Legs like Jell-o

After being inspired by Biggest Loser on Tuesday, I thought it would be a great idea for Styker to come up with some workouts I could do. Not only do I get stuck in a rut and keep doing the same things over and over, but I push myself harder if I have a plan and am accountable to someone else for it. (Who isn't?)

Yesterday was my first one, and my legs felt like jello afterward. I'm rethinking this idea....


Actually I'm not, it was fun to do something different than I usually do, and he enjoyed thinking some up for me too. The best part is that he made some for me to do at home (or outside), and some for the gym. So on days when going to the gym isn't an option, I have a back up.

Fuzz got a kick out of it too. Squat jumps induce giggles, and her trying to replicate. And really, how does that not make a workout more fun?

Wordless Wednesday

And the award goes to...

...Kiki for Mother of the Year!!!

Wait, what? Why are you taking my trophy away? You mean mothers of the year don't turn their backs for two seconds as their child kicks herself away from the kitchen counter and falls backward while strapped into a booster seat in her chair?

Seriously. We were having a nice morning, she was eating a good breakfast while I ate next to her. I was done so I got up, threw my plate in the garbage, asked her if she was done, she wasn't, so I turned around, and BANG! Chair hits the floor (and breaks), and Fuzz screaming ensues. She has a little goose egg, but she's fine. I'm still traumatized (and mad at myself). Well, she might be too. For about an hour after it happened, everytime she walked by the chair she whimpered.

Poor thing.

Pretty in pink

We had a girly kinda day.

Banana Bread Recipe

Teresa requested this recipe, so I thought I'd share it with everyone. Make sure you bake it long enough! I didn't bake mine quite long enough and when I transferred it to the wire rack it pretty much collapsed. Also it wouldn't hurt to leave it in the pan for a little longer.

Special Banana Nut Bread Courtesy of Taste of Home

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups granulated pure cane sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans, divided

ORANGE GLAZE:
1 cup Domino® or C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel


Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup pecans.

Transfer to two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves.

I love food

Another great thing about having Stryker home is that I am cooking for more than myself and an occasional guest. It's great. I've been able to try several new recipes, and most of them have been wonderful.

I've been really into making homemade bread lately. I'm not sure why, but I love it! I've tried a couple different recipes for french bread. I've found a really great recipe for pizza dough (seriously, it's d.e.l.e.c.t.a.b.l.e). Homemade cinnamon rolls anyone? Best I've ever made. Even better than the ones out of the can.

My mom gave me an awesome recipe for banana bread with an orange glaze on top. It sounds like a weird combo but it's the best banana bread I've ever had, and I already had a great banana bread recipe. I've also tried an applesauce bread with a cream cheese filling that I found on this website. It was good but very spice-y. Very Thanksgiving/Christmas. I'd cut back on the nutmeg next time. This is what it looked like:



We've tried great seafood recipes like ginger-glazed mahi-mahi, and awesome grilled recipes like a southwest turkey breast with avocado salsa. Italian, Mexican, American....you name it. The best part is that we have so many more to try!

Alright, I'm hungry...gotta go.

Wordless Wednesday

Beauty

We've been incredibly lucky since Stryker has gotten back. He only took a handful of leave days during block leave, so while everyone else was on block leave, Stryker "worked" for a couple hours a day and had four day weekends. Can you say family time?!

It's been great, and so relaxing. I don't know about you, but block leave always has been a huge runaround for us. Being pulled this way and that, so many people to see, and so many things our families plan for us to do. By the time we get back we're exhausted. Not much of a "leave". So this time we decided we'd just stay put. And it was amazing, not to mention a lot less expensive! Besides, who needs to go anywhere when you see this across the street...





Now everyone's back and they are back to work. It will be two months since he got back on Thursday. We've been lucky to have all this family time, and we're getting back to normal (whatever that is).

Next month we're having some visitors. My cousin is visiting from California for a long weekend, and shortly after he leaves my sister is coming for about a week and a half! I can't wait for her to get here. I miss her a lot, and she needs a Fuzz fix.

Goodbyes

PCS season has begun. This past weekend we partook in a little get together for a friend who is leaving this week. Yummy Mexican food and a homemade cake (by me of course). It was fun. After dinner I came home with Fuzz and the rest of the guys went out for a few drinks. Well, maybe more than a few. Stryker got home and had the hiccups for about an hour and a half before he finally fell asleep. Haha.

This was the first close family that I have had to say goodbye to. I've been pretty lucky I guess. Married almost four years and this is the first one. Stryker and I aren't far behind, and neither are the other families that I've grown close to over these four years. I just hope at our new location I meet more couples and families like the ones I've met here. Maybe I'll meet some of you!

Assignment #1

For assignment one of my photography workshop we were instructed to capture motion. I've taken two pictures that I like and can't decide which one to use. Check them out and let me know what you think. Which one speaks to you?

Ceiling fan:


Running stream:

Photography, dates, and bunnies

I had my first class of the photography workshop last night. She talked a lot about things I already knew, but I did learn a few things and got to ask some questions. Apparently it just keeps building on, so next class should be lots of new stuff for me. She got into photography much in the same way that I have, and is doing what I would ultimately love to do. We'll see where this leads!

Stryker hooked up a baby sitter for us for tonight, so we are having a date night (which I should be getting ready for). He asked this guy to watch her without even talking about a date night with me first. I love that. I love when he makes an effort without having to hear 43 hints first. It really makes me feel loved and special. He did something nice on his own. Love it.

We're going for sushi and then we're switching to Easter bunny mode and going shopping for Fuzz. It will be our first holiday that we've been able to truly shop for her together. Fun stuff!

The dish

So here's the scoop. Like I said, last night we were awoken by fighting, and then I clearly heard someone slam into something, followed by crying and yelling. The initial fighting sounded like it was down on the street, but they ended up in her apartment (no, we don't live on post, but he was military) where they continued to fight.

Apparently she pushed him first and then he pushed her. I'm not really sure of all the details.

Just a few weeks ago a man killed his ex-girlfriend, so I think everyone was on high alert and called the cops right away. I was frightened by it, especially after hearing the story about the killing. I didn't want Stryker to be outside waiting to get the keys back. I didn't know how crazy this guy was or if he had a weapon. I didn't want him to see Stryker. I mean, he just got home safely after 15 months in Iraq, let's not get hurt by a crazy domestic abuser.

In the end, Fuzz didn't wake up, Stryker came back safely, and eventually we did fall back asleep. So all is well for us. The girl was obviously ok too. There was no ambulance or anything. There is no excuse for that. There are resources out there for people in her situation. If you find yourself there...please use them!

Domestic Disturbance

Totally just woke up to some guy beating up his girlfriend. It's 2:30AM...do you think alcohol was involved? Stryker is outside waiting to get our keys back that he tossed down for the cops to get in the gate. I'm not sure I'll fall back asleep.

First Haircut

Yup, that's right, Fuzz got her first haircut. We took her to a children's hair cutting place. You would think the stylists are kid friendly...not so much. She knew it was her first haircut, and she just rushed right through it and I even had to collect hair off of the floor for a keepsake. No ceremonious "here's your lock of hair from the first snip", but "I can give you a bag for the hair you so frantically picked off the floor before I swept it up".

I digress...

Fuzz loved sitting in the car until the stylist put the cape on her. She hated the cape. She hated the blowdryer even more. And yet the stylist kept blowing it dry, despite Fuzz being in a complete panic about it! I should have told her to knock it off but I was busy trying to calm Fuzz down. She was over it as soon as she got her little cup of animal crackers.

Anyway, the pictures speak for themselves.






It turned out cute and looks so much cleaner, but I doubt we'll be going back to that place...

The Plunge

I have a cousin who has a son with Down Syndrome, so Special Olympics is near and dear to my heart. He has gotten to participate in many different Special Olympics events, and it's been a great thing for him. Stryker shares my love of the organization, and was honored to be able to do something good for the organization by doing the plunge. Besides, who really does the "polar" plunge in Hawaii? Crazy right?

Special Olympics Hawaii ended up raising over $20,000 from the event. It was funny, men and women in t-shirts and shorts hauling wheelbarrows full of ice to dump in the pool they had set up for the plunge.



They had a DJ and Fuzz danced... Here's my commentary, "shakin' it, shakin' it, ooh she's taking my picture!, oh who cares, I can't help it, the beat moves me!, wait, new song, can't find the beat, can't find the beat, oh, there it is!"

And as promised, pictures of the costume.