by Alexis -

Meal planning

Alright food lovers. It is time for me to do another week of meal planning. Our cupboards are at the point where I have to be creative and actually think and plan to squeeze every last meal out of the fridge/pantry. Ever been there? Yeah, I thought so. OK, here is our next week in meals and I hope you can adopt some or at least an idea or two.

Monday: Italian baked Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday: Meatloaf, salad and chocolate pudding

Wednesday: Hamburgers, trail mix, fruit salad, sweet tea

Thursday: Chicken, roasted red peppers, roasted potatoes,onion bake

Friday: Wedding rehearsal- free dinner! Yahoo!

Saturday: left over night- yay for me 🙂

Sunday: Wedding and dinner there

Every woman deserves a laft over night, it’s just a stapple in our family. Some of these might sound weird but I’ll take pictures. How you night ask? BECAUSE OUR CAMERA JUST ARRIVED!!!!! I am super duper excited, even though it is MUCH smaller than I imagined. I’m going to experiment with it now. So maybe I’ll even have a couple photos to post before the day is out. 🙂

by Alexis -

Krakow, Poland

I have met plenty of people who have an incorrect idea of what Poland is like. When I tell them our family will be moving to the beautiful city of Krakow, they look at me like a deer in the headlights and just smile and say how wonderful that is.
As frustrating as this is, why would I have the expectation that they would all know what Krakow is like? I myself have an unreal expectation of people. So, I am posting just a few pictures of Krakow, Poland. I hope you will enjoy them, they were taken last October. It is such a beautiful city and the people are so giving and nice. I look forward to partnering with some good friends there and bringing Jesus to a new generation.

This is why we’re going. It’s a small group of young adults who have a desire to see their generation stand up and live for Jesus. They are all so wonderful- just meeting them was such an encouragement to me!




by Alexis -

Cupcakes and High heals

I am so excited! Because Emma is at the age where I get to push colors, and many other friends have kids her age, I thought it would be fun to have a color party. Basically, anything, with the chosen color, is the theme. This coming Wednesday’s theme is YELLOW! So our little munchkins are coming dressed in yellow and bringing a yellow toy to share. We’re having yellow-ish food (banana’s, goldfish, lemon cupcakes) and will also have an activity. I’m not sure how the kids will do with the craft, because they’re so young, but I think it will be fun for the mommies to join in and make something with them.

I’m making the cupcake frosting from whip cream and yellow food coloring. It should be a nice smaller group, around 4-5 mommies/kids so my house will still feel full. (it’s not THAT big)
~On another note, I’m sitting in bed while hubby is out with some friends seeing a movie- the ending to a bachelor party. I haven’t seen him at all and the movie started @ 10:30pm. I’m going to be out when he gets home. So I took TONS of time pampering myself (which I never ever do)getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is swimming lessons in the morning and then off to the wedding site of some friends where I will get the ‘lo’ down’ as I’m acting as coordinator.

~On even another note, I went to Goodwill and made out-BIG time. I got a pair of low heal Marc Fisher shoes! Oh I can hardly keep in my excitement…I now need to find outfits to wear them with. 🙂 If you are by me in Gresham, they just got a large shipment of Target items- now is the time to buy!

Aren’t these gorgeous?!!!!! These are shoes that I would love to buy and probably never will. My hubby and I are the same height- exactly. Yeah, it sucks. I’m having to be creative in my shoe buying…challenging for me. But these would be some that I would love to buy….*sigh….they’re so beautiful.
by Alexis -

This day 3 years ago

We were supported by our friends and family.
Although we only had eyes for each other.

We ate the best coconut cake ever created

And told everyone, ‘Look who I married! Lucky me!’

Today 3 years ago, I was joined with the best man I know. A good friend, someone I can laugh with and also someone who sees the best in me and loves me for who I am today- not for who I could be- but just me. 🙂

by Alexis -

Stalling

I am posting some pictures of some jewelry I’ve made over the past year. Not to toot my own horn, but because our new and amazing camera hasn’t come yet and I wanted to post some nice pictures. You can look through some of my stuff here.

On a cheesy mothering note, I was thinking about making Wednesday…”Walking Wednesdays”. This would give me pressure to go on a walk with Emma to the park, around the neighborhood or on the trail. Wherever- the point is that we’re getting out of the house and involving ourselves with civilization- always a plus. 🙂 So that way, Tuesdays are our treat day (hey! ‘Tuesday Treats!’ I never thought of that before! So what if I’m cheesy, Emma likes it) and Wednesday’s can be our Walking days. I like it! Have a great Wednesday and I promise that by the end of the week I’ll stop changing the background and headers. 🙂
by Alexis -

Update and good news!

I am not completely done with my blog but can’t go any farther without Travis. The site I found has some cool extras but I’m not figuring out how to install them…hmmm.
I have fabulous news though- my mom is getting Trav and I a camera!!!! Travis already ordered it and was so excited to look through different kinds. We are so happy because we’re picture people, and what with my website, reachpolska, this and Emma’s blog not to mention U-tube videos…we were in serious need of a camera. DID I MENTION I’M EXCITED?!!! It should be coming this week so you will get something I promise.
I was reading a friends blog and she mentioned something that I really want to adopt. Every night she and her daughter sing a song together. Emma is starting to mimic me and loves to sing so I thought I might try it. At least some bedtime routine…so far we don’t have one. Speaking of Emma, she threw up yesterday 5 times. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she would have kept liquids down- but no, everything came up. It was frustrating and unnerving at the same time.
We came back from camping and survived the 4 days and 3 nights. (it really wasn’t that bad) We had a nice time with friends and I enjoyed eating marshmallows for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 🙂 I think I’ve had the best BBQ chicken I’ve ever had- and it was my recipe! Don’t worry, I’ll let you in on it. (end of post) Here are some pictures of our adventures.

We were surrounded by trees

Pretty bark

Oh yes Cassiday,I so did.

Emma in her little pool with toys and friends. (SO nice since she couldn’t walk around)

Us watching the fireworks

Snuggling with Emma by the fire

OK, the recipe:

I think the secret to the AMAZING-NESS is how long it marinaded- 4 days. Yeah, crazy but oh so good. It was just a normal chicken breast and the marinade is:

BBQ sauce (any kind)

Brown sugar

Honey (1 T)

red pepper flakes(1 1/2 t) & salt & pepper

Soy sauce (it needs to equal the amount of BBQ sauce you added) Tada- that’s it.
I can’t believe I don’t have any pictures of it! But trust me- yum…

~What do you think of the layout so far?

by Alexis -

New blog layout

I have a friend who just re-did her blog: and it looks great! Of course since I am easily influenced by friends creativity I thought ‘I like that- I want that!’ So my blog is under construction right now. Cool new lay out coming soon- oh and props Melissa- your blog looks awesome!

by Alexis -

Camping

We are going camping tomorrow. Actually Thursday to Sunday- yeah pretty long. I’m looking forward to being with friends (it’s our small group) in a different setting but that’s pretty much it. Travis loves camping and so this is a cool ‘outing’ that we never do so I want to make it nice and comfortable for him. That means no complaining…which will be hard for me to tell you the truth. One thing though I’m really looking forward to is the night of the 4th. I guess we’re about and hour away from a huge display of fireworks! Yay! Emma loves them too…if only I had my camera….AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I’m so angry it won’t turn on. At least we have friends who will let us borrow theirs.

But today is full of planning and packing. Planning haircuts for hubby, making sure Emma has her hat and sunscreen, having to pack sleeping bags and pillows, electric candles, bake brownies and banana bread, pack dry and cold food, chat with the person watching our house/cats and buy a cool glow in the dark necklace for Emma for the 4th. 🙂 Thank you dollar store.

But I’m starting to see that I don’t have anything for me. I read all the magazines I have and am not really in a book (besides a book doesn’t say ‘social’ to me) But I brought games and such. Maybe I will bring my crochet! I can get things done and still talk….hmmm good idea. That’s all and HOPEFULLY I will have fun pictures of our adventures!

On a side note: I spell so many things wrong! I type so quickly and don’t look at what I wrote. I am dependant on spell check and before posting I always use it and it catches stupid mistakes like, ‘Campign’ and ‘Prettty’.
by Alexis -

Sexy baby?! I THINK NOT!

Today is Tuesday. And I have created a sort of tradition that we do fun things on Tuesdays. Long story as to why…but lets just say that celebrating the mundane/boring/’normal’ is a special thing I want to pass down to my children. So Emma and I went to Baskin Robins to share a scoop pf Cherries Jubulie. I was really looking forward to it since the weather has been heating up.

We walk in and there are a lot of people inside- random I thought since it was around 2pm on a Tuesday, but whatever. (OK, pause. You must also know that I dress Emma as cute as I can every day. I don’t believe she has worn sweatpants or a sweatshirt in public at all. It’s not that I’m a prissy parent or anything. If you were to knock on my door any day of the week in the mornings, you would find Emma and I both in mismatched outfits (according to comfortably) and I usually don’t take my shower till around 11am which is when Emma naps. I just like to show the world what a beautiful baby God gave me. )
All of that to say- as we walked into Baskin Robins, Emma was looking cute. She actually keeps her sunglasses on (which are pink, sparkly and has pink lenses) and also is in love with bracelets. (she also had four on and was jingling them) So I’m the proud parent of how adorable she is and as I’m walking to the ordering place Emma is smiling and waving at everyone (I have a beauty queen on my hands).
This is when it got crazy. The….nice meaning employee (who was roughly around 50 yrs. old and female) yells at Emma and says in a LOUD voice, “Oh! Aren’t you sexy! Sexy baby! You’re just the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen! Hahahaha”
Emma looked at her like she was crazy (thank you Emma) and I just stared at her thinking, ‘what the crap lady! What mom in their right mind would dress their BABY sexy?!!! Yeah- NOBODY. I could not believe it. I should have said something but of course I just smiled and told her my order. I wanted nothing to do with her.
Now at this point I can hear my hubby say that she meant well and blah,blah,blah. All that is totally true and I know she wasn’t wanting me to look at her like she was from another world. But seriously-common lady.
As we left she came over and gave us a wet towel (which was nice) to clean up Emma. She again talked about how sexy Emma was and I wanted to throw up- and in her direction. It wasn’t like Emma was wearing short shorts, or even a dress. Just a polka dot onsie with frills- that’s it. Common people, please don’t call my little BABY sexy!

by Alexis -

New background

My camera is not turning on…VERY bad news. So I can’t keep you all up to date with me and my life (as though it’s world altering….) So I was feeling like I wanted to post but couldn’t because of the camera issue.
So I was looking through a site and came across this cook background. I view backgrounds like haircuts- they come and go with the newest popular trend. So since I thought this was cute, here is. I like it. Have a great Friday!