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| Matt's after dinner STRETCH! With Makenzie joining in! (Thanks to this picture I was able to see our pic was crooked!! All fixed!) |
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| The "Okay, I'm really stuffed" look or "I'm still hungry... do I dare ask for more" look! |
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| Love, Love, LOVE! |
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Makenzie's Idol
Miss Makenzie is a Daddy's Girl through and through! Every time I go to get her out of her crib (either in the am or nap time) she calls for Daddy and ask 'Where'd he go? Where's Daddy?". She talks about Daddy ALL DAY LONG. It's cute, but can be annoying after answering that Daddy is at work for the 100th time.
Since I wasn't feeling good this past weekend Makenzie got a LOT of
one-on-one Daddy time and LOVED it. The giggles coming out of both of
them was almost enough to make me feel better. At the dinner table,
when she is done playing with her food, she does what daddy does....
These past couple of nights Makenzie, already in bed, continues talking
to Daddy over the baby monitor for a good hour before she goes to
sleep!! Haha. Last night she was kind of whimpering about 9 so I went
in there to see if she was all right and says... "Daddy, Rock!" So I
called Matt over so he could rock in the rocking chair with her for a
few mins. He put her back in bed and she was OUT. She just needed that
extra few minutes with Daddy last night.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Cookie Disaster!
Like I said last night Miss Makenzie and Matt were in the kitchen making Christmas cookies! I printed off a recipe that I had Pinned (from Pinterest) and handed it over to him to make. Very simple recipe, didn't look hard to make at all. Let me tell you.... WRONG! It was a disaster!!
I was so bummed because it was a spiral cookie and looked really neat. But as we were following the recipe we were able to quickly tell that our flaky dry dough was not the creamy ball of dough it described in the recipe. Matt tried all sorts of things to rectify the situation and we didn't really get anywhere. He was able to smash it all on a cookie sheet and bake it all as one giant heap.
Grrr! I get SOOO irritated when that happens... especially when I actually FOLLOW the recipe. I should have known it was trouble right after I noticed it took 2 and a 1/2 sticks of butter and only 2 cups of flour (is that not a rediculus amount!?!?). It was a mess. Matt kept his cool, where I would have hucked the dough outside and thrown myself a pity party.
Haha, Matt, determined to make a decent cookie before Makenzie went to bed, went to work on Gingerbread cookies! The first batch ended up a little overdone, but they still taste the same... just a little crunchier!! I'd have to say I think Gingerbread cookies are my fav Christmas cookie!
I was so bummed because it was a spiral cookie and looked really neat. But as we were following the recipe we were able to quickly tell that our flaky dry dough was not the creamy ball of dough it described in the recipe. Matt tried all sorts of things to rectify the situation and we didn't really get anywhere. He was able to smash it all on a cookie sheet and bake it all as one giant heap.Grrr! I get SOOO irritated when that happens... especially when I actually FOLLOW the recipe. I should have known it was trouble right after I noticed it took 2 and a 1/2 sticks of butter and only 2 cups of flour (is that not a rediculus amount!?!?). It was a mess. Matt kept his cool, where I would have hucked the dough outside and thrown myself a pity party.
Haha, Matt, determined to make a decent cookie before Makenzie went to bed, went to work on Gingerbread cookies! The first batch ended up a little overdone, but they still taste the same... just a little crunchier!! I'd have to say I think Gingerbread cookies are my fav Christmas cookie!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
December Rain
Anyone realize that Christmas is ONLY a few weeks away!?!?!? Really??? Yikes!
Yesterday I pretty much finished my Christmas Shopping, thank you Amazon! Free shipping and online... can ya beat it?? I also wrapped all of Makenzie's birthday presents and Christmas presents yesterday... in peace and quiet! Matt and Makenzie went out to meet the rest of the family and cousins for dinner while I stayed at home sick. Let me tell you, when you don't feel good and have a toddler it is VERY nice to have quiet alone time.
We had our first Christmas party today. And I stayed home sick :-( If my numbers are right this side of the family has 4 Kids (the aunts & uncles), 9 Grandkids, and 13 Grandkids... 2 people created 26 lives!! Incredible isn't it! So with that many grandkids it's fun to see them all play and I'm sad I missed it. Instead I sat at home in bed catching up on Parenting and Family Fun magazines.
Since November I have been fighting bug after bug and am sick AGAIN. So even though Christmas is coming I'm just not in the "mood" like I usually am. I LOVE this time of year.
Maybe if it we could have snow on the ground and a snowmen or two in our yard, it'd get me more in the mood.
Or having an abundance of Christmas cookies coming in and out of the oven....
Well today we had SOME snow, followed by a LOT of rain. And making cookies sounds exhausting and I have no appetite.
But... right now, as I type, Matthew and Makenzie are baking away in the kitchen making some Christmas Cookies!! :-) That's love right!?!?
Yesterday I pretty much finished my Christmas Shopping, thank you Amazon! Free shipping and online... can ya beat it?? I also wrapped all of Makenzie's birthday presents and Christmas presents yesterday... in peace and quiet! Matt and Makenzie went out to meet the rest of the family and cousins for dinner while I stayed at home sick. Let me tell you, when you don't feel good and have a toddler it is VERY nice to have quiet alone time.
We had our first Christmas party today. And I stayed home sick :-( If my numbers are right this side of the family has 4 Kids (the aunts & uncles), 9 Grandkids, and 13 Grandkids... 2 people created 26 lives!! Incredible isn't it! So with that many grandkids it's fun to see them all play and I'm sad I missed it. Instead I sat at home in bed catching up on Parenting and Family Fun magazines.
Since November I have been fighting bug after bug and am sick AGAIN. So even though Christmas is coming I'm just not in the "mood" like I usually am. I LOVE this time of year.
Maybe if it we could have snow on the ground and a snowmen or two in our yard, it'd get me more in the mood.
Or having an abundance of Christmas cookies coming in and out of the oven....
Well today we had SOME snow, followed by a LOT of rain. And making cookies sounds exhausting and I have no appetite.
But... right now, as I type, Matthew and Makenzie are baking away in the kitchen making some Christmas Cookies!! :-) That's love right!?!?
Friday, December 7, 2012
Guest Posting: Mesothelioma: The New Generation
A few days ago I received an email from a woman that had told me she wanted to share her story with me and my blog readers! After reading her story I was amazed. Her name is Heather and here it goes....
When I was told, "you have cancer", I felt fear down to my very core. The dreadful news came at one of the best times of my life, as I had become a new mother three months earlier. The only thing more shocking than those three words was that the cancer, called pleural mesothelioma, was brought about by exposure to asbestos. When I told people about my situation, the first question was, "isn't asbestos banned?". This was followed by speculation on how and where I could have been exposed. Asbestos is not banned and as it turns out, my exposure was secondary. My father was a construction worker whose main duties were sanding and taping drywall. The dust that resulted from his work was in his car and all over his clothes. It seemed innocent enough as a byproduct of a hard day's work, but it contained millions of tiny fibers that would eventually make me ill.
My diagnosis did not fit the usual profile of
someone with mesothelioma. I am 36 and female, while the typical patient
is an older male trades worker. Men who worked in jobs such as
mechanics, plumbers, electricians or were in the military were often
exposed to asbestos. The wives of these men became sick after laundering
clothes that were covered with dust and fibers. Some women who taught
or otherwise worked in school buildings that contained a lot of asbestos
were found to have the disease.
I was the beginning of an alarming new generation of mesothelioma. More young people in the prime of their lives are turning up with this illness. They were children who could not wait to hug their fathers when they returned home or wear his dusty jacket so they would not get their own coat dirty while feeding a pet. These children liked to hang out with their dads after they spent the day wrapping pipes with insulation, never suspecting the health hazard. The more time I spend in the mesothelioma community, the more young patients I meet who are just starting out with jobs, marriages and children. Their lives are brought to a standstill in order to fight the disease. There is good news, though. Many advances have been made in mesothelioma treatment, which has led to a much higher survival rate for patients in every age group.
Hearing that I had cancer was
devastating, but along with many others who have mesothelioma, I have
hope. Our community was formed to support, share experiences and
feelings, and to celebrate victories together.
I am telling my story because I want to increase awareness about mesothelioma and bring about change. If sharing my experience can help someone cope with their diagnosis and be less fearful of the outcome, then I have made the right choice.
Imagine having a 3 month old and having to fight for your life! Thank you so much for sharing Heather! Here is a link to Heather's blog to learn more: www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather
When I was told, "you have cancer", I felt fear down to my very core. The dreadful news came at one of the best times of my life, as I had become a new mother three months earlier. The only thing more shocking than those three words was that the cancer, called pleural mesothelioma, was brought about by exposure to asbestos. When I told people about my situation, the first question was, "isn't asbestos banned?". This was followed by speculation on how and where I could have been exposed. Asbestos is not banned and as it turns out, my exposure was secondary. My father was a construction worker whose main duties were sanding and taping drywall. The dust that resulted from his work was in his car and all over his clothes. It seemed innocent enough as a byproduct of a hard day's work, but it contained millions of tiny fibers that would eventually make me ill.
My diagnosis did not fit the usual profile of
someone with mesothelioma. I am 36 and female, while the typical patient
is an older male trades worker. Men who worked in jobs such as
mechanics, plumbers, electricians or were in the military were often
exposed to asbestos. The wives of these men became sick after laundering
clothes that were covered with dust and fibers. Some women who taught
or otherwise worked in school buildings that contained a lot of asbestos
were found to have the disease.I was the beginning of an alarming new generation of mesothelioma. More young people in the prime of their lives are turning up with this illness. They were children who could not wait to hug their fathers when they returned home or wear his dusty jacket so they would not get their own coat dirty while feeding a pet. These children liked to hang out with their dads after they spent the day wrapping pipes with insulation, never suspecting the health hazard. The more time I spend in the mesothelioma community, the more young patients I meet who are just starting out with jobs, marriages and children. Their lives are brought to a standstill in order to fight the disease. There is good news, though. Many advances have been made in mesothelioma treatment, which has led to a much higher survival rate for patients in every age group.
Hearing that I had cancer was
devastating, but along with many others who have mesothelioma, I have
hope. Our community was formed to support, share experiences and
feelings, and to celebrate victories together.I am telling my story because I want to increase awareness about mesothelioma and bring about change. If sharing my experience can help someone cope with their diagnosis and be less fearful of the outcome, then I have made the right choice.
Imagine having a 3 month old and having to fight for your life! Thank you so much for sharing Heather! Here is a link to Heather's blog to learn more: www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/heather
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Crayola Chaos
Sunday night we had a dinner at church. To entertain Makenzie during this we had crayons, which ended up in Matt's pocket, which ended up in the washer than melted all over everything in the dryer!! Go figure Matt's work pants were in there.... he's so tall they have a nice price on them and so this ended up being a VERY expensive load of laundry gone bad. My mom Googled for me and said to spray the spots with WD-40 then clean off with dishsoap. I said that's for the birds! I would have been there ALL DAY doing that. SO I let them soak in really hot water for almost a whole afternoon. That seemed to have helped a lot and THEN I did the WD-40. It really worked! On most stuff that is... now... our clothes smell like WD-40.
Lesson of this story: CHECK ALL POCKETS BEFORE YOU DO THE WASH!
Time for Dicipline!
Check this out.....
Makenzie was obviously hungry and taking things into her own hands!! Ha! She was SOOO proud.
Sorry Girly, the fun is over! Timeouts have taken up a good chunk of time at our house lately. We're hoping that she starts listening better, but she's got that I can do anything mentality, so she totally ignores us! So we'll see how the time outs go! So far it's gone very well!
As you can see she drags the kitchen chairs around so she can get to whatever she needs to. Now our chairs are huddled in a corner so if she starts dragging one we can hear it and catch her. It took a few days this week, but she hasn't done it in a few days now! I tell ya, she is a quick learner!!
(Just so you know... I half blame this on my SIL Mandi!! Who said this weekend while we were on a wagon ride... "Wait until she gets on the chairs to get onto the counter!!" Haha :-) Well, I think she heard ya!)
Sorry Girly, the fun is over! Timeouts have taken up a good chunk of time at our house lately. We're hoping that she starts listening better, but she's got that I can do anything mentality, so she totally ignores us! So we'll see how the time outs go! So far it's gone very well!
As you can see she drags the kitchen chairs around so she can get to whatever she needs to. Now our chairs are huddled in a corner so if she starts dragging one we can hear it and catch her. It took a few days this week, but she hasn't done it in a few days now! I tell ya, she is a quick learner!!
(Just so you know... I half blame this on my SIL Mandi!! Who said this weekend while we were on a wagon ride... "Wait until she gets on the chairs to get onto the counter!!" Haha :-) Well, I think she heard ya!)
Oh Christmas Tree!
I haven't been feeling very well this week! (Hence, no postings!) This past weekend we went in search of a Christmas Tree!! The whole fam met up for breakfast and then we headed to the tree farm.
Things can get kind of complicated.... Matt and his brother Brian tend to wander without really "looking" for a tree. The kids are running all over having a blast. And then there's the wives trying to keep track of the kids, look for a tree, and keep an eye on their husbands.
It was pretty chilly and I wanted to pick out a tree and go. Once Matt was done wandering and got down to business he found a really nice tree that our nephew Caleb cut down (with Uncle Matt's help of course!). Caleb thought that was a BLAST! "I think I'm going to dream about this tonight" he said!! Haha.
We loaded our trees up on the tree wagon and waited for our tractor to come and pick us all up. By time we got back to the farm the farmer told us that he lost our tree en route!! Ooopps! So off he went to go find our tree. Thought that was pretty funny. Luckily he found it. I was a little worried because I know how long it takes the Mr. to pick out a tree!
Makenzie loved watching the tractors and riding on the wagon with the tractor pulling us!!
The rest of the weekend was spent decorating the tree... we have VERY few ornaments on there because Miss Makenzie is into tearing everything apart. So, we didn't put a lot on and everything on there is toddler safe! Hopefully next year our tree will be back up to a normal looking Christmas tree :0)
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| Love the smiles!! Notice that most eyes are looking in a different direction!! Hmmm... maybe to the tractor?? |
It was pretty chilly and I wanted to pick out a tree and go. Once Matt was done wandering and got down to business he found a really nice tree that our nephew Caleb cut down (with Uncle Matt's help of course!). Caleb thought that was a BLAST! "I think I'm going to dream about this tonight" he said!! Haha.
We loaded our trees up on the tree wagon and waited for our tractor to come and pick us all up. By time we got back to the farm the farmer told us that he lost our tree en route!! Ooopps! So off he went to go find our tree. Thought that was pretty funny. Luckily he found it. I was a little worried because I know how long it takes the Mr. to pick out a tree!
Makenzie loved watching the tractors and riding on the wagon with the tractor pulling us!!
The rest of the weekend was spent decorating the tree... we have VERY few ornaments on there because Miss Makenzie is into tearing everything apart. So, we didn't put a lot on and everything on there is toddler safe! Hopefully next year our tree will be back up to a normal looking Christmas tree :0)
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