How now Brown Cow...

Mmm, if you are a yogurt eater, you haven't had yogurt until you have tasted "Brown Cow" cream top maple yogurt. My sister-in-law kept telling me "You have to try this yogurt", I kept brushing her off. It was only my loss. I was at Smith's Marketplace strolling through the organic section when I saw the lovely little cups of heaven sitting there. I decided to get a few and see if they were everything she had said they would be. They were and then some. The yogurt is all natural, no growth hormones, 7grams of fat and 170 calories. Some of you are freaking out about the fats and calories, but I am a huge supporter of natural fats that come from yogurts, milks, cheeses, and butters. When too much is extracted from natural foods all we are left feeling when we are finished eating is hungry for more. When I taught Jr. High I noticed that girls seemed to develop way before they had in my day. I attribute this to the growth hormones that are in so many of our dairy and meat products. There have been studies done that prove this theory, but I won't go there, because today I am merely pitching this delectable yogurt. If you go to their website you can print off coupons for the yogurt. Give it a try, I swear that you will love it.

"The Jersey cow milk used in our Cream Top yogurt is naturally higher in protein, calcium, and butterfat, so we never need to add stabilizers or thickening agents. Although indulgently rich and creamy, it’s also very nutritious, which is why so many yogurt lovers have made Brown Cow Cream Top their “yogurt of choice!” Put it at the top of your grocery list. "

Our Easter

Every Easter John and I have Grandma Great over for Easter dinner. Grandma comes with us to church and then we feast. This year we have the later church meeting so she wasn't present for the Easter basket opening and the search for the eggs. However, Adessa had just as much fun. The Easter bunny hid the eggs Addie and John had dyed the night before all through the front yard. Addie found her Easter basket, we had sticky buns for breakfast, and then guzzied up for Easter services. After our meetings which were wonderful as always, we came home and had a yummy dinner. We deviated from the customary Easter ham and John grilled bacon wrapped shrimp and steaks. We bagged the funeral potatoes and went for au gratin, we had yummy salad, homemade rolls, and a carrot cake that I made from scratch (shock, horror). We had a nice time as a family with Grandma Great, my dad, and Sheldon and were able to have some religious discussion (which does not happen often in my family). I love Easter! I love the spring time, it is a time to start afresh and better yourself. As everything in the world awakens, I find myself awakening also as to how to be a better person. Working on it!

Obviously her mothers child. Already interested in the fancy shoes. The basket was almost too heavy for her to hold.

She is my nature child.

Sneaking up on the eggs. Sometimes I look at this child and seriously wonder just how John and I could have created such a beautiful being. I know I sound like such a mom, which I am, but honestly she is gorgeous.

Happy Easter!

Lydia Grace

Presenting.....Lydia Grace Ipson! My new niece, and the newest addition to the Ipson tribe. We think she looks like her brother, but grandma thinks she looks like her mom. Baby is well, mom is well, all is well. My sister and I could not possibly be more different. She gets pregnant easily, she loves being pregnant, gains 20pds., and has fabulous deliveries. Hmmmm. I seriously think that the mailman was hanging around when she was born, we could not have spawned from the same seed. Can't wait to see my new niece in August when we bless the babies together. Until then, I will have to give virtual squishes.

Wicked!

I have always loved the theatre, especially musicals. I don't think I ever knew what "real" love was until I sat on the 6th row in some theatre on Broadway and saw "Les Miserables" for the first time. It helped that our Marius was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen, the music is the best of all musical theatre, and our friend Laront's girlfriend was in the show which meant that I got to go back stage, and meet my Marius. This was before I was married of course. Too bad he was engaged to a girl performing in "Miss Saigon." Darn those theatre folk. At any rate, tonight John and I are heading to "Wicked." The first time I saw "Wicked" was on Broadway and Joey McIntyre was starring as Fiyero, he was great, but the show itself was enchanting. The music is contagious, fun, and catchy. The dancing is superb and the costuming great. The show is about how the Wicked Witch of the West became wicked. I will give my review as to whether or not it can compare to the first time I saw the show performed. Woo hoo! I am hoping that John loves it as much as I do.

Easter at Gucci's

It was time for one of our favorite parties, Easter at Gucci's. Not only does the Gucci make an amazing meal of ham, funeral potatoes, a yummy blueberry salad, orange rolls, and a brownie trifle, but she has all sorts of games and activities for the fam to compete in. Cash prizes are always an incentive to the adults to participate and try hard, and toys for all the little ones. I think this year the bunny hop became the most competitive among the men. I laughed so hard I almost lost all bladder control. Here are the pictures.

The Bunny Hop. Sheldon won, no surprise, he's 6 foot 4.

The cousins

The egg toss and breaking a confetti filled egg on dads head


I had to include this one because she has such great hair :)

Comparing the goods from the egg hunt
Gucci does a great job making the egg hunt fair. The pink eggs are for Addie to find, blue for Talmage, green for Eric, and purple for Maidie. This way the oldest cousin doesn't make out with all the goods leaving the younger ones in tears. I am not sure who had more fun? the kids or the adults? We laughed and carried on for hours.

Slave Driver

I am so lucky to have two amazing sisters-in-law. How many people can say that? I actually have more amazing sisters-in-law, but these two worked like egyptian slaves painting my nursery. As previously stated I have been FREAKING out about not being prepared and due to some pregnancy related discomforts felt very overwhelmed by what I typically would have enjoyed doing. Painting. Now mind you, I painted my entire house while John was out of town on a business trip a couple years ago, but the thought of painting one bedroom had me beside myself. Sherri and Alli came to the rescue. I bought all of the supplies and then worked them like rented mules. Here is our photo documentary. They painted the nursery blue and green. Tyler and John put up the chair rail and the trim around the windows, and then I painted the chair rail and window trim. In the end, I love the finished result. It will be super easy for converting into a boy room, I just paint the bottom navy, throw a Star Wars comforter on top, stick glow stars on the ceiling, and we are set!

Before

Another Before


During



A work in progress

Finished with the paint

The window trim and chair rail


The chair rail


I am decorating the room in airplanes. As soon as the room is decorated and ready to go I will post a final photo. I still have the rocker to paint red, and the airplane to put up along with the art work. But the main part of the project is finished. Whew! Thanks to my amazing, fabulous, oober perfectionistic sisters.

Thanks girls.

Blast from the Past!

To say that our house looks like a Hurricane Katrina home victim is an understatement. I don't think the A-bomb created as much of a mess as my house resembles at this moment. John and I have been trying to better organize our space to get ready for the babe. This means; cleaning, de-junking, creating space, and a zillion trips to the D.I. We have moved more furniture than should be legal in the U.S., and is probably illegal in Europe. However, through the course of our "organizing" I came across our pictures of our journey round 1 of becoming parents. I was training for the S.L.C. Marathon when I got sick and hurt my foot only to find out, that due to an allergic reaction to a Mango, a little lovin', and loads of cold medicine, I had become prego.

Here I am 6weeks along with Adessa

When I found out that I was prego, I was shocked and surprised.

I told John with an Easter basket filled with baby stuff.

We decided that our condo was not conducive to a family

and so we packed up, sold the place, and moved out about 2 weeks

before Addie came.

The condo is for sale, I am 6 months along, and am selling it

By owner. The condo sold after 1 month of me showing

it and I spent my last days before school started

cleaning, scrubbing, and hauling boxes.

Ta Da! I managed to do it; sell the condo, move into a storage unit, live with my parents, lose 2houses, start school, and swell up like Jabba the Hut's wife. I wish that it was only my feet that looked like this, but with pre-eclampsia it is all of you.

It is hard to believe that I am currently 1 week away from 32 weeks when I had Adessa. It is all so very surreal and weird. I can't believe how good I feel about this pregnancy and the gratitude I feel for the blessings we received with Adessa being so early and so small. But you know what they say, "Great things come in small packages." This was always one of John's favorite pictures with her in the NICU.

So you would think that I would chill out after what happened last time and not be so insistent about the cleaning, hauling, de-junking, but those who have been prego before know that you have to feel prepared. Last time we ended up not being prepared so I am determined that we shall work like oompa loompa's until this house scintillates! Will's room is nearly finished and the rest of the house is coming along. I think I have about 4 weeks of steady hard work to get where I need to be to feel ready. Deep breaths and lots of Tylenol. Pictures of Will's room yet to come!