{Summer Swap 2009}

Angie hosted a Summer Swap and of course I just couldn't help but be apart of it as I had done her Spring Swap too. They are just soooo much fun and I get to meet some really sweet people.

My swap partner was Mandy and guess what I got in the mail today!!!! A package from her and it had the most beautiful crocheted piece in a 12x12 black frame and a lovely turquoise blue vase w/silk flowers and lovely ribbon around it.



By the way Ruth tried to snag both items from me before I could finish blinking. Thank you Mandy, these are perfect for the theme I have in mind for our bedroom.

{Chicken & Rice}

A few days ago I made chicken & rice for dinner w/a nice side salad. Super easy and simple to make. kids love it as does everyone else.



Ingredients:

Chicken tenders
oil (I used grapeseed oil)
1 cup dry rice (I like medium grain rice)
2 cups water
salt & pepper to taste
salad mix
tomatoes
sunflower seeds
dressing (I used poppyseed dressing)

Directions:

For Rice:
Add 2 cups of water to a sauce pan. Add a tsp of butter or grapeseed oil. Bring to a boil then add the 1 cup of dry rice. Cover and reduce heat to simmer/low. Cook for 18-20 min until water has evaporated and rice is fluffy.

While the rice is cooking start work on the chicken:

Take the chicken tenders and salt and pepper each side. Add a small amount of oil to your pan. Once hot add the chicken tenders. Cook for about 7-10 min on each side.

Once the chicken and rice is done plate it up, add a nice side salad or vegi of your choice and your all done.

Takes all of 20-30 min from start to finish.

{Week 7}

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Your baby has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

How exciting...every week I get these updates from one of those parenting sites and figured everyone else might like to see these too (I know you don't really, but hey, it's my blog).

I have been experiencing bouts of morning sickness (really it should be called day sickness because it's comes and goes throughout the day). Today thought has been sickness free and I have just been resting and enjoying my time with hubby and the kids as we help honor him - because it is his day, ya know.

I hope you all are having a great dad's day. Hubby is sure enjoying his.

{Vacation: Days 4 thru 7}

Day 4:

We didn't do much of anything but hang out and lounge about with Don & Sarah. It really was a day of rest and getting our characters ready for our game with Don & Sarah.

Day 5:

We went to Washington Park and hung out with some peeps from high school and our old Waldport Branch. It was soooo much fun seeing Liz, Kandi, Jennifer & Ericka and all their kids and catching up on everyone's lives. We are so going to have to do this again!!!



















































That evening we played our first game of D&D with Don & Sarah (Sarah was the DM). It was fun and we just had a blast!

Day 6:

I took Ruth with me to the Goodwill and we found 3 cute little tea pots and little tea cups AND we found several VHS Disney movies for less then $2 each for Ruth's little TV.

Ruth and I had a blast just roaming around and enjoying our "girl" time.
































I was able to capture some images of Don & Sarah and with Sarah's help got some great images of my 3 little monsters.







































































































Later that night we played more D&D.

Day 7:

We decided to go home. We packed up and while I was getting everything ready for the coolers a small green frog thought my cooler was the perfect place to hang out. I moved him gently to the nearby tree and snapped a few pictures then got back to packing up the car.











The drive back was LOOOOOoooooonnnnnG! The movies were not keeping the kids entertained and getting out of the car to run wasn't working either...they were just tired from the trip and wanted to get home as much as us. I had the most splitting headache when we got home from the constant whine and fighting from the kids...I sooooo need a vacation from my vacation....(haha)

I will say that my best time during the drive home was when we took the kids out for a bit at one of the rest stops and we walked around and ran into a heard of Cows with their calf's. The kids were enthralled as was I. It was a peaceful moment to say the least and so entertaining. Of course I didn't pull my camera out to capture the moment.