Happy Birthday Mom!

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday! 

 Several years ago, she started a tradition of going backwards in age...  Apparently this year, I'm becoming her older sister--mmkay.

One of us looks great for our age, eh?

My mom is a really unique individual, strong, fiercely loyal and quite the sense of humor! 

 She is incredibly supportive of her family and I love her like cah-ray-zee!

A few Christmases ago she took all of us (yup the whole kit and kaboodle) to Hawaii for a cruise.  Hello Awesomesauce!

Hawaii was where my littlest one was conceived! Surprise!

Anywho, I love you mom!  You're the best mom, best friend and best Grandma a family could wish for!

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This week!

In my flavor of Christianity--well all flavors really, this week is important!  Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. So yes, that means Tuesday is Fat Tuesday! Party time!
 I am trying hard to figure out what I'm going to cut out--for six weeks!  Six weeks is a long time I tell ya! A time for repentance or fasting or figuring out how to get closer to God-easy peasy lemon squeezey, right?  Oof!  I'm not sure about that.  I've given up TV (pre-American Idol, of course), junk food (um, 3 kids, not gonna happen), and a myriad of other messy things in my life.  I'm having a tough time settling on something I can a) succeed at and b) actually have an impact on my life...
I'll decide by Wednesday and post it here to keep myself accountable!  Wheeee! Wish me luck!

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I am no Pioneer Woman but I'm cooking!

This week I've been making dinner from scratch!  Yowza!  That is big for me!  Really I'm not much of a cook, I love to bake but the whole cooking thing eludes me.  I'm a fix-it-and-eat-it-NOW kind of girl.  I'm not into chopping and simmering and WaiTinG for food to be ready.  For the sake of family dinner though, I'm attempting to embrace my inner cook.   Oh and I'm menu planning!  Woot!  Today is leftover night, so with no cutting and stirring on the horizon, I have time to post! 

 I made super easy chicken and noodles!

I cooked the chicken, added soup and noodles and then more soup because it wasn't enough to cover the noodles--it ended up being one heck of a full pan!

Even my picky eater liked it, well as much as she likes anything

And of course who could forget dessert--mmm peanut butter cookies

They were tasty!  Though my oven doesn't seem to cook true to temperature.  My cookies take forever to cook, maybe they're too big?  Who knows, practice makes perfect :)

Last night I made my first lasagna from scratch, sorry no pics--it took for-e-vah and then we had to run out so I completely forgot to take a picture.  It was delicious!  My oldest couldn't believe I made the whole thing! Ha!

In case you don't know who Pioneer Woman is, check out her website here

You will love her!  If you have any easy, and I mean easy, recipes--please share!

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Things I love

Here are some random things I can't live without...

Clearly, if I want a good mommy award, I should put the kiddos first

They are so super great, no?  But they don't count as random.  Though my three year old decided randomly today that she doesn't like Sesame Street-Wha!?  I love that show-had to suffer through Handy Manny instead. Boo.

Anywho, a few non-essential things I NEED are-

Coffee!

Ok, so that's not all that original--how cool would it be to be able to do that image in your morning cuppa joe?!  Must add to list of things to learn...

I could drink a ton of coffee, though I never understand why peeps order it decaf--isn't the rush half the point.  I'm no coffee snob-Dunkin', Starbucks, homemade,  day old even in a pinch! --I'll drink any kind, but I am a caffeine snob I suppose.

A back scratcher!

Now that would be my kind of exercise!  Do you own a back-scratcher?  No?  Well first, it is the epitome a cheesy souvenirs--you need that! Plus, they are just so handy for that spot you can't quite reach.  Get.one.asap!

I love my 'puter, our relationship may be approaching unhealthy even...We spend a lot of time together :)  I'd love a new powerbook -sigh-, as this one is getting wayyyyy slloooowww

Lastly, I'd like more time.  Time to blog!  I don't know how people find enough time to write content and read everything that is going on in the bloggy world.  I really love blogs--they're fascinating!

What do you love? It's almost the holiday of love--what or whom is making your short list this year?  I'd **love** to read your random comments!

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Sunday afternoon and a new camera

So posts with no pics are kinda boring right? Who wants to bother reading that!?

  Well, we have a few things brewing here at the blt house, but nothing that warrants a post.  Whatcha gonna post when you've got nothing to talk about?  Well stuff about your kids of course!

 I got a new camera for Christmas and who better to try to figure it out on, but the helpless little people in my house!

I'm still trying to figure out all the settings?  I need a website with SupeR easy directions as I just don't have the attention span to read in-depth instructions...

Anywho, Sunday afternoon was a lot of fun with basketball and running around

I love this pic, even though it's out of focus 

(in all honesty, a LoT of my pics are out of focus and yes I have it on auto--arrgh!)

I think they get tired of the clickity click...

but they're just such great subjects, gotta love 'em

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Ahh the Blog-o-sphere!

I think reading people's blogs maybe as addicting as facebook!  Are you reading a lot of blogs?   I can spend an entire naptime lost in those glimpses into other peoples' lives.  Whoa Nellie! I may be a stalker!  Seriously,  I'd love to know which ones you are reading?

I want to be one of those affirmative bloggers, but I gotta say there is a bit of negativity hanging around right now :(

Anywho, we've had a wacky week in the BLT house!  We are officially a statistic of the recession with the hubs looking for a job along with a LOT of other peeps...Luckily, I have a shoot for a few days.  Woot for bringing home the bacon!  We wanted to modify our home loan, turns out, our house has lost too much value (um isn't that the point?) for us to qualify.  Boo on stimulus for us!

Who knows what's coming down the road for us, so say a little prayer that our family perseveres this storm. Thanks!  I know God will provide for us, I'm just not big on the uncertainty of it all.

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A renewed promise?

Boo on me!  I haven't blogged much, ok really not at all-bad blogger!  It has been hard to stay on top of!  I find myself loving being lost in blogland-so many creative people!  It's such a great way to waste nap time--click on link after link of blogs... That and things have been so busy and stressful, that I've been afraid of posting things that are overtly negative.
  Anywho, here is my new plan...post once a week!  I should be able to handle that right!  Possibly every Friday?  Another blogger I know does this and I think it's a great idea!  So here we go!  Happy Friday everyone, if you're still out there--forgive the hiatus and kudos to those that can stay on top of it all!
s:)

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Slacker

I haven't had it in me to post lately!  I realized this morning though, that posting may be the exact therapeutic thing to do!  I've been busily prepping a commercial and trying to figure out babysitting, while Syl has been waiting to hear about a job opportunity.  Friday he received an offer from an out of state company!  The problem is that the salary is not where we were hoping it would be- to justify packing up and moving.  The upside is that the company appears to be an appealing culture-one that he would enjoy more than his current employer.  What kind of monetary value do you put on that?
To add insult to injury, things have been disappearing around our house-which is stressful, but easily explained by two busy little ladies...
I feel like I need to juggle so many things and emotions right now--I may just be a sloppy clown at a make-shift parking lot circus!  Here's to finding all the stuff and the right answers!  And to having a successful shoot!  Today, I will purpose to smile!

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