Saturday, January 5, 2013

Project Pinterest Week 1

Okay, so let me start by saying that I wanted to really diversify myself and try more than just recipes for my first week of 3 pinterest pins, but I ended up doing 2 recipes.  I need to get out and get some supplies for some crafty pins and it just didn't happen this week. Sorry.

But....the 2 recipes I tried were REALLY good!  The day I made honey garlic pork chops, I was all sorts of domestic.  I prepped dinner completely while Austin was napping.  I kept thinking to myself "why don't I do this everyday?"  Good question.  I'll keep working on the answer to that one.
Anyway, the pork chops were really good.  It looks like the recipe was originally for the grill, and I think that would be really good.  It calls for 6 cloves of garlic, but my cloves were pretty big, so I only used 5 and still managed to get heartburn just smelling it while it baked.  Really good though.  The ultimate test was Emily.  Emily doesn't like anything.  The next night was left over night and when it was time to make her plate she said "I want more of the pork from last night"
So....yeah.  Success.

I am always looking for different veggie side dishes and had tried roasted carrots before, but these carrots are our current faves.  I used baby carrots instead of chopping up regular sized ones and I don't think it made any difference in cooking time or anything.  Again, Emily gobbled these up.  So another success!

As I mentioned before, we spent New Years Eve here at home hanging out with the girls.  We had lots of fun and there isn't anywhere else I would have wanted to be.  In between the pizza eating and board game playing, I printed off this end of the year interview and filled it out with the girls.  My favorite answer was when they both answered (separately without hearing each other's answers) that their favorite thing to do is hang out with their family.  I hope they always feel that way!  But, if they don't, I have it in writing that at one time they did! :-)

In other news, the girls started swim lessons this week.  As swim lessons have ALWAYS been with the Gravitt girls, it was traumatic and there were tears.  I decided to change their group lessons to semi-private lessons in hopes that more individualized attention at their level will help us get over the dramatics every time they have a swim class.  I just can't take it anymore.  I mean...there comes an age where water wings and noodles just aren't socially acceptable anymore, right?

Also, I snapped our first pic for the 52 week album.  I decided, instead of trying to pose pics and have the perfect background, lighting, etc., I was just going to try to capture a REAL moment.  That is what it is about, right?
So, I got this.  The girls came in from school on Friday and immediately started reading to Austin.  He is so lucky to have them.

And they are really lucky to have him

And I'm lucky for all of them!


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Lucky 13?


Happy New Year to everyone!  We Gravitts are hunkered down doing laundry and watching the Mummer's parade today after a wild night of board games and pizza on NYE.  The girls did make it up for the ball drop though...party animals!  I think if it weren't for them, I would have been in bed by 10!

I know every year people say "This is going to be the year I change x,y,z..." I don't really want to change anything.  I want to appreciate everything I already have.  My family is complete, I have great friends, I love my husband, we're all healthy and happy....let's keep it that way.  2011 was a horrible year.  Lots of pain and disappointment, but lots of growth.  2012 was much better, and I know 2013 is going to continue on that good path!

I do have somethings I want to do for 2013 though.  I want to participate in the 52 week challenge.  Over the years I have seen people take 1 picture a week of themselves with their kids.  I want to do that with my trio.  I am not planning on being in the picture though.  Just a pic every week of Emily, Allie and Austin doing some various thing.  We are always so busy and having so much fun together, it will be neat to capture it.

I also want to start doing some of my pinterest pins. Are you as obsessed with Pinterest as I am?  Here is my Pinterest Profile  I am planning on trying 3 things a week.  I will blog about it, so if interested you can follow along!  I am sure there will be some great outcomes and some WTF?  ones as well.  Stay tuned!