School's Out for Summer

I feel like I need to sing that song (Alice Cooper) when I type that. :)

We finished off our last day at school yesterday!! I'm so thrilled to be done for the summer! This year we have even more time off than before since they have created a mandatory start date (August 27). I'll have more than 2 months off!

We don't have any major plans for the summer other than a vacation next month with 12 other families. This will be our 2nd trip with this group and I know it will be a blast. It reminds me of our neighborhood trips growing up--either camping or to San Antonio for a weekend at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort--which I totally recommend. I love that we have so many friends who share the same values and have kids the same ages as mine. It is such a blessing.

I'll post some pictures soon. Karsyn is walking everywhere and babbling all the time. Landrie loves to pick on her sister. :)

Happy Mother's Day!!

This is my 4th year to celebrate Mother's Day. The first time, I was pregnant with Landrie and Lamar sent me a miniature rose bush at work to commemorate the day. Each year, the excitement has grown and my Mother's Day gets sweeter and sweeter each year. This was the first year that Landrie really understood what was going on.

She and Lamar had surprises in store. Last night, they had a closed door meeting about their plans for today. This morning Lamar jumped up at the first sound Karsyn made and gave her breakfast (a rare treat). Then once Landrie was awake, she came in and told me "Happy Mother's Day" and that I couldn't get out of bed until my surprise was ready.

I heard them working in the kitchen. Lamar told me later, that Landrie made the blueberry muffins mostly by herself. She got out the bowl, the eggs and cracked the egg herself. She was so proud of herself!

After a while, Landrie and Karsyn came in our room with cards for me. The card from the girls had a iTunes gift card--a great surprise. Landrie didn't want to share the credit with Karsyn, but they both scribbled on the card for me.

We had a wonderful breakfast and a very relaxing day. Tonight we had a family dinner at my parents and celebrated 3 generations of mothers--My grandmother, my mom and me. The girls stole the show as usual, but it was really nice to have all of us together for dinner for the first time in a while.

Happy Mothers Day to the mother's reading this!! I hope you had a great day too!

Before I Was A Mom

I received this from Gigi and thought it would be the perfect post for Mother's Day.

Before I was a Mom I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom - I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Another Recipe: Chicken Spaghetti

This is becoming more of a food blog than my mom's. :) A friend gave me this recipe and I added a few things. We've all really enjoyed it this week!

Chicken Spaghetti

• 1 lb thin spagetti, cooked according to directions
• 1 rotisserie chicken torn into bite sized pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• sliced mushrooms (1 lb, I think)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz. velveeta cheese
• 1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 15 oz can chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove minced
• parmesean or cheddar cheese to top

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Sautee garlic, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms in butter until soft.
3. Add velveeta. Stir frequently until melted. Add soups, dressing mix and broth. Stir continuously so cheese won't burn.
4. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti, chicken and veggies.
5. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
6. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly. Top with cheese and then bake for 15 minutes more.

This freezes great and is really easy to double. Enjoy

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

I found another new recipe in the Southern Living magazine. I changed it up a little, but we really enjoyed it.

Shrimp & Rice Casserole

1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 1/2 lb. medium size raw shrimp
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped (I left this out)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of shrimp soup, undiluted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup fine, dry bread crumbs

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients, and saute 10-12 minutes or until tender. Stir in soup, shrimp, salt and pepper; cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. (Do not overcook.)
4. Combine shrimp mixture and rice. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with Swiss cheese and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

A Few Firsts

Karsyn has hit several milestones over the last few days.


On Saturday, she tried her first "peanut-jelly" sandwich (as Landrie likes to call it).


On Sunday, Karsyn ate pancakes with her spoon. She is such a BIG girl!

AND, Monday she walked for the first time all by herself!! I'll post a video later if I can figure it out. After she fell down, she looked up at Lamar and I with the biggest grin! She was very proud of herself. Landrie ran over and hugged her and yelled "I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!" She was just as excited as we were.