We are going on vacation!!!

It's finally sinking in...alone with my husband, sandy beach, yummy food, sleeping in, tropical weather. Thank God I only have to wait a few more weeks before we go on our cruise to Cozumel!!! I can't believe we are actually taking a vacation -alone!!! I never in a million years thought we could leave Samuel for that long (4 nights). But it's actually happening and I'm OK with it surprisingly. We tried to plan a family vacation but each time I tried it just didn't feel like a vacation. It just felt like we were going to do the same things we do at home in a warmer climate and in a strange place with no babysitter. Not my idea of vacation and God knows I'm ready for one. I look forward to taking a family vacation when Samuel's older. When naps, booster seats, diapers and the like are not part of the equation. So home he will stay with Papa and Mimi; and I'm sure he will have FUN, FUN, FUN! I know it will be hard leaving but I'm certain that once we are relaxing it will all be OK. I'm ready! I'm really ready! I'm ready to celebrate my 5th anniversary with Tim. I'm ready to lounge by the pool or the sea. I'm ready to be pampered at the spa. I'm ready to take my luxuries before our little "chick pea" arrives in May. And I'm ready to not have to pay for our vacation. Yup, that's right -F-R-E-E! I earned an all expense paid trip for one to Hawaii through Lia Sophia this year and we are unable to go because you have to take the trip in April. Not going to happen at 8 1/2 months pregnant so we took the cash alternative and paid for this cruise. What a blessing! You know, Tim and I took a lovely tropical honeymoon and we are about to embark on another tropical anniversary. I'm thinkng this every 5 year trend sounds really good to me! Maybe next time we'll make it to Hawaii!

Tagged!

Sarah tagged me for this meme:
(Funny thing is I don't even know what a meme is - I'm totally cyber-challenged. But I'm up for some fun)

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. College Bookstore Manager
2. SUNY Research Foundation Ed. Specialist
3. Art Teacher for Migrant Center
4. Bartender

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. How to lose a guy in 10 days
2. Seabiscuit
3. Count of Monte Cristo
4. Princess Bride

Four TV shows I like - reality version:
1. American Idol
2. Amazing Race
3. Biggest Loser
4. ????

Four TV shows that I like - non-reality version
1. Bionic Woman
2. What About Raymond
3. Seinfeld
4. Friday Night Lights

Four places I’ve gone on vacation:
1. Anguilla (Caribbean)
2. Niagara on the Lake
3. Florida
4. Leaving for a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico in December (HOORAY!!!)

Four favorite foods:
1. Avocados any way
2. Steamed little neck clams dipped in butter
3. Japanese Beef Negamaki
4. Almost any Thai food

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. Lia Sophia
2. Friend's blogs
3. Pregnancy calendars (1x per week)
4. ????

Four places I would rather be:
1. Any white sand beach
2. Cruising through the Greek Islands with a final destination of Italy
3. Right at this moment - napping!
4. On the same spiritual plane as Pastor Dick Dreyer :D

Four bloggers I tag:
1. Courtney
2. Amanda
3. Denise
4. Tarah

A Tribute To Our Cat

She's quirky, a bit over weight, annoying at times, has beautiful eyes and responds to her name even though it's ridiculous. This is our cat, Chicken.

Her name was once Korky. Sometimes we call her Chicken Liver (when she's naughty). Every once in awhile we call her Chix, to build her self-esteem. Samuel just calls her Cat. I think she has as many personalities as she has names. Some of you reading this have experienced her bad attitude. Some of you might think she's just the sweetest thing. Well, I guess to us she's somewhere in between but we love her none the less. She is exceptional with Samuel. He counts all her body parts and tries to ride her like a horse. And every once in awhile she'll even let you stack foam letters on her head one at a time. What a great cat!

Taco Soup!!!

Well here it is...my first posted recipe! Even though its called taco soup, it's hearty and thick - a bit more like taco stew. This is an all-time favorite in my house and it's super easy to make. You just need a good can opener. Enjoy!

1 small onion chopped
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 lb hot Italian sausage (pork or poultry) squeezed out of casing.
(You can probably use sweet sausage instead
but I've not tried it. I like it on the spicy side)
1 cup water
1 15.5oz can pinto beans
1 15.5oz can lima beans
1 15.5oz can dark red kidney beans
1 15.5oz can white or golden hominy
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1-2 small cans chopped green chilies
(you decide how hot)
1 pack ranch dressing mix
1 pack taco seasoning
(Simply Organics in Wegmans natural food section
has ranch and taco mix with no msg or preservatives.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Rinse and drain all the beans. Brown the meat and onions in the bottom of a large pot. Add remaining ingredients except the cheddar and tortilla chips. Bring to a boil and let simmer at least 30 min. Serve with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips.

Still Lovebirds

This photo was actually taken last Saturday at a friend's wedding. Thought I'd share it with you all. Isn't my hubby handsome? Well... you don't have to answer that one!

Little Heartbeats!

Yesterday was the first chance we had to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was nice and strong at 162 bpm. Tim couldn't be with me so my mid wife suggested we send him a voice mail so he could hear as well. It was very sweet. I feel like I've been waiting forever to hear that sound. In an instant it made all the sickness, tiredness, and irritability worth it. I can't wait to see our little chick pea. (Samuel's nickname in utero was was Lentil, so we thought we'd continue the theme). I also must admit I'm having the strangest feeling this one is a girl. We'll know in another 5 weeks...

Fireman Sam!

Last night was our church's Harvest Party and it was awesome! The children's program is truly phenomenal and they did such a great job setting the whole thing up. There were tons of age-appropriate activities and the decorations were so creative. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Your hard work was evident.

When we first walked into "church", Samuel was a bit surprised and a bit cautious. Something was very different here. Once he saw the balloons, it was all history. Samuel REALLY enjoyed himself. Tim and I basically chased him around from one place to another. Surprisingly, he kept his fireman hat on the whole time because he was so distracted. He enjoyed cheese doodles for the first time and his favorite activity was the blow up jumping castle!