The Vampire Dairies. Books & show.

I'm not a huge TV watcher, but I do like to watch a few shows. Sometimes I even like to watch the crap shows just for pure enjoyment.

I have to say I'm hooked on the show Vampire Dairies. A lot of people are saying it's a rip-off of Twilight, but I don't think people know that the Vampire Diaries are books that were written in the early 90' before Twilight.

Anyway, I like the show, so I decided to read the books.

Man did they switch a lot!

• In the show they forget that Elena has a 4 year old little sister and give her a 16 year old little brother instead.
• In the show they make it seem like her parents just died. In the books it's been years since the accident.
• In the show they make this huge thing about Katherine being trapped in the church. In the books she died a long time ago.
• In the books bonnie is pale white with red curly hair.....the show? not so much.
• In the books the brothers have no real reason to come to that town. They never lived in it before (good twist for the show though).
• In the show it never shows Elena and Stefan wanting to suck each others blood and Stefan never goes against his way of life. The books are sooo different.
• The biggest difference is......in the books Elena has blond hair, not brown hair. And she was a stuck up girly girl at school. I like her better in the show where shes down to earth.

I think it's funny when they change so much from books when they make them into a movie of put them on TV. I've never seen quite so big of changes though.

Decent books if you want to read them. Not the most amazing stuff I've ever read, but decent.

The show has some great eye candy. I think that's what keeps we wanting more! Hahaha.

Taco Soup

This is one of our most favorite things to eat for dinner! It's soooo good and so easy!

You need
1 pack taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans (rinse and drain)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup water

Cheese and tortilla chips are garnish.

to make!

1. Brown meat in dutch oven.

2. Add taco seasoning, water, beans and tomatoes. Mix.

3. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce or take off heat.

4. Put in bowls!

5. Top with cheese and crunched up chips! I've been told it tastes good with sour cream also...but I hate the stuff. ENJOY!

Winter Wonderland?

It had been raining here for a few days...then today we got more snow. I'm done with the snow to be honest. I'm ready for it to be nice out again. But I do have to say....that it was nice today since it was the first time Landon hasn't been sick. So we took advantage of the situation and took some pictures out in the snow. I have a purpose for one of them....but I can't decide which one I want to use..

He's so funny. He didn't want to sit still for pictures, he wanted to PLAY!
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I don't know which one I like better of the next two.

#1 We took a picture just like this 3 years ago for Landon's first snow up in New York. Justin hates this hat (hence the reason I wore it again in the picture). #2 No hat and thicker snow!

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I'm doing a cool project with one of these two for J when he goes on Deployment. I have a ton of projects to do and I want to get them done early so I don't have to worry about it later.

Photo Tag

I was *tagged* by Amanda over at Trying my best to be a Proverbs 31 woman.
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Here are the rules....
1. Open your 1st Photo folder.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.

3. Post the photo and the story behind it.

4. Tag 5 or more people

My husband is going to hate me!

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This picture is from a homecoming dance. I think I was 15 and he just turned 16.

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This was the 3rd dance we had gone to together and we had so much fun. We had no idea that we were going to go to the dance. We decided an hour before it started that we were going. So we grabbed what we had in our closets(yes, I had a poodle skirt in my closet. Don't judge me) that would fit the theme (it was a decades dance) and we went. Justin's hair was due to the Varsity soccer team thinking it would be a great idea to all grown their hair out....I hated it, and he will never let it get long again. Hahaha.

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I don't know who would do this is I tagged them.

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So if you are reading this....you're it!

Shoe Addicts Anonymous week 3

As always click the link to the left to head on over to Queen of The Bookcase. It would be so much fun if more people joined the club! We are going to be picking a new books soon so you can start with us then!

Week 3 Prompt: Do you have a silly habit of buying a certain item? Write about it, and let us know which character you think would share your habit. And as always write about how you are feeling about the book.

I'm really bad at buying books and used to be bad about buying purses (that has calmed down a little). But I'm really bad with books. I dream of one day owning a house where I can have a small library. And like I tell my husband, I can't have a library if I don't have the books! I could see Joss having a lot of books. Mostly to distract her from her job.

I'm not really loving the book. It's alright, but it lacks. I find most of the girls to be doormats and I hate that! Come on ladies, grow a pair already!! It's strange that we are over half into the book and I STILL have no idea where the story is going. I have a feeling that it's going to go and then, bam, right at the end everything gets resolved in a crazy way. H will leave her husband, J will quit her job, L will get some amazing job that makes her tons of money and S will fall madly in love with the dude that calls her just to talk.

Decent weekend read. But I don't think it's one I will read again.

100!

I'm almost to 100 followers!
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Once I get there I'm going to have a nice little giveaway!
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It will be a "Things Kim Loves" giveaway!
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In the box will be....
Something Vera Bradley
Something LUSH
A book or two
and a few other little things!
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So spread the love!

Ego boost

After my last post, I had quite a few people thank me for posting what I did and/or telling me that they loved what I wrote. I don't try to please people with what I write, I just write what I feel. I'm lucky that I don't get blog hate mail (please don't start now!) and I'm starting to really feel like myself on my blog.

My follower number is going up slowly (when I hit 100 I'm going to have a massive giveaway, so please, spread the following love!). but sometimes I still don't know if what I say is going to go over well. I do try to keep my personal gripes off of here, though sometimes it's hard. *sigh* I just like being me.

TO THE POINT KIM!

Ok. My ego boost was yesterday when someone got to my blog by google searching "Strong navy wife". In my life if I am to be anything, that is what I hope I am.

Thank you to whoever googled that. You are the reason for my huge head right now. Because yes, yes I am.

Hate is such a strong word.

If there is one thing I'm not, it's a whiner. Except when I'm sick but that doesn't count. You will never hear me say I hate the Navy or hate my husbands job. It's just not me.

But I see this a lot.

I'm not saying it's wrong by any means I just think about it a lot differently then most.

The Navy. How could I hate something that has given me everything? Justin and I married young. Really young. Our family started before we were ready, and while Justin had a good job, it wasn't one that could provide us with everything we needed. We were paying almost $400 a month for health insurance and we still paid thousands out of pocket when we had Landon. We were living with my parents and had hopes of moving out, but not knowing when that would happen. The navy changed that. We want for nothing.

The Boat. This I don't really understand. What did the boat do? Haha it moves when told and breaks when told not to. Every boat does this. The people on it are human they can't always be nice and Navy's needs come before family ones. While I don't like playing second fiddle, I have to understand that a military job is not a normal one. We knew this going in. I KNEW this going in. I don't like when he comes home after 9pm every night for a week. But me bitching about it will solve nothing. I just smile and ask if he needs anything. If I think him being at work late is hard, I need to stop and think about how it is for him. I can't imagine working that many hours and not getting a break(aside from being a stay-at-home mom).

Deployment. While I hate my husband being gone, hate being alone, hate being a single mother and hate not knowing what he is doing and when he is coming home. I know that what he does is amazing. He is out there fighting. Someone has to do it and I'm proud that my husband is one of them. The sleepless nights and sporadic tears are nothing compared to the pride I feel. I fell lucky to be married to a sailor even if he's never home.

Tricare. For no-military folk, this is our insurance. While most think it's free, it's not. We pay, just not much. You can choose 2 options. I won't go far into them but the one we have is....we use military facilities, no co-pays, free prescriptions and really no added costs at all. Maybe it's because I have had other insurance that gave us the run around and made us pay way too much. But for us tricare is great. I always get in right away and have never had a snippy person to deal with. I think some (not all) take for granted that we are lucky to have this option. But I will add that some people have had some crappy experiences with them (Jenn, you have every right to hate them all you want!). But I feel lucky to know we are taken care of and we won't be blind-sided by a bill a few months later.


Maybe I'm just a glass half-full kinda gal. But I think sometimes people need to stop and think before they go off and HATE something that is giving them so much. I feel so blessed to know that we are taken care of everyday, even more so with the current job market the way it is.

Survey says.......

1. How old do you look?
I get that I look around 25/26 a lot. Maybe because I have a 5 year old? It's only a few years off so I don't mind.....not yet.

2. Where do you live?
We live in Connecticut. I love living in New England! After living in South Carolina for a bit...it's nice to have seasons again.

3. Are you waiting for something?
Always. Waiting for someone to visit...or a call from my hubs...or even just him to get home.

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common?
Noise. But I take it really far. I hate when my husband taps his foot just to be doing something in the car.

5. Do you want/have kids?
I have an amazing 5 year old little boy. I think we are done with the kid thing. He's so good I have no idea what would happen with the next one. Haha.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion?
Yes. I was raised in a Christian church but not very strictly. My husband is LDS and I LOVE the church. I just have to take the plunge and for some reason I always talk myself out of it.

7. Last shocking news you heard?
That a 7 month affair happened in our family.......

8. What was the last thing you drank?
Ummmm Vanilla Chai Tea Latte last night and water this morning.

9. Who do you most look like in your family?
My momma. Spitting image (except the hair.....shes blond)

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be?
Deployment canceled.....for good.

11. Where does most of your family live?
All of them but us live in Washington State (both mine & hubbys family)

12. Where did you grow up?
Camano Island, Washington

13. Where do you want to go on vacation?
Scotland. I would love to see all of the sites and the family history.

14. Have you ever had a panic attack?
*Snicker* no but my sister used to have them all the time. (gosh I'm glad she doesn't read this, she would kill me)

15. What can’t you wait for?
Vacation. We want to plan something semi-big when this sea tour is over and I can't wait!

16. Have your parents ever smoked pot?
Hahaha I bet they did before us kids came along. I don't want to know.

17. Want someone back in your life?
No romantically.

18. What do you order at the bar?
Nothing. We don't drink. Haha. So I guess I would get water or a soda.

19. When was the last time you cried really, really hard?
I started to cry the other day when I was talking about deployment......besides that? No idea. It's been a while.

20. Ever licked someone’s cheek?
Sadly, yes. I still do it to J......

21. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
I have to have raspberry jam....and a fresca.

22. Where were you on July 4th, 2008?
Subfest on base. Justin was getting ready to deploy so we went and went on rides and watched the fireworks. It was a really amazing night.

23. What are your nicknames?
Kim, Kimmie, J calls me KK and my sister calls me Spanks.

24. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?
Back to high school and tell myself to ease up on J(I wasn't that bad but I could have toned it down a little at times) a bit and to get better grades.

25. What is something you are passionate about?
My family and being happy. I don't waste time and do things I don't put my heart into.

Head on over to Allison's page to link up and fill this out!

Playmobil Knights Take Along Castle

I love woot. I got a lot of Landon's Christmas gifts from that site for REALLY great deals. I just happened to look yesterday and saw a playmobil toy that I knew Landon would like.


Woot is amazing! not only did I get it for half price but the toy explanation made me die laughing (they always have the best toy write-ups!). So I had to copy it on here for you all.

Playmobiling Rivalry

“Mom! Mom! Mom Mom Mom! Coryn’s being ahistorical again!”

“Am not!”

“He is too! He keeps attacking my Playmobil Knights Take-Along Castle with figures that didn’t even exist in medieval times!”

“They are too evil times!”

“That’s not what I said, stupid baby! I said ‘medieval’, back when they had castles and knights and armor and treasure chestesses and fireball catapults and all the other stuff that comes with this castle! Not bunny-people and piano guys and panda trainers and guys with buffalo hats! There’s a reason those figures are all sold separately! When you fold the castle up to make a carrying case, they don’t even fit inside!”

“Boys, boys, can’t you both just play together? Use your imaginations! Who cares if it’s ahistorical?”

“Mommy, I’m not ahistorical! That buffalo-hat guy (sold separately) is actually modeled on a Gallic warrior, who would have been a perfectly plausible enemy of the knights in that castle!”

“Wow. Uh, your little brother makes a good point.”

“But Mom! They’re SOLD SEPARATELY!”

Shoe Addicts Anonymous week 2

Click the link to the left to head on over to Queen of the Bookcase and join in on the book club fun! We are only on week 2 so it would be easy to get all caught up!

Week Two Prompt: How do you think the meetings are going so far? Is there anything about the book that is frustrating you about the group? Do you still favor the character that you chose last week, or have you switched to someone else?

So far, the meetings aren't doing much But no one has bought any new shoes so I guess they are working in a sense. I have no idea where the meetings are going to go in the book. Maybe it won't be about the meetings as much as them coming together as friends.

I still like Lorna and she's grown on me even more as I read more of the book. If it wasn't for Jocelyn being such a pushover I think I would LOVE her....but she needs to grow a pair.

Baked Ravioli

I made this for dinner the other night and we all loved it! Next time we will add some sausage to it!

You need!
2 tsp. Kraft house Italian Dressing
1 Medium red pepper, chopped
1 Small onion, chopped
1 jar Marinara sauce
1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 pkg (9 oz) Cheese Ravioli
1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat the over to 350.

Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat; add peppers and onions. Cook and stir for 2 min or until veggies are crisp-tender. Stir in Marinara sauce and crushed red pepper.

Spread 1/2 C of the sauce mix into the bottom of a 11x7-inch baking dish.

Cover with layers of half each of the ravioli, remaining sauce mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cover with foil. Bake 25 min or until heated through.

Have you ever....

Had a book that you didn't know if you were going to enjoy?

This book here was one of those to me. It sounded good, but was written in a way that I don't normally like (in letter format). I had it sitting on my shelf for a while, not knowing when I would get to it.

Last week book club #2 announced that this was the book we were going to be reading I didn't know what to think.....mostly it was "alright. I will read 10 pages a night and just get through it" Boy was I wrong! I'm not just getting through it, I'm really enjoying it! It's one of those books that's so different, you just find yourself smiling for no reason other then it's just a good book. While the letters are a little different to read, it's not bad. the Author did a great job making the book readable.

I'm not done with it yet (since I'm trying to read two books at the same time, due to book clubs) but I love it. I hope it just keeps getting batter!

ETA: I finished this a few days ago and I have to say its one of the best books I have ever read.

I've never read anything like it and...well it was just a really amazing book.

Valentine's Day loot! (longest post EVER)

I like Valentine's Day. I always have. I love getting surprised by Justin and just reeling in all the pink! Justin does great on all holidays but Valentine's he always goes overboard. He told me the other night that it's fun to go all out and see if he can do it better every year....and that if he shows me how much he loves me on the 14th maybe he can have the rest of the year off (and that if it wasn't for Valentine's Day he would have to show me he loves me everyday, and that's just plain boring). Lol that's my husband for ya!
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Since he had duty on Sunday I knew he were going to celebrate on Saturday.

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He woke me up bright and early to get ready and get to breakfast. It was so fun. Most of the time (ok all of the time) I sleep in on weekends. I let Justin play video games downstairs while I get as much sleep as I want. So getting up early and eating breakfast was a ton of fun.

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After breakfast we went over to the Mystic Village. It's one of my favorite places to go. The shops are amazing and when the weather is nice we love to feed the ducks in the pond. It also has the most amazing Vera Bradley store around here.

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For part of my gift, Justin let me loose in the Vera store, told me I could get whatever purse I wanted and that he would meet me at the car after he took Landon to a different store.
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(It was hard picking what one I wanted)

After Mystic we went home so I could take a nap (I love mid-day naps!).

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Justin woke me up a few hours later and told me to get ready again. We were off to dinner! We ate at a really great restaurant and had a great time. Landon is so goofy.

(The boys at dinner)

After dinner Justin took me to the book store. You see this is amazing since I'm not really aloud to go in there anymore due to how many books I come out with. lol. Target is a safe bet with me since I only get 3-4. The book store is BAD news! But I got a lot of really great books that will keep me busy while Justin is gone.

(not too bad. It could have been worse)

When we got home later that night he gave me my favorite fudge from Mystic. He was sneaky about getting it while I was in the Vera store.

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Day 2!

I didn't expect anything on Valentine's Day since we'd done everything the day before. So I was shocked when someone knocked on the door early (ok it was 10) in the morning on Sunday.
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The guy handed me all of this!

(One dozen chocolate covered strawberries)

(He felt bad that he couldn't be there.....even though we had fully celebrated the night before)

I love the Hippo. Landon named it "Hippo Landon" and keeps it wrapped in a baby blanket.
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(Landon loves strawberries, and loves that I share!)

That night I made Landon pink heart pancakes for dinner. I topped it with Strawberries, chocolate syrup and powdered sugar. He loved it! Major sugar rush dinner, but it's only once a year so why not!

I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day!

Shoe Addicts Anonymous week 1

I'm in a few book clubs. One of them is an online(blog) book club. It's the first week...so if you want to join in head on over to Queen of the bookcase and get on it!

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Our first book is Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison.
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Each week we are given a number of chapters to read and a prompt to discus it!
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Week 1 Prompt: Choose your favorite character so far. Go online and find a shoe that this character would wear and explain why you chose her and that particular shoe.

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So far I don't really have a favorite. I like them all for different reasons.

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At first I hated Lorna. She was way too deep in not caring about her financial state.......but she's really grown on me! She works hard as a waitress but blows it all before knocking on her debt.

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I could picture her buying these just for the name and saying "they're black, I can wear them with anything" while trying her hardest to justify it in her head.

I think she's going to grow a lot in the book and I'm excited to see what she learns from all of this!

What is love?

Love is.....Sleeping on a small couch with your son all night to help his cough go away.

Taken this morning at 2am in our bedroom.

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What is love to you?

Attack of the Hearts!

I'm going to start doing this every year for Landon on Valentine's Day. he's going to be so excited to wake up to hearts from cupid everywhere.

Book Review!

Ok so I have been reading a ton! But I've been bad at posting my reviews. Sorry.

Have a little faith

I LOVE all of Mitch Alboms books. When his new one came out I knew I wanted it. It didn't disappoint! It's a true story and right around the same type of thing as Tuesdays with Morrie. It is about faith & religion. Great story!


Synopsis
What if our beliefs were not what divided us, but what pulled us together?

In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight year journey between two worlds – two men, two faiths, two communities – that will inspire readers everywhere.

Albom’s first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie was published twelve years ago, Have A Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an 82-year-old rabbi from Albom’s old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy.

Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he’d left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor – a reformed drug dealer and convict – who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Mitch observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi, embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.

As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Mitch and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers and histories are different, Albom begins to realize a striking unity between the two worlds - and indeed, between beliefs everywhere.

In the end, as the rabbi nears death and a harsh winter threatens the pastor’s wobbly church, Albom sadly fulfills the last request and writes the eulogy. And he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself.

Have a Little Faith is a book about a life’s purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man’s journey, but it is everyone’s story.

The Host

Wow. Ok, ok I'm a fan of Twilight. I'll admit it. I love the books. When the host came out I didn't want to read it. I didn't think it was any type of book I would enjoy. Wow was I wrong. My best friend Sheena told me I had to read it...so when I got it for Christmas I did. I recommend it to everyone. The way SM writes is great for me. I don't like too much sex and swearing and this books didn't have any.

Synopsis

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.

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Percy Jackson & The Olympians

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Great books! I read all 5 in about a week. The lighting thief is the first of the series. They are for the younger crowd but not too bad that adults don't enjoy them.

Since it's a series here is what I got off of Wikipedia....

The protagonist is Percy Jackson, who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes. He learns that the legendary beings of Greek mythology still exist and have always existed, including monsters, cyclopes, empousai, Titans, and also the Olympians (Greek gods) themselves who dwell in Olympus which is now situated at the mythical 600th floor of the Empire State Building. He is frequently attacked by monsters because he is a child of one of the "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades). Percy meets many other young demigods, both friendly and hostile, who are also in the process of discovering their heritage and powers.

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Water for Elephants

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I really liked this book. I didn't really know what to think when I started reading it. But it was like nothing I have ever read before. A little love, history and a great story line all made for a really great book!

Synopsis
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Spinach & Bacon Pasta Toss

What You Need!
1 pkg. (16 oz.) wide egg noodles
3/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing (I used Tuscan House Italian)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 1 pt.), halved
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach leaves (4 cups)
1 cup Finely Shredded Italian Five(my was six) Cheese Blend, divided
8 slices Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled

Make It!
COOK noodles as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 7 min. or until cooked through. .

Add tomatoes; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally

DRAIN noodles, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add noodles and the reserved cooking water to chicken mixture in skillet; stir.

Remove from heat. Add spinach, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the bacon; mix lightly. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.


This was REALLY good. Sometimes I have no idea how things are going to be when I've never made them before. We all loved this. It makes a lot (8 servings) so if you don't want that much half the recipe.

This would be great at a BBQ or potluck! It's really tasty and easy to make!

We ate all of the leftover today. We had it for lunch and dinner! And I'm not a big fan of leftovers! lol. I think I will be making this again!

Birthday party!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Landon's party. My neighbor Mandy took over 150 pictures for me so really when I say a few...I mean a few. lol.
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Mandy takes a lot of pictures for us. She is really good at what she does and has an amazing camera to back it up. I'm lucky to have her, without here I doubt I would have gotten many pictures at all.

This is Hummee.

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Hummee doesn't like a lot of kids running in his house. This was taken right when people started showing up and he started to get a little nervous (I would to if I was that small!). He ended up going into his "house" for the party and was a lot happier in there!

This is Casey.

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Casey and I have been friends for a little over 2 years now. Even though she doesn't have any kids of her own she treats Landon like he's part of her family. I mean look she came to his birthday party! She couldn't stay long since her husband had just gotten home but she helped me out tons with the little things I couldn't get done (like frosting the cupcakes!)

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I'm very lucky to have a friend like her. She's the only one Justin feels 100% comfortable with watching Landon when we go out (that lives here). She's always there for me. Even when it's 2am and I just need someone to talk.

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Thank you Casey for sharing Landon's special day with him, it meant so much to both of us!

Landon and his friend Madeline love to do puppet shows. I think they do one every time she comes over. It's fun to watch them pretend and play together. I thought it was cute that even at his birthday party they did a show for us.

Another shot of the Puppet show. I love this picture!

Since I let the kids decorate their own cupcakes we didn't make a big cake. So before we let them decorate I stuck a few candles in one and we all sang happy birthday.
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The cupcake decorating wasn't messy at all! I thought we were going to have frosting everywhere since the kids ranged from almost 2-6 years old. But nope! Just some sprinkles on the floor!

This is Landon and his BFF Adrian. I met Adrian's mom on a forum for sub wives when she was getting ready to move out here a few months ago. I was excited that she only had one kid( not that I have anything against more kids. lol) and he was only a few months older then Landon. We got together right after they moved here and the kids hit it off like they had been friends for years!
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Landon even got to have Adrian stay the night after the party! It was a lot of fun!

Coloring the masks and treasure maps kept the kids busy for a long time! I had no idea it would be such a big hit. I'm glad I had them!

Landon & I. I had a cuter picture of me but this one just fits us. I love that kid so very much and I can't believe he's already 5! Time goes by so quick.
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We are already starting to plan next years birthday party! Landon wants an under the sea theme and since next year is an even number...off the the Aquarium we go! I think it will be so much fun for the kids!

Valentines

My Mother-in-law and I haven't always gotten along. When Justin and I started dating she HATED me. He was her baby. They had gone through everything together. I was his first girlfriend and I took up all of his time. She was pretty mean to me and didn't really welcome me too well.

Fast forward 8 years and we are best friends. When Justin left for boot camp in late 2005 her and I got really close. I had Landon and she wanted to spend as much time with us as she could before we moved. Since then we have had a growing relationship. I could say that in the last 2 years we have gotten REALLY close. I talk to her every few days and it feels off if I don't.

Since she doesn't get to see us very often she likes to do nice things for us when she can. Today was one of those days. She sent us Valentines Day gifts! Amazing Ghirardelli chocolates! I got a HUGE basket full of all different types and Landon got a bear with chocolates attached to it.

I feel so very blessed to have her in my life. Our relationship started out rocky but now I couldn't imagine it being any stronger. We went from her hating me to thanking me often for what a good wife I am to her son.

Both of our gifts together!

Landon's teddy bear Cocoa!

My basket! It's huge! I have no idea if I'm going to be able to eat it all! lol.

Pirate Birthday Party.

This will be just all the cool stuff I did for the party. So no good party pictures yet. I had a lot of fun this year coming up with things to go with the whole pirate deal. 

I use a few of Landon's toys to decorate for the party. I put candy in or around them to add to it. The bowls in the middle had pretzel goldfish, sweetish fish and normal goldfish in it.

For gift bags. We printed out on normal brown lunch bags. Easier said then done...let me tell ya. But I LOVE how they turned out! Each kid had one with their name on it. Inside was a party blower, pirate hat and a wooden pirate mask(found at Joann's Fabrics for $1) that they got to color and take home. They were a huge hit! They also worked great for all of the pinata stuff

To keep the kids busy while we were getting things set up I printed out Treasure Maps on cardstock for the kids to color. I didn't think the kids would really care about them...but they LOVED them! They were so cute!

For food I made Octopuss hot dogs (you cut them so they have 8 legs then boil them. They get a round shape while they cook), Shell mac & cheese and Anchor sandwiches. Everyone loved the food and it wasn't really unhealthy....so that made me happy! Then we had the normal snacks out....along with all the fishy snacks.