New Project

So I found some great vintage 1940's apron patterns for sale on ebay and snatched them right up they are so cute. I'm very excited to go find some great material. When i'm done i'll post pictures of the final outcome!!!

Learn something new everyday...

Me and the kiddos have had a pretty great day today. Nothing too eventful, but I learned a few new things. I may be behind the curve, but new to me.
1. Oklahoma City has a great farmer's market. Don't eat 3 plums and 2 pears at one sitting,the repercussions aren't so pretty;)
2. One of my friend's is a vegan and you can substitute 1 banana for 2 eggs while baking. We tried it today while baking cookies, and they were way better with the banana. And Porter could have one!
3.I love "Tide Free&Clear" with "Snuggle blue Sparkle" fabric softener! They make the clothes smell amazing, but not overwhelming.
4.Make sure you read the fine print when it comes to getting "The Mirena" put in.
5. Porter's laugh is so amazing! He can make me laugh no matter what mood i'm in.
6. I've discovered that 2Tim 1:7 is a great scripture!!!

Kids say funny things

Me and Savannah were baking cookies for one of our friends today, and we were using my stand mixer which I love(Thanks Cricket) and some of the batter flew out and hit Savannah and she yelled,"Eww I got cookie jam on me." Funny! Then the other night we had some friends over and we were playing Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture and Savannah was trying to play with us, and finally she crossed her arms and said,"My games are way better than yours!" She's also helping me in my pursuit to lose the rest of my baby fat, today when we were baking cookies, I was wearing on of Rob's t-shirts and it was bunched up in the middle ( i tied it in the back so it wasn't so long) and Savannah was sitting on the counter and said"mom are we having a baby sister now?" I said no and pulled my shirt lower and she said oh its gone. Kind of cute and sad at the same time! She really wants us to have another one, but I'm just not there yet. I still would like to lose another 15lbs or so. Anyway on a side note Porter started waiving and saying hi or bye. So Cute!

Another ear infection...

Porter woke up last night moaning and with diarrhea and we knew what that meant.....yes another ear infection. We took him in this morning and it was his right ear again. I think this makes lucky number eight. I say lucky because his pediatrician now is taking me seriously and giving us a referral to see a Pediatric Ear/Nose/Throat. He goes back in two weeks and we should be seeing the referral arrive around the same time, if you've ever dealt with Tricare you know what i'm talking about. On a lighter note the rest of him is perfectly healthy and 19 lbs 2oz perfectly healthy at that! Its pretty sad that we are now on first name bases with the Target Pharmacist!

Funny Comment

My friend Jamie is so funny she made this comment on my facebook when i posted this picture!
nik- savannahs looking at porter like "you better not steel my princess fruitsnacks baby brotha or it will be ON! -- These delicious bits of goodness are MINE!" hehe.-Jamie

Great past couple of days...

The older i get...not that i'm getting that old or anything, i realized that i am loving the days that are not so dramatic. Between ear infections, tdys, allergies, asthma, homework, and being a mommy in general, i am really enjoying the little moments i get to reflect and recharge. The past couple of days have been so great, i'm almost afraid of mentioning them in fear of bringing on some type of bad luck. But anyway Porter has been sleeping more than he ever has in his tiny life, and Savannah is becoming so much more independent. She's so eager to help, and always wants to figure out how to do things on her own. I am truly blessed. By the way, on a side note I wanted to totally give props where they are due....If there is any baby product i will swear by, it is this one. Its Triple Paste diaper cream. You may think its funny that I mention diaper cream, but Savannah used to get horrible diaper rashes and this cream used to only be available by perscription only but it is now available over the counter...and Porter had one of the worst diaper rashes i'd ever seen when he was on his last antibiotic and this cream almost cleared it up after the first application. For all you fellow mommas out there this product deserves a shout out.

Erin's Cookie's

My friend Erin just moved to Salt Lake City and was at a bakery with her sister and discovered the best cookie ever. I didn't believe it but we thought we'd give it a try, because I know my friend Erin (we met in FL) is a great cook. So she got to baking and figured out the recipe then I got it from her. So we made them tonight, and they were SO GOOD!! So I thought I would share. Enjoy!

Erin's Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks unsalted butter
1cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup molasses(unsulphured)
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups extra dark chocolate candy bar cut into chunks( I used dark chocolate chips)
1tbsp orange extract
1 1/2 tbsp grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, cream butter and sugars until well-blended and fluffy. Add eggs, and mix until well-incorporated, then add extract, molasses, and peel. Then add flour,salt, and baking soda and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate. Place on prepared sheet pan and bake until VERY lightly browned (it doesn't taste as good well done).

Hope you like them as much as we did, they definatly kept my childbearing hips in check!

Growing up so fast...

Our dear little Savannah is growing up so fast. She starts pre-k in less than 8 weeks. I can't believe it. She's such a smart,strong willed little girl, which I think will work in her behalf in today's world. She remembers everything. She still talks about her friends in Florida and the things we did at the beach. Every other week or so, me and Savannah like to do our toes, so we start out in the bathtub and give our feet a good soak then rubdown, and i began washing her feet and she said "you know that's what Jesus did" I said "what?" she said "yeah Jesus washed their (his disciples) feet". I We try and read with her every night. We'll read one of her books then read a piece of scripture out of the book of her choice. It's nice to know that some of it is beginning to stick. I love you little Savanni!!

Happy Father's Day.....a little late

Anyone who's reading this I wanted to thank the men in my life, for I am truly a blessed woman. First I want to thank my dad, for whom with out him i wouldn't be here....he helped to give me life and for that i thank you. I could never thank you enough for the blessing you've been in my life. You were the perfect example of an amazing father. You've listened when i needed an ear, lended a shoulder when i needed to cry, stayed at my bedside when i was sick or scared.You always went without so we could have plenty. I will never forget the huge sacrifices you made to give us an amazing childhood. I love you Daddy. Next I want to thank my brother for being my very first friend. We've grown up together, and even though you aren't a dad yet, you've are an amazing uncle to my little ones and will always be an important part of my life. I know you will make a great dad. I love you Mer! Next I want to thank my father-in law John for being the man he is, and helping to raise the man I love today. You may appear to be a man of few words (until we're driving around in South Carolina..:) but you are an amazing example of hard work and diligence. Thank you. Last but definatly not least...my Robbie. Being married to you has taught me so much about myself and my relationships with others. You've loved me unconditionally, and have shown me what true love is. You are an amazing father to our children. You work so hard to provide a good home for us, and I will always be grateful for the sacrifices you make in our behalf. You've helped give me the two most beautiful babies in the world. Thank you for laughing with me, crying with me and being my best friend. I love you baby!

Happy Father's Day

Trip to STL

So we ventured to St. Louis last week and had a great trip, despite my despise of car rides. We stayed with Rob's parents and enjoyed being there. I love coming back to Illinois. It feels like coming home. Especially in Columbia, it reminds me of Rob, and our early relationship there. Savannah had soe trouble with allergies there(which wasn't a suprise). But we were able to go to the STL Zoo while we were there, which the kids loved. I truly miss that area, but was glad to come home. I hadn't really been home since before girls camp, so it was nice to get everything back in order. We got some great pictures too!......Sidenote, I never realized how much Savannah and Porter look alike until they were wearing the same shirt.

I survived Girls Camp!!!!!

Yes, I survived Girls Camp, and really loved it. I know it was meant for the girls(YW) but I got sooooo much out of it. We went about 1 1/2 south of Oklahoma City, i think it was Lyndsey OK, to a girl scout camp. The weather was so unbelievably hot and sticky, and we had to walk a distance to get anywhere, but I had a great time, i'm so blessed to be over a great group of girls. On the second night we had a faith walk, were we hiked into a field clearing and turned off our flashlights and my breath was taken away by the stars. Never in my life had i witnessed something like that, i really don't think i could describe it properly or do it any justice. It only got better as our eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was truly gorgeous.Then Pres. Bartlett spoke of Lehi's dream and the importance of the iron rod, and the beautiful imagery of the lovely account. Then it was time for the faithwalk, and our stake leaders gave us the option of being blindfolded (like the girls) or not. I chose to be blindfolded so i could have the full experience. So they lead us into the woods and had constructed an iron rod (out of plastic pipe) . I have to admit that i was a little nervous, everyone was silent and when it was my turn i started walking and grabbed onto the rod at my left, and held on tight(i was not going to get lost in the middle of the woods.) then i took a couple of steps and felt a little hand take mine and whisper that the was a step right in front of me, then tell me i was doing a great job and to keep going forward. then at every point that there was a step or whole i would feel those hands grab mine an I later found out that there was someone standing quietly every couple of feet to help me if i needed it. The symbolism was amazing when i had time to reflect. It reminds me that the savior is here every step of the way, he places people in our lives to help us along the way, whether we can see them or not. We were finally lead to a little gathering in the middle of the woods(it was a beautiful little chapel surrounded by trees and ever was made out of trees so you were technically still out side) but anyway they directed me to me seat ( still blindfolded) and finally when everyone was in , they instructed us to remove our blindfolds and in front of us they had cover a big tree with white lights (to represent the tree of life) then Bro. Garrett spoke about the dream, it was truly beautiful. Then the next morning we got up for a 7am hike, and i actually enjoyed it so much. I loved having the opportunity to wake up in the morning before it got hot and go outside and pray or meditate or read. It was surprisingly relaxing. The hardest part was defiantly the heat. It was well into the 90s all week. We had time to go to the lake though and canoe. We also got to do archery(which i'd never done before, and had the scars to prove it.) I discovered that i love archery. It was defiantly a week to remember. Rob took 2 weeks off of work and watched the kids while i was gone. He is so amazing with them, i had no doubts the kids would be great while i was gone. Rob did say that he now has a better appreciation for what i do everyday.

Dinner with the Ketchie's

So we had the Ketchie's over for dinner tonight and it was lots of fun. They have four children, so Savannah was in heaven! I made yummy kabobs, Rob grilled them up and we all chatted. They are being transferred to Colorado in a couple weeks, and we feel guilt we haven't had them over more. Matt was/is a huge influence in Rob's career. They have always treated us like family.