A Great Moment

I found these pictures in my computer the other day and was reminded of what a wonderful trip to Disneyland we took the summer of 2008. Spencer was so young. He enjoyed looking at the photos and told me that he only remembered part of what had happened; funny how the memory works, huh?

Jayden

Ok- here are the latest pictures of Jayden. She has "filled out" nicely and now sports the oh so adorable baby rolls. Her smiles light up our house and we know we are truly blessed. She giggles at my silliness when I sing to her and she loves it when Spencer reads her stories and when Daddy tickles & kisses her.

Pretty Sparkles

Raquel Castillo is one of my favorite jewelry designers. She takes beautiful remnants from vintage costume jewelry and makes gorgeous whimsical pieces. I desperately want to buy one of her creations but alas, I have no money for splurges like that. Instead I just browse through her shop on etsy.com and fall in love with jewelry that is destined to grace someone else's neck or wrist. Oh well, maybe I'll splurge on a pair of her earrings instead.

Great Recipe

I made this recipe, brussels sprout hash with eggs, for dinner tonight and the boys and I loved it. It is yummy, healthy, and filling. I found the recipe on heatherchristo.com. I wish I would have remembered to get a picture but instead, above is the picture of her success. If you like brussels sprouts, you'll enjoy this recipe. (I added garlic powder and kosher salt to the shredded brussels sprouts as well as to the onions as I was cooking them and I only used 1 tbsp of oil when cooking the sprouts, I didn't need it for the onions). Enjoy!

Daycare

Ok, any working mom with a new baby knows that finding a good daycare can be a challenge. I started looking when I found out I was pregnant and after 5 months on a waiting list, we finally got a place at the daycare we wanted and filled out the paperwork, paid the deposit, and felt good... until I plugged in the numbers for our 2011 budget. Ouch. Mindy mentioned the daycare she will be using (when their little guy comes) doesn't require teachers to pay for the summer and is flexible on days. After numerous phone conversations and a few visits, I finally got the paperwork done for Jayden to go to that daycare instead. It will save us $3000 dollars over the first choice daycare and the services provided are still totally awesome. I wish I could stay at home with Jayden for at least the first few years but that isn't going to work out for us so instead I will enjoy the next month of having her with me and then, come February, deal with missing her as I go back to work. Sniffle. I think I'll also make myself some tea and watch a sad movie this afternoon so that I have an excuse for the crying that is bound to take place.

List

I have about a month left of maternity leave and while I plan to spend most of that time cherishing my little angel, Jayden, I also would like to have my house in shape before I head back to work. Here is the list of tasks I would like o tackle:

• clean & organize the kitchen
• fix up the office/craft room
• organize bedrooms
• thoroughly clean the house
• paint Jayden's room & dresser
• get rid of trash in the garage & clear spots for parking (this is Steen's #1 choice)

I'll let you know how it goes and maybe post some pictures of the finished product. :) Happy January.

Sweat 1

I worked out hard and lifted for the first time in months today. Ouch. My fanny hurts as do numerous other portions of my anatomy, however, I have decided that it is time to lose the extra weight. Sure, looking great in cloths will be an added benefit but the reality is that I want to be healthy so that I can play with my kids and enjoy it. I am enrolling in Weight Watchers this week and will continue to workout with weights as well as doing cardio. Woohoo!

Oh, this is not a New Year resolution, I just wasn't cleared by the surgeon to start any earlier so this is the first opportunity for the working out part. :)

Low Key

For our New Year celebration this year we hung out with the Cramers. Piper was adorable and she and Spence had a blast playing while Jayden snoozed away the turning of the year. When Steen got off work we played Spades and snacked on junk food. We all reminisced about previous New Year celebrations and the way our lives have changed in the last few years. It was a fun and relaxing evening topped off with a yummy breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes this morning. I hope you all had a great night and that 2011 is a great year for all of you.