A Pleasant Surprise...

I had my first official doctors visit last week for my pregnancy. I didn't know when our baby was due, so I was very excited for this appointment so I could finally find out when to expect our little one. I had tried to figure out when I would be due and I thought I was about 12 weeks, well it turns out that I am actually 2 weeks further along than I thought I was. Isn't that a pleasant surprise!! I am now into my second trimester and finally starting to get some of my energy back....I even cleaned out a closet last week. I am so excited to feel like myself again. I wish I could post the ultrasound pictures of our little one, but I still can't post pictures. I really have to figure that out before the baby comes.

Quick Easy Dinner Idea...

I have been in search of some quick easy dinner recipes lately, I think it is because I am pregnant and get more sick in the evening than I do in the morning, so dinner is always a struggle for me to make when I am feeling yucky. The other day Rice-A-Roni was on sale. This isn't something that I usually stock in my pantry, but I walked by it at the store and was reminded of a dish my mom use to make. I don't know what it is called, but it is super easy and delicious. Here is the recipe:

1 cup (approx.) Cooked chicken (leftover from grilling, shredded, etc.)
Can of green beans (or cooked frozen beans)
1 box Chicken flavored Rice-A-Roni
Cashews

Cook up the Rice-A-Roni according to the package directions. When it is done cooking add the chicken and green beans. Heat through. Top with Cashews. Serve with a yummy salad on the side.

What are some of your favorite quick and easy recipes? I could use some new ideas. :)

Another New Year's Resolution...

As a few of you know (my faithful followers...all two of you!) it was one of my goals for the new year to gain 20 to 25 pounds. Well I have started working on my goal....

I am pregnant!!!

That is why I have been so absent lately in blogland. I feel like I could sleep all day. We are so excited to add another little baby to our family this fall.

My 1 year Blogiversary...

Well I have managed to last a whole year in the blogging world. It has been so much fun. I have learned so much. I love all the new ideas and inspiration I get from blogging. I am never without a fun new idea for something. My house has become more organized thanks to Works for Me Wednesday. I have kept in touch better with my friends and family, and learned lots of new things about them. I have made lots of new online friends whom I look up to and adore. It has been a great year. I love having my little online journal. My real journal has been suffering greatly in the last year, but at least I have a record somewhere. I have been going through a blogging drought lately. Not being able to post pictures has really slowed me down. Hopefully soon I will be able to do pictures again. Thanks to you all for hanging out with me throughout this year. It has been great.

I wanted to link to some of my favorite posts, but I have never figured out how to do it, or my computer just won't let me. So if you are bored you can look through some of my past posts, or hit some of the ones you have missed.

Here's to another year of blogging...this one should be an interesting one!

A few things I should do more often...

I have taken notice of a few things that I should really do more often. I often get so caught up in the all the business of life that I miss out on a few of life's little pleasures. So here are a few things I have thought of lately:

Laying down on my bed in the middle of the day. I layed down on my bed and talked to my husband the other day while he was changing out of his work clothes. It was so nice and relaxing. I never lay down in the daytime. I should do that more often.

Scrapbook. I went to my parent's house last week and ended up scrapbooking 24 pages. I had a hard time getting going because I hadn't scrapbooked for so long. I need to keep those creative juices flowing better.

Get together with a good friend and chat. Yesterday I had lunch with Suzanne from A Rose By Any Other Name. It was so fun to just sit and talk while the kids played.

Putting lotion on my feet. I once knew someone that would wash their feet everyday before bed and put lotion on her feet. I have never been that dedicated to my poor feet. I am extremely bad at putting lotion on my feet. They always feel so soft and nice when I do, but I rarely find the time.

Petting my dog. My dog has been really sick lately. I have realized that I should spend more time loving her. It is a good stress relief to sit and stroke her soft fur.(As long as she isn't stinky!)

Sitting in the sunshine. I know this really is not something I should do because of skin cancer, but I love to sit in the sunshine.

Stop to look at the flowers. We have beautiful flowers in our yard. We already have daffodils, crocus, pask flowers, mini-iris, and pansies blooming. I often forget they are out there and never go look at them. I need to take more time to smell the flowers.

Play in the sand. Nothing makes you feel like a kid more than playing and building things in the sand. It is so fun.

What are some of the things you should do more often?

A love of breakfast....

I love breakfast foods. Seriously, I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day. Often if I can't figure out anything to make for dinner I will make scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Every month on the first Sunday of the month we always have breakfast for dinner. I tried this new recipe this month. They were very good. The pancakes are really light and fluffy, and the sauce is yummy. I would serve it with a fruit smoothie next time (so you feel like you are eating something healthy!). Enjoy!

Chocolate Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tblsp. sugar
1 cup warmed milk
4 Tblsp. margarine or butter, melted
2 eggs
6 Tblsp. cocoa powder

Mix all dry ingredients together. Combine butter and milk and warm in microwave until butter is melted. Add eggs. Add dry mix and throughly mix. Cook on hot griddle. Makes about 20- 4 inch pancakes.

Vanilla Butter
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tblsp. hot water

Cream butter with powdered sugar. Add vanilla and hot water. This turns out to be kind of honey butter consistancy. I wanted it more of a syrup so I heated it up to melt the butter and added a little milk so it would pour. It is very yummy!

Favorites Meme...

I got this idea from Stephanie's blog (For Better or For Worse).

10 FAVORITES

1)Color: Right now, black
2)Food: Fettucine Alfredo, Garlic Bread, Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Bears, Fondue
3)Musical Group: Rascal Flats
4)Song Right Now: The only song I can think of right now is Oh Where Oh Where has my little dog gone because I just sang it to my baby.
5)Movie: my newest favorites are Lake House and Flyboys
6)Sport: Swimming
7)Season: Spring
8)Day of the Week: Monday
9)Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla
10)Person: My husband of course

9 CURRENTS

1)Current Mood: Today I am tired, the baby is not adjusting well to daylight savings time
2)Current Scent: Apple and Cinnamon air freshener
3)Current Clothes: My tan courds, black socks and slippers, black shirt, and a Rice University sweatshirt.
4)Current Desktop: My hubby giving my girls a horsey ride
5)Current Ringtone on Cell Phone: I have no idea what it is
6)Current Music: No music at the moment, just the sound of my heater and the girls playing grocery store
7)Current Time: 1:12p.m.
8)Current Surrounding: The computer desk, aka my husband's desk because he made it in High School. It is covered in papers. Maybe I should do some cleaning....nah!
9)Current Event Happening Today: We went to Wal-Mart this morning and it is so nice and sunny that I am going to take the girls to the park after nap time.

8 FIRSTS

1)First Best Friend: I guess it was probably the girl who sat on all my play kitchen doors and broke them off...no wonder I don't remember her name!
2)First Kiss: a boy named J.P. in kindergarten playing kissing tag at recess...it was just on the cheek
3)First Screen Name: itybtyfrog
4)First Pet: a cat
5)First Piercing: My Ears
6)First Crush: That same J.P. boy in kindergarten
7)First Music: The first song I remember being my favorite was Phil Collins Invisible Touch....I have it on a record.
8)First Car: A Ford Tempo named Allegra.

7 LASTS

1)Last Class: my last college class was personal finance
2)Last Drink: Water
3)Last Trip: St. George.
4)Last Kiss: My husband before he went to work, and my baby before I put her down for a nap
5)Last Movie Seen at the Theater: The Polar Express
6)Last Phone Call: My husband
7)Last CD Played: I haven't played a C.D. for several days

6 HAVE YOU EVERS

1)Have you ever dated one of your best guy friends? Yes, and I ended up marrying him.
2)Have you ever broken the law? Other than speeding, I don't think so.
3)Have you ever been arrested? No
4)Have you ever skinny-dipped? No
5)Have you ever been on TV? No, but something I made was on television once.
6)Have you ever kissed someone you didn’t know? No.

5 THINGS
1) 1 thing you’re wearing: New black slippers that my husband insisted on buying me so that he could throw my old ones away.
2)1 thing you’ve done today: taken a shower
3)1 thing you’re bothered by: nothing at the moment
4)1 thing you can’t live without: sugar
5)1 thing you do when you’re bored: Blog or read.

4 PLACES YOU HOPE TO TRAVEL TO
1)Caribbean
2)The west coast
3)Prince Edward Island
4)The east coast

3 PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO

1) my husband
2) Suzanne
3) Stephanie

2 CHOICES
1)Black or White? Black
2)Hot or Cold? Hot

1 THING YOU WANT TO DO?
Build my dream home someday.