Christmas Hangover

We had a wonderful Christmas with our family in New Mexico, we even had a white Christmas. It was lots of fun!! Reagan got to play in the snow and this year for the first time, she was really excited about Christmas.
Now we are home and there is stuff EVERYWHERE! The girls got so many toys and I have no idea where to put them all, they are taking over the house. And we seemed to aquire more Christmas decorations this year also. So the tidy little tubs that they all fit in before Christmas are overflowing. AUGH!!! Today I start the daunting task of un-Christmasing the house. Wish me luck!

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

It turns out that I am completely incapable of making a decision! I decided that for Christmas I wanted a new pair of boots. I was going to pick them out and put them under the tree, because we all know what would happen if I let my husband pick out a pair of shoes. So I have been fervently shopping for the perfect pair. I have been to no less than 15 shoe stores in the last 2 weeks. And I could not make a decision. The problem is I usually do not spend a lot of money on things for myself. So, it is no big deal if I don't LOVE a pair of shoes or a $10 T-shirt. Because who cares if I only wear it for a couple of months and then never wear it again, because I only spent $10. But I wanted to get a really nice pair of boots, and I was going to spend good money, so I was having trouble comitting!!!
I finally broke down and bought a pair, and I am very excited. I had to order them because I have giant feet, but they will be here before Christmas.
I FINALLY made a decision, hooray!

Kid Update

Here is a quick update on my little ones.

Reagan continues to be a thorn in my side! :) But she can also be super sweet, it just depends on the day and if she got enough sleep on that day. Her imagination continues to amaze me daily. She says the funniest things, and I often wonder where she heard them. She loves her baby sister, most of the time. Although we are working on sharing still.

Morgan is MOBILE! The girl is moving. She is also standing up. She pulls herself up and then lets go and stands there for a little while until she decides to move. It makes me a little sad that my baby is growing up so fast. Probably because I know that I am not having another one, but I just want her to slow down a little. With Reagan I was so excited when she started walking, but I don't want Morgan to walk yet. She is still lots of fun. She has started trying to kiss, it is a slobbery mess, but still sweet.

Thanksgiving!!!

I LOVE THANKGIVING!! I love the food, the people, the football, I love it all. It is the only Holiday that is completely dedicated to food, what more could you ask for. And I think that we have a lot to be thankful for!! I have a beautiful family and a nice home. My sister and her husband and my nephew are coming to visit, which is always tons of fun! Everyone is healthy and happy! What more could I ask for.
I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you eat lots and have a good time with your families!

Farewell Willis!

Our beagle boy Willis died this morning! It was pretty tragic and very sad. I watched it and there was nothing that I could do. So Willis has gone to doggie heaven and we will miss him greatly!
Willis was my first baby, I got him when my husband and I first got married and we spent lots of time together. When we moved to LA and I was unemployed and very lonely, Willis was my companion. And when we had Reagan he was great with her. He let her crawl on him and hug him, and he just sat there. So, Willis my boy, you were the best dog and friend anyone could ask for and we will miss you terribly!

Christmas!

This year I decided I was going to be ahead of the game. I already have our Christmas picture done and the cards have already arrived. I have at least a general idea of what I am going to get people, and I have even bought a few gifts. I am very busy thinking of new Christmas traditions that our family will start doing every year. I am sooo into the Christmas spirit this year! Before we had kids, I enjoyed Christmas for sure, but not like this. I am so excited! My oldest daughter is old enough to really enjoy it this year. And I want her to start to understand now, that Christmas is not all about presents. I want her to understand the real meaning of Christmas! When I think back to Christmas when I was kid I can only tell you very presents that I got, but the real memories are the traditions and the experiences that we had.
Just a little thought to get you all excited about the upcoming season!

Date Night!!

My hubby and I are going on a date today! YAY! We are going to see a movie and go to dinner, and boy can I use the break. I have had a rough week and I need an attitude adjustment. I can see myself losing it with the girls, and I feel bad about it, however, it still happens. So I think that a few hours with my hubby is just what I need!

SLEEP!!

I am exhausted!! Between Morgan not sleeping at night, and Reagan not napping, I am dying. Is that possible?? Anyway, I am tired of being tired. I hate being that mom that cannot wait until naptime, only to have Reagan not nap. And she needs to nap, she is miserable too, but the kid will not sleep unless it is on her terms. Then there is sweet little Morgan who is not sleeping through the night. She is 7 months old and she should be sleeping, in my humble opinion. But then when I go in there she is so happy to see me, I can't be mad.
So, all that being said, it is 8:15 and I am going to bed and I am going to think happy thoughts!

Halloween

Here are some pictures of my girls from Halloween. Reagan really had fun trick or treating this year. Every morning she wakes up and asks if she can have some Halloween treats. Reagan was a princess and Morgan was a duck.

Terrible 2's

I think that God sent my 2 year old here to test me. She is on a tear and I am at the end of my rope. I am frustrated and tired all the time. I feel like I fight with her all day!! She just pushes to see how far she can push. And I know that my husband feels like I let her get away with too much, but at some point I feel like I have to pick my battles. AUGH!! I am hoping that when she turns 3 this will get better. She has the ability to be the sweetest and most loving little girl, and then sometimes I think that she is possesed by the devil himself!
God give me strength and patience so that we both survive!

New Blog

Please see my new blog, it will be all about cakes, so check back often. I will keep this one and it will still be dedicated to my family. Hope you enjoy! http://cakeobsession.blogspot.com/

More Cakes

So here are a couple of new cakes that I made this week. I have been doing some new things and new recipes, lots of fun. The yellow one is a daisy cake. The daisys took me a while, but I like them, I think that they turned out well.
The 2nd one I like to call Fall Foliage, although, Phoenix looks nothing like that in the Fall, I am not even sure what Fall is anymore.

Stay tuned, I am going to launch a blog dedicated to cakes. I will keep you posted!

"30"

Today is my 30th Birthday and I expected to wake up with grey hair and a bad back, but none of that happened. I have been dreading this day for the past year. But today as I look at my life I realize that God has been good to me and that I have nothing to feel bad about. I have 2 beautiful children and wonderful husband. We have a nice home and good friends. What more could a 30 year old ask for. And besides, tonight when we were at dinner the waitress told me that 30 is the new 21!! So right on

Help

I am moving forward with the cake decorating business. For a while it was just a dream, but I really think it is possible. So, I am looking for someone to help me with creating a logo. I have an idea of what I am looking for but I am not very computer savvy, so I need a graphic designer who can help me out. Any of you out in blogger land who can help me create it, or know someone that is a graphic designer that you could pass along would be extrememly helpful. I am eventually looking for someone who can also create me a website also, so if you have any guidance in that area also that would be helpful.

Willis Update

Willis seems to be a little better. We got some of the bloodwork back and his thyroid is low. Which I'm not sure would cause seizures, but it would make him lazy and overweight and he is definitely both of those! I'll keep you posted.

Dogs Dogs Dogs!

For those of you who are not dog owners you are going to think that this next post is silly. But, we have 2 dogs. We have had Willis since right after we got married, he is a beagle and he was our first baby. He has moved all over the country with us and he is defintely part of the family. While I definitely feel different about him after we had children, I still love him with all my heart. I say all that first so that you understand my sadness. There is definitely something wrong with Willis. He started having these spells about 2 weeks ago, the vet says that they are seizures. Other than that, he still seemed fine, he was eating and playing and all the normal things that a dog does. Just every now and then he would flip out. Last night however, we really thought that we had lost him. He was lethargic and unresponsive and he wouldn't move at all. My husband carried him in the house and he just laid on the floor. We even rang the door bell to see if he would bark, because he usually does, and all he did was lift his head.
When we woke up this morning Patrick took him to the vet and they did a $500 blood test!!! I think Vets are full of crap, but that will be another post entirely. So we have to wait for the results of the blood test to see what the problem is. He has moved a little today, but not much. And he is not eating. Which for a beagle is strange, if you have ever seen Willis you would see that he has not missed too many meals.
This dedicated to by beagle boy Willis, we love you buddy!!

LIfe As We Knew It

Morgan is officially crawling, which does not really excite me. She is barely 6 months old, I think she is too young for this craziness. She is still pretty slow, but se is movin! When Reagan was this age we really had the house baby proofed, but over the last year and a half, we have slowly started putting stuff back out. So, now I need to go through the house again. She keeps finding my shoes and putting them in her mouth!! AUGH!!! And so it begins.

Awesome!

I just made the first cake that someone is paying me for and it is awe... wait for it some!!! If I do say so myself. I am very proud of it and I hope that you all enjoy it. I had so much fun doing it also. So tell your friends that I am available. I would love to do a wedding cake sometime soon, so keep me in mind and pass the word along!!

The cake is for someone's 22nd B-day, but I actually like it without the numbers better. But here they are!

Big Girl Morgan

My little baby is getting so big. She can sit up by herself now and she is ALMOST crawling. She takes a few "steps" and then face plants, but she is close. She got to take a bath this week without sitting in the baby seat, you can see that she is not super excited. This weekend at church they told me that when she starts really crawling she will have to go to the bigger classroom at the nursery. I told Patrick that I can't believe that our baby is big enough to go in a bigger classroom. It's times like these that I get a little sad that we won't have another little one, not sad enough to have another one though!

Newest Creation!

Here is a picture of my latest creation and it is definitely the best one yet. Also the most time consuming. It took me forever to make all those flowers! I frosted the cakes at home and then in class we learned how to assemble them. While in transport one of the cakes slid and I had to fix it in class which was a bummer, but I made that the back of the cake so you definitely cannot tell in the picture. I am making my first cake for someone else this week, she is actually paying me so I will let you know how it goes.

Opinions Please

I want to start doing cakes for people, and eventually start a side business, but I am having trouble coming up with a name. I want something fun and creative, not like Cakes by Melissa. There is a really cute store in Albuquerque called Cake Fetish and I love that, but I obviously can't use it. So I looking to you my blogger friends, to help me come up with something cute and fabulous! Please leave any comments and let me know what you think.

Beautiful Girls

As this is supposed to be a blog about my children, I thought I should have an update. The girls are getting very big and more precious everyday. Reagan and I were having a tough time for a while, but we seem to be getting over that hump. She is back to her loving self. When I say " I love you Reagan" Her response is "I love you more Mommy" and everytime it melts my heart.

Morgan is still a happy easy going baby for the most part. She is sleeping better, Thank God! And she has starting eating a little solid food. She seems to like it, except rice cereal. She can get up on all fours and rock back and forth, and then she falls down, but she is headed in the right direction.

Here are some recent pictures!

Cake Decorating Guru!

Here are some more pictures of cakes that I have done in the past few weeks. I did the package last night at class and I am the most proud of that. It is covered in fondant, which does not taste extremely good, but looks awesome.

The second one is covered with chocolate buttercream, which is not as pretty, but very yummy.

The bottom has buttercream roses on the top, last night I learned how to make fondant roses, which I like more. The look cleaner and prettier.

Hope you all enjoy!

Yay for Cake

So here is a new picture of my most recent cake. It was a princess cake for my friend Rachael's little girls birthday. I have some more but I need to upload them to the computer.

I am learning how to use Fondant in my current class, which is a whole new ball game. It is difficult, but super cool. I will keep you posted on my progress. I will post more cakes later today and some updated pics of the girls!

I hope you enjoy the cake, I am available for your b-days, bridal showers, whatever. I am probably not ready for wedding cakes, but give me a couple of months and maybe I'll get there!!

Mom's Day Out

I discovered a lovely thing called Mom's Day Out at a local church. It is for kids under preschool age and you can drop off your kids and go run errands and what not. Reagan started going today and it is wonderful. She went last school year and we just started up again this year. She goes once a week for 3 1/2 hours and she loves it, and so do I! Morgan and I came home and Morgan took a nap and I actually got to sit down and enjoy the quiet!
Yay for Mom's Day Out, they should call it Mom's Best Friend!

Cakes, Cakes, and more Cakes

I have completed the 3rd class in my cake decorating series. I have also signed up for another session next month because I am having so much fun. We decorate a cake at the end of every class which means I have been eating a lot of cake!! Luckily my husband took the most recent one to work today so I won't eat that one.

Here are pictures of the 2 cakes that I have done. The rainbow one is the first one, I forgot to take a picture before we cut and started eating! The white and pink one is the second one and I happier with that. I am sure that next weeks will be even better.

Hope you enjoy!

Ebay

So with my new hobby (obsession) cake decorating, I have discovered a need for a stand mixer. While I don't think it is necessary, it would be extremely helpful. I figure if your gonna buy one you might as well go all the way. So I wanted a Kitchenaide! Now, if you are not aware of this, they cost about $300. My husband felt that this was ridiculous, I whole heartedly disagreed, but I refrained. Until I discovered the joy of Ebay!! I found one for half the price. I am super excited. I got into a bidding war this morning and it was very exciting. After losing out on a few, I finally won! It should be here in 3-5 business days.
I will post a picture of my first creation from my class soon, I need to download the picture.

Sleep Deprivation

I was somewhat smug recently when talking with other moms because my baby was pretty much sleeping through the night. I was feeling pretty good about myself! Well that is a thing of the past. We went on a little vacation and apparantly that was all Morgan needed to give up sleeping. When we got home I thought, she just needs a little while to get back into her routine. Well, that was over a month ago and she is still waking up at least twice a night. Sleep Deprivation has set in and I need toothpicks to keep my eyes open! AUGH! The aggravation of it all.

Etsy Giveaway!

Take a look at this blog to see a fun giveaway from Etsy, you can get a onesie for your little one!

Sickies!

I have a house full of sickies! It started with Reagan, we really thought it was just allergies, but then Morgan and I woke up yesterday with the beginning of a cold. Today it is full blown. Reagan seems to be feeling a little better, but Morgan and I feel worse. This is one the hardest things about being a mom, you don't get to just be sick. You have 2 other people who are depending you to take care of them as well. So, while I want to go lay on the couch, that will not happen, I am sure!

Anniversary

This weekend was my husband and I 5th anniversary! It seems a little crazy at times that we have been married that long, and other times I can't remember what life was like before. So on Saturday morning my wonderful husband took Reagan and they went and got breakfast while Morgan and I slept in. You may be thinking WOW, Morgan slept in, but don't be impressed. She was up most of the night, so she was just making up for lost time! So, Patrick and Reagan brought home breakfast and flowers for me which was very lovely.
The day was topped off with Patrick and I heading out and leaving the girls with a babysitter which is always exciting. Having a dinner that did not involve Mac N Cheese or chicken nuggets was definitely a treat. Then we went and saw "The Dark Knight" which we enjoyed immensly!
So my hubby I love you dearly and I look forward to the next 5 years and many many more!

On a side note, "The Dark Knight" is very good, but VERY long, so be prepared!

Coffee

A bone of contention between my husband and I is the amount of money I spend on coffee. He does not drink coffee so he does not appreciate the pure joy that a $5 cup of coffee can provide. So when my friend Heather posted this article on her blog I was curious. So I went out and purchased a fine mesh strainer and made some last night. And this morning, Ta-Da! A fabulous iced coffee drink that would give my usual coffee place a run for its money. Not to say that I will never go to Coffee Bean again, but I dare say this should definitely cut down on my habit.
Thanks Heather for bringing this wonderful idea to my attention! You blog is a wealth of creative inspiration as well as very useful info.

Just for Me!

While I love my children and wouldn't trade our time together for anything, I recently realized that I don't do anything that is just for me! So I decided that I needed to do something. I have recently started scrapbooking and I enjoy it immensley, I am still not leaving the house. So last night I registered for a cake decorating class and I am super excited!!! I start next Wednesday. The class is 1 night a week for a month and each class is 2 hours. Hurray, 2 hours away from the house interacting with other adults. What more can a girl ask for, and you get to eat cake. I will keep you all posted on the class as well as try and post some of my creations.

The Good Old Days

I have found my self lately longing for the "good old days" When everything was easier and I could pretty much do whatever I wanted. I could meet Patrick for Happy Hour after work without finding a babysitter. I could run out to the store without it being a production. I occasionaly find myself resenting the fact that Patrick has the ability to do what he wants to do, without worrying because he knows that I will take care of it. Today a thought hit me. All of that is true, Patrick can play golf and go out for drinks with the people from without a worry. But he is also gone for the big events and I am here to see all of them. I am here to hear Reagan say all of the funny things that she says. And when Morgan smiled and laughed for the first time. I am blessed to be able to spend all this time with my children and I realize that not everyone is that lucky. Although I do see why sometimes it would be nice to have an out, I wouldn't give it up for the world! Morgan can roll over!! Reagan being a proud big sis.

My husband read this post and thought the I was somehow implying that he was a bad husband and father, and that is no way what I meant. It was more about me and trying to have a more positive outlook! He is a wonderful husband and father and I am blessed that he is willing to work as hard as he does so that I am able to stay home with our beautiful girls.

What the???

My 2 year old is into EVERYTHING these days. I can't leave her alone for a minute! She has gotten into things and I don't even know where she is finding them. Last week, while she was supposed to be napping, she emptied a tube of Desitin and used it as lotion all over herself (and the wall) Which is very difficult to get off. I had to wash her hair 5 times to get it all out. Then the next day she pulled all the wipes out of her container and threw them all over the room. AUGH! So, just when I thought it all figured out, today she found nail polish. She painted herself with it. It is still on her mouth, because when I put nail polish remover on her mouth to get it off she started crying. So I hope that will wear off in the near future. Sneaky little girl

Here is Reagan in the bathtub after the diaper rash cream incident

She looks like a clown!

Traveling

I find myself longing for the old days before things were so complicated. Please don't misunderstand me, I love my children more than words can express. I just miss how easy things used to be. We just went to New Mexico for the weekend and I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. I spent the bulk of the time chasing Reagan and trying to get Morgan to sleep. Neither of which were overly successful. But, we did get to see our friends and I threw a very successful shower for my sister who is expecting her 1st baby in September. Iam sure that there are many of you out there who can relate to my plight. Traveling with Reagan just got a little easier. She sleeps decently when we travel and she is old enough to get excited about seeing people, and then we had Morgan. She is a very easy baby, but it still difficult, even under the best terms.

Nap Time

My goal, as mother of 2 little ones, is to get both of them to take a nap at the same time! Some days this is easily accomplished, other days not so much. We transitioned Reagan into a "big girl" bed right after her 2nd b-day since we were about to have another baby. She did very well until about 1 month ago. Which to me seems odd since she has been sleeping in this bed for almost 6 months now. Everyday we have a power struggle to see who will win the battle. We are about 50/50 right now. There are days that I feel like I am banging my head against a wall! I go in and threaten her, I take things away, I yell and scream, and still there are some days that she still doesn't take a nap. And when she doesn't take a nap, she is not fun to be around. I am hoping that sometime soon this gets a little better! Any advice is more than welcome

My Girls

Here is a beautiful picture of my girls. This was taken a couple of weeks ago and I love it!

This picture was taken by my friend Jolie, she is a new photographer and she did a fabulous job.

Back in the Day

My husband and I met when we were both in college many moons ago. We got married on August 2, 2003 in a beautiful ceremony in Albuquerque, NM. Our life was good, we had fun, we bought a house. And then we moved to LA, not great, but we could do it. And then... we got pregnant. Then I started to panic. We lived in a tiny little house in Pasadena that barely had enough room for us and our beagle Willis. Shortly after that we moved into a slightly larger apartment and Reagan was born. She was beautiful and perfect! Then we had the opportunity to move to Phoenix when Reagan was about 6 Months old and we jumped at the chance. We bought a house and I became a stay at home mom. Then I thought I had this mom thing figured out and we

decided to have another baby. The first month

we talked about it, we got pregnant. and 9 months later we had another little girl, Morgan, who was also perfect! And that brings us to present day!