You make me laugh!

Somedays I don't know if I want to cry or laugh when dealing with you. Sometimes I just do both. Regardless you always make me laugh. Here are your latest antics.

When I put you in time out for being HORRID in the grocery store (to the point where a sweet grandma and grandpa came over to help me console you), I put you in timeout while I was unloading groceries. I poked my head in the living room to make sure you were still sitting down and you had taken your socks and shoes off and had your sock on your hand singing to it like a puppet. I hid in the laundry room while your dad and I laughed hysterically on the phone.

I gave you a warning for acting naughty and asked if you needed a time out. You answered with a serious yes and walked over and put yourself  in the time out corner. I didn't know if I should get you out or let you stay. This parenthood thing is confusing??!!

In order for you to focus while eating at the table I have to constantly sing songs to you or talk about the birdies out the window. If I don't pay attention, then it is all.over.

When you get scolded for something, you cutely start singing 'Twinkle Twinke' and doing the signs. You may be cute but this isn't getting you off the hook...okay...well sometimes it might work. ;)

The other day you were strolling around having a conversation on your phone while pushing your baby doll around in the stroller and carrying your purses all while wearing an arm full of bracelets. When I looked in your purse, I about died. You had tylenol (in a safe child-proof bottle...don't worry), neosporin and tampons. Haha! And the tampons became your favorite toy of the day. And yes...I tried to take them away from you and you were having none of it. So, I figured what the heck? Oh well.....  :)

I love you my funny and silly girl!

Chatty Cathy

Reagan is definitely my daughter and just chitter chatters all day long. I love it! She will "read" her books outloud to me, talk to her babies, tell me all about her day, sing to herself or whoever will listen, she loves to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to all of her new friends she meets. I'm sure they love it as much as I do. I am daily amazed at her vocabulary. Here's some of her newest words/sayings:

Purple

Yellow
Talking on her phone: "Hello. How are you? No. Okay. Bye Bye."
Water
Hot
Bar (Granola Bar)
(Teddy, Daddy) Where arrrrrreee you? Here she/he is!

Happy

Joy

Dora

Diego

Oh no!

Aww..man!

bracelets
outside
sandwich (loves grilled cheese and peanut butter & cinnamon honey from our local farmers market)
Banana
grape
apple (really an orange)
Nany (LOVES Fancy Nancy)
I eat this.
Nite Nite. (She loves to flip through Goodnight Moon and say "Nite Nite" on every page)
Fish
Lots of body parts: toes, knees, elbows, arms, belly button, ears, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, teeth and tongue. She loves to sing 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'
Shoes (OBSESSED with shoes! My kind of girl! We bought her sandals for next summer when they were on sale and she insisted on wearing them all week from the minute she got up until she went to bed that night. We eventually had to hide them).
Socks (DESPISES them. My girl!)
Shirt
Purse
One, two, three
Color
Marching
No, No, No (while she is shaking her finger at you...lovely)
Diaper (She is oh so smart and tells me when her diaper needs to be changed. She'll say diaper and go get her wipes and creams for me while I grab the diaper. What's even smarter is that she knows how to use this word to get out of certain situations...like when she doesn't want to sit at the dinner table with us she'll pull the 'diaper' card)
Favorite songs: Twinkle Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me, If You're Happy and You Know It.., The theme song to Diego, Dora and The Cat in the Hat (pretty annoying!) and I've Got Joy in My Heart (SO sweet when she points to her little heart!)
Here's her first take on a peanut butter sandwich. Not at all impressed. She is not a fan of jelly. I found the trick is a spoonful of homemade cinnamon honey from our local farmers market added to the peanut butter. YUM!

...TX continued...

The rest of our trip in Texas was much less exciting. We had a great time with almost daily playdates. I think it will be fun to look back one day and see who all of your playmates were, so here's a list of your dates for the week:
Hailey and Bryson Culver, Colton Grinstead, Preslee Holsworth, Hunter Turman and of course Kaleb and Chance.

To complete our trip, we had to pack up and haul booty back to Tennessee before you broke out in blisters. Yes...you somehow managed to catch hand, foot and mouth virus on top of having stitches. Can I even begin to describe how cranky and miserable you were? Poor thing. You ran fever the last day we were there and just stayed all curled up in my lap. When we got home, we were in quarantine for two weeks...super fun....and then I can caught strep throat from my one outting to the grocery store. I know..ridiculous.

Texas: Day 1

It seems like taking a two week trip to Texas takes a complete month to prepare for...list after list, shopping trips and planning toys, activities and movies for Reagan for the long drive. I always get in such a focused state two days before we leave, when all of the packing happens. I double and triple check all of my lists and sometimes even have it written on one list to double check my other lists..seriously...I'm that serious about being organized when I pack. Some call it obsessive, I'll go with organized.

We decided to leave at 4:00 in the morning to see if Reagan would actually sleep some in the car. I think she can sense that we're going to be in the car for a long while on our trips and where she'll sleep in the car after a hard day of playing from the park to our house, she REFUSES to sleep on our trips. Awesome. Well, the 4:00AM departure did the trick, and she slept until around Little Rock. The last 1 1/2 hours of being in the car seem to be the most miserable. We hit Dallas and feel so close to home but my parents seem to still live so far away. Darn those small towns with their slow speed limits and country roads. There is always such a peace that comes when I call my mom to tell her to come outside (as if she hasn't already been waiting outside for us for the last 30 minutes). Maddie and Emmy went crazy chasing each other around the yard, Mamaw and Papaw were so happy to see Reagan, and Ben and I were beyond ecstatic to pass our cranky baby off. LOVE you honey! :) This happiness last only one hour..to be exact. We had just made plans with my sister and her family to meet at my parents' for an impromptu dinner. I was sitting on my parents' bed and had just hung up the phone when my little helper found me and climbed up next to me. When I got off the bed Miss Independent decided she could get off the bed all by herself too. Trouble is..she still can't judge height. She'll jump off a 4 foot tall bed, thinking she can touch the floor but will hold on tight to the sheets of a 2 foot bed scared to drop when she only has an inch to the floor. Anyways...my parents have a beautiful tall bed that is NOT kid friendly and she busted....hard. Did I mention she was carrying the newspaper with her while tempting this fete. Poor thing bit right through her lip. Have I ever mentioned 1) my fear of blood 2) how much I completely PANIC when anything happens to Reagan. How I could have a nurse for a sister I have no idea. So, I obviously start completely freaking out when I see her mouth is full of blood and she is hysterical. I start screaming for Ben who has the complete opposite reaction of me. Passive. Calm. Totally detached emotionally from the crazy situation. After some convincing while screaming and crying (I know...I totally helped the situation), we ran to the car with my mom driving, Ben in the front and Reagan and I in the back. On the way we realize my mom is in her house shoes...so funny! Poor mom. Have I also ever mentioned that I get my freak out tendencies from my mom? At one point, I was thinking 1) my mom could seriously have a career as a cab driver in NY 2) Reagan's cut should probably be the last of my concerns right now. We're all going to die on the way to the ER. BUT...we arrived.

We were taken back to a room immediately (I think the screaming from Reagan (or was it me) was terrifying the other patients. That was the last quick thing of the day. Poor Reagan was screaming and crying so hard that she had a dirty diaper. Only problem...we didn't bring a diaper bag, a wallet, a phone...just us and Teddy. Thank goodness my mom was still in the waiting room and went and bought us wipes and diapers...in her house shoes and all. We had the sweetest nurse that played Alvin and the Chipmunks songs on her phone for Reagan to pacify her and pass the time. Sweet girl. No matter how bad she is feeling, she just can't help herself from busting a move to a good beat. Five hours later, we finally got stitches. It was AWFUL! Now, I know that stitches are stitches and 1 in every 1 kid gets them..but when it's your kid....completely different. They had to sedate her which was the horrific to see. It was a simple shot and then I just held her until her cries stopped. She was still conscious but not aware of anything. It was so strange her looking at me but there being no recognition there. Such an eerie feeling. Then I had to put her on the table and they put an oxygen mask on her. To see your little baby with a blood pressure bracelet on her leg and an oxygen mask on her face is just torture. She also had body shakes from the sedation and hiccups that sounded like she was gasping for air. In the middle of the process, the poor doctor came over and hugged me and asked if I was going to be all right. After we had Reagan, I started donating to St. Jude's hospital because I now had a new understanding for the love of a child. However, after seeing the tole and difficulty of dealing with stitches, my prayers are with the children and parents who have to deal with far more serious diagnosis. You are warriors and heros. Teddy of course also got "stitches" along with Reagan. Even as she was getting her stitches, she was rubbing the hound out of Teddy's ears. That bear deserves a raise. When she started coming out of the anesthesia, I was so anxious that I think I had my face like 6 inches from hers, telling her over and over how much I loved her. Again...I know...stitches...but you have no idea unless you've been there. When she woke up enough and said Mama....I think I promised her a pony, a Barbie jeep, a new wagon, a lifetime supply of Popsicles and anything else she could ever want. We stayed in the hospital for a few more hours until they felt that she was awake enough to leave. My sweet sister had cooked such a great dinner for us at our parents' house, but we didn't get home until around 8:30 that night. Even with being half drugged still, Reagan was so excited to see her "bubbas". Only problem, she couldn't yet get her legs to work. So, she "chased" around the boys while Aunt Jennifer helped her move around.

Our day began at 4AM, drove 9 hours, spent 5 hours in the hospital and all crashed for the night. I am so proud of my little trooper and still so sorry she had to go through all of that. My mom said it's one less boo boo that she'll have to have. Here she is coming out of anesthesia. Notice Teddy's bandaid.

She had to eat a popsicle before she could leave. This girl lives for popsicles, so this was no trouble for her.

The rest of the trip..to be continued....

BIG News!

I wanted to slowly introduce Reagan to the potty, but I wasn't going to push potty training quite yet. We went to the store yesterday and picked out a cute little green potty and I set her on it when we got home. We sat there for like 15 minutes singing songs and reading books. She LOVED it! I put her back on it after nap time and what happened.....she teetee'd and pooped! Woohoo! What a big girl!! She proceeded to teetee in it again last night and another time today. She loves her potty so much that it's become an issue..yesterday she had to sit on it (clothed) to eat lunch and watch her cartoons. Then Teddy had to sit on it too. After her buns are red from sitting on it so long and I make her get up, a huge fit ensues. Awesome. BUT....I am still completely proud of her and am ever reminded of how quickly she is growing up. Way to go Rea!

On another note, she has "learned" two new songs this week: ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She knows the melody to both and sings A B A B A B E A B E  and then sings Up Buv Up Buv Up Buv Up Buv (and does the twinkle twinkle hand signs pointing 'up above the world so high). She's also learned to say her middle name...Abby.

Happy 18th Month Birthday!

I can't believe my little baby girl just turned 18 months yesterday. I am so glad that I get to stay home with you and watch you grow and learn more everyday. You are such a sweet (and sometimes stubborn) little lady, and I couldn't imagine loving you more.
Your favorite games right now are:
Playing with Mommy's jewelry (I think you may have broken half of my necklaces and swiped most of my bracelets). You HAVE to wear at least three bracelets at all times and sometimes you have up to 10 on each arm..so funny! You also love to carry three purses at a time too. You hold your little arm up while carying your purse..just like Mommy. Sometimes you'll even chat on your phone to Daddy while carrying all of your many accesssories.
You also love playing with Mommy's makeup. So far I've caught you with an orange face covered in my bronzer and also covered in black eyeliner. I've had to hide my make up from you for now and swap it out for pretend makeup since you've decided it's a fun game to hide all of Mommy's new makeup. It's been over a week, so I guess I should consider all of my new makeup a loss...stinker...
You love to sort things. You sort your bracelets, your kitchen toys and your books. Maybe you're going to be organized like me.
You love to pretend cook and walk around stirring your bowl. You even "taste" what you're cooking and give it a "Yumm" everytime.
You are a little monkey and love to climb. This is one of your less than cute traits...your only one. You climb on everything....and I do mean everything. We've had to hide your rocking chair, put up your TCU camping chair, put our kitchen table chairs in the garage and the coffee table is in the guest room with the door shut.
You love to color and paint. You are still tempted to take a bite of the crayons here and there, but you do a great job coloring.
Dance Dance Dance! You are a dancin' fool and love to hear music. You throw your head back and forth and side to side and bounce up and down. We love to watch you dance!
We took you to the zoo for the first time, and you were memorized by the animals. I wasn't sure if you wold pay attention or not, but you certainly did...to every animal that we saw! You did so good and didn't complain about missing your nap or being out in the sun. You fell asleep before we even left the parking lot on the way home.
You are a chatter box and can say so many words:
Mama
Dadda (you know Daddy's jeep when he pulls in the driveway and yell Daddy! and run to the backdoor)
Mamaw
Mimi
Papa
Puppy
Emmy (poor Emmy. You walk around saying 'No Emmy!'...I guess I say that too often)
Teddy
Water
Cheese
Cheetos
Yes
No
Hold On (you told me to hold on the other day...nice)
Up
Nite Nite
Grapes
Moo
All Done
Please
Yummy
Muah (you love to blow kisses and to plant big kisses on us when we least expect it)
Bows
Birdies (every morning you watch all of the birds in our backyard while you eat breakfast. You say chirp chirp!)
Ball
Nana (banana)
Green
TeeTee (one of those words I wish you wouldn't have caught on to when I said it)
Boobie (definitely another word that I wish you wouldn't have heard) :)
You can say and point to your: eyes, nose, ears, toes, mouth and belly button.

Front Page Super Star!

Reagan made the front page of the Collierville Herald!

This free collage made with Smilebox

Crafty McCrafty

I love to craft and love that now that I'm home with Reagan, I have more time for this hobby. I have several talented friends, and we've all decided to contribute our crafts and have a booth at local fairs in TN. Our plan is to craft along the way and then we'll see what we have ready come fair time. Here's what I've been working on the past week.

Tray from Goodwill Before:

After:

Box from Goodwill Before:

Recipe Box After:



Sick Baby

Poor Reagan came down with a virus and had a sore throat and 103 fever for 5 days. Ben was in South Carolina for work, so we basically stayed cuddled up in bed together the entire time with little sleep.

 On the way home from the doctor:

5 days later...Feeling much better!

2-7

Happy birthday to me! I am officially in my late twenties...nearing the hill. Growing up in my family, birthdays were a HUGE deal. We didn't just have birth-DAYS..we had birth-WEEK or sometimes even birth-MONTHS. As I've grown up, become a mom and moved away, my family still does a great job of celebrating with me. My favorites things about birthdays:

Ben makes me waffles or pancakes (and added a side of beautiful flowers this year!)

I get to spend the day with Reagan...okay that's everyday, but I just LOVE her!

My mom is always the first to call me early in the morning and sing me Happy Birthday

My Mimi & Papa usually aren't far behind her and also serenade me to Happy Birthday

My Grandmother usually calls after that...she doesn't sing though :)

My dad always makes up birthday jingles appropriate for whoever's birthday it is. Mine this year went:

Happy Happy Birthday!

Today's a special day!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Even though you're far away! Hey!

I love checking the mail during my birthday week and finding cards in the mail everyday. It is WAY better than getting the daily bills!

Probably cheesy, but I also love hearing my phone ding all day as I get new facebook birthday wishes. 

Top this off with all of the phone calls from my sister, in-laws, sis in-laws and friends, and I had another happy birthday. Here's to, and many more....

When it rains...

I craft! Here's my latest craft as a result of cold and rainy weather. I made the flowers out of fabric and scrap ribbon I already had and used antique earrings for the centers that my grandmother had bought me from an auction. The overall cost was around $9 for yarn and the wreath. Next up...a chalk board for Reagan's play room.

Dancing Queen

Funny Girl

This little girl constantly keeps Ben and I laughing. I am always finding her wearing random 'hats' or in strange places. LOVE her!

More please!

While the saying goes that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so is snack time, lunch and dinner to a toddler. Here are a few recipes that leave Reagan signing for more.

VEGGIE QUESADILLA:
Wheat tortillas
Vegetable pepperonis
Mozzarella cheese

I use a sandwich maker but you could also just cook your quesadillas on the stove using butter or cooking oil.

NANA'S CREAMED PEAS & NUGGETS

4 cups peas, fresh, frozen (or canned as a last resort)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
pieces of chicken

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and whisk in flour- allow to cook for 1 minute.
Slowly add milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Add salt, pepper and other spices as desired. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Add peas, stir and cook until peas are heated through (about 5-7 minutes) Add meat Serve warm alone or over multi-grain toast. **Other veggies may be added if you desire, however - ensure that ratio of veggies equals 4 cups!**

PUPS IN A BLANKET
One pack of tofu hot dogs
Ready-to-Bake Crescent Rolls
Veggies & Cheese

Directions:
In a skillet, cook the (tofu) dogs until they brown and blister, while the dough sits out defrosting.
Wrap the dogs in a square of the dough and roll them up like a cigar with veggies & cheese.
Cut into smaller pieces to desired Toddler-friendly size.
In an oven preheated to 375-400 degrees F, bake the rolled dogs for about 25min. or until they are fluffy and golden brown.
Serve with Sweet Potato Fries or Veggie Sticks and Dipping Sauce

TOFU NUGGETS
1 package firm tofu - 1/4 cup flour (more or less)
1 egg equivalent (2 whites or your favorite sub)
1 cup fine dry bread or cracker crumbs (mixtures are fun)
1 teaspoon garlic salt - 1 teaspoon paprika - 1 dash or a few grinds of pepper
Cut tofu into your favorite configuration (my toddler likes fingers).
Spread flour on a small plate or flat dish. Beat egg equivalent in a
shallow dish. Mix remaining ingredients in shallow dish. Turn each
piece of tofu in the flour to cover, then into the egg, then crumbs, and
then to the rack. Chilling will help to set the coating, but you can just bake right away. Bake at 350 degrees Ffor 15-20 minutes until crisp. Serve with a dipping sauce

CHICKEN STICKS

Making spicy chicken breasts for dinner and your toddler won't touch it? Try chicken sticks!
Thinly sliced strips of chicken breast yogurt - plain crushed cereal - shredded wheat, cheerios, corn flakes, honey oat cereal

Roll chicken strips in yogurt then coat with crushed cereal of your choice. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until done. Serve with a dippin sauce and the family veggies.

PASTA:
Whole wheat elbow macaroni
Chicken or Veggie broth
Fresh or Frozen Peas
Fresh or Frozen Green Beans
Chicken

Boil the pasta in the broth until tender. Add vegetables and cook until 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken until warm.

SPINACH NUGGETS:

1 16-oz package frozen chopped spinach, cooked, drained, and chopped further if needed
1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs - (3/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup wheat germ or flax meal is a healthy substitution!)
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese Try tomato & basil cheddar!)
3 Large eggsor 5 egg yolks

Heat oven to 375F
1. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. *Add seasonings if you like - garlic powder, pepper, extra basil & oregano for example. Add a fruit or veggie puree to substitute for the eggs if desired*.
3. Shape mixture into nuggets or fun shapes such as squares or squigglies etc..and place on baking tray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turn nuggets over after 15 minutes. Serve warm
You can "roll" this out and then try using small cookie cutters to make these into fun shapes!


YOGURT CEREAL BARS:

2 cups corn flakes - 3/4 flour - 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - 1/2cup butter or margarine
1 cup flavoured yogurt (banana/strawberry etc..) - 1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 350F
Combine cereal, 3/4 cup flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in butter or margarine until coarse crumbs form.
Press 1/2 the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8inch square pan.
Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tablespoons flour in another small bowl.
Spread over cereal mixture in pan and then sprinkle the remaining cereal mixture on top
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled.

*Most of these recipes were found at wholesometoddlerfood.com. They are a great resource for healthy recipes for little ones.

Chef Mama

One of my biggest surprises in having a toddler (ugh..I can't believe she's already a toddler!) is how much planning it takes for her meals. As a baby she loved fruits and vegetables but as she grew in to the toddler phase, the textures of food that weren't mashed seemed to turn her off. I realized how quickly her eating habits could get off track and so began the journey to find as many healthy recipes that she would still love. I wanted to share the successful recipes incase any other mommies out there share the same problem.

Here are the breakfast recipes that the boss approved. Snack, lunch and dinner recipes coming soon!

Apple Breakfast Bars

1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded

Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake at 375? until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack **Freezes Well**


Applesauce Pancakes
1 cup flour –
1/4 teaspoon salt –
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon melted butter –
1/2 cup milk –
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla –
1 1/4 cups applesauce

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Combine butter, milk and egg. Stir into dry ingredients. Add vanilla and applesauce; beat well. Spoon batter into a hot, well greased griddle, enough batter to applesauce pancakes about 4 inches in diameter. **Freezes Well**

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:
 3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1/4 cup canola or soybean oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup.


2. In large bowl, beat milk, oil, honey and egg with spoon until well blended. Stir in flours, baking powder and salt just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.

3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (cups will be full).

4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and muffins are golden brown. Immediately remove from pan.


Butternut Squash Muffins
1/2 pound peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon butter, melted

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin pan.


2.In a medium saucepan with enough water to cover, boil squash 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and puree in a food processor.

3.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, white sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice.

4.In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix together milk, egg and butter. Stir in squash. Fold the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

5.Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling cups about 1/2 full. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 C whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 C unbleached white flour
1 Tbs baking powder - 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
2 tsp cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -1/4 tsp allspice - 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 C pureed pumpkin or winter squash
1 tsp vanilla
2 C milk
3 Tbs canola oil

Stir (and sift) together all the dry ingredients in a med. size
bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the pumpkin & vanilla.
Beat in the milk & oil until smooth. Add to flour mixture. Cook as usual. **Freezes well**

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

3 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
dash of pepper and/or garlic powder (optional)

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until frothy then pour in a warmed frying pan. Stir as the egg mix is cooking. Eggs are done when firm and not runny.
Add veggies or even crumbled turkey sausage to this recipe if desired.

Of course if all else fails the girl loves a good bowl of instant oatmeal with banana.

I'd love to hear other tried and true recipes if you have any!  Bon appetite!

Tennessee Bound...

Well our family is now Tennesseeians, though half the time we still spell Tennessee wrong. Ben is convinced that there is only one 's'. I guess I better back up and explain what the heck we're doing here...in the King's home (Elvis..not Jesus).

Ben was asked 7+ months ago if he would be interested in taking the management position at the Memphis store. I was still working at this time but was desperately wanting to be home with Reagan. I mean have you seen her? She's pretty stinkin' cute. I digress....Anyway, so we prayed and talked and prayed and talked and prayed and talked (repeat x million) and we finally decided that this would open the door to allow me to stay home with Rea so we were a go. And then....we never heard another word about it from anyone at his company for several months. Go figure. So, we continued praying for another door to open for Ben's job to allow me to be home. As if this blog hasn't proved this already, God is so good and faithful. If you read two blogs up, I proclaimed that we both felt God leading me to quit my job before we were able to sell the truck and before Ben had a new management position, and we followed the call. Update: we sold the truck two weeks after I quit and got the call for the new job two weeks after that. Hello? God? You there..absolutely! November was a whirlwind of planning Reagan's party and then waiting for the final call to find out when we would make the move. It was filled with a lot of tears and even more prayer. Reagan had a great party, and we started packing up shop immediately after all of the guests left..literally. Ben moved the first week of December and Reagan, Emmy and I followed a few weeks after. We live in a super cute town called Collierville. It's a little like Southlake, a little like Grapevine and a little like Mayberry. So, here we are....Tenneessians..or whatever they call us. It's definitely an adjustment...okay a HUGE adjustment...but when I look at Reagan and how much she is flourishing with having me at home with her, I am convinced that we made the right decision. We are so proud of Ben and what a leader and provider he has become for our family...and he's pretty cute too. How lucky are we to have him?

Spending everyday with Reagan, I am still constantly amazed at how quickly she learns and all of her new skills. She's quite the chatter box and loves to sing and dance. Her vocabulary consists of the following words:

Mama, Dada, Puppy, No No (hmmm...wonder how this one got there?), book, duck, teddy, all done and wee. She also signs for milk, more and all done. Brilliant I tell ya!

Since we are so far from family and friends now my goal is to keep this blog updated so everyone can stay in touch with the exciting happenings of the Murray family. So, to make you feel apart of our family even though we're hundreds of miles apart, I'll let you in on our daily schedule. Today we are going to begin cleaning house for my mom and sis to visit (WOOHOO!) and we're going to wash diapers. I know...jealous much? :)