What you Talkin about Willis???

Simply Scrumptions Zucchini Brownies!!!

2012-01-25T06:02:00.000-06:00

This dessert is heavenly! AND the best part is you don't feel guilty letting your kids eat it! With 2 cups of zucchini, applesauce and whole wheat flour- you are secretly feeding your household veggies with no complaints as well as fiber and antioxidants!!! The semi-sweet chocolate chips do a wonderful job of hiding the veg taste and the texture of the brownies comes out fluffy and moist! I ate a brownie every night until the were gone and didn't feel the least bit bad about it. Simply yummy is all I can say!!!

Here's what you need:

2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup / 200 g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup / 60 ml applesauce (I made my own- you will need one apple, steamed)
1 cup / 150 g whole wheat flour
1/2 cup / 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups (about 300 – 320 g) grated zucchini
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, and the applesauce.

Sieve the flour and the cocoa powder into another bowl. Add the baking soda, the cinnamon. Mix well.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and combine until the dry ingredients are mixed in well.

Add the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips. Mix once more.

Pour the brownie batter into a greased 8 x 8” / 20 x 20 cm baking pan.

Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center doesn't have gooey, raw batter on it.

Cool in the pan and serve with Madagascar vanilla ice cream. You will never know that it's healthy!!!

~Simply Scrumptious~

I made homemade applesauce for the recipe since I couldn't find canned applesauce in the store. The kids loved the applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar for a snack. Simply steam them until they are tender and a knife easily pierces the center.

Scoop the skins off of the apples. Mash to make applesauce for the kids or use to replace oil in baking recipes like this one.

Two cups shredded zucchini.

Sieve the flour and the cocoa powder into bowl.

Add the baking soda, the cinnamon. Mix well.

In a bowl, combine eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, and the applesauce.

Pour the brownie batter into a greased 8 x 8” / 20 x 20 cm baking pan.

Kid tested...


Kid approved!

Got this recipe from this wonderful blog: http://www.balticmaid.com/2011/08/healthy-zucchini-brownies/

Roasted Tomato Soup:

2012-01-25T05:21:00.001-06:00

Roasted Tomato Soup:

Love, love, love this simple- healthy and all natural soup!!! If you've ever been to La Madeline, this is like their creamy tomato basil soup. All you need is...

2 pounds tomatoes- You can use whatever you like and mix them up

1-2 onions- depending on how much you like them. Remember, onions get a lovely sweetness when you roast them :)

4 cloves fresh garlic

Olive oil to drizzle

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Basil

Chicken broth

Heavy cream OR blue cheese for an added touch.

Slice tomatoes in half and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper- Place in the oven on BROIL


While the tomatoes are roasting, rough cut the onions and garlic.

Take the tomatoes out when they are lightly blackened and sizzling.

Pour olive oil and S&P on the onions and garlic and broil for about 10 minutes until the look like this.

Once everything is broiled, pour it into a large pot, add enough chick broth to cover the tomatoes. You can adjust to your likeness. For a creamier soup, use an emulsion blender or a regular blender to liquify the tomatoes and onions. I blew the fuse in both of mine, so my soup is a "chunkier" version. Bring to a boil and simmer until you just can't take it anymore- or until you've had enough time to make a salad and heat up the bread!


Add a handful of fresh basil and a splash of cream to each soup. This time, I left out the cream and added a few chunks of blue cheese. It adds a nice surprise to the soup.

Simple Side-note:

I love serving this with a fresh loaf of whole grain bread and a simple salad with basalmic vinegar and olive oil. Now, for a heartier dinner, take a roasted chicken (store-bought if you are short on time) and shred in on top of the salad. This soup is better the next day and freezes well!

A simple, fresh dinner that will last for two servings for under $15 total.

~Super simple~

Simply Balanced

2012-01-23T05:43:00.000-06:00

My prayer this New Year was for God to make me balanced, simply balanced.

balanced in prayer,

balanced in parenting,

balanced in love,

balanced in money,

balanced in pleasure and

balanced in eating and drinking.

There are no huge goals to reach, no steep hills to climb- just a daily awareness of balance in my life.

As part of my balancing act I am going to start utilizing the backyard garden. The compost is started, the ground is just about ready. My mission is to provide my family with at least 80% of a natural diet and successfully grow our own fruits and veggies in the back garden. Lots and lots of new recipes to try out and share!

My reasons to stay balanced...

Please pray...

2011-12-06T09:41:00.001-06:00

A precious girl and a tragic accident.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurenscruggs

Lauren Scruggs Tragedy: Parents Speak Out After Model's Propeller Accident - ABC News

Please pray for Lauren. This family has overcome huge obstacles before but prayers always help!

A little Turban love

2011-10-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

Alright... Alright. I don't know what hurts worse, my ego, the horrible first impression I made or the terrified Turban wearer on a street corner in London, England.

So the story goes like this...

I just stepped off the London Underground and made my way onto the bustling streets of London.

Myself, and 6 other women- half American's and half Canadian's were on our way to a formal tea at a beautiful hotel in London. We all had on our Smart Casual Dress, which translates to Business Casual Wear in America, anyways, as we excitedly make our way to the hotel we decide to stop and take a picture with the hotel in the background.

You know how it goes with a group with cameras... someone is always left out of the picture because they have to take the shot of the group.

Well, that's not a problem because as we are preparing to get a photo I decide that I'll take it upon myself to find someone to take out group picture.

I look around and see two men in Turbans getting their picture taken in front of the hotel. Perfect!

So... I ask the young man with a mini-turban on his head that was taking the picture if he wants me to take a picture of all three of them together.

It turns out he speaks English, though not very well.

And yes, he would like me to take his picture with the other two men.

Okay, good, little turban dude speaks English. Not very well, but well enough.

So, I think, that's a nice offer-to take a picture of all of them and then he can take ours after that.

So I ask him,

"Do you mind taking our picture afterwards?"

Where he proceeds to inform me,

"NO... I am married man."

What the heck? Am I being accused of hitting on half-pint turban guy. How? What? Wait...

"Noooooo." I say, " You must not get it, I just want you to take our picture- I don't want to take a picture with you." I'm married too- I think we have misunderstanding."

Well, my convincing went nowhere. I'm still not sure if it was a language barrier, a sexist barrier, or a religious barrier. All I know was this poor little guy looked as if I was about to jump on top of him and devour him. He was absolutely terrified of me. Maybe it was my brash American independence. Or maybe it was my lack of intimidation by his tiny turban. I don't know. All I know is that when I turned around to look at all the ladies that were with me they had a look of complete shock at what I had just done.

I mean really, who am I to fault a man for not wanting to take a picture of a group of women, that is actually quite respectable. I think I'm just embarrassed that I looked like a total American idiot!

How was I supposed to know that this was some uber traditional, women are for mating and should be locked away other than that kind of man with a turban.

And really, turban dude- why was it OKAY for me to take YOUR picture and not for you to take mine. What? What your wife doesn't know won't hurt her? Oh my. OH my. I really need to learn to THINK before I ACT. For some reason, when you are a foreigner in a country, it's 100 times more embarrassing when you mess up b/c you feel like it faults not only you but also your country.

I have no clue what impression I left on the women with me because I know none of them would have DARE done that. They are much smarter then that- much more controlled.

And none of them would ever say "fanny-pack" either. Oh, YES. Fanny-pack my lady friends, in England means pu$$y. And I belted out, right after my photo-snafu.

"I think fanny-packs should make a comeback. "

The old man in the street on his bike almost died. And the ladies with me quickly informed me why you never say fanny-pack in England.

Tata for now!

Keep your distance from men in turbans and never say fanny-pack... NOTED!

Here's the picture from in front of the hotel. And note, I'm left out. I lost on the picture taking solution. But it turns out that it wasn't even the nice angle of the hotel.

But this was.

I'm a crack head

2011-10-14T09:20:00.002-05:00

I don't know what's worse...

Having a kidney infection. Or taking the medicine that gets rid of it.

I kind of feel like a crack head right now.

How does this happen?

2011-10-07T12:13:00.002-05:00

From the time she goes to bed, until the time she wakes up- what is she doing to make her hair look like this in the mornings???

Vida BEFORE bed...

Crazy Vida hair in the morning!!!

Mommy and Kiddo time

2011-10-07T04:33:00.003-05:00

Marc left for a busy relay to the desert.

Not for a long trip, just two days.

The day he left was the first day that felt like fall. Windy, dreary, perfectly fall!

Tripp and I went around the yard collecting twigs to make a fire together while Vida took a nap.

It was a perfect evening roasting marshmallows and enjoying my kids. A perfect FALL evening!

Tripp is so proud of our fire! A puny fire- but still a fire!


Holding sissy from touching the fire.

Taco Night

2011-10-07T03:30:00.002-05:00

Mexican food is scarce here. I mean pretty much nonexistent!

Indian food is the equivalent of our Mexican food. There is a Curry Takeaway on every corner. And it's great! I love it. But... it's no Mexican. A girl needs her chips and salsa every now and then! Especially one who grew up in TX!

So... we had a taco night the other night. Basic, nothing fancy hard shell tacos. I ate until I couldn't move anymore!

Here's Vida enjoying her guacamole!

Online grocery shopping

2011-10-07T03:17:00.001-05:00

All I can say is... I just shopped for my groceries online and had them delivered to my house. Have I died and gone to heaven?!?!

Steak and Ale Pie- Intro to British Cuisine

2011-10-07T03:16:00.000-05:00

Here's my first attempt at a British recipe. It was really yummy! Kind of like a pot roast in a pie. We still don't have our furniture and stuff here yet so I had to use minimal kitchen supplies and improvise a bit. It's usually served with peas and a brown gravy Pretty much everything here is served with peas! Here's the recipe for anyone wanting to try something different. It's a perfect comfort food for the cold weather!!!

I added mushrooms and I also marinaded the beef in ale overnight and replaced the water with ale in the recipe. It's just like the pubs make it. They sell ale individually here, I'm sure you can buy a six pack of specialty brew in the states.

I thought this would be a two night dinner but Marc ate double helpings he liked it so much. Definitely a MAN meal :) And to really treat him... Buy him an ale to drink with the meal. It will make his day.

Hearty beef pie

There’s nothing better than tucking into a warming homemade pie on a chilly autumn evening.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 Minutes

Cooking time: 105 Minutes

Nutrition per serving: 642 cals, 25.9g fat, of which 10.8g saturated fat, 11.9g added sugar, 0.1g salt

You will need

1 tablespoon Sainsbury’s olive oil
485g lean diced casserole steak by Sainsbury’s
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour

1 tablespoon tomato purée
1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
1 x 500g tub beef stock by Sainsbury’s
375g ready rolled puff pastry by Sainsbury’s
1 Woodland medium free - range egg by Sainsbury’s, beaten
320g frozen petit pois by Sainsbury’s, cooked, to serve

Method

Heat half the oil in a non-stick saucepan, then brown the steak in batches and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan with the vegetables and brown for 5 minutes, adding the garlic and flour at the last minute. Stir through the tomato purée, steak, herbs, stock and 250ml water. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2 - litre pie dish with a rim.
Unroll the pastry and cut a thin strip from one edge. Brush with a little beaten egg and stick to the outer rim of the dish. Drape the remaining pastry over the beef mixture. Trim any excess and crimp the edges. Brush with the remaining egg and cut a hole in the top to let the steam escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden.
Serve with the cooked peas.

Marinade beef in Ale for a day.

I added mushrooms because I love them!

It's not very pretty. I didn't have the right sized pie dish so I used this instead.


I

Tripp's off to Nursery School

2011-10-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

We just toured the Nursery School on base for Tripp. It right across the street from Marc's office. The government here pays for 15 hours a week of nursery school or 3 hours a day 5 days a week. The Mama in me wants to keep him home and is sad to see my little man growing up! The little guy needs to enjoy playing with other kids and learning from others so... off we will send him to his first school adventure!

There are some really unique parts of the curriculum like, a vegetable garden where they learn to harvest plants, pet bunnies that they can play with, no playground equipment - only tubs and tires and natural things to inhibit a greater imagination. When we toured the younger rooms it was nap time and I saw caregivers sitting on the floor rubbing children's backs or holding their hands to get them to sleep and that just makes the Mommy in me happy. I wish that it was a biblical based school like the preschool we had him signed up for in Omaha but it's not- and I can live with that- it's our job to make sure he learns that in the home anyway- and we haven't been able to find a church here yet. We're still trying to find our way to the grocery store!

Lately, I've tried the homeschooling approach because I know he needs to start learning a little structure and Vida loves it. She sits still and giggles, Tripp won't sit for two seconds and then he wants to go play trains or color on his face.

When we walked in the school today he was shy, and hid behind my let, Mr. Personality... shy?!!?! I guess he's aware of growing up as much as I am. If I could, I would let him hang out with me here forever but I know I must let him go and explore parts of this world on his own and maybe, just maybe I'll be able to get a workout in during his three hours of school!

Thomas Land

2011-10-04T08:15:00.001-05:00

If you have been around Tripp in the past couple of months, then you have most definitely heard him ramble on and on about the infamous Thomas Land. Many people thought he was just making up this great place in his head- but there IS a real Thomas Land and it HAPPENS to be about an hour and a half from us.

Since we are starting to get settled in and the cold weather is upon us, I told Marc is was probably time to make our trip to Thomas Land. We bought our tickets Saturday night and planned to head out Sunday morning. Tripp was so excited that he couldn't eat, he didn't want to sleep and he obsessively watched Thomas Land videos on You Tube for the entire night.

Sunday morning, I heard Tripp crying and he crawled into bed with us. I didn't think much of it, even when he asked me to carry him downstairs when he woke up. I was busy making coffee and breakfast and getting ready for Thomas Land when Marc asked me what was wrong with Tripp's leg. Poor guy, poor little thing... apparently, he fell out of his bed, (which is a tiny twin sized bed on loan from the Air Force until our furniture arrives- a blog on that later!) When he fell out of his bed he landed funky and jammed is knee. He was hobbling around all morning and asking us to carry him. I knew it wasn't bad enough to go to the doctor but I felt horrible for him. He has been asking and talking about Thomas Land for months and the poor guy is so injured he can't walk around and see everything.

Needless to say, it was great! We all had a blast and by the end of the day, Tripp was back to normal and walking around and so happy that he FINALLY made it to THE Thomas Land!!!

He's so excited to finally be at Thomas Land!

Meeting Rosie.

Meeting Edward.

Okay... I just couldn't resist. I have managed to find the ULTIMATE Muffin Top!!!

There IS THOMAS!!!

Riding on the train.

Driving Terrance the Tractor.

Riding rides.

Lessons Learned

2011-09-29T07:49:00.001-05:00

Mr. Tripp. Mr. Curiosity…

So… probably a story to go down in history for Tripp. Well,really, there are two. And in ONE week.

Lesson 1: Don’t touch things you are not supposed to…

We went to Mildenhall to stay for a week while Marc had toin process in Germany. I couldn’t stay in the tiny hotel room with two kids andno kitchen alone, so we headed to the closest USAF base and got the kids an I aTLF until Marc got back and our loaner furniture was delivered to the house.

ANYWAYS… since I didn’t have a car the kids and I would walkto the commissary and the play areas everyday. On our walk, we would pass thisfenced in area with a big sign of a man being shocked to death and laying onhis back. Obviously, there was something highly electric behind the fence.Every time we would pass the fence, Tripp would say,

“Mommy, I not touch that. That man is dead. That’s verydangerous.”

So… one day, we were walking back to the room and Trippunder his breath said,

“I’m going to touch it…”

I knew it wouldn’t hurt him and so I didn’t say anything.Right, I mean RIGHT when he touched it the base decided to do a loud speakertest and this loud, booming voice came from the sky. Tripp, freezes, looks atme in sheer terror.

I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. I looked athim and asked him what he did and told him that they busted him touching thefence. As I say this, a siren goes off. Tripp looks at me again, this time like he’s going to flip out and takesoff running to the room. Saying,

“No, no. Don’t let them get me. Hurry mom, the police aregoing to get me and take me to jail!!!”

Running. Running. Running. I kid you not, this boy ran forabout a quarter mile, nonstop. I couldn’t keep up with him I was laughing sohard.

When we got to the room he closed the door and made me lockthe safety lock where he ran and jumped into bed hiding under the covers.

Later, I explained to him that it was a coincidence and noone was coming to get him.

We had a good lesson about following rules and that rulesare there for your safety. I will never let him live this one down.

AND Lesson #2: As if he didn’t learn from Lesson 1… Don’ttouch things you don’t know…

We have a PANIC BUTTON.

Crazy huh?

I didn’t know, Marc didn’t know- but of course Tripp foundit for us.

We were enjoying a beautiful Saturday evening in our newhome. Marc and I were sweeping outside and the kids were in and out of thehouse.

When… all of the sudden I Tripp turns to go inside and whispersto himself,

“I’m going to touch the pink button.”

I had no clue what he was talking about. UNTIL…

The entire house goes up in an alarm.

The pink button is a panic button. Hidden by the door.

Not thinking about last weeks’ incident, I look at Tripp andsay,

“What did you do? Now the police are going to come!”

All I could think about was the bill we’d get for the policecoming all the way out to the house for a false alarm. We had no phone set up,and we had NO code for the alarm.

Tripp, horrified runs in the house screaming bloody murder,where he proceeds to lock himself in the den. After about 15 minutes ofringing, Tripp runs outside telling us to stop the alarm and tell the police togo away and then he runs and opens the car door and puts himself in his carseat, while telling us to get in the car and get away from the police.

Oh. This. BOY! This curious, handful of a boy.

The cops never came. The alarm shut off after 30 minutes,but it did make for another lesson learned. Don’t touch the pink button!

The World According to Tripp

2011-09-29T07:47:00.002-05:00

Tripp is in a very interesting stage of life right now. He wants to know about EVERYTHING. At times it's nice. And at times it's annoying :). I love knowing that his little brain is working and I love to hear him questioning and noticing things that I don't even notice.

The other day we were in the garden and I took the camera with me to take some pics of the kids and random neat things I found. Tripp asked me if he could take some pictures. I showed him how to hold the camera and where to look and he snapped away. When I loaded the images into my computer, I was really surprised at what a unique view of his world really came out.

Nothing centered, cropped, or even focused- but it turned into some pretty darn good pics.

Sometimes we get so stuck in thinking inside the box and his view of the world really reminded me there are some pretty awesome outcomes when you view things from a different perspective.

Here are some of his "views on life."

Excuse my attire. I was bumming it!

I love this one :)

So Tripp. And so proud of his new shoes.

An apple.

Self portrait.

My hinny :)

Sissy.

Trying to figure out this layout

2011-09-11T06:44:00.002-05:00

Dang... this is hard! I can't get anything to line up right! On a lighter note... We are in the TLF at Mildenhall and loving it! MUCH more room and a kitchen!!!

House hunting...

2011-09-11T03:37:00.000-05:00

We found our house! It was my MISSION to get a house as soon as we got to England. Especially with a tiny one room, shower only $120/night hotel room! Luckily, the Air Force paid for the room but it was so expensive to eat out for every meal in Lincoln. Well, okay, they did have free breakfast- and for some reason this became Marc's obsession! Every morning he would wake up and jostle every one awake so that we wouldn't sleep through the free breakfast! Croissants were divine, but I'm not so sure about baked beans in the AM. They put them on toast here. I guess it gives you a good source of fiber aka some early morning gas! HAHA!

I digress... Anyways- the house. I found it online before we left an just knew "this is the one!" The house that Marc looked at one month before we arrived was letted out the day before we got there. Marc drove me to the house to see it and as I was looking in the window I saw legs. AH! Oh no! How embarrassing! I run to the car, about to get in on the wrong side, because that is the passengers side in America when the garage door opens. This bleach blonde British woman- with boobs so big you qould gasp, and a face so messed up you wonder why she spent money on her boobs- is standing there, staring at me with a "who the heck are you," look on her face. I am the CRAZY American who apparently is stalking your new house and can't figure out which side of the car to get into. Long story short, she signed the let- aka lease for the house the day before! So, we decided to take a drive to Waddington to see MY house, the one that I wanted.

When you come to visit, you'll see that hedges are like fences here. So, they are tall and make it hard to see past them. Marc and I drove up and down the 1/2 mile stretch of Station Road, our new street, for 45 minutes trying to find the house! Finally, I spotted the green gables. Random. I know. So... we find the house, which is situated right on the outside of the tiny village of Waddington. It's tiny! Like blink and you miss it!

We drive up and are so excited to look around. The land is beautiful! A pasture with cows in it is behind the house. There are manicured pathways EVERYWHERE! A huge garden with zucchini, cabbage, grapes and tomatoes. There's a lot of work to do in it, which makes me wish my green thumb friend Beccy lived close by! And apple trees. Apple trees!!! Oh! I am so excited to bake with all these apples.

The blinds were down so I couldn't really look in the windows and Tripp, being Tripp decided to try and open the front door. When he did, a Big hairy old man answered the door. With. His. Shirt. OFF! UGH! What the heck!? Is this house let too??? And who is the man at the door? Apparently, he was the previous letter that was cleaning the house before they moved out. He invited us in and said we could look around. Oh, and he had a dog, an old SMELLY black spaniel. When I walked in, all I could smell was musty, nasty dog. I mean NASTY. I couldn't take it, my beautiful idea of this house is ruined. RUINED! It was large, very large for England and old, Victorian era. The color scheme, not so much my taste- more my grandmothers. But the CURTAINS... OH The curtains. Beautiful, heavy, custom drapes! And roman shades on every window. I still; however, couldn't get over the dog smell. So we left. I was sad. Marc was confused, apparently, he didn't smell what I did and he thought we were done with "shopping."

You see, Marc hates to shop. He's a one-stop-shop kind of guy. And house-hunting is shopping to him. He was DONE and couldn't figure out why I needed to see other properties before I made up my mind.

We decided to see a few more properties the next day and they can be summed up as:

Out in the boonies

Dwarf size

Pint Sized

TINY

Somehow, the smelly Victorian house started to look and smell better in my head. We called Louise, the letting agent for a viewing that day. She showed up and let us look again and to my surprise, the house was perfect for us! Smelly dog gone! We were done. I was DONE! We agreed to sign the let and were ready to call the house home!

There are a lot of projects soon to come!

The secret gate to the road

Tripp exploring. He's going to have so much fun playing pretend on the property!

GRAPES!!!

Pathway to the garden


An outbuilding. It has spiderwebs everywhere. Creeps me out. I'll stay away!

The entry

The pink living room. The wall paper will be changed :)

Beautiful fireplace in the living room

I love these curtains!

The study. It also has a bookshelf and fireplace.

The dining room.

The playroom and wardrobe room.

The kitchen.

I'm so excited to have a window over the sink!

A fun passageway to side yard.

Front door. We already made a mess!

AGA an oil burning stove/oven that stays hot all day.

Yes... these are the keys and there is a different one for every door.

Tripp picked this room because it was blue.

The guest room

Master bedroom. I'll take opinions on what to do with the walls!

I think I'll design the color scheme around this....

Light switch!

Upstairs balcony

The previous owners had a pet pheasant. There he is.

Hallway to bathroom

Vida's room.

Bathroom! LOVE the tub!

So many little details in the house!

The drive way up to the house

Home sweet home!

Eating apples off the apple tree.


Steps to the front yard.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

2011-09-09T05:14:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow will be one week since we left for England. One teeny, tiny week since I took the biggest trip of my life! Let's see... where do I begin with the lessons that I have learned in the short length of time?

Where do I begin???

Money:
You should brief yourself on the new money system BEFORE you venture out alone to get groceries. Save yourself the embarrassment!

Jet lag:
Sucks, nothing more to it. It just pretty much sucks. Especially if you have a 3 year old and a 10 month old. Pretty much the highest level of torture for a sound adult.

Driving:
Don't attempt until you can cross the street without almost getting killed.

Bank Accounts:
HOLY COW! Just a mess! We drove 2 hours to the closest "Little America" AKA Lakenheath to open an account that we can convert $ to pounds, or in other words watch our money go from a little to NOTHING. The American dollar is useless over here. Just useless. And lag time... 3 business days. That means that your useless money takes even longer for you to get and spend once you receive it.

Stress:
It's HUGE. HUGE. Temper tantrums like you wouldn't believe from Tripp... and Mommy and Daddy.

Helpless:
That's pretty much my word of the trip so far. I can't drive, I have no money, no home and I obviously cannot shop alone. This is very hard for my headstrong, independent nature.

Beautiful. No. Breathtaking. That's pretty much the best word for this country. It's amazing.

Fried:
Hope you like your food this way because pretty much everything is. And vegetables. HMM... I haven't seen much yet. A lot of peas.

Ice:
Ice? What's that? You may get a cube if you're lucky.

Driving:
I haven't attempted this yet. It's like NY on crack and driving backwards here.

Coffee:
Amazing. Puts Starbucks to shame.

Butter:
OMG! If you know me well, you know I LOVE my butter. It's amazing. The first time I had it I thought it was margarine because it's the same color. But... oh no! It's not. It's creamy, salty, luscious butter. MMMMMmmmmm!

10:
That's probably the number of pounds I will gain before the month is over. The food here is rich and heavy.

1837-1901:
The Victorian Era, which means that's how old our house is. I'm sure I'll have some interesting stories about this.

We went to Lincoln Cathedral and they choir was singing. No instruments, just voices, beautiful- beautiful voices singing to Him. What an amazing, amazing moment. A perfect moment to reflect.

As I've ventured out into this semi-familiar yet foreign land, my faith has been put to the test.

It's failed; there have been many moments of losing it, moments of wanting to make things happen in my time and on my conditions.

It's waivered. I've had many moments in my head where secretly I've wished to be back in America. Back next to a Target, a phone, a car because I'm terrified at times about how new all of this is to me. Paralyzed by my lack of control. Humbled by the experience. Forced to stop. Forced to rely, not on myself or my surroundings- but completely on Him. And I know that this fear of the unknown will only strengthen my faith. Will renew my spirit.

How often in life can we be lucky enough for God to strip us of everything. EVERYTHING that we consider a comfort, an identity only to allow us to draw closer to Him. I'm raw, I'm vunerable, yet vunerable to the right things, to His influence and His guide.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

2 Samuel 22:31

Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalm 31:3

Pics are next :)

Pizza night

2010-09-24T09:19:00.000-05:00

Marc had an early flight today and will be super tired when he gets home, but...

It's Friday

and when he gets home after his long day, we're making homemade pizzas and watching a movie!

I love Fridays!

This one is even more special because Marc's on leave until WEDNESDAY!

Four days of family!

Happy 32nd birthday!

2010-09-23T16:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a few pics from Marc's 32nd birthday. We grilled steaks and enjoyed spending time with family. Everything was perfect except for the cake. I made the ugliest cake ever known to man. It was BAD!

This is a weed wrapped as a present. I got Marc TruGreen Lawn care for a year and wanted to surprise him.

Reading the TruGreen invoice and not quite getting it yet.

Now he gets it!!!

New MAN tools from Gammy and Pops.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Looks decent from the top.

AND THEN...

OH MY!! I should have trimmed the cakes and I will NEVER use this icing recipe again!

Happy birthday! Can't believe I've celebrated 9 birthdays with you! You get better every year!!!

Gammy and Tripp relaxing after a big birthday dinner.

Attempt at a family pic and I am totally grabbing my boob!

Happy birthday Marc. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and father. We love you! XOXOxxooxxoo

Another door closed...

2010-09-23T16:30:00.001-05:00

You know those things you say you'll NEVER do... yet, somehow, as fate would have it, you usually end up doing EXACTLY what you said you'd never do- and surprisingly you are totally okay with it.

I swore, long before I ever had kids, that I would NEVER let my house be overtaken by my children. It was my house before they were here and they would learn to live around my belongings. They would know, you don't touch the $25 candles I have burning on the coffee table, you don't put your hands on mirrors, you don't leave your toys out so that it is apparent that there's a child in the house.

Hmmmm. I OBVIOUSLY had no children and no clue!

Well, my house is over-run by toys, there are finger prints not only on the mirrors but also on the walls, and every window; where you can also see mouth and nose prints from giving the windows strawberries.

My office, the one place I decorated just like I wanted.

The room with all of our diplomas and achievements framed on the walls.

The one room that was a reminder of who I "used" to be.

Well, it's now the room that our baby girl Vida will call home.

As I packed up our diplomas, awards, our before kids items. I realized that although it's a past I'm glad I lived, I'm much happier with my snotty windows and finger-printed walls.

And our dining room- well, the fancy dishes and nice decanters are also resting in a corner of the basement as well.

The dining room now serves as Tripp's playroom where fancy dishes are replaced by super cool Thomas trains and decanters are obsolete to racetracks and Hot Wheels and fancy dinners now involve paper plates onTV trays and a good Pixar movie.

So, bye-bye office and formal dining room. You have now been demoted to a corner in my unfinished basement to collect dust. And, I don't think I'll have much time to visit you- except to maybe send out emails and updates about my kiddos or maybe to pull out a turkey platter and fancy dishes for Thanksgiving.

Here we go AGAIN! Two days after Tripp's bedroom redo, I'm cleaning out the office and dining room.

Make room for Vida!

Moving day! And my mom and stepdad will be at our house to visit in a few HOURS!!!

Tripp's enjoying the chaos!

One more piece to move and it's time for the toys!!!

Vida's room. Still a work in progress- but ready for her if she arrives early.

Tripp's Big Boy Room

2010-09-23T15:04:00.002-05:00

Maybe it was the hormones, or maybe it was an early nesting urge, or maybe the fact that it had been torture to get Tripp to sleep at night. Whatever it was, I decided one afternoon that since Tripp's mattresses for his bed were being delivered I would disassemble and reassemble a toddler bed into a full bed, while I was 30+ weeks pregnant.

Here's how well that went down...

Tripp was my right-hand man for this project.

It was at this point that I had the bed apart and realized that I had to put a much LARGER one together...

And suddenly, this all turned into "not such a good idea"

And it turned into an even WORSE idea when the mattresses were delivered and they were about 10 inches too high for his bed. I didn't get a picture of that and I should have. I needed a step stool to get on top of the bed! We're still waiting for the box spring to arrive but Tripp loves sleeping in his "big boy bed" and he also loves picking out new decorations for his room.

Still waiting on the box-springs but it will do for now!

It's been a while

2010-09-16T14:46:00.000-05:00

A LONG while!!! I just loaded the photos from my camera and can't believe how backed up I am on posting photos and updates. The grandparents must hate me right now. So... here come a bunch of updates!

Tripp is 27 months now. Holy cow! Growing by the minute and talking, talking, talking like no other. Although half of it is still made up, he's getting the hang of it! You now have to watch what you say because he repeats EVERYTHING.

Has to go to the Zoo at least once a week to see the "Choo choo- monkey." He won't sit still or stay in one place for longer than 2 seconds, but he will stand in line, perfectly still for 45 minutes to ride the train at the zoo!

"Pizza Machine... YEAH" is his favorite restaurant. He loves pizza and will ask you to take his there every day! He won 1,000 tickets playing a game the other day! Crazy kid.

Loves to read... or be read to.

Thinks frogs and spiders are "yucky." I taught him that, I don't want him walking into this house with a giant frog in his hand to show me- ewww! No thanks!

LOVES "caterpiddlars". Touching them, finding them, anything about them.

Thinks "budderfwys" are pretty.

Says "Shew fwy" anytime he sees a fly.

Says "bless you" if you sneeze, cough, toot, or anything else makes a strange noise from your body.

Loves animals and can name just about all of them.

Says "Amen" after you pray- I think that's my fave :)

Chocolate milk is his favorite drink.

Loves, football, baseball, basketball... basically any kind of sport.

Throws and catches the ball with Daddy all the time.

Can say "Go Cocks" and "Go Gators- chomp, chomp"

Is a terror when it comes to bedtime. Wants to stay up EVERY night!

Loves bubble baths.

Enjoying a large bowl of whipped cream!

It was raining out so he had to put on his Fireman gear.

Hanging out in the front yard.

Throwing the football with Daddy.

Just being Trippers.

I awe of the engineer at the Zoo.

Riding the Choo choo.

Getting some Mommy love.

At the air show. I love how they're making the same face!

Sweaty boy!

Feeding the fish at the Zoo.

Baseball in a diaper. Totally Tripp!!!

Always smilin' and always dirty!!!

Cauis' 9 month shoot

2010-08-16T14:30:00.002-05:00

Cauis was 2 weeks old when I first photographed him in October of last year. Look how much this sweet little boy has grown! He's such a perfect mix of his Mommy and Daddy! Can't believe how fast time flies! He's already 9 months old now! We didn't get a ton of pictures because Caius fell asleep halfway through the shoot! It's hard work being cute!

There's a smile!

Do you see the PERFECT "Gerber Baby" curl??? This little guy is too cute!!!

_________________________

And... a look back at 9 months ago!!!

Ode to the iphone

2010-07-24T21:54:00.000-05:00

Dear iPhone,

I miss you.

I am lost without you.

Please come back to me tomorrow!

Love,

Brooke

(Tripp dropped my phone in his kiddie pool today whilst attempting to run from me. Oh HAPPY day!)

Tripp's 2 year photos

2010-07-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

It's almost two months late- but I finally got around to taking Tripp's two year pictures. He is busy, busy, busy as you can see and I am way to big to be chasing after him and contorting my body in crazy ways to get a good shot. It was nearly impossible to get a smile out of him, he was way too interested in running around. Oh well, I guess that's how it goes at this age!

And I'm done! Stop with the photos!

Aunt Annie's in the Willis' Casa

2010-07-22T20:03:00.000-05:00

I had a craving today.

A craving for warm, soft, buttery pretzels.

So... I searched for a recipe and made me some. I don't know why but whenever Marc leaves, I always bake. And... Hyvee had/has flour on sale for .$99.

These were really easy and VERY yummy!

I'm no Martha... but I'm learning! Baking is definitely a learned art; one that I think will take years to perfect.

I have tons left over so I think I'll take some to the neighbors tomorrow. Look out Bible Study girls. This is what I'm bringing for our snack on Tues.

I know... I know... I need a bit of practice at my pretzel twisting!

The log one is Tripp's. He said it is a snake.

This was the prettiest one I could muster.

Hot out of the oven with melted butter.

I'm out of Kosher Salt so cinnamon sugar will have to do.

Melted butter, cinnamon, sugar and honey. This one was devoured in two seconds. Vida loved it. She started kicking in my belly as soon as I finished.

Pretzel loaves for sandwiches.

Here's the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F

/45 degrees C)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda

4 cups hot water

1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2.	In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4.	When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5.	Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Vida 25 weeks Ultrasound

2010-07-21T14:05:00.000-05:00

We had to go in and have a second ultrasound once I was passed 20 weeks because it was hard to distinguish Vida's 4 chambers of her heat. So... just to be safe we had a second ultrasound done and everything is fine. I wasn't too worried- but you always get a little nervous when it comes to your baby.

Here's here latest 3D image at 25 weeks and a few fun Vida facts from the past month/

It's hard to really tell... but to me it looks like she has Marc's nose and my lips.

Dear Lord, PLEASE let her have Marc's nose!

She's healthy and weighs about 2.5 lbs. now.

Kicked the other night at dinner every time we called her name.

Get's really squirmy right when I'm ready to go to bed.

Starting to give me heartburn especially when it's time for bed.

Right on time for her due date. Measuring exactly where she should be.

Tripp's getting ready for her and reading his "I'm a Big Brother" book every night.

He loves to pat my belly and say "Hi baby."

26 weeks

2010-07-21T13:53:00.001-05:00

I abhor taking or having my picture taken alone.

I get embarrassed and always make a goofy, uncomfortable smile.

I can't help it.

Wish I was one of those girls who posed and looked poised in a picture by myself.

Just not me.

So... here is rare moment. A picture of me alone.

Well, technically I am not alone since I'm carrying a little one in my belly.

So I guess it doesn't count.

26 weeks down.

14 more weeks to go.

20 lbs. heavier. Hopefully, not much more weight to gain than that.

(Still puts me about 40 lbs. less than when I was preggo with Tripp. OUCH!)

Can't wait to meet our little Vida.

A Thankful Moment

2010-07-21T13:43:00.000-05:00

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Days like these I bask in the joy of how blessed I am to be a Mom.

The simple, carefree days playing in the sun.

Thank you Lord for my sweet little man.

Power nap

2010-07-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

My attempt to wear Tripp out at the zoo failed.

FAILED!

He passed out in the car on the way home for a short, ten minute power nap and now he's wailing in his room because he is NOT going back to sleep.

Awesome. I'm exhausted and now he won't sleep.

I have an urge...

2010-07-16T08:28:00.001-05:00

I have an urge, a recent urge to dye my hair. Alone. No going to the salon. Paying no more than $10 for the box off the shelf.

I'm tired of roots, especially the grey ones I keep finding.

Do I do it???

And... I'm ready to go back to my natural color, which would mean no more blonde. I'm sure this is just hormones. The same hormones that made me want to chop my hair off, which I still regret to this day.

Oh...To dye or not to dye. That is the question...

Family pictures

2010-07-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

It's very rare that we all get together in the same place but when we did- we tried to take advantage and get some family pictures. As you can see, trying to get two toddlers to cooperate is a bit tricky!

Here's attempt number one at a family picture with the grandkids...

And here's the final attempt. I think it's number five!

Don't you think this will make a great Christmas card!

Chris, Marc and Dillon. Handsome men!

Tripp has decided there is no need for anymore photos!

But there's always time to get some love and kisses from your grandma.

July 4th

2010-07-13T15:17:00.001-05:00

They love to swing!

Escaping the heat. We only lasted about ten minutes at the park!

Tripp got his first ice cream treat from the Ice Cream Man. A Shrek popsicle. His face was died green for the rest of the night.

Rena and her mom and Delilah.

Marc and his Mom

Listening to the band play.

Watching fireworks.

Love them in this picture!

Ending a long day resting on Mommy's knee.

Little Rock

2010-07-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

We stopped in Little Rock to spend time with family and enjoy a few days of relaxing before heading home to Omaha. Tripp loves his cousin "Lilah" and is still walking around the house calling her name. In typical female fashion, Delilah doesn't want much to do with him. They were quite a pair. Rena has another little one on the way as well! About 4 months after Vida's born. I love to see the family grow. It is a true blessing from God!

And it didn't take Tripp long to TRY and touch the TV...

Or Delilah long to steal his passy, an ongoing game with the two of them.

Tripp would only eat off of Delilah's plate.

And then he'd wear it as a hat.

Cousin love! Wish their eyes were open here! Tripp tended to tackle Lilah more than hug her, we had to keep telling him to " Hug and RELEASE!!!"

They both enjoyed playing with Legos

and having tea parties together.

Tripp loved crawling into bed with Meme and Pappy in the mornings.

Memphis

2010-07-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

We had about a 7 hour car ride to Arkansas to see Marc's brother Chris and his family so we made a stop in Memphis for a few hours to break up the monotony of driving.

There was one MUST on this stop.

We MUST eat at Rendevous BBQ for their dry-rub ribs!

And we did.

And it was GOOD!

We also went on our first carriage ride.

One block...$10

But it was totally worth it!

Tripp's face was priceless!

Since my Alma-Mater won the College World Series this year. I had to get a pic by the Cock.

GO COCKS!!! These are for you Dad!

And a few random pictures from walking around in Memphis.

He was really into this fountain!

Run, run, run and get rid of all that energy!!!

Marc was excited to find a "Boogie" sign to match his call sign.

SOS

2010-07-10T15:32:00.001-05:00

Tripp waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin.

Marc and his flight receiving their award. We had to sit in the last row so they are barely visible!

We've been in Alabama for the last month at SOS, Squadron Officer School. Don't know much about it except that there are a lot of papers, a lot of PT, and lots of team building activities, as well and many late nights and early mornings.

Marc survived a torn hamstring. Thanks to someone's bright idea to do sprints first thing in the morning. Ouch! But he is on the mend and feeling much better! He loved his flight and we went out and did lots of fun things with all of them. His flight won the "Chief of Staff" award and I'm not sure what that entails but I know he was happy!

I survived many late nights of typing and frustration over paper topics, while trying to get Tripp to sleep (in the same bed!) Although it was hot, and I was pregnant- THERE WAY A CHICK-FIL-A! I made numerous stops there- had to get my fix!

I also enjoyed going to see Eclipse with two girls that were in Marc's flight. And it was GOOD! Oh, so, good!!! Still Team Edward!

Tripp enjoyed the playground right outside our door.

The indoor playroom with all the kids.

And sleeping in the bed with Mommy and Daddy. Oh yes... that's right! HE would not sleep in his Pack 'n Play because he discovered how to climb out. So, we tried the pull out couch. Nope! He kept crawling in bed with us every night. Eventually, he made his way into our bed and the three of us slept in a queen size bed, all snuggled up together for over a month!

I am SOOO happy to be home and I am patiently adjusting him back to sleeping in his bed without mommy and daddy. Phew!

He also enjoyed his first baseball game! The Montgomery Buscuits. I enjoyed all the yummy stadium food and especially the boiled peanuts!

Vida was a trooper, I had a ton of energy and totally forgot I was preggo until my clothes started to shrink! I stocked up on some cute prissy clothes while in AL. Can't wait to see her in them in a few months!

We made it home! Alabama was definitely an adventure! It was HOT, humid and very cramped but we enjoyed every minute! What a wonderful memory for our family!

2010-06-18T10:50:00.001-05:00

Dear Tripp,

It's hard to believe that two years have passed since you came into this world kicking and screaming! You are such a little fire-ball and I love every waking minute that we get to hang out! Here are a few of your funny little traits that make me smile!

Your obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine and Toy Story

How you sing the ABC's in your own language. You can't say the letters yet so you babble them at the TOP of your lungs!

You're addicted to your passy or "paddy" as you like to call it

You think your daddy hung the moon and get very upset any time he leaves

You're favorite toy is Buzz Light Year and you hum "To infinity and beyond" because you can't quite say the words yet.

How you love your shoes but always want them off as soon as you get in the house.

You totally live up to the meaning of your name (Traveller) you are such a trooper and don't ever fuss on planes (okay well you did once, but I forgive you for it) or long car rides.

I love to hear the sweet word "Mommy" every time it comes out of your mouth.

Listening to you "sing" to Usher's "OMG" song.

Watching you play so content with all your toys and never need to be entertained.

How I love arts and crafts so much and can barely get you to sit 5 seconds to draw a line!

You never meet a stranger and think everyone is your friend.

You love to be the center of attention, just like your daddy.

You still like your milk when you go night-night.

Your sweet hugs and how you nuzzle your head.

The fact that you are ALL boy and I don't know how that happened b/c I know nothing about raising a son!

How you love to watch your movies on your tiny travel TV.

Happy birthday little man!

Tripp's 2!

2010-06-18T10:37:00.000-05:00

All these for ME?!?!?!

That's one happy 2 year old!

Papa Knox helping Tripp open his gifts.

Carol opening Thomas for Tripp.

Tripp and I flew to South Carolina one day before Tripp's 2nd birthday so that I could squeeze ONE last free flight in before he's booted out of my lap. Let's just say that being 4 months preggo with a squirming almost 2 year old for three connecting flights is NOT comfortable! That's what I get for "working-the-system." But we made it, even if our bags didn't. That's another story!

For Tripp's birthday, I was planning on taking him to brunch, the zoo and dinner with Carol. Instead, I was stuck at home waiting for our bags to arrive so the next night we headed over to Carol's house for a birthday celebration with Papa Knox. Carol and Papa Knox had a spread of presents for Tripp and he was so excited! He LOVED playing with Leo, Carol's grand-puppy. It was a fun celebration and Tripp was spoiled!

Poop?!!!

2009-11-14T09:19:00.000-06:00

Why is it that when a child is teething they constantly poop??? Oh my goodness, I am so tired of changing pooey diapers on the hour- I think I could scream! Last night, I got Tripp out of the bath and let him "air out" of a minute since he has a bad case of diaper rash from all the pooing. I go into the kitchen to make him a sippy cup with milk, turn around to walk back out, and within the 20 second window return to see me bare naked child with a lovely small, yet sufficient pile of poo resting on my carpet! WHAT????

Soap, water, scrubbing, abra-ca-dabra- all gone. Poo free.

So I thought... I put Tripp to bed, kiss him goodnight and turn out the light. 30 minutes later, I hear him babbling and fussing. Thinking- hmmm maybe he pooed AGAIN. I get him out of bed and check him- looks good. Maybe we'll just snuggle on the couch for a minute. As I am snuggling with Tripp in his big boy Thomas the Train jammies, I keep getting wafts of poo. Did I not get it all out of the carpet. Is there a trail somewhere? Where is that coming from? A few sniffs later and I trail down to Tripp's heel. How the heck did I miss that when I cleaned poo accident #1? A brief sniff to the left and I find poo accident number two.

Okay- the child has a diaper ON this time. How in the heck did he manage to expel it from his diaper, down his pant let and onto the floor where he proceeded to happily bound around my living room and couch? I am baffled...and now I am paranoid that I missed a pile and will find in tomorrow or when I have a guest over wondering why my house smells like poo. Can you imagine, "I'm so sorry you just sat in a poo plop! Tripp pooped all over the house yesterday. I thought I got it all up. Oops." Oh the plight of the poo!!!

Mark, Kate, Grady & Oscar

2009-11-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a few photos from the Kobussen's holiday shoot. Kate is the most organized person I know! She planned early for her holiday cards and already has a table covered with wrapped Christmas gifts! Wow! You go girl! Also, just plug for my friend, if you need a good personal trainer, Kate's your girl!

I love photographing my friends and their families! Though I will admit I was a bit nervous because Kate's house is filled with beautiful photos from super talented photographers! Can you believe how precious Grady is?? I could snap photos of him all day! Oscar just has back surgery and was very excited to get outside and feel the sun. Poor little guy, he had a bit of trouble walking! We got some great photos at a park right behind Blackhawk that I didn't even know existed until I was on my way to their house. Their Christmas card design is soon to come! Keep your eyes peeled!
View more in their Slideshow

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-11T21:43:00.000-06:00

Here's are few fun pics from Halloween! Tripp was a lion (thanks to Meme) and loved to go around "roaring" at everyone! Daddy got a nice shipment of candy that we collected from our Trick or Treating. I must admit, I kind of felt like a fool because everyone know's that a 17 month old child is not going to eat the candy, so I kind of felt bad taking any! Like people are looking at me thinking, "sure pawn your child off for your own pleasure so that you can eat the candy." Well, not the case! I didn't eat any- okay, maybe a few!

We had a fun mommy and son date at Wheatfield's and then we road the hayride around Shadow Lake, where a woman proceeded to ask me if I'd like a picture with me and my daughter... She looked confused at my confused face, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that Tripp was a boy. A very pretty boy, but a boy non-the-less. I was so excited that I was going to be in a photo for a change that I just smiled for the camera. Tripp will never know that her was mistaken for a girl! I'll never tell :) Tripp was more interested in the tractor than candy; maybe he did understand that he was just considered a girl and was trying overly to assert his manly image. He has a thing for John Deere and I don't know where he gets it from! No one in this family has a farming gene! I can't even cut my grass correctly.

Example given... I was mulching the grass every time I mowed b/c it took too much time to bag it. I couldn't figure out why we were the only house in the neighborhood with a never ending supply of crabgrass, until I realized that when I mulched, I spread the seeds! Ohhhh! Got it. I just placed the blame on my hubby and said that if he wasn't so busy, I wouldn't have to mow in the first place. That probably wasn't very nice! Wow, did I really just go off on a tangent about crab grass? How did I get there from Halloween and Trick or Treating????

Mark and Ashley's Engagement Pics & Cute Little Cy!

2009-11-11T21:15:00.000-06:00

I met Mark when he did our landscaping at our house. He is super talented and a honest business man, if you need landscaping or snow removal services- use him, CDS Enterprises. Let me know and I'll get you in touch with him. Mark and Ashley are getting married in April 2010 and we went to Mark's parents house in Bennington to take some engagement pictures.Their weddings is going to be BIG, like 300+ people big! I don't even think that many people like me! I'll be designing their Save the Date cards and invitations along with photographing their wedding. Ashley and Mark were tons of fun to work with! Mark's dad went with us on the shoot and was the best assistant EVER! He kept throwing soy beans at Mark to make him smile! Ashley has chosen a beautiful black and champagne color scheme for the wedding and we are busy designing her wedding invites to mimic the black dresses with a champagne sash. So- stay tuned for the wedding invite designs.

Cyrus is Mark and Ashley's little boy and he just turned 1. Him and Tripp are great play partners! He has the most BEAUTIFUL blue eyes and is so sweet and quiet! We had a play date at the house while Ashley and I designed their Save the Date cards. I'm super excited to photograph their wedding in April! Hope you enjoy a peek at their photos!

Wow! I am way behind the power curve!

2009-11-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

So... I finally got a new computer. One that doesn't sound like a plane is taking off whenever I turn it on. One that doesn't have a 10 second lag time between words typed. And, one that I have waited for all my life! My Mac! So, now that I can upload and type and do all that fun stuff with a decent amount of time my blog is back on track. Not that it really was on track, one posting doesn't really count. But... I am here, I am present and the blogging will begin. I would just like to say a big thanks to my God! Wow, I cannot put into words or type paragraphs to the amount of goodness and blessings he has given me this year! I am super busy with mommy-hood as well as my own freelance business. BUSY! Thank you Lord for giving me blessings that I never imagined or asked for. You are a good God! I've got lots of catching up to do here. So- let's start with the most recent family pic! We took a mini vacation to New Mexico. Marc was working but Tripp and I vacationed! I read my last book in the Twilight saga and Tripp enjoyed hours of playtime at the playground. Great, relaxing and refreshing trip! Tripp got his first haircut at the BX Barber sitting in Marc's lap and we "hiked" the Scandia Mountain. I was worried Marc was going to slip and drop Tripp off a cliff, so we didn't make it very far. Marc deployed a week after we got home so it was some great family time!

Here goes...

2009-07-27T07:54:00.000-05:00

I have absolutely no clue what I am doing right now. Just typing fast and testing out this new blog, while trying to keep an eye on Tripp darting around with his sippy cup. So... new website is on is way. That doesn't really mean much because I have yet to go live with it- I keep finding more things to add or pictures that need to be tweaked a bit more- or Tripp wakes up from a nap an hour early and my free time is shot!

I have been conceptualizing about having my own side business since I was in college and I'm very nervous because the time is here. I keep second guessing myself and thinking, "The website is a 30 day trial period...you could just practice designing one for later and cancel the site. Maybe you'll be more ready next summer..." And thus, the crazy dance in my head continues. But- there is no turning back. I am really going to start this and I'll worry about what to do when Marc deploys and who will watch Tripp if I have a shoot and Marc's not around when I get to that point. Welcome to my uncensored written thoughts, not like anyone really wants to know about my subconscious struggle to put myself and my passion out there for all to see.

Free time done. Time to make breakfast.

B, out