Where I find motivation to keep going...

It's in the daily snuggles given freely over and over.
It's in the loving gestures that only a baby can imitate with such sweetness.
It's in the giggles that overtake him when the tickling has begun.
It's in the twirling of my hair while my sweet baby nurses to sleep.

It's in the songs that my 5 yr old sings while playing.
It's in the castles of sand that imagination reaches its peak.
It's in the rise and fall of their chest as they deeply breath in their sleep.

all you need is love

Sorry if I got a song stuck in your head.

It's been a really wonderful week.  Mothers Day was lovely.  Calm. Peaceful. My heart is still and grateful for the sons I have here.  I am also grateful for the one waiting for me in heaven.

After a crazy season of 'scrimpin' & pinchin' I am proud to say my culinary skills are getting more and more creative.  I am looking at my pantry with more in my repertoire. I am seeing past the crisper in my fridge and gazing at a spice rack that is brimming with possibilities.

I had asked Joel last week to bring home some potatoes from the market.  He was pumped about how cheap he got them.  The next day I was planning to do loaded baked potatoes and a salad bar and noticed something: These Potatoes are ALL rotten!  (No wonder how cheap they were!)

I threw the soft, green little guys away and had to start over.  I didn't want to do 'just salad' so I gazed into the fridge.  Trying to be creative.  Trying to be inventive.  Using love in what I make for my family.

I saw bacon....lettuce....tomatoes and thought: BLT's!  Perfect.  'Cept that we're sick of BLT's.  So, i put a spin on it and stuck them on tortillas on a bed of couscous and sauteed onions.  Spicy brown mustard and Avacado top the open-faced soft taco and voila!  No joke....Joel told me this is now one of his all time favorite dinners....I just had to laugh!

To the Mommies...

May you be spoiled rotten this weekend. 

May your children cuddle you close.

Enjoy the pedicures...massages...breakfast(s) in bed...receive the love and know how wonderful you are!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

dinner last night...

So we do our grocery run @ the West Side Market on Wednesdays.  It gets us through the week/weekend and seems to make the most sense for our lifestyle. 

While I couldn't wait to see Joel bring home the fresh stuff, I had some stuff leftover from the weekend I wanted to use...

We're sorta sick of salad, veggie quesadillas, and stir fry.  So, we sauteed them in pasta and made a sauce out of olive oil, lemon, basil and bread crumbs.  It was divine paired with angel hair pasta.  The only thing missing was an intense cheese flavor....

so so so close...

It's been a tight month, financially. 

Bought a new car.

It takes more gas.

Got better insurance on it.

Had a new baby.

He eats solids now.

Got a speeding ticket.

Upgraded phones.

Life is full of the unexpected.  Seriously unexpected things just come up. 

I am humbled, however. I have a husband who is an incredibly hard worker.  He selflessly gives up nights/weekends/days off so he can make extra for us.  It's hard, to be honest, not to be directly helping out in that department.  Although, I do consider raising the kids/cleaning/cooking to help out a bit.  ;)

 

The GREAT news to share is....

In 2 months we will have TWO WHOLE STUDENT LOANS finally paid off!!!  This is HUGE.  

This is how I feel when I think about it. 

So....if you are down and out about finances like we have all been from time to time....look up, celebrate where you have come from, and be generous.  You always have more when you give lots!  

confessions of a 6 month old

I enjoy long walks to starbucks with my Mom.
I am often tortured by my brother.  I don't seem to mind that too much. Unless I am squirted in the face with a water gun.
The best part of the day is when I get up in the morning.  I sing to wake up Mommy.
I am starting to eat food off a spoon.  Squash and bananas are my favorite.
My name is Leland but I have a lot of nicknames: LeeBee; Leeseph; Leebles
Sometimes I cry when my Mom kisses me too much but I know she means well.
I roll over when I play on the floor but sometimes I freak out when I'm on my belly too long.
I blow raspberries to express my emotions.  It seems to get everyone's attention.
I am put into this "Johnny Jumper" contraption and for some reason, I just JUMP & JUMP & JUMP.
Everyone laughs.
I like my new family.  They seem to like me too.

Love,
Leland

my husband is eco-cool

So it's been 6 months since Leland was born.  6 months!  The first half of his first year is done.  I am in disbelief.  This child amazes me.  He is SO mellow and laid back.  Even when he does cry, it's more of a whimper than an all-out scream.  I love the bond we have.  I love bond he has with Jude.  It's just unreal how beautiful these last 6 months have been. 

Upon realizing the 6 month mark was approaching...Joel and I noticed how many cool posters we have received that we kept saying.."Oh we should frame that!"  Well....every time we said that, it was soon followed by, "Hmm...a frame of that size is going to be SO expensive!"  So, we'd just leave these darling posters for no one to see.

Until Saturday.  Joel decided to take apart some wooden furniture that we no longer care for....and voila: FRAMES!

This first one is from our darling friends: Dylan & Candace....one of their all-time best sellers...get one here.  The second one was a gift from another friend, Carli.  The third one is from our TWIST Family. 

What do you think?  Didn't he do a great job???