for fun

There is a dandelion field across the street. It can be kind of pretty, I guess!

pasta - perfect!

I don't know about you, but I have THE WORST time figuring how much spaghetti to put into the pot. It is ALWAYS way too much or way too little. So. Annoying. I found this
online today, and I TOTALLY WANT IT.


So, that's all. I just wanted to share. :-)

Meal Plan

Ok, so I know I talked about this a few blog posts back...so I figured I'd post a follow up! Here is my meal plan for the upcoming week.

Today - dinner at Jesse and Jodi's - bring a salad
Tuesday - Grilled cheese with Apple* and tomato soup
Wednesday -Lasagna* with spinach salad
Thursday - tacos with small group - we're providing meat, tomatoes, and lettuce
Friday - Rachael Ray's Lime and Honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad
Saturday - burgers on the grill with sweet potato fries
Sunday - Blueberry pancakes*for a late breakfast

Breakfasts will be cereal/oatmeal/yogurt with granola
Lunches will be sandwiches (pb and j or lunchmeat), veggies, yogurt

I'm trying a few recipes from the cookbook "Cook This, Not That" this week - the pictures look delish so hopefully the food will too! I put an asterisk by the recipes that are coming from that book.

My grocery list is made...I'm heading up to Cub this afternoon! I LOVE grocery shopping when I have a plan!

May 9

May 9, 2008. We got The Call, and The Email, with The Picture. It was, of course, what we had been waiting for. I remember scrolling down the 1o page PDF file not caring what anything said because all I wanted to do was see her face. And, there she was.

And the most common question I STILL hear? "So, how do you like being a mom?" My answer? "Its great! She is such an easy kid." And she is easy (usually). And FUN. (usually) We know we are lucky. :-) The picture below is from May 2009.

So on this Mother's Day, I want to shout out to a few people:
...My mom - for showing me how to be a good, godly woman. And for being my friend.
...Aaron's mom - for raising a good kid. :-) And for being a mother-in-law that I enjoy!
...My friends who were moms before me - that I call with questions and who have been supportive. You know who you are - Thank You!
...And to Matea - for making me a mom! (pictures below from last month)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

get away

I just like this picture of Aaron and Matea.
Anyway.
After a month or so of deliberation, we have finally decided on a getaway locale. Good old MINNEAPOLIS. Yep, that's right! We were only wanting to be gone for 4-5 days, and after reviewing airfare, time spent traveling, places we ACTUALLY wanted to visit...nothing really made a lot of sense financially or time wise. So, we're ditching matea at grandma and grandpa's and we're going to spend 4 days downtown!

So far we're hitting up a Twins game, the science museum, IKEA, Nicollet Mall, and an Ethiopian restaurant. And anything else we feel like doing because we really have no schedule! It'll be fun to actually spend a few DAYS downtown instead of a few hours for an event or restaurant or something. And if the weather stinks (like it looks like it might) it doesn't matter...because we didn't spend 700 bucks just to GET there! So its nothing totally crazy, but we're looking forward to it and we're hoping to do a BIG trip for our 10 year anniversary next year (CRAZY!).

If you have any suggestions of things we shouldn't miss while in minneapolis let me know!