Life Lately

So since it has been awhile since I've updated you on what's been going on, I figured I could just share the most recent pictures I have on my iPhone! Last weekend, Sam's had an open house so you could shop there and not be charged the additional fee for not being a member. Now I know this may sound stupid, but I was so excited to go! Ha. I love the fruit at Sam's and that you can buy the things you use all the time in bulk. Look at this huge container of seasoning we got. This is our favorite meat seasoning and I don't think we will run out again for awhile :)


Last weekend we also made a quick trip up to Chicago to watch the Thunder game! All the boys played basketball against some guys and they won!



Last week was a pretty slow week for us again with nothing very exciting (at least nothing that is coming to mind at this moment!). But this weekend we have actually been pretty busy!


Yesterday I wanted to go see if I could find a couple new work shirts and Taylor said he would go with me. And yes I know what you're thinking and I was surprised as well! Ha. But after a few minutes of being at the mall, I realized why he had decided to come. Every time we go to the mall, Taylor always ends up in one store called Inside Scoops.. the candy store! Taylor has a love for fruity/sour/sugary candy that I will never understand. I mean, if I have a choice between eating a brownie or sour Skittles, I will always pick a brownie. Not Taylor, he wants Skittles or Sprees or Sour Straws! Ha.


Today, our Easter Sunday has consisted of church, a nice lunch with Laine, Andrew and Keith, dying Easter eggs, and playing golf! I told you last time we played that I needed to hit about a million range balls before hitting the course again. Well, I only hit about 30 last week but I actually think it helped because I played surprisingly well! Ha. I thought it was going to be really wet from the rain, but it ended up being a great day. It was cool enough where you didn't really sweat but not so cold you didn't want to be outside.

Well, I'm sure we have had a lot of other things happen in the last week, but these are the only photos I had! :( Hope you had a nice Easter!

Race Day

Well, last Sunday was the Half Marathon in St. Louis and I think Taylor's mom summed it up best when she said, "That was the hardest thing I have ever done!" Ha! When we woke up on Sunday morning, at 4:45am, it was already in the 60s so by race time, at 7am, it was 70 degrees! That is really hot for a race, especially a long distance like a half marathon or marathon. Somewhere in the 40s or low 50s would have been much more ideal. They actually ended up closing part of the race for the marathon runners if they didn't reach a certain mile markup in time. That means it was really hot!

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures. But if you just picture the most sweaty and exhausted person you can imagine, that was the four of us around 9am on Sunday! :) Taylor, Jim, and Susan ran the entire half marathon, but I have to confess that I only ended up running a 10k. My lack of training and the heat just didn't mesh too well on race day. Ha!

We headed to St. Louis Friday after I got off work and went to eat at a place called Sam's Steakhouse. It was very delicious and since we had not been on a date in awhile, it was fun to eat at a nice place! After dinner, we headed to the hotel and hung out until Taylor's parents got there. It was nice to be able to just spend some time with them on Saturday before the race.

We played a new course on Saturday called The Bluffs, and besides realizing that I need to hit a million golf balls before I set foot on a golf course again, it was a lot of fun! The nice weather lately just makes you want to be outside, so why not be on the golf course if you're going to be outside? :)

This week has been pretty low key so far, so nothing very exciting to share! But we hope you had a nice weekend and hope to see you all soon!

Tacos and 1/2 Marathon

So I said last time that I would share a new, very yummy, taco recipe that we recently tried! As with most of my recent recipes, we borrowed this one from The Pioneer Woman as well. Here is the final product (which we halved), minus a few of the toppings!



All you need for these yummy tacos is...

* 16 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
* 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Pieces
* Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder To Taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
* 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
* 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
* 1-½ cup Finely Grated Cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
* Sour Cream
* Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
* 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
* 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
* Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos

Click here for the directions! These would be an excellent thing to make for your next party!

Well, this week has been pretty low key for us. Just going to work and school as usual. This weekend we are headed to St. Louis for the Go! 1/2 Marathon and to spend some time with Taylor's family. We hope you all have a great weekend and I'll be sure to update on how the race went soon!

Friends, Food, and Fun!

So this weekend has definitely been too short! Friday night a couple of our friends from Chicago made a stop in C-U and stayed the night with us on their way to St. Louis. I feel like we have been able to see all our Chicago friends a lot more consistently lately which has been great! We wished they could have stayed longer, but they had to leave early Saturday morning :(

That afternoon, Taylor just worked on homework and I went for a run, did laundry, and baked a Pig Cake for dinner that night! I had never heard of a Pig Cake before reading The Pioneer Woman's blog, but after I read the recipe I just had to make it! It makes a lot so since we were going over to Laine and Andrew's that evening to watch the NCAA tournament, I figured it would be perfect. I forgot to take a picture of the cake before we ate it that night, ha, so here is after...


This may be my new favorite cake! The ingredients are very simply and it is served cold. I just love cold cakes. Since I forgot to take pictures I'm just going to list the ingredients in the cake and then link to the PW's directions. Ha :)

Pig Cake Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 stick Margarine (softened)
• 1 can (14 Oz. Can) Mandarin Oranges, Drained, 1/2 Cup Juice Reserved
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1 package (4 Oz. Box) Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 can (20 Oz. Can) Crushed Pineapple, Juice Reserved
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 4 ounces, fluid Frozen Whipped Topping (such As Cool Whip)
• Extra Mandarin Orange Slices, For Garnish

Click here for the directions! I highly recommend making this cake next time you need a dessert for a larger party :)

Saturday afternoon we headed over to Laine and Andrew's to grill burgers, brats, and watch the NCAA Tournament! Which I should note that since UConn won, my bracket is still alive and I am still in the running to win the pool at work! Taylor has already said that if I win, I have to take him golfing :)


The weather has been so nice this weekend, I just love it! We still have some cold days a couple times a week, but the nice weather keeps reminding me that summer is going to be awesome in IL!


Taylor handled the grilling, and I tried to get him to take a picture, but of course he wouldn't! This is the best I could get.... After dinner we just watched the games and of course enjoyed some yummy Pig Cake!

Today has been a very relaxing day. After church this morning, we can home and had lunch then have just been doing laundry and homework most of the day. We did make some delicious tacos tonight for dinner that I'll post the recipe for soon! Next weekend we are heading to St. Louis for our 1/2 marathon and to spend some time with Taylor's family, which we are excited about! Hope you had a nice weekend and that your week starts of well :)