A Pocket Full of Roses

Holiday time :)

2011-12-20T01:22:00.000-06:00

Our Papa Ron was here, and we got to be with him on his birthday!!

Of course we took him to his favorite spot, Cracker Barrel!

We love cuddling up on the couch while reading :)

our elf on a shelf, Holly came again this year to watch over our house!! She is keeping tabs on Emma and telling Santa every day whether Emma had been naughty or nice ;)

We went to the school to get goodies for Emma's class. We made Christmas giftbags for all of them :)

We wore belle out!

A few nights ago we tuned in to Christmas At the White House! We loved watching them decorate for the holidays!

Lastnight we made Christmas cookies!

Tonight Emma made Gingerbread with Lexi! :)

I think its safe to say we are alittle cookie'd out!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS :)

Santa!

2011-11-28T22:18:00.000-06:00

Emma saw santa today.

Call me crazy, but I really wanted to sit on his lap too and let him know all my wishes that I wanted this year. I have been a very good girl.. :) A girl can dream can't she?

I am feeling extremely refreshed!! I worked out today.. I plan on getting much needed things done around my house this week. Life is good :)

New Book

2011-11-23T16:13:00.000-06:00

I once again have been absent to this blog. So much has been going on in my life! I can honestly say I have been sitting looking at this blank screen for about 20 minutes, numb to where to begin. I do not know where to start, what to say, what not to say... The title of this blog is "New Book" because I am not starting a new chapter; I am starting a new EVERYTHING.

Life has been... whats the word? Busy? .. Lots of things happening.. many good, some tragic. I have to say this past month has probably been the most challenging month of my life. It has been a month full of emotion. Thankfully, I still see the light at the end of the tunnel. Work is going wonderfully well, regardless of our challenging economy.

Most of the challenges I have been faced with have been my relationships with people, and events. The challenges I am facing are truly not self inflicting. I seem to be "along for the ride" in many of the cases. I wish I could get more into what I am referring to, but at this point I have to move on, and not dwell on it.

That being said; here I sit drinking coffee, and sharing a peanut butter and honey sandwich with Emma. Today she has the day off, so we have been lazy, doing alot of nothing, which is soothing my soul. I don't know where I would be in this life without her. Emma is so unbelievably talented at stealing my heart. She is the light in my life.

This past year has been rewarding in the fact I have so many new people into my life who truly have impacted me. More importantly, my faith has grown, and in the lowest of lows I have been, it is what has kept me going. I have never in my life been to a point that I truly count on faith. Yes, faith has always been a big deal... but never have I completely fallen back on it.

The past few years I have lived in limbo. I have been waiting on certain answers, and now that I finally have them I feel like I am a bird ready to break free of its cage. I have been putting others ahead of myself for far too long, and at this point I am ready to put my wants and my needs first.

I have had some amazing people come into my life this past year. I have had alot of fun, and alot of great life experiences. I have left a job, went in a new direction... I have had huge hopes up for certain things, only to be let down.. I have received countless tragic news to the point I almost don't even want to answer my telephone.

I want to go away. I want to take Emma on a cruise, and just get away from everything. I am ready to start focusing on my new book. I do not like the town I live in. I am so thankful for the blessings God has given us while here, but do not feel this is where God wants me to be.

December for me is going to be a month of soul searching. I need to figure out where love takes me.. where my sense of adventure wants to take me..and where new opportunities take me. I want a fresh start. I don't have anything here to run from, but I want to settle down. I want to live in a community that Emma can grow up in. I want to be somewhere I have chosen. Not somewhere I have gone to follow family, but somewhere I would like to live. Here, there is no hispanic culture. This has always been a deal breaker for me.. which I know, is only my fault for buying a house here, knowing that. I settle alot.

I have always thought of myself who refuses to settle... But most of the decisions I make are a result of me settling for what others want. I am always trying to please people. The last few years I take full responsibility for all my choices... moving here.. being so indecisive when it comes to making decisions.

Finally I feel like I am on a path. My path. I am going to continue to do the things I love, surround myself with those I love, and most importantly, I am opening a new book... I am so ready !

I have already started de cluttering my life. I no longer have a junk drawer.. bad friends.. or will allow negative events shake me. I am going to surround myself with great friends, and my family.

Here are my only resolutions for 2012:

Sell my house

Move

Start new :)

Creamy Mushroom Pasta!

2011-08-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

I made this tonight!

It was Delicious!! ... come on, everything I make is!

Wonderful Monday

2011-08-01T19:37:00.000-05:00

This morning we went to a place called KidZone with some friends! The kids played, and us moms talked :)

Afterward we went to lunch :)

We headed over to Target and got all of Emma's things for school!! She got two pairs of shoes, all her supplies, a backpack, and lunchbag.

Shes ready!!

Tonight for dinner we had BLTs... only, it was bacon, SPINACH, and fresh tomatoes ... on texas toast!

it was so good!

Movie Night In

2011-07-31T00:11:00.000-05:00

Today after work I wasn't feeling well. So it was the perfect night for take out, and movies in!

Me and Emma layed in bed and watched Rango. It was fun!

We had strawberry shortcakes for dessert!

summer ...

2011-07-31T00:08:00.000-05:00

means good company... in nice weather... by the pool!

We had lunch with our friends.. then spent the day at the pool :)

4 New things!

2011-07-27T19:42:00.001-05:00

Here are three new things about me!

1. I LOVE couponing now!! I have a huge stockpile!

2. I LOVE Mcdonalds Iced Coffees

3. I am now a braider! I used to HATE braiding, being a hairstylist I have learned to suck it up! lol

4. I now own my own business! I still do hair... just now I rent a space!

Yummy Dinner!

2011-07-27T19:32:00.000-05:00

We FINALLY had fried green tomatoes for the first time this summer!!

They were so good!

Remember me?

2011-07-26T22:56:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted in FOREVER. My life has been moving pretty fast lately. I have alot of things going on; good things, great things, not so great things... Life happens I guess :)

I am really looking forward until next month starts! I am ready for summer to be over.. for the holidays to come back around.... I am so excited for fall- these Missouri summers are KILLING ME!

I guess I will just post some pics that I have taken lately.

Day with my Love!

2011-03-07T11:49:00.000-06:00

I took the day off yesterday, so me and Emma had a fun filled day together! First we went to church, then we went to Red Robin for lunch. It was yummy!

Then we headed over to the mall where Emma got....

A sweet bunny!! She's named it 3 times so far, and the last name has been Rosie, so hopefully that sticks!

New Mixer!

2011-03-07T11:41:00.000-06:00

I just ordered this!

I am so excited!!! I can't wait to use it!

Belle's Bday

2011-02-12T20:44:00.000-06:00

Today was Belle's 5th Birthday!

Stuck!

2011-02-02T08:45:00.000-06:00

We aren't going anywhere for awhile!

The snow in the window lastnight

this morning!

Blizzard!!

2011-02-01T19:05:00.000-06:00

We are snowed in!!!! Tonight calls for some hot chocolate, movies, and cuddle time! <3

Pics from the other night

2011-02-01T11:40:00.000-06:00

We had pasta... and garlic bread.

Then we watched movies together in bed !

Sick Girl

2011-02-01T11:37:00.000-06:00

Emma has been battling a cold for the last few days. Yesterday morning she was coughing HORRIBLY. I decided to take her to the ER :(

We were there from 8:30 until about 12:30

Thankfully they gave her medicine, put her on a breathing treatment, then sent us home with lots of prescriptions.

They took an xray too, and discovered she had pneumonia :(

So we are taking it easy for a few days. We can't do much- we are supposed to be getting a blizzard!

Fajitas!

2011-01-26T13:52:00.000-06:00

We had Fajitas lastnight for dinner. It was so good.

Reminiscing

2011-01-26T13:49:00.000-06:00

... the best day of my life!

June 5, 2005 <3

Homemade Dog Food

2011-01-26T13:47:00.000-06:00

I made homemade dog food again today.

In two big pots I boiled down two rotisserie chickens (leftovers from the other night) then added left over ham, chicken, and our left over veggies through out the week.

Then I added oats, rice, potatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, gravy mixes, lentils..

This will last my precious furbabies 2 plus weeks. They devoured some already today! They thought it was DE-LISH!

Winter Rut

2011-01-25T12:46:00.000-06:00

We are in a winter rut!! So why not have a costume party and invite our friends!

Single Motherhood

2011-01-20T20:20:00.000-06:00

I was reading a facebook status of a friends, when I saw someone comment something degrading/looking down upon single mother parenting.

This really bothered me. I am a single mother, and I don't feel like Emma has been a deprived child. Yes, having a "family unit" is ideal, but can't a woman swing this by herself? Emma has male role models in her life (my dad, my brother) and has the family unit. My family is really close. The only thing Emma complains about missing out on is having siblings.

This breaks my heart ... shatters it actually. Is it normal for me to want more children, but not necessarily want a husband? I feel so sure about having another baby, but when it comes to tying the knot I am turned completely off. Whats wrong with me?

One of the people I look up to is my grandfather. He is such a great man. He was a single dad and has made his children his life. Once us grandchildren came along he made us his world too. He has lived a very fulfilling life without getting remarried.

I can see myself doing that. I am independent. Career driven. I'm selfish. I like being in control. My child is my life. My sister may argue that children eventually will leave you. Did I mention she has none? I know someday I will have an empty nest. I realize that.

People might see me as "alone"... but I don't feel it. Maybe this is a phase. Maybe I will fall head over heels, get married, and giggle at this post one day. Maybe I don't know the difference, because frankly, I have been single for most of my life. I was with someone who was never there, and then dated men whom I didn't even live in the same state as. Am I a commitment phoebe, or have I kept setting myself up to be with people who weren't 'there'? Maybe me wanting to never get married stems from something even deeper.

I'll let you know what I find out.

Wintery wonderland

2011-01-20T19:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, the news said we were getting a huge snowstorm! So of course stuff like this gets me and my Mom all hyped up. The thought of being completely snowed in excites us!

We went to the store (being the squirrels we are) and picked up a few things before the big storm. I snagged some Koolaid Jammers for $1.50 a piece! The store had them marked down to $2.00, and I had 50cent coupons so I ended up getting three.

Rotisserie chickens were on sale too - $3.99 a piece, so me and my mom got 4 of them. Good deal :)

After picking up Emma from school the snow started to fall. They told us we were getting anywhere from 5-9 inches! We went over to my moms, and ate Mexican Pan, and tamales. At night we played Sequence, and drank champagne.

Luckily, Alice and Belle were with us, so we decided to just stay at my moms (who lives two doors down from me) and worry about digging out in the morning. I think Camille was happy to have Belle and Alice's company. Of course Emma didn't have school today.

This morning I walked down to my house and started shoveling. My nice neighbor came out with his snow blower (it was one of those aaaahhhh moments where you feel like you are being saved) and snowblowed my driveway, in 5 min flat. I am so very thankful to him!!

Once we were home and all cozy, and settled I a heated rotisserie chicken for lunch. I decided to make chicken soup with the left overs.

Later we watched Cry Baby (I haven't seen it since I was little!!) Emma wasn't very interested, and instead of laying on the couch with Mom, she refrained to playing quietly with her barbies.

Shortly after, Emma and the dogs took a nap, and I squeezed in some much needed alone time. I got in the tub, and read Eat Pray Love. I started it a few days ago and hardly get any time to actually read without interruptions. :)

Did I mention we haven't had cable for a week? And the fact that it is reallllllly killing me not to have it? I thought I wouldn't miss it much, but the truth is- I have a few shows that I am withdrawing from, and will probably be calling Comcast sometime soon to get it back. FAIL. We don't spend a whole lot of time watching tv, we are always playing, doing crafts, cooking, something.. but television is something I enjoy when I am winding down after getting Emma to bed, etc. One of those guilty pleasures I guess.

Turkey :)

2011-01-10T23:13:00.000-06:00

I made my first turkey today!!!

It turned out fantastic! I had the whole family over for dinner :)

Emma had a snow day! I can't believe they called off school... today (and tomorrow!) When there is only 3 in of snow?? Very weird for me- Since I am in Indiana, and am used to getting feet of snow!- with no snow days lol

Emma relaxed all day watching tv in her Mama's room <3 I love her so much!!!

Dinner Date

2011-01-09T17:14:00.000-06:00

Me and Emma try to go out on a date every week. This week instead of Chinese, she chose El Camino :)

Hair cut!

2011-01-09T17:12:00.000-06:00

I cut Emma's hair!! Took off 4 in!

My fav client

New Years... New Year.

2011-01-09T17:10:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted alot, I've been feeling alittle disconnected lately. I am very happy to start a new year! Firstly, I want to mention some of the things I am thankful for!

Emma! I am the luckiest woman on this planet, becuase I have the most beautiful, smart, funny little girl! She is my life, and I don't want to even think of what my life could have been like without her in it. She has saved me in so many ways, and has made me such a better person, and has really made me strive to achieve more goals than I had ever planned for myself before!
My home! I am so thankful to God that he has given me the opportunities in life to make it possible for me to provide a home for Emma. I love my beautiful house; somewhere for Emma to grow up, and for us to make memories together!
My family! I am so thankful that I have such a great family! My parents are always there for me when I need them. My siblings mean the world to me. My grandparents are the best!
Friends! I miss my friends dearly. I am so lucky to have great friends who truly care about me <3

Christmas was wonderful! It was the 2nd Christmas in our home.

As always, we celebrated Xmas Eve at my Moms! We played Bingo, and I won more than anyone! ;)

Here is what I won playing xmas bingo! A santa bath bomb, lobster pate', tiny summer sausage, peppermint and gingerbread hot chocolte mix. I'd say the bath bomb is the best gprize lol

We have spent most of the winter at home :) We have seen a few movies the past few months, the last one was Tangled. Most of the time we are playing Barbies, watching movies, or baking something <3 Thats the best part of winter- being all cuddled up warm inside, and EATING! :)

Here are some pics of some things we have been up to!:

Cupcakes :)

One night we made rice krispy treats, and had hot chocolate <3

Spent alot of time at Grams :)

Emma had pajama day at school :)

One night Emma had the idea to make peppermint milkshakes. They were so good !

Before Xmas, me and my mom took Emma to see Santa <3

Christmas morning it snowed!! The first day of snow this winter :)

barbie food!

2010-12-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

we started making our own! :)

You can make it from playdoh, or polymer clay :)

cake, spaghetti, steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot dog, turkey leg, and chocolate chip cookies ♥

pizza, pie (sucks! lol) subway, brownies, donuts, burrito, banana, oranges, strawberries

Bag of Chips :)

Pizza, turkey, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and tomatoes :)

Homemade last second birthday party!

2010-12-05T18:57:00.000-06:00

We were having a scheduled "power outage" in our town today.

My mom's birthday was today, and we really didn't have anything planned, so me and Emma made a suprise birthday party for her!

Dijon Chicken!

2010-12-05T18:23:00.000-06:00

I looked online for some chicken recipes ( I got a great deal on chicken, so I have over 10 breasts!)

And the Biggest Loser has a dijon chicken recipe that I sort of used, and did my own thing with!

First, I put some lemon/pepper/garlic seasoning on some breasts.

Then I browned the chicken

Then I put the chicken in a deep pan. I brushed dijon mustard on the top of the chicken, and added pepper, and parsley. I put this in the oven and baked it the rest of the way.

Then I served them with green beans. This was delicious! We will definitely be eating this again :)

Decorating :)

2010-11-29T20:51:00.000-06:00

Tonight me and Emma made snowflakes, and then decorated them with glitter :)

Spa Night :)

2010-11-29T19:33:00.000-06:00

This is how me and Emma spend our Saturday nights :)

Facial, mask, bath...

Manicure, and pedicure...

I'd say she was relaxed ;)

Have I mentioned....?

2010-11-29T19:31:00.000-06:00

That I love to cook?

Last week we made Sugar Cookies :

Peppermint Chocolate Bites <3

1 package cream cheese (room temp)

1 package of Oreos

milk chocolate

crushed candy cane

in a food processor, add cream cheese and oreos. Roll into little balls, and place on wax paper. Place in freezer for 10-15 min. Heat chocolate for dipping, then dip chocolate balls. Place back on the wax paper, and sprinkle the candy cane on them. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. :)

Tonight I also made some chicken noodle soup :)

Homemade from scratch :)

My Recipe is easy. boil down the meat, take it out, cut it up, put it back in the water,
add bullion cubes, add carrots, celery, onions, (I also like to add bok choy with mine) whatever vegetables you like really.

...Then add noodles, (you can buy the essenhaus ones) or if you want to make the noodles yourself I just use:

3 c. of flour
3 eggs
1/2 c. milk

combine the ingredients, then rolled it out real flat and cut into strips.

You don't have to let the noodles dry out, you can put them straight into the broth. :) let them cook for 30 more min to make sure they are cooked all the way.

bedtime

2010-11-14T21:45:00.001-06:00

we are early...

2010-11-09T21:07:00.001-06:00

but we don't care!!

Emma's Christmas tree :)

go elephant!

2010-11-02T11:15:00.000-06:00

did you?

Reading

2010-11-02T08:05:00.003-06:00

Emma is learning to read! she is doing such a great job!!

Right now she is reading beginner books. :)

Emma wanted spaghetti tonight... :)

2010-11-01T20:42:00.000-06:00

so I made some baked pepperoni pasta

Here is Emma's plate :)

for dessert

more pix

2010-10-31T23:30:00.000-06:00

Halloween

2010-10-31T20:12:00.000-06:00

We had a Halloween party!

The last few days.

2010-10-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

We haven't been up to much in the last few days (which has been really nice!)

Yesterday we made brownies

today we played with Play Doh :)

Emma got this last year for christmas. It has been at my moms house for awhile now in her garage, so today I cleaned it out, and opened some packages of playdoh we had. The other day at Walmart we picked up a cake making set, so now Emma makes playdoh cupcakes, and cakes :)

Recipes

2010-10-21T12:24:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to start writing down recipes. Someday I am going to make a recipe book for Emma with all the recipes she had while growing up, and give it to her as a wedding present.

I have asked help from family to write down their favorite recipes as well.

I went on Amazon, and bought a recipe card organizer.

I think it is really cute, it looks vintage :)

I really like the idea of cookbooks, recipe cards, etc. opposed to going online and searching, then not remembering the recipe for the next time.

Amish Peanut Butter

2010-10-21T12:21:00.001-05:00

One thing I REALLY miss about living in Indiana is the Amish food! One of my favorite things is Amish peanutbutter, so I decided to make it this afternoon.

it is super easy. Marshmallow cream, and peanut butter. Equal parts.

I put them in just a mason jar. It is not an easy task. It can get messy, and it is so hard to mix. One trick I found was that once I got everything into the jar, I just put it in the microwave for 45 seconds, and everything was smoother, and creamer, easier to stir, etc.

It turned out so good. Emma had some for her after-school snack :)

Pizza :)

2010-10-21T12:13:00.003-05:00

We made pizza a few nights ago, with fresh vegetables, homemade pizza sauce, and FRESH mozzarella.. :)

I am not sure why these photos are showing up upside down :(

First Home Ornament!

2010-10-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

The other day I was thinking about Christmas, and realized I never got around to getting a "first home" ornament.

I looked online, and found this beautiful one! In person, it is super glittery, and shiny. I love it.

On the front it says "Emma & Mama's First Home" and on the doorstep it says "2009".

On the back I had them put "God is Good"

2010-10-13T00:26:00.000-05:00

I had a great day today. :)

First I went grocery shopping- our cabinets and fridge were looking alittle bare this week! LOL

I bought a bunch of vegetables, cut them up, then froze them.

Later on I invited the fam to come over, and have dinner. I made noodles, mashed potatoes, and chicken.

For dessert, a peanut butter banana pie :)

We had a great time. We played WWYD, and then sat and talked... drank wine... it was nice.

Then we played a board game and watched teen mom- MY FAVORITE SHOW!.. <- it was so good!

then everyone left; and left me with this mess! ;)

Now, I am just relaxing, in bed. :) Nothing is better than unwinding from the day with my laptop, and a glass of wine :

Here are some pics of my furbabies from today :)

Unexpected day off !

2010-10-09T16:40:00.002-05:00

This morning Emma woke up extremely sick. :(

I ended up not going in to work today. I got alot done around the house though. I washed all of our sheets, and blankets, cleaned my floors, vacuumed, deep cleaned the bathroom, made some yummmmmy carrot cake cupcakes :)

Of course I have some cream cheese frosting I will put on top of them! :)

Amanda is coming into town later, so hopefully she likes carrot cake !

Tonight I am making some meatloaf. I am not a huge meat eater, but I didn't have anything but groundbeef, so I had to work with what I had! lol

here is my recipe:

BEST EVER Meat Loaf

2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup breadcrumbs/ butter crackers

tbsp of :

salt
pepper
garlic
parsley
(I also used a black pepper mixture)

green peppers, red peppers, and onions

for sauce:

1 tbsp of mustard

1/2 tbsp of bbq sauce

1/2 tbsp of brown sugar

1/2 cup of ketchup

sautee peppers and onions first. Then combine all ingredients

Preheat oven to 350. mold into a loaf on a lightly greased pan.

mix all ingredients for the sauce together, and pour over loaf :)

1 hr bake time!

We are also having green beans too :)

Mmmmm :)

My furbabies :)

2010-10-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

I've got watchdogs :)

They might be all bark, no bite, but they sure are cute on my deck :)

One thing I HATED about my house was that the previous owners had a baby, and installed a baby gate at the stairs. Well, after getting a puppy (who is working on housebreaking) it has been a pleasant "extra" amenity. hehe

toothless!

2010-10-08T23:41:00.000-05:00

Emma lost a tooth!

In fact, it was her first tooth that came out on its own! (the last 2 were pulled and she was asleep)

The tooth fairy left her $10! :)

New Pics of my furbabies :)

2010-10-06T17:15:00.000-05:00

watching Emma play wii

All three of my babies in bed

Emma's Kindergarten Pictures!

2010-10-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

I have THE cutest kid!

white bread

2010-10-06T17:12:00.000-05:00

I made a basic white bread recipe. The bread didn't turn out the greatest, but I was trying a new recipe :)

I was planning on posting the recipe, but again, I didn't think it was THAT great... if you want the recipe, email me :)

Uncrustables?

2010-10-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

Emma always wants these and instead of paying $3 for a box of 4, I decided to make my own!

I used a cup to make the circles- used jelly, and pb- then put them in baggies, and froze them. Emma had them for lunch today and said it was so good. It was super easy, and it really was nice not have to make a sandwich this morning. Talk about a time saver!

Instead of wasting all the crusts, I baked them in my oven then cut them up, and canned them. Sometime soon I am sure it will come in handy when a recipe calls for bread crumbs.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-10-06T16:58:00.001-05:00

I made the BEST chicken noodle soup ever!! (it was my second soup I have ever made too!)

I used chicken stock, bouillon cubes, carrots, celery, onion, bok choy <- so good!, noodles, parsley, garlic.

I first cooked the vegetables, and then added the noodles. I used my FAVORITE Essanhuas Noodles.

The soup turned out great, and I even canned two of them and froze them :)

Chicken and Biscuits Recipe

2010-10-06T16:55:00.001-05:00

Here is what you need (what I used)

SUPER EASY, FAST RECIPE!
2 cans of cream of chicken
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/3 cup of buttermilk (or milk)
desired amount of mixed vegetables (sometimes I just use peas)
a can, or two, depending on you- Chicken breast
Can of biscuits
bag of mild cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper

Mix soup, milk, sourcream, and vegetables together, then pour in a pan.

Cover the mixture with the bag of cheese

On the top, place the biscuits

cook in the oven at temperature biscuits call for- take out when biscuits are nice and light brown. :)

They are delicious!

Cooking Day

2010-10-06T16:47:00.001-05:00

I try to get my cooking out of the way for the week on my day off.

Yesterday I did ALOT of cooking.

First, I went through my vegetables and cut up the ones I haven't used. I then put them in baggies, and froze them.

I then made soup, chicken and biscuits, and a loaf of bread. I will post those in their own entries with the recipes :)

Afterschool snack

2010-10-06T16:44:00.001-05:00

Emma is always eating like crazy when she gets home from school.... She always ends up eating the food that is supposed to be for her packed lunches.

so when we went to the grocery store the other day she was able to talk me into these:

She loves soft pretzels. We bought a box of 24, so they should last her a week lol

They are mini ones, perfect size for my little Rose :)

Buckeyes :)

2010-10-06T16:42:00.000-05:00

My Papa Ron and brother made buckeyes!

My grandpa is famous for them:) They are the best!

Homecoming

2010-10-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

On Friday, it was highschool homecoming!

Emma showed her school spirit :)

She's a proud little bulldog!

pie

2010-10-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

I made a pie today :)

Unfortunately I only have this picture... I forgot to take more !

It was a banana, chocolate pudding pie, with peanut butter crumbles, and whip cream!

It was delish- I brought it over to my moms and we all had dessert together :)

2010-10-04T10:45:00.002-05:00

Emma got her first Report Card!

She got all +'s , and got great comments!

I am so proud of her!

Friday Night

2010-10-04T09:20:00.000-05:00

Friday evening me and Emma had dinner- The usual pizza night :)

Afterward, we played Wii... and then she went to spend the night at grandma's.

I went to the city, and went to The Beast (kansas city's most SCARY haunted house!)

Then I went and got some Hookah! We went to Jaskki's.

http://jaskkistobacco.com/about_us.html

it was so fun!!! :)

bumble bee & ladybug

2010-09-28T12:24:00.000-05:00

Alice

2010-09-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

We got a puppy today!!

She is the cutest little thing I've ever seen! Emma named her Alice (Disney character tradition)

Alice is 10 weeks old, and I got her from my good friend's friend. Belle and Emma are on cloud nine. Belle thinks she is a mother now! lol

The resemblance of Alice and Belle is crazy. They look like twins !!

Updated- Halloween Costume!

2010-09-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well.... Emma isn't going to be an indian afterall! She will be a pretty mermaid!!

Sooooo cute <3

Halloween

2010-09-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

Emma and me are dressing up the same for the first time.

I think we are going to be indians.. If I can find an outfit I would wear lol

Blast from the past... Emma's first halloween : )

Emma with her Pap :)

2010-09-25T23:21:00.000-05:00

We went to dinner with Papa Ron tonight :)

Emma pretending to be a zombie. lol

We love hanging out with our Papa :)

Martha Stewart.

2010-09-25T23:18:00.000-05:00

Yeah. I felt like her the last few days.

I made dill pickles!

I used cucumbers from the garden :)

Then I made homemade blueberrys :)

They were so good :)

sushi again!

2010-09-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite sushi- Vegetarian :)

Andrew eating octopus

He is much more adventurous than me

I know who I want to marry.

2010-09-20T22:26:00.000-05:00

Chuck Bass.

He's my ideal man. Lives in the city, is powerful... bad boy who is devoted to the love of his life. :)

I'm in love!

Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures. I love love love it.

Dinner

2010-09-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

By the time dinner rolled around, we weren't too hungry. I made fried rice :)

After being home for only 20 minutes...

2010-09-20T15:51:00.003-05:00

SCHOOL.

What do they doing to these kids?

Playing Hookie

2010-09-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

So today wasn't too busy at work, so I decided to leave!

I didn't want waste this precious alone time, so I went and looked at antiques, and then treated myself to lunch!

I didn't buy anything while shopping (Woohoo!) but I did enjoy browsing. Emma loves going antique'ing with me, but its nice to be able to look without a 5 yr old asking to a. get a drink b. go to the bathroom c. ask if she could get a certain toy d. ask when we were leaving

For lunch I headed towards home, and stopped in Oak Grove. I had PT's for lunch. Their sign has said 'Fried Green Tomatoes' all summer, and everytime I pass the restaurant I think about how much I would looooove some! So today I decided to try this restaurant!

I had sweet tea., pork tenderloin, and fried green tomatoes. MMmmmmmMmmm.

This was probably the ~~most fattening~~ biggest, yummiest sandwich ever!

Needless to say, I didn't even eat 1/4 of my fried green tomatoes.... after a few I decided I needed a box... and decided to share the love with my Mom. I got another pork tenderloin to go, took it to my moms, and there we ate the rest of the fried green tomatoes together. I don't think I will want dinner tonight- Its 4pm and I am still about as stuffed as I was leaving my moms house hours ago!

Saturday Nights I love

2010-09-20T15:26:00.002-05:00

This Saturday me and Emma played Super Mario Bros on wii! In between we took a break and drank hot chocolate in bed. The crazy storm we had made that night even more cool :)

LOST

2010-09-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

I know this show is over... but since I haven't ever watched it I decided to start!

I have netflix on my wii, so I am watching all the seasons, on my own time!

I am almost done with season one. I now know why there are so many die hard LOST fans! It is such a good show!!! I love the concept, I wish I was LOST on an island too lol

Sad news

2010-09-20T13:48:00.002-05:00

Three months ago we got a kitten. Her name was Tink. We adopted her from our vet, and fell in love with her instantly.

Belle and Tink got along so well, and would play together, and cuddle too

She got shots, spayed, etc. 30 days ago. last week I noticed that she was loosing weight- FAST. I called the vet, took her in, and they weighed her- she lost a whole pound, and she was only 4lbs to begin with. The vet checked her out, ran a few tests, and concluded that he thought she had a disease- and that it was fatal.

Emma was with me. She didn't know what fatal meant- thankfully. One of the helpers walked Emma out of the room and let her see all the animals they had.

The vet sat me down and told me that he was 99.9% sure she had this disease that she caught from her mother days after she was born. Her lungs were filling up with liquid, and it was hard for her to breathe. He said we could run the tests, but it would cost $300, and we would be fighting a loosing battle. I cried.

I cried like a baby. I couldn't believe it, I thought maybe she was just loosing weight due to her having surgery, or that she was sick, something, anything other than this!

I asked the dr if I should go home and think about it (?) I panicked. What was I going to tell Emma? Emma loves this cat so much

He told me that my kitten would soon endure lots of pain. He recommended leaving her there so she could be put down.

This was the hardest thing. He asked me if I wanted to be there when he administered the drugs; and with Emma being there I knew I couldn't handle it. So I pet my kitten, and walked out of the room, with the biggest pain in my heart.

I paid the bill, and left with Emma. My face was tear stained, my heart broken. When Emma asked me on the way home when we were going to pick up Tink the pieces left of my heart shattered.

When we got home I called my mom, and she suggested that we tell Emma that her kitten is with her mom, and that they were looking for her, and for her to get better, she needed to be with her mommy.

What do you tell a 5 yr old? The truth? I couldn't. I wanted to; but I could not tell her she was dead.

Emma was sooo devastated, and sad, but I feel like maybe this is better than her knowing what really happened.

We had this kitten for 3 months. I can't believe how much apart of our family this kitten has became with us until she was gone. I am not even a cat person. Not at all. I loved her so much.

Belle has been depressed, the last few days Emma has mentioned her, and has been sad. I told Emma that maybe she can ask Santa for a playmate for Belle for Christmas.

Emma said she would love to have a puppy. I think Santa will get her one, or maybe I will take her to the humane society, and let her pick out the perfect puppy for us.

this whole ordeal has been so tough....

Has anyone had an animal die? How did you break it to your child(ren)?

dinner :)

2010-09-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

I took some wheat tortillas and cut them up, sprayed a tiny bit of lowfat cooking spray, and baked them in the oven...

Then I made chicken tacos :)

tink's fav spot

2010-09-15T12:39:00.002-05:00

she loves to cuddle :)

New fave

2010-09-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

I love sushi. I can't get enough!!! For someone who hates seafood, this is a milestone from me, and very surprising. lol

I have had it 2 times now, and I am craving it as we speak!!

Movie Night

2010-09-15T12:26:00.000-05:00

The other night me and Emma relaxed at home after her Tumbling and watched the movie Up again :)

It was nice. I love vegging out with my little love.

Royals :)

2010-09-15T12:17:00.002-05:00

Lastnight I went to a Royals game with Brandon, Mallory and Brandon :)

We had so much fun. We were in a suite box. It had a sitting area, huge table, bar, all the food/drinks we wanted then a balcony we could sit and watch the game.

I have never seen a game in such style. :)

So fun!

Even better, the Royals won!

The stadium is soooo awesome. I have never been to such a cool stadium.

As far as food and drinks, I had a margarita (only one, didnt feel so great lastnight) a brat, wings, fruit, veggies, cheese... they had pretzels, nachos, hamburgers, anything and everything you could think of... and later on in the 7th inning they brought a dessert cart and I choose chocolate icecream- yum. We were all stuffed!

Pizza

2010-09-15T12:10:00.002-05:00

Emma made a pizza yesterday :)

Lunch :)

2010-09-14T11:33:00.002-05:00

today I made a wrap for lunch.

I took (roasted tomato) whole wheat tortillas, brown rice, black beans, corn, spinach, cilantro, avacado, and crumbling cheese

I also made a sauce made with curry

it was good :) Who needs meat?

Fall is here!!

2010-09-09T14:20:00.001-05:00

Got all our fall stuff up :)

... found this cute pic :)

Emma's First Day of School!

2010-08-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

and here is yesterday, her second day:

and today :)

July,

2010-08-08T13:46:00.000-05:00

I really haven't made many entries lately, here some pics of what we are doing

Emma has been rocking out in braids the last few weeks.

We went to the Dr and got her kindergarten shots- obviously this picture was taken before her shots lol

we painted her room blue, instead of the pink she had... and got alot of new things for her room- I haven't taken pics of it all yet.

We have been reallllly busy with cheerleading and tumbling, which Emma loves :)

..... ill post more later :)

Pioneer Day

2010-07-08T21:50:00.003-05:00

Since we were so close to Mansfield, we decided to pay a visit to Laura Ingalls. Actually, we just went to see her homes!

We went to her farmhouse, and then Rocky Ridge (Not even 2 mi from eachother!)

Emma was so excited to see her homes, since we have been reading her books. I bought Emma a bonnet that she just HAD to have... so cute <3

Afterward, we went to Bakersville

http://streetsofbakersville.com/village/

They were selling some cute chicks :)

Our Trip!

2010-07-08T21:27:00.003-05:00

We went to Table Rock Lake for a week! We had a really good time!

We stayed at Big Cedar Lodge.

http://www.bigcedar.com/

Our resort was right on the beautiful Table Rock Lake.

(view from our room)

One of the first days there we went for a paddle boat ride

We also celebrated the 4th!

Our resort had a mini carnival!

Emma got to :

Ride two different horses for the first time!

Tie Dye a shirt for the first time!

Be in a "watermelon eating" contest (this picture cracks me up!)

She had so much fun! :)

One day we went downtown Branson. We ate The Farmhouse Restaurant.

It was so good! Afterwards, we went to Dicks 5&10- an old fashioned store.

then we went to an old fashioned candy store!

And we got lots of Salt Water Taffy!

The next day we went out on the boat-

And Emma went tubing for the first time!

She was such a big girl, and I was so proud of her!! :)

Andrew and Lexi also went tubing- they had fun too!

On the day we left, Emma went fishing with her Papa and caught her first fish!

Tink!

2010-06-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

We adopted an adorable kitten today! Her name is Tink!!

Emma is in LOVE! Tink loves her new home <3

She is the calmest kitten <3

Emma watching Fly Me To the Moon in 3d.. while holding Tink <3 Tink is mesmerized by all of our ceiling fans! lol

Belle loves her. She thinks she's her mother!

We are so very happy to have her apart of our family!

Dinner :)

2010-06-16T18:53:00.005-05:00

Fajitas and cucumber salad!

It was delish!

Rollerblading!

2010-06-16T17:56:00.000-05:00

Emma rollerbladed today for the first time! I think she'll be a roller derby girl before I know it!

Cute!

Pro!

Pooped!

Gorgeous.

Macaroons

2010-06-16T16:06:00.002-05:00

I have never had one. But I want one!

I am obsessed with France. I want to go so bad! I just can't get enough!

Back to the Macaroons...

Queen Marie Antoinette loved them. They were her favorite dessert!

I have decided to make them!

Here is a recipe, I got it from marthastewart.com

French Style Macaroons

Ingredients

Makes 35 macaroons

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup almond flour
2 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, for filling
MACAROON VARIATIONS
Chocolate: Substitute 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for 1/4 cup of the almond flour.
Coconut: Substitute 2 tablespoons desiccated unsweetened coconut for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour, and add 1/2 teaspoon rum; sprinkle with additional coconut before baking.
Peanut: Substitute an equal amount finely ground unsalted peanuts (peanut flour) for the almond flour.
Pistachio: Substitute 1/2 cup finely ground unsalted pistachios (pistachio flour) for 1/2 cup of the almond flour, and add 2 to 3 drops forest-green gel-paste food coloring.
Raspberry: Add 1 tablespoon fresh raspberry puree, strained, plus 3 to 4 drops dusty- rose gel-paste food coloring.
Vanilla Bean: Add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use.
SUGGESTED FILLINGS FOR MACAROONS
Chocolate: Chocolate Ganache
Coconut: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup angel-flake coconut.
Peanut: Chocolate Ganache, or store-bought dulce de leche, jam, or peanut butter.
Pistachio: 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, mixed with 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.
Raspberry: 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
Vanilla Bean: 1 cup Pineapple Buttercream , 1 cup Swiss Meringue Buttercream, or 3/4 cup store-bought jam or preserves.

Directions

Pulse confectioners' sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macaroons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
Let macaroons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macaroons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macaroons.)
Sandwich 2 same-size macaroons with 1 teaspoon jam. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months!

Summertime!

2010-06-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

MmmmmmMmmmMMMmmmmm

Thank you Rain!

2010-06-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

For watering my flowers and plants!

You can stop now! We love the sun!!

Best date ever!

2010-06-16T13:14:00.000-05:00

Lastnight I went on a date- I haven't been on a REAL date in YEARS. We went to the plaza..

We walked around, went into MAC, Pottery Barn, Guess... I didn't buy anything. For Dinner we went to my favorite restaurant- Cheesecake Factory. We sat outside, I had chicken terriyaki, with grilled banana and grilled pineapple... it was so good!

Afterward, we went to the Casino.

He gave me some money, and we did slots, etc. We didn't win- we ended up -30 ... and we put in at least 60. oops!

It was so fun, even though we didn't win big!

I drank some dirty martinis- my favorite. He doesn't drink, so he was a good designated driver!

after the casino we went back to my house, drank champagne and watched Dear John.

It was a great date!

Eating Healthy!

2010-06-16T13:03:00.001-05:00

is is my attempt to being healthier- We bought blueberries, romaine lettuce, lemons, limes, green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms...

Heres to being healthy!

Wine is healthy too right?

Swim Lessons

2010-06-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

Emma LOVES swim class!

She is not scared at all! She is definitely a Mulvihill- Swims like a fish! Best $90 I have ever spent- She has 6 wks of lessons, 2 times a week! :)

Karate Kid

2010-06-16T12:40:00.000-05:00

On Monday I took my brother and sister, and Emma to see Karate Kid.

it was so good! I love jackie chan movies!! Jayden Smith was great in the movie too!!!

JARS!

2010-06-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

I bought two more jars yesterday!

The jar to the right can be easily converted into a vase too!

My milk jar broke earlier this week. I found a perfect milk jar! it looks like the old ones they used to come in! There is a clasp on the top, and the glass has a cow on it! I love it!

So much better than the carton huh?

I now store even my cereal in jars!

I love having three days off week!

2010-06-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

Nothing is better than being able to lay in bed during the mornings with my little love.