Tornado Season

We're halfway through the week and I'm just ready for a scorching hot weekend....not really, I hate it when I'm sitting still and sweating...it seems like such a waste. Either way, it would be a nice break from all this tornadic activity.  In regards to weather, living in Oklahoma has always been unpredictable.  Tornado season would have to be the worst since tornadoes are unpredictable by nature.  I remember when we first moved here, my dad would be at work, so my mom, me, and my brother would all pile into the bathroom with pillows and blankets and just hang out.  There really isn't much you can do when you think a tornado might be making an appearance.  I can honestly say I have never been worried, but when I saw the damage in Joplin I began feeling uneasy.  Maybe it's because I have a child of my own now...maybe it's because I saw whole neighborhoods gone...houses leveled...or maybe it was hearing how many kids had gone missing...all I know is hanging out in the bathroom or under the staircase closet didn't make me feel safe anymore.

All Pictures from Oklahoma

I am thankful the storm came and went without leaving any damage, but  I know many were not as lucky.  To lose all your possessions in 15 seconds has to be traumatizing.  Matt and I were in Joplin a couple of years ago to see Tony Bennett in concert and the town looked just like ours, so when I saw photos I thought how that could easily have been our town demolished. 

I just goes to show you tomorrow is never promised, so live the life you have today.  Anything could happen, so why do we consume ourselves with petty things?  Why do we take so much pride and joy in material posessions that could be gone in an instant?  Why do we delay life because we're so consumed with the here and now?  I think we have a tendency to see something like this and say, "Wow thats awful, but that won't happen to us..."  You never know though...maybe you won't be struck by a maneating tornado, but don't be so careless with your life...you only have the one, so just appreciate it. 

There isn't much in my house I would care to save.  When we were packing our "just in case" bag, I did pack my camera and external hardrive...not because they are monetarily valuable, but because they hold my memories.  I know my brain does the same, but what can I say, I love capturing moments...even that though, my camera can be replaced.  Besides that, as long as I had my husband, son, and 2 dogs I would be grateful.  Clothes, furniture, food can all be replaced. 

Random Side Note: Being Too Nice:

I've been teased that I'm TOO nice.  Don't over extend yourself some have said.  Toughen up others have said.  "You can say no."  You're right, I can say no and if I wanted to say no, I would.  I enjoy being nice...I would rather be nice than not.  If I feel I'm being taken advantage of, I distance myself, simple as that.  I came across this quote awhile back and it said, "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."  Maybe being nice to someone is the highlight of their day.  I guess what I am trying to say is life is too short to be self involved.  I think some times people are so consumed with their own thoughts and problems, they forget to ask those around them how they are doing.  So, be tough when you have to be, but be nice the rest of the time.  Sound like a plan?  :) 

 

I Love This Kid - This Weeks Random Moments

Christians Favorites List:

Food: Almost anything edible, but mostly mac n' cheese, chicken, rice with seaweed or anything Grandma whips together. He claps if its really good...just like momma, lol

Fruit: Watermelon and Oranges

Song: The theme song to The Big Bang Theory, Patty Cake

Animals:  He LOVES dogs.  He gets so excited he'll start kicking his legs if he sees one.

Activity:  He LOVES to be chased and to chase others.  When he is crawling, I'll start crawling after him.  He will crawl as fast as he can while laughing hysterically.  Most times he will fall over from laughter.  Then I will pretend he's chasing me.  It's the best :)  He also loves watching Yoko catch Frisbees. 


Christian's Not so Favorites List:

He does not like to have his diaper changed.  You would think I am pinning down a mental patient!  He just doesn't like taking a break from playing.  I have had to call backup on many occasions (aka daddio).

He does not like it when I take something he wants out of his hand.  It seriously turns into an Oscar winning performance...on his knees, arms and hands spread in front him him, crocodile tears...it's good stuff folks. 

He does not like to get tired.  When he starts to get sleepy, he will start rubbing his eyes, but then he will start shaking his head from side to side....he's been doing this since he was an infant.  He will then start "talking" very loud.  He's persistent, I'll give him that. 

Weekend Recap - Quilting? Yae or Nae?



 So, I have wanted to quilt for a few years now...ever since I saw that movie How to Make an American Quilt with Winona Ryder (good movie by the way) and definitely after I met Matt's G-Ma.  She literally has a closet crammed full of her homemade quilts. When we got married, she let me go through them all and pick the one I liked the most.  Shortly after we brought Yoko home (our super needy attention thirsty border collie mix) that blanket was no more.  I had never had a puppy before, so I made the mistake of puting her in our room one night while we went out.  When we got home, we walked into our bedroom and saw that Yoko had chewed a good size whole clear through the blanket, along with 2 other quilts.  Wanting to keep this puppy of mayem, I didn't allow Matt to see the full extend of the damage, so I threw the quilts in the closet until he calmed down.  Lucky for us, his G-Ma is a seasoned quilter and patched them all up.  Why it took us 3 years to take them over, I don't know...we're only over there every week. 

...this is Yoko by the way.

...and this is my repaired quilt.

I tend to go through these crafty phases.  In college, I went through a crocheting phase.  Wow, that sounds kind of lame reading what I just typed. Who's taking up crocheting in college?  What era are we in?  It's not like I was crocheting shirts or anything folks - mostly scarves and blankets...either way, it was short lived and I became bored with it quickly.  I have always been into scrapbooking, but rarely have the time for it anymore.  I have TONS of photos and no time...I just assume when Christian gets older, the easier it'll get to make time for my crafty addictions.  Right?  Someone confirm please!  Do I hear laughter???

So, now I'm interested in the world of quilting.  Now I know quilting is time consuming, but I like the idea that it can't be finished in a day...I can come and go as I please.  While we visited G-Ma over the weekend, she loaded me down with quilting books and magazines, she showed me samples she had sewn, and told me if I need any help just let her know.  The one thing I love about Matt's G-ma's quilts is that they are random.  She normally uses scrap fabric she picked up at a yard sale...basically all the fabric she has she got a good deal for it.  When I asked her if quilting can get expensive, her answer was, "You better believe it!"  It made me laugh - she's actually super fun to hang out with - always laughing.  Anyways, what I was saying was that since her fabric is usually bought in bulk the fabric prints don't always seem to go, but the final product always looks good...must be that grandma mojo.  For example, she has one quilt where it is a mix of  floral and San Francisco 49ers print.

The thing is, I am literally starting from scratch.  My sewing skills are basic and I have never worked a sewing machine.  So this is where you come in.  Any advice and/or tips would really be appreciated.  Any websites with the best deals or tricks of the trade...anything would probably be beneficial.  I don't want to spend tons on a sewing machine, so any advice on that as well.  



I Had a Veggie Burger and I Liked It

So, for Christians birthday, I bought some veggie patties for my sister in law (SIL) and her kids.  They've been vegetarians for many years and I just wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat...even the vegetarians :)  From the pictures in my last blog, you can see there definitely was enough MEAT.  Well, with Matt and I going 90 to nothing, we completely forgot about the veggie patties in the freezer!  Therefore, my vegetarian in laws went without a burger substitute. 

Last night, I pulled out the veggie patties and noticed that for each patty it was only 120 calories for the spicy black bean patty and 130 calories for the regular patty.  With me being on my weight loss journey to 30 I thought if these taste good, I would definitely make a meat substitution to cut the 'ol caloric intake on burger nights.  First I examined the spicy black bean patty...I noticed beans, corn, tomato...hmmm, at least it all looked familiar, but will it taste good??  So, I tossed it in the microwave for a minute and a half.   I took a small bite and to my surprise I loved it!  It tasted so good and held a lot of flavor. 

Well, after trying the black bean patty, I HAD to try the original patty.  Not AS flavorful, but still very good.  So, this has spirred my interest enough to try more of the Morningstar line of vegetarian products. 

Now do not be mistaken, I still love regular 'ol meat, but if I can find a less fattening and healthier all around substitute AND it tastes good, then it's a win / win for me.  It's good to venture out of your food comfort zone on occasion and see what else might taste good to you.  I still have to be careful...if it tastes TOO good I could get myself in trouble...as my SIL says, "It's easy to be a fat vegetarian."

Weekend Recap - My (Sick) Birthday Boy Turned 1.

This picture should sum up how kiddo felt on his first birthday :(

The day before, daycare called and said he was running a slight fever, so I kind of knew what was to come for the weekend.  Poor kid slept through most of his birthday party.  Come to find out on Monday when I took him to the pediatrician he had a double ear infection :(  This is the 2nd time and it seems to be when new teeth are coming through. 

A friend of the family, Billie, was awesome enough to make these for us :)  The theme I chose was "Boy will be Boys."  So anything that reminded me of little boys, such as monsters, aliens, spaceships, dinosaurs, cars, trucks...you get the idea. 

The perks of having an art teacher for a husband...unlimited supply of black (and white) butcher paper.  I made the sign with my trusty cricut machine and the "boys will be boys" cartridge.  The center pieces for the tables were just his own toys and  I hung up pictures of him throughout this past year on the trees...I thought it was fun :)  

Eventually we had to move everything inside because it was getting hotter than expected for that day.  

When my mom helps with cooking, she always makes enough for a small army...regardless if there are 20 people or 2. Needless to say, to go boxes were passed out.  You will probably see kimbap (top left corner) in a lot of my social gatherings.  It's one of my favorites - its bite size and I don't need utensils, it's a win/win.  See the salsa on the bottom left?  It is DELICIOUS.  If you would like the recipe, let me know.  Nothing beats homemade salsa my friends...and there is my hot husband slaving away over the grill.  That is the time my mom and him "bond."

So then came the moment all parents look forward to at their kids first birthday party, the TEARING INTO THE CAKE moment.  With him being under the weather, I wasn't sure what to expect, but if he is anything like me, sick or not, IT'S CAKE.  Well, he first picked at it with a disgusted look on his face...then once he tasted it, he was like, "Oh not bad. " Then I think with all eyes on him and his momma snapping away with the camera, he began to get fussy.  Oh yeah, we couldn't find the big #1 candle I bought either. We finally found it after the party was winding down in his bedroom.  How it ended up there, I have no clue.  I blame it on anyone under 4 feet tall. 

Happy birthday Christian!  You're the best decision I ever made.  Being your mom has been the biggest reward I could ask for.  You have taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of handling.  Your smiles and hugs immediately cheer me up...my life will never be the same. This birthday party was to celebrate you turning the big 0-1, but it was also to celebrate your dad and I making it through our first year with minimal injuries :)  We love you so so much and will always be there for you. 

   

First Family Photos Scheduled and Weight Loss Goal 1/2 Way Mark Reached!

I like my titles to tell you exactly what you're about to read :)

I have officially scheduled our first family photos for the first week in June!  I wanted it to be as close to his 1 year as I could get it.  I love love love photography, so finding the perfect photographer was going to take some searching.  After doing a google search, I was shocked to see just how many local photographers there were.  I went through almost all of them, but none grabbed my attention...I like a very informal look, nothing too posed or old school...you know, when they place your hand on someones shoulder and tilt her head slightly to the side?  Yeah, none of that.  Finally, I came across Artsy Phartsy Photography!  Don't you love the name?  I spent a good 45 minutes checking out her photo's and decided to book! So what does this milestone in our family mean?  I have a few more weeks to shed some more weight, which brings me to another update on my WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY TO 30.



Me 15 lbs lighter :) 15 more to go!



As of this past weekend, I have officially made it to my 1/2 way mark - 15 lbs.  It's been nice fitting into all my pre-baby clothes...they even fit a little looser!  Heeeeey! :)  I would like to lose 5-6 more lbs before picture time, so I've got to buckle down.  As of last week, this is what I've been roughly doing...

Monday - 2 mile run.  I HATE Mondays, so getting on the treadmill is an accomplishment in itself, but I know once I get past Monday, I am pretty motivated through the rest of the week.  Sorry if I sound like Garfield the Cat.

Tuesday - 3 - 4 miles

Wednesday - 1hr Zumba

Thursday - 5 miles

I need to start throwing in some strength training somewhere.  I do have the P90X dvd's, but good Lord those are hard!  I'll take any workout tips :)  Any encouragement would be appreciated as well :)   Here, I'll start you off... "Go Cristal!  You are so freakin' awesome, you've got this in the bag!" 

Weekend Recap - Potential Game, Unibrow Man, and a Historical Moment

When Friday came around, I took a sigh of relief.    The sun was out, the house was relatively clean, and we had ZERO plans.  The weekend was already looking good and I couldn't wait to do absolutely nothing.  As we came home from dinner that evening, we see this in our new neighbors backyard...

We have a detached garage, so we have to walk through our backyard to get into our house.  We also have a chain link fence, so we see everything.  I had no clue what it was.  The camo print suggested hunting....

(we exit the garage)

Me: What the hell is that? (excuse my french)

My Hubs: Uhhh yeah, that's a deer stand tower....

Me: Are they planning on hunting deer in our backyard?

My hubs: That better come down this week, I don't want that to be the topic of conversation at Christian's birthday party

Me: Maybe they plan on hunting us!

My Hubs: Great, now I have to talk to them.

Me: Maybe we should stop talking, they may be in there. 

(we enter our house)
 -scene-


It was up all weekend.  Every time I went outside, I felt like potential game.   I briskly walked back and forth from the garage watching the tent making sure I didn't see the barrel of a gun slowly poke out.  Then again, what was my game plan if it did?  Does stop, drop, and roll apply in this situation?  We're giving them until Wednesday to take it down...then we'll have to be social and politely ask them about it.

Later that night after kiddo went to bed, my husband decides to watch some documentary on Netflix about wrestling.  We've watched a lot of documentaries since Netflix came into our lives.  Just so you know, we know the truth behind everything now....EVERYTHING.  Seriously though, there is a documentary about everything. 

So anyways, he's watching this documentary and all of a sudden he bursts into hardcore laughter.  He pauses the movie and hollers at me to come into the living room... "You have to see this!"  This is what he wanted me to see...

I can see why my husband would find this so funny...it IS a REMARKABLE unibrow, but I think he wanted me to see it because I might be able to relate in some way.  I'm sorry, but my childhood unibrow was just a pup compared to this fully matured beast.

 After he's done laughing, I look at him and say, "Really??" 

He looks at me innocently and says, "What??  I thought you would find it funny..."

I say, "Uh huh..." and walk away staring him down with my freshly tweezed eye brows. 

For your information, this guys name is Santino Marella - he's a Canadian wrestler...at least that's what Google said.


Last night, Matt was on his phone while we were trying to knock out another DVD of Caprica and saw the news that Osama Bin Laden had been pronounced dead.  My first reaction was shock.  I was 20 when 9/11 happened and I'm almost 30 now...I began think maybe catching him wasn't possible.  He was just THAT good at hiding.  My husband is a news junky and there is only so much of it I can take.  I'm never one to push my thoughts and beliefs on others because I genuinely believe politics can bring out the ugly side in people.  I signed into Facebook this morning preparing myself for varying opinions and thoughts...some are thanking President Obama and our troops, some are thanking former President Bush, some are saying Obama had absolutely nothing to do with Bin Laden's death and how this is all part of his master plan for re-election, and some are neutral and just happy to know he's been "eliminated."  Politics aside, my only hope is that the death of this man has brought some sort of peace to those that lost their loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.  If I had lost my husband, my son, or anyone else I love in something as horrible as a terrorist attack, I would want retribution as well.  I am thankful I have never lost anyone by the hands of another.  I am also thankful...so so thankful for our soldiers.  These men and women voluntarily choose to protect us and the land in which we reside.  How amazing is that? 

Sorry to end on such a serious note, but that is how my weekend ended folks :)  If it brought you down too much, please refer to Santino Marella aka Unibrow Man.