Time flies

How does so much time get away from me between posts?  How is it almost Fourth of July?(seriously..how?)



I have no idea what is up with the text here and later on but I spent 20 minutes trying to fix it and I can't.


I am happy that time is flying by right now because it means we are slowly getting closer to our trip here:

It's been three years since we were last there and I.  can.  not.  wait.  to go back.  

7 weeks!!

Last weekend we met up with P, K & S to have dinner at their house. K was going to make us homemade carnitas(Joe's favorite).  Just as we pulled up I got a text from K(sorry I didn't get it earlier while I was driving) that S had fallen on their tile floor and busted her chin open.

So we arrived at their house,  and they had to leave  to go to the ER.  Joe and I enjoyed the carnitas(and a margarita.  O.K., a couple of margaritas, but who's counting?) alone. The carnitas were dee-licious!

I  kept updated on S's condition via text while Joe and I enjoyed their flat screen t.v. and trashy cable t.v. shows, neither of which we have at our house. 

Sadly, by the time they came home I was ready to go, as I wasn't feeling well and hadn't slept well in a few days.

Here is S after she got her stitches.  Poor little sweetie!  She was so brave.

We are making plans to do it again, this time where we actually get to eat together.  :)  I can't wait!

Let's see, how else am I occupying my time?  Oh yes, Pinterest.  If you aren't on Pinterest, man you are missing out!  You can follow me here.  If you don't know what it is and you want to check it out, I can send you an invitation.  I heart Pinterest

One of the jokes about it is that people pin all of these amazing things like recipes, or DIY projects or crafts, but they never make any of them.

 Well not me, because I actually have made quite a few things that I pinned.  Most of them recipes or craft projects, but I have used some of their natural home cleaning tips as well.

Anyway, if you have spent any time on Pinterest at all, I'm sure you have seen those salads in a mason jar.  I loved this idea when I saw it, as I bring salads to work two-three times per week. I bought some divided tupperware containers to put all of my ingredients in, but it was very bulky to bring to work, and store in our very small fridge.  I decided to give the jar idea a try.

I didn't have any mason jars at home. I didn't want to buy a whole package of 12 and I had a spaghetti jar on hand so I used that and it worked just fine.

First I gathered all of my veggies and got to chopping.

I love this low fat honey mustard dressing I found that is made with yogurt.  I despise fat free dressing(yuck) so I usually go with a low fat version. It's worth the extra points for me. This dressing is only 2 points per serving. It comes in a parmesan caesar that is delicious too.

All of the ingredients chopped and ready to go into the jar

                                                       Next I chopped the lettuce

Now to layer it in the jar. The dressing goes first. The key is to not let the dressing touch the lettuce, or the lettuce will get slimy.

Start layering the ingredients. They said to start with the "hearty" vegetables first.  I put the tomatoes, onion, and corn in first, topped by the chicken.  

Next you stuff the lettuce on top tightly. I really mashed it in there.  Put the lid on and that's it!  A healthy lunch to take to work. When you pour the salad into a bowl, it comes out perfectly with all of your veggies on and dressing on top. I read somewhere that you could shake up the bottle and it would coat the lettuce but mine didn't budge because I stuffed so much lettuce in there.

 The best thing about them is that they last four days!  On Sunday night I make a couple of these for my  lunches and I am good to go.  So convenient and healthy!

I had also seen on someone's blog that you could make fruit salad and store it the same way, so I tried that too.  The fruit salad kept for about three days, but it was very convenient to just pour it into the bowl when we wanted to eat it.  If I prep fruits and veggies when I first bring them home so I am much more likely to eat them.

I put the blackberries on top so they didn't get squished.

Anyone else out there a Pinterest addict that I can follow there?  I am always looking for people to follow because the more people you follow the more great pins you see.

On a totally unrelated (yet awesome) note, head over to my friend Rhonda's blog and check out the referral of their beautiful baby BOY!  He is precious!

Some pictures

The last two weeks have been busy. And draining.  I find myself so tired at the end of each day.

I always have a million blog posts in my head but never actually have time to write them. Here are just some pictures of the last month.  

We went on a picnic at our favorite walking trail on Memorial Day.  We had a wonderful time.  I love riding my bike!

We even took Gizmo, which we don't normally do because she is a menace.  No really. She is.  Do not let her cute face fool you!  Just ask our downstairs neighbor, who she barked at and chased into her house the other day.  No joke.  I think she was scarred for life!

This is how we got her there.  It was Joe's idea and I laughed in his face and told him she would *never* stay in that basket for two miles there(and back).  But you know what?  He was right! She totally stayed in the basket and actually seemed to enjoy it!  Write down the date of this because it isn't often that I use the phrase "Joe was right".  LOL.

Happy to be at the park.

I made a couple of banners for a friend's little girl's birthday.  I think they came out cute!

We laid my aunt to rest. It was very sad.

I fit into a size dress that I haven't fit into in a long time.  I have a long way to go but I am very happy with how far I have come. 

My sister showed up with a dress similar to the one I just bought.  Twins much?  

We went to the Spectrum and tried out these little cars.  Cute!

We rode the Ferris Wheel.  I am not normally a fan of the Ferris Wheel but the weather was so clear and beautiful you could see for miles and it distracted me from the height at which we were dangling precariously   :)

                                    

Dragon Boat practice started a few weeks ago.  My heart is happy. I feel a peace out on the water that I don't feel anywhere else.

Like I said, been busy!  Summer is here.  I have a whole list of things I want to do this summer.  Maybe I will post it and we'll see how many I actually get done!

We Are Family

Go ahead and sing the next line.  You know you want to.    :)

I have a small family.  When I was a child we could all sit around one table for holiday dinners.  Slowly we grew, as my cousins had children, but we are still a small,  close-knit family. 

 Twice in the last month I have had the pleasure of visiting with family.  We don't all live locally, so this is a treat when everyone is in one place. 

On Mother's Day we met at my cousin's house for a lovely brunch.  Then again last Sunday we met at my aunt's small apartment.  It isn't that often that I get to see all of my cousins so frequently.  We always have a good time together.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.  ~Joyce Brothers

You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.  ~Desmond Tutu

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.  ~Barbara Bush

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life - to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.                                                 ~George Eliot

Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.             

                                                                               ~Anthony Brandt

My aunt lost her battle with Cancer this week.  She was brave, courageous, strong and faithful.  She was my only Aunt and I will miss her dearly.

Please keep my cousins in your prayers, as they are now without either of their parents.

 Please keep my Dad in your prayers, as he has lost his big sister and his only sibling(I cannot imagine).

On Friday we will gather again to celebrate her life. 

I will be forever grateful that we were able to gather together one last time  to make these wonderful memories.

Goodbye Tante.  You will be missed.

Having a place to go - is a home.  Having someone to love - is a family.  Having both - is a blessing.  ~Donna Hedges