Sunflower Living - Our Home on the Range

Baby Knowles is a...

2012-02-08T21:25:00.000-06:00

GIRL!

We found out right before my birthday that we are expecting a little girl.

I had no instinct as to what gender the baby may be. The pregnancy has been very different from Ethan's, but I felt our family history of all boys probably outweighed everything else. Some of the different symptoms with this little girl have been breakouts, all day nausea, throwing up, and just feeling icky/sick most of the time. With my boy, my skin never looked better, I threw up occasionally but didn't feel sick, and I loved being pregnant. I finally started feeling better at around 22 weeks this time around. Now pregnancy is getting to be a little bit more fun and enjoyable.

With Ethan, my biggest cravings were Sour Patch Kids, Sugar Babies, and Ketchup/Mayo combo on hamburgers or french fries. This time I'm loving lemon anything, donuts and pastries. There is a lemon danish at our local bakery that I could eat every.single.day.

When the ultrasound tech told us we were expecting a girl, Jim and I couldn't stop giggling. The giggling and disbelief lasted for a couple of days. We have nephews on both sides of our family, but no little girls, so we figured we were destined to have boys. This will be the first granddaughter for both sets of our parents. We have a feeling this little one will have her grandpa's wrapped around her fingers.

Right now, I'm overwhelmed at all the things I need to learn about with a little girl. Like what the heck is a "ruffle butt" or "baby legs" and do I need them? Baby trends have changed a lot since Ethan was born and I feel like I'm starting over from scratch. As far as baby gear, we'll reuse Ethan's baby furniture, but will obviously need to get a new wardrobe for little Miss. Knowles. We'll also need to replace our car seat and travel system since they have long expired since Ethan was a baby. That's what we get for having so many years between our little ones. Oh well...looking at the bright side of good excuses to shop. And, of course, little girl items are so cute!

Christmas Recap...2 months late

2012-02-08T20:57:00.002-06:00

I've been a total slacker to this blog lately. So I'm recapping Christmas by just posting a few pictures. It seems silly to post them now, so late and untimely, but I like having the family record that this blog provides so I've decided to post them anyway.

Ethan's stack of presents at Papa & Grandma Knowles' home on Christmas Eve.

Transformer from Papa & Grandma Knowles.

Santa brought a Transformer, too!

Biggest hits on Christmas Day - Angry Birds game and Hot Wheels track.

My Christmas gift from Jim - a new glider for the baby. It is so comfortable!

Gingerbread House Party

2011-12-30T06:28:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month, Ethan hosted a Christmas party for his friends from daycare.

We started off the party with hot chocolate and sugar cookies. Following our snack, we played Pin the Red Nose on Rudolph.

The main event was decorating candy houses that I assembled the day before out of graham crackers.

Each child received an apron that they could take home and got to work on their creations.

I wrapped each house up in a cellophane bag so the kids could take home their candy cottages.

The party was a success and I was so thankful to my Mom and good friend/fellow mommy, Samantha, for helping with the house assembly. Their extra sets of hands came in very useful for piping on frosting and holding on candy to dry.

Thanksgiving Family Pictures & Recap

2011-12-13T14:12:00.001-06:00

I loved Thanksgiving this year! I had an excuse to eat for two and wore elastic waist pants with no shame. I may wear elastic waist pants every year, pregnant or not, going forward.

When we arrived at my parent's home for dinner, I grabbed my nephew and made him take some quick pictures of my little family in the backyard. I can't remember the last time we had a picture with all three of us in it at the same time. (Actually, I guess it's all four of us ---> check out that baby bump below.)

For being quick pictures taken on my cheap camera by a 16 year old, I think they turned out great!

During the day, I spent lots of time in the kitchen preparing for the big meal. I made dinner rolls, chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie, a relish tray, and sweet potato gratin.

I made Bobby Flay's Sweet Potato Chipotle Gratin by popular demand. The recipe only has three ingredients but has such a depth of flavor and has a "wow" factor presentation. The recipe is from my Mesa Grill cookbook by Bobby Flay but you can find the recipe online on Food Network.

I tried a new recipe for dessert this year. It was also from Food Network and is Sunny Anderson's Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie. The pie had a very creamy texture that was a mix between cheesecake and traditional pumpkin pie. I found the recipe on Pinterest and am so glad that I tried it even though I'm not a huge fan of hazelnut. Several people commented to me that it was the best pumpkin pie they had ever tasted. It will likely become my go-to recipe for pumpkin pie in the future.

Food photos from foodnetwork.com. I was so busy running around on Thanksgiving that I completely forgot to take any pictures.

Baby #2 is on its' way!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving day seems like the perfect day to say that Baby Knowles is coming in May. Yep, the turkey isn't the only thing in the oven today.

We are so thankful for this addition to our family. I shared my struggles with infertility and being diagnosed with PCOS back in this post but will share some more information below since it's something a lot of people have had questions about. It's been a long journey, but I am now in my fourth month and ready to share with the world. If you aren't interested in all the talk about infertility treatments, and I don't blame you one bit, you can skip ahead to the pregnancy section below.

Fertility Treatments

(Please remember, this is just what I did and what worked for me. I'm not recommending this regimen or medication to anyone. My only advice would be to find a reproductive endocrinologist that you are comfortable with and that takes the time to listen to you and devises a plan that is customized to your specific goals and how far you are willing to go during treatment.)

We have been trying for a second child for about three years. Within those years, we have taken some breaks while dealing with career changes, emotional drain and other events that arise in a family that required our focus and energy.

My first step in seeking medical treatment was to see my regular OB in Hays. I was prescribed a drug called Clomid that is supposed to make your body ovulate. Due to my PCOS, I do not ovulate regularly, if at all. Unfortunately, my body did not respond to the Clomid. After trying various dose strengths, it was clear this drug was not working for me.

I was referred to the Center of Reproductive Medicine in Wichita, KS. This clinic is wonderful and I couldn't recommend Dr. Tjaden and his support staff more. His nurses took amazing care of me. However, going to Wichita was a draining experience. Wichita is about a four hour drive from Phillipsburg. With all the monitoring that needs to be done under fertility treatments, and at short notice, I was sometimes making the drive back and forth from Wichita every other day. Often my appointments would have to be first thing in the morning, which meant the additional expense of hotel accommodations on top of the gas, meals, etc. Our insurance also didn't cover any fertility testing or treatments, so all appointments, lab work, ultrasounds, medications, etc. were out of pocket. It's impossible to put a price on the blessing of a baby, but boy, the price of getting pregnant with this one is staggering.

Under the care of the Center of Reproductive Medicine, we finally were able to find a combination of medications that worked for me and that my body responded to. It took a lot of different testing, trials and errors to find the right combination and regime and it wasn't a quick or easy process.

I took a drug called Femara, which is similar to Clomid, and is designed to make your body gear up to ovulate.

After about a week on the Femara, I started injections of Gonal-F. I had to give myself the injections into my stomach every night. During this entire time, I was being monitored in Wichita every other day with internal ultrasounds to see how many follicles were developing in my ovaries and how many looked like they would mature and release. I didn't want to become the next Octo-Mom!

Once I had enough mature follicles within the preferred size range, I took an injection of a medication called Ovidrel that would force my ovaries to release the mature egg(s). After the final injection, I took Prometrium during the two week wait to help optimize the conditions of my body for hopeful implantation.

I was very excited when test day came and I got a positive pregnancy test. After several years and too many negative tests to count, seeing a positive was almost unbelievable. I thought about telling Jim in some creative way, but I couldn't keep it a secret the moment I saw him.

Pregnancy

This is from my first ultrasound, taken at 6 weeks. Doesn't it look like a profile of a gummy bear?

Morning sickness, or all day sickness, and exhaustion took their toll during the first trimester. I was actually in the hospital for dehydration at one point because I just couldn't keep anything down. I was also traveling all over the place for work during this time, like my trip to Savannah, and I'm sure I was a walking zombie during a lot of that time.

Glamourous bathroom self portrait of my belly at 8 weeks. A little bloat making its' appearance.

We told Ethan he was going to be a big brother the day before Halloween. We waited to tell him until we felt we were in the clear and ready for everyone to know. We purchased the books below and explained to him that we bought them to help teach him about the new baby and that he was going to be a big brother.

Ethan is very excited about being a big brother and is currently hoping it is a little sister.

Halloween Day

The second trimester brought with it more energy and less constant nausea and throwing up. I still get sick occasionally in the evenings, but nothing to complain about. Here's a picture of my bump from yesterday in my office.

I can't believe how much quicker I am showing the second time around - crazy!

Again, I have so much to be thankful for today. Plus, I get to wear elastic pants and have an excuse to "eat for two" today. Pass the pumpkin pie!

Savannah Marketing Conference

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I headed to Savannah for the first time. I went as a representative for the advertising agency I work for at the Caterpillar North American Marketing Conference.

The hotel we stayed at was beautiful and located right on the water. It also has a luxurious spa and I was thrilled when my company treated me to an hour long massage.

On top of the spa, there were lots of other amenities that made the stay enjoyable. There were warm chocolate chip cookies in the lobby and a Bloody Mary bar in the afternoons. In the evenings, the patio area would have fire pits lit and made for a great place to relax with a couple of drinks after a long day of client meetings.

I took advantage of the running maps they provided on two occasions during my trip. It was beautiful to run along the river front and watch the large cargo boats coming into harbor.

In order to get to the Savannah River Walk/Town, you had to take a water taxi from the hotel.

Our first night, we headed to the River Front to find some food. We lucked out when we went to a little hole in the wall bar and were amazed at the high quality of the menu. (sorry for the dark picture) Jumbo crab legs dipped in butter? Yes, please!

After filling our bellies, we went to the Dueling Piano Bar - Savannah Smiles to check out the location and musicians. We would be hosting a party here in a couple of days and wanted to make sure everything was set for our big night.

Required, over processed party picture.

Following our fun night out, it was time to get to work. We worked at our booth in the vendor expo all day for the next two days and enjoyed getting to visit with clients that we usually only get to talk to over the phone.

On the first day, they unveiled the new Caterpillar Nascar vehicle. I had to take a picture for Ethan.

On Monday night, we were treated to a dinner by the event organizers. The evening started with a ferry boat cruise with passed appetizers and drinks. The drinks were great but the appetizers were cold and only two options were available that I ever saw.

We existed the boat the historic Fort Jackson, which was built in 1776. Can you see the white tent in the background? That is where they had an oyster bar set up. Inside the fort, they had banquet tables set up and we enjoyed a dinner buffet of traditional Southern foods.

They had re-enactment soldiers for entertainment that played fiddles, banjos and also fired the cannons. I'm sure Jim would have loved to see the cannons in action. I was amazed at how long it took them to prep the cannons before firing and how much black smoke was produced.

These would be my co-workers/bosses posing with some of the soldiers. Needless to say, we were having a great time!

I found a few hours during the last day to sneak away to explore the Savannah River Walk district. This would be Paula Dean's restaurant, The Lady and Sons. (I was disappointed that I had just eaten and didn't know that I was going to be able to head over, otherwise I would have skipped the provided meal for something that I'm sure was much better in town.)

Walking the streets was very difficult. You definitely need flat shoes in Savannah. The cobblestone is very rough and several people reported tripping and really scraping themselves up during the evening outings.

The stair cases between the different street levels are also very steep and rickety. (You can kind of see one in the shadows of this picture.)

For our last night, we hosted the evening's activities with an open bar, buffet dinner and entertainment from the Dueling Piano bar that we had gone to earlier. The food was amazing (we had it catered in, not provided by the bar) and far surpassed our expectations.

Here I am with a couple of my coworkers on the water taxi on the way over to our party. Following this, pictures are not being posted to protect the innocent. ;)

After a very late night, we headed to the airport in the a.m. and I was very ready to be back home. I arrived just in time to tuck my birthday boy, who turned 5 that day, into bed.

Chocolate Cream Pie

2011-10-24T17:30:00.000-05:00

The other day, on Facebook, I updated my status that I was craving a piece of my Aunt Libby's famous cream pies.

Soon, many people from my family were chiming in with their own desire to also have a piece of her cream pie.

My cousin, Jonathan, who is my Aunt Libby's son, responded to my craving post by posting a picture of the pie Aunt Libby had made for him that day. What a ~~jerk~~ tease!

The craving did not go away and I decided that it was time to take matters into my own hands since driving 10 hours to visit my Aunt Libby wasn't going to happen anytime in the near future. I decided to make my first ever cream pie.

I found this recipe for "Grandma's Chocolate Pie" by the Homesick Texan and it looked like a winner. (I also used the crust recipe that is linked from this post.)

I was surprised at how easy the crust was to make and how quickly it all came together. I usually shy away from pies because the crust intimidates me but this helped build my confidence a bit.

It was delicious! I happily shared some with my Dad, who is just as big of cream pie fan as I am.

Funny Side Story:

When I was probably about 5 years old, my Aunt Libby hosted Thanksgiving at her home. The adults all sat in the formal dining room and us cousins sat in the kitchen at the breakfast nook. The counter was lined up with all kinds of various pies - pumpkin, pecan, apple and various cream pies. My family takes dessert very seriously. While the adults were in the other room eating their main course, I ate the very center out of every pie with my fingers. I wanted to see what kind they were.

I'm pretty sure that I would be tempted to do the same thing today.

5th Birthday Celebration

2011-10-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

Ethan turned five years old on Oct. 5th. I can't believe how quickly he has grown. To me, five just seems like such a big boy. Officially out of the toddler ranks and completely in the little boy category. Luckily for me, he still wants to cuddle up with his mommy and I'll happily share cuddles and bedtime stories with him as long as he'll let me.

Ethan chose to have a Construction Vehicle theme this year for his party. We decorated all the tables with various construction vehicle toys and invited our immediate family over for cake and ice cream.

I made Ethan's cake and was pleased with how it turned out. Ethan advised me on what colors to choose for the lights and where they should be placed since he is much more knowledgable than I am when it comes to bulldozers. He also loved eating the chocolate rocks and dirt.

Since the large chocolate donuts I used for the back tires only came in packages of 12, I placed some of the extras on plate with a "Spare Tires" sign.

Birthday boy turned shy when it came time to sing "Happy Birthday" and blow out the candles.

A happy birthday boy!

After eating cake and ice cream, it was finally time for presents. Since his birthday had been four days earlier than his party, it had been hard to wait. (Of course, we'd given him our presents on his actual birthday so he wasn't that deprived.)

Happy birthday my dearest baby boy! I have loved being your mommy and you make me and Daddy so proud...and laughing all the time with your silly games and looks with your mischievous eyes. I love you more than you will ever be able to comprehend.

Reminiscing Photos

2011-09-27T17:30:00.000-05:00

Ethan is starting to think about Halloween and what he wants to dress up as this year. So far, we are completely stumped. I showed him pictures last night of his previous Halloween costumes. It was fun to travel down memory lane with him.

My little pumpkin at about 3 weeks old.

Puppy - my personal favorite. His favorite toy at this age was a stuffed Dalmatian and this costume was just too perfect.

Mater from the movie Cars.

Idolizing his Daddy.

It's going to be hard to top some of these adorable looks from previous years, but we're up to the challenge.

PCOS Awareness and My Story

2011-09-23T17:30:00.002-05:00

September is PCOS Awareness month. Since I have been diagnosed with PCOS, and had no clue what is was before my diagnosis, I thought I would share it on my blog. Warning, things are going to get personal and probably TMI, so stop reading now if you are uneasy talking about womanly issues.

If you don't know what PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is, here is a description:

Often called the “Thief of Womanhood”, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) affects as many as 10% of women. It can rob you of your fertility, cause irregular periods, lead to insulin resistance and obesity, as well as, depression. High levels of androgen hormones in women with PCOS can cause acne, excess facial and body hair growth and male-pattern hair loss. The long term risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers are higher if PCOS is left untreated. (source: PCOS Diva)

I have always had many of the symptoms, but never knew there was a root cause. I have had to battle heavy periods, 60-90 day cycles, and work very hard to maintain my weight due to the insulin resistance and a low thyroid. The insulin resistance affects my blood sugar when eating and also makes me have uncontrollable sugar and carb cravings...all.the.time.

The worst side effect for me has been dealing with adult acne. The older I get, the worse it seems to be getting. The other thing that has been getting worse is my PMS symptoms. Jim could testify to my extreme moodiness and irritability that can last weeks due to my long cycles. Not fun for me or anyone that has to put up with me.

I found out that I had PCOS after I started seeing a Reproductive Endocrinologist when we decided to try for another child and found that we were having issues.

It turns out that I do not ovulate...hence the very long cycles. My body will gear up to ovulate and then the follicles will turn into cysts instead of releasing an egg. The build up of these cysts in the ovaries can be pretty darn painful.

Some of the treatments for PCOS to reduce the symptoms include weight loss, low carb diets, Metformin (which has traditionally been used to treat diabetes), and birth control pills. Unfortunately, there is no cure for PCOS but these are things that can help with managing the symptoms.

For myself, I have been through many, many rounds of oral medications to try and get my body to properly make mature follicles and then using a "trigger shot" to get the egg to release. Unfortunately, my body completely refuses to respond to oral stimulation medications.

The next step that I took was to give myself injections of Gonal-F. These injections of hormones do appear to be getting a better response from my body. Now we're at the point of trying to determine what dose works most effectively for my body.

Being diagnosed with PCOS and infertility was heart breaking at first. I always imagined that I would have a handful of children. Now, I'm very thankful for Ethan and thankful for the team of specialists in Wichita that work with me and encourage me through the process of fertility treatments.

Alright...I warned you that it was going to get personal and TMI on here so no complaining.

Pintrest has my Interest

2011-09-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Pintrest yet?

Pintrest is an online tool that you use to tag photos of ideas you see on websites and those photos are posted to your online bulletin boards and linked to their original source for future reference. It's basically a visual bookmarking tool. You can also connect to your friends and follow their boards to see what ideas they are pinning. I love browsing what other people are pinning and repinning those clever ideas onto my boards for future reference.

I started out primarily pinning recipes and house decorating ideas but I've expanded my categories as I have continued to be inspired.

Here are few of my favorite "Pins" from a couple of my various categories:

Health & Fitness

(I like to post motivation and healthy recipes on this board.)

Kiddo

(Crafts & lots of ideas for Preschool snacks)

Home Decor Inspiration

Fashion

(Hairstyle tutorials, outfit ideas, my shopping wish list.)

Recipes

(My most utilized boards. I finally separated them out into savory and sweet categories.)

Birthday Party Planning

(Gathering lots of ideas for celebrating Ethan's big 5th birthday!)

Pintrest is a total time-suck for me. I get lost browsing all the ideas and inspirations. It's a great site to play around on when you are needing to waste time and it also helps keep me organized with the recipes I'm wanting to try, kid activities I'm planning, etc.

If you would like to view my pins or connect, my Pintrest profile is: http://pinterest.com/t_knowles

Happy Pinning!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

Ethan started his second year of Preschool last month. He was excited to go back to school and to reunite with all of his friends. Such a big boy.

Friendship Reunion

2011-08-11T17:30:00.004-05:00

Our little town swells in size during the Kansas' Biggest Rodeo event that takes place every year. More than the rodeo, I look forward to reuniting with friends that travel back home for the event.

This past Saturday, I hosted my best friends from childhood and their daughters at my home for lunch. It was so much fun to get to reconnect while our kiddos played.

(I really need to start using my real camera and not my camera phone. The quality of these photos make me sad. :( )

The kids had a great time playing, even if Cami (on the left) doesn't appear to want anything to do with the other kids. It made my heart soar to see the 2nd generation of, what I hope can be, life-long friendships being made. These mamas and their little ones are like family to me.

We've been friends for as long as I can remember. These women have played a vital role in my life.

From childhood to those dramatic teenage years:

Through the college years and our budding romances with our soon to be spouses:

Through 4 weddings within 8 months of each other:

And now through the beginning of parenthood and discovering together of all the joys and challenges that come with being a mother.

There's just something about friendships that have spanned through so many years and so many milestones. I think it ties to the fact that they already know your back story, your faults, and your strengths. There's no use in pretending to be someone you're not or needing to explain your quirks...they already know.

I can't wait until our next little reunion!

Drinking My Spinach

2011-08-10T17:30:00.007-05:00

If you follow any of the popular healthy living or fitness blogs, you have probably already heard of Green Smoothies. I'm not inventing anything new here.

However, must people in my circles have not heard of incorporating spinach into smoothies and look at me like I've lost my marbles when I start talking about drinking a "green monster" and raving about the taste and how they make me feel. (or when I mention making spinach pancakes but I've already told you about those.)

I crave these smoothies, especially after a hot run. It's amazing how our bodies tell us what they need. (Of course, my stomach is usually screaming over the spinach cravings and telling my body that what it really needs is s'mores.)

I have a few favorite versions but the one I am going to share with you today is my go-to default mix.

In the mix: Unsweetened Almond Milk (less calories than skim milk), 1-2 Large Handfuls of Spinach, 1/2 Frozen Banana (makes it thick and creamy textured like a milkshake). This is the base to every smoothie that I make.

Today I added cocoa powder and a spoonful of peanut butter. I can't get enough of the chocolate/peanut butter flavor combo.

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and enjoy! I promise that it won't taste like spinach at all! You'll get your nutrients and vegetables in a yummy, thick chocolate treat.

My son also loves these. We like to experiment with different frozen fruit combinations and Ethan really likes banana and pineapple green smoothies as a refreshing treat on hot summer days.

If you are looking for additional green smoothie recipes, here are some from bloggers that originally gave me the idea and nerve to try these in the first place. Meals & Moves, Peanut Butter Fingers, STUFT Mama

Farmer Boy

2011-08-08T17:30:00.003-05:00

My little Farmer Boy.

Ethan has gotten to help Grandpa bottle feed the bucket calves a few times this summer. Giving "Bubba" his bottle has quickly become Ethan's favorite farm activity.

I think I have the best of both worlds by marrying into a farming family. I get to live in town but my son gets to be raised around the animals, work ethic and the values and heritage of the generational, family farm.

My Fat is Crying

2011-08-03T18:24:00.000-05:00

I saw this slogan on a Bondi Band the other day and it came to mind after my workout last night. Certainly not glamourous but it sure felt good!

Sweat is my Fat Crying!

I should have taken a picture of my back, I was soaked! Even though I used the treadmill to avoid the 111 degree weather, I was drenched.

Should we say it together?......eww!

I gross myself out. ;)

Running while Reading

2011-08-01T17:10:00.002-05:00

Friday night, my parents kept Ethan overnight so that Jim and I could enjoy a date night. We enjoyed a delicious meal at the newly opened Mexican restaurant in town. The food and service were terrific and I enjoyed a child-free meal with the hubby.

Since Ethan was away at the Grandparent's, I knew I could fit in a nice, relaxed run on Saturday morning. Typically, I have to cram in a shorter run than I would like extra early in the morning so that Jim can leave for work before 7 a.m. and I am back to take over parental duty. This weekend, I got to fuel up and take my time. Bliss!

Before hitting the pavement, I had a waffle with peanut butter and a small cup of coffee.

I had to turn around at mile 3 and make a new course plan as I ran into a very muddy, unpaved road out in the country and was soon sinking in the mud. We have had some major thunderstorms lately.

The rain has been a huge relief as our temps have been over 100 degrees for the majority of the month. Any break from the scorching heat has been welcome!

I felt like I was running rather slowly, which the above results prove that I was, but it was nice to not worry about speed or distance and just to run for the sake of enjoyment. 6.41 miles total.

What really made this run enjoyable for me though was listening to an audio book during the run.

I listen to a lot of audio books during my two hour daily commuting time for work and find they really help me to pass the time in the car. Recently, I have been getting bored with my standard song playlist for my runs and was inspired by the post on Running Off the Reeses to try listing to a book while running.

I have been wanting to subscribe to Audible.com for some time and finally bit the bullet and signed up. I quickly downloaded The Help, which I have been wanting to read for some time now...along with everyone else in the nation it seems.

I downloaded the book to my phone, which I use while I run for tracking my time/distance using the Run Keeper app.

I LOVED running along with the book! The book kept my interest from the start and provided a great distraction while on a longer run. I'm already looking forward to my next longer distance run so that I can get back into the book, which I'm saving only for runs over three miles as an incentive.

Do you have any book recommendations? I need something that is pretty fast moving and with an interesting story line. It's hard to "read" heavy/detailed material while running or driving, I find.

Summer Vacation to Red Feather Lakes, CO

2011-07-20T22:16:00.000-05:00

We went back to Red Feather Lakes, CO to where my Aunt and Uncle own a lake front cabin for our summer vacation.

Our first day of vacation, we stayed the day in Denver and went to the Denver Zoo.

While up in the mountains, we enjoyed numerous, long hikes.

We saw signs of wildlife, like these antler rubbings from moose, and came across a few deer and smaller animals.

But the wildest creature we came across was Dexter. He is a true mountain dog at heart!

Rock climbing was a favorite activity of Ethan and my nephew, Austin. (We were excited to bring my 15 year old nephew with us this year. We also had both sets of Grandparents along for a portion of the trip.)

As always, the scenery of breath-taking. We were even blessed to experience a double rainbow over the lake.

We tried our hand at fishing one day.

And horse back ridding another. A first time riding horses for both Ethan and Austin.

We enjoyed spending quality time with family...

Spending lots of time outdoors...

Laughing and having fun...

And...I even managed some relaxation time.

Bliss!

Fireworks and Food!

2011-07-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

I love the 4th of July. It's a low key holiday that celebrates so many things that I cherish all in one day.

I started out the day with an early morning 6 mile run. It felt great to hit the pavement early and beat the triple digit heat. During my run I spent time reflecting on the incrediable freedom that I have living here in rural Kansas. I can run anywhere in my town with out fear or intimidation and enjoy exploring different neighborhoods and countryside while feeling completely safe.

My pre-run fuel: Toast with cream cheese, blackberries and raspberries.

By the time I finished my run, the temperature was already almost 90 degrees! I quickly showered and cleaned up. It was time to decorate for a very important birthday party. My mom turns 65 today. Happy birthday, Mommy!

Centerpiece

We had my parents over for lunch to celebrate Mom's birthday.

For the main dish, I put bbq pulled pork in the bottom of a mason jar (how appropriate for a Mason birthday?) and cooked a biscuit on top in the oven. It made for a fun presentation and easy serving. On the side we had watermelon and corn on the cob. Simple, Americana food at its' best.

I asked my Mom what type of cake she wanted for her birthday and she quickly replied with "chocolate" before I could even finish asking the question. I ended up picking this Reese's Peanut Butter, Chocolate Cake that I saw on Pintrest.

Following the birthday party, we took naps, played in the sprinklers and just relaxed for a little while before heading out to the farm.

Of course, I had to bring some yummy goodies with me to share.

These patriotic strawberries were so juicy! This has to be one of the easiest treats I've made that provides such a visual impact - a crowd pleaser for sure.

I have had these confetti blondies bookmarked to make for awhile and was excited to finally make them. Yummy! Buttery, rich and festive.

We couldn't forget our baby calves needed treats for 4th of July, too. What better treat then to be bottle fed by a four year old?

Pretty soon it was time for fireworks!

My Dad brought over his camera's memory cards for me to download some pictures. I found these old 4th of July pictures from probably 2008, I'm not sure. But I thought they would be fun to share for my family.

I still love this internal flag cake. I'll have to bust it out again some year.

An Officer and a Lady. :)

My super silly Auntie Pam and her super silly great-nephew.

Happy 4th of July!

Phillipsburg, KS - Places

2011-06-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

My brother, who now lives in North Carolina, was driving through the other week and had a brand new camera that he wanted to play with. He went around his old home town and took a bunch of pictures trying out his camera's features.

I enjoyed seeing Phillipsburg, Kansas through his pictures and thought I'd post some of his pictures of a few of the places that make up the town I call home.

A new addition to our town - Wenzl's Drugstore with drive through service.

Downtown auto show during Riverless Festival.

Phillips County Courthouse

Majestic Theater - Our community operated theater that is currently going through a major face lift renovation.

This buidling use to be where my mom owned a florist shop called New Beginnings while I was growing up.

Community Building

Grain Elevator. Our version of a sky scraper.

Panther Football Stadium

Panther Track Field

Previous building for the Masonic Lodge.

The house where my father was raised.

I hope you enjoyed this short tour of where I was raised and returned to make my home.

Riverless Festival Fun Run

2011-06-10T17:04:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I ran the Riverless Festival Fun Run here in Phillipsburg.

Originally, I had entered my nephew, Austin, into the race. However, he injured his foot during the high school regional track meet and had to pull out. Since I had already paid the registration fee, I decided to compete in his place in the 2 mile run.

The race started as scheduled at 7 a.m.

I went out a little too fast at the beginning but quickly fell into stride. I had my regular coffee that morning and could really feel it in my stomach...yuck! I really worried that I was going to be sick during the first 1/2 mile of the race.

The race course took us one mile out and then we looped around to return.

On my way back, I spotted my cheering section.

My Dad, Mom, Brother, Nephew and Ethan were all near the finish line to cheer me on. My brother took all of these pictures with his new camera that I am green with envy over.

So happy to see the finish line!

I ended up placing 2nd in my age group (20-29) and 3rd overall female. Not bad for only recently starting to run.

My time ended up being 16.41 or 8.20 minute mile pace.

Ethan quickly claimed my granola bar from my goodie bag from the event sponsors.

And then he claimed my medal.

I guess he earned the right to wear the medal since he beat me in our own little race.

Bolder Boulder 10k Race Recap

2011-06-03T15:09:00.002-05:00

In December of 2010, I went to Colorado to a Mason cousins Christmas gathering. We enjoyed shopping, eating, exchanging White Elephant gifts, drinking margaritas and catching up with each other.

Sometime during the consumption of those margaritas, we all agreed that it would be a fabulous idea to run a 10k together in the spring. In December, that seemed like plenty of time to train and prepare. No matter that I hadn't ran in years and had no routine or consistency when it came to working out.

Before I knew it, spring was just around the corner and I still hadn't been running with any consistency. Occasionally I would hop on the treadmill for intervals of walking and jogging but nothing too strenuous.

In March, I decided it was finally time to get my butt in gear and to start running regularly and started jogging three times per week following the Couch to 5k program. Come May, I could jog 4 miles without stopping.

Memorial Day weekend came quickly and I headed for Colorado to participate in the Bolder Boulder 10k event. I was very worried about the altitude and hills and how those would affect me but knew that I would have fun running with family and could walk anytime I needed.

There were over 60,000 participants in this race. I started in the "N" waves. The first waves started at about 7 a.m. and my wave didn't start until 10 a.m.

Before taking our place in the gate, we hit up the porta potties.

My cousin Jennifer who was the ring leader for getting all of us together.

And we are off...I am in the blue shirt behind the number "2" of the watermark in the picture.

The first stretch of the race. Perfect running weather - 60 degrees and cloudy with very little wind. A few rain drops fell during the race but the nasty weather waited to hit until later in the afternoon.

The woman in the pink shirt is Ginger, a friend of my cousins that ran with us. She had just completed a marathon earlier that month. She was a pleasure to meet and really fun to run with. We started with a nice, relaxed pace and just had fun taking in the sights and sounds. Lots of bands playing, belly dancers, people handing out beer shots, stilt walker, the works!

My self portrait that I took during mile 3 of the race. Sorry it's so blurry but you try taking a picture while huffing and puffing and bouncing up and down.

This picture was taken by the race photographers. Apparently, I'm a cheese ball even while running.

Another photo from the race photographers. Still cheesy and smiling.

Coming up the hill that leads to the University of Colorado's football stadium. (Another blurry shot courtesy of my running photography skills.)

Finally made it inside the stadium! Final push for a lap around the track to the finish line. See how full the stands are? It made me feel like kind of a big deal. ;)

At the finish line. Why do the other two look so fresh and I'm all red faced and sweaty??

Celebrating our conquering of the Bolder Boulder. 6.2 miles and my finish time was 1.06. A nice, easy run. Proud that we ran the whole thing without walking and taking time for pictures along the way and enjoying each other and the atmosphere.

Following the race, we visited the expo and then went back into the stadium to watch the International, professional runners. Then I enjoyed the Memorial Day service very much. They had parachuters representing each of the armed forces and one for the American flag that landed on the field, lots of patriotic music and honoring of a few veterans.

The Mason cousins that participated in the 10k. Jennifer, myself, Jonathan and Becky. (Jonathan ran in the elite group and placed 2nd for his age division. He represented us well!)

I enjoyed the event more than I ever thought I would and it reminded me of the runner's high that comes from completing a race. Maybe I'll sign up for a few more...

I'm already thinking it would be fun to make this a tradition and do it again next year. I love that we were able to bond over a healthy and physical activity. I think this type of event is a great example for the generation coming up behind us.

Easter Dinner

2011-05-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

So it has been a month since Easter, but I've never been timely on updating this blog so what else could you expect?

Easter Dinner at my parent's home.

Asparagus Tart that I made from our garden using this Martha Stewart recipe. I highly recommend this recipe. It was easy to make, tasted delicious and had a nice presentation.

Fresh Fruit Salad

Pickled Eggs that looked like jewels. Fun for Easter!

Easter Ham

Bars-o-plenty for dessert. The chocolate bars were amazing! (hint: the batter will seem under cooked but will firm up over the cooling process.)

Lemon Bars and Triple Layer Cookies & Cream Crunch Bars

Strike!

2011-05-22T09:00:00.002-05:00

We've had bowling fever lately!

Ethan and I went up to Kearney, NE to meet up with one of my cousins and Ethan got to go bowling for the first time. We don't have a bowling alley here in town, so this was a special adventure.

My little cousin.

Shortly following our first bowling adventure in Kearney, we went to Topeka for a weekend getaway. Ethan and I had so much fun bowling earlier that we decided to take Daddy bowling to show off our new skills.

The earlier practice must have paid off...I won! Jim and I use to bowl frequently in our college student union and I never once won. I was excited to finally win against Jim! I think I better hang up my bowling shoes now and quit while I'm ahead.

Moving Back to Phillipsburg

2011-05-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Earlier this Spring, we had a family wedding to attend here in Phillipsburg. Jim's cousin was getting married and it was an honor to get to celebrate their big day with them.

At the wedding reception.

It is so nice to have a local, young couple get married with plans on building their life here in Phillipsburg among their family. I know first hand the considerations and sacrifices that are made to move back to Phillipsburg as a young, newly married couple.

It doesn't seem like it was very long ago that Jim and I were newlyweds, fresh out college and trying to decide where we wanted to live and start our lives as husband and wife.

For the first two months of our marriage, we lived in Ellis, KS. This was our first home, which we rented for less than $300 per month:

It was located about two blocks from where I worked in the financial department for a manufacturing company in Ellis. Jim commuted the 12 miles to Hays to work for a construction company. It was a cute, little house that featured beautiful woodwork inside.

Shortly after we were married, Jim received a job offer from a small construction company in Phillipsburg, which was my hometown and 20 minutes from Jim's hometown. I didn't think I would be able to find a good job in Pburg, but decided to contact some businesses and see what was available. I was surprised to find a company in Phillipsburg that was rapidly growing, offered professional opportunities in my field and was a Fortune 500 ranked business.

I accepted the job offer immediately and moved into my parent's basement for two weeks while Jim finished up working in Hays and we looked for a house in Phillipsburg.

At a work conference in Vegas with a former co-worker circa 2007

There were only a few houses on the market in Phillipsburg that even remotely interested us. We put an offer on our favorite of the available selection - a 60's style ranch house that was in desperate need of updating and it was immediately accepted by the seller...guess we should have offered lower!

Jim moved in with me at my parent's home for another week until we were able to take possession of our home. It was a long three weeks of living in my parent's basement but we appreciated the meals my mom would cook and the free place to sleep.

At first, it was very hard living back in Phillipsburg. My friends that I knew from here had all moved away. Everyone else seemed either much younger or older than myself and it was hard to make new friends in your old stomping ground. I also had Wal-Mart and restaurant withdrawls...however, my bank account appreciated the lack of dining and shopping opportunities.

As I got re-acquainted with Phillipsburg, I started socializing with new groups of people. Women who use to be the "adults" when I was in school were now my peers and soon became my friends.

The real benefit of moving back to Phillipsburg came when we had our son. My mom watched Ethan full time when I returned to work so that he wasn't in daycare until he was two years old. Now he only goes to daycare part time and my mom's the other half.

Ethan watching for me to come have my lunch break with him at my parent's home circa 2007.

For the most part, we love living in rural Kansas. We love having our parents, grandparents, majority of our siblings and nephews and other family close by. We love the friendliness of the community and the low cost of living. Phillipsburg has been an amazing place to raise our child.

I still miss the restaurants and dining opportunities of larger towns but that's what travel and vacations are for.

Going back, a few more pictures from the wedding reception:

Ethan thoroughly enjoyed attending his first wedding and even danced with me at the reception.

Jim's parents, our nephew and our little one.

It's a boy! It's a girl! It's calving time.

2011-04-19T22:19:00.001-05:00

Spring has arrived at the farm and calving is in full swing. Jim's Dad was called out to North Dakota for work, so we have been more actively involved in the daily calving work then we have the last few years.

My involvement has always been limited to watching, taking pictures and giving the calves names - much to the disapproval of the men.

This year, I'm getting a little muddier...but still taking lots of pictures. I'm not much help - should I be boiling water? getting ready to cut the umbilical cord? catch the baby calf? (what?! the newborn calf just free falls down to the ground?)

I obviously have a lot to learn.

On Friday, this little baby was born. Welcome Bluebell. (yep, I'm still naming the calves.)

Ethan spends most of his time climbing fences. It's a great activity for a little boy.

This cow was very vocal about her displeasure of us messing with her baby. I can't say that I blame her.

This calf welcomed the sunshine by scampering and prancing all around the field. Following two horribly windy and cold days, I felt like dancing in the sunshine, too.

Another Mama keeping a close eye on my actions.

A tip of the hat to you, Mama. I've certainly felt like a milk cow at a certain point in my life.

And maybe this is the real reason that I enjoy hanging out at the farm...

Sorry about that...I apologize for my lack of tact.

We did have one stillborn calf on Saturday morning that Ethan witnessed. He did a good job of asking questions and handling the situation. He has mostly enjoyed retelling this fact to anyone who will listen and it hasn't led to any nightmares.

The calving process has also led to many other interesting questions from Ethan. I wasn't expecting to have the Birds and the Bees talk yet, but we've been venturing into that territory a lot lately. sigh.

Bunny Pancakes

2011-04-16T15:48:00.000-05:00

I saw these adorable bunny pancakes featured on Spearmint Baby, posted by the blogger of With Two Cats. The original pancake directions can be found on Muffin Tin Mom.

I had originally planned on saving these for Easter morning, but I had to make them the very next day. So much for patience.

My only tip, make sure you keep the heat low and don't cook them too long or the pink and white just turns out browned from the griddle. As you can see from the picture, my griddle surface was a little too hot. I also replaced the M&M nose with a dried cranberry.

Ethan enjoyed his bunny pancake, especially the ears.

Taking it to New Lengths

2011-04-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

Wow, I sure have neglected my blog recently. A lot of changes have taken place the last couple of months, but I'll try and catch up on those in upcoming blog posts. The change I want to update you on today is my new haircut.

I don't tend to cut my hair very often or place much importance on my hairstyle, but I was ready for something a little different. My hair had gotten to about chest length and it was weighing me down and had no style or shape left to it. Even wearing it in a ponytail while running was causing problems with it getting matted and tangled.

Saturday, I headed the The Hair Company and Shelli chopped off about 10 inches of hair. I got a shoulder skimming haircut with layers to allow for the waves to come out when I want to wear my hair in its' natural texture.

Here's the finished result:

Wavy

Blown out with a round brush:

I took these from the built in camera on my work computer first thing in the morning the past two days. Welcome to my office! :)

Another Year Older

2011-01-15T09:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I turned 28 years old and I had a wonderful birthday.

Last year, I was kind of bummed on my birthday. Things were going ok in life but I just wasn't on track with where I thought I should be at 27. During the past year, I've been through a lot of challenges and changes. Now as I turn the chapter and turn 28, I feel that I'm in a much better place and feeling more at peace with the direction my life is heading.

I've gone after the things I want and need. This is often a hard thing for women to do. We worry so much about pleasing others and lose ourselves in the process. This past year, I've done a much better job at speaking up for what is important to me and going after what I want and what I think I deserve. I hope this doesn't make me sound selfish or self centered but the main thing I've learned over the past year is that if you don't like something...you have the ability to explore your options and take the steps to make those changes.

You might look at your options and decide that where you're at is your best choice or you might discover something you never even considered and it's the perfect solution for you. I have been guilty of just wanting someone else to solve my problems or just waiting...waiting for it to just get better or even just get worse. Time to stop waiting and time to start acting.

I often recommend this book to friends who are struggling with going after what they know they want and deserve...especially in the work place. A past boss once told me that my strongest asset was that I knew what I wanted and I wasn't afraid to take the steps to get there.

So there is my year's worth of words and wisdom. Obviously, I don't have much and maybe I'll work on gaining more wisdom and insight this year!

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

We did Christmas Day a little differently this year and I think we've finally hit on a schedule that works well for our family. In the past, we have done Santa at our home and then rushed to my parent's home for breakfast and presents. This year, we took it slow and spent the morning at our house. It was nice to leisurely open presents, play with the new toys and get dressed for the day.

Ethan got up at around 6:00 a.m. and rushed to his stocking first. Inside the stocking, he found a coloring book, crayons, toothbrush, dinosaur and a lollipop.

After looking through his stocking, he finally noticed that Santa had eaten his cookies and left behind a present. Ethan got just what he had been asking for and telling everyone about, Transformers.

I was actually worried that Ethan wouldn't like the Transformers since he had been asking for them because he knew his older cousin liked them but he never really was interested in them himself. However, after much talking up of the toys and streaming the 80's Transformers cartoon on Youtube for him, he was thoroughly excited by the time Christmas came around and Santa came with the requested toys.

Hidden behind the tree, Santa also left behind a small shovel that Ethan had been wishing for every time we went to Alco. It's amazing how Santa knows exactly what a little boy's heart desires.

After finishing up the Santa gifts, Ethan opened up his gifts from Mommy and Daddy. This year, the main gifts were a Lite Brite, toy computer, Wii game and Legos.

The boys playing with their new laptops.

After spending the morning playing with new toys, we finally got dressed and headed out to spend time with our families.

Our first stop was lunch at Aunt Janet's home. We enjoyed a light snack, as we were going to have a big Christmas dinner at my parent's home immediately following.

After visiting with Jim's family at Aunt Janet's home, we headed to my paren't home at about 3:00 p.m. We enjoyed a wonderful, early dinner of Beef Wellington and all the trimmings.

Soon it was time to open even more presents. Austin started with opening a gift from Ethan that he had made for specifically for him. Ethan says that it's a K-State Football thing...you'll have to use your imagination.

All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas holiday. We enjoyed spending time with our families and experiencing the amazement and magic of Christmas through a four year old's eyes.

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-31T08:53:00.000-06:00

For Christmas Eve, we headed out to the Knowles farm for dinner and presents. We started with a large spread of goodies to munch on while waiting for the chili and oyster stew to finish. By the time the soup was on, we were all pretty full from all the grazing.

I didn't take many pictures this year, keeping up with a very excited four year old took up most of my time this year and I didn't want to take my focus off of what was truly important to hide behind my camera all night.

I did make all the grandsons get together for their annual Christmas photo. They sure are trying to look tough but you can tell their pretty excited that we are about to open presents.

At the Knowles household, they sort out all the gifts into piles and then everyone opens them up at once. (Where at my parent's home, we each took a tour opening a present and watching each other.) Ethan sure is excited by his pile of loot!

Check out that determined face while ripping into his first package.

Ethan's newest move was holding his prized treasures above his head and shouting "Oh Yea"! It made for some pretty funny moments. (and some peaks at his cute, round toddler tummy)

Once we returned home from the farm, Ethan opened up one package under our tree that contained his new Christmas pjs. A plate of cookies and a mug of milk was prepared for Santa and Ethan also put out a carrot for Santa's reindeer. I never left anything for the reindeer, but I'm sure they really appreciated being included.

Breakfast Party

2010-12-29T10:03:00.000-06:00

On the 23rd, I hosted a little breakfast party for my childhood friends and their children that were back in town for the holidays. It was so nice to get together for a bite to eat, some coffee to drink and some girl talk while the little ones played. We missed those that weren't able to make it this year but they were included in spirit.

Most importantly, I finally got to meet my good friend Monica's little girl. I posted a couple of months back about hosting her baby shower and now it was time to get to meet baby Tenley in person. Our good friend Samantha's daughter was fascinated by the baby and loved holding her and taking pictures with her. Ethan, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the baby and refused to take any pictures. But aren't these two little girls adorable?

It is so nice to get to spend time with people who have had such an impact on your life for so many years. Even though miles, schedules and years have come between us, it's always so easy to pick up where we last left off. Love you gals...and your little mini me's.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

This year, I really wanted to make snowflake sugar cookies. I wanted the decorations to be more delicate than what I get when I use traditional buttercream to frost the cookies. I decided to take the plunge and try doing royal icing for the first time.

I read a royal icing tutorial that can be found here and got to work decorating after Ethan went to bed. It took me about three hours to do about four dozen cookies from the outling to the final touches - the snowflakes above and the ornaments below. As I went along, my technique improved and I'm sure I could whip these out much quicker next time.

I'm pretty pleased with the results for being my first attempt and have some good ideas for the next time I decide to make decorated sugar cookies. I found the whole process to be a nice, creative outlet and a relaxing activity to do quietely while catching up on the drama of the Real Housewives.

I also received an amazing Christmas present under the tree this year. This beautiful, shiny red KitchenAid mixer. I'm so excited to whip up some goodies in this baby.

Christmas Program Pictures

2010-12-27T14:34:00.000-06:00

A few more pictures from the Christmas Program at the Prairie View Reformed Church that I posted about last week.

Walking down the aisle to start the program.

My little angel - front and center.

Singing the songs of Christmas.

Sparkly Christmas Tree Craft

2010-12-22T20:48:00.000-06:00

Earlier this year, my Grandma passed away and we were left with an entire house full of objects, collections and history to sort through.

One of the boxes was full of costume jewelry. The majority of the pieces were broken or missing pieces - such as a single earing. We were all surprised at how many broken pieces of jewelry or partial sets my Grandma held on to. I guess she never gave up hope that she would find the other half of the pair or the missing beads.

My aunts went through the jewelry and chose the items that they wished to keep. After everyone had picked through the jewelry, we were left with a small box of broken pins, earings with out a match, necklaces with the beads unstrung, etc. that were destined for the trash.

I hated to see the pretty baubles and beads tossed so I kept the broken and discarded pieces thinking that I would use them someday in craft projects.

Last week, I thought of a good Christmas project to use them and to keep them as a special keepsake of my Grandma.

I wrapped a foam cone with a wide, satin ribbon and then used straight pins to gently and securely attach the jewelry and beads to the cone tree.

I sorted through all the brightly colored jewelry and selected only those in gold or silver tones with pearl or rhinestone accents to keep the color scheme simple and slighly understated amoung all the sparkle.

My Adorable Angel

2010-12-20T11:01:00.000-06:00

Ethan was an absolute angel yesterday...literally!

Yesterday evening, our church held its' Children's Christmas Program. Ethan was the youngest in the program, besides his adorable little cousin that played baby Jesus. He did a fantastic job through the entire hour of the program. He stood patiently, sang the songs and happily invited Grandma Knowles up front to help with the bells performance.

I'm not sure there is anything sweeter than hearing the voices of children singing of the coming of baby Jesus.

Gobble, Gobble

2010-12-11T14:38:00.000-06:00

Keeping up with my theme of posting events about a month after they happen, here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. But see, this time I'm only a couple of weeks late. It's called progress and I'll take it, no matter how small.

Ethan and I made these little turkey cookies. He placed all the tail feathers on himself. It was a great project for his little fingers and kept him busy for some time. Cookies + Small Decorations = Developing fine motor skills

Family gathered at my parents house for Thanksgiving. My Dad is behind the camera and that's Jim hiding behind my big head.

Halloween 2010 Recap

2010-11-23T15:16:00.000-06:00

So it's been almost a month, but I still wanted to share some photos from Halloween. I've been terrible at blogging lately but hope to get remotivated to regular posting with the holiday activities lining up.

Ethan dressed up as a police man for Halloween this year and I found a cute outfit to take him trick-or-treating in. I decided that I was a Fashion Police prisoner for wearing horizontal stripes on a clinging fabric in public. Not very flattering but I think we make a great pair!

Originally, Ethan wanted to be a dinosaur but we couldn't find an appropriate costume. We actually found this police costume at Menards. I never would have guessed to shop for Halloween costumes at a hardware store. All the police gadgets sold Ethan on the costume. He loved having handcuffs and a gun to play with. Plus, Daddy was also a real police man on Halloween so that added another layer of fun.

We only went to a couple of houses for trick-or-treating. Ethan liked seeing his Grandma and a couple of close friends but wasn't interested in going to very many houses. We were lucky to pull up to this little girl's house just as she was heading out. She is a very good friend of Ethans - aren't they adorable?!

After going to about five houses, we returned home and Ethan really enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that came to our home.

Roar...Ethan is Four!

2010-10-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

My baby turned four this month and we celebrated by having our family over for a dinosaur themed birthday bash. It was a dinoriffic time!

I decorated the house in green and orange and, of course, dinosaurs.

My friends at Sign Solutions created this awesome banner, which is now hanging in Ethan's bedroom as a permanent decoration.

I made the dinosaur birthday cake and am really proud of how this stegosaurus cake turned out. It was my first attempt at doing a carved 3-D cake and it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Plus it was really fun to try and figure out what candies that we have at our small town grocery store would work for the dinosaur details. (I'll try and do a post later on dedicated to the details on how I made this cake.)

All smiles as we sing "Happy Birthday"!

Ethan with his cousins, Alex & Hunter, enjoying the birthday cake. Ethan got the dinosaur head for his piece of cake.

The adult table. (For the birthday dinner we served some of Ethan's favorites: Pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, broccoli & cheese, gnocchi and crescent rolls.)

Pictures of some of the birthday presents.

Happy Birthday to my sweet, baby boy who constantly reminds me that he is no longer a baby now that he is four. And he's right, he's such a big boy now and amazes me at all the things he can do. Becoming a Mom four years ago was the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'm forever thankful to God for bestowing this great blessing upon me.

Words to Live By

2010-10-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

It's been one of those days...actually, it's been of those weeks. I saw this image on another blog and it struck a cord. Too often, fear plays a bigger role in my life course than I would ever want to admit. I over analyze, worry about what other people think and fear the unknown more often than embracing the change.

If you don't like something, change it. It sounds like such a simple concept but how often are we frozen in place by fear of the possibilities and the unknown that we just stay in the exact same place afraid to move forward?

Blake Shelton Concert

2010-10-02T16:20:00.000-05:00

Jim and I waiting for the Blake Shelton concert to begin.

A couple of weeks ago, I entered a contest on Facebook and won two tickets to the Blake Shelton concert at the Kansas State Fair. The package also included a Visa gift card and some restaurant gift certificates. Unfortunately, we don't have any of the restaurant chains anywhere even remotely close to where we live, so I'll have to remember to use them if I ever make it out to the big city. No matter, though, it's always fun to win free stuff!

We headed down to Hutchison to spend some time walking around the fair grounds before taking in the concert. We checked out the exhibit halls to see all the vendors giving demos and then bought the mandatory fried fair food for dinner - yummy!

Pretty soon, it was time to head to the grand stands.

Here's our view of the stage from our vantage point. Our seats were a little further back than I had envisioned. I can't remember who this opening act was, but he had really good musicians in his band.

This was my view of the jumbo screen - a large pole. This was kind of annoying.

After the opening act, which was an hour, there was a 30 minute break while they set up the stage for Blake Shelton. I was rather disappointed in the time delay. You get pumped up by the opening act and then just sit around waiting for the headliner to start their performance.

Finally it was time for Blake Shelton to take the stage.

We wouldn't have gone to this concert if I hadn't won the tickets, but we had a really good time. Blake Shelton was very funny and his stories and songs were relatable - lots of songs on beer drinking, hard work, hunting and the occasional love song mixed in.

We still had to drive back that night and I had to play the piano for church the next morning, so we actually had to leave the concert early. Such a bummer! Another reason why I was annoyed by how long the opening act was and the long intermission time. I didn't estimate that the concert would last so long. Since the drive back was long, we needed to leave early in order to get home by 2:30 a.m.

After we left the concert, I took this picture in the bathroom mirror. Totally ghetto of me but I wanted to get a picture of what I wore to the concert.

Cheese!!

Baby Shower for Miss Monica

2010-09-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

"Sprinkles" Baby Shower

Way back in August, I had the honor of co-hosting a baby shower for my close friend, Monica. She and her husband are expecting their first child in about two weeks and I am so thrilled for her little family.

For the shower, we kept the theme pretty simple with just lots of pink and some accents of brown to match the nursery colors that Monica had decorated with. We held the shower on a Sunday afternoon and Monica's Aunt, another one of the hostesses, had the great idea of having a dessert buffet instead of just a large cake. We ended up with two long tables crammed with desserts!

I made some chocolate covered strawberries that had a drizzle of pink tinted white chocolate on top.

Can't have a party without my favorite, cupcakes! I decorated with pink sprinkles to pay tribute to the guest of honor, little Sprinkles.

We held the baby shower over Rodeo weekend, which is our largest community event out here in Phillipsburg. We proudly host Kansas' Biggest Rodeo and knew we'd have a lot of people in town already so it would be a great time to get everyone together for the baby shower. Samantha, another close friend and co-host, found this Rodeo Princess sign - it was just perfect for the event and this special little girl!

Here's a picture of the expectant Mommy, Monica, with myself and Samantha.

Monica - Hopefully these next couple of days will go by smoothly and quickly for you. You, and your family, are in my thoughts and prayers. I can't wait to hear the news of the little girl making her appearance into the world!

First Day of Preschool

2010-08-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

Ethan went off to his first day of preschool this morning. Last night, I prayed that God would give my baby boy wisdom, patience, kindness and courage to take this big step. God answered my prayers, as Ethan was beaming with joy to go to preschool today and his teacher gave me a glowing report on his behavior. I'm such a proud Mommy!

After taking the customary "first day of school" photo, we set off walking to the Gingerbread House Preschool. It's located just around the corner from our home, so it makes for a nice little walk for us.

Upon arrival, Ethan was greeted with big hugs from two girls that Ethan use to attend daycare with. I'm not ready for the girls to be swarming around my innocent little boy yet.

Good Friends...and such cuties! I'm so thankful that Ethan has friends that he already knows and can play with on his first day.

Ryann, Hannah & Ethan

In his element - digging in the dirt.

This is how I left him this morning. I was glad to see him having so much fun and ready for me to leave. I somehow managed to not even shed a tear while walking back home. I think knowing he was there with friends, great teachers and fully prepared for this journey, made me excited and filled with joy for my ~~baby~~ big boy.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

2010-07-23T08:46:00.001-05:00

These cake, ice cream cones are the perfect treat for summer, without the drips and melting mess!

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Which flavor can I scope for you?

Strawberry?

Mint?

Ethan took these treats to daycare yesterday and they were a hit with all the kids...and the adults, too.

Directions:

Bake a cake, following package directions and cool completely. (I used chocolate for these but wouldn't strawberry cake look great in the strawberry cones?)
Crumble cake into a bowl and mix with one can of frosting until well combined. (Smooshing the cake into the frosting, using a spatula, seems to work best for me.)
Using a small, cookie scope, scope up the cake mixture and place on a baking sheet. No need to roll them into perfect ball, the rough scopes will look more like real ice cream scopes and make these so simple to make.
Refridgerate the cake balls overnight or place in freezer to speed up the process.
Cut a waffle cone down to fit the cake balls.
Cover the cake ball with melted, white Candy Coating, tinted to whatever color you choose. (Make sure you coat down a little bit from the ball to the cone so that they stick well together.)
Add Sprinkles while coating is still wet.
Allow to dry.
Add some melted, chocolate candy coating to the top to make the "hot fudge" sauce.
Top with a red, Pretzel M&M for the "cherry."
Enjoy!

For complete cake ball directions and other inspiration, check out Bakerella.

Nature Dreaming

2010-07-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

Look deep into nature, and then you will

understand everything better.

{Albert Einstein}

I'm ready to leave the 100+ degree weather of Phillipsburg and head back to the mountains and reconnect with the beautiful outdoors and find that sense of peace that comes with the fresh, mountain air.

Think my employers would notice if I went missing for a week?

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova - Mom's Birthday Cake

2010-07-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

Last week, we celebrated my mother's birthday. I immediately knew what I was going to make for her birthday cake. I had seen the recipe for this Raspberry Chocolate Pavlova a few months back and had anxiously been waiting for the perfect opportunity to create this elegant dessert.

The mounds of freshly whipped cream and piles of ripe raspberries, that look like sweet jewels, make for a beautiful presentation and can compete any day with a traditionally frosted and decorated birthday cake.

The chocolate meringue base has a light, crunchy shell but the inside consistency is more like a marriage of brownie and meringue textures. The use of chocolate in this pavlova works very well with the flavors and tartness of the raspberries. The fresh whipped cream adds to the overall lightness of the dessert and anything is better with freshly whipped cream!

The only changes I made to the recipe was the addition of vanilla bean and a little sugar to the whipped cream. It looks like an intimidating recipe, but it really is rather simple and just takes a little time.

Happy Birthday Mom!

The July Family Birthdays - My Mom & Nephew

Making a Splash

2010-07-12T00:08:00.000-05:00

That's my baby up there at the top of the water slide. He's ready to take the plunge with his much older, and cooler, cousin.

He was excited and without any hesitations, while I worried about silly things like the fact that he doesn't know how to swim and was about to plunge into the water after speeding down a slide. (Note the man in the bottom, left corner that is the attentive life guard.)

Whoosh...down the water slide they go!

I'm so glad I was able to snap this picture and capture the excitement on Ethan's face.

Immediately after taking my two pictures, a very nice lifeguard came to tell me that there is a no camera policy at the Hays Aquatic Park. Oops! However, I was relieved to know that no one else would be able to capture a picture of myself going down the water slides. This gal's cellulite is better kept undocumented.

Ethan successfully emerged from the water and preceded to go down the water slide no fewer than 20 times.

Vacation - Day Five

2010-07-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

For our last day of our Colorado vacation, we spent the day exploring the lakes that make up Red Feather Lakes, CO, hiking the wild flower covered meadows and climbing the granite rock formations. We hiked for miles, took a picnic lunch with us and climbed the highest rock peaks that we could find in the area. The views from the top were awe inspiring.

So much to explore.

Getting a boost from Daddy.

Views from the top - Part of Roosevelt National Park

The most beautiful spot that I discovered during our hikes. I could take in this view for hours.

We loved the time we sent out in Red Feathers and hope to have the opportunity to return. It was so nice to enjoy a relaxing vacation. It seems like most of our travels involve non-stop activities and trying to cram in as much as possible while visiting a city. It was such a nice change to have no set agenda and just slow down and enjoy each other as a family and recharge in the great outdoors.

Jim and I really fell in love with Colorado. We've had many long conversations about the possibility of actually moving out there. Anyone know of any good jobs in the area? It might be time for this Dorothy to get out of Kansas and we just need to find the right yellow brick road to follow. ;)

Vacation - Day Four

2010-07-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

For our fourth day of vacation, we decided to take advantage of our lake front cabin and give fishing a try. My husband is an avid hunter but hasn't fished since his childhood. I haven't tried fishing since I was probably last at the cabin, at the age of 5, so I didn't have high hopes for reeling in the big catch of the day.

After finishing up breakfast, the boys went down to the lake to cast out their lines and see if the fish were biting. Ethan really enjoyed picking out his bait from all the colorful options that Uncle Bill provided us with.

Within a few minutes, the first fish of the day was hooked. A small sized rainbow trout was quickly reeled in. Don't they look proud?

A boy and his dog out fishing - all is right in the world.

Ethan's First Fish!! He caught and reeled it in all by himself and you could hear him squealing with pride for miles.

He wasn't too sure about the slimy, floppy little fish.

How big was your fish, Ethan? I guess fisherman start telling fishing tales at a young age.

My catch of the day. I must brag, I caught the largest fish of the day. I also caught the biggest sunburn - ouch. Guess I'll be adding some more freckles this summer.

Patiently waiting to catch a few more fish to make sure we had enough for a fish fry for dinner. We only fished for a couple of hours and easily caught our maximum number of fish for our permits.

We had a wonderful time fishing at Snake Lake in Red Feather Lakes, CO. It was so nice and relaxing to sit out on the edge of the lake and take in the scenery. Plus, the trout fish jump out of the water to catch bugs and make for great entertainment.

Vacation - Day Three

2010-06-30T09:54:00.001-05:00

For our next day of vacation, we spent the day outside enjoying the scent of the pine trees, the crisp mountain air and exploring our surroundings.

Ethan loves playing outside, digging in the dirt and making construction sites with his toys. Check out his dirty face and the shirt that perfectly describes my little boy's philosophy on life.

Some scenery shots from our walks around the lake.

After our nature hike, we headed into the small village of Red Feather Lakes, CO. The little town features a post office, old-fashioned general store, library, lodge, and a hardware store.

This hardware store is for sale. Anyone want to lend me some money so that Jim could run a hardware store and I could permanently live in this beautiful part of the world?

To finish our day, we had smores in either the outside campfire or indoor fireplace every night. I think I may have turned into a fluffy marshmallow by the time we left. I ate my weight in roasted marshmallows during vacation.

Vacation - Day Two

2010-06-28T11:39:00.000-05:00

We started our second day of vacation waking up in Denver and then hitting the road to drive the 1.5 hours to Red Feather Lake, CO. My Uncle Bill owns this cabin, Mason's Mountain Splendor, on Snake Lake and this would be our home for the next couple of days for our mountain adventure.

Mason's Mountain Splendor

We stopped on our way in Fort Collins to pick up groceries and supplies for our stay in the wilderness. Fort Collins has really grown since the last time that I can remember driving through the town. Jim and I were really impressed by the town and we are already talking about needing to spend some time exploring that town next time we are in that neck of the woods.

I also stopped at the Whole Foods store in Fort Collins. I've always wanted to shop at one of those stores but have never had the opportunity living out here in the middle of no where. I had a lot of fun looking at all the specialty food products that I've heard about but have never seen in person. I only spent $20 which is a huge testament to my self control and trying to vacation on a tight budget.

As soon as we arrived in Red Feather Lake, I was taken back to my childhood. My parents use to co-own the cabin until I was about five years old. We would usually spend about six weeks each summer staying at the cabin when I was a little girl. I love that everything has pretty much stayed the same in this little mountain village. It is a beautiful location that almost seems like it has been untouched by time and remains a simple, rustic retreat in the mountains.

One of the many lakes in Red Feather, Snake Lake, located immediately in front of our cabin.

View from the dining room of the cabin.

Perfect location for eating our breakfast in the morning and watching the sun rise. Breathtaking!

Living room fireplace in the cabin.

We quickly unpacked the truck and we were anxious to head out on our first adventure. We explored the hiking trails behind the cabin first and did lots of rock climbing. Ethan really impressed us with his ability to walk for miles and climb up the rock formations. Those are some strong little legs! Sometimes, my heart would race as my little baby scampered up the high rocks but he did an amazing job of being both careful and adventurous.

Little fort that we found. Perfect play spot for a little boy.

Beautiful views for miles and the dogs loved all the hiking.

Those little legs finally grew tired so he hitched a ride on top of Daddy's shoulders.

We had so much fun climbing, hiking and just taking in the scenery our first day at the lake. The cabin sleeps eight people - who's up for joining us next time?

Vacation - Day One, Cont.

2010-06-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

After unpacking at the hotel and letting the dogs out, we headed for our first adventure on our vacation. My cousin, Sarah, had provided me with a list of great places to check out in Denver with a three year old tourist. We decided to start with the Denver Museum of Natural History.

It was hard to get Ethan to slow down and look at the displays after being cooped up in a car for six hours but we all really enjoyed looking at the dinosaur bones and the different animal exhibits. I also found the Egyptian exhibit extremely interesting.

The museum features a hands-on children's room that was the biggest hit for our little adventurer. We were able to dig up dinosaur bones, build forts and play with lots of different puzzles and other activities for little hands.

Following the museum, we had dinner at the Olive Garden. It may be a chain restaurant, but we love it and there isn't one located anywhere near us. Ethan and I shared an order of a new seasonal special of Pear & Gorgonzola Cheese Ravioli. It was a very unique flavor combination and pretty good. I don't know if I would order it again but it was worth trying once.

After filling up on the pastas, breadsticks and salad, we headed over to Boondocks to check out their arcade. Ethan and Jim enjoyed playing some games and we didn't get back to the hotel until 10 p.m. - very late for our little one. But what's vacation if you don't stay up late playing?

Vacation - Day One

2010-06-25T10:17:00.000-05:00

Last week, we headed away from our rural Kansas home for a much needed retreat and vacation. We drove the five hours, through the very flat lands of western KS and eastern CO, until we reached the Colorado mountains and stopped for the night in Denver, CO. It's always a fun game to see who can spot the mountains first as they start coming into focus over the open plains.

We stayed at the Aloft Hotel in Denver and we were very impressed. We were able to get the room for around $70 and the hotel offered many amenities. I thought it was a great deal!

We brought our dogs with us, a Golden Retriever and Beagle, and it was our first time traveling with our pets. The hotel was very pet friendly and we probably saw 20+ other dogs on the property.

Nice flat screen TV on the wall.

Very comfortable beds with nice, thick down comforters to curl up under.

Large bathroom with plenty of storage space and a huge, glass shower.

Outside sitting area.

The hotel also featured an indoor pool, workout room and computer area. I used the gym the next morning, while waiting for Jim and Ethan to wake up. I really enjoyed the workout facilities! Each piece of equipment had its' own TV in the monitor screen and that really helped my morning workout fly by.

After checking into our hotel, we headed out in the afternoon for a little adventure while we were in Denver for the day. I'll cover that outing in my next post.

Backyard Camping

2010-06-09T14:56:00.001-05:00

For Memorial Day weekend, Ethan and I headed out to our backyard for a mommy & son camping adventure. This is our second year of this tradition, since Jim typically will work the Memorial weekend for the sheriff's department.

Of course, we had to roast marshmallows and make smores...I love smores!

Ethan dressed himself this day, so ignore the interesting outfit choice.

Best part of camping in the backyard - being able to go inside and wash up from the sticky marshmallow goo.

Jim came into the tent for a little story telling before he had to leave for work for the night.

We read many fairytales from a classic fairytales book that I picked up at the Dusty Bookshelf when we were in Manhattan last weekend. The original fairytales are sort of scary, so I guess this could count as our version of ghost stories.

Once we were ready to settle down for the night, Ethan received a glow stick. This little treat was by far the highlight of the camping experience. In his eyes, it was a magical wand and he just loved it. He was so disappointed in the morning when he realized that it no longer glowed.

The next day, we went out to the Phillipsburg and Kirwin cemeteries to deliver flowers and remember our loved ones. I was really disappointed that the local cemeteries are no longer holding Memorial Day ceremonies due to lack of interest. Just doesn't seem right to not have a service on Memorial Day.

Weekend Escape

2010-05-24T12:21:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, we enjoyed a much needed weekend escape. I had been craving a getaway and a chance to leave Pburg for a couple of days. It seemed like a little escape from reality would do me good...and it did!

We left on Friday afternoon and headed to Abilene, KS to watch my nephew, Austin, run in the track and field high school regionals. He competed in the two mile run and placed third, which qualifies him for the State track meet this coming weekend in Wichita. I'm so proud of him for qualifying as a freshman and doing so well!

After the race, we drove up to Manhattan, KS, my old college town when I attended Kansas State University. We went to the late movie when we reached town and watched Robin Hood. The movie was very good and was able to keep my attention and keep me awake. It was almost 1:00 a.m. by the time we left the theater.

On Saturday morning, we took our time getting around and then headed over to the KSU campus. We walked all over campus and I gave Jim a tour of where I use to take classes and of my old dorm. Everything was closed up for the summer, so we didn't get to explore any of the buildings but we had a good time walking around and taking in the beautiful limestone buildings. I was most disappointed that Call Hall was closed and I couldn't get any of the ice cream that is made fresh on campus from the local dairy cows. I ate a lot of that ice cream my freshman year. (The mint, chocolate chip is the best!)

Here we are in the center of campus.

It was a beautiful day, being the first sunny day after a week of rain. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and soaking up the spring sunshine.

Once we had walked campus, we headed over to the much-loved Aggieville. Aggieville is a collection of shops, restaurants and bars right off of campus. I have many wonderful memories of late nights with friends at Longhorns in Aggieville.

We did some shopping and finally ate lunch. I was starving since we had skipped breakfast. I was also in desperate need of caffeine from not getting my coffee fix that morning. Luckily, lunch took care of my hunger and headache.

Following lunch, we headed uptown to the mall and to explore the downtown shops. We found a new little gourmet food store uptown that was really cute. I bought a jar of lemon curd and we shared some peanut butter fudge that they make fresh in their store. Unfortunately, I can not recall the name of this cute little store.

We went back to the hotel and took naps before getting ready for a late dinner out on the town.

I found this beautiful teal dress at Modcloth and was excited to finally have an opportunity to wear it out. I wish the picture showed off the detailing around the bust better. The top is pleated with an intricate pattern to make up the bodice.

Beautiful hotel door backdrop from our luxurious Super 8 room.

Dinner was at my favorite restaurant in Manhattan, Harry's Uptown. We started out with drinks at the bar where Jim tried their Side Car drink that was on special and I had a wonderful, and strong, french martini.

The beautiful dining room at Harry's.

For dinner, we decided to share three appetizers for our own little buffet of goodies. They were all amazing! I had planned on taking pictures for you all, but my camera's batteries died...ugh!

Here is a recap of what we ordered: (Descriptions from their menu with my review to follow in italics.)

Jim's drink: Side Car - E&J brandy, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup and an orange sugar rim. I tried Jim's drink and it was very good. Sweet and refreshing, making it a great summer drink.

Appetizer #1: Wild Mushroom Saute - Wild mushrooms sautéed with bacon, foie gras, chives, served over toasted brioche and drizzled with a fresh thyme Chevre sauce. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but these were delicious! Very rich and deep in flavor. I'm glad that we ordered the pizza appetizer, as they were very good put on top of the pizza. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle an entire plate of mushrooms by themselves.

Appetizer #2: Hot Lobster Cilantro Martini - Lightly breaded, quick-fried lobster medallions finished in a rum cilantro sauce. This was so rich and decadent. The lobster meat was perfectly cooked and the presentation in a martini glass was beautiful. The lobster was in a very rich cheese/rum sauce. The rum gave it a very interesting flavor. We were only able to eat a few bites of this one, it was just so rich. The martini glass portion should probably be split by six people. A couple of bites is all you need. I felt guilty leaving so much of this one left after our meal.

Appetizer #3: Smoked Chicken Pizza - Smoked chicken, tossed in a creamy garlic sauce, topped with crisp bacon, fresh herbs, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. This appetizer was my favorite. The bacon and chicken made for a delicious combination and the perfect vehicle for eating our mushroom appetizer. I think I could recreate this one at home and am looking forward to trying to make it soon.

Following dinner, I enjoyed an Irish Coffee while we sat and talked for awhile and just enjoyed the rare evening out at a nice restaurant with no distractions. After I had finished my cup of coffee, we weren't ready to call it an evening yet, so we decided to go across the street to get some dessert.

I had heard of a new restaurant, della Voce, and really wanted to check it out. I'm glad we did, it was a fun place to try. Nice atmosphere and our server was very nice.

Jim ordered a Strawberry Lime-aid martini for dessert. It was very sweet and an extremely bright pink color. I really enjoyed taking a few sips from this one. Definitely a dessert drink. The drink was made up of: Stoli strasberi, Citronge, limoncello, grenadine and lime juice.

For dessert, I ordered the creme brule al cioccolato. It was a chocolate creme brulee and was ok. The flavor was good but it didn't have that rich custard texture that I love in my creme brulees. Jim ordered the torta ai formaggi classica, which is cheesecake. I wish I had ordered this one. It was so creamy and rich. I was glad that Jim shared a bite with me!

Another self-portrait.

Finally, it was time to call it a night and we headed back to our hotel. We slept in on Sunday morning and then headed home to pick up Ethan from the farm, where he had enjoyed an eventful weekend with his grandparents.

Spring Calves

2010-05-03T11:46:00.000-05:00

Spring time means calving season and my favorite time of the year to be out at the farm. You'll find us out there many evenings and each weekend working with the cows and enjoying the sunshine.

This little girl is my favorite calf so far this season. Aren't baby calves so cute? I named her Shelby but she's better known simply as cow #11.

I always name the cows, which makes my husband and father-in-law tease me. At first, they thought I would become too attached to the cows if I started naming them. But when it comes time to choose between the money that comes from selling the cows or keeping them as pets, it's pretty easy for me to choose the money we use to substain our family over a huge cow as a pet. So while Shelby is a cute baby calf, someday she'll provide for our family by being sold at the sale barn or filling our freezer for the year. I'm sure Shelby will taste great...cold hearted, I know. :)

Last weekend, it was time to give the cows their shots.

Hello Pansy

Protective momma cow with her baby. I can relate to the mommies that get so stressed when their babies are separated from them when we're working cows.

This weekend, while out at the farm, Jim took me target shooting. I haven't shot a gun in over four years. I stopped shooting when I got pregnant and never took it back up.

Ethan was busy playing on the swing set, so we decided to take some time to work on target shooting. Even though it's been four years, my first shot was a success.

Bulls Eye!

First shot, dead center of the cross hairs in the center of the bulls eye. Target shooting is a great stress reliever...I'll have to remember to do it more often.

Three Little Birds

2010-04-22T10:28:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law, Gidget, added a new tattoo to her ankle a couple of weeks ago. She chose to have three little red birds perched on a branch to symbolize the song Three Little Birds by the legendary Bob Marley. She actually had her grandma draw the birds, which I think makes the tattoo even more special and meaningful.

Gidget told me that she use to sing Three Little Birds to her son, Alex, when he was little and it had become their theme song through life's ups and downs. Ever since hearing about the song and her new tattoo, I have been playing the song over and over again. I have fallen in love with the cheerful melody and optimistic lyrics.

The song came on my ipod last night while I was out jogging and I found myself actually singing along. How embarrassing! Luckily, I don't think there was anyone around to hear my off-pitch, out of breath, little solo performance.

If you haven't heard the song before, give it a listen below in this cute little video that accompanies the song.

Don't worry...'bout a thing.

Cause every little thing, gonna be all right!

I'm trying to not worry so much about things that I can not control and are in the past and instead look forward to the things that I can influence and change and try and determine what those changes need to be and hopefully, every little thing is gonna be all right.

Running in Circles...Literally

2010-04-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

The other week, I ventured the 3.5 hour trip to Wamego, KS, to see my nephew, Austin, run in the high school track meet. He's a freshman in high school and is competing in long distance. At this particular meet, he competed in the 800m and mile run. I believe that his favorite race is the two mile but they didn't have that distance at the Wamego meet.

Track has been a long standing tradition in my family and it appears that Austin may have received some of the running genes. I did not receive any of the running talent that my parents and siblings were blessed with so I knew there was plenty left over to pass on to the next generation. You're welcome Austin. I could have been selfish and used up some of that talented gene pool but I graciously saved it for you. ;)

Here are some pictures from the meet. I really need to work on my action photography skills. eh. I just don't have the talent for capturing the impressive display of athleticism that was before me. But, I'm a proud aunt, so indulge me in my sharing of my nephew's pictures.

Austin is in the center - black and white uniform. 800m run.

Strong finish to the 800m.

1 mile run

Cathing up to the guy in red...

...and passing him on the final kick!

My older brother is currently getting ready to work the Penn Relays which is a huge meet and sounds like a lot of fun but I'm pretty sure I get to attend even better track meets. You can't beat cheering on your family at the local high school competitions. I'll take the kids over world class athletes any day.

Keep up the great work, Austin! I sure am proud of you.

Easter Pops

2010-04-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

Well hello there blogging world. It's been a long time! I hope you missed me a little bit because I sure missed you. I took some time away from the blog to sort out some personal issues and then my laptop decided to get the "blue screen of death," as my repair man called it, and I just now got it back to working order.

I made these cute, little cake pops for Easter this year. For directions on all things cake pops, check out Bakerella's website.

The bunny's nose is from heart shaped sprinkles and the ears are made from pastel colored candy corn. When you flip the bunny over, you see his fluffy tail made from a mini marshmallow.

The chick's feet were made from flower shaped sprinkles and the nose was from a broken piece of candy corn. The eyes on both characters were made from candy pearls and drawn on with editable ink.

Ethan let me borrow his Easter basket to tuck the cake pops in for their transport to the farm for Easter dinner. The bunnies were the biggest hit and their cute little faces were quickly gobbled up.

Saying Goodbye and Personal Struggles

2010-03-31T13:55:00.001-05:00

I haven't been posting very much lately and I apologize for my neglect to this blog.

Last week, my last remaining grandparent passed away. She was 92 years old and lived a long and active life. She will be greatly missed by our family.

Ethan received these flowers from his daycare.

Mason Cousins

some of the great-grandchildren

My father and his siblings.

The preacher did an amazing job at the funeral service. He mentioned, during the service, the special game Grandma and Ethan played with marshmallows and that really meant a lot to me. It was so nice to have almost all of our family together again and paying tribute to the woman who corner stoned our family.

Changing Gears

On a completely different note, I've been really struggling with some personal issues right now. I have been avoiding posting on the blog for the fear of revealing too much and later on regretting it. I admire those that can lay everything out there and share their inner, most personal, feelings and struggles. I'm not that type of person. I worry about being judged and what others will think of me far too much.

Yesterday, I was angry about the situation. Today, I am devasted and depressed. I feel like it takes all my energy to project a normal, happy person to the rest of the world and, most importantly, my son. However, on the inside I'm crushed and feeling betrayed and hurt. Laundry is piling up, dishes aren't done and work isn't getting done but I just don't care...I just can't care right now.

I'll be back with puppies and rainbows soon enough but, for now, I'm needing time. I know I'll get through this struggle and will end up stronger in the end and with a better sense of self.

Thank you for letting me share with you, my blogging world friends, and for your support even though you know not what you are supporting or the details of what caused this situation.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

2010-03-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

I'm really late on putting together this blog post on our St. Patrick's Day celebration. Celebrating St. Patrick's Day is a family tradition for me and I love the food, music and, of course, beverages that have been "Irished" up.

Ethan was decked out in green and wore his shamrock hat.

Some refreshments to help us celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Coffee - one of life's simple pleasures.

Beautifully decorated table at my parent's home.

Let the celebration begin!

Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots and Irish Barley Bread - Yum!