"big" changes...or not.

Well.. I did some talking about "big changes" on my twitter the last couple of days and if you follow me you may have come across some meltdown tweets. Don't fret, I was just really trying to ponder some things.  You see a job opportunity came up for me that is my dream job. It fell into my lap and I didn't know what I was going to do. I love working for a family business and the flexibility around Kenne is incredible. But I kept going back to that job position and questioning it.

I made lists upon lists..trust me.  I drove my husband crazy talking about it..trust me on that too  I was just so lost.

My dream job as a career yes, but my "dream" job is being a mom. And having the opportunity to be very hands on with her. I never want to take that for granted because many people don't get that choice. Kennedy would have had to go to daycare full-time. This job would have been full-time, 5 days a week, and the office hours are 7:30-5:30. I just couldn't do it. I would feel like I hardly spent any time with Kenne each day. And I can't give that up right now. I am so very thankful that I have this option and trust me, I know how hard it must be for some people to have to work all week and it just is what it is.  I may start working at the dealership more hours & in that case Kenne might have to go to a home daycare but if so, it would only be for 1 day a week. I am sure she would love to play with other kids all day anyway. But staying here I would still be able to leave or work from home on days when she wasn't feeling well, or if we wanted to go somewhere as a family. When it all came down to it, I just couldn't argue with the flexibility, no matter what the job & how great it was. Working for my FIL and having my mom & MIL be able to watch Kenne has been a godsend. I love the way the schedule is right now and I am not ready for that to change.

Besides, in the next year or so we hope to have another addition to the family and I will want to spend even more time at home. haha. (the or so is purely to cover my butt so that Andy doesn't start panicking.. we slightly disagree on when our next child should come along, god willing of course)

& if you haven't figured it out by now... I didn't go with the other job. Sadly for my husband, he is stuck with me at work.. :)

xo, j

Kenne is 16 months today!

My little baby is 16 months old.

Ugh.. time please stop going by so fast.

For Kennedy's 16 month birthday I wanted you guys to see what a day with her is like...

well ok.. how about 5 minutes?

Here is 5 minutes with Kennedy looks like.

total ham, am I right??

And let's not forget her little sassy attitude

mom... why are my toys in the tub??

So our sweet Kennedy Marie, Happy 16 months. Daddy & I couldn't have imagined a more amazing child. You are so sweet and cuddly, yet so independent and sassy. Every day you're personality just blossoms a little more.  We can't wait to see what you have in store for us in the years yet to come. I don't think we could ever Thank God enough for giving us, you. You are our world.

You are so loved snugglebug, from the very bottom of our souls.

Love always,

Mama and Daddy

from mother to mother.

How do you teach a 16 month old.. "no"?

It seems like Kennedy is getting into EVERYTHING these days. All of the things that she isn't supposed to. The second you tell her no she laughs. She wants you to chase her, its a game.  If you take something away from her, she throws the kind of tantrum that makes you want to crawl in a hole and hide. And it seems she never learns. It is the same things, everyday.

Dumping the dog water dish (so we have to keep it up.. which I hate), if it is down, putting things IN the water dish, including remotes, ipods, her feet, toys.. anything she can get her hands on. 

Cupboards? beats on them because she can't open them (safetly locks).

How do I get her to stop doing it?  Obviously I am not going to yell at her or spank her or anything like that. I've tried ignoring her when she does it so that she doesn't get any attention & just silently taking whatever away from her and walking away.. but that doesn't stop her either. I feel like I am stuck in the same spot without any progress.

Mamas.. help!

I try to keep her busy, she has toys among toys, we do projects, we play outside, we have "school time". She loves books. It isn't ALL of the time... but a lot of the time, and I just want to nip it in the butt before it gets out of control.

Any advice?

Kenne update!

I feel like I haven't given you guys a Kennedy update in awhile.  Not a TON has been going on, but none-the-less I felt I should write down some things for my memory. This is going to go in the totally none flowish(I made that word up) bullet list format.

Oh and I am going to throw some random pictures in there as well. Ok? Ok.

- 15 months old. Where does the time go? I feel like 2 yrs is giving me the staredown.
- She is eating adult food pretty much all of the time. She still does have a bottle in the morning and at night, but we are weaning her off of that. We wanted to wait until we were done with all of our traveling the last few months before we took that & her nuk away. So now is the time...yikes.
-Her favorite foods to-date are: bananas, pear, winter squash, oatmeal, carrots, yogurt, cheesy broccoli soup & whole wheat saltines.

- Foods she could go without: peaches, any rice cereal, chicken, and meat ravioli (can't say I blame her)
- She drinks whole milk out of her bottle or sippy.
- She prefers to drink water out of a regular cup. I pour it for her.
- She loves to snack all day long.
- She is obsessed with ice cream.
- We are down to 2 naps a day (3 if she is crabby). Her naps consist of 1- hour to 1 1/2 hours in the morning & usually 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.
- She sleeps from 7pm to 7am for the most part.

- Went on her first plane ride to Florida in January and was amazing. She slept most of the way.
- Loves her dogs. She climbs all over Bode & Riley and they are so good with her. She sits on them like she is going to ride on them or throws herself on them to use as a pillow when she is tired.



-She knows where her nose, ears, eyes, mouth, belly, heart, knees and toes are. Also, if you say "oh Gees" she will put her hand on her head. so cute.
- She laughs all of the time. Her personality is amazing. Sometimes the sass can be a bit much, but it usually doesn't last long. She is so happy. And silly.
- Her hair is a blondish-brown full set of curls. She gets that from me.

- She still hates bathtime. I am hoping she grows out of it before summer because we are always at my in-laws in the water.
- She is wearing 18mo to 24 mo clothing.

- She had her first pigtails for our work party at the end of January
- She hates socks. If you put them on her she will have them off within 5 minutes if she doesn't have shoes on.

- She loves loves loves being outside. Especially in the winter. This makes me very happy.
-She cut 2 of her molars.. one on each side on the bottom. Pretty soon she will have a full set of teeth!-Speaking of teeth, she loves to brush her teeth. Insists on it whenever we walk by the bathroom her toothbrush is in. She knows. Good oral hygiene. That's my girl!

- She is a very busy little girl. Into everything, climbing on everything and thinks me telling her no is funny.

xo, j.

Dinner Menu this week!

So I am back to the weekly menu making.
For a couple reasons.

First being that I found this cool menu idea off of pinterest and wanted to make it. So I did. & now I have to use it. Second being that I have quite the collection of cookbooks. I am obsessed with the idea of cooking & baking, I just struggle to find the time to do it. But there are way too many recipes that I want to try so I need to get on that. Lastly because we eat out way too damn much.  I am talking we have been home from Las Vegas since Wednesday and I haven't cooked a single day. Takeout every single day.  Not because I am lazy, but because I haven't had the energy to go grocery shopping. I have been fighting off a horrible head-cold since we got back and I just have wanted to sleep... and sleep some more.

:: As in, Thursday... I slept until 2. yikes!  I woke up with Kennedy when she got up at 6:30 and she went back down for a nap around 8 so I did too... and kept sleeping.... and slept some more. Andy stayed home in the morning to let me catch up on sleep and try to get a headstart on beating this cold. Bless his heart. You guys... I needed it. I probably would have went back to sleep if I didn't have to get up as well ::

So today being Saturday, Andy is only at work until 3. So I planned on doing my grocery shopping today when he gets home. That way I don't have to bundle K up and bring her out.. it is f to the reezing out the last couple of days.  In preparation to going to grocery shopping, I decided to make my weekly menu. And you guessed it... I'm going to share it with you!

I love you pinterest.  Numerous recipes this week come from there. The pictures suck me in. The others are from my beloved Williams-Sonoma cookbook or recipes I've picked up along the way.

So The Grundstrom Household will be stuffing our faces with the following for dinner this week.

Saturday/Today: Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole with Rice.  And for Dessert we will be having Cream Cheese Banana Bread.

(via pinterest)

Sunday: Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese without the fries.. I am going to try baked avocado fries instead.

(via pinterest)

Monday: Turkey Stuffed Peppers with a side salad. (I have made this before and LOVED it..) I found a new recipe on pinterest that is pretty close to the same so I am going to give it a try.

(via pinterest)

Tuesday: I will be making Chicken Parmesan & honey glazed carrots for my loves. It is Valentine's Day afterall. Chicken Parmesan is Andy's favorite meal that I make so that was a no-brainer. I think for dessert we will have frozen chocolate banana bites. I blogged about it before here and included the recipe and pictures.

Wednesday: Rigatonis with butternut squash sauce and Cheesy Cauliflower Puree (substitute for mashed potatoes) I don't have a picture of the rigatonis because it is just one of my recipes but I do have a picture of the cauliflower!

(via...yup.. pinterest)

Thursday: We will actually be in Green Bay for dinner on Thursday so we will be eating out. Probably at Olive Garden or a Steakhouse. We are going to be there with my sister & BIL to see the Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan concert. (one of Andy's & BIL's Christmas presents from my sister and I) Oh and all my American Idol fans.. Lauren Alaina is opening for them.

Friday: Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas.

(via pinterest)

(And since I started on a Saturday.. that is what my weeks are going to look like. Saturdays are shopping days.)

*If you would like any of the recipes I listed you can find them on my Food & Drink Board on Pinterest here.  If they are recipes that are mine (eg. Chicken Parmesan (I have the recipe linked in this post) or the Rigatonis.. send me an e-mail and I would be happy to share any of those with you-that goes for future recipes as well!)



Buon Sabato!

Love Story Link up!

Ok, although late.. I am going to link-up with Becky over at From Mrs. to Mama because it looks like a lot of fun! 

So here goes..

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Andy and I have been together since September 2007. "Technically" dating since December 15, 2007 but those are just logistics :)

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?} Ha. Well Andy tried to "meet" me 2 years prior to when we actually met. We were both at a party at my bestfriend's house and he asked her about me, and she snapped at him with "nevermind! She has a boyfriend".  Total protective bestie. So fastforward 2 years. I had graduated from NMU in May, and moved away for the summer but ended up coming home in August. School was starting again and I wanted to stay on my mom's insurance but in order to do so I had to be enrolled in college with atleast 1 credit. My bestie, Sarah (same girl that blocked him last time) was taking Hunter's Safety because she liked to go with her boyfriend (I actually introduced & set them up.. they are married now). So anyway she told me to take the class with her because it was only 6 weeks 2x a week and then I would have the credit needed. So I did. It just so happened that Andy was also in this class. He was the one that came in 10 mins late every class. I remember telling Sarah "he is going to be my boyfriend..he would be so cute in pictures." Mind you I was dating someone at the time. The same someone that I was dating 2 yrs prior. So whenever we would have a break in class he would always come and sit by us to talk to Sarah. I thought he had a crush on her. I would always tease her. Really he was hanging around because he liked me. So we became friends, talked and he became my counselor for my boyfriend problems. Funny, right? Anyway I ended my relationship with my past boyfriend and Andy and I became inseparable. He sabotaged things any time I would meet up with another guy. How sweet... haha. Then I had a work Christmas Party on the 15th of December and asked Andy to come with me. It was the weekend of his guys weekend that he went with his friends to every year. He ended up leaving them Saturday morning and making the drive back and showed up at my door with a rose to be my date. The rest was history.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

2+ years. We were married on New Years Eve 2009.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We were married at Upfront and Company at dusk on New Years Eve. They had HUGE windows overlooking Lake Superior and the snow was gorgeous. At our wedding ceremony there were only 50 people there.(I have horrible anxiety) We had a rather large reception that followed later that night at the same place to ring in the new year. It was perfect.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

Well besides the regular, babe, honey, hun... we just call eachother jod or aj for short names.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

Three things I love about my husband are his love for his family, his drive, and his loyalty. He would do anything for Kenne and myself and he shows that everyday. His drive amazes me everyday. He is such a hardworker. Although at times, it may drive me crazy when he misses lunch or comes home late from work, but I know that he does it all so that he can provide for us and take care of us.  His loyalty is everything to me. I know that he will love me through anything. He will always be there for me and he will always support me. I would never in my life have a doubt about his loyalty to me or our family. He is one of the good ones.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

Andy proposed to me on February 4, 2009. He called me at work on a Wednesday (which was my long day at work) and asked to take me out to dinner when I was done. We went to Elizabeth's Steakhouse, which is a very upscale restaurant in our town. I didn't think anything of it though because I had actually been telling him recently how I really wanted to go there just the two of us. (we usually went with his family). So we went and had an amazing dinner & before we left Andy said he had to use the bathroom.. really he was just going to get the ring. So he came back... and said Jody Lee... will you marry me??

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

ha. not really either. Well I do usually get flowers for Valentine's Day and some sort of surprise. But he has filled our house with rose petals before.. when he wanted to get his freak on. He is more of a dinner and a movie kind of guy & brings in the romance when he knows he needs to step up his sex game. :)

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

definitely both. The sunset dinner on the beach sounds amazing, but we don't really ever get a chance to do that. The beach by our house isn't usually warm except for one month a summer and at that time it is usually packed with people. Movie night in is usually how our house rolls. And I love it.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I would love to go to Italy or Ireland with Andy. Or for a hot-air balloon ride. Wait.. you said just one. haha

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We don't really have any plans this Valentine's Day as of now. We both will be at work and were invited to go to dinner with Andy's family (including his gma). His grandparents were married on Valentine's Day so they usually bring his grandma out to celebrate. If it were up to me, I would just like to have a nice night in with the baby.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Well I didn't ask for something for Valentine's day specifically but there is a necklace that I have mentioned to Andy that I would really like. It is a gold arrow necklace that points upwards. The necklace is for a fundraiser for "Stand up against Cancer" cancer research. Hence the arrow pointing up. I have had some very special people in my life fight and lose their battle and others win their battle against cancer, so it is very important to me to support the fight.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Forgive easily. Marriage is not always easy. Marriage is nothing like the fairytale you read about in the books and watch in the movies. That doesn't mean that marriage isn't a fairytale though. It just isn't that kind. It is what you make it. There will always be tough times but it is so important to remember to forgive easily and quickly, and never let that hinder your love for one another.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

to tattoo or not to tattoo?

I want to get a tattoo.

I have always wanted to get one, but I wanted to wait until I was at an age that I would get one that had meaning to me.
I'm at that age, now.

Once I knew what I wanted I had my sister write it on my foot (which is where I want it) with a sharpie so I could have it for a day to make sure I really liked it.
That's legit, right? Anyway.. this is what it would look like.

It reads::   l' amore e tutto (with the proper punctuation over the e)

It says in Italian:: Love is everything

I feel like at the end of the day, everything in life comes down to love.

Love for your family, your child or children, your spouse, your friends, your life.

And well the Italian part is obviously because I am just that, Italian.

My grandpa's name was Francisco Alfredo Michael Donofrio.

Hear that MTV??

Guest appearance on Mob Wives?

Anyway.. so back to the tattoo. I have been set on this idea for awhile now. So what's the problem?

Well a few things.

1. I have horrible anxiety & need to do it spur of the moment.

Which brings me to problem #2.

2. The one person I would want to have do it is scheduling like 3 months out right now.

Damn it!

3. I read online that you should be up-to-date on your tetanus and Hep B shots.

I have neither.

I haven't had a tetanus shot since I was 7.

Hep B shot?

Not since I was a baby.

So if I don't have those vaccines, can I still get a tattoo?

Is it extremely risky if you don't have them and get a tattoo?

4.  How bad does it really hurt to get a tattoo on the side of your foot?

I like to think that I have a high tolerance for pain, but I guess I don't know what this type of pain feels like. Ugh, I hate the unknown. Did I mention I have anxiety?

__________________________________________________________

I should just suck it up and do it.

I think I will.

to be continued...

I'm leaving on a jetplane..again.

Tomorrow we leave for Las Vegas for a work conference.

I don't want to go.

It never gets easier, for me it gets harder.  Last year's conference was in San Francisco and I had a meltdown before I left because I had to leave Kenne when she was only 3 1/2 months. I didn't think I could go through with it, but it was for work, and I didn't have a choice. I had committed to it the year prior and couldn't back out now.. trust me I tried.  The one blessing about it was that she was going to be staying with my mom (who she LOVED spending time with) and she was young enough where she slept the majority of the time.

Now? Well now she needs a tranquilizer to go to bed or nap. Simmer down.. that was a joke, I don't REALLY give her a tranquilizer, but she does put up a good fight usually to go down. She wants to play and eat and then play some more. Never stops... go go go. Which is great. But I am terrified to know how she is going to be for my mom while we are gone.  She is used to spending 2 days a week every week with my mom anyways, but she also is at the stage where she is really clingy to myself and Andy. She doesn't like either of us leaving the room, let alone the house.

Thank God for computers and Skype. It worked last year, so hopefully it will do the trick this year as well.

I always like to plan trips and see different cities, but when it all comes down to it, I am such a homebody. Living out of a suitcase for a week isn't appealing to me. I am sure I will have a great time while we are there and will learn a ton but in that same breath I can't wait to head to vegas.. so that I can turn around and head right back to my baby girl.

how could I not want to spend every second of every minute of every hour of every day(you get the point right) with this sweet face?

In other news.. Kenne had her first piggies this weekend!
Ahh I could die she is so adorable.
Call me biased but she is the cutest little 15 month old I have ever seen.

Like her little tracksuit?

RHOBH in training...

Happy Wednesday!

xo, J