Officially THREE!!!!

Hello my bloggy friends:) I am still alive and well, just buried at the moment.......

I am having a tough time trying to find balance in my life. I look back on this past year and really don't know how I was able to keep up with my job, my family, friends, photography, and still have time to blog. Lately, I have not been able to fit everything into my day and I had to cut out some of my computer time:(

For most people the holidays are a very busy time of year, so I am sure you can relate to the anxiety that I am feeling at the moment. I hope to be back on the "regularly scheduled routine" as soon as the Thanksgiving Holiday is over. I am anxious to catch up with you all.

While we have been busy with a lot of the normal day to day stuff, we did have a birthday to celebrate last week......

Any guesses who might have turned three??

Yep......Miss Sarah.....or the princess as she now refers to herself.


She got a cinderella costume for her birthday.....complete with glass slippers that light up when she walks.....or runs:) They are the cutest...... I secretly wish they came in my size.


Nick was nice enough to snap a picture of me with the bday girl after she opened some of her gifts.


We had a small family party that night. Sarah stayed in costume all day long.....and Grandma brought the birthday cake. Of course she played right into the the whole princess theme and Sarah was so excited when she saw it come through the front door.


A little anxious to get through the happy birhtday song so she could dig into the cake. BTW, not the best pictures, but I wanted to capture the moment:)


Ahhhh....cousin Aidan just couldn't wait to take a bite out of the cake:)


Sarah getting ready to dive in face first~


Since it was just a small family gathering and we had more than enough cake.....we let them have a little fun...LOL! We are a classy bunch, aren't we??


Oh well, the kids had a blast. They ate their cake and then ran around the house with balloons until the sugar high wore off.

I still cannot believe that she is three. It seems like yesterday that she was placed in our arms for the first time. She is growing up fast........and she is no longer a baby:(

Well, I need to get moving here....I am off to work and then I will be coming home to prepare for Thanksgiving. We are hosting, so I will be busy in the kitchen getting things ready. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Be back soon......I PROMISE:)

A Little Something to Warm You Up

Even though we have had some beautiful warm days, it has gotten very cold at night. It was feeling like a "chili" kind of weekend, so I went searching for a new recipe to test out.

Typically I make the standard beef or ground turkey chili, but I was really in the mood for something different, so I headed to FoodNetwork.com and did a search.

After reviewing many different options, I landed on a Chipolte White Chicken Chili



Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bunch of Scallions, white and green parts sliced
3 Cloves of Fresh Garlic, chopped
1 Jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
2 tsp of Kosher Salt
6 cups of low-sodium Chicken Broth
2 Medium Baking Potatoes, Peeled and cute into cubes
1 Cup of Frozen Corn
2 Carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Chipoltes in Adobo Sauce, sliced
1/2 to 1 Rotisserie Chicken, skinned and shredded into large chuncks
1 19oz Can of Cannelini or White Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 Cup packed Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and 2 teaspoons of salt and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, corn, carrots, and chipoltes and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Stir to break up the potatoes, so that the broth starts to slightly thicken. Add the chicken and beans and stir occasionally while cooking an additional 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

I also opt to put out some fun toppings:

Cheddar Cheese
Salsa
Scallions
Sour Cream
Advocado
Tostitoes

Another hint..... I usually double recipes like this because they freeze so well. It made a huge pot, so we could enjoy some now and freeze the rest for a day that I don't have time to cook a meal from start to finish.

I served it with some hearty whole grain bread and we were in business!! The family gave this one a double thumbs up, so it is safe to say I will be making it again:)

Sorry, no dessert this weekend......I am still paying the price for all the apple cakes that were made and consumed in the last couple of weeks.

Have a great week!!

The Perfect Place

On Sunday, I took the kids to a nearby town to do a little shopping. We don't get to this little "town" often, but it is quaint and the street is lined with the most unique shops and little cafes......we should make it a point to get down there more frequently.

Our main focus of this little excursion was a trip to the bookstore. This is my FAVORITE bookstore in the area. Not only is it a bookstore, it is a cookshop, and a gift store as well. They really have it all, complete with a deli for a quick bite and a cup of coffee.

Nick was looking for a new book for his upcoming book report and Sarah said she wanted one too. We usually frequent B@rnes and Noble, so this was a nice change. Walking in kind of reminded me of the movie "Y@u've got mail"

We took our time and looked around taking it all in. After a little while both the kids picked out their books and we checked out. The kids practically skipped out of the store with their little red bags in hand. The cashier knew enough to ask if they each wanted their own bag.....of course they did:)

As we walked out, I glanced up and down the street and felt surrounded by old brick and cobblestown, I knew that this was the perfect place........


I know what you are thinking.....

The perfect place for what???


It is the perfect place for our Christmas Card photo!


I don't know about you, but for me this is a stressful part of the holiday season......even more stressful than the shopping. It is nearly impossible to get both kids looking in the proper direction at the same time. I can't imagine dealing with 3, 4, or 5 children......

Last year was kind of trying and just when I was about to give up, I finally got the shot I wanted! When I saw my picture printed on the card, it was worth every minute of frustration and I was so excited to send them out to our family and friends.

I know I could make this task very easy on myself and just use one the hundreds of photos that I have taken over the last few months, but I would really like to go with something a little more festive....and in the moment.


Even though I take lots of pics, I don't take many of Nick and Sarah together. It usually ends in disaster, so I am crossing my fingers and my toes that this all works out according to plan.


The wheels are turning in my head.......and I have more than a few ideas floating around.


The coordinating outfits have been ordered.........


and the scene has been set!!


Now I just need a little cooperation with the weather{and my kids}and I hope that we will have success:)

I brought the camera along with me on Sunday because I have always loved this area. I kind of thought it might become a new hot spot for me......and now I am convinced!! I am getting really bored with some of the places I have been frequenting so it was in the back of my mind, but I wasn't sure until I walked the streets with my camera and the kids.

Nick and Sarah were in such a great mood, they did let me snap a few photos as they explored the new area. The street is filled with amazing buildings, wrought iron fences, and stone everywhere.....ALL perfect backdrops for any photo!!

I have only scratched the surface with these photos....this place has SO MANY possibilities. I did want to leave a little element of surprise for our card, so I conveniently left out some of my favorite attributes of this location.

The fun is just about to begin.......I am hoping we get "THE ONE" by Thanksgiving.

We'll see........

If You Wear Yours.........

I Will Wear Mine!

After seeing her cousin Aidan wearing his wings, she agreed to wear hers:) It took some convincing, but she did wear them. We told her that no one would give her any candy without them. As soon as she heard that, they went on and stayed on:)


After we convinced the princess that she needed her wings, we tried to convince "Woody" it was time to Trick or Treat.........but he was not having it. He wanted to stay at home where it was warm and cozy, so Buzz and Princess Sarah brought back some extra goodies for him.


Aidan and Sarah standing in the neighbors yard. Sarah was a little shocked to see a big black spider hanging from the tree directly above her head. You can barely see it in the photo, it is just under the "V" in my watermark. I have to admit, it was kind of freaky looking. Aidan didn't look to thrilled with it either.


We had a little change in plans. I thought my other nephew, who is Nick's age, was going to be at my sisters house to come along with us, but he was not and I felt bad making Nick come along with the little ones. He went with a good friend instead and had a fantastic night. Before his evening started, he did let me get one picture of him:)

He is at such a tough age for a costume.....it is either kiddy city or adult costumes. He said that we wanted to go as a rocker dude and we found the tattoo shirt at T@rget with the fake leather vest and "do rag" He also stuck a bandana in his back pocket. I think this might be the last year for him........he is getting ready to age out of the system if you know what I mean:)


One close up shot of my little pink princess!! I was kind of bummed.....we put glitter in her hair....A LOT OF GLITTER..... and you can't even see it. Of course it took me washing her hair three times to get it out and I am still finding it throughout the house.....but no evidence of it here:(


Had to put this funny one in.....She is infatuated with the fairy wand and her little furry purse complete with lipgloss! She has been walking around all weekend saying "Abracadabra Alakazam" We have all been turned into everything from a frog to a ham:)

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!

I cannot believe it is Novemeber already. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet??

The Pouty Princess

We did a test run of Sarah's costume this weekend......and although she started out so excited to be surrounded by tulle, glitter, and even a little makeup.......the smile didn't last too long.......


My pouty little princess


Ummmm......can you tell she is not happy?

And would you like to know why?

The wings.....

She doesn't like her beautiful princess fairy wings!!

The very wings that she would not let the sales person put in the bag because she insisted on wearing them through the mall and out to the car.

Obviously, between the night we bought the costume and this weekend, she changed her mind.

I refuse to start over with a new costume, so we decieded to make some minor adjustments to this one.

With one quick trip to T@rget, I think we are all set!! We reworked the accessories.....and I hope that the pouty princess will not show up on Halloween night!!

The last two years, the way the weekends fell, Nick has spent Halloween with his Dad, but this year he will be with us!! So really, this is the first year that he and Sarah will be together for Halloween. I remember posting pics last year of Sarah trick or treating, but I didn't have any of Nick. I am happy to say that will not be the case this year:)

A Day on Campus....Through My Eyes

Sorry, I don't mean to bore anyone, but I wanted to do one more post to document our trip to Notre Dame last weekend. My previous post pretty much summed up Game Day, so this one is going to focus on the day we walked around campus. Well, some of us walked....as you can see, little miss thing, got a ride for a majority of the day.



Here is the library, also known as "touchdown Jesus" When you are in the stadium, you can see him overlooking one of the end zones, hence the name!!


Pat and the kids posing for a shot in front of the dome. Nick looks thrilled, doesn't he?? He loved being on campus, just hated to have to stop and pose for the camera!! I told him I needed at least one....and that is what I got.....ONE.


The tippy top of the Basilica. I took this shot from the stadium!


We were just about to go into the Basilica and I looked straight up and thought it would make a pretty cool photo!


It is a beautiful church.....probably right up there with St. Patrick's Cathedral.


As we made our way up past the alter, they had these pews on either side. I thought they were very different looking.....so intricate. I also loved the reflection of the window on the wood banister.

There were a couple of other things I wanted to take pictures of in there, but just as I snapped this one, Sarah yelled out REALLY LOUD....."Mommy, I want a snack" Needless to say, we left the church within minutes.......


Do you see this happy face?? She got her snack and was ready to head to the incredible bookstore! But not on her own two feet.......


Uncle Mike is smitten by Sarah.....and all she had to do was glance in his direction and he swept her up off her feet and carried her to our next destination.

Mike is Pat's twin brother. We don't get to see him all that often, but Sarah is really taken by him. He has a way with her that I just can't explain......

My husband always talks about the twin bond....and how it is almost like a sixth sense. They always know if the other one is in trouble or has something going on in their lives, even if they aren't around one another. Sarah is very much a Daddy's girl.....and I think she picks up part of that twin brotherly bond. She loves all of her Aunts and Uncles, but we both see her eyes light up when Uncle Mike enters the room!!

We did make it to the bookstore, but as you can imagine the day before the game it was PACKED....like sardines in a can!! I was really disappointed that I did not take my camera out because you are never going to guess who was in the bookstore?? RUDY.....the real deal!! That was pretty cool to see him....especially after watching that movie so many times.

After the bookstore, we all attended the pep rally which was wild. They had Joe Theism@nn as a guest speaker and a former football player Rocket Ishm@el......by the time these gentlemen exited the stage, the crowd was JUMPING!! They were really hyped!! It was such a great weekend for our family.......I am glad that we made the trip with the kids.....it was worth every second of the drive to see the look of awe in Nick's eyes! Hope we get to make it out again next year:)

Have a great week.. We had a test run of Sarah's costume this weekend......I will be posting pictures in a day or two.

Pickin' the Perfect Pumpkin

I decided to change the line up a little bit and break up all the "green and blue" with some photos from the pumpkin patch..... I will finish part two of our ND trip next week.

We had an absolute gorgeous day here......so I finished up work a little early and I took Sarah over to the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.



Sarah insisted on pulling the wagon the entire time. I suggested she get in and let me pull her, but that didn't go over too well. At one point, she told me to get in so she could pull me. Now that would have been a picture.......


Some pumpkins just waiting around for someone to pick them.


"Hey Mommy, this one is cute, but it is really tiny.....and kind of squished.....maybe I should put it back"


Still trying to manuever the big red wagon....on her own, with NO HELP FROM MOMMY.


A pretty line of pumpkins.


The field is the perfect place to break into some dance moves.


A big table of gourds.


My spunky girl running in the big open field!


We had hoped to go and pick pumpkins this weekend, but it looks like the weather is going to be bad.....and I was afraid if we didn't fit in a quick trip at the end of the day, we wouldn't make it there at all this year.

The pumpkins were the last thing on our list and now we officially ready for Halloween. Picking Sarah's costume proved to be interesting......at almost 3 years old she had her own ideas about what she wanted to wear.....and then she changed her mind, and changed it again.

We went to the store and she picked out the most adorable costume, but when we got home and pulled it out to show Daddy, she told me to take it back, it was not her costume. I didn't take it back, it is still hanging here in her closet. I am just crossing my fingers that she loves it when I pull it out next week. We'll see.......

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Game Day

We are back from our Notre Dame Football weekend!! We had a great time, but it went way too fast. That is always the case.....isn't it? I love going away, but why do I hate coming home.......or should I say, what I come home to......

LAUNDRY.....I am still digging out from under a huge mountain of it.......we all wore lots of layers to keep warm all weekend, which means LOTS and LOTS of clothes to wash....UGH!!

In addition, I have tons of pictures to go through, and just have not had the time to spend organizing and fixing them. I took a couple shots on Game Day, but most of what I have to go through was from the day prior. We spent Friday on campus walking around. We visited the bookstore and the basilica, then attended the pep rally Friday night.

Nick was in heaven the entire time we were there and was in total awe of the university. How could he not....it is such a beautiful campus. Both Pat and I told him he better start hitting the books a little harder if he has his eye on ND.

I will be doing another post in a day or two when I have a chance to sort things out, but for now, here are a few of my favs......


Nick showing off his "Fighting Irish" tattoo, while Pat and Sarah are packing the cooler in the background. You know, the cooler is one of the most important items on game day:)


Attempted to get my three ND fans together for a photo. Someone was not cooperative and this was as good as it was going to get.......


Nick showing off his new shirt........he could have gone HOG WILD in that bookstore. I definitely got a couple great ideas for Christmas.....little does he know that I can order anything he saw there online:)


The house that Pat's family rented was only a few blocks from campus so we could all walk to the stadium on game day, but the problem was bringing food and drinks along to tailgate in the parking lot.

Pat and his brother were determined to find/buy a parking pass from someone so that we could at least take one car stocked with all the goodies and then the rest of us could walk over.

My BIL worked it like no other and ended up scoring us a parking pass. We ended up just outside the stadium in section one......which was extra lucky for us. As you can see, Pat was loving every minute of our time out there getting primed for the game:) Not the best photo, but I had to include it. It was really the highlight of the day....especially since they lost the game:(


Just as we were getting ready to head into the stadium, Sarah decided she needed a nap in the back of the car. She snuggled up with her ND blanket and of course her Nuk, which we have yet to get rid of at naptime and bedtime, but that is a story for another post. Supposedly she is giving it to Santa on Christmas Eve....FINGERS CROSSED. Anyway, when we all looked over, we saw that she was surrounded by adult beverages......had to capture this one!!


Sarah did sleep for a good portion of the game....but she popped up in the fourth quarter for all the action and decided to cheer on the team!!

That is all I have for now. As I said, I will post the rest of our trip in a few days. I still have a lot of catching up to do around here. I will be back to blogging again in a day or two.........today is actually my birthday and I plan to spend it with my family:) I won't tell you how old.......let's just say that I am inching closer to the big 40.

We're Hitting the Road.....

We are getting ready to head out on a little trip.......and might I add that the "boys" in this house are very anxious for our little getaway. They have been talking about it for weeks and the time is finally here......we are hitting the road tomorrow for a fun filled, action packed weekend.

Any guesses where we might be going??

How about a small hint......

Take a look at the photo below courtesy of Bus!nessweek.com

Did you figure it out???

No.....Maybe you should look at the little guy below, I bet that will help:)


Yep....you guessed it...we are headed to South Bend, Indiana to visit the University of Notre Dame where we will be meeting up with the rest of the "Gaelic" family.

Pat's parents are renting a house right off campus for the next few weeks and we are all going out to attend some of the upcoming games. If I forgot to mention it before.....they are DIE HARD FANS!

Each year, Pat tries to make it to at least one home game. I have gone out once before, but this will be the first trip for Nick and Sarah. Nick is so excited he can barely stand it. He had never attended a professional or college football game. Sarah....well she is still convinced that we are going to the beach....she equates visiting "Grammy and Pops" to our trips to Cape Cod. She is in for a rude awakening when we arrive in South Bend.

We are all set to go.......in addition to all of our ND attire, we pulled out the winter gear....hats, scarves, gloves, and winter coats. We are hoping we won't need them, but you never know!!

I probably won't get a chance to post/blog until we get back next week, so I thought I would share a little cuteness in the meantime......


We had a really cool weekend and had to layer up to go outside. The trees are really changing color......it is so beautiful!!! Give it another week or two and the leaves will start dropping like crazy. It will be lots of fun for the kids and it makes for great pictures, but it sure stinks whe you have to clean them up in your yard....


Just playing around with some layouts.....Since I actually mastered photoshop and blog design, I have decided to layout/design our Christmas Card this year......I have a couple of ideas running through my head.....but we'll see how it goes.

Okay my friends.....I am out of here. I only have one more thing to say......


GO IRISH!!!!!!!

When He Takes The Field.........

..........HE MEANS BUSINESS!!!!



....CONTROL....



....POWER....



....ENDURANCE....

You may remember, as the last school year came to an end, Nick found out that he did not make the travel soccer team. Since it was the second year in a row that he didn't make it, he was beyond dissappointed. He told us that he was not sure he wanted to play soccer at all this year.

I didn't want to push the issue with him, because I didn't want to force him to do something he didn't want to do, but I was secretly hoping in time, he would change his mind.

In August, we got a call from the coach that Nick played for last year. He wanted to know if Nick was going to play intramurals this year. Nick didn't even hesitate for one second and said, "When is the first practice?" He agreed to play again for the Fall and Spring Seasons.

So every Wednesday and Saturday he takes the field........and when he is out there, he puts his heart and soul into the game. He may not be what people consider "all star" material, but he will always be a star in my eyes.

He has come so far and improved so much over the past two years. Win or lose, he always stays positive and gives 100%. He is a team player in every sense of the word. I have watched my shy little guy, become a more confident and outgoing player, and it definitely makes this Mom...... VERY PROUD!!!