I've Created a MONSTER!

So, I had to share this story (even though Jay will probably kill me), b/c I just think it is so funny and sweet!  

I recently read "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and loved it.  I told Jay all about it, and told him he would really like it if he would just read it!! Jay never reads... I somehow managed to get him to start the Harry Potter books... he read straight through the first 3 (loved them, of course)... then somehow tired out and stopped in the middle of "The Goblet of Fire!!!!!!!!"  Who does that???????????  "Goblet of Fire" was my favorite!! This was probably 4 years ago, and he definitely has not picked up a book since.
Anyways, Friday night I come home from work, and as we are getting ready for bed, Jay asks me "So, are you Team Peeta or Team Gale??"  I am thinking "WHAT??" Those of you that have read the book/trilogy will get this.  He then tells me that he secretly read the book, and LOVED it! On top of that he has bought "me" the sequel... ummmm.... here Jay is reading it, and I want to read it right now!!!!!!!!  He is farther along than me!  Oh well, I am just glad he is reading ;)

Enjoying that book, Jay??

So I thought since Jay is being a book hog, I would blog about it:)  The best part is how much he likes to discuss it.  What I think about it, how I think the movie will be, etc.   haha... so much fun!  Read more Jay! :)  I do love how Jay always lets me tells him long winded stories about what is going on in books I am reading, and he never acts bored! :)  In case you read this, Jay, here are some books I think you should read:  For the love of God, finish Harrry Potter... then The Kite Runner.... I will think of some more later. 



MY FIRST DIY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have FINALLY refinished an adorable glass hutch that I thought would look good in my living/kitchen open area.  I probably bought this thing 4 months ago, with every intention of finsishing it quickly, only for it to just sit in my garage and collect dust!!  I just could not get motivated!!  I think I have finally recieved some of that "second trimester" energy I hear about (but never seem to get!)...;)  So the past couple of days I have been hard at work on the piece, and I think it turned out PERFECT!!  I am very proud of myself, and now I am excited to tackle more projects!

"before"

On the down side, this was not some great garage sale or Goodwill find for $40... I found this at an antique store in McKinney listed for $200... Jay and I being the cheap people we are managed to get it for about $140 :)  I loved it because it was just the style and size I was looking for.

Here are some "after" photos:

I sanded the entire piece, then painted it with "painters touch" paint from Home Depot in black "flat"

I switched out all the knobs to some really cute crystal knobs I found, the pics don't do it justice

Once I was finished, I lightly sanded the entire piece again to give it a lighter and more "shabby" look

Here is a shot with some things I have added to the shelves already.  PLEASE, I welcome any suggestions for some cute stuff to add... this is not my best skill.

I think I may have paid about $50 for the knobs/paint/supplies... bringing the total cost of the project to about $200... that is still cheaper than most of the other already finished pieces I found that I thought would work, and I like this one best!



And lastly, here are couple of shots I have of it in the house:

So there it is! I think it turned out so cute! It is perfect in the space I wanted it to go in.  Next up, I am tackling Zoe's new room (which is our old guest bedroom)... then on to the new nursery.  We will probably be in this house for awhile (forever??? YIKES!), so I enjoy painting and fixing it up.  Oh, and I do want to give a shout out to my friend Chea from work who told me how to refinish this piece.  If you like the "shabby chic" look, check out her website, b/c she refinishes and sales beautiful furniture!!http://shabbycheas.weebly.com/

FUN WEEKEND!

This past weekend one of my very best friends, Stacie, and her entire family came up to visit us.  Stacie and I met our Sophmore (JR??~ It took me 5 years to graduate!), year in college and hit it off right away.  I do miss our college days, but I think we are even closer now that we are married with families.  I can tell her anything that is on my mind, and I know she won't judge me... at least not to my face.  She is one of my favorite people to share my "mommy gripes" with... everyone else thinks I have perfect children;)  Stacie and her husband, Cort, have twins (Caden and Ainsley) that are just 6 months older than Reese.  I wish we all lived closer, but we probably see eachother every few months since they are just in Waco.  Here are some highlights of our weekend.

Saturday morning we woke up, had a BIG breakfast (b/c that is my most important meal of the day!)... and headed off to the park before it got too hot.  I don't think anytime is early enough to beat the heat in Dallas though!

Such good dads!  Jay and Cort pushing Zoe and Ainsley on the swings.

Ainsley and Reese did not want to have their picture taken!  I wish I had a picture of Ainsley's pretty face!  Ainsley looks just like Cort, and Caden looks just like Stacie.



Reesie Pie loves to swing!

Later that day we headed to Plano's Indoor Safari Park to get the kids good and worn out before we had an adults only evening:)


Caden taking a ride on a dino

Where else would Zoe be but the trampoline???



After some serious leg work while I was at work Friday, I finally secured us 2 teenage babysitters from my neighborhood so the adults could go out for a nice quiet dinner Saturday night.  I made Restaurant Week reservations for us at Bailey's Prime Plus in Fairview for 8:45...we got all the babies to sleep before we left (they were exhausted after our fun day!), and I put Rio on for Zoe.  Easiest money ever, right??? Bailey's was great, and I love that we got to have some kid-free time with Stacie and Cort.  All of my best friends have married great guys, and Stacie is no exception.  We have a great time with Cort who is hilarious!  We had a blast at dinner, and didn't leave until 1045... too late for a movie (and not much else a pregnant girl can do!) so we headed home with a rental....Needless to say after putting "Limitless" on at about 11 pm, Jay was the only one still awake 15 minutes later!!!!!!!!!! LOL!  Oh, the life of parents:)  Thank you Stacie and Cort for  coming, we love you guys and had such a great time!



Sunday afternoon, after it was just our family again, I decided to straighten Zoe's hair for real, since we had been playing "beauty shop" all day.  Oh my gosh, she looked so cute!! I wish I could have had a video camera when I showed her what she looked like for the first time in the mirror.  She could not stop laughing! It was the cutest thing... then she couldn't stop loooking in the mirror for the rest of the day... so stinking cute!

 Who is this stranger??

 Me and my sweet girls.  Pretty sure Reese is going to have straight hair like me!





  

  

 

Trying out my new camera...

Okay, so I LOVE my new camera... but I definitely have a lot I still need to learn.  I bet if I took the time to read the manuel I could really take some great pictures, but who has the time???  Can't wait to get going on my new Photo Shop... people are barely going to recognize me and my family after that ;) 

I am most excited to be able to save some money on paying professional photographers to take pics twice a year or more... once on birthday milestones... and again Christmas photos.  I definitely plan on taking the girls photos myself for this years Christmas cards.  They will be fabulous, so get excited! :)  I still have about 4 months to become a great photographer....

Here are some shots I have taken recently:


Zoe on the bars at gymnastics.  I took this one in the "sports" mode which was so cool.  It sent the shutter going really fast so you could take pics of people moving...unfortunately I could never time it just right to get her in a cool position:(




Zoe swinging on the bar... check out that perfect form!



Reese wants to be in Zoe's gymnastics class so bad!! She tried to get in the door the whole time.  Looks like I need to start her in WOGA's "mommy and me" soon. 



Cool chick...



We're having fun here, right?



Zoe and Katie at Jumpstreet today.  Really cool place, but don't know if I want to go back.  The place is HUGE and so crowded!



Wall to wall trampolines at jump street... here Zoe is doing a straddle jump






Reese in the tea cup ride at Jumpstreet

In pregnancy news, I have almost half way cooked this baby! :)  Here is the only bump pic I have taken so far at 18 weeks... this was the first week of August:

Unfortunately I have still been experiencing some morning sickness, but that's much nicer than the first 16 weeks of "all day sickness." I can feel the kicks of this little one  more and more everyday, which is exciting.   Sonogram is scheduled for the 23rd, but Jay and I are going to let the sex of this little one be a surprise:)  Or so we say...  so far we have picked out "Harper" for a girl, but still can't decide on a boy name... probably won't need it anyway! ;)

I will end this with the recipe for the super exciting cheesy chicken and rice casserole we are having tonight.  It is really easy and really tasty.  It is my "go to" when I am being cheap and lazy.

http://www.campbellskitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=27173&ref=%2fSearchRecipesResult.aspx%3ffilter%3d%26q%3dcheesy%2bchicken%2band%2brice%26fbid%3d1N7pF6zCXw-&fbid=1N7pF6zCXw-

I always make this without the veggies mixed in because I like to have them on the side.





Perfect Birthday! :)

My family likes to laugh at how my expectations for my birthday were always SO high when I was younger, that there was no way I would be anything but dissapointed.  This is true, even though they always did make my birthday very special:)  Things haven't changed much over the years.  My birthday is probably still my favorite "holiday" right behind Halloween.  I always say my favorite months are August and October.  Maybe I am a little narcissistic?? haha.  Hopefully not! 
Well this year was was probably my best birthday ever.  Really.  Jay has been extra attentive/helpful/awesome all week long (he is still trying to make up for leaving me alone while he had a fun weekend in Utah...), and I FINALLY got a really nice camera which is something I have been wanting for awhile.  It is a Canon Rebel, and so far I love it.  I have grand plans to take a photography class and really figure out how to use it.  We shall see.  I also got a case, an extra lens, and Photoshop Elements (again, I have grand plans to figure this out as well!  So hard to find time though!) 
Also of note: my cousin and his wife took pity on my facebook plea for icecream cake and brought me one a couple of days before my birthday.  It has all been eaten, and it was DELISH.  Thanks again Tobes and Ash. 
But the best part was today.  My parents were in town for my Nanny's 80th birthday (which was a blast, by the way... love seeing all my family!), and my mom and Jay got together and planned a surprise birthday party for me!!! Let me say, a party was the LAST thing I was expecting... it was a huge surprise!!  Earlier today we were talking about what we were going to do for the day, and my mom suggested we eat at El Fenix.  One of my very favorite restaurants, and one of my parents' favorite too, so they never leave town without eating there. This was not strange at all.  Looking back, however, I was wondering why my dad was so intent on leaving at 11:45 (he kept saying, "Let's go, I'm hungry!!"  lol!  Geez Dad, whatever! ;)  We got there and when we made it to the back of the restaurant I could not figure out why all my family was there (aunts, uncles, sisters, cousins), plus 2 of my best friends.  I think Britney is the only one who yelled "surprise," or it's the only one I heard... I remember looking behind me because I had no idea what was going on.  I didn't quite get it until I saw the cake on the table said "Happy Birthday Whitney!"  Ahhh, a party for ME????  YEAH!  I had a blast, and I can't thank everyone enough for showing up.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the afternoon.  (from my new camera!)

Reesie pie!!!

A view of the party

Friends + El Fenix staff singing to me

My cake! 

Uncle Zach and Zoe

Nathan.  So handsome here...

Had to put this one in because Madison's face is so cute in the photo!! Bryan looks a little dazed...

Brit, Reese, and Ella.  Ella thought Reese was hilarious.

Some of my large family

Maddie cakes!!!!!!

Nate and Urs are so loving towards eachother...

Me and Ursula... and Nathan acting his mature 30 year old self.  You'll always be older than me Nathan!! Bwahahaha;)

Sisters and Sisters!!!!!!!!!!!

Attempt at a family photo... we had been partied out!

I can not thank everyone enough for coming out!! I love my friends and family!  I love that I am so close to my cousins and my sisters... and that my best friends that showed up for my surprise 29th birthday, are the same ones that showed up for my surprise 14th birthday party... My mom picks some random ages!!!!!!!  Thanks again everyone! 

I'M MELTING!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think I could possibly complain about the heat in Dallas this year enough.  I apologize to God for complaining all winter long about how frigid it was.  I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!  Please, please send me some rain!!

Anyways, both my girls are completely exhausted (and napping peacefully) after spending an afternoon at gymnastics, lunch with Daddy and me at Corner Bakery, and then shopping at IKEA with Ms. Britney and E!  Zoe is tall enough to play in their free child care center now, which was awesome for both of us.  All shopping centers and restaurants should have this service! :)  She had a blast, but when we were on the way home she proceeded to tell me that she made some friends there, but they wouldn't hold her hand! hahaha.  She is a loving little girl. 

As usual, this is my first time to update in months, and this time I have a fairly good reason.  Jay and I found out we are having our 3rd child (surprise!!! As there are many of you who don't know!)  due in late Dec/early Jan... and I have been sick,exhausted, pounding head aches...the usual pregnancy symptoms of mine.  The pregnancy was a huge surprise for us.  Zoe and Reese are 2 1/2 years apart, but Reese and Baby #3 will only be 19 months apart!! Yikes!  Hope I am up for this! We are very excited.  I am 17 weeks, and can find out the sex of the baby at my next appointment, but Jay and I think we are going to let it be a surprise.  I am about 99.99% positive it is another girl though!  (2 old wives tales gender testing, and the Chinese gender calander agree with me!)  Poor Jay.. he is going to be out numbered.  Just this afternoon he was telling me that if it's a boy he wants to name him Jaxson with and "x"... I don't know where he even picked up this name!! I like it, but it cracks me up to hear him talk about how anyone named "Jaxson Alsup" will be an amazing athlete! LOL!  Oh Jay.... Zoe has your athletic ability already, what will you do if we have a boy who has mine????? TROUBLE! 

In other news, Zoe and Reese are doing great.  Zoe loves to tell people that I have a baby in my tummy, that has been one way others have been finding out!! She is already a great big sis to Reese... when Reese isn't doing something that bothers her...which is often ;)  She is out of dance for the summer, and just doing gymnastics.  She has been with Coach Laura at WOGA Frisco since she was 15 months old!  Crazy!  She LOVES it.  She is easily the best in her class (sorry, but this is true!)... and she loves it.  I think she would go every day if she could.  She also is extremely excited to be starting preschool in the Fall.  I am very excited about this as well!  She is signed up 3 days a week... but I have her on a waiting list to just attend 2 days a week.  Preschool is $$ ! So far, no call. 

Reese is FINALLY walking 100% of the time!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is so cute!!  It's also about time.  The past week she finally decided that walking IS better than crawling!  I like her walking better... I can see the top of her head when she is getting into things, and she doesn't have her hands all over the floor!  I know people give me strange looks when we are out in public and I let her crawl around.  Sorry, but she's a 1 year old, she doesn't want to be strapped in, and she doesn't walk yet, so that's why she's crawling all over the ground!  I am not a germaphobe.  Reese has also only been sick once since her birth... an ear infection a couple of weeks ago.  Germs can be good people! :)

Family pic taken at the end of May.  I was about 9 weeks pregnant or so... I was sooo sick this day, it took all my energy to get the girls ready, get myself ready, and  make it to the photo shoot!!

Reese at 1 year old

Me at 1 year old... freaky, right? ;-)

And I will end this post with a recipe I made last night.  By far the best meatloaf I have ever eaten!!!! Really, it is so simple, and if you like meatloaf you should try it!  (I love it when people post recipes)...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mini-meatloaves/detail.aspx

If you don't have mini loaf pans, then make it in a muffin tin (fills about 8 muffin slots)... so GOOD!