I have the best hubby because...

He tickles my back for hours.

he cuts the fat off of raw meat before cooking so I don't have to touch it.

He works SO hard to provide.

He lets me win at our wrestling/boxing matches.

He still surprises me with flowers.

He writes me birthday posts.

He randomly cleans my car.

He takes me shopping.

He plays with my hair,

and even colors my hair!

And he paints my toe nails :)

He writes me little notes.

He watches my girly reality tv shows with me.

He carries me to bed when I've fallen asleep on the couch.

He takes such good care of me when I'm sick.

He laughs at all my jokes.

He listens to me vent about anything!

He doesn't rush me when I'm taking forever to get ready.

He compliments me, a lot!

He lets me listen to Taylor Swift for hours without complaining.

He's never mean to me, even when we're fighting.

He'll dance with me in the kitchen to Beyonce haha

He lets me warm up my cold feet on his warm legs.

He tells me he loves me every day and every night.

I love you Dave, so much! I'm the luckiest girl in the world because of you :)

 

Happy Birthday Beautiful

Happy Birthday Baby, I wanted to tell you in front of everyone Happy Birthday and how much I love you. So I thought I'd do it in a "cutesy cheesy" way. Something a little different this year. So everyone these are just a few things I absolutely love about this amazing girl, and amazing wife.

I can't believe I've made you my wife,

to be with me for the rest of my life.

I really love your luscious lips,

And it's sexy when you wiggle your hips.

I like the way you sing your songs,

You make me want to dance all night long.

I love how you cook and clean,

You truly are a living dream.

Kyson has such an awesome mom,

he must of ordered you from the bomb.com.

I love it when you sing in the car,

You belt it like a rock superstar.

I really dig your bright blonde hair,

how when you wake up it's everywhere.

We love to take lots of trips,

but I go to the moon every time i kiss your lips.

I stare into those deep green eyes,

every time, I still get butterflies.

I love how you know so much about my job,

and you taught me well all about a Swing Bob.

I laugh every time at your freaky little toes,

and I think you have the cutest button nose.

You really are a smashing good cook,

and you're so dang cute when you're reading a book.

It's cool you take pictures where ever we go,

I know that our lives will never be slow.

Sometimes man and wife will find they don't blend,

But Denise you truly are my very best friend

Today is your Birthday I hope it's a good one,

If anyone ruins it I'll rip them a new one.

This is one of my favorite pictures.

Happy Birthday Baby I love You!

work it, girl!

If you've been following my blog for a while you'll know that I had knee surgery last year. It's been such a struggle for me! I've been a runner my entire life. It's one of my many passions. I did track and field in high school and it's been so hard not being able to run. I went through some pretty intense physical therapy, 8 hours per day, and finally got 100% of my flexibility back. But I lost all of my muscle in my right leg. It's significantly skinnier then my left leg and it's not very attractive! 

The hubs and I are cruising the Caribbean in May and I refuse to have a funny looking leg! So I started hitting the gym hard and lifting a crazy amount of weights.. It's finally paying off! My leg is stronger than it's ever been and it looks and feels amazing! Now if only I could get a tan :)

I've still got a long ways to go though.. I still can't sprint but I can jog! Which is a big accomplishment since I could barely even walk!

Anyways my meat head husband came up with a fitness plan to focus on my knee and quads. The man's a genius!! It really works!

Work out part 1.

I hit the gym! 

I do three sets of each machine to target my knee and legs. each day I do 5-10 more per set.

Abductors

Adductors

Leg curls

Leg Extensions

I also do cardio. Spin and lots of jogging!!

Work out part 2.

I do these in the comfort of my own home.

 bicycle exercise

Fire hydrants. I call this the dog peeing one haha

 I think these are called leg lifts?

 Squats 

I do a minimum of 150 each per day.

It's not the most intense workout but it's getting the job done! My legs and abs are looking good :)

Bikini body here I come!

Afterwards I eat chocolate...

Does it really surprise you??

a little about us

Because I have so many new fabulous followers I decided a 'get to know us' post was over due. 

So, here goes..

Dave

My cute husband is serving in the Air Force and loves it! He's been in for almost seven years and wouldn't take back a single day. It is so rewarding for our whole family.
He's a major family man and has a very strong bond with his Father! He admires the heck out of him.
He's very book smart. I swear he knows everything about everything! It makes me feel clueless about most things haha
He loves our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and is a strong Priesthood holder.
He knows how to fix anything! He can fix leaky pipes, re-wire anything (he's basically an electrician in the AF), take down and rebuild an entire car motor, and anything else I ask! He's pretty amazing :)
He always smells good and looks smokin' hot!
He currently has two Associates Degrees and is working at getting his Bachelors.
He is the best father to Kyson! It makes my heart happy :)
He loves History and can tell you everything about any war that's ever happened! He's kind of a military nerd!
He's an amazing artist!! He can sketch up anything on demand.
I love him unconditionally!!

Denise

Yours truly is a hairstylist and absolutely loves being in the beauty industry! I've always been good at hair, even before I started doing it professionally.

Believe it or not I'm a big tom boy. I've always been big into sports, playing or watching.

I love pink anything! It's my favorite color.

I have a strong passion for music. I love singing and I play multiple instruments!

I graduated from high school early, just because I could! But dropped out of college to pursue hair.

One of my favorite things to do is write in Calligraphy! It's a hobby I picked up in elementary school.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Jamaica! Luckily for me I'm going there in May :)

I get crazy freaked out by anything with more then four legs! Creepy crawlers make me turn around and run!

I'm related to M Russel Ballard!

I've never broken a bone but I've had a ton of stitches and a few surguries.

I've known Dave since I was 10 :)

My hair is naturally blonde. Including my eye brows, eye lashes, and body hair! I have to tint my eye brows and eye lashes just so I don't look like a ghost!

Kyson

My little man is 3 going on 16. He has a serious attitude!

He is so very smart! He can count to 100 and knows all of his letters.

He has an obsession with poop right now.. Gross! Every time he goes he has to immediately look at it.

He loves air planes and can name what kinds they are (ie B-1, C130, B25, F22 etc)

He sings along with Dora the Explorer and its the cutest thing ever!

He gets extremely excited when we take him to the park.

He would live off of chocolate milk if I'd let him!

He loves bubbles and M&M's.

He loves playing catch with daddy. Everyone is betting money that he'll be a line backer in football! He's a big boy :)

Every time he tells me he loves me my heart melts!

He loves to tuck mommy in if I'm laying down.

He asks for a baby sister almost daily!

I love him more and more each day :)

That's just a little bit about us! I hope to get to know each of you a bit better as well :)

3 days of being lazy + an idea!

My man and I both had a three day weekend.. Score! We literally didn't do a thing and it was heaven. Just what the doctor ordered (not really). Saturday I had one appointment at the salon, that ended up rescheduling and I wasn't upset at all! I was a little relieved that I didn't have to get out of bed, no joke I stayed in my comfy bed until 11:30.. just because I could  :)

My cute little family and I watched television Big Bang Theory all day long! Some might say that's boring, we say it's relaxing! Especially when the last month has been a constant go, go, go!

Sunday we ditched church, don't judge, you know you've ditched church before.. And I spent the entire day in my pink, fluffy robe! I told you it was a lazy weekend...

We did go on a little pic-nick which was so fun! We had a very rainy, cloudy, dark week and the sun and heat finally decided to pay us a visit! The weather was perfect and we took advantage! I was actually able to wear flip flops!!! After a week full of rain the first thing Kyson did was go down a slide into a puddle of water. Yuck! His little wet butt waddle sure was cute though :)

Please excuse my crappy camera phone quality and our pasty skin.. My dream vacation is just a couple months away! Time for this girl to soak up some rays :)

Ok change of subject... A few weeks ago I made my first craft and I loved it! All I wanted to do was craft.. But I had neither the time nor the resources to do it... So! I started throwing around ideas that once a month I would make something cute for the next upcoming holiday, season, or a just because craft. Then my little light bulb turned on and I came up with a brilliant idea! What if I do a craft link up on my blog? And that's where this baby came from:

My crafting button!

So once a month I'll suggest a craft, describe it and if you want to participate, make your own and share it on your blog with this cute little button? Or make your own and share with others? Then we can compare and get more ideas? What do you think? Would any of my lovely friends be interested in doing this? If not, then I wont bother haha
I need feedback people!!

sunday recipe

I made something last night that made my tummy and my taste buds very happy!

I found it on Pinterest (follow me here).

It's Chicken Enchilada Puffs

Ingredients

1 package jumbo crescent rolls

3 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

3/4 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)

 1/3 cup enchilada or taco sauce

2 teaspoons enchilada or taco seasoning mix

1/4 cup Mexican shredded cheese for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with no-stick spray.

Place cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese in small bowl and microwave for about 30-40 seconds, to soften.

Add seasoning mix, sauce, and chicken to cheese mixture and stir until combined.

Unroll crescent rolls on prepared pan.

Scoop 1 large heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture into the center of the two short ends of the crescent roll.

Pull outer corners of the crescent roll over the chicken mixture, and then pull the long end over, completely enclosing the filling.

Sprinkle tops of puffs with additional shredded cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown

Is your mouth watering yet?

While husband and I were eating, we both took a bite of our fresh from the oven food and both let the steaming hot food fall from our mouths back onto our plates.. Simultaneously! So beware, cause they are hot!!

 Yummy cream soda

Speaking of pinterest recipes... A few months ago, I pinned and re-pinned a ton of recipes and decided to print them out along with pictures and make my own cook book! And I'm so glad I did! 

Happy pinning :)

birthday needs

Dear Dave,

As you know my birthday is only about a week away. This year is a huge milestone in my life, the year I turn 25! And because I'm going to need lots of love and affection on that day, I've made it easy for you. I've made a list of the things that I need to get through this birthday.

 

 I really just want to go shopping!! I haven't bought myself a single piece of clothing in months and I'm starting to think my wardrobe is getting outdated. I need this!

I need some new comfy shoes. Perhaps these glittery black Toms?! You'll not only be helping me out but you'll also be getting a pair for someone in need!

I need to feed my addiction to these. Mint M&M's are seriously the yummiest thing I've ever put in my mouth! A truckload of these would be great.

I know how crazy expensive piano's are, but I need it in my life! So, I'll settle for a keyboard (for now) so I can still play. Who wouldn't want piano music filling their home?

There you have it. A few things on my wish list! 

:)

 

Love your wifey, Denise

A Valentine's Story

Once upon a time in a far away land there was a Texas Princess, we'll call her Denise. She was in love with a Texas Prince, Dave and it was Valentine's Day. They were both trying so hard to make the day special for the other. Dave woke up for the day, got ready, kissed his princess on the cheek whispering 'Happy Valentine's Day' in her ear while she still soaked up her beauty rest. Then he got into his chariot and rode off to work! Denise woke from her sleep and went to work herself. 

The whole week prior to this day Dave made Denise think that he had to work all Valentine's Day until 9:00 PM. Denise was bummed but knew she could make it work! Prince Dave sent the Princess a text message asking if he could pick her up for lunch, she agreed and twenty minutes later they were riding off for Taco Tuesday. YUM! After eating, Dave dropped the bomb that he tricked her and he didn't work that day after all and he had a fun day planned for them. Denise was so excited but knew all her plans were ruined because she thought she had all day long to turn those plans into a reality. He took her back to work which luckily was a slow day for her. And she immediately started trying to figure out how to make those plans still be a surprise if she didn't have all night to prepare!

She raced off to Target to get the supplies she needed to decorate her man's truck! She had to hurry cause she only had an hour window. Denise almost died four times, FOUR TIMES getting there, people are terrible drivers on Valentine's Day! As soon as she was finished decorating his truck she went into Dave's office and sat there with him while he finished up a few things. Not five minutes went by when people were already telling him that his truck had been decorated. Denise was so fed up and stressed about the rest of day that she started crying, right there in Dave's office! What a baby right? Fail.

Meanwhile back at the salon, A big beautiful bouquet of flowers was delivered for a girl who was not there! As Denise was sitting with Dave she received a phone call telling her she needed to come back to salon asap because "the boss" needed to speak with her.. Crap I'm in trouble!  She races back to the salon praying she didn't accidentally leave a curling iron turned on and the place wasn't on fire! She gets there and was surprised to find gorgeous flowers waiting for her. Now Dave is upset because they were supposed to be delivered while she was there, but she left. Fail.

So Dave and Denise both said screw it!

They went and did their Valentine's Day shopping together, those procrastinators! Once they got home they explained their gifts, spoiled Kyson, ate delicious Red Robin and watched Breaking Dawn.

The day started off a disaster but ended so perfectly!

 

 Dave's gift to me!

My gift to Dave!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day!

my creative side

This weekend was spent indoors! It snowed in Texas and it is freezing outside. But don't you worry because the temperature will be back in the 60's tomorrow. Oh Texas, how I hate your bipolar weather.. So after a very busy day at the salon on Saturday I was able to come home and relax.. After about an hour of relaxing, I got bored! So I called my best girlfriend up and we headed for Hobby Lobby. A girl's wonderland!

We let our crafty sides get the best of us and it was so much fun. I literally did not take one picture. Fail. But I can show you the finished masterpiece! :)

 

My cute hubby helped screw the letters together.

don't worry, my wedding ring is always this sparkly, HA! I wish!

I was so proud of my craft that I texted my mother in law.

(because she's one crafty lady!)

I sent her a picture and this is our conversation:

Me: I did a craft! Proud?

MIL: Beautiful!!!! Yeah. I love it! Very proud :)

Is it on Dave's desk :)

Me: Haha nope it is in the living room.

MIL: More appreciated that way

Inside joke, don't ask!

 

Anyways the rest of the weekend was spent drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows, eating hot pink cupcakes and french toast, and watching movies. Lots of movies! Have you ever seen Real Steel? Good movie but very predictable!

We went a little overboard with the powdered sugar :)

Want to know a secret on how to make homemade syrup?

1 part sugar

1 part water

add a pinch of mapeline

bring it to a boil but DO NOT let it boil over! It will ruin your glass stove top.

SO yummy!

this year so far..

Can you believe how fast 2012 is already going?! It's already almost half way through February, which means my birthday is less than three weeks away. February 27th to be exact. Mark your calendars :)

Husband and I have been crazy busy already this year and it's going to be like this the entire year. I'm so excited!

January

-I got a job in a fabulous salon in a great location. I absolutely love the girls I work with and it's such a nice salon. I'm staying very busy and have been able to meet some amazing people.

-Hubs and I started a Marriage Class and it's so great to hear from other couples that we're not the only ones with our problems. So many people go through the exact same things and it's so relieving!

-Kyson turned three!! He's growing up so fast. I can't believe my baby is potty trained and can start tee ball this year! Tear.

-We booked a Caribbean Cruise for May. OH my lanta I can't even describe how excited I am!! It's our first cruise and we have been working our booty's off saving a ton of money, we plan on going all out! Swimming with dolphins? I think so!

We'll be here soon!

February

-Tax returns! Need I say more?

-Dave and I have been working out and lifting weights getting our beach bodies in shape. My man has been hitting the weight room hard the last couple of months and it's really starting to show. I've always been very attracted to my man but seeing him with big arms and pecs... I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off him! I'm getting a lean, mean, cruisin' machine body, just in time for May! :)

-Kyson had surgery last week. He got his tonsils and adenoids out and got tubes in his ears. The poor kid is miserable!

-I turn the ripe age of 25 this month! I'm going to need lots of love, I'm feeling so old!

We're just so strong!

2012 is going to be the best year ever! And the worst, cause we're all going to die HA! Just kidding, I don't believe the world is going to end..

What are your big plans this spring/summer?

our Superbowl Sunday

Husband and I really didn't care for either teams so we were just enjoying ourselves. I was still happy that my team won last year. Go Packers!! Last year we went to a party, dressed up in our team colors and got way into the game... 

 This year we did nothing but shove food down our throats! Really good food.

 OK we got into it a little..

 But this post isn't really about the Superbowl. It's about all that good food we ate!

Doesn't this look so yummy?

Let me reassure you that it was! Here's the recipe:

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
Directions:
1.  Mix soup, salsa and taco seasoning in the bottom of your crockpot.  Sink chicken breasts into the mixture, covering completely.  Cook on low for 5 – 6 hours depending on size of chicken breasts.
2.  Remove chicken, shred and return to the crockpot.  Add sour cream and mix well.  Heat until everything is warmed through. 

I also made a seven layer bean dip that was mouthwatering! Here's the recipe:

2 large, ripe avocados

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 cup shredded cheese

1 can sliced black olives

2 tomatoes, chopped

6 green onions, chopped

   Tortilla chips

Peel, pit, and mash avocados. Add lemon juice and mix well. Set aside. Spread refried beans on a large plate (I warmed the refried beans in the microwave and I used a 9x9 pan). Spread with avocado mixture. Stir together sour cream and taco mix. Spread over avocado layer. Sprinkle with cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

a comfy date night

This weeks date night was held in the comfort of our own home. The reasoning? One ornery toddler!

So after coming home from a busy day at work we decided that a toddlers surgery wasn't going to stop us from our weekly date nights. I put husband in charge of dinner and I claimed the duty of movie and a dessert. It was a great idea! Husband cooked up some steaks and I made a banana cream pie that I almost didn't want to share. SO good! 

For our movie we watched Abduction with Taylor Lautner. It was such a good movie but the ending was lame! I rounded up every blanket we owned and built us a fort in the living room. We watched the movie in style!! Comfiest movie ever :)

We're starting to get creative with date nights. Doing it every week means coming up with a lot of ideas.. PLEASE share some of your date night ideas!!

marriage class

It's been a few weeks since I last posted on our marriage class. We missed this week since Kyson had surgery but I went back and read through what we missed. 

Communication in marriage includes every thought, feeling, act, or desire shared verbally and nonverbally between husband and wife. Good communication is a manifestation of love. Good communication fosters mutual understanding and respect, reduces conflict, and increase love, unlocking the doors to highest levels of human intimacy. Every married couple can learn to communicate skillfully.

In a national study of 21,501 married couples, psychologist David H. Olson of the University of Minnesota found poor communication to be among the top 10 stumbling blocks to marital satisfaction. 

82% of the couples wished their partners would share feelings more often.

75% had difficulty asking their partner for what they wanted

72% did not feel understood

71% said their partner would not discuss issues or problems with them

67% said their partner made comments that put them down

The study also revealed that satisfying communication as the top predictor of happy marriage.

So why do we hurt the ones we love most?

Couples make the greatest progress toward improving their communication skills when they have a contrite heart and willingness to forgive and ask forgiveness. Individuals can soften their hearts regardless of what their spouses choose to do!

 

We need to eliminate destructive ways of talking to each other..

 Psychologist John Gottman identified four patterns of communication that often destroy marriages:

Criticism: "Attacking someone's personality or character... usually with blame."

Contempt: Insulting or demeaning the spouse; indicating by words or actions that one believes the spouse to be "stupid, disgusting, incompetent, a fool."

Defensiveness: Responding defensively to complaints, criticism, or contempt by making excuses, denying, arguing, whining, or counter-blaming rather than trying to solve the problem.

Stonewalling: Withdrawing physically or emotionally from the relationship when disagreements occur, becoming like a stone wall.

 

 I know I definitely need an attitude adjustment. I need to be more loving towards my husband and focus on the good rather then the bad! This post has been so negative.. Let's spice things up a bit shall we?

Ways to improve your marriage:

Showing interest in what your spouse has to say.

Being affectionate through acts of tenderness, holding hands, and expressing love.

Showing you care through small acts of thoughtfulness, occasional gifts, and telephone calls.

Showing appreciation by expressing thanks, giving compliments, and expressing pride in your spouse.

Showing concern when your spouse is troubled.

Being empathic, showing you understood and felt what their spouse was feeling.

Being accepting, letting your spouse know that they accepted and respected what he/she said, even when you disagreed with it.

Joking around and having fun together without being offensive.

Sharing joy when excited or delighted

And last but not least... Have sex! 

haha ok I added that. But let's face it, days are always better when you had sex the night before...

Or is that just me?

Moving on!

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner lets make the days leading up to it full of love and happiness. Who knows maybe your man will be more willing to splurge on you?? Just a thought! Now let's go love our hard working men, shower them with affection and throw on the lingerie that's sitting in your drawer!

:)