So many new things!

So...I've gotten to try a couple new things lately that, I'll be honest, I've been wanting to do for a while now. For one (and probably one that's been on my "secret" new years resolutions for a while now) I've gotten more into cooking. My favorite thing (besides running it seems) is to find new recipes to try and then Larry and I trade of cooking each day during the week. We didn't even really plan it that way. You see a while back I got this little nifty notepad for the fridge:

and I decided we needed to get out of our frozen hamburgers on the George Foreman Grill or homemade burritos for dinner every night routine and actually start planning meals. Plus I figured it would help save us a few bucks instead of aimlessly buying food we might eat during the week. I've made a few pork chop meals (it was determined we aren't HUGE pork eaters so we're sticking to the other meats) and this week we did a beef skillet:

This is the picture from the recipe website, but ours looked just like it and
That's a first for me! :)

and then tonight is a chicken pesto bow-tie pasta mix thing (which I'm currently in the middle of making now):

My proof I cooked it!

I'm so excited that I'm actually doing this. Guess it just took the making it on my own and having absolutely no one to cook for me to motivate me to get better at it :P

The second thing I got to do that I've been wanting to is we got to register today. YAY!!! I've ALWAYS been so excited for the time when we could register and while Larry was less thrilled than I was it was still very fun. We went to Target today and then next Friday we have this registry event thing at Bed Bath and Beyond where they'll feed us and demonstrate some of their fun things so I'm really looking forward to that! We also have a meeting with a (very) potential officiant Tuesday night. If we like her style I'm thinking we'll hire her. She's cheap and has GREAT reviews on a website I registered at that gives you all sorts of officiants to choose from. So far I'm loving wedding planning, it hasn't gotten TOO stressful yet and although I'm now realizing how expensive it can be, it's still something I'm looking forward to!.

Well water is boiling now so until next time...

Fastest year of my life!

So one year ago today (and a few days from now) two new lives entered our world. Jena and Skyler had Cailyn Ann (born a year ago today) and Stace and Cole had Oliver Kade (born on the 12th). I never thought their first year of life would go by so fast! Today we celebrated their birthdays and it's crazy to see how much they've not only grown but how different they both are from each other (not just because one is a boy and the other a girl). I'm so excited they are both here and I get to see them grow each day! I may not see them as often as I'd like, but it's still fun to get to see them when I do.

So on that note-Happy Birthday Cailyn!



Cailyn as a newborn

Cailyn 1 year later!

She's such a cute, smarty-pants! She learned to walk and talk so fast it's insane! She's a little jabber mouth and she catches onto things SO fast! My favorite thing about her is the many facial expressions she makes! Her newest one-the scrunch-is by far the cutest thing she does!



And Happy Birthday Oliver!



Oliver as a newborn



Oliver 1 year later!

Oliver is so smart as well! He has just learned to walk, and he also knows how to talk! He's so independent, but he loves his parents so much. He's gonna be a little lady killer when he gets older. I think my most favorite thing about him is his little dance moves-I have a video of him dancing and it cracks me up EVERY time I watch it.



So a big congratulations to the parents once again! They have raised a couple of fine children. Thank you for letting me (and Larry) be a part of their lives and get to know them! And also sharing your wise wisdom-which we will surely use when it's our time for a family! Love you guys!