Life's Little Blessings

I finally got a job today after 2 years of looking.  I have enjoyed spending the past 2 years with my daughters and watching them grow, but I really want to be helping others as well.  I am going to be a care giver at the Sunrise Senior Living facility in Lombard at Fountian Square.  I am going to start of part-time which is perfect while I am going to school full time, but I have availablity to grow and advance in the company.  I have already gotten my physical done and the first dose of the hep B shot, next is getting the background check done and then I will be able to start my training.  I am so exited that I will be able to help support my family again.  Eva is upset with me working again but I know she will be fine with soon.

Jim and I have been throwing the idea around about going a vacation together at the end of Feb early March, when we got our tax return.  We were thinking between going to Hawaii or Amsterdam.  So the other night Jim was talking to a rep from Apple Vacations and he said that he wanted to go somewhere where there are things to do because sitting on the beach.  The rep was telling him about this place where you can go hand gliding, take a helicopter ride, go to see coffee fields and much much more.  The hotel room she recommend had a ocean view and its own hot tube on the room's balcony. We continued to look at different things that we could do and other hotels.  Trying to make sure that we get the best buck for our money.  Then Jim started to look at going back to Walt Disney World.  We found it to way cheaper.  So have decided that we are going to go to Disney and we are bringing Eva with us.  So it will be our FIRST FAMILY VACATION.  Maggie is still really short, so she won't

Today Jim and I took the girls to see the new Disney movie "Tangled."  They absoluately loved it and I have to saw it was very cute and funny.  It was their first time ever at the movie theater.  We got them a BIG bucket of popcorn and BIG cup of Sprite.  Maggie was sitting on the edge of her seat watching the movie with one hand the popcorn bucket and eating, she never took her eyes of the screen.

So I saw this idea on a friends blog and thought that this was an excellent idea, so I did one of my own.  My friend made a "2011 To Do List," and her thinking behind putting it on her blog was that way she can be accountable for completing the tasks that she put down.  She can up with 27 different things that she wants to do, and she used the 27 because she turns 27 this year.  I am going to use the number 30 because I am turning 30 this year but I think I ended up with way more.  Some of the things are long term but my goal is get them started or more completed than what they are right now.      2011 To Do List: 1. Working out more regularly and Eating Healthier 2. Finish Eva's and Maggie's Birth to Age 2 scrapbooks 3. Finish my Wedding Scrapbook 4. Read 10 books, not including school books 5. Go on vacation with my hubby 6. Go to the Shedd Aquarium with the girls 7. Go to the Field Museum with the girls 8. Take the girls to see Disney on Ice 9. Go and se

I have been wanting to try to make this soup since my friend Alicia made it for her daughter, mom and herself a few months ago.  I have never had squash of any sort and thought that I would like it because I love pumpkin.  So I finally was able to get a copy of the recipe, which follows below, and decided that I was going to make it.  I did have to make a substitute because I didn't marjoram, I used ground sage instead.  It was a phenomianal soup.  It was thick and very sweet.  Maggie liked it and Eva won't even try it.  I also took a few pictures. Alicia's Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients: 6 Tablespoons chopped oinion 4 Tablespoons butter 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash(or 2 squashes) 3 cups water 4 cubes chicken bouillon (or 2 small cans of chicken broth) 1/2 teaspoon dreid marjoram 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 8oz package of cream cheese Directions: 1. I use 2 good-sized butternut squash.  Hack each one

Today my mother-in-law Kathy and I took the girls to the mall.  We told them last night that if they went to bed without any problems that we would go to the mall in the morning.  I don't think I have ever seen a 4 yr old and 2 1/2 yr old go to bed faster than these too went to bed.  It was pretty funny and they were very excited because we don't go to the mall that often.  We were going to get the girls feet measured and get them good quality shoes and look for some jeans for me. We wanted to go to Stride Rite, but Yorktown Mall no longer has Stride Right.  So we let the girls ride this little train and play in the indoor playground while Kathy and I decided if we were going to one of the department stores to see if they carry Stide Rite shoes or go to the Promanade in Boilingbrook.  We ended up just going to the department stores to see if could find either Stride Rite's or something that would be good sturdy shoes for them. We went to Macy's, Gymboree and Ch

I can't even believe that it is the year 2011.  So many big milestones happen this year.  Eva turns 5 years old and starts KINDERGARTEN, Maggie turns 3 years old and starts PRESCHOOL, my step-dad turns 50 and my youngest sister turns 21.  I guess the biggest one for me is that I am starting nursing school and I turn the BIG 30!!! I have to say that I am really not all that scared about it, it is just harder for me to realize that both my little girls are going to school.  One will kindergarten and one will be in preschool, where does the time go.  Today we celebrated Christmas with my brother-in-law Bob and sister-in-law Karen, since they live in Ohio it is hard to see them around the holidays.  We also had a wonderful dinner of pull pork that was made by my wonderful husband and just enjoyed each others company.  The girls both got an outfit and a toy from Bob and Karen.  Jim got a really nice Ohio State track zip coat and I got a $50 gift card to Archivers.  That will come in h