Christmas!

This year was a fun Christmas year! We had 3 of them! One with just us, one with my side of the fam, and one with Josh's side of the fam! Here are some pictures of all the fun we had!

Wordless Wednesday...this is a nice sight!

Riley, Riley, Riley!

These are just a few things that Riley has said lately that are hilarious!

Our car broke down and she said, "Oh, I guess we are going to have to take it to the chiropractor so she can fix it."

Riley and I were watching tv and she saw something on a commercial that she really wanted. Here is how our convo went!
Riley: "Oooo, I really like that, can I get one?"
Me: "Oh, baby, I don't think you really need that, you have a lot of toys."
A couple of minutes go by.
Riley: "I will buy you a necklace for your birthday."
Me: "Sweet, that would be really nice of you!"
Riley: "Well, I won't if you don't get that for me."

Haha! She used this one at the store the other day too when she saw a dress that she liked!

I am THAT mom...

who talks to my babies and children like adults...no babying for me

who bathe my kids as often as I get a shower...know what I mean? :)

who needs my alone time for at least an hour a day

who "lets" my kids fold the towels and wash rags, just so that I don't have to...and they think it is fun (what's up with that!?)

who sometimes and sometimes often uses bribery, but I just look at it more as a positive reinforcement for a positive choice made by my kids!

who has movie and pj day with my kids when I don't feel like doing anything

who sends my kids back to bed if they get up before 7 am

who lets my 3 year old wear whatever un-matchy outfit she wants out in public because it makes her happy (and sometimes what makes her happy is wearing her pink, heeled, feathered, princess dress up shoes!)

who makes my kids eat their meals...and try everything on their plate

who buys candy bars or treats in the check-out line to share with my kids in the car

who lets her kids jump on the couch and their beds

who puts a banana on the counter and turns the tv to cartoons at night so that when the kids get up, they can go grab their banana and turn the tv on and let me stay in bed for a while (with my mommy ears on, of course!)

are you that mom?!

*I stole this idea from over here!

Made by yours truly!

These are just some things I made for friend's babies!

My chili recipe!

Kerbi had posted her Chili recipe and I commented that I would have to argue that mine is better...haha! I am sure they both are great! So, she asked for the recipe and I thought that since we are having cold weather and I am wanting to eat chili at least once a week right now, I would just make a post out of it in case anyone else is in need of a great chili recipe! This is a beer chili, but you really can't taste the beer, it is wonderful!

Ingredients
1 bacon slice, finely chopped (I don't use the bacon because I rarely ever have it, so I just use oil to cook the onion)
2 1/4 cups finely chopped onion, divided (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs beef (or your meat of choice...ground turkey, sirloin, whatev!)
1 (12-ounce) can beer (such as Budweiser)
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I skip the beans...yuck!)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Oyster crackers (optional)

Preparation
1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in 2 cups onion; cover and cook until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Uncover and stir in garlic; cook for 1 minute.

2. Increase heat to medium-high; add beef to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add beer; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup (about 7 minutes). Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through tomato sauce). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 4 teaspoons cheese and 2 teaspoons onion. Serve with crackers, if desired.

Enjoy!

Giveaway...

Go over here and check out this giveaway for some super cute Christmas shirts!

7 months!

I have officially entered my 3rd trimester! Crazy! I only have 12ish weeks before I meet my baby boy! I can't wait! I got my glucose test done today...have not heard back about it yet, but hopefully I passed! I also got my rhogam shot today (I am rh negative) in the booty...OUCH. That stuff is thick! Not a whole lot has seemed to change since I transitioned into my 3rd trimester. I can tell Ezekiel is getting bigger and stronger and he is still measuring a little big, about a week ahead! His most active time of the day is between 9pm and midnight, which I am sure will not change when he is born. I have been looking into water births and really think I am going to end up choosing a water birth! If anyone has any experience with them, let me know! Here is my 28 week picture (7 months!).

Christmas Traditions

Last year, we bought our first house and moved in just days before Christmas. We had lived with people for most of our marriage, so we hadn't been able create any of our own traditions! This year, we started those! Today, we decorated our Christmas tree and talked about what Christmas really means! We do things a little bit differently that the majority of America does. We tell our kids that Santa is not a real man (we do teach them about St. Nick and all the wonderful things he did and that he is the man Santa is based on), but as far as Santa coming down our chimney and eating our cookies and leaving gifts, we do not tell them that and we don't do gifts from Santa. We tell them the real meaning of Christmas, which is Jesus and we talk about his birth and why it is important. We do decorate a Christmas tree, we have taken pictures with Santa and we do give gifts, but we just explain to them that we just do all of that stuff for fun and it is not what Christmas is actually about and we try to mix in things about Jesus in all of these things that we do. Some people may find this odd, but we really believe it is important to teach our kids at a young age about Jesus, and see this as a huge opportunity. This is really the first year that the girls are actually understanding it all, especially Riley, so it is pretty cool to see her grasping all of this! (Plus, our girls will never have the let down of finding out Santa is not real and feeling like we lied to them! My parents always told us the truth, and I don't have that traumatic experience of someone telling me he is not real and am very grateful to my parents for this!).
Anyways, here are some pictures of some of the traditions we are starting!

We first read the story of Christ being born.


Riley was being Christmas!

We were listening to Christmas music and so daddy danced with all his girls! (Me included, but we didn't get a picture of that!)



Hanging ornaments!


You have to have a picture of the tree with your kids in front of it!



Josh made this when he was a kid!


These are some of my favorite ornaments! Our tree is mostly decorated with the ornaments that were mine as a child!









Daddy made homemade queso!

God is good!

I always love this time of year. I don't love it because of the decorations and the food and gifts, I love it because it is a time to refocus on the things you are thankful for and all the GOOD that are going on. It is a time to be with family and be generous with the things that God has given us. As we are in a crazy time in our life, with Josh being in Paramedic school, added on top of his 24 hour shift at the station, it would be easy to focus on how crazy things are and how we don't get to see him much, but I am making a choice to choose to focus on the things that I do have, not the things I don't have. I get to spend every day with my girls, I do get some time with my husband (it could be worse, he could be in the military and gone for months or years at a time), I have an awesome family who helps me out a lot, I have a roof over my head, I have food, I have a precious baby boy growing inside of me...I have so many blessings. Most of all, I am thankful for the faithfulness of the Lord and the fact that he provides for our EVERY need! He always has, and during this crazy time, I am just try to remind myself that God is providing everything I need and we can get through this because God is faithful and this is his will for our lives right now.

What are you thankful for right now?

Helping with the laundry!

As I become more and more pregnant, I am finding things that my girls can help with around the house! One thing they helped me with the other day, was moving the clean, folded laundry baskets into the rooms they needed to be in!

There they go!

Baby post!

Still feeling pretty good! Changes in my pregnancy as of the last couple of weeks are, shortness of breath is coming and going. I am getting a little bit more tired, definitely have less energy, but still a decent amount (at least enough to function)! I have a constant leg cramp in my left leg and sometimes in my right as well. Heartburn is still being called "permaburn" around here since it NEVER goes away...literally, everything gives me heartburn. I can feel Zeke moving a lot, and he is definitely getting strong. He lays really low most of the time, so I feel a lot of pressure. He always starts moving when he hears Riley's voice, it is sweet! The headaches are still hanging around, but they are totally manageable. I am so thankful that I have made it to 26 weeks and am not feeling uncomfortable yet. I know it is coming, so I am cherishing my body not being in pain all the time.

This is my 26 week picture (6 1/2 months!)


We have been working on Ezekiel's room. We still have several things to do, but it is looking great so far, I love it! Here is a sneak peak!


This is the love of my life right now!