Summer is in full swing

Summer is in full swing and our family is enjoying every minute of it. We are out and about almost everyday doing all kinds of fun things. Here are some of the highlights.

First of all, I have been walking like crazy . At least once a day I load up the kids and hit the pavement. With two kids on totally different sleeping schedules, sometimes the only time I can go is during nap time, which has lead to sleeping in the stroller.

Brody likes to turn sideways in the swing and then fall asleep, it is really cute

We were playing in the sprinkler in the backyard which then lead to being muddy, so I decided to throw both kids in the sink for a mini bath.

I have been taking the boys to the free movies. It is a fun air conditioned activity for us. We have seen Everyone's Hero and Kung Fu Panda. We have other friends that join us, and then we all go eat afterwards.

Brody loves to be outside, and just chills in his stroller while I play with J at the park. I love that.

Sometimes my neighborhood walking takes a detour at the park so Jaden can play. Jaden's favorite thing at the park is the swings. The higher I push, the harder he laughs.

Jaden & Abby

We had a play date with Abby at the sprinkler park. They of course had tons of fun together.

Chick-fil-a after the sprinkler park

This is one of my favorite pictures. Josh is such a great dad. The boys and I adore him and this picture captures how much they love being with Daddy.

And last but not least, baby Brody is practically crawling. I don't know if it makes me happy or sad, maybe a little of both. He is growing up so fast, too fast. Although I LOVE the fact that he is starting to sleep through the night. We have had several 12 hour nights.

Video from Oprah

This video was on Oprah and I was so moved by it. It sure does make me feel blessed to have two healthy, happy babies. I love how the family stayed positive through their horrible circumstances. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine.

Kathy's Cauliflower

Another tasty recipe to share. This one is from my aunt Kathy, hence the title, although, I think she calls it California Caulifower, because she lived in CA when she got the recipe. I just made it tonight, and my wonderful husband reminded me how much he liked it, so I dedided it was worth a post.

1 bunch raw cauliflower
6-8 tbls mustard
6-8 tbls mayo
1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Clean and trim cauliflower, but leave it in a bunch. Cook it however you prefer. I boil some water, then add the cauliflower and cook it that way. I have also put it in my steamer. Mix mayo & mustard. Spread ontop of cooked caulifower.( you should have enough to cover the entire bunch) Sprinkle cheese ontop of that. Then stick in the microwave for 3- 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. It is a yummy way to eat your veggies. I usually serve it with porkchops. :) Let me know if you try it and like it!

Jesus Loves ME

It is Time!

Time for what you may ask, it is time for me to start doing something about this extra 15- 20 lbs I am carrying around. Brody is 5 1/2 months old, and I have not lost any weight since he was 4 weeks old. I just kept thinking I would loose more, but it has not happened. So I have surfaced out of the denial bubble and I am ready to take action.

Step 1: Find reason for extra weight gain

That is right, baby # 1

I lost all of the weight I gained with Jaden, so technically he shouldn't count, but since he makes me do things like see how many marshmallows we can fit in our mouth, I am counting him as reason one. I always win by the way!

Reason # 2
Adorable loving little Brody, worth every extra pound

Step 2
Load up reasons for extra weight and take them on weight loss journey

Step 3

Earth Friendly Water Bottle

Step 4:

New Running Shoes

So, I have completed all of the steps and I have started walking the neighborhood for at least 45 minutes every day. I have also started dieting somewhat. By that I mean that I am no longer buying brownie bites at HEB and inhaling them when I get home. They are sooo good. And I am eating more veggies and drinking more water throughout the day. I will not be posting a before and after picture, but I hope to shred these pounds in the next few months. I'll keep you posted on my success.

Our beautiful Trees

Since I was a little girl, I have loved big beautiful oak trees. Maybe because they were so prevalent were I grew up, or because they allowed me to climb way up high and see the world from a different perspective. My love of oak trees has continued into my adult life. Part of the reason we bought the house we live in was because these beautiful trees are in our backyard, which is not the case with many city homes.

I realize our yard looks a little like a daycare, what can I say, the kids rule our house

But memorial weekend the tree on the other side of our fence was struck by lighting. I think that might have been really cool to see, or totally horrifying, I am not sure which one, but we were not here to witness it. So that tree touched branches with our tree, and put pressure on it's limbs causing one of the branches to crack. :(

So Grandpa to the rescue. He came to help Josh saw down the other tree, to get it off of our tree, so that hopefully our tree will heal. It will be a very sad day at our house if we end up having to cut down the large limb that was damaged. But for now, it looks like it will be fine.

The Crack

The Tangled Mess

Spinach Florentine

I have really become quite comfortable in the kitchen and have been adding new recipes to my standard favorites. Josh loves this and thinks that we should open up a restaurant. I however have no desire to cook for that many people. I spend alot of time cooking and trying to make sure that we are all eating healthy. I have found it is easier to get all of my boys, including my hubby to eat there veggies if I put them in casserole form. I use and adapt recipes from recipezaar.com, which is one of my favorite sites. I have also taken tips from Deceptively Delicious and I add pureed veggies to many of my meals. I swear you can add pureed cauliflower to almost anything without altering the taste. Anyways, I am going to start sharing some of my favorites meals. Here is the first one.

Spinach Florentine Casserole
16 oz rotini pasta- I use whole wheat
1 jar spaghetti sauce
6 oz tomato sauce
1 lb hamburger meat - I use extra lean 96/4
6 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups Parmesan
1 1/2cups mozzarella

Brown & Drain meat
Mix sauces & spinach
Mix cheeses & sour cream
In 13 x 9 pan, put meat on bottom
then put 1/2 sauce over meat, then noodles, then cheese mix
then top with remaining sauce
Cook at 375 for 30 minutes

I have added 1/2 cup or 1 cup of pureed cauliflower to the cheese mixture for added veggies!