Life this week (according to cellphone pictures) #16

The week has been pretty crazy and weird. The husby has been away at practices and other things all week without a break. He was home all day yesterday which we both agreed was kinda weird, but it was nice. He helped me clean up a space for our TV so I can start yoga again. And he might get mad at me for saying this, but he even did an hours worth with me! He's SO GREAT! It was so much fun having a partner and I hope he decides to do it a little more often with me :)

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1. Little Bear, David, and Papa Mc as cowboys
2. Smarties Candy canes! YUM
3. a replica blanket of my Grandma B's
4. Painting my nails, enjoying the sun, and dancing to Bon Iver
5. Little sock monkey

Some Videos(and a happy birthday!)

First of all, Happy Birthday to a very awesome Father -in-law! I'm so blessed that I get to be a part of such a sweet family!

The little bear has been such a character lately. He loves to make people laugh and loves to sing an dance! I don't know what he would do without music. Whenever we walk into a room with music playing (no matter what kind) he throws his hands in the air and starts grooving. I try to capture as much as I can on video, but usually forget. Here are a couple recent ones that make me laugh.



Everett telling you about his new gloves:


Thinking he's invisible:

How We Met V.5

Hi! Today I'm so glad to say that the lovely Shalea is sharing her story today. It's so cute, and I can definitely relate to her on being a sucker for musicians! :) If you're willing to share your story, please e-mail me at themcmanus3@gmail.com
Thank you so much Shalea for taking to time to share this and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did! xo -Liz

Sean and I actually met for the first time when I was 12 and he was 14 I had heard from some girls at school about a really cute boy in a band. Naturally, I HAD to meet this boy. Honestly, I was super disappointed. It was at a concert so I couldn’t see him very well and I didn’t actually get introduced to him. I was with a group that knew the group he was in, so we stood in a mutual circle of friends the entire night without saying a word to each other. About 6 months later my family tried a new church in Farmington, NM. We walk in and I hear the most amazing voice singing on stage. I couldn’t see very well but I could distinctively say, it was indeed a very cute boy singing and playing his guitar. After church he came up to me and introduced himself. I couldn’t stop thinking about him for weeks! A few years went by and I would get so nervous to see him every Sunday and Wednesday nights at church. My mom and all my aunts would always tell me “Someday, you are going to marry that boy Shalea.” I would always play it off and say I didn’t like him like that, because he had a girlfriend at the time. He was the sweetest, cutest, most charming boy I had ever met. Being a sucker for musicians didn’t hurt either. We always had chemistry, always great friends. One summer night in 2002, Sean offered to take me home after my softball game. On the way home he looked at me and said “You know, if I didn’t have a girlfriend I would be with you.” I laughed, punched him and told him he was nuts. But in my heart there was nothing in the world I wanted more. We had a great summer hanging out getting to know each other more. By the end of that summer he had a new girlfriend…..me. He told all of our friends “In 2 years I am going to marry this girl!” We all laughed. We got married 2 years later in the spring of 2004. The end.

Stuck in a Rut...

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A couple days ago I had one of those days when EVERY thing seemed to go wrong. It was one of the worst bad days I've had in a long time. My attitude didn't help anything either. I felt like I was only half there, and just couldn't give everything 100%. I haven't been able to pull out of it and get back to my normal self. I had a list of things to do today and didn't get a single one of them done. I've been struggling to do everything lately(including blogging). I have no motivation and I feel like I'm counting the minuets down until I can get back in bed to rest, but never can seem to get into a deep sleep. I'm a person that gets incredibly upset at myself when I fail and I know I need to just get over it, hopefully I can get back to normal in a few days. Even though I'm not motivated at all, I know I really need to try and get back to having a lot more drive and passion. So here are a few suggestions I'm going to take:

1. Convince yourself it will pass.

2. Exercise. focus on at least low-grade exercise such as a walk, jog or swim.

3.  Get social.  We tend to become withdrawn in the low points of our life, a better approach is to join a new sport, hobby, fitness class, support group or other social activity where you can be with others.

4. Change your diet.  We tend to become self-destructive in times of trouble within our lives – eating too much sugar and carbohydrates.

5. Change your routine. Just one step toward change can get the ball rolling.

6. Change your company.  There are times in my life where I was kept in a rut largely by the negative energy of the people around me.

7. Take responsibility to change your situation and break free from your rut.

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I will be spending most of the day getting a head start on my Christmas present making. My side of the family decided to make everyone presents this year. We're all on a tight budget this year, but it also feels a little more personal when you get a gift that someone's put some hard work into. The wrapping part is a ways away, but here are some cute wrapping ideas I really like.

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Once a Month Cooking

Yesterday me, my mom, and my SIL LaRae did once a month cooking. We made a bunch of different meals that can go in the freezer so you can just pull a dish out whenever you need one. It saves a lot of time, money, and is all around better for you then the frozen processed dishes from the store. It was a lot of fun getting together and making these dishes and I think we might do this next month again. Here's what we made yesterday:

 Breakfast Burritos

 Lasagna 

Chicken Pot Pie 

Chicken Alfredo

Enchiladas
Tortilla Soup
Green Chile Corn Quiche
Pizza and Calzones
Teriyaki Chicken

Life this week (according to cellphone pictures) #15

Today I'm keeping busy with once a month cooking. Me, my mom, and my SIL LaRae are all getting together and making meals that go in the freezer for later dinners or when ever you need something quick. We're making breakfast burritos, lasagna, and so on. It's such a good idea to save time AND money.
David has been cutting up his elk and I think he's about half way done. I helped by... writing on the sealed bags what they are. I wasn't that grossed out, but I would rather not touch bloody flesh if I had a choice.

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1. goofy geek
2. goofy bucket head
3. Hanging out
4. Mcycle dude
5. Playing with dada
6. fake zit
7. Sliding
8. Trying to bike
9. Climbing stairs
10. cutting up elk
11. warm, home-made caramel dip