S H E R O X X

Yummy

I LOVE this RECEPIE!  I added some chopped walnuts and next time I think some mini dark chocolate chunks will make an appearance as well.  Don’t over bake. If you are counting calories, they are about 85 calories per mini muffin.  Thanks Slim Plate for the recepie. Enjoy!!

Here are some fun random pics of the kids over the past few months.  Click here for album (choose the piclens mode to view)

Everything seems to sparkle a little bit brighter during this magical time of the year.  Including my children’s smiles.  Here are a few fun pics we snapped getting ready for christmas

Being parents of 2 year old twins is a an incredible journey.  I am finding out one of the best parts of this journey is all the firsts that keep coming.  The changing of the seasons has brought all kinds of new first.  Fall is no exception. This year fall starts off with a fantastic trip to the pumpkin festival.

When the tempeture drops below 70 degrees in  So Cal, that means a few things… sweaters, boots, and scarfs.. oh my!  Besides the wardrobe change, there is a change in the kitchen, it is time to start baking!
Nothing starts off the season better than my most favorite Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins!  Maximus and Marley tore these suckers up!  Enjoy

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 TBLS pumpkin spice

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup plain pumpkin

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients into a bowl. Break eggs into another bowl and add pumpkin & butter, wisk until well blended. stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients, fold with rubber spatula until dry ingredients are mixed. Scoop into mini muffin tin, and bake for about 12 min @ 350

M&M love time spent with their friend Hayley.  It was the perfect afternoon to break out the camera and get some action shots of the kids playing.

Easter was soooo much fin this year!  Two easter egg hunts, lots of good friends, and good food, and lots of fun for Marley and Maximus!

I was lucky enough to get picked to attend the world famous TEEX firefighting school at Texas A&M University in Bryan / College Station Texas.  The class is geared towards on board ship firefighting for us land based firefighters. I graduated from Texas A&M so it was an honor and a thrill to attend this class.  See album.

We all have our New Years traditions. My New Years tradition is two fold; it is about gratitude and choice.  As I say goodbye to 2011 and usher in 2012, I can’t help but take a moment to reflect and be extremely grateful for all that has happened over the past year. It has been an incredible year for me. I had an engagement, a wedding, and naming ceremony, tons of family and friends in town, healthy babies, time spent with loved ones in Texas, my good health, and a job that I love… too many blessings to count!

Part two of my tradition is about choice. Let me explain. The second part of my New Years tradition started about 14 years ago, when I was at a place in my life where things always seemed to be a struggle.  Nothing flowed, making ends meet was an endless challenge, finding the right job was a struggle, my car was always breaking down, I was always in a temporary living situation, I wasn’t living or pursuing my passions, on and on and on.  On New Year’s Day of that year, I decided to drive down to the beach. I needed to get away and I thought that some time in nature would be a good way to start the year.  As I sat and watched nature flow effortlessly I realized that nature probably didn’t want anything. Nature was always in a constant state of being.  It is so simple, yet so profound.  I realized that, for the longest time I had been in a state of wanting.  I wanted a job that I loved, I wanted more money, I wanted a better car, I wanted a fulfilling relationship, I wanted to be following my passion and I wanted a vacation.  The Universe, in its infinite wisdom, was happy to deliver to me just that…. “It seems as though your intention is  ’to want’…  you are always in a state of wanting, since that is what you intend that is what will be given to you, all the wanting you can handle.”  

OK.. if you are reading this on Tuesday the 15th it’s a 9 day challenge.  I am headed to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with some of my most favorite people in the world.  I just got back from Catalina Island, for a wedding celebration.  It was a perfect day and a half get-away. I used it for a well earned splurge weekend.  So, Monday morning I was fired up and recharged.  I know the trip to Texas is going to be a celebration filled with  with plenty of delicious food and drink.  I will use my surviving the holiday tactics not to overdue it but I still plan to enjoy some without guilt.   So, I am earning that great weekend now.  Here is the plan

• 1 gallon of water a day
• Weight training and cardio 8 out of next 10 days (intense, big sweat!)
• 5 days 1,300 calories. 1 day 1,800 calories. 4 days 1,300 calories
• Eat every 3 hours
• No sugar, white flour, fried foods,