# 3 Favorite thing

3. Another one of  my favorite things is my Chi flat iron. Anything that can make my hair to go from the left pic to the right deserves to be noticed. There are even people these days that don't even know my hair is curly and as you can see from my high school track picture- it is VERY curly and thick.

I will say some people have had trouble with their chi's dying on them but if you buy it from overstock you can also buy a warrantee pretty cheaply and it is worth it!

My favorite things

So a few months ago, I read on my friend Rachel's blog about a favorite party her and her bible study had. They all brought something for the group that was their favorite thing- like a certain soap , hair product, coffee mug, etc. Then they all made something to eat that was their favorite and shared that and played some games with favorite facts - movie, scripture, etc. I loved the idea and even shared it with my mother in law, Chris who is hosting a favorite party tomorrow with her bible study. I would love to have one myself but until then i thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorites with you. Post by post.

Sometimes I will share a few favorites, sometimes just one. Depends on the mood.

1. First off I love my Dyson vacuum cleaner. It's a DC25 Animal.

We have a dog, Fenway, (see below) who sheds A LOT. When we were thinking about getting a dog just after we got married, I somehow convinced Rick that golden retrievers usually only shed certain times of the year. Not Fenway, (though we still aren't convinced he's truely a golden- a story for another time) he sheds all the time. Anyone who comes over ends up leaving with a fenway hair covered outfit- too bad dog hair covered clothes aren't all the rage these days. So when we starting having kids who crawled all over our fenway hair covered floors we decided to go for it. That and a very very nice day after Thanksgiving sale 2 years ago that allowed it to be possible. Since getting it a year and a half ago, I can't imagine my life without it. It works amazing and with no bag it is so easy to clean! If you are in the market check out the deal site Bradsdeals.com and they usually post when they go on sale somewhere.  

2. Though I think it goes without saying, my kitchen aid mixer is a regular part of my cooking and baking routine.  Though most ladies wait for their wedding, my parents were awesome and gave me one for christmas about 6 years ago and I haven't looked back since. 

In this pic my friend Jessica is using my mixer, proving that it really can make anyone a baker. Ha, just kidding Jess... I really do love it. If you know me at all, you know I bake sugary treats with it several times a week. However, lately rick and I have been using it to make fresh pasta and it is awesome. It is a little more work, but totally worth it. Other things it can do - (if you have the attachments) shred just about anything, grind meat, knead dough, and the list goes on and on. I use it to my my homemade pimento cheese for the summer. Yum! 

Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for more of my favorite things! Sorry I'm not rich enough like Oprah to give all you 4 readers out there one of all my favorites. :)

Happy (Late) Father's Day

So I was working on this Father's day post last night and in the process of looking for pictures I looked a little too hard and got caught up in all the pictures we have. So needless to say the post didn't happen. So here is a little belated Father's day post. 

Rick with our new addition- Jackson. This was a few weeks ago- Jackson is MUCH bigger now. (that post coming soon)

 I love how much Rick loves our kids. He takes time out of working and playing to love on and give them attention. I love how he comforts Reagan when she gets a boo boo. He scoops her up and even lets her yell loudly in his ear, while he soothes her back to her playful self. I love how he is teaching them to play- to not take life too seriously. Most of all, I love that he is a dad that is in the parenting with me. He doesn't just sit by and let me do it all, he's right there next to me changing those diapers (and there are a lot with you young-ins) and cleaning up messes, and hugging our babies. He is a terrific dad! 

 Now my Dad is one great Father too! He taught me so much and I am who I am because of him and my mom's love, support, and guidance. He taught me the importance of hard work, but also about playing too. He taught me how to water ski, so many hours in the lake treading water, just so I could get up on those skis. He taught me how to play softball and took time to play with me in the back yard and go to my games. He gave me a love for the beach and is now passing that along to my kids too! In a time where so many dads are absent from their kids lives, I was truly blessed to have one just the opposite! I am so grateful to have him as a dad!

Finally, I want to recognize, Gilbert, Rick's dad. I am so grateful for the way he shepherded Rick and taught him how to love well.  I know that Rick learned so much about being a good husband and father from following in his dad's footsteps. Though, Rick terrorized his father growing up and still does on occasion- I love they have a close relationship. I hope Jackson and Rick will be the same one day! 

Happy (late) Father's day Dad's! 

New initiative

So I was talking to a good friend the other day and she said she doesn't check my blog anymore because I never post anything. That is true and I completely don't blame her. I continue to read and keep up with other people's blogs but I have had a hard time keeping up with my own.

Well, I am determined to turn over a new leaf. I am in Orlando for a few weeks while Rick takes seminary classes here with CRU. Since I have 2 young-ins I won't be taking any this go round. So I have decided to try to use my time wisely. I want to do some writing here on the blog as well as learn a little sewing. My mother in law is an incredible seamstress and I hope to pick up a few things from her.

So this is my "keep me accountable- blog post" with hopefully more to come!