20 Questions {Marriage}

Since Valentine's Day is less than a week away, I wanted to do a Q&A about marriage.

One of my favorite photos of us. September 2002

1. How long have you been married?

8 years since June 2002

2. How long have you been together?

9 years since October 2001

3. Where did you go on your first date?

Cheesecake Factory

4. Where did you go on your latest date?

Does Chipotle with the kids count as a date?

5. What's your anniversary date?

June 29, 2002

6. Where were you married?

First Baptist Church, Celeste, Texas

7. What was your best/favorite wedding gift and from whom?

Dishes from Mark's parents and my parents, and bedding from my aunt. This is random--a beautiful wooden salad bowl from Pottery Barn from my friend, Kimbree.  It gets a ton of compliments anytime I take it anywhere.

8. Where did you honeymoon?

New York City

9. What food do you like now because of your spouse?

Pastrami on rye

10. What type of music do you like now because of your spouse?

We like a lot of the same music, but I have a new appreciation for the Foo Fighters now.

11. What movie or television program do you like now because of your spouse?

Movie: Coming To America
TV show: Seinfeld

12. Favorite PG rated thing you like doing together?

Working together.

13. Last gift you bought your spouse?

Flat screen TV 

14. Last gift your spouse bought you?

Hudson Jeans. I wrote about them here.

15. Favorite things about your spouse?

He's a Christian with a strong faith, and he's knowledgeable about the Bible.
He's smart and has a great memory. He has a double major in math and history.  I was lucky to get out of college with one degree, ha!
He has a great sense of humor.  He's funny and witty. 
He's supportive. 
He's a devoted father and makes our family a priority above all else.

16. Something you disagree about:

He's a night owl and I'm a morning person.

17. Book that you both like:

The Old Man and the Sea
The Grapes of Wrath
The Bible

18. Best shared experience?

I can't name just one. It's the big things--the birth of our kids and the little things--birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, memories we've made traveling. We're always making new memories so it's hard to choose.

19. One thing you want to do together in the future?

Retire and travel!


20.  What makes a marriage last?
Some of the best advice I was ever given concerning marriage was to never take each other for granted. Sometimes when I do something that drives Mark crazy or vice versa we remind each other that at least we have each other and we're not alone. It's a good reminder that I'm blessed to have someone who loves me, imperfections and all.

In college, I interned with a social worker, Sara, and she and her husband were such a good example of a healthy marriage. She said that they were best friends and enjoyed spending time with each other more than anyone else. It gave me the confidence to know that it was okay to want to be with my husband more than anyone else in the world.

Also, we believe that marriage is forever. That takes work and commitment, but we know we're in it for the long haul so there's no other option for us. Mark's parents and my grandparents have given us examples of marriages that have withstood the test of time. We are grateful for that blessing.

I wanted to include some Bible verses about love and marriage. You're probably thinking here she goes with 1 Corinthians 13, but that's not what came to mind first.

This is what I thought of,
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Super Bowl XLV Sort Of...

Well, we didn't exactly attend Super Bowl XLV, but we were in Arlington, Texas on Sunday.  Some of our good friends, Shelly and Durwood, live there and we attended a fifth birthday party for their little boy Dade.  Dade is big buddies with Will and Ben.  He's about nine months older than Will.  I can't believe Dade is five!  I remember the day he was born and going to see him at the hospital five years ago.  It feels like it was yesterday.  If the next five years go by this fast, then our little boys will be nine and ten before we know it.  Tear!

I digress. 

We were unsure all week if we would be able to make it to the party.  Ben was still a little off from his stomach virus earlier in the week.  Also, the weather and road conditions were a big issue.  Luckily Ben is back to normal and the weather was sunny with a high in the 50s on Sunday.  It was so nice to get out of the house and see people after we'd been cooped up in the house all week.

Ben is wearing Dade's new Texas Longhorn football helmet.  I told everyone that it was against Ben's DNA to wear it since his mommy is an Aggie.

Will kept asking for another piece of cake.  He had two pieces and I had to cut him off or he would have had three or ten!  Will's been looking forward to the birthday party since we received the invitation in the mail.  He loves a birthday party and cake! 

A typical family photo. Both of the boys are squirmy :)

Thanks for trying Shelly!

(I borrowed the three photos above from Shelly's facebook page.) 

In honor of the Super Bowl, here are a couple of photos of Cowboys Stadium.

Mark and I in the Cowboys Stadium end zone in May 2010.  We had taken a group of my seventh grade Texas History students on a stadium tour.  To say that the stadium is awesome doesn't quite capture how you feel when you see it in person. 

Mark and I in the Cowboys locker room in front of Tony Romo and Jason Witten's lockers.

My husabnd is a true Cowboys fan.  He was like a kid in a candy store.

Happy Monday!

Old Family Photos

There aren't many things that can make me more sentimental or nostalgic than seeing old family photos.  Since we had four unexpected days off from work this week, and we couldn't go anywhere because of the snow and ice, we scanned and saved a few old family photos.  There are so many more that need to be scanned, hundreds more.   It's a tedious task, but the end result has been well worth it.  Our goal is to scan all of the photos and give all of our family members a digital copy.  I will return the originals to the families once we are finished.  My grandparents had several brothers and sisters and we have so many priceless photos of extended family as well as countless photos of our immediate family. 

I shared the photos below and several more on facebook this week and the comments I received were overwhelming.  Each comment was so special, and I cried after reading many of them.  It encouraged me to work hard to finish this project.  Actually, Mark is doing most of the hard work scanning the photos.  I'm keeping the boys preoccupied so they don't harm the photos. 

Due to some family issues that I will not go in to, I have not had contact with some of my family members in the last year.  Seeing these old photos reminded me of the good times and made me thankful for the loving extended family that I was blessed to be a part of growing up.

This is a photo of my grandparents' four sons

My grandparents, July 1940

This would be just before they were married in September 1940.

I wrote about their 70th anniversary here. 

My grandparents 

My grandpa (on right) with some farming equipment in the background.

My grandma as a young girl.  She has two sisters and a brother.  Their father died of influenza when she was just nine years old.  This photo couldn't have been more than a few years after that.  She wrote near the photo that she was sitting on the fencepost on the honeysuckles at the old stucco house they lived in.  That old house isn't far from where I live today. 

My handsome grandpa, Papa Ralph 

My beautiful grandma, Mama Winnie

My grandma's brother, Joe (on left), and my grandpa, Ralph (on right) 

I believe they were attending my grandma's senior prom.

They look so handsome.  Joe's children told me they had never seen this photo of their father.  That gave me goosebumps.

My grandma, Mama Winnie 

I'll be sharing my family photos at Sentimental Sunday with Cha Cha at Sit Relax and Read.  I'm so thankful for Cha Cha and Sentimental Sundays.  She gets it and gets me!  I participate in several link ups from time to time, but this is the place where I feel like myself.  She's given me a place to share the things that I hold dear.  Cha Cha, thank you for giving me a place to feel at home.

Mom, What's For Dinner?

In parenthood it seems like once you master one phase, it's time to move on to the next challenge.  One of the biggest challenges that mothers face is what to feed their children.  I remember when Will was about five months old I realized that it was time to introduce solid foods.  I couldn't believe that he was old enough to eat solids.  We'd fallen into an easy routine with breastfeeding (well, it was easy once we both got the hang of it) and now it was time to disrupt our routine to start solids.  I started with rice cereal mixed with breast milk and progressed to cereal mixed with veggies or fruit.  I remember feeling so nervous about what I should feed Will, how much I should feed him and when I should feed him.  It was the same feelings I had when he was a newborn.  I guess it's the fear of the unknown and the pressure to want to do everything just right, especially when it comes to your children.  To help ease my anxiety I found this book very helpful, Your Baby's First Year by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  It included a menu for the different phases of the first year.  I looked at various articles on Babycenter for advice and information, and I bought First Meals by Annabel Karmel.  I made some of my own baby food for Will and Ben, but I mostly used what was available at Wal-Mart, Super Target or Babies R Us.  I chose to feed the boys organic baby food even though it was more money.  I don't judge if others don't do that, but it was a personal decision that I felt good about. 

The next challenge came when my boys were past the baby food phase.  It was definitely easier on my wallet but harder in terms of being creative and coming up with healthy and tasty things for them to eat.

My boys are 20 months and 4 years old.

Here's what my boys typically eat.

Breakfast:

Dry cereal, Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats

Yogurt,  We eat a lot of yogurt! 

YoBaby yogurt is awesome, my toddler loves the yogurt squeezers and we also really like Chiobani Greek yogurt
Toast with jelly, whole wheat bread
Eggo Waffles

Cinnamon Rolls
Donuts
Bagels
Poptarts

Cereal Bars
Eggs and bacon

Fruit, we go through a lot of bananas and apples. I recommend investing in one of these gadgets.

Lunch:

Pasta: Whole Wheat or Barilla Plus Pasta with marinara sauce or with butter
Ravioli
Whole Wheat Tortillas

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Cheese quesadillas

Lunch meat

Chicken Nuggets
Mac 'n cheese

Spaghetti
Brown Rice
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Fries

Veggies and Fruit
Cheese sticks

Dinner:

Whatever I cook.  Usually it includes some type of meat, tacos, meatloaf, roast, pork chops or pork tenderloin or chicken used in casseroles, marinaded or grilled.  We also like fish, tilapia (breaded or fillets cooked in a little butter with lemon pepper) and salmon patties.
If you are a working mommy, get to know your crockpot.  It's my best chance at a home cooked meal during the busy work week.
Sometimes we grab burgers or pizza

Veggies and Fruit

Snacks:
Goldfish crackers, we eat our weight in these
Annie's Cheddar Bunnies are a favorite as well
Cheese sticks
Fruit
Ice Cream or Sherbet, we think Blue Bell is the best :)
Raisins and other dried fruit

If your kiddos don't like veggies or fruits, I'd have to cheer you on and say don't give up. Keep trying! I've found that my little guys will eat steamed veggies better if I sprinkle just a little sea salt on them for flavor.  I buy frozen vegetables because they have very little sodium, if any at all.  You can find frozen organic vegetables at Whole Foods.  I forgot to mention that I also own, Deceptively Delicious.  I must admit that I don't refer to it as much as I should. 

* I feel as if I need do to a little disclaimer.  Sometimes I let my little ones eat cookies for breakfast or muffins for lunch.  I've also been known to let them have pickles and chips for dinner.  I do make an effort on most days for most meals to serve them something nutritious.

Going out to eat--Best Kids Meals:

Chipotle, my boys love the chicken quesadilla meal with a side of rice, black beans and a small bag of chips and an organic chocolate milk.

Panera Bread, my little guys love the bread that the turkey sandwich comes on and it includes an organic yogurt squeezer.

McAlister's Deli and Jason's Deli, each has a pretty good kids meal.

Pei Wei, my boys love rice and the honey seared chicken.

Chick-fil-A, what kid doesn't love Chick-fil-A and I love the fruit instead of fries option.

Sonic, Dairy Queen and McDonald's, I can not rave about the health benefits, but my boys love it.



Ben snacking on a cracker while I get his food ready.

Ben
August 2010

Ben eating some spaghetti and peas and carrots.

Ben
August 2010



Just keeping it real!  Will enjoying an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen.

Will
May 2010

I remember this photo.  Will was potty training and a trip to the donut shop was a big reward.  He loves a chocolate donut with sprinkles!

Will
May 2009



 There's a lot going on here. Some veggies, a whole wheat tortilla, maybe some other bread and a side of sour cream.

Will
August 2008



 Will eating some spaghetti.  Can you eat spaghetti and not make a mess?  Clearly we can't :)

Will
August 2008

 Will eating some home made baby food.  It was summer break and I was feeling ambitious so I made baby food.  I think I pureed some zucchini.

Will
June 2007


Best of luck getting your little ones to eat a healthy, well-balanced meal!

I'll be sharing my meal ideas at Kelly's Korner.

Show Us Your Life--What Do You Feed Your Kids???





Flashback Friday: February 2007

I started Flashback Fridayto remember special pre-blog memories.  Here's Will in February 2007.  He was three months old and off the charts when it came to weight and size.  He was the cutest, sweetest, fattest baby ever.  I couldn't get enough of that little round face and chubby cheeks.  Check out the fat rolls on his little wrists and that little belly!  He was my little roly poly :)

On a note to remember the present: This is our fourth consecutive snow day!  In my ten years of teaching, I never remember having four snow days in a row. In fact, as a student in a small town not far from where I live now, I don't ever remember this many snow days.  We're bundled up and staying warm,  I hope you are too!

Even The Pillow Pets Are Sick

When the Pillow Pets are sick, you know you've had enough of the stomach virus for the year.  Will informed us that the Pillow Pets were sick and he had them with their heads over the pink hospital tubs that I keep around for times like this.

Ben has/had a stomach virus (he's acting more like himself this morning), which I thought might be the flu.  After sending out an all-call message on facebook for my mommy friends to tell me about flu symptoms in little ones, I don't think it is.  On Tuesday evening Ben threw up several times or as Will says, "spit up" and he felt terrible all day Wednesday.  He had a fever and was very lethargic.  Poor little guy! Yesterday we spent a lot of time on the couch cuddling.  Mark and I have taken turns holding him. 

We ended 2010 and started 2011 with a stomach virus.  I wrote about it here.  On top of the stomach virus, we're having crazy cold weather in Texas.  It's been below freezing and in the single digits.  Very abnormal for us!  We cancelled school Tuesday, Wednesday and today due to the icy conditions.  I hate that Ben's been sick, but at least I'm able to be at home to comfort him.  Will's been a great big brother during it all and thankfully no one else in the family has had any symptoms or felt bad, except the Pillow Pets.

Here's Will taking care of the sick Pillow Pets.



Despite the sickness, I'm thankful for things like a warm house on a cold day.  Keep those who are suffering from the relentless blizzard in your thoughts and prayers.  I know several of my friends here in Texas have had power outages from rolling blackouts and it's much worse in other parts of the country.

Shelf Help

I found this crown molding shelf a few weeks ago when Angela and I went to a flea market.  Are you sick of me talking about our flea market fun?  This should be the last post for a while. 

This shelf was on top of a pile of other junk items, and it was priced $3.50.  I bought it for $3. 

I'm not much of a DIYer.  Really, I'm not!   It was a big deal for me to even take on a simple project like this.  It's okay to laugh if you want to, I'm not offended ;)   Even with minimal DIY skills I thought I could give this little shelf a new life with some sandpaper and white spray paint. 

I have to say I'm pretty happy with myself and my shelf.

It's found a new home in my bedroom in a spot that I've always had a hard time deciding how to decorate. 

BEFORE
Here's the shelf in all of its green glory!

 I removed the scalloped accent board at the bottom. 
I used sandpaper to remove as much green paint as I could.
I spray painted the shelf white with Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2x spray paint from Home Depot.

AFTER

 

Sharing my little shelf project at a couple of my favorite blogs,