Healthy Snack Alternatives

Banana & Vanilla Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup of vanilla lowfat yogurt
1 tsp. honey (optional)
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of chopped nuts or a nutty cereal ( I use either chopped walnuts or Grape-Nuts cereal.)

You can also add strawberries!

Chop up banana into large chunks. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for about 2 minutes. Pour into cup. Sprinkle a little ground nutmeg and nuts on top. Enjoy! This definitely satisfies the need for sweet.

Kids Snack Tray that moms can enjoy too!

Sliced peppers- You can use green, yellow, or red.
Sweet tomatoes-sliced small for kids
Hummus- Homemade is healthier, but  premade is good too.
Gala apples-Cut into small pieces for kids


Hope you try and enjoy these! I'm getting ready to try a new sandwich for the kids. I plan on making panini's using whole wheat bread, low-fat cream cheese, and strawberry preserves (no added sugar). I 'm hoping the panini will be a hit too!

Shawna

Happy Birthday Tim!

Happy 29^th Birthday to my husband!

In Makayla's words, "Happy to you daddy!" She meant Happy Birthday to you! :-)

So cute and I love that Jackson is trying to climb up to.

This was the day after Jackson's surgery so he was still not feeling great...he wanted his daddy to hold him. So cute!

Makayla has become our "little photographer"She took this pic!...she takes after her mommy & her grandad who also LOVES taking photographs!

Finally new shoes for work! The only size 13 New Balance I could find at Kohls.

Tim's new toy! I got the idea to get him this last weekend; we were at our friends house, the Lighty's, and Tim was playing with the helicopter over there.  I figured I would get him a starter one to see how he likes it. He loved it!! Yay!

Order one for yourself!
Syma S107/S107G R/C Helicopter - Yellow
 

Tim's new kicks!

Spring is Here!

I am so thrilled that Spring is here! The weather in Knoxville has been unseasonably warm so we’ve been able to get outside a lot to play and grill out. I wanted to post some pictures so here they are. 

Out Strolling

 

on a stroll with momma

showing off her new shades

strolling and looking for shoes and swimsuits

 Spring Pictures - I printed these and they look great in our living room!

 

 

A Visit With Grandma

Makayla loves when Grandma comes to play with her!

 Trying New Foods

loves dipping food into hummus or any kind of sauce

Jackson couldn't get enough green peppers with hummus :-)

tangy?!

Makayla liked the sweet, yellow tomatoes the best

 Being Silly & Having Fun

Awe! Big hug!

He's giggling because he's not suppose to be on top of the table. :-)

To the Olive Garden for a Girl's Evening Out!

Shawna (me), Makayla, My Mom (Nana), Summer, April, and Annabel. I took these pics with my cellphone so they didn't turn out very well, but we had a great time!

Jackson’s Surgery

Well Jackson finally had surgery this past Wednesday to correct the circumcision he had done at birth. Dr. Smith is a very well-known and respected urologist in Knoxville so that made it a little easier when I handed him over to the nurse. Jackson was given some “happy juice” before hand to help him calm down and not get upset when we had to leave him.  I was so nervous for Jackson to get anesthesia, and I was sick to my stomach to think he would be in pain and not understand why. After much prayer, I allowed the peace that only God can give to resonate inside me. The surgery itself was not considered major by any means-the doctor said it was simple with a very quick recovery time. He clipped the ‘extra’ skin that had been left on, put in some stitches, and told us it would look black and blue for a few weeks. The whole procedure took about 15 minutes.

The hardest part was waiting to see him after the surgery. They told us we would go back about 30 minutes afterwards…but 30 minutes went by…then 45 minutes…then I started getting impatient. Almost an hour later we got to back and see him! His oxygen levels weren’t holding at an acceptable level so they kept him on the oxygen mask for awhile. It was his usual nap time so I think that’s why he just wanted to sleep a little longer. Finally around 12:30 Jackson decided he was ready to wake up and go home. So what we thought would be about a 2.5 hour time frame actually took over 4 hours. BUT I am so thankful that everything went smoothly. By that afternoon he was up playing with his big sister! He was a little grumpy for a few days but bounced back so fast-I think the surgery hurt me more than it did him. Thanks to the friends and family who prayed for Jackson. God loves it when we lean on him and lift our concerns and requests up to Him. After all, God is our Abba Father. 

Just a few hours after getting home-he's already up and playing!

Played a little too much-ready for a nap. 

Getting So Big!

There are so many times when I look at Jackson and can’t believe how big he’s gotten. He is saying a lot of new words! He has recently learned to say Makayla, yellow, Jazz, and I love you. He is so stinkin cute with his little dimples and big hugs. He is running all around now, and loves to climb anything and everything he sees. And he is finally enjoying books a little bit….although sometimes he decides to rip out a page or two. Jackson has several little curls in his hair that I absolutely love—I can’t wait for his hair to grow a little longer so we can see those curls even better. 

Our Singing Princess

At 2 ½ years old Makayla is full of energy and laughter. She loves books, music, dancing, riding her bicycle, and singing. She sings just about everywhere we go. Our little girl might as well be called our little Singing Princess. Her favorite songs to sing right now are Jesus Loves me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ABC’s, and Jingle Bells. I love that girl!!