Momma's gots a new toy!

Oh yeah.. I got a new camera! I am SO excited about it too. It is a Nikon D40 SLR. LOVE IT! And right before vacation too. I can just imagine all the great pictures I will be able to take! Of my girls, the sights, and what ever just suits me at the time.

And another Oh Yeah for Vacation, TOMORROW! We are leaving town around 10:30 or so. We rented a house and we will be spending 8 nights there. Love that too. I very much need some time off work. I did have to sweet talk my Mom into coming to my house to pick all of the tomatoes & zucchini we have growing.I went out this afternoon to pick them and got a bowl full and 5 zucchinis. She is being paid in, yup, tomatoes & zucchini!
(this picture was taken with my new camera)

That's it for now. I will post pics & stories after we get back!

WOW!

I have been so busy these last couple of weeks.. I guess Blogging has been one of the last things on my mind. One thing that has kept me busy is watching one of my favorite things. The Olympics! I love watching them. Especially the swimming. And WOW can you believe what Michael Phelps just accomplished? That is totally and completely awesome! Granted it wasn't all him. Those relays. Man, Jason Lezack.. He deserves a WOW too. Swimming in the Olympics was always a HUGE dream of mine that I obviously never achieved. But I love the thought that maybe one or all of my daughters will one day be an Olympian. Can you just imagine the PRIDE the parents of the Olympic athletes must feel? Their hearts must just constantly feel like bursting from it. I know I feel like that with things my daughters do. Like Maddy going into the 1st grade. I know every kid goes to the 1st grade.. But every kid isn't my kid. Or Alex. She is so smart, and I am just so proud to be her mom. Not to leave out Peyton. I am just tickled that she is crawling everywhere and cruising around the furniture. It's like she is going to take off walking at any minute. At only 8 months! In all honesty, I think I feel more pride in being a mom then I would ever have felt as an Olympian. And I want to be the kind of parent that her kids feel safe with, who feel like they can come to with any kind of problem. That will make me feel SO accomplished. So anyways..

We are also Off on Vacation next week! Yay for 8 nights in Sunriver! We love that place. It is so relaxing, and fun too. Maddy is, I think, more excited then I am about it. She was upstairs for a while on Saturday, and I didn't know what she was up to, so I called her down. When I asked what she was doing, she replies with,
Maddy: "packing for Sunriver in 7 days"
Me: "oh yeah, what did you pack?"
Maddy: "Uh, 8 pairs of pants, 8 pairs of shorts, 8 long sleeve shirts, 8 short sleeve shirts, 8 tank tops,8 dresses, 8 skirts, 8 pairs of panties, 8 pairs of socks; 5 swim suits; my swim suit cover up, my goggles, my hat, my sunglasses, my iPod, and uh, I think thats it."
Me: "Oh..Thats alot of stuff, did it all fit?"
Maddy: "Yeah, but Alex is stronger then I am, because she had to zip my bag up when I sat on it"
Me: "Ah, I see. Do you think that maybe you will need some of that stuff this week?"
Maddy: "No, I don't think so."
Me: "Mmmm. Ok kiddo."

So, needless to say, she is ready for vacation!

I will try to post once more before we go if I find the time. Check back later! S

Swimming Lessons!

The big girls had their very 1st swimming lesson today! They were so very excited to start learning how to swim. And yes, for all who know me, this is truly pathetic of me, the swimmer, one who spent 12 years of her life on the swim team. The one who lived and breathed swimming. Who broke her foot and still swam in 3 races in the High School State Championship finals. The one who actually TAUGHT swimming lessons. To wait until her oldest was 6 years old before getting her into swimming lessons. I saw my one of my old swim coaches/boss/mentors there, and he looked at me and said "these couldn't be Stacey Murphy's girls. If they were they would know how to swim by now." This would be the same man who dubbed me "Spacey Stacey" at age 7.. Granted it was and is still true to a certain extent. I would sort of just zone out, uh I mean really focus, sometimes. I think my oldest might take after me.. If you watch the slideshow I am sure you will pick out the picture I am talking about. 8-0



All in all, my girls did GREAT! Maddy did have a scared moment, but she worked her self out of it pretty quick. Alex is just a natural. Future Olympians? We'll just have to see!

Yummmm...

I have decided to start posting some of my favorite (easy) dinners. Last night I made something I don't have a name for.. So lets call it Stove top enchiladas.

Take:
1.25 lbs ground turkey (or any ground meat if you please)
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
1 can of corn (mostly drained)
1 pkg taco seasoning
5 or 6 flour tortilla (burrito sized) cut up
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground turkey, drain. Back on the stove top in the skillet used to brown the meat add taco seasoning to browned ground turkey. Mix. Add the soups & mostly drained corn. Mix. Add cut up flour torillas. Mix. Top with shredded cheese. Let cheese melt & serve! So yummy and easy too..

An Alex dinner prayer

Every night before we eat dinner we always bless our food. And more often then not its the girls who are saying said blessings. Here is an example of an Alex prayer..

Alex: "Deaw Jesus, Thank you for all dis yummy food. Momma, whats dis called wight here?"
Me(with one eye on her plate looking to see what she is pointing too): "Pork roast, sweetie."
Alex: "for the powk woast. Momma, what is dis one?"
Me(again looking at her plate): "Mashed Potato's."
Alex: "and for the mashed tomatoes. What is dis part momma?"
Me(once again looking up): "That would be corn on the cob"
Alex: "oh, and the corn cob. Oh and my yummy milk, can't fowget the milk. Oh wait I hab water. Oh and I guess thank you for Peyton's food too. And her milk from Momma's b.."
Me: "OK, ALEX... Time to wrap it up kiddo"
Alex: "uh, dear Jesus, Amen"