Bizzaro World

Did I wake up on another planet today?

Elli Grace is refusing to nap, although I can't complain, she's pretty darn content.

Annelise couldn't wait to get to her bed. In fact, we skipped lunch, plopped her under the covers and she giggled with excitement. I feel like that sometimes.

Now, I'm enjoying my tea, working on a few design projects and wondering what bizzaro thing is going to happen next.

Happy Hump Day!

Does it get any cuter than this?

Got My Ears Pierced...

And I hardly even cried.

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My First Black Eye

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Wellness Day

Today was a day of doctor appointments for the Neal family. Daddy was the only one exempt. I went to the doctor today for an ear appointment. Long story short, I will need to have reconstructive surgery on my right ear very soon. It is outpatient, 3 hours long, and usually requires 10 days recovery. You can be praying for me over the next few weeks as I have a CT scan to determine how extensive the surgery will be and the scheduling.

In better news, Annelise and Elli both saw the doctor today and received wonderful reports. At two years old, Annelise is in the 10th percentile for height and weight - 24 pounds and 32 inches. The doctor thinks her mature adult height will be 5'4". I think that means her lifelong nickname is going to be peanut.

Elli on the other hand is measuring in the 75th percentile - 14 pounds...and I can't remember her length. Either way, she's healthy and growing.

I love these girls and am so thankful for a wonderful insurance plan that costs us nothing in way of premiums and only a copay for office visits. I'm also praising the Lord for healthy children!

Two Years Old

Happy Birthday my sweet baby girl. Two years ago today, you entered our world, bright-eyed and curious.

Not much has changed today, except you're feet taller, much smarter and growing more beautiful by the minute.

We love your fiery spirit and the laughter you've brought to our home. Thank you for being a wonderful blessing from the Lord - you've already taught us so much. We love you!

Another One Bites the Dust

Ok, maybe not the most appropriate title to describe this post, but honestly, it was the first thing that came to mind.

My baby sister is getting married!

She's the last one of us to get married off...and my parents couldn't be more thrilled. I'm sure they hear freedom ringing in their ears this morning. Ha!

All kidding aside, we adore her fiance, Jasper Swaney, and can't wait for him to be part of our family. Congrats love birds!

34 Years

That's how old this handsome man is today.

He was a strapping 25 when I met him.

We were married three years later. (Yes, I married him, even after the above photo.)

And I have never looked back since.

Happy Birthday, Matthew. I love you.

3 1/2 Months

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Grab that Shovel

Monday is always a digging out day for me. We love having daddy home on the weekends, but somehow my house always pays the price. Dishes piled up on the sink, dirty diapers scattered throughout the nursery, unlaundered clothes begging to be...well, laundered. You get the idea.

So, I'm grabbing my shovel and digging us out. It could take all day.

In other news, January is a big birthday month for us. Annelise turns 2 and Matt joins her in celebrating his 34th year. Wow.

Since Annelise needs absolutely nothing (in fact, I should GIVE AWAY items in honor of her birthday), we decided to buy a Nintendo Wii. We're not a video game family by any means. That was evident in my purchasing the game console.

"Now, does it come with everything we need to play it? And what if I need help hooking it up?"

But, we do enjoy family time at home, but are often at a loss for what to do. Well, this weekend was spent at home, enjoying a few friendly bowling matches and a boxing round that was sure to give me a sore arm this morning.

Happy Birthday Matt and Annelise...and mommy...and Elli Grace...and well, it was a good purchase.

Annelise - 2 Years Old

For my memories...

Annelise turns two this month and is growing by leaps and bounds. She is at a very fun stage of life - we enjoy laughing with her and at her often! Here are a few of her recent milestones.

• She can sing her ABC's - well at least the correct tune, even if not all the letters.
• She recognizes most shapes - square, circle, heart, star and sometimes oval and rectangle.
• Colors are a challenge for her. Most things start out being "pink and red" until we correct her.
• She loves to eat "ca-cakes" for breakfast and uses utensils very well.
• Each morning when she wakes up, she drags her blankie and bear-bear out of her room and promptly asks, Where did Daddy go? The answer is usually, He's workin' or He's sleepin' in da bed.
• Lately, she has begun to speak in complete sentences, though most things are still incoherent.
• She loves Elli Grace and often wants to hold her or bounce her seat. She is a big helper to mommy.
• Running circles around the house is one of her favorite pastimes - and she regularly asks to watch toonies, though the answer is most always not right now.
• Inevitably, despite her irregular cartoon watching, Dora Boots and Kai Lan are favorites and she loves to sing the Wonder Pets theme song.

We look forward to celebrating her two years of life this next week!

Life Goes On

With the start of a new year brought back a familiar reality. The holidays were wonderful - and we certainly enjoyed our time as a family - but there's sweet comfort in routine for us. Daddy is back to school, mommy is back to work and both girls are celebrating the hiring of their Aunt Sarah as nanny a few days a week.

Going back to work was certainly not as much of a challenge as I thought it would be - after three months off. Two days a week is perfect and I still have the ability to do a few things from home. I am blessed.

Chicken & Spinach Stromboli

Ok, so as we were eating this scrumptious dinner tonight, my husband said...

"This is good.  You're probably going to blog about it, right?"  Hmph, well yes!  But only so I remember the recipe in a few weeks when I crave it.  And to share with you all.

2 C cubed chicken

• I used a chunk of roasted chicken breast (deli meat).  It was pre-seasoned and probably made a huge difference in the taste of this recipe.  So, if you use plain chicken breast, add some extra seasoning of your choice.
  

2 C chopped fresh spinach

1 C vegetable of your choice (I used green pepper, but mushroom may have been good too.)

1 garlic clove pressed

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 loaf white bread dough (I used frozen dough from the store.)

2 C mozzarella cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl.  Set aside for 20 minutes to rest.

Spread thawed bread dough on greased 9x13 inch pan.

Place chicken mixture along center of dough.  Cover with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Cut equal slits along outside of dough and pull up to braid across.  Pinch at top and ends.

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.