Smile

This week's song challenge over at Scrap It With a Song is "Smile" by Uncle Kracker.  The lyrics are up on the blog. You can take whatever inspires you from this song, the words, the title or the overall theme of the song.   This week is sponsored by Stamping Boutique.  I used #51 Back to School Apple from Stamping Boutique in my layout.  The apple was a great addition to my layout.  Upload your creations onto the Scrap It With A Song blog by Sunday and you could be this week's winner.

It is hard to believe Jakob started Kindergarten this school year.  He is doing well in school and is really enjoys learning how to read.  His teacher recently sent a note home mentioning that he is doing great with his letter recognition and sounds.  This picture is his Fall picture that will also be in his yearbook.

This layout had some nice details, so I decided to take some close ups.  Enjoy!

My inspiration for this layout comes from November 2010 Pagemap sketch and paper from Coordinates Collections.

Pregnancy

4 Weeks - 11/18/10

• I found I was pregnant on Saturday, 11/20/10.

  
5 Weeks - 11/25/10

• Thanksgiving - Thursday, 11/25/10.
• I ate a salad at Texas Roadhouse on Friday evening and then a salad with dinner on Saturday.  Both evenings, after dinner I got really sick and did not keep it down.  Think the baby does not like salad!
• Monday, 11/29/10 - First doctor appointment.  Estimated due date July 28, 2011.  The nurse practitioner recommended to continue taking prenatal vitamins from Target.  They took blood work and they will know if I have any deficiencies, such as iron.  Results from the blood test came back and everything was good.

6 Weeks -

• Morning sickness starting to get me in mornings primarily.  Drinking sprite to help keep stomach settled.  I am noticing I am starving every few hours again.
• Many of my co-workers know I am pregnant now.  I attended a baby shower and at the end they were joking about how we needed another person to be pregnant so we could eat more cake.  I figured since I had a nice entrance I would go ahead and mention it!

8 Weeks -

• Tuesday, 12/21/10 - Follow up appointment with sonogram.
• Baby Smith - 8 weeks 5 days. Picture is blurry, but our little "peanut" is in the center of the picture and heart is the dark small white circle. (My mom had a hard time and know it's hard to see...so look directly between and under the F and the P to see the baby.) :)
• I am about "done" with this first trimester.  I am sure getting tired of the random morning sickness that hits me whenever.  I am also noticing that I am exhausted, but think partly due to my lack of sleep at night.  I wake up every few hours and need to use the restroom!

Merry Christmas

Well, this week over at Scrap it With a Song, we are doing something different.  Since we know everyone is busy with the holidays, we are each sharing with you a holiday layout and possibly a tutorial on our different blogs throughout the week!

I am constantly working on the previous year when I work on completing my layouts.  Here is a Christmas layout from our trip to Ireland, TX every year on Christmas Day.  Later in the day, we all go behind the fence and take a picture.  The women usually take their picture first and then the men.  It is neat to look back at how everyone changes from year to year.

I used my Cricut machine with the layout.  I used Beyond Birthdays to cut Merry Christmas and Doodlecharms to cut the Christmas tags to write everyone's name inside.  This layout and pictures are neat to me because we do this picture every Christmas.  The journaling states, "Every Christmas in Ireland, TX, we take a picture behind the fence.  The women tend to always go first, and then the men. It is fun to look at the pictures each year as well as the years past. 12/25/09."

dad's LOVE

This week's song challenge over at Scrap It With a Song is "Just the Two of Us" by Will Smith.  The lyrics are up on the blog. You can take whatever inspires you from this song, the words, the title or the overall theme of the song. Upload your creations onto the Scrap It With A Song blog by Sunday and you could be this week's winner.

This picture is from Jakob's first season of playing Blast Ball in Lewisville.  They needed a coach and Jeff volunteered.   We have some really cute pictures of Jakob and the other boys who played that season.  While listening to the song challenge this week, the message that came across was the powerful love from a dad and thought perfect!




My inspiration for this layout comes from Creative Scrappers sketch #131.

Menu Planning 12/12-12/18

Sunday: Chili
Monday: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Tuesday: Leftover Pork Roast from Crockpot
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: BBQ Sausage, Rice, Corn

Menu Planning 12/5 - 12/11

I had Pecan chicken on my plan last week and when I took meat out of the freezer, I accidentally pulled pork and not chicken!  So I'm going to try again for this week!  Roast sounds really good this week and so does country fried steak.  We still have to pick up the meat to do both, but both sound really good to me right now!


Sunday: Leftover Buffet
Monday: Tacos, Refried beans
Tuesday: Apple Sage Pork Roast (E-Mealz recipe), Baked sweet potatoes
Wednesday: Pecan Chicken (E-Mealz recipe), Green Beans, Potatoes
Thursday: BBQ Sandwiches (using meat from roast) (E-Mealz recipe), Ranch style beans, chips
Friday: Leftover Buffet
Saturday: Country Fried Steak, Mashed potatoes, Peas

Apple Sage Pork Roast (Any-Store Meal Plan)
5 lb pork roast*
6 slices precooked bacon
1 ½ cups chicken broth
(3 T brown sugar, 3 T vinegar,1 t sage, & 1 t flour)
2 apples, peeled and diced
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Salt & pepper roast. Cook on low, 6-8 hours.
Apple Sage Topping: Microwave bacon for 45 secs then chop into small pieces. Whisk together remaining ingred, except apples. Add to bacon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 10 min. Add & heat apples for last 3 min. Serve over sliced pork roast.

Pecan Chicken (Kroger Meal Plan)
1 lb chicken breast
(2 T honey)
(2 T Dijon mustard)
2 T finely chopped pecans
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Use meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness.  Combine honey and mustard; spread on both sides of chicken and dredge in pecans.  Place in lightly greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. 


BBQ Roast Sandwiches (Any-Store Meal Plan)
*Leftover pork from Meal #1
(Liquid Smoke)
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 pkg sandwich buns
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Finely chop leftover pork. Sprinkle w/ Liquid Smoke. Heat and serve on buns, then drizzle BBQ sauce over chopped pork.