Wordless Wednesday (Kinda)

Happy 1st Birthday (yesterday) to my little Lucy Pat.

Also, my horoscope for today:

Though it looks as if the next few months should be shaping up to be a great time for you business-wise, dear Pisces, today it might appear hopeless. Mundane, routine, unrewarding tasks may take up a lot of your time on the job today. Nevertheless, don't see this as being engraved in stone in the future. Don't let the frustration interfere with your outlook for the future. You are due for advancement in some way!

Phew...b/c I was getting a little bored with work.

Happy Happy 1ST Birthday Lucy

Dear Lucy Patricia,

Tomorrow you will turn one. I can't believe it's been a year since we started our journey to the hospital from Laveen to Chandler. I remember my life flashing in front of me while your dad was going slowly over bumps in the road because Mommy was going to deck him if he went over 10 mph over the bumps while I was having contractions.

In that long 20 min ride to the hospital, I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what you were going to look like, I didn't know how much this was going to hurt, I didn't know how to be a mom, I didn't know how we were going to make this work.

At 2:55 a.m. (four hours after we arrived at the hospital) you made your appearance. You were so good to me throughout that four hours, which felt like 2 mins. I have never been so in love than I was at that moment. You were unbelievably beautiful. Perfect shaped head (not even a slightest cone head) perfect nose, perfect fingers, perfect toes. I couldn't have asked for a better baby. You were mine.

This year has been probably easier than I could have ever imagined. Of course we've had our ups and downs as parents...sleepless nights, poopy diapers ....but absolutely no hissy fits.

The way you look when you are sleeping will forever amaze me. You are so peaceful.

You have so many people in your life that love you so unconditionally and would do anything for you. I being one of them. I can't wait to see you grow up into a beautiful lady. I can't wait to see you go to school. I can't wait to see what you love to do. I can't wait til you go on your first date. I can't wait for your first heart-break. I can't wait to see you go off to college. I can't wait for your future husband to ask your father and I for permission to marry you. I can't wait for you to walk down that aisle. I can't wait for you to have a child of your own.

Lucy Patricia, you are amazing. you are one of a kind. you are beautiful. you are mine.

Happy Birthday Gergle Snerts!!!

I love you,

Mommy.

I Am So Unbelievably Blessed!

Although very exhausted and drained - I received a wonderful weekend thanks to a couple special people.

Wade and his uncle (best friend) Tim decided it was a good weekend to take a trip outside the valley and take a look at some land that his grandfather has in Dolan Springs, AZ. This left me with my cute, precious, amazing daughter, Lucy and I to get into some "trouble". HA! How much trouble can you possibly get into with an almost 1 year old? With Lucy's birthday coming up in a week (birthday party in less than a week), we had lots of errands to run to get ready for next weekend - party favors, plates, napkins, utensils, etc etc etc.....I have to say, Lucy was quite the shopping partner (as she grabbed mommies boobs and hugged me in the shopping cart!) I can't ask for much more in a daughter. My life-long shopping partner!

The second person I have to thank for my wonderful weekend is an old (p.s. NOT old in age, I repeat, NOT old in age - we are totally young still) long-lost friend, Jenny.

Its truly amazing how time doesn't matter when it comes to an old friend - regardless of the way you guys stopped talking (or as I like to look at it "a break") - it's like you picked up right where you left off. We've grown up in so many ways. We are both truly amazing people and I am proud of us. It was so good to see her, it was almost like a slice of home and I thank her for that.

So to Lucy and Jenny - Thank you for my awesome weekend! I'm truly a lucky girl!

Holidays!

Now that Halloween has come and gone (pictures of the little Lucy girl to come in another post), I'm in a sickening mood for ANYTHING Christmas. I am already listening to Christmas music. Yes, yes I am.

I can not wait to decorate the house for the holidays and smell the scent of Christmas (i.e. Baking, candles, turkey cooking, you name it, I want to smell it!)
I came across this YUMMY recipe on msn's "Healthy Holiday Recipes" that sounds sooo delicious. The photo speaks for itself. YUM!!







Ingredients:

• 1 Bottle(s) (750ml) Shiraz or red Zinfandel wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 star anise
• 8 Medium bosc pears with stems

Directions:

1. In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat wine, water, sugar, and star anise just to boiling on high, stirring to dissolve sugar.
2. Meanwhile, peel pears, leaving stems on. With melon baller or small knife, core pears through blossom (bottom) end.
3. Place pears in wine mixture; heat to boiling. Cover and simmer on low 10 to 15 minutes, until pears are tender but still hold their shape, turning occasionally.
4. Remove pears to platter; discard star anise. Heat wine mixture to boiling on high. Cook 20 minutes, uncovered, to thicken liquid and reduce to 1 1/2 cups
5. Cover pears and syrup separately; refrigerate 6 hours or up to 3 days. To serve, spoon syrup over pears.

YUM!!!