Little fish...

A few weeks back, one of my girlfriends came to town. She is from Clayton's hometown and is really good friends with both of his sisters. I was lucky enough to become close with her during our days in Calgary. We would get together every night to talk about our future kids (the dogs we were going to get), walk imaginary sticks, eat popcorn and watch Nancy Grace.

Koda meets his first "non-shiba" dog, Hades.

Jess brought her new baby (sorry hades), Lincoln and her, Kail & I decided to take the boys swimming!!! Now normally we have one of the coolest pools ever, complete with lazy river, wave pool & a water slide. Of course it was closed for cleaning & so we had to resort to the one of the only other indoor pools in town which was to put it nicely was, uh nice?!?!

I was the first to arrive & interrupted the receptionist from her personal phone call...whoops! I kindly asked, "Is there public swim right now"? Which she had to look up and then proceeded to tell me there was, until 4pm. I quickly corrected her, "4:30 actually", paid and headed into the change room which was covered in suds...yes it was that slow they were cleaning the floor mid-day. Needless to say, when the others arrived we decided to move the change room onto the pool deck and kinda just took over the place.

The one bonus was that we pretty much had the entire pool to ourselves & they did have floaters for the boys, so really if it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not :) We had a race and just splashed around and it made for a very fun day. All 3 boys had a blast & we're hoping we can have another pool date soon!

Brylen Daely

Beckam Lee

Lincoln Fox

Back at er!

After a wonderful summer of pretty much doing nothing, Brylen & I headed back to the gym this month. It had been FOREVER since I'd done an actual workout & I'm pretty sure I was in better shape at 40 weeks pregnant, then I am now!

Feb 14, 2012-31 weeks preggers

 

Sept 8, 2012- 4.5 months post baby

My gym is great, I took prenatal classes there twice a week and I am now able to attend Mom's Time Out 5 days a week (if I ever felt the need to go to the gym 5 times a week, ya right!) & many other classes where I can bring Brylen & let him play.

Brylen & Beckam playing at the gym

I've enjoyed the few times that I've been able to make it to the classes so far. It gets us out of the house & lets me interact with other mom's, which I love. Brylen loves the loud music and watching all the other kids. He usually sleeps through part of it and if not he's definitely ready for a nap when we leave.




Tucker & Brylen

 

My favorite part of going to a gym that welcomes children? The extra interaction that I get with my baby. I don't need to feel guilty when I work out because he is either bouncing along beside me, strapped to my stomach or in my arms. I LOVE the classes that we use our babies to help us get in shape, its so much fun for both mom & baby and that is what sets this place apart.

Using Bry as my weight

Plank over baby, great distraction to that burning pain! :)

 

At the end of each class, Natalee plays a couple of baby songs so no matter what we have done that day, mom & baby get that special time.

 

"If your happy & you know it"

 

I'm looking forward to getting back into shape and feeling like my old self again. I have not been on the scale for over a month but at last check, I still had more then enough baby weight to shed (and then some). I'm happy that I get to do that while enjoying my boy!

 

If you live in the area, "LIKE" the facebook page & check it out https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Physique-Studio/161786483853135#!/pages/Family-Physique-Studio/161786483853135





Auntie Claire comes to visit!

For those of you who are not sure who Auntie Claire is let me explain....

We met in college, however we did not become good friends until we were both selected to participate in a 2 week marketing program abroad in Denmark. There were 4 of us girls that clicked really well on this trip but Claire and I although not roommates, ended up spending the entire time hanging out. There, across the Atlantic ocean, a very close friendship was created!

Denmark-2006

Skal! ("cheers" in Danish)

Fast forward 6 years and here we are today, separated by a 3 hour drive and closer then ever. For real! We are closer now living in 2 separate cities then we were when we both lived in the same one. Strange? Not really.

Claire has visited us so many times in the 3 years since we moved that I've lost track of how many times she's been here. She never hesitates to make the trip and we always have the best time!

This time was no different. She arrived on a chilly Tuesday afternoon & I made us a pinterest inspired lunch- Grilled Cheese Avocado sandwiches (http://www.tastespotting.com/features/green-goddess-grilled-cheese-sandwich-recipe) & soup. We went for a walk, made supper & went for frozen yogurt, yummy!

up bright & early

http://velvetlava.blogspot.ca/2009/02/i-am-now-in-muffin-loop.html

 The next morning Brylen, Koda & I were up bright & early so we decided to make some fresh french toast muffins and let me tell you, sooooo good! We enjoyed ours muffins & coffee and then headed out for the day....destination, downtown!

Claire & Bry at Sushi

Our first stop was all you can eat sushi, which was delish and we managed not to stuff ourselves too full. We then walked to the Esplanade for a quick visit and to drop off a few more thank you's (yes I'm embarrassed to say I'm still handing these out). We popped into the library and I purchased my first library card in like 20 years! Stopped in to pay Koda's dog license at City Hall and did a little shopping. I bought a cute zipper bracelet & Claire a top.

Mommy & Bry waiting outside for Auntie Claire

On the way back to the car, I told Claire that I wanted to stop and take some photos along this pretty red brick wall. We stopped and tried to get Brylen to look but he was totally done with us & so we ended up with this:

Since he was not interested in looking at the camera, I lifted the goof ball up & of course he cracked that killer dimple smile & the perfect pose (because that's just the way my kid rolls).

I had a wonderful time & a great visit as always. I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful person in my life & as the saying goes, "Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest..It's about who came & never left your side". Thank you friend. xo

Brylen says "I love you Auntie"!

Recipe Thursday!

So I've tried quite a few new recipe's within the last couple of weeks and I have to say about 50% are amazing and 50% not so much. I guess that's bound to happen when your trying new things!

Since fall is in the air, I've decided to post a recipe that goes along with the cool air and crisp nights. If your like me, when the weather starts to change, so do my cravings. When its chilly outside nothing is better then some good comfort food! Yum :)

Probably the most common dinner in our house is spaghetti & meat sauce. Its Clayton's all time favorite food and whether we are stuck and can't think of what to make for dinner or in a hurry, Clayton always suggests spaghetti. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy my pasta, but over time spaghetti gets old and although we try and change it up by having it different ways, I just cant help but feel guilty eating it all.the.time!

Enter Fall & Squash...

I'm sure every one's heard of Spaghetti Squash, but have you ever had one? If not, go out and buy one right now, it's the perfect time.

These ones are from Sobeys and were labelled "Spaghetti Squash", but as you can see, they are a buttery yellow color & have a nice oval shape. I think each one cost roughly 2-3 dollars.

Here is my healthy fall take on:

Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

I think everyone is well aware of how to make the original, so I am focusing solely on the preparation of the squash.

Start by cutting the squash in half & scooping out the seeds. You will notice the smell and seeds are similar to a pumpkin and that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside....Halloween :)

Once you have scooped all the innards out, I like to drizzle some olive oil, salt & pepper on top and place the 2 halves on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Place in the oven at 350 for around 45 minutes.

Remove from oven & once cool, use a fork and scrape the pulp out. You will see it comes out looking just like spaghetti (hence where the name comes from I'm assuming). I scoop mine right onto my plate. Top with meat sauce & Parmesan and enjoy!

To me, this is such a wonderful alternative. I feel so much healthier and lighter after dinner & do not miss the actual pasta in this dish what so ever.

Sleeping Beauties

Brylen is now 4 months old and these days we are on somewhat of a schedule, however we are lucky enough to still be going through the sleep fighting phase...boo! How do kids learn at such a young age not to enjoy sleep?

From the day we brought him home from the hospital, he has slept well... like a baby! We would put him in his bassinet and he would coo himself to sleep, wake up to eat but never cry and then sleep in until 9 or 10 each morning.

3 weeks old

 

These days I really shouldn't complain. He still goes to bed fairly easy & sleeps until 8am each morning, which leaves us with time to get up, relax and still actually get stuff done. Our nights have been up and down these last few weeks. Now that I have a full on roller on my hands, he tends to wake himself up all night & when he's up, I'm up!

Our wiggle worm

sleeping in the big bed!

This has resulted in many nights of bed sharing with mom & dad. He sleeps like a charm when he's in our bed and like they say....do what works! Its a win and win and although I never thought I'd ever co-sleep, it does have its perks. He sleeps so much more sound and wakes up way less and when he needs to eat, I literally do not even have to move. I love our morning snuggles & having him to hold close all night long.

brotherly love

like father, like son

If your reading this and you think I'm crazy for letting our little guy sleep in bed with us your not alone. Do I care? NO! HAHA If there's one thing I've learned since becoming a mother its this-DO NOT JUDGE! What works for you, may not work for someone else and viceversa. Every baby is different and you do what works for you. There are so many opinions out there and in the end its up to you to make decisions based on your baby. Every day is different and they go through these crazy phases but they also grow so fast and what works today may not work tomorrow. With that being said...will he sleep in our bed forever? NO! but for now if we need that to get some good night sleeps, then snuggle up little boy, mommy loves you!

Sept Long 2012

This weekend my brother and Nina came to town for a visit. My brother has been here to visit me ONCE in the 3 years that we have lived here and Nina had yet to meet Brylen, so together they decided to take a road trip and come to visit.

B and Mommy on a walk at Echo Dale

 It was a great weekend. We headed to Echo Dale Friday and sucked up some sun on the last day of August. We also checked out "Weenie" a new restaurant in town. If your from Medicine Hat, you have to go check it out! Its located downtown next to the old town theatre & was fantastic.The place looks like something straight off the food network, super cute old school meets fresh feel. They serve the craziest hot dogs, I choose the BORIS-bacon bits, onion, sauerkraut, sour cream, horseradish, mustard and cheddar, delish! If you feeling a little more adventurous, I might suggest the TRAILER PARK DOG- chips, root bear mayo, mustard & cheese.



Brylen enjoying the shade

Not only do they have fantastic hot dogs, but they serve mac & cheese, plain or mixed with anything from hot dogs, chili or tomatoes. The best part about this place....MAKAYS Ice Cream! Yes for all you Calgarians, MAKAYS from Cochrane! We didn't have room this time, but I intend to make a trip back there for the ice cream alone :) Check it out- www.weeniehotdogs.com you can order online & they deliver! (I know there are no sweet pictures, however I had a mishap with my phone...more on this later)

All and all it was great having company and extra hands around the house. Hopefully it wont take my brother another 3 years to come and visit again!

Bry saying bye to Uncle Luc

Recipe Thursday!

I've decided that I am going to start posting something that I've cooked in the past week every Thursday! I will try and come up with some originals along with some recipes I plan on trying from good old Pinterest!

Today's Recipe is a combo of both. I originally made this recipe http://www.darlingdoodlesdesign.com/2012/04/forgotten-chicken.html which by the way was fantastic, easy and mess free! This week however I decided to change a few items and make one of our family fav dishes, using these guidelines.

Baked Mushroom Soup Gravy Pork chops
Prep time: 5minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10mins

Here's what you need:

 

Preheat oven to 350
2 (*3) cans of mushroom soup

1 can water
(* 1/2 can of milk)

2 cups of instant rice (uncooked)

Boneless Pork Chops

Seasoning of your choice (I used a southwest spice, garlic & pepper)
***Read notes at bottom before making***
 

 

 

Start by mixing 2 cans of mushroom soup with 1 can of water, then mix in 2 cups of rice.

 

 

 

Next poor into a buttered casserole dish & top with pork chops. I added some seasoning to the top of the rice mixture so that the bottom of the pork chops would be seasoned.

 

I then added seasoning to the top of the pork chops, covered in tinfoil & baked 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove tinfoil & bake for an additional 30 mins.

before

Like the original recipe states & what I love, is that the rice gets crispy on the outside but stays moist on the inside! Yum!

after

***So after taste testing this recipe, there is 1 thing I will do differently next time around & you may want to do if your trying this out for the first time. I like my pork chops nice and saucy & so next time I plan on adding 1 more can of mushroom soup mixed with 1/2 can of milk over top of the pork chops. :)

Dinner is served!

 

 

 



Gifts from Aunty

Today when we went to check the mail, we were surprised to find "the magic key"! Anyone who has the same type of mailboxes (the kind you have to walk to and unlock), knows that there is nothing better then finding "the magic key" inside :) For those of you who are lucky enough to still have the old school mail boxes hanging on your front step, let me explain. When the mail man leaves you a key it means that whatever is waiting for you is too big to fit in your mail box....there are 2 doors at the bottom of the box, one medium and one large. I always feel like I'm on a game show when I get a key and pick the smaller box to try first. If it doesn't fit...bonus, your item needed the BIG box to fit in. Its like winning the jackpot, there really is no better feeling, I mean you know its not going to be a GIANT bill in there.

our package

Today our key opened the large box and inside was a GIANT package all the way from Victoria, BC! We were so excited, well I was, Bry was sleeping. My girlfriend Sarah had mailed Bry's gift because she was unfortunately unable to make the trip out here right now & was worried he would outgrow it.

Here is what we found inside:

Gifts from Aunty!

 

A whole whack of fun stuff. A beautiful blankie, brown bear book & xylophone (need to ask Aunty about this one), with the majority being Vancouver Canucks gear. Although I am a Calgary Flames fan, I do cheer for the Canucks as well & LOVE all the new stuff. Daddy on the other hand dislikes the Canucks a LOT (and that's putting it lightly). He wouldn't even help put the jersey on...he only helped take it off. Poor sport! haha

I think this jersey brings out my eyes?!?

We cant wait for the day to come when we see Aunty Sarah & Uncle Taylor but until then we will cheer on the boys in blue & send pictures to show how much we love everything! xoxo

I can totally rock this look!

Summer 2012

Soooo here is a run down on our amazing summer of 2012! The weather has been fantastic and I'm pretty sure our air conditioner has run the entire time....I have the bill to prove it ;)

To me summer starts on June 1st and runs until August 31st...with fall promptly beginning Sept 1st. I don't care if it's +30 that day, it is fall! Everyone always complains about how fast summer flies by and I tend to agree, however I'm not sure if it was the mat leave or the heat but this summer felt loooong (in a good way of course).

First swim-Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan

I am all about the HEAT, I love nothing more then to lie in the sun and suck up every ounce of the warmth, but by the end of August I am ready for a season change. As much as I would love summer to be longer, I do appreciate the fact that we live somewhere that gets to enjoy each and every season to its fullest and I love the change!


Driving Somewhere

I'm starting a little early this year, hoping that I can ease into fall and get my family back into a routine & my little man onto a schedule. We have traveled 10 different times over the past 3 months and have barely spent an entire week straight in one place. Brylen has been a trooper and for the most part a wonderful travel companion, but I'm starting to wonder if he thinks we're gypsies.

Good Morning Daddy-Simmie, Saskatchewan

We started summer with a trip to our cabin in Simmie. It is located 20 mins from Clayton's hometown and takes us about 2 hours to drive there now. Clayton pretty much grew up on that lake and loves everything about it- the fishing, boating, water skiing and most importantly the bringing together of old friends. I love Simmie because of its beautiful breath taking views & its peacefulness. There is no cell service, so once you drive down the small hill its like going back in time. You are forced to sit back and enjoy the view, walk to the cabins of people you want to talk to and best of all, relax!

Brylen enjoying life at the lake

FIRST FAMILY PIC at Simmie 2012

We are lucky enough to have 2 cabins and both are totally different. Simmie is lake front & great for boating and visiting friends, while Cypress is located on the Saskatchewan side of Cypress Hills Provincial Park and is 100% geared towards families. There is a small lake, pool, ice cream stands, zip lining, horseback riding, mini golf, golfing, hiking trails & tons more. Our cabin here is also very relaxing and we love spending the days playing horse shoes & the nights sitting around the fire chatting.


Swimming in Cypress

Walking around the lake-Cypress 2012

Beckam & Brylen listening to Grandpa tell stories

 

We made it to Regina 3 times this summer & up to Calgary for the 100th Stampede. We also headed out to Echo Dale a couple of times which is one of my favorite places & a short 20 minute drive from our home. It is a beautiful park located just outside the city & has a man made beach with music, lifegaurds & a concession. My sister & family travel here just to go there (and to visit us I think?). It is one of those hidden gems and if your ever here in the summer, make sure you ask someone to take you!

Echo Dale-2012

Lastly, I am ever so lucky that the way my mother's work schedule works out, she has 1 week off a month and has driven up to spend it with us each month since Bry was born! I love having her here to spend time with and her help has been amazing! Thanks momma :)

Grandma & Bry playing Superman

That was our summer in a nutshell! I feel blessed to have had such a fun filled & beautiful summer and I look forward to many more to come. Next up.....Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte.