Putting Out Flames

Emily's Un-birthday

2010-02-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I planned a little vacation to Temecula for a break from the ranch and the kiddos.
Emily had her own adgenda!
She convinced my mother to throw her a birthday party...it was mid-February 2 weeks before her birthday.
So my mom baked cupcakes, invited family over and told them they had to bring a present!
I was dying!
Happy "Birthday" Emily!

We didn't know we had to bring a present...so we improvised!

Here Emily...Happy "Birthday" I know it is just want you wanted.

Jack - 14 months

2010-02-04T23:11:00.000-08:00

My little man is growing up too fast.

Here is what he has been up to:
Loves his baths still
Runs!
Says - "Choo Choo" "Vroom Vroom"
Follows his Sissy around and loves to get into her toys
Wants to play outside any chance he can get.
Is facing forward in his carseat.
Isn't a big fan of any meat but occassionally we can sneak it in.
LOVES Fruit Snacks and brings them to me about once a hour
**he doesn't get them once an hour**

Welcome Alice and Jake!

2010-02-01T23:15:00.000-08:00

Since Jessie has left us to the "call of the wild" we needed to get Annie some backup.
Welcome Alice and Jake to our ranch, they are Great Pyrenees puppies who seem to grow every day!

The kiddos love them and they love the kids. They have already bonded to our baby goats and will soon move to the big pasture with the biggies and Annie.

I know they will do a great job protecting us from all the boogie monsters out there.

Stolen Camera

2010-01-22T23:06:00.000-08:00

Emily stole my camera and took photos on the way to school this morning.

She is such a ham!

The Big Gifts

2009-12-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was a kid waiting for the BIG Christmas gift. It wasn't always the biggest gift that was under the treet. It was the one you were really, really hoping for.

Emily's big gift this year was her Nintendo DS. It seemed to be on every one of her friend's lists, each with a different color choice.

Jack loves everything cars, trucks, trains, dirt....he is all boy!
We decided to get him a train table and he was so excited.
He says "choo-choo" and pushes the little trains around.

Christmas in G-town

2009-12-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

We had both the Hord and the Hernandez family up for Christmas this year.
Jeremy cooked an amazing Prime Rib dinner which is going to turn into an annual event!

He is so sweet!

Naughty!

2009-12-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

I accidently left the dog food on the floor and look what my little man did!
He was having so much fun...you can't tell from the photo but there are a few in his mouth!!!
EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW................

What a morning!

2009-12-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

So I knew we were going to get snow but I didn't expect this....

We had 2+ feet of snow when we woke up this mroning. Of course Jeremy isn't home...
things always happen when he is at work.

I spent the morning digging us out.

I didn't do anything with my car...it wasn't like I was going anywhere! ha ha
Emily had a great time though!

We are looking at a week of snow so I am trying to keep up with the plowing and shoveling so we don't get too burried.

The First Snow

2009-12-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow today! It wasn't too cold so I took the kiddos out to play.

Emily likes to roll down the hills in the snow...she is CRAZY!

Jack wasn't too sure of the snow...I think it was too cold on his little hands.
His head was warm thanks to his Auntie!

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

2009-12-05T22:04:00.000-08:00

Georgetown does an annual tree lighting ceremony downtown. Emily was lucky enough to be able to help decorate it earlier in the day.

The tree is HUGE on our tiny streets.

We loaded up lots of blankets, jackets and hot chocolate and watched them light the tree and then the "Parade of Lights"
The parade had about five cars lit up by christmas lights...they drive around twice to make it a little longer! ha ha

Holiday Cake Pops

2009-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

Jack had his first cake pop! He ate the whole thing and wanted more!

I made the cake pops for Emily's School Craft Fair. It was my first attempt at holiday ones and I think they turned out pretty cute!

Jack's First Birthday

2009-11-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

Our little man is 1 year old!
Time has gone by so fast. He is such a great little boy we are so blessed.

He can take about 5-6 steps at a time.
He loves to play monster and come screaming at you to "get you."
He still LOVES banana's (hence the Monkey nickname) and eats them every morning.
He lights up when his Sissy comes into the room.
He has a way with animals and isn't scared of any of them.
He is in bed at 6:30pm and wakes up about 7am but his naps are non-existant now.
He finally said "Momma" but it usually is when he is tired and whiny and wants something.
He can say Da-da, babble (bottle), dog, bana (banana), up, by-by (and wave), go, and no.
He knows the sign for more and when he is hungry he makes a silly sound by vibrating his lips together. It is better than screaming!
He loves pushing his Lighting McQueen car around and saying "vrrom vrrom"

Jack's First Birthday Party

2009-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

Jack celebrated his 1st birthday with friends and family.
Both set of grandparents were there to spoil him and a few of Emily's friends from school came too!
He loved his giant cupcake and didn't make to big of a mess.

He got lots of fun presents!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T21:46:00.000-08:00

This was our first Thanksgiving at the ranch! It was a beautiful day filled with yummy food and family!

Dad is the turkey carver!

Cindy and Ron were able to drive up and join us!

Emily always eats the two...yes TWO...turkey legs!
Jack doesn't look so happy in this picture.
Maybe his tummy hurts because he ate too much...or maybe it was past his bedtime.

Gramma and Papa Visit the Ranch

2009-11-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

My parents came up for a week over Thanksgiving. They left their house in the middle of a remodel to spend some time with us.

Emily took Gramma on a tour showing her all the new things happening around the ranch.

Jack and Papa spent some "Boy" time together.

My mom is very afraid of the llamas. We finally got her to feed Tom!

The Tooth Fairy

2009-11-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

Emily has been loosing teeth like a shark lately! She has lost 6 already!
The tooth fairy has been very generous and she has been putting her money away for a rainy day.

Jack has 4 teeth now! We call him the Bucktooth Bandit!
He loves using his teeth to eat all the goodies that his Sissy sneaks to him.

Apple Hill

2009-11-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Apple Hill before they closed for the season.
We got to visit the farm at Kid's Inc, pick apples, and eat Daddy's favorite...
Apple Cider Donuts!

Jack tried them for the first time and loved it!

We also took Em and Jack on a train ride around a pond and Emily got to ride a horse.
She was asked which one she wanted to ride and she picked the Paint!
I think our friend Trish has influenced her a bit!
It was a perfect day!

A Delivery for the Kiddos

2009-11-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

Emily and Jack got a box in the mail from Gramma and Papa! They were very excited to see what was inside!

They sent them the Mayflower and the Thanksgiving Dinner Little People set! Emily loved to play when them when she was little and still plays with them to this day. Now Jack is in on the fun. Thanks Gramma and Papa!

Halloween in Georgetown

2009-10-31T20:28:00.000-07:00

Georgetown closes down Church Street and Main Street so that all the kiddos can go Trick-or-Treating. We went with a big group of friends from Emily's School and had a great time. Emily was a beautiful snow princess and Jack was a monkey. Emily got a bunch of candy and had fun running from house to house with her friends. It is so great to live in a small town!

Samantha's Birthday Party

2009-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Adam and Carmel's little one celebrated her birthday today! The kiddos had lots of fun playing with all the kids.

Jack 9 Months

2009-10-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jack has been growing by leaps and bounds!

Look at his push-ups! He is so buff!

This is his Jack attack onsie!

Let's see...what has he been up to?

Crawls - no more army crawling
Prefers big people food over his baby food.
Loves to say..."DA DA DA DA DA"
His favorite words - "gog - dog" "eh - emily" "ba ba - bottle"
Still runs around in his walker but gets into EVERYTHING!
Walks around holding on to the couch or anything that he can get his hands on.
His favorite food, thanks to gramma, is ice cream (just like daddy!)

Big 1st grader!

2009-10-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Emily started school today!
She is in 1st grade...time has gone by so fast.

She was very excited to see all her friends and get back to school.
She wasn't too excited about the homework though.

Welcome Lucy!

2009-10-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

We went to a feed store one day to pick up food for all the animals and there was a flyer with Australian Shepherd puppies on it.

I fell in love!

This is Lucy!

She tries to hang with the big dogs and has a lot of evergy!

Sea World

2009-10-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

We took a "stay-cation" to my parents house and decided to take Emily to Sea World...no Brother allowed!!

We were able to get reservations for Breakfast with Shamu. It was so worth it!
She was able to sit right next to the pool and watch a show with less than 50 people.
It was so much fun to watch her face with the whales came out of the water.

Emily was such a trooper! She was there from park opening to 8pm!
She was exhausted by the time we left but she had a great time.

My Little Man - 8 months

2009-07-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here is what he has been up to:

Sits up for long periods of time.
Smiles all the time!
Runs around in his walker chasing Emily, Da-Da and Me!
Eats watermelon almost every day.
Eats plums like we eat apples.
Has two lower front teeth.
Has been testing those two front teeth.
Army crawls and rolls around the house.
Loves to get into my kitchen and take the tupperware and run away with it.
Eats all sorts of baby food but is more interested in what we are eating.
Pulls himself into a standing position using the coffee table, couch, crib, bath tub, anything he can reach.
Is starting to take shorter naps :-(
Is still such a wonderful little man!

Swing the Summer Away

2009-07-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

What define summers more than days at the park.
Emily loves the swings and if we let her, she would be on them for hours!

We have a beautiful park in Garden Valley that we like to visit.
They have a great playground for the kiddos.

Jack loved the swings. It was his first time playing on them. I was a little nervous that he would get a little sick.
You see his dad get horribly car sick, motion sick, sea sick...you get the picture.
Luckily, Jack got my genes for that one thing.
By looking at him, he got Jeremy's genes for everything else!
ha ha

Cheer Camp

2009-06-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Emily has been very interested in cheerleading so I signed her up through the Rec Department.

It was a 4 day camp at the park and they learned a few sideline cheers, a long cheer and some great moves!

You can tell by the smile, she had a great time!

However, the camp was taught by high schoolers and I think they had the same attention span as the 6 year olds!
There was a bit of standing around and confustion.

However, it was cute to see her cheer!

I want a pancake and I want it now!

2009-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Jack got very mad that his sissy was eating a pancake and he wasn't.

So I gave him one...

He pretty much sucked on it for a while and probably swallowed some of it.
The rest of it is on my floor.

He is smiling because he got his way!

I am in BIG trouble!

My Little Man

2009-05-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Jack is 6 months old tomorrow.

He is so sweet and such a quiet little man.

This is what he has been up to:

Rolls over from tummy to back
Eats LOTS of fruits and veggies
Has a tooth breaking through as of yesterday
LOVES to watch his sissy
Wants to walk - hates being on his belly
Takes 2 naps a day (2 hours each)
Sleeps through the night (7:30pm to 7:00am)
Goes to bed awake and falls asleep
Loves Cheerios
Is drinking out of a sippy cup
HATES bottles and refuses it - Can you say STUBBORN!
Loves to watch the animals run around
Is 18.5lbs and is in the 95% for height (just like Daddy)
Loves to take a bath - he gets so excited I can hardly hold on to him while getting it ready

Silly Girls

2009-05-04T22:38:00.000-07:00

Emily has a few new friends from school...Hannah and Hailey are sisters.
They come and visit avout once a week and boy is it fun!

Hannah and Emily dressed up as Tinkerbell. I never knew Emily had not just one Tink outfit but THREE!
They tried to get the third one on Jack!

I didn't think it would be right to subject poor little Jack to the crazyness that is these girls!

Jack at 4 months

2009-05-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

This is Jack's new trick. He just sticks his tongue out...just a little bit! Chews on it for a while and then brings it back in. Then repeat.
What a goof!

Easter at Perry Creek Winery

2009-05-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

Easter was such a beautiful day! We were invited to an even at Perry Creek Winery for adults and kids. We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed the sun. They served some yummy wine and had a little Easter basket hidden for each child.

Emily is into wearing dresses with leggins now!

Proud Daddy!

All my babies!

I love her eyes!

Easter Morning

2009-05-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

Jeremy worked the day before Easter so he was off at 8am on Easter Morning. When Emily woke up, I made her climb into bed with me so she wouldn't go find all of her Easter goodies. When Jeremy walked in, we let her go!

She got a basket full of goodies, lots of candy filled eggs and a new outfit.

Jack got a present from the Easter bunny too!

Even Jeremy did!!

My Easter Babies!

Easter Eggs

2009-05-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

Emily and I decided to decorate eggs this year. I haven't dyed eggs in a while and it was pretty messy.

Emily had a blast!

Jack just chilled out!

Jack Takes a Nap

2009-03-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

I laid Jack down on his changing table to check his diapers and he was happy to stay there.
I was sitting in a chair right next to him (so he wouldn't roll off) and I noticed it was really quiet.
He fell asleep!

My sweet little boy!

Jack - 3 month old

2009-03-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

Jack is getting bigger and bigger every day. He is starting to teethe and will chew on anything that comes close to his mouth. He is such a happy baby, he smiles all the time (when he isn't crying that is). His favorite toy is a dog blanket that Auntie Sunshine gave him. He covers his face with it and slowly pulls it down. I think he likes that it is super soft. I can't believe how fast he is growing.

On the move....

2009-03-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

After many stop and go's we are moving! Jer and I rented two U-Hauls, packed up the house, and got on the road. It was the first time I had driven with a trailer (not as bad as I thought).

We filled the two U-Haul trailers to the brim! Good thing we are moving into the same size house as we had in the valley!

If you look closely at the picture you can see that I ended up with the trailer that was a 9-11 Memorial. I think that we had someone looking over us that day. Check out www.QuartzRidgeRanch.com for updates on the happenings on the ranch!

Little Green Men

2009-02-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

Hi there! We are the Little Green Men that like to get our owner in trouble. Her name is Emily and she will be 6 in a couple days. We like to take her through the mud, snow, rain and any other muck we can find. Luckily, we can be hosed off! Unfortunatly, our owner doesn't like to be hosed off in 30 degree weather. We think she will get used to it though. Stay tune for more advetures of the "Little Green Men!"

Playing in the snow

2009-02-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

We still had a little bit of snow left when we went up to the cabin last to Em and I went to go play while to boys were busy working on the power issues.

Lily loves the snow and pounces around in it and loves to eat it. She likes it when we throw snowballs into the air and she tries to catch them in her mouth.

Em and I made a little snowman, named Fred. He was a little cold so we outfitted him with a hat, scarf and mittens. He was very fashionable!

Emily had so much fun running around in it and using her new rake and shovel. Hopefully, it will still be there when we go up today.

The new...well old...invention!

2009-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I were talking about how we have a bunch of size 1 diapers left that Jack doesn't fit into because he is growing about a pound a day (well, maybe that is an exaggeration). So, we decided to re-purpose them! I figure it would work until his neck gets too chunky. He is quite the drooler so the diaper works great to absorb it instead of my clothing!

Think we should market it?

Emily and Jack

2009-02-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Emily is such a good big sister. She is so patient with Jack and is so helpful to Jeremy and I. She loved to hold him on her lap and Jack just adores her. He actually gets mad when she walks out of the room. I can't wait to see their relationship grow over the years.

I love this man!

2009-02-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

I just had to let everyone know that I love this man!

Emily's Valentines

2009-02-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

I decided to make Emily's Valentines cards for her class this year becuase I have so much time on my hands! HA HA. They are little pencil holders with a little chocolate treat attached. I am happy they turned out so cute and were pretty easy since I had to make 20 of them. I only spent $10 for all of them since I had the ribbon and paper. I hit up Wally-World (aka Walmart) for the pencils and the candy. Happy Valentines Day!

Playing in the Mud

2009-02-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Jer and Emily decided to hop on the quads and go for a ride. It has been raining off and on for the last few weeks so we have a little bit of water on the property. The next thing I know they walk and in door...

Jeremy hit a puddle in 3rd gear and the water soaked both of them. Poor Emily got most of the mud because she was sitting in front of Jer. She came wanted to cry but ended up laughing about the whole adventure.

Poor Baby!

Mommy-Daddy School

2009-02-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

As we were leaving OC after my Uncle Robby's funeral we told Emily that she was going to Mommy-Daddy school since she was not going to her real school on Monday. She was very excited to go to "our" school and wanted to know if she should have her school backpack. We took her to the Children's Discovery Science Museum in Santa Ana. It was so much fun for the whole family.

Like Father....Like Son

2009-02-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I had to get a picture of this! Can you tell they are father and son?

Emily's Open House

2009-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

I was invited to Emily's first open house at her school. They focused on recycling and so the kids made newspaper hats and made paper out of toilet paper. It was pretty cute. We did get to stop at the bookstore and pick up a new book for her. Once of my favorites, "Puff the Magic Dragon."

Here is Emily with her Kindergarten Teacher Mrs. Hodge.

Snow Fun!

2009-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

We took Emily to go snowboarding and sledding and had a blast! She looked so cute in her snowboarding gear. I hung out with Jack in the lodge because it was way too cold to be outside with him so Jeremy took the camera and helped Emily out. We then headed to a snowpark and Jer and I switched off sledding with her. I am excited for her to get a little bit older so her and I can have a girls day of boarding.

Why I have not updated my blog...

2009-01-11T22:53:00.000-08:00

Jer, Em, Jack and I had a great Christmas down in Orange County with my family. It was relaxing and fun! I wanted to have a family photo taken while Jack was still small so the day we left I got Jack and Emily into a white T-shirt and we snapped pictures quickly before they got dirty. Don't I have the most beautiful family?

Suprise Visit to OC

2008-12-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I decided to suprise my parents and drive down for Christmas. We have enjoyed the warmer weather and Lily has liked being at Gramma and Poppa's house for the first time. Em has loved playing with her "Becca Mommy" and riding her scooter outide.

Christmas Light Tour

2008-12-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Our good friends invited us to go look at lights with the kids at Dove Court. Emily had a blast haning out with Wyatt and checking out the various houses. Jack loved being out in his cool stroller. We all had to bundle up because it was very cold, at least it wasn't raining!

Santa's Helper

2008-12-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

Emily has taken a liking to decorating cookies and gingerbread houses and has been busy! She has made Jer and I cookies and a beautiful house. I think that she likes eating the frosting and the candy more!

First Snow of the Season

2008-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

We have decided to start making preparations for moving up to Georgetown. However, the weather has not been very nice to us. We drove up for the day to work on a few important items (painting Emily's room and installing the new generator) and we caught the first snow of the season. Little did we know that this was going to be the first of many very cold storms. Emily had a blast playing in the snow with Lily and then coming inside to warm up. Jack and I stayed in the warm house and watched the snow fall. It was beautiful!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

Oh the faces I make...

2008-12-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Who says newborns are boring?!?! Check out these pictures for a look into our world with "Little Jack"

The Hord Family

2008-12-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of Jer, Em, Jack and I from the first week. He is getting bigger and bigger each day. Emily is doing really well with him and wants to hold him a few times a day. She has been hanging out with Grandma Carol a lot this week, so next week is going to be an adjustment with her only having me and Jer to go to. I think it has been an adjustment for all of us going from one kid to two but Emily has been amazing and such a big girl. We are so lucky to have such wonderful children.

My Big Belly

2008-12-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

I know there were very few people who saw me in the last trimester of my pregnancy but my mom was kind enough to take this picture of me the day I was headed to the hospital to be induced. I look at this picture and am amazed at how BIG I was. I then look at Jack and see how BIG he is and it all makes sense.

Pictures of Jack

2008-11-29T17:12:00.000-08:00

Em and Jack

2008-11-29T16:11:00.001-08:00

Here is the proud big sister with her new brother!

Welcome baby Jack

2008-11-29T03:04:00.001-08:00

Jack was born at 12:10am on 11/29! He weighs 9 pounds, 3 oz and is 20.5 inches long. He is handsome just like his daddy. I will post pictures soon!

Jack update

2008-11-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

I have had my epideral and have been at the hospital since 3pm. It looks like baby Jack will be here within a couple hours!

Induction Day

2008-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to call in at 6:30am to check and see if they have room for me but I got a call from them at 5:00am!! Apparently, a lot of women ate too much turkey and the babies started coming. So now I have to call in at 7:30 to see if they have room for me. It is strange to be waiting for me to be "allowed" to go into labor! ha ha

Alright, Enough is Enough

2008-11-24T13:14:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow is my 40 week Dr appointment and it is going to be that time to give Jack his eviction notice. I will be making the decision to set an induction date sometime around Thanksgiving Day. My Dr. is on call that weekend so it is perfect timing. I really didn't want to have to be so mean but sometimes a property owner has to do what they have to do. I need my body back and would love to be able to get up from the sitting position without grunting, put on socks without feeling like I am going to pop the ball in my tummy and put shoes on that actually tie.

Jack, I love you but it is time to be...EVICTED!

Green Tangerines Class

2008-11-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I needed something to do this week to pass the time while Jack is baking so I signed up for a class at our local scrapbook store. It is called "Green Tangerines" and it is the best scrapbook store I have ever set foot in. The class was called "My Gratitude Journal" but I decided to skip the name on the front and use it for something different. All the supplies were included except for the 3D dots and adhesive. It was a lot of fun and super easy to recreate.

The rest of the pages...My Gratitude Journal

2008-11-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Our Backyard!

2008-11-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

So last year (Nov 18th, 2008) we re-did the front yard with a sprinkler system, mow strip and sod. Today we finished the backyard!! We have been nervous about not being able to get it done but the weather held out and we were able to get it done!!! I have the best husband and his mom and dad helped out so much!

Baby Jack 38 weeks!

2008-11-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here is our little, I should say, BIG Jack. He is measuring 8lbs, 11oz right now! He has the cutest chubby cheeks. I can't wait to meet the little guy. I have been having some pre-labor contractions but still have about 2 weeks until my actual due date. We will see when he decides to come!

Here is another 3D ultrasound of his face.

Here is a profile picture.

Another 3D picture of his cute face.

Just to be sure it didn't fall off, he is still a boy! HA HA

38 week update on Baby Jack

2008-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

We went to see our Dr on Monday and things are moving along, SLOWLY! I am 2cm dialated and the baby is at 0 station (head is in my pelvis). She is estimating the baby to be about 9lbs right now and I have another Ultrasound tomorrow to see how big he actually is. I am hoping he comes soon so that I don't have to automatically have a C-Section. I do have to admit, he is going to have to come out one way or another :-)

I will update tomorrow after the ultrasound with how much our little Jumbo Jack weighs in at.

Oh by the way, I decided to make cookies yesterday called "Jump Start your Labor Cookies" just for fun (and maybe a little hopefull). They actually taste pretty good but I would leave out the cayenne pepper if I were to feed them to kids. Emily was not fond of them.

Jump-Start Your Labor Cookies

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
8 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. molasses
1/4 c. egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and spices and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the molasses to the creamed butter then add the egg whites until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly. Once incorporated, roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto baking tray. Bake 8-10 minutes. Once cool eat as many as you can possibly stomach, lay down for a nap and wait for labor to begin!

37 Weeks and Counting Down

2008-11-04T16:41:00.000-08:00

We had our Dr. appt yesterday and I was tested for Beta Strep and was checked to see how I am coming along "down there." I am dialated to 1.5cm, thinned out, but still posterior. I have been having contractions every day and was even up Saturday night with them for 3 hours, but sadly they stopped. So, Jer is working a bunch of OT right now and I am just nesting and resting around the house. My appointments are now every Monday and I have another ultrasound on the 13th to check how big the baby is. For those that don't know, I have been measuring large for my dates. At my 33.5 week ultrasound the baby was already 6.5lbs (+/- 1lb) and the baby grows about a half a pound a week. What does that equate to?

A HUGE BABY!!!!

I will keep everyone updated as things progress.

Here is a bit about Jack's development and where I am at from a preggo website:

Your baby is officially baked this week! That means you could literally give birth at any given moment. A terrifying, exciting and overwhelming concept, all rolled into one. Your partner is undoubtedly having the same emotional roller-coaster ride, so be sure to share your feelings and enjoy these last weeks (days?! hours?!) together.

Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...What You're Thinking:

"I can't eat, I can't sleep, but I can do a great imitation of a beached whale. Seriously, are we almost done with this?"Your Body You made it! Your baby is considered full term at the end of this week. So kick your swollen feet up and swig back a glass of lemonade. All that hard work has finally paid off! At your checkup this week, your doctor or midwife may do an internal exam to see how things are progressing.

Your BabyHuge news this week:

You're carrying a full-term baby! If you were to go into labor today, all systems would be a go. Woohoo! Even though you can't wait for the little bambino to quite literally rear his head, keep in mind that your bun benefits from every day in the oven.

Other ticker-tape-worthy developments:

Baby's growth slows down dramatically this week, which is great news for your birth canal. His bones are still soft and pliable and will solidify after he's born. More great news for your birth canal.So if he's all cooked and ready to go, what the heck is he still doing in there?! He's busy practicing for "life on the outside," working on his breathing, sucking, sleeping, gazing and peeing abilities. The only thing he can't practice yet is his ability to scream at the top of his lungs when he's hungry—but he'll do plenty of that in a few weeks.At this point babies vary in size, but the average length is between 19 and 20 inches and most babies weigh approximately 6 pounds. About the size of an average largemouth bass caught in Minnesota by your cousin Earl.

Your Life:

If you can't stop Windexing everything in sight or you have a sudden desire to rearrange your linen closet again, then you're officially nesting. Nesting is the phenomena where exhausted and very pregnant women suddenly find the energy and the drive to clean like their life depends on it.Though many women think "nesting" is a wives' tale, it's actually not the stuff of urban legend, and many women get the powerful urge to ready their home for the impending arrival in the final weeks of pregnancy. (Kind of makes you wish nature had the forethought to send that urge to your partner every now and then, doesn't it?) Now's a good time to make sure your nursery is clean and ready for baby to spit and poop all over it. Spend some of that extra nesting energy stocking up on baby needs like diapers and wipes. You really don't need to be polishing the silver right now.Even if you're feeling super-energetic, make sure to get enough rest. You'll need your strength for labor and beyond.

Halloween

2008-10-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

This year Emily wanted to be the yellow princess (aka Belle from Beauty and the Beast), here she is all ready to go out and trick-or-treat.We walked around the neighborhood as much as I could, or should I say wobbled around.
Just as we were headed in the rain started coming down so we jumped in the car to go visit Daddy at the fire station. They were so sweet and had candy waiting for her when she got there. She shared her candy with everyone working and then we headed home.

Then as soon as we got home she took off her costume, sat on the couch and was out! What a great way to end a fun night.

Baby Shower #2

2008-10-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Cindy, Emily and I flew down to OC for my baby shower hosted by my mom and my sister. Even though I was 35 weeks preggo, we decided to take the chance and hope for me to return in one piece instead of two! It was a beautiful shower and was so nice to see everyone, friends and family. I don't get to be down there often so the times I am I love being able to catch up with everyone. Here is me 35 weeks preggo with Baby Jack and my little sis.

My mom made me my hospital gown! Isn't it adorable? It has a matching headband and pillow case. I am sure the nurses at Sutter Roseville are going to get a kick out of it.

My mom and sister did a wonderful job on the decor. Everything matched the theme of "Mommy to Bee". The flowers were done by A Thyme for Flowers (Janine Lapinski). They were absolutely beautiful, she was the same person who did the flowers for my sisters wedding. I highly recommend her!!

Here are some pics of the guests. I am so fortunate to have such loving family and friends. They all can't wait for Baby Jack to arrive.

Apocalyptica

2008-10-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

A girlfriend of mine had a video of these cellists and I fell in love with them. They rewrite rock music (i.e. Metallica) for 4 cellos. Pretty amazing and talented people.

Here is "Enter Sandman" a little more heavy metal than "Nothing Else Matters" but still amazing. Can you imagine head banging and playing at the same time...and standing up to boot! I don't think Kathryn and I ever had that much fun!

This next one is "Fade to Black," with just a picture collage and not video but the sound is amazing! I think this is on my next "TO BUY" list.

Baby Jack 33 Weeks

2008-10-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

These are a little hard to see but these are 3D pictures of baby Jack. The first one is a profile of him with his hand rubbing his eye. You can see his cute little nose!

The second picture is of him straight on, you can see his eyes are shut, his little nose, his lips and his CHUBBY CHEEKS!!

Isn't he just adorable!

Update on me...I am still measuring big, Jack is estimated at 6lbs, 6oz (+/- 1lb). So at this rate, he is growing 1/2lb a week and I am due in 6 more weeks. So he has about 3 more lbs to go. We are going to have a double digit bambino!

What is great is that he is head down, he is breathing (or practicing anyways), and he is healthy. He is a JUMBO JACK!!

Baby Shower

2008-10-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

Cindy, Jeremy's mom, threw me a wonderful baby shower at her house. She made a delicious brunch and had a cake ordered from Freeport Bakery. It was so much fun having friends and family around to celebrate Baby Jack coming into our lives. He is going to be one spoiled little monkey, Great-Grandma Marge (Cindy's mom) bought him his stroller and his car seat. He has lots of diaper changing items from Aunt Joyce and Cousin Tiffany. Amanda made sure that Jack is going to be nice and cozy and got him a swaddler and a sleeper. Uncle Bobby and Aunt Keira got him everything he needs to eat and got mommy ready to feed him. Aunt Janice got him a firefighter bath towel and some adorable clothes. Janice also made him a beautiful afghan, her work is amazing. Aunt Sherri got him a Baby Bjorn so that he can be close to mommy and daddy at all times. Daddy loved it so much he tried it on with one of Emily's dolls! Kim got him a basket full of baby supplies like bibs, diapers, bottles, paci's, blankets, and butt paste. Tamara got him some adorable PJ's, Blankets and a baby book. He is going to be one handsome little man. Grandma Carol even sent a surprise gift since she was too far away! We are very grateful for everything that we received.

Visit to The Ranch

2008-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

The weather was finally a little cold and it actually rained for 2 days! It was so nice to see the trees and brush cleaned of the dust it has been collecting since the last water we saw way back when. Emily and I tried to get wear the dogs out by throwing the tennis ball but I think they wore us out!

How cute are they all snuggled up!
Our friends Kim and Aaron came up to visit and Kim rode the quads for the first time. In no time she was whipping around the ranch. She even loaded them up with their stuff to take home, what a way to be resourceful!

Baby Jack Update - 32 Weeks

2008-10-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

So I am 8 months today, yeah! Only 8 more weeks to go. The time is flying by so fast. We had our doctor appointment today and even though it was super quick (Dr. Riley had a patient go into labor and she was going there at lunch to deliver), it was full of news. Baby Jack's heart rate is good, it is always nice to hear it.

I am still measuring "large for my dates", as the doctor puts it. I am measuring 37 weeks when I am 32 weeks, since I don't have Gestational Diabetes, they aren't concerned but they want to know how big this baby is going to be. So we are going to have another Ultrasound in about a week and a half. It is kinda cool that I have been able to have 3 ultrasounds this pregnancy. It is so amazing to see your little one move around inside you and it gives Jeremy a chance to actually see what is growing inside me.

Other than that I am just waddling around and enjoying resting before the bambino comes along. I am looking forward to my baby showers this month. I know that October is going to fly by so I am trying to make it worth it.

Mobile Blogging

2008-09-28T12:27:00.001-07:00

So for my birthday I got a new phone, a pink blackberry curve. It can do pretty much anything and I found out i can post to my blog via my phone. So I took a picture of Emily to try it out. Isn't she just so cute. So be on the look out...I can blog from anywhere! :-)

Daddy and Me Trip to the Nature Center

2008-09-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is from Emily:

Daddy and me went to the Nature Center. I walked around and saw some deers. And when I was done I was seeing a big deer with bunny ears and with those horns. I was flying like a bird. When I got upstairs I was putting a scarf on my neck and then um I was taking on a walk I was looking at the squirrels. I saw squirrels. I looked at a microscope and saw fairy shrimp, I went fishing for fish. I was playing with um, I was playing with the fish and I caught a fish. I saw deer, owls, turkeys, snakes, lots of snakes. I took a picture of daddy flying a bird on top of hims head. I taked a picture. I was having fun. I was walking down the trail, theres a pond and then us turned around and then us went in the car and then us called gramma carol and then us went home. I had dinner. Thats it.

Rory and Joey - A Sweet Love Story

2008-09-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I have been watching CMT Videos and ran across this couple singing "Cheater, Cheater" we thought it was a super cute song and he mentioned that he thought they were from the show "Duet." This morning I looked them up and sure enough YouTube had their submission video. You have to watch how cute this couple is and how talented they are. Just a fun little thing to watch.

What has Halloween come to?

2008-09-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

So Jeremy and I went to Pottery Barn to finish up our registry. While we were looking around, we ran across the following Halloween costume a "Certified Organic Banana" REALLY! How much convincing would you have to do to get your child to wear this? Emily wanted to be a Princess, the yellow princess (Belle), so Jer wanted to try and see if she would be the "Certified Organic Banana," so Emily tried it on just like her daddy asked her to, twirled around in it, looked down at what she was wearing, and then said, "But I wanted to be the yellow princess not the yellow banana." Well at least we tried! So if you want to try to get your kiddo to wear this costume it will cost you about $75 at Pottery Barn plus the amount in bribes you would have to give your child just so that they will walk around the neighborhood as a "Certified Organic Banana"

Baby's First Headgear

2008-09-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

So I was reading my new "Parenting" Mag and I ran across "Baby's First Headgear." I took it to Jer to show him and we couldn't start laughing. What kind of crazy mom (or dad) would even think about buying this for thier child. We went to their website and they had a VIDEO and it is just so intertaining, it shows a little baby walking around with the "Headgear" on and to make it all better, GEORGE MICHAEL is playing in the back ground. Does anyone else find that odd? So I was thinking...maybe I should put it on my registry???? What do you think?

Cakes, cakes, and more cakes

2008-09-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend is getting married on October 10th and I wanted to try another "cake" so i made her a "Wedding Cake." It was super quick to make and I thought it would make a great shower gift. I was thinking this would even be cool as a birthday or a new home buyer gift. I went to her registry and found the colors of her kitchen and a couple items that she registered for. I bought a 3 pack of Calphalon Wooden Spoons, a Calphalon Pot Holder, a Trivet, a Candle, and Bar Towels.

The Trivet is from her registry, I thought it was cute for a base or do a "Baking" themed one with a round cake pan. I then rolled the bar towels around the candle (it is a sugar cookie candle). I then did the top layer and wrapped the pot holder around it. I left a hole in the top layer so I can put the remaning spoon in it.

I didn't have a big budget for her gift but my head was running with ideas of what other themes I could do. Like...

Wine Themed Cake (Bottle of wine, opener, wine glass tags, etc)
Bar Themed Cake (Martini Shaker, Bar Tools, Mini Alcohol Bottles, etc)
Baking Themed Cake (Spatchula, mearing spoons, round baking pan, apron, etc)

I could even start monogramming napkins!!

WOW...the possibilities are endless. Maybe some of you readers will be the lucky ones to get a suprise in the mail one day or even on your doorstep.

Do you have any ideas for me? Leave me a comment!

My Honeymoon Album

2008-09-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

So, if you haven't noticed, I have had a lot of time on my hands. I am on "limited activity" bed rest due to my contractions. Little Jack has been giving me some trouble from the last 3 weeks. I have been trying to keep myself busy and so I started scrapbooking again. I am REALLY far behind! So I started with something simple and fun...My Honeymoon. Click on the album below and it will take you to all the pages of the album. Hope you like!

Diaper Cakes

2008-09-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend is having a little girl so I made her a diaper cake. I have never made one before so I gathered up as much info off the net as I could. I thought it turned out super cute!

So here is what I made my cake out of:
3 - Dozen Newborn Diapers
8 - Gerber "Pink" Wash Cloths"
2 - Gerber "Pink and Green" Pacifiers
3 - Gerber "Pink Princess" Bibs
1 - Super Cute Monkey
Lots of Pink and Green Ribbon
White 2" Paper Ribbon

I wanted lots of ribbon on the cake and since it is a little girl, she can save the ribbon and use it on her hair when she gets older. Tell me what you think or if you have any ideas I can add to it!

A Man Named Jack

2008-09-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

When you go to name your child a lot of thought goes into it. Names that have stood out to you throughout the years tend to be front runners. People that you have met that have left a lasting impact in your life have an influence. You stay away from the "Bad Kid's" names that you remember from school or growing up. When Jeremy and I decided that we were going to add another little one to our family we started talking about names. Both of us had ideas of what we wanted, but we were both open minded to eachother's suggestions. We had a girl's name picked out and a boy's name picked out. We didn't tell anyone! We didn't want to hear the stories of "Oh I knew a "so and so" and he/she was...", or "I think you should name him/her..." So when we found out it was going to be a boy, we decided to share with our family. Jack L Hord (no "." after the "L"). It is a family name, the name of this handsome man that is in the pictures below. Jack is Jeremy's Grandad, he has been a major influence in Jeremy's life and is a wonderful man. From the first time I met him, I could tell he was a loving and caring man. Qualities that I would hope that my child would grow to have. Jack is very excited for "Little Jack" to come along. I bet he will be driving down from Oregon as soon as he can once our little man arrives. I can't wait for them to meet, I know it will bring tears to my eyes.

September 11 - 7 years Later

2008-09-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

S
September 11 is a hard day for my family and friends. We lost an amazing woman to this tragedy, Lisa Frost. I don't have a lot to say other than I am thinking of her today and my heart goes out to her family. It is hard to watch the news, listen to the radio or even go online without being reminded of this. Today I am focusing on my friends and family, focusing on being thankful that I have been given so many wonderful opportunities. I miss you Frosty, thanks for being my angel!

I also want to thank the firefighters, policemen, and civilians who gave their lives to save others that day. May they never be forgotten.

Emily's 1st Day of Gymnastics

2008-09-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Emily started gymnastics this week through Parks and Rec. Grandma Cindy picks her up from school and takes her each Monday. She loved it! I think it will be a great for her to get some energy out and see how she likes doing organized activitites. Thanks Grandma Cindy for taking this little video to share with everyone!

From Videos

Our New Front Yard

2008-09-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

So today Jeremy finished up the borders on our front yard. I have posted before and after pictures in various stages so you can see how much hard work he has put into it. We started with a dead lawn...and over the last year have turned it to the the nicest yard on the block. The only part that we have left is the flagstone that we need to lay and the side of our house. Isn't homeownership fun!!

The Hord Donut Factory

2008-09-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

This morning Emily asked me to get her donuts, even though Jack was thinking the same idea, I didn't want to go venture out to get them. I thought it would be fun to make them. So I made cake donuts, with Emily's help. We made regular donuts and donut holes. Emily wanted sprinkles so I made some chocolate frosting and we dipped them in the frosting and covered it with sprinkles. After we were done and had our fill we took half over to the fire station to share with Jer and the boys. They were a hit.

Getting ready for Baby Jack

2008-08-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

When my mom came up to help me since I was put on bed rest, she helped me get the baby's room put together. She painted, organized and helped Jer set up the crib. Jer did a great job of putting it together. The blue matches Jack's bedspread from Pottery Barn. It is super cute.

Emily is in Kindergarten

2008-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Emily's first day of kindergarten was today, she was so excited! I think that she was very ready to start this next adventure in her life. She was not nervous at all, even though her dad and I were. We are lucky that she is such a confident kiddo!

A Shift Campout

2008-08-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Every year, Sac Metro Fire does an "A Shift Campout" I call it the RV and Boat Show (due to the enormous amount of RV's and Boats that follow). This year we went just for the weekend and invited a couple of our friends along. It was a hot weekend, thank goodness that we have air conditioning in our camper or this preggo might not have made it through.

Emily's Last Day of Preschool

2008-08-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

Babymoon

2008-07-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I decided that we would take a small vaca before the baby came. We were kid free for a week thanks to my mom and dad so we headed off to Monterey Bay. It was beautiful and COOL there (great for preggo me). We stayed at Jer's brother's place in Marina (they were out of town) so we had an apartment to ourselves. We headed to the aqarium one morning and enjoyed looking at all the sea life. It actually made me want to go scuba diving again, since I can't because I'm preggo. Here is my favorite fish at the aquarium, it is called the Mola Mola. I think it is the most ugliest thing ever but I can't help love it.

Here is a pic of Jer and I. Isn't my honey a cutie! Try not to stare at the garganchuin belly...it is only going to get bigger! Speaking of the belly, I am 21 weeks preggo with the butterball. We just found out that we are having a boy!!!

The weekend that we were in Monterey it was also bike week. It is where are the motorbikes (aka crotch rockets) for racing. It is pretty cool seeing them line to streets of downtown.

The Budwiser Clydesdales were there promoting. These horses are HUGE, and so are their trailers. Watch the video of these amazing creatures, that made Jeremy look short.

Emily's Big Day

2008-07-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

Emily and her daddy took a day off and practiced riding her bike. She did such a great job! After riding around Gramma and Poppa Hord's court they decided to take a dip in the pool. This gave mommy a night to come home and get some much needed sleep.

It's a Boy!

2008-07-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the result of our 20 week ultra-sound. My mom, Jer's mom and Jeremy were there to watch "The Butterball" move around. We had to wait to the very end to find out that we are having a BOY!! Both Grandma's starting crying!!

Emily's Graduation

2008-06-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Emily graduated today from her preschool class. It was pretty cute seeing them all in their cap and gowns. They all walked it to the standard graduation music. They sang two spanish songs and then one of their teachers did a Hula Dance. They ended it with the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"... it was totally cute. They each were called up to accept their certificates and then they ran over to their parents. It was so cute and sad knowing she is going to be in Kindergarten now. Why do they have to grow up so fast?

Prayers for a little one...

2008-06-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from Jr. High and High School, Melissa, and her husband, who I have known since elementary school, Nathen Brewer, just had a beautiful baby girl. Her mommy is doing fine, but Kayelyn has had some difficulties after she was born. She had a pneumothorax and was air lifted to the nearby NICU. She is getting better day by day. Here is the latest from her mommy:

"Good news, Kayelyn is slowly improving. We are Cautiously Optimistic- BUT-- She is responding well to treatment. She has a huge team of doctors called fellows that have been assigned to her case-- these guys are the "big guns" of neonatologists. They are a special team of doctors assigned to the critical/high risk infants in the NICU.The official diagnosis is RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome), PPHN (Persistant Pulmonary Hypertension) and Pneumothorax. The odds of a full term baby being born with RDS are 5% of all babies born. The odds of developing problems like Kayelyn's are less than 1%.She is fighting hard and so far is really doing well. The Nitric Oxide is working. As of today, both of her chest tubes, that have been used to drain air and fluid from her chest through from the pneumothorax have been clamped off. The doctor will have them out by Wednesday at the latest. This is a huge step in the right direction. Her oxygen she is receiving is at 51% and she is saturating at 100%. If her next blood gas comes back good, they will lower her to 48%. Tomorrow they will begin weaning off the nitric and changing off the oscillator onto a conventional ventilator. Once this happens, Nathan and I can hold her!! We hope this happens in the next 2-3 weeks-- it could always happen sooner but this is what the doctor is projecting. She has to be at 20% oxygen to be breathing like you and I. It still looks like at least a month until she is released, if not longer (up to 3 months). They have also let up on her sedation/paralytic and she is starting to come around and open her eyes and move. As long as she cooperates with the doctors (She gets a bit fiesty at times) they will allow her to stay off the sedation.I am posting some new pictures soon! Please continue to pray!!!"

All I can ask is to keep Miss Kayelyn and her family in your prayers. If you want the latest update you can check out Melissa's web page at http://www.myspace.com/missytheaggie

Whose Belly is Biggger?

2008-06-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

I took this picture with Sunshine up in Tahoe for our girls weekend. I thought it was funny to compare belly sizes with this poor man. I think he won! We had such a great time. We stayed at a condo that is owned by her Mother-in-law in South Lake. The first night we spent talking at Chevy's over some good Mexican food and then the next morning we laid in bed until 10am talking and watching The Food Network. We finally got dressed and decided to go to see "Sex and the City - The Movie" and laughed our booties off. Then I had an appointment set up for both of us for a massage and hair cut. Sunshine was brave and cut her hair to above her shoulders. I just had mine cut, so I had it colored. We had such a great time just being girls...with no kids. The next day before we headed home we went to King's Beach and went kayaking. It was Sunshine's first time and she did great! I cannot wait to do it again in September for my birthday. It is so great to have such an amazing girlfriend, one that has known you since you were 12 years old. I am so lucky!

Our big news!

2008-06-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know we are growing another addition to our family. Baby #2 is due on November 27th, Thanksgiving Day! We are all very excited and having fun planning for our next adventure in life.

Baby #2 at 14 weeks