Heather Reed

She's here!

2012-02-10T08:21:00.003-05:00

DJ's cousin Justin and Heidi had a baby girl on Wednesday - Presley Madison. We went to visit them in the hospital yesterday. She's so adorable! I feel like we've been waiting so long for her to get here! Welcome to the family Presley!

No more cast

2012-02-08T13:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we went to have Jackson's cast removed. Hooray! He was a little unsure about the saw when the medical assistant pulled it out, but he ended up laughing the whole time he cut through the cast because it tickled. Such a trooper. Yay for normal bath time and being able to feed himself!

Jackson'isms

2012-01-28T13:26:00.002-05:00

The other day I went back to a July 2009 post and read a post I wrote about a typical day in the life with newborn baby Jackson. It made me get all misty! I was so glad that I could go back and read those little Jackson'isms so I thought I'd do it again to help make some lasting memories now that he's 2 1/2 years old (31 months to be exact). So here goes ...

A few of my favorite things that Jackson says:
- That's mines! (Yes, "mines" is plural.)
- Mama, whatcha doooooin?
- I wake up! (This is our bright, cheery, ethusiastic greeting every morning around 7 a.m.)
- IIIIII do it. (Likes to do everything himself like a big boy these days.)
- Take a baf. (Take a bath.) :)
- Daddy workeeeeng.
- I jumped in da POO! (Translation: I jumped in the pool! He tells people this a lot as we just visited Nee Nee and Papa in Florida.)
- Baby hit me. (Jackson likes to tell on Katie, a little girl from the babysitter's, when she hits him. Sometimes I think the story might be reversed.) :)
- "Jackson what road to you live on?" - Me. "HickoREEEEE" - Jackson.
- "When is your birthday?" - Me, "June Elebbnen." - Jack.
- "How old are you?" - Me. "Two....two and a half." - Jack (Pauses EVERY time.)

We went South for the Winter (or at least January)

2012-01-20T14:52:00.012-05:00

Swimming in the Pool with Uncle Josh and Uncle David!

Fun in the pool!

Jackson dislocated his elbow while we were in Florida. We had to go see an orthopedic specialist and this John Deere Green cast was the result. :(

A few recent pictures of our holiday season ...

2011-12-20T16:42:00.001-05:00

I Am Thankful

2011-11-23T14:51:00.002-05:00

This year, I am especially excited for the holidays because I get to enjoy them with my little family. This year I am thankful for ...
- The excitement that Jackson experiences each time he sees or learns something new.
- My husband, who went and got me a chocoloate milkshake at 9 p.m. last night with no whip cream and two cherries. I'm not even pregnant (when this kind of thing would be much more common)!
- School. Yes, that's right, for school. Never in my wildest dreams would I have believed that I'd be getting a B in a Stats course. It makes me feel proud of myself.
- My girl friends. Without these ladies, my life would be boring and without laughter.
- My home. While I"m always wishing that I had this or that for my house, I'm thankful to have a warm place to rest our heads and to raise Jackson that is close to friends and family.
- Flannel. I'm obsessed with it. Jackson has like 4 new flannel shirts for the winter.
- Pictures. I get so caught up in looking at old photos sometimes. They make me happy.
- My grandparents. Never have you met such fun and supportive people in your life. They are ALWAYS there for us!
- My job. I've been in my current position for a little over a year now and I am one lucky chick. The people I work with are INSANEly great!
- Airplanes - especially the one that will be taking me and Jackson to Florida in January. Counting the days.
- Uggs. I don't care if these ever go out of style I'm still going to wear them.
- God. For giving me so many blessings and for planning my life just the way he wants it.
- Wine. I've been drinking it regularly latey. Pinot Noir.
- Cousins. These people are my friends forever, even if I don't see them as often as I'd like.
- Brothers. We're all over the map, but get us in a room together and it's like the good times we had growing up all over again.
- Pinterest. Have you SEEN this website!? It's insanely addicting and fun. I. Love. It.
- Diet Coke. It's horrible for me but I can't give it up. Everything in moderation, right?
- My iPad. One of the coolest gifts I've ever received. Such a fun toy. DJ and Jackson would agree.
- My sisters-in-law. Growing up an only girl was fun/challenging. I'm thankful for my SIL's and their friendship.
- Fingerless gloves. These things are the bomb diggity. I have three pairs.

I'm thankful for so much. I might post more things I'm thankful for later. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Love,
Heather

Cute Ideas to Remember

2011-10-27T22:26:00.003-04:00

Have you seen the website pinterest.com? It's awesome...and addicting.
A few cute ideas that I loved from this website:
- have your kids wake up to a room filled with balloons on their birthday.
- take a photo of you and your spouse on each wedding anniversary holding a framed number indicating the number of years you've been mArried (e.g., on your 8th anniversary the framed number would be 8).

Rocka Rocka, Mama?

2011-10-27T22:04:00.003-04:00

I just came into my bedroom after rocking Jackson to sleep feeling like the luckiest person on earth.
I'll admit that since he turned two two, it has been tough sometimes dealing with this little boy who doesn't know how to deal with his emotions and hates hearing "no" (and believe me - he hears "no" a lot!). But tonight ... there were no tantrums, no struggles, and no tears. Jack and I had the house to ourselves and had one of the best evenings I have had in a long time. We played, we laughed, we watched Wonder Pets and I fell even more in love with my little man.
To end the night, Jack said, "Rocka rocka Mama?" My heart melted. He laid his little head on my shoulder while I rocked him to sleep. I'm so lucky to be this kid's mom it's crazy. I wanted to write this down tonight so I'd remember it some day when these years seem like a blur. Jack you are an amazing, soft-hearted little boy and I am blessed to be your mom. Love you, Buddy.

Big Boy Bed

2011-09-27T16:22:00.002-04:00

Jackson isn't a baby anymore (sniff, sniff). On Sunday night he slept in his big boy bed for the first time! He got up twice and had a mischevious little grin on his face when he stuck his nose into our bedroom door. After the second time up, I decided to lay down with him in his bed (I think he was a little scared of the change.)

I laid with Jack for about 20 minutes. He talked, he sang, he kicked the wall, he asked where Tucker was ... all of the things little boys do when they are stalling bedtime. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend I was asleep so he'd follow. Jack whispered "honk honk" and squeezed my nose twice. Ha! I was trying SO hard not to lose it - I was doing the silent shaking laugh. Every time I think about him honking my nose I laugh. I'm putting this story in his baby book.

Monday morning he marched into our room with a HUGE smile on his face. He was SO PROUD that he'd spent the night in his bed. He said, "Mama, sleep in bed!" So cute - made my heart melt.

Last night was his second night in the big boy bed. I laid him down and never heard a peep til this morning. I think this might be less of a big deal than I thought (knock on wood)! I'll have to remember that next time we're trying something new (e.g., potty training).

Just when ...

2011-09-22T13:51:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm taking on too much. Between work, school, being a wife and mom, visiting family, repainting my kitchen, studying, going to conferences and retreats out of town .... I was feeling stretched thin. It started to take a toll on me, giving me some serious stress and doubts about my abilities to keep up with everything.

But today, I had a great day. I got a B+ on my first Stats exam! Ah!!!!

I had the biggest smile on my face when leaving class. If you want to know the truth, I wasn't sure if I could do it. I've done the work, I've put in the time, but sometimes I doubt my brainp0wer - especially now after I've been out of school for so long. Needless to say this B+ exceeded my expectations and I feel better about what I can do.

Just goes to show you that just when you're feeling down or needing a boost, God provides if its what you need. I can do all things through He who strengthens me, right?!

DJ is taking me out tomorrow night to celebrate this small win for a stressed mama.

Family Weekend

2011-09-20T08:54:00.009-04:00

Last weekend we had a great visit from my parents. When my dad arrived he gave me a big hug and walked me right into the house. We sat and chatted for about five minutes when all of a sudden I heard a knock on the door. It was my mom! She had surprised us and come along with Dad. I was stunned! It took me a few minutes to say anything because I was SO not expecting her to be here. What an awesome surprise!!!

We headed out to Roanoke to visit Matt, Jennifer, Nate, Jenna, and my nephews. What a fun time! It's so nice when we can all get together. Jackson was the boys' little shadow - following them around all weekend with a constant smile on his face. They had fun using apples for batting practice, playing in the barn, going for walks up to the creek, and riding around on the tractor. Here's a few pictures from our time in Roanoke. Thanks Matt and Jennifer for your hospitality!

Back to School

2011-08-30T14:50:00.002-04:00

Today I became a student again. At 11:30, I went to my first course at IUSB. My hope is that this will lead me to become a Masters student next year. I'm taking Introduction to Statistics Theory in Economics and Business. According to my professor, it's as exciting as it sounds. He made it very clear that this was going to be a very difficult course, that he does not accept late work, that he will not provide extra credit, and that there will be NO going to use the restroom during class. I felt like I was in high school again hearing this man talk about "the real world" and "real deadlines". But the truth is, most of the students in my class are sophomores! 20 years old! It's true that they probably need to hear these things, but it just sounded so weird after having been in "the real world" for a few years myself.
After class I went up and spoke with my professor. Turns out, he's a really nice guy. He encouraged me to come to him with questions, answered all SIX of my questions today nicely and with confidence, and even said I could attend a 10 a.m. course on the same days of the week if it better suits my work schedule. He asked me where I work and about what I do. I think we'll get along nicely.
The main thing will be staying on top of the work. He told students that it would be best if this was their only class so that they could spend the 8-10 hours a week that this course requires. I was delighted, thinking "Hey! This IS my only class." But then I remember that I have my life to juggle - working, mommying, wife-ing. All wonderful things that I wouldn't trade for the world. Can you say balance!?!? I think my social life might take a hurting throughout this semester, but that's cool with me. Here's to growing up and learning about linear regression!

Vegas

2011-08-24T15:29:00.003-04:00

Last weekend my mom and I went to Las Vegas. What an amazing time! We stayed at a beautiful hotel and got to see Garth Brooks in an amazing concert. I'm so lucky to have such loving parents that spoil me often. Here's a shot of my mom and I just before the concert. They wouldn't let us take pictures of Garth, but I SO wish I could have so that I can show you how awesome it was! Garth was funny, charming, talented, entertaining, ... I could go on and on. What a blast!

2011-08-11T08:37:00.002-04:00

I took this picture of Jackson last night when we were playing outside. It was taken with my phone, which stinks, because I think if I'd had a real camera handy it would have turned out really well.
I'm starting classes at IUSB August 29th. I will be taking an introduction to statistics theory in economics and business. Y.I.K.E.S. I was not accepted into the Masters of Public Affairs Program, but if I do well in this course and a course in Political Science the head of the program said that he would take me. I think it might be nice to get my feet when in an undergraduate level course anyway. The good news is that I'll go on Mondays and Wednesdays over the lunch hour so I won't miss any time (at least for class) with my family. I'm sure that I'll have to take some time away from them to study, but it will be so worth it in the long run.

SOOOO looking forward to next week! My mom arrives on Tuesday night, Wednesday night DJ and I are going to see Sheryl Crow, and we leave for Vegas on Thursday! I can hardly wait. We're going to check out the sites on Friday and hit the pool and go out for a nice dinner. Saturday we're going to get massages and then go to the GARTH BROOKS concert Saturday night. Sunday morning it's brunch and then we head home! It will be a quick trip, but lots of fun. Looking forward to hanging with my mom so much.

Peace & Love,
Heather

Summah Summah Summah Time

2011-08-08T09:10:00.010-04:00

We had a really fun weekend. I took the day off on Friday to go visit my great friend Jeanine. We hadn't seen each other in 4 years and had never met each other's kids! Jeanine and Henry took us to the Indy Zoo and then we went out for lunch. It was a great day! We bounced right back to the way we used to be and had a great time. No more four-year gaps
Jeanine! Here are a few shots from the zoo. The highlight was seeing the 18-day-old baby elephant, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture.

Henry and Jeanine

Jack and the Penguins of Madagascar!

Henry & Jackson

When we got home from Indy, DJ was mowing hay so we stopped by to see him. Thought I'd grab a few shots of my cutie on his 4020.

The farmer and his boy.

On Saturday night we celebrated Jonny's 12th birthday. He took Jackson swimming, being the fun uncle that he is, and I snapped a few photos. It was so hot my lense was steaming up so the pictures are a little cloudy.

Love this one!

Jackson's Two Year Photos

2011-08-03T09:06:00.005-04:00

Our baby turned two on June 11th. I had a wonderful photographer capture these shots of him. Her name is Hannah Wright - she's a homeschooled senior and has already started her own photography business. I think she did an excellent job capturing our little cutie.

Coffee!

2011-08-03T08:55:00.003-04:00

I tried the mocha cocounut latte at Starbucks yesterday and fell in love! This treat is a delicious way to start your day. There are real flakes of coconut sprinkled on top so you get to enjoy some coconut flakes with each sip. Yum! Thanks to my loving father, I am able to splurge on a Starbucks coffee every now and then - he keeps my Florida Starbucks gift card stocked up. I think he has a secret motive - every time I drink Starbucks I think of him. :)

Domestic Guru ...er not

2011-07-27T16:42:00.003-04:00

Lately I've been trying to do little things for DJ to make his life easier. He works so hard and pulls some long hours, so I've been trying to do things like make the coffee the night before so he doesn't have to when he gets up and packing his lunch when I know he's not going to go out the next day.
Now I'm not really the type of girl that feels "convicted" to pack my husband's lunch. It has always just seemed so unimportant when I have a full-time job, a two year old, and a life! I mean, he can do it himself, right? But certain events in my life recently have made me appreciate him and all he does for us. The life of a farmer's wife isn't always easy, but I'm definitely thankful for what we have and for how much he loves me and Jack and for how hard he works to build a future for us.
That said ... I haven't been doing so great in the dinner-making department. Unless I make a plan in the morning (and have all the groceries I need) ... which is rare ... I seem to just run out of time to make dinner. Not good. This means we eat a lot of frozen pizza and Subway. So tonight, I'm going to try to make a nice dinner for us - steak on the grill with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Wish me luck.

Does anyone have suggestions for quick and easy dinners!?
Peace and Love,

Heather

Wildwood Here We Come

2011-07-26T15:30:00.002-04:00

So two weekends ago our friends Joe and Kristy invited us to come up and spend the weekend with them. They have a camper (with an awesome double porch) near lake Juno in Edwardsburg. DJ and I spent a Saturday night hanging out with them and then had so much fun we took Jack up the following day to go out on the water. Well...
We had so much fun we bought a camper too! It's just a small resting spot for evenings and time between the water, but it's fun! Joe and Kristy have been introducing us to the folks at Wildwood campgrounds - most of whom spend the weekends up there. Everyone seems really friendly and there are definitely a few characters! Still lots of settling in to do, but we spent our first night there last weekend and everyone did great (Tucker too!). I'm so glad to have a little getaway spot for the weekends - it is fun to be out on the water and to spend more time with Jack and Deej.

In other news...
In just a few weeks my mom and I are going to Las Vegas to celbrate our 30/50 birthdays! I CAN'T wait! My dad really spoiled us and is sending us to stay at the Wynn. Neither one of us are into gambling but we'll have a lot of fun laying by the pool and oh yeah - going to see GARTH BROOKS!!!! I have wanted to see him in concert since I was little and babysat my cousins Ryan and Adam when their parents (Trace adn Ann) went to see Garth at the Joyce Center. My wish is about to come true. I think I might cry when I see him.

Peace!

Summer Fun

2011-07-12T10:30:00.017-04:00

Alittle recap of our lives over the past few weeks ...

I snapped this picture of my (not so) little boy sleeping last night. I can't believe how much he's changed just in the past few months. He's talking like crazy and saying things like:

Scuse Me!

Farm Shoes (The shoes he only wears when we go to the farm - he loves them!)

Tucker jumped in da poo

What's dat?!

Everything is so exciting and wonderful to him and his reactions to everything make me so happy.

Fun at Aunt Dawn's
"Riding" the steer at the fair with Grandpa Reed.

Jack's first roller coast ride at the fair!

Not sure who's more nervous to ride the fire truck - Daddy or Jackson?

Riding the Bumper Boats at the fair. He wasn't too impressed.

Jack showing his dairy beef steer - he got 2nd place!

Jonny showing his dairy beef steer. He also got 2nd place in his class.

Jack L.O.V.E.S. his uncles, Jake and Jonny. He lights up whenever he sees them (and the feeling is mutual). :)

I turned 30 last Monday and my great friends Heather and Heidi had put all these signs and flags up in my front yard in the middle of the night before my birthday. So fun! Thanks girls!

In June we got to hang out with our awesome cousins Trace and Kendall while their mom and dad took older sister Carlee to a volleyball tournament in Florida. We had so much fun! Here's a few pictures from our trip to the zoo.

Riding the train. It was HOT!

NaiLz

2011-06-22T16:07:00.002-04:00

My friend Jess turned me on to these new Sally Hansen nail press-on things. I bought hte zebra print as you can see. Cute, huh?

Jackson's "Moo" Birthday Party

2011-06-20T16:27:00.024-04:00

On June 11 our baby turned two. Yes, two! I can hardly believe it. He is growing up so fast. We had both sides of the family over to celebrate his birthday and used a "moo" (Jack's favorite) theme. The party was a hit and we had a lot of fun taking his picture with everyone in cow noses and ears. Jack wasn't all too thrilled with having his picture taken so much, but overall I think he had a fun time. Thank you to our wonderful families for giving Jack so much love these past two wonderful years.

Nate & Jenna's Wedding!

2011-06-07T08:54:00.010-04:00

On Friday, my big brother got married. It was such a happy day and we are so fortunate to have gained an AMAZING new sister-in-law! I have always looked up to Nathan and I'm so happy that he's found his partner and best friend. We first met Jenna last year at Jackson's 1st birthday party and I knew right away that my brother felt like she was the ONE. Nathan and Jenna got married at the courthouse in Bloomington, IL at 12:30 on a Friday and we all (immediate family and a few aunts and uncles) celebrated after with a nice dinner at Michaels - a restaurant just around the corner. It couldn't have been a nicer day. Sometimes at weddings it feels like you don't really get to talk with anyone, but in this case, we all had such a nice time visiting and spending time together.
Nate and Jenna went to Key West for their honeymoon. Hope you guys have a GREAT TIME!

The happy couple!

Jack waiting for the ceremony.
Nate, Matt and Jennifer

Nathan and Jenna

Sally, Tess and Buzz

Jenna's sister Amanda and our brother Matt stood up with them during the wedding.

Dad, Mom, Nate, Jenna and Me at the afterparty.

Me and my new sister-in-law. Doesn't she look beautiful!

So in love!

Nate sent this photo to my dad on Sunday morning. Looks like they're having a great time in the Keys!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T09:56:00.004-04:00

We had so much fun this past Memorial Day weekend. It was so nice to spend time with family and to have a few days off. We went camping on Sunday with our cousins and aunt and uncle. Well ... sort of. I had been trying to talk DJ into spending the night in the camper all week so that Jack could have the full experience of camping. Finally, he agreed. But come Sunday night, DJ and I turned in around 12:30 from the campfire. All was good - we were asleep and Jack and Carter (our cousin that's 8 months younger than Jack) was asleep. At 2:30 or so, three people piled into our camper and woke DJ and I up. I laid there listening to them getting settled, and then the snoring began. I just couldn't do it - knowing that I would be worthless the next day with only a couple hours of sleep. In other words, I chickened out! DJ and I packed up our stuff, grabbed Jackson and drove home at 3 a.m. to finish our night's sleep in our own beds. Camping? Not quite, but we had fun anyway. :)

The next day DJ had to work, so Jack and I took showers (aaahhhh) and then met our cousins who took us out on their pontoon boat on Pine Lake in LaPorte. It was such a beautiful day! Jack wasn't sure what to think at first. His life jacket didn't let him move around much so he sort of just sat there with a scowl on his face for the first hour. But by the end of the day, he was having a blast running and jumping in the lake water. Here's a few photos from the boat.

Goodbye Oprah

2011-05-26T15:46:00.002-04:00

So I had a few friends over to watch the final episode of Oprah yesterday. After watching Oprah for so many years, I was excited to see how she'd end the era of "OPRAH". I even made her famous lemon drop martinis and made cookie dough cupcakes! I must admit that she let me down - I felt like her final episode was boring, "preachy", and just disappointing overall. I expected her to show flashbacks of her favorite episodes and to invite guests back or tell us what REALLY happened after the taping stopped. I had hoped she would show us her house or more of her personal life or maybe even invite Stedman to talk about her on stage. Nope. Nadah. Oprah told us to "listen to our inner voice" and to "validate people". Not really the entertaining hour that I had been looking forward too. I should have stopped while I was ahead after Monday and Tuesday's episodes (even though I thought they were a bit over the top) - she's a talk show host, not God!
Anyway, that's my two cents on Miss O's final show. Major letdown. But hey, at least we had martinis and cupcakes!

Stitches

2011-05-23T11:43:00.002-04:00

Poor Jackson. On Saturday morning, I was rearranging my picturs on one of the built-in book cases in our basement. Jackson came over to see what I was doing (curious little man that he is) and tripped over my foot, fell, and hit his eyebrow on the brick fireplace. His immediate scream told me that this wasn't just a typical boo boo, but that it REALLY hurt. I picked him up and blood was streaming down his face. I ran with him upstairs to get something to put pressure on his cut and to try to stop the bleeding(shaky legs and all). I tried to put a butterfly bandaid on his cut, but he wanted nothing to do with it. Because it was bleeding so much and I couldn't stop the bleeding, we headed off to MedPoint. After waiting for about 45 minutes, we saw the nurse and she thought he'd need stitches. The physiciain confirmed that he'd need three. Oh boy. I asked if there was any way that we could avoid them, but he said it would heal much better with stitches. I asked for a numbing cream so that they injection wouldn't hurt so much and the nurse said (they only do that in dentists' offices). I wanted to say "NOT TRUE!" I know for a fact that pediatric emergency departments use a numbing cream before giving young patients injections. Just because it was MedPoint I think we were out of luck.

So then the real trauma began. The nurse had me hold Jack's arms, body and legs down while she held his head. They wrapped a sterile drape around his face, leaving only an opening where the doctor would be stitching. Man - I have never heard Jackson scream like that - and for so long! The doctor kept telling me "KEEP his ARMS down". I was trying, but really what I wanted to do was pick him up and keep him from having any MORE pain. Poor little guy - by the time it was over he grabbed on to me for dear life, beat red face and all sweaty and looked up at me like "WHY did you DO THAT to ME?!?!?". It was heartbreaking.

I hope we never have to go through that again, but other mom's (especially moms of boys) keep telling me that this is the first trip of many to the ER/urgent care. Ugh. I guess it's just a mom's job to want to spare our kids of pain. Jackson got a little ... okay a LOT...of extra TLC and spoiling this weekend. I'm talking constant kisses, games, and sugar.

23 months old

2011-05-17T14:03:00.006-04:00

The nice people that we bought Jack's swingset from GAVE him this battery powered truck. He loves driving it, but loves dumping sand in it just as much.

Jack and his dad watching the "Moo Show" before bed. It's this really weird BBC show that we found on On Demand with talking farm animals. Jack's favorite. :)

This was taken to try to express how full of flowers DJ's truck was when we left Varner's on saturday. The photo didn't quite do it justice.

Dawn, Jack and Grandma "GiGi" at Varner's.

Dawn and Jack :)

Summertime

2011-05-12T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm excited. We have a LOT of fun things coming up this summer.

On May 23rd, DJ and I will celebrate the 12th anniversary of our first date.

Memorial Day weekend we are planning to visit our cousins who will be boating and camping for the weekend AND we're planning to go to Brookfield Zoo.

On June 2nd my parents arrive for the wedding.

On June 3rd, my brother Nathan is getting married!

On June 3rd, DJ turns 32. (He will tell you he's turning 29, but you heard it here - it's 32.)

On June 11, my baby will be turning 2! Cannot even believe that it's been almost two years since he was born.

On June 11, I'm helping my aunt Dawn to throw a graduation party for my cousin Cole.

On June 12, we'll be having a birthday party for Jack.

On June 16 and 17 my cousins Trace and Kendall will be spending the weekend with us while Bill and Marnie take Carlee to a volleyball tournament in Orlando.

On June 25 and 26 DJ and I will be headed to Chicago to celebrate our anniversary! That weekend is the Taste of Chicago festival so it should be a lot of fun.

On July 3rd, fair week begins!

On July 4th, I turn the big 3.0.!!!!!!!!!!!!

In August - start classes for my Masters? (We'll see if I get accepted to the program.)

It's going to be a great summer. This nice weather is just getting me really excited. Happy summer everyone!

Ouch

2011-05-02T15:59:00.003-04:00

I had my wisdom teeth removed last Friday, April 30th, and snapped this pic of my swollen left cheek while in the drive thru at Starbucks on Sunday (Yep, I still like my carmel machiattos even when I can't eat or sleep). I sent this to my mom so that she'd know what I looked like. Isn't it weird that as old as we get, we still want our mom's to be around when we're sick? At least I do. I asked her if she wanted to extend her Easter trip to stay home and take care of me, but it was too expensive. :) DJ was a great nurse on Friday, taking the day off to take me to the oral surgeon and to nurse me back to health with bags of frozen stirfry and chocolate pudding, meanwhile taking care of that little guy you see sitting in the back seat. Saturday my amazing Aunt Dawn (Jack's Godmother) took him for the WHOLE day so that I could rest. SOOO nice of her! I have never watched so much Oprah or took so many mini-naps in one sitting as I did on Saturday. It was awesome. I have also never taken painkillers like Vicodin before this surgery and those mini-naps were the result. Not too shabby!
The hilarious part is that I got this pounding headache at the end of the day on Saturday. I figured I should get some fresh air and leave my bat-cave-of-a-basement to see if I could get rid of it. So, I sat on my front porch and drank a diet coke (aha! lack of caffeine ended up being the culprit) until Dawn came home with Jackson. After she dropped him off and we chatted for quite a while, Jack and I went back inside. I peaked in the mirror for the first time that day and OH MY GOODNESS - what a scary sight. I had white stuff on my chin - not sure where that came from), I was pale, and my left cheek was crazy swollen. And the best part? Aunt Dawn never said a word. Love that girl.
My dentist was right to tell me to get all four taken out at once because I never want to do this again. Today is Monday and I'd say I'm about 80%. I'm looking forward to eating something crunchy.

Easter

2011-04-27T13:39:00.008-04:00

We had a great brunch at Justin and Heidi's on Sunday morning. Colleen got these adorable chairs for Jackson and Carter that she painted their names on. So cute!

Jackson's uncle Nathan and aunt-to-be (June 3rd!) Jenna. :)
Nate, Matt and Jenna.

Jack hunting eggs.

Jack and his crazy cousins. :)

We had a fun time visiting with the family in Roanoke Easter weekend. Can't wait to see everyone again in a few weeks for Nathan and Jenna's wedding!

ROCK concert

2011-04-11T09:18:00.002-04:00

Last night I went to see Bret Michaels in concert with my friend Carisse (and her friend Kim). It was a blast! I watched "Rock of Love" on VH1 and had to check this out when I knew Bret was coming to South Bend. It was an awesome concert - he's a really great entertainer and pretty cute too! :) My ears were ringing after the concert. Fun!

Florida

2011-04-08T09:48:00.021-04:00

We had such a nice time in Florida last week. It was the first time since we got married (almost 7 years ago...I know, crazy!) since I've taken a full week off. It was so nice to get away from daily life for a full week - I highly recommend it and I'm going to try to do this every year. It was great to see my parents of course and Joe and David. Joe unfortunately had to work every day while we were there but my awesome little brother David made the 5 hour drive from Jacksonville to hang out with us Wednesday through Sunday. He is the person in this world that makes me laugh more than anybody! DJ and I took a night to ourselves (since my parents weren't exactly fighting me on keeping Jack overnight to themselves). :) We went to the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. Really cool place with so much to do. There's a huge casino, several shops and a bazillion restaurants. There's great rock music playing everywhere you go, including underwater in the pool! The pool was AMAZING! It was a salt water pool and we loved lounging by it on Wednesday.

We tried to capture some family photos (photography by Mike Mangold) while we were down there. I had to snap one of Jack with his Papa.

Jack and his crazy, fun, hilarious, loving uncle David. :)

Smooch

My FAVORITE pictures from the whole trip - my handsome boys.

Getting so big!

Pretty sure my mom was in heaven just then.

Opening day at the Marlins game in Miami!

The Mist on my dad's 66th birthday. So fun!

Jack watching Joe and David playing catch - didn't quite get his uncles in the picture, but I love this one.

Brunch at The Grille - our favorite restaurant in Ft. Laud.

Me and deej pool side at the Hard Rock.

Graduate School

2011-03-15T13:53:00.000-04:00

I did it. I FINALLY took the first steps today for applying to graduate school. My hope is to begin taking courses in August at IUSB and to pursue a Master in Public Affairs degree with a focus on Heatlh Care Administration and Policy. My application is complete, I've collected my transcripts and I'm working on three letters of recommendation. Now, due to my embarrisingly poor undergraduate GPA, I need to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and score a 900 or better to be accepted. I wish I would have spent less time focusing on my full-time job as a student report (althought it was an amazing experience that has opened many doors) and more time focusing on my GPA at Purdue. I am NOT looking forward to the GRE - I'm not sure I can still do Algebra! I might need to study a bit before I take the test. Wow...study... haven't done that in years.
I took an amazing position at work that only allows me to be home (not traveling) with Jack and DJ and to work with some really awesome people (holla Laura - I know you read my blog! :) )but that will allow me some flexibility for studying between projects. Also, my new boss is SO great and supportive and has already given me some tips for the application process.
Here's hoping that it all comes together and that I'll soon be a full-time working mom/student. Nervous but also excited!

I have the best family ...

2011-03-14T09:30:00.001-04:00

Jack spent the day with my Aunt Dawn and cousin Lindsay on Saturday while I had a shopping day with my girlfriends in Ft. Wayne. Here's a video of Lindsay jumping on the trampoline with Jack at her tumbling class. He had ssooooooooooooooo much fun with them! Can't you tell from the way he's cheesing it up at the end? :) Thanks, Dawn and Lindsay...love you!

Vacuum

2011-03-09T11:07:00.000-05:00

I am becoming a domestic dork. Why? Because I am in L-O-V-E with my new vacuum. It's a Bissell Pet Hair Eraser vacuum and it makes my life easier. To give you a litte history, I have been through four vacuums in five years! I'm becomming a bit obsessed about vacuuming - mostly because my dog Tucker sheds like it's his job. WHAT do I love about my vacuum you ask?
-The hose is long enough that I can vacuum ALL of my basement stairs without moving th base.
-It's light.
-It sucks up every last bit of Tucker hair, both on carpet and hardwood.
-The canister is super easy to empty.
-The cord is long enough that I can vacuum several rooms without having to re-plug.

Okay, Bissell, this is my pitch for you. Thank you for making my life and house cleaning a little easier. :)

20 Months

2011-03-08T14:03:00.004-05:00

A few pictures to capture my little man at 20 months old!

Rotiserie Chicken Enchliadas

2011-03-04T09:33:00.000-05:00

I am ALL ABOUT recipes with five ingredients or less. Last night I made these yummy rotiserie chicken enchaladas, but omitted the cilantro, green chiles, olives and tomatoes. Thought I'd share the recipe with all of you. They were SO easy and VERY yummy! I included the original recipe in case you have all the ingredients lying around or prefer more flare in your dinner. :)

Ingredients
cooking spray
10–12 sprigs fresh cilantro (rinsed)
1 small tomato (rinsed)
1 chilled Deli rotisserie chicken
3/4 cup refried beans
2 (10-ounce) cans enchilada sauce
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives with jalapeño (drained)
1 1/2 cups Mexican-blend cheese
aluminum foil

Steps

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Chop cilantro coarsely, place in medium bowl. Chop tomato finely; set aside.

Remove meat of chicken from bones (discard skin and bones) and chop coarsely; add to cilantro (wash hands). Stir in beans and 1 can of the enchilada sauce.

Spoon chicken mixture equally into center of tortillas. Roll tortillas around filling and place, seam side down, in baking dish. Pour remaining can of enchilada sauce over enchiladas.

Sprinkle tomatoes, olives, and then cheese evenly over enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Serve. (Makes 6 servings.)

CALORIES (per 1/6 recipe) 450kcal; FAT 23g; CHOL 135mg; SODIUM 1170mg; CARB 27g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 33g; VIT A 15%; VIT C 6%; CALC 25%; IRON 10%

2011-03-02T12:04:00.003-05:00

Sorry...couldn't figure out how to rotate this photo of Jackson at my aunt and uncle's house.

We've had quite a bit going on lately it seems. Last weekend we traveled to Indinapolis to visit our friends Heather and Mike. We had a great time! Jack got to hang at my Uncle Bill's house overnight and he had a blast playing with our cousins Carlee, Kendall and Trace.
This coming weekend should be nice and low key. DJ and I are going to try to go on a date Friday night. Hmmm...wonder where we'll go? I got a great deal through livingsocial.com - two movie tickets for $9!!! Maybe we'll use those up. Saturday night we are going over to our friends' Jared and Angel's house for dinner. They're daughter Charlotte was born six months ago and this will be the first time we meet her! I'm sure Jackson will have a great time with their older daughter Hannah (she's 2).
My most exciting news is that we are going on VACATION!!!! Yep, all three of us are going to visit my family in Ft. Lauderdale. DJ is only able to stay until THursday because he has an annual trip with the boys planned to Louisville. Jack and I decided to stay the whole week! I can hardly wait for some sun and relaxation. Jack needs some Nee Nee, Papa and Uncle Joe time too. Yahoo! We've been working on a huge project at work since Christmas. The project should be complete by the time we leave for vacation so I will be sooooo ready for some R&R by then.

Side Story
Last week we got what was hopefully our last dumping of snow. I think we had 4 or 5 inches. Jack and I went to the grocery store and when I was pushing the cart out to my car to leave, we got stuck. The cart was heavy with all of my groceries and Jackson sitting in the front and I could not move it! This really nice lady came along and said "I'll pull ya" and rescued us from the overwhelming slush in the Meijer parking lot. What would we do without the kindness of strangers? At that moment I was feeling like "oh no, what am I going to do" and she saved me. Thank you nice lady! I have to admit that if I had seen this lady in the store I might have judged her. She had disheveled har and clothes/pajamas on and looked a little rough. Lesson learned by me - don't judge people by the way they look - they might pull you out of a snow bank!

Day 6 & 7

2011-02-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

Last week was such an interesting week. It was fun to experiment with my diet, eating no meat or dairy. Overall I can say that I felt lighter, kind of tired, and that I lost 3 1/2 pounds in five days. Not bad! I actually think I'm going to stick with it for a while - at least to some degree. I went off course a little bit - okay a lot - on Saturday night when DJ and I went out to dinner to celebrate Valentine's Day. I had crab cakes, seared ahi tuna and cheesecake! Meat, meat, dairy! Oh well - I'm okay with it because it was a special occasion. Not too sure two beers are vegan either. :) So my plan is to incorporate a lot more veggies into my diet, not to each AS MUCH meat - maybe once a week? and to stay away from dairy for a while. I'll keep you all posted!
Tonight I made meatless, veggie lasagna and it was amazing! (DJ wouldn't say "amazing" but he's trying to go along with it.) I loved it. Here's the recipe:
This vegetable lasagna is perfect for making ahead and can easily transport to a potluck or the freezer. It's not vegan, but it's a heckofalot healthier than my usual lasagna with 2 lbs. of beef and a block of cream cheese! :)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup chopped zucchini

1/2 cup sliced carrot

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 (26-ounce) bottle fat-free tomato basil pasta sauce

2 tablespoons commerical pesto

1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

Cooking spray

6 hot cooked lasagna noodles (about 6 ounces uncooked), cut in half

3/4 cup (3 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375º.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and the next 4 ingredients (mushrooms through onion); cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pasta sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine pesto and ricotta in a small bowl. Spread 1/2 cup tomato mixture in the bottom of a 8-inch square baking dish or pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodle halves over tomato mixture. Top noodles with half of ricotta mixture and 1 cup tomato mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles; sprinkle with mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Day 5

2011-02-11T11:01:00.002-05:00

Day 5 of eating Vegan is today. Last night I made stromb0li with vegan sausage and cheese. It was not very good. I gave it to DJ without telling him and he said, "What's wrong with this stromboli?" Lesson learned - dont' try to replicate recipes you love with meat substitutes.

Today I had peanut butter toast and blueberries for breakfast and will probably have a salad for lunch. Dinner...not sure!

Craigslist is a wonderful thing. Here is my new desk! I love love love it and feel like I got a good deal on it. Now I can spend my days in a much more organized and comfortable space. yay!

Day 4

2011-02-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

So far so good! My mom asked me yesterday how I was feeling. She said, "tired, but lighter?" I guess I'm dragging a little bit too - I don't know if it's from lack of protein or just because it's been a busy week and I've been staying up past my usual 9 p.m. bedtime. :) Last night for dinner I made brown rice and steamed vegetables with teryaki sauce. (Oh and I had french fries from Burger King later for a snack - oops!) Today I had my Kashi cereal with almond milk and california rolls with imitation crab for lunch. Tonight I'm making stromboli with vegan sausage and cheese - not going to tell DJ. We'll see if he notices! I'm sure he will.
We went and picked up my new desk that I purchased on craigslist last night. Yay! It's not unloaded yet, but pictures coming soon.
Heading to Grissom Middle School - that's right good old GMS - tonight for Jake's wrestling meet. Go Jake! Jackson will love watching him wrestle. Maybe it will help him understand why Jake and Jon have been trying to teach him all of these "moves" lately. :)

Vegan Day 3

2011-02-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Day 3 of eating like a bird. Last night for dinner I had a spinach salad with mushrooms, green and red pepper, craisins and a homemade vinegar dressing. It was so pretty! This morning I'm working at the office so I ate peanut butter toast and blueberries for breakfast. And of course coffee wih almond milk. Can't start the morning without coffee! So far so good - not noticing too much of a difference yet, besides a pretty nasty headache last night. I think that might have been from the two glasses of wine that I had at book club though. :)
My mom says she's feeling like her tummy has settled down a little and that she feels mostly the same, but lighter maybe?! I will say that it's been nice not to feel that stuffed/coma feeling you get after a big bowl of chili or a pork chop and potato meal. I definitely feel full, just in a different way. Does that make sense?
Tonight for dinner will be whole wheat pasta with meatless spaghetti sauce.

Other news. I bought a desk on craigslist! Going to pick it up tonight. It's a really nice oak corner desk with a hutch. I feel like I got a good deal on it. I just hope we can get it home without scratching it!

Vegan Day 2

2011-02-08T09:29:00.002-05:00

Day 1 of eating vegan is done. It was actually

easier than I thought it was going to be! The only challenge was an unplanned dinner at McDonald's last night. I searched the menu forever (annoying the girl at the counter) but finally decided on a southwestern salad with no chicken. It was pretty good! I had planned on making stromboli with vegan sausage and cheese but that didn't happen. Unfortunately I realized about half way through my salad that there was cheese. Oh well, minor slip up.

This morning I'm having Kashi Go Crunch cereal with vanilla almond milk. It's very yummy!

My mom is doing well also. Things are "moving along nicely" in our tummies. :)

Tonight I'm having some girls from work over for book club. I'm going to serve some chili and some snacks so hopefully I won't be tempted to go off track. It's kind of a fun challenge!

To be continued ...

I'm Going Vegan ...

2011-02-07T12:29:00.001-05:00

... for a week. This means no meat, no cheese, no milk, no butter ... no animal products of any kind. I'll admit that I'm a total Oprah-aholic. I watch pretty much ever show. Last week she featured a show about veganism and it really caught my interest because of all the health benefits they discussed. My mom has had ongoing health issues and I immediately thought that this way of eating could help her. So ... I texted my mom and said "Let's try eating vegan for a week and see how it makes us feel." She responded with a lackluster "I'm in". So then I recommended she read the boog "The Veganist" that was featured on Oprah. We agreed to read and research for a few days before we began our little experiment. So my mom went to read the book on her Kindle and I went to the good old fashioned library to check out some books on Veganism. I ended up finding a book called "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone. We both were amazed by all of the health benefits that come from eating animal-product-free. Lower blood pressure, improved sinus, weight loss, etc.. The list goes on. My mom has tried everythign to improve her health EXCEPT changing her diet. What if this is the answer? Wow - it would be so awesome if she felt like HERSELF again!

Moral Dillema
Those of you who know me might be wondering how an animal-product-free diet fits in with my life! Obviously DJ is a farmer and his family owns a dairy farm. Not exactly a vegan-driving environment. :) DJ is not a big fan of this idea, but I told him it's just a little experiment. He's convinced that it's not worth it, but I'd just like to try to prove him wrong... for fun. :) My mom read that eating like a vegan is as good for the environment as driving a hybrid car for a year. Can you believe that?! It's due to all of the waste, energy, and toxic emmissions that the agricultural industry creates (especially dairy cows).

No don't get me wrong, I'm never going to swear off meat or milk, but I am anxious to see what this will do for my body and my health. I would never swear them off because I believe in the foundation of farming and think it's natural for us to eat meat.

What I'm Eating
Breakfast Day 1: Peanut butter Toast on whole grain with blueberries + coffee with soy milk.

Snack: Crackers
Lunch: Vegetarian bean burrito on whole wheat tortilla. Ingredients: Vegetarian refried beans, vegan "mozzarella", taco sauce, olive oil. It was soooo good!

Daily postings coming your way!

2011-02-04T10:02:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you're forever emptying your dishwasher? I sure do. Maybe it's because I put everything that can possibly be washed in the dishwasher, big or small, in there. Jackson likes to help me unload it by handing me utensils one by one so that I can them away. That's right, one fork at a time. Needless to say it takes a while.
I couldn't find my cell phone last night so I asked DJ to call it this morning before he left for work. He kept hearing it (faintly) in the kitchen. Sure enough, my little dishwasher helper had put my cell phone in the dishwasher! little stink pot. :)

Sledding!

2011-01-31T14:01:00.011-05:00

engagement

2011-01-29T12:21:00.002-05:00

Heather and Mike are getting married! Tonight we're celebrating with an engagement party at Heidi and Justin's house. I CAN'T wait!!! These two are so in love and make each other so happy - I am so excited to celebrate their engagement today. When I got married (six years ago) Heather was my rock. She went with me everywhere, helped me with every detail, and was an amazing support. I can't wait to do the same for you, Woods! When are we going wedding dress shopping!?!? :)

Congrats Mike and Heather!

Josh

2011-01-28T11:13:00.002-05:00

Today DJ's brother Josh would have celebrated his 17th birthday. It is so hard to believe that he passed away a year and a half ago and that he would be turning 17 today. I picture him driving around a truck that my in-laws would have bought him, chasing girls, lifting weights, riding dirt bikes ... doing all the things he loved to do.

I hope today our family can remember Josh in a positive light, celebrating his life, but it's hard not to dwell on the fact that he's no longer with us.

We miss and love you, Josh.

2011-01-27T14:11:00.002-05:00

Yesterday when I got home from work, DJ was missing, but his truck was in the garage. I called him and he said he was over at the neighbors because I had received some flowers and the delivery man left them with our neighbors because no one was home. When DJ got home, I was excited to see this beautiful bouquet of roses and lillies. My parents had sent them "with love" to let us know that they were thinking about us on a tough day. Isn't that so thoughtful? Thank you, Mom and Dad, for ALWAYS being there for us. We love you!

American Idol

2011-01-27T09:18:00.003-05:00

Are you watching American Idol this season? I've been in and out as an A.I. fan, but I'm pretty into this season. I love JLo and Steven Tyler is growing on me. I just don't like Randy Jackson, aka the man with no opinion.

I was exhausted last night but got wrapped up into the show and this guy is my FAVORITE! I think he's going to go all the way. He has an amazing voice.

Stay tuned!

January 26th

2011-01-26T10:59:00.001-05:00

Today is a tough day. Today was the day that I was supposed to have my little girl or little boy (for some reason, DJ and I both feel like it was a girl). Back in August, I learned that I had a partial molar pregancy, which stopped our child's beating heart at 10 weeks old. I didn't know this until I thought I was 16 weeks along. This was particularly devastating for me because I thought "how could I NOT have known?". My aunt nailed it when she said that miscarrying is an "emotional roller coaster". It really is. On one hand, I'm so blessed to have Jackson - who's healthy, happy, growing and mine. On the other, I know what a tremendous loss we've experienced because we know how AMAZING it is to have a baby. I'm still dealing with it all, I've been feeling good, but today is a hard day. Would we have been in the hospital today introducing Jackson to his little baby brother or sister? WOuld I have gone past my due date and be the size of a house right now? It's dangerous to say "what if", but in this situation I seem to do it all day long. On Sunday we'll go to a service at the site where our baby was buried. I hope that this will bring a sense of closure to us so that we can remember, but move ahead and make plans to grow our family.
On a more positive note, my amazing doctor, Dr. Wolfe, has given us the go ahead to try again. We're not sure yet when exactly we'll start trying, but I think it will be fairly soon. I pray. I pray OFTEN, that we will be able to have a successful pregnancy and to bring a healthy child into this world.

2011-01-12T14:29:00.009-05:00

I've been pretty bad about about carrying my camera around with me lately, but at least I've been able to capture a few (poor) pics of Jack on my phone. Thank GOODNESS the iPhone is coming to Verizon! I'm already working on getting one. Here are a few recent pics of Jack:

Jackson likes to try on our shoes. Problem is, he likes to try to walk in them too!

Jack had to wear a gown at his last doctor's appointment. There was something sad, but so cute about him wearing this bugs bunny hospital gown.

This is Jack's favorite place to play while I'm making dinner. He takes ALL of my towels out of the drawer and then sits in it like it's a car.

Josh and Jack playing on the beach. :) What a good uncle!

We took Jackson to see Sesame Street Live at the Morris Civic Theater. Doesn't he look enthused!?

Jackson sat on the floor for twenty minutes and "read" to me. :)

Paula Deen Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

2010-12-27T20:15:00.001-05:00

These cheesy potatoes were a little extra work, but well worth it. Enjoy!

Ingredients
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided shopping list
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened shopping list
• 1 cup sour cream shopping list
• 1/4 cup butter, melted shopping list
• 1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch salad dressing mix shopping list
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled shopping list
• 1 (30-ounce) package frozen country-style hash-brown potatoes, thawed shopping list

How to make it
• Preheat oven to 350˚.
• Lightly grease a 11/2-quart baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, dressing mix, and bacon.
• Add hash browns, stirring to combine.
• Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
• Bake 30 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake 10 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly.

CHI-Town

2010-12-09T08:41:00.007-05:00

I spent last weekend in Chicago to celebrate the holidays. On Saturday, my dad and I went on our annual Christmas shopping trip. I think we covered every inch of Michigan Avenue and Rush Street. The day was so much fun and went way too fast. These are pictures of us in front of the Macy's Christmas windows (the story was "Yes, Virginia, There's a Santa Clause) and one of us at our favorite little Irish Pub. My dad is the best! Thanks Dad for such an awesome day - more great memories with you! Our pursuit for a cashmere robe for mom was unsuccessful but I made out alright. :) We ended the day by eating a late dinner at Rosebud's - one of our favorites. The mussles, spaghetti, and ravioli were amazing. Thanks, Dad. Love you!

On Sunday morning, DJ, Justin and Heidi met me in Chicago. Justin had bought Heidi tickets to see Wicked so DJ and I tagged along for her birthday treat. :) It was FREEZING but we had a great time. Wicked was really fun - the costumes were awesome and the story was great. Guh-Lenda was my favorite. I loved the song "Popular".

2010-12-08T10:40:00.003-05:00

Last night Jackson and I had some fun playing in the snow. It was his first time! Tucker LOVES the snow and made it fun for Jackson as he ran around us in circles and let us throw snow on him. Jack was having so much fun throwing the snow, laying in it, and eating it!

Ear Infection

2010-12-01T16:10:00.003-05:00

Jack and I spent our evening at MedPoint last night after his babysitter noticed that he was being rather "clumsy" on Tuesday. She said that when her grandson used to get ear infections, he'd lose his balance and stumble quite a bit. Sure enough, she was right! Jack's left ear had a "couple day old" ear infection according to Dr. Carlson at MedPoint. The poor guy has had the stomach flu, a runny nose, a cough, and now an ear infection within the past five days! What a little trooper though - he held perfectly still while the doctor listened to his heart and chest, and examined his ears and throat. So proud of my boy. Now we're on the mend with amoxicillin. Yay! Thought I'd post this for my readers as I have always been told to look for him to pull on his ears as a sign of an ear infection. Apparently a lack of balance can be an indicator also. Moms, beware! Kids that look like little drunken sailors might actually need you to take a closer look.

Bradley Bars

2010-11-24T11:23:00.002-05:00

Last weekend my Grandma, Aunts and cousins got together for our annual bake-a-thon. My aunt Marnie brought a recipe for something called Bradley Bars. They. Are. Amazing. I'm including the recipe to share the love, but be careful - they are a little too yummy! :)

Mix Together:
Yellow cake mix
1 Egg
1 stick butter

Pour into a greased 9x13

Mix Together:
1 Box Powdered Sugar
1 8 oz. bar of cream cheese
2 eggs

Pour over 1st mixture

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes

Unbutton pants. :)

2010-11-17T08:59:00.001-05:00

I had my carpets cleaned yesterday so Jack and I spent the evening at my grandparents house because everything was still wet at home. Grandma loves to give Jack baths in the sink. And yes...he was eating chocolate covered raisins WHILE taking a bath. :)

Happy Halloween from our Little Dragon!

2010-11-01T13:55:00.005-04:00

Super Busy, Super Fun Weekend

2010-10-26T13:41:00.014-04:00

Jackson was having a ball playing in the leaves and with his new wagon and tricycle yesterday...

Jessica's baby shower was a success! She received a lot of really adorable gifts and it was so fun to be with all of my girlfriends. I am so lucky to have such a great group of friends.

Friday night DJ and I went to a Halloween party. About ten minutes before we left the house we decided to dress up. Hence, I'm dress as a ??? (not sure - maybe a pumpkin head girl?) and DJ was a soldier using the fatigues that Josh gave him.

Cute Stuff

2010-10-22T10:13:00.002-04:00

Jackson has really started talking to us more and more lately. It's so fun to be able to understand more about what he's thinking about. For example,

This morning we were playing in our basement and I had a large comforter laying on the floor. Jackson patted it with his hand and said "BED". :)
Yesterday, Jackson was riding in the combine with DJ and he stood up and patted DJ on the leg. This means he wants to sit on your lap. So cute!
Jack's FAVORITE word is OUT-SIDE. This morning when I went to pick him up out of his crib he was in the dark room talking to himself saying, "OUT-SIDE...blah, goo, gah, OUT-SIDE". Guess he was ready to go play outside!
When he's in the tub, I'll ask Jack to blow bubbles. He lays on his tummy in the (shallow) water and makes noise underwater. Then looks up at me with a huge grin.
He says the following words on a regular basis: tractor, doggy, OUT-SIDE (of course), keys, Daddy, mama, bobbee (bottle), and Moo (the sound a cow makes).

We are excited for Matcha Mangold to come visit us tomorrow! She will be here for a whole week! Can't wait to have her here to spend time with all of us.

Thistleberry Farms

2010-10-13T10:11:00.011-04:00

The Reed family went to Thistleberry Farms on Sunday to celebrate fall and to have a little fun with Jack. It was SO MUCH FUN! There was a petting zoo, a cow train, a big jumping platform, a corn maze, a super slide, and a pumpkin patch! Jack enjoyed the super slide the most. It was pretty fast so we had to take him down on our laps. Every time he came through the tunnel with a huge smile on his face - so glad I got it on video on my Flip! He kept pointing and gesturing toward the slide so we took him on it four times! Here are some pictures from our fun family day...

grumpy face

headed out to pick out our pumpkins!

this is the one I picked. I'm really into white pumpkins this year!

Let me have it, Daddy!

This is Jack's pumpkin.

2010-10-07T16:42:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Bill. Today he turns 75. We call him Grandpa "Shotgun". He's been calling Jackson "Shotgun" since he was born. I asked him why, and he said "...just a nickname (shrug)." I admit that I love it. Jackson is particularly close to his great grandfather as they spend an afternoon together every week. My grandpa is the most generous man you'll ever meet. He'd literally do ANYTHING for you. He has an amazing smile that makes me happy every time I see it. He's growing an awesome all-white fuzzy beard - a first! He has blue eyes, just like Jackson's. He's the best. He can return merchandise like no other. Love you Grandpa!!!

2010-09-27T09:07:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Dawn, Grandma and I took Jack apple picking at Kerchner's in Goshen. Jack was most excited about picking apples from the tree and the hay ride! Here's a few pics...

2010-09-24T09:34:00.006-04:00

I finally made time to have Jackson's 1-year pictures done (at 15 months) and they turned out so cute! He was all smiles (for the most part)! The hard part was that he wanted to crawl to us while the photographer was trying to snap his picture so we only had a few seconds for each pose. I can't believe how fast he's growing - he's definitely going from baby to little boy right before our eyes! This morning, I heard him calling for me from his bed. Saying "maaaaa maaaaa". Pretty easy to open your eyes when you hear that. :)

Psalm 90:4

2010-09-16T13:55:00.003-04:00

Psalm 90:4 - For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. If Psalm 90:4 is true, if 'a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday' she will no sooner get her eyes open then all of us who follow Christ will be with her. There will be no time in Heaven that she spends without us. Heaven is all of us who believe in Christ.

I read this passage on my friend Amber's blog. She recently lost a very young cousin to cancer . I immediately thought of Josh and also our friends Luke & Allison who recently lost their brother, Jordan. It's so comforting to know that for our family that have passed away and are in heaven, they won't even know that we're not with them - they won't miss us at all. We might miss them, but at least they'll no sooner open their eyes and we'll be with them. Makes me feel better. I'm going to share this with my mother-in-law as I think it will bring her comfort in her grief over losing Josh and also as she deals with her mom's soon passage as she's declining with lung cancer that has spread. I wanted to post this on my blog so that my other friends and family who have lost loved ones might feel some comfort from this verse too.

Happy Birthday Josh!

2010-09-14T15:37:00.003-04:00

My big brother Josh turns 38 years young today! He is now living in Jerusalem and from the looks of things is enjoying a little more free/fun time these days - happy to hear that! Happy Birthday, Josh. We love and miss you a lot. Be safe!

Cashew Chicken

2010-09-10T15:19:00.003-04:00

I'm always looking for recipes to replicate my favorite restaurant foods. One of my very favorites is the Cashew Chicken at Mandarin House in Mishawaka. Well...I have found the ultimate recipe. It tastes just like it! I ate HALF...yes HALF of this entire thing. Yum! Here's the recipe:
2 tsp chicken bouillon or base
1 ¼ c boiling water
2 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb cornstarch
2-4 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
½ c cashews
Hot cooked rice

Dissolve chicken base in water. Set aside.
Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar and ginger. Combine w/ broth over medium heat til thickened.
In large skillet heat oil until hot, not smoking. Stir fry chicken til browned.
Combine above w/ ¼ cashews.
Serve over rice. Sprinkle w/ remaining cashews.

Enjoy!

2010-09-07T15:48:00.005-04:00

Labor Day weekend was fun filled. I went out to ND's campus for a tailgate with Heidi, Heather, Alissa and Phil. So many of our friends came out to have some fun and I had a great time. It was like a big reunion too! I saw a lot of friends from high school and college that I hadn't seen in a really long time. Meanwhile, Dawn watched Jackson adn took him to the park and took these pictures. He has so much fun with Aunt Dawn!

soup

2010-08-25T16:34:00.001-04:00

The soup was GOOD! I will definitely make it again. Here is the recipe in case you missed it yesterday.

Sausage and Corn Chowder
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
4 c. potatoes in 1/2" cubes
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. marjoram
2 c. water
1 lg. can evaporated milk
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole grain corn

In a large, heavy pan, brown sausage and onion. Drain on paper towels and return to pan with potatoes, salt, water, marjoram, pepper. Simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Add corn and milk, heat through and serve. Serves 6.

my life is anything but boring

2010-08-24T14:50:00.001-04:00

I love my dog! Here's the latest Reed family saga ...

Yesterday, while working from home in my living room, I let Tucker out to go potty aroud 1 p.m. He finished his business, barked, and came back inside to hang out by my feet (as he usually does when I work upstairs). Around 2 p.m., he got my attention again and gestured that he wanted to go outside. I let him out. I went back to work. Around 4 p.m. I realized that I hadn't heard him bark so I went outside looking for him. He had dug his way out from underneath our chain-link fence. Now, this isn't all that unusual - he has done this before. As a result, DJ poured some concrete in the hole he had dug previously. Well, Tucker's a smart dog, so he just dug a new hole right next to the concrete. Anyway, I didn't think much of it and opened the garage door as Tucker likes to wander over to the neighbors and play with Maggie and Dottie once in a while. But...by 5 p.m. ... I really started to worry. Tucker wouldn't come when I called him. I walked up and down our half mile street calling his name for an hour. Still nothing. I drove around the block twice looking for him in the woods, corn fields, etc. Still nothing. Now I was starting to get really scared. I was thinking someone took him. We looked all night and I woke up with a lump in my throat this morning when he wasn't laying in his usual spot on the floor next to my bed. As soon as I got up and got Jackson and myself dressed, we headed to the human society. And guest what ... HE WAS THERE!!! I have never been so happy to see my little mutt in his four years of life. Yes, he might get on my nerves. Yes, he peed on the dining room floor three times last week. But I love him. :) Someone saw Tucker walking around on Ireland Road (scary) and called the human society yesterday afternoon. Poor guy - he looked tramatized when we found him at the shelter. Right now, he's sleeping by my feet - totally exhausted. I'm pretty sure he didn't sleep in that scary place last night. I seriously couldn't handle any more bad news today. Thank goodness we found him!!!

To cheer myself up, I decided to cook today. It's been at least a week since we've had a meal that I've made (although we did have swiss steak and mashed potatoes last night thanks to Grandma Ginny). So, I had some sausage dethawed from the pig we just got. After I dethawed it, I realized I don't know how to make much with sausage. So I decided to try a new recipe: Sausage, potatoe and corn chowder. Here's the recipe. I'll let you know how it turns out!

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 c. coarsely chopped onion
4 c. potatoes in 1/2" cubes
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. marjoram
2 c. water
1 lg. can evaporated milk
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole grain corn

In a large, heavy pan, brown sausage and onion. Drain on paper towels and return to pan with potatoes, salt, water, marjoram, pepper. Simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Add corn and milk, heat through and serve. Serves 6.

seriously?

2010-08-22T22:18:00.003-04:00

This weekend was very low key, but that was okay with me. Friday night we went to Maxi's with Heidi, Justin, Colleen and Carter. Jackson kept us busy and crawled away from the table so fast that he almost made it to the kitchen before we could catch him! I bet the cooks would have been surprised to see him there! Saturday Jackson and I had a fun afternoon of baking cookies at Aunt Dawn's with Dawn and Grandma Ginny. As we were fininshing, my throat started to really hurt and I got really tired - but I just thought I was tired so I didn't think much of it. This morning when I woke up, it was a different story. My throat hurt SO BAD! I took myself to MedPoint thinking I had strep throat. Wrong! Get this...I have Hand Foot and Mouth disease! How in the world? Apparently most adults are immune to this virus and it's usually passed around kids. Well lucky me, I got it! The doctor said that Jackson likely had a mild case of it and passed it on to me. I feel like a bad mom - not realizing that he had it. I hope that he didn't have the symptoms that I'm having - surely I would have noticed. It is not fun! I have been in bed all day. My amazing husband has been taking care of me and Jackson - bringing me drinks and hanging with Buddy all day. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family.
On a happier note, I took this picture of Jackson last weekend. He comes into our bed every morning to drink his "ba ba" and wake up. One of my favorite times of day...

2010-08-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Last week was a really difficult week. We are getting through this rough time, but I still have moments where I feel pretty sad. Fortunately, we have such a supportive family and group of friends.
My dad sent me this e-mail last week: "Found a lost little turtle by Jack's favorite Fla swing this morning. Chinese lady standing by the ocean, who I had not seen before, said old proverb says 'when you put them back in the sea you don't have to worry'. Never know why things happen." I think I really had him worried for those first few days and for some reason, this woman came into his life with this 'proverb' that made him feel better. Funny how things like this happen when you least expect it.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you to our friends and family for all of your love and support. We are so blessed to have you all.

Love,
Heather, DJ & Jackson

update

2010-08-11T11:21:00.003-04:00

Jackson said "up" yesterday for the first time at Miss Kelly's house. He said it this morning when I lifted him out of his crib. So stinkin' cute!

He does the sign for "please" like it's his job. Too funny. When you have a handful of anything food related, he signs "please" like crazy! My little guy LOVES to eat (just like his Mom).

He is now mobile ... on the furniture at least. He makes his way down the couch, the coffee table etc... Now he likes to stand by himself for a few seconds and then fall and laugh.

We are headed to Lake Sweetwater this weekend...can't wait! Trying to think of something fun to do with Carlee, Kendall and Trace. Last year we painted with pudding and it was a hit! Their Christmas card had a picture of the three of them COVERED in chocolate pudding. Anyone have any ideas for fun lake activities for kids age 12, 10 and 6? Can't wait to take Jack on the boat and into the water...he will love it! Woods is going with us this year and Daddy is staying home so it will be a fun time. Bring on the summer beer!

Smoothie

2010-07-21T10:58:00.003-04:00

So I'm trying to incorporate flaxseed and fish oil into my diet because I've read numerous articles that suggest that they can be really beneficial for my growing bambino's intellegence and brain development. I found a recipe online for a flaxseed high fiber smoothie. Perfect! I tried the recipe this morning and it is delish! Feel free to try this - it took about 1minute to make it and it is very tasty.

High Fiber Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice

1 cup unsweetened strawberries or raspberries, frozen

1 banana

1 to 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

Directions:Place all ingredients in blender in order listed. Cover and process on high (100 percent power) until smooth. Serve immediately. Recipe makes one to two servings.

I also bought some fish oil capsules. Chewable. Mint flavor. We'll see how that goes - doesn't sound quite as appealing as the smoothie.

Pumped

2010-07-20T16:49:00.001-04:00

I am super pumped for Sunday. DJ and I will be heading to Valparaiso for the Jason Aldean concert. I bought him tickets for our annivesary. Woo hoo! Hope he sings Amarillo Sky.

More Florida Pics

2010-07-20T10:48:00.009-04:00

This is such a funny picture. It's not funny in that we want Jack to bite, but DJ's face makes me laugh out loud every time I look at this.

Jack and his cool cuzzins!Jackson LOVED the swings!
Grandpa and Jack playing in the sand on our last day.

I didn't do it ...

Grandpa, Matcha & Jack swinging

Pics from Florida

2010-07-15T16:45:00.004-04:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Ft. Lauderdale this week. We had such a fun time with the Mangold fam. Jack loves the water and likes to EAT sand!

news

2010-07-09T12:21:00.002-04:00

Jackson is going to be a big brother! I am almost three months pregnant with baby Reed number two. I've been holding off on announcing this on my blog until a) I was farther along and b) I had told work. Now that both of those things have been accomplsished it feels great to tell the world!
I am due January 26th - a winter baby! I'm excited to have a little one at that time of year. He or she will be able to really celebrate his or her own birthday since DJ, Jack and I all have our birthdays within a month of each other.
We're not going to find out the sex of the baby this time. I feel like everything the second time around is familiar so I wanted to save one big surprise for the end! But who am I kidding - it's totally going to be a boy. :) With 9 brothers between the two of us I'm pretty sure a girl is not in our cards.
Here we grow again!

Summer

2010-07-07T13:54:00.003-04:00

We've been very busy this summer. DJ turned 29 (again) on June 3rd. Jackson turned one on June 11th. DJ and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on June 26th. And I turned 29 on July 4th! (We have a lot of family holidays in a short period of time!)The last year of my twenties! I can hardly believe it. Life is good and I've had a great second decade. Can't wait to find out what the next one will bring.
We've been having so much fun at the 4h fair the past few days. I'm a leader for Horse & Pony (Madison Township) and DJ's brothers Jake and Jon took dairy beef, pigs, and beef this year. They did awesome on Monday night (dairy beef) with two 2nds and a 1st! We are definitely missing Josh especially at the fair. It's hard to believe that he's not here with us, showing his steers, hanging out with his friends. I think the last picture that I took of him was of him smiling at DJ at the fair last year. It's hard to believe that on September 3rd it will be a year since his accident. It's been a tough week for DJ's mom.
On a lighter and happier note, we are off to Fort Lauderale on Saturday! Can't wait to go for a swim in the ocean and to lay on the beach. My dad said the ocean water is 88 degrees! Matt and Jennifer and their boys are there already so I can't wait for Jack to spend some quality time with his cousins. Also, our family from New Jersey will be there so it will be a fun-filled Mangold fest!

Heather Turns 30!

2010-06-29T10:33:00.006-04:00

On Saturday night we threw a surprise 30th birthday party for our friend Woods. She was so surprised! Love it! Heather has always sacrificed her birthday for other friends (my wedding, ginny's wedding, etc... so we wanted to do something special for her 30th.) We weren't sure how we were going to pull it off and her boyfriend Mike had to come home from Indy early so that he wouldn't tell her! We started out with dinner at the Oaken Bucket on a beautiful night. Each of the guests brought Heather 30 things. Thirty suckeres, thirty pairs of panties, thirty lottery tickets, thirty cupcakes, thirty recipes...am I forgetting anything?! The "thirty things" theme made it really fun! We also hired the Ditty Gram guy to come and sing to Heather...hilarious! He decided to flash Heather as part of his routine and it was hysterical. I'm sure she was really grossed out but it gave us all a good laugh for sure. Here are some photos of the fun night! Happy Birthday, Woods! We love ya!

Happy It's Friday

2010-06-25T16:44:00.003-04:00

After what seems to have been the longest week ever, I am so excited and ready for a fun filled weekend! Looking forward to spending time with friends on Saturday and hopefully doing something fun to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday! Six years - I can't believe how fast its gone and how much has happened! In the past six years, we got married, quit our jobs, moved to illinois, got new jobs, quit our jobs again, moved back to south bend, bought a house, got pregnant, had our amazing baby boy, etc... Along the way our friends and family have been married, having babies, etc! We are so lucky.

2010-06-22T14:43:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, we had Jackson's 1st birthday party. It was a success! I think Jackson had fun playing with his friends Cameron and Vienne in his little swimming pool. He also loved his cake! As you can see he dove right in. :) Thanks to all of our friends and family for coming out to celebrate with us. Jackson is luck to have so many people to love him. Happy Birthday, Buddy! Thank you for giving us the most wonderful year of our lives. We love you!

One Year Old!

2010-06-15T07:37:00.014-04:00

Jackson turned one last Friday on June 11! What a crazy wonderful awesome year! We are so lucky to have our little Buddy and we love him more every day. Here are pictures of Jack each month. Happy Birthday Buddy!

1 Month Old

Sorry ... can't find a pic at 2 months right now. :)

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months
6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

The joys of work travel

2010-05-21T21:27:00.003-04:00

So I'm sitting in the Chili's at the O'Hare airport TRYING to get home from a work trip to Little Rock, Arkansas. What a day. I arrived at the Little Rock airport around noon, only to find out that due to weather, my flight was delayed several hours therefore preventing me from catching my connecting flight to South Bend. Aye yih yih. I hope to be home by 12:30 a.m. So, because I've been traveling alone, I've had plenty of time to people watch (one of my favorite things to do) and think. Here are some of the obervations I've made today in the airport:

You know those motion detected toilet seat plastic thingy's? The ones that when you wave your hand in front of the black dot, new plastic spins out onto the toilet seat for you? Are we SURE that we're sitting on "fresh" plastic? I mean, how do we know that we're not just sitting on plastic that's been previously used? Ew. I think I'll keep squatting.
People show their true colors during delays in airports. On the plane in Little Rock, the flight attendent announced that we'd have to sit on the runway for an hour before we were released for takeoff. She apologized profusely, came around and offered water, and told us she valued our business. The guy behind me said, "My HAIRY @$*!" Nice. Hey cranky guy, the stewardess can't control the weather! One guy got so upset that she wouldn't serve booze while we were waiting I thought he was going to get kicked off the plane. My opinion...i would rather be SAFE and waiting, then flying and CRASHING!
Shouldn't soldiers get to fly first class and bypass ALL lines?
An airport quesadill and a Diet Coke costs 20 bucks.
I. Miss. Jackson. I have been staring at his picture all day.
Never watch a chick flick on your laptop in an airport...People give you really weird looks when they see you bawling and looking at your computer screen.
My husband is amazing. He totally took control of taking care of Jackson and our house while I was gone. He always puts Jackson first and I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband who's an incredible Daddy.
I'm drinking a margarita. Alone. At a chili's airport. ... Nuff said.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-05-18T16:06:00.004-04:00

DJ has a cold that's been keeping him feeling under the weather for over a week now. I told him I'd make him some homemade chicken soup to make him feel better. It turned out pretty well! Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes. Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.

Happy Mom's Day!

2010-05-08T10:11:00.000-04:00

Big Boy Hair Cut

2010-04-21T13:44:00.004-04:00

Before ...

During ...

AFTER!!!

Israel

2010-04-19T08:49:00.005-04:00

My big brother Josh has ended his time in Bagdhad and is now living in Jerusalem! He starts working this week as a security contractor (same job, different country). He told us that he went grocery shopping for the first time in several years this weekend. He has been eating in military base chow halls all this time. Here are a few pictures of his new apartment. I love that you can see a playground from his balcony!

Pulled Pork

2010-04-19T08:47:00.001-04:00

Well after spending two days preparing this aforementioned pulled pork, it turned out well! The seasoning had a little bit of a kick to it. The pork was tender. I can't say that it was worth two days worth of effort, but at least we were able to eat something different, could share it with friends (Dan and Erica came over for dinner), and now DJ will have something to make sandwiches out of while he's in the fields. :) I would recommend the recipe, but be prepared for some time committment and definitely serve it with barbeque sauce!

Trying out a new recipe...

2010-04-16T16:10:00.002-04:00

I'm in the mood to cook. After being on vacation, and essentially not really cooking for the past 10 months or so :), I am going to try to make pulled pork this weekend. Wish me luck! I've always wanted to try to make this so we'll see how things go. Here's the recipe that I'm going to follow:

Ingredients
1 whole boston butt (4-7 lbs.)

Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin1 tbsp garlic powder1 tbsp onion powder1 tbsp chili powder1 tbsp cayenne pepper1 tbsp salt1 tbsp ground pepper1 tbsp paprika1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt1/2 cup brown sugar2 qts cold water2 bay leaves3 tbsp dry rub mix
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

Wish me luck! I'll update on Monday. :)

Firsts

2010-04-07T15:15:00.009-04:00

This year has been so amazing. Jack will be 10 months old next week and I can hardly believe it! It has been so much fun introducing him to the world. Every week we get to do something fun together that is BRAND NEW to Jack. Last week we went on our annual first visit to the hot dog stand with Aunt Dawn, Clark, Kelsey and Pixie Sue. So fun! Jack LOVED the hot dogs (another first) but I don't think his stomach liked them later that night. P.U.!!! :)

On Good Friday Jack and I went to the zoo with our friends Vienne and Kelly. We had so much fun! Jack's favorite were the KOI and the monkeys! It was a gorgeous, summer-like day - a great way to start off the spring season. Here's some pics...

Happy Easter!

2010-03-22T11:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

We went and had our Easter/9 Month pictures taken with our cousin Carter on Saturday. They turned out so cute! DJ says that the bunny suit is "not cool" but I think it's adorable. I think it's my right as Jack's mom to dress him up in cute little outfits until he's too old to know better. :)

9 Months Old!

2010-03-16T13:38:00.002-04:00

Carter

2010-02-23T18:13:00.003-05:00

Reading Heidi's blog reminded me to post about a BIG event in the Reed family. Carter James Reed is here! He was born on February 18 and weighed 8 lbs 2 oz. He was 20 inches long. (Really close to Jackson's 8 lbs 4 oz, and 21 inches!) Another bruiser. I am so excited that Jackson already has a little playmate on DJ's side of the family. I smell trouble :) ....

8 Months Old

2010-02-12T11:05:00.011-05:00

Jackson, I cannot believe that you are 3/4 of your way to 1 year old already! It's crazy how time flies. I love you soooooooo much. xoxo, mom

2010-02-06T17:04:00.001-05:00

Today I went and had a pedicure with Sara and Heidi. Sara is 39 weeks preggo and according to her doctors, she might be having little Carter this week! So we decided to make sure she had pretty toes for the hospital. :) Here's a picture of having my pedicure with Jack on my lap. His first pedi! Not sure how Dad would feel about Jackson getting his "toes did" but it was fun. He kept staring at the lady who was giving me the pedicure and at the bubbles in the water. Too funny. Can't wait for baby Carter to get here!!!

7 Months

2010-02-03T16:00:00.013-05:00

Jackson will be 8 months old next week so these will be outdated soon, but I had to get them out here!

Ski Trip

2010-02-03T15:57:00.006-05:00

I have been unable to transfer pictures from my camera to my computer for quite a while. Now that I can, here are some pics of the ski trip with took with Jonny's fifth grade class.

Josh's Birthday

2010-01-28T16:20:00.003-05:00

Today my brother-in-law Josh would have turned 16 if his life hadn't been cut short in an accident on September 2nd. Today I'm especially sad because his birthday makes me think about the experiences he'll never get to have - driving, dating, having freedom and fun without the responsibility of adulthood, going to college, getting married, having kids. It's just such a terrible thing that he didn't get to do all of this and more. I know today will be especially difficult for my in-laws so I'm praying for their strength. I wish he was here to blow out his birthday candles.