Happy 12th Birthday Payton...

Happy Birthday Payton!

Seems like just yesterday you were a sweet little baby with super chubby cheeks. I'm so proud of you and the kind, caring, smart, hardworking young man you've grown to be. Can't wait to see what the future has in store for you.

I LOVE YOU!

Winter Wonderland...

After a full day of nonstop snow yesterday, this is what we woke up to this morning...
There's probably about 6 inches out there. What a great day for sledding, snowman building, and eating snow ice cream. Yum!

Tomorrow is Payton's 12th birthday, so we have 5 boys coming over for a sleepover. Wish us luck and stay tuned for more pics to come...

Baking With Elyse...

Since my mommy is trying to learn how to be a better cook, I decided to take over and teach her how to bake some delicious cookie brownie bars! Here's what you need...

First you mix butter, water, an egg, and the brownie mix...

Stir it really well!


Then you spread it in the pan. And mix the butter, water, and cookie dough mix.

Put spoonfuls of the cookie dough on top of the brownies so it looks like this...

Bake it and ta-da...


Delicious!

By Elyse

MLK Tournament...

This weekend Payton's AAU team, Arkansas Hawks, played in a local tournament. Teams from across the South traveled to play here in our area. The boys played four games and came out with a 3-1 record. Overall, they did really well. I'm proud of how well they played together as a team... in fact sometimes they were a little too unselfish! Passing up on easy layups to make a pass to a teammate. That just shows you what a good group of boys we have if that's our biggest complaint!

{Getting coached up before game 1.}

{Warming up}

{This boy moves too fast for me to get a good action shot!}

{Spencer and Payton have been BFFs since kindergarten.

Aaawww.... aren't they cute?!}

{Go Hawks!}

Livin' The Life...

Payton has got to be the luckiest guy I know! He was invited by a friend to go on this...

Cruisin'. Swimmin'. Slidin'. Parasailin'. Livin' it up!

{These guys are the bomb!}

It's Like the WWF In Here...

Poor baby girl is sick with pneumonia. She's been coughing up a lung and wheezing like a fire engine. Poor thing sounds terrible!

So she's on breathing treatments, antibiotics, and oral steroids to help get her well. She does pretty well with her breathing treatments... thank goodness.

But getting her to take the other medicines is another story. I have to wrestle her to the ground, pin her down, clamp her sweet little chubby cheeks and shove it down.

{I feel like this guy...

only without the spandex...

or the crazy partner waiting to be tagged into the ring.}

If it's what will get her well, then it's what a mama has to do! No one ever said it was an easy job.

Cookie Time...

One of the perks of being an elementary school teacher is that you're one of the first ones to get to order your girl scout cookies each year.

On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of being an elementary school teacher is the number of cookies I order each year.

Cookies went on sale this weekend and I've already ordered WAY too many. I'm kind of embarrassed to tell you the actual number. I just can't turn a child down... if I order from one, I have to order from them all. That's fair, right???

Oh well, maybe this will replace my candy corn obsession.

Learning to Cook...

I've been inspired. Inspired by The Pioneer Woman. Her website is amazing. Her photos. Her stories. Her recipes. I love it.

Ryan has always been the cook in our family. But lately I've been following some of the Pioneer Woman's yummy recipes. And I've actually enjoyed it. I never really thought I'd like to cook... it's just never interested me. But I'm really loving it!

Now don't get me wrong. I'm no pro. Not everything I've tried has turned out so yummy. But it's a process and I'm definitely learning. And enjoying it along the way.

Here are some of the things I've made so far that I've enjoyed...

Chicken Spaghetti. This one was Payton's favorite.

{photo via Pioneer Woman}

Dinner Rolls. This was one of the learning moments. Next time they'll turn out better.

{photo via Pioneer Woman}

Lasagna. Yum!

{photo via Pioneer Woman}

If you haven't checked out the Pioneer Woman's blog yet. You've got to! It is truly life changing! (Just ask Jennifer or Haley... they've got my back on this one.)

Sweet Angel...

Beth and I have been friends since elementary school. She is easily one of the funniest people I know. Always ready with a joke or comment to make you laugh.

Here is an amazing story about her sweet little family and her little angel, Jack.

Jack's story

It really makes you realize just how special each of our children are and how precious life is.

{Jennie and Beth at Bunco}

Sorry Dr. Pepper, You've Been Replaced...

There's nothing I enjoy more lately than a lovely cup of...

yummy mint tea.

Sorry Dr. P... I know we've been companions for many, many, many years. But I think you have officially been replaced.

Hearts...

I love this guy.

The Bachelor Begins...

The new season of The Bachelor starts tonight and I am super excited about it! I'm a little apprehensive because Jake was not one of my favorite people on the last season of The Bachelorette. He's a nice guy and all, just a little too boring to carry the show on his own. My guess would be that the producers chose some super-crazy girls to ensure that there is plenty of screaming and plenty of tears. Hopefully pilot Jake will have some drama. Oh yeah, and find true love along the way...

Get Your Run On...

The last 3 months I have been sooooo bad about running. The school year has been really busy and I just haven't had the time or energy to run consistently this semester. So one (of my several) New Years Resolutions is to run more consistently and to run in more races this year.

My friend, Tamara, and I have decided that we are going to start running in the mornings before school. By the time I get home in the evenings and we get homework, errands, dinner, practices/games, and all the other things on our list done, I am just too worn out. All I want to do is lay down and relax! I know it's going to be difficult to get up an hour earlier every morning because I am definitely not a morning person, but I think that having a a running buddy will really help. As much as I'll want to hit that snooze button, I won't because I know Tamara will be waiting for me.



So here's to New Years Resolutions! Let's hope I can stick with it...

Happy Anniversary...

Today Ryan and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. We were married in Kona, Hawaii (on the big island) on January 1, 2006. This is a very special date because it is Ryan's grandparent's anniversary as well. We were so fortunate to be able to travel to paradise for our wedding. Here is a look back...















I am so blessed to have this wonderful man to share my life with. He is my best friend, an amazing father, and a wonderful husband. We're together through it all, the good times and the bad. I know I'll always have him by my side and I am so grateful for that!

I LOVE YOU RYAN!