I think I am going to start dedicating Mondays to recipe days! And to kick it off, I'm going to start with our family tradition of Christmas punch!
What you will need:
Sprite (I like to get a couple 20oz bottles because I think they keep the carbonation better than a 2L bottle does.)
Vanilla Ice Cream
Lime Sherbert
Pineapple Juice (We usually get a large can of pure pineapple juice.)
How to make it:
Scoop about 2 cups vanilla ice cream and lime sherbert into a large punch bowl.
Pour about 20oz Sprite into bowl
Pour about 10oz pineapple juice in bowl.
Now mix together carefully. You don't want large chunks of ice cream, so we use a metal potato masher to make the mixture a little more smooth.
Here is where the taste testing comes in, some like the punch to have more of a pineapple kick to it, some like a little more carbonation, and some like more of a lime flavor. You can add more of whatever you want to make it the consistency and taste that you like best. We like to dish it out then top with an extra scoop of ice cream and sometimes a pineapple garnish if we happened to pick one up.
I hope you try this with your family for Christmas this year, I know we will be making it! Let me know how it turns out or if you make any adjustments! Recipes are ever changing in my book and I would love to see what you do for Christmas punch ideas! Merry Christmas and enjoy!!!
As many of you probably already know, and if you don't this will come as a surprise...I'm PREGNANT!!!
We just announced it to the world a few weeks ago and could not be more excited. My due date is June 14, but I have no doubt that I will deliver this little bundle earlier judging by my previous history of pregnancies.
I'm going to attempt to put up one of those pregnancy countdowns on here, so we will see how that goes! Right now I am 13 weeks along and feeling pretty good. The only problem is that I am hungry...all the time! So every few weeks I will hopefully get around to posting pictures of "the bump" and answering a set of factual questions about my pregnancy.
So here is up to week 13 so far!
How many weeks: 13
Weight Gain: -.5 lbs (Weird right!)
Cravings: Anything and everything at this point. I have been so hungry from about week 6.
Clothing: Most of my shirts I can still wear if they are longer, and a couple pants. I have bought 2 maternity pants and a couple shirts though. There's only so far I can roll my pants over!!
Feeling: Tired, but very excited!
I will get some pictures up here later I promise! I just need to get them off of my phone! Oh BTW I won't find out the gender probably until the end of January :(
A long and distinct period of history with a particular feature or characteristic.
A system of chronology dating from a particular noteworthy event.
So what is this era I speak of? What is my noteworthy event that has ended? I am officially a college graduate!!! Yes, it's true! After starting my college career at Utah State University in August 2004, getting married, having two children, taking 2 years off, moving multiple times, and transferring to a different college, I have graduated in December 2012 from Idaho State University with my BS in Elementary Education and an Emphasis in English. So this truly is the end of an era. It's doesn't feel completely real to me just yet. My diploma isn't here yet, my teacher certification isn't here yet, but it's all in the works. If ISU had a winter graduation ceremony I would post some pictures, but they don't. So I guess you will just have to trust me on this one :) Now the real work begins...time to find a job!
Okay, I admit it. It has been a really, REALLY long time since I have updated my blog! I've been wanting to get back to it for months, but finally reading my good friend Meagan's blog this morning prompted me to get back into the swing of things. The last 8 months (I know I shutter to think it has really been that long too!) have been some of the most eventful, crazy, and exciting times in my life and I can't wait to share everything with you! But for my first post back, I just wanted to say hello!
Today is a tough day. I believe that every day holds its own challenges, but today is a tough day. Having children is the greatest gift that has ever been given to me and I try to cherish them on a daily basis, and sometimes it is so hard and not take any moment with them for granted.
Today a good friend of mine had to say goodbye to her little girl who lost her battle with cancer. 4 years old. It's heartbreaking. Yet it amazes me the courage that this little girl had and the strength that her momma showed.
I thank God every day for my healthy children and the time I get to spend with them here on Earth. I'm going to go hold my babies now, I hope you all do the same.
I'm feeling like a bit of a random streak has hit me today, so I thought I would make a list of the best parts of things in my life...here goes! (These are by no means complete, just some thoughts)
Being a mom:
Snuggles and hugs whenever I feel like I need them
Being called mom, momma, mommy
Picking out little features in my kids that I know they get from me or their dad
Teaching them is an everyday thing, and we all know I love to teach!
Being married:
No drama in the dating pool!
Having my best friend by my side
Somebody I can count on
Combining families
My relationship with my Hubby:
We have been married 7 years, together for 11.5
He was my first kiss ever!
We can be so silly, but serious too.
He is my best friend.
Being a student:
Umm...j/k there's bound to be one right?
Always knowing that I have a schedule
I've made so many friends through school
I know that there are other parts to my life that I didn't include, I was just thinking about these things today and thought I would jot them down.
So a couple weeks ago I was tagged in a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Meaganover at Two Little Love Birds. Ya, me, myself, I can't believe it either! It has taken me a few weeks to get to it because I'm cramming for some major exams right now.
If any of you have ever taken the Praxis II exams for becoming a teacher, you know what I'm talking about. Let's just say my house is not lookin' too pretty right now since my nose is stuck in books most of the day. Ya, let's just leave it at that.
So the name of the tagging game is...
Well I guess I don't know if there is a name, but I'm it. Here are the rules:
The Rules... 1. You must post the rules. 2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post. 3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged. 4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post. 5. Let them know you've tagged them!
12 fun filled facts about ME:
1. I find it EXTREMELY awkward when people cry in front of me. No matter what it is about and why they are crying (with or without a legit reason), I feel super uncomfortable. I never know what to say and just want to get out of there ASAP most of the time. EEK!
2. I met my husband when I was barely 14! He was my first kiss ever! I love that I am married to the man that was part of such a huge milestone in my life. That was the first of many milestones we made together!
3. I think my hubby is the only person that knows this next one about me, so brace yourself! If I had the confidence, the body, and the opportunity (all at once), I would totally pose for Playboy! haha. Well I say that, but if all those things ever came along at the same time, who knows if I would actually do it. Probably not now that I have kids :) That would be awkward when my boys are teenagers...oops!
4. I am super competitive...and a sore loser. I mean really sore. But I have really tried the past couple years to tone it down, and put on a good face for if I lose at something. But all the while inside I am feeling like...
5. After having kids, my equilibrium is WAY off. I get motion sickness very easily now. Car sick if I am sitting in the backseat (sometimes in the front too). And really sick when taking off and landing in an airplane. You ever wonder if people actually use the little sick baggies at each seat? Ya, this girl does. Gross I know!
6. I want to learn fluent Italian, French, Spanish, and Dutch. I have taken classes in High School for French and Italian and loved it, but I can hardly remember anything. Spanish is such a common language around the word, it would be nice to know what people are saying :). And my family is Dutch, my paternal grandparents are first generation immigrants and speak fluent Dutch, as well as my Dad, I think he can understand it more than he can speak it now. Once I learn them all, I want to travel to each place to "practice" my skills. Off on a jet plane, sick baggie and all!
7. I get pretty bad test anxiety. So much so that I can hyperventilate, get sick, and overall just freak out. So over the years I have become accustomed to a little test prep pump up song...
I listen to this song a few times before taking an exam and I am ready to go! Enjoy the video!
8. If I won the lottery and could do anything I wanted to do, I would go to culinary school. I love to cook and I find it really relaxing. I wanted to be a chef growing up, but having kids so young and being settled, it's just not a possibility since there are no good culinary schools close to home. Maybe one day :)
9. I am such a ball baby when it comes to movies! I cry over sad and happy things all the time. My best friend still to this day makes fun of me for crying in Mighty Joe Young when it came out years and years ago. You know that part when Joe, the giant gorilla falls off the Ferris Wheel at the end and they think he's dead...ya imagine me sobbing so much that I had to leave the room! I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that now.
10. I have a hard time thinking of all babies as cute. There are some pretty ugly babies out there! What do you do when somebody you know has an ugly baby? You know they are looking for you to say how cute, beautiful, handsome, or adorable they are right! I can't do it. If they have an ugly baby, of course I won't tell them that, that's just mean. I will just say something about a feature on them. Like commenting on their hair, little toes, how small they are... things like that. But of course my babies were the most beautiful ever :)
11. I have always wanted to chop my hair off so short that it's like a boy cut...but I'm a chicken. I've heard it is so hard to grow out once you cut it so short because it just looks awkward at certain stages, so you cut it again to stay short. This is what I would do if I every got up the nerve to do it...
12. My ideal night alone would be snuggling up by a fire with a good book and a glass of wine. Something is so relaxing about those three things. Love it!
Meagan's questions for me:
1. What is your guilty pleasure food?
Sour Punch Straws or Bites. If they are even in my vicinity, I will find them. I will eat them.
2. If you could choose a song to represent who you are, what would it be?
Haha, See number 7 above!
3. What is your favorite book, movie, or TV show? You choose.
My favorite book is probably The Lovely Bones, Movie: Pride and Prejudice, TV show: Grey's Anatomy.
4. What do you want to be when you grow up? :)
Alive :) A teacher, great mother and wife, friend.
5. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I think Australia would be a fun place to visit. I could speak English, and it's not someplace that a lot of people immediately think of to visit.
6. What is your favorite hobby?
I love to sew and do crafts, but finding time to do it is another story.
7. Dress up or jeans?
I love to get dressed up, but there is nothing like a good pair of jeans and some flip flops to feel truly relaxed.
8. What would you do if you won the lottery? Besides jump up and down screaming, of course.
See #8 above. We would pay off our house, our parents homes, and probably open a restaurant of my own.
9. Favorite Quote?
I don't have a favorite quote, I think if you are going to quote someone for inspiration, let it be yourself!
10. Most embarrassing moment?
Going down a large water slide with a friend in high school, only to have her untie my bathing suit top as we were going down. I had no idea until after coming out the slide at the bottom, arms raised and screaming, only to find a shocked lifeguard at the bottom! hehe
11. Biggest Pet Peeve?
I hate being late. I hate when other people are late. Even one minute and I start to get frustrated. And I feel so embarrassed if I am ever late.
12. What are 3 things you love about yourself?
I love my laugh. I love my hair. I love my family.
Ben and I have been married 8 years and have two beautiful, and crazy boys that have joined our family. Adam is 7, Wyatt is 4, and they keep us busy. We are also expecting our third child in June of 2013.
