Over the weekend we celebrated Brandon's 27Th Birthday! Once again we made our way to Tucano's Brazilian Grill (we love this place). It was a wonderful night, filled with laughter, family and friends.

Sunday night our little girl finally made it back from her fab trip to the Lagoon. She had a great time, loved all the rides, the water park and the pool. I imagine that she ran my parents ragged. He-he!
It was weird not having another kid running around the house. When Jackson napped I was able to get other "projects" done, like his baby Album. This was a baby shower gift from my sister Blanca. I know its long over due, but now that its done....I just love it.
As always the weekends just fly by and before you know it, its Sunday night again and time to get ready for another work week. Boo!

Off to Utah

For a few weeks my parents have been planning on making a weekend trip and just getting out of town. This weekend was it, and they took Issy with them. Their destination...Lagoon Park in Utah. They left early this morning and probably will be getting there right about now. Issy helped me pack last night, absolutely looking forward to a trip to this "great" unknown place we have been talking about. All she really knew is that there was going to be lots of rides and she needed new flip flops for the large water park. No need for further explanation...she was thrilled and ready to go.

Back home, the morning was almost too quiet without her. I really miss her already. I am looking forward to seeing her on Sunday, listening to the great stories about the trip, and most of all knowing that she is building a great relationship with my parents.

One on One time

Last weekend Brandon spend the weekend on a nice motorcycle trip to Magruder with his Dad and a few friends. They had been planning this for a long time so I was excited for him to get out of town and get some alone time.

All weekend long it was just me and my two side kicks, Issy and Jax. I really wanted to make the weekend extra special and spending some real quality time with them. Its rare that one of us is left alone with the kids for this long. Last time I left for an entire weekend was more 3 years ago? Brandon totally deserved it. He helps me so much every single day, not only with the kids, but also around the house doing whatever needs to be done. if one thing is certain, is that he is an excellent father. I really had to step it up.

My Mom was having a yard sale on Saturday. We probably would have been over there anyway, so on Friday I cleaned house and get rid of some junk. Once there, my Mom helped me set up a little water stand for Issy- she was so excited and truly had been looking forward to it for a week. We told her she could keep all the money she made that day, which exited her even more...(really at this point $1 is exciting for any five year old) With out any direction from my mom or I, she made sure to let every customer know she was selling water for a dollar. She wont be retiring anytime soon, but she did manage to make $6 bucks. She was so cute, so sweet and so happy!

Jackson loved checking people out, so he was a happy camper for most of the day. Around lunch time, he was tied and was attracting a lot of attention from little old ladies wanting to squeeze and pinch those chubby cheeks. Neither one of use like that too much, but I cant say that I blame them.

We got home around five, made an early dinner, took care of the baths, story and by 7:30 both kids were a sleep! I was beat! Single Parents out there...You guys are my heroes!

Sunday we hung out, played, danced, baked...I loved it. We missed Brandon very, very much and we were very happy to see him home Monday afternoon, but I will always welcome more weekends like this. it was wonderful!

Rodeo Day Parade

I have been so excited that our "little" town is FINALLY putting together more community events this year. Lately we have been all over trying to support the City (or whom ever it is that is responsible for hosting these events) by actually showing up. I have to admit the Rodeo Day Parade wasn't exactly my cup of tea (I know nothing about horses) but the kids and I ended up having a really nice time together. Come On Nampa- keep 'em coming!!!

Reflection

Jax's can’t quite figure out who that kid is, that keeps staring back at him, but he seems to really enjoy the company :)

Have your tried it?

Coupon shopping that is! I posted my friends site last month and I wanted to see if anyone had given the system a try? If you haven't, check out Ali's blog and read about how you too can save big on your groceries each month! Click here start from the very beginning!

All Boy!

Just as I predicted- He is starting with the dog....soon enough he will be terrorizing our house. Poor Sandy! Also check out his baby hawk and the Deputy badge.

Jackson

This little guy just melts my heart!

I can hear laughter

I ran in to the Albertsons earlier this week, it just happened to be the same store that my friend Tasche's brother works at. For some reason I felt the urge to just look at him, I looked and looked an could not find him. I know it that may sound super weird, I swear I was already in the area and needed to stop and pick up a few things already. I felt like if only I could just see him, I would be able to get a little glimpse at Tasche. I was a little bummed that I didn't get to see her brother but as I was walking out and putting my groceries in my trunk I could faintly hear her laughter in my head. Her happy, excited laughter!
I miss her so much everyday. A lot of the time I look down at my phone on my way home from work and wish I could call her. Obviously she is laughing at me, telling me to stop stocking her brother and just remember the good times. That is what I am planning on doing...Sorry Rigg!

baby food

About 3 months ago I bought a ton of baby food in jars for Jackson. Its been a while (five years) since we have had to buy any so I wasnt really sure what I was looking for and to be perfectly honest I didnt really remember much about baby food either. Issy was more or less of our guinea pig when she was born becuase everything we knew we were learning as we went. This time around I felt like we owed it to both Jackson and Issy to learn from past mistakes and everyday make better, more informed decision. I am no where near perfect but everyday I try to be better.

As I was going through the jarred baby food I started paying attention to the ingredients. Carrots and water? Peas and Water?

WHAT?

I dont know why on earth I never thought about making baby food at home before. How easy could steaming veggies be? I thought for sure it had to be healthier. As I said earlier, I have to stop myself from jumping the gun on anything that sparks my interest because as soon as I hit my "ah ha moment" my first instict was to run out the door to buy all sorts of fruits and veggies and make everything from scratch.

I didnt. Instead I went online hoping I could find some information on homemade baby food. I guess I forget how many poeple, like me, have already thought about this very thing, becuase I was so impressed by the number of sites that are dedicated to this very subject.

Wow!

Not only did I find receipes, but I also got some "how to" tips and information on freezing your food (something I am not at all familiar with), food preparation, tons more.

I wanted to start out small but after my so called research I did go out to buy organic carrots and zuchini and give those a try. Jackson doesnt really seem to notice a huge difference in his food that I can tell (I think he would eat anything), but to me, its more about what I am able to do for him and the rest of the family that makes me feel good.

I doubt I would ever go 100% percent organic, but it is my goal that we make small changes at home.

Here is step 1.

Loosey Goosey

Issy has her first loose tooth. We should be getting a glittery visitor really soon!

July 4, 2009

This fourth of July was the best yet! We started our day in downtown Boise. We hung around the Saturday Morning Market while we waited for the 4Th of July Parade to start. It was so much fun. The local musicians were fantastic. Every time I go, there is a different cover band that is equally as good as the last one. The food was delicious, lot of samples. We love samples. We even scored free Honest Teas. I had never heard of this new drink until just this last week, but oh oh oh my goodness it was the best bottled tea I have ever had!!! Brandon and I couldn't stop talking about it. Its so refreshing, not too sweet, and just perfect for a hot summer day. Best of all its completely Organic...You have to try it. I think they sell them in most whole food stores and also at Fred Meyers.

The kids loved the parade while it lasted. By the time it was over it was already over 85 degrees out and we were drained. We had family from out of town this weekend, so my parents decided to take them to the Eagle Island State Park for a picnic. There was a nice sandy beach for the kids, so the kid got to cool off in the water. It was busy but it was a great spot. Once nightfall came we loaded everyone up...again....this time to catch the Meridian Firework show.
Yes, it was a lot of fun but we ran our selves ragged this weekend... I am still not ready for another work week.

Getting a jump start on the holiday

I am not much of a baker or much of a cook for that matter but for the sake of my family I have been making more of an effort to try new things these last couple of years. Don't get me wrong, I can follow a recipe but I never really try new things on my own. This may be why I had never,ever used food coloring prior to last night. Issy really wanted to help me make something and with 4Th of July so close, I thought it would be fun to make some Independence Day themed cupcakes. Brandon even helped us by frosting the red stripes on the cupcakes.

Now it feels like summer!

We finally made it up to Cascade for a little family "camping" trip. My in-laws have a really nice cabin that they let us use, so it was nice that we didn't have to rough it with a six month old. The best part is that their place is only about an hour's drive- but the stillness makes it feel like your are much further away. Just far away enough to forget about it all for a little while. We all really love it up there!