HAPPY EASTER!

I hope everyone had as good of an Easter Sunday as we did!  It was pouring rain and thunder this morning, and we thought our Easter egg hunt wasn't going to happen :(

Thank God at around 1pm the clouds parted and the sun (and the HEAT) came out and we were able to do our first Easter egg hunt!  It was a beautiful day that ended with corned beef and cabbage! (we missed making it on St Patrick's day, so we did a make up!)  Enjoy!

 

Thankful for the Pictures

So I may have just been looking at all the photos of the girls from the day they were born.  I may be crying as I type this....

This will forever be my favorite photo.  About 20 minutes after the girls were born, I was still in surgery getting put back together, and Nick was with the girls back in our room.  I wasnt here for these first moments with them, but I am so thankful to have them in pictures.

It brings back everything from that day.  Its odd that I forgot all the small details up until now.  I remember asking over and over again if they were okay.  I remember feeling the last 10 minutes of being stitched up.  I remember signing in, I remember everything.  I am so thankful for all of these memories.

Even this memory....the very first time holding them, and feeling so nauseous that I had to hand them off.  I nursed them one at a time, and held off throwing up for 2 hours.  It was amazing and beautiful!  

Right now, these same little girls are DESTROYING their bedroom instead of napping.  But that okay, because I am beyond thankful to have them.

Up, Down, Side to Side

We are so lost in life right now its stupid.  No it really is.  We havent had an income of any sort for TWO MONTHS and were living on savings that are about drained.  Now youre going to ask the question that we are asking ourselves.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!

I know, we have no idea.  We live with my mom (bless her heart) in a small Northern California town with zero opportunity.  We own a home in Missouri (AKA the last place I want to live in) and thank God for good renters!  We wanted so badly to move back ere because all of our family is here, but homestly, with no work and no opportunity what are we to do?  At this point it seems like Nick is going to have to leave and find work elsewhere, while we stay here until there is enough money for us to move out there too.  So I know what youre thinking...

WHERE WILL WE GO?!

I have no idea.  We want to live in the country, preferably Montana-esque (yup) or Montana.  Or maybe Washington, that would be great too.  I am just terrified that were going to run out of money before we figure it out!  I am just so thankful that we have each other.  Without my amazing hubby and the cutest almost 2 1/2 year olds ever, I would be a disaster :) 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread

Oh my goodness ladies, this bread is to DIE for!  I found the recipe here and it is amazing!  Its hard to find things to make that don't cost an arm and a leg, and aren't full of preservatives.  This is definitely going to be added to my weekly breakfast meal plan.  I altered the recipe to fit my liking, but you can do it however you want :)  Lets get to it.

INGREDIENTS

1-1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2/3 oats, rolled or old fashion
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/3 cup of each white and semi sweet)
1 egg
3 TBSP, melted butter (i used margarine)
1 cup buttermilk (i used light soy milk)

 THE HOW TO

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixer.

  In a separate bowl combine milk, egg, and melted butter.  

Pour wet ingredients in your mixer with everything else.  

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

ENJOY!!!

Were Back!!!

Hello and welcome back to the world of blogging!!  I have really missed my blog, and all the blogs I used to read.  I have thought about writing here many times, but with all that life has thrown at us in the past year, I just haven't got around to it...SHAMEFUL!!

Heres whats new with us!

Last year I lost 50 lbs, and I am still chugging along!  We have become a far more healthy family (posts on that to come!) and much more active too!!  

The girls are HUGE!  seriously yall, they are almost 2 and a half now and so freaking adorable.  now you may think I am just bias but seriously, I almost cant stand how cute they are!  They talk, they sing, they run and play and ride their mini horse Eeyore....so much has changed!!  They are starting potty training and its going great!!  My babies are growing up right in front of my eyes!  Dont believe me?  see for yourself.

 

What else...  Nick got out of the Army in November, and we moved back home to California.  Neither of us has been able to find a job yet, but all in good time.  We are living with my mom, which we are so thankful for!!  The girls have their own room (my childhood room) and we converted the family room into a bedroom for Nick and I (pics to come!!)  

I have quite a few posts in the making, so stay tuned!!  Were back and were here to stay!!

 

Body Bugg on the move!

Okay, so here is something AMAZING to say the least!!

Heres a quick run down to get yall up to speed.  I weigh a ton (okay maybe not, but you get the point)  And I have been considering weight loss surgery for quite a while.  Here is what it comes down to, for me at least.  I DO NOT want to die during the procedure...yeah, 0.5% chance of mortality, which is 1 in 2000 people...but thats bad odds for the unlucky.  

So after months of deliberation (and months of wasting freaking time sitting around)  I have decided to grow a pair of (as my friend so affectionately calls it) lady balls and lose the weight the right way.  So here I am, I am doing it!!  If I stick to it and lose about 2lbs a week, I will reach my goal weight on May 10, 2013.  Thats only 16 months.  16 months to lose 141lbs.  No scary surgery, no lasting malnutrition, no band slippage, or erosion.  Nothing!  So, I will be updating here, and I will be using this amazing thing called the BodyBugg to keep me on track!!if you dont know what the body bugg is, go to www.bodybugg.com.  its awesome and I hope I get mine soon!

A Year In Review: 2011 ♥

What is there to say about the year 2011? Well, a lot actually.  2011, despite its rather crazy ups and downs, was probably my favorite year of my whole life.  Yeah, 2008 was awesome because I got married, and 2010 was amazing obviously because of the fact that our girls were born, but 2011 really takes the cake, heres why.

January

In January the girls were 2 months old, and Nick left for a field training for 3 weeks.  It was my first time alone with the girls overnight, let alone 3 weeks worth of nights.  I survived, dispite the snow storm that traped me in my house because I didnt have a good vehicle...I lived on top ramen, LITERALLY!

February

Rylie and Laramie were 3 months old, and seriously adorable.  We had our first trip to Bass Pro Shops (the most magical place on earth!!)  and I pumped the erntire hour and a half drive down there...  February was also the month that I started cloth diapering.

March

We had an amazing month, as we finally bought a family car!!  Oh, and the girls were learning how to sit up.

April

We braved 7 states and 2000 miles in a car with two 5 month olds, two dogs, two parents (us) and a car packed full to visit family back home!  It was a good drive, and a good visit.  I stayed home for 4 months!

May

In May the girls turned 6 months old, and Laramie cut her very first tooth.  Nick, the girls and I went on a vacation to Fort Bragg (California)  and it was amazing, we had like a 4 person bath tub!

June

On June 13, 2011 both Rylie and Laramie began crawling!!  They turned 7 months old too!  We did away with our sunbaby diapers, and switched to the flip system.

July

The girls and I packed up and (attempted) to head home.  We made it as far as Wyoming before the transmission went out in my car....yup.  We ended up spending 2 weeks in Wyoming waiting on my car, and Nick had to take a greyhound (that took three days) to be with us.  It turned into a relaxing family vacation, but still, really sucked!

We literally had to ride in the car, on the Tow Truck...SCARY!

August

We finally made it home and started looking for houses.  It wasnt long before we found our dream home, and at a price we could afford!!  We put in an offer and it was accepted.  Also, Rylie started walking!

 

September

We closed on our house, and moved in.  The girls turned 10 months!! I got my dream kitchen!!  and the largest pantry, EVER!

October

In October we got pretty festive, went to the pumpkin patch, and Nick went to the field for 3 long, long weeks.

November

Rylie and Laramie turned 1 year old!  My mom came out to visit (and stayed for 6 weeks!) We had a seriously delicious thanksgiving dinner, and it was my favorite Month of the year.

December

My mom went home :(  Nicks parents came, and we had some awesome family time!!  Not to mention the girls got a billion Christmas gifts!