2013 was a year...

Blogging is one of the first things to go out the window when things get busy.
I kinda hate that.
There is just something about getting these thoughts out of my head.
Anyway....
2013 was an interesting year.
I turned 30! Yikes!
I am a lot better about it now (wink).
It was a hard pill to swallow.
So here I am sitting on the eve of 2014 and chuckling at the last year.
I remember last new years eve, thinking "ugh, I turn 30 this year" and " I am getting so old".
HAHA!
It's so funny to me how much things change in just a year.
How Jaxon went from this tiny little guy...

 To the "big" glasses wearing 1st grader!

How Dawson has come from the Baby baby stage...

 

 Into the quirky, funny, little boy stage!

 How they have grown as brothers.....

 I couldn't resist this one.

 

How... EVERYTHING Jaxon does is the coolest thing Dawson has ever seen...

 When Jaxon gets an idea... Dawson goes right along with it.
( FYI... this was ALL Jaxons idea. I don't typically dress my kiddos in cowboy gear)

 And how they fight like brothers, laugh like brothers and overall would be lost without the other one!

 These are the things that make for a great year!
So I could write a HUGE, LONG blog about the hardest parts of this year....
Or I could sum it up with this...
God moved in huge ways.
He taught us...
He protected us...
He allowed us to feel some hurt....
He watched us make mistakes...
He picked us up and got us going....
And He LOVED US!!!

So as 2014 comes in, I am being THANKFUL!!
Thankful for another year to try and be a better wife, a better mom, a better sister, a better daughter, a better friend :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Things get in the way!

Good things!!

So I am admitting to myself (sigh) that there is no possible way I can finish my list before my birthday! I have attempted! 

So here are a couple reasons:

1. I shouldn't have picked so many things that depend on other people. Trying to fit my crazy schedule around someone else's is well... challenging! Not to mention I barely have time to make my schedule work with my hubby's let alone others! 

2. I want to do more (wink) I have walk a 5k.... well now I want to try and at least jog it! If you are a runner you understand that I need to train for that! So... I need time to train.

And...

3. This list has been a great eye opener for me... I am not as scared as I was to turn 30 ( not excited...just not scared) This list has made me realize I have a lot of great ideas and plenty of adventures to enjoy. The biggest of which is the adventure of mommying. And to be fair reason number 4 could be the 2 little boys that take up a lot of my attention (willingly given). I love spending time with them. THEY make me feel young!

SO....

I am changing a few things...

I want to lose 30 pounds

I want to run/jog a 5k

I want to settle in to my better eating habits

I AM STILL GETTING A TATTOO!!!!!

These are my goals to meet by Oct 31st!!!

A secret recipe!!

Ok this one is killing me!!!

Here is what I have decided...

I am not doing this one!
Oh I know it sounds like I am giving something up on my list but that is just not the case.
If you know me you know I love food. I don't ask for opinions often because I will cry if they tell me they hate it. And in my family its not completely unlikely for someone to say they hate something. So the ONLY person I ask is my brother in law Jay.
I know this is totally random and if you know Jay you are thinking what is she nuts?! But Jay is kind and not afraid to say maybe a little this or a little more that.... And he isn't mean and doesn't make me feel stupid! (Even though I thought I almost killed him once... Ask him about the calzones I made for him)
Soooo...
I have made a few dishes that I thought this would be a perfect secret recipe...
Banana split cake
Zucchini lasagna
But every time someone says this is good and I think.... They should make this too!
They should be able to put their own creative spin on things.
Cooking/ Baking and be such a refreshing expression of ones artistic ability, why would I limit someone from making tasty art! So I am going to post the recipes and its no secret!

Banana Split Cake!
This is a two layer cake.
I used New Hope Mills GF vanilla cake mix.
In the middle of the two prepared cakes I put melted peanut butter and bananas.
I frosted the cake with chocolate whipped frosting and topped it with sliced strawberries :) soooo yummy!

Zucchini Lasagna.

Make normal lasagna just replace noodles with zucchini.
It's so tasty! Even my little boys loved it!
Only caution is ... It's super juicy so let it set for a bit when you take it out of the oven.

I do not claim to be a chef!
So these are nothing new I am sure... But still fun things I enjoyed making!

Enjoy your tasty art!!