Home Cookin' via Africa!

Last night was my first attempt at cooking an African Meal! I want to start incorporating these meals into our lives so that they will just become apart of us. So once our daughter is home this will be our normalcy. Just another meal. I want to blend our cultures so that our family will have it's own culture and traditions.
I was a little concerned about how it would turn out. I used lots of different spices that are not a typical blend for the foods we are used to here in the US. It was a lot more complicated and time consuming than my usual Rachel Ray recipes but, to our surprise it was really good! My husband had two huge plates! I will most definitely make it again and am looking forward to more experiments in the kitchen!


Chunky Mashed Veggies
Sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans and a lot of spices including berbere!


Bobotie
As I was making this I thought it would end up to be something like a meat loaf but turned out to be something different completely. I am not sure how to describe the taste but trust me you should try it!


The finished result. I did serve it with soft bread too just in case it was a little too much spice for my guests!


It was a little too spicy for baby Owen but he was happy just the same!

George W. and New Year's

Here is Owen helping Mommy take down the Christmas tree. It is what he had been hoping to do the entire time it was up and was euphoric now that we were finally ripping all the glittery stuff down! I took photos to remember his first destruction of a Christmas tree. My only regret....why didn't I put him in a different shirt? Now forever when he is 20 showing his girlfriend baby photos from his first Christmas he will see himself in an Anti Bush shirt. Don't get me wrong this household (Daddy especially) is not a Bush fan, thus the shirt, but I didn't really want him to have Christmas photos in it! Stupid me....but I guess it will make for a funny story later in life.


!!!!KABLAM!!!!

Now on to New Year's Eve.

It was nice, quiet, and I did have some alcohol (which doesn't happen much any more). We had a few friends over for some 7 layer dip, vodka and pyrotechnics. We had a good time talking, drinking, playing games, and setting things on fire.

This New Year's made me a bit sad though.

I must admit that I miss the old days, the single days, the before children days when we all got together for these events and random poker parties. I miss Friday night movies. I miss the old Lot One days where we might be known to do a thing or two we regretted the next morning. :)

Life changes so much after marriage and children and I love my family. I especially love being with Owen every morning to watch Higgly Town Heroes and talking to my Husband while he half listens because he is playing WOW. But even though my life has changed drastically in the past two years I still feel like the old Catherine and the old Catherine misses her old life sometimes and her old friends.


Big Nick and Dustin running for their lives!

Joy, Kristin and Me

Big Nick, Dustin, and CB

PS
Check out that thermometer on the right!!! It is movin' on up!!! Yay! Only $9,900.00 to go! ha!

Crazy Christmas Days!!!

Santa has come!

Christmas this year was great! Exhausting, but great! Owen became interested in the presents once he realized there were toys underneath all that colorful paper. We had a busy couple of days, traveling to visit friends and family and I am still drained from all that occurred. Here are a few photos from Christmas day!




I think Santa left the train more for Daddy than Owen!!! :)


He really loved his Fisher Price toys although it isn't that evident in this photo!

Freaking Out About Finances!

Ok so here it goes, We have nothing really standing in our way of adopting except money. It is expensive! I want to raise $10,000 and think we can swing the rest on our own but that amount seems monstrous to me right now! I have ONECAUSE (SEE TOP RIGHT OF BLOG) and we are planning a big yard sale in the spring, more on that later, and now my newest scheme.......recycling!!!

Yep you heard it right, recycling. I know this is something I should do anyway but this adoption has pushed me over the edge into a huge pit of aluminum. I am collecting cans and going to turn them in for cash. I guess it helps me and the environment at the same time but I must be honest. As I was crushing cans in the cold on the back patio this morning I just felt overwhelmed about all that we will have to pay......HELP!

So if any of my friends want to collect cans at their home I will pick them up, crush them and put the money towards our goal!!!!

Ladies Night Out!

It is often difficult with all the life changes, mainly babies, for all of us to get out. But last night thanks to the organization of Heatherbean we all got a night to ourselves! It felt a bit like old times, if you don't count the phone calls to all the husbands checking on the little ones!!! Haha! We went out to dinner at Moe's, my fav, and then ice skating at Centennial Olympic Park. I was truly terrified and made close friends with the wall. Despite my fear of falling I had a great time! I really appreciate the times I have with my friends and am grateful for these relationships even if I did have to risk my life to hang out with them...:)


Heather, Me and Jennifer


Way to go ladies!




Me and Jessica pretending to be pros, she was much much better than me!


Heather had the task of carrying a little bun so she was our cheerleader on the sidelines.

My Sleepy Boy

I have often heard that there is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping child. I believe this statement to be true. They seem so innocent and pure while they lay there dreaming. I snapped these photos the other day of my little Owen, just thought I would share them.

Family Photo Shoot

Dustin, Me and Owen


This was our first family photo shoot. I don't know how we waited so long to do this, Owen is almost one year old now. My friend Heather took the photos, THANKS girl! Here are a few!


The love of my life!


Owen is a very happy baby. We make jokes about how he is going to be a comedian when he grows up because life is hilarious to him.


This makes me really nervous!!!