Labor of Love

As I start in my new journey of cooking, baking, and blogging, today I have decided to play it safe. The time is 12:04pm. 12-04, my sister's birthday...and the day my mom died. How could I not start this amazing adventure with her in mind, as a friend, a mom, a mentor, and an inspiration. Not that I ever saw my mom take out a cookbook, or even a recipe, but if you knew her, you knew she could cook.

I have a new friend in the kitchen, my KitchenAid mixer. I put it to the test today, and emerged with a smile. I have decided as my first dish, I would not make something new, but something I have yet to get just right. Pierogi. This is, hands down, one of my absoulte favorite dishes my mom made. I remember the days when she used to make them. She would make enough to feed our family, no matter who was at the table, and there always seemed to be plenty. Today, I started another batch of the tasty dough, and wondered how on earth she did it. By my calculations, to feed everyone-and believe me, I ate my fair share-she would have had to make 3-4 batches of dough, roll them, stuff them, boil them, chill them, and fry them. No wonder it took her all day! I am exhausted just thinking about the work she put in.

As I mix the dough and prepare to fill them with the only filling I see fit (plum, of course), I giggle to myself as I know my own daughters will be delighted to see their mom has taken the time to prepare one of their favorite dishes...pierogi. I will pick Laila up from school, letting her know in the car I have a surprise waiting for her at home. She'll beg me the entire way home to tell her, and when she walks in and smells the frying pan sizzling with butter, she'll know. Mommy made pierogi! She'll squeel and hug me, maybe tell me I'm the best mommy ever, and I'll feel the greatest reward of all, the love she has for me. I know now, why my mom went through all the trouble, all the tiring labor and backache, all the time spent in the kitchen and away from the beautiful day outside. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. It's a labor, alright, it's a labor of love.

*Just in case you need to do a little extra reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierogi

It's Never Too Late

After watching "Julie & Julia" last night, I was inspired to push forward with my New Year's resolution. At the risk of sounding like a copy-cat, a fake, or a even a loser with nothing better to do, I have decided better late than never. My new year's resolution is to try one new recipe each week. I don't have the time, money, or energy to cook my way through an entire cookbook, and to try multiple recipes each day, so I think this is a good fit for me, and for my family.

Today marks the end of the first trimester of this pregnancy, or the beginning of the second. Only halfway through January, I haven't lost much time! I have compiled a list of 24 recipes to get me started, and almost through the rest of this pregnancy. All the recipes are affordable, and take no more than 30 minutes to prepare. I must admit, I'm rather excited! I have picked a variety of appetizers, dinners, and desserts. I can hardly wait to get started! I am going to try and cook my new recipe on the same day each week, and as long as my stomach and energy holds out, I'm going to try to blog about it! I hope what few readers I have enjoy the new adventure I am taking, and I really hope it's not too boring!

On an even happier note, tomorrow is another doctor appointment! We finally get to hear the baby's heartbeat! I am officially 13 weeks, and in case you were wondering, the morning sickness has yet to subside. I have high hopes things will get better, and I can hardly wait to meet our new addition.

Other than that, things haven't changed much. We are still adjusting to Dustin's 12 hour days at work, but the extra time off has taken us no adjusting! We love it. Football keeps him busy when he's home, well, watching it anyway. The girls are growing like weeds, and apparently so is my waistline!

As our life changes, grows, and is seemingly impossible at times, I know that we have each other, and on the worst of days, it's always enough to get by.

Catching Up

I can't believe how far behind in blogging I've gotten. I swear, I used to have so much time I was sure I'd fill with blogging, now I seem to never have the time to blog! Let me just re-cap for everyone where we are in our lives now, and try and to do better from here on out.


One of my resolutions this year is to do better in keeping in touch with family, friends, and to make sure I have pictures taken on a regular basis for the girls. These are the moments I live for, and I will do everything in my power to never forget them.


Dustin: Tempe has now switched to a new schedule, 3-12 hour days, and 1-8 hour day every other week. Lucky Dustin, he now has to work 6pm-6am Thursday-Saturday, and every other Sunday night from 6pm-2am. I am still up in the air about how I feel about this new schedule, the benefit of having him home more nights during the week is closely outweighing barely seeing him for 3 days. We'll see how it goes, this is the first week and it's an adjustment for all of us.


He seems to be doing extremely well at Tempe. The stories he comes home with every morning never cease to amaze me. The vacation time he's banking will come in handy when the baby is born, the benefits are amazing for our family, and I am able to stay home and raise our girls. We are truly blessed he has this job.


Joli: And the good news is...I am pregnant with baby number three! We have been talking about it, throwing the idea back and forth, and just lef it up in the air. My next doctor's appointment is January 18, and we will finally be able to hear the heartbeat for the first time! How amazing! We have already picked out names for the baby, so we are anxious to find out if I'm having another girl, or breaking the mold and finally having a boy.


I am having a blast working with my mom's group here in Maricopa, the moms and kids are wonderful and really keep me busy. There are lots of fun things in store for us this year, we plan to make it a good one!


Laila: Preschool is back in swing and I think we're all glad! Laila needs the time to interact with her friends, Kenadi needs a quiet nap, and I need the time away from her. As much as we love each other, I believe some days I have created a monster! She is the most strong willed, independent 4 year old I think I've ever met.


She's so smart-learning to read, write, and just blows me away with what she's learning! Soon she will be "graduating" with a cap and gown (yes, from preschool!) and I will cry, thinking my baby is gone forever. I'm glad she's the one to set the standard, it's a high bar she's setting, but she's doing it gracefully.


Kenadi: Talk about growing like a weed! This little girl never stops! I think she may finally be starting to talk, which is great, because I'm so tired of hearing "ahh yaaa" and having her point at everything. She's saying what I think are words for "juice", "up", "please", "all done" and occasionally "thank you". =) At least she's polite!


She's now wearing 24 month clothes, and is not even 18 months old yet! She's making lots of friends and enjoying the play groups we have during the week. I'm hoping she makes as good of a big sister to the new baby as Laila is to her.


I hope everyone is doing well and starting the new year off with a bang! We are taking things one day at a time, and doing our best to make it look easy. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pint of Dove chocolate ice cream calling my name from the freezer...♥

A Little Help From My Friends

I love that song, and how true it is.

There are days when I absolutely feel like I may die, right there, on the spot...and a friend calls or texts to ask how I'm feeling, or if I want some company. This pregnancy has taken a toll on me unlike anything my other two even compared to. I am sick, tired, drained, exhausted, nauseated, you name it! I am so anxious to hear a heartbeat these days I am actually counting down the days until my next doctor's appointment! I actually have friends offering to watch Laila and Kenadi while I'm there, what a miracle that is! To not have to take my 2 girls to the doctor, make them sit and wait, as we all lose our patience. My friends are as good as gold in my book.

♫♪What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

and I'll try not to sing out of key♫♪

I believe everyone has days when they feel like they can't win for losing. I just happen to have those days a lot more frequently than the average "Jane". I have no way of thanking my friends and family enough for putting up with the good and the bad, and sticking it out to be there for me.

♫♪Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, Gonna try with a little help from my friends♫♪

 
Today, a few friends and I went to get pedicures at the nail salon here in town. I doubt I said 10 words the entire time we were there, but not once did anyone ask me why. They asked how I was feeling, if I needed anything, and the chatter about my upcoming baby was buzzing from chair to chair. I feel so blessed to have these amazing women in my life, I thank God for them every day.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Wow, am I behind! Another Christmas has come and gone, and for those of you who know me, know how little I enjoy the holiday season. Just a quick re-cap for you all, since I am so far behind on blogging lately, I made a photo collage of a few pictures I took on Christmas morning. The girls were treated fabulously by Santa, as were Dustin and myself. We are now the proud owners of a PS3 and a new Kitchen Aid Mixer, I bet you can guess which gift belonged to who. I hope everyone out there enjoyed Christmas, I was in such a rush to take the decorations down I have no pictures of our tree this year!

New Years was just another day at the Smith house as well! Dustin had to bring in the new year being an everyday hero, taking those 9-1-1 calls and helping out the crazy citizens of Tempe. The girls and I were all asleep before 10pm, oh the joys of being a parent. These are the things I used to love as a child, staying up late, watching the ball drop-now I'm happy to get a decent night's sleep! Take care everyone, and remember to stick to those resolutions!

Live well, laugh often, love much.

Thanksgiving

Reflecting over the last year, the things I have to be thankful for are bountiful. I have the most beautiful family, the most understanding husband, and everything in between. I must admit, this is never the life I had imagined for myself, but it is the life I love.

I would like to take a moment and remember all the things this year has blessed me with, starting with my husband. Every day my love for him grows; he works so hard for us to make sure we have everything we want and need, and never misses a beat. He has bought us our first home, a new car, a vacation home, and that's just the beginning. He has loved me through thick and thin, supported my every decision as a mother and a friend, and given me more love than I feel I will ever deserve. Ever day I am thankful to have him, and for our life together.

Laila is growing and learning more by the day. I am so thankful to have her in my life, she teaches me so much, even if she wears my patience thin at times. She now attends preschool where she learns to read, write, and make friendships; the example she sets for me is phenomenal. I love her hugs, her kisses, and her every, "I love you, mommy!" Without them, I'd be lost.

Kenadi is such a joy to have around the house. I am thankful every morning when I wake up for her smiles and her positive attitude. When the going gets tough, Kenadi smiles because she has no idea what is going on, and some days, that's just what I need. Watching her go with the flow, learning and growing by the minute, makes me feel so blessed to be a mom.

One last thing I have to be thankful for, and that is our new addition on the way. We have discussed having another one, tried to talk ourselves into it and out of it, and finally left it up to God. Now we are thankful for the new baby soon to come! We couldn't be happier, having another baby to add to our beautiful family is the biggest blessing I could have asked for this year. I am so happy to have a healthy, happy family.

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Recipe for Love

Ingredients:

2 hearts, full of love

2 heaping cups of kindness

2 armfulls of gentleness

2 cups of friendship

2 cups of joy

2 big hearts, full of forgiveness

2 minds full of tenderness

1 lifetime together

Method:

Stir daily with happiness, humor, and patience.

Serve with warmth, compassion, respect and loyalty.

What I do not have, I can borrow from him; what he does not have, I will gladly share. There comes a point in your life when you really just have to stop pinching yourself and believe in your heart things are not too good to be true. When I was younger and dreamed of having these things, this life; it was only a dream, now my dream has become a reality and I still question how this happened to me.

There will never be words just right to thank my husband for all he has done for me. He has helped me create a family so beautiful, given me a house and helped me turn it into a home, and the respect he has shown me from day one is priceless. We have made decisions, some easy, some hard. Moving away, leaving our family and friends was hard, but making our own life here was harder. Ups and downs are part of any relationship, ours no exception, but I like to think he makes it easy to get through.

When he asks my why I love him, I find myself speechless. The list is endless, and near impossible to create. The laughter we share is healing to the soul; the tears are bonding. Hearing his voice first thing in the morning is what gets me through the day, a single smile could last me a lifetime. A gentle touch still makes my heart beat fast, and one kiss can melt me into a puddle. He has understanding and faith in me I didn't know was possible, compassion you only see in movies, and love for me I never knew could exist. Marrying my best friend was the best decision I ever made, I hope he feels the same.

Michigan, here we come!

December 1 we will make our first real trip as a family of 4. Michigan bound, we will make this trip come hell or high water. I must admit, I'm a bit scared to venture on an airplane with a one year old who has never flown, a 4 year old with ants in her pants, a husband who can sleep standing up, and myself, who gets sick and my ears pop every time we go up a big hill.

I am looking forward to seeing old friends and family, it's amazing what moving away can do for someone! I have been in touch with people I haven't talked to in years, and will be glad to see them and catch up. I miss my family terribly, knowing that I have a 14 month old baby only a few of them have even met, it makes my heart sad knowing there is so much joy she has not been able to spread to them. Bringing Laila back to see her Gramma and Paw-Paw is going to be so bittersweet, it's hard to explain to her why we can't stay. Our home is no longer there.

There are two people I still have not decided whether or not I should take my children to visit. The 2 grandmothers the girls will never meet, my mom, and Dustin's mom. I want to take Laila and Kenadi to the cemetery, tell them how wonderful these women were and how they have shaped who I am, and who they will someday be. I want to share stories with them, memories they will someday share with me, that I shared with my mom, and they will someday share with their own daughters. I know Laila will understand, but the burden of seeing me cry is so much for her little shoulders, I'm afraid. I am worried it will hurt her, she may be too young to see why I put myself through the pain and tears, that it's healthy for me to mourn, even though it's been years since I have.

This trip to Michigan is going to open a lot of doors, and give me a lot of closure as well. The time has come to move on, Michigan is no longer my home, it is just another stepping stone in the journey of life. I hope to open the door to many more friendships, and to rekindle the ones that have began to fade. I pray this visit will go smoothly, and remind me why I left in the first place. I want, need the closure with my mom, for myself and for my daughters. I need to know she's in a better place, I need to see it, feel it, encompass that she's gone, without this closure, I can never be the mother I want to be. I want to be just like her.

This is home.

Home is where your story begins, and I believe our story has truly started here. We have come to a point in our relationship, in our lives as a couple and as a family, when I think we have all realized this is home. I have come leaps and bounds from where I was just a year ago, and it's so rewarding. I have people I can call my friend, I have places to go, things to do, and it's liberating. I see friendships growing not only for myself, but for my children, and for that, I am proud.

Home is where the heart is, and each night, I rest my heart here. I can go to sleep each night knowing I have done all I can to provide the best I can for my family, to make them as happy, healthy, and safe as a mother can. We have come a long way as a couple, starting out in a tiny apartment we could barely afford, to now owning our own home and having 2 beautiful children who love us unconditionally. I believe we have not just grown as individuals, but as a whole.

There's no place like home. Try as I might, I will never forget the smells of the fresh leaves, the taste of the lake breeze, or the sounds of children giggling while the are picking apples and sneaking a big bite, but these are only memories. Michigan, you will be missed.

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Laila's Birthday Party!

Laila's birthday party was a total success! We had so many friends to celebrate with, plenty of food and cake, and lovely gifts! I couldn't have asked for a better turnout, and I want to thank everyone! Laila loves all of her presents, there isn't one she hasn't played with yet!

Moving here and making new friends has been a struggle for me, therefor, friends are absent for my children. I feel so great now knowing I have friends I can count on, and Laila feels like she has true "best friends" she can play with, celebrate with, and grow with.




Thank you everyone who came along! We really enjoyed ourselves, and hope you all did too!

All our love!