3 Generations Road Trip

Happy Thursday!

Mom, Jax, and I are getting ready to head out on our first ever 3 Generations Road Trip!

Wow, this is an awful picture.. but it's the only one I have of the 3 of us. We will have to change that this weekend!

I'm so looking forward to road tripping with two of my faves to visit family in the great state of Kansas! I'll be posting a lot of pictures and updates so be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram (#3genroadtrip). 

Have a fabulous weekend! I have a fun post and giveaway coming up for you on Monday (you won't want to miss it).

Crossroads

A couple weekends ago, we had the pleasure of meeting an old friend of mine and her family for lunch. I hadn't seen Julianne in over five years and was thrilled to hear that she, her hubby, and little boy (who is only a few months older than Jax) would be vacationing in Colorado.

After meeting Julianne's husband and son and introducing my guys, we sat down and began to catch up. It wasn't 5 minutes after we started talking that Julianne and I looked at each other and said "This is so weird.. when did we grow up?" We then started reminiscing about the last time we'd seen each other and how both of our lives have dramatically changed since then.

The last time Julianne and I saw each other was in 2009; I was working at a job I hated, had problems with my personal life, and wasn't happy attending school at Colorado State University. Julianne had just graduated high school and was deciding where to go and what to do next and was facing several of the same challenges.

We were both at a crossroads and had big life decisions that needed to be made.

I won't get into too much detail about what decisions needed to be made in our lives but I will say that we have both grown up and changed dramatically since that day in 2009.

We're much happier people now.

We're where we need to be and we're with the people we need to be with.

It's funny how God works these things out for us, isn't it?

If you're reading this right now and are having to make big life decisions, take a step back, breathe deeply, and give your worries and stresses to God--He has a plan and knows what's in store for you! It might be hard to see and understand right now but He's got your back.

He definitely took care of both Julianne and me!

2008 ~ 2014

The sweetest boys in town!

5 Things

1.) While you read this, Jax and I are taking Bitsy to have dental surgery :( As I mentioned on Wednesday, Bitsy has been sporting (what we thought was) a weird snaggle tooth--she isn't able to close her mouth all the way and acts like she's in pain. Anyway, we took her to the vet and they noticed her gums were really inflamed and that her "snaggle tooth" was really a bottom canine sticking up and poking a huge hole in her upper lip. Poor baby!

The vet gave us a huge scare when he mentioned this being a common indicator of feline AIDS (FIV) but luckily (for lack of a better word), it's only a bad case of gingivitis. We scheduled her surgery for Friday and took her home to get some rest and spoiling. Later that day, I received an email from the veterinary clinic with an estimate of surgery costs.. they estimated anywhere between $600-$1,200 to remove her tooth.

WHAT?!

I called the vet assistant and she explained the procedure and why there is such a huge margin so I went along with it and inquired about payment plans.. she then notified me that we had to pay it all up front. *Cue Annie passing out* Fortunately, we have a pretty decent savings but the timing is terrible because we're in the middle of house hunting (more on that another time); there's no doubt that Bitsy needed to have this painful tooth removed and treated but there had to be another way.

My mom suggested calling their vet and seeing if she could perform the surgery--I called first thing Thursday morning and sure enough, she said they could perform the surgery Monday morning for a fraction of the price.

WHEW!!

It takes about an hour and a half to get to my hometown so Jax, Bits, and I are heading out at 7 this morning in hopes of avoiding Monday morning rush hour traffic. Please say a little prayer for our Bitsy today--she's our other child and is very special to our family!

Our girl

2.) It's beginning to feel a lot like FALL! The Broncos had their first pre-season game on Thursday (I made Mexican food--it's a tradition in the Wernsman family to eat nachos during the Broncos first game and I fully intend on continuing this with my family!), I saw/heard my first crow, and all the stores have their fall decor on display. BRING ON THE PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!

Waiting for Brandon to arrive home from work--Joey came over to watch the game with us!

3.) We'll be traveling a bunch this month and I'm so excited! My mom, Jax, and I are going to visit family in Kansas later this week and then Brandon, Jax, and I will be flying to Knoxville to visit Brandon's dad & step-mamma later this month (Baby's 1st flight--pray for us!). Busy, busy, busy! 

4.) My little baby is looking and acting more like a little boy every single day.. I hate that he's growing up so quickly but am loving this fun discovery stage that he's in right now!

Almost crawling, eating big boy food, and sitting up all by himself!

5.) Keeping with the theme of Jackson growing up.. I have basically planned all of Jax's 1st birthday party! I can't wait to start getting decor, food, invites, and what not together and pray we'll be moved by December (there's NO WAY we can host a birthday party in our tiny, cluttered apartment). You can visit my Pinterest board for a little taste of his "Oh What Fun; Jackson's Turning One!" Winter Wonderland birthday party.

Have a fabulous Monday, friends!

Healthier (!) Bacon Fried Rice

Do you like bacon?

What kind of a question is that.. of course you do!

I'm excited to introduce you to this light(er) and delicious dish that's sure to be a new family favorite! Say hello to Bacon Fried Rice.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Anngredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

4 slices turkey bacon, crumbled
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

1 cup organic frozen vegetables, thawed
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
3 egg whites from large eggs

1. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and bacon and stir-fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (watch out-the oil will bubble up) and continue to stir-fry until the bacon is glazed, about 30 seconds. Transfer the bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the drippings in the pan and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the thawed vegetables. Add the rice, the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, the broth and glazed bacon. Toss to heat through.
2. Push the fried rice to one side of the pan, crack the eggs (whites only) into the other side and scramble until set, about 1 minute. Mix the eggs into the rice. Divide among bowls.
   

   
   

   This recipe is amazing--it seriously tastes like Chinese takeout (just minus all the extra calories)! Enjoy!!

Cat or Baby?

I'm very excited to announce a new feature here at Annie One Can Cook..

It's an interactive game!

What's this game, you ask?

Mad Photoshop Skillz.

Here's how you play "Cat or Baby": I'll mention a real life scenario that has happened in the Sandmeier home over the last week and you guess whether I'm talking about Bitsy or Jackson. The answers will be listed at the bottom.

Let's play!

1.) Has to go to the doctor (or vet--you decide) later this morning for a painful tooth that popped up.

2.) Was "backed up" all day Sunday, finally went on Monday, and basically kept going for an entire day:

3.) Threw up everywhere after we arrived home from parents on Sunday:

4.) Got into my purse, found a receipt, and ate it:

5.) Found a magazine on the bed and chewed off one of the corners:

 6.) Freaks out every time the Wyoming Tourism commercial comes on:

(Original Photo Source)

7.) Is extra grumpy this week because of pesky teeth:

Answers:
1.) Cat (she has a weird snaggle tooth poking out of her mouth that seems to be causing her pain)
2.) Baby (not able to poop=grumpy baby)
3.) Cat
4.) Baby (I'm now zipping up my purse whenever it's not in use)
5.) Baby (I looked away for literally 5 seconds!)
6.) Baby (he will literally stop whatever he's doing when he hears the song)

7.) Trick question; the answer is BOTH!

That basically sums up our week.. how'd you do?! 

Scenes

I have a whole list of things I want/need to write about but I don't have time to organize and write out a post today (you know what they say about the best laid plans..). We had a fabulous weekend hanging out with my family at our hometown Heritage Festival but now I am behind on work.. Oh well, totally worth it! 

Here are a few "scenes" from our weekend full of good food, company, and memories. 

Have a fabulous Monday!

Serenity

Do you know the Joni Mitchell classic "Big Yellow Taxi"?

If you answered no, these lyrics might jog your memory:

Don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got

Til it's gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot

(The Counting Crows also did a terrible remake of it sometime in the mid 2000s--if this is the only version you know, Google Joni's version.) 

Ain't that the truth?

I was singing the song to myself yesterday as Jax and I went for a walk at my parent's house in the country.

Growing up, I never appreciated living in the country; as far as I was concerned, we were in the middle of nowhere and my social life was lacking because of it (which is silly because my best friend and I were still at each others houses every single day). Now that I'm an adult and am living in the city with a family of my own, I have a new found love and appreciation of escaping the hustle and bustle of Denver and returning home to the quiet and serene country. There is nothing lovelier than sitting out on my parent's patio at dusk, sipping on hot tea, and watching the stars make their nightly debut. 

I can't believe I didn't appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the country when I lived here.. You really don't know what you've got til it's gone. I feel so blessed to have such a quiet and lovely place to come home to when we visit my parents and am looking forward to Jax spending summers in the country with Grammy and Papa (and with his Nana who just bought a house in the country too!).

I'll leave you today with this Prayer for Peace of Mind by St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini--take time this weekend to enjoy the beauty of the world around you and to thank God for all of the blessings in your life.

Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit and give Your peace to my soul that I may be free from all needless anxiety, solicitude and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You so that Your will may be my will.

See you all Monday!