Full

My heart is full.

Because I spent yesterday morning with this family.

The tiny sweet thing was ten days new.

And her big sis, Starla, is two.

(And I'm sharing the slideshow here today. Just pause the music on this blog page first. It's at the bottom of the screen. Scroll all the way down. Find the pause button. Click it.

Of course, it can also be found here.)

Anyway, these girls made me hungry for my own.

Who played hard the rest of the day with me.

She's too fun.

Because she's too cute.

The squeals we got out of her yesterday were amazing.

Just tossing the ball.

Okay, chucking it with all of our might to see how high we could get it.

Now you know where she gets the animation in her expressions. It's genetic.

And her little brother?

He's just sometimes too much handsome for his kissable skin.

And this is why my heart is full.

Meantime

Our meantime.

A girls only breakfast for my precious newly engaged little cousin all grown up.

(She's a cherry on top of life kind of perfectly in love. And I get to do the engagement pictures.)

A freshest newborn photo shoot.

(Preview to come soon.)

Cleanin' the car "for the first time in five years" as my husband claims.

(No pictures of this because I'm workin' so hard.)

And walkin' still on summer sunshine.

(With my little monkey child.)

But, of course the sweetest pure sugar meantime sweetness...

(And nobody's gonna argue with this momma.)

So, I promise. I'll make it worth the wait for a full blown post. (Promise.)

27

Here's to turning 27.

And datin' a younger man.

For two days that is.

Until he turns 27.

But, for now, he's a younger man.

This sounds much better than I'm an older woman.

Yes, in my opinion, I've reached the age where this is not nice to say.

So, for now, he's a younger man.

A younger man who treated me to Mexican dinin' with the ones who know me best.

After a day at the salon getting my hair did.

He sure knows the way to my heart.

Is it more through the pampering or the chips and salsa?

I'll never tell.

Oh, 27.

The wrinkles and lines.

The confidence and wisdom.

Knowin' I've got a ways to go.

So, feeling I'm like I'm 12.

Countin' down to 30.

Then a lifetime of a learnin' and a growin' after that.

Hmm.. more growin' up than growin' out, I hope.

And, I guess chips and salsa and strawberry cake don't so much help that ambition.

But, hey.

It's all in the name of celebratin' 27.

Healthy

I'm trying.

Despite the fact that I have desert every night.

Not even kidding.

But I'm really trying to raise my kiddos healthily.

So this WILW, I'm lovin' a little Jillian Michaels tush-kickin'.

El jumped right on that.

She's a yogi-jedi-master.

This guy, he just watched.

It's okay. He looks cute doin' it.

And he wore a Nike shirt in support.

But back on the healthy train of thought, I feed my children vegetables.

That's healthy.

And I feel like a good mom doin' it.

And, Lord knows, us mommas need to feel like good moms at least sometimes!

Truly, though, I'm lovin' these TJ dried green beans.

I've been trying to sell El on them.

She just likes to suck the salt off.

Not quite sure what that does to the nutritional value.

He thinks that's funny.

Just you wait, buddy.

The healthy green things? They're comin' your way soon enough.

And two more lovin's from me this Wednesday?

Lovin' these first impressions from students the other night.

They were serious and straight-faced during the entire exchange.

1. Me: "Oh, I see you have a rabbits foot necklace, is it lucky?"

Little Girl, nervous but excited to share: "Why, I believe so."

Me: "Really?"

Little Girl, thinking for a moment: "Well, I walked through a thistle patch and I didn't get any thistles so I supppose it must be."

2. Me: "Oh, I'm so glad you're in my class! I remember your older sister!"

Little Boy, very serious: "Oh, but I'm nothing like my big sister."

Me: "Really? What do you mean?"

Little Boy in a quite matter-of-fact manner: "Well, I like raw spinach."

Well, I guess that's healthy.

Precious

Moments together have been especially precious lately.

Mornings of staying as long in our jammies as possible.

First solids of prunes for this young man.

He's not a fan. Does some strange growl thing after I sneak them in.

Trying to teach some responsibilities and chores to this little lady.

She loves it. Hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

Which is probably why she still loves it.

Homemade gloppy finger paint.

Emphasis on the gloppy. We had to do some slingin' just for fun, it was so gloppy.

Followed by a bubble bath to wash the sticky away.

Once you start bubbles, there's no stoppin'.

And snuggly towel cuddling.

That's her favorite.

And then a pedicure of pretty pink toes.

I still need to do mine.

Followed by an attempted mommy and me photo.

This is not easy.

But gives me a chance to soak up giggles in the process.

So it's precious.

Blink

It's true.

We must have.

Just one time, so quick, we must've just blinked.

And now school supplies line the shelves.

Actually, they're probably on clearance.

And the cardigans and knee high socks and tweed are all the rage.

Even though it's still 100 degrees outside.

So to bid farewell to a sense of summer,

We had to spend just a little more time outside.

With the cousin.

With the afternoon sun.

With the playset.

And with this momma who just couldn't get enough lovin'.

Busy

Warning: No pictures in this post.

I know.

A blog first.

But. Keep reading.

In the spirit of the current season of busyness in this home, I thought I would share a few of our favorite recipes that I freeze and pull out on nights like tonight. I find the following recipes usually make almost enough for two nights for us already but also like to double them to make several freezer meals out of them.

First, delivered tonight to a dear friend's family and her new sweet baby Nora and currently in the oven for the hubs and me.

Cheesy Chicken Tortellini

½ cup chopped onion

1 t. olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 jar white Alfredo pasta sauce

2 packages (9oz each) cheese-filled regular or spinach tortellini

1½ cups cubed cooked chicken

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 cup frozen peas

¼ t ground black pepper

2 TB snipped fresh basil or 1 t dired basil leaves

Crumb Topping:

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesean cheese

2TB butter melted

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Chop onion. Heat oil, add onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in pasta sauce, tortellini, chicken, milk, water, peas and black pepper. Heat until it comes to a boil, remove from heat. Stir basil in.

2. Grate parmesean cheese. Microwave butter until melted. Stir in cheese and butter. Mix.

3. Put pasta in dish. Sprinkle crumb topping over pasta. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and edges are brown.

Cook's note: I like to add two jars of alfredo and double the topping to make it creamier and crunchier. Not quite sure what it does to the calorie count though...

I have personally named this pasta in my own files with the last name of a childhood friend who brought this to me after my sweet son's birth. It was incredible. Seriously incredible. And, funny thing, my friend actually had to work that day so her hubby made it for us! Either it's just that easy, or he's just that good. You decide.

R_____ Pasta. (You know who you are, Lauryn.)

1 1lb box of pasta

1 package of boneless skinless chicken breast, cut up however you like

1 jar of store bought red sauce and 1 can of white sauce (whatever flavor you like)

Olive Oil

Oregano

Basil

Italian Seasoning

salt

pepper

crushed red pepper (optional)

1/2 large onion

about 1/2 head of garlic - we have a garlic press and just fill it up about 2.5 times

Cook your pasta according to the box - usually if you start boiling your water at the beginning of all of this, the timing works out well.

Cut up the onion and garlic and saute with some olive oil in a large pan (you'll add everything into this pan)

Add chicken and season with oregano, basil, italian seasoning, salt, pepper and some crushed red pepper (if you want) and just stir it around while it cooks.

Once your chicken is cooked through, pour the jars of sauce into the pan and mix them in, you should get that orangey-pinkish color sauce. Continue to simmer and stir until your pasta is done. You can add more seasonings to taste.

When your pasta is done, strain and then combine the sauce and pasta. Yum!

And finally, a recipe for baked chicken taquitos that I always double the recipe for and freeze the mixture so that on a needed night, I just defrost and then spoon into tortillas and bake. It looks like a lot of work, but really, easy breezy. Promise.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is fine)
• 1/3 cup salsa verde
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbs chopped scallions
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken *
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
• 8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.


*This is how I prepare my chicken if I don't have leftover chicken to use: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a piece of aluminum foil across a baking sheet, and arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and season as you wish. Fold the aluminum foil over the chicken breasts, and enclose them to form a "packet." Bake the chicken (on the baking sheet) 35-45 minutes, or until it is cooked through.

Note: For all these meals, because we're busy in our home, and because I hate washing dishes (Like really, really hate. Like can't remember the last dish I actually washed.) I always line pans and baking sheets with aluminum and then toss when finished.

There ya go.

I'd get busy.

Visit

Just had to share these super cute pictures from Friday night's shoot.

So fun.

The slideshows (yes, there are two) can be found here.

They include two of my most recent favorite songs.

Just sayin...

It's worth a visit.

Much

We've got a full schedule of much weekending ahead of us.

Mostly gettin' this little guy well, three prescriptions to fill for him hopefully to take care of too much yuckiness.

And some pictures to work on and share of this much fun family...

They were a blast to photograph last night.

Much more to come soon.

Confessions

Confessions.

There's lots of different kinds.

The embarrassing kind.

Like when I went on a hunt for this window frame to hang in my daughter's room with a brand new friend and our hubbys.

And scavenged an antique store for the first time, ever.

And as we perused, I found it. Just what I had been looking for.

"How much?" I inquired.

"Two-forty-nine" replied the grayed soul.

My heart dropped.

"Oh my. Well, that's definitely way out of my price range." I quickly responded.

And, mortified, scurried off.

Of course. What could I expect from an antique store.

I had heard the treasures were hidden here but this was the epitome of why I couldn't shop them.

Defeated and irritated, I rushed my posse out the door.

And as I recounted the encounter to my new friends, they interrupted me as we stepped out the door.

"Are you sure he didn't mean, two dollars and forty nine cents?" They quite slowly asked me, obviously not wanting to offend.

"No. No no. I'm sure he meant two hundred and forty nine dollars. Of course."

"Hmmm. Do you think we should go ask just to make sure?" They pressed me ever so politely. "Well, I can, but surely that's what he meant..." I started doubting.

And so, again, more mortified than before, I timidly returned.

"Um, sir, what did you mean by two forty nine?"

"Two dollars and forty nine cents." The man stated, confused or frustrated or enjoying my complete humiliation, I'm not really sure. And I really don't care because I will not be showing my face in there again.

"Oh. Well, I'll take it then."

And so it is mine now.

And will be hung in my little girl's room upon cleaning.

She'll love it.

And along the lines of cleaning.

And continuing with confessions.

There's also the really shameful confessions.

Like the perpetual state of my laundry room.

Until today.

Today was shape up day.

I confess, I've been in a bit of a rut and bounced out of it today.

See before I took care of the mess above,

I drove the city looking for new photo shoot locations.

And, I confess, I did get lost.

In a city I've always called home.

I came home,

I washed and folded laundry, wiped, scrubbed, vacuumed and disinfected the counters, floors and toilets.

I even bathed the boy.

With a little help, I confess.

Everything, counters, floors, toilets, boy, they were in need.

Trust me.

See, this blog is about confessions.

In more ways than one, really.

See, I came across this post in blogland the other night.

And read this passage more than once.

"He makes no mistakes; He never gives second best. Even when our heart's longings are not met with the answers we would choose for ourselves, God is faithful to replace doubt with truth, disappointment with gratitude."

I loved the sincerity of this.

We've all had the disappointments.

We've all had the hurts.

But, there's hope ahead.

We've found our joy.