Smoothie thief

I tried to like green tea. I drank it every day for weeks, tried it hot, cold... lukewarm, but still had to choke it down.

Why drink it then?

It is amazing stuff! My favorite thing about it is that it helps with water retention, but it is also good for boosting energy (hello caffeine!), assisting weight loss, and it has a host of nutrients in it that are healthy for the body.

I went searching on Pinterest for a way to ingest this stuff without making a face because of the taste. And... I found a Green Tea Smoothie recipe that is sugar free and all around healthy.

I have never been a fan of smoothies, I believe with my first sip I said it tasted like Pepto Bismal... which is ridiculous because I've never actually tasted it. I guess I was being dramatic. 

Anyway, over time, I learned to like it. Actually, I more than just like it now, I can't get enough of the stuff.

And apparently, neither can Mikey. I have let him have a taste a couple of times, and he loves it. When I tried to take a picture of the smoothie yesterday, the little sneak stole it.

Green Tea Smoothie

1/2 of a frozen banana

1/2 cup of frozen strawberries

3 or 4 icecubes

2 donks stevia (or sweetener of your choice)

2 tbsp. yogurt (I use Oikos greek yogurt)

Chilled green tea

- Place ingredients in a blender.

- Add enough green tea to get the desired consistency (I use approx. 2 cups)

- Blend and enjoy!

Per serving: 129 calories; 0.3g fat; 28.6g Carbs, 3.6g fiber; 5g protein

Smashing the cake

I love celebrating first birthdays. In our family, it has always been our tradition to let the birthday boy/girl smash their first birthday cake. It is always fun to see how each little one reacts.

I made Michael an iPhone cake, which looking back, I realize was kind of a strange thing to do for a one year old. But if you know Mikey, you know that he loves buttons, on phones, computers... whatever. So I thought it would be fun to make him a phone that he could actually play with. :)

Anyway... here are the pics!

Michael Gideon

The other day this little cutie was playing outside with his big sisters. He was looking so cute in his mismatched outdoor outfit that I had to stop what I was doing and snap a few pictures. 

As you can tell, he is an extremely happy little one. He loves to goof off and make everyone laugh. 

Today we are celebrating his first birthday! Hard to believe that my baby brother is no longer a baby, but now a toddler (who is always getting into things ;). I love him, so much!

Through their Ages

I was sorting through some pictures last night.

(I seem to be saying that a lot lately. But it is the truth, I am way behind on organizing and editing pictures.)

Anyway, I came across pictures that I took on Nathan and Mikaya's birthday. They are three years and one day apart in age, 

(I had to search for both of them and ask them their ages to figure this out ;))

so they usually have their birthday party on the same day.

When I saw this picture below, it came to my remembrance that Meg had taken an similar picture of them when they were celebrating their birthday together at a younger age.

So, I pulled up some old pictures, and took a little trip down memory lane.

Would you like to come with me??

It is nothing spectacular,

(I seem to be saying that a lot also.)

But it was so stinken' cute that I had to share it with y'all.

Happy Birthday Tooooo Jaden!!!

It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed this adorable little red head into our family.

But today is his fourth birthday!!

Since the day of his birth is drawing to a close, instead of writing any more words, I'll leave you with a select few of the multitude of adorable pictures that we have of him over the years.

Every little smile that you will see is just a reflection of the joy and liveliness that he has brought into our home.

I love you Jaden.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!