Adventures in Pinteresting

So, I have this amazingly yummy looking gluten free chocolate fudge bite recipe I have been wanting to try. I even went and bought a bunch of dates (not the cheapest ingredient) to do it! So today was the day!! I followed the recipe (found here from this awesome blog, Running With Spoons). Let's say today I learned a very valuable lesson. When using dates, make sure they are the ones that have already been pitted. Who knew dates have pits?! Well, I didn't. And I found out the hard and messy and destructive way that they do.




The pits broke through the side of my ninja blender and the mixture found its way all over the counter and floor...

The pits, while they look like nuts, are not edible... Believe me, I tried. They are hard little jerks just waiting for the inexperienced date user to blend or bite into...










I will be trying this again, because what I was able to salvage was very yummy. As for this batch, I will just chew very slowly so that I don't chip a tooth on the super hard pits that are semi-chopped up in this mix.

Most excellent amazing chocolate chip cookies!

It's been a long time coming and many have contributed to it, (and I will make sure I mention everyone) my most favorite cookie recipe ever! 

But first.... as always, you can't just get right to the recipe like you want to! You have to hear a story, so here goes. Growing up I wasn't really allowed in the kitchen much. Most of the time I was kind of in the way. But sometimes I would be able to get in with my big sister or watch mom from afar (or even dad with some things) and learn a thing or two. At one point, I earned cookie duty. My mom let me try making them and I actually did a pretty good job. I even started taking them to school to try and win the heart of the 7th grade hottie. Another story, another day...

When I moved from California to Utah I had never imagined that my world would be rocked and my cookies would fail! My sweet little 18 year old self had no idea that altitude and humidity played any part in cooking and baking! So I failed a few times and finally decided I would never bake those amazing chocolate chip cookies again. (Let's be real, it was the recipe from the back of the Ghiradelli chocolate chip bag)

Then one day we went to a football party and my friend Jen Suman had made the most amazing cookies. I asked her how, and she said she used dark brown sugar instead of golden brown. And I think she used a little more flour too... But what stuck with me was the dark brown sugar... So I experimented. And ended up with a killer cookie! 

Little tricks I have learned have aided me in my baking so much, especially here at the high altitude. Maybe everyone else knows these things, but I am going to share my short little list anyway.

Don't melt the butter unless the recipe calls for melted butter! Take it from the fridge and put it, still wrapped in its paper, in the microwave for 9 or 10 seconds. It should come out perfectly soft and ready to whip! Also, don't use margarine. Butter, always salted butter. 

Cream the butter really well before adding anything to it. Whip it, whip it good! Generally till it has turned a soft creamy color. 

When a recipe calls for brown sugar I always use at least half dark brown and the rest golden brown. And you will want to splurge on the real C&H Brown sugar. If you read the ingredients of the C&H, it is .... brown sugar... if you read the ingredients on the knock off brand, it is molasses and sugar. Thanks Marisa Bentley for this little gem!

Cream the sugar with the butter really well before adding in anything else. 

I always add eggs one at a time and let them incorporate before adding another. 

Most of the smaller spoons in your cutlery are a teaspoon. You can check if you want... I was challenged on this once.... I was right... So I generally just use my teaspoons from my silverware for measuring. Then I don't have to keep cleaning it, I can put it in the dishwasher and pull out another. 

A wonderful little tip I learned from my amazing Mother in Law, Nora Barlow, was to measure flour by scooping it into the cup... Not using the cup to scoop it. Let me explain. I used to take the measuring cup, scoop it out, tap it down, level it, and then pour it in. I know better now. Holding the measuring cup in one hand, I use a tablespoon to scoop it in, and then without tapping it down level it. It takes a little more time, but I have found the results are worth it. 

And generally, I add all the dry ingredients at the same time. I usually also take out a little flour and substitute a couple of teaspoons of corn starch. 

I also really like using my little cookie scoop from Gygi. It was a little fancy feeling at first, but I love that the little cookies are all the same. And, its great if you don't want to bake all the dough and want to make your own little cookie dough freezer balls. 

This recipe I now use has been adapted a bit from Kelsey at Apple A Day, found here. Her pictures are way better and the blog is that of a professional sort. Her title alone made me stop everything I was doing so I could make those cookies. Well, something like that. 

Here it is! I don't have the fancy recipe maker thing that real blog people use, so you get it like this:

This makes a double batch, cause that's how I roll. 

3 sticks butter, softened-room temp

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 teaspoons of vanilla (the real stuff if you can)

2 eggs

4 cups white flour

4 teaspoons corn starch

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

as many chocolate chips as you like

preheat oven for 350

I like to use my kitchenaid for this... Beat the butter until it is super soft and creamy. Add the sugars and mix on medium speed until they are all completely blended. Add vanilla, mix, then the eggs - one at a time. Dump in the dry ingredients together (less the chips of course) and start the mixer on the lowest setting possible. After 30 seconds or so you can bump it up to low/medium speed. Once everything is all happy and mixed, add the chocolate chips and mix again. 

I use my little handy dandy scooper and generally get at least 18 cookies on a standard cookie sheet. These don't spread very far, so you can place them a little closer together. Pop them in and let them go for 10 minutes. You will look at them and think, wow, maybe I should leave them in longer.... I've found with the first batch, I usually do leave in maybe 1-2 minutes longer. But everything after that, resist the urge and take them out! They will be soft and wonderful and not over cooked. Unless you like your cookies a little more toasted, then by all means, leave them in! 

I take them off the cookie sheet immediately and put them on a cooling rack. As soon as they are cooled but still a little warm, I put them in a storage bag and suck out the air. They will last for days like that, soft and very yummy and they freeze amazingly if you don't have immediate use for them. 

Good luck! Enjoy! 

Hamming it up

 I learned while Ricky was deployed that the best thing I could do to provide healthy meals for my children was to plan and portion and to learn what freezes. I was still very anti- cereal for any meal especially dinner. Now that they are getting older I don't stress so much, but I still want healthy balanced meals 99.9%. 

So... When I discovered how much they love ham, I decided it was time to experiment. I know that the grocery stores sell little packages of cubed ham, but they are quite pricey. As in $8 for 10-12 oz. I decided it was time to do it myself. 

For example.... This week I bought a 5 1/2 lb ham for $15. I was able to chop it into cubes and get 5 quart sized bags full. Now something that we have learned is that they freeze wonderfully. So I lay them flat and suck all of the air out and stick them in the freezer. Then when I need to throw some protein in a dish or need some protein for a meal, I can pull it out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes and go!

The kids love it and I can throw in a couple of different veggies or a veg and a fruit and be done. Cheers to ham!

Fathers Day Treat

So I am not as good as I had hoped at updating... But here is something.. Ricky has been sweetly reminding me since he got home that he wanted me to make this chocolate lasagna thing he saw on facebook. I honestly had already had it pinned on pinterest but hadn't gotten around to trying it out. So I figured that Father's Day would be a good day to try it. The recipe, found here http://centercutcook.com/chocolate-lasagna/ was pretty easy to follow. One thing... I do not like Cool Whip! And she specifically says to use cool whip... Well, I didn't... :D I made up the fresh whipped cream, sweetened of course and mixed it in with the cream cheese mixture, poured the pudding on top and then stopped.

I was making this the night before. If I would have been serving it shortly after making it, I would have kept going... But instead, I stored the remainder of the whipped cream in the fridge and finished it the next afternoon.

It was yummy... !!!

My layer of the cream cheese-whipped cream mixture was really thick... But it still tasted yummy...

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

I know, I know. Not the most creative title. But, that is what I feel like right now! I am so excited. Now I am pretty sure at some point I have seen something like this recipe I used last night. I know I have seen many similar, and possibly what I ended up doing. I am not, by any means, trying to claim this as an original - never been done before meal. Yet I can't help feeling excited by the big thumbs up from the husband, both kids, and the Mother in Law. So I decided to share. :)

As I was scouring my freezer and fridge for something to put together, banging my head against the door, my eye caught sight of a block of mozzarella that needed to be used and bacon that needed to be used.  So... I decided to pull out the trusty bad of frozen chicken tenders from Costco (which I swear by) and see what i could make.

I pulled the chicken out, rinsed it in luke warm water (some may or may not know, they put a glaze on the chicken for preservation) and then put it in a ziploc baggie with a can of sprite and a good amount of shakes of Lowry's Garlic Salt. A tip I learned from a friend, soda is an amazing tenderizer/marinade. When mixed with seasoning salts and other things, you don't want to smell it. It won't smell good. But, your meat will not only taste amazing it will also be super juicy - even if it gets a little overcooked. Now, I wasn't too worried about the chicken thawing all the way before it went in to cook and I will explain this in a moment.

While the chicken was sitting in its happy little soda bath, I sliced up the mozzarella and pulled the bacon slices apart. I also took a cookie sheet, lined it with foil and then set a rack on top of that. My thought was, let the bacon fat drip down , air circulate around the meat a little better, and save a few minutes of scrubbing during clean-up time.

After of about 25 minutes of letting the chicken sit I drained the liquid off and brought the bag back over to my little station. Time to assemble! I grabbed a chicken tender, placed a slice of mozzarella on top and then wrapped the bacon slice around it. I did this with each piece with the exception of one due to a shortage of bacon. Once everything looked ready to go I stuck it in a cold oven, set the timer for 25 minutes and set it to bake at 375.

Explanation: I let the chicken go in a little frozen because I knew if it sat in an oven long enough for the bacon to crisp it would be way overcooked when it came out. I put it in the cold oven because that is the way I cook my bacon. Per Martha Stewart, if you put your bacon in a cold oven and allow it to cook as the oven heats, more fat is rendered.

As the little chicken bundles were baking I decided that the side items should have good color and be fresh. So I sliced up some avocado for the side. I then found a cucumber that was begging to be used and a tomato, sliced those up, sprinkled with a little salt and set those aside. Last I threw some Costco frozen green beans in a steamer to be brought to life. After all of that, I still had a few minutes to clean up. I am a huge advocate of cleaning as you go.

And here you go! The hubby loved it, Brandon not only ate super fast but then asked for seconds, and it was the first thing off of Katelynn's plate. My mother in law had left super fast for a meeting and I knew she would come home hungry so I made her a plate. When she came home she was super hungry, so it worked out. I later got a text from her telling me that she loved it and that it was simple gourmet!  Really, there is not a better reaction than that!

So there you are. If it inspires more great meals, sweet. If anything, now I have something to come back to if I ever get stuck again.

Adventures in Pinteresting...

Okay, so lately I have become a little obsessed with Pinterest... Like most of the women I know. Most conversations begin with.. "so I found this on Pinterest the other day and..." My husband, recently returned home from Afghanistan, is quite impressed with my newly developed crafting skills. The reality is, I am NOT creative enough to come up with this stuff on my own, but the amazing women (and men) who are, are kind enough to blog about it or pin it. Thus my crafty skills are developing. It is fun when I get asked about something and all I can say is, Pinterest.

I have been very lucky so far with Pinterest fails. Off hand I cannot remember one. I know they have happened a few times, but they obviously have not been horrible enough to scar me. So here I go, to those who pay attention. I think I am going to try and keep track of the Pinterest things we try...

Latest one was just this last weekend. We had a baby shower for a cousin and the theme (completely adorable) was based off of the nursery, vintage travel. So we had samplers from several different countries. One of mine being Ireland. This cousin is not only super Irish, but she also spent a couple of years living there. So there was a little pressure to get something good and authentic. I am not sure how authentic my item was, but everyone seemed to love it.

I chose to do an Irish Potato Leek soup. The recipe and directions can be found here: http://spicedblog.com/hearty-irish-potato-leek-soup.html

A few changes I made: I did not use roasted garlic. Instead I dropped in 4 full cloves of garlic with the potatoes to simmer. Also, I used a chicken stock that I had made the previous day. (honestly, I will never buy chicken stock again. This was the most amazing stock and didn't have all of the yucky preservatives)

A few things I want to try: I saw one recipe during my search that had many of the same ingredients but called for coconut milk instead of cream. Thinking about it, I really think that the coconut would add a great flavor, maybe a little more depth.

Also, I crisped up some bacon and chopped it up into moderately small pieces. Not super small, I wanted it to be big enough to need to be chewed to get that salt in there. I also threw in some shredded Tillamock cheddar. The recipe did not call for it as a garnish, but come on.. We know the UK loves their cheese... Most of Europe for that matter. And it added just the right flavor.

I didn't take any pictures of my own.. Lesson learned, it will not happen again. :) But here is the picture from the site that I got the recipe from.

Enjoy!

Been a long time...

So, I suck at blogging... Lets just be real. But, I think I am fooling myself that maybe there is someone other than myself that reads this... So here goes... We are on the second part of our military adventure. Part one, training... Basic and AIT, which lasted a good 9 months of Ricky across the country... Now, part two.. Deployment.. Afghanistan bound. He is in the country still, getting ready to go, and in a few months, he will go... This time is a little different with the kids. They are testing me a lot more, we have a lot more going on as far as activities and such... We have potty training, preschool, tumbling, and soon soccer... I am even looking at getting Brandon into a hip hop class and Katelynn into some little dance class... I finished my Associates Degree last spring, and am holding off on my Bachelors for now. I'll go to school when all of my kids are in school.. For now I work from home and try to be a good mommy!

I am so proud of my man. Of everything that he has accomplished, what he stands for and what he is fighting for. He has always had a strong love for our country and has always felt that he should have his turn helping out.... What a man! I am so happy that he has found his calling! He is amazing at what he does, and I think for the most part enjoys it!

For now, here you are...

Unexpected events

So, on the 17th I was talking with Ricky's mom, who was in Hawaii on vacation, and she was telling me that her mother had had a stroke. They were planning on coming back a little early and heading up to Washington to go check on her and everything else. Not an hour after our call, I was talking to Ricky and his other grandmother had just had a major stroke and passed away.

Let me say this, Grandma Barlow Smith, was an absolutely amazing woman. For the short time that I had the opportunity to know her, she had a great sense of humor, was very strong willed, and loved her family. I think that generation went through a lot as children, as in the depression and a couple of pretty big wars, and came out of it very inspiring people and contributors to the success of this country. She was a woman who has been an amazing example to all that she knew. I am grateful for my faith, that we all have the opportunity to be together again after this life is over, and I take great comfort in knowing that she is surrounded by those that she loves, who have been waiting for her.

In this all happening, I learned the ropes of working with the Red Cross for family emergencies. Ricky was able to come home for the weekend for the funeral. What a blessing. His grandma had lived with his family for a time (there were 6 of them, 3 boys who were all within a year of eachother... ) to help out, Ron was just getting started in his medical career and Nora was not only mom but business owner... So needless to say, she was a big part of his life. So, yes, he got to come home.

It was a blessing for me and the children as well, because even though he had only been gone a little over two weeks, I was really struggling. Our farewell at the airport had been rushed and not what we thought we were going to get. This time, we were early enough that the kids and I got our security passes and got to escort him to the gate. There we were able to spend every possible second together, and say goodbye with a good big hug. The kids were able to watch him get on the airplane and watch it take off, and I felt like I got a little more closure...

So he is off again. June 6th is still the anticipated date of AIT graduation. We are eagerly awaiting June! We are at 128 days today. I am busy with school once again, and getting more involved in the travel industry. Cruises seems to be the popular demand right now... Bring it on! I am enjoying it and how busy that is keeping me too. I am in need of a good babysitter... if anyone who happens to read this knows of one, will you let me know? I am having a difficult time lately having someone I can depend on to be on time, or show up at all... Its almost February. So happy Valentines month!

Updates updates...

So MUCH has happened since last post... Ricky graduated basic training November 18th in the top 10% of his class. We got to go out for family day and graduation, pick him up, and transport him from Columbia, SC to Newport News, VA. So the kids and my soldier and I drove up the east coast, along the beautiful fall colors, up to VA. Before Ricky had to go officially move in, we got a couple of days to go spend some time together as a family. We really just went and hung out at Colonial Williamsburg the first day, then went to church together before we had to drop Ricky off.. Oh yeah, it just so happened that the 21st, the day we had to send him back, was Brandon's 3rd birthday... Poor guy. He didn't get a cake, presents, or anything.... So then the kids and I went and checked the area out until Ricky got his Thanksgiving Holiday leave. We went to Virginia Beach, Norfolk, the Naval Base and checked out the big ships and helicopters, and back to Colonial Williamsburg. On Thanksgiving, we went as a family to Jamestown (the sight of the original Thanksgiving) and then had our dinner in an old Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. Day after Thanksgiving, the kids and I flew home and left Ricky alone at the hotel for a little rest.

Moral of the story, he is set to graduate on or shortly after June 6th. He is studying the Apache, the avionics and electronics and armament for it all... He was just made Squad leader on Sunday and is line for a few more little promotions, which will look great in his file! He continues to impress his instructors, he complains that he is the smart kid in the class... lol... He has his cell now, so he can text at night when he has personal time. His new address is

PFC R Barlow
1002 Benedict Place
Ft. Eustis, VA 23604

He would love some mail, care packages, etc. Please know, that any food sent has to be eaten before he can go into his barracks (like college dorms).

As for me and the kids... We got to have daddy home for two weeks at Christmas... That was so wonderful! It definitely seems harder this time saying good-bye... We are at 147 days till he graduates... so long time... I went to school full time last semester, pulled pretty decent grades and learned that I am 2 classes away from a general Associates, or 2 general and 2 more business classes away from my Business Associates.... So, considering that I have the pell grant, I am doing 2 classes this semester, and then will finish up in the fall and graduate. I have a hard time stopping now when I am so close! And it will be a lot easier to continue down the line with an AS then just a bunch of credits.. So here I go again! Glutton for punishment I guess. I continue to work for an amazing Realtor, who is also one of my best friends, and stay at home with the kiddies... Brandon is now 3, and may or may not end up in preschool in the next couple of weeks... Katelynn is 1 and is running all over the place. Right now she has 4 more teeth coming in, so needless to say she has a fever and we are not getting a whole lot of sleep at night.

Think that's the updates! I will try to be better and will try also to get some good photos of our trip up... Happy 2011~~~ May it be a productive, positive and amazing year for us all!

Ricky's an Outlaw!

Ricky's Company has its own website and blog! There is even a slide show with pictures, and Ricky is in there!

Here is what has been posted so far.... He is a part of the "outlaws"

Welcome New 'Outlaw' Family and Friends Comments(0)
Posted on: 10/1/2010

'Outlaw' Family and friends,

Welcome to a new cycle of Basic Combat Training. Our newest 'Outlaw' Soldiers have been extremely busy over the past few weeks. Your loved ones have been through many stressful and physically demanding training events that have begun to push them to their limits, and turn them into highly motivated and skilled Warriors. We have posted several new photo albums on the web site and will continue to update this as the 'Outlaws' progress through their training. Please feel free to check those out and see if you can get a glimpse of your Soldier. Alpha Company has a long standing tradition of training some of the best Soldiers in the Battlion, and we continue to pride ourselves on the quality of Soldiers that we graduate. Rest assured that your loved ones are in the best hands possible, and even when they call and tell you how hard it is and want to quit, you need to tell them that they can do it. We all hope that everyone will make it through training and we look forward to seeing all of you at graduation.

'OUTLAW 5' Out!

Letter 2.. Dated September 16th

Well, I have a few minutes at least now. We got our rifles today, that was cool. Yesterday we did the victory tower. It was 2 repels and a rope swing and a whole ropes course really. It was a good time. I was officially titled as our platoon guide today. We have 35 soldiers in our platoon so I guess that puts me over 34 and myself. That happened night one. No idea How that happened. Then they also made me Bay leader. That really sucks. I have to try to get my platoon and all of the guys from the other platoonto keep the bay clean and take FireGuard watches. . . Have to be up at 0430.

....

He misses us all! He also went on to say that because of his leadership roles, he has no personal time to write. Things can always change... He also sent me a list of things to ship to him.. lol... It seems to be taking about ten days for his mail to get to me, so I don't know how long it is taking to get to him. His tentative Graduation Date is set for November 18th! So excited! 56 days left!

thanks to all!

kristy

Letter 1... Dated around Sept10, 2010

Ricky says:

So we got smoked this morning for not being in formation on time. I was but not everybody. So of course we all got smoked for it. Then one of the other companies was missing a soldier and couldn't find him. I think they found him in the latrine with his wrists cut. Those privates have probably never run so fast in their lives. He was okay though. Everybody in my platoon is pretty cool. No drama yet. I got a bit more sleep last night until the SGT on duty was spitting off football scores all night on the loud speaker. It was actually kinda funny. My throat still hurts. So I've been here for like 2 days and I already have a southern accent. Everybody does. It's kinda funny actually. Today is our last day of reception. Tomorrow the good stuff begins.

I miss you so much! I hope and pray you guys are well.

PFC Barlow

Address:

PFC RICHARD BARLOW
1-13th IN REGT, A-CO, 2nd Platoon
4420 Jackson BLVD
FT JACKSON, SC 29207


Please only send encouraging and uplifting letters. If you can't do that, then don't send anything! He is being torn down every which way you can imagine. Lets keep it positive!

Welcome to Hell!!!

Well, almost literally..... Ricky has been in "Reception" this last week and starts official "Basic Training" today. Until today, he has had his phone and has been able to call me and tell me what's going on. It really has been wonderful to get to talk to him... Even though they are still in Reception they are still getting "smoked" as Ricky likes to call it. These punk kids, probably first time out of their parents houses, keep running their big mouths and everyone gets punished for it. It is so funny to me to hear the background noise while I talk to him, because the first think I thought was, You get a group of guys together, and the first thing that happens is the alpha tries to establish himself. Well, with a huge group of cocky kids, you can imagine it gets loud. Everyone trying to bark out orders and sound bigger and badder then the next guy... We are hoping that Ricky will get put into a leadership position quickly, seeing as he already knows all of the Drill and Ceremony from being in the Guard, and is a little more, well, mature.. that is an odd thing to say, especially in regards to Ricky. Almost seems like an oxymoron.. Mature Ricky... lol.. but in that situation, he knows when to keep his mouth shut and say yes sir... or hooha... or whatever he is supposed to say.

But officially today it all begins. So we have our countdown till we see daddy next. I can't wait till we get to a month, then a week, then we're there! As soon as I get his address, I promise I will post it. Until then, thank you for your support!

-Kristy

Last Days Before the Big Send-off

So we had an interesting situation with Ricky's departure. Because he is in South Carolina, and all of the flights leave from SLC in the morning, he ended up staying in a SLC airport for two nights before leaving. The week before we had a wonderful adopted member of the family put us up in Park City at the beautiful MountainSide resort. One of the days we had a sitter come spend the day with us so Ricky and I could go play while the kiddies slept. What an amazing time. It really is so wonderful that after 8 years, we can still play together and laugh, and have so much fun. So we rode the coaster, and the zip line, and the slides, over and over until I was about ready to throw up...

Then we had a great BBQ Saturday with some great friends and family so that whoever wanted to could come and see him off. Then Monday we drove him up to the Hotel that the Army put him up in, had dinner together and took off. Tuesday morning he had to go to MEPS... its the Military's medical checks to make sure he is still fit to go. He was done by noon, and didn't fly out till the next morning. So we got to go to the zoo for the day! What a fun last day for our little family. We had an enjoyable time, the kids were great (for the most part) and then we got to have dinner and dessert with mom and dad Barlow. When we dropped him off to the hotel that night, we had been instructed to use that as our goodbye time. So it was a very tearful event. I can't imagine how it was for him, how it IS for him, having to leave his wife and children. But we did it.

He flew out Wednesday morning, and really was traveling all day. He took his cell with him so he could talk to me, until it gets taken away. So I got updates all throughout the day. He got into South Carolina around 4pm, but then had to wait till almost 9 for all of the other soldiers to get in. I know he didn't get to sleep till 1am, didn't fall asleep until 3am, then had to wake up at 3:45am to get showered shaved and ready for formation. I have had a chance to talk to him a few minutes here and there... So far it has been a lot of hurry up and wait. A lot of waiting in lines to get uniforms, boots, haircuts (even though he shaved his head before he left), vaccinations, etc... He sounds positive, tired but positive. Monday is when he officially starts Basic Training... His phone will be taken away sometime before then... and that is when the "REAL" fun begins. As soon as I get his address I will post it. Anyone who is willing to write him, I know he would appreciate it! (unless you happen to be some loony that we don't know... then maybe not)

Anyway, that's all for now!

And Off The Tower We Go!

So, most of us all know how good I am at opening my mouth and saying things that I shouldn't. Last month Ricky's RSP Unit had a family day where we got to go BBQ with his Sargent and other soldiers. As I was standing there speaking with Sargent Dixon, the thought came to me, and of course I didn't stop it from coming out of my mouth, "So how many wives step up and come to drill to support their husbands?" To which he replies, "well, there is always a first time for everything." The next day Ricky comes home and tells me that I am expected at drill next month... lol... great... What have I just done??!!

So my amazing best friend Marisa stepped up and said that she would go too so I didn't have to go alone. Amazing! (Marisa being in amazing physical shape having just completed a 1/2 marathon) So I jogged a few nights, did a couple push-ups and sit-ups, and figured I would do my best. Then we get the drill letter and learn that we are doing the "confidence course." SWEET!!! So we get to drill, go through the morning line up and roll call and official stuff, then we load onto a prison bus where Sgt. Montgomery (who really is one of the coolest chicks I have ever met, and the smallest) jumps on and drives us to the fireman's tower. We notice as we pull up that there are repelling ropes hanging from this tower... SWEET! Repelling!

Needless to say, I don't know how many people would willingly launch themselves off of a perfectly good building, but it was a great time. And really, it was amazing for me to watch Ricky in action. Whenever there was down time, he didn't stand around and chit chat or lolly gag. He took charge, taught the newer guys D&C (drill and ceremony) or helped with the belaying. His form was perfect, his knowledge regarding proper Soldier etiquette, amazing. He really has found his calling. It was such a proud moment for me to sit back and watch him take charge and be a leader. It was a huge wake up call and reminder that this is what he is supposed to do! I can't wait till I get to go to his Basic Training Graduation. How amazing it will be to see him at the end of that hard journey, and to celebrate with him.

You Scream, I Screa.... No wait.. It's just you...

So, Katelynn has developed a new, bad habit. She has started screaming.. not like loud yelling, but real blood curdling screams... it is driving me insane!!! I try to remind myself that she is still finding her voice, and that it is normal... But this is when she wakes in the middle of the night, and decides she doesn't want to go back to sleep... for an hour.. and screams the entire time...

Any suggestions or thoughts? I want to nip this in the bud immediately.

Also.. Our sweetheart has decided that she doesn't want to eat baby food anymore. She only wants food if she can feed herself. She refuses to eat any other way.... so I am going to try to do soft veggies and rice and soft meats... lets hope it works. If so, then she will just start eating what we eat and I better be good about what I make.... Dude!

Looking for advice!

New Home

So we are officially all moved in! (almost unpacked, and in no way decorated) We have been given the wonderful blessing of staying with Mom and Dad Barlow while Ricky is away. So, this last weekend we moved in... It is wonderful, to be in such a beautiful home, with family, and in such a gorgeous neighborhood. I know that with Ricky gone, I will need someone to talk to every once in a while, and to check on me if we don't come down the stairs for days.... lol... Most of everything is in storage, but it is all just stuff, and at that stuff we could live without.

Anyone want to come help me decorate a little since I seem to be seriously lame? Come on by!

Lucky for us, Brandon is over his little summer virus... Not lucky for us, Ricky and I have been suffering from it this week. Not as bad as he got, but still... And it seems that Katelynn has it a little too. Either that or she has some more wicked teeth coming in that just keep her unhappy. But as of next week, hopefully we are all better and can get back to normal life, in our new home!

Summer Diva Virus?

Yes... That is what Dr. Matt called it today when we took Brandon and Katelynn in... The Summer Diva Virus. Sore throat, fever, aches, rash, all really bad, really quick... So needless to say we have two babies in sick today. It almost sounds like the flu... but alas, no... Thank goodness for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs!" which is the movie of the summer. We will not be spreading the love to anyone outside of the house, so here goes for a few gorgeous summer days inside!

Daddy and Bubbas up at Tibble, having some guy time