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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Summer days...


Busy summer. Fun summer!

As of late….

Celebrated Reese’s first birthday party…such a fun party! Kandi did a FABULOUS job with everything at the party. Check out Kandi's website to see more of the party here!








I went to NYC for work.  I haven’t been since I was probably 10 or so.  Had awesome weather and managed to run 4 miles through Central Park which was AMAZING!  Ate everything in sight too J
 










Hung out at home with my sweet girl…





She’s had her fair share of terrible two “moments” lately…



Been hanging out with Gabe….they even shared their first kiss after a pool date J





She’s also had a couple swim dates at the Bennett’s and at the McMahan’s!




Even snapped green beans with her momma on the patio…




And always love a good snack time – crazy hair!




I ran my first 5K on July 3rd with a few of our new neighbors. Completed in 27:45 (pace of 8:51)!





Happy Summer Y'all!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

What I'm Loving Wednesday! (a day late)



I realize this is a day late...what the heck though! I was having blogger issues yesterday.

I am loving my new skin care products – Dermalogica – had a facial a couple months ago (my first actually) and bought several items.  I keep adding to my collection and have loved every single product so far. 

 


I am loving that I love to run now!  I’ve been running at least 3 times a week since February and I can honestly say I enjoy running now.  I’ve also been doing Zumba 2 times per week, but since my instructor was on vacay last week, I ran….almost 20 miles last week!  The greenways in Farragut run through our neighborhood and we’ve been burning them up.    




I am loving the new bedding I just ordered yesterday for our guest room from PB!  I need to win the lottery so I can buy more things from here.



I am loving The Bachelorette this season!  It’s my summertime guilty pleasure…let the vino drinking commence. 



I am loving that Hadley’s runny nose has FINALLY stopped running – after months of constant dripping!  We are having so much fun with her this summer. Can’t believe my baby will be 2 in just a few short months!



I am loving that I am going to NYC next week for a few days for work!



Loving these personalized towels and pillowcases from Etsy.com!





Sunday, June 10, 2012

Blog Slacker


I am majorly slacking on the blogging lately. We've been busy with the move and having fun this summer!  We are all moved in and LOVE our new house. I can't thank our families enough for all the help, especially my dad and stepmom!  We closed on our old house this past Friday so we only have one house on our books :)

Here is what we've been up to the last few weeks...


First swim in the neighborhood pool with Daddy!



Waiting for my buddies, Sophie, Aiden, and Reese to come over for dinner



 Swimming at Sam and Rachel's new pool....just a 5 minute walk on the greenway from our new house!



Poolside snack with Brooke and Brayden



New favorite pasttime - water and mixing bowls on the deck!



Boat action with the Plummers





Calhouns Marina for dinner with the Plummers





Pantless evening golf round with Daddy



At the Doctor, trying to get rid of this crazy runny nose



In Gatlinburg hanging out with my sweet cousins!


Getting ready to swim in Gatlinburg!


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Yum-O!

Wanted to share a couple of recipes I made this week during our big move (more on that later!). These are perfect for summer!

Spicy Hawaiian Burgers



2 pounds ground chicken
6 pineapple rings (or equivalent slices, cut about 1/2" - 3/4" thick)
6 slices pepper jack cheese
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine the ground chicken, soy sauce, 1/2 the paprika, 1/2 the chili powder, seasoning salt, minced garlic and cumin. Lightly mix with your hands and divide into 6 even balls. Form patties, making them slightly thinner in the middle and sprinkle with remaining paprika and chili powder. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Coat grates lightly with oil. Grill burgers over medium heat about 6 minutes per side. The burgers should flip easily when they are ready to turn, if they want to stick, give them another minute. Top with cheese for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time to melt. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. Grill buns if desired.

For the pineapple, if you are using rings, grill directly on the grates over medium heat. Carefully turn after 1-2 minutes. If you are using pineapple slices or chunks, thread onto skewers and grill skewers in the same fashion. Assemble burgers and enjoy!


Broccoli Salad


We love this recipe because it’s not too mayonnaisey like a lot of salads.

10 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
1-2 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used Splenda)
2/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Cook bacon, crumble and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and grapes. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Mother's Day 2012

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I can’t help but think what an amazing experience it is to actually be a mom, and to also have such a wonderful mothers (a mom, step-mother and mother-in-law!) in my life.  I’m so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to experience this incredible journey of being a mother.  It truly is so much more than I ever imagined.

I’ve learned so much in these last 19 months that I’ve been a mommy and I know I will continue to learn each and every day…

Being a mother has taught me the deepest meaning of love. I remember the day Hadley was born, I ended up with a c-section after 21 hours of labor.  I was sick during the entire procedure (bless the poor anesthesiologist with the puke bucket), but I remember hearing that sweet cry from my little baby for the first time and laying there with tears streaming down my face, longing to see her and hold her.  There is just no feeling in the world like meeting your baby for the first time – the truest, deepest love.  I do fall more and more in love with her everyday J

Being a mother has taught me that this job is the most challenging and rewarding job in the world….every single day brings new challenges as I learn and Hadley learns new things.  But I am up for the challenge and the reward is great!  I’m lucky to have such a wonderful partner-in-crime by my side as we figure out this whole parenthood thing.

Being a mother has made me realize that patience really is a virtue.  This is something I am continually working on and praying for in my life. 

Being a mother is exhausting.  I work my out of the home job 8-5, and then come home and start my second job – dinner, play time, dishes, bath time, bedtime, laundry, etc.  I love both my jobs so it is all worth it.  I’m blessed to work for a great group of people that understand the stresses of being a working mom.

Being a mother has taught me that the little things in life are really the big things.  There is no better feeling than Hadley smiling at me and saying “I lub you” when she goes to bed, or tickling her and hearing that adorable belly laugh she has, or rocking her in the middle of the night, or seeing her eyes light up when she’s playing with her daddy.  These are the moments that I will cherish always and that make it all worth it. 

Being a mother has taught me to slow down and enjoy the simple things.  Like stroller rides to the playground, sitting outside blowing bubbles on a sunny day, finger painting and listening to good music, anxiously awaiting the cookies in the oven, and ‘dancing’ to music on the way to daycare each day.    

Being a mother has made me realize I need “me” time.  I’ve realized that having this time makes me a better mommy and a better wife, but I’m learning to deal with the guilt that comes along with that.  I especially felt the guilt last week when I was excited for Hadley to go stay with her grandparents for a few days so she could get over her cold/sinus infection.  I felt horrible that I was actually excited about having a couple nights to myself…a couple mornings where I just had to get myself ready and out the door.  We’ve had a few difficult weeks with Hadley and this mama bear simply needed to recharge.  But when I work all day, I feel even worse about wanting “me” time.  I did feel so refreshed when she came back and our little family had a fun little weekend together.

Being a mother has taught me what it means to really put others needs before my own.  I don’t think I’ve ever really been faced with having to put someone else’s need above my own until I had Hadley.  It does come so naturally to me and I would do anything for this precious little gift I was given!


Here are a few motherhood quotes I found on Pinterest that I thought I would share.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies I know!