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Broiled Tilapia recipe

Adapted from Broiled tilapia

Ingredients

            1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

            1/4 cup butter, melted

            3 tablespoons mayonnaise  

            2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  

            1/4 teaspoon dried basil   

            1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper   

            1/8 teaspoon onion powder   

            3 tilapia fillets

Makes servings US Metric Adjust Recipe (Help)

 

 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

It's been three weeks..

I can't believe I have been working for three weeks and still this job is perfect! I can nurse baby girl whenever I need to. I get to see little man all the time and I get paid for it! I love my class and though its been crazy start, we are finally getting the hang of it! I'm so excited to be back to lesson planning. I'll start posting some up when I get more time. But for now hope all teachers are having lots of fun!!

I'm getting organized...

Wow, is all I can say after this crazy crazy week. I'm so sad to see our summer coming to a close, but I'm excited to what the future holds. Next week is when little man starts school, and though I thought that it would only be little man's first day of school, it has become little man's, baby girl's and mine. We will all be attending the same school! I got a job!! Wow, that seems so weird to say. I haven't worked outside of my house in 4 years. The only reason I took this job is because it is perfect! I will be a preschool teacher and both of the kids will be in the same building with me, so far they say they have no problem with me stepping out and nursing baby girl, for part of the day I will have both of them in my class, and to top it off its FREE for them.

Party Time!!

Little Man is turning 4!! OH MY!! Turning 4 and starting VPK..I can hardly believe how time has flown by.  But anyways, we have been preparing and preparing for his PARTYYYY!!! Of course little man picked a theme that is very hard to find and really doesn't exist to his specifications, luckily he has one cool graphic designer daddy and one creative mommy and cousin (Titi). With the help of photoshop, we made customized invites and printed them at CVS, where I got 25 free and the rest were $.19 each. For the centerpieces, we used characters printed out and then we flipped them and printed them out again so that we could glue them double sided. We insterted a skewer in between both pictures and stood them up in the baskets.

How to make centerpiece baskets:

What will you need:
Glue stick
Characters of your choice
Skewers
Pool noodle
Baskets
Shredded paper in the color of your choice

Directions:
Cut pool noodle to size of basket bottom.
Print characters. Then flip characters and print again. Cut out characters. Put glue on one side then put skewer then place the flipped version of the character on top. Stick in pool noddle, so that the character is standing up.Add shredded color paper on top to hide the noodle.

We also made custom candy bags by adding a sticker label.

Chicken cordon blue crepes...

Chicken cordon blue crepes...

What do you need...

Crepes recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

I have a crepe maker, so I used that to make them, but you can also use a small frying pan. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat. Pour 1/4 cup of the mix into the pan. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side.

What you need for the filling for 4 crepes (or more):

1 chicken breast (diced and cooked)

1 cup alfredo sauce 

4 slices ham

4 slices cheese

1 cup spinach

When the crepes are done, top with a spoonful of alfredo sauce and spread evenly, then top with ham, chicken, cheese and spinach. Wrap up and enjoy!

Skillet Queso

The Chili's skillet queso is a favorite in my house. I especially loved eating it when I was pregnant with both little man and baby girl, and I honestly think it affected his taste buds because since the age of 1, the skillet queso has been one of his favorite things to eat, which means Chili's is his favorite restaurant. So since it gets kind of pricey to go out all the time, I decided back then to find the recipe for this delicious dish and throughout the years, have been modifying it little by little.

Oh and the hubby bought me a skillet so I got to put it to good use!





 Here is the original recipe from Top Secret Recipes:
Chili's Skillet Queso
16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese
1 Cup milk
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans)
 1 tablespoon lime juice

This is how I like to make it:
16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese
1/3 Cup milk
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans)
1 teaspoon lime juice

 Cut the Velveeta into cubes. Put in pan on med-high for about 5 minutes and stir constantly. Add milk and continue to stir until cheese is smooth. Add the hormel chili and stir. Then add all the spices and lime juice and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir frequently! Serve in a skillet and enjoy with tortillas!

I love Tacos!!

I love tacos!! Not only is that a true statement but it's also the name of a new restaurant on pines blvd and 178 street. This restaurant brought back so many memories for me, not because I've been there before but because growing up my stepfather loved to find little Mexican mom and pop restaurants and try them out. Unfortunately, he's no longer here to try them out with us, but I know he would have loved this one. For drinks they have your regular stuff but they also have orchata and jarritos, which are traditional Hispanic drinks. My mom had the orchata and loved it. Next was appetizer. We order the queso fundido, which is a big bowl of melted cheese topped with ground beef and served with tortillas. If you like cheese, this is the way to go. We also got to try their nachos, which were loaded with onions, tomatoes, beans, ground beef, cheese sauce, and crumbled cheese on top. Now the only reason why we got these was because the hubby ordered a steak and they had run out of steaks so the chef sent us the nachos, and we were glad we got to try them because they were very good. I ordered the wet burrito for my entree and my husband ordered a grilled chicken with sauteed onions which came with a side of rice beans and a side taco. The food tasted authentic and fresh and definitely not like a chain restaurant. I can't wait to go back and try some of their other dishes. The service was great, as you can see they even sent over free food for not having an entree that wasn't even on their menu, and we didn't make a big stink about it or anything, but besides the free food, they were very attentive and always coming around making sure we had everything we needed. And if you are wondering about prices, don't worry they are very reasonable, we spent about $50 for 4 people with appetizers, entrees, and dessert. 

Monkey Joe's

A new Monkey Joe's opened up about 10 minutes away from us. For those of you who don't know what it is, check it out: Monkey Joes. Little Man and I were excited to join some friends there for a playdate, and hoped it was going to be a good time. We've been to a couple of bounce house places, and I'm sad to say this is my least favorite one. First reason is price value. I was charged $5 for baby girl, seriously she doesn't do much of anything but sit there, and little man was $8, which is reasonable. My problem was most bounce house places don't charge for 2 and under, but Monkey Joe's do. Needless to say, I wasn't a happy camper. They do have a lot of staff watching the children and making sure nothing happens, so that was a plus. Besides bounce houses, they also have arcades, which in general I wish all bounce house facilities didn't have, but I know that is how they make their money.

**************Edited on Jul 24*************************************************
So after writing this blog last night, I wrote to Monkey Joe's as well and pretty much told them what happened and I got a response back! Here is what it said:

Ms. Plana,

I am extremely saddened to hear about your experience at Monkey Joe's.  Under two year olds are a little tricky, since some are more adventurous than others. The rule of thumb is, if they are going to play, then it's $5.  That's exactly what should've of been expressed  to you when you walked in. Could you please let me know what day and approximately what time you were there to address this matter appropriately? Also, I would like to send you your admission fee back, so if you could please let me know where to mail it. If you have any other children over 2, I would like to also send you a frequent user card, which is good for ten free visits. Again, I apologize for the experience you encountered and assure it will be taken care of immediately.
Sincerely,
Michelle Wehn

Owner/operator

So wohoo to good customer service! I guess we will be going back and trying it out.

I'm going to do it...

Everyday I wake up and I tell myself today is the day to start eating right and working out. I have been saying that since my 6 weeks of recuperation after baby girl was born were up and now she is 7 months old. Last night though as I watched "Bunheads," I chose that I would get on my ballet shoes and follow whatever routine came up on the show. That would be my first workout. I also decided to do 50 crunches, 20 leg lifts, and some stretching exercises. I know its nothing impressive, but hey its a start right? This morning I woke up and it was really the day to start eating better. I definitely wasn't perfect, but my dinner did consist of a salad with carrots and tomatoes and light dressing and a very thin slice of meatloaf.
Anyways the reason why I need to take control of what I eat is mainly for my health. We had, or I should say, I had a hard time getting pregnant because of Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS) and I had to be on metformin to regulate my insulin. If you don't know about PCOS, one way it effects your body is by causing insulin intolerance. Therefore, I need to stay away from sweets and carbs, but of course those are the two food groups I love the most, I mean who doesn't? I really don't want to be on metformin though for the rest of my life, so its time to take control. Now what "diet" plan will I follow? Really a little bit of everything because I don't want it to be a diet, I want it to be a habit and a way I will eat and cook from now on.

Here are some guide lines I will be following:

• I really loved Weight Watcher's when we did it before little man was born, so I'll use some of their recipes.
• The Primal diet helps to keep away the bad foods for me and get me active
• Raw Eating to helps us stay away from processed foods

Hopefully we are headed down the right track. Wish us luck!!

Live, Laugh, Love

If there is one motto I live to live by its Live, Laugh, Love. Anyone that knows me will probably tell you that I am a person that loves to live, laugh a lot, and love with my whole heart. I think it is very important for people to be able to be content with their lives. I wasn't always content with mine and there are still days that I stray a little, but for 99% of the time I'm content. The turning point was a Bible study that I was a part of. It really opened my eyes to the wonders that the Lord has provided me with. I see people around me that live their life so miserably and complain about everything and anything, and I just pray that one day they will give their lives over to Him and be able to see that the situations they complain about aren't as bad as they make it seem.
If you ever think your life is horrible, think of the little boy that is sleeping under a bridge with no food in his belly, or the person that is on their death bed, or a million in one possibilities that can be worse than yours. Be content with what God provides for you because everything happens for a reason and we never know what that reason is. It's better to have a positive attitude towards life than a negative one. So remember Live, Laugh, and Love!

Recipe Round-up

Chicken Alfredo Roll-up
9 lasagna noodles
2 ½ cups alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
oregano
garlic salt
3 cups shredded Mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour ½ cup alfredo sauce, or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Boil 8-10 cups water in a large pan, cook lasagne noodles until al dente. Now this is the important part! Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. Then, lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel. Spread about 2 Tbs. alfredo sauce over each noodle. (if there is too much sauce you will have a big mess on your hands!) Sprinkle oregano and garlic salt on top of sauce. Take 1/9 of the shredded chicken and spread it out evenly over each noodle. Add approx. 3 Tbs. cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. You will need to lift the noodle a little to prevent squishing out the inside ingredients while rolling. Place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone. Once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining alfredo sauce over the top. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.


Sweet Pulled Pork 

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. vinegar
4 Tbs. soy sauce
3 lbs. pork butt

Wrap the pork butt completely in foil. Put in the slow cooker and pour ½ cup water around pork. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove from crock pot and drain juice and water. Shred pork, removing excess fat, with two forks.Meanwhile mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce until blended. Return shredded pork to crock pot and pour sauce mixture over pork roast and cook on low for an additional 1-2 hours.  


Shrimp and Chorizo
(This is the original recipe: I modify it by using kielbasa and omitting jalapeno pepper)
2 links cured chorizo sausage (about 3 oz)
1 large Spanish onion (rinsed)
1 fresh jalapeño pepper (optional, rinsed)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 lb large peeled/deveined shrimp (thawed, if needed)
1/4 teaspoon paprika

 Cut chorizo in half lengthwise; then slice thinly. Remove ends and peel from onion; cut onion in half and slice thinly (about 2 cups). Cut jalapeño pepper in half (remove seeds); chop pepper finely.sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add chorizo, onions, jalapeño, and garlic; cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, or until onions begin to soften. Add shrimp (wash hands) and paprika; cook 3–4 minutes, stirring often, or just until shrimp are opaque and curl slightly. Serve immediately.

Savory Garlic Marinated Steaks

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 1 pinch cayenne pepper 2 (1/2 pound) rib-eye steaks

	In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper.
	Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
	Preheat grill for medium-high to high heat.
	Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Discard leftover marinade.

 

 

In the summer time...

Its the summer!!! YEY and BOO!! It is so hot in South FL, but as long as we are in the shade or in the water, we are A-OKAY. We have been keeping busy by going to the park and the pool and anything indoors.

Our favorite park is Miramar Regional. It has lots of shade and a lot for the kids to do. They have swings, slides, rock climbing, and lots of sand to play with.

There is also a pool and water park in the entrance. Not sure of the cost though, but the park area is free.

Let me introduce you to little man and baby girl! This is them at the park! They really love each other and I hope it stays that way!

Shells galore

I think one of the hubby's favorite dishes that I make is stuffed shells. I hadn't made it in awhile and being that Father's day is around the corner, I decided to treat him to an extra special dinner. and boy were they worth it, the hubby, little man, and I gobbled them up. And be proud of me because I actually took pictures, thanks to my new iphone!! Here is my recipe:

Ingredients for shells:
box of jumbo shells
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lb of ground turkey
1/2 an onion
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
dash of salt
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
 


Pink Sauce recipe:
1 can tomato sauce
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
2 tablespoons minced garlic

 You will need to have three pots on at once, one will be to boil the pasta, another to cook the meat, and the last one to cook the sauce. For the pasta, follow directions on the box.

In frying pan at medium-hot heat, heat olive oil, when the oil is hot, put in the onion.
Place ground beef in pan with all the seasonings and cook until well browned. Allow meat to cool, then add cheeses and eggs.

In a sauce pot on low heat, place all of the ingredients for the sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the meat is cooked, place in bowl to cool off.  Also when the pasta is ready, drain the water, and allow about 10 minutes to cool. When the pasta is cooled, scoop in meat mixture into the shells, until finished. In a 13x9 pan fill the bottom with sauce, then add a layer of shells. Add sauce on top and if desired add some mozzarella cheese too. Put as many layers as needed. Bake for 30 minutes.

Scarfone's

Scarfone's = mmmm mmmm GOOD! They advertise themselves as a coal fired pizza place, so I knew I had to try one of their pizzas and check it out. I'm not a big fan of tomato sauce, so I opted for their large white pizza. Little man also wanted pizza, and the hubby went with the chicken parmigiana. We ordered garlic bread, as well.

The garlic bread was to my liking, but I have to warn you it wasn't garlicy at all, so if you like garlic this may not be what you want. The breads had more of a parmesan cheese and herb taste. All three of us enjoyed them though. Next came the pizza. Little man was being a little picky because the white pizza came and it had green garnishes on top. Can you believe it??? Something green on a pizza?? Green is a horrible color for food!!! I'm just kidding! Needless to say, I had to pick off the garnishes for him so he could be content. Once we dealt with that issue, we could savor the pizza in peace, and savor is exactly what we did. It was perfectly cooked, not too burnt and crispy and not too soft. The ingredients on top, were evenly distributed and placed precisely to give you a perfect bite each time. The chicken parmigiana made its way out and the hubby really enjoyed it. I had to try it, of course, and the breading was really good not just breadcrumbs but seasoned bread crumbs and it didn't have an oily taste. We didn't have dessert, but maybe next time.

Also the price was pretty decent. We spent $40 and brought 4 slices of pizza home and some spaghetti and left there stuffed to the max. The ambiance was nice too. the place is decorated in dark wood and they have booths that are semi-circles. All in all, we had a good time and good food.

Girls just want to have fun!

So I think its time I talk a little more about my bestfriend, and I hate to tell you all out there, but I have got the bestest of best friends. We've known eachother for ages, and have gone from best friends to rarely talking to now sisters for life! She is also my children's godmother, so I have even entrusted her with some pretty precious cargo. Anyways the reason for my introducing her is because last night, we went out to dinner with her and her hubby, who just so happens to be my hubby's bestfreind. We had such a wonderful time talking, laughing, eating, and enjoying each others company. We talked about our blogs, you can check hers out at minettev.blogspot.com, and she mentioned that she wanted to start a new one about reviewing different places and of course I love that idea since I like to review places and tell you guys all about our experiences, which by the way I have a couple coming up. Anyways we got distracted and didn't talk much about it, but as I laid in bed that night, I thought "Hey, we should totally coblog!" And at 12:30 am, I texted my bff and told her my idea.. The funny part was she had thought the same thing on her way home. We ended up chatting until 2 am and laughing so hard we cried, well at least I know I did.
The thing about us is that honestly we are always scheming to see what we can do. We did officially have a candy buffet company called Eminent Creations, which we closed down due to people being cheap, having to use our weekends to work, and just being busy in general. Our hubbys think we go a little overload, but hey at least with coblogging we aren't putting too much money out there, but I'm so excited to start and experience and review different places I think you will all enjoy and the best part is I get to do it with my best friend! So tune in cause it is coming down the pipe!

Recipes

Palomia Steak

Ingredients:

5 Thin sliced top sirloin steaks

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Garlic to taste

1 onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Dice onion to small pieces. Heat oil in pan and sautee the onions. Season steak with garlic, pepper, and salt on both sides. Cook steaks on each side about 5 min. Serve with rice and black beans.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Food's Real Mayonnaise

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 lbs. total weight or about 5 ounces per breast

4 teaspoons Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven 425 degrees. Place mayo and cheese in a small bowl and mix. Lay chicken breasts on greased baking sheet and spread mayo mixture evenly atop each.Next evenly sprinkle bread crumbs atop each. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and juices run clear. Tops will be browned and chicken will be incredibly juicy. Season with a dash of fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, if desired.

 

 

BBQ Chicken

 

Ingredients:

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons Pampered Chef Smoky Barbecue Rub  

 

Cut chicken into small pieces. Season with rub. Place in pan on medium high and cook for about 10 minutes.  Pour bbq sauce over chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with baked beans and corn.

 

 

 Carbonara Pasta Bake  

 

1 Box Bow tie Pasta

1 package (16 Oz. Package) Bacon 

4 cloves Garlic 

Handful Of Fresh Cilantro 

2 cups Ricotta Cheese 

4 whole Eggs 

½ cups Heavy Cream 

3 Tablespoons Butter 

Salt And Pepper, to taste 

1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional) 

1 cup Parmesan Cheese 

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

 

Turn oven on to about 425F. Put a pot on to boil water for your noodles.
Grab an oven safe skillet. Cut bacon up into bite size pieces. Mince garlic. Cut up fresh cilantro and add to your ricotta cheese. In a small bowl or measuring cup, beat your eggs and heavy cream until fully combined.
Add noodles to water.
Add butter and bacon pieces into your skillet over medium-high heat and cook until brown and crispy. When bacon is done, so should be your noodles. Drain noodles and add them to your bacon dish.
Stir the noodles and bacon together, getting the butter and bacon drippings coated on the noodles evenly. Add in salt and pepper and red pepper flakes. Then add in your Parmesan cheese and stir until fully combined.
Pour your eggs and cream mixture into the skillet over the pasta, making sure to pour it over the skillet to evenly disperse the mixture on all the noodles. Let the eggs start to set up a little; this takes about 2- 3 minutes.
Turn off stove top and place skillet into the 425-degree oven and cook for about 6- 8 minutes. Take dish out and spoon over the cilantro and ricotta cheese mixture, smoothing it out over the top of the pasta dish. Sprinkle the top with your mozzarella cheese and bake for another 8- 10 minutes or until cheese is turning golden brown.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh to be young and in love...

There was this couple at boomers that looked like they were so in love. They were playing mini golf and the girl was in a dress and platform shoes and the boy with a nice long sleeved shirt with nice pants. They walked hand in hand, they teased each other about who was winning, and when they boy got a hole in one, the girl awarded him with a kiss. They seemed to be talking a lot about anything and everything and in their eyes, you could see so much love. They then played some air hockey and it was a close game, but the girl won. Maybe the boy let her win, but they seemed to be having so much fun. Too bad the place closed at 10, and they had to leave.

On the way home, they returned to adult hood. They called home and heard their daughter crying, so reality sank in and the girl became nervous since it was her first time going out without baby girl. Luckily as she was conversing with her mom, the baby calmed down, but the girl was still anxious to get home. When they arrived home, baby girl was asleep in their beds. Little stinker!!

I got to say, it turned out to be a wonderful night and it was really nice to spend time just the two of us even if it was only for 2 hours.

My Fairytale...

Yesterday was our 6 year wedding anniversary! Part of me feels like time has zoomed by, but yet another part of me feels like we have been married for ages. Not only is he my hubby, he is also my best friend. We met each other in elementary school, we don't really know when, but we were in the same small school at the age of 5. I remember us becoming close friends in 6th grade when he would always talk to me about liking my best friend. As years passed, we continued our friendship and since we were both the shorties of our circle of friends, we danced a lot of sweet fifteens together. He was MY partner. We had so much fun during those months and my heart began falling in love, part of me tried to deny it because for one we were best friends and I never wanted to ruin our friendship, two he had braces (EWWW), and three I was going through my bad boy phase (not that the boys were really that bad, but they were definitely not like the hubby), but then he had to have surgery and he had to be homeschooled for a semester. I missed my best friend so much! We would meet in the mornings to hang out, we would sit together in lunch, we had classes together, and then nothing. Distance made my heart grow fonder. I started calling him everyday after school to see how he was doing, tell him what was happening in school, and pretty much just to hear his voice and laugh. He liked a girl on his block and I liked someone too, but in both situations it was not working out. God was beginning to work on us, giving us a glimpse of what He had in store for us. We got really close through this time and a closeness only through talking on the phone and beeping each other, I couldn't wait for him to go back to school to finally see him again since he forbid me from going to his house to visit. I wondered what he felt, until one day I received a beeper code telling me he had feelings for me! Of course I beeped him back with me too! Our lives changed that day and we began talking more seriously. When he finally came back to school, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and though our teenage dating years were not perfect, we made it through high school, we made it through a long distance relationship, and we were able to stay pure until our wedding night. I'm not going to say any of it was easy because it was hard to be away from each other and to not fall into temptation, but distance once again really made the heart grow stronger. God worked on both of us during that time. I went to school, had a job, had volunteer hours, lived alone, took care of my house, cooked, clean, was part of clubs, spent time with friends, and had family and a boyfriend 4.5 hours away.  People constantly asked me how I was doing it and I could never really give them an answer, but it was Him preparing me to be the wife, the hubby would need me to be, and the mom, my kids would need me to be. We have had a crazy adventure throughout the years, and I'm glad we have done it together and that we are living "Happily Ever After."

Oh, I Just Can't Wait to Be King!

Oh, I just can't wait to be king! Everybody, look left, everybody, look right...
Yep I got this song stuck in my head tonight! We just got home from watching the broadway musical, The Lion King at the Arsht Center. My mom bought us the tickets and I couldn't be more grateful to her for doing so. The show is A-MAZ-ING! The costumes and the way the actors move is incredible, they really become the animal they are portraying. There are certain parts of the show where the actors go through the aisle, and guess who had an aisle seat...Little man!! I think I sat there and watched his face more than I saw the show, seeing him so excited was a true blessing. We highly recommend this show and definitely one you can take the kids to.
I do have one complaint about the Arsht Center though and that is that we had to pay full price ($40) for baby girl, who is 6 months old. They really need to have some lap seat pricing for kids. That was really ridiculous in my opinion, and I wonder how other performing arts centers handle this matter. I think I'm going to research this matter and write them a letter.  
When i talked to the ticket agent, they just told me well people don't bring babies to the show, but in my opinion, children should be exposed to the arts as early as possible that way they get a feel for it and they learn to appreciate the arts. I for one love going to see shows and love having an excuse to dress up and dress up the kids.