Dr. Seuss

My friend Tawnya called me to let me know that Target was having a Dr. Seuss story time.  She wanted to know if me and the girls wanted to join her.  So of coarse we did.  We met at the Target in Mira Loma .  They had a small section set up in the boys department with stools, goody bags and fishy crackers.

Hannah jumped right in and found a seat and a cup of treats.
You can see Amy is the back ground trying to get Payton to come sit with her.

 

 Amy loves Payton, she is so cute.  I can't believe how big she is already.

 Amy was bored out of her mind.  It was cute how they had it set up, but it was a little boring.

 Look at this little cutie saying cheese.

 The girls had had enough, so since we were at Target we had to browse the store. 

After, we headed over to Borders, they are closing the MIra Loma store and everything was on sale 20-40% off.  So I bought the Hungry Girl cookbook and I am looking forward to cooking up some new healthiness. 

We were in the children's books and Amy grabbed a book and started reading to the girls.  So cute.  She is getting so big.  What happened to y baby?

Thanks Tawnya and Payton for the fun morning.  We need to get together again soon.  

and the award goes too.....

AMY!

On Friday Amy received and award for Improvement in Reading Comprehension.

Here her principle is handing her the award.

 Thats my girl!

She was so happy.  I didn't tell her she was getting anything, so she had no idea I was even at the school. Funny, her friends saw me and Hannah but Amy didn't see me until I walked up to take her picture.

 Right before we were leaving to go to Amy's school, Hannah was decorating Amy's trash can and

 herself!

So I yelled at her and told her she isn't suppose to color on anything other then paper.  She replies crying her eyes out, "I know thats what daddy tells me".  I say "why did you do it then?" Hannah replies" I don't know".  Good grief, this kid is crazy. =)  Then she hugs me and says "sorry mommy" and my heart melts.....


Diet update today is day 24 of the 17 day diet and I have lost 15.8 lbs!! Can I please get a woot woot?

Appliances

We have a couple of appliances that were just not making the cut anymore. Our washing machine works but it is starting to struggle a bit. The dishwasher doesn't dry the dishes and we are just plan tired of drying every dish out of the dishwasher to put them away. Since I am still working we thought this was a good time to buy the new appliances and be able to pay cash for them with my checks.

Here is the new washer, ain't she a beauty?

She is a whirlpool Energy star with a HUGH tub. I can wash my Cal King Comforter in this bad boy! It take some getting use to too the water saver and tub, but I have done a couple of loads and overall I am very happy with it. Its weighs the clothes so it knows how much water to use instead of adjusting the water level manually. She is a clever little thing I tell ya. She's a bit bigger then the dryer, but who cares?

Funny story here, we have hated our non drying dishwasher for some time now. Well, we shpped and looked EVERY place under the sun. Buying a new dishwasher is much harder then you would think. I would look inside and know that my dishes won't fit in one load. Ugh. We finally went to Pacific Sales in Corona and found my dishwasher very quickly. So we bought it and the washer together but they didn't have it available to take home until Tuesday. So Monday night when I was loading the dishwasher I told Kent the "heat dry was not on". So I turned it on and told the dishwasher this was her last wash and last night in our home. Closed the door and started her up. Next day, when I went to unload her, she was dry EVERYTHING was dry! All this time and all I needed was the heat dry to be on. Well, she still needed to be replaced. She was starting to rust and the plastic coating was coming off on the wires that hold the dishes. Still very funny. I like the buttons on the top of the door so a little miss Hannah won't be messing with them anymore. She probably was the one turning heat dry on and off. I have to keep her off the door too, she tends to climb on the door when its open for some reason. UGH. Kids.

Diet update: still at 13 lbs today, starting to feel a little discouraged. I know I need to get the work out in each day and the pounds will drop off.

Recipe for tonights dinner if anyone is interested:

Sesame fish

1lb of Tilapia ( I use Mahi Mahi)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of lite soy sauce

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Spray a broiler pan with vegetable oil. Place fish on pan, whisk together the olive oil, rice vinager, soy sauce and garlic until well blended. Pour over fish and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Broil on medium heat 8 inches from the heat for about 20 minutes. Serve with brown rice and veggies. (FYI, no brown rice here I am just getting fish with veggies).

I have made this 3 times and we love it, so good.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday Changes

We have been debating on putting Hannah in a bed and getting rid of the crib. (Sniff sniff, my baby WHAAAA!) Anyhow, the problem is we do not have a spare room since having Hannah and it makes it difficult to have company aka my parents when you don't have a place to put them up for the night. The other problem is Amy is always having a friend spend the night and right now I have to make them beds on the couch in the living room. So we knew we wanted to get Amy 2 twin beds or a bunk or something. Well, my parents came out on Sunday and with them they brought me the old daybed and trundle bed from one of the bedrooms at their house. YIPEE, problem solved. We moved Amy's bed into Hannah's room and the new daybed into Amy's room. Works perfectly!! Then my mom and I went shopping for new bedding for Hannah.

We rearranged her room a bit, bought new bedding Lauren Ashley from Burlington and now I am in the market for some room fairy's.

The girls relaxing on the new bed.

This is the bedding up close. I was going to have pictures made on canvas at Costco to hang on the walls but costco said it will be grainy or blurred.

First night in her new bed. She stayed in it all night long.

Here is Amy's new daybed and the trundle bed is under the bed already to pull out for her next sleep over! Amy didn't get new bedding this is what we bought her when she changed from the crib to the bed. Its all Roxy and is in great shape. I am still looking for wall decor for her room too.

* Diet update and Healthy eating*

Today is day 1 of the activate cycle, each cycle is 17 days.

As of today I am 13 lbs lighter in 18 days! Kent is 20 lbs lighter.

Sample menu today for today:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with medium orange and green tea

Lunch: Spaghetti squash with 3 shrimp and low fat marinara sauce from last night

Dinner: Grilled Salmon with steam broccoli and green tea.

(no butter, no sugar no added anything)

Date night

On Friday my hubby called and asked me if we were busy on Saturday night and I said no. He said lets go on a date. I say YEAH! He worked Saturday and then we did a few errands in the afternoon. Came home and got ready. Oops no picture of us. I guess I was so excited about going out that I forgot. Anyway, grandma and grandpa babysat and we headed to Lone Star for dinner. Since we are dieting, its not as much fun to go out to dinner. We had to pick it apart and find something we could eat. Anyway, I had the grilled Cajun Chicken (only ate one breast and brought the other home) and a dinner salad with Vinegar. Yeah me. After dinner we went to the Phoenix theater we watched Gulliver's Travels. Very funny. After it was early so we decided to walk around Target and look at bedding for Hannah. We wondered through the books and movies. Then Kent bought me Black Heels to Tractor Wheels!! Picked up a book for Hannah, Fancy Nancy and a book for Amy, Junie B. June series and Kent got the A-team movie.

Learning to

Eat to live instead of living to eat!

I recently saw on Dr. Phil and The Doctors the 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno. Its how to lose ALOT of weight fast and keep it off. So I ordered it and the 17 minute workout.

I am on day 15 today and have lost 11 lbs, no joke people. 11 lbs!!! This book is amazing, you are on a different food schedule every 17 days. The weight is falling off. I feel good and have more energy. I have not even started to work out yet. I can only imagine how I will feel and how much weight I will lose when I start my work out program. If you are struggling with weight I highly recommend you buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

Wordless Wednesday... Dreaming of Summer

Christmas and Valentines?

Or is it Valentines and Christmas?

Yesterday, I was giving the girls a shower and Minnie was barking all crazy like. So I went to see what the heck she was barking at. It was my father in law, he was bringing us gifts through the back door. He brought over this beautiful ice cream cake and card from him and my mother in law. So sweet and a total surprise. The girls said it was delicious and I even let them have 2 slices each of it last night.

This handsome fellow and I usually do not exchange Valentine gifts. We always give each other a card, I threaten him to NOT buy me flowers at the highway robbery prices they sale them for on Valentines. Well, last year he bought me diamond earrings. He said it was just something special because I think I didn't get anything for my birthday or something. Anyway, this year same rules apply NO gifts. We don't need anything and we just had Christmas. I open my card and inside was a gift certificate for 3 mani pedis. He thought me, Amy and Hannah would enjoy that together. Aww, so sweet. This guy is the best! Thats 2 years in a row that he has done something I wasn't expecting. I better start planning something special for him for next year!!

** On to Christmas**

I have been wanting a pair of TOMS for awhile and had asked for them for Christmas. I didn't get them but I did get a nice gift card from my in laws. I think a week or so ago we went to the mall and I found the TOMS I wanted but they didn't have my size. They arrived yesterday and I was so excited!!

Thanks mom and dad Cozart for the gift card. This is what I bought with the money.

I LOVE THEM.

87 years old

** Warning Warning this is a long post**

Today my nana turns 87! Yep, she was born on Valentines day.

I believe God had a hand in that too, he made this woman have the biggest, forgiving, loving heart around.

She is gracious, Godly and I have never heard her say a bad or spiteful word in my life.

Meet Letha aka Nana, nana great , mom

So yesterday the family had a birthday party for nana at her assisted living home in Burbank. She told me she thought it was going to be just her kids. She was so happy to see everyone and just couldn't believe we would all come to her.

We had a big potluck, cake and cupcakes.

My dad aka papa with Hannah. He was showing her pictures on his phone.

This is my cousin Diane and she is holding the newest addition to our ever growing family.

Meet Maddie, she is 4 mos old and I am telling you so cute.

Rick and papa. These 2 have always had a very close bound. I LOVE IT! and I love them.

Nana with her 5 children.

She was an only child and always long for a sibling. So her and my papa had 5 children.

Hannah enjoying her cupcake.

Nana opening up her gifts and cards.

This is my sister in law Many with her daughter Samantha.

Samantha turned 12 on Sunday. She could totally pass for my daughter, don't ya think?

My brother holding Maddie. He must have been telling a BORING story he put her to sleep with her finger in her eye. I am sure she was thinking I would rather poke my eye out then to listen to this guy talk any longer! HAHAHA We know how you feel Maddie. I kid, I kid. We love my brother. He just tends to be a bit long winded.

Me and my special Nana.

Amy, Nana and Hannah.

Some more family chillin' outside.

After the party, Samantha wanted us to join her and her family at Bj's for her birthday celebration. I guess you could call it the "after party" party. So we did!

So pretty.

Amy and Luke, he is my youngest nephew and this boy is full of beans. Love him though.

Me and william he is the middle child and super sweet. I think he could pass for mine to. Boy, that Cotterall gene is strong!

Glad we had a chance to spend time with not only my family but with my extended family. We use to see each other once a month as we were growing up but now that the family has gotten so large it just isn't that easy anymore. However, I have already been hit up to host another girls party this summer. So we will be planning that soon.

So information about my family.

Nana and papa =

5 kids who all married and had 13 children between them.

Those 13 grandchildren have married and had 24 children

of those great grandchildren their are 2 great great grandchildren.

How exciting that Nana has been able to see her family grow.

So if you do the math you can see why we are not getting together as often, we just can't fit everyone in one house anymore.

Norco Winter Rodeo

Last Saturday night was the Norco Winter Rodeo, and I LOVE me a rodeo!!!

I stole these pictures off my friends FB page. Anyway, the little guys and girls that ride the sheep are just too darn cute! They do so well. One off them actually took a pretty good fall, when the sheep tripped and fell and rolled over the little guy. He hopped up and waved his hand and headed back to the shoot.

The BULLS are my VERY favorite things at the rodeo! Its such an exciting sport to watch. I actually just prefer to see the bulls, but hubby likes the whole thing. This bull right here, he came out of the shoot the cowboy came right off and he ran around the arena. Usually, they can corral the bull and get him to go right back into the corral, well not this guy. He pranced around and every time they would rope him he would lay down and play dead. They would take the rope off and he would get back on his feet and move again. I think that he laid down at least 3 times in the arena. It was so funny. I hope the bull was okay and not sick and thats why he was doing it. I don't think I will ever know.

Check out the air this bull caught! Woot woot.

Have you ever been to a Rodeo?

This day sucks!!!

Welp, this was not the post I was dreaming of today.

I usually think of what I might blog about during the day and this did not even cross my mind.

Today, my house cleaner comes and I usually DON'T come home on these days, well because it makes me feel lazy and if I am eating my lunch as she cleans around me, I feel like I should clean with her. BUT today, I had chicken defrosting on the counter for dinner and I knew I HAD to come home to put it in the fridge(otherwise by 5:30 or so tonight it would be ruined). Anywho, I was sitting at a red light about 1:43 p.m. on the corner of Corydon and River Road, waiting patiently for the green arrow, when I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw this lady SLAM right into me. Yep, she hit me, HARD. As I get out of my car I could see the damage. My heart sunk. This is my new Jetta barely a year old! WTH??? I walked back to her and I say, what were you doing? "Obviously you weren't paying attention." She says "I sorry, I adjusting the radio for my son". PERFECT, I think to myself you dumb B****! Why can't people just drive and pay attention to what they are doing? This is now a hugh HASSEL for me and I was MINDING my own business, PAYING ATTENTION to the light!! This SUCKS!

My stroller is wedge pretty good inside that trunk and the insurance agent told me to let the body shop remove it so that if its damaged it can be made a part of the claim. We can look in the trunk from the back seats and the wheel on the stroller looks a little suspicious. As well as where the top of the stroller pushed into the back of the seat, the seat feels a little dented. So I will make them check that out too. Did I tell you this SUCKS???

Oh ya and she must have called her family while we were parking, because while I am getting her information a car load of people pull up behind her and check on the situation. So I get back into my car, call Kent to make sure I had gotten everything I needed from this dumb woman and he thought I should get something else. So I walked back to her car and she is crying with her family. Me miss empathy says "Look your not hurt, I am not hurt your son is fine, I'm pissed off, but get over and give me the rest of your information!" So she did.

FYI, I am ok. My back around 4:00 started to stiffen up and my neck when I bob my head forward hurts. I kind of expected that from the impact. I am sure tomorrow I will be really feeling the joints.