Best BLT Ever!

Seriously, I don't know why I didn't think of this!

I got this idea from Pinterest.

DUH!  Cut bacon slices in half and weave together.  Bake at 350 for about 25-28 minutes.  I didn't think they were crispy enough for us so I popped them in the microwave for about 45 more seconds.  Yum!

Dustin thought I was sooooo smart.  Guess I didn't have to admit it was Pinterest :)



Is it really March?

Not that I'm complaining about the 80+ days we've been having the last couple of weeks but its just crazy!  This weekend we spent all of our time outside.  We went for golf cart rides and Asher rode his 4-wheeler.  On Sunday we were at Mom and Dad's and they pulled the cover back off of the pool to see what the water looked like - they were a little worried.  To our surprise the water looked great!

 March 18th - The last time we were in the pool it was October 8th.  The weather has been crazy this year!

 Asher was all about sticking his feet in the pool.

 Yes, this is what I get when I ask him to smile.

 He even asked if he could wear his trunks :)

 He finally got to go on a ride on Papa's "new" golf cart.



I don't know if the golf cart really is smaller or if Dad is just a big guy.  When they were coming at you Dad's knees stuck out the side of the cart :)

Workin With Papa

Last Tuesday night when Dad came home from work Asher saw him pull the mower out of the garage.  He immediately put his boots on and headed outside to help.  After he kept yelling at me to not take pictures and go inside he finally gave up.  I love this set - if you watch them Asher is always looking the same place as Dad.  Too Cute.

Tid Bits

• It is March in Central Illinois and the weather has been in the high 70's & low 80's this week - CrAzY but I'll take it.
• This means that I had to go through some more maternity clothes looking for tee shirts.  I have 4 and 3 out of the 4 are so ugly I don't think I can bring myself to wear them.  My arms have gotten HUGE and there is no way I'm wearing a little flutter sleeve top.  So when Mom came over for lunch on Wednesday she stopped at Wal-Mart and picked me up a couple of tee shirts for a whopping $4.50 a piece.  They are sooo soft and after I ruched the sides they fit great.  I had been looking at something similar here but for $24.99 - Thank God for Wal-Mart and a sewing machine.
• RJ wrecked on his 4-wheeler on Sunday pretty bad and Asher saw the whole thing.  As RJ was riding Asher kept saying "RJ not being careful" - next thing we knew RJ went over the front and the thing ran him over.  He was fine but has some road rash on his face and arms (yes, he was wearing a helmet) and now Asher doesn't wanna go near his 4-wheeler.  Dustin finally got him on it last night but I think he's scarred for life.
• Asher's Pre-School screening last week did not go well.  It took him forever to get off of my lap and didn't want to play with the other kids.  He also had no interest in showing them how smart he is - I was so disappointed.  Once Mrs Cindy came over and started talking about RJ and Papa and Meme he warmed up and would do his colors and count for her.  I was glad that she came over and knew just what to do to help him come out of his shell!  So during our review they did reccomend pre-school this fall (he'll only be 3!) but because of him not being social they thought it would be good for him to go.
• With all this nice weather I'm so anxious for May to get here so I can be home with the boys!  I have a feeling we'll have many walks and days spent by the pool at Meme & Papa's.  I'm still a little worried how I'm going to manage 2 but I'm sure I felt the same way when Asher arrived.  I feel so much more comfortable with this one coming because I know what to expect - I just hope that Asher is able to adjust :)
• Yes, I know my pictures are kind of messed up.  This is the first time I tried posting pictures directly from my phone to the blog - might take me a while to get the hang of it.

Aunt TeeTee made Asher a sticker chart because he's been peeing in his pull-up at night. Mommy wasn't having any luck so our resident teacher made Asher the chart and gave him the stickers. We had to send her a picture the next morning when he got to add his first sticker to the chart!

 

Don't eat the soap - it tastes bad.

Wednesday at lunch Asher wanted steak.  So we got him a ribeye sandwich and the child ate almost the whole steak - and a bottle of A1.

And at lunch the week before - we sent Daddy a picture of his new Monster Truck!  (Thank God we got a haircut!)

My other boys - Boo is such a cuddle bug!

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

I think this is by far my favorite recipe that I've made off of Pinterest - but then again that could be because Nana Jane was the one who threw it together!  I thought it was awesome - Dustin wasn't too thrilled because he isn't a big fan of chicken.

You can find the recipe here.

I served it over spaghetti with garlic bread and it was yummy!

I Feel Better

This week I've had a couple of people ask me about doing some pictures this spring.  At first I wasn't sure how I felt.  I'm getting pretty awkward these days with this big 'ole belly so I wasn't sure how to answer.  Although the weather is looking AWESOME for this time of year the grass and trees are still looking pretty yucky.  Last fall I had hoped to do a few sessions this spring before Brudder arrived.  Now that I'm in full blown preggo mode things aren't as "easy" as I had thought they would be.  After I turned someone down on Monday I talked to Dustin about it that night and he encouraged me to think about it some more and to try to come up with some kind of alternative since I can't really do the types of photos that I'm used to.  So I thought about it that night and emailed the lady back the next day.  We booked her daughter's senior session for next weekend!  I'm so excited/nervous to get back behind my camera but I've really been missing photography. 

So I booked one session and I'm in the process of setting dates for 3 more!  I cannot wait to do some maternity pics of my friend Carlee.  We're going to be quite a pair waddling around trying to do pictures!  Then I'll have some more senior pictures with her brother Tanner and family pictures with my cousin Kristen! 

Also, I just booked a maternity/family session with my friend Bri the end of April!  I cannot wait to meet her in real life - I totally forgot we've never actually met in person :)  I'm so glad to be excited about photography again and I can't wait until Brudder gets here so I can practice on him!  These days Asher screams and runs from the camera so he really isn't willing to be a test subject!  I just hope I haven't forgotten too much since last fall :)

A Few Pictures

Somehow there are always a few pictures that don't really work their way into a post.  Things have settled in around our house and there isn't much going on these days.  I should be working on getting ready for this Lil Guy to come but I just don't seem to have the motivation yet!

For Valentine's Day The Sister got Asher a 45 piece farm animal set.  Asher LOVED it but they are all over our house now.  Thanks Taylor....

Evidently the waterline on my fridge leaked at some point so before my Uncle Bob could refinish my kitchen floors he had tear our about 1/3 of the flooring and replace it.  Bummer.  Dustin replaced all the waterlines on the back of the fridge so it won't happen again.

Of course Asher ran in his room to get his tools so he could help!

I entered my Dad in a hardest working hands contest.  Yes, they usually look like that - pretty painful huh?

30 Weeks

He is so stinkin cute 

This is typical at our house!

 But then again, so is this :)

I think Asher is going to be a great big brother! 

30 Weeks with Asher

How far along?: 30 Weeks


How big is baby?: 3 lbs and 15.5 inches


Weight gain/loss?: Hovering right around 25 pounds.


Stretch marks?: Not that I can see but with the way my belly is growing it wouldn't surprise me!


Maternity clothes?: Yes!  I just hate clothes in general.  For some reason a lot of the clothes from when I was pregnant with Asher just don't fit.  I hope it warms up soon because I do have a few capris and such in bigger sizes :(


Sleep?: Sleep?  What is sleep?  I usually make it until about 2:00 in my sleepytime tea induced sleep but then its like I'm in and out from there on.  I roll around a lot.  I pee a lot.  My mind races a lot.  I know this won't get any better...


Food cravings?: My cravings haven't been all that bad lately, still wanting sweets most of the time.


Gender?: Another Brudder!


Movement?: He's getting to be a big boy and I can tell!  He seems to be in my ribs a lot which just kills me.


Belly button?: Out.  Its gross.  Josh saw it poking out through my shirt this week and was like "what the hell is that?"


I have a massage with Lynn tonight and I can't wait!  My next appointment with Dr Austman is in 2 weeks.  I can't believe the next time I go I'll already be 32 weeks!  I am no closer to picking a date to evict my lil guy.  It just doesn't seem right.  I'm still really hoping he just comes in his own time.  Right now I'm leaning towards putting his due date down as a c-section date.  I don't think she'll have to hold me to it if he isn't here by then.  My Mom keeps reminding me that RJ's graduation party is the 19th so I need to wait until after then!  We'll just see what happens!


Dustin's cousin Jaime is due on March 27th and I can't wait to hear news of the newest lil Popejoy!  I still cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone.  Although on the other hand it has been a reallllly long 30 (28) weeks because this lil guy seriously wants to kill me.  Headaches have been a little better so I'm crossing my fingers.  With Asher I didn't have a single migraine the entire time I was pregnant but they started back up when he was about 3 weeks old.

11 Things

Jessie tagged me in the 11 Random Things posts that I've seen on a lot of blogs lately.  Since it took me a whole 2 days to finish this I'm behind and all of the people I would have tagged have pretty much participated.  So I'm just going to give you 11 Random facts about me and answer her questions....k?

The Rules:

1. Post these rules  
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself  
3. Answer the questions set for you in the post you were tagged in  
4. Create 11 new questions for your tagees to answer  
5. Tag them on Twitter, Facebook or your blog

11 Random Facts about me...

1. I LOVE Dean Martin.  Always have and always will.
2. I love spreadsheets.  I'm super organized when it comes to money.  The way I do our budget would pry confuse the heck out of you but it works for me.  We have no less than 2 checking accounts and 9 savings accounts - I'm not kidding.  I LOVE to set up automatic transfers and keep everything  seperate and in its place.
3. One of the biggest things I deal with at work is keeping track of all the mobile homes in the County.  I love it.
4. I didn't like The Sister until she turned 18.  Then something magical happened and she became cool.  Now she is my best friend.
5. If you saw me out in public you would pry think I was shy - I really only babble like this to my family and you guys.
6. I went to IAJHSC Leadership Camp in Jr High and it really did change my life!
7. I don't break rules.  Hardly ever.  I always like to be on the safe side.  My husband however, will do things that drive me nuts like drive the wrong way through a parking lot.  Makes me crazy.
8. During the summer in High School I worked at my Grandma's flower shop in the morning and my Dad's Body Shop in the afternoon.  Talk about two totally different jobs - but I loved them both!
9. My Aunts/Uncles and older cousins call me Tessaroni.... isn't that terrible?
10. Atticus and Allistair were on my short list for Brudder but Dustin quickly veto'd both names.  I for sure want something "different."
11. I don't think I've slept "soundly" since Asher was born.  At first I was listening to him breathe next to me all night, then I was listening for his cry - and so on.  Now I keep one ear open all night to hear him hollar that he has to go pee.  I have a feeling this will last until he's at least 18...

 My Answers to Jessie's questions:

1. What is your favorite fast food chain? Steak N Shake

2. Do you like to work-out? Absolutely not.

3. What kind of sports do you like to watch?  I would rather stick needles in my eyes than watch sports.

4. Who is your favorite band/musical artist? DUH!  Brantley Gilbert!

5. What's your favorite movie/why?  I do not have a single move that is my favorite.  BUT there are several movies that I'll drop what I'm doing and watch if they are on TV: Rio Bravo, Steel Magnolias, 8 Seconds, Pure Country, Overboard.... just to name a few.

6. What's your dream vacation?  Sometime I would like to go overseas - you know, France, Italy.  But if I ever do it won't be for a loooong time.

7. If you didn't live in where you live, where would you go?  First of all, I would NEVER live anywhere else.  I must live within a 2 block radius of my parents.  BUT if I was single and had no kids I would pry move to some flat state like Oklahoma, Nebraska or Montanta - somewhere with cowboys....

8. How many kids, if any, would you have?  Although I still think I might want 3 someday Dustin says we're done so I'll be happy with my 2 boys.

9. Is there a celebrity that gets on your nerves? Why?  The people from Jersey Shore?  I've never watched it but previews on TV are enough for me.

10. Whose blog do you stalk religiously? Why?  Ummmm it might be easier to tell you whos blog I do not stalk!  A couple of favorites though are Katie and Leah.

11. Do you have a suggestion on a blog? Why?  Just look at the blogs on my sidebar for some of my favorites - of course there are more that I read but I just can't fit them all!

The Ode to Glo

 Mom and Dad finished their basement just in time for Kristi's party last Saturday.  We are calling the basement the "Ode to Glo" because Dad was finally able to use a lot of Grandma's stuff that he had kept.  Here is the process! 

Some of the block wall had to come down to make doorways wider.

Room at the bottom of the steps before.

And After!  Dad will eventually put the rest of his Coke stuff in this room - including a vintage Coke cooler that holds 1000+ cans.  Its a monster. 

The main room.  This was done once in the early 70's I believe.  The paneling and nasty floor tiles had to go.

After!  We have another place to hang out :)

View from back room before...

And After!

Dad re-used the bar that was there but recovered the front with doors from Glo's pantry.  The cabinets in the bar area were from the pass through in Glo's dining room.   

The Spandrel is something Grandma saved out of the old funeral home in Fairbury before they tore it down to build one of the apartments.  It was in Grandma Jane's flower shop before it came here. 

When you are sitting on the couch it is just like sitting in Glo's living room.  Dad took apart her book case piece by piece and saved it so it could someday be moved downstairs.  And it looks great!  He stuck her TV back in there and put a lot of her things back on the shelves. 

Behind the bar. 

Back room before. 

And after!  They put their old dining room table in chairs in there for overflow seating.  Eventually Dad's old glass bakers cases will go in there filled with all the old crap he's collected over the years :)And just cuz its cute - Asher and Papa's boots