Birthday Celebration, 2 year old style

breakfast, big boy style.

icecream at 9 am.

present time!

love this new playdoh!

the best part of the day:

:)

My Baby is 2.

Happy Birthday Owen Michael.

Two years ago today:

it's amazing what changes in 2 short years

This baby who was 100% dependent on me and Mark, and could do NOTHING, can now carry on conversations, say his abc's,  &count from 1-10.  He is still dependent...but each day is doing something new for himself..getting a little more a more independent.

how bittersweet for a mom.

Happy Birthday to you, Owen Michael.  Thank you for putting so much joy in my life.

i love you.

fat tuesday.

Tomorrow is fat tuesday.  The last day they will be making these little gems:

okay so they are super un-healthy and terrible for you.

but their only here once a year...so do it!

Meijer and Martins has them! 

:)

for those of you who don't know what i'm talking about read this:

(you'll have to click on it to get the FULL picture..as it's too big to fit entirely on this blog)

and i don't even like doughnuts normally...

but i LOOVVVE paczki's!

AWESOME & EASY recipe. (feed large groups, freeze it for later, lots of leftovers!)

So, the people I work for are really awesome.  They are also very generous with their time and their resources.  Today at work, i made a HUGE HUGE HUGE skillet supper that they are giving to the homeless shelter.  As i was making it i realized how awesome it is for a few reasons:

1.  It is cheap to make.
2. You can make a TON or a little.
3. Great for large groups.
4. Great if you need to make meals to freeze to have for certain times.
5. Very versatile.  Can use for several different types of meals.


Here's the recipe:
(this is for a LARGE number of people!  I'd say like a family of like 20.  Or smaller and expect leftovers!


Ingredients:
10 tbspns. oil (can be veggie OR olive oil)
5 onions chopped
5 green peppers chopped
6 cans of corn
5 cans of stewed tomatoes
15 cups shredded turkey or chicken (could probably do just about any meat- make sure already cooked)
5 tablespoons cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
3 1/4 cup picante sauce (I just used salsa, because that's what i had lying around)


Directions:

1.  Put oil in LARGE pot
2. Add onions and cook until tender.
3. Add ALL other ingredients.  Cook until hot and peppers aren't SUPER crunchy.  (Unless of course you like them like that!)


it is sooooo yummy.

Here is a picture i snapped REALLY quickly with my cell phone just so i could show my husband...so it's not a good picture...but you get the idea:

Here are ways you can eat it:

1.  Over rice.
2. *this is what i would do& DID do:  Buy a thing of tortillas and mexican style cheese.  Put this mix in the middle, with a bit of cheese and eat taco's. YUM.
3.  Eat on Naan bread.  (Indian style flat bread.  You can buy it in normal, wheat, and garlic flavors...i find mine at target)


ENJOY!!!!

17 weeks.

17 week belly.

Good news! I'm starting to feel better!!!!!!  I'm not really experiencing much sickness during the day...usually it comes in the late evening.  Much better then it has been.  I'll take it! :)

More pregnancy stuff is kicking in...more sleepless nights, expanding tummy, my back is hurting VERY much & i'm feeling hungry a lot.  In 3 weeks we'll find out gender.  I'm super excited. :)

Owen is turning 2 on thursday.  What a big boy.  

Today was one of "those" days where I just needed a break...

behold:

two is fun. two is fun. two is fun.

(i am repeating this over and over to make me feel better!)

:)

side note...owen moved up to a size 5 diaper today.  Not that big of a deal, but just yet again another reminder that he is not gonna slow down!

Mark.

warning:  mushy lovey dovey post.


I love my husband.
I'm afraid statements like that have really lost the value of what they are supposed to mean.  I'm afraid saying "i love ___"  can mean, I like that thing or person a lot, that thing or person is cool, that thing or person is attractive, and so on and so forth.  But i really LOVE my husband.  In saying that, yes, i like him, i think he is cool, and attractive :)  But, I also admire him, am bettered because of him, grow closer to God with his help, am encouraged because of him, and so on and so forth :)

It's crazy to think we are where we are today.  Married for almost 3 years (very happily i might add)  with a 2 year old and a baby on the way.  And to think back to where we used to be.  Two kids that knew each other through church and other people.  Our paths crossed now and again, and man! How we had no clue what was in store for us.  But moving on from that...because this isn't a blog about how we ended up together...although that would be a good one...and a LONG ONE!

Tonight Mark & I sat and chatted about some things in our past.  More specifically, relationships in our past.  It's not that we don't already know this information about each other..because we do, but sometimes sitting down and reviewing where we were and what we were doing in life before we were lead to each other is a huge blessing.  Just talking to him tonight makes me realize how loved I am.  Just the fact that we are together, not by chance, but on PURPOSE and for a REASON really does make my life worth living.

I am so thankful to the Lord for a husband who supports me, encourages me, loves me, is an awesome father,  a protector, a leader, and so so so so so much more!
I don't feel like my brain is adequately producing the words that I WANT to write to say how blessed i'm feeling tonight.
:)

i love my husband!

Owen is boss-awesome.

tell me...why do i find this picture exciting?

My kid PEED IN ONE TONIGHT!!!

Owen peed on the potty!!

wahooooooooo!

(i think it might of been by chance....but who cares!!! he is so big!!)

2 years old in 9 days.