Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

We tried this super simple recipe for broccoli tonight and loved it! Will definitely be making it again. This one comes from the Cook This, Not That book.



1 head broccoli, cut into florets with bottom part of stem removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Toss broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet. Roast in oven until tender and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with Parmesan.

Source: Cook This, Not That

First Trimester Screening

We had our first trimester screening for birth defects yesterday. It is a combination of an ultrasound and blood work that checks for the three most common birth defects. It was my first abdominal ultrasound and Justin's first time hearing the heart beat(162 bpm). We got to see the baby wiggle and squirm around, and it also waved it's little hands at us a few times. It was completely awesome! :)

The pictures from the ultrasound didn't come out that great, but here is the best one:



Everything measured within normal range and the blood work should be back by the end of the week. Things are looking great so far! :)

Pool Fun

We've had a couple of hot days here so we decided to break out the kiddie pool we got for the dogs. Yes you read that right. We got the dogs a kiddie pool. They love the water, but the last time they played in the pond they had skin issues. A kiddie pool seemed like a good solution to make sure they could play in clean water. They were a little cautious at first, but then they started romping around and played for about an hour before we made them go to the kennel to dry off.


Bo loves the water more than anyone else, so he was the first to jump in.


Moose had to taste it first.


Pinky looked like she was bobbing for apples when she was trying to get her tennis ball after it filled with water and sank.


They looked at her like she was nuts when she'd go under to get the ball.



Moose was impressed with her skills. Bo was convinced the ball was still down there.


Sadie wasn't as crazy about it so she mostly just dipped her paws in or gulped up water.


Bo was the typical big brother and had to splash everyone.


So glad the warm weather is here! We went window shopping for privacy fencing, grills, and patio furniture today. We will hopefully have something that resembles a backyard soon!

Vacation Pictures

It just dawned on my that I never posted pictures from our vacation. I honestly didn't take that many because I kept forgetting to pull the camera out. I will say that the 20 hour road trip there was a pain in the butt, but CO is beautiful! We had a relaxing time and it was nice to be just the two of us.

We went to Garden of The Gods, which was beautiful(and free!). A lot of the mountain attractions were closed due to snow, but we did drive through Rocky Mountain National Park and it is also beautiful. We toured the Budweiser brewery which was pretty awesome! I am amazed at how they find a purpose for just about every kind of waste they produce. The Clydesdale's are neat to see too! We also acted like big kids and played some mini golf, and then wasted a couple hours in an arcade.

This pregnant girls favorite activity may have been getting to eat at Chick-Fil-A twice! We so need one of those around here. Waffle fries = love.

It was no April Fools!

The title is referring to this picture:



We're having a baby! I got a positive home pregnancy test on April 1st, and Justin and I joked about how awful it would be if that were some kind of April Fools false positive. Several blood tests and ultrasounds later, we are definitely pregnant. :)

We had several early ultrasounds due to the fertility treatment and the fact that I bled and cramped early on. Everything has looked great each time and I am no longer considered higher risk!

5 weeks


6 weeks, where we first saw/heard the heartbeat.


7 weeks. Heart rate was 144 at this ultrasound.


9 weeks

Chicken Nuggets

This is another Skinnytaste recipe and it is awesome! These chicken nuggets are super quick and easy, and delicious! This will definitely be a regular meal at our house.




Baked Chicken Nuggets
16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp panko
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Put olive oil in one bowl and panko, breadcrumbs and parmesan in another bowl. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Put chicken in bowl with olive oil and mix until evenly coated. Add chicken a few pieces at a time to breadcrumb mixture and coat well. Place on baking sheet and lightly spray the top with olive oil spray. Bake 8-10 minutes, turn and bake another 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.

Source: Skinnytaste

April showers bring...me a beautiful lawn!

I'm hoping anyway. We have spent the past two evenings digging up what is going to be the back yard and planting seed. We finally finished it tonight. I am hoping that we end up with a nice green lawn by summer!

Justin getting the thingy off the trailer



Working hard, ripping up the lumpy, gross grass/weeds that were there.



From here we smoothed it out, spread the seed and watered it. By we, of course, I mean Justin.



As a random side note, I really like this picture I snapped of the pond. It looks peaceful to me.