LOVE the helmet!!

Grace has accomplished so much in her almost three years!! When you look at her, you would never know that she had such a rough start and you certainly would never guess that we were told she may not survive - much less walk or ride a bike!! It's moments like these that remind me how lucky we are to have her in our lives...well, I think about it all of the time, but to watch her IN the moments really makes me smile! She has a hard time with coordination...which is to be greatly expected from a child who had almost no muscle tone on the right side of her body. We aren't really sure what other obstacles she may face as a result of her early problems, but we do know one thing...she already has a distinct love for life! It's almost as if she knows that it's the little things in life that are most important...you know, like holding mommy's hand or learning to ride a tricycle with daddy!!

Crank up the HEAT-AH!

Cape Cod, Massachusetts is "My Sweet Serenity"! The quaint little town means everything to me! It's where my grandmother grew up and our family has lots of lineage there! My great aunt still lives there with her family and we visit as much as we can!! It truly is a place that makes my stress go away!!

Aunt Gail sent me these beautiful pictures this morning...I wish I was there right now! Mason and Gracie would have a great time in the snow!! And I could use some quiet snuggle time in my favorite sunroom!! WE MISS YOU GUYS!! Did you crank up your heat-ah???

Etsy Favorite

If you know me, you know I LOVE ETSY!! Just wanted to share this sweet shop with you: Julie at Bohtieque Design makes the cutest address labels. I ordered these and the quality is great and they are so affordable!! I'll definitely be back for more!

This fun label is called "It's a Crazy Day"

and I ordered this one with my name on it...I love the colors!!

Here's the label I ordered for Grace...Crowning Glory:
gotta love the pink and brown!!

I think I'm going to order the adorable sock monkey labels next!!
I think they would be cute for Mason!!

Thanks for the GREAT ADDRESS LABELS Julie!!
(pictures borrowed from Julie's Etsy Shop)

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

I wish we had pretty snow like my family in Massachusetts got to see this morning!! Instead, we have been blessed with what WFAA is calling "the biggest ice storm since 1980"!! I'm not sure it's that bad, but we are staying inside just to be on the safe side!! And while boredom sneaks its way in every once in awhile, we are having a great time together! We built everything from a treehouse to a snow mobile with nothing but legos, we've mastered a few more wii games, we made popcorn with our new air popper (LOVE IT!!), we made lemon bars, we haven't dressed ourselves!, we had a tea party...and we even made heart shaped cookies out of felt for the 'kitchen'!! I'm not a big fan of the cold weather, but I wouldn't trade this kind of lazy, snuggly, Mommy, Mason, Gracie day for the world!!

SUPERMAN!!

I love that my little superman gets a big kick out of making his own PB&J sandwich!!

25 Random Things About Me...

1. I don’t like the words moist, creamy, or hamburger ‘patti’…cake commercials initiate my gag reflex…even though I do LOVE cake!

2. I really like rap/R&B music…wish the songs didn’t have to be about workin’ it or digging gold, but I do LOVE to bounce along to the bass!! I CAN’T sit still if a good song is on!

3. I LOVE bingo/pokeno and I don’t think it’s right that it’s categorized as a game that old people play!!

4. I love my fuzzy socks!! They are so fluffy that I can’t wear them with shoes!!

5. When I was little, I really wanted to be a mommy. I had no idea that motherhood would fulfill every single dream I ever had…it’s amazing and I am so blessed to have the best job ever!

6. My favorite part of a brownie is the edge…gotta have this pan: Edge Brownie Pan!

7. I wish I had an English accent. I just think it sounds sophisticated and smart!

8. My dad plays a huge role in my decision making…he always gives such wise advice!!

9. The smell of vitamins make me gag!

10. I voted for John McCain.

11. I have a crooked toe! It runs in our family…my grandfather, my dad, me and Mason all have the infamous MOORE TOE; however, I did get mine surgically corrected right after college and now I don’t have a knuckle in that toe :)

12. My mom passed away when I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter. Her name is Grace because she truly was my “saving grace”!

13. I miss my mom so much! I thought things would get a little easier, but the more time that goes by, the more I realize that I really need her to be here!! She had a huge impact on my life and I really wish she could have had the opportunity to have that same influence on my children!

14. I have reoccurring dreams about my teeth crumbling!! CRAZY!

15. I really love Coke and Dr. Pepper, but have not had one since January 3, 2009!

16. I love antique stores and everything shabby chic…love the anticipation of finding a diamond in the rough!

17. I can’t stand the taste of coffee, but I love coffee ice cream!

18. I LOVE to laugh!

19. I can’t get enough sugar! I could eat cupcakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

20. I am a perfectionist and a worry wart!!

21. I love the idea of photography, but I don’t have the technological patience for a big time camera!

22. I have a degree in English/Journalism…worked for The Dallas Morning News and Citigroup before becoming a stay at home mom.

23. My favorite vacation spot is Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

24. I am an only child. And that’s why it was very important for me to have more than one child!

25. I have a great passion for all kinds of charity work!

GRACE!!

Church was awesome last night! And I've always been inspired by music, but there is just something extraordinarily special about the music at Fellowship Church!! Yesterday, my favorite FC singer, Dex Alexander, sang "Grace" by U2 and it just really hit home!! Fellowship always goes all out with the cameras and lights...they displayed this (yep, I sure did whip out my camera!) while Dex was singing and I just stared at it with so much gratitude...on so many levels!! I'm so lucky to have GRACE in my life!!

I've experienced God's grace in so many ways...and I am especially aware of it when I look into the big blue eyes of the most "prettiest girl in the world"!!

We love FREDDY'S!!

Flower Mound is booming and we have lots of new restaurants and shopping! I'm not a big fan of the traffic, but I love having everything right here by us!! We usually get a milkshake on Fridays after school, but we decided to try Freddy's Frozen Custard today and it was awesome!! The kids got a big kick out of watching how the custard is made...and they have all sorts of yummy toppings! They also serve hamburgers and hotdogs!! I have a feeling we are going to have a Freddy's Friday EVERY week!! YUMMY!

Another fun one!!

I am just relaxing today! I've been sick all week and it's really cold outside, so we are just having a fun day...in our PJs...in the warmth of our cozy house!! (And can I just take a second to thank my sweet hubby! He took motherhood by the horns this week while I was in bed...thanks for letting me rest...you're the BEST!)

I've been catching up on emails and blogs and I came across something else fun - it's amazing what great stuff you can find when you visit the favorite blogs of a friend's, of a friend's, of a friend's! This is what I found after taking the challenge:

Can I just say that my heart melted! There are so many special things about this picture: my sweet Mason is just 3 years old (where has the time gone???), his cute outfit was from my mom and it's taken on the doorstep of our first home! I'm sitting here trying to think of better ways to hang on to these memories...it seems like yesterday...and it also seems like forever ago!! I LOVE YOU MASON!!

Wanna play along? Just follow these rules:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder
3) Explain the picture

The Healthy Snack Basket

...is AWESOME!! It seems silly, but it saves room in the pantry and gives my kiddos some independence in the kitchen! We buy a lot of snacks...fruit snacks, yogurt covered raisins, granola bars, etc. and all of those boxes were wearing me out! They took up a lot of space...and I hate to admit, but I often found empty boxes each time I cleaned out the pantry. SO...in an effort to STAY organized we added the healthy snack basket to our lowest pantry shelf. When we get home from the grocery store, we empty all of the snack boxes and immediately take them to the recycling bin in the garage. When the kids ask for a snack, I simply tell them that they can choose anything from the healthy snack basket!! THEY LOVE IT! And I love having the extra space in the pantry!!

I have...

A couple of my friends have this list on their blogs. I thought it was fun!! The things in bold are the things that I have done in my life:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (if Wii Music counts!!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in the shower!)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (haha...with my dad when I was in elementary school!)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (in general)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check -- Ooops!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (I had my curly toe broken on purpose...OUCH!)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (with some help!)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Save the felt tomato please!

Have you heard? There's lots of talk!! Handmade toys are in big trouble! I'm ALL about keeping our children safe, but I'm going to back up the stay-at-home moms who create the most fantastic children's clothing, hair bows, felt food, dolls, toys, etc.

I think it's ridiculous that jobs such as toy-making have ever been outsourced in the first place...HELLO, we have plenty of talented people right here at home and american-made toys have never been part of the problem. It comes down to saving money...for what??? An infinite amount of lead infested 2.5 inch matchbox cars from China??? And now that the problem is so big, we've got to make a huge, over-the-top law to get things back in order. A law that affects the good, down-to-earth people who make the safe stuff for kids! What about doing it right the first time? Or what about stopping toy imports from foreign countries?

I really am a huge proponent of making the world a safer place for our children (I'm the crazy mom who pays attention to crib mattress ingredients)...but I think there has got to be a better way to filter bad toys from the environment. My children have LOVED playing with their Etsy felt food (made with eco-friendly fabric!). And the handmade clothing that I've ordered is far better quality than what I see in our regular stores. This law would also affect vendors in Canton, craft fairs, children's consignment stores, etc.

I realize this whole thing just got started...so I may not have ALL of the facts, but check out this 'Help Save Handmade Toys' website if you'd like more information.

Something definitely needs to be done about the dangerous toys out there, but let's save the good stuff...and then move on so that we can focus on bigger and better things that affect our children...I don't know...like EDUCATION!!

Dinosaur?

Gracie's masterpiece...I lOVE that she LOVES playdough!!

Gimme What'cha got for a Pork Chop

I'm doing well on my attempt to make better dinners!! And my new i-pod docking station has really helped motivate me in the kitchen! If any of the neighbors got a glimpse of me dancing it up in the kitchen, I'm sure they had a big laugh!!

This recipe was very easy...the pork chops were cooked in apple juice and my kiddos LOVED it!

Cranberry-Sauced Pork Chops

Ingredients:

6 pork loin rib chops, 3/4 inch thick

pepper

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 cup of apple juice or apple cider

1/2 of a 16 ounce can of whole cranberry sauce

2 tablespoons of sliced green onion

2 teaspoons of cornstarch

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of finely shredded orange peel (We didn't care for this ingredient, so I won't add it next time)

1. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle chops with pepper. In a 12-inch skillet cook chops in hot butter over medium heat about 4 minutes or until brown, turning once. Drain off fat.

2. Our apple juice or cider over chops. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 to 6 minutes or until no pink remains in pork chops and juices run clear. Transfer pork chops to a platter, reserving 1/2 cup cup juices in skillet. Keep warm.

3. For sauce, stir together cranberry sauce, green onion, cornstarch, brown sugar and orange peel. Stire into reserved juices in skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. To serve, spoon sauce over pork chops. Makes 6 servings.

Better Homes and Gardens, The New Cookbook

Berry Shortbread Cookies...they'll make you slap your momma!!

OH MY GOODNESS...well, that's not really what I said when I tried Lara Kay's/Libby's berry shortbread cookies, but this is a family blog and I didn't want to offend anyone. Just know that naughty words came out of my mouth (no kiddie ears were around!) when I tried them for the first time...they are THAT good!!

When my mom used to eat something that she really liked, she would say, "that'll make you slap your momma!!" WOO-HOO...I bet my momma felt that one all the way in heaven!! (On a side note: I loved how my mom and I gave each other high fives...we always missed on purpose, threw our heads back and then let out a simultaneous nerdy cackle laugh!!)

The recipe is definitely worth sharing - and tell your momma she better WATCH OUT!!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
seedless raspberry jam

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp water

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in extract, gradually add flour until dough forms a big ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until the dough is easy to handle.

Roll into 1 in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a small spoon or the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the center. Fill with jam.

Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to cool. Spoon additional jam into cookies if desired. Combine glaze ingredients, drizzle over cookies. Makes 3 dozen.

I really wanted to add a picture...but I ate them all - OOPSIE!! Maybe next time.

Happy New Year!!

I can't believe 2008 is gone!! I'm really excited about 2009...each new year, I feel like I get a fresh start.

I'm not setting HUGE expectations for myself this year because I never really completely follow through and then I feel like a loser. Here are some of my goals. They may seem small, but they will be big adjustments for me...wish me luck!!

* pray more, worry less!!

* no more cokes
* exercise
* organize my pictures
* get back to scrapbooking
* make more dinner
* stay organized so that I don't have to have a major organizing party EVERY two months!!

And last, but not least...I always try to NOT STRESS!! I always fail because some of it is just my personality. So this year I will make no promises to stress less! Instead, I will adopt a new motto...I AM BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!! Haha - I'll let you know how it works out for me!

Happy New Year!!