Life in Phone Pictures

Hello friends! I hope you had a good first week of the new year.

You might remember that last Friday was John Wayne's birthday. To celebrate we made a trip to the big big city {Denver} for lunch at Elway's {yes, as in Colorado's hero, John Elway}. After lunch, we did what any man would want to do on his birthday, walked around Bass Pro.

See that dessert?
It's a homemade Ding Dong.
Perfection.



New Years Eve day, we had our final family Christmas with my Mom's extended family. I got a cake for the party. I LOVE LOVE cake with buttercream frosting, so I never pass up a reason to buy a cake!


We played the white elephant gift exchange game.
We took our kid as our gift. Just kidding! The Little Lady had a blast playing in this bag and it was one strong bag, John Wayne could pick her up off the floor in it.

John Wayne got an awesome remote controlled helicopter in the game. Fun!


Our New Years Eve night was totally chill. Just the three of us at the trailerhood, a little Wii, some movies...very nice evening. {And I'll have you know that John Wayne and I made it until midnight...2AM in fact, watching movies.}


Sunday, we skipped church and I tackled the house that looked like Christmas threw up in it. Seriously, there were still remains of Christmas everywhere. I also got the wild hair to clean my closet out too. I had four big trash bags full of clothes, belts and shoes for Goodwill.


That night we ate our black eyed peas. This was actually the first time I had ever had black eyed peas, but I'm all about tradition and so I wanted to try them. I honestly was expecting them to be gross and to hate them, but we all actually really liked them. This recipe rocked and will be my go to recipe each New Years Day.
{Do you like my new dutch oven that I got for Christmas?!?}


I had Monday off work {yay!}. Instead of staying home and putting up my Christmas decorations {yes, I said I cleaned up Christmas, but just all the stuff it brought, not the decorations} the Little Lady and I went shopping with my Mom.

If you're ever in Colorado Springs, you have to go to Fargo's, my family's favorite pizza place. The pizza is pretty good, but that's not why you go to Fargo's, you go to Fargo's for the atmosphere. The best part is when your pizza is ready, they don't bring it to your table or call your name, your number magically appears on the mirrors that are located throughout the restaurant.


When we were grocery shopping, the Little Lady emptied her sippy cup and was demanding more. So I let her try pink milk for the first time. {Yes, please don't think I'm a thief, we paid for it.}


I have a 5AM appointment with this lady every morning. My bestie and I are holding each other accountable to 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.


And finally, this little striped straw has one purpose in life...to help me drink more water. {I hate water.}


Have a great week! I don't know if I'll be able to survive next week, the first full five day work week in what seems like forever.

2012 Goals

Okay, here I go again. Last year I developed a pretty big list of goals; really I could almost just cross 2011 off the top, write 2012 on it, and call it good for this year too.

I feel like for the first probably four months of last year, I was really into it, each month updating my progress {or sometimes lack of} on my blog, I was really focused in on my goals. Then by about June, I was done. That’s why I like a new year, a chance to get a fresh start.

So here’s this year’s list {or last year’s list modified, whatever}.

1. I WILL GET MY MESS OF PICTURES ORGANIZED.
This one is now not only affecting me, but John Wayne too. We have a new computer sitting in our office next to our current beast, but it’s just sitting there {and has been for months…literally} because I cannot make, find, whatever…time to get all of my pictures off of that computer’s hard drive. I need like a week off work with no distractions to get this done. Okay, we know that’s not going to happen, so I better just put in a few late nights. I am confident that once I get my current mess fixed, I will stay with a new system…I never want to venture into this deep dark mess of JPGs again.

2. Stick to my budget.
This is so HUGE HUGE HUGE this year. If we want to even think about starting to build next summer {as in 2013}, this is a necessity. Enough said.

John Wayne has helped me out here. He opened a savings account that I don’t really have access to. The savings account linked to my checking account, that I could make transfers from with only the click of a button…yeh, that wasn’t working out for me so well.

3. Exercise.
I was an athlete in high school, then something happened and laziness overtook my body. I still played in a volleyball league and golfed {does that count?!?}, but I didn't really exercise. Last year I did manage to improve my exercise habits quite a bit, but around October, exercise became a distant friend again. This year, my bestie and I are holding each other accountable for 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Honestly, one morning this week, when I was doing my lunges at 5:07AM, I took comfort in the fact that 100 miles away she was doing the same thing. I don’t want to suffer alone!

4. To really think about everything that I put into my body.
I’ve told you my struggles with dieting before…
I.hate.it.
I am not good at it.
{Yes, obviously if it was easy, the whole world would be skinny.}

I’ve kinda accepted that I’m not a skinny girl, no I don’t want to be fat, but the few extra pounds I’m packing, I can probably handle them, IF I feel good about myself. And guess what makes me feel good {like really, physically better} more fruits and veggies, less processed foods and more water…and no Diet Coke.

I’ve told you my struggles with Diet Coke before…
I.LOVE.it.
Water, really not so much.
But if I’m honestly talking about really thinking about everything that I put into my body, I don’t think that Diet Coke {every single day...in place of water} falls on the good list.
{P.S. If coffee ever falls on the bad list, I will just be bad.}

So yeh, I just want to make this conscious effort to think about things. I’m not going to lie to you {or myself}, sometimes I’ll think about it, it’ll be on the bad list and I’ll eat/drink it anyways, but, well you get the idea.

There’s my list. I could go on, add several more, but I’m going to stop at that.

Do you have goals for the new year?

Resolutions are good. Results are better.

What We've Been Up To

Hello friends! It's been awhile. Can't believe it's already a new year, but before I feel like I can talk about the new year, I have to catch everyone up on the end of 2011.

It was so nice to have the day after Christmas off too, a day to recover. All of my family was still around, so that night my Mom made a great taco and burrito dinner and had everyone over.

There was some bowling action. Although the Little Lady prefers to kick the pins down, rather than roll the ball at them. {Do you see the Little Lady's pacifier??? Yep, she stole it...from her baby doll. My Dad said maybe it's like her nicorette...she'll wean herself off her bop with it.}

Life in Phone Pictures

What an awesome week! I hope you too had a great week celebrating Christmas with friends and family.

Our Christmas celebrations started last Friday, with two gatherings with John Wayne's family. I didn't get any phone pics of the festivities, but did manage to get proof that this week we made time for our drink stop before we left the big city! {Yes, it's dark, it was really late...good thing Sonic stays open late!}



Christmas Eve, we hung out at my Mom and Dad's, watched football and I made green chili for lunch. I do make a pretty mean green chili for a red-headed white girl, if I do say so myself! I made green chili for Christmas Eve last year too, so let's call it a tradition.


That night we all went to the Christmas Eve service at church.


After the service, we drove around Kit Carson and looked at Christmas lights. For such a small town, I'd say this was a pretty good display!


Santa made a stop at the trailerhood!


The Little Lady was eager to open presents. She really got into this year and was so much fun!


Look at the great things her big cousins teach her!

They're actually my little cousins, I'm the oldest by five years on both sides, so all of my cousins are still in high school and college. They are awesome with the Little Lady and she adores them!


I made this peppermint ice cream cake recipe that I got from Mel over at the Larson Lingo. I.loved.it! Seriously, could have eaten the entire thing all by myself.


Besides our little Christmas celebration at home first thing in the morning, we had three other stops to make on Christmas Day and got home at nearly midnight. So needless to say, there was a lot of this going on on Monday.


Monday night, we did crawl off of the couch and go to my Mom and Dad's for dinner with all of my family. After dinner, there may have been a little Wii Wipeout fun. Have you played this game? My aunt and uncle gave it to John Wayne for Christmas and it is so much fun!


I'm looking forward to another fun-filled, long holiday weekend! Tomorrow is John Wayne's birthday...let's everyone wish him a happy birthday : ) And then more fun with family and friends for New Year's.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year from the trailerhood!

Christmas Eve...and Christmas Eve Eve

We started our Christmas festitivies on Christmas Eve Eve with John Wayne's family. We had breakfast with his immediate family on Friday morning at his brother and sister-in-law's house.

Do you think that John Wayne and his brothers and Dad might look a little bit alike?

The Little Lady had five cousins there and had an absolute ball playing with them.


We wanted to get a picture of the girls and my child turned into a total punk. Do me a favor, if you're ever around my kid, don't make the comment "wow, she hasn't taken her hairbow off yet" because that's a sure fire way to remind her that she does in fact have something on her head...that she needs to take off.


From there, we headed into the big city for dinner at John Wayne's Grandma's house. Total picture failure on my part. All I got were these of the Little Lady jumping rope. Again, lots of cousins equals lots of fun for the Little Lady!


Christmas Eve was actually a really laid back day, which is unusal for us. Usually the day I just told you about happens on Christmas Eve, but this year due to some scheduling conflicts we did it Christmas Eve Eve. Anyway, we slept in a little and then enjoyed some really yummy red velvet pancakes with cream cheese frosting for breakfast.

The Little Lady then had fun playing with some of her new toys. Don't you love the whole 80's workout girl look she put together. She got these bangles from her cousins and LOVES them...not sure where/how she snatched one of my exercise headbands, but put it all together and you get one fabulous look!


We spent the afternoon at my Mom and Dad's eating green chili and watching the Bronco's game. I made green chili for Christmas Eve last year too, so I'm going to call it a tradition : )

That night, we all went to the Christmas Eve service.


The Little Lady was dying to open a present. This was the first she had seen of them, as both me and my Mom didn't put them out under the tree ahead of Christmas this year because we knew she could not be trusted...and we were right.


These are probably a couple of my favorite pictures out of the 400+ that I took over Christmas. She snatched her Daddy's good hat {a no-no...you don't mess with a cowboy's hat} but when you're so darn cute, you get away with it!


That wraps up most of our official Christmas gatherings. We have one more this Saturday with some of my Mom's extended family, but they're all coming to the ranch, yay!

Christmas Morning

On Christmas morning, right after we did Santa presents at the trailerhood, we went to my Mom and Dad's house for stockings, more gifts and breakfast.


Whenever the person taking the picture would wave at the Little Lady trying to get her to look at the camera, she'd always give them a little wave back. Cute, I know.


Between her stocking stuffers, presents from Mama and Daddy, and presents from Grandpa and Grandma, I think the Little Lady had more presents then she knew what to do with, but she did love opening them!


John Wayne might not tell you this, but he likes opening presents too!


"Ohhhhhh!" I think we got this with every present that she opened, but I do think she especially liked her little Broncos dress!

Our main man Tebow may have had a rough game on Saturday, but we loved him before the whole world did and we'll love him long after they're over him.


One of John Wayne's favorite gifts, a boot jack with his brand on it, made by my Dad.


Grandpa and Grandma gave the Little Lady a princess tent. She likes to get in it and hide from us!


The Little Lady has a complete infatuation with our laptop, so we decided to get her one for Christmas. Her "leaptop" is pretty fun!


So there you have it, Christmas morning, but wait...I still need to tell you about Christmas lunch at the Hammer's and Christmas dinner at the Chisman's...and Christmas Eve...and the day before Christmas Eve. Yeh, we have a lot of family and yeh, we celebrate a lot!