MOPS Adventures

At almost every MOPS meeting we have a bit of time to share a Mom Adventure. At every meeting we need a few volunteers to share a story. I decided to raise my hand and volunteer for the most recent meeting, even though I’m super shy in public, and turn bright pink at the notion of speaking out loud in front of a crowded room.

Since I can’t bring along all of my buddies from the blog-universe, I thought I’d share my “adventure” on my blog…

So here goes….

Hi, I’m Nicole. I’m super-shy, and I talk way too fast, and I don’t really go on many adventures, so I’ll share a little about my family and a few of my interests that you might not know about.

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I’m married to this good looking guy James, and we just celebrated our 8th anniversary.

Together we have 3 kids…001

Agnes is our youngest. She will be six weeks old, next week.

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Dylan is our youngest son, and he will be three next year. He is a lot of fun!

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Thade is our oldest son. He is a part-time crime fighter, and full-time awesome! He’ll be six in January.

We also have two spoiled kitties.

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Loki is our 10 year old Tabby.

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Maddie is our four year old kitty.

I have one sibling.

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My super-rad brother Rob!

Just in case you didn’t know, I love to cook. I really love to bake, if the kids will let me.

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Here is a Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving.

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A Peach Pie that I made for my Brother’s birthday.

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A sweetheart Cherry Pie for Valentine’s Day

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A Halloween themed Cherry Pie for our anniversary.

For the last few years I’ve attempted to garden. I haven’t been super successful, but this year the corn and okra survived.

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I really love the okra blossoms.

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Dylan loved the okra, it is his favorite veggie!

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More okra in bloom.

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I thought the sweet-corn was too cute.

I also run a website called Nicostuff, where I like to share my home projects, crafts, and daily journal.

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I’m obsessed with NASCAR!

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and I collect vintage jewelry, although I don’t wear much of it.

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I also play Bass

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and I really like to go bowling, but I’m not too good.

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When I get the chance, I get out my sewing machine, and work on a few projects.

You’ll never see me without my camera. I take it everywhere, and snap random pictures wherever I go.

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Sugar Maples downtown

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Summer flowers after a rain shower.

When I can, I take the kiddos to K.C. to visit my brother, and get some pictures. K.C. is one of my very favorite places to visit. Maybe one day, we’ll move up there.040

The art deco buildings of the Plaza are some of my favorites.

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You can’t beat that skyline.

So that’s me and my family, in a super speedy manner, and when I type it, I don’t turn bright pink…

Typing With Two Hands

Lately, the little miss won’t let me put her down, not even for a minute. I’ve been typing one handed, and giving myself quite a big neck-ache holding her as I’m sitting at my desk. The dishes and laundry are piling up around me, and again, the little miss isn’t cooperating.  Today I got out the trusty Snugli, so at least now I can type with two hands (and hopefully get caught back up on my blog).

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The little miss seems happy so far, and the pain in my neck is dissipating as I’m typing. Now for that laundry…

Kicking Off The Holiday Season

Every year we like to attend the local Christmas Parade, no matter what the weather is.

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This year the weather was cold, but luckily it wasn’t snowing during the parade.

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We met up with my best friend Stacey, and her kiddos.

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Our kiddos sat together, and waited patiently for the parade to begin.

There were lots of floats, but me and my trusty camera were having lighting issues, so I didn’t get as many pictures as I had wanted too.

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The Christmas Parade was a ton of fun, and all of the kids came home with a bunch of candy too.  The kids are definitely ready for Christmas to get here.

December Monthly Dinner Menu

The year is wrapping up fast, and I’ve got one more menu for you. I can’t wait to get next year’s calendar and start menu planning all over again, but first thing’s first… Here is my monthly dinner menu for December.

  • 12/1/09: Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, and Salsa
  • 12/2/09: Chicken Nuggets, Fries, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 12/3/09: Chicken Fajitas, Re-fried beans, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 12/4/09: Biscuit Sandwiches and Monkey Bread
  • 12/5/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 12/6/09: BBQ Chicken, Corn, Biscuits, and Vanilla Cake
  • 12/7/09: Chicken Fajitas, Re-fried Beans, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 12/8/09: Popcorn Shrimp, Fries, and Macaroni & Cheese
  • 12/9/09: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 12/10/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 12/11/09: Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Toast, and Stacey’s Bubble Bread
  • 12/12/09: Grilled Chicken, Rice, and Green Beans
  • 12/13/09: Chicken Noodles and Mashed Potatoes
  • 12/14/09: Angus Burgers, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Fries
  • 12/15/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 12/16/09: Popcorn Shrimp, Macaroni & Cheese, and Fries
  • 12/17/09: Sloppy Joe’s, Potato Chips, and Brownies
  • 12/18/09: Pancakes and Bacon
  • 12/19/09: Grilled Chicken, Pasta Salad, and Corn
  • 12/20/09: Pot Roast with Potatoes and Vanilla Cake
  • 12/21/09:  Nacho Bar
  • 12/22/09: BBQ Sandwiches and Potato Chips
  • 12/23/09: Bean and Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips, Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 12/24/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 12/25/09: Chili, Potato Soup, Cru de te, Crackers, Homemade Bread. Pies and Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • 12/26/09: Lasagna and Garlic Bread
  • 12/27/09: Grilled Chicken, Rice, and Corn
  • 12/28/09: Angus Burgers, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Fries
  • 12/29/09: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 12/30/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 12/31/09: Chili, Saltines, and Brownies

December also brings a lot of cookies to bake, and celebrating with family too. Time to get in the kitchen and get to cooking.

70 Degrees in November

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My Mom came to visit this weekend, and keep an eye on the kiddos while I caught up around the house. I really appreciated the help too, I’ve been a little behind on housework lately. On Friday the weather was amazing, so we headed off to the park with the kids.

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The boys had a great time running around the park, and Agnes caught a good afternoon nap too.

The cold weather has returned today, but we are really thankful for the warm days that we had in November.