Busy with life

We've been busy. Super busy. But, we are healthy, strong, and chugging along. Here are a few pictures from our recent outing to Perry's Steakhouse. Dusty surprised us and made reservations. We usually go alone, but we decided to bring the kids this time. They had a blast and were so well behaved. Our family dinner date will always be cherished. It was such a sweet evening for all of us. I sure love this crazy bunch!

 

 

chalk, paint, and a wall

Just in case you were wondering, we now have a chalkboard wall in our kitchen.  I love it. The kids love it. Dusty, well, I hope he loves it.  It serves as a creative wall for the kids to draw, plan meals, chore chart, and random quotes.
I think it ROCKS and highly recommend one in your house!
Just a few random pictures from the iphone...not the best and a tad blurry.

ihop @ midnight

Yep, we hit IHOP at midnight last week. I woke up one morning and told Dusty we should go to IHOP at midnight for some pancakes! Of course, he looked at me like I was crazy, but agreed to go along with my random quirkiness. And that is just what we did. I called up my 2 super cool nieces, Abbi & Marissa, picked them up and off we went to the big IHOP.
You gotta love the iphone...takes the best random photos when you are at IHOP at midnight.

Memorial Day 2012

How we spent our Memorial Day...

Steak-n-Shake

A rainy day equals brunch at the local Steak-n-Shake.
The hamburger with the fried egg on top is the BOMB!
A cute 4 year old in a Steak-n-Shake hat equals one happy Mama!

the year of the dragon

On January 23rd, the kids and I celebrated the Chinese New Year. Dusty had to work that day, and I was looking for something creative to do with the kiddos that evening, so I decided why not celebrate. So,we ordered Chinese food, ate on the floor in the family room, listened to Chinese music from Pandora, and talked about the Chinese New Year and about life. It was a fun evening and the kids seemed to get the red sweet and sour sauce everywhere. Cee Cee looks like a vampire in one of the photos.

Don't know about the Chinese New Year & want some information on it...well, read on. If not, just skip to the pictures of the super cute kids below it. :)

More than 4,000 years ago, there were two large tribes and many smaller tribes in China. The tribes had animals as emblems. The two large tribes unified and chose the dragon as their symbol. In fact, the Han Chinese still call themselves the descendants of the Dragon.
In Chinese astrology the dragon was seen as a powerful almighty king because it was made up of different parts of animals such as a tiger, fish, snake and an eagle.
The Chinese dragon was not seen as a threatening evil being as we do in the west - rather a symbol of power, superiority and rule.
Still today, the Dragon is a revered symbol. You can see many sculptures and carvings of the dragon. Even today, the Chinese associate the dragon with power and wisdom. In Chinese astrology a dragon person is special. Born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon they usually stand out as befits a dragon. They are powerful and wise.
In a group of people, "the Chinese Year of the Dragon person" stands out. There is a certain aura about them.
They certainly are not shy – they demand attention and respect.
The dragon is a symbol of power. Therefore in Chinese astrology the dragon person born under this Chinese Zodiac sign tends to be a "doer" – they do things and achieve power by getting things done.
A dragon can breathe out fire so the person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be a hothead. Watch out if you make them angry!
However, the dragon has a soft underbelly and so in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a "soft spot" to them. They may get angry at someone who annoys them but they also show great compassion to people in need.
A dragon has a long tongue which is often seen.
So in Chinese astrology the dragon person born in this Chinese Zodiac year has a sharp tongue – they will say things that can be quite sarcastic and biting.
The person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be quite a confronting person but if you can reach their "soft heart" they are worthwhile allies.
2012 is the Chinese year of the dragon. So what does 2012 hold for a person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon?
Such people such double their efforts in whatever they do - work, education and other projects. Their natural talent and abilities should stand out with great results.
However, watch out for that temper! Keep it in check and do not spoil your good work.

Were you lucky enough to be born The Year of the Dragon?
1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012

(article found here & the below picture found somewhere on the net--brain fart and I can't remember!)

Martin Luther King Day

On Martin Luther King day the kids were out of school, so we loaded them up and headed out on a road trip to Krystal's Burger joint. Now our definition of a road trip is probably quiet different than your idea of a "road trip". Our definition means driving 45 minutes from our house on a street that is nothing but light after light. We finally made it to our destination only to be greatly disappointed. Krystal's was shut down!!!!! Ugh, the sadness Dusty and I experienced! The kids were pretty bummed too because they were starving!!!
After much discussion and whining from the kids we decided to hit Rudy's BBQ on the way home and rent a movie. Rudy's has super yummy delicious BBQ. Cameron and Caroline, who have the same taste for food, love the cream corn and Jake, who doesn't eat veggies at all, loves the ribs.
The kids also grabbed their favorite candy selection from Rudy's. Jake picked the Texas sized jelly beans and Cameron and Caroline picked the big lollipops.
And what's a road trip without documentation....
Looks like someone landed their sweet ride and went to Rudy's too....



Oh, and here is the sweet $15 cheesecake we picked up from Sams...

New Year's Eve

This year, due to our work schedule, Dusty and I were without the kids on New Year's Eve.You would think we would get dressed up and hit the town, but we are pretty up in age and sleep is our number 1 priority....especially, since we had to work the next day. We ordered food from the Fish Place (fish tacos, Shrimp Alfredo pasta, and a fish poor boy) and we made a quick run to Kroger's for French Bread and Cheesecake. It was simply delicious and fun.
Here is my failed attempt to capture some amazing pictures of us-HA! My goal this year is to get more pictures of us (Dusty and I) on the blog. So, please forgive me if I post any "real" pictures of me--no make up, the extra 10 pounds of weight I have gained, and etc.