Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays are always best when they last an entire weekend!

On Friday Matt was working late, so I took the kids over to my parents' house for dinner, and then Matt picked me up for our movie date. We actually went to Target first to pick up a prescription and walk around. You know, because we know how to live it up. Anyway, I had been wanting to see Beauty and the Beast since the day I heard it was coming back to theaters, but once we got to the ticket booth, I couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $6 on 3D tickets when I've seen the movie a kajillion times and own the DVD. So we saw One for the Money instead. I thought it was cute. Apparently all the critics thought it was the worst movie they've ever seen. I'm glad I didn't know that ahead of time. Anyway, it was better than the book and was a fun way to spend our evening.

Landon liked Uncle Nick!!!

I have no shame.

We went to breakfast (for free! thanks to a birthday coupon and gift card) at Ihop on Saturday morning before Matt had his men's lunch at church. Check out the awesome table we decorated.

Oh, that smile!!

Melt. Love these two.

The ideas were Matt's, the execution was mine. We're a good team.

We met up with my parents, Brittany, Aaron, Chelsea, and baby Evie at Chuy's, aka my favorite restaurant ever, for dinner. One word, Chuychanga with deluxe tomatillo sauce. Oops, that was five words. Yum.

My parents are the coolest.

Avery with her Aunt Chelsea and almost-Aunt (in May!) Brittany

Bro.

I think they like Evie. And one of these days I'll get a picture of her face!

Sunday was my actual birthday, and we had a great day at church. Landon was back to his happy self (no more sickness?!?) and he even slept the whole time Ms. Patsy had him in the nursery! (The only reason this is a big deal is that he usually goes napless at church, which leads to a very frustrating rest of the day.) My mom is awesome and made me tilapia, awesome green beans, and potato casserole for lunch, complete with cinnamon roll cake for dessert.

Two things make me laugh about this picture: 1) Allison took it and it's blurry. 2) Mom looks like she wants to help me blow out the candles.

See? Happy baby!

This had to be shared because it went like this: "Allison, you look like a hippie." "That's the point. (Wipeout.)" So funny. Maybe you had to be there...

Getting in a game of washers on a GORGEOUS day

Aw, I have so many memories on that fort, and I love that Avery loves it, too. What I bet she didn't love, however, was how much time it took for Matt to dig out all the splinters out of her hands when we got home. Oops.

Matt made homemade pizza for dinner, and then our friends Megan and Deke came over to watch The Help with us after the kids went to bed. We may have also enjoyed even more dessert (thanks to Megan and my sweet neighbor Brooke) and an adult beverage. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

The kids were super sweet this week, and it even continued through today when we did our grocery shopping. They were so good that I was even able to make a stop at Walmart (after two grocery stops!) to pick up a bunch of over-the-door shoe organizers, with which I am going to attack some closets with a vengeance. And they're still napping, so I'm off to be productive! Have a great week!

Friday Five

1. We've been sickish around here this week. It's mostly Landon and me feeling icky, so the two of us are trying to get lots of rest. It's mostly cold stuff, and who can blame us since the temperature outside keeps going from 50 one day to 70 the next and back and forth every day!

2. Wednesday night was the only night this week I've been up past 9 (that's when you know I'm sick because I'm rarely in bed before midnight!), but Landon woke up at 11:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep until 1:30. I'm convinced that during our two hour bonding session he said Mama. At first I thought it was just a fluke, but he said it a lot when he was looking at me, so I decided that was my reward for staying up with him, haha. He's said it since, so I think it's for real!

3. I bought Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on my Kindle last night, and I'm so excited to read it! I've had it on my list for months now, so I decided to finally just buy it so I could go see the movie after I finish. I'm only on the second chapter though because my Tylenol PM kicked in a little earlier than I anticipated.

4. Our vet had to close his practice and I am devastated. He had an accident on the job and then had some complications from a surgery, so he's recovering in Hawaii. I know it's ridiculous, but I think our vet is the doctor that we're most attached to! He's an old hippie type with long, curly hair who wears Hawaiian scrubs and goes barefoot in his clinic. He loves animals (obviously), but he and his staff really know everyone who takes their animals there, and when you're there, you feel like you're with friends. He shoots straight with you and doesn't charge an arm an a leg for his excellent care. Meg's due for her rabies shot, and I still can't decide where I want to take her. I think I'm in denial.

5. It's my birthday weekend, so we have some fun stuff planned. I'm turning twenty eight on Sunday. That is just bizarre to me. I never remember how old I am because I feel like I stopped actually getting older at 23. Let's hope that's not when I peaked! Have a great weekend!

Friends, Beautiful Weather, and Baby Registries!

Texas is ridiculous. It's January, but yesterday was a gorgeous 79 degrees, so we took full advantage of the beautiful weather!

We went to visit my friend Amy and her two kids in Ft. Worth in the morning. My sister-in-law Chelsea met us there with baby Evelyn, so there were kids everywhere! I actually met Amy when we were both bridesmaids in Chelsea and Aaron's wedding. We had both had baby girls just a few days apart only two weeks before the wedding, so we had an instant connection. Amy and her husband just moved up to DFW from Austin this week, so it was fun to meet up! The kids had a blast running all over the place, and we finished off with a lunch trip to Chipotle. I love that place. Maybe as much as Chick-fil-a. Maybe.

Sweet Ryan!

My gorgeous sister-in-law Chelsea with precious Evie

I couldn't get these two little peas in a pod to say still long enough to get a good picture. Avery and Carissa were so cute to watch!

Amy and Landon

After we got home, Landon continued his nap, but Avery had slept too long in the car to stay asleep, so we spent the rest of the afternoon outside. In short sleeves! In January! It was such a tease though because today was a high in the 50s. And then tomorrow is back up to 70s. I told you Texas is ridiculous. We'll get our actual winter weather in February I'm sure.

Anyway, back to Friday. Matt got home from rehearsal just in time for me to leave for our soccer team sleepover. I didn't stay the whole night, but it was so much fun to have one last hurrah with the girls. We all went to On the Border and then back to one of the girl's houses for swimming (don't worry, I spared the girls the sight of me in a swimsuit!) and movies. I may have eaten two three s'mores bar cookies that I will be finding the recipe for and sharing with you very soon. Yum. We had the greatest group of girls on our team this year, and while I'm enjoying having the extra time with my family, I really will miss seeing them every day!

This morning we had a pretty chill wake-up with the kiddos. I love Saturday mornings when we're all home. Pajamas, happy kids, and breakfast make me one satisfied mama.

I had a baby registering date with my friend Kendra this morning, so Matt got some more quality time with the little ones while Kendra and I spent hours (hours!) perusing each aisle of Babies R Us and the Target baby section. Lunch at Panera Bread and a kid-less trip to Joann were just an added bonus! Let's just say that baby Camila is gonna be one well-accessorized little girl! Plus it was fun to have some girl time with a sweet friend.

The rest of our Saturday night is upon us, so I'm gonna go spend it with my amazing husband. And some laundry, but let's focus on the first part.

Seize the Day?

Yesterday was a blissful day. Well, after Avery got out of her out-of-character morning funk. And then it lasted until about 9 am when both children melted down on our way out the door.

But for about an hour, I got to enjoy some of this.

After we got home from Bible Study and it was time for lunch and naps, I got to enjoy some more of this.

It's pretty normal in this house to have a Jekyll and Hyde kind of day. You know, minus that whole serial killer thing.

Which is why I so appreciated this article about not carping the diem. Hilarious.

You're welcome.

The Easiest Freezer Meal Ever: Breakfast Burritos

Reason #5,732 that my husband rocks:

He's making us a stock of breakfast burritos to keep in the freezer. Yes, we can also thank Pinterest for this brilliance.

Let me back up. Things have been crazy around here, so when I knew I wouldn't have time to cook before dinnertime last Wednesday, I made us sausage breakfast burritos while the kids were napping and then froze them so we could just reheat and eat that night.

They were so, so good (and easy!), and we were bummed when our freezer stash ran out. So Matt requested that I purchase some bacon and tortillas at the grocery store this week so he could make us some more. I do not say no when he offers to cook because, let's face it, he's so much better at it than I am.

In case you want to create your own burrito stash, here's how you can copy ours:

• 6 eggs
• Breakfast meat (we've done one batch using a pound of sausage, and one using a package of bacon)
• Frozen tater tots (or hash browns)
• Cheese, grated (we used cheddar)
• Tortillas, flour
• Aluminum foil, cut into 12"x10" squares

Bake the tater tots according to the package instructions. Brown breakfast sausage in a large skillet (I didn't drain it because it wasn't too greasy; use your own judgment). Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. Pour into browned sausage. Add desired amount of grated cheese.

Let the sausage mixture cool while you set up your assembly line. Set out your foil squares, tortillas, potatoes, and sausage mixture. Assemble tortillas with as much filling as you like. I stuffed ours pretty full and ended up with 8 burritos. Wrap each burrito in foil and place in the freezer. I told you it was easy!

The beauty of this {totally unoriginal} recipe is that you can make it into whatever you want! Variations we'd like to try are adding chopped spinach and diced tomatoes and using roasted potatoes instead of frozen hash browns. You could use whatever meat you want, or you can omit the meat altogether. You could use whole wheat tortillas. You can make them with just egg and cheese. Or just egg. Or whatever. Oh my goodness I'm making myself hungry.

And now we have breakfast for the rest of the week. You know, if I can keep from eating them all tomorrow morning.

EDIT: After these are frozen, we just stick them in the microwave for about a minute and a half (give or take, depending on your microwave). 


Also, Matt conceded that my burritos were better. :)

While I Wasn't Blogging...

It has been pretty slow around here lately, but I think I'm back again. So here's what you missed while I wasn't blogging about it:

• Matt and I celebrated our 5th anniversary with a low key date night at a nice little family-owned cafe that served the best sauteed spinach I've ever eaten in my life. We even went a little crazy and topped off the evening at a small coffeehouse. Mmm, espresso milkshakes and Bohnanza. Happy anniversary to us!

(Can someone please remind me to make an appointment to get my eyebrows waxed?!? Sheesh!)

• The next night we celebrated the New Year with Candace and Tiffany and their families at Tiffany's house. There was an abundance of Crock Pot hot chocolate, adult beverages, fireworks, and Kinect competition. I barely made it to midnight. 

Girls, next time we have to get a picture of the three of us!

• We celebrated Christmas (in January, haha!) with my extended family at my aunt and uncle's lake house. 

• Avery, Landon, and I went to the hospital to visit my friend Kari and her brand new baby boy.

• We finished watching Friday Night Lights. I cried many real tears over that fictional television series. I mean, really. It is the best TV show I've ever watched. Ever. The characters are ridiculously lovable, well-written and well-acted. The story line from season one all the way to season five was so engaging, and the way it was all tied up at the end was completely satisfying and uncheesy. It took us way too long to finish the five-season series, but once we got to season five we took a really long break because I just didn't want it to be over. Really. It's that good. It's the first TV series I've ever watched from start to finish (Friends doesn't count since, although I've seen every episode, I haven't watched each episode in order.) Anyway, add FNL to your Netflix queue, borrow it from a friend, buy it, whatever. Just watch it. And then thank me. Texas forever.
• On a more serious note, I've been hugging my kids extra tightly these past few weeks. It seems like every day I hear another story about a seriously sick baby, and it has just wrecked me emotionally. I can't even imagine the pain of watching your child suffer and knowing that there's nothing you can do. My heart has just been aching for these families, and it's really helped me put things in perspective. 
• My kids are growing up quickly. Life with a toddler and an infant can certainly be frustrating, but I've decided that during those times that I'm driving with two screaming kids behind me or putting Avery in time out for the fifth time in one afternoon or trying to get Landon to finally succumb to his nap or tripping over toys in my living room, I'm going to remind myself that these moments are so temporary and I will miss them. That thought helps me laugh at the insanity and appreciate the sweet moments. And there are plenty of sweet moments!

This picture just makes me laugh!

• Our last soccer game is tomorrow, so I feel like I'll be able to get back to some sense of normalcy, and I'm actually really grateful for that. Returning to coaching has been a great experience, but my kids and my husband need more than my leftovers. And my house really needs a good cleaning. 

So I'm back to blogging about our {not all that interesting} life so that I can remember this precious season of our journey.

Love, Heather.

Landon: 7 Months

Baby boy! Just stop growing so fast!

Seriously, I have been so intentional about soaking up every minute of your baby-hood because I remembered how quickly your sister grew up, but it's not even helping! Every time I blink you're doing something new.

At 7 months:

• You're still wearing size 3 diapers and 12 month clothes (although you can still wear a lot of your 9 months).
• You are a HAPPY baby! You smile and laugh all the time, and you have such a sweet temperament.

• You've become quite the mama's boy lately, and I am not complaining about that one bit. I love all those Landon snuggles! I love that you recognize me and want me to hold you. 
• You got some sippy cups in your Christmas stocking, and you love chewing on the spout! You've even managed to get some water out of it. 

• You've become a much better eater this month! You've gotten the hang of actually taking food off of the spoon and swallowing it, so I'd say that's success! Sweet potatoes are your favorite, but you also eat peas, applesauce, bananas, and carrots. We'll add some more variety this month.

• Crawling is happening soon! You get up on all fours, but you kinda roll from there. Not being able to crawl definitely hasn't kept you from moving all over the room via baby roll, but soon you'll be unstoppable! 
• You still just adore your big sister and I love to see the special bond you share. She LOVES you (sometimes a little too much), and it's fun to see you guys playing together. I hope there is a lot more of that in our future!

I know I say this all the time, but we just love you like crazy. You're such a blessing to our family!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Well, well, well.

I'm procrastinating via blog at this current moment.

Avery's at Mother's Day Out, so Landon and I are just chilling in the living room. That boy really wants to crawl. He wants to crawl so much that he's not much interested in napping this morning.

So my To Do list is calling me, but he's not cooperating.

Maybe I should just start by taking a shower.

Anyway, the point of this post is this:

I have blogs to write in the near future and I need to hold myself accountable by previewing.

• Landon's 7 month update (um, over a week late)
• Avery's 2.5 year update (only two days late [so far])
• Handmade Christmas
• New Year's celebrations and non-resolutions
• Recipes
• Organizing before and afters

There are more running through my head, but until things calm down around here (who am I kidding?), those will have to wait.

Only two more weeks of soccer though, and Matt will be done with the musical in a month, so there is a light peeking through, right? Right?!?

Well, I hope you enjoyed this worthless excuse of an update. I'm off to the shower. Not that you needed to know that. I should just stop typing now.