Taylor's Treasures

Isn't It Summer Yet...

2009-05-18T14:29:00.000-05:00

This morning was cool enough we needed a jacket when heading to school. Jasmine (who I don't believe was completely awake) said, 'Why is it so cold, I thought we were done with all of this!'. Yep, that's my girl. I LOVE the warm weather and even the hot days. Bring it on, I am ready!!

Our calendar is already jam packed full of events. Weekend before last we went camping with our small group from church and had a really great weekend. Four couples camped and another came for the day -- totaling 10 adults and 14 children -- (yes, that number is correct) the adults were outnumbered, but luckily some of the children were pre-teens and were able to keep the little ones busy.

This last weekend was full of parties—birthday and graduation.

On another subject, something I am very excited about is a Costco just opened up close to us. We went Saturday to sign up and they were having a local vendor day. One of the vendors took pictures of the kids and emailed them to me.

..

2009-05-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

What's New...

2009-04-22T12:14:00.000-05:00

...I don't even know where to start!

Cash is playing soccer this year, poor guy has been waiting for 3 years to play and when it is finally time we can't catch a break with the weather. Due to the rainy weekends he has been able to have 1 practice and 1 game -- and the season is half way over.

Jasmine has been a mess lately. This year she is in 1st grade and did GREAT the first semester. Since then it has been downhill. The frustrating part is that she can do the work, she just spends too much time goofing off to get it done. ~sigh~ please say a prayer for her in those regards...thank you very much!

Our summer calendar is already filling up and I am so excited. We have a couple of camping trips planned, a trip to Houston, swim lessons, VBS, camp, family reunions...I could go on.

And lastly, my new favorite thing to do, FREE shopping! At least that is what I call it. I have a coupon binder now and watch the sales and get tons and tons of stuff for FREE...no lie. Last weekend I went to Kroger and got 4 boxes of Pillsbury brownie mix, 4 packages of Quaker snacks, 4 suave deodorants, 4 packages of angel soft toilet paper, 4 packages of McCormick's grill mates seasonings...all for FREE. I also got quite a bit of other products for practically nothing like caprisuns, steam-fresh veggies and Lawry's marinades. I am having so much fun with this!!

Through The Eyes of a 6 Yr Old

2009-04-09T12:49:00.000-05:00

Below are the first half to some well known sayings....I asked Jasmine to complete the saying and got some pretty interesting answers:

Strike while the...ball is coming

It's always darkest before...the sun is out

Never underestimate the power of...God

You can lead a horse to water but...you can't lead it to food

Don't bite the hand that....the ant is biting

No news is...no clues

You can't teach an old dog new...tricks

If you lie down with dogs, you'll...itch

Love all, trust...God

An idle mind is...doing nothing

Where there's smoke there's...fire

Happy the bride who...kisses the husband

A penny saved is...one cent

Two's company, three's...more

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...you are sad

There are none so blind as...a bat

Children should be seen and not...complaining

When the blind lead the blind....there is something to find

Better late than...early

So, What's Your Deal...

2009-02-25T15:40:00.000-06:00

Was anyone aware Dairy Queen had a blog http://blog.dairyqueen.com/. I certainly wasn't until today.

Who doesn't LOVE Dairy Queen?? It's unAmerican, I think. I blogged about my love of the DQ blizzards here, http://taylorstreasures.blogspot.com/2007/05/blizzards-in-texas.html

They are launching a Sweet Deals menu and I am excited. For bloggers they are offering a FREE gift card for anyone who writes a blog post linking to them about what deal I'd make with them to try their Sweet Deals for FREE. And if you have followed my blog for ANY amount of time, you know how much I like FREE.

So, in order to try DQ's Sweet Deals for FREE, I am willing to....write this post. Cause as much as I like FREE, I'm also a little lazy and don't really want to make a lot of promises I have no intention of following through with :)

2009-02-25T15:38:00.000-06:00

...

My New Favorite Blog

2009-02-04T11:21:00.000-06:00

For some time my favorite blog has been Pioneer Woman. Well, I have a new one, http://www.wantitall4free.blogspot.com/ . If you have read my blog for any amount of time you know how much I enjoy a good deal or even better FREE stuff. Well this site has lots and lots of deals and freebies.

Monday I went to Walgreen's, spent $47 and will be getting a $41 rebate soon. I got lots of good stuff, that is already being put to good use.

And Tuesday I rented my first movie from a Redbox, for FREE. And I'm not talking an oldie, I'm talking a brand new release.

I'm in hog heaven!!

Smoothies Are GOOD!

2009-01-30T14:42:00.000-06:00

Oh how I love smoothies. And I must admit, Jasmine has acquired my fondness. Anytime we are offering up a reward -- whether it be for behavior at school or keeping their room clean -- Jasmine always requests a trip to Smoothie King, while Cash is all about McDonald's.

Not until recently have I attempted to make them on my own. So easy and much more economical. My favorite is strawberry-banana, I have been making myself one for lunch everyday for the last couple of weeks. Now I just need to find a few more recipes, cause Jasmine digs the grape.

I mostly eyeball it at this point, but here is the recipe I began with:

Strawberry-Banana Protein Smoothie

1 scoop vanilla Whey Protein
1/4 cup strawberries, frozen
1 banana, peeled and frozen
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
a squirt of honey
cup of ice

It is oh-so-yummy!

Hibernation

2009-01-27T13:09:00.000-06:00

I have noticed a trend...

It seems every winter my blog entries are few and far between. This is how I tend to feel in everyday life when it is cold out as well. Just do not want to do anything outside of the home.

Enough about that, here are some fun things the kids have said in the past couple of days...

While stopped at a light a Jeep pulls up beside us.

Cash (with an admiring face): 'Mama, what is that?'

Me: 'That is a Jeep'

Cash: 'Oh, I'm gonna get me one of those when I grow up.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And sweet Jasmine has decided we should no longer drive our van in an effort to stop the world from deterioration -- but more especially so the polar bears won't go extinct. I mentioned that she might want to be a vet since she has such a soft heart for animals and her reply:

'Oh no, I'm going to be a Rock Star. Cause music is in my heart and I just have to follow my dreams.'

Why No Posts??

2009-01-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

OK. Here is the deal. I got a new computer and have not yet had the opportunity to download the software that coordinates with my camera. And I just don't enjoy posting without pictures.

I am happy to get back to a normal schedule after the holidays. From Thanksgiving until just last week we have been very busy. And with the MLK holiday this week, Jasmine has still not been back to school for a full week since before Christmas. Next weekend there is nothing on the calendar and I am going to do my best to keep it that way. Sometimes you just need to do nothing (or stay home at least -- I plan to stay busy cleaning out cabinets and such :).

Hope everyone is doing well, and that I still have a few people popping in.

Time Flies

2009-01-16T13:26:00.000-06:00

It is too cold for Texas. High has been in the 40's the last two days and my van gaged the outside temp at 19 this morning....19!!! Call me crazy, but I'll take a day of 100 over 19 any day.

Watchout Spiderman

2008-12-23T07:58:00.000-06:00

These two together can only mean one thing....trouble

Christmas Parade

2008-12-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

We have done lots of fun things these last couple of weeks including a bonfire, a BOY sleepover (which made Cash very happy), a play, a candlelight Christmas parade and so much more. So much so the week after Thanksgiving Cash started going into withdrawals, because we weren't as busy...'Momma, where are we going today?'

Following are pictures of our family favorite, the Nieman Marcus Children's Christmas Parade in Downtown Dallas. I won reserved tickets off the radio so we were able to sit in the bleachers instead of fighting for a place on the street. We had a great time. We saw Strawberry Shortcake, Funshine and Tenderheart Bear, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk and many many more. Fun Fun Fun...

2008-12-10T15:29:00.000-06:00

...

Wordless Wednesday: This is what you get when Jasmine finds the camer a

2008-11-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

Soup Anyone

2008-11-18T13:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, now we are cooking. I made this tortilla soup recipe this weekend and it was very good.

We had a fire going in the fireplace Saturday so I roasted the corn and poblano pepper there instead of on the stove top. I also added a can of rotel for some spice. Next time I will probably blend the rotel to make the soup less chunky – I like my soup liquidy. All in all, I think this recipe is a keeper. Thank goodness, I think this is about the fifth one I've tried.

Emeril's Tortilla Soup with Fire-Roasted Corn

1 ear corn, shucked
1 poblano pepper, or 1 pasilla or green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows

Set a stovetop burner to medium heat, and, using a pair of tongs, hold the corn directly over the fire. Roast the corn over the open flame until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Rotate the corn and continue roasting until the entire surface of the corn is browned. Set the corn aside to cool, and once cooled, cut the kernels from the cob and set aside until ready to use. Use the same technique with the poblano pepper, being sure to char the skin until it is black. Once the pepper is charred, place in a sealable plastic bag and allow to steam. After 5 minutes, remove the pepper from the bag and peel off the charred skin. Discard the seeds and stem end, and set the pepper aside.

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Season the chicken with cumin, salt and coriander. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until brown. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Dice the poblano and add. Add the corn and reserve some for garnish. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Cover to keep warm.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-17T14:55:00.000-06:00

Monday - ugh, maybe Joe will cook

Tuesday - don't want to think about it

Wednesday - I'm at Bible Study

Thursday - is it the weekend yet?

Friday - pick something up on the way home

I'm on vacation from work next week and I can't hardly wait, my mind is already in vacation mode. So forgive my menu plan, all I can think about is all the plans I have for next week when I'm off.

And has anyone else noticed it's cold, I've been cold since Friday and it is driving me crazy...dreaming of Spring weather already.

Party Time

2008-11-13T13:05:00.000-06:00

I've been promising for some time now pictures of Cash's birthday…I know, finally.

The weather was so great, we were able to do the entire party outside. We had lots of fun with a bounce house, piñata, crafts and decorate your own cupcakes. I had a couple games planned, but after the first one crashed and burned I bailed on that idea. Here was the concept of the first game. Hulk Stomp – tie a balloon to the ankle of each child and they try to pop each other's balloons. Now I remember playing this when I was young without incident. That was not the case: 1. The balloons popped without being stomped since we were outside and they were running. 2. Small children do not like for their balloons to be popped even if it is a game, serious meltdowns occurred.

Cash got lots of great gifts – Spiderman this, Hulk that, throw in a Batman or two and Cash is a happy boy. He also got some cowboy boots, which he loves and would wear with his shorts if mommy didn't intercede.

Here are the pics…

2008-11-13T12:56:00.001-06:00

'''''

Wordless Wednesday: Oh How Time Flies -- 2/05

2008-11-12T11:29:00.000-06:00

'''

Update

2008-11-11T14:55:00.000-06:00

So Friday when Joe and the kids went into the house, the house was hot and smelled like something was burning. Upon inspecting the house he found that our furnace closet was very very hot. He then turned off the main breaker and called the fire department. Once they arrived and walked the house they said we were literally moments away from having a flash fire in our house. Apparently the relay thingamajig wasn't working and even though the thermostat was not on, the furnace had been running all day. When they looked through their special goggles to see what is hot, our unit was smoldering. Needless to say, I have said many many thank you prayers to our Lord above for allowing us to come through this ordeal.

We were suppose to go to this super awesome new place w/ mini golf, go-karts, bowling, bumper cars, etc. with a old friend I hadn't seen in a number of years. But instead, we were instructed to stay at the home front to make sure nothing ignited. Which we gladly did.

* * Thank you Lord Jesus for sparing our home and our possesions. Thank you for the reminder that what matters is not what is in the home, but the people who live in it. I will be mindful to give you the Glory, Honor and Praise in all that I do. Amen! * *

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-10T15:16:00.000-06:00

Monday already, can't hardly believe it. Weekend came and went and I think I am more tired than I was when it started. Didn't have a chance to make it to the grocery store and won't this afternoon either. Hopefully tomorrow. If not, we are in trouble when it comes to lunches and dinner. Here is what I have planned...

Monday - Pork Chops, broccoli, mac&cheese and rolls

Tuesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and veggies

Wednesday - I'm at Bible Study - Frozen pizzas

Thursday - Chicken stir fry w/ egg rolls

Friday - BBQ pork sandwiches and french fries

Our weekend started off with a big scare, but got better from there. One thing you don't want to see when you pull into your drive on a Friday afternoon when you have plans for the eveing is a fire truck....

Cash's Birthday Day

2008-11-07T13:22:00.001-06:00

Here is the run down from Cash's actual birthday. I took the day off of work and it was all about him. First things first – Cash loves donuts! So I went to the donut store before the house got up (and since we are in the country this is a pretty good drive). And since his bday is just before Halloween they have them in fun shapes. Jasmine had a ghost and Cash had a bat. After dropping Jas off at school we went to the Dr. for his check-up where he had to get 4 shots L, but our tough boy didn't even cry (never has, even when we was getting 3 month shots). After the Dr. we went to Wal*Mart to pick out a present, so many choices, that was a tough one for him. Next was the $1 movie where we saw Wall-E. Then to pick up Jasmine at school. After getting Jasmine he requested a trip to the Library where he picked out three Iron Man books and a Batman. Then to Denny's for dinner. We had an awesome day! Here are the picks.

2008-11-07T13:22:00.000-06:00

Fall Fun

2008-11-06T10:11:00.001-06:00

We Have been so busy lately, I don't even know where to begin. Since my last post we have been to the zoo, cash turned 4 and had a birthday party, Halloween came and went…needless to say I have lots and lots of pictures and I want to share each and every one of them. These are from Boo at the Zoo and Trunk or Treat, I will post Cash's Birth-day and party tomorrow.

2008-11-06T10:11:00.000-06:00

2008-11-06T10:07:00.000-06:00

'''

Wordless Wednesday: HULK SMASH!!!

2008-11-05T15:46:00.000-06:00

***

Wordless Wednesday: Mary and King David (AWANA Bible character night)

2008-10-29T06:48:00.000-06:00

* * Jasmine's outfit was made out of a bedskirt I bought at Goodwill for $1 * *

2008-10-28T07:23:00.001-06:00

<<mpm121.jpg>>

Crazy week guys...

Monday - Cash's birthday - Denny's (family tradition)

Tuesday - Chick-Fil-A night as Jas's school

Wednesday - Leader meeting at church, dinner provided

Thursday - Fall carnival in town so something fast and easy - I'm
thinkin beans and cornbread. That way the beans can cook all day and be
ready when we get home from work.

Friday - Halloween - meeting a group at Cici's before going to
Trunk-or-treat sponsored by my grandmother's church.

This is out of the ordinary for us. I really believe in sitting down at
the table and giving thanks and communicating with everyone about how
their day went. Just another challenge for me this week. I will make
sure and have a time before bed each night to spend with the kid's w/out
TV and other distractions.

I'm Confused...

2008-10-24T13:14:00.000-05:00

Why are all of the women's halloween costumes mini and low cut? I would say a majority of us women would rather not wear mini OR low cut. Just throwing that out there.

***those question marks reminded me of The Joker from Batman, which reminded me of Cash, which made me happy. Speaking of Cash and happy...he hit the motherload last night in the costume department. Aunt Linda is in town and she gave him Peter Pan, Buzz Lightyear, Red Power Ranger and Prince Charming costumes. And YES, he is absolutely beside himself with excitement.

Another Taylor Weekend

2008-10-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

OK, here it is Thursday again and I am just now getting to what we did over the weekend. Oh how the weeks are flying – and getting cold, it was 35 degrees according to my van temperature gage this morning. I do like the cooler weather, but that is going a little overboard for me. I live in Texas for a reason, cause I like it warm. An overnight in the 50s and day's in the 80's is ideal according to me. But I can handle it hotter better than colder. Anywho…back to our weekend

As I posted earlier, Friday was all about ME. Dinner w/ friends and coffee w/ the girls.

Saturday was my Company picnic and this is always a favorite. They have it at a local ranch and there is so much for the kid's to do…hayride, 'train', petting zoo, pony rides, playground, paddle boats and a big barbecue lunch. Of course, we had a great time, but I must say this year was better for me than past years. Now that the kids are older and able to go and do on their own, it is a much more pleasant experience for me. Not that I let them have the run of the place w/out knowing where they are. They just knew before going to a new place to let me know where, so if I looked in that general direction I could see them.

Then Sunday after church we had lunch at my Grandmother's to celebrate me and my cousin's birthdays. A fantastic Mexican meal with lots of desserts to choose from. Sunday evening was Fall Fun Night at AWANA's, so I helped with the younger one's. My duty was at the pumpkin patch and boy was I disappointed I didn't bring my camera in. Those kid's were sooo cute. That's all she wrote -- another weekend behind us.

Can you believe 5 weeks until Thanksgiving. A couple more weeks and I'll start getting giddy with excitement about what to cook and making an after Thanksgiving shopping list.

Weekend pictures below…

...

2008-10-23T08:40:00.000-05:00

See this guy, they were moving him from the petting zoo pen to the stables and he decided to cut through the playground area. The kids got a big kick out of following him around.

Wordless Wednesday: Love Them

2008-10-22T07:32:00.000-05:00

_____________________________________________________________
Click for free info on getting an MBA, $200K/ year potential.

Blessed!

2008-10-21T12:59:00.000-05:00

See all the awesome goodies I received from friends and family this weekend.

Purple leather bound Women of Faith study Bible w/ my name engraved
MP3 w/ FM radio
Breaking Free Day by Day devotional Beth Moore (love her)
Flower arrangement
Cross necklace
Pretty lanyard to wear my work badge
And cash for shopping! You know I'm going to my favorite Thrift Store first.

I have to say, this year was the best birthday I've had in a very long time.

Friday night lots of friends from our church small group met us at a restaurant in our a small town. We had a party of 20 (9 adults and 11 children ranging from ages 2 - 12). I really love this group of people. This particular group has only been together since about June and we have all really come together and really enjoy hanging out with each other.

Once everyone was done eating a couple of the ladies suggested we go to the coffee house. So...all the men took the kiddos home and us girls went to a brand new coffee shop in town. Due to it being Homecoming, the place was dead, we were the only ones there. Which was awesome. We staked claim to the couches and comfy chairs in the back and just talked and drank coffee (or in my case hot chocolate, cause coffee ain't my thang -- which is another blog entry all in itself). All in all a great day!

**Only downside -- Last year Jasmine had it engraved in her brain my age and would randomly throw it out there to strangers for no particular reason. Well, now that she is in 1st grade she can add all by herself, and still feels the need to tell everyone how old I am. Oh well, good thing I'm not bothered by my age. Just another number as far as I'm concerned.**

2008-10-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

I had a fantastic birthday weekend...I'll share the details tomorrow.

Until then here's our menu for the week.

Monday - Fettuccine Alfredo w/ salad and garlic bread

Tuesday - Meatloaf muffins, mashed potatoes, broccoli and biscuits

Wednesday - I'll be at Bible Study so I'm guessing chicken nuggets and french fries

Thursday - Busy busy busy - Parent-teacher conference then Aunt Linda gets into town so we will be meeting her at Traci's to have our hair done. Probably order pizza at Traci's.

Friday - Chicken stir-fry w/ noodles and egg rolls (and probably a peanut butter and jelly for Cash)

Saturday - Zoo!! Yeehaw!

Our Weekend

2008-10-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

I know it's Thursday, but I am just now getting to post about our weekend. I have been in an MS Access training class for the last two days and that's all I gotta say about that, so here goes...

2008-10-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

Friday Jasmine was out of school so she ran around with me all day. Shopping at Goodwill was the highlight for both of us. That is where she got the dress in the picture $3 thank you very much!

On our way back into town we used the last of the FREE Chick-Fil-A kid's meal vouchers from the summer reading program and stopped at a park. They ran like crazy from one thing to another, but Jasmine's absolute fave it the swings and boy can she go high.

2008-10-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

The kid's helped me make banana pudding for Saturday night and did a very good job pouring, stirring and layering.

2008-10-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

At our small group Saturday the kid's decorated cupcakes. Lots of cute one...and lots of mystery designs. They sure had fun though...

This weekend will be a super busy one for us. We have so many options I still haven't decided which ones we will make and which ones we will have to pass on...did I mention this is my favorite time of year (and not just because it is my birthday!).

2008-10-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

Monday - Crockpot chicken and veggies

Tuesday - Stir fry chicken and veggies w/ noodles and egg rolls

Wednesday - Chicken nuggetts and french fries

Thursday - Tacos, rice and beans

Friday - Out to eat - My Birthday!!

I am also trying a new tortilla soup recipe this week, I'll let you know how it turns out. If it's a keeper I'll post the recipe.

Wordless Wednesday: Look Mom, I Cut Cash's Hair (with the clippers)

2008-10-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

____________________________________________________________
You don't have to do it on your own. Click here for great parenting help!

Thank You!

2008-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your prayers. Little Luke is doing much better and was able to leave the hospital yesterday evening.

Our Weekend

2008-10-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

Since I am now posting via email, please bare with me regarding adding pictures.

Our weekend, in one word, was FULL. Saturday we were up and at Wal*Mart picking out a birthday present first thing. The party was fun for the kids - bounce house, nachos, cupcakes and a pinata full of candy = good time!

2008-10-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

____________________________________________________________
Free quote and debt consolidation information. Click Here.

2008-10-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

From the birthday party we headed to a Halloween Party at Dad's and had a fabulous time complete with a haunted hallway, a costume fashion show, pass the pumpkin, face painting, a scavenger hunt, lots of goodies to eat and a visit from the wicked witch. The kids were going 90mph till the end and were asleep before we hit the main road headed home. First thing Cash said Sunday morning 'When can we go back to Grandpa's?'

2008-10-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

____________________________________________________________
Compete with the big boys. Click here to find products to benefit your business.

2008-10-06T15:42:00.001-05:00

Monday – Joe offered to make tacos so tacos it is.

Tuesday – Meatloaf muffins and mashed potatoes

Wednesday – I have Bible Study so something easy like Hamburger Macaroni (or in our case turkey macaroni – I only buy ground turkey)

Thursday – Crockpot chicken, veggies and potatoes

Friday – Beef fajitas baby! Yum-O!

* * PRAYER REQUEST * *

My nephew Luke (4 years) had a major asthma attack Sunday and is at Children’s Medical Center. Please pray for a speedy recovery.

I Like it Spicy

2008-10-03T15:20:00.002-05:00

Oh how I love me some tortilla soup, could eat it everyday for lunch. My absolute favorite is from Jason’s Deli.

I am on the hunt for the perfect tortilla soup recipe – unless someone has the recipe Jason’s uses, that would be fantastic. I have tried several, but just haven’t found ‘the one’. So, if you have a tortilla soup recipe that you would like to share, please send it my way.

Thank you for your time…

Hello Hello Hello

2008-09-30T12:23:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe it has been so long since my last post. So I am just
going to do bullets (cause they're easy).

*Jasmine is now in 1st Grade. We had a fantastic 3 week
progress report and have had lots of problems since. Please Pray!
*Cash is soo cute these days, definitely an entertainer.
His favorite thing (aside from Superheroes) is to make people laugh.
Love him.
*I have started going to a Wednesday Bible Study at
church. Now I've known for some time I like to be in control, most
especially in the home, and I thought this was something I was doing
well with as far as submitting to Joe more. But the first couple weeks
I was a little anxious about leaving. I mean would everyone get fed and
bathed and homework done and the house still be standing when I return.
Of course, everything was fine when I returned home a few hours later.
Guess I still need to work on ME.
*AWANA's is back in session and this year Cash is a happy
participant as well. I am not teaching this year, just a general
helper. Which is actually what I thought I was signing up for last
year. Here is a picture from Western Night.

*We have a friend who is going through some major health
issues at the moment. Would appreciate your prayers for Brian - healing
and future decisions.
*I am reading THE SHACK, heard of it? Several people I
know have said good things about it and I am excited to read it.

I guess that is all going on for us. Hope I still have some people
checking in...

She's Back

2008-08-20T12:00:00.003-05:00

Jasmine got home last night. She had such a great trip. They were going non-stop the whole time there. Disneyland, Dodger game, beach, Hollywood Bowl, Museum of Natural History, etc. Like I said, she had a great time, but we were all ready for her to be home.

Her birthday is Friday and we have parties scheduled for Saturday and Sunday for her.

I really hate not being able to check in on everyone and post with pictures daily... :(

BTW - Jasmine's favorite things in Cali were boogie boarding in the ocean and the yellow submarine at Disneyland.

Quickie

2008-08-18T12:07:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm here for half a minutes. We had a very good weekend, especially the Thrifting...I feel rejuvenated. I bought 20 items for just at $50, that was my spending limit. And I am very pleased with all of my purchases. We went to small group Saturday and as soon as I walked in a girl said 'I want some pants like that' that's right $3 at the Thrift store....love it.

Jasmine is still in Cali and on her way home tomorrow. It is like a huge void in our house without her, she is definitely the life of the party.

Gotta go, will blog later. Ciao

Bad News....

2008-08-16T11:35:00.002-05:00

....I am no longer able to view or update my blog from work. And considering once I leave work, I have no desire to look at a computer my blogging will be very scarce. I'll try to update at least once a week, but that may be pushing it.

I'll miss ya'll.

Time Out....Please

2008-08-12T10:57:00.003-05:00

I think I need a time out. Our summer has been so busy (which is how I like it) but occasionally I just want to stay home and chill. Stay in my PJs all day...clean a bit if I feel like it...watch some TV, which is something I usually don't take time to do. Well last Saturday was that day for me. On my planner I marked through it to ensure I didn't make plans. I was able to sleep until I woke up -- no alarm clock or kids dragging me out of bed. I made a yummy breakfast and after as were -- all four -- laying in our king size bed Joe says 'hey, let's go to a movie'. I'm thinking no, I wanna stay home ALL DAY and do nothing. Well, of course, the kids went into a frenzy and started getting dressed immediately. And since I like doing things with my family I eventually came around. So we went to the $1 movie (actually $1.25 now). After the movie we went back home after a quick Chick-Fil-A drive thru to use more FREE meal vouchers the kids earned through the reading program at the Library. And now I can feel the tension, I didn't get my free day at home full of nothing and I am irritable and tired and blah. Oh how I hate to feel blah! So I told Joe last night Saturday was all about me. Jasmine will be in California and him and Cash need to make plans. I'm going to my favorite Thrift, Goodwill and Resale Stores....and I can't wait. I know it's not a day of nothing at home, but thrifting brings me just as much joy!! I'm so excited.

And take a look at what Jasmine talked Cash into Saturday afternoon....

...Joe was not happy at this sight, not at all! I believe he waited less than 5 minutes before saying, 'Son, aren't you ready to take that dress off?'.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-11T10:13:00.006-05:00

Well, I took a good long look in the freezer this morning and when I went back to the kitchen to make my list....I had nothing. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty in there. I just don't know what I want to make with all of it. I think my problem is I am a tad distracted because Jasmine is leaving Wednesday for a week in California. She is traveling with my Grandmother and will be visiting her very best friend (and cousin) Kaja...my aunt and cousin will also be in the mix but Kaja is the main focus for Jasmine. So, please be in prayer this week for safe travel and for me not to worry too much.

OK, here goes...although don't hold me to anything this week.

Monday - Breaded chicken breasts and veggies

Tuesday - Tacos and beans -- Jasmine's favorite and her last meal w/ us for a week :(

;

Wednesday - Hot dogs and mac&cheese -- Cash's favorite

;

Thursday - Possibly going to the pool for family night luau -- $10 admission for family and that included a meal. Not sure if Joe will be up for a pool night during the week, but I'll try my darndest. If not - Meatloaf and potatoes

;

Friday - Taco Bueno --if I have anything to say about it--

Saturday - I'm going Thrifting - Yeehaw! And Saturday evening we have small group so I'll have to make something for that. Maybe these:

;

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 cup PB

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Directions:Preheat oven 350 degrees. Mix the above ingredients. Roll the mixture into small balls. Roll the PB balls in a bowl of sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes. They will be soft when done. Do not overcook!

;

and these:

;

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix

1 package chocolate chips

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Directions: Mix cake mix, oil and egg together. Add in chocolate chips. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Again, soft when done - just take them out after 10 minutes.

;

Sunday - Breakfast: We are responsible for taking a snack to Church for our class. I plan to make blueberry muffins and these:

;

CINNAMON RAISIN BISCUITS

Ingredients:

2 cups bisquick
½ cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
Directions: Combine ingredients and cook @ 425 for 10-12 minutes

;

Lunch: Chicken Salad. Although I don't have and exact recipe this is what I put in mine:

Canned chicken (unless there is leftover chicken in fridge)

Onion

Sweet relish

Miracle Whip

Red grapes

--and I like it on toast or a toasted croissant. YUM!

;

Dinner: YO-YO (your on your own - leftovers - whatever you can find)

;

OK, now I'm feeling a little better with a preliminary plan.

Friday Funny

2008-08-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

This video made me laugh out loud (a few times), hope it does the same for you....have a great weekend!!

What Would You Do?

2008-08-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but several of the 'Blogs I Enjoy' are some that I have just happened upon during my blog adventures these last two years. I leave messages on some of their sites, but others I just enjoy reading. Well what do you do when you see one of those families out and about? It is a bit odd. After church last week our small group went to lunch together and I see this little boy at the restaurant that looks very familiar. I just figured it is one I had watched while volunteering at church over the last few years. Then his sister walked up and said something to him and they went on their way. It was then that I realized I knew the family from a blog I visit on occasion. So weird, I'm not a very forward person and don't feel comfortable walking up to people who have no idea who I am and saying, 'Hey, I read your blog. Good to see you!'

My questions is this....what would you do? Say something or make a mental note and move on

* * Insert Jeopardy theme music here * *

Wordless Wednesday: Work Attire...Seriously??? (the dress ends where the polka dots end)

2008-08-06T13:22:00.000-05:00

Fun in the Sun

2008-08-05T13:12:00.004-05:00

Saturday was my niece's birthday party and same as we have been doing since her 3rd, we had it at a pool. This water park is soo much fun, lots of stuff for the kids to do on their own. I like that.

Jas and Vanessa (birthday girl)

Me and the kids

Cash and Luke

Jasmine chillin in the lazy river

Joe and Cash

Luke sat in my lap for just a minute to drink his juice and that's all she wrote...

Jasmine went home with a friend for a sleepover and Cash was not at all happy about it. As we were leaving he asked where Jasmine was. When I told him I then said, 'It's just me, you and Daddy' in my isn't that exciting voice his response 'I don't want you, I want Donna's house.' He then pouted the whole way home, I couldn't resist a picture....ain't he cute!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-04T09:42:00.003-05:00

Monday - Meatloaf and broccoli

Tuesday - Leadership meeting at church w/ dinner provided :)

Wednesday - Crockpot chicken, potatoes and veggies with biscuits

Thursday - Free meal vouchers at Chick-Fil-A :)

Friday - Tacos, rice and beans

Saturday - NOTHING PLANNED -- can you believe it -- since no events are planned I'll probably make some eggs and pancakes for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch and grill steaks w/ mashed potatoes for dinner.

Sunday - Potluck directly after church and Workshop that evening (w/ dinner) :)

** Lots of :) this week. Although I enjoy preparing meals for the family, it's nice not to have to on occasion. **

2008-08-01T15:13:00.003-05:00

Guess where we went Wednesday

The kids really enjoyed it, almost as much as I enjoyed watching them-watch the circus.

Cash was having such a great time jumping up and down and dancing I just couldn't stand the cuteness. Even the lady next to me watched him for a majority of the time.

During intermission we broke out the goodies. See those curious George toys on the trapeze-big hit (and straight from the .99 store-that's right we smuggled in our own goodies). I just can't bring myself to spend $20 on a light up wand or sword. We also brought our own glow sticks, ring pops and peanuts.

I tried my hardest to get a group shot with everyone looking but this is the closest we got out of about five shots.

Kaja went home to California the next morning, which Jasmine was sad about. But in another week Jasmine will be going there for a visit....without me.

Getting Wet

2008-07-31T15:10:00.004-05:00

Sunday after church we went to an Aquatic Center. We met some family up there and the kids had a really good time. We were there for a good amount of time, 1p - 5p. As we were pulling out of the parking lot Jas asked if we could go to another pool. I told her no, it was time to go home eat dinner and take baths before bedtime. She then looked at the temperature gage in my van and said, 'But it is 105 outside, we should be getting wet somewhere!' ~~so true, so true~~it is just dang hot here...

Cash finally going down the slide ALL BY HIMSELF...yippee!!

Jas and Kaja soaking up the rays

Wordless Wednesday: Searching for Popsicles (and we are NOT at our house)!

2008-07-30T09:43:00.002-05:00

**good thing our friend Traci loves my kids so much**

Planet Pizza Birthday Party

2008-07-29T11:02:00.006-05:00

Saturday was a fun fun day. It was so nice not to have to ride all the rides with the kids this year at Planet Pizza. I was just a spectator this year (yippee!). Cash is really starting to come out of his shell with trying new things, I just love watching them evolve.

Jas and Aunt Kathy on the roller coaster
Jas, Cash and Nessa
Kung Fu Panda masks were a hit

Cash was VERY interested in all of Charlie's gifts (a majority of them were Spiderman). After all the presents were opened and I told the kids to go play some more before we left he headed for the bucket with the gifts in it. He wanted to play with the good stuff!

Cash flying high

Jasmine and Kaja
Cash and Grandpa on the pirate ship
Jasmine and Noah
Uh-oh, I think there's going to be a dance off...

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-28T10:48:00.003-05:00

We had a busy busy weekend and planning our menu for the week is something I am just now getting around to...

Monday...since no meat is thawing I think we'll go easy Spaghetti and salad

Tuesday...Fajitas and refried beans

Wednesday...going to the CIRCUS

Thursday...Breaded chicken and rice

Friday...Steaks on the grill and potatoes

Saturday...Bday party and small group

Sunday...Potluck at church

Whew, now I feel a little better just having that out of the way.

Watch the Birdie - Take Two - Weekly Update

2008-07-26T13:33:00.000-05:00

They look pretty hungry to me...

I think the mama at the other nest is giving me the evil eye...

Indoor Playground

2008-07-24T13:25:00.003-05:00

Sunday evening I had something at church (at least I thought I did -- the date was changed and I didn't update my planner...oops). We arrived a little early and when no one else was there I told the kids they could play on a playground for a bit, to give everyone a chance to get there (or so I thought). Our church has two outdoor playgrounds and two indoor playground (yes, it is a very large church). I was so happy when they chose the newest indoor playground for two reasons 1. it was not outside in the 100 degree heat 2. the other indoor is an enclosed room with the tube type mazes you see at McDonald's and a little stuffy. They had lots of fun swimming and fishing (can you tell the theme of the playground). Here are some pics...

Wordless Wednesday: Why do all the strays end up on our property...and STAY??

2008-07-23T09:12:00.001-05:00

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-21T08:52:00.004-05:00

OK, so I've been participating in this (in my mind) for a while now and thought I'd finally start posting the information on my blog. Each weekend I roughly put together in my head what we will be having for dinner throughout the week. And I have to admit summer has thrown in an added challenge with swim lessons, VBS and trips to the Library.

Monday - Tacos, spanish rice and beans.

Tuesday - Turkey meatloaf muffins, mashed potatoes & salad - Will prepare the muffins on Monday and will peel potatoes and place in water in pot in the fridge. This way Joe can just put meatloafs in oven and potatoes on stove top when he gets home. Will also cook double portion of mashed potatoes to use with Fridays meal.

Wednesday - Chicken quesadillas with leftover rice and beans and salad.

Thursday - Chicken nuggets and french fries - This is one of our in&out nights. Going to girlfriends house for haircuts.

Friday - Chicken fried steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits.

Saturday - CRAZY - Bday party and Bday party!

Watch the Birdie - Take Two - Update

2008-07-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

Well, they've hatched. I took a picture, but it is really hard to make out what is what. They are actually kind of gross looking at this point. Let me know if you can make out what is in the picture. I'll try to get some better ones, but where the nest is I am stretching my arm up to shoot the picture and don't get to see what I am pointed at until after. I would have tried to get some better ones last night, but Joe was afraid I might get pecked in the head by a protective momma if I didn't stop taking pictures.

Wordless Wednesday: If You Pick Your Nose...Jesus Knows

2008-07-16T08:06:00.001-05:00

Shoes

2008-07-15T15:00:00.003-05:00

Last night while I was doing the dishes Jasmine brought in a pair of my heels and said 'Here, Momma, wear these and I'll wear the pink ones'. So there I am doing dishes in a pair of fabulous red heels (and my purple polka dot sleep pants :) ....what??? doesn't everybody do this...

Then later when I went into my closet I see she has been busier than I thought. I think I even saw Cash sporting a pair at one point in the evening (but don't tell Joe, he's a little touchy about that kind of thing).

Rude Awakening

2008-07-14T12:37:00.002-05:00

The other night, while we were tucked safely in our beds, having sweet sweet dreams, Joe and I were awakened by a loud noise about 3am. We both groggily looked at each other for a moment then 'BOOM'. We jump out of bed and I start to run to the other end of the house where the kids rooms are and Joe goes to the front door. As he opens the door he yells 'Call 911, it's on fire!'. So, naturally, my mind is going 90mph and I finally say 'WHAT????' (guys - this is my worst nightmare, when I was 5 I slept with a bag packed next to my bed so just in case there was a fire I would have some of my favorite things)...he then yells back 'the tractor, the neighbors tractor is on fire!'. I run to get my phone - which of course I could not find, so I dump out my purse, my bag and anything else I could possibly dump - after I call and am told the fire department has been dispatched I go to the front door. That is when I see this.....

This is about 20ft from the side of our house...just outside Jasmine's bedroom window!!!

Once I see the fire and where it is I go running back into the house and get Jasmine to put into our bed. It is by the grace of God that she was so exhausted from going to Vacation Bible School all week that she did not wake up during the explosions that jarred Joe and I on the opposite end of the house. I'm afraid if she would have awoke to this, she would never sleep in her room again (I know I wouldn't have at that age). After about 10 minutes - remember we live in the country, our fire department is volunteer and takes a little longer for them to respond - they showed up and put the fire out. Whew, I tell ya, sleep after that did not come easy. Had my heart pumping for the rest of the day. Here is the aftermath, I took this as I was leaving for work about 6:15a so it is kind of dark. By the time we got home that evening it was gone, already towed away.

Small Group Social

2008-07-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Our small group from Church got together recently for a swim party/cookout and had the best time. I had Joe pick a dessert out of the cookbook to take and he chose Chocolate Eclair Dessert....and let me tell ya....it was sooo yummy there wasn't a drop of it left. So good, I will definitely make again.

Here are the pics and recipe...

Again, a different child from a month ago.

She can't wait to go back to Uncle Duane's and jump off the pier

Cash, still not so sure
A majority of our group...some chose to be spectators and not swim
Cash did eventually put on a life jacket and go in the deeper end with me, but not for too long. That boy likes his feet on dry ground.
He climbed up into this swing by himself. Don't ask me how, it was pretty high.

And look what he found on the way to the car...

CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DESSERT

INGREDIENTS
2 individual packages graham crackers
2 (3 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
6 squares Baker's chocolate (I ended up using all 8 squares)

DIRECTIONS
Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Stir in whipped topping to pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding. Melt chocolate according to package directions and smooth on top. Refrigerate until serving.

Well That's Familiar

2008-07-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read a book and thought it sounded a little familiar?? I did recently.

Sad part is it wasn't until the middle of the first chapter that I caught on. And there was even a Prologue. Once I realized I had definitely read the book before I then had to decide if I wanted to reread it or get a new one. I opted for a new one. I generally get books from our church Library, but just happened to be taking the kids to our local one that night.

Please let me I am not alone on this....

Kotter Family Reunion 2008

2008-07-10T13:57:00.010-05:00

Over the weekend we had a family reunion with my father's family. Not only did we get to see family we hadn't seen in a few years, we were all together to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Can you imagine the changes she has seen in her life....anywho...we did lots of swimming, lots of eating and lots of catching up with family. Here are the pics.

FRIDAY

I'll tell ya, those swim lessons were money well spent. When we went camping in May Jasmine would not get in where she couldn't touch without hanging on to someone. Now she is out of control. First one in-last one out and doesn't want anything to do with Joe or I as far as help!

When I saw these two strutting down the sidewalk I pulled the camera out real quick. I know the picture is overexposed, but they looked so darn cute I couldn't help but sharing.

Waiting for fireworks -- I just love Cash and his cousin laying on their bellies in this pic.

The whole group...still waiting

Finally...

SATURDAY

Keeping the kids busy until lunchtime (big kids and little kids)Notice Jasmine is eating food off of Cash's plate.

The cake was delish

I don't know how well you can see, but Uncle Ken gave Cash about half of the ice cream carton with his cake...Cash didn't seem to mind though

Jasmine picked out these beautiful flowers for Grandma

Water balloons

And the infamous Kotter poker game. Happens every time two or more gather. They even wrangled Joe into a couple games on Sunday before we all headed out

(and I have never seen Joe play cards in the 10 years we've been together)
Me and my two grandmothers

Wordless Wednesday: 'Helping' Daddy Wash the Truck

2008-07-09T10:47:00.001-05:00

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T14:15:00.002-05:00

We had a really great 4th of July weekend visiting with family and friends. Still trying to catch up on the sleep and get the house back in order after being out of town for three days. I promise pictures soon to come.

Jasmine started VBS last night and had a really great time. But I'm not sure having it the week after a holiday weekend was the best plan. She was so tired after they let out at 8:30p, when I told her she was going back the next night she said 'I just want to stay home. I like it at home.' I agree, that's why I have nothing planned for Saturday....after two weekends in a row of family reunions I want to just stay home and chill!!!

Watch the Birdie - Take Two

2008-07-05T08:11:00.001-05:00

Looky looky...three more eggs in the nest!!

Jasmine is VERY excited.

School House Rock

2008-07-04T08:03:00.000-05:00

Remember School House Rock on Saturday mornings??

I loved singing those songs. Well, guess who else loves them....my kiddos. They pick this DVD a lot and just sit mesmerized in front of the TV while it's on. There are approximately 50 songs and all of us can be heard singing the songs long after the DVD is over.

Love it, great investment!!

That's All She Wrote

2008-07-03T10:27:00.003-05:00

Well, swim lessons have come to an end and the kids will definitely miss them. They had so much fun going and 'learning' how to swim. Jasmine did great, she is very comfortable in the water now and will move to Level 2 next year. Cash is still not sure about going any farther than his waist without clinging to someone, but at least he will go that far now. Here are some pictures from last night.

Jasmine sitting right next to the instructor.

You know I got my camera ready when he acted like he was going to go down the slide.

He eventually backed away from the slide.
They each were able to pick a prize out of the goody bucket -- Cash chose bubbles!

On the way to the pool last night Jasmine informed me she plans to be President when she grows up. And her first rule will be everyone has to nice to each other -- no fighting -- at all!

Oh and Cash said he was going to be a McDonald's :)

We are super busy this weekend starting tonight. Hope to have lots of pictures to post next week. Have a safe and happy 4th weekend!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Aloha

2008-07-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Bryant Family Reunion 2008

2008-06-30T15:33:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, we attended a family reunion Saturday and had a fabulous time. We visited with family, ate lots of good food and the kids had lots of fun playing with cousins. It's so awesome seeing a new generation come up and another batch of cousins who see each other once or twice a year playing like they see each other daily. The numbers were down a bit this year, but I believe we hit close to 60 in attendance by the end of the day.

We arrived early and had lots of down time before lunch.

How do you like that lay-up...
Joe (not so) patiently waiting to eat.
Chow time...
This is my immediate family.

Grandmother, her daughters (my mom), their children (me) and their children (my kids).
And after lunch the kids played on the playground outside.
Joe - always setting a good example for the little ones...NOT!!

And, as you can see, we were all very tired on the ride home!

Big Fat Bummer

2008-06-30T14:33:00.006-05:00

Over the weekend Jasmine was supposed to attend her first Church Camp. She has been talking about going since the beginning of the year when they started talking it up in her Worship time. Kindergarten and 1st grade attended Day Camp (Fri & Sat) at a local ranch. About Wednesday she told me her throat was a little sore so we took extra allergy meds and gargled with salt water....fast forward to Friday....I ask her Friday morning if she still wants to go 'oh yeah' no question, she is going....I drop her off at 8:30a...by 11a the nurse is calling me saying Jasmine has fever (this is the first fever). I pick her up and take her to the doctor and she has a severe sinus infection. I felt so sorry for her having to miss out, but she was ready to go. When I got there she said 'Momma, I don't want to be at camp anymore. I don't feel good.' We picked up antibiotics on the way home so she received two doses Friday and one Saturday morning and then there was no stopping her. We attended a Family Reunion Saturday and I kept having to make her stop and sit and rest for a moment.

Taylor's Treasures

2008-06-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

Some of you may wonder why the title Taylor's Treasures. When starting this blog, I meant it to be a journal somewhat of the kids and what they've been up to. It has been a great outlet for me and something I really miss when I am not around a computer. I love posting pictures of my Treasure's and reading other people's blogs. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

And speaking of my Treasure's here are some pictures from last Sunday before church...

Banana Nut Bread

2008-06-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

Do you ever end up with a couple of bananas that look like this???

I don't know what it is, but when I bring a bunch of bananas home the kids eat them like crazy for the first couple days...then nothing...no matter how hard I push for a banana snack or with their breakfast they want no part of it.

I found this super easy banana nut bread recipe on Weight Watchers a few years back and when we have those yucky brown bananas, I will make a couple loaves of bread. We will eat one right away and I freeze one.

Banana Nut Bread

1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup banana (2 overly ripe)
4 oz chopped pecans

Combine cake mix, egg & milk. Add bananas. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Pour into 2 greased pans.

350 for 40 - 45 minutes

That's it. So simple and very good and low-fat.

Outnumbered

2008-06-26T09:21:00.003-05:00

The other night we went to a friend's house for the kids to play. They had lots of fun and while Cash made himself at home with all the 'boy' toys (i.e. ninjas, Star Wars figurines, Hot Wheels, Spiderman cards....believe me -- he was in little boy Heaven!) Jasmine was outside playing with the boys. She wore a dress over there, but when they broke out the water guns I had her put on a t-shirt with the shorts she wore under her dress. At first she was having none of it, because then she wouldn't be as cute w/o the dress...(can you sense me shaking my head in despair?). I finally convinced her and at first one of the boys said him and Jasmine were on the same team cause their guns were the same. But it soon turned into boys vs. girls -- where Jasmine did more running than shooting. They really had fun and we ended the evening with ice cream sandwiches...YUM!

And the below picture was before we hit the main road, they were both ti-errd!!

Wordless Wednesday: Guess Who Found My Mary Kay Lipstick Samples

2008-06-25T08:28:00.002-05:00

Monday Meme (a day late)

2008-06-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

1.What is in the back of your car? Blanket, fold-up chair, Dirt Devil that plugs into lighter.

2.What color is your toothbrush? Pink

3.Name one person who made you smile today. Cash

4.What were you doing at 8:00 AM? Sitting at my desk at work.

5. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Checking work emails and printing out those that need to be handled first – I was out of the office in training yesterday.

6. What is your favorite candy? Dove Dark Chocolate Bar

7. What is the last thing your said aloud? “Mornin’”, to my boss who just arrived. (Notice I did not say Good in front of morning, it’s already been a long one)

8. What is the best ice cream flavor? Chocolate

9. What is the last thing you had to drink? Water

10 What are you wearing right now? Black pants, burgundy top, flip-flops (left my real shoes in the van -- hence one of the reasons today is not my favorite so far)

11. What is the last thing you ate? Half a cherry Pop-Tart

12. Have you bought any new clothes this week? No

13. When was the last time you ran? Couple months ago

14. What was the last sporting event you watched? Good question – honestly can not remember.

15. Ever go camping? Yes

16. Do you have a tan? Yes

17. Do you take vitamins daily? No

18. Do you go to church? Yes

19. Do you like Chinese food more than pizza? Yes, we're making Chinese Thursday night. I can't wait.

20. Do you drink your soda with a straw? I don’t drink soda.

21. Are you someone’s best friend? Yes

22. What are you doing tomorrow? Working then swim lessons for the kids.

23. Where is your dad? At home or at work – it’s a toss up with his job, never the same schedule.

24. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Sure

25. Do you have a maid service clean your home? I wish

26. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? No

27. What color is your car? Green-ish

28. How do you like your popcorn? Buttery

29. How did you get your worst scar? Burned my knee on the riding lawn mower last year.

30. Look to your left. What do you see? Downtown Dallas out my office window.

31. What color is your watch? Silver

32. What do you think of when you think of Australia? The movie Muriel’s Wedding.

33. Do you use chap stick? Yes, have a tube right next to my keyboard.

34. Do you have a dog? Yes

35. Last person you talked to on the phone? My boss

36. Have you met anyone famous? Do Hockey players count??

37. Any plans today? Denny’s for dinner, one just opened in our small town and kids eat FREE on Tuesday.

38. How many states have you lived in? Two states, two countries. Texas and New York. US and Canada.

39. Do you dye your hair? Yes

40. Do you like cats? Yes, but I prefer dogs.

Missed It By THAT Much

2008-06-20T08:41:00.003-05:00

Get the Get Smart reference in the title?? I remember watching that show when I was young, I really loved it and got to stay up late during the summer with my mom. Good memories.

Anyways, back to this post....there is nothing worse than walking to your bus stop, reaching the corner and seeing this. Ughhh!! So frustrating. I'm a pretty laid back person, but have a very full calendar. So, depending on what we have going that night, I might chance sprinting and waving my hands to have the driver stop....but mostly I just wait it out for the next one. Luckily the bus I take is an Express that goes straight from Downtown Dallas to a park and ride station that is very popular, so a bus usually comes along every 10-15 minutes in the afternoons. I know what your thinking, why don't you just leave for the bus stop earlier. You would think that'd be the answer, but apparently my computer gives off a signal as I shut it down and that is when everyone realizes they have a question or a problem they would like me to help them with. I used to feel compelled to hear them out, but recently I've learned to say 'Send me an email or see me tomorrow, I have a bus to catch' and just keep walking.

A New Look

2008-06-19T10:22:00.002-05:00

I thought I would change it up a bit for the summer. How do you like?

Free template courtesy of http://www.suckmylolly.com/ , check out her design gallery!

Wordless Wednesday: A Storm Blew Threw Yesterday

2008-06-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

2008-06-17T09:09:00.013-05:00

See this....

...this is exactly how he was positioned in my belly.

At any given time I could feel those knees poking out.

Is It Monday Already?

2008-06-16T13:20:00.006-05:00

Our weekend was full, but relaxing at the same time. I was able to read quite a bit between activites, which is something I love to do. Joe can watch movies all day long, (and on some days I can too) but I prefer sitting in a comfy chair with my legs up reading a book....or on our porch, I love to sit on the porch and read...and sometimes I even lay on the trampoline (when the kid's aren't on it, of course)...anyways, I think you get the point. I was able to read quite a bit this weekend and that was COOL!

We also had other stuff going on...

Friday on my way home from work I picked up a friend of Jasmine's for a sleepover. They played dress up and watched movies and played Barbie's and pretty much had a wonderful time...

We also made cupcakes.

Funny-every time we have someone over for a sleepover they ask when we are going to bake and what are we making. It is just a given. I often wonder if they think it is something we do every night.

**doesn't everyone's mixer come with three beaters?**

NO?? That's OK, just dip one of the other attachments into the batter so everyone has one to lick!!

Don't forget the sprinkles, must always have sprinkles!!

Saturday we had planned on going to the real water park, but it rained really hard in the morning. Finally, the sun came out so we went to the local park for the kid's to play in the water later that afternoon.

On the way home from the park we stopped for super yummy snow cones, picked Joe up and headed to our friends house.

Thanks to hand me downs Jasmine had this outfit in two sizes and gave her friend the smaller one. I thought they looked ADORABLE!!

Our friends made the most yummy kabobs on the grill -- with beef, chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, onions, peppers and pineapple -- I ate way too much!!

They also have the video game ROCK BAND

Sunday after church we went to lunch at Gram's where I made a new recipe that ROCKED!!

Sopapilla Cheesecake -- so good and easy.

And that evening for Father's Day we made steaks and barbecue grilled asparagus on the grill.

Another one of my favorites.

Today Jasmine started a new summer program and I am anxious to pick her up to see how she likes it. They have fun activities planned throughout the summer and she is very excited.

Girl's Night Out

2008-06-13T09:41:00.002-05:00

~ ~ Girl's Night ~ ~

Last night the girl's from our small group went out to a FREE concert in the park -- and left the kids home with the men. I have to say, we had a fabulous time. Only three of us could make it last night and we were almost giddy getting out of the house without the kids.
So much fun, hope to do it again soon!!

Breaking Free...

2008-06-12T10:09:00.002-05:00

Guess who got loose again....

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-11T10:26:00.004-05:00

This week the kids started swim lessons. Monday it stormed here in the evening, but had died down by the time for swim lessons (I called the pool to verify they were having them before wasting my precious gas driving out there). They were still on - so out we went. The kids were so excited, but COLD! In with the rain came a cold front (at least for Texas) and the temperature dropped to about 70.

When it was time for classes to start they came out and called the names in Jasmine's class and they headed to the pool. Next they came and called the names for Cash's class. As they headed into the pool all the moms of the little ones followed...until we were told we needed to wait outside of the pool area. I was OK with it, but wasn't sure how Cash would handle it. He's still not too sure about swimming alone. He stayed with the group and didn't worry about where mommy was (too much).

Here he is looking for me, but I am outside the fence

He was happy there was a boy teacher too. He wasn't too excited about getting into the water to play ring around the rosy at first so one of the instructors stayed back with the ones not ready to dive in. He eventually decided playing with the others would be more fun and moved on.

Jasmine did great, she was ready to go from the start.

At the end of class they got to go down the frog slide.
Cash's class is only 30 minutes while Jasmine is 45.

So after his class was over he got to play on the playground outside of the pool area.

And I thought this was very cool, the playground has a wheelchair ramp. I had never seen that before.

We Just Keep on Truckin'

2008-06-10T12:16:00.007-05:00

Another jam packed weekend for our house. By Sunday evening, we were all ti-red!

After when I picked the kids up we went to the new water area I mentioned last week. The whole park is not completed yet (meaning a partial playground and no bathrooms...yikes), but we had fun with what was there.

Saturday I was up at the crack of dawn and went grocery shopping (since the rest of our weekend was spoken for). After I returned and finished putting up groceries...and baking a cake for our evening commitment...we hit the road.

First stop was a birthday party for my nephew Luke.

Wait -- back-up -- on the way to the party Jasmine called her cousin/best friend Kaja who has moved to California. They are so cute when they get on the phone...I just had to snap a picture.
OK -- back to the party.

WOW, what a place...go-karts, bumper boats, arcade, laser tag, miniature golf and best of all (according to Cash) Spiderman!!

Cash was like a stalker when Spiderman was walking around. That was all he could focus on, didn't want to have anything to do with games or rides...here are just a few shots

Once Spiderman finally went away, we were able to get down to business.

First was game time, each kid got a cup full of tokens.

After games was pizza, cake and presents...blah blah blah

Then to the good stuff....well miniature golf anyways...which my kid's bored with real quick

Now, we get really get to the good stuff....GO KARTS!! We had so much fun!!

Jasmine rode with me and Cash rode with Grandpa John...Yeehaw!

After go-karts was bumper boats, which was quite refreshing in the heat.
We all walked away good and WET!

This adventure took a little longer than I anticipated and we had thirty minutes from the time we got home until we needed to be out the door. During this time I assembled the cake I had baked in the morning.

**tip--if you live in Texas--when you frost your cake with Cool Whip, it is liable to melt on the way to where you are going -- even if your commute is only 15 minutes :(

Oh well, cake was still yummy. After baking you poke holes in the cakes and pour Jell-O over them then put them in the fridge for three hours so it can Jell. I also put a layer of strawberries in between the two layers.

We spent the evening with our small group from Sunday School and had a great time.

Sunday after Church one of the couples asked if we wanted to meet them at the water park after lunch, but I just wasn't up to it. A girl has gotta rest sometimes!! After a lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup, I totally vegged out....at least for a few hours. That evening we had Orientation for Jasmine's Church day-camp she will be going to the end of June.

That's it, that's all she wrote....I was completely pooped and went straight to bed when we got home. Until I saw lights driving down our driveway....only they didn't stop at the house, they kept going out into our pasture. I woke Joe up and we both ran outside...turns out one of the neighbors horses had busted loose and thought our grass had more to offer than his. So our neighbor is driving his truck around in the back 40 trying to chase the horse down with only his headlights as guidance. Joe and I went back into the house and watched out the back window with amusement for awhile, then headed off to bed.

Fun at the Library

2008-06-06T08:40:00.003-05:00

Is anyone else constantly in search of something 'fun' for their kids to do. My kids get up in the morning and ask 'Where are we going today?' or 'What are going to do?' . With this being the first week of summer I tried to think of something to do when I picked the kids up. Jasmine love love loved going to the library each week at school, I decided to try out our tiny local library. So I pick up the kids and we head 'downtown'. When I get to the Library, the sign says Museum -- what the heck?? I see a girl on the street and asked her about it, she informs me it has moved to the old Church (just a few blocks away). We drive the few blocks to the NEW and improved Library...very excited. Even better, when we get there they ask if are there to sign up for the summer reading program...of course we are!! In the next building we fill out entries and they have hot dogs, chips, cookies, face painting and balloon artists....this was a major score (excuse me while I pat myself on the back for deciding to go Thursday instead of Wednesday).

OK, I'm back

After the kids ate and got their goodies we headed back to the Library to pick out books. The new place has a great kids area. And with the reading program, for every 10 books they read (or I read to them) they earn prizes. We are very excited about this, especially since we read anywhere from 2-5 books before bed each night....lots of prizes. Jasmine saw lots of kids she knew from school and church and had to go say hi and give hugs to every single one of them. Cash even found a friend from his daycare. They had a GREAT time and can't wait to go back. And I'm just excited I found another FREE place to take the kids.

BTW - Did I mention our small town got one of the FREE water areas in the downtown park?? Me might go there tonight...

Here are some pictures of the Library outing...

Jasmine has a sucker

Cash has a Superman emblem

Jason Castro Night

2008-06-05T11:19:00.004-05:00

Last week our neighbor town (Jason's hometown) had a Jason Castro night where there was to be a small parade that ended at the Harbor, (lakefront area in town) and Jason was to sing a few songs. I believe he was scheduled to start singing around 7p. On my way home I have to drive over the bridge and through this town. Not putting two and two together, as I approach the bridge I begin to wonder what all the traffic is for -- mind you, this is approx 4:30p, a good hour and a half before he was suppose to be there -- as I get to the end of the bridge I see this. Oh, I am so glad we didn't try to go. What a nightmare trying to keep up w/ the kids in that big mess of people!!