Easter and Bouncy Party

 Easter is around the corner and a "bouncy party" soon after.

Pictures coming soon.

btw: i'm doing the most amazing women's bible study, which is taking a lot of my extra time these days.  It's called "five aspects of a women" God has used this study to change my thought life!

Hard to find and I think it's a coarse at a Christian college.

It is amazing.
btw2: i was messing with the design template and oops...i'm trying to fix the layout but having problems...Oops.

Don't Make Me Count to Three

Three kids later I have read some christian parenting books,

but

This is the most balanced Christian parenting book I have ever read.

I highly recommend.

Cute cover huh.

(i know i broke my silence)...

Family

We are cultivating patience at our house.

Planting a garden, waiting for it to grow.

Making cookies and waiting for them to cook.

Memorizing verses and reading about patience.

Also taking a break from blogging and other things like facebook...

Cultivating patience just leads to more joy and peace around the house.

I don't get a lot of readers, but just wanted to let the few know we are taking a break to focus on some things that are more important.

Family.
BTW: for all the women out there the message "what's a women to do" by our pastor Chip Ingram is just so GREAT...:)
http://venturechristian.org/sermons.php

Dinner Swap. Dinner Revealed.

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine and I decided to exchange dinners.

Here's how it works so far.

I double a dinner one week and she comes and picks hers up...

The next week it's her turn.

We take turns getting a night off from cooking every other week.
So far it's been really fun.
We are able to exchange recipe's with one another, it's actually really motivating for meal planning.
They LOVED this recipe and maybe your family will as well.  She said even her kids ate it.  It's one of our favorites.
Don't forget to dust a little cornmeal on top of the olive oil (on cookie sheet) before baking, it adds that extra touch...

This is what I made this week:)

Roasted Chicken-Artichoke Calzones


Becky Luigart-Stayner; Cindy Barr

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach leaves
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 5 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Pat artichokes dry with paper towels. Combine artichokes, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Add spinach, cheese, and chicken; toss gently to combine.

Brush oil over a baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet; cut into 6 equal portions. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Pat each portion into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle. Spoon 2/3 cup spinach mixture into center of each dough portion. Fold one corner of each dough portion over spinach mixture to form a triangle. Press edges together with fingers to seal. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, JULY 2004

Sugar

Sugar.

So.

My first race is coming up in April.

I haven't done a race since before I got pregnant with the twins.

This one is a half marathon.

So.

I'm trying to do without.

SUGAR.

To get my weight down.

A mom of three trying to do without sugar.

I was doing really really well, until this last week and weekend. 

When kiddos were sick and off of school.

So.

Now I'm back and trying to stick with not having sweets.

Not an easy discipline, especially for a mom on the go.

I have some fun pictures to post, but not much time right now.

Hope your having a great Monday.

i think i can. i think i can. i think i can.

My Valentine & Sugar cookies on a "stick"

I blog a lot, but don't talk about my wonderful husband as much as I should.

"I have a GREAT husband."

I just LOVE him so much.

I am so blessed.  God knew exactly what I needed. 

Marriage is not easy, but God really does know what is best for us.

Friday mid day I received the most beautiful roses EVER.

CRAZY.

Thank you honey what a "treat" to have such beautiful roses in the house.

Every Valentines day we make sugar cookies for teachers, neighbors and friends.
This year we turned them into sugar cookies on a "stick"

Now we have to do it in three parts due to our crazy life.
PART I

PART II

PART III

Happy Valentines Day!

Stickers. Not Exactly.

Do I need to say anything about these two photos?

The flu...and goldfish...

We were so healthy for SO long...not braggging...it's just been a better year for us than the last two...

We had one with a fever last week, one Saturday, then Sunday

then,

unfortunately, me on Monday.
All with the flu, the yucky icky flu.

Bummer.

I am the worst sick person. I just hate being sick. 
I just want to keep going and exercising. 

I'm also trying to get geared up and loose weight for the Santa Cruz half in April.
So.
This is a minor setback for that event as well.
O'well.

On another note:)
I attended a dinner last Friday for the children's ministry at church.  On each table they had a center piece with three or four real goldfish. After the dinner they welcomed us to take the fish home.  I thought about it and the fact that we still don't have any animals.  So.
I went for it and stopped by target on the way home to get a cool jar and food.
The kids were SO excited.  They gave us a bunch of goldfish i think we ended up with six. 
To make a long story really short in less than 36 hrs all six died. 
O'man.
Sunday morning we were laying in our bed listening to the kids in the bathroom.
"where did all the fish go?" 
Taryn, "they died"
Nolan, "no died"
Dylan, "sad all the goldfish died and this one is dead to, we need to put it it the toilet...pause..i can't flush it let's let mommy do it...."
O'it was so sad.
So we ended up getting just one fish more at the pet store a "hearty" little fish that would last longer.
Her name is "goldie" after the goldfish, but not a goldfish and she is actually "blue".
TOO funny.
Anyway.
That's all for now.
I know i need some pictures, but we have been so under the weather.

When life doesn't make "sense"

When life doesn't make "sense" is the third part of some sermons our pastor,

Chip Ingram is currently doing.

If you are suffering, have gone through some tough stuff or are going through some really tough circumstances in your life these sermons are just SO encouraging.

They are up on the Venture website right now:)

http://venturechristian.org/sermons.php

I hope they encourage you as much as they have encouraged us,

sometimes life just doesn't make "sense".

Surgery Update

Dylan's adenoid removal went GREAT!

God answered our prayers in many ways.

Thank you so much your prayers!

Waking up from the anesthesia went really well.

A funny thing that happened...

he asked to view his adenoids so the nurse went searching for them.

They were unable to display them for Dylan because of all the parts...yuck...which is okay with mom, but he was a little disappointed...too cute...

In any case, the surgery was a success.

The doctor said his adenoids were HUGE almost a four

(a four is when your airways are shut by the adenoids).

We are so thankful they are no longer going to cause Dylan problems.

We see a HUGE difference just this weekend and he is a little swollen still.

Dylan keeps saying to me,

"i can breathe through my nose now".

So cool.

YEAH.

Random December Photos

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Taryn and Nolan with a little boy/girl dress up.  Taryn and Nolan both got dress up this year, especially Nolan due to the family seeing him head to toe in ballet and girly dress up.

Taryn and her cute self checking out the tree Christmas Eve before Church.

Taryn and Nolan Kissing...

Butterfly's in Pismo with cousins.

Nolan and Dylan climbing a tree out front at my parents in SLO

 Nolan in all his cuteness at my parents with new buzz PJ's and Buzz plush.

 The kids opening stockings...

 So thankful for this wonderful Christmas holiday to reflect on Jesus's birth and what is most important.

Hope your Christmas was extra special this year.

Thermal Tote Sale + $1.50 Embroidery

January Customer Special

No minimium purchase

All

Thermal Totes on Sale :)

Check out some of the new spring colors...

PJ Suprise!

We started a new tradition this year. 

Christmas PJ's the first night in December!

I was reading in a Christian parenting magazine about some ways to teach kids to be more thankful and appreciative of their presents at Christmas; one other idea included starting a couple of days before Christmas and opening presents gradually.

It got me thinking so...

instead of opeing Christmas PJ's the night before Christmas, we decided to surprise them and let them wear their Christmas pj's all month long.

So they took a usual bath and then we sat them on the couch.

It was a perfect day to do this because they really had been especially great.

They were so surprised and SO Thankful.

I heard "thank you mommy and daddy" over and over.

(i bought these PJ's last year at the potterybarnkids end of the year sale for real inexpensive)...

too cute.

Wreath and ten foot tree for nine foot ceilings....

This last Saturday Jason and Dylan made a trip up to the Santa Cruz mountains to find a Christmas tree (we didn't go the twins were over tired and not feeling good).

He brought home a 10 and a half foot tree for our nine foot ceilings. 

HILARIOUS.

So he had to chop a bit off, pictures below...

This year Jason brought home a special surprise a beautiful wreath from the Christmas tree farm.

It's so large and SO beautiful and fresh.

I hung it as it was, but I'm wondering if i should put some beads on it?

So sweet of my husband.

 Finished.  Not sure how to fit the star?

Just smells so yummy in the house. 

I love fresh trees, do you?

It's a fun tradition.

Boys and Tanks...

There is a private collection (the worlds largest and most extensive apparently)

of Tanks in Los Altos.

So.

Of course Jason had to take Dylan and his buddy.

Check out this collection :)

Family pictures are not easy...

We are trying to get a family picture for our fireplace.

A friend took these...

Cute huh.

Funny.

What do I do with my hair?

Do you ever wish you could just have someone tell you?

or

Do you ever wish you could just have someone else's hair?

I have totally neglected my hair the past two years.

I didn't have time, nor the help to continue getting highlights,

which I had gotten since HS to make up for the lack of chlorine in my hair,

which made it lighter.

So,

I stopped getting them and let my highlights grow and grow out of pure neglect

If I am honest.

So.

Now what?

I would love to find a hair style that actually makes me feel attractive and compliments my hair.

So.

What do I do?

I have no idea.

All the great hair stylist are in Bakersfield,

which I have found a "fact".

Sorry bay area, but you are lagging way behind in my book.

I mean my first haircut up here after we moved back the

beautician used "dull" scissors, so I got my money back (literally).

But,

let's talk hair for a minute.

I have this problem.

Not only do I have "new growth" from having twins,

but I have hair that is somewhere in between curly and straight.

I've been cursed you see...with indecisive hair?

Now what?

Do I grow it long just to give it away, I'm almost there anyway

Or

Do I just search for a new hairstyle?

HELP.
At this point I just feel a little insecure going drastic...
You know.

Fall

Some Fall photos

Same spot as last year, different age...o'my...can you believe that tongue we had to nip that one in the bud...and Dylan was hanging with his buddy...

Yes i'm a dork i let Taryn and Nolan wear the same costume as last year and Dylan wanted to be the Karate kid so he borrowed his best friends costume.  It was a pretty low maintenance Halloween, but I have a great plan for next year. 

Cute though. 

All and all the kids really love each other, too cute.  

Extra MONEY in your pocket

Okay if you haven't heard about ebates yet here you go...

Ebates.com is a great way to get back some

extra

MONEY.

Just register and no gimmicks or catches you just save

MONEY

when you log on and order something from your favorite website

Gap, Oldnavy...whatever...

You get a percentage back in your pocket.

FOR REAL.

No Kidding.

Do you use ebates?

btw: for those family and close friends reading i've been behind on my blogging due to Nolan getting six stitches last week and a huge thirty-one party.  Whew what a week it was. I have some great pictures coming up from Halloween, a amazing tank (real tanks) collection the most amazing in the world, snuggle pictures and pumpkins...bear with me...

Carmel Apple Trail Mix

Have you tried the "Carmel Apple Trail Mix" from Costco.

YUMMY.

You have to like Carmel, Peanuts, Apples ect...

It's so delicious i don't think it would be wise for me to purchase again.

Anyone?

Yummy!