Birthday Fun!

James and Shelby had their birthdays this past Friday and Saturday. Joe and I decided to go to College Station and spend the day with them on Saturday. We always have fun whenever we visit them, and this time was no exception. They fed us a really great lunch, took us to look at homes in a development called Traditions, and we watched the A&M basketball game against Baylor! We won 78 to 71! James and Joe would jump up and yell when it got intense! Parker (their dog) was asleep on the floor and when they yelled he jumped up so quickly! It was pretty funny! Shelby wasn't feeling well, due to the baby but she was a good sport and let us take her and James to dinner. Since it was her birthday that day she got to pick where we went and she felt like Luby's. It was fun, the meal was good, and we joked about hangin' with the elderly=) After dinner we asked Shelby if she wanted an ice cream cone from McDonalds and she said that it sounded good. The first one we stopped at wasn't making cones because the machine was down, so we drove to a second one. We finally got our cones, and it hit the spot! James had worked out really hard that morning and decided he would pass on the ice cream! What strong will power! We had a fun day, and were glad we got to spend time with them! Here are a couple pictures from the day!

This was one of the homes in Traditions that we tried to look at. James and Shelby had gone a few weeks ago and a bunch of the homes were open to look through. We didn't have such luck today, but we walked around it and looked through the windows. There are some really beautiful HUGE homes there!

James got Shelby a photo session she can use before or after the baby comes! What a sweet idea! She loved it!

We forgot to take a picture at dinner so we had to get one with Shelby and her ice cream cone!=)

New Recipe!

Ok, so I realize I have already posted today but we just got done eating dinner and I have to share this recipe! It was SO good! Im always looking for new recipes and I have found some really great ones online. My dad recommended this site to me and everything I have made from it is really good! It's allrecipes.com. It has the nutrition facts under each recipe. I'll always read those, and sometimes they will deter me from making it. There's a place for each recipe where people can leave reviews and I'll usually read through those and get the tips that others leave and incorporate them. We ate this tonight with steamed broccoli and cauliflower and it was fabulous! It's called Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken. For the recipe click here. Here are some tips of what I did......... I used fresh garlic, not from a jar, and used about 1 1/2 tablespoons of it. I cut the recipe in half and used it for two breasts. I had a little oil and breadcrumbs leftover because I didn't use a third breast. Others suggested that you heat the olive oil and garlic in the microwave for about a minute. It infuses the flavors. I did that, and it was delicious! I made my own bread crumbs with some whole grain bread, and I used bottled parmesan cheese because we didn't have any fresh parmesan. It was so moist and tasty! The garlic wasn't overpowering and the best part was IT WAS SO EASY to make! So, if any of you are looking for a new chicken recipe......try this one!

Dynamic Fitness

Well, we finally did it! We purchased a gym membership at a new gym near home called Dynamic Fitness! We had been talking about doing it for a while because our fitness room here at the apartment just doesn't have up to date equipment, nor does it have all the machines we need to get the best workout possible. We went in two weeks ago to look around and get a feel for how crowded it was, and what the cost to join was. It was a little more expensive than other gyms but we went during the peak hours and it wasn't very busy, the equipment is all brand new, and it's the closest to home. This gym is owned by two guys who worked for 24 hour fitness for years and wanted to open their own gym. One of the things that I have enjoyed for the past several years has been the fitness classes that I have gone to, and I wanted to make sure that I enjoyed the classes they offered at this gym. So, we decided to do a trial membership and I committed to attend a class that very next morning. It was called body pump, and throughout the entire hour we used hand weights, or a bar. It had been months since I'd done a class like that, and lets just say that over the next few days I felt like I had been hit by a train!=) Joe started playing football that same weekend and had some minor injuries and soreness. You should have seen us just trying to walk up and down the stairs to get to our apartment! We looked like a couple of 90 year olds!=) ha ha! Well, we decided to join the gym and along with that we got a couple free sessions with a personal trainer. They called and set it up for us to come last night at 7. When we first got there they took our weight and measurements and then the trainers took us each seperately to warm up and then to the weight machines. Joe was such a good sport and made me laugh by making faces whenever I'd look at him. He was off with his trainer, and I was with mine but afterwards we talked about some of the things we learned that we weren't aware of before the session. One of the things that was stressed to both of us was that if we're trying to loose weight, one of the most common misconceptions is that we have to do cardio, cardio, cardio. They said that cardio, ALONG with weight resistance is what will help us the most. When we build muscle, it helps our bodies burn more calories and we become stronger and more defined. Marathon runners do so much cardio that they first burn through the muscle, then the fat and other tissues. That's why most of them are so skinny but they also look "softer" because they have burned through their muscle. My trainer said it's ok to run sometimes, but companies have done research and what would help me burn fat faster is to walk on the treadmill at a 2.0 speed and between a 15 & 18 incline for at least 30 minutes. The key to that is NOT TO HOLD ONTO THE TREADMILL at all! She said if you hold on it defeats the purpose of the incline and it's just like walking flat. Joe's trainer told him that it's better to start off your workout doing weights, and then do cardio because during weights your body is able to burn through the muscle and then when you do your cardio you're burning straight fat. We learned that crash diets like atkins dont work because when you introduce carbs back into your diet you will gain back everything you lost. They said it's all about portion control and eating healthy foods but we also shouldn't deprive ourselves of things. Everything in moderation. We have already been trying to make a lifestyle change as far as our eating habits go, but without working out we haven't been able to really see the benefits. I have been making a lot of dishes from The Biggest Loser cookbook, and surprisingly they have been really flavorful and delicious! We're excited to get healthy and lose weight, and with motivation and help from one another we know we can do it! We were both scared for our session with the trainer (after watching The Biggest Loser) but it was SO helpful! We learned very important information and got a good workout. After being with the trainer for an hour Joe felt like he was going to throw up. His trainer told him that he was done with the session but if he could, he'd like Joe to do 30 minutes of cardio. We both got on the treadmill, but only made it about 5 minutes before Joe felt extremely sick. When we got home he laid down on the floor and said he was never eating again=) ha ha ha! Here's a cute picture of him on the floor. We'll keep you updated on how it's going!

Nuclear Cowboys

This last Saturday Joe and I went to Reliant Stadium to watch the Nuclear Cowboys! It is a really sweet motocross show! The show had kind of a cheesy story line, but the flips and tricks were totally captivating! They even did flips with a four wheeler! Joe leaned over to me during the show and said "Joseph(my brother) would love this!" Later he said "It might not be a good idea because he would probably try and do flips with his four wheeler"=) ha ha! We had a really fun time and were glad we got to go. It was FREEZING outside afterwards, and I hadn't brought a coat. I almost froze walking back to the car. I had Joe's arm linked in mine and I was literally pulling him to make him walk faster=) Whenever it's cold and I complain about it he always says "What the heck? Aren't you from UTAH?!" I still get cold!=) Here are some pictures from the night!

You can watch a video of the four wheeler here and the other bikes here

Here is what's on the other side of the curtain! Lots of dirt, and machines to move it!

Joe has a hard time keeping his eyes open when we take a picture in dim light and the flash goes off!=) ha ha! We took three pictures, and this one's the best!

Finished Products

Here are our finished ceramics!

Tiff painted these cute salt and pepper shakers.

Joe made this cute soup mug. Look at his Texas pride=)

and.....then he did THIS! Only Joe would put something like that in his mug!=)

I made these little bowls.

This activity was so much fun! I would recommend it to anyone. We could have spent hours there but we had other plans. Totally a fun activity!

Sisters Together Again

Well, I can honestly say that I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve as I anticipated Tiff's visit. Tuesday morning I couldn't stop smiling as I got ready for the day and completed my tasks at home before I headed to the airport to pick her up! The closer I got, the more excited I felt. I made sure to get there early because I had never parked and gone into the airport to pick anyone up here. I sat at baggage claim for about ten minutes and then decided I wanted to see how close I could get to where she would come out. I found the security check point up the escalator and down a hallway, so I decided I would sit in the chairs right there where she would come out. When I saw her coming I noticed that she too could not seem to wipe the smile off of her face. I waited to stand up until she got closer and looked over and saw me. She started to cry when she did, and that of course made me cry. I gave her a big hug and we pulled ourselves together and then we couldn't stop smiling and laughing. We got off of an elevator with two older couples, as we headed to the car and as soon as we got off Tiffany gave a big BWA to Texas! The older couples turned around and looked at me like I was some freak that was beating her or something!=) I had to tell her to refrain from doing that until there wasn't anyone around! ha ha!

She has given a complete description of her trip on her blog but I will share some different photos and things from my perspective.

Tuesday night after Joe had gotten home and we had had dinner, we went over to the movie theatre here in Pearland and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. Tiff and I loved the first one and decided neither of us would see the second one until she got here. We both agreed we liked the first one better, but it was still a fun night. Here's a picture of us waiting for it to start. I think there were about 4 other people in the theatre with us=) ha ha!

Wednesday morning we drove down to Texas City and had lunch with Joe and then we all drove to Galveston and took a ferry to Crystal Beach. The seagulls were amazing! They would eat crackers right out of our hands! We had our hoods on because we were afraid we'd get pooped on. Mom gave us both the same sweater for Christmas and we felt it appropriate to wear them together while she was here.=) Funny thing is I gave Joe a zip up jacket for Christmas thats the same color and he wore it that day too. We all matched=) Joe felt dumb at first, but he quickly got over it=)

Thursday we woke up and decided not to be lazy, and went to work out here at our apartments. Tiff was so sore for days after!=) One thing I really enjoyed about her being here, was the time we got to spend together getting ready in the morning. I have some wonderful memories of us sharing that time when we both lived with mom and dad. It's been a long time since we've been able to do that together, and I really loved it! I always had a hard time sharing my clothes and jewelry with Tiff growing up (mostly cause I wouldn't ever see it again) but while she was here I let her wear whatever of mine she wanted. She basically went shopping in my closet and jewelry drawers every day=) I told her to enjoy it while it lasted. ha ha! Anyways, Thursday we went to the Galleria and Tiff got some really cute things. I took her into Sephora to get her eyeshadow done. They did a smokey eye and it looked really good! We went to lunch at Panera Bread (which is kind of like Paradise Bakery) and she LOVED it! They have the best tomato soup. After lunch we headed back to the Galleria for more shopping. (here's us at Panera)

Friday morning we went to the Outlet Mall here in Houston. Tiff found a really cute jean skirt, and I was finally able to find some cute things too! I had zero luck at the Galleria, and Tiff was determined to help me find some cute things. I hadn't been shopping for clothes for myself in a long time and was so excited for her to come so I'd have someone to shop with. She picked out a lot of cute things for me to try on and I loved them. The best part is now when I wear them, I think of her. Here's a picture of us at the outlets.

Saturday we went to a place called Glazed Over Ceramics, where we each got to pick out a ceramic piece and paint it. They fire it, and you come back in a week to pick it up. ( I will show the end results in a later blog.) Tiff picked really cute salt and pepper shakers, Joe chose a soup mug, and I chose two little bowls. We had so much fun painting them!

After we finished, we headed to Dave and Serena's for Maggie's 2nd birthday party. Some of Dave's family was there, then us, Sharon and Bob as well as James and Shelby. We had a lot of fun visiting with everyone and watching little Maggie! She is so cute! I bought her some bows for her hair when Tiff and I went to Sam Moon, after the outlets. Joe picked out a cute dress for her at Costco when we took Tiff. She loved the bows and the dress. Here's a picture that Serena later sent to us of her wearing the dress and one of the bows, as well as a picture of her the day of her party.

After the party we went to play mini golf in black lighting and 3d!!! We had a blast! We would get sidetracked by the dinosaurs and have to pause to take a picture=) For those that are wondering....Joe won, I came in second, and Tiff......well, she came in last=) Sorry Dillan!

We had such a fun day together! After golfing we took her to Lupe Tortilla for some amazing fajitas! She couldn't get over how good they were, and ended up stuffing herself=)

Sunday morning I teared up thinking that I only had a few short hours left with her. During one of the hymns at church I noticed tears running down her cheeks and she was trying to discretely wipe them away. I knew she was feeling the same way I was, and it brought me to tears also. She had fun in primary with us. We had three visitors that day and we had a total of 9 kids in our class. After church Tiff said she was never having kids, after seeing how some of them acted=) ha ha! Joe and I feel that way at times too. When we got home Tiff ate some lunch and packed and then we headed downtown. That was the one thing she hadn't done that she had wanted to. We ended up stopping at the wall of water and taking some pictures. Joe took his sweet little time taking them, and we were soaked afterwards!=)

I knew before Tiff came out that it was going to be very hard to say goodbye to her. I had a hard time when mom and dad left, and there's just something about saying goodbye to a sister that's so hard. When we got to the gate Tiff started the waterworks, and you can imagine what followed. I had kind of pulled myself together by the time Joe and I got home, but when we walked in the door and I looked down the hall and saw the empty room, it all started again. I had such a fun week. I love spending time with my sister, and it's been very hard not to be able to do that for a few months. She is such an amazing person, and a wonderful example and friend to me! I love you Tiffany! I also wanted to say that I'm very grateful to Joe for all that he did while she was here to help make it such a fun trip. He always does his best to help make my family's trips memorable and it means a lot to me!........ We loved having you here Tiff, and we miss and love you! We look forward to our next visitor(s) to fill our empty room!=)

Fun at the Lyman's

Here are some pics to update you on what we've been doing. We'll start back with Christmas. Christmas Day Joe and I went to Palestine and spent a few days with Sharon and Bob. A tradition of Sharon's at Christmas is to eat crab. She made an incredible dinner and I ate crab for the second time! It was really yummy! Saturday morning we made a stop at Walmart to buy some skeet, and the four of us headed to Tanner's house to shoot some guns! Don't worry mom, we were careful!=) A lot of Tanner's family was there and everybody stopped what they were doing and came and joined us. Luckily we had bought some ear plugs because it was very loud!

Joe was so proud of me for trying it! It was pretty fun, and I felt like a total hillbillie!=)

Sharon even decided to give it a whirl!

She seemed to have fun!

These are skeet. They are biodegradable and while the boys are in a line with their guns, someone off to the side has a plastic tool that they throw this up in the air with and then they guys would try to shoot it.

Joe and some of Tanner's family shooting skeet.

Joe tried out roping=)