The Magic Number

So Kat and I have a bet going... the first to reach their goal weight wins $400! I've got more to lose than she does. I'm not a complete idiot, I'm not going to disclose my wife's goals to the entire blogosphere. But I will say that at the beginning of the bet I tipped the scales at 200lbs with a goal of 165lbs. My primary means of dropping the pounds is to start playing soccer again and taking the girls for long walks in the afternoons. I played my first game of indoor soccer in a long time on Tuesday. To be perfectly honest not much has changed. It's just now in super slow motion. My goal going into the game was simple, don't puke. Kat has a funny story along those same lines, you should ask her sometime. I played better than I thought I would and hope to continue improving. I'm currently at 192lbs 116% of my goal weight, down five percent from the beginning. Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

Litter Box Fiasco

So... a few days ago Ella was gleefully playing in my closet with my shoes. She loves to walk around in high-heels... she calls them wedding shoes. Anyway, I was folding laundry in the other room enjoying listening to her squeals as Abby quietly slept in her swing. When I finished with the laundry I went looking for my little Ella. I was calling her name, but she wouldn't answer. Finally... after a few moments... she said with a sheepish voice, "I'm in here." I tried to open the bathroom door, but she was standing in front of it shouting no, trying to stop me from coming in. Well, you see the mess. Apparently she thought the litter-box would be a fun place to play. Poop and kitty-litter were everywhere! I wanted to be angry, but the mess was so shocking I didn't know how to respond. Without a word Ella marched herself to her room and stayed there for the next 15 minutes. Jared was good enough to clean up the mess...

Our New Kitty

Our beautiful Abbigail was born on March 17th, our lucky Saint Patrick's Day gift. Unfortunately that same day we had to say goodbye to my kitty "Beans." She suddenly got sick, and there was nothing we could do.

A couple weeks after Abby was born, Jared's sister Mandy asked if we could help raise an abandoned 2-week-old kitten she had found. The next day 1 kitten turned into 3... and I was taking care of a new baby and three new kittens: Rooster, Spike and Drucilla. Unfortunately Drucilla didn't make it, but Rooster and Spike fought the good fight and are alive and well. Spike is now living with Jared's parents, and Rooster is Ella's kitty... named after the "Annie" character.

Ella loves Rooster, but at times she can be a bit rough with her, and in return the claws come out. Her hands are always covered with scratches. But still, she loves that kitty!

Ella's 3rd Birthday

Ella turned 3 on June 17th... and to celebrate we had all her friends and family over for a big blowout. Cake, soda, water-balloons... it was a fun time. During the present opening it started to rain so we had to move the party inside. As you can tell, Ella love's My Little Pony. Abby slept through the entire thing. After the bash, Ella and her cousin Jacob got in to a little water-gun fight with Grandma, Grandpa, Meme and Papa. Enjoy the pictures!

Fabulous French Toast

I made this for a family brunch and got rave reviews. But I can't take all the credit. My sister Gunda gave me the recipe... she got it from a friend. It's very, very yummy!

Fabulous French Toast

Batter:

2 eggs
1/2 cup french vanilla coffee creamer
1 tsp. cinnamon
4-6 slices of bread

Syrup:

Bring to boil:
1 cube butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk

Remove from heat and add:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Why?

Today we used our new running stroller for the first time. Ella loves going on my runs with me, but this was Abby's first time. Ella is such a good big sister. Abby was a little fussy... so Ella sang to her the whole time. Of course she made mommy sing with her and we sang songs from "Hairspray" the entire time. You would think that as much as I have to watch that movie (at least once a day) I would have the songs memorized... but Ella does a better job at it than I do. Her favorite song is "I Can Hear the Bells." You should see the looks we get from neighbors as we pass by. I love being a mom.

Hopefully, as much as I hate exercising, my girls will see and learn how important it is. Ella is already a couch potato. She loves movies... especially musicals. But that means she loves to dance... we dance ALOT! Ella also likes to be outside. She is still trying to figure out how to pedal the wheels on her bike, but definitely knows how to turn the treadmill on. And as small as she is still... I can already tell my little "Babbigail" is born for athletic greatness.

I've decided to live vicariously through my girls: Ella will take the stage, and Abby will take the court/field/track. I never quite mastered any of those (especially the dancing) so hopefully they didn't get "that" gene.

The News never rests...

... which means I can't either. I walked in the door to work today to news breaking, grass fires out east. Breaking news definitely makes the day go by faster, but it also means I don't get any time to breathe during the day... or think about my husband... or think about my girls... or think about me! So now that it's 10:22 p.m. and the last newscast of the day is wrapping up I have a moment to myself. This is my lunch break. I suppose my non-stop job is a good thing for me... since I'd rather be home with Abby & Ella.

It's about time...

After much poo-poohing Jared and I have created a blog. I love reading other peoples blogs, catching up without long phone-calls, and seeing all the pictures... so why not us? I spend all day on computers so that's another reason why I've put off doing this, but I'm kind of excited to join what seems like the rest of the world. Be patient as I learn to navigate the "blogging world".