Deep in the heart of Texas!

Well, we're back. And we survived. Summer was a champ on all flights. Awesome. But who wouldn't be sucking on a boob for 2 hours straight? She slept for most of it, and when she wasn't sleeping, she was checking out her new surroundings. The stroller cover proved successful, and even though I felt kind of lame using it, I was glad I did when we landed in Milwaukee and another family with the same stroller as us found theirs with a wheel snapped off. Suckers.

Highlights:

• Warm weather. While rather humid, the warmth was very welcome. Poor Summer was a hot sweaty mess the whole time, and her hair was matted to her head most of the time, but at least she knows what it feels like to sweat now.
  
• Good food. If there's one thing my family knows how to do, it's eating.
  
• Hanging out with my cousins and their kids.
  
• Playing games.
  
• Seeing our friends Matt & Seena Swinyard, and their son Caleb, who I knew in Florida, and now live in San Antonio.
  
• Handing off Summer to Grandma and Grandpa while I slept.
  
• SONIC!! With no huge lines!

Summer having fun on the plane.

Great-Grandma Barrios

Great-Grandpa Barrios

After a ride on the motorcycle.

At Kreuz Barbecue. Deeeeelish.

It was just a touch windy that day.

With Matt & Seena & Caleb

In small town Martindale.

My Aunt Linda and her granddaughter Ayla.

Mi Abuelito

Mi Abuelita
My cousin's 3 kids on the bottom, my cousin at the top.

I told my cousin's son Rocky to pose and this is what he gave me. I have many more pictures of equally stunning yet different poses. He's 4.

The model's proud mama, my cousin Jessica. Love her. I don't love how pale I look next to her.

4 generations of Barrios women! As my mom said, we're watering down the gene pool.

Overall...definitely different traveling with a rugrat, but definitely doable. Here's to lots more trips!

Before and After

I've had this old shower curtain laying around for a couple years now. My intention was to turn it into pillows, but that never happened.

Now that our inaugural airline trip with car seat and stroller is upon us, I've fretted about it getting trashed by the baggage guys. Linda is letting me use her car seat cover, so that just left the stroller.

Well, a little motivation and 30 minutes later, viola! I have created a masterpiece! I used no pattern, I googled nothing. It came straight from my brain. I'm so proud of myself. Yes, that is a sewn in drawstring you see. And yes, that is a handle on the side you see as well.

Dang, my arm is getting sore from patting myself on the back.

We leave for the airport in 7 hours, (3:30 am...yikes!) and yet, here I am still blogging and watching Idol.

I need help.

Wish us luck on the plane tomorrow!!

Things I DON'T hate

It was mentioned to me by a certain someone recently that apparently my blog is a doom and gloom, Debbie Downer, "things I hate" blog. While I do admit to posting my share of gripes, I really hope it doesn't come across that way. When I'm not complaining, I'm really a happy person!!! Really!!! See all the exclamation points?!?!?!?!

So in an attempt to balance all my "hate" blogs, here are a few of my recent favorites.

Babybel cheese. These little wheels of deliciousness are my new favorite snack. They are portable and individually packaged and wrapped, so I don't overeat. I guess I could eat like 4 of them, but the process of unwrapping them makes it a little more tedious so I don't. Tasty little buggers, indeed.


Next up, a blog.

I found this site a couple months back when I was looking for a good cookie decorating tutorial. Then my SIL re-introduced it to me, and I fell back in love. I have made lots of recipes from it, and they have ALL been delicious. Plus, it's just a fun site to read and browse. And who knew? They are two Mormon gals. Figures.

Next: the NBC show "Southland".

Ok, fine, so the only reason it looked good to me was because it stars Ryan Atwood, I mean Benjamin McKenzie. I fell in love with him on The O.C., and he's just as hot now. Even hotter in a cop uniform. Plus, it's a really good show. Love it.

That's it for now. See how non-hating I was?

Carb Loading

I've been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver this past week. She and her family move to a farm in Virginia and grow/raise ALL of their food for one year, essentially eating locally and reducing their carbon footprint. Bananas and pineapples, for example, are a huge strain on the environment--having to be trucked/flown in to climates and regions where they don't normally grow, and ultimately proving the destruction of farmers. They eat only what's in season, canning and storing their harvest for the winter months.

While I don't think I'm ready to swear off bananas and pineapples, I do think eating locally is a smart idea. People who eat local produce, dairy, and meat are now called "locavores". They support local agriculture and the local economy. Plus, you get WAY fresher products than what you get in grocery stores. Personally, I find most of the produce at Pick N Save and Wal-Mart to be generally gross, and the produce at Whole Food to be grossly expensive. Trader Joe's I can live with. But I can't wait until Farmers' Market season starts up-I'll be hitting it up every week. Unless anyone knows of a local veggie co-op that I can join...which I desperately want to do.

Besides inspiring me to want to have a huge bountiful garden, this book has inspired me to made my own bread, sauces, and even cheese. Supposedly mozzarella is super easy, and I love fresh mozzarella. Who wants to come over for a cheese making party???

Anyway, I decided to make bread tonite. My first attempt was for dinner, where I pulled out some frozen Rhodes rolls. After the proper rise and bake, I realized two things: 1) you can't consolidate two bags of rolls into one, especially if one is signifcantly older than the other, and 2) they're not nearly as yummy as fresh baked rolls. Look at this debacle, 4 lovely plump rolls, and 5 little duds.



My second attempt was to use my friend Allison's bread recipe. I have no idea if this is a super secret recipe or not, but I'm pretty sure she doesn't read this blog, heck, she never checks her email, so I'm sure she'll never find out. And none of you will tell her, either. Right?

It's a super easy recipe, and really yummy, especially with the Lion House Honey Butter I whipped up to go with it.

Mix together in a bowl or 2 cup measuring cup:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp. yeast
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

In mixer, mix together:

• 2 cups very hot water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 Tbsp. salt

Add 5 cups flour to the mixture in the mixer. Mix well. Add the yeast water and 2 1/2 - 3 cups more flour until it starts to clean the sides of the bowl, but is still sticky.

Let it rise 15 minutes, then mix again. Repeat this 2 more times.

Shape into 3 loaves. Let rise again.

Bake at 370 until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 20 minutes.

I guess I'm not very good at dividing by three evenly, because I got two loaves that looked like this:

and one giant behemoth of a loaf that looked like this:

I only had 2 loaf pans....that's my excuse. And yes, Derrick and I ate practically an entire loaf in about 10 minutes.

Hooray for carbs!

Miracle Blanket indeed!!

My sister in law is a certified black belt in shopping. I am NOT joking. It's pretty safe to say her daughter, who is almost 3 now, was probably the best dressed little kid not appearing on the cover of tabloids. Well, lucky us, we inherited little Abby's wardrobe! It came in the mail the other day, and it pretty much looked like a department store threw up in our living room. Beautiful, tiny, multi-colored throw up.


Also included in the boxes was this little gem:

You better believe it: footed pajamas. I couldn't put them on fast enough! How long have I wanted a pair of these? Probably since the last time I wore some, oh, 25 years ago.

Well, nestled at the bottom of these piles was a lonely little blanket. Upon further investigation, I realized it was a Miracle Blanket, the Cadillac of swaddling blankets. I was hesitant to try it at first--it comes across a little straight-jacket-ish. But, seeing as how little miss Summer was up every two hours the past two nights, and I was getting a little bleary-eyed, I decided to give this contraption a whirl.

Hot damn, she slept 11 hours straight. It's a Christmas MIRACLE!

Derrick woke up around 4:30 and asked me if she'd eaten yet, to which I replied "no...what time is it?" He told me and I bolted up and ran to check to see if she was still breathing. She was, indeed, still alive and as cozy a caterpillar in its cocoon. I came back to bed ecstatic, too excited to sleep.

I'm trying not to get too excited about it--one night does not a trend make. But man, oh man, I sure hope it continues!

Thanks, Amy!!! I'm forever indebted to you!!

Quiz

Summer is:

A) Hiding from the Paparazzi.
B) Protecting her eyes from that big yellow thing in the sky that's showing itself today.
C) Too cool for you.
D) All of the above.

Initiation

Saturday night Derrick was officially initiated into fatherhood.

See, Summer has recently taken to pooping only every other day. It's kind of like playing with a jack-in-the-box--you never know when she's gonna blow. It kind of puts you on edge! Well, Summer was just hanging with Daddy and we heard her rumbling. Instead of checking her bum right away like he should have, he just let her sit there for about 5 minutes or so before picking her up. Well, what do you think he found? Yep.

It even soaked through to his underpants. We call these "nuclear poo-splosions" 'round here. She really let him have it.


And guess who got to clean everybody up? Yep, Mom. Look at those rolls!! I love them!

Happy Easter!

Summer's first Easter was perfect! The Easter Bunny brought her 3 bunny books, including "The Runaway Bunny", which was one of my favorite books when I was a wee tot, and a soft little bunny doll for her to play with and chew on. We decided to go green this year, as you can tell. She especially loved today because we only had 2 hour church, instead of 3!!

We had our 5th Annual Easter: Dinner and Tournament, as per the usual. I can't believe it's the 5th one we've done here! We had TONS of food, which was all sooo delicious, and we all had a great time. Our numbers have more than doubled since the inaugural one back in 2005, so it makes for a cozy and crazy event. I wish more than anything that we had a big old house so we could invite everybody we know. One day, one day...

(Sugar cookie place cards)(Adorable cookie bouquets courtesty of Whitney)

(Is there anything better than marshmallow chicks on glazed carrots?? Nice touch, Mike C.!)

Mike and Jessica were the reigning egg toss champs for two years running. They attempted a three-peat, but they were ultimately overcome by dark horses Cole and Ruth, with a bum arm and a bun in the oven, respectively. As winners, they received the coveted Carrot Baseball.

Mike & Jessica won nothing, except tears on their wind burned cheeks. Better luck next year, suckas!

(Casey & Lindsey...how did you manage to escape being photographed today??? Little sneaks.)

All in all, we had a great Easter. We are very blessed to be able to spend it with friends who are dear to our hearts, and who believe the exact same that we do: that Christ is our Savior and that through Him we can be forgiven of our sins and shortcomings. There is not a day that goes by that we aren't in awe of the blessings we've received because of Him, and even though we are far from perfect, we continue to try to do better each day in hopes of returning to live with Him again.

We hope you had a great Easter!

Those lazy bums at Disney

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook. If you can call someone who refers to your cookies as "barbecued" a friend. And I'm not sure I do. Either way, a fascinating video, I think. They make one movie, and copy it again and again.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

A Death in the Family

Actually, it's more like two deaths.

My boobs.

Of course I'd heard how your boobs die after you have a baby. Sag city. But I guess in the back of my mind I had just hoped and prayed that it wouldn't happen to me. I wear a nursing bra 24/7, but alas, as I got out of the shower today and toweled off, I couldn't help but notice my chesticles hung just a little lower. I almost cried, really.

There's no turning back, either. Books say it's not the nursing that creates swinging, pendulous breasts, but pregnancy in general. I don't know if I believe that.

All I know is I'm saving my pennies for a lift and a tuck when all this child-birthing business is over.

A moment of silence, please, for my long lost girls.

3 months!

Our little girls is 3 months old today! My, how time flies! We have been so lucky to be given Summer to love and raise. I always thought it was soo cheesy when parents would gush about "what a joy it is" to have a kid and blah blah blah. Alas, I have fallen into the cheese trap. She really does bring so much joy into our lives. Just seeing her smile at us makes me ridiculously happy, to the point that I almost squeal with delight. Oh no. I've turned into a Sappy Mom. Heaven help me.

(I just love this picture. Her expression says it all: "Getting kissed AGAIN??"

Some of Summer's favorites include:

• Her swing. She would watch those little birdies go 'round and 'round for hours if we let her.
• Her car seat/car rides. A screaming, frantic little girl will be silenced instantly when she's picked up in her seat. At church, it's the only way to get her to sleep. Long gone are the days when she's sleep in my arms. So sad for this mama.
  
• Music. She loves the little thing that came with our pack n play that plays lullabies.
  
• Being swaddled. She can't sleep unless she's swaddled. I think she likes being tight and cozy.
  
• Singing time with Dad. He sings to her in the evening, and doesn't even care that he gets all the words wrong, like Mom does.
  
• Bathtime. She loves to kick and feel the water pour over her big ol' belly.
• Blowing spit bubbles. This is one drooly kid. I can't even imagine what it'll be like when she starts teething.
• Sucking on her hands and wrists. You'd think we were starving her around here. But look at those rolls, we definitely are not.
  

Things she isn't so fond of:

• Tummy time. She hates it. As soon as you put her on the floor, she starts complaining. (Don't let the picture fool you...she really hates it.)
  
• Getting her boogers sucked out. I can empathize with her on that one. That can't feel good. But dang, that kid gets a lot of boogers.
• Taking a bottle. She used to be so good at it, and now, no more. How am I supposed to go back to work if she won't take a bottle??? Shucks...
  
• .....that's all I can think of. She's pretty easy going!

We just bought tickets to fly to TX to see my family in 3 weeks. I'm super nervous about how she'll travel, knowing she really only likes to sleep in her crib or car seat, neither of which we'll have onboard. Maybe she'll fall asleep in the Baby Bjorn (Thanks, Patty!!!) Either way, I'm super pumped to go and feel the sun. A warm sun. And eat some amazing barbecue. And see my family. And be warm. And not be in Milwaukee.

We love our little Summer Cottontail!

Winnah, winnah, chicken dinnah

I enter just about any contest I come across. It's like the lotto, you've got to be in it to win it. Well, ever since my affair with the library has been rekindled, I've spent a lot of time on Goodreads, planning my attack on the literary world. I came across a section on there where you can enter to win books that haven't been released yet. The intention is that you'll read it and post a review for others. Well, I won! It's called Take Your Shirt Off and Cry: A Memoir of Near-Fame Experiences.


If you like books, and love FREE books, you check def check out the giveaways section on Goodreads!

Rant

Allow me to rant for a bit.

Here's my beef: I get so annoyed at people who think they are too cool to like popular and/or mainstream things. For instance, "I used to like that band/show/movie/book/website/restaurant/whatever until everyone else started liking it." Is that what you base your preferences on? Whether or not others like it or know about it? Give me a break. Get over yourself. Like something because you like it. If I hear a song and it pleases my ear, I like it. Who cares if lots of other people like it. Consider yourself having good taste! I know someone (who may or may not live with me...) who claims he is "almost sick of Facebook because everyone has an account now." Isn't that the point? The more people that have an account, the more people you can connect with. The more you can stay in touch with your friends.

To me, this "too cool" logic is dumb. If you were one of the first people to subscribe to TiVo service, which practically everyone has now, are you going to stop using it b/c it's so popular now? No. If you "went green" awhile ago and now that the green trend is all over the place, are you going to sell your hybrid and drive a Hummer and not recycle anymore? No. Be glad it's easier for you to be green now.

I guess I just don't like people that try SO hard to be different. Like, they have to make an effort to like different things and not be mainstream. It's like they get some sort of high listening to an obscure band and rubbing it in your face about how indie they are and how lame you are because you like Justin Timberlake. Suck it up and be a conformist. Share your knowledge of your hot new band to others. I know I appreciate it. You'll save yourself a lot of energy, and look less like a douche.

I guess it bothers me so much b/c I'm so much of trend person. Not to be confused with trendy, which I'm not (I don't think. At least in the fashion sense.) I love fads. I love pop culture, which I guess a lot of this fall into. Knowing and liking popular things gives everyone something in common. They are the source of hours of conversation at work and home and with friends. If you only watch crazy movies, or listen to underground music, unless your coworkers and friends are doing the same, what are you talking about?

Luckily for me, most of my friends like the same types of things. I guess that's what makes them my friends! And if one of us does discover something new, we share it. That's what friends do.

/end rant/

I ran, I ran so far away.

Tonight I went running. For the first time in almost a year. And it felt SO good. It was only a wee little mile, but hey, a mile's a mile. The last time I really ran was at Crazylegs last year. Crazylegs is in 3 weeks, and I don't have any plans to run it yet, although I'd like to. Thing is, it always falls on a women's conference at church, so I'm always torn as to which to go to. I always told myself I would run it this year so it would force me to get in shape after Summer was born. Anyway, does anyone want to run it this year? Or do you know of any other races coming up that we can do?

Feels good to get my legs back. Now I need to get my abs back. :(