Change is GOOD!

Someday I will make blogging a part of my day/week, I just haven't been able to figure out the best time to blog I guess. It's been a couple months since I have written anything and there have been a couple big changes to our lives I'm excited to share.

First, we have decided to move! Nate has been commuting to Fergus Falls for the last 2 years and is ready to spend more time with Jade and I. We started looking for houses this spring hoping to find a house we could call home by the end of the summer. Nate has been amazing in this process! He contacted multiple realtors to help us in our search for a house and went to view homes we thought had potential online.  Our search for an existing house was unsuccessful, so it was on to plan B, building!! Although I knew this was a long process, I was secretly hoping for this. Nate contacted the bank, builders, and realtors.  He found a couple lots he thought would be great for us, so we started to design our "dream" home.  We fell in love with a floor plan we designed and started moving forward with this decision. It has been a LONG process, but an exciting one too. We bought a 2.3 acre lot a little out of town. It's huge! We didn't need a lot this big, but we really liked the area. It's out of town, but still in a neighborhood. We will never have neighbors out our back door as there is a pond there! It's very pretty. I think we will be very happy once we are all done. We are hoping to get into our house by Christmas, but are expecting to move in January. When finished, our house will be a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom rambler with a walk out basement. We are just finishing the main floor right away. Nate loves finishing basements (insert sarcasm), so he will be doing that again in the next couple years or so I would guess. We are really excited to leave the big city of Fargo and become a part of a smaller community. I will be staying home with Jade when we move. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to stay at home with our kids, but feel very blessed that it has become a reality.

I have decided to start my own business and become and Independent Consultant for Thirty-One Gifts. A big reason I decided to do this was because of us moving. I wanted to find a way I could meet other women in the area and thought this would help me get out there. I hosted one party myself last December and fell in love with their products. I hope to be able to throw a couple parties a month and make a little income to help us save for a trip, pay off some loans, etc. I am excited to be my own boss and set my own hours! It will be quite a change from working multiple nights a week and most Saturday's, but a change I'm ready for.

Bubye Wyoming...

I thought I posted this right after my trip... I guess not. Rather than deleting it, I'll just post it now. 2 months late!

I made my final trip to visit my parents and the house I grew up in in Riverton, Wyoming. It's bitter sweet to say the least. I'm sad for my parents to leave what I still call "home," but super excited to have them close. Jade and I hopped on an airplane and flew out to visit. Jade was quite the trooper as we flew out of Fargo at 6:10AM...which means I grabbed her out of bed at 4:45. I thought for sure she'd sleep the first plane so left her in her pj's, but she must have been excited because she didn't fall asleep until we were making our descent into Denver. She then slept long enough for me to grab breakfast and coffee for myself. I of course thought she looked uncomfortable in her umbrella stroller and was going to lay her down on a blanket on the floor to keep sleeping, dumb idea! She woke up as I tried to move her and was ready to roam around the airport. My friendly munchkin made friends with a couple kids waiting for our plane from Denver to Riverton. I don't know where she gets her friendliness...must be her Dad. She waved at many people as we made our way through the airport, and loved smiling, laughing, and waving at the stewardess's. She loved the escalators, elevators, and moving walkways, saying "Oooo" the whole time. She was amazed by the airplanes and would stand at the window watching them and the all the busy workers outside. It's so fun seeing the world through a child's eyes! It's been a while since I have actually flown into Riverton and forgot how loud and bumpy of a ride the little planes are! It was so nice to fly to Riverton instead of getting to Casper and then driving two more hours home!

Grandma and Grandpa Elgin were super prepared for our arrival. They had gone through old boxes and grabbed some of my old toys for her to play with. They found babies, a stroller, a shopping cart, a trike, a wagon, and more random things. They also went out and bought an inflatable pool for Jade to play in during the hot Wyoming days. Although Jade didn't sleep the best in Wyoming, I think she had a lot of fun. She got to see horses and ducks up close and personal. She went to the park, played on the swing set at Church (during Church), dug in the garden, met a few people, played with a ton of rocks, splashed in the pool, went to her first softball games...the list could go on. She was very busy and my parents just sat and laughed at everything she did. She does such a good job playing and entertaining not only us, but herself too.

I got to enjoy my last visit to 1215 Robin Lane playing with my girl, talking and hanging out with my parents, and visiting people who came to the house. I was surprised with my favorite Breadboard sandwich upon our arrival...Nummy Num (as Jade would say). We spend most nights sitting on the deck after grilling food for dinner. The view from that deck is something I think we'll all miss. There is so much more that we could have done while we were there and so many more people we could have visited as there is no telling when we'll be back to Riverton, but I guess the line has to be drawn somewhere...you just can't do it all. I certainly am going to miss things about the home and town I grew up in, but again, couldn't be more excited to have my family close.

After 5 days away from home, we were both ready to come back to Fargo. Jade missed her Dada and Duuuke and I was ready for a good nights sleep. We boarded our plane at noon and waved our final goodbye to Riverton. I got a little emotional as we flew away, saying goodbye to 18 years of my life. We got to Denver with about 40 minutes to get to our next flight. We booked it across terminal A and made it to our gate in terminal B with a few minutes to spare. We were pulled off the runway in Denver to let some nasty weather pass and got off the ground just before an even nastier weather system approached the area. I had heard there was a tornado warning within probably 10-20 minutes of when we left Denver! So glad we didn't have to unload and reload the plane! My bag didn't make it across the terminal in Denver in time, so I had to leave the airport with no bag. Luckily it was delivered the next morning, but I still had to make due without some essentials in the morning. 

Let the summer fun continue...

Spring has Sprung!

Wow, again it has been over a month since I last posted anything! Where do I start...what have we been up to? Not that we have had a ton of nice weather as of yet, but I can honestly say Jade and I will be outside ALL summer long! My little girl loves the outdoors! They only way I can even make her think of going inside is to get a snack and/or watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She loves watching other kids play, taking me for walks, walking through puddles, going to the park, playing fetch with Duke, and the list could go on. For my sake, I hope it's a nice summer. Jade will go outside in rain, wind, cold, etc. I would really prefer to play inside on rainy and cold days, but how do you tell your 1 year old that you don't want to go outside when her baby blue eyes are staring up at you as she's standing at the door with her shoes in hand saying "pease?" So, out we go...rain or shine! Thankfully Nate has done a great job with the yard this year too so, we have a nice place to play. It is finally starting to fill in and get thick. It only took 4 years! I can't wait to pull out the pool, but that doesn't like it's going to be in the near future. This spring has been filled with rain...and it looks like we will getting more of that before we feel the "heat" of the summer.

Here are a few pictures to share of what we've been up to this summer...

I guess I forgot to post this a few weeks ago, so will post this anyway...even as I sit down to write another blog entry.

Christmas in April?

I wish I could post some fun outdoor pictures of Jade at a park or playing with the dog or even eating grass...but unfortunately there is still snow on the ground! And, I'm not talking about a little bit of snow...I'm talking feet of snow with snow drifts. In fact, Nate had already changed the oil and run the gas dry on the snow blower only to have to go buy more oil and gas because the 10 inches of snow we recently got was too heavy to shovel. We have yet to hit 50 degrees and still have snow from the winter snow storms. So, instead of sharing pictures of warmth and sunshine, I'll continue to share some of the snow and cold.

This "spring" we have discovered Jade's love for swimming! We were able to stay in Bemidji for a weekend and take Jade swimming a few couple times there. She got to go down the slide like a big girl all by herself and would sign "more" when she got to the bottom. I think it's just as much fun for us to watch her as it is for her to go down the slide. This past weekend we were in Mankato/Alexandria and got to take her swimming again...4 times in 3 days! She loved it so much that when we got home, she found her suite in the dirty clothes, brought it over to me and then sat down like she was ready to get changed and go swimming again! Then the hard part, how to explain to your 1-year-old that we don't have a pool. I think I should get on her Dad about that!

Spring weather is supposed to finally show it's face this weekend...for everyone's sanity, lets hope it does! Out with the snow, in with the green grass and flowers. We are ready to hear lawn mowers instead of snow blowers, motorcycles instead of snow plows, and chirping birds instead of silence!

Crockpot Scalloped Ham & Potatoes

I am finally posting my first recipe! I love using the crockpot and am always looking for easy and delicious recipes.  Here is one my family loved...including Jade!

Ingredients:
3 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked ham
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Place sliced potatoes in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix together shredded cheese and ham. Mix with potatoes in slow cooker.

Using the same bow, mix together condensed soup and water. Season to taste with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over the potato mixture.

Cover, cook on high for 4 hours. I set my timer on my crock pot and then had it warming for an additional 1-2 hours and it turned out great! I might try cream of celery or mushroom soup too as Nate wasn't a fan of the mushrooms.

Seriously...could it get any easier? or more delicious? Jade and I ate it for a few days.  I was really happy to find something Jade liked that wasn't grilled cheese, mac n cheese, pizza, etc. She liked a "grown-up" meal for once! Jade also got to help me make it by sprinkling the cheese on top (which she loved doing).

Jamaica Man!

After 1 year, 1 month, and 12 days I had to leave my baby girl. Not only were we going to be gone for a full week, we were going out of the country for a full week. We were jumping a plane to Negril, Jamaica.  Thankfully my Mom could take care of Jade for the week to ease the separation on my part! We had a little scare in getting my Mom here. In the height of the flu season, my Mom happened to catch it just days before she was supposed to board the plane to Fargo. My parents had actually called to warn me that I might need to find someone else to care for Jade. Yea right! I wasn't about to go out of country and leave my baby for the first time with just anyone! Long story short, Erik came to help out for the first couple days she was with Jade and by the time he left, she felt pretty good. Leaving Jade was hard on me, but I knew she was in good hands...look how well I turned out. This was also the first time a vacation really felt like a vacation!

On to Jamaica! I absolutely loved Jamaica and recommend it to anyone looking for a tropical get-away. The people are very polite and fun, the water was great, the food was good, and the Miami Vice's went down smooth. We were going to be a part of Lee and Jenna's wedding. We met up with the party of 16 in Minneapolis, flew to Atlanta, and then finally Montego Bay. From there we had about a 2 hour drive to Negril.

Looking out from our hotel lobby.

The swim-up bar...where we spent most of our time.

In Jamaica, we spent a lot of time in the sun of course! There were many activities to do in the area, but you also had to drive to a lot of them. The off the resort fun Nate and I did was go down the road to Margaritaville, took a catamaran with the entire party, and Nate went fishing while I went shopping. The catamaran ride is a must!! We sailed off into the ocean with a 3 man Jamaican crew drinking rum punch and red stripe. We got to see the coast line of Bloody Bay and 7 Mile Beach. We were able to get off the boat and swim and snorkel at one point. We didn't see a whole lot off fish, but it was still fun. Then we headed onward to Rick's Cafe! This is a tourist attraction and a must see in my book. You could cliff jump here while many people watched you take the plunge...super fun!

On the catamaran.

Boating up to Rick's Cafe

Me jumping!

Nate jumping!

Our Captain

Then of course there was the wedding day! Lee and Jenna chose a sunset ceremony right on the water. Very beautiful! The ceremony was followed by drinks and a dinner.

Us at the wedding.

Bride and Groom with their parents.

After the wedding...cocktail hour.

By Sunday, Nate and I were ready to come home. We were not only missing our little princess, but we missed our bed, home cooked food, and our normal routine. I guess we're not good travelers. We are good for about 5 days, but after that gets long. We said goodbye to Jamaica on February 5. We got back late Tuesday night to snow and cold and finally got to wake up to our blue eyed beauty on Wednesday! My Mom flew back Wednesday as well. I think Jade had a great time with Grandma. We had to break her of a few habits from Grandma spoiling her, but it sure was nice to have a free babysitter! We wouldn't have wanted to take Jade after being there. It would have been hard for us to do the things we wanted to do.

Christmas/New Years

This blogging thing is harder to keep up with than I thought it would be! It has been over 2 months since I posted a thing! That means we've had Christmas, New Years, Nate and I left Jade with my Mom and went to Jamaica, and Jade is 2 months older. Here is my best attempt to recap our lives the last two months starting with Christmas....

Jade visited Santa before the Holiday festivities began. As you can see she LOVED Santa!

Once again, we were fortunate enough to be able to spend Christmas with both sides of the family. My parents were up from Wyoming and my brother came from Mankato. We spent Christmas Eve at my Uncles with my Grandparents there too. We ate lutfisk as always for Christmas Eve with the Elgin side. Nate actually said it was decent this year and Jade tried it without spitting it out! We opened our gifts there on Christmas Eve. It got to be a late night for Jade so she wasn't totally into the gift opening, but then again she was only 1.

We did not plan the color coordination, but it did make for a nice picture!

Are all these mine?

Jade's pony that Grandma had to let her open...even before dinner!

Christmas Day was spend with the Noland side. We enjoyed opening what Santa left over night. I guess we were all good this year as Santa left something for everyone. Great Grandma Peterson was able to join us for Christmas dinner too.

Helping Daddy open gifts.

Playing with her new toys.

After Christmas festivities came the New Years Party! We met up in Bemidji with Mike and Jean, Lee and Jenna, and the entire Aube family. It was a packed house full of games, drinks, and laughter! During the day, Jade and I made it into town to see Denae and her new little man Samuel. Jade thought the baby was pretty cool! Denae and I spent the afternoon catching up on our busy lives that now consists of a child! Our conversations have definitely changed over the last 2 years!

Jade really wanted to help Denae with Baby Sam!

Possible love connection? Time will tell.

For New Years itself...we were duds. Nate wasn't feeling well and I had a headache, so the 3 of us went to bed at 8:30. We didn't even wake up to the "New Year" shouts coming from upstairs. We probably should have just stayed home, but it was still nice to bring in the New Year with friends and family. This also marked 2 years in a row that we didn't make the count down.

Happy New Year!

The whole Aube/Noland Family! How many additions to this picture will there be next year?

I will post this now and then hopefully get a recap of our Jamaica vacation up soon! Stay tuned...