Summertime

Hello everyone!  It's been a while.  It's been a busy summer.  Brett working 7 days a week (he and I are not a fan of that), busy being a mom and doing stuff with Thomas.  Boating, blueberry picking, pool fun, going to the cottage and just being goofy.  We've been having such a fun time, I just wish Brett didn't work so much so that he could join in some of our fun.....  I know his job wears on him (physically and mentally) and I know that he can't keep doing it forever, but for now, it is what it is.

Anyway, we had a great weekend of cottage and boating fun.  Saturday I took Thomas to my grandparents cottage.   We took the pontoon boat out to the "party" cove/sand dune.  It's a nice spot to park.  It's kinda beachy but it's shallow enough that the kids can play in the water and everyone can go swimming.  I think the water was the warmest it's been in a LONG time.  We were there for a good couple/3 hours and really didn't leave the water.  It was great.  Brett came for dinner and it was a nice end to the day.

Sunday was boating fun for all at Hardy.  Except that our boat decided to take a poop on us. :(  It needs a new impellar. That sucks.  Kinda funny how it started though.  We were taking off and Dusty was with us.  We thought we smelled barbeque and it smelled good.  Then it started to smell more like rubber on fire, yeah, it was our boat.  So, Joe and Rose gave us a tow to party cove.  Except that they towed us all the way to the back, it felt like we were doing the "walk of shame" into the cove....embarrassing.  But anyway, it ended up being a good day.  We were in the water most of the day, Thomas had soooo much fun.  It was nice to spend the whole day with each other and our friends.

So, in other news, I bought a daily meditations book.  I've been feeling a void, and whenever I feel a void, prayer helps.  But, I didn't know what to say, so I thought if I had something to give me a kind of "push" or starting point, it would help.  It has.  I came across this verse the other day and thought I'd share it:

"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it."  1 Corinthians 10:13

It just spoke to me and I thought I'd share.

Also, I've been doing some photo editing and photo taking.  I've added these below, I think it's fun and I find a lot of joy in it.  It's an outlet for me to express who I am as a person and for me to be creative.  Enjoy!!!

spring has sprung.....sort of

Well, I just realized that it's been about a month since I last posted anything.....bad me! I guess I've been busy!  Well, it's official, spring is here....technically.  The reason I say technically, it's freaking cold out still. But oh well, it's Michigan....

The past weekend was absolutely gorgeous outside. I was actually wearing shorts and a tank top! (It was a frightening scene, since I have absolutely NO TAN at all and I am white as a ghost!) Oh well, I wasn't sweating my touche off....  This week has been pleasant, but windy and a lot cooler.

We did a lot of playing out side.  He was tumbling down the dirt hills in our yard.

So, we are getting ready to go on a trip.....to FLORIDA!  So excited to go.  Two reasons: 1. I get to see my sister and brother-in-law (that's where we're staying) and 2. WARM WEATHER!!!  I feel kinda bad that Brett can't go, but he's so busy right now he can barely see straight!  I have so much I have to do yet. Pack, get more car fun for Tommy etc etc etc.  I'm driving down with my parents.  Should be a good time.  Hopefully Tommy doesn't get too bored in the car and drive us all nutty!  It will be a story to tell that is for sure.

Well, I guess I haven't written anything much lately because I really don't have much going on.  However, I'm sure after Easter and the week following, I'll have some stories.  (That is when we are going.) Excited for my sister to host Easter dinner for us and do Easter egg dying and such.  I know it'll be a fun time! So, until we meet again!



The spirit within and fish tacos

I was waiting at the bank yesterday and noticed a stack of magazines marked free.  So, I picked one up and decided to take it home.  It was the Grand Rapids Women's LifeStyle.  I've seen this magazine before and have enjoyed it so I thought, why not?  Inside an article caught my eye: Want to eat Healthier?  My spirit within was screaming, 'YES! YES! TELL ME MORE!' So, needless to say, I read it.  It had four bullet points: 1. Slow down, 2. Avoid processed foods, 3. Avoid sugar in drinks and 4. Focus on adding healthy foods to your diet.  As I was reading, it was like the "mecca" reinforcing everything I had started this new year.  Yes, I do allow a treat every now again, but they are becoming less and less.  (i have found that when you change your lifestyle and changing eating habits its hard.  But it will do good things for our health!)  I also read somewhere that if your allow a treat (sensibly) every 3/4 days, you won't crave then binge on the sweets.  So, my spirit within has been satisfied with some guidelines in my quest for simplifying and being more healthy.  Now, on to fish tacos! :-)

This is what we had for dinner last night.  It was sooo good, I thought that I'd share.

Fish Tacos
2 Tbl butter melted
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2-2lbs fish fillets (cod, tilapia or grouper)
1 1/2c coleslaw w/ carrot mix
1 tsp lime juice
3Tbl mayo
1 recipe Mango Salsa

Melt butter, add cumin and garlic powder. cut the fish into strips.  Place on a cookie sheet.  Brush the melted butter mixture over the fish.  Cook in a 450 degree oven 4-6 min.

In a bowl, mix the lime juice and mayo.  Put the coleslaw mix in and coat.

Mango Salsa
1 1/2c cut up mango (or peaches)
1 red sweet pepper cut up
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4c thinly sliced green onion
1Tbl olive oil
1tsp vinegar
1 jalapeno finely chopped (I use 1/8tsp of chipotle seasoning instead)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

To serve, put coleslaw in taco shell (hard or soft, both work) top with fish then salsa.

ENJOY!

Some tips and a recipe

So I was on my facebook account and in the newsfeed saw that there was a link to this website:
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/momentsofmotherhood/10-habits-of-happy-moms-2401511/
shine.yahoo.com.  never heard of it before so I clicked on it.  The following was this:
10 Habits of Happy Moms
Now, I am a happy mom, but thought, could I be happier?  The answer is yes.  Here are the 10 tips.  But, to get the explanation behind the tips, you need to go to the website and read it.  It actually makes a LOT of sense, but for your reading pleasure, here they are:

1. Find time for yourself
2. Don't make a happy baby, happier
3. Embrace the mess
4. Make time for your friends
5. Stop blowing yourself off
6. Get in the zone
7. Remember your dreams and goals
8. Be lighthearted
9. Bend the rules
10. Mind your own business

I have resolved that I am going to try to commit to this.  As i was reading the article, I noticed that I do and don't do almost all of these. #'s 1, 3 and 6 I don't do as often as I should.  Also #4.  But I am a work in progress and am trying to better myself.  That being disposing of negative in my life (negative that is repetitive and makes me feel bad) and replacing it with positive.  Trying to cook better food for us.  Not saying that I cooked badly before (because trust me, my waistline tells a different story), just not good for you food, unhealthy.  Speaking which, we have added fish to our diet 2 times a week and eating less red meat.  I think I've successfully eliminated High Fructose Corn Syrup for the most part from our diet.  So, off to a good start for the new year I think.  Yay!

Okay, on to the recipe that is in the title:

Marinated grilled fish
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 2 oranges
juice of both fruit
2 TBL brown sugar
1 1/2-2lbs of mahi mahi (tilapia or salmon can also be used)

combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish.  Put the fish in marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  (The longer you marinade it, the more flavor the fish will have.)  Grill until opaque.

Enjoy!

Today

Today is my little boy's 3rd birthday. Awwww..... I will forever have this day engraved in my brain. It was one of the most happy, tiring, wonderful moments that Brett and I will ever share as a couple. Words really cannot express the feelings that you have at the birth of your child. But, back to the present.  He has become such a little comedian it's way too funny.  He loves everyone and everything.  I can't help but smile when I think of him. We are going to go to the GR Children's Museum today and after that I don't know.  Haven't quite decided.  Probably home.  Last year I took him out to lunch and that was disasterous, so, I really don't think I'll do that again. Maybe to Meijer bakery for a cupcake.  He does like those and they have really cute ones.  Anyway, just wanted to give a little shout-out to the little man (who right now would say, 'I'm not little man, I'm Tommy!'), hope you have a great day honey! Love you with all my heart!

A Hearty Hello

Hello my fellow bloggers!

It's been a while since I've been in the world of blogging. Over a year to be exact.  I had an account with my other e-mail, but it got hacked so I no longer had that and just never set a new one up.....So here I am world! New blog address in hand and ready to write, about what, I have NO IDEA!!!!!

Life is good. Tommy is turning 3 next week.  It seems like life with him is on warp speed. I can't believe that it was only 3 years ago I was pregnant with him and birthed him and now here he is, walking (actually most of the time running) talking, laughing and the whole bit. Yikes! He's turning into a funny little guy.  In a lot of ways he really reminds me of my younger brother, Tim.  He "memorized" movies.  He's really in to Cars, Toy Story 1 and 2 and Lion King.  He actually woke up this morning around 5am wanting to sit on the couch and watch Simba. It was all very adorable, but not at 5 am.  Thankfully when I told him to go back to sleep and watch him in his dreams, he did.  Guess he thought that was a good idea.

We've gotten so much snow.  I am soooo over it! Brett HATES the winter and I always have to hear about it.  Gets me down.  Looking forward to spring, and April.  Going to see Lora in Florida with Tommy and my parents.  We're driving down.  Glad I'm going.  Looking forward to "de-thawing". :-)

Anyway, I should go and start my day.  Nothing huge going on today.  New Grey's tonight! YAY!!! 

Talk to ya'll later! Peace!