Four!

Happy Fourth Birthday to our little man!

He's friendly and funny and full of imagination.

He loves to make up songs and stories about dinosaurs and robots.

Most of the songs are to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

He's smart and curious.

He likes to study things to see how they work.

He is sweet and tender with his nieces and nephew. 

Except when he and Tukker want the same toy. LOL

He's having a hard time adjusting to the new house.

He's afraid to be alone and afraid of all the new noises.

He calls out every few minutes, "Mom! Where are you?"

So we get lots of snuggle time lately.

But he's slowly getting a little braver about it.

He's independent in every other way though.

Always wanting to "do it myself!"

(Alot like Kenzie was at that age.)

He still puts his shoes on the wrong feet sometimes.

But he just rolls with it saying, "I like them on the wrong feet."

He doesn't like to be scolded.

When I do scold him he says, "You're a bad Mommy and someone is gonna yell at you."

Lately he even threatens to tell Daddy on me. ;)

It was a two year struggle to get this guy into our family.

And it's been four years of fun having him here.

He's the bright spot in all my days.

Happy Birthday Jaxon!

Hello New House!! Looking Forward to getting to know you! :)

Well, here we are! Most of the heavy lifting is done. Thanks for waiting for me and asking about me.

Are you ready for lots of pictures? Need to grab a snack? I'll wait for you....

Let's just start with the main floor today.

Be warned...no decorating has been done yet. I've barely gotten the boxes unpacked and things put away. So you're gonna see a LOT of bare walls.

Here's the entryway.

The double doors on the right lead to my new craft room which is not at all put together. So no pictures yet. ;)

Past the staircase is the great room.

First the family room...

Then the dining room and kitchen...

Check out that rug. It used to nearly FILL our old living room. Looks a little smallish in here, huh?

At the end of the kitchen, near the fridge, is the door to the pantry.

Which now holds all the stuff from the old kitchen cupboards, pantry, food storage room, the china cabinet, the laundry room, and a few other places I had to stash random stuff. Ha! Now it's all in one place. Nice!

In the dining room area is the entry from the garage.

 And in that entryway is the door to the basement, a coat/broom closet and a "small" powder room. Really, it's as big as the main bathroom in the old house.

A few pics of some of my favorite things about the new kitchen.

1)This niche that the builder put in the dining area. It originally had a bench built in too. Sort of a mudroom setup that is all the rage these days. And it was lovely. With the beadboard and built in cubbies perfect for shoes and backpacks and whatnot.

I had two problems with it though. For one thing, WHY would I want the paraphernalia of the day to be dropped off in the dining room?!?! I wouldn't. So we will continue with the current system which involves the kids coming in the door and me sweetly saying, "Take your crap straight to your room and then come tell me about your day." It mostly works.

And for another thing, I knew the minute that I saw it that the space was perfect, practically MADE FOR, my beloved china cabinet. See...

So we had the builder remove the bench and my china cabinet is happy in it's new home.

2) The island. *swoon*

Over 8 beautiful feet of useful space. LOVE it! We've already had the family over a couple times and this entire great room is just working so much better for us. The grandbabies and Jaxon have a blast running laps around the island and hiding in the empty cupboards. Yeah, EMPTY cupboards. There are a few of them. Empty drawers too! It's bizarre to me to have so much room.

This island is the perfect spot to set up our buffet style family dinners. 

It's even got a little beadboard going on. Yum!

3)Check out the built in garbage and recycling center. Oh my goodness!!! I didn't even know I wanted this till I saw it here. This is the last time you'll see our trash and recycling, thank you very much.

4) Possibly THE perfect way to store pans. I am in love with these cupboards on either side of the stove.

There have been just a few things we've done since moving in.

This is Roger's Birthday/Father's Day present for the next ten years this year. His long awaited 50" flat screen television. We must really love him, huh?

We purposely bought a home with a smaller yard and we're so happy with it so far. But smaller yards means closer neighbors. They have all been super friendly and welcoming. But, we were feeling a little like fish in a bowl in the great room. Especially at night with all the big windows.

So we put up curtains. PURPLE curtains! woohoo!!! Purple is my turquoise you know.

They are faux silk and machine washable. This new house is going to be all about LOW maintenance. No dusty window blinds here. I doubt we'll put up any blinds at all. I really wanted to make the drapes for the great room. But there just so many windows and the first month or two here are just going to be too busy for me to handle that project. So we went shopping in the name of a little privacy. And I'm glad we did. I just love the purple curtains. I have the sweetest husband to not only agree to, but to actually like, purple curtains. Don't you think?

And we bought a clock for the family room wall. Because it is exactly 48 feet from one end of the great room to the other. Even my good eyesight isn't that good. It drives me a little crazy not knowing what time it is.

I think that's it for the main floor. What do you think? 

Before we decided to sell the old house I had been collecting inspiration pics for redoing the kitchen over there. Guess what? They all pretty much look like our new kitchen. Dark wood cabinets, gold colored granite countertops, oil rubbed bronze fixtures. I pictured tile floors but I just love these wood floors so much.

I also love the wall color. It's the perfect warm yellow color. Not too bright, not too brown.

I wouldn't have chosen the brown carpet. But I would have been so wrong not to. It's basically the color of dirt. Who could ask for better camouflage?

It's like someone knew what I'd be looking for and also what I needed but didn't know I needed. 

I couldn't be happier.

There are a LOT of fun projects ahead of me. 

Gotta do something about those lamps. My Mom got them eons ago from the hotel where she worked. I've had them forever. Replaced the guts and shades a few times. I like the shape of them, but not the color so much anymore. I'll have to see if I can transform them somehow.

We have a big dining room table in storage. It just needs to be refinished and it's going to be great in here. With both leaves in it just barely fit in the old dining room but it's going to be just right here for our big family get togethers.

And there's a blank wall in the family room...

(Ignore that little table. It's going somewhere else. It's an antique that belonged to my great grandmother.)

I'm going to magically transform a dresser that I got at a yard sale over 20 years ago. I'm gonna make it into a pretty and useful place to store media and blankets for snuggling in front of a movie. Or the cozy fireplace. 

Roger doesn't think it can be saved. But I'm gonna prove him wrong. It's one of my favorite things to do. ;)

I'm also going to fill the wall above it with pictures of our beautiful kids and grandkids. 

So, now you know what to expect for future projects.

See ya again soon with a tour of the second floor. Thanks for still coming around after my long absence. 

This has been a wild ride.

Oh! And if you know of anyone who wants to buy a house, let me know. We have an extra.

Goodbye Old Home

Well, the old house is almost empty now. 

And yet still full of memories beyond what it's walls can possibly hold.

From first on up to twenty third birthday parties for our kids.

First birthday parties for precious grandbabies.

One wedding and a few receptions.

Baby showers, wedding showers, rehearsal dinners and many, many holiday parties. 

It's where we practiced our DIY skills. 

The first home I ever owned. 

And the home that I lived in the longest of all the places I've ever lived.

The only home that Emily and Jaxon have ever known.

We sure packed a lot of life into that small house in these short years.

I hope that the new owners, whoever that will ultimately be, are able to make as many great memories there as we have.

A few weeks ago we had a "Farewell to the old house" party. The kids and grandkids came over and there was much laughing. Some crying. I didn't take any pictures but we did make a videotape where all the kids shared their memories of the house.

And we all agreed that it won't be long till the new house is filled with as many great memories.

So, it's good bye old home and hello new house. 

We are excited to get to know it and make it our own.

Pictures coming soon. ;)

Lime Marinated Chicken and Tomatillo-Corn Salsa, Corn on the Cob, Not Chili's Rice Pilaf

Ooooooooh.....look at the pretty granite countertops! Oh, wait! This is a recipe post. I'll get to the new house post soon. ;)

I got this recipe from the June 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Or, as one clever blogger put it, Better Homes than Yours magazine. LOL
It looked so delicious to me that I decided it would be the first new recipe I tried in the new kitchen at the new house. :)
I have adapted the recipe to be more Weight Watcher friendly.
This isn't an easy one. Lots of steps involved. But it's worth it!

Lime Marinated Chicken And Tomatillo-Corn Salsa, Corn on the cob, Not Chili's Rice Pilaf

Makes 6 servings

7 WW points per serving (not counting the corn and rice)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5 oz. each
1/4 cup olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 recipe Tomatillo-Corn Salsa, below
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
fresh lime wedges

One at a time, place each chicken breast, smooth side down, between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to even 1/2 inch thickness.
In large resealable bag combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of the lime juice, the garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn to coat evenly. Marinate, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 hours.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (about 400 degrees).
Prepare Tomatillo Corn Salsa.

2 half inch thick slices of yellow onion
5 tomatillos, (about 1/2 pound) papery skins removed, rinsed
1 ear fresh sweet corn, husked
1 medium poblano chile, 3-4 inches long
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

Brush onion, tomatillos, corn and chile with olive oil. Grill vegetables over direct medium heat, with lid closed as much as possible, until onions are lightly charred, tomatillos soften and begin to collapse, corn is tender and chile is softened and lightly charred, turning as needed.
Place chile in bowl. Cover with plastic and let steam 10 minutes.
Cut corn kernels from cob and set aside.
Peel off skin from chile; discard. Remove stem and seeds. Place vegetables (except corn), cilantro, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in blender. Puree. Pour into small serving dish and stir in corn.

Increase grill temp to high (about 500 degrees) Remove chicken from bag, letting excess liquid drip back into bag; discard liquid. Grill chicken, smooth side down, over direct high heat, with lid closed as much as possible, until well marked. 3 to 4 minutes. Turn; grill just until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.

In bowl whisk together sour cream, the 1 Tablespoon olive oil, lime zest, remaining juice from lime, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

To serve, spoon scant 1/4 cup salsa over chicken, top with dollop (about 2 Tablespoons) of lime sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.

I also served corn on the cob and Not Chili's Rice Pilaf (click here for recipe).

What we thought~
Oh YUM!!!!
It was as delicious as I imagined it would be when I saw it in the magazine. It's a bit of work, especially when you add in the effort of side dishes, but it was so worth it!
Roger also loved it.
Emily and Jaxon had their chicken without the salsa and lime sour cream and they seemed to love it.
Kenzie wasn't feeling well tonight and hasn't eaten yet. But I'm sure she'll enjoy the leftovers when she's feeling better.
Lots of interesting flavors. Love the combo of tangy salsa with the creamy lime sour cream.
We'll definitely have this again. I think it's one that would be really impressive for company. The salsa and lime sour cream could easily be prepared ahead of time. Leaving only the chicken to grill.
Pounding the chicken breasts was a great idea! They cooked very quickly and evenly and stayed very moist.

Almost back.....

....just a few more walls to touch up at the old house, boxes to unpack at the new house.
Life is crazy, exhausting, busy and oh so GOOD! :)

And today is my sweet husband's birthday. Love him so very much!

An Organized Move

We're moving! Yikes! I haven't done that in 16 years!!!
So I turned to My Super Smart Network of Friends for advice on the best way to tackle this crazy thing.
Here's the advice that they gave me.
Begin packing the least important things first and number the boxes as you go, labeling each one for the room it's going into at the new place.

Keep a list of the boxes, by number, with notes about what room it goes to and what's in it. I just went with general info. I don't have time to be too specific.

And then pack your little heart out. Because a LOT of stuff accumulates in 16 years.

I'm also keeping all the important items pertaining to the move in a 3 ring binder. I keep that and the packing supplies all together so I can be prepared to pack whenever I get a few minutes to spare. I know exactly where to find this paper or that paper (Oh the paperwork involved in selling and buying a house!! oy!!) at a moment's notice.

The idea behind this system of packing is that I will pack the most important stuff from each room last, so those boxes will have the highest numbers. When we get all the boxes distributed to the rooms in the new house, we'll know that the boxes within that room with the highest numbers are most important and should be unpacked first. And if we are desperately searching for one specific thing, the list should help us locate it.

I'll let you  know how it works out in a few weeks. ;)

I've purposely put off packing any of Jaxon's things yet. I was afraid he'd be in a panic about being without his toys till we move. But now he's seeing me pack up everything else and beginning to panic that we aren't taking his toys. LOL So I guess I'll start packing up his things in the next day or two.

Did you notice that most of the boxes so far are marked "Craft Room"? 

In my defense, I'm marking all boxes of home decor for the craft room. I figure that's a good place to land them all till we decide where we want things to go. Not that there isn't a lot of actual craft room stuff. Ha! But not quite as much as the pictures might make it seem.

Speaking of the craft room... here's a sneak peak at the new one! 

It will be used exclusively for my ~CREATIVE~ space. Hooray!!! I can't wait!!! I already have big plans for it. It will probably be the first room I really put together. That makes sense, right? I mean, I NEED that creative space to be inspired to decorate the new house and truly make it our home. :)

My big plans include making these shelve (there are 5 of them) from my current craft room look less industrial and more beautiful.

 Stay tuned! It shouldn't be too much longer. ;)

Linking up to this party because not blogging is making me crazy!

Meal Plan and WW Update

Tomorrow will be 32 weeks since I reached my goal weight on the Weight Watcher's plan. That's as many weeks as it took me to lose the nearly 50 pounds.
Since mid-March we have been involved in selling our house and buying a new one. This has been exciting, disappointing, fun, sad, exhausting, exhilarating,  etc. The whole experience has involved so much more than I ever would have imagined. And it's not over yet.
Hectic schedules have led to too much eating out and convenience foods.
Stress has led to me eating WAY to much of ALL the wrong foods.
My official weigh in day is tomorrow and I expect to be about 5 pounds above the top end of my ideal weight range. Doesn't sound so bad except it's about 10 pounds above my lowest weigh in since starting WW. I would really rather be back there again.
Support from my friends and family is what helped me achieve the goal in the first place. And also the accountability of reporting on my progress here.
So, there it is, I gained a few pounds back.
But I know how and why. And today I took steps to get back on track.
That started with a good healthy meal plan and restocking the fridge with good, healthy food.

Sat~ Green Salad with chicken breast, cranberries, walnuts, blue cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Sun~ Grilled Tilapia with Pico De Gallo and Chimicurri, Rice and Corn on the cob
Mon~ Veggie Teriyaki Stir Fry, Rice
Tue~ Eating out after a meeting
Wed~ Calypso Beef Soup, Bread
Thu~ Veggie and Cheese Omelots, Fresh Fruit
Fri~ Curry Spiced Turkey Meatballs over Lemon Rice, Veggie

P.S. I really miss blogging about projects. This is particularly frustrating because we have found the new house and there are a million projects I want to do for it and blog about. But here we are caught up in the hurry up and wait game that is buying a new house and selling an old one. *sigh* So frustrating. I just want to get busy CREATING things for our new house. Trying to be patient. Hang in there with me. It won't be much longer till I can fire up the sander, the saws,  the sewing machine and a couple hundred cans of spray paint. ;)