One time when Jared and I went to my family's house over the weekend, a year or so ago, they all shared their "Roses, Buds, and Thorns," over Sunday dinner. The "rose" was the good part of the day, "bud" was something you were looking forward to, and "thorn" is the not so great part of the day. I loved it, so....
Our Roses:
-I learned how to cook black beans from scratch. This is a big deal to me because I buy endless cans of them and have done so since Jared and I got married. One of my friends in the ward learned how to cook them and this motivated me to. They are SO much better than canned beans, not only nutritionally but they taste better AND I love the feeling that I can do it on my own. No more relying on expensive cans of beans (in comparison to bagged beans, my goodness).
-For the last month Ashlyn has been sleeping through the night from 7 pm or so until about 7:30 am (every now and then she has a little snack around 9 pm, but this is not the norm) This is heavenly, as you can imagine (thank you "Baby-Wise," by Ezzo). Some people love it and others don't, but hey, if your baby is sleeping like that and has been almost since she was two months old, how can you not love it?
-Jared has a good job and he really enjoys it. In todays economy this is a tremendous blessing and we're thankful.
-I made graham crackers and wheat thins. This has been on my to-do list for a very long time. Wow, the graham crackers were "wildly successful," (as quoted by Jared) and the wheat thins were pretty good. I don't know if I'd make the wheat thins again but definitely the graham crackers...wow. When you're a stay-at-home mom this is the kind of stuff you do to find fulfillment. Really though, I absolutely love finding new things to create.
-We had one of the most beautiful days a week or so ago. It was perfect weather, in my book, no humidity, a light breeze, sun, and a beautiful out-door mall that I took Kaylee and Ashlyn to. I soaked up every single moment of it, knowing that it won't last too much longer.
-I've been studying nutrition. I read the book "Master you Metabolism" by Jillian Michaels. Phenomenal, that's all I can say.
-We finally bought a new mattress. Ours was so old and Jared's body was aching because of it. He's much happier with our new one.
-Kaylee now has conversations with me. This has made being a mom really fun. We don't always understand one another but we do our best. She is so polite. We have worked really hard at teaching her to say "please," and "thank you." It has really paid off. She says it on her own now so well and it makes me such a proud mom.
-Jared's brother, Mark, is coming for an internship at USAA, in about a month. We really love Mark and are so excited to have him here. Yea for family!
-We love our little girls a lot. They make us so happy (and so tired)
-Jason has been on his mission for over two months! Yea for missionaries...
-And, I love Jared... a lot. There, that's something to be very happy about.
-I have made friends with some wonderful girls in the ward here. Every Tuesday we have our "homemade Tuesday," time. We pick something we want to make and meet up at someone's house around 11 am and have fun making it. We've made ice cream, laundry detergent, mozzarella cheese, salsa, tortillas, bread, all sorts of things. It's fun getting together. We also take our kids around to each others pools (people swim a lot here in Texas..hot humid weather will do that to you).
-I also love it that whenever I start cooking dinner or baking something Kaylee runs over and says "make, make." This is what she says when she wants to help me make something. So we pull up a chair and she stirs, mixes, and creates yummy things right alongside me. I'm learning to relax about how much of a mess it creates. I want her to remember cooking and making messes with her mom in the kitchen like I remember doing so with my mom.
Rub a dub dub
Isn't that such a clever easter cake? I thought it was adorable.
Easter egg hunt with other little girls in the ward
Making home-made ice cream with my friends and the kids. It's the kind that you shake around in a bad full of salt and ice.
Our Buds:- I look forward to (and also dread) the day Kaylee is potty-trained. I keep putting this off.
-Going to Europe in 2013. Ang and Austin decided to save up for it and they'll be done with school at that point. We asked if they wouldn't mind the company (Jared's never been and I'm just itching to go again). My parents may come with us too. Ah! So we're going to save up for it these next two years.
-Seeing Jared after work today.
-Fall. I'm already looking forward to that around here in San Antonio.
Caught in the act of licking the bowl!
This was that perfect day at the out-door mall.
-Summer is nigh upon us around here. I'm not looking forward to being here in the summer. That being said, I am SO thankful for AC!
-Flies. When these Texas flies get in your house they do not want to leave. We don't get a lot, but when we get one it's a lot of work to chase it around and swat it.
-It's sad not to go out and take walks like I used to all the time. It's starting to get too muggy, plus I don't live in an area like I used to where I could get out and walk to the library, the store, all over compus, to friend's homes, anywhere. You have to drive to get where you want to go.
-Sometimes (a lot of the time) being a mom is just plain exhausting.
Samoa cupcakes. Oh delicious! It was one of my friend's birthdays so we had a picnic outing and brought these along.
Girls night out during priesthood session. Kaylee was loving that ice cream cone.
April Fools cupcakes. Popcorn, peas and carrots, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes.
So these are some of the goods and the not so goods in our life right now...but I'm happy to say that it's mostly good.
Rub a dub dub
Isn't that such a clever easter cake? I thought it was adorable.
Easter egg hunt with other little girls in the ward
Making home-made ice cream with my friends and the kids. It's the kind that you shake around in a bad full of salt and ice.
Our Buds:
Caught in the act of licking the bowl!
This was that perfect day at the out-door mall.
Our Thorns:
Samoa cupcakes. Oh delicious! It was one of my friend's birthdays so we had a picnic outing and brought these along.
Girls night out during priesthood session. Kaylee was loving that ice cream cone.
April Fools cupcakes. Popcorn, peas and carrots, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes.
So these are some of the goods and the not so goods in our life right now...but I'm happy to say that it's mostly good.