Tar-jA (Target)

If you know me, you know I love Target (sounds like Tar-jA) when I say it. And while I love the store on any given day, I especially love it when it is holiday time and all of their fun stuff is out.
Parker and I went shopping yesterday... yes, he likes Target too. First, we stopped at the Starbucks and got a Tall, nonfat, no-whip, 1-pump, Pumpkin Spice Latte (am I one of "those" people with the most difficult drink order???). Then we got our necessary items on our list, and then we headed into the Halloween section. SO FUN!
Check out these great little buys we found...

Yes, Kraft now makes Halloween-shaped macaroni and cheese. And while I know it's not the healthiest dinner in the world, what kid doesn't love a little mac-n-cheese once in a while?!? 
Payton was out of toothpaste, so I picked up this cute glow-in-the-dark ghost bottle. Of course we had to test out the glowing part last night when he brushed his teeth.

And then this little foam Haunted House with 3D stickers I picked up for a fun craft. Payton and our cute neighbor Avery put it together first thing after school. They had so much fun creating a story as they put it together. Apparently this house is very haunted... so much so, that the door is locked up tight!

Here they are with their finished creation. Sorry, they both have chocolate chip cookies in their mouths. I should have taken the picture before handing out the treats. Lesson learned. :)
Also, I was at the mall today for like, oh... maybe an hour before my little guy completely melted down and reminded me why I should never take a boy shopping. Anyhow, Bath and Body Works has the CUTEST Halloween stuff out right now. I didn't really get to peruse it for long, but I think I might need to go back and check it out more carefully. My sis-in-law got a really great Frankenstein ceramic candle holder that I must go see in person. 

Happy Halloween shopping everyone!

A couple random pics...

There is no rhyme or reason to these pictures. They are totally random, but they were just too cute not to share...

Anyone remember Jim McMahon, the "Punky QB" from the 1985 Chicago Bears football team??? Apparently my husband wants his legend to live on in our son...

 What a cutie pie...

He truly is the happiest baby. He rarely ever cries and smiles constantly. What a sweet, sweet boy!

Parker's Baptism Weekend

This past weekend we went to Orlando to have Parker baptized at Asbury United Methodist Church in Maitland. It is the same church where we got married, attended while we lived in Winter Park, and had Payton baptized when he was a baby. It is also the church where my brother and I were raised, so there is a lot of sentimental value there too.
The pastor that baptized Parker is a very good friend of ours, Pastor Brian Pikalow (Pastor Pik). He has been a wonderful mentor to Brian over the years and is such an incredible Christ-centered man. We were so honored that he arranged for us to come to the church for this special event.
It was hard to get pictures of the actual baptism, but here are a few that a great family friend took for us:

Here we are in front of the church right before the baptism. Payton is on the other side of Brian, so you can't see him in this photo. Those are my parents in the foreground, and that is Pastor Pik in the black shirt and dark suit.

Here he is getting sprinkled...

He was so good through the whole event. Even though it was his naptime and he was exhausted, he didn't cry one bit. He let Pastor Pik hold him and walk him up and down the aisle of the church. He was so good. The baptism itself was so special. Pik really made it personal and talked about how he knew us and how important it is that we are raising Parker to have a love for God. The whole thing was really beautiful. 

It was also super fun because I had my friend Jenny and her mom there. They are so important to us and it was so great to have them there. They truly are family and we were so glad they could join us!

We also had lots of fun hanging at my parents house while we were in town. Parker LOVES the pool and the jaccuzi, just like his big brother. It was the first time he has really been in the pool, so I was thrilled to see how much he loved it.

First, he just got his feet wet. Then he realized how much fun the boys were having and decided he had to take part as well...

 Then he just started splashing and laughing and having a great time...

 Then of course we all had to represent in our Orange & Blue for the Gator game...

 We tried to get a cute smiling picture...

 But then we ended up with this one, which I like better...

 Even little man was showing his Gator pride...

 Such a great weekend. Thanks for everything Mom and Dad!

Another recipe - Enchiladas

Here's another super easy recipe that I thought I'd share with my blog buddies. The recipe is for beef enchiladas, although you could easily substitute shredded chicken for the beef if you prefer. I love this recipe because I don't have to "babysit" it. I can throw the ingredients in the Crock Pot and then assemble when I'm ready. You could even assemble it and let it sit all day and cook whenever you are ready. Great weeknight meal!

First off, here are the ingredients:

Some whole wheat tortillas, shredded Mexican blend cheese, a can of Goya black beans, a can of Enchilada sauce, and a box of fully-cooked pot roast (this shows Publix brand, but you can also use Hormel).

* If you are cooking for more than 3 people, I recommend doubling all the ingredients.

About 2 hours before you want to eat, throw the pot roast and the beans into your Crock Pot:

(Here is the beef):

Here is the beef and the beans:

Then let simmer for a couple hours (gotta love the magic of the Crock Pot):

 When you are ready for assembly, lay out a tortilla, then scoop the beef and bean mixture into the center of the tortilla and then sprinkle on some cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place seam side down into a greased casserole dish. 

Once all the tortillas are assembled, pour the enchilada sauce on top and then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and cook at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and let top of cheese become bubbly and slightly browned.

I serve mine with a side of Mexican-style rice (or Goya yellow rice would be good too).

 Enjoy!

Fun Fall Craft

This is my favorite time of year to do crafts. There are so many fun ideas! Here is one that I got out of the Disney Family Fun magazine. Payton and our neighbor Avery had so much fun making the little chocolate acorns together.

Here is the article:

Here are the ingredients:

Basically, you take a Hershey kiss and stick it onto a mini Nilla Wafer with chocolate icing. Then break off a piece of pretzel for the acorn stem and attach it with icing as well. Voila! Edible acorn!

Here are the little chefs assembling their acorns...

 And my very proud son holding out his creation:

If you have little ones, or if you are hosting a fall party/book club/bible study, this is a very yummy treat!

Away

Brian and I have always found it so important to carve out some alone time for just the two of us - without the kiddos. And although I miss them sometimes when we're away, I always return with renewed patience and a refreshed sense of "mommy-ness." So, in celebration of our 10-year anniversary, we went away for a night at our local Ritz. We got an incredible package that included a fantastic rate, a resort credit to be used anywhere on site, and a free breakfast. It was a deal that we just couldn't pass up!

Here are some photos of our room...

The bedroom portion of the room seemed like most nice hotels... but the bathroom... that was another story...

Covered in marble and laid out spaciously with lots of storage space, this bathroom was very nice! And considering it was my once-a-year chance to take a bath (ha, ha), I was very excited for the roomy tub and all the little scented toiletries (and even a loofah! Oh how the little things excite me).

And this was the view from our room:

Straight forward: Across the marina

To the left: Downtown:

 And straight down: the fountain/valet area:

 While we were there, we enjoyed visiting their Beach Club, which is 4 miles down the road and accessible by their private shuttle van.

Here's the cabana we used when we wanted to get some shade (e.g. take a nap). You can see the beach out in front:

 And here's where I sat reading my book and enjoying the warm, cloudy day:

 Here's a view of the beach from the cabana:

 And a view of the zero-entry pool from the cabana:

 After lunch poolside and lots of relaxing, we went walking around St. Armand's Circle and did a bit of shopping. Here we are arriving back at the Ritz that afternoon (notice the beautiful flowers in the lobby?):

 Once we were back up at our room, Brian opened up a special bottle of champagne for us...Cheers!

 We also enjoyed some chocolate covered strawberries that were sent up to our room from the staff to celebrate our anniversary:

 Then we went down to the hotel restaurant and had a nice dinner on the veranda and then went inside and listened to a great jazz band (We even slow danced! So fun!)

 

The next morning, I had to take advantage of someone serving me breakfast in my bathrobe! And let me tell you, it didn't disappoint! It was YUM-O!

Okay - how cute are all these little condiments that came with the breakfast? Those Tabascos are precious! (Can Tabasco be precious???):

After lounging around the room and enjoying a leisurely breakfast, we hit the spa! It was so beautiful, and relaxing and just perfect.

Here is a picture of the "Healing Waters" room where there was a jacuzzi, steam room and sauna:

 Again, it's the little touches that make a "Ritz" a "Ritz". Check out the chilled washcloths with cucumbers on top that were sitting outside the sauna. Oh yea baby... I definitely used these!

 What a wonderful retreat it was. Thanks so much to both sets of grandparents for watching the boys. We couldn't have gotten away with your help. :)