We are 3!!! (and a few days)

Kastyn celebrated her 3rd Birthday last Thursday(all day) the 24th of July! If you ask me, she had a pretty great day!

Wednesday night I wrapped her gifts and put them by the fireplace so she'd see them first thing in the morining when she woke up and walked out of her room! Sure enough...as she was headed in to wake Daddy up...she stopped, and was in a trance from the colorful wrappings...that hid her gifts! She was so excited and couldn't wait to see what was in all the pretty packages! I let a few items unwrapped, so she could see them right away(markers, shoes, monkey beach towel). She finally was able to sit down and start unwrapping. Each and every gift that she opened was more exciting than the previous one...and her final gift was...a Princess Computer! She asks for it each and every single time we go to the store, so I figured it was about time she got it! And since then...it hasn't left her side! She LOVES it!







After gifts she ate breakfast, and then it was time to get ready for Pump-It-Up! I had invited a friend to go with us to play for the morning. So once we were ready, we headed to pick up Izzy and off to Pump-It-Up we went! Once we got there, we had one more friend(Mia) meet us there. The three of them played and played and played! They had SO much fun, and I thought it would be a sturuggle to get them to go, but I think after 2 1/2 hours they were all beat!





When Kastyn woke from her nap, we headed to the pool for a couple hours before our big night at CHUCK-e-CHEESE! Yikes! She'd never been, and since it was a weeknight, I figured we'd be okay, with the amount of people that were there, so we decided to brave the crowds and take her! Kastyn was super excited for all the games and rides, but didn't much like Chuck-E himself...she kinda wined, and wanted away quickly when he came to sing and dance! After playing lots of games, we took a break for pizza! After two and a half pieces, we were back at the games for a little longer. Once all our tokens were gone, she was able to cash in her tickets for prizes! So we headed home with some candy, rings, and tattoos!








It was all we could do to keep her awake in the car-ride across town before she was ready for bed! Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Babygirl!

First 3rd Birthday Spoiling!

Thanks to a shopping spree at Target with our neighbors "Aunt" Shell and "Auntie" B! They decided this year instead of trying to buy for Khakis(that's what they still call her), they would just take her on a mini-shopping adventure! They were gone for a good hour...and Target is only 5 minutes from our house!

They reported back that Kastyn was very good the entire time they were gone! Of course they went up and down each isle three times, to make sure they didn't miss seeing or touching anything! They offered lots of different things...Aerial blanket, Aerial Sheets, K-State Tshirt(ACK), and princess toys. She told them, she didn't need any of that, and came home with a 4-pack of LipSmackers Lip-gloss, a Spiderman kickboard(for swimming), Hot Pink Goggles, and an Aerial swimming friend! Can you say SPOILED??? Just a little!

They stopped on the way home for ice cream covered in strawberries! She was in heaven! Who could ask for more...as a preview to their 3rd Birthday!!!

Deceptively DELICIOUS!!!

This is how our Fridge looks now:


These are my new best friends. They are all veggie purees!

Deceptively Delicious is how I started cooking Monday and it is SO much fun. I watched Oprah last week, and saw an interview with Jessica Seinfeld, on how she got her kiddos to eat more veggies...by using purees and such...so I looked thru the cookbook and got ideas, and I got the ball rolling!

My first try...chocolate chip cookies! Monte came by that night to pick something up, so I sent cookies with him...later that night I caught him online, and asked how the cookies were:
Me: How were the cookies?
Him: Yeah, what kind were they?
Me: Chocolate Chip
Him: uh-huh
Me: Oh and there was some oatmeal as well...
Him: Yeah
Me: Oh and some Chickpeas!
Him: Yeah, they tasted like A**!

This was pretty much what Nick said too after finding out what was really in them. Of course the whole time he is eating them he's enjoying them, and saying how he liked how they were so soft...blah blah blah, and then I told him(my mistake I know), and he hated them! So needless to say...I have a gallon sized bag of GREAT Chocolate Chip Cookies on my counter! Just what I need, since every time I walk by I eat one-or two!

The past three meals I have cooked(chicken, meatload, and scrambled eggs), I have added my purees...and I think the food is wonderful! Nick gripes the whole time he's eating wodering what's in his food now, and Kastyn actually ate an entire plate of food at dinner last night and breakfast this morning!

I wouldn't have to do this, except: Nick doesn't lead a good example. He barely touches the veggies I fix for dinner, therefore Kastyn thinks they are YUCKY too! So since Nick won't eat them in their regular form...now we get to eat the pureed form! Enjoy!

Even though I'm serving meals with the purees, I still put veggies on our plates at meal time, so Kastyn knows the importance of eating veggies. Sometimes she will...sometimes she won't! It's kinda hit and miss...but I am at least giving her the option, and having her taste one bite!

Well enough about my sneaky ways of cooking...I'm off now to fix Homemaid pizza before I go to work!! Wonder what I'll add to it this time! :)

LOOK...A Snake!

Just kidding....it's just my arms! They are now in peel mode from our trip, and OH so attactive. I put lotion on them probably 34758 times a day, and it's not helping what-so-ever! I absolutley LOVE when I get out of the shower, and all the flesh starts flaking all over my nice fluffy towel! ACK! Nick looks pretty much the same. We are a great looking couple right now...let me tell you! If someone saw the two of us in public together, they would probably think we have some weird skin disease, and would keep a good distance from us, for fear of catching it themselves! I just love when Kastyn is sitting next to me, peeling the skin off, and asking..."Mommy what is that?!?!?!"

Speaking of Kastyn...we finally got around to fixing the beautiful bed that Gamma was so nice to give to us, and set it all up in her room today. It was a major job, but after using a hack-saw, hammer, and screwdriver, we managed to get the job done! After having to move her room around...again...we found the perfect spot for the bed, and it looks great! She loves it! It's also nice for bedtime books. I don't have to sit on the floor...I can lay in bed with her and snuggle while we read! That's what I love about it!

Nick celebrated his 29th Birthday Yesterday! All in all, I think he had a great day...to him, it's just a day...for me, I know it's his Birthday so I try to make it special for him. I had to work most of the day, but when I got off work, we went to a few golf stores around town looking for the Nike Sumo Driver that he's wanting to add to his golf bag. We were unsuccessful in our search, but it was followed by a very yummy Osaka dinner. Osaka is one of the many Japanese Steak houses in Wichita. It was Kastyn's first time, and she was in AWE! I wish I would have had a video camera set up to catch each new expression and comment she had! It was great! Her favorite part of the meal...was the soup(aka...chicken broth), and my drink....okay so maybe not so much the drink...but for sure the umbrella that came with it! :)

This week is dedicated to finding a new sitter for Kastyn! Wish me luck. It may never happen!

Let's try this again...

So...back in March, I thought I'd be cool and start blogging to keep everyone up to date on what is going on in our lives...needless to say...I haven't updated since then! I'm going to try again!! I promise to do better this time!


It's a rainy Tuesday here in Wichita! Nick is headed to OKC for meetings, and Kastyn and I are just hanging out. She had Gymnastics this morning, and now is napping away! I promised her this afternoon that we could paint her toe nails...we'll see if she still wants to when she gets up!




As most of you know...Nick and I spent three days in Mexico! It was amazing! We had so much fun, and kinda wished we would have had maybe one more day to lay on the beach, but I think we were both ready to get home and see Miss K. It was the FIRST time I had ever been away from her, and my first day was hard, but I did end up enjoying myself! She was in great hands, and had so much fun while we were gone!!



We Celebrated the 4th of July with neighbors again this year and had a blast as always. We are SO lucky to have such a great group of neighbors, that we can call friends and that we get to hang out with! They are like family! We love em!! We were also lucky enough to steal Kastyn away from playing long enough to get a great family picture!



Enough from me for now. I should go do something productive around the house. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to shock Nick with some new paint, or just do the scrapbook from Cancun! I guess if I was really going for the "shock" factor...I'd paint...but since it's wet out...it would probably take days to dry...hmmm...Maybe I'll just nap and decide later!