weekend recap (a little late)

This past weekend we headed up to my in-laws cottage on Big Star Lake. Randy took a few days off from work and we decided to get away for a few nights. We needed a change of scenery! 
Big Star is fabulous. The drive isn't forever long, the lake is perfect and warm in the summer and the cottage is so cozy for our little family. The weather wasn't supposed to be great, but we didn't care. We just wanted to spend time together as a family. 

We went for several walks because little man LOVES being outside. He cries when he comes in, or when we pick him up so we can walk a little faster. 

My little raccoon enjoying the great outdoors.

  

 On Saturday the rest of the DeVries clan came up for clean up weekend with the association. I have never seen so many leaves that needed raking! I will definitely appreciate my leaf free parking spot and beach this summer! It was quite a process...and Luke was such a big helper with his little rake :)

 

Lots of people make the job go faster! Put those young kids to work...:)

Most people left following the leaf raking event, making the lake and association so quiet! No boats on the water, no one else at their cottages, it was wonderful! We would go for walks and see MAYBE one car. This is the total opposite of what it is like in the summer, so we were really enjoying it.

 A couple more pictures from the weekend. Taking a picture break with grandpa D. and daddy.

 Tubby time in the sink at the cottage! He was loving it!

 Overall it was a fantastic, relaxing weekend spent with my sweet little family. It was great to get away for a couple nights and forget about the worries and tasks of home. It was also wonderful to just sit back and look at how my Luke has grown in the past year and a half. Time is flying by so quickly, I wish I could slow it down but I know it is only going to go faster. Big Star definitely already holds a special place in our hearts. Lots of great memories are being made! Looking forward to the summer days spent up there!

If you haven't already, you need to watch Homeland! Randy and I watched Season 1 this past weekend and it was so good! Can't wait to start Season 2!

stuffed shells...mexican style

Mexican food is a staple at our home. We have it AT LEAST once a week, sometimes more. I love it all... homemade Mexican, fake Mexican, authentic Mexican. So so good. When I came across this recipe for Mexican stuffed shells, I knew I had to try it. So I pinned it about a year ago on Pinterest and finally got around to trying it last night. (isn't that how it always goes when pinning? this is what always happens to me...)

this recipe was adapted from High Heels & Grills.

Mexican Stuffed Shells:

18 jumbo sized pasta shells
1lb. ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
4oz. lite cream cheese
1 1/2 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded Monterrey-jack cheese 

-fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil. 
-add shells and cook until al dente (tip: cook slightly less than package suggestion because shells will continue to cook in oven). When done, strain and run under cool water. 

-while shells cook, brown meat in skillet. 
-add taco seasoning according to package directions. I also added some chopped veggies (red pepper, onion, etc)
-add cream cheese and simmer until melted and mix together. 

-pour salsa into 9x13 pan. 
-scoop a spoonful of meat mixture into shell and place in pan. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. 

-spread taco sauce over shells, making sure to cover edges so they don't harden while baking. (I only used about a half a cup of taco sauce)
-cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. 
-sprinkle each shell with small amount of cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes)
-serve with sour cream, green onions, guacamole or your other favorite toppings. ENJOY!

other suggestion: add corn and black beans to meat mixture for more awesome flavor!

life lately...

It's been a LONG time since I have posted! And lots has happened. 

Anyone who lives in Michigan knows it was a long, cold and very very snowy winter. At times, it felt as if it would never end and we were going to be stuck in this cold mess forever. So there really wasn't much to update. We stayed inside because -20 wind chills is about 60 degrees too cold for me. Luke and I played, read books and patiently waited for daddy to come home every night. (thank goodness busy season is over!)

We were so sick of the cold and Rand was working so much that we decided to get out of town and head to warmer weather. My mom was also sick of the "polar vortex" so we planned a last minute trip to Florida. 

We must have been really desperate to want to ride for 20+ hours in a car with a toddler....

I was totally dreading the road trip, but to my surprise Luke was a champ! I packed lots of toys, games, books, snacks and the life-saving DVD player I borrowed from a friend at church and we were all set!  Look at how happy this kid is!

 We also stopped several times to allow him to stretch his legs and his favorite stop was at the Florida welcome center. Luke LOVED the 70 degree weather. I think he was a little confused to wake up and go from wearing a winter coat and boots to shorts and a t-shirt. 

The week ended up being rather cool and rainy (of course) but we were able to enjoy some time at the beach and Luke was VERY spoiled by his grammy. 

 

And while at the beach one day we met a little boy the EXACT same age as Luke! Oh, and they were from Michigan as well. RANDOM! Here they are playing nicely...

The weather around here is finally starting to (sort of) feel like spring, so we have been playing outside, going to the park and patiently waiting for summer. Luke is definitely an outdoors boy and loves to eat dirt. Yummy!

In other news...Luke is 18 months old today! Seriously, where did they year and a half go?!? And he is excited to announce that he will be a BIG BROTHER in October! (another reason why there haven't been many posts...I feel like CRAP!) HAPPY SPRING!

Luke's Frist Haircut

A couple weeks ago we took Luke to get his first haircut. I had been thinking about getting it cut for awhile and one Saturday he was playing and looked up at me, his hair all in his face. It was time. I was scared he was going to look like a little boy, and won't be my "baby" anymore. I guess he can't be my baby forever....off we went to Snip It's. A hair salon specifically targeted for children. It was a little overwhelming...

The before

 Not quite sure about the whole thing.

Not a huge change, but just cleaned up a little. What a cutie:) 

Happy Friday! Going to be another cold and snowy weekend here. Enjoy.

small updates

Our house is an on going project. I feel as though there is always something I would like to change, something I would like to paint, new furniture, etc. The list is a mile long :) I am taking it one room at a time...otherwise I get really overwhelmed! And don't think I am not happy with my house...I love it! The old creaky wood floors, the elegant wood trim, the cozy den and our fireplace. It's just making it "our home," our style....which is always a work in progress.
One day I decided the back entry needed an update, and a coat of paint and new hardware :) so during nap time I went to work...Here is the before. 

And after...

A little brighter and fresher new look. I am loving it! And we are actually using this space more! Here is another pic from the side door entry.

Let's end with a pic of my little man just reading books. What a cutie!

 

random friday thoughts...and ROSE BOWL CHAMPS!

So it's that time of year...time to make a new years resolution. I DREAD and HATE making resolutions. I make them, and then at the end of January become a statistic and have already fallen off the wagon. 
This year I decided I am going to do things a little different. At the beginning of each month I will make a list of 5-10 things I want to complete/stick to and evaluate again at the end of the month. We shall see how this goes. Here is my list for the month of January...

1. Complete Jillian Michaels 30 day shred workout DVD. (Do you know how many times I have started this and only made it a week?!) 

2. Lose 5 pounds (have to start somewhere)

3. Finish kitchen remodel (paint, table, chairs, etc)

4. Finish my two Mixbook photo books from last year

5. Count my calories at least 5 days per week using the Lose It! app

6. Try to eat more fruits and veggies

That seems like enough for now.....an update and new goals will be posted at the beginning of February! 


On another note....THE SPARTANS ARE ROSE BOWL CHAMPIONS! 

Randy, Luke and I were all decked out in our Spartans gear and made a snowy trek down to Kalamazoo to watch with his family. (the one time of the year I wish we had cable) We were planning on watching with my family, however my nephew Joseph was hospitalized with RSV. Poor thing! Lots of bugs going around this winter. Wash your hands!

Oh how I would have loved to have been in sunny Pasadena for the game. But I guess the big screen TV was just gonna have to do. And what a game it was! I was so nervous throughout the entire game, and when they made that final defensive stop I felt like I could breath again. I did have fun texting my friend Sarah (who bleeds green and white and is from EL) throughout the game. Love this girl.....doesn't her husband look thrilled to be watching the Spartans? Haha. Oh Eric. You can cheer on the Spartans for one game. I promise it won't kill you!

 And another picture of Luke in his adorable MSU sweatshirt! A cute fact about my kid...We have a magnet that plays the MSU fight song and this kid marches through the kitchen when we play it. It is fricken. adorable. Love him. 
HAPPY FRIDAY! What are your New Years Resolutions?!

a year in review

I can't believe it's January 31st and we are entering 2014! What a great year 2013 has been!  A recap of our year with pictures....

We started the year with a quiet, peaceful little baby...

 

 And ended with a noisy, rambunctious, loving 14 month old. Love watching my little man grow and his personality develop. He is turning into such a sweet little boy (he gets that from his daddy...)

enjoyed several weekends at Big Star Lake with family and friends. 

Spent two weeks exploring Colorado, Wyoming and Montana with with DeVries family

Celebrated Luke's first birthday

I became an auntie and Luke now has a cousin!

Joseph Peter was born on October 25

And why not end with a few more pictures of Luke....this kid has changed so much! 

There were ups, there were downs, but in the end 2013 was a very memorable one. Looking forward to the joys and challenges of 2014!