2 years later

It was almost exactly 2 years ago that I sat down and wrote a letter to my unborn baby girl. Little did I know she would arrive the very next day. I was so nervous and excited awaiting her arrival. Of course, the last 2 years has been nothing but bliss with my treasure girl. ;) She is turning 2 tomorrow. Sometimes it seems like I've had her forever and my time as a career girl was in a different life. Other days, it feels like she just arrived and I still have no idea what I'm doing (Okay, so I feel this way a lot more often). But whatever it is, the last 2 years has been an adventure to say the least.

To my sweet Sara,

I love the way you smile and laugh.
I love that you wish everything were pink or yellow.
I love the way you say 'dangerous' and 'princess'.
I love that you repeat everything I say and that you are learning new words every day.
I love that you were patient with me when you had colic and ear infections, and then RSV and didn't sleep through the night until you were 15 months old.
I love that you reminded me with your sweet screaming cry that you were hungry, or tired, or hot, or cold. And that you wouldn't sleep unless I was holding you for the first 6 weeks of your life.
I love that you prefer to throw your food on the floor instead of putting it in your mouth or think the vacuum is a toy when I seem to be 'playing' with it daily.
I love that you ask me for hugs and kisses and say you "love Momma little" even though I know you mean BIG.
I love that you want to do everything by yourself even if it makes us late everywhere we go.
I love that you like candy and say "treat" to me with the most innocent expression at least 10 times a day.
I love that you are friendly, but cautious.
I love the way you like to swing and go on walks and kick the ball.
I love that you remember Target is where you bumped your nose and Wal-Mart is where you get a cookie.
I love that you ask me for gum and then say, "chew" as you swallow it.
I love that you know me by name, by sight, by sound, and by smell.
I love that you want me to love you and be with you forever.
I love being your Mommy and couldn't imagine a life without you in it.
I love that you refer to your Nike's as "high tops" and sandals as "fip fops".
I love that you like to "go go go" run errands with me, go to the gym with me, and ride the carousel with me.
I love that you want to sing songs all day and the way you make your 'diamond in the sky'.
I love everything there is to love about you and even the things that aren't so easy to love because they are you.

Thanks for choosing to be my treasure girl and for never giving up on me just like I'll never give up on you.

"Oh Toodles"

What's for Dinner?

Sometimes I get in to a routine of cooking the same 5 or 6 things over and over again. I put together a list of things I can make in less than 30 minutes with ingredients I usually have or just need 1 or 2 things for. So I am sharing my list with you.

Please feel free to respond with dishes of your own that you regularly fix for your family. Also, one thing that really helped me was to put together what ingredients I would need for each meal. That way, when I'm making my grocery list, I can make sure I get what I need. It has really helped to plan a menu for about 10 days and shop accordingly. I do buy produce or things like milk and bread more often, but that way, I only have 2 major shopping trips a month.

It's definitely cutting back the food expenses and helping me be a little more organized. So, here is the list:

4 Way (Chili, Pasta Noodles, Cheese, and Pineapple)

Baked Ziti

BBQ Chicken

Beans and Rice

Breakfast

Chicken Chili

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Chicken, Rice, Brocolli Casserole

Chili

Cranberry Chicken

Enchiladas

Hawaiian Haystacks

Hearty Salad

Lasagna

Macaroni and Cheese

Meatballs

Nachos

Pizza

Pork Chops

Pot Roast

Shepherd’s Pie

Sloppy Joes

Spaghetti

Steak

Stir Fry

Sweet Pulled Pork

Taco Soup

Tacos