Well, the traveling was totally worth the hassle. We had a WONDERFUL time visiting family. The girls spent quality time with my grandparents, my aunt & uncle, and my Dad. It really warms my heart to see my children experience many of the same happy memories that I was so blessed to experience. I watched them play with toys that generations have dug through and enjoyed. I witnessed my Grandpa read to my daughter in the same loving manner he used to read to me. I am SO happy that my girls get to experience this kind of love, and so overwhelmed with emotion that I get to feel it all over again, too. Here are some photo highlights from the trip:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/7476540@N04/5e738x

I don't like traveling. I like my destinations, but I hate the PROCESS of traveling. It is bad enough when you travel alone, but throw an 18-month old and a pre-teen into the mix and you have a recipe for the opposite of fun.

First, there is the packing - BLUK! And since we aren't just visiting ONE house overnight - I've packed separate bags to hopefully make the in and out process easier (we'll see). And it is March in the Midwest, which means we have to pack for weather conditions in the 70's OR the 20's. Layering, I guess.

And then there are all the baby goods....the pack 'n play, a booster chair, diapers, wipes, sippy cups, bibs, toys, etc. And then my pre-teen will want to pack 6 books instead of one, 12 outfits instead of 4....ugh...I have a migraine already.

Did I mention the laundry? Of course I wasn't caught up with laundry, so I've been doing load after load since yesterday just so we can pack. And then there is the laundry we'll have when we return.

My husband is staying behind for this trip, he has to work next week. But since the kids have Spring Break, and once softball season starts we won't be able to go anywhere - I thought we should take advantage of this time and visit family.

Ok - back to packing - AAGH.

Mark, while watching American Idol results show tonight...

* "Oh, just SIT DOWN, Paula."
* "Diana's a little 'pitchy' tonight."
* "Sanjaya is prettier than Haley."
* "WHAT?!@# You have GOT to be kidding me!" (when Sanjaya was NOT sent home...AGAIN!)

Bailey, while watching American Idol tonight...

* "Chris is SOO the best."
* "What the heck?" (When Sanjaya was NOT sent home..AGAIN!)

It's a........BABY!!! Baby #3 is on the way! After more secret-keeping than I can handle (over 2 months worth) - we finally had our Dr. appointment today and learned that we are approx. 11 weeks along and in the Dr.'s words..."everything looks perfect." YEAH! We are all thrilled and can't wait to meet this little one. He or she is estimated to be due 10/4/07. Stay tuned for more news on this little peanut. And for those of you that think this image looks like nothing? There is a dotted line running the entire length of the baby's body. It's head is facing down and to the left. Nothing more exciting than seeing your baby's flicker of a heartbeat on that ultrasound screen. It is truly moving and SHWEW! What a relief! We gladly accept your continued prayers though for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Usually I agree with Simon - but just for the record, here are my top picks based on tonight's performances:

And my prediction of who is going home (or should have gone home weeks ago):

What I learned today....

NOT a good idea to put a Toddler down for a nap in just a diaper. WAY too removable.

Mark put this shelving unit together for me yesterday. I spent two hours organizing and loading it to its max today. I need more shelves! That area to the left of the shelves - that's all Christmas!! If it didn't involve moving all of that stuff again, I'd consider painting the laundry area of the basement....but then again - no.

The white countertop thingy that used to be next to the washing machine I moved into the "someday scrapbook room." I am hoping to use this as a workspace once I find a nice stool with a chair back or bar-height stool with a back - whatever they are called. I'd like to find one at a garage sale because I don't want to pay $70 or more for it. The lavendar/blue dresser on the right is an old dresser of Bailey's that I picked up at a garage sale for $40 and painted. It now holds craft supplies, material, gifts and other crafty stuff. The black thingy in the front is a cabinet that holds our internet stuff. I can't really move that because of the lack-of-outlets situation in the basement (grr.)

Anyway - this is what the future scrapbooking workspace looks like:

And finally, here is a picture of the current "cabinets" that I am going to tear out and put up a work table against that wall. That way I'll have two work stations. Here's dreaming anyway.

I'm the first to admit I've become a little fashion clueless over the years. I'm ashamed of this. Anyway - I bought these flats last week - and I love them - but my jeans are too long for wearing flats...so is it still in-style to roll your jeans? Not the 80's roll...but the big cuff? Please tell me this is still ok. And if not - what is the alternative besides skinny jeans?

Check it OUT!!! http://www.neave.com/strobe/

SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!!!! Last night we set the clocks ahead - yeah - more daylight!!! And today I think we hit 65 degrees...or close to it anyway! It was beautiful outside. But there is a downside to this mood-lifter.

Every Spring I get the itch to redo everything. Rearrange furniture, repaint rooms, change my purse to a "spring purse," change the bedding to "spring bedding," basically just give myself, the house and everything in it a facelift. Financially, this can't happen...but I can pick and choose a few things to change. And the things I can't? Well they are going on my garage sale must-find list (like a high-backed bar chair for my someday I swear it'll be a scrapbook room).

I bought a new purse today at Target. ($18.99) It has me in a very springy mood.

And here is the Duvet I want from Wal-Mart. I think it is a pretty good deal, considering it comes with 2 shams AND it is machine-washable...AND any color should go with it. http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5291716

The other thing I am consistent about each year when the weather turns warm is this. I wish we didn't have a dog. We were lazy in the bitter cold and just let her out in the back yard to do her business. Well, now that the snow is melting - I swear there are more "piles" than there is grass....and I HATE that. Lauren is old enough this year to play in the yard - so it HAS to be picked up thoroughly. So I have laid down the law that from now on, when Sadie needs to go out...she gets a leash on her and we WALK HER....on the sidewalk...and pick up her stuff out there...so NO MORE IN THE YARD!!!

I found another recipe on www.pillsbury.com that I want to try this week. I'm incorporating it into my meal planning this week for "breakfast night." I also noticed that you can take the recipe and print off a shopping list right from the Web site. Sweet! And if you make up some of this to quickly heat in the morning on your way to work - think how much money you'll save! I hope this one is as good as the other Pillsbury recipe I tried recently (see Super Easy Chicken Pot Pie in a previous post - yum!)
Easy Breakfast Pizza
Prep Time: 30 min
Makes: 8 servings Nutrition Information

1 (13.8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pizza Crust
8 eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 (8-oz.) container chive, vegetable or regular cream cheese
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked
Green onions, if desired

1 . Heat oven to 425°F. Grease 12-inch pizza pan. Unroll dough; place in greased pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to edge of pan. Bake at 425°F. for 6 to 7 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
2 . Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper; beat well. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook and stir until thoroughly cooked but still moist. Remove from heat.
3 . Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spoon cooked egg mixture over crust. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls over eggs. Arrange bacon in spoke fashion on top of pizza.
4 . Return to oven; bake an additional 8 to 12 minutes or until toppings are thoroughly heated and crust is deep golden brown. Garnish with green onions.

At what age do you only offer your kids what you made for the meal - no exceptions - no substitutes...this is what Mom made and if you don't want to eat it - that is your choice - but no alternatives? We started the morning off with blueberry yogurt. Lauren only ate a few bites and grew disinterested. I offered her a breakfast yogurt bar - again - a bite or two but not really interested. So, I figured she wasn't hungry.

An hour or so later I showered and fixed myself 2 pieces of toast with raspberry jelly. As soon as Lauren saw that, she started to say "Yummy!" and "Please!" So I gave her a piece. Wrong? Not sure - but the pictures are worth any mistake I may have made.

Change of plans for Saturday dinner....this looks too good and too easy to pass up:

(update - it is Sat...and here is what it looks like: Super Easy Chicken Pot Pie
**recipe from pillsbury.com
Prep Time: 15 min ; Start to Finish: 55 min
Makes: 6 servings Nutrition Information

1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
1 can (18.6 oz) Progresso® Rich & Hearty chicken pot pie style soup
2 cups Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables (from 1-lb bag), thawed, drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 . Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.
2 . In medium saucepan, heat soup, thawed vegetables and flour until warm. Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
3 . Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. After 15 minutes of baking, cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cut into wedges.

Feelin' a little crafty today - thought I'd share. You can print your own SUPER EASY handprint Easter chick at http://www.dltk-kids.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/image/bachick.gif

My Mom (Grandma Peggy) is a knitting maniac! Look at the latest cute outfit she whipped up for Lauren!

Confession - We spend too much money on groceries. This is mostly because I am horrible at meal-planning and we make too many meal decisions as a family at the last minute. This means we usually don't have the ingredients and so we are running to the store at the last minute. This is not only more expensive, but time-consuming!

So, in effort to tighten the pursestrings in the grocery category and to hopefully use up some pantry goods, I am going to really start planning meals...at least dinner. Baby steps.

I thought I'd post our first-week's attempt at this in case you want to join the bandwagon.

Sunday: Tacos
(Supply list: taco shells, hamburger, seasoning, lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream)

Monday: BBQ Pizza (See recipe in previous post)
(Supply list: BBQ chicken, pork or beef - the kind that you can buy in a tub, pizza crust (ready-made), cheese, onion)

Tuesday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup (I've got book club - so Dad is on his own. I think he can handle this one)

Wednesday: Omelets, Bacon, Toast (Yes, breakfast for dinner - why not?)

Thursday: Baked Chicken and Spinach Stuffing (see http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/showrecipe.aspx?rid=41135 for the recipe...and lots of other good ideas on this Web site, too!)

Friday: At our house - Friday night is frozen pizza night. Yeah! Easy!!

Saturday: Hamburger/Rice Casserole served with corn and peaches (contact me if you want the recipe - easy and good...all you need is hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, rice...that's pretty much it!)

I hope I can stick to this!

Bbq Pork Pizza
submitted by Krista B.

Makes: 6 servings
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice a medium size sweet onion into thin slices.
Separate slices into rings. Heat a medium-size nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion rings and cook 3 minutes to soften slightly.
Meanwhile, heat one container (18 oz) fully cooked BBQ shredded pork in microwave as pacage directs for 2 minutes. Lay one fully cooked whole wheat pizza crust on a pizza pan. Spread with softened onions, BBQ pork and top with one cup shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sliced jalapeno peppers, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, or until pork is heated through and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve.

I SWEAR to you this is an ACTUAL toy that is FOR SALE at places that sell toys!! Wrong on so many levels.

This very special Barbie doll is accompanied by her pet dog Tanner. Tanner is soft and fuzzy, and his mouth, ears, head and tail move — just like a real dog. Tanner comes with a dog bone and chew toys, and you can open his mouth to "feed" him dog biscuits. When Tanner has to go to the bathroom, Barbie doll cleans up with her special magnetic scooper and trash can.
Tanner dog has movable mouth, ears, head and tail
Comes with doggie biscuits and a pooper scooper

Dress decision for Easter:

The other dress I couldn't put back - so it is for 18-month-pictures:

Dinner During A Blizzard Warning

Thank you, Stacy for this AMAZING and EASY recipe that was perfect to warm-up with on this INSANE IOWA BLIZZARD! (I've slightly altered this recipe because I"m too lazy to get up and get the piece of paper it is written on.)

2 cans of Chicken Broth
4 Cups of Frozen Hashbrowns or Simply Potatoes (refrigerator section)
1/4 C. Minced Onion (I'd use less)
1/4 C. shaved carrots (or sliced - whatever you prefer)
dash of seasoned salt
dash of pepper
1 8 0z. pkg. cream cheese

1. Bring everything but cream cheese to a boil
2. Reduce heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
3. Cube cream cheese and add to soup
4. Stir frequently until cream cheese melts

Great with sourdough bread! YUM!