to see what awesome new things you learn in the next year. I love you so much!

WL Status - Week 3

2011-07-06T06:24:00.002-05:00

Week 3 - Lost 0.3 lbs

Total Loss To Date - 5.1 lbs

I'm trying to stay positive and realize that I took a few more liberties this week with it being the 4th of July weekend. A loss is a loss, and I should be happy that I didn't gain...but I naturally want to question, "why didn't I lose more?" I really worked out hard this past week...even worked out twice in one day when I thought I might have eaten too much that day. I need to keep remembering this is going to be a slow process...but eventually I will get there.

WL Status - Week 2

2011-06-29T06:22:00.002-05:00

Week 1 - Lost 2.2 lbs

Week 2 - Lost 2.6 lbs

Total Loss To Date - 4.8 lbs

This week wasn't any harder than the first week. I have been eating well, working out when I have the time, and not depriving myself of the things I want. An example of this: Last night we ate Freebirds for dinner. This is easily a place you could go overboard and eat way too much. I ate half of my burrito, and was sure to fill it up with healthy choices only. I also had a few bites of Ben & Jerry's Frozen Yogurt before bed, just because I needed something a little sweet. :)

Book Review

2011-06-25T08:23:00.005-05:00

I really enjoyed the book Naturally Thin, by Bethenny Frankel, and thought her principles were common sense and a great reminder. I'm going to summarize her 10 rules to becoming naturally thin. If anyone is looking to lose a few pounds, or just start eating better, I highly recommend reading this book.

The ten rules are:

1. Your Diet is a Bank Account

This is the guiding principle around all other rules. Basically, just balance your food choices throughout your day so that you aren't eating too much of one thing during the day. Example: if you have a meal for breakfast that is mostly carb-filled (cereal), make sure you have some lunch with protein/greens/veggies included. Continue to do this throughout your day w/ snack choices, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the end of your day it should be a pretty balanced day.

2. You Can Have It All, Just Not All At Once

You can have whatever you want to eat. You should eat a variety of things and make your food as nutritious as possible. But you can still pick the one or two things you really want. (Example: instead of having pizza, dessert, and a glass of wine or a light beer...have a salad, a slice of pizza and a glass of wine or beer. Skip the ice cream. Or have soup, salad, and dessert.)

3. Taste Everything, Eat Nothing

This rule really doesn't mean don't eat anything. Basically, if you are faced with a lot of good food choices, and aren't sure what to eat..sample a little of everything, just don't eat all of everything. You should stop eating before you get yourself into trouble. A little taste of everything will not get you into trouble.

4. Pay Attention

Make sure you pay attention to what you are eating. Sit down, pay attention, look at your food, and realize what you are putting into your body. When you eat standing up, on the go, in the car, etc....you are less likely to make wise food choices, because you aren't paying attention to what is going into your body.

5. Downsize Now!

Bethenny suggests eating your meals from salad plates instead of large dinner plates. The size of the dinner plate is far too big to be filled full of the food we eat. A salad plate is more the right size for the amount of food we should be eating per meal. The same goes for a bowl of ice cream. Don't fill up a huge cereal bowl full of ice cream. A ramekin or small bowl is about the right size portion.

6. Cancel Your Membership in the Clean Plate Club

It is not necessary to finish everything on your plate, just because it is there. Share your food, save part of it for a later meal, or just leave it there.

7. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Basically, this rule is about binge eating. If you do it, stop. That's about the gist of this one.

8. Know Thyself

Some people can have 3 meals a day, and be satisfied. Some need to eat snacks in between meals to curb hunger, and keep from overeating at meals. Some people have a weakness for sugar, and others love pasta. Reframe your habits, keeping in mind the things you love or the things you have a weakness for. Don't deprive yourself of the things you love, but don't overdo it, either. And eat as often as your body needs to, just eating healthier and smaller portions.

9. Get Real

In this section, she recommends eating organic, when possible. Try not to eat processed food, or cut back as much as possible. Eat real, fresh fruits, veggies, meats, grains, etc.

10. Good for You

Every habit you change should come from a place of loving and caring for yourself. Let yourself be guided by what is good for you, ahead of anything else.

The time is now

2011-06-23T13:22:00.007-05:00

At the end of 2010, I started to brainstorm my goals for 2011. I didn't want to make too many unrealistic resolutions, too many agressive goals, too many things to acheive that I know I don't have the time to do. It's already tricky trying to manage working, cooking healthy meals for my family, laundry, cleaning up after meals/dishes/etc, working out, and of course spending quality time with my boys, our families, and our friends. Life is full, and we are blessed. That being said, there isn't a whole lot of time left in the day for extras. So after some thought and prayer, it became obvious what my 2 goals for 2011 would be:

1. Run a 1/2 marathon - Completed in March

2. Lose 20 lbs. - Not completed

I knew that I didn't want to focus too much on my food intake while training for the 1/2 marathon. I was hungry all of the time from running so much, that I just basically ate what I wanted, when I was hungry. During my training for the 1/2 marathon, I didn't lose a single pound. Unfair, huh? Oh well...I got over it. :) I was able to accomplish a goal on my list, and check it off. And for that I am proud, and thankful to God for the strength, energy, motivation, and encouragement to complete such a big goal.

Now is the time to focus on goal #2. I was pretty much in shape when Scott and I got married in August 2008. I had finally gotten to a place where I was comfortable in my skin, in my body, in my clothes, and overall just felt good about what I ate, how I worked out, etc. Wellll....as you all know, it didn't take long until I got pregnant (literally days after our wedding), and there went that in-shape body that I enjoyed for a few months. I miss the way I felt then. Not just the way I looked, but the way I had energy and felt healthy. It's time to get back to that place.

Last Wednesday, I just decided...it's time. No more waiting. No more excuses. This is my life. I need to be healthy for myself, for my family, for my child(ren - one day?). I need to set examples for them: how to eat healthy, how to be active, and how to be happy with who you are: mind, body, and spirit.

It's been a week, and I can already tell a difference in the way I feel. I've lost 2.2 lbs, which isn't a whole lot, but it's a start. I'm not doing any fad diets. I'm not starving myself. I am making healthy choices, eating smaller portions, balancing my carb/protein intake, eating more greens, and drinking a lot of water. My sister let me borrow Bethenney Frankel's book, Naturally Thin. She has 10 rules to becomming naturally thin, and really all of them are common sense. I may do a separate post on that soon, because although it was common sense, I really enjoyed reading them and reading her insights and reminders.

I will be posting a weekly progress on the blog for reaching my goal, just like I did during my 1/2 marathon training. I need to do this for 2 reasons: I want to be able to look back and see how this journey went. What moments were difficult? What worked, and what didn't? I also really need the accountability to reach this goal.

So here I go...on my journey to lose 20 lbs.

Lord God, please bless and watch over me as I begin this journey. Help me to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. Let my body be Your temple. Give me the courage to take better care of myself and fuel my body, to the honor of Your name. Amen.

Making faces

2011-06-19T10:07:00.002-05:00

Happy face.

Mean face.

Surprised face.

Cheese face.

Grrrr face.

Sad face.

Fun with The Davis Family!

2011-06-19T09:55:00.003-05:00

We just love hanging out with The Davis Family. Jackson got so close to them while he was staying with them during the week. He definitely misses playing with his buddies, but we still try to get together as often as we can. It's so great to have such wonderful family living so close, and for Jackson to be able to grow up with his cousins.

Amy's basketball action shot!

Logan is one of the funniest little boys I've ever met. And look at that super cute face!!

Leah is absolutely beautiful, and has such a sweet, motherly nature about her.

Jackson trying to blow bubbles. He ends up spilling more bubbles than blowing them, but it's all good. :)

Ryan's action shot. :)

We can't wait to get together again, sweet Davis Family!

Garage remodel

2011-06-19T09:47:00.004-05:00

My parents just remodeled their garage. When I was younger, my dad built a bedroom in the garage for my sister, so we didn't have to share a room when she was in high school. My grandmother always lived with us, so we ran out of bedrooms growing up...and my sister and I shared a room for most of our time growing up together. It might sound horrible, but honestly, I don't even remember caring that we shared a room.

After Angie left for college, my dad used the room as his office. I had my own room, and my grandmother was in the other back bedroom. Last year, my grandmother passed away and went to live for eternity with our heavenly Father! After she passed, my mom converted her room into an office for my dad. Since the garage room was no longer needed, they tore it down, and remodeled the space to an actual garage! I cannot ever remember the garage looking this open, empty, and AMAZING in all my years growing up. It's even air conditioned! A must-have for working in the garage in this awful Texas summer heat. What an awesome space for my dad to have! Check out the picture of the finished garage with their little helper included:

Rise & Shine!

2011-06-19T09:44:00.001-05:00

We were excited to watch Preston & Parker overnight a few weeks ago. :)

How could you not love waking up to these 3 angels!?

Nanna & PawPaw

2011-06-19T09:41:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, Nanna & PawPaw took Jackson out for some frozen yogurt. They had a great time together! How blessed we are to live in the same city as both sets of grandparents. Lots of love to go around!

We love Bass Pro Shop!

2011-06-19T09:33:00.003-05:00

Jackson really enjoys spending time at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine. We are so lucky we live so close to a fun adventure for him. It's a great place to take him in the summer to get out of the house, but still stay indoors. You guys, it was 103 degrees yesterday IN THE SHADE! That's way too hot!!

Checking out the fishies!

Well hello there Mr. Buffalo!

John 16:33

2011-06-06T21:14:00.002-05:00

"I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.

In the world you will have trouble,

but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

John 16:33

2011 has been an interesting year so far. There have been many blessings. There have been many trials. There have been many frustrating times, and many times filled with sorrow. There have also been many times full of joy. More than anything this year, I have been presented with opportunities to grow: in my faith, in my prayer life, in my relationships with family, friends, and Jesus!, and in the constant reminder that I am not in control, rather my God is the only one who could ever be in control of my life, and the life of those around me.

I have so many things I want to blog about, but lately there just hasn't been time. I will catch up soon, but until then...I just wanted to share this verse. This verse sums up a lot of what I've been learning this year. Life on Earth is filled with countless blessings, freely given to us by our Lord. But, life is also full of sorrow. Full of troubled times. Really difficult ones. Even then, even when the world feels like it is caving in, we have the knowledge that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has come to save us from this place. To save us from this sin. To save us from the hurt, the pain, the sorrow. To allow us the honor to be in heaven with him one day. To see him face to face. Oh what a glorious day that will be!!!

Fun dates!

2011-05-21T07:36:00.002-05:00

My sister kept Jackson for us one night while Scott and I went on a date. Angie & Rodney got us a gift card to Houston's restaurant, so we headed there for a nice dinner, and one of the most fun nights I've had with Scott in awhile. Thank you so much to Angie & Rodney for their generosity, and making that fun date night possible! I am truly blessed with an incredible sister & brother-in-law!

One afternoon, I took Jackson on a frozen yogurt date. We headed to Cherry On Top in Coppell, and got Jackson his very own cup of peach yogurt with strawberries and bananas on top. He loved it, and I had such a great time with my little man. I enjoy spending time with him one-on-one, and I cherish every single memory we make. He is such a fun & handsome date! I'm one blessed mommy!

Last night, my sister and I had a date! We left the kiddos at home with our husbands, and headed to the movies to see Bridesmaids. It was so great to spend some girl-time with my sister, just the two of us. We spent a lot of time catching up and laughing our heads off. It was a pretty perfect night. I sure do love my sister!

Grapevine Mills

2011-05-21T07:27:00.003-05:00

One of Jackson's favorite things to do is go to Grapevine Mills Mall & ride the trackless train and carousel. Nanna started taking him there every week when she used to keep him on Wednesdays. Every time Jackson sees Nanna, he always says "train! and horsies! and alligator!" There is an alligator out in front of Rainforest Cafe, and he always wants to go watch it "rawwwwrr". :) A couple of weeks ago, while daddy was playing golf, Jackson and I headed up to the mall to enjoy some fun.

taking a train ride

riding the "horsies"

We love the outdoors!

2011-05-21T07:16:00.002-05:00

Jackson @ his favorite park - The Duck Pond

"Quaaaackiess!!!!"

Jackson with sweet, sweet, Amy! He sure does miss going to her house during the week.

We love you & miss you guys!! Excited to have another park play date soon!

Jackson and I were playing outside one day while daddy was playing golf. Jackson missed daddy, and wanted to send him a picture message. :)

I wish I had taken more pictures on mother's day. This is seriously the only shot I got while the 3 boys were playing outside, as we waited for a table at breakfast.

big boy bed

2011-05-02T19:21:00.002-05:00

Jackson is no longer sleeping in a crib. On Saturday, we made the transition from his crib to a twin bed. Jackson's crib was a drop-side crib, and we should have gotten rid of it a long time ago due to all the recalls. But we decided it was safe enough (ha!), and held onto it until it was time for Jackson to move into a big bed. We decided that time was now, and bought him a twin bed this weekend. Jackson was a champ. I was a little nervous at first, because he decided he wanted to jump in his bed as soon as he saw it. I thought surely he would be jumping in his bed all night long. But we kept the bedtime ritual the same, and he stayed in his bed until he fell asleep. He slept all through the night, woke up at his usual time, and stayed in bed chatting to himself until I got him out. I was one proud momma! So far, the success is continuing. We LOVE our big boy bed!

Enjoy the video of his first moments in his bed. My favorite part is about half way through. :)

Easter

2011-05-02T19:09:00.004-05:00

Easter was a lot of fun this year! Jackson is beginning to understand bits and pieces about Jesus, and what He means to us, and the sacrifice He made for us. We had a wonderful Easter Sunday with both sides of the family. We started off with 8 am mass, followed by brunch at my sister's house. We had an Easter Egg Hunt w/ Parker and Preston, and then headed home for a nap. After Jackson woke up from his nap, we headed to Mimi & Grand-dad's for another hunt, and some yummy dinner. Here are a few pics from the day. We took a loooong video of his hunt w/ the twins, but I'll have to edit before posting. Hopefully I will get around to it sometime. :)

Look at all those eggs!!

"Look! Look! Right here!"

Jackson & Aunt Kari

Jackson w/ Mimi & Grand-dad

The three cousins, showing off their loot!

From left to right: Jackson, Parker, and Preston

We love dance parties

2011-05-02T18:06:00.007-05:00

Who says you can't have dance parties with boys?

On Easter, we had a fun little dance party at Aunt G's house with Preston and Parker.

It was so funny to see all three boys dancing away, and each one's different dance moves.

My mom's moves are pretty sweet, too. :)

Power wheel

2011-05-02T18:04:00.002-05:00

Jackson also got a cool gift from Nanna & PawPaw. Here is a quick clip of Jackson on his new power wheel. He's having a bit of trouble learning to ride it. On all his other bikes/cars/toys, he puts his feet down to stop. He doesn't realize quite yet that all he has to do is stop pressing the "go" button, and it will stop on its own.

Horsey!

2011-05-02T17:57:00.002-05:00

Jackson got a really special gift for his birthday. Grand-dad made this incredible rocking horse especially for Jackson. This picture is great, but it doesn't even do it complete justice. The intricate details on this rocking horse are incredible. Jackson loves to ride "horsey". The horse does not have an official name yet. Maybe in a few more months Jackson will be old enough to understand naming things. For now, it is "horsey". :)

This horse will be special for generations to come. Thank you, grand-dad for the special gift!

Corn on the cob is yummy

2011-04-27T22:02:00.003-05:00

The other night, I gave Jackson his first corn on the cob to eat on his very own. After finishing the entire cob, he proceeded to eat a second. Enjoy!

Jackson's 2nd Birthday Party

2011-04-27T21:45:00.006-05:00

dessert table

delicious cupcakes made by Nanna

Mmm goodies

Jackson's thank you gift to his little buddies included a conductor's hat, a train whistle, and a red bandana

"whatcha got there Grand-dad?"

Sweet Tucker & his daddy

Jackson's best buddies Logan & Leah

Sweet Kelson & his mommy (and baby Mueller in belly!) :)

Jacqueline (w/ baby Landon in tummy), Jill, Courtney, & Scott

Nanna & Parker eating some yummy pizza

Uncle Rodney, PawPaw, and Mary

just finished singing Happy Birthday, and ready to plow into that cupcake

sweet friends Mary, Jacqueline, and Courtney

we have all grown up together over the years, and it is so much fun to now see our little ones growing up together!

two incredible years

2011-04-19T22:07:00.002-05:00

Our little boy turned two today. Two whole years of love, excitement, personality, and endless blessings. I am having trouble finding the words to explain the amount of joy I receive from being the mommy of this little one. I get to wake him up every single morning, and I get to feel him reach out his arms to hug my neck. I get to hold him close, and tell him I love him. I get to whisper in his ears how precious he is to me. I get to spend time with him during the day, and then I get to tuck his sweet body into bed at night. I don't want this time to go by too quickly. It already seems as if it does. 2 years. He is already 2 years old. He is not a baby anymore. He is a fun, spirited, playful little boy. He is compassionate, yet he is feisty. He is tender, yet so tough. He is amazing, and I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that God chose me to be his mommy.

Jackson Scott Echols, I love you more than I can put into words. You teach me new things every single day. You make me a better person. You make me smile, and you make me laugh, and although sometimes you make me sad, you are quick to apologize. You are so precious to me, and I cherish every second we have together. I am excited to see the little boy you will grow up to become. I am so proud of you, sweet boy. Every single day. Happy Birthday, little man. I hope you had a special day, because you deserve it!

Jacqueline's Baby Shower

2011-04-14T20:28:00.003-05:00

One of my best friends from high school, Jacqueline, is expecting a baby on June 2nd. I am BEYOND excited for her, as she awaits the arrival of Landon Michael Tapella! A few of us were so happy to throw her a shower last weekend. It was a ton of fun! I cannot wait to meet sweet Landon in a little over a month!

I wish I had an image of the invitation we sent out....because the sweet, and talented Jan Williams made Jacqueline the exact outfit that the pregnant girl on the invitation was wearing. It was ADORABLE!!

Robin (Jacqueline's mom) guessing her tummy size

Not only does Jan make dresses, but she makes cakes, too! Isn't this cake amazing?!?!

Modeling her new Vera Bradley diaper bag. :)

Julie Peterson made Jacqueline this awesome diaper cake.

Mom and Dad To Be :)

All of the hostesses with the beautiful mommy-to-be!

Jacqueline - you are GORGEOUS! You are a glowing pregnant woman, and I have so enjoyed watching your belly grow over the months. You and Travis are going to be incredible parents! I am so excited to watch you both grow into your new roles together.

I cannot wait to meet sweet Landon, and shower him with love! I've told you before, and I'll tell you again...PLEASE CALL ME TO BABYSIT! :)

I am so excited for you, girl! Love you!!

Roly Poly

2011-04-10T18:21:00.003-05:00

While playing outside today, we discovered several different bugs. Jackson was enthralled with the roly poly, and wanted to look for more the rest of the time. We found this little guy, and tried to get Jackson to hold him. My favorite part is at the end when he doesn't want to hold it. Instead, he tells the bug "night night" and tries to cover it up with the toilet paper as a blanket. Ha! I love the way children's minds work!

Enjoying the beautiful weather

2011-04-10T18:13:00.002-05:00

We have SO enjoyed the weather the last few days. Jackson loves being outdoors, so we are taking advantage of it before it gets way too hot. My favorite part about these pictures: the pajama top w/ the athletic shorts. Not stylin' by any means...but this is what you wear when your child wants to go outside "NOW!" :)

My handsome little boy

Wearing his first pair of flip flops. When Jackson says it, it is hilarious...sounds like "flip flopTH"

Mom...why do you have to take SO MANY pictures of me?!

He's not a baby anymore! :(

Rough month

2011-04-02T21:51:00.003-05:00

The past few weeks have been a bit rough around here. Nothing too life altering, but it has taken a bit of a toll on us.

Scott got into a car wreck last week. Nothing serious. His car is in the body shop. We have insurance, and I am thankful for it.

Scott and I both got into another car wreck last night. This was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. The camel being Jenny Echols. Last night, I was emotionally spent. On top of the whip lash/sore neck/sore back/headaches from being rear ended extremely hard at a red light, I just felt emotionally exhausted. I know things could be a lot worse for us right now. They could be a WHOLE.LOT.WORSE. But I just really feel spent. Seriously, 2 car wrecks in 2 weeks, with 2 different cars. Wha?! And the financial aspect that comes along with that, is a little frustrating as well. I am praying the lady who hit us last night has insurance. It was a little questionable when we were talking with her last night. She did not have an insurance card with her. She ended up calling someone who provided a policy number, and insurance company name. But the story was a little fishy. I am trying to stay positive.

I know we are blessed. I know God was, and is, watching over us, and protecting us, and I know that His plan is far greater than any I could conceive. I am BEYOND THANKFUL that Jackson was not in the car for either car accident. I do not even want to know what he would be dealing with, physically, if he was in the car last night. We were hit very hard. I am soooo grateful that he was not with us. That, in itself, is a HUGE blessing!

So tonight, instead of focusing on the frustrations of the past month, I choose to thank God for the blessings and moments of grace. And my prayer is that I will continue to do so, even if next month is just as "rough".

Rock 'n Roll 1/2 Marathon

2011-03-28T17:30:00.003-05:00

It is finished. :) I ran 13.1 miles, and crossed the finish line alive!

The first 10 miles of the race weren't too bad. I ran with my sister, with one potty break. The last 3 miles were a bit difficult. I had to walk off and on the last 3. I started to get some foot cramps in both of my feet. But with a little bit of walking, and a lot of praying, I finished those last 3 miles.

My sister is a rock star. This race didn't phase her a bit. Honestly, training for this race didn't even phase her. She would always ask me how I was doing, if I needed anything, and was even so kind to clean the Gu off my leg, that was splashed onto me by another runner during the race. :)

The million dollar question: will I run another one? The answer: I don't think so. I am not 100% sure the answer is no. I actually had fun on Sunday, but I think I would like to stick to races that are 8 miles or less. :)

Thank you to everyone who encouraged me along the way. Each one of you & your kind words and prayers helped me achieve this goal.

Thank you to Mary, Jacqueline, and Todd (Mary's boyfriend), who came out on Sunday to cheer us on in 3 different places along the race route. They were there with posters, with water, and with a lot of love. It was COLD. It was rainy. Jacqueline is PREGNANT! I hadn't even met Todd before. And they all came out to cheer us on. I am blessed to have incredible friends.

Thank you to my mom & dad. It is because of both of you that I am who I am today. It is because of you that I even have the desire to make goals in my life, and work toward achieving them. It is because of you that I was able to run this race with my sister. You are both incredible parents, and I am so blessed.

Thank you to Rodney, Parker, and Preston for being at the finish line, cheering us on. You are all troopers, fighting the traffic, the terrible weather, and still having enthusiasm at the finish line! You guys are the greatest, and you make my sister SO HAPPY. Which in turn, makes me SO HAPPY.

Thank you to Scott & Jackson who were also at the finish line, cheering us on. Especially, thank you for allowing me the time over these last 3 months to train for this race. Scott, you are so encouraging to me. Every time I'd head out for a run, you told me how proud of me you were. You told me that I could do it. That I didn't need to worry. That I would be just fine. You even rubbed my feet when they were sore from my long runs, and the night before my race! Now that is true love! (They were clean feet...don't be too grossed out!) Thank you for everything, love. I love you!

Last, and certainly not least, thank you to my SEESTER! I would have never done this without her. She was the reason I got excited for my long runs on Sundays. She was always so patient with me when my slow self would slow us down. She would tell me I did a great job, even if I had a poor run. She looked out for me, loved me, and encouraged me. And she was the best coach/cheerleader/running partner I've ever had. I am so thankful I was able to do this with her. Thank you, Angie. I love you, and I am SO BLESSED that you are my sister! I can't wait to run our next race together again. Maybe just a 10k this time?! :)

Fenugreek memory

2011-03-22T20:08:00.003-05:00

As I was finishing up my run tonight, I passed what must have been a maple tree. Or maybe it wasn't, and I just got a whiff of a strong maple smell. Either way, I inhaled a very distinct odor which instantly brought forth memories of Jackson as an infant. While I was breast feeding Jackson, I did not produce enough milk on my own. My doctor suggested I try taking an herbal supplement called Fenugreek, which is said to help increase milk production. So off to the store I go, to pick up a bottle. I took this supplement for about a month straight, and did not notice a whole lot of improvement, so I'm not sure if it works or not. What I do know, is that when you take this stuff, your body smells like maple syrup. I am not even joking. I am pretty sure that when I passed people in the halls at work, they were wondering where the pancakes were. Maple syrup is tasty and all, but one does not want to smell like it at all times. :)

Aren't memories funny? If it weren't for the smell, I wouldn't have thought about that time in Jackson's life today. I am thankful for that memory, and I am thankful for running by that smell (especially now that I don't actually produce it!) And now, I want to have another baby! :) (Scott-if you're reading this...don't freak out.)

1/2 Marathon Training - Week 11

2011-03-22T15:55:00.004-05:00

We are almost there!!! 5 days and counting!

The weather has been beautiful lately, and I have enjoyed running outdoors. However, I am praying that the sun holds back a bit on Sunday morning, because it just beats me up when it's out in full force. Cloudy is the way to go...so hopefully that's the case. Either way, we're doing it. We're running 13.1 miles on Sunday. Angie is awesome, and I know she is going to have zero problems. I am praying and praying and praying that it goes as well for me. I just need to focus on having FUN, enjoying the atmosphere, and not worrying about how many miles I've already run, how many are left, etc.

Our long run on Sunday was great, and the best one I've had yet. I feel encouraged. I am excited to see my friends and family on the sidelines cheering me on. What a blessing it is to have loved ones take time out of their schedules to come support me and my sister. I am so thankful. I know it will be the encouragement I need to keep going.

I will end w/ a few quotes I've kept above my computer at work during the last 3 months of training. I read them daily. They motivate and encourage me to keep going.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." - John Bingham, Running speaker and writer

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves." - Thomas Edison

DEE-LICIOUS!

2011-03-20T21:07:00.003-05:00

My sister bought me a new cookbook for Christmas. Ever since, I've enjoyed trying tons of new recipes. There is one in particular that I've made a couple of times, and it is DELICIOUS! Even Scott and Jackson are fans, and there is a GREEN vegetable in it! :) I cooked it again tonight, and decided I should share. Do not be intimidated by the long-ish list of ingredients. This is a pretty simple recipe, and it takes about 20 to 25 minutes until it is on the table, ready to eat.

CHICKEN RICE DISH (Really creative title, eh?)

Ingredients:

2 cups water

2 cups cut fresh asparagus (1-inch diagonal pieces)

1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix

1/4 cup reduced-fat butter, divided (I use regular butter, b/c i don't want to buy both kinds...I imagine it tastes even better this way. But if you're seriously watching calories...go for the reduced-fat, and let me know how it tastes)

1 pound chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel, optional (I do not add the lemon peel)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, asparagus, rice mix w/ seasoning packet, and 2 tbsp butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, garlic, and salt in remaining butter until the chicken juices run clear (a.k.a until the chicken is cooked through). Add the carrot, lemon juice, and lemon peel if desired; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir into rice mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/4 cups serving equals: 247 calories, 7 g fat, 54 mg cholesterol, 668 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein.

Grateful

2011-03-19T17:41:00.004-05:00

Today was a very special day for me. My mom and sister put their heads together and decided to spoil me for a day. My mom made an appointment & pre-paid for me to get a pedicure. She also asked me to bring Jackson over so she could watch him while I was getting pampered. That was a nice treat for Scott as well, because he was able to sleep in today.

So this morning, I dropped Jackson off at my mom's house around 9 am. I headed to get a pedicure, and enjoyed a nice 45 minutes of relaxation. It was SUCH a nice treat, and I am so thankful and blessed to have a mother who is so thoughtful and giving. What an amazing surprise!

My mom & sister headed over to Grapevine Mills Mall while I was getting pampered. They took the 3 boys on train rides and carousel rides, and ended up at the Rainforest Cafe. When I got finished with my pedicure, I headed to the mall to join them. My sister was sooo generous to treat us all to lunch. Jackson had a great time with Aunt G, Nanna (which he calls Neena), Parker & Preston. And I had a wonderful day, feeling special, and so very loved by these two incredible women.

My sister and my mother are two of the most giving people I know. My sister is honestly the greatest big sister anyone could ever have. She is always looking after me, taking care of me, helping me with this or that, and making me feel so very special. I love you, Angie! My mother is the most selfless woman I know. She is always quick to offer her help when she sees that I'm under stress or have a lot going on. She knows just what to do, and just when to do it.

Mom, thank you for the pedicure today! It was the perfect timing for some "me" time, and the best gift and surprise. I love you!

Here are a few pictures from our fun times at Rainforest Cafe:

Jackson loves his Aunt G

Trying to take a picture ourselves...this was the best I could get

2 seconds before I took this picture, Jackson was right next to Nanna, kneeling down exactly like she is...they were checking out the gorillas making noise. It was precious, and I'm so sad I missed the shot!

My adorable nephews

Parker on the left, Preston on the right