Vacationing with Vinny!

 Who is Vinny? Well Vinny is the vintage trailer! I have to credit my mom for that name idea, and we feel like it fits pretty well! We bought it a couple of weeks ago (read about it here) and went on the hunt for an SUV shortly after. It took us a few days of searching but we finally found a nice used SUV that could tow our new toy! It is a 2005 Ford Explorer 4x4. It has 3rd row seating, towing package, 4 wheel drive, and is in great shape! Nick was pretty happy with all of the under-the-hood things so that is all that matters. Insurance on it is super cheap and it is nice knowing we have a 4x4 during bad weather.

Literally the day after we got the truck we headed out to Lake Thunderbird for our maiden voyage! We just had a short night trip there with the camper as a sort of test run to see how it towed, how comfy it was, what the campground was like, what we would want to bring for next time, etc.

 There were a few other campers there but they were the ginormous RVs that cost as much as my house. Each spot had it's own picnic table, grill, and fire pit! We parked and plugged in, then I commissioned Brad to help me collect sticks for the fire.

There were several trails so we went wondering around and looking at the lake until the sun went down.

 

 I got the fire going at dusk and we all sat around it roasting hotdogs and marshmallows until we ran out of sticks! Brad had a blast and was worn out by bedtime. He fell asleep in about 10 minutes! Nick and I stayed outside by the fire enjoying some quiet time in the dark for awhile longer.

 

 I did not anticipate the night temperatures being as cold as they were--we were freezing! Brad had a warm fleece blanket and slept soundly, but Nick and I just had a thin blanket and didn't get much sleep at all. We all woke up pretty early the next morning and started to pack up and head home after coffee. I had to work that next day, and Brad had to go to school so we weren't able to stay and enjoy the lake very long!

I found a cute little coffee pot just for the camper! I have been getting creative with storage tips and tricks for camping too.

 

We had a blast for our first family camping trip and of course Brad can't wait to go again. When the weather gets warmer and we can swim in the lake it will be much more fun.

We actually took the camper out again this week, but on a much longer trip--to my inlaws! They live in Foster, OK which is about 80 miles from where I live. The trailer hauled like a champ with no issues (despite 30mph wind gusts) and we parked right outside the house. They threw us an extension cord and made ourselves at home. We stayed inside chatting until bedtime then Nick and I retired to the camper. Brad insisted on sleeping inside with his favorite cousin. We stayed much warmer this time around and packed a better blanket! In the morning we headed inside for breakfast and coffee then headed home to unpack before school and work again. His parents loved having us overnight, and I'm sure we'll do it again soon!

 

Moving Right Along!

With TTC that is! This morning I went in for my baseline US and blood work. I also spoke with my doctor's IVF coordinator and got my booklet of info and consent forms to sign. I'm pretty excited about it and curious how much has changed since our first time 6 years ago. I am keeping my hope levels in neutral as long as I can while being realistic and optimistic at the same time.

I feel like this time around I will have a little less anxiety since I will already know how it works, what to expect, how I'm going to feel (emotionally and physically), and the fact that I have one successful cycle under my belt. Unfortunately I also know that each cycle is different and it may not work for us this time. We may not have any embryos to freeze again, and we may come home with empty arms and an empty bank account.

We take these risks because we have faith in God's plan for our family, and we feel like this is where He has led us at this point in time.

My next appointment will be next month for another consultation with my doctor, then I will start meds in June!!! Please keep us in your prayers.

Check Out Our New Toy....

Yes we finally found one that was right for us! I have been looking for a vintage camper for several months now and was getting a bit disheartened that I hadn't found a good lead yet. Usually if everything looked in decent condition there would be a problem with the tag, title, or price. There definitely aren't that many of these around here, and they sell quickly when posted online. I happend upon this on on craigslist and was able to look at it (and buy it!) the same day!

It is a 1968 Playmor and has pretty much been redone inside and out! It is ready to take camping as soon as we bring it home. It is just what I was looking for--small with two bed, a mini-kitchen, and no bathroom. I didn't want a bathroom because I don't want to deal with "holding tank" nastiness. The only bad thing is that this one didn't come with a fridge but it does have a spot for one and it should be easy to find. It is very clean will fit nicely in our driveway. We are bringing it home on Saturday!

The other thing we have to do pretty quickly now is sell Nick's PT Cruiser and buy an SUV to pull the trailer with! We have already found several potential ones that he is going to check into tomorrow. I can't wait to take it out soon for our first family camping trip!!!!

Checking In

I just realized that I haven't written a post in 3 weeks! Life just runs away with you when you let it. Nothing really big has happened but we are getting close to some! In 2 months we take a nine day European trip to 4 countries. In 3 months my little boy turns 5, and in 4 months we will once more pursue IVF. Right now is kind of a limbo between calmness and our life possibly changing in a huge way.

Bradley is growing by leaps and bounds! He has gotten very good at reading and sounding out simple words. Every where we go he points out words that he can read. He loves books and LOVES school. He was pretty sad during spring break when he had to stay home. We went to his parent-teacher conference a couple of weeks ago and his teacher said the only thing he needs help with is his social interaction....ha! Just like his momma and daddy. He is still learning how to control his emotions and how to interact with several children, but I told his teacher it is not something we can work on at home because we don't have other kids! He is already enrolled in Kindergarten and will be in school all day in August! I know he will love it.

I am still doing both recovery room and ICU nursing. It is working out well so far and has really helped me get more hours in at work. I love having my life back since I cut way back on how much call I take and have actually turned my pager OFF. I went from being on call around 15 days per month down to about 3-4 days per month.

We are all looking forward to the springtime and I have already started some seeds indoors. I don't have a green thumb by any means so I'm hoping that at least a few sprout! Not too much longer and I will be planting lots of pretty things outside when the nights warm up a bit more.

Thank you for reading!

Super Easy Homemade Slice and Bake Cookies

 This isn't so much a "recipe" as it is a neat trick! My first time trying this turned out just as I imagined so I thought I would share it for anyone else out there interested in making homemade food a little easier.

First you take any of your favorite cookie recipes and double it. When it is all mixed up and ready to drop onto the cookie sheet you stop and divide it in half. Take a large piece of plastic wrap and plop one of the halves onto it. Then you fold the wrap over the mound and start to work it into a log shape. It will be very soft and squishy so just work with it until it is a log then cover it all up with the plastic wrap. Write the temperature and time that it needs to bake (and what kind of cookie it is!) then throw it in the freezer! It should look like this:

The roll I baked today had been frozen around 3 months and tasted just fine. I probably would not recommend freezing longer than 6 months for taste. When you are ready to bake, take it directly out of the freezer and unwrap it. While your oven is preheating you just slice it up into 1/2" thick rounds and place on a cookie sheet. You will need to bake it a few minutes longer than the original recipe (because they are frozen) so keep a close eye. Cool on a cookie sheet like normal and enjoy!!

 This is the perfect way to have cheap homemade cookies with almost ZERO effort. I have started doing this any time I make cookie dough. This batch pictured is peanut butter cookies, and I also have a log of chocolate chip cookies frozen. Homemade is best!

Easy Stuffed Mushroom Caps

I am not usually one for mushrooms but as I have gotten older I have tried to be more open minded about them. I have come to realize that it is not a flavor issue, but more of a texture issue. I don't really like the sponginess of them however I do eat them more now than I used to. This brings me to stuffed mushrooms!

I made these for the first time a few weeks ago when I had family over for dinner. These white crimini mushrooms go on sale frequently at my local Aldi for only .79 so I couldn't pass them up to try a new recipe! I didn't really end up using a "recipe" but winged it and did my own thing. They were a huge hit so I am making them again today for a big birthday dinner.

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

2 packs 8oz crimini mushrooms

1/4 c Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 c shredded cheddar

2 tbs grated Parmesan

Wash and dry the mushrooms. Gently remove the stems and keep most of them (about 3/4).  Put them in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are minced. In bowl add minced stems and remaining ingredients. Blend well with fork.

 

Using a small spoon, scoop a spoonful of stuffing and gently compress with your fingers into opening of each mushroom cap. Don't push too hard or the caps will break!

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and caps are tender. You can also put in the fridge after you stuff them to bake later!

There are several variations on stuffed mushrooms but this was just a quick and easy version that I came up with for the ingredients I had on hand. A delicious dish for only $1.60? Yes please!

TTC Update

It's not a big update, but an update nonetheless! You may remember from my last post about TTC that we are scheduled for IVF in August. Well I got the fever and called yesterday to bump it up to July! I was going to do June but it won't work since we will be out of the country for the first week of June.

The plan is for me to call next month with my day 1 to schedule a baseline US and blood work. I will start BCP and shots in June, then stims and IVF in July! I know it will be here before we know it so I'm trying to be patient. That gives us 3 solid months for nature to do her thing before we have to take the plunge and blow our savings on in vitro again......

My Preschooler

This post is all about my big boy and how much fun he has at school! He just loves school, and I love watching him learn something new everyday and interact with other kids. It has really helped him learn structure, communication, interpersonal relationships, and not to mention academics! He is already reading simple words and knows how to sound out many other. I know when he starts kindergarten and gets serious about reading he will pick it up in no time. I was a huge reader when I was younger and caught on very quickly. I would check out tons of books at our library, then stay up all night reading them by nightlight!

We got his class picture in his school folder last week and it is adorable! He is seated on the front row with a HUGE smile on his face.

Last Friday was his school Valentine's Day party and I was one of the helpers. Nick and I showed up early with cupcakes and pretzels, and helped the other moms get each setting ready for the little ones to come back from recess. Brad had fun filling out his cards before school.....

The kids got lots of yummy snacks at the party, and of course there was a lot of chocolate involved too!

 

I can't believe his first year of school will be over in just a few short months, then before we know it he will be starting full-day kindergarten! I know he will love it and learn so much. My, how the time flies!

Life and Stuff

Things have been staying pretty busy around here. I am sooooo very glad our kitchen is done and everyone who has seen it in person just loves it. I am proud of the hard work we put into it! Now we can rest and enjoy the fruits of our labor--at least until our next project!

One big thing that is new is my job! No, I didn't change jobs, more like added on to it. I still work in the recovery room, but I have also started working a night shift in the ICU once a week. I do it for many reasons--extra hours, the experience, new environment, different routine. I did ICU at my old hospital for 5 1/2 years but I have been out of it for 2 1/2 years and was ready to ease myself back in. I don't have any intentions of relocating but I am keeping all doors open! It seemed like the manager of the ICU was happy to have someone with a lot of valuable experience among the new grads.

It is a little difficult switching from night shift to day shift but I would SO much rather stay up all night than have to get up before dawn and be gone all day. No thank you! This is also enabling me to FINALLY cut back on all of the call I take in the recovery room. For the last 3 years I have been taking up to 15 days per month of call--with most of those being weekends which are 24hr call days. Being on call for the recovery room basically means that I can get called in to work as many times as they need me, for as long or as little as they need. There have been days where I was called in 3 separate times! I drive about 50 miles roundtrip each time I go to work so that really adds up on my odometer and gas tank. I will happily pass the torch to all of the other nurses who want it! Starting next month, I am only signed up for 2 days of call :) I will have my life back!

I recently got a membership at a local gym with my mom (that was one of my birthday presents to her). We have been several times together and it is so much fun to work out next to each other! We can easily spend a hour and half trying out different machines and chit-chatting. They are opening a branch close to my house so I will be going with Nick occasionally also while Brad is in school.

We have gotten a few snow storms here in the last couple of weeks and the Pierces have really enjoyed it! Brad was very upset when his school got cancelled for 2 days, but he still had a great time playing in the snow and making snow angels. We drank hot cocoa, built a fire in the fireplace, and ate hot soup. We don't get very much winter weather around here so we enjoyed it while we could! My poor little chicken had to stay cooped up in our garage with a heating pad for almost 2 weeks because most of the nights were below freezing. Some nights had a windchill of below 0! It is warming up now and supposed to be in the 60s this weekend so the chicken is back outside and we are going to open our windows! Such crazy weather in Oklahoma.

In other news we are counting down to our big Europe trip! Only 3 more months!! I am very excited to go and can't wait to see all of the new places and people. I am a little intimidated since we won't have the comfort and security of a tour guide but I know we will be just fine.

Thank you for reading, and check back later!

Kitchen Remodel: COMPLETE! Before and After Pics + Total $ Spent/Saved

The moment of truth is finally here! Our DIY kitchen facelift is finished and it was a success! You can start at the beginning here and read about each step of the way. I am happy to share the official before and after pictures!

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

BEFORE

 AFTER

 

BEFORE

AFTER

Here is everything we did:

1. Removed old oven and stovetop and replaced with ceramic top range
2. Installed custom cabinet where old oven was
3. Installed custom shelves for cookbooks
4. Replaced microwave
5. Replaced fluorescent light over sink with pendant light
6. Replaced all knobs and drawer pulls
7. Rebuilt vent hood over range
8. Painted and antiqued all cabinets and drawers
9. Relaminated countertops
10. Tiled backsplash
11. New outlet covers

I think that about sums it up! Now for the best part--how much did we save? I will break down the cost of each step followed by a conservative estimate of how much it would cost for a contractor to have done it instead.

Step 1, 2, and 3: My new range was $379 (on sale + coupon) and we payed Nick's dad $300 to help us with the custom carpentry and electrical wiring. ((contractor estimate apprx $1500))

Step 4: New microwave $65

Step 5 and 6: Pendant light and knobs/drawer pulls found online for $75

Step 7: Free! Nick did it. ((New vent hood was $400))

Step 8: The paint kit we bought was $150 ((contractor paint estimate apprx $1000))

Step 9: New laminate and glue was $400 and we paid Nick's dad $200 to help us. ((contractor estimate to replace counters apprx $1000))

Step 10: Tile and supplies were $240 ((contractor estimate apprx $600))

Step 11: We spray painted the existing covers with bronze metallic paint for $5 ((New outlet covers $35))

Grand total for DIY =  $1,814

Total *conservative* estimate for contractor = $4,675

I can happily say we have an modern and updated kitchen now for LESS than $2000. Thank you for following along our latest project!

Kitchen Remodel Phase IV: Tile Backsplash

We have finally started the LAST phase of our kitchen updates! The last post I made here was Phase III where we finished the countertops right before Thanksgiving. Our intentions were to finish the backsplash and be done before Christmas.....needless to say things did not work out that way because the holiday season is crazy! So early in January we regrouped and came up with a plan of action. God bless my sister-in-law Teri for loaning us her wet saw and tiling supplies! We officially picked out our tiles but discovered that the 1/4 round tile we wanted for a transition piece had to be ordered. They told us it would take 2 weeks to come in but ended up taking 3.....we picked it up last week and got to work!

Here is a reminder of the "before" shot with white laminate backsplash all around.....

A few things I want to state before going on--we have never done tile work before. We basically watched tons of videos and how-tos online to teach ourselves the tricks. We did not remove the laminate but we did sand it. The counters are not the most level (which we discovered while relaminating them) and neither is the backsplash. Nick was afraid that regular mastic (used to adhere the tile to the wall) would not stick well to the laminate so he decided we should use Liquid Nails....don't judge!

We have 3 walls that have a backsplash--two are pretty long, and one is shorter and hidden beside the fridge. We started with that short wall just in case anything messed up and so we could get used to the routine.

First we glued down a row of the 1/4 round black tile as our transitional piece. They are 6" wide and 1" tall. This took a couple of hours because we had to figure out how to use the wet saw, how we wanted to glue, if we wanted to go from left to right or vice versa.....we may or may not have argued a bit....The next day we glued the 1/4 round tile along the rest of the edges on the other 2 sides, then came back on the short wall (that was now dry) and began the row of our 6x6 tile.

We immediately encountered some pesky outlets and switches to cut around but thanks to my crafty mind we did that without troubles. I measured/traced the outline, and he cut.

On the long wall above our kitchen sink we had to maneuver around outlets AND a wonky window sill which left us with a tile that had to be cut like this.....

When we moved the stove out I had to get creative because there was no counter for the tiles to line up with and rest on while drying. I nailed our level onto the wall and used that for my temporary "counter" to maintain my straight line across the wall.

The weather was so cold the last couple of days that the water froze in the lines of our wet saw! We had to postpone tiling until today when it was a bit warmer. We finished up the last few 6x6 tiles on one wall then began the strip of mosaic tiles! They are a combination of stone, metal, and glass tiles that go perfectly with our new kitchen. They cut much quicker than the porcelain tiles and are almost like fitting a jigsaw puzzle together! We are saving every little piece that gets cut off to use for filling in gaps around edges and outlets. The mosaic tile was the most expensive of all the tile so we don't have any room for mistakes on it.

Today we finished the mosaic tile on two of the walls, and ran out of glue before we could finish the third long wall. Tomorrow we will get back to it and start on the next row of more 6x6 tiles. I am off this weekend and hoping that we will get it DONE.