Eight is Great!

I started writing this blog last Sunday night, and I'm just now getting around to finishing it.  Karsyn is keeping me busy, but I'm loving every minute!
May is always a fun month for us.  There's May Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and our most importantly, our Anniversary.

We were married on May 15, 2004.  It was a beautiful ceremony and  the second best day of my life.  We were such babies.  I had just turned 23, and Justin was 22.  What can I say, I like 'em young.  (only by a few months, so calm it down with the cradle-robber thoughts)  The last eight years have been very memorable.  Some days it seems like only yesterday, and others it seems like an eternity, but overall it's been great.  Here are a few fun, useless facts about Justin and I and our eight years of marriage.
In the last 8 years, we have:
-Lived in 2 houses 1) on Greenbrook Rd. in Browns Summit  2) on High Rock Rd. in Gibsonville
-Changed jobs 8 times (me 5 times, and Justin 3)
Now I know that sounds like I'm not very career stable, but that's SO NOT THE CASE.  I'm not the kind of person that can stay in a dead-end job.  If for some reason I am unhappy at a job, and don't see it improving, I'll find something better.  And in each case I have.  I do what's best for Justin and I.
-Had 5 pets (4 dogs, 1 cat) ...and we've birthed a litter of 7 puppies, and successfully found homes for
all of them
-Had 9 different vehicles (still have 4)
-Bought our first home
-Had our first child, WHOM WE ADORE!
-Traveled out of the country twice, once to Jamaica and once to Mexico
-Each have been hospitalized once.  Justin for his eye accident, and me for childbirth
Like I said, these are useless, but may appear interesting to some.
Normally, we try to take a little trip on our anniversary, but the last two years we've been unable to go anywhere.  Last year, I was three months pregnant(and not feeling too swift), and this year I am the mother of an almost-6 month old. So taking a trip is not as easy as it used to be.  Even though we didn't go any place, it was still special.  The 15th was on a Tuesday, so we decided to celebrate the weekend before.  My Mom offered to keep Karsyn and allow us to go out and sleep in (which is a term that no longer exists in our home).  After much thought, we agreed, and let our baby spend the night away from us!  She did great though, as I knew she would.  She was in good hands with Meme and Papa.
After work on Friday, we dropped K off at my parents, and then proceeded to enjoy a nice dinner, and even a movie.  We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Red Lobster, and then went and saw The Avengers.  We did miss Karsyn, but we had a wonderful time.

Now I already know that a lot of you are wondering if our "baby-free night" led to the creation of baby #2.
Well....
It didn't.
After we got home from our wonderful evening, we went straight to bed, and as soon as our heads hit the pillows we were both out.  I don't even think either of our sheets touched at all that night.  It's amazing how a little girl so small can wear two adults completely OUT.
We definitely want more children, but we're going to give Karsyn our sole attention for a little while longer! (plus we're still making payments on Karsyn!)
The Sunday after our date night was Mother's Day.  Karsyn woke up at 6am (just like any other day), and I fed her, and tried to get her to lay down a little longer before it was time to get ready for church. She drank her milk and then went back to sleep for about 30 minutes.  When she woke up again, Justin went and got her, and brought her in our bedroom, I looked up and there was my beautiful baby wearing a Pandora necklace!  He did so good.  Pandora is known for their charm bracelets, but since I'm on the computer all day, a bracelet isn't comfortable for me.  So Justin chose the necklace. (which was a good choice)  I love it and it's something that I can cherish and remember that I got it for my first Mother's Day.

Mother's Day and our Anniversary were both wonderful this year.  I'm so thankful to have such an awesome hubby.  He's so thoughtful, and is so good with Karsyn.  We are both lucky to have him.

Karsyn is growing like a weed.  Everyday, I love her more and more!  Here are some of her latest pics...

She's getting longer and is now able to touch the bottom of her exersaucer

Sleeping with her babies

Just as cute as ever!

                                          

                                                        All smiles when it's cereal time

Tastes good!

We like it when things taste good.  Obviously.  Since we've started introducing Karsyn to semi-solids, I've  gained a better appreciation of when things actually do taste good.  Having to feed her with a spoon takes a little more time than just giving her the bottle, which limits my time for cooking our own dinner.  I know all of you think that I go home at night, throw on my apron and "do the June Cleaver."  NOT!
Now don't get me wrong, I AM NOT COMPLAINING.
What I'm trying to say is that I can't put forth as much effort to our dinners.  We try to plan in advance what we're going to have for the week.  This helps us out in two ways.  First of all, it helps the pocketbook. We've found that if we make out a list, and stick to it, we don't spend as much at the grocery store.  Secondly, it helps us time-wise.  We can do some of the prep work ahead of time, and then just cook it the night of.
My last post was about Karsyn and her food, but this post is about our food.  Here's our most recent "fast favorite".  I call it Chicken Broccoli Casserole, and it is SO DELICIOUS!
Ingredients

3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Boiled, Seasoned & Shredded)
[Mama proclaims that boiling a chicken with a bone in it tastes better, but for time-sake, we use boneless-skinless]
3 C. Cooked Rice
2-3 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup (Justin likes it with extra soup so we use 3 cans) (Sometimes I used 2 cans Cream of Chicken, and 1 can Cream of Celery)
2 Tbs. Mayonnaise (Believe me, it's good, it adds a little ZING!)
1 Package Frozen Broccoli Florets, cooked.  (I use the "Steam in Bag" variety, it saves time)
2 C. Shredded Cheddar or Colby Jack Cheese
1/4 C. Seasoned Breadcrumbs (optional)
1 Tbs. Margarine (optional)

Basically, I combine the shredded chicken with 2 cans of soup & mayo, set aside.  I put the rice in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish, and then top with the chicken/soup/mayo mixture.  I then sprinkle a little cheese on top of the chicken mixture, then top with the cooked broccoli.  I make sure to use only the floret of the broccoli, NO STEMS.  Next, I spread the remaining soup on top of the broccoli, and then top with the remaining cheese.  The breadcrumb step is an option, but adds a whole other layer of flavor.  I sprinkle about a 1/4 C. of seasoned breadcrumbs over the top, and then put a little margarine over the top (only about a Tbs.)
Cook on 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly.

Believe me, it's FANTASTIC!
It's totally okay to stray away from the ingredients.  This is a "To-Taste" recipe.  Make it up as you go.  That's what I did.  Leftovers are awesome too.

Did I mention that it tastes good?