Caleb & Coach Daddy

So now that fall has arrived (at least in theory, 'cause it's still over 100 degrees down here!) and soccer has started again!

Caleb & Chris before their first game

And Chris signed up to coach Caleb's team again. It is so great to see the two of them out there on the field together and Chris is really good at coaching! He's great with the kids and does a good job of trying to teach the basics and making sure the kids learn good sportsmanship. 

Caleb is doing better this year...he seems to actually get the point of the game, even though he needs to work on controlling the ball a little bit better. (If he gets the ball he just goes with it as fast as he can, not paying attention to what direction he is going, who is in his way or where the goal is!)

Chris with some of his team, the Blaze

The back of my little number 5

Caleb on the ground after running into a kid on the opposing team.

One bonus of getting involved in sports at this age is that it is pretty fun to watch. The kids are all so cute and they all have so much fun playing "bunch" ball. (Our nickname for soccer since it's just a bunch of kids chasing the ball around!)

Cheesy {Easy} Beer Bread

I love to make bread...but there are days that I just don't have the time to wait for it to rise.  This past week, I really wanted fresh warm bread to serve with dinner so I decided to make a great savory quick beer bread made with cheddar cheese, green onions and some italian spices. It turned out great and my little one even loved it...onions and all!

 Cheesy Beer Bread

• 2 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 2-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
• 1-½ cup Beer (1 bottle)
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 2 green onions diced up

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of a  loaf pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and Italian seasonings. Whisk to combine.

3. Add beer, onions and cheddar cheese. Stir until everything is just moistened. Do not overmix!

4. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool for about 10 minutes, and then remove from pan to either slice and serve warm, or let it finish cooling on a wire rack.

There are so many variations that you could try with this recipe...I was thinking of trying pepperjack cheese & jalapenos for a good spicy bread or maybe Asiago cheese & rosemary. It seems like the options are just about endless!

I hope that you enjoy!

Big shoes to fill

Recently I caught my little monkey walking around the house in his daddy's shoes. All that he could talk about was how big he was getting and how one day he would wear even bigger shoes than daddy.

I agree with him...he IS getting so big! But it's all happening a little too quickly for this mommy. Do you think it's wrong for me to wish that it would all just slow down? I wish my little monkey would stay little forever!

Why can't our little ones just stay sweet and small like this forever?

Missing Fall

One of the things that I miss the most living in Arizona is the change of seasons. My most favorite season of all has always been fall. I love the changing of the color of the leaves, the crisp mornings and the smells of fall! Don’t get me wrong, I love living down here, but it’s so hard when it is still 100 degrees in September and when I have to make Halloween costume decisions based on how hot it will be to wear around in October. I want to go to a football game outside and have to use a blanket to keep warm while drinking some hot cider!

So to all of my friends and family up the Pacific Northwest enjoy the changing of the leaves, take in and appreciate the beautiful colors and crisp cold, clean air…and, jump in a pile of leaves for me!

Story Time

Last weekend I could hear my little one "reading" one of his books. Following the voice I found Caleb reading to our boxer Roxy.

It was one of the cutest things that I have ever seen him do! But I don't think that Roxy knew what to think of it...

Caleb was so intent on reading that he didn't even notice me taking photos.

He managed to get through two of his favorite books before...

He completed what he set out to do...He managed to put Roxy right to sleep!

Have a great weekend!

Rockin' the Backwards Mouse Ears

Last week they had crazy hat day at Caleb's school and he was so excited and made the decision to wear his Mickey Mouse ears two days before crazy hat day. I was pretty stoked that he chose that one because he looks so stinkin' cute in his ears. So the morning of crazy hat day comes and he puts on his hat, looking like the adorableness that I knew he would.

But, with one change to his attitude that I did not count on...

And that was a sudden attitude change about photos. All of a sudden my little one has decided that he most definitely DOES NOT want to have his picture taken. This is a huge departure from my normally camera happy baby boy...yes, the child that begs to have his photo taken has become (practically overnight) very camera shy. So on this day...a day meant for mommy to be taking photos, this was the best that I was able to get of him. No smile & hat on backwards.

But to this mommy...he's still pretty cute, backwards ears, no smiles and all.

And boy he manages to work the backwards hat pretty well, doesn't he?

"Boy Themed" Please!

Remember how I told you that I won a dozen cookies from Fresh Cut Flours? Well, I received them last week and here they are!

Terri, the owner, asked me if I had any type of theme that I wanted for the cookies and since I didn't have any special events coming up I just asked her for a "boy themed" bunch of cookies. And boy, did she manage to exceed my expectations! I got two types of dinosaurs, airplanes, a baseball & mitt, and firetrucks. They all turned out great...but my favorite ones were the dinosaurs. But my son on the other hand was so very excited to see the firetruck cookies!

And he savored every bite of his firetruck cookie!

So if you are looking for a special gift for someone or if you need a one of kind treat for a special occasion check out Fresh Cut Flours!

Have a great weekend!

What I Found at Costco

Look at what I managed to bring home from Costco last week. Pretty cute, isn't it? I'm sorry to say that if you look for one, you won't find one since it was the last one!

Choosing Happiness

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  ~ Thornton Wilder

Lately I have been having a hard time seeing the good through the bad, but it’s time for a new attitude and viewpoint. The current stresses in my life are not big, they are not even that important…just a little normal everyday strife and pressure to give into others and their drama. But after dealing with it for a few weeks, I quickly came to the realization that it is just not me, it’s not who I am to let things get to me so much. This time of self-reflection also led me to really start thinking about my life and how lucky I am to have what I have.

Not that I haven’t had some tough times over the past 10 years…I have been through my mother having cancer and major surgery twice and my subsequent loss of a relationship with her, almost losing my husband to illness, having a child with a birth defect and all that goes along with that, almost losing my marriage and finally the death of my dear grandmother on my birthday last year.

Needless to say things have been hard. But, we all deal with difficult times in our lives, I am not alone in this...and that doesn’t mean that that I need to wallow in self-pity or feel angry at the world.

I choose to instead look at the great times that I have had over the years, the amazing memories that I have been gifted and all the good that I currently have in my life--I choose happiness!

• I have been lucky enough to find my soul mate in my husband.  Our love was almost instant…we were inseparable from the first date, became best friends and have been together for 13 years and married for more than 10 years. We have had our troubles in marriage, but somehow we have always managed to make it through them, with a stronger and better relationship than ever. I love my husband and what he brings to our relationship...he is my rock!

• I have been graced with an amazing child! My little one is almost 4 years old and the biggest highlight to my day each and every day. He makes me smile, he warms my heart and gives me strength that I never knew I had. I thank god each and every day for allowing me to be a mother and have this gift as my child.

• I am fortunate enough to be friends with some of the most amazing people. I grew up in a small town and made lifelong friendships with people that I have known since preschool…there are not many people that I meet that have that. My best friend from high school (Suzie) is still one of my closest friends. Time and distance has only made us better friends...we have the type of friendship that can go for long periods of time without communication, only to pick up where we left off with no drama or hard feelings. I love her! I have also made amazing friends as an adult...through work (Samantha, Chelsea, Melody, MaryAnn, etc.) , school (April, Cheryl, etc.) and random encounters (swim instructor & walking partner Jaimee). And I am working on cultivating new friendships today (Melissa & Sarah)...I am incredibly blessed by the quality of people in my life and I appreciate all that they bring to my existence. I love you guys!

• I also have a great job that I love, a home that I love, my kitties and my sweet boxer Roxy and I live somewhere that it is sunny almost every day.

So drama and negative thinking won’t get me down…I instead will make the choice to be happy and realize that my life is full of amazing, wonderful things!

Today, I challenge everyone to that is feeling a little downhearted with the state of his or her life (or if you just need a little pick-me-up) to make a list of what you have and you will be pleasantly surprised with how many great things you have in your life.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a wonderful rest of the week and take the time to choose to be happy! No one else can do it for you!

Pumpkin Spice Latte!!!

Yay! Even though it is still over 100 degrees here everyday, in my book fall has arrived! The Pumpkin Spice Latte is back and all is well with the world!

In my little flavor world, if there was one thing that could express all that is Halloween and Thanksgiving in a cup it would be this drink...yummy! But the arrival of the pumpkin spice latte also means that the eggnog latte will be here soon and that, that folks is something to write home about!

Happy Labor Day!

The Story of Danny & Annie

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Sometimes we need a reminder of what love is, and what it should be. The video above is a true story produced by StoryCorps, a nonprofit that goes around the country recording the stories of anyone who wants to talk. This is the story of Danny and Annie and their 27 year love story. It includes how they met, how Danny proposed, how he writes daily love-letters to Annie and eventually how he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is beautiful, humorous and might just make you cry.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Peaches, Nectarines & Plums...OH MY!

I love stone fruit. I mean seriously...I. LOVE. ALL. STONE. FRUIT! Peaches, nectarines, plums...they are all so yummy! I just can't wait for the end of summer every year so that I can get my hands on some of these delicious babies...

...And then I will eat them, bake with them, maybe make some jam with them, freeze them. And smell them. Oh the wonderful smell of them. I am sure that a post will be up soon with a recipe for something yummy that I made with some peaches. Maybe a cobbler or a pie, 'cause man, that just sounds delish!

(Sorry for this weird post, I have been eating peaches all week and I can't seem to get enough of them! It's almost like they are crack or something...I'm a weirdo, I know it and I accept it!!)

Couch to 5K

I started my training yesterday and I am using a training method that you can find all over the internet, it's called Couch to 5K. There are many different sites that show the workout and training plan, but this is the one that I am using. If you have an iPhone there is even an app for it!

I also joined the website Daily Mile to use for tracking my workouts and keep in touch with others doing the same. I think that it is really great for getting encouragement from others trying to get in or keep in shape.

So, if everything works out right, in 12 weeks (or less) I should be able to run 30 minutes straight, with no walking, and run at least 3 miles in that time...I hope to be able to do it!

And hopefully in 12 weeks I can finish a 5k and you can sure as heck bet that I will be as happy as this girl when I complete my goal!