Max & Kaylee

 We took the two small side cupboard doors off, switched out the glass door for a wood one, drilled a hole for a "sink" (using a cheap dog bowl), glued on an upside-down wooden letter "J" for the faucet, and glued on old painted CD's for the stove burners.  

Max put in a lot of work to get the play kitchen done, and we are both very pleased with how it turned out.  We probably spent less than $60 on the entire thing, which was an additional plus.  The kids really enjoy playing with it, and it's a lot of fun to watch their imaginations in action!

 Yeah, we laughed...it was just too funny and they weren't hurt.  We enjoyed being out of the house, wading in the ocean (ok, so only L and Aimee waded in, but still!) and being in the sun.

 The day after our first beach excursion, we decided we needed to go to the beach again, this time taking a Chick-fil-A (per Aimee's request!) picnic with us.  I didn't get any pictures of our picnic, because...well, we ate it all too fast...but it was good and we had yet another fun afternoon walking along the water, collecting shells and rocks (and trying to teach Z NOT to eat them!), wading in the water, and enjoying the warm sun.

We loved having Auntie Aimee here for a visit, and miss her already.  The house sure has been quiet around here, as Max is off on an exercise for a few weeks.  After having visitors all month long, it certainly is an adjustment to just being me and the babes.  I am looking forward to this week, when my parents come out for a visit, before they embark on their big move to Tucson!

 The second recipe was new to me.  Aimee and I found it at Closet Cooking and thought it looked so good, so we made it this week.  It was delicious and I am definitely going to making it again!  It's like artichoke dip (and would be so easy to add spinach!) on bread, so you don't need crackers or chips to dip - genius!

Mix all your ingredients (except the bread!) together, saving a little cheese to sprinkle on top.  Spread the mixture onto the sliced and scooped-out bread, sprinkling with remaining cheese.

Bake in 350º oven for 20 minutes, with a tin foil cover.  Remove tin foil and let it bake until top is golden brown - about 10 more minutes.  Take it out, let it cool a few minutes and slice it up!  So good!

Enjoy!

{linking up with Goodnight Moon}

Erika @ Chambanachik tagged me in a little Q & A that's been floating around, and I figured it would be fun to answer away, and then tag a few other blog friends!

Rules

1. Post the rules (and link up who tagged you).

2. Post eleven facts about yourself.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you, and create eleven new questions for those you tag.

4. Tag however many people you want.

5. Let them know you tagged them!

11 Facts about Me

1. I was born with a congenital short femur - meaning my right leg was shorter than my left.  I had lots of surgeries to correct it and now my legs are only millimeters different in length.

2. When I was little, I used to hum while eating dinner, and never realized it until others pointed it out or asked me to stop.  I still can be caught humming or singing around the house.  

3. I showed llamas when I was a teenager, and went to a National Llama Show when I was 13 - I showed a llama named Pretty Woman.

4. I have traveled to 7 countries.

5. My right eye is a little smaller than my left eye.  And when I am tired, it is more noticeable.

6. I like cleaning my house - vacuuming, sweeping, etc - and my husband thinks I am crazy for this.  

7. I married a man who is pretty much my opposite when it comes to cleanliness/organization levels. Although to be fair, the military has taught him some about keeping his stuff more organized.  Sometimes, at least.

8. I grew up wanting to be a Veterinarian, from the time I was in elementary school, until the time I was 20.  I thought I would go to school, start my own large-animal practice in a rural area, and live my life.  Ha!  I love how life throws surprises!

9. I have kept some kind of online journal/blog for 10 years. And have an entire box full of paper journals, starting from the time I was 7 or 8.  

10. My dream (well, ONE of them!) is to own an airstream trailer one day.  I love those things!

11. My favorite movie has, and potentially always will be, Wild Hearts can't be Broken. 

Erika's Q's for Me

1. What is something you're known for?

It depends on who you ask!  My laugh, perhaps?

2. What dessert would you make for me if I came to visit?

Oh man!  There are so many to choose from!  I think I would make you a chocolate bundt cake with a buttercream frosting.  Maybe even some homemade ice cream to go with it.

3. If you could have ANY animal for a pet, what would you choose?

An elephant.  Or a giraffe.

4. Where do you see yourself in 50 years?

I see myself with Max, living on the coast, by the ocean, spending lots of time outside.

5. What was the best day of your life so far?

I've had a lot of good days in my life, but today, I would say the day Eliana was born.

6. What subject do you know more about than most people?

Llamas.

7. What would be your perfect date night?

A picnic on the beach, followed by games and dessert in front of a roaring fire.

8. Where is your favorite place to be?

With Max and the kids.  I know that sounds cheesy, but there have been multiple times that my heart feels like it's about to burst - and it's not because of where we are, but rather that my little family is together and happy.

9. What is something valuable you've learned from your mom or dad?

Conflict is not a bad thing, and communication is critical.

10. What color do you like to wear the most?

Black or grey.  If I am feeling exciting, then purple!

11. What did you want to be when you grew up? (Are you there yet?)

Like I said above, I wanted to be a Veterinarian when I grew up.  Now, I want to be a mama and wife that glorifies God.  

Questions for tagged friends

1. What is your favorite food?

2. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

3. What is your favorite accessory?

4. If you had a "day off", what would you do?

5. Where would you love to travel to?

6. If I came to visit you, where would you take me?

7. What is your favorite book?

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

9. Have you been to a Ballet?  Would you like to go?

10. Do you play (or did you play?) a musical instrument?

11. What is your current favorite song?

I am tagging:

Kristin @ Hope Abound

Hannah @ Knights, Princesses, and Dragons

Whitney @ A Coasties Girl

Mel @ Head in the game. Heart in the sand

L @ Our Fabulously Crazy Life 

 Friday night, we had a typical Pizza (we made her our favorite Chicken Bacon Ranch) and Game night.  While we were waiting for the guys, us girls played a few rounds of Dominoes.  And we may have gotten a bit crazy...

 Saturday morning, we headed to Wilmington to walk around and get lunch.  Of course we had to stop on the way for a vanilla chai - Aimee is the one that got me hooked on them, so it was only fitting!

 At lunch.

After lunch, we walked around for a bit, until it started raining on our heads and we decided it was time to pile back into the car.  We've been to Wilmington a handful of times for appointments or shopping or just for fun, and this was the first time we saw a boat going along.  I thought it was cool!

 Aimee has been a huge help in potty-training L this weekend.  I think they've spent at least 5 hours in the bathroom by now!  L just wants to sit on the potty forEVER, ha!  We have had success though - she didn't potty in her diaper from the time we got home from church until she went to bed yesterday!  That means she told us each time she had to go and she did it!  Proud mama here!  

Aimee is here a few more days.  We'll see what kind of adventures we find!

1. The video below is proof that my son can now walk.  And that he is indeed a stinker.

2. I don't know when it became socially acceptable to talk so much about poop and pee, but I have a potty-training toddler, so it must be ok.  I am ecstatic to announce that L has now peed and pooped in the potty.  My husband said it best yesterday, when he enthusiastically exclaimed to Aimee, "Aimee, you have the patience of a Saint".  I credit all of L's success so far to Aimee.

3. We just made chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies and I think they will be all gone in 20 minutes.

4.  I keep seeing talk about snow and ice in some parts of the country, and not gonna lie...I am a little jealous.  I can't believe I am saying this, but I might kind of miss the snow.  Ok, at least for today.  Tomorrow, I will be happy once again that I live in a warmer climate.

 I typed up a verse that means a lot to me, in regards to Ezra.  I memorized it while pregnant with him, and it was my mantra during his delivery - hence I feel like it's "his" verse.  The elephant canvas was inspired by this pin.  We repainted the "Z" to match the room, and like I said, I printed out a photo for the frame.  It's a sweet picture of Z and his daddy and fits very nicely!

 The changing table area & rocking chair.  

The sweet giraffe print was a gift from Auntie Aimee, before L was born.  The rocking chair is a hand-me-down from my parents.  And the flowers have been around since I was a little girl - they have been painted and re-painted over and over and over again.  Currently, they are a deep purple and L loves hanging her clothes on them!

 

L's collection of animals and dolls - of course we couldn't do anything or sleep without them!  Some are gifts, some are dolls I had as a little girl and some are from Max's childhood.  I made the owl canvas, inspired from this pin.  And the circle fabric flag banner was inspired by this pin.  I had an extra embroidery hoop and some extra scrap fabric, so put it together and LOVE it!

The reading corner and Jorge the giraffe (he is seriously so big, I don't know where else to keep him!).  Oh, and funny story.  When Alison was here visiting last week, Max snuck him into her shower one morning.  She went to turn the water on and the huge Jorge was staring at her.  She said she screamed (we were downstairs and didn't hear her!) and fell backwards into the sink!  Then, what does she do?  Moves him into our room, right behind the door.  I ran upstairs to put something away, opened our door and about peed my pants, because I never expected that huge thing to be right behind the door!  I may have screamed and slammed the door, ha ha!  All in all, it was a hysterical story and we laughed pretty hard!  Max was proud of himself for starting it all!

The kids bookshelf.  A star hanging I made, inspired by this pin.  And a cute reading printable I found for free at Feed Your Soul: the free art project - there are lots of cute, free prints available for download!

This week has proven to be a little more difficult than I anticipated.  

We said goodbye to Alison on Tuesday - we had such a great week with her and I was sad to see her leave.  I didn't take many pictures, as she was snapping away the entire time and promised to share her photos with me (that means you'll get a picture recap in a few weeks, ha!), but we did a lot - another aquarium visit, chai & hummus night, lots of game nights, pizza night, craft times, walks outside, surprises from Jorge the giraffe and lots of playtime with the babes.  It's been quiet without her - I so enjoyed having adult conversation and someone to talk to throughout the day!  

January is our month for visitors.  First, it was Uncle Kyle, then the day after he left, Alison came.  Tomorrow, Auntie Aimee comes for a week-long visit, and I am SO looking forward to having her here.  She is one of my bestest friends and I am already planning beach time, game nights, trips to Dunkin Donuts for vanilla chai and trying new recipes!  Aimee, you best be ready, because the house is now cleaned and we are awaiting your presence!

I don't know if it was the constant stream of visitors, which equaled extra playmates or the change from routine, but the kids (particularly L) have been quite challenging the past 2 days.  My patience has been worn thin over and over again, and I find myself frustrated and exhausted by the afternoon. I know L is 2 and is testing her boundaries, and I need to be patient and stick with my rules, but man alive!  It can be so hard sometimes - when I have to remind her for the 24th time not to do something, or to ask her to lay still to change her diaper, or to teach her that we don't hit our brothers.  Being a mama sure can be hard work.  I wouldn't trade it for anything, but I certainly need much grace to get me through each and every day.

Hopefully that explains why the blog has been a bit quiet.  From saying goodbye to Alison, to cleaning the house in preparation for Aimee, to dealing with testing babes - it's been a week that I haven't had much extra time.  And by the time the kids are in bed, I just want to lay on the couch and stare aimlessly at the ceiling - or get lost in a good book :)

I have a lot of fun things to share - a video of Z walking across the room, pictures of the babes decorated room, the finished play kitchen, some recipes -  but in the meantime, here's a song I really like.  Every time I hear it, I crank up the volume.  It makes me want to dance and sing at the top of my lungs.  And once I hear it, it's stuck in my head and ends up coming out my mouth the rest of the day!  Plus, it's just a beautiful reminder that Jesus wins - and sometimes I just need to rest in that simple, powerful fact. 

Enjoy. 

{linking up with Goodnight Moon}

 Two stories, both related to my husband and his intensely deep-sleeping habits:  On Thursday night, I woke up early in the morning and realized Max was not in bed next to me.  This is strange, as he never gets up out of bed, unless I shake him awake and send him into the kids room.  I turned over, somehow thinking he had rolled out of bed and was sleeping on the floor next to our bed.  I don't have a clue why he would have been doing that, but he has been known to just lay down places and fall asleep.  He was not on the floor and my heart started racing, as I saw a crouching figure at the edge of the bed.  I very quickly realized it was him.  His back was toward me and he was shaking his hand in front of him, like he was shaking a cord or cable.  I asked him what he was doing, and he turned and looked at me with a blank stare.  So I asked him again if he was ok, and he waved his hand at me, as to "shush" me.  I asked him again what in the world he was doing, and told him to get back in bed.  He got up and climbed into bed, saying that he had dreamed L was climbing on a radio cable and he needed to distract her.  Um, ok?  I think work is starting to catch up to him again...

 Second story about Max sleeping.  Alison and I went out to do some shopping and go out for hummus and chai on Saturday night.  We had a fabulous time and enjoyed our girl's night out.  We had left Max home with the kids, a full pot of coffee, a book, and Lucy.  Note to self: never trust that combination ever, ever again, ha!  We were out for a few hours, and came home to find Max passed out on the couch, book strewn on his stretched out form, baby monitor turned way up so it would wake him if the babes roused.  Lucy greeted us at the door and as we walked in, I noticed my slipper, wet with dog drool, on the floor.  We woke Max up, only to find out he had been asleep for almost as long as we had been gone, despite his coffee consumption.  I dragged him upstairs to shove him in bed, and on the way, noticed the corner of one of the windowsills had been gnawed off.  Um, what?!  My only guess is that Lucy, in her boredom while Max was sleeping, had gone to town on the wood.  What a little stinker!  I was not a very happy camper, although we did get a bit of a laugh out of the hilarity of the entire situation.  How that man can sleep through so much amazes me!

 This last sneak peek is not artwork for the kids room, but rather a glimpse of the play kitchen that we made and gave to the kids for Christmas.  It will be shared in it's entirety in the next week!

I mentioned yesterday in my 12 in 2012. January Edition that I would elaborate on goal #2, which is titled weight loss and goes on to mention that I want to lose 25 pounds this year, by eating healthier and moving my body more.  Here is the basic background that you should know: I have typically been a pretty healthy person, and although my body fluctuated with 20 lbs of weight throughout high school and college years, I was overall quite happy about where I was at.  After being pregnant with L, and then having her, I quickly lost my pregnancy weight and was back into my jeans within weeks.  It wasn't until I drank a few too many pumpkin spice lattes and overindulged on serving sizes while pregnant with Z, that I gained a few too many pounds, which did NOT come off as quickly as after the first pregnancy.  I cut myself slack, knowing that I had just been pregnant for 2 years in a row, and that I had just given birth to a 10 lb, 2 oz baby boy, who made some changes to my stomach along the way.  I got back into the exercise and eating routine after he was born, and was slowly seeing progress and feeling good about it.

Until Max came home from his year-long deployment February 2011.  I stuck with my routine for awhile, but it quickly fell by the wayside as he requested lots of delicious desserts and I, unintentionally, started trying to eat as much as him.  The last year I gained weight, instead of losing it.  And as a result, I had lower self-confidence, couldn't fit into most of my clothes, and generally just didn't have energy.

I knew what I needed to do to lose weight, to feel better about my body and gain energy back.  I knew how to eat healthy and how to exercise.  I was simply lacking overall motivation, and was allowing food to be my comfort, in many situations.  Honestly, I am an emotional eater.  I eat when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm stressed.  I like food and I like to eat.  And that's not the overall issue.  Food is good.  But the way I was allowing it to control me was not.  The overall issue is that I somehow lost (or never had?) my self-control and my ability to eat appropriate amounts for my body.

And last month, I knew that I had to make a change.  I wanted to lose weight.  Not just to be thinner (although that is definitely something I look forward to), but to be healthier, to have more energy, to gain back a sense of confidence in my body.  And also, I wanted to work on my eating habits, so I can be a good example to my babies.  I want them to view food as good, but not as something that controls them or as the thing they run to when they are seeking some sort of comfort - I pray that they (and I!) would learn that only comes from God.

So, I made my goal #2 for this year.  To lose (at least!) 25 pounds.  By eating healthier and moving more.  I signed up for MyFitnessPal last year, and am diligently using it to count calories, as well as how much I exercise each week.  I joined a 30 Day Shred challenge for the month of January and finished day 13 today.  I read through Body for Life for Women and gained some good tools, nutrition and eating tips, and exercise suggestions.  I have cut out most junk foods and white flour, white sugar and white rice - leaving lots of room for lean proteins, smart carbs, tons of veggies and fruit.  And am trying to eat smaller meals with small snacks between, to keep my body energized, as well as try to prevent getting so hungry that I overeat.  I know from past experiences that if I have too strict of a plan, I tend to then binge or crave that which I can't have - like chocolate or a piece of cake.  So I allow myself room to indulge once in awhile.

It's been almost 2 weeks of trucking along, which really isn't that long, I know.  But I am proud of myself for how much I have already accomplished.  I've stuck with my plan so far, and have noticed much more energy and even more confidence in my body.  It's not always easy to get up each morning with Max (although we all know I have done it for months!) and work out right away, but once I am done, I feel so good (even though my muscles are often super sore!) the rest of the day.  My moods have been better and I've really been working on sifting through the thoughts in my head - deciphering when I am really hungry vs when I just want food because of emotions - and then trying my best to figure out how I can turn away from emotional eating.  I have already lost 6 pounds and 5 inches, and am eager to see my body continue to change as I keep up with the 30DS challenge.

I know I have a lot of work ahead of me and that it won't always be easy or seem fun to make the healthy choice, but I want to change my habits and I want to feel better about myself.  I wanted to explain goal #2 in longer detail, because I know part of my problem is lack of accountability.  I try, so often, to do things on my own, weight-loss included.  That is part of the reason why I like MyFitnessPal and the 30DS challenge - knowing that there are other people waiting to see my results really pushes me to get my workout in, and to make those healthy eating choices throughout my day.

I blog because I enjoy sharing my life with others.  And I strive to be real and transparent.  To not talk about my struggle with weight and self-confidence would be against those things.  So, I am sharing, even though, frankly, it's hard for me.  And I am going to continue to share, as well as update from time to time. Knowing I have a space to share my progress, with the ups and the downs, gives me a greater motivation to continue striving for the results I am looking for.

So, there you have it.  Elaborate detail of goal #2: lose weight.

In the year 2011, I made 11 goals for myself.  Every month I would check in on the blog, and see how I was doing on each goal.  It was a great method to keeping myself accountable, and ensuring that I sat down and thought about how each goal was doing.  It may have been slightly boring, reading through my goal accountability each month, but it was a huge help to me, and I was able to accomplish a lot, and stick with a plan.  I felt really good about my goals last year.  It only seemed fitting that I would continue the goal trend this year with a 12 in 2012.  I have added a bar along the top where I will be keeping track of my check-in each month.  You can also find a link to my goals from last year.  

Today, I want to introduce my goals a little bit, and provide any updates I may have.  We are only 2 weeks into 2012, but I have made a little progress on a few of my goals, which I am excited to share!

My 12 goals for 2012: 

1. Community Living: We have now lived here for over a year, and we have yet to join a small group or bible study that Max and I can go to together.  We attend a larger church, and would really like to find a smaller community to be a part of, that we can pour our lives into, and get to know other couples.

2. Weight Loss: I want to lose at least 25 pounds this year.  This involves making healthier eating choices and working out 5-6 times a week.  I have made some progress on this goal, but I think I will save that for a blog post coming up soon.

3. Read 15 books: My reading list continues to grow, and I feel I have found a decent balance between household/child tasks, that I can usually allow myself a few nights a week of reading before bed, so I think 15 books this year is doable.  I want to read a mix of fiction and nonfiction, although I know I will lean more towards the fiction.  In the past 2 weeks, I have read The Hunger Games and Body for Life for Women.  I started Crazy Love and 1000 Gifts, which I am eager to continue working on.

4. Manual Photography skills: I want to learn more about taking photos.  I want to learn more of the mechanics and technique behind my camera, rather than just pushing the button and snapping away.  I want to practice using my camera on the manual setting this year.

5. Outside walks/playtime: It is so good for all of us to get outside and walk every day.  And if we for some reason can't or don't walk, I would like to still find time to get outside and ride bikes and push the kids in their cars, or walk down to the park to play.

6. Creative and structured toddler activities: The kids love to play and we spend most of our day playing together with toys.  I want to spend time coming up with creative and structured activities to do a few times a week.  It doesn't have to be a long or super intense activity, but I want to work on having a more structured playtime a few times a week.

7. Journal: I want to develop consistent journaling habits.  I used to journal quite frequently, but last year, when Max came back from deployment, my journaling went out the window.  I want to make time to journal most nights of the week.  This has been going well.  I have following Along for the Ride, as Laura provides Journaling through January prompts.

8. Date Night: We want to have a date night at least one time a month.  Find someone to watch the babes and go out sans kids, so we can have some husband-wife time.  Doesn't need to be fancy or crazy, but we'd like to make a point to go out at least once a month.

9. Grow a garden: I want to cultivate more vegetables this year.  This will involve some research on my part, and some investing in time and a few tools/seeds, but I want to learn more about gardening, and would like to grow more for us to consume.

10. Be Still and Know: I want to spend at least 10 minutes a day, reading my Bible, being still with God, soaking in His word and taking time to intentionally pray.  I had a similar goal last year, to do with reading my Bible.  It proved to be the most challenging goal I made, and once again, this goal is hard for me.  I need to be very intentional about setting time aside every single day.

11. Craft time: Last year, I had so many ideas and projects that I wanted to work on, and so often I never had the time to do them.  This year, I want to be intentional about making time to sew and craft.  I love being creative and making things, so I need to make the time for it.  I am thinking about setting aside a night a month for Craft Night, and invite over a friend or two - maybe that would help me find the motivation to actually make specific time!

12. Baby #3: When I asked Max about goals for this year, the only one he came up with was getting pregnant with baby #3.  Bwa ha ha.  We would like to have baby #3 sometime in the next year or so.  We'll see if and when that happens :)

I can assure you that if you were to come visit us, we would coerce you into sitting down and playing something with us.  The competition often gets heated and our eyes frequently get droopy, but we always have a good time, and my heart is always happy (unless I lose...).

 What games do you like to play?  Any other good game suggestions? 

 A daddy and his daughter. They are so priceless together, and simply adore one another.  It makes my heart all puffy and happy.

 On the drive to the beach, we were talking about the ocean and what we might see when we got there. I mentioned that one can sometimes spot dolphins playing in the water, and Max totally did not believe me!  You wanna know the very first thing we saw upon stepping our feet onto the sand?  Dolphins!  For real!  It was the first time we have ever seen them since we have lived here, and was, hands down, the highlight of our beach trip!  

Dolphins, shells, tide pools, walks on the beach - all perfect ingredients for a lovely Saturday afternoon beach adventure, and definitely made Max and I want to visit every chance we could get.  

Alison and Aimee, you best be ready to visit the beach!

One of my goals for 2012 (which will all be introduced more thoroughly on the 12th!) is to keep a consistent journal for the year.  Journaling has always been a good way for me to get my thoughts down on paper, to process through emotions, events and ideas.  Plus, it allows me a great way to look back at where I have been, as well as enjoy memories of what has happened.  I have a box of old journals, starting from the age of 8 or so.  I used to journal frequently, and even kept a journal throughout the year-long deployment Max was on in 2010.  But ever since he got home, I have been lax on making time to write and allow my thoughts to come tumbling out on paper.

I want that to change this year.  I know how much I benefit from having a private space to record any and every going-on in my brain.  So I made a goal to keep a consistent journal this year.  Right around the same time, I read about Journaling through January, that Laura @ Along for the Ride was putting together.  And I knew it was a great way to get my 2012 journal started!

 Don't know if you noticed the dress that L was wearing in the photos?  

 Isn't it adorable?  

We won it through Chambanachik's Christmas Giveaway that she put on in December.

It was made by K @ The New Normal, and we think it's absolutely adorable!

The minute we opened the package, L wanted to rip her clothes off and try it on.

She HAD to wear it right away!  

So excited to have won, and even more excited because we won an awesome dress for L!

Thanks K!!