Life Lessons over Pancakes

I've learned a lot about life over pancakes. 

Saturday mornings might be my favorite day of the week. Especially if we have no plans early in the morning. I have gotten into the routine of making pancakes or waffles every Saturday morning. My son is too young to realize it, but give it a few months and he will expect there to pancakes. I think I do it more for me, than for him. Traditions are my favorite thing about my childhood and I want my children to have them too. Traditions help stabilize your family and your life. It might sound silly, but I want my children to grow up eating pancakes every Saturday morning.

With this fast paced life we are all living it is hard to eat around the table. Since having a child, we have been doing it a lot more. I love being in the kitchen in the morning with the sun shining through the windows. I love putting hot, little pancake circles on an Elmo plate with powdered sugar on top. I love pouring orange juice into a little cup. I love sitting down with my one year old and giggling, talking, and babbling over pancakes. Life seems so simple in this moment. 

I'm not sure what makes it so simple. The fact that there's a hot breakfast on the table or the fact that it is pancakes. I mean, who doesn't love pancakes? During the week we eat a lot of granola bars, cereal, and bananas. On Saturday morning we are sitting down and eating. I think children love to eat the table. It makes them feel like a big kid. It makes them feel part of the family. They are eating with you and they know they have all of your attention. Children crave attention and it's our job as parents to give it to them. They like to feel part of something special.

Sure, it's breakfast. But it sure is special to this mom. I remember the mornings my mom would make us waffles and when my dad would make us eggs. I'm pretty sure they thought they weren't doing anything special but if I've held on to those memories 20 years later, I would say those Saturday mornings were a big deal to me. Now that I look back on it, I realize how special those mornings were. My parents took the time on their day off to make me breakfast. Sure, they could have just handed me a pop tart or poured me a bowl of cereal, but they threw some flour in a bowl instead. My mom taught me that when a pancake had lots of bubbles that it was time to be flipped. To this day, that's how I know that a pancake is ready. I learned patience over pancakes. I learned that good things come to those who wait. I learned that love is in the kitchen and that a kitchen makes a home. I learned that memories are made in the kitchen. I learned that most problems can be fixed over pancakes, especially pancakes with chocolate chips. I learned that sometimes you just need a stack of pancakes to make you realize how great life really is.

They always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and now I'm finally realizing why. 

Never Take Anything For Granted

Life is so short. No one knows exactly when our time will come or when our loved ones will be taken from us. That's life. I wonder sometimes how much different we all would be if we knew the exact moment when our life would end. Would we do more things knowing tomorrow might never come? Would we be nicer to the cashier at the store? Would we say "I love you" to our husbands, our children, our parents? Would we call our parents more then we do? Gosh, I don't know. Maybe knowing would make us go crazy. It actually definitely would make us go crazy. We act the way we do because we think we will be given one extra day to make things right; to fix things. But what if we don't? What if we don't have that extra day to apologize or to tell someone how much they mean to you? I never realized how precious life is until I had a baby. I want to see him do so many things. I want to see him walk and hear his first word and to listen to all his giggles. I want to watch him go to kindergarten, play baseball, and I want to go to countless track meets and watch him. Or band concerts if that's the route he chooses. I want to see him graduate high school and get married and have children of his own. I don't want to miss any of that. When I had a bridal shower all the guests wrote advice on a notecard. Over half of those notecards told me to never go to bed mad. I think that is so true. We need to end each day on a positive note. No one wants to wake up with a heavy mind. I want everyone to know that I care and love them at the end of the day. Each morning is a reason to celebrate life. God has blessed you with one more day to do better then the day before. Everyone says to never take anything for granted because you never know when it will be taken from you. Live each moment like it's your last. There's no way we can actually do that because deep down, we know that it's not our last. We always assume that we have another chance, another opportunity. Eventually that will not be the case. We live to learn. I want to be a better person. I want to be a better mother, a better wife, daughter, sister, friend. I want to LIVE. I want to be kind to people I don't know and be happy, because there is always a reason to be happy. It can always be worse. I have experienced a lot in my 24 years, but I am sure that I have experienced more good than bad. There are so many people out there that have it worse then me. I have great friends, parents that support me and love me, a brother who has become my best friend, a husband who thinks I'm the greatest woman in the world, and a beautiful baby boy who needs me. I have a roof over my head and I put food on the table. I laugh more than I cry and I think more than I speak. I am blessed. I have worked to get where I am, but God has and is blessing me and the people in my life. What more could I want? There's tons and tons of things I want, but I've got everything I need. I have it so good. SO GOOD. Life is beautiful. 


My dad is a birdwatcher. He loves birds and when I was little he would take me bird watching. He loves it and I grew to love it. There's a peace about looking at birds through binoculars. They are magnificent creatures that just float through the air. They are beautiful and strong and are independent. My dad taught me to notice the little things. He taught me to appreciate everything around me. He makes me notice the rain, the dark clouds, each little piece of grass, a flower petal, an ant walking on the ground. My favorite thing when I run in the early mornings (it's been a while since I've done that), is taking a deep breath and seeing my breath in the air. I don't know what it is, but I love it. How many times do you notice something like that? Every time you walk outside in the winter? When do you really notice the frost on the windows in the morning or the dew on the grass? When do you really see the colors of the sunset? We always notice the bad things. The wrinkles around our eyes, the gray in our hair, our muscles that aren't toned. We are so quick to pick out the things that are wrong, when really, we should be focusing on the things that are right. When I stare at Hunter I notice every little wrinkle, every hair. He's so new, so fresh. I don't want to miss anything about him. What would life be like if we stopped being so busy and just noticed what was around us? If we just appreciated what we had right in front of us? We will never know. Life is so wonderful, but we tend to forget that when we get all caught up with everything else going on. 


My daddy taught me to see that life is beautiful. There is something beautiful about every moment of every day. Embrace it. Look at it. Capture the moment. Breath. Live. We never know when our last day might be, but we have today. We have it now and that's all that matters. 

 My Daddy 

Us

Way ahead of Everyone

I'm married, have a baby, and I live 5 hours away from most of my best friends. Most of my friends aren't married and only a few have babies. I feel like many of my friends can't relate to what I'm going through in my life. I want to talk about diaper rash and teething and they want to talk about what bars they went to the night before. My life revolves around cleaning bottles, baby lotion, middle of the night feedings. They just aren't quite there yet. I get excited when Hunter starts rocking on his knees and I think he's going to learn to crawl. I jump up and down and yell when he learns something new. They get excited when they take a shot or can sleep in until noon. I'm the mom who makes the weird faces, silly noises, and dances around the room just to get a little grin out of Hunter. If anyone walked in the room and saw me they would probably think I'm crazy. It's kind of amazing what you will do just to make your child smile. I sing made up songs that make completely NO sense, but if Hunter loves it then I do it! Sometimes I feel a little left out from my friends because I am at a completely different point in my life then they are. I can't really relate to going out on the weekends. They don't know what's it like to wake up at 2am with a crying baby when you're exhausted. When you become a mom your body just gets used to sleep. I still enjoy going out, but I would much rather stay at home with my little family. I know that eventually my friends with all be in the same place I am in their life and then we'll have lots more to talk about. Then we can all have conversations on diaper rash, car seat brands, and what books to read to our babies. For now, I'll just enjoy my little guy and listen to their crazy stories from the night before. The best part is, someday they will all be asking me for advice because I'll already have been there. I can tell them how it is. I love my husband and my little boy more than anything in the world. They complete me and I love watching us grow together as a family. When you get older you lose friends, but gain so much more. Your social group becomes your husband and your child. I get to experience all these moments and I treasure all the early mornings, the icky diapers, and all the giggles. This is the best time of my life and I wouldn't trade it for a night at the bar for anything.

Why are we so busy?

We rush, rush, rush every single day. Why? What's the point? We are so wrapped up in the fast paced lifestyle we are all living. I get so worried about getting things done; the laundry, dishes, paying the bills, cleaning, etc...It will all get done eventually right? Yes, of course. I can't put all these duties off forever! Since I've basically been a stay at home mom for 6 months (I work at night), I have realized I don't know how working moms do it! How do they work all day long and then still find time to snuggle their children and get all these things done that I do during the day!? It amazes me! I know I probably can't be a stay at home mom forever. Unfortunately, I'll probably get a day job sometime, but I am so blessed to have stayed at home for as long as I have. I treasure this time with my baby boy. I am home all day and I still don't get all the dishes and laundry done. Working moms would probably laugh at me and think, "Girl, you don't know how good you have it! I could get so much done if I stayed home all day!" Haha! Okay, maybe not, but still. Everyone gets into a routine which makes life easier. I am in this routine now, but if I had to get a job, I could make it work and it wouldn't be a problem! A few jobs opened up that I would love to have. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my little guy and I would rather stay home with him then work, but I would like to get some experience in a field that is of interest to me. Everything can change so fast. I wish there were more hours in the day to spend with my family. When Ross gets home from work I have 3 hours to spend with him and Hunter. We have 3 hours to be a family together. That stinks! But that's life. I would rather have 3 hours, then zero. We make it work. That's what has to be done and that's what will be done!

This week I made broccoli and cheese soup, roasted-red pepper, sun-dried tomato chicken pitas, and pulled pork. Tonight we are having leftovers and tomorrow night if we stay home, I will probably make baked potato soup. I never know what our plans will be on Friday nights so I just try to keep an open mind.

For the broccoli and cheese soup, I took a recipe and modified it a little. I've noticed that ever since I started cooking more and trying out new recipes, I have learned how to add to them or change something.

Here is the recipe I used for the broccoli and cheese soup.
I didn't add the small onion because the hubby doesn't really like onion and I didn't add swiss cheese because I forgot! I added 4oz of cream cheese though and a can of cream of mushroom soup! My husband loved it and we are having leftovers tonight!

Here is the recipe I used for the chicken pitas.
I didn't shred the chicken, I just cut it up in cubes. I couldn't find sun-dried tomato oil so I used some roasted-red pepper dressing that I found in the salad dressing aisle! I also couldn't find sun-dried tomatoes so I just used a sun-dried tomato spread that I can't wait to try on a sandwich soon! I used a little more of the balsamic and roasted-red pepper dressing because I used more chicken. This is a great recipe and so easy to make!

Here is the recipe I used for the pulled pork. AMAZING! So easy! I love the fizzy taste of the diet pepsi that is added!

I just love trying new recipes. I love trying them and having them taste great! Haha! It is such a satisfaction; cooking. So rewarding.

Oh gosh, I did this ab workout two days ago and I am still SO sore today! It's such a great feeling though. I am addicted to that pain. I better get another workout in today! You should too!

Well, I should probably put away all the laundry I did yesterday...or maybe I'll just stare at Hunter while he's sleeping. Besides, what's the point rushing around? I can always rush, but tomorrow Hunter won't look like he is today.

Between diapers and miles...

A Brand New Year

Ahhh, 2012 is here! 2011 was by far the best year of my life and I cannot even imagine what 2012 will bring. I am so excited to watch my little Hunter grow and learn and change. Each day he learns something new. He makes my life so great and he keeps me on my toes. He will be 6 months old tomorrow. Completely blows my mind! He has gotten so big and has learned so much and his personality is starting to shine through. I love it. He's so funny and I love his little smiles and giggles. He is going to be a year old before I know it. 


A new year always brings changes. People always have all these resolutions that they want to do and usually by the time March rolls around they don't even remember making them. I've never been big on making new year's resolutions. I think it's because I don't like to fail so if I don't make one then I can't fail! Ha! That sounds pretty lazy now that I think about it. This year I got to thinking that there are a few changes I would like to make. I don't know if I would actually call them resolutions but since it's January 1st, 2012 we can call them that for now. 

• I want to be a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister. -I want to be the best I can be when it comes to each label in my life. I want to be a better mother and learn the best things for my baby and how to make him the happiest baby in the world. I want to be a better wife and support my husband even more than I already do and love him and just do my part in this family. I want to be a better friend and be there for my friends and I want them to know that I care and love them. I want to be a better daughter and sister and make my family proud and I want them to know that I will do anything for them. I want my family to know that I would not be who I am today without them. 
• I want to keep meal planning. -I want to make sure that I keep planning meals for my family and save money when it comes to food. 
• I want to focus on the little things. -My baby boy is growing so fast and each day I try to take time to just stare at his beautiful, innocent face. I love to watch him sleep and take in breaths, stare at his plump little lips, feel his little hands and feet, and just admire how wonderful he is. He is definitely a gift from God and I am so blessed that God has given His son to me to raise. I just want to make sure that I don't get caught up in the rush of life and I focus on everything that is right in front of me. I need to just enjoy each moment as it is happening, because once a moment is over you can never get it back. 

I guess I don't have that many changes that I want to make, but I think you always need to think about what you want to do better in your life or you will never have anything to work towards. You have to realize that everything you have right now could be done tomorrow. People aren't in our lives forever so we need to enjoy the time that we spend with everyone that we hold dear in our lives. Tomorrow I could wake up and my whole life could change, but right now, this moment, is all mine. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and regret not living, not loving with everything I have and more. I don't want to regret not being the best I can be. I want to wake up tomorrow and be content with the life that I am living. I think when you have a child you realize how precious life is. You become more aware of what is around and what is happening around you and in the world. You want to make sure that nothing can harm your child and you want them to be the happiest child ever. 

Each day I will probably realize something else I want to change or learn and that's the way it should be. You should never be content with what you know now. You should always want to learn something new. A new year is sometimes what people need to start fresh. They feel like they have a clean slate, a chance to start over and become the person they want. It's all about dedication. You have to be dedicated to change. You can't get discouraged. You must always keep the goal in mind. Once you have your goal, never stray from it. Just go get it. Once you get it you will feel a million times better than if you don't get it. 

Challenge yourself. Challenge the ones you love. Live. Love. Laugh. Focus on what you have right in front of you. Enjoy each day even if it doesn't go exactly the way that you wanted. Be thankful you were able to hear your alarm clock go off and be thankful when you lay your head down on your pillow. Take a deep breath outside and just notice the colors and smells of the world around you. Notice the trees, sky, birds, grass, rocks...We make everything so complicated when really we just need to think of everything as simple. We have one life and that's all we get. Appreciate it, appreciate others, appreciate yourself. 

It is the simple things...

Hunter experienced his first Christmas this past weekend. As I probably have said before, everything Hunter is learning and experiencing is more exciting for me then it probably is for him! I took so many pictures of him opening his presents and of course his stocking. Santa did not forget my 5 1/2 month old! When we made it to my parent's house, which was our last Christmas of the weekend, he loved their tree. He loves all Christmas trees but as I was helping him stand in front of it I couldn't help but notice how he just stared at the lights on the tree and felt the branches. Can you imagine how different the branches must free compared to all his soft, fuzzy clothes and blankets? Everything he is learning, I learned too. I once felt all these different textures and saw all these new things. It doesn't take much to make a baby happy. Heck, the other day I gave Hunter a water bottle and you would think he won the lottery! As we were spending time with our families over the weekend, I once again was hit with reality at how fast life can change and how precious the time is that we share with our loved ones. We never know what is going to tomorrow or even an hour from now, but we have those memories that eventually fade a little more everyday, but we never lose the feelings we had when we were with the people we love. Christmas is a magical time and I think that having a baby around makes you realize how much magic there really is. You get to live like a child again. I wish I could look at life like Hunter does. I wish I could see everything for the first time again. I think I would be much more appreciated. Hunter teaches me more then I think I teach him. 

Hunter opening his first tractor! 

I made three desserts for Christmas and I think they were a great hit. I made a cheesecake and was pretty nervous about how it would turn out, but I thought it was pretty good for a first time! Cheesecake is kind of confusing because the middle isn't suppose to be completely firm, but it turned out great. I also made reindeer cookies and santa hats. 

Reindeer cookies!

Santa hats!

White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things. Pick up the house, find places for all the gifts we received, and start the weekly meal planning again. Gosh, when you get off your regular schedule it is very hard to get back on. I have to find time to run this week. The weather here for December has been super mild and I need to get in a couple runs soon. I miss those roads, or well, sidewalks. Hunter is sleeping in his swing so I should take advantage of this quiet time and get some things accomplished. 

Hanging out in his Fisher Price swing. This thing has been a lifesaver!

Until next time...between diapers and miles.

Where do you start?

I've always wanted to have a blog so this is going to be my attempt at it. It's so hard to know where to start. You don't want to bore anyone that reads your blog and you want to seem interesting to your readers. That's the great thing about the internet though. If you're on a page that you get bored with, all you have to do is click the little "x" and the page is gone. I guess maybe this blog will be more of a collection of my thoughts and the best part, for me that is, is that all my thoughts are together in one place. Because one thing is for sure...my thoughts aren't always in one place in this head of mine! 


First off, I'll tell you a little about myself if you don't know anything about me already. I grew up in the country around cattle, crops, and pasture. My childhood is probably 3/4 of who I am today and I am proud of that. I ran cross country and track for 2 years in college and loved every single minute of it, even through all the pain. I think people that run will understand this: you get addicted to the pain. It is something that you crave and want more of. I met the love of my life and we had the most precious baby boy. My husband and I are newlyweds and even though it's felt like we were married for a while, when you actually get married things change. I'm still trying to figure out what's changed, but it is different than before. 


The most important things in my life are my baby boy, my husband, my relationship with God, my family, and my friends (in no particular order please note). 


Everyday is a learning experience for me. I'm learning how to be a better mom, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a daughter-in-law, a sister-in-law, and a person. This is my account on my journey. My biggest focus is probably on what is best for my little baby! Gosh, there are so many products out there and opinions on what you should and shouldn't do that for a first time mom and in my case, a person who is absolutely clueless on anything that has to do with children, it can be down right confusing and can almost make a person go batty! My little boy is 5 months old now and we got married when he was 3 months. I'm definitely not in the shape that I want to be in, but my lack of motivation is almost nonexistent theses days. I know eventually I will be back to running 10 miles like it's 3 and love every mile of it! For a mom, getting back in shape is harder than you imagine it will be, or maybe you just judge yourself more after a having a baby. 


Regardless, this is or will my blog. Hopefully you'll enjoy and take part in my everyday journey. 


Who knows what is next BETWEEN DIAPERS AND MILES....