Random Thursday - Legend, wait for it, dary!

I love Random Thursday bc there is no rhyme or reason for anything I share!!

Random 1
One evening this week while visting Subway, I was reminded of how much I value good customer service. As I ordered the kids meal for Sophie, I made the wretched mistake of requesting flatbread for her sandwich but only bc it is easier for her to eat. Well let me just tell you, apparently it was the equivelent of requesting special golden bread that could only be acquired from the Great Wizard of Oz himself! The Subway "ladies" told me I most certainly could not have flatbread. No possible way and, wait for it..... there is not a button on the cash register for this request. In that moment, all hopes and dreams for that flatbread were ripped from me.

On top of everything else, they acted offended that I had made such an astonishing request. As I stood there with my mouth hanging open the following response played out in my mind - "Sooooo... let me get this straight. You are telling me that as a paying customer, I am not allowed to have the bread that I want for my sandwich. I am paying you money but cannot have flat bread that I want?" Of course what came out of my mouth was much more polite - "Well, I am sorry to cause a problem but I am more then willing to pay extra for it."  I felt fairly confident that paying the extra charge for the bread would not send our account spiriling into bankruptcy. At this point the girl (which I will refrain from describing in detail bc if you don't have something nice to say...) at the cash register rolled her eyes, huffed, puffed and then said with all the energy the she could muster - whatever, just do it. Seriously? Is this really happening right now? There may be a legit reason for the "no flat bread" rule, but I am not sure what it could possibly be. And to top it all off, wouldn't you know - the sandwich was not even that good!

Subway in Soddy Daisy, TN - no more sandwich for you!

Random 2
I have been undecided on my feelings for Jennifer Lawrence for quite sometime. After seeing her at the Oscars though, I ADORE her. I love how she handled her fall on the steps and I especially love her raw and pure reaction when meeting Jack Nicholson!

Speaking of which - what is it about that guy? Just something about him and his charisma - he's still got it. My favorite part is when he tells her that she looks like an old girlfriend and without  missing a beat she says - well, what about a new girlfriend?

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/02/jennifer-lawrences-oscars-interview-interrupted-by-jack-nicholson/

Random 3
The History of Rap by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake is LEGEND...wait for it....DARY! When watching this video, it is all I can do to not break out into some old school dance moves. A little running man mixed in with a bit of the roger rabbit topped off with the sprinkler?! Maybe I could be a backup dancer and do a wardrobe change for each song based on the appropriate era! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fhQ2UfEQxo

Word to your mother!



Wifey Wednesday - Date Night

Based on the title of today's post, you are probably assuming that I'm referencing date night for Jeff and myself but you are wrong. As much as I love those nights and as important as they are, I am actually thinking of a date night just as important but slightly different - Daddy/Daughter date night.

I was very blessed to have grown up with a wonderful Daddy!

Even today, as a grown woman, I am still a Daddy's girl and always will be. I think that as I grow older, I become even more of a Daddy's girl! Many of my special one on one time with my Dad came on days when I would go to work with him as he ran his errands or when he would travel with me for my softball games bc mom would be home taking care of my twin brother and sister. Can you even imagine? Whew! They were  pretty cute though!

Being a business owner, Daddy had alot of flexibility with his schedule which allowed for him to really always be there for us. On many occasions when we were riding around with him, he would pull over to help someone with a flat tire or a car that had run out of gas. Other times, I remember him randomly pulling off to the side of the road and picking flowers for my mom. Or just holding me, when as a 24 year old woman, I had just been diagnosed with cancer and was rocking back and forth in the floor unable to control my tears.

Ok - so you get the picture. He is pretty awesome (and not too shaby looking either!) and I am a pretty lucky girl! Point being - my relationship with him shaped my view of men and my relationships with them. He set the standard high so therefore I grew up expecting a man to treat me with love and respect and would not settle for anything less. 

Cue my hubby!

One on one time with your children is of course vitally important. However, the one on one time between a father and his daughter is exceptionally special. Jeff has had many daddy/daughter days with Sophie but only recently took her on their first official date! I made a big production of letting her select her outfit for the date and then getting ready. Ok yes, maybe with a little guidance from me bc her white summer sandals are just not appropriate in February but she picked it out for the most part. She was giddy with excitement - can you tell?

And yes, the fact that Daddy always insists on coke, a big tub of popcorn, and M&M's may have possibly had a little something to do with her excitement level.

Regardless though - the importance of him beginning these date nights are invaluable. I always thought that if I saw my husband looking all handsome and taking out another beautiful lady I would be jealous. However, in this case, it truly could not make me a happier wifey! I must admit, as a wife and mother there is truly nothing more attractive than your husband embracing his role as the Godly husband, father, and leader in your home!

Tummy Tuesday - Quick and Easy

I have been baking alot lately! So much baking that my pants were just a smidge tight this morning around my waist. Yeah, that is never a good way to start your day. As much as I love having little treats out bc it makes your kitchen feel all warm and cozy, this mama needs to learn the meaning of moderation! Bottom line - no sweet treat recipes for this post.

This is great snack/appetizer that we made for NYE. Everyone loved it and I was a big fan of the fact that all you have to make is the dip bc you can buy the pretzel bites at the store.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Mustard-Pretzel-Dip

Every meal that we make, unless we are feeling especially wild and crazy, we adjust the ingredients to the healthier version of what it requires. This meal is great bc it is already so healthy and the most work you have to do is preheating the oven.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes - wow! Just the name of it sound good right?! The last time we made it, we splurged and used the dinner rolls (which is what it calls for) as opposed to substituting a healthier version of whole wheat bread and wow! Just when I thought it could not get any better - it did!

http://tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com/2011/05/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html

Enjoy!

Mommy Monday - Mama Bear

As women, whether we want to admit it or not, we are well aware of the drama that is often attached to being female. At some point in our lives we have all been guilty of the girly drama. We may have been the one responsible for "stirring the pot" while other times we were the unfortunate target. I like to believe though that the drama is something we grow out of as we mature and learn what is really important and relevent in life.

Now as are only about two months away from Sophie's fourth birthday, I have already begun to witness the first signs of drama. Of course as her Mommy this is something I want to shield her from experiencing while at the same time trying to control my fierce mama bear reaction.

In the grande scheme of things, I don't think that being hauled off in handcuffs (bc I was defending my child while she was playing at the mall playground) is sending the right message to Sophie...however tempting it may be!

Every day I hear something new about the bullying epidemic in our schools and it frightens me. It seems as though "the system" is more concerned with protecting the bully and the image of their school than with taking charge and correcting the problem.

I  know this is only the very beginning of what is to come with Sophie. There are going to be many things and times that we will want to protect her. However, no matter how hard we try, it is impossible to do. Part of growing up is the life experiences bc they teach us valuable life lessons about others and ourselves. For now, we only strive to do our best by instilling in her morals and values and the difference between right and wrong. We respect others (even if we don't like them) and love people just as Jesus loves us.

And if that doesn't work, then we are just going to run away to a beautiful deserted island where I can keep her as my safe and protected baby for forever!

Fabulous Friday - Robin Roberts Fan Club

Robin Roberts is fabulous and I love her! When I say love her - I seriously want to exchange BFF necklaces and hang out! As if Robin (bc we are on a first name basis now) is not awesome enough, she is also BFF with Diane Sawyer who is my hero. So between the three of us, I really think we could have an awesome girls night out!

Truly though - Robin Roberts is amazing (regardless of our BFF status). She has opened up her heart and life in order to share a very private and challenging journey with us over the past few years. I like to think that if I was in a position such hers that I would be strong enough to embrace my journey and share with the world just as she has but easier said than done. She has been willing to share her vunerability and fears while at the same time embracing those very same qualities to show the world her unstoppable strength. The ability to shine the way that she has through such a challenging time can only come from one place and one person - our Lord and Savior! Make no mistake that inner light, strength, and twinkle in her eye comes from being a child of God. Her faith is something she is proud to share while always giving the glory to him. Nothing and noone is greater then the power of prayer and our mighter healer! Shout out to my BFF Robin Roberts!!

 

On a completely different and less stalkerish note - two awesome things I want to share. I have recently noticed that our dishwasher has not been cleaning as well as it should. In the past I just would have scratched my head with this issue but in the wonderful new world of Pinterest - I knew exactly what to do. I am not going lie - I did think that cleaning the dishwasher was a bit crazy bc come on its a dishwasher, since when do you have to clean one of those and how would you even really do it?

http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/how-to-clean-your-dishwasher.html

 

IT WORKED - I am not even kidding! Super easy and it got the job done!

 

Save the best for last - Oil Absorbing pads. If I was on the show Survivor, this would be one of the few items I would take! I have oily skin regardless but during the summer, they are a lifesaver! One of the best and most simple inventions ever! Truth be told, I usually by the generic brand at Target or the grocery store and they always work just as well. It is so much better to use these sheets instead of powdering my face everytime I need a touch up! 

 

  TGIF! XOXO

Random Thursday - From Apps to Housewives

I have made an executive decision to change Throwback Thursday to Random Thursday. As much as I LOVE reliving the old days with all sorts of goodies, it has gotten boring pretty fast! Instead I thought I would share some random thoughts that are flying around in this blonde head of mine. Sometimes random thoughts are my speciality!

Random #1

This morning I came across the One Thousand Gifts app and am going to try it out. Its from the NY Times bestselling book by the same name and is described as a way to slow down and capture God in the moment. The app provides inspirational quotes and a place to record your random thanks throughout the day. I have enough to keep up with as is but I am going to give it the 'ole college try and see how I like it! http://onethousandgifts.com/get-the-app

Random #2

As much as I really don't want to admit it...I love the Harlem Shake. I soo want to do one of those videos and have only choreographed about a million of them in my head since learning about it for the first time this past weekend. Apparently I have been hiding under a rock but luckily Jeff was kind enough to explain the concept to me when it happened during the basketball smack down of Tennessee beating Kentucky. GO VOLS!

http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/021613aaa.html

Random #3

What is the deal with weight loss makeover pictures? Has anyone else ever noticed that the before picture is horrible with the "model" in an icky bra and shorts, greasy and  unwashed hair, no makeup, and a look on their face as though they are being tortured. The after picture will feature the model with a super cute matching bra and shorts, hair will be washed/highlighted and fixed, professional makeup, and a beaming smile as though they have just won the lottery!? Seriously, I would look a million times different too if that is how you presented me before and after! Anyone is going to look better "after" regardless of weight loss!!

Random #4

I read Reality Steve. I am not even going to post the link bc I do not want someone to accidently come across it. I know it bugs alot of my friends but I try to keep the details to myself. I enjoy knowing the ending so I am more aware of what to watch as the story unfolds.

Random #5

I love almost all reality tv!!! It offers me an escape and relaxtion...not sure how but it does. One of my favs is the Real Housewives. I watch every single city and everytime they show previews for a new cycle, I always think to myself how much I would love to be in one for our city!!! I like to think I would represent myself and my family well. However, that is probably what they all say and I feel certain that it would almost ensure the fact that I would not receive an invite back for the 2nd season. No drama = no contract, right?!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/real-housewives-of-orange-county-lauri-peterson-season-8_n_2718115.html

I told you had some random thoughts!! :)

Wifey Wednesday - Carpe Diem

They (not quite sure who "they" are) say that opposites attract right? Cue the Paula Abdul "Opposites Attract" song from the 80's, which I loved by the way, and the even more awesome music video that went along with it. 

Jeff and I agree on all of the important things in life such as our morals, values, and how we raise our family. However, when it comes to the small stuff, we tend to be opposite on a few things.

I am a very talkative and open person who never meets a stranger. Jeff tends to be more of the "sit back and observe the situation" type before he really opens up.

I am a very structured person while Jeff tends to be more spur of the moment.

At times, I have a tendency to get carried away with stressful things while Jeff tends to be more laid back.

Our opposite characteristics really do help balance each other out for the better. He is the ying to my yang. When he needs it, I can rev him up and when I need it he can calm me down.

However, it never ceases to amaze me at how those "little things" can sometimes feel like the biggest hurdles ever!  I am very organized and def have a hint of OCD (shocker) while Jeff tends to be more "carefree" with his hmm, how should I say it....."organzational skills"?! After a long day - when our differences cross paths with one another, we sometimes do not handle them as well as we should. At this point I can only speak for myself and let me tell you, in those moments, it feels as though the fact that his shoes are laying at the foot of the steps as opposed to in his closet, is the biggest drama ever. It crawls under my skin like you cannot even imagine. Come on, how can he leave his shoes there when he knows how much it gets to me?!

Then of course I have to say something about the shoes and all he hears (I feel very safe in assuming I am correct in this analysis) is me nagging him about something that is not important bc its not like he did it on purpose. It just makes sense to him that he would take the shoes upstairs the next time he goes as opposed to making a special trip now. It's all about the logistics!

As I have mentioned, we are working through a marriage series in our SS class at church. The chapter a few weeks ago was about "picking" on each other. For example - everything I just mentioned above....whoops! This was a great Sunday for the lesson considering we had been snapping at each other all morning while preparing for church. What is about Sunday mornings that causes that to happen?! This stuff happens in all marriages bc nothing is ever perfect and sometimes you just have "one of those days". However, lesson worked through the logic of how I am not trying to nag and he is not purposely trying to upset me - it is just the differences in how our brains work. We need to stop for a moment and revaluate if the drama and small issue is even worth it. The small stuff is our laws that we have made for ourselves and others, not God's laws. At the end of the day, God's laws are really all that matters and the rest is just pieces we can work through.

Our teacher then spoke about how he councils widows and widowers and there is one common topic they all share with him when speaking about losing their spouse. They talk about  how they would give anything to have those "little" irritating tendencies around again. In my case, they would love to have those shoes sitting at the bottom of the stairs bc it would mean their husband was at home to leave them sitting there. For Jeff - they would love to have their wife nagging about towels on the floor bc it would mean she was still around to pick up the towels.

I just turned 33 a few weeks ago and in the grand scheme of things that is still fairly young, or at least that is what I keep telling myself. In the past 24 hours through mutual friends I have learned of an amazing young lady (2 years younger then me) who passed away from sickness and left behind her beautiful young family, a 34 year old husband with a young family battling sickness, and another individual whose spouse was just diagnosed. Point being - I bet they would love to have those nitpicking things to worry about now rather then this new chapter in their lives.

We are only here on earth for the blink of an eye before we spend eternity with our heavenly father in his Kingdom. It's better to not sweat the small stuff. Don't get me wrong - I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS every single day. However, I sure do love the person wearing the stinky smelly shoes!

Carpe Diem!

Tummy Tuesday - Roastess with the Mostess

Growing up my mom was wonderful at always having a warm meal ready for us when we got home from whatever practice we had earlier that day. However, on evenings when she was making Roast, I was miserable. I just never really liked it until recently when I came across this recipe on Pinterest. This roast is beyond crazy easy and absolute deliciousness!! Jeff said that it is the best "grown up" meal that we cook!!

The ingredients are roast (duh!), Italian seasoning packet, gravy packet, ranch packet, and 1/2 cup of water. We also add in potatoes and carrots and then cook in the crock pot all day. The final result is beyond amazing!!!

Shifting gears a bit - I feel that if I do not post this recipe for the weight watchers cookies and cream milkshake - then I will be doing wrong by everyone in the world. No kidding - this milkshake tastes like a Dairy Queen blizzard and is only 4 points! If you are not familiar with WW, all you need to know is that you can truly enjoy this treat without any guilt!

http://weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/RecipePage.aspx?recipeId=71911

Enjoy!

Mommy Monday - Tongue Tied

Sophie will be four in only a matter of weeks and has recently entered into a very tricky phase. She has begun asking questions about people and strangers around us. Being only three, of course she asks these questions as soon as they enter her precious little mind.

Some of my favorite questions as of lately are gems such as "Mommy, why does that lady talk like a man?, Why is that lady's tummy so big (and she was not pregnant)?, What is the mark on that boys face? Why does that man ride on that car (motorized wheelchair)?" Of course we are trying to teach her how cool it is that God makes eveyone different but if she has a question about someone, she can just whisper it in our ears. However, as we all know, this logic does not always process before the question comes out of my precious girls lips. Makes life interesting though doesn't it??

As for this past weekend - we took full advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoyed some time at the park. With all of the dreary winter weather, Sophie has barely had a chance to enjoy her Princess Scooter from Santa so she was able to squeeze in some prime scooter time while at the park. In case you can't tell, we are ready for Spring around here!!

She loves storing goodies in the little bag on the front of her scooter.

While Daddy takes his time reading the directions, Sophie obviously tends to be a bit more like me and just dove right in!

Good job Daddy! He is going to kill me for posting this picture but that is what he gets for never reading my blog!

Us mommies have to squeeze in some pictures of us when we can!

She could ride the carousel all day long while I turn green with every turn it takes.

Of course we worked up quite an appetite by the end of the day so Japanease was a must have! My girl insisted on using chopsticks the whole time and did a really did a great job with them as you can tell by her full mouth!  

Fabulous Friday - Favorite Things

I thought that today would be a fun day to share some of my favorite things!!!

Not sure why but this is one of my favorite pictures from my favorite time of the year (summer) with two of my favorite people! He also brought home a dozen red roses for his two best girls yesterday!! Yes, I guess it would have been better to now post a picture of the flowers huh?!  

This mascara is amazing!! I am a natural blonde (probably not as naturally light as I like to pass off but still natural none the less) so it is really hard to get my eyelashes to POP. However, this mascara does the trick! Maybelline Colossal Volume Express is where it's at!

I am loving the denim shirt look right now!! This weekend I plan on purchasing a cute one for the summer. I am not going to lie - the denim shirt does make me a bit nervous bc I have no desire to flash back to the 80's with a look I am trying to pull off. However, this great blog had some super cute style tips for it. http://www.pinteresttoldmeto.blogspot.com/2012/09/operation-denim-shirt-look-4.html

I also love the Spring/Summer fashion trend of bright neon colors and wedges!!

I bought these at the beginning of summer last year but in black from DSW. Love them and really love the cute little detail with the zipper on the back.

Since I am no longer able to tan, I have tried just about every tanning lotion known to man. Jergens Natural Glow is by far my favorite for just day to day color. As long as you apply every day you will have a nice subtle glow. It gives me just enough color to not be embarrassing! I usually apply in the evenings after my shower so it has plenty of time to set in before the next morning.  

 http://www.amazon.com/Jergens-Natural-Firming-Medium-Tanning/dp/B001ET78QK

Last but certainly not least, please stop and take a moment to say a special little prayer today for one of my very best friends (def a favorite person) and her amazing Daddy! He has a very important doctor appointment today and prayers for him and the entire family to feel the support of our Lord and Savior are greatly appreciated! There is no better medicine than his love and comfort!

TGIF! Have a great weekend! xoxo

Throwback Thursday - God's Gift

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I just wanted to share some goodies about the best day of my whole entire life! April 29, 2009 was the day we met our Valentine that would forever steal our hearts - Sophie Olivia Easterday.

Sophie weighed in at a lean and mean 9 lbs, 1 oz., and 21 inches....and she was 2 weeks early. She was a HUGE baby and her mama was not too far behind. I gained what would probably add up to a small village of people. I really should not have been allowed in public for fear that I might explode! On the morning of my deliver, the number that popped up on the scale was one I never thought I would see. I could have qualified for the Biggest Loser with this number! Truly though, I LOVED every single second of being pregnant, even though I had a few weeks of morning sickness. To feel her moving all around and watch this amazing creation from God evolving, there are no words! The swoosh swoosh sound of heart beat at the checkups is still one of my fav top 5 sounds ever!

When we went to the doc for one of my last check ups they were concerned bc I was not dilating, she was moving up instead of down, and my blood pressure was really high. "Jeff and Nicole - looks like you are having a baby tomorrow at 8am, via c-section (due to hear size and my bp)." Umm - excuse me, come again?! So thats it? As though I was placing an order for a pizza and you were telling me the delivery time? Hmm - pizza, maybe we can stop and get one of those on the way to the hospital tomorrow morning. Of course due to my OCD nature and pure excitment everything was of course prepared but mentally - we thought we still had 2 weeks! Oh well, here we go!

I wish someone would have told me how they strip you down, completely bare, on the table while preparing everything. A heads up would have been nice on that one. As I lay there, completely naked and lets be honest - at this point not really caring so much, I notice that my drug doc has a playboy bunny tattoo on his arm. Hmmm - does anyone else find the irony in this moment?! At the same time, Jeff was right outside the room in his surgery gear waiting to come in. I had this visual of him pacing nervously outside the door and ringing his hands together in anticipation. However, he later informed me that he was sliding back and forth in the hallway with the shoe cover scrubs he had on. Apparently, he could get really good momentum due to the clean floor and slick scrub shoe covers.

And this is when I feel in love with him all over again while falling deeper in love with my girl. Check out those thighs!!! Daddy looks pretty proud huh? As Jeff walked over to see Sophie for the first time and watched them clean her off, he looked over at me and said - "She looks just like my dad!" Huh?! Classic right - gotta love it!

Our first family picture together and something I will cherish forever!

She is without a doubt our best gift from God and the most perfect thing we have ever done. Not that we are biased or anything! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!! xoxo

Wifey Wednesday - Making Time For Each Other

Being married is hard work. Being married with a child - even harder and at this point in our lives, we only have one child.

As with most things in life, you do not realize just how hard something is until you are actually smack dab in the middle of it. Then, something causes you to pause for a moment and think - WOW! Man, yeah...you know this is really hard work. I thought we were just going to be sitting under a big shade tree having a picnic and gazing into each others eyes.

Jeff and I have been together for about 12 years and of those, we have been married almost 8. We were set up on a COMPLETELY blind date by friends who I will forever be indebted too. I went on the date because my girlfriends were going with their boyfriends and quite honestly - I just did not want to sit at home alone that night. All I knew about this guy was that he played baseball with the others and for those who know me - baseball players (really athletes of any kind, I do not discriminate) are my weakness. Jeff was just going because his buddy ask him too - guys are easy like that right?!

I was truly in one of those places in my life where I was all about single. I had just gotten out of a very intense relationship and was using the time to focus on myself. I had also just completed the best book I ever read as a single girl. My mom bought it for me after my previous relationship had ended and it really did change my persepective on everything when dealing with relationships. My only regret is not reading it sooner! This book is something I will pass along to Sophie one day.

Fun Fact - there is a CD with a very special song in the back of the book. The song talks about finding "the one". This song is what we danced to for our first dance as husband and wife.

http://www.amazon.com/When-Writes-Your-Love-Story/dp/1929125003

Other then the fact that he was 2 hours late for our group date (I later found out he had good reason), the night was perfect. At the end of the evening when he softly put his hand on my face to hold it as he kissed me - something clicked and deep down inside I knew this guy was something special and possibly my love story from God. I mean, the guy did put his hand on my face to kiss me - just like in the movies so of course I melted!!!

During our 4 years together (prior to marriage) with the exception of some short time periods here and there - the majority of our reltionship was long distance. Therefore, when we did have time together, we truly cherished it.

Now fast forward 8 years and we have crazy busy lives and a 3 year old daughter. It is amazing to me once again just how much our alone time together still means to me. However, when we have time together of any sort (which is usually spent hunkered down in front of the TV to watch/discuss some of our shows) it usually ends up with one of us snoring bc we are so exhausted. 

We are blessed with a wonderful marriage and are best friends but that will often get lost in the shuffle of day to day life. Then, when we do have free time on the weekends, all we want to do is spend that special time together as a family with our best girl.

Towards the end of last year, I started realizing that we are just not paying enough attention to each other. We take each other for granted, vent our frustration for other things towards each other, don't really focus on one another - things that we are all guilty of doing to our partner in the day to day rush of life. One evening I was thinking about how I was really feeling disconnected from Jeff and that is when I realized that we had not had a date night in months. And I mean months! Of course it is hard to find an available sitter (which would be one of our wonderful family members) and make all the arrangements but this had completely dropped off of our radar screen all together. Going into 2013 we decided to really make a conscious effort to change this and focus more on each other.

One of the ways we are trying to focus on each other more is by having a regular date night. Our goal is to have one once a month and just because we can't leave the house doesn't mean it can't happen. We had a date last month where we went all out while staying in for a movie night. We did all the refreshments just like we were at the theatre and even made it a point to sit right next to each other on the couch. Now you know this was REALLY hard to do bc this meant neither of us were able to sit in our "regular spots" (and yes, we are also those people at church with the "reserved" pews).

In addition, we are trying to make it a point to hug each other every day. That may sound odd but when we really stopped to think about it - it was something that was not happening that much. Sure, we would give kisses, lots of high fives (yes - that is how we roll), and those quick in and out hugs but nothing of quality. Now, we stop what we are doing and give a good solid hug for a few minutes. Sophie may be hanging at our feet or hollering at us from another room but we do not break from that moment. In that moment we are only focused on each other. That quality contact every day has really surprised me at how much it has made a difference and I still get those little butterflies when he holds me tight. Let me be the first to tell you - for something to sound so easy, when you are running around the house after work cooking, cleaning, getting clothes ready for the next day, bath time, bed time - that quality hug is a hard thing to squeeze in there but well worth it.

As parents, God has blessed us with the task of teaching our children 24/7. Sophie watches our actions towards one another and in the process of living day to day, we are teaching her about marriage. Our partnership is the base and core of how she will think and act towards marriage one day. Through me, she will learn about being a wife. Through Jeff she will build her expectations for how husband should behave. My wish for her is to be able to see God and through our life together and our love as husband and wife. By making that time for one another, no matter how hard it is to do, not only are we giving our marriage the fuel to keep the fire going, but we are also teaching Sophie about pure love ordained and blessed by our heavenly Father.



Tummy Tuesday - Valentine's Day Treats

Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to try some treats I have been eyeballing on my Pinterest Board! The best part of all is that I don't have feel guilty about this food bc it's a holiday and all food guilt is null and void on holidays - in case you did not already know that vitally important detail. You are welcome!

Maybe bc we love red velvet anything in our house and/or maybe because we love brownies - this seems like the perfect combo!

http://www.newlyweds-blog.com/2012/02/21/red-velvet-brownies/



We have new neighbors so I thought the brownines may be a nice treat to welcome them to the neighborhood. The best of both worlds bc we can still enjoy the fruits of our labor but will not be eating on them for days and days. I have found this is a great way to experiment with a new treat recipe. We leave only a few for us and then I toss the remaining into a fun little bag and give to friends/family/coworkers for a nice surprise. Always nice to snag a few brownie points (pun intended) right?! Everyone wins!

Sophie has her Preschool Valentines Day Party on Thursday and I found this cute little idea for Valentine Pretzel Buttons that I am going to try. It looks super easy and super cute - perfect for this mama! Plus, I love finding treats that Sophie can "help" with making for her class. She is so proud when bringing them to school and it gives us some fun mommy/daughter time.

http://www.griffithsrated.blogspot.com/2012/02/valentine-prezel-buttons.html

Last year, Sophie and I made Valentines Marshmallow Pops for her party at school. Pink marshmallows, chocolate, and sprinkles - she was in heaven while helping to make them. The finished product came out great but were not quite as quick and easy as I thought they would be - or maybe it was just me which is always a very good possibility. Regadless though, totally worth it.

http://www.glorioustreats.com/2011/02/valentines-marshmallow-pops.html

Guess we better get started on these goodies! Happy eating!

Mommy Monday - Meltdown

Meltdown (noun) - a breakdown of self-control (as from fatigue or overstimulation).

Meltdown is no doubt the word that comes to mind to describe my Saturday afternoon personality. As us mommies have a tendency to do, I take care of everyone and everything while juggling a neverending "To Do" list with not enough hours in the day. Sound familiar?! And to make matters worse, I am a bit of a control freak with a side of OCD. Hmm - don't I just sound like a ball of fun? I promise I really am better than I sound! My point in sharing some of my not so fantastic qualities is that you can understand how all of this ended up being the ingredients for a perfect storm mommy meltdown. While the below pic is not actually of me, I would imagine I did look  a little something like this.....except probably worse!

Last week was a bit of a rough week at work. There was not really anything in particular that happened but more along the lines of just little things here and there that started piling on top of each other. As it got closer to Friday, the pile kept getting larger and heavier and I started feeling that bubbling in the pit of my stomach that indicates I might need a little time out. Friday morning started with me standing in my closet looking at my clothes and thinking that I litterly have NOTHING to wear. I am done, I am not going anywhere bc I have no clothes. Friday by Noon, all of our plans for the weekend, including our big date Saturday night, were cancelled due to our sitters being sick (which of course cannot be helped). Friday afternoon, work was only getting worse and more stressful and I learned Jeff had to work all weekend. Saturday morning, my iphone charger completely breaks leaving me with a dead as a doornail phone. By Saturday around lunch - I was barely hanging on to my sanity. Then, at 1pm, when my washing machine broke - mid cycle full of soap and water with my best girls precious clothes including her beloved lovie....I finally lost it. We were getting ready for a birthday party, Jeff was at work, and I had all of these clothes sitting in the machine. AGRHHHHHHHHHHHH - and.....cue meltdown! Sidenote - meltdown was perfectly acceptable bc Sophie was watching Chicken Little, currently her fav movie, and had no clue I was sobbing so hard there was actually no noise....that is when you know its bad. And then - my mommy came to rescue and all the sudden everything seemed right with the world again. Apparently, all I needed was her to swoop in and rescue me. My parents came over and as Daddy checked out the washing machine, Mom got Sophie ready for her bday party while I finished getting dressed. Then, they pulled all the wet clothes out of the washing machine, grabbed ALL of my other laundry, and took it back to their house to wash and dry.

Later that evening, as I took the folded and wonderful smelling clean clothes out of the basket and put them up into their proper place, two things occured to me.

1) No matter how old you are, there is no one better to rescue you from a meltdown then your mama.

2) It sure would be great to have a laundry service to take care of my clothes for me.

I am well aware that in the grand scheme of life, there are soo many worse things than what happened above. I remember after having the doctors tell me "you have cancer" I would have cut off my right arm to to trade what I used to think was a "bad day" for what was happening right then. Because of my experience I feel that my mighty God has blessed me with the gift and appreciation to know how truly important it is to treasure everyday and not sweat the small stuff. This is something I feel as though I do very well the majority of the time. However, we are only human and sometimes it is cleansing just to have a good 'ole fashion hard and ugly cry. I really did feel much better post meltdown.

Later that day, as we pulled into Target, I found a parking space right in front which was great bc of course we were in a hurry. While in Target, I ran across a bookshelf that I have been trying to snag for Sophie's room for forever and then have been sold out. I even had my raincheck ticket to secure the bookshelf at the low sale price they were originally offering. Then, bc they carried my bookcase to customer service, I did not have to wait in one of the CRAZY long checkout lines. This was fantastic bc we were in such a hurry. I said a silent prayer to my Lord bc I know he was watching out for me! I wanted him to know I was appreciated the small victories bc they made a huge difference that day. Those small victories were all I needed to complete a full recovery post meltdown.

As we were leaving Target Saturday afternoon, I apologized to Sophie bc even though she did not witness my meltdown, I felt as though I had not given her alot quality time that day. She looked right at me and without missing a beat said "We haven't had a bad day Mommy, we have had a great day." The little things in life right? And she was right. As we continued the rest of our day, we had a great time at her friends birthday party and an even better dinner that night with friends and their family which included Sophie's BFF.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good. He is good even in the storms (no matter the size) bc it makes us appreciate the peaks so much more!