{Life as we live it}

the weekend...

my Mother's Day began on Friday...

attended a Mother's Day Tea Party at Corinne's pre-school. it was really sweet seeing all the kids sing to the moms & present us with their adorable handmade gifts! i always love that.

no pictures...but on Saturday, after boot camp, Ty & i watched his neighborhood friend play his last soccer game. that was fun & now Ty is ready for outdoor soccer, YAY!!! Corinne made a cake (w/ assistance from Tim) for me and gifted me w/ an adorable photo & flower holder she made at Lowe's Build & Grown, and a new plant for the holder...that made my day!

Sunday, was relaxing! i laid in bed til about 1130am, had breakfast in bed & watched random tv while Corinne colored in the room & Tyler played.

we always have a photo together on Mother's Day...it's great looking back at earlier pictures, seeing how much i have aged & how fast they are growing.

i LOVE LOVE LOVE this photo of Corinne & i. she is so lovable and enjoys having her photos taken. we both LOVE selfies together!!! i hope this tradition w/ her continues for a lifetime...

Ty was in a mood, maybe b/c it wasn't "SON"day, hahaha. not sure what was up w/ him, but he just didn't want to cooperate nor smile. i had to share this photo of the three of us, the not so perfect Mother's Day photo.

i was in the mood to do something fun & something i've never done before. it was too nice of a day to stay home, so we went to ride Go Karts at Funland. that was a rush! i had a blast & Tyler really enjoyed it, too. i was glad b/c i don't like when either of the kids are in a mood, makes the day not so fun. i want to go again. thinking we will be doing this more often this summer.

Ty even rode the smaller karts twice. he is so CUTE posing w/ a smile...he's so cool & HAPPY!!!

we tried to get Corinne to ride but she was too scared, so she was the cheerleader & had fun running & jumping around while we raced.

Tim & Ty raced together before we headed off to dinner at Bravo's. dinner was an hour wait, but well worth it. their food is SOOO delish! i'm beginning to like them more than Carrabbas.

afterwards, we headed home & i went to see a movie, Think Like A Man. yes, i still go see a movie alone on Mother's Day. it's relaxing actually, w/ no interruptions! it was good, hilarious movie, which i liked. there could've been a few choice phrases omitted from the movie, but overall, i enjoyed it & loved watching one of my favorite actresses perform, Taraji Henson.

hope you had a wonderful weekend spent w/ your mom & kids.

tomorrow i will share pictures of the kitche. i was suppose to have them up yesterday, but i usually don't have my computer on over the weekend...xo!

 

wordless wednesday

wordless wednesday: hands on her hips...

this is for Grammie...

Easter pics...

we were planning to go to Myrtle Beach for Easter this year, but changd our plans aftering setting up summer vacation plans for a long getaway to Hilton Head in a few months (can't wait for that). so, at the very last minute, the kids & i headed to the parents for Easter weekend. 

the drive was smooth, until we hit backed up traffic at the tunnel...we turned around & went a different route...thank goodness!

it was a nice weekend, very busy. i was exhausted, but had a good time! before we headed down on Saturday, Tim took Corinne to prime care b/c her ear was in so much pain. i almost kept us home. but the Dr. gave her 5 day antibiotics for her ear infection. she hates taking it, but at least isn't having to deal w/ the ear pain anymore.

HOWEVER, she was in a MOOD all weekend. OMG, there was a lot of whining, no eating, crying & just plain ole i don't want to be bothered with kinda mood.

we went to church w/ my parents. my dad is a Deacon/Trustee, so he was busy doing what he had to do & spent the remainder of the day in church counting the tithes along w/ other trustees. so he's not pictured. but can i just say, i really do enjoy going to church. i mostly enjoy the gospel music that makes you tap your feet, clap your hands and even makes you wanna move your body while in your seat...but OH EM GEE, staying in church for nearly 2.5 hours did it for me. Tyler kept checking my watch for the time & Corinne's head was in my lap or on my shoulder the entire time (girlfriend didn't eat hardly at all...). by the time 1pm rolled around, the preacher decided it was time to preach. REALLY???????????????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok...i'll stop there, LOL! i could go on, but i'll be nice ;)

she found two big eggs & stopped b/c she didn't want to. Ty had a blast, so that was good!!!

the kids showed off their loot to Nana afterwards.

before heading home, we snapped some pictures while dressed up and as you can see, Corinne isn't w/ Nana & Ty b/c she didn't want to...

she yelled at me when i took this one of her...LOL.

Ty & i...yes, i had to get at least one photo with me in it ;)

when we came home, my bro was there & gave the kids Easter goodie bags filled with candy, peeps, you name it. they were excited. again, Corinne didn't want to be bothered w/ removed her bunny ears right after Uncle Isaiah put it on for her...

one of my friends came over w/ her son, he & Tyler are friends & always enjoy playing together. of course, the Easter egg hunt at the house started out super fun...

then Tyler found the golden/silver egg...i WISH i had a picture of the girl tossing her Easter basket across the lawn w/ her eggs flying out of it. it was HILARIOUS, lol. i shouldn't laugh, but we all knew it would happen, as it does EVERY year...LOL!

before we headed back to the 'burg, parents took the kids to the Bounce House for a little fun. Corinne did NOT play at all. we were there for 1.5 hours & she just hovered all over me. even a few little girls would come to her & offered to help her & play w/ her, but she wanted no part of it...

& it's Tuesday & she still continues...

(not so) wordless wednesday: currently...

happy hump day :)

day 15: phone

me using the phone to snap a photo of the girl & she thought it was cool i used both cameras to take her photo...

i created a layout for Creative Memories Hope in Action 365 photo a day blog using a weeks worth of photos & the Cricut Expression. you can read more about it here...

i know i already shared this on facebook this morning, but wanted to share it w/ my family that aren't hooked up to facebook at the moment. this was part of my workout routine early this morning. if i worked out at home, i'm most definite i would never think about putting weights on my body for extra resistance...lol.

little package arrived today...i saw this box of twine on Pinerest, checked out the site, Besotted Brand & a week later i ordered this trio of twine & a box of wooden shipping tags. it arrived earlier today & they were super duper nice to add a few extras, two heart cards & the adorable HELLO stamp!

happy Friday + a day in the life - 2/8/12...

this photo a day challenge is really fun & i just LOVE all the different ways capturing our life even more randomly.

so here is day 10: self portrait...

definitely not the most graceful jump, but hey, it works for today's challenge ;)

(ETA: i played along w/ Ali Edwards, A Day in the Life earlier this week...always a fun project)

was draggin' out the door at 540 am headed to personal training...

6 am workout...

home to feed kids & get them ready for school...

trying to do something to my hair, but it was in it's own mood, so i put it up & i have new glasses, they are WAY to thin for me. i can't wait to get a new pair. i miss thick funky glasses...

after dropping Corinne off to school, home to see Tim off to work & a little playtime w/ Crush...

catch up on emails & yes, my desk is  this messy...my Cameo needs a new home when not in use...

cranked up xm radio while i spent 2 hours soldering...

hair still looks horrible as you can see in the back, LOL...sanding metal & i cut my finger, ouch!!

1145 am i head out to pick up the girl from school w/ pair & phone in hand...

carpool...love when she runs to me :) we head home for a quick lunch before heading back out...

we hit up Target for a few things. i let her buy a toy for $10 or less & we even find something up for Ty b/c he whines when we don't get him something, LOL!

at Staples...Corinne tests out all the chairs while i shop for Martha Stewart's new office line products...

345 pm, Ty is home from school & the UPS man didn't even stop to deliver anything :(

homework for Tyler & a bowl of Reece's puff cereal as his snack...

clean laundry folded in baskets in our bedroom for a week now. finally put everything away after Tim complained he had no more t-shirts, LOL...

going through the mail & she was sitting pretty on the kitchen island...

every Wednesday at 530 pm, we attend dinner at a friends church. Corinne w/ her new best friend & classmate, Carter...

blurred (Ty in the red shirt)...kids have activities afterwards while adults watch a movie, christian movie of course...

815 pm kids in bed...Ty too busy playing w/ his new toy to want to go to sleep...

now i get to get into my pj's...2.5 years ago i bought these CK jeans at Costco. brought them home, tried them on & they annoyingly wouldn't even go up past my thighs...until now. they fit PERFECTLY! i will probably wear them to death now ;)

ahhhh, time for a little pinning...

sat down at my work desk to put the finishing touches on the jewelry pieces i created earlier in the day & last week while i Modern Family played in the background...

10 pm, enjoyed a glass of wine & REVENGE...LOVE LOVE LOVE that show!

in bed by 1130 pm...

today was a really good day, very productive for us all. i enjoyed not having to prepare dinner (i love to cook, but love having a break from it). Tim worked up in Woodbridge area & was able to make it home before 4pm, so that was nice. but i'm sure he enjoyed hanging out in a quite house while the kids & i were gone for several hours. Corinne didn't eat to well all day long & it definitely showed. but at least she would snack on a little something to keep her whining & crying at bay. Ty missed playing w/ his neighborhood buddies after school, but was super excited to spend time w/ the kids at the church that night. matter of fact, they both were rushing me to get out the door. i was exhausted by the time i went to bed. 1130 is really late for me when i usually go to bed at 830...but nights my favorite shows come on i can't bare to miss them.

happy weekend!

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wordless wednesday: mom burnt the chicken...

the look on his face is just priceless...LOL!

friday eats: Cinnamon Bun Cookies & Hazelnut Truffles...

w/ the holiday season here, i have been in a mad baking frenzy. i don't do a lot of baking b/c of the time it takes to do it. plus, i really don't like having too much of anything that will put the kids into sugar overload, which they have been in since Halloween, lol. anyway, i wanted to share a few recipes of some sweet treats i have made this month so far.

i haven't had a cinnamon bun in a LONG time, like 10 years long time. so when i saw these Cinnamon Bun Cookies on Pinterest & i had to try! OH MY WORD, they are delish & really do look like the real buns, too. they are perfectly crisp on the outside & soft on the inside...so good! i made these for a cookie swap i did w/ some friends earlier this month...they didn't last! you can find the recipe here.

baby girl helped me out making these...teaching her how to measure & level dry ingredients.

after we rolled up the dough to let chill, she played w/ her play-doh, making her own treats.

this process was challenging...i was cursing up a storm at this point, b/c the dough is super sticky & took a while to get it super chilled to make it easy to roll..but WORTH IT!!!

i can totally taste & smell them right now!

a little drizzle of creamy powder sugar & voila!!! YUM!

then of course, you know i have a love for Ina! her style of cooking always make me happy. i've seen her episode a few times before on making these beauties, Hazelnut Truffles. i'm really not a truffle fan, but LOVE me some chocolate. but the fact that she rolled the chocolate around in toasted hazelnut made me even more curious of the taste. so, i set out to the ABC store at 10am to pick up some hazelnut liqueur :D

WHOLY CRAP, these babies MELT IN YOUR MOUTH, literally! i made them for the three personal trainers where i workout at & they were pleasantly surprised & happy. i think one of them ate half her bag that morning...hehehe. so good!

the combination of semi-sweet & bitter chocolate was perfect!!

hazelnut liqueur, heavy cream, coffee & vanilla extract is all you need...EASY EASY EASY recipe!!! i will be making these again this weekend!!! if you love chocolate you'll love this. if not the bitter chocolate, maybe try w/ milk chocolate! see her recipe here.

me & baby girl...i LOVE that she loves to cook w/ her mama in the kitchen. i never have to ask her, she just volunteers. so awesome! today & Saturday my kitchen will be a hot mess baking Sugar Cookies, Cuca Bread, Apple Pie Bars, more of the Hazelnut Truffles & Cheesecake (w/out the crust). lots & lots of cardio & crunches will be on the agenda ;)

happy baking & happy holidays :)

wordless wednesday: his little assistant...

helping her bro take off his shoes...LOL.

from Thanksgiving to the tree...

waaaaaaaaayyy late posting about Turkey day. so bad. i know. i hosted this years feast & my parents drove up & stayed for four days, which was really nice. even though there were only 6 of us, a LOT of food was made. everyone had their requests for what they wanted to eat. luckily, the menu was kept SUPER SIMPLE! i had my mom bring some store bought pies, so she didn't have to worry about baking them & i didn't have to worry about buying so much ingredients.

our menu: a whole turkey (brined) & seasoned with butter, garlic, sage & thyme, stove top stuffing, sweet potato fries drizzled w/ honey, candy yams (for my parents), collard greens, green bean casserole (for the hubs), mash potatos (i think that dish is a waste of time concidering it's usually something you eat on a regular basis, but the hubs wanted it), whole grain dinner rolls (so yum), jellied cranberries, pecan & pumpkin pies & one big happy family!

yes, i had the timer going in this photo. i wanted to make sure "I" was in the moment of feasting w/ the family this time around. think i'll do this every year. i have found being the host i didn't snap many photos. i was more concerned about getting things done w/out having to rush or stress myself out. even though i started a few days ahead of schedule w/ the cooking, the last hour before setting the table & getting everyone to gather to begin eating, was crazy. just trying to reheat everything & making sure nothing was forgotten...well, i did forget about my dads black eyed peas...LOL!

we also celebrated Ty's 9th birthday...can't believe my little man is nine already! he's getting tall & so lean. it's freaking me out already! since i waited til the last minute to bake his cupcakes, he was in a hurry to open his presents. so, we used the pumpkin pie as his cake...LOL! he was happy & so was everyone else ;)

Friday, i didn't do any Black Friday shopping. wasn't in the mood to get up early & deal w/ the crowds. instead i headed up to boot camp at 530 am...LOL. i had to work off all that yummy food i cooked :D glad i did. i felt so good & less guilty & didn't care if i over indulged the rest of the weekend.

Saturday rolled around & Tim & Ty headed out to PA to hang out at the family hunting camp. i had to make sure there were photos of the kids w/ their grandparents before he left...especially since i was too lazy to pick up my camera the last few days.

by this time, he was being grumpy, i wasn't too happy my baby was leaving me for 4.5 days & NOT be w/ his mama on his birthday, which was Sunday, Nov. 27th. it was such a bummer he wasn't around :(

my parents headed back home Sunday morning. we snapped some pictures of the four of us before they left...it's amazing how tall Corinne is now standing next to them. she looks like she is five years old. after the parents hit the road, the girl & i ran errands & enjoyed a nice sit down lunch together at one of my fave restaurants...it was a nice break from eating leftovers.

i, by no means, advocate hunting what so ever...matter of fact, i am so against it. but my husbands family has been hunting for years (i was shocked when i found out they hunt & love to eat deer (poor bambi) yes i know, i'm 41 & still think of deer hunting as bambi hunting...LOL. anyway, my boy was super excited to venture out to the family's hunting camp. we set out before he left to Gander Mountain to pick him up some hunting gear. he LOVED IT! even bought him a camouflage sleeping bag & he now sleeps in it on his bed, lol.

here he is target practicing. when Tim emailed me this photo i about flipped. freaked me out. but i kept calm. but like Minny said in "The Help" this photo gave me heart palpitations, lolol!

here is Tim goofing off in front of the camera w/ his dad in the background.

i had evey intention of putting up my tree a week or two before Thanksgiving. Tim had the boxes down in the garage for several weeks & i just didn't have time to get to it all. that Sunday afternoon Corinne & i decorated the outside of the house & put up the tree on Monday after school.

we waited for the boys to arrive home from their hunting trip that Wednesday to decorate the tree, which was perfect, b/c it's how we started out the first day of my December Daily album. the tree has since been re-decorated, hahaha. i've rearrangd ornaments added beaded garland & wrapped the wide ribbon around the entire tree...looks so so pretty ;)

i will share more on my December Daily album later this week. i have been snapping photos everyday & typing up my journaling every evening. i won't be sharing photos daily (yes i know it's already nearly the middle of Dec, ha) but i will share a few photos later this week & then share the entire album at the end of the month. i have taken a slightly different approach to the project this year. so, i am not having to worry about getting photos of every day to post on the ole blog. i love the feeling of not being overwhelmed & enjoying the process.

be back later...