Daltons Bday heyyyy!!!

So dalton turned 25 this year! 

Kinda a big deal. 

Sucked that because of the wedding madness we are laying low and spending less for our birthdays. 

BUT I did try to make it special none the less:-)

I got him a "Nothing Bundt cake" first time we've ever had one. 

Ok the weird thing was the cake itself is $18 which is a good deal.

But for their scrapbook like paper decor they add on another $10. 

Well I have a  ton of stuff at home so I just decided to top it with my own decor...

Cute right?!?! I thought so..

So In the morning I made breakfast. Then for lunch I made tacos after Dalton got back from his massage that I scheduled. 

I got him tickets to a preseason Cowboys game for that Sunday. 

The game was alright. I think the Cowboys lost but we still had a good time. 

The philly cheese steak sandwich was worth it. 

And about 1500 calories I'm sure. 

Thankful Thursday!!!!

...the power of a prayer group...

...the power of Ibuprofen...

...how snuggly my daughter is lately, well as long as she has a toy in her hand...

...the helpfulness of a great man...

...Pizza with a good friend...

...bargains...

..pintrest to feed my creativity...

...the way my daughter brightens the day of the target worker whose line we get in at every visit...

...texts from old friends and new friends just asking how my day was...

...being 9 months away from my wedding!!!...

...A new phase of my life...

...disagreeing & agreeing on music selections for our wedding together (btw Dalton has some horrendous choices lol that I doubt will be played...sorry babe! eh he doesn't like some of mine either) 

Mom Truth

This was such a blessing to me this morning to see when I woke up. Not only have I experienced this question from single friends both in a positive curious way but also negative. 

Here's my extra commentary. Friends, don't judge us when our lives go from text mania to silent mode. If we are a first time mom, cut us some slack, heck even offer to help out, come over, and then if it's our time your really searching for you'll get it. 

When your a first time mom, your still trying to find your groove to make your day run smoother. But the funny thing is once you've found it BAM..your child is now a different age and now needing different things. 

Not only do we do the daily things you do, and the things you do and we don't, we make up for it in the things we have to do for our children. See its not just about feeding, diapers, and playing, No, no. It's way more. We want our children to be successful, bright, happy, and we've now learned that what we do today for and with our babies shapes their tomorrow. So yes, we might not pick up the phone when you call sometimes, but did you ever think it was because we were going over flash cards, reading books, taking them on walks explaining everything around you to them like you're seeing it for the first time as well, zoo trips etc. Not only do we do these things but in the meanwhile but like she said above keeping them from pulling books off the shelf, from throwing a fit, keeping them from arms reach to pull a jar of spaghetti sauce off the shelf at the store. 

Man my arms have gained strength in the past year! Carrying an overpack diaper bag on one shoulder, keys in the other hand (and trying to keep my daughter from grabbing them), and 25lbs of child in both arms. And thats if I don't have anything extra! HA extra! 

All I'm saying is don't judge us. Like right now, yes i had a free min to write, but thats because this is my lucky one day out of three months that my daughter slept late and I'd like to express my mind in an adult fashion before I have to go back to "everything is exciting, smiley face, over exaggerated voice mode". 

While you interact with the adult world we have to find a more creative and manageable way to express ourselves and grow while singing barney and counting our 1,2,3's.

If anything moms are asking our single friends to just understand. 

Just know that in any situation, we don't know what its like for you and you don't know what its like for us. It's different for every person. And the most annoying this is to compare lives. Don't give me a list of things you do all day and compare it to the things I do. Thats like trying to similarities of a strawberry to an apple. There's no point. 

Thankful Thursdays!...a little late as always

...A Washer & Dryer. First off I don't mind doing the laundry, it's the folding and putting away that annoys me. But this past week as I was doing laundry and it was above avragely annoying, I thought this could be way worse. I could be in a laundry mat with no ac where only fans are circulating the fabric softener, sweaty musty air. I used to have to do that at one point though. Spend literally all day washing our clothes at a laundry mat, hoping no one saw, and waiting hours. So I'm thankful and i need to quit being a baby needless to say...

...Birthdays...I love birthdays...

...When Brynlee wants to be held constantly, I don't care if she's have my size Ill carry that child as much as I can b/c soon I know she won't ask me too :-/...

...Sunday school teachers. Brynlee is moving up a class on Sunday and I am sad to move her. But it's a good feeling to have when you know the teachers will miss her and she'll miss them. It means someone is doing something right...

...Opportunities...

...Gods love, His blessings and the way He seems to give the things we don't deserve...

...That stores let you return! Haha sometimes I can be an impulse shopper and by the time I get to the car my guilt leads me right back to the store to return my splurge...

...The ability to give...

...Amazing things that I can see happening for the future...

...Red velvet chocolate chip bunt cake, my first time having a "nothing bunt cake", it might give you nothing bundt rolls, but its delish!...

Brynlee's First Swimming Lessons!

Brynlee & her daddy started doing swimming lessons every Wednesday at our gym! 

Of course the typical over the top photo taking mom that I am I documented her first lesson.

While everyone stared at me. 

Oh well. Stare on people! I'm preserving precious memories!!! 

Humpty Dumpty exercise.

always swim back to the edge

Practicing kicking her feet.

Enchilada recipe

I know that recently I made enchiladas for a potluck 

And everyone was wondering how I made them... 

This is my super quick on the run need something for dinner edition 

(My other enchiladas take quite some time)

Makes 10 small enchiladas (you can adjust it to your needs)

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken

1 Pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, cut into cubes

1 Can (4.5oz) chopped green chiles (I use a mexican kind that I can't pronounce, 1: b/c it's cheaper and 2: I like to feel authentic haha) 

2 Cans (10oz) Old El Paso Mild Green Enchilada sauce

1 Pkg of whole wheat 6in flour tortillas

Eyeball amounts of : Cilantro, Feta cheese, jalapeños, onions (basically whatever you feel to make yours "mucho bueno!") 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. And Spray 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

First take your rotisserie chicken and take off the skin, and shred every piece of meat up with your hands. 

(If you cut it, it'll be in cubes more than shredded)

You want to use all the meat if your making a full batch (10 enchiladas) 

Put all your shredded chicken in a non-stick heated pan.

(If using onions or jalapeños add them at this time to let them brown some)

Add in your softened cut up cubes of cream cheese.

Mix until melted.

Stir in the green chiles. 

I add Cilantro at this time. 

(Do not cut the cilantro with a knife, you'll cut all the flavor into the cutting board, use scissors)

Then fill each tortilla in the middle with desired amount of filling.

Roll up the tortilla and put in pan seam side down. 

Pur sauce over the top; making sure everything is covered.

Sprinkle with Cheddar, mexican blend and/or feta cheese. 

Bake 15-20min or until hot & cheese is melted. 

Yummm!!!

Adventures With Brynlee This Summer!

Now I have loved every minute of Brynlee since the day she was born. OF COURSE! 

But I have always tried to find activities for her to do at every age

I have to say activities for the walking stage = SO FUN!

We took her to Hawiian Falls watermark in Mansfield with some friends of ours and their kid/sister

These girls just adore Brynlee!

 Last week or so Dalton and I took Brynlee to Indoor Safari Park in Southlake

She loved it. 

I'm not going to lie its nothing fancy in there and even I got a little bored,

But she loved it...and thats all that matters

Girl wore herself out.. 

Riding the mechanical elephant

We were moving a little to fast for the camera apparently

Train ride!

 Okay can I just say that this train is no ordinary kids train. 

For one the kids loved it but since Brynlee is so small I had to sit in with her which was ok, BUT

Usually kids trains go super slow, as you can see from the blurred pic, mmm not so much.

And my the 5th round in the train even I was getting dizzy. 

You Can Always Pick Up Right Where You Left Off.....

On July 23rd, Brynlee and I went out to Lindale to visit the folks on our way to one of my best friends son's 1st birthday. I though the drive was going to kill me, but I obviously survived. I wanted to be back home before it was dark and before Dalton got off work, but the party didn't start till 4:30pm. And it was a two hour drive there and two hour drive back. YUCK.

It was worth every minute of it! 

I had my friend Karissa thinking I wasn't going to come. So when I showed up, although her mom announced that her friend from dallas was there she thought it must be someone else. To my gladness I was able to surprise her! Yay, I love to be both on the receiving end and giving end of surprises! 

I'm not sure how long it had been since we had seen each other, I know at least a year. She lives in Houston which is a 5 hour drive from me and with us both having kids neither of us could brave the drive. 

Anyway, when I walked in she saw me and started to tear up. 

Oh. No.

I'm a crier y'all. Name a movie and I've cried. 

She's tearing up, I'm tearing up, another one of our friends Morgan standing near by is about to start. 

We were about to be the domino affect of a water park in a few minutes.

Luckily we pulled it together. 

Karissa and I have known each other since junior college. She knows everything and anything about me pretty much. She's got the 411 on my love life, school life, mommy life...basically my whole life since we met in junior college. And we don't get to see each other often so now our friendship is based off texts, Facebook comments, and phone calls. But I love it. It's like we never skipped a beat. And I'm super proud of her, she just graduated from Sam Houston, while raising an infant! Awesome! Now I'm just waiting for her to move here and be my neighbor. 

So here's some pics from the party. Cut me some slack here, I had been in the car all day so I'm looking pretty rough. 

Already Partners in Crime...tearing up the place
Brynlee & Hudson

Add caption

Karissa & Hudson        Me & Brynlee

Brynlee helping Hudson

Me, Morgan, And Karissa
Love Them!

Thankful Thursdays!...a little late as always

...AC...

...Zip Ties, Bliss Bridal's solution to concealing my dress from Dalton while its at my house...

...The new friends that I'm making...

...The old ones that continue to bless my life...

...My super fast metabolism that allows me to eat a ton of ice cream...

...My wedding that is finally on a sched of planning...

...Couples that encourage me my own relationship...

...laughing...

...Having made it through the trenches & knowing we could do it again...

...Brynlee's new swim lessons with Dalton...so cute!...

...The oatmeal packets. You don't know how hard it has been to do oatmeal from scratch after using packets, ugh!...

...My iPad, it has came super handy these pat days...

...this new job opportunity...

...MY NEW WEDDING DRESS that I picked up today!!!...

YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

GIFTed Heart

So I came under the realization the other day that my mother is a gifter.

But why had it never clicked in my head before?

But now EVERYTHING makes sense!!!

In our sunday school class we discussed the 5 Love languages -by Gary Chapman (p.s. it doesn't matter in what phase of your life your in this helps with all relationships and def gets you in on how to score brownie points with whoever by knowing their love language...)

ANYWAY...

One of the love languages is Gifts. 

It had never occurred to me that someone I knew was using this as their love language... 

Until the other day...My mother.

It's not a bad love language, it does tend to clutter your house a little faster, but hey who doesn't love free stuff?!

All throughout growing up my mom was never a touchy feel-y, let me tell you how I feel, kinda person.

But I had friends who's moms acted so different. 

And I couldn't figure out why she wasn't the same. 

Don't get me wrong my mom was great. 

I just was comparing her to all these other moms or what I thought was what my mom should be.

But low and behold all this time she had been doing those exact things through gifting. 

So take notes family members...

She may not know our love languages. 

But her way of showing you she cares is to give you something. 

My mom has constantly been taking me shopping since I don't know how long...

Bringing stuff to me every time she comes for a visit and

Offering to give me something of her's when I come for a visit lol 

The other day on my way home it hit me.

Brynlee and I went down for a visit. 

I came down empty handed and drove back with:

-A hose reel box

-A hose

-A piggy bank for Brynlee

-6 dresses for Brynlee

-Toddler cookbook

So not only does she say hey I 've been thinking about you or I love you through gifts with me,

But she does that with Brynlee already too.

And I've noticed that sometimes when you don't accept her gift it hurts her feelings.

Just as if to say I don't love you back. 

But of course we do. 

So mom, Sorry If I'm embarrassing you but hey at least I'm aware of your tactics now!

But hey if you wanna gift me, I'll accept gift cards too!!! lol