What's For Dinner

The weekend is finally here and it's going to be a busy one for us. So I needed to come up with something easy and quick with little prep involved. Enter in the Crock Pot and Pinterest. My Recipes and Calories board on Pinterest currently has 395 pins! So I was sure I could find something. It's already cooking and smells delicious. Enjoy!

                                         Beef Stroganoff

A Little "Spring" in Our Step

Oh Spring, how wonderful you have been to us so far this year! So many gorgeous days are getting us excited to put our garden in. Justin and I have already made our list of veggies that we are growing this year. Zucchini is a new addition this year for us. My parents for years have grown zucchini and last year I found so many new ways to cook with it. Zucchini baked fries, grilled zucchini, and my favorite zucchini quiche. Yum!! Sometimes you just have to use your imagination or Pinterest:) We love having our own home grown vegetables and herbs. My parents garden is huge compared to ours, so they still spoil us with their award winning tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes!

Spring just seems to put everyone in a better mood because we all know that summer is finally coming. Family gatherings, pool parties, camping, days fishing at Lily Lake, a trip to Chicago, two weddings, and a trip up to a winery and a B&B are on Justin and I's agenda. We are eagerly looking forward to it all! In the month of June alone we have so many happy celebrations. My Moms Birthday, Lily's 1st Birthday(SO excited for her party), my bonus sister Kathy's Birthday, my parents 42nd Wedding Anniversary, and last but not least, Justin and I's 4 year Wedding Anniversary! We are so excited to celebrate this Anniversary. Not that any of the others weren't just as special but something about this one just makes it extra special for us.

Happy Spring Everyone!!

A Day of Celebration

Wow, I can't believe it's already the middle of April! The weather has been so wonderful for this time of the year and Easter was no exception. Justin and I went to Easter Mass on Saturday night and boy was it wonderful. We walked out feeling renewed and refreshed! This was Lily's first Easter so that made it extra special. She looked so adorable in her dress. Justin and I included a pair of bunny ears in her Easter basket and she sure looked cute! We also celebrated my brother Brad's Birthday as well since it fell just a few days prior to Easter. My parents got all us kids and spouses gift cards to Kilwin's, which we are very anxious to use!! Basically it was a day filled with love, thankfulness, yummy food, and a good old fashioned Easter egg hunt. I sure hope everyone had a wonderful Easter as well!

My hubs and I :)

My brothers and I with Lily.

Jordan LOVED the new Bible that we got for him!

All smiles!!

Don't I look cute?!?!

The Truth in Sadness

Wow, what a week it was. Glad most of it's behind me, but for others the hurt goes on. I thought my week started off bad just because I had to have some blood work done. Not for anything real serious, but who likes waiting for test results. I pretty much had the Dr. on speed dial the day they were suppose to call me with the results. Sure I bugged them but I wasn't going to wait around all day when I knew the results were in already. Yes, I bothered the medical foundation too;) Whoops! The tests came back fine, thank Heavens, but then the following day I re injured my back/rib. I said out loud to myself "God can you please just give me a break". I got online to drown my sorrows in the wonderful world of Facebook and then I got a huge reality check and I felt horrible. Two people that I knew through High School and through mutual friends passed away one day apart from eachother. Both just 31 years old and both from cancer. People so often say they lost their battle from cancer but that couldn't be any further from the truth. They fought and they fought hard!  I sat there crying, for them, and for their families. Here just moments before I was feeling sorry for myself. I felt guilty. But then I looked at Justin and he smiled back at me, I glanced at our family photos scattered throughout our living room, and then I thanked God. I thanked him for the life I have, my husband, my family, my friends. In those times we all feel sorry for ourselves(which happens), we need to be grateful for our lives. Brandon and Kelly would have done anything for just one more day. Cherish your days! I know I will mine.

"Why Marriage"

When my brother Brad and Jill got married in 2009, there was a poem that was read during the ceremony that everyone really enjoyed. I recently came across it and wanted to share it with all of you.


WHY MARRIAGE?
~ By: Mari Nichols-Haining ~

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person,
With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body...

Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me,
Who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable,
Who sees the small child in me, and
Who looks for the divine potential of me...

Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night
With someone who thanks God for me,
With someone I feel blessed to hold...

Because marriage means opportunity
To grow in love in friendship...

Because marriage is a discipline
To be added to a list of achievements...

Because marriages do not fail, people fail
When they enter into marriage
Expecting another to make them whole...

Because, knowing this,
I promise myself to take full responsibility
For my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness
I create me,
I take half of the responsibility for my marriage
Together we create our marriage...

Because with this understanding
The possibilities are limitless.

 

A Moment

This past weekend we celebrated my Dad and I's Birthday at my parents house. It was great having everyone together and the 80 degree weather was a nice bonus. It was so cute watching Lily looking at the fish and frogs in my parents pond. To see the wonder in her eyes really gives you the biggest smile! There was the cutest moment I was able to catch with my camera between Justin and Lily. It was comical and sweet and the same time. Enjoy!

Ahh Friday!

Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping. What a wonderful alarm clock to have. It was an absolutely gorgeous day today. At one point the thermometer got to 81 degrees! Perfect weather for me. The day got even better when Justin surprised me and got off of work early. I can't tell you the last Friday afternoon that him and I got to do whatever we wanted. Eager to take advantage of the day, we hopped in the car without a plan.

I remembered that I had a few gift cards to use at the mall, so shopping we went! What a great and patient husband I have. I got the biggest kick out of him helping me find things. He knows me so well and vice versa. It's an amazing feeling to have. He really made my day when we ran into JCPenny's and he managed to find a rack of clothes for $2 each! Yes, $2!! It's funny as I get older though I like the mall less and less. I used to get excited about getting the newest purse or the cutest outfit. Now to go to the mall to buy things you really don't need is just such waste to me. Now I much rather find things for our home instead. Not some ordinary purse that the rest of the world is walking around with.

When we got home we cooked dinner together. Hot and Spicy Tilapia. It was delicious!! Even though we were so full we decided to enjoy the rest of the evening and took a walk together. It may sound cheesy but taking a walk with your husband hand in hand is truly the best. I thank God for him everyday. Friday, what a great start to the weekend you were. Thank you ;)

Life in Quotes

Quotes...Gotta love them! How many times are you reading a book or an article and you make a mental note to remember a great quote? Some people dog ear the page with the quote, but not me. Call it slightly OCD if you want but I can't bend my pages! It won't be my perfect little book anymore. Justin and I both love looking up quotes and we also have apps that send us daily quotes. Sometimes they hit the nail on the head. Perfect!! We always get enjoyment of sharing them with each other. We even write our favorites on a dry erase board that we have. Quotes can make you feel so many ways. Uplifted, happy, stronger, validated, and some of them are just plain old awesome! So here are some of our favorites, new and old. Enjoy!

1. "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."~Maria Robinson

2. " If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ~Milton Berle

3. " They gave eachother a smile with a future in it "~Ring Lardner

4. " It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice "~Uknown

5. " Conquering your fears isn't always going to be easy. You need to learn to face them head-on and allow them to be opportunities instead."~J.D. Radcliff

6. " The one that angers you CONTROLS YOU...Don't give anyone that power!!! Especially the one who does it intentionally."~Uknown

7. " Don't change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you."~ Maria Strone

8. " A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him."~Winston Churchill 

9. " Real love stories never have endings."~Richard Bach

10. " When 900 years you reach look as good you will not."~ Yoda. Had to do it :)
       

 

February Favorites!

Here is a list of my February favorites. Hope you enjoy!

1. Clarisonic Mia- Yes it's a bit pricey but what it does for your skin is amazing! I purchased this with my Birthday money 2 years ago when I saw it on QVC for a phenomenal value. The normal price is $119 but I got mine for only $79. Of course I had to get the pink one! I kind of got lazy and set it to the side for awhile but I'm hooked again! Justin can even tell when I'm using it!

                                                                       Clarisonic Mia

2. Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face Wash- I've been using this cleanser for about 2 years now and for me that says alot! It cleanses your face without drying you out and gives it a nice glow over time. The best part is it's cheap. Normal price is $7.49 but I always stock up when their website is having their B1G1F sale.

Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face Wash

3.   Ninja Kitchen System with Pulse Blender- This item has changed my life! I've never been one to sit down and eat a giant bowl of fruit. I wish I was but I'm just not. Well enter my Ninja system! Ive been making smoothies everyday for Justin and I. Whats awesome about this system is that you fill up one of the 16oz cups with whatever you want. You just screw on the blade to the cup and blend it in the same cup you get to drink it out of. Pop on the lid and you are good to go! No extra things to clean. What's also great is that I can put in 1 banana, 1 cup of strawberries, water, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder and it's only 2 WW points for a 16oz smoothie!

Ninja Pulse Blender with 16oz cups

4. Lean Cuisine Broccoli Cheddar Dip with Pita- Gone are they days when my best friend Stephanie and I would make our weekly trip to Panera Bread for lunch at work. Finally we realized that our Broccoli Cheddar soup and baguettes were not the healthiest choice! Well I found the next best thing! I often have this for lunch now since it's only 5 WW points. It's sooo good. I only wish it was bigger! Oh well:)

5. Brighton Bracelet- My thoughtful husband Justin surprised me with this Brighton Beverly Glam Bracelet with a gorgeous heart charm for my Birthday. He was so excited about it that he gave it to me early! It's gorgeous and every time I look at it, it reminds me of what a amazing husband I truly have. Love you Babe!

Can't wait to see what I find in March!

A Four Paw Birthday!

I felt silly writing a post about our cat Malachi's Birthday. That is until I saw he started getting Happy Birthday messages from my friends on Facebook! He has quite the following;) He turned 4 years old today. It really doesn't seem that long ago that we drove down to Indianapolis to pick him up. He has quite the personality, as Bengals do. He's hyper some days but is so relaxed at night. He is very much a Daddy's boy. Even though I'm the one that feeds him most often, cleans his litter box, and spends most of the day with him! I often think what gives??!

Finding out he was completely blind a few months ago was a very sad day. He does perfectly fine though navigating through the house. There are times though when the poor boy runs into the wall. Out of habit we yell "wall" thinking he can understand us! He has started to learn the commands of us saying left and right. He will turn in whichever direction we say to him. It just makes you feel sad that he can't enjoy watching his birds anymore. We are very happy we ended up with him though. We think of him as our special needs kitty. In no way is he or will he ever be a burden to us. It makes us sad when people give away their pet because of a disability or a controllable sickness. It's one thing if your pet is suffering, but it's a whole other story if it's just because it's a burden to you. Malachi has a darn good life here. He is lucky to have us, as we are him! Happy Birthday Mal!

I thought I would include a few pictures of his crazy life!

"31"

Yesterday I celebrated my 31st Birthday. I really appreciated all the Birthday wishes I received. Between Birthday cards, gifts, emails, facebook messages, and phone calls, I was beyond words! Speaking of phone calls my nephew Jordan and my niece Kiera both serenaded me with "Happy Birthday". It was so cute and it warmed my heart! Justin and I had a nice relaxing day together. I'm a huge scary movie junkie, so he rented many of those I've been anxious to see. He cooked me dinner and made me a very yummy Birthday cake! It was very sweet of him to make me feel extra special on by Birthday.

 It's funny because I don't feel 31. I still feel young at heart. Which I think is a good quality to have. It tends to make life slightly easier even during stressful times. Now today is actually my Dad's Birthday. I almost made it to his birthday, but I came a little short of it! My whole family will be getting together in a few weeks to celebrate my Dad and My's Birthdays. It's our tradition to do them together and that makes it extra fun. Writing this I just remembered that my Mom and my niece Lily's Birthdays are also one day apart! My sister-in-law Kathy's Birthday is on my parents anniversary too! Then my sister-in-law Jill and Justin's Birthday's are close together so we always celebrate them at the same time. Last but not least my brother's Birthdays are just a few weeks apart as well. It's really funny how that all happened! It makes our parties alot of fun and so much more memorable!

At 31 I'm very happy to be where I am in life. I had a friend remind me the other day that I'm very lucky because I have a roof over my head, loving family and friends, a crazy cat, and an awesome husband. He couldn't have been more right! I can't believe that Justin and I are coming up on 4 years of marriage in a few months. We can't wait to see what the next few years blesses us with.

      My Birthday cake made my hubby!

Food & Antiques!

Justin and I have had a great start to the day so far. It felt so good being able to sleep in together. Considering he's up for work by 5am, 5-6 days a week made it a real treat. We headed out to the Hob Nob Bistro for a late breakfast. It's one of our favorite places to go for breakfast. The food and atmosphere is great. We decided to go visit a few of our favorite antique stores as well. It's so quiet and peaceful just looking at everything. We could probably go every Sunday and not get bored. We didn't purchase anything this time, but that just gives us all the more reason to visit again soon!

I'm going to make a simple dinner since we had a very filling breakfast. Once again it's a recipe from Pinterest. It is a Taco Bake casserole. It's looks really yummy and easy. I changed a few things to make it somewhat healthier. I always replace ground chuck with ground sirloin. The recipes calls for crushed up Doritos, so I bought Baked Doritos. Everything else that was needed I bought either non-fat or low fat. Can't wait to try it!

                                                                       Taco Bake

                                                           

Dreaming of Summer!

Snow...That's all I see as I sit here working from home. Although I feel guilty complaining about snow when so many people south of us are injured and lost their homes due to the tornadoes that went through yesterday. Weather this time of year is so unpredictable. Warm and sunny one day, and cold and snow the next! All of this makes me think about summer! Yes we are months away, but I'm ready for it!

Things I'm looking forward to most this summer.

1. Justin and I are staying at a Bed & Breakfast up in Michigan(one of our loves) ,and touring some of the wineries.
2. Lily Lake. My brother Brian and sister-in-law Kathy own lake property up there. We fish, cookout, hang out with family and friends, and dance by the campfire. It's one big fun party. They bought it to share it with all of us. They are truly awesome:)
3. Fire pitting with Justin. We play rummy and enjoy wine by the fire. So cozy;)
4. Sweet corn!! You can't live in Indiana and not enjoy the sweet corn from the local farms! I can taste it already!
5. Going to the beach. With living so close we need to take advantage of it more often. After having our engagement pictures taken at Weko beach, it has become one of our favorite local beaches.

 One of our engagement pictures at Weko Beach     

          

Mission "Bluebird"

I love birds and birdwatching. Yes by saying that I probably just aged myself by 30 years. No I don't sit staring at birds all day! I do enjoy watching my bluebirds when they come around though. I make sure they are well fed most of the year. The street we live on has all farm fields behind our backyards. We get so much wildlife around here. Being able to watch the deer eat while we sit at our own table eating our dinner always amuses Justin & I. We have geese, ducks, herons, deer, and even coyotes that make themselves right at home around here. But I have a special place in my heart for these bluebirds. Some people get bluebirds mixed up with blue jays. Blue jays are aggressive and territorial, not like bluebirds. The first spring we were in our new house I saw my very first bluebird and fell in love. My brother Brian and his wife Kathy got me a bluebird house for my birthday. For the last 4 years the bluebirds come back and have babies at least twice a year in our bird house. It's the most amazing thing to watch. It's come to the point now that when we are sitting on our patio chairs they will actually sit on the back of our chairs with us. I think they like us too!

When I found a decorative toss pillow a couple days ago on Bed Bath & Beyonds website I had to have it. Why? It has bluebirds on it of course! I went online to look at it again today and I kid you not it was discontinued and put on clearance today. Great right? My excitement was dashed when they were out of stock. BOOO! I spent 2 hours tonight on the phone with Bed Bath & Beyonds. I called stores in California and Texas trying to find these darn pillows. Justin said I was a woman on a mission! Well I finally found a store with my pillow and better yet, this pillow was $29.99 2 days ago and today I paid.......$5.99 with free shipping! A little perseverance pays off when you really try! I can't wait to have my new pillows in their new home;)

  Our bluebirds are gorgeous!

Our new pillow:)

Whats For Dinner???

I've always loved to cook. Ok, maybe not always but there was one main reason...I hated dealing with raw meat. Well I've conquered that little obstacle. Thanks to my friend Mr. Clorox Wipes! Cooking has seriously become one of my loves. Now since becoming a Pinterest  addict, it has taken my interest in cooking even further. The recipes you can find on Pinterest are amazing. It's a never ending cookbook for me. Justin loves the new variety of meals coming out of our kitchen as well. I'm also going to start printing out these cute meal planners that I found also on Pinterest. Ive heard nothing but rave reviews of them from some of my friends. So what's for dinner tonight?? Go figure it's not a recipe from Pinterest. Ha!! Oh well!

Chicken Parmesan Skillet Pot Pie

Baptisms and Bonding

On Sunday February 19, 2012 our niece Lillian Rose was baptized at a local Catholic church. Not only was it a gorgeous day, it was also a beautiful day for so many other reasons. It was an uplifting expieriance not only for Lily, but for all those who attended. Lily has been blessed with her new Godfather Dave and Godmother Cindy. As I stood there watching Lily being blessed with holy water, I couldn't help but see our nephew Jordan standing right beside his new baby sister. The look on his face was priceless. Lily and Jordan already have a special bond. They both can actually make eachother laugh. When Jordan isn't home from school yet, Lily will see one of his pictures and get the biggest smile. She loves her brother and he loves her. It's the kind of a rare bond that my brothers and I still have. Believe it or not my brothers and I never faught while growing up. They took me under their wing not only as their sister, but also as their friend. When we all still lived with our parents we would go shopping together. Every Tuesday we would go to a local music store called Tracks and buy the latest CD's. We would pile into my brother Brian's brand new Beretta. I thought I was so cool;) In high school I went with my brothers and their friends to OzzFest. Yes I know what your thinking. Amanda and OzzFest???Yes it's true! They always included me in everything and by doing that their friends became my and now Justin's good friends. We've been to Vegas together twice now. Oh the memories there! I'll save that for another post! Anyways, on the day of Lily's Baptism I saw Jordan looking at  Lily like a proud big brother. I get the sense that Jordan and Lily will be lucky enough to have the same kind of bond that I continue to share with my brothers. We are all truely blessed.

Jordan and Lily with her Godfather Dave

 What a special day for Lily.

So beautiful in her gown! I think she's going to love playing dress up.

 

My brothers and I. Blessed beyong measure!

New Year, Fun Year

Even though we are almost into March, Happy New Year!! So yes I'm a little behind but its been a fun start to the year. New Years was never that big of a deal to me. Yes the parties are fun, but I never really grasped the concept. Well this year feels completely different. It feels so refreshing to have a fresh start. The last two years had some stressful moments. But with an amazing husband, family, and friends, I was able to push through. So I welcomed in 2012 with open arms.

   Our niece Lily celebrating her very first New Years!

Who can think of February and not think of the Superbowl?! Every year my brother Brad and his wife Jill host their annual Superbowl party. It's a great time getting everyone together. Of course most of my family and friends sported their Chicago Bears gear instead! One day we keep hoping, one day...

I still can't believe we celebrated our nephew Jordan's 11th Birthday this February. I had the honor of recording his birth and now he's 11? Time sure has gone by quickly! But I'll tell you what. Jordan has brought so much happiness into all of our lives. He is one of the most loving, funny, and smart kids that I know. He wanted a roller skating party this year with his friends and family. While we were there, I had flashbacks of my Corpus Christi days going to Galaxy for skating parties. How many times I requested Salt-N-Peppa's "Push It" will continue to be my secret.

   Jordan and I at his 11th Birthday Party

Happy Family 

Of course I couldn't leave out my handsome hubby! He had a great time too.