Pop 'A' Ro

Shower......

Last night Bria and i hosted a baby shower for a friend of ours Amanda. We've all known each other since 8th grade (so yeah, a while). We had originally planned for it to just b a usual girls night, but the baby shower idea sounded so good we decided to add that. Amanda wasn't in on the secret though, which made it much more fun. Bria and i did a little decorating, and each girl brought something for all to enjoy. Amanda was totally surprised, and little Sydney made out like a bandit. We played a couple games and the winner took home some homemade sugar scrub. This project was a 1st attempt for me, and although i liked the way it turned out, i know what to do better next time. Same goes for the picture garland i made for Amanda, it came out cute, but next time i know how i will make it. We stuffed ourselves silly of good food, good Friends, and GREAT laughs!! Can't wait to meet little Sydney.

Party....Party.....

Yesterday was CRAZY busy for all of us. We were invited to 2 birthday parties, and Bria and I were hosting a baby shower for our friend Amanda last night.

1st was Zayn’e birthday party at Pump-it-up. This place is very cool, it’s party place that is nothing but inflatable houses. The kids all got to play for a couple hours, and even some of the adults joined in. After 2 hours of playing, we enjoyed some birthday cake, and gift opening. Zayne got some pretty cool gifts, and we had a great time. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera, so I didn’t get any pictures of the fun (I know crazy to believe right?) so I am hoping maybe Gena got some, and I can snag a couple from her. If I do, I’ll post those.
We came home for a couple hours of relaxing and then headed out to Lyla’s 1st birthday. I LOVED the theme Trista picked out, instead of the traditional princess theme, she went with flowers, and lady bugs, which I think was perfect for lyla. We had a great time and the boys loved playing with all their friends. We enjoyed cupcakes and sandwiches that looked like flowers, and a cake that was shaped like a butterfly. Lyla was the center of attention and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately we missed the gift opening because of the baby shower I was also hosting last night. But I am sure she enjoyed opening all her gifts!!

Graduation………

It’s always amazing to see someone graduate, it’s fun to take a moment and reflect on how they got to where they are now. No matter how long you’ve known someone, you can look back on the memories you have of them and smile. Last weekend, we went to the graduation party of a longtime family friend Christie. Christie graduated college last week, and we were all happy to help her celebrate. We are good friends with the entire Monsalve family, Desi, German, Michael, Carlos & Christy. I met Desi when she started working with my mom in ’91. In the years we have known them, we have celebrated birthday’s together, we’ve celebrated holidays together, we’ve basically been part of each other biggest moments. And last Saturday was no exception. Desi and German know how to throw a party, they had food overflowing, begging you to eat some of each (which I did) from homemade tamales to bratwurst they had it all. Then came cake, and cookies, and brownies, and the most decadent chocolate truffle I have EVER had, you NEVER go hungry when you go to a Monsalve party. I had a blast introducing my family to everyone, and it was fun to see them react to the fact I have 2 children of my own now.

Watching my kids run and play comfortable in the home they were in, accepted like family, I was reminded, the feeling of home comes even when your miles from it, as long as it’s with people you love. I am so glad that my boys get to have the Monsavle family in their lives.

Congrats to Christie for a job well done!! And here’s to many more celebreations!!

Cheers.

Another day

At the Spillman home. This is a pretty typical day. I love it :-)

Happiness is......

A Churro almost bigger than you.

Garden......

We had a GREAT weekend, it was in the upper 80's, so Eric and i decided to get some very needed yard work done. Eric did some weeding and some mowing, while i put some flowers in the planters that have been used for everything ash tray, trash holder, nail holder......pretty much anything you can think of was in those boxes. I finally decided that i would do something with them. I put some pretty flowers the boys picked out, they helped me plant them (a little) more like grabbed a couple handfuls and tossed them into the pot (that wasn't as exciting as they thought it would be). I am also trying my hand at some indoor herbs. I planted some basil and rosemary. The boys also got their own little pots and planted basil & chives. So far THEIR herbs are coming along great......Mine, not so much.

Eric also put up the pool, which the boys LOVED!! Sunday they went in, even though i think it was beyond cold. Aragorn didn't care though (proof that he is of his grandmothers blood) his lips were blue, he was cold, but HE was in the water. Rohan declined, he took one jump and that was all he needed to know that was NOT what he wanted to do.

The news you don't want to hear......

Please continue to Pray for my mom. The biopsy did come back, and it is cancer. The nurse said it is very small less than a centimeter. So the next step is an MRI, which will tell them if they can just go in and take the spot out, or if Chemo and other methods will be needed.

Mothers day 2011

Happy mothers day!!

Well......

It must be comfy......

My tree.....

Yes, all of it.

This guy was enjoying some lilacs when i went to cut some off yesterday. He let me snap a couple pictures, and then let me know he had enough.

Update.....

All thanks so much for all the warm thoughts and prayers you provided mom. Her biopsy went well, it was an in and out and she was back at work by 9:00 (i know, don't even get me started). Normally this is a 48 hr process, but because of the weekend, we won't know the results until Monday. I ask that you continue to think of mom as this will be a very long weekend for us all.

With Love,

Prayers still needed.....

Please continue to pray for my mom, she does have to have a biopsy tomorrow to determine if the 4 mm spot they found is cancerous or not.

Four!!

Rohan showing his golfing skills

Taco Tuesday.....

Chicken tacos with a chili pepper mayo & Corn Salsa………I thought it was awesome………

Here are the recipe's i used........

Blackening Spice Rub for chicken:
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon freshly crack black pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.
Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast, trim off any excess fat, and rub with 1 tablespoon of the Blackening Spice. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through

Black Bean Salsa:
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium corn kernels, drained
• 1 can diced tomato, drained
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Gently mix all of the ingredients in a large container. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Mexican Mayo
½ Cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Monday Calm

For diner tonight i made a Tofu Soup. Brianna says “In order to make tofu taste good, soak in soy sauce for 1 hour to 3 days” I like it, it has no flavor, but what you put into it. You can do all kinds of stuff with tofu, I am a HUGE fan of it in Chinese soups, egg drop, sweet and sour…..etc……For most people it’s a texture thing but if you can get over that I think you’d be ok. Here's the recipe I did.

• One 32 ounce carton 99% fate free chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp natural granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp minced fresh ginger, to taste (I used a LOT)
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces soft or firm tofu cut into bite size cubes
• Optional: any veggie you want to use ( I used peas, carrots & spinach)
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in a soup pot. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes

2. Stir in the scallions, tofu, & veggies about 3 minutes (or veggies are tender enough for you)

3. You can add two cups additional water, or enough to give the soup a dense but not overly crowded consistency. Season with pepper and additional soy sauce if needed. Heat through and serve at once

If you read this blog today or tomorrow, please send a prayer out for my mom. She just had her yearly mammogram, and the doctor has noticed some discrepancies between her pictures last year and the ones from this year. She has another appt tomorrow and we will know then. Please just send a thought of her when you have a chance.

Love it!

Than with Tbri

Doing the Weight thing.......

I don't think I've mentioned that I am doing weight watchers. I started a couple weeks ago, and so far it's going pretty well. It's forced me to look at food a little differently. On Weight Watchers, your goal is to eat good, well rounded meals, with good potion control. Which, i admit, are not two of my best weight subjects. I like FOOD i like good tasting food, and i usually like a decent portion of it. But, i also like my old clothes, and would love to feel a little bit better health wise. Plus, I have discovered that if I eat better, obviously so does my family. Now, don't get me wrong, we still ate good foods (Aragorn will take a banana over sweets almost any day) but i do not deprive my children of any foods. I limit the intake, but there are not many foods my kids haven't tried, because i love FOOD. So i am using weight watchers as a tool to help me change my lifestyle of eating. That's one of the reasons i chose them was because they teach you lessons and tricks that you will be able to use forever, not a fad diet. So, i think every now and then, to help keep me motivated, i will share with you what i ate, and possibly show you a picture, and maybe a fact about weight loss. I was going to open another blog, but i think everyone i know that already reads this one, could benefit from a new recipe or tip.

So yesterday Bria and i made a TON of food it was good for you and we have leftovers for two days. Here's what we had in pictures.