i love you...no no i hate you

So this blog and I have a love/hate relationship and lately I'm sad to say that I've been feeling the hate. Well, maybe hate is too strong a word...how about dread orrrrrr guilt. I feel like keeping it updated has become a chore and I find myself taking pictures just so I have something to blog about. I originally created this blog as a place for family and friends to see pictures of the kids, read my thoughts and maybe pick up a new recipe or two to try and I feel like it has turned more into a calendar of events for our life. Not that there is anything wrong with that...it's just too time consuming for me to keep up with and I want to start enjoying this process again. Anyway, with that said I am going to take control of my blog back and return it to what it was truly intended for. I probably won't be blogging as regularly but I will continue sharing the things that I find interesting or amusing or beautiful.

I'll leave that with some dinner conversation from last night...

Suki: Daddy's other name is Carlos
Me: You're right, what's mommy's other name?
Suki: Mama

Organic Produce Co-Op

I joined an organic produce co-op through my local health food store about a month ago and I have to share that I am loving it. Not only are we getting organic fresh produce each week, we are being forced to try things we would never have bought otherwise. I simply go the the health food store each Friday and pick up my half share box. It costs $24 and contains different stuff from week to week. It's kind of fun opening it up and pulling everything out. Sometimes we get stuff that I don't even recognize. Here is a sample of what I receive each week...

Boom Boom Pow!

As a follow up to my rollerskating post, I thought I would share this video of Suki singin' it up at the roller rink. She LOVES the song "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas and knows almost every word. She was so excited when it came on.

Enjoy!

Three Christmas'

This year Christmas was really bittersweet. We really missed seeing our friends and parents but we had an amazing time making some new traditions in Chicago. We had a white Christmas for the first time and I feel like Suki really started to understand the holidays. Christmas Eve was really low key with just us having a nice dinner and making some sugar cookies for Santa. Then after the kids went to bed, Santa came and dropped of some presents! Some of the favorites were a blow up ball pit and a tricycle...

My sister and her family flew in Christmas evening and we had our "second" Christmas with them. I cooked a small feast; filet mignon, butternut squash lasagna and mixed greens salad, bread and an apple tart. We were all so excited to finally have them here and the kids got to open more presents...

Carlos' beer holster

Cassidy opening her present

Alex's new Cubs shirt

Suki's new rain boots! She didn't want to take these off.

Jesse's favorite gift

After spending a few days in Chicago we drove up to Appleton Wisconsin to visit my brother and spend a third Christmas with them. Of course, my sister-in-law went all out cooking her yummy breakfasts and dinners, the kids hid out in the basement the entire time staying up til 5 in the morning and we had a much needed adult night out.

Amy's new apron

Paige's gift - the best of all!!!!

New Year's Eve

We were up in Appleton for the week and since we didn't want to deal with all the craziness of New Year's Eve we decided to go out the night before to celebrate. We went to an awesome restaurant on the river and then headed to the martini bar for drinks and finished off the night with some dancing. It was so much fun! The perfect way to celebrate the New Year.



The Girls (Jennifer, Me, Brandy and Amy)




The Boys (Scott, Mike, Jesse and Carlos)

A Rollerskating Birthday

It was my niece's birthday on Tuesday and we were supposed to go rollerskating that night but roller rink was closed so we stayed in and had a yummy dinner of homemade mac-n-cheese and ribs from Famous Dave's. After dinner she opened gifts and then we all sang to the birthday girl. It was nice because this was the first time that we were together for her birthday! We finally went rollerskating on Thursday to celebrate again. I wasn't sure how Suki was going to do since she's always been on the clumsy side, but she did awesome! It would be a huge understatement to say that she loved it. She was in awe of the lights and the music the entire time and didn't want to come off the rink. She even went around one time by herself. My little girl is growing up so fast and I'm not sure I like it.

The birthday girl

Cousins