Hot Springs and Fun.

What's better than taking the kids swimming or a hot bath? Taking the kids to the Hot springs where they can play and you enjoy the nice bathlike water. We took the boys to Steamboat's Old Town Hot Springs yesterday and had a blast, there were several pools with varing temperatures so I got to hang out in the 93 degree one, swim in the 80 degree lap pool and my hubby took some time to hop in the Jacuzzi like hot one. We swam for 2.5 hours in the morning took a short break to see the town and eat lunch then went back for another 2 hours. Of course I forgot my camera so I don't have any pics of the boys splashing it up...Jacob especially loved playing on the numerous steps they had there. But to console your broken heart I'm posting other fun pictures of the time we have had around the house...not the same I know...but bear with us anyway.

Chicken Lo Mein

I love chinese food. I often crave it. Imagine my dissapointment when I got married and found out my husband gets sick whenever we eat it from a restaurant. Naturally rather than live without my ultimate comfort food I've been looking for good recipes that I can make to get my chinese fix and still have a husband in good health come the end of the day. Here is a recent find from allrecipes.com for Chicken Lo Mein with some modifications I made It was really good for homemade chinese and I'm definitly adding it to my recipe box. I also have some Sweet and Sour Chicken and Orange Chicken recipes we like if anyone wants them.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup hot water
6 ounces uncooked linguine
2-3 cups frozen stirfry veggies
1.5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat veggies in 1 olive oil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet. Drain linguine. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through. Enjoy!

Pay It Forward

Pay it forward...The rules
1. Be one of the first THREE (3) bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, only I know.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay IT Forward, creating a handmade gift- anything! for the first THREE (3) bloggers who leave a comment on their post about the giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make and/ or ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: it's the spirit and the thought that counts!
4. When you receive your gift, feel free to post about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER...Pay It Forward!Let's help make this a wonderful world to live in and show our friends how much we care for them :)

We have the eyes..

I was at Wally-world the other day checking out, for some reason the Walmart here always has more cashiers then customers leaving so of course one of the extra workers comes over and sees Jacob...the natural result was a comment and how cute he is "and look at those eyes" added on. Our cashier automatically responds with "this one has eyes too" and then I am asked where we got such gorgeous eyes. The obvious response is my husband, after all it was his eyes that I first noticed about him.
The funny thing is this experience is so typical of any outing we take that I am used to the gawking and the comments. When my mom takes the boys anywhere its the same thing...I just have to worry, is it a sinful pride that makes me know without a doubt that my kids are the best looking around. I mean I know every mom thinks her kids are the cutest, but mine actually are; strangers tell me every day and I can't argue with them.

Why we love our 1 year old

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Jacob is a character in and of himself and is always making us laugh. Here are some of his tradmarks that are our favorites...

1) He is obsessed with shoes: He is constantly putting random objects in our shoes or carrying them around with him...When its time to go somewhere he is the first to grab his shoes.

2) He is a lover and a fighter: Yesterday we experienced a bit of both when he bit his brother on the leg during a morning spat and tried to take Teancum's by the hand for a late night dance when he saw mom and dad dancing in the kitchen.

3)He's independent: He will only eat if he feeds himself, is insisting on walking places without holding hands, and will wander around the house entertaining himself and hiding behind closed doors.

4) He doesn't take no for an answer...especially when it comes to candy.

5) He's conservative: When playing in the bathroom he tears off the tiniest bits of TP to throw in the toilet...knowing we can't get too mad when it takes ten minutes to use one square.

6)He's an athlete: He will run to get a ball and bat at the mention of baseball.

7) His smile and His eyes...there's a million combinations and we love each one.

Why I love my 3 year old...

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

There is no denying that Teancum is a cutie and a sweetheart, aside from the fact that he is my firstborn here are some things about him that I especially LOVE!
1. He loves to cuddle with me when he watches his movies
2. He will randomly come up to me and start tickling my tummy saying "I tickle the baby, she likes it."
3. He loves to tickle Jacob and play with him while I get dinner ready
4. On the way home from Colorado Springs I got pulled over for speeding. Teancum wanted to know what the policeman was doing and I explained that I was going to fast and it wasn't safe so the policeman was writing Mom a ticket and I would have to pay money to help me remember to drive slower...his response, "The policeman give you ticket and keep us safe, THAT REALLY NICE." For the next ten minutes he kept talking about how nice the policeman was...kept everything in perspective for me
5. He is very Humble. Whenever you ask how come he is so smart, cute, strong, or who taught him something his response is always..."Jesus."
6. He knows that Jesus sent him to our family and that Jesus loves him, and he will tell us whenever the subject comes up.
7. He has a silly boy sense of humor...example: while visiting family he randomly went in Uncle Michael's room saying "Michael, Michael, Michael..." until he was sure he had his uncle's attention. He then makes a fake stinker and runs out of the room...such a boy
8. When he wakes up from a nap he will come out of his room quietly, sneak up on me and yell BOO!
9.Persistant- he will ask me things over and over, and even though it's sometimes annoying it often gets me to stop and take time to play a game, read a book, and enjoy the day.
10. Teancum is very concerned with my feelings. If I get emotional while talking to Ryan, he tells Dad that he made mom sad and needs to say sorry or go to time out. If I'm emotional (happening often this pregnancy) for no reason he will hug me or try and say silly things until I declare that I am happy.
I LOVE YOU TEANCUM!

Colorado Springs Trip

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We had so much fun visiting my parents this last week. It started with a great drive up (the boys slept for more than half the drive), then dinner at my sister's in-laws and long time friends of the family: Navajo Taco's and fresh fruit...delicious. I was able to see my sister Holly and her family for a whole day before they had to leave and took advantage of it. My nephew Ashton was hilarious and tried to stay as close to Jacob as possible for a lot of the trip. It was so adorable to see them chatting it up during lunchtime...wish I knew what was said. My mom and I took Ashton and my boys to Mr. Biggs and had a blast till it was time to go. Then after naps it was off to the mall where the boys played on the little play area there. After an early goodbye the next morning it was off to the dentist for me.

Normally I'm completely fine with dentists and even enjoyed going to a not so great dentist while I was growing up, but this experience was not for me. After informing the staff I was pregnant and I didn't want x-rays I was coerced into taking two of some trouble areas with a double layer of lead vests...Then what started as a needful crown replacement and three possible fillings turned into five fillings and the crown when they found out that I would be leaving on Thursday and may not be coming back to their office...oh and more x-rays which when I said I was not comfortable with getting more x-rays I was made to feel like a silly child, after all the staff had all had babies and the technician and dentist both felt it was fine to me get more x-rays and the besides the technician this was a quick x-ray machine which minimized exposure and if I really felt hesitant to get more x-rays after already having some the Dentist could come back in and give me another guilt trip about taking care of my teeth so that there would be no trips to the emergency room once we returned to Criag....blah blah blah...I am never going back to this office again and I definitly did not go back to get the rest of the five fillings or the crown done there.

On a better Note the boys had fun with my mom playing ring-around-the rosie, Mouse Trap, and seeing my Abuelito whom I missed seeing because my appointment ended up being three hours long.

The rest of the trip was fun for me. I took the boys to eat lunch with my Dad at Garden of the Gods (really cool red rock formation park), got my haircut (see earlier post), helped decorate for Jolena's open house, did lot's of stampin' and scrappin', hung out with Jolena and her new husband Bill...who is just so cool, went for icecream with my girl cousins and Rosita (new step grandmother), did more craft stuff, went shopping with my mom (another highlight), and relaxed. And to think I get to visit again the first week of May. YAY!

The boys had fun swimming with my parents and going to parks, the library, and playing games in general but were definitly ready to come home and see Dad after two weeks. I have to admit with all the fun it is nice to be back at home and with my husband, even if he has to work this weekend. Hopefully he can make a trip with us sometime soon.

Changes

With all the change we have had the last few months (moving, Teancum starting Sunbeams, Jacob walking, expecting another baby ect.) I decided it was time for one more major change...My hair. So while I was visiting my parents this last week I headed to Toni and Guy (thanks mom for splitting the cost so I could get a really good haircut).

Not the best picture...but it shows how long my hair was before my haircut

When I got to the solon I still had no idea what I wanted other than getting my length chopped off. Kenny (my stylist) was excited right of the bat and sold me on cuting my hair short and layered. His excitement was definitly contagious and he did a wonderful job with both the cut and the style. The funnest 2 hour haircut I have had for sure. I do wish I had gotten a picture of the way Kenny styled it, as I can't quite replicate it. This is my favorite way to do my hair.



Things I love about my new hair:


1. It takes me half an hour to get ready in the morning...This includes shower, get dressed, dry hair, fix hair, do makeup...the works.



2. I love playing with my hair and feeling how short it is in the back.



3. It never gets tangled...the end of snarls



4. I can flip it out for a flirty do, or curl it under for a more reserved look... Kenny said I could do

it curly too and it would look cute, but I havn't tried it yet.


5. It doesnt' take too much to revive my hairdo after sleeping on it


6. It looks decent if I let it dry by itself


7. It brings out my facial structure



8. I feel cute, a definite plus as my tummy gets bigger.