Dixie's Birthday

My baby girl turned TWO yesterday! I can't believe how fast time has passed. It seems like just yesterday we were learning and planning for the arrival of our first baby. Now, she's two! I just can't believe it. We tried to make it a special weekend for her in so many ways. An overview... Friday night: We went to my BFF's house to bake. See a few years ago I helped her create a catepillar cake for her Callie-pillar's first birthday. It took us FOREVER. So, she agreed to help me create my horse filled pasture this year. We went over, ate dinner, and then went to cooking. It was so cute though because my little girls LOVES to cook. If I'm in the kitchen SO IS SHE. She want so thelp cook it all. So, Callie joined in the fun too and we had a girls evening baking. The girls were too cute just cooking and wanting to put the mix in the cupcake cups. Just a BLAST! We didn't get much accomplished, but we did get the "field" made. Saturday: We took Dixie to the zoo. All week long we had been building up to taking her to the zoo to ride the horses. Dixie is TOTALLY into horses these days and has ridden ponies a few times. So, she was psyched about going to "ride the horses". We met up with my parents at the zoo and ended up spending 3.5 hours there! It was one of the best trips EVER! We did the new explorer package that includes unlimited rides and activities within the zoo without having to pay for them. I HIGHLY recommend this idea to anyone with children. It really made a difference in her zoo experience. My parents added up what we would have spent if we had paid for all the things we did and it was $27. The difference in the membership was $40 difference at the individual level and $50 at the family level. So, we're half way to making it worth the money. One more trip and we'll have it covered. We may try to go during the week one day so the line for the pony rides isn't so long. Dixie was able to feed the birds, feed the giraffes, ride the horses/ponies, ride the carousel (twice), and really enjoy all the animals. Because the weather was warm, but had a nice breeze the animals were all active! It was so neat to see all the animals doing stuff and running around. The monkeys were going crazy too. There are two islands and a family group on each island. The males were yelling at each other, and if you've never seen this, you have to! It is unbelievable how loud their voices/yells are at each other. We sat at that exhibit for at least 30 minutes listening and watching. So cool! Sunday (the party): Sunday was Dixie's party. Her Grammy and aunt Stinky made it in on Saturday night to be there for the party on Sunday, and it was so special for them to be there. We went out to my parents house and decorated. Then, people started to arrive. We have bubbles out and the kids LOVED them. They were making bubbles and then running around in circles trying to pop them. All the kids, ages 2-9 were doing this! It was so much fun to watch. Then, we had a blow up jumping cage (thanks to Tonya Allen for this). The kids were jumping jelly beans all over the place in it. We even put Jadyn in it later after the older ones were done, and she loved crawling around in it! From there it was presents, and Dixie had so much fun with all the other stuff to do at her party that she didn't even open all her gifts! She did a few, including the most special gift from her Pappaw Doyle....a recorded book with him reading to her. I almost cried. From here, we went to the pinata....which was also a hit. Of course, until Dixie didn't want to share her bat and the other kids hit it with a stick. Ah-the joys of needing to teach "sharing". After that was cake and back to the jumping cage. When it was all said and done I thought for sure Dixie would crash....Jadyn did! However, she went inside and kept playing in her kitchen at mom's house. she did finally pass out on the drive home. Only made it 5 minutes in the car before passing out in the carseat. And this was at 7:15pm!!!!!

What's for dinner

So, I'm on Weight Watchers! I love it and I'm trying to do well by it.

In order to keep me in check and on track with my meal plans I will TRY to give my weekly menus. I am getting my recipes from one of two Weight Watcher Cookbooks or the online ones. Feel free to use and try or ask questions as you please!!!

This week (March 14th)
Monday: Carribean Pork Pockets
Ingredients
-Pork tenderloin (cut into 12 1-in slices)
-large sweet potato (peeled and sliced into SMALL pieces)
-small peeled and cored apple (sliced)
-1/2 sweet onion (diced)
-2tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 cup apple juice
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp all spice
-12 squares aluminium foil
Directions:
Mix onion, apples, and sweet potatoes in a bowl and toss with brown sugar
Divide mixture evenly into six squares of aluminium foil
Mix apple juice and spices in a bowl
Dip and coat the pork slices in the apple juice mixture
Put two pieces of pork in each of the six aluminium foil squares
Wrap
Double Wrap
Bake on 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Tuesday: Pizza-done light
Ingredients
-WHEAT thin crust refregerated pizza crust
-1/2 cup marinera sauce
-2 cups shredded FAT FREE Cheddar cheese
-turkey pepperoni

Directions
Roll out crust
Bake at 350 degrees for 4 minutes
Add marinera sauce
Add turkey pepperonis
Add with cheese
Bake on 350 degrees for 12 minutes (or until desired color)

Wednesday: Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi (bed of brown rice and steamed brocc)
Ingredients
-2-6oz mahi fish
-1.5 tbsp honey
-1.5 tbsp soy sauce
-1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 garlic clove (crushed)
-1 tbsp EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Season Fish with salt and pepper
Prepare MARINADE with honey, soy sauce, balsamic finegar, ginger, garlic and 2 tsp of olive oil
Place fish into marinade and refrigerate/marinate for 20 min
Remove from marinade and place in baking dish
bake fish at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes
Warm remaning marinade and drizzle over fish when done

Thursday: Slow cooker chicken cacciatore
ingredients:
-1 lb skinless chicken (cut into bite size chunks)
-1 cup mushrooms
-1 cup green pepper (sliced)
-1 cup onion (chopped)
-1 garlice clove (minced)
-1tbsp canned tomato paste
-1 can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted)
-1/4 cup red wine
-3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Place chicken in slow cooker
Add all ingredients
Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours

Welcome

So, here goes again. I'm going to be a blogger. This is going to be a "late" new year's resolution for me. I want to blog....I want to be a blogger. I want to let people know what's going on with our family and our lives. Many times we just don't share enough and I don't get a chance to tell everyone everything.

So, here goes.....

I'm making this a new blog. It's not based on pregnancy or anything specific in my life at any given time. It's just about us.

Currently, we have two little girls: Dixie and Jadyn. Dixie will be two next month and Jadyn is seven months. They are both growing up like crazy and I feel like they're going to go off to college before I realized what's happened.

Dixie is a little spirited red head girl. She has short CURLY red hair-and it's NOT short because we cut it! Dixie loves horses, Dora, Barney, and playing outside. She loves ANYTHING to do outside. I'm so glad the weather is FINALLY turning warm and it's going to be lighter longer. So, we'll be outside MUCH more!

Jadyn is my baby right now. She has just started crawling and is all over the place. She started pulling herself up last night and is doing it today at the babysitter. she likes ALL food and is eating table scraps like a dog. Yesterday I was sitting at the table in Joey's parent's new little market store (check it out on Signal Mtn-GREAT biscuits, pizza, and subs!) eating pancakes when I look down and they child has picked up her sister's lollipop and put it in her mouth! Crazy child! I freaked out because I was so shocked and you know we don't need an infant eating lollipops yet!

Joey and I are so in love. We've been through a LOT in the past five years of marriage, but it's really turning out great. I wouldn't trade it for the world. The struggles we've had have only led us to this great time we're having now. Like any man....he will get on my nerves and upset me but in the end he's a GREAT husband and a greater dad! We're planning a trip to Jamaica this Spring and are counting down like we know we're going to win the lottery that day! haha!

Well, you soon to be followers....hold me accountable and make me do posts. There is so much going on I need to post regularly! Most recent is my committement to losing weight with working out and weight watchers. A friend of mine is doing recipes swapping on Mondays, so I plan to include my SIMPLE lost weight recipes. Check it out and bug me for the week's agenda/recipes!