{Life Lately}

Gasp! I know I believe its been like 10 months since I wrote anything but I was serious when I said I wanted to write more and keep a record of all the girls milestones. Life just sometimes gets in the way, So here we go again just in time for the holidays and hopefully I'll actually keep up this time!

So we just celebrated Miss Kynslie's 2nd Birthday and we had so much fun spoiling our sweet girl! She was blessed with some new toys and a few outfits, which of coarse meant we had to go through and organize the toy bucket in her room and her closet! She has grown so much this year I can hardly believe its been two years since we brought her home. She's talking so much and is constantly repeating whatever you say last. So Daddy really has to watch what he says ;] We have also began potty training and its going pretty well as long as we are at home ha! So its a work in progress, her favorite part is washing her hands which makes me happy! Most kiddos hate that part so we've really lucked out!!

Miss Kenalie is growing to fast! She is crawling and sitting up, and I have mixed feelings about it. I love that she's able to move and play with her big sister but I really wanna keep her little! Big Sister didn't listen, so I was really hoping little Sister would listen and just stay little forever ;] I guess thats not gonna happen ha! Miss Kena has also started eating food! Just purees right now but she's a huge fan. We are just feeding her at dinner for now but I'm sure once her teeth come in we'll be moving on to bigger things! Speaking of teeth, poor girl is teething something fierce! Ive been looking into those teething amber necklaces. Does anyone use those?? I'm not sure if the really work or not but I'm willing to try anything to give her some relief.

We have a pumpkin carving party this Thursday and have no idea what to carve?! Any suggestions? We also have Uncle Q's 21st Birthday at our house on Friday! So it should be an fun filled weekend. I also have some fun things for the blog coming up, like Five on Fridays and Thankful Thursdays So stay tuned!! I'm really hoping to keep active with the blog! Wish me luck ;]

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells

Yes this recipe is sooooo over due its laughable, However better late than never right ;]

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shells

     Ingredients

• Spicy Italian sausage {I used Johnsonville, but any brand is fine}
• 1/2 c - 1 c of Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c of parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning 
• Your favorite homemade or jared spagetti sauce{I make a homemade one with olive oil, tomato sauce, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Its honestly the only spaghetti sauce the Hubby will eat ha!}
• 1 box of uncooked pasta shells

      Instructions

       Cook your sausage until there is no pink and its a dark brown, then add in your cheese and seasoning. As your Sausage is cooking you can cook your noodles. Once your noodles are nice and soft lay them out on a large cookie sheet. Fill each shell with a spoonful of your sausage mixture. Next bake them in the over at 425 for about 15-20 minuets. While they are baking you can whip up your spaghetti sauce. Once out of the oven cover your shells in a generous amount of sauce {This part is really personal preference, I like the least amount or sauce where the Hubby needs it covered in cause!} Sprinkle with a little mozzarella and pop them in the oven until the cheese it melty and bubbly. Then plate them up and enjoy!

* I honestly don't know if these measurements are accurate because I cook by taste {Sorry} but if it taste a little on the bland side feel free to add more or change up the recipe to your liking :]

New Years Day Traditions

     This is a little late but things have been a little busy these first two weeks of the new year! Kynslie had her 18 month Check up {More on that to come!}, My little brother is getting ready to move into his dorm room at ASU, and we had a fun last Christmas outing to see the Phoenix Zoo Lights! So I'm finally getting around to our New Years Day activity while little Miss sleeps and Mickey Mouse plays in the background, heres all about one of my Favorite Holiday traditions.

     Every New Years Day since I can remember my family has gotten together and had a big carb filled spaghetti feast! All my cousins, aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents gathered around the table and shared the first meal of the New Year together! It may not seem like much but its always been about starting the New Year off with family and friends who are important to you. As I have gotten older and started my own family, my Mom has asked what Traditions I planned on keeping and what new ones I was starting. I absolutely did not hesitate in informing her that New Years Spaghetti dinner was definitely on our traditions list.

     Now that I'm married we have edited our New Years tradition a little due to my sweet Hubby! As shocking as this may be to some, My Husband DOES NOT like spaghetti!! I know strange right!?! Now I don't want to point any fingers but his mother someone may have burnt the spaghetti sauce every time he had it and now it just reminds him of that anytime he smells the sauce :] So Instead of JUST spaghetti we have decided that it is now to be called Our New Years Day Italian Dinner! So we each bring our favorite italian dish and sides to the table and enjoy a crab loaders dream dinner! This year we feasted on lasagna, italian sausage stuffed shells, salad and italian seasoned french bread! It was all so yummy and I really wish I'd gotten a picture of the dishes before everyone dug in! However the Italian sausage stuffed shells were such a hit they are on this weeks menu, So ill snag a picture and get ya'll a tasty recipe post!

So there ya have it, one of my favorite Holiday Traditions! What does your family do to celebrate the start of a New Year?

-All the best,
  Jessika

Kicking off 2014

   

  I feel like this might be a tad clique but here it is anyway. This year I want to make a few resolutions I plan on sticking out all year! Last year I had a few good ones that I'll readd to my list but I also have a few new ones I'm hoping not to just make a resolution but to live by! So here we have Mrs. Tait's 2014 resolutions: 

•Read a book a month (12 for the year) and hopefully a few meaningful books not just fictional stories, although I'm sure I'll read a few of those :] 

•Exercise more or maybe just stick out my work out plans ha! I'm sure this is on everyone's list! 

•Make more! Create and craft more things, I've always loved to get lost in a project so I'd like to have more projects this year.

•Be more in the moment, not let all of  the girls firsts and new discoveries pass me by. I want to be an active participator, not just standing by with the camera. I want to be the moment not just capture the moment! 

•I want to spend more time with my Husband even if it's just stolen moments in time, I want those. It's the little things that keep a marriage heated and thriving and I don't want our consuming flame to dwindle with the years and the kiddos. So I'm vowing to keep our flame burning! 

•I'd like to get out and do more. Now that Kyns is older and walking she wants to run wild and explore the world. So I want to explore more and if even possible create even more memories! 

•As always I'd like to blog more, capture our memories in a place we can go back and remember all we did and accomplished.

•Most important I want to fill this year with sweet moments, that count! I don't want weeks to just pass us by, so many times I catch myself wondering where the day or even week has gone and sadly I have nothing to show for it! Each day can be meaningful and important, I plan on making not just our months or weeks but our days count!!

As you can see I'm feeling ambitious or em I ;] either way these goals are meaningful and I'm gonna hold myself to them (Hopefully right, we all let ourselves down sometimes but the goodness is we can always try again:] ) and in Tait family New Years Day tradition I'm gonna enjoy Italian dinner!! More on that later ;] 
So what are your goals, your resolutions?


From my family to yours Happy New Year!
-Jessika