let's go Hawks

tailgating with two of my favorite guys

Jordan and I finally got to go to our first Iowa football game of the season and thankfully they won! It was a nail biter down to the end and even went into overtime...any way it takes to get a victory, I'll take it! My mom stayed home from the game to hang out with Everly so Jordan and I were able to tailgate and enjoy some Hawkeye fun! It was a nice way to see how it will go on Monday when I leave again to start back at the hospital. But at least now I get to the spend the rest of the night and all day loving on my girl before Monday morning rolls around! Every weekend is a good one and a Hawkeye win makes it all that much sweeter!

our Hawkeye Family

It's Game Day for the Hawks! So that means one thing... we are all bleeding Black and Gold! Everly looks good in Hawk gear! She's the cutest little Iowa fan that I know and love!

happy to be a Hawkeye! 

touchdown Iowa!

love our Hawkeye family

starting her early and teaching her all about football

snuggling with both my girls...
I don't know who is more tired: Everly or Paisley?!

Paisley's thinking, "this whole baby thing is exhausting..."

settling in....

It's been almost a full week since we have all been home from the hospital together and we are slowly getting settled in and figuring out our "new normal." Since Everly is home on oxygen that makes our "new normal" a little bit different than it will be permanently. We still have the oxygen tube and monitor cord to be cautious and aware of so getting her up and down stairs takes some planning to make sure we don't get tangled in any cords, leave one of the oxygen tanks open, and unplug the monitor before trying to go in the opposite direction. Everly has been an awesome baby so far at home. She has stayed on the NICU schedule so far so she is up every 3-4 hours to eat, stays awake for 20-30 minutes, and then falls back asleep. She rarely cries and only fusses when she's hungry so she's pretty easy going...I think she could snuggle all day if Jordan and I let her! Actually, I'd love to snuggle with her all day but get nervous if I start falling asleep or if Jordan starts falling asleep because I'm paranoid like that and don't want something to happen to her. Jordan has stepped up into his new role as Mr. Dad and helps with diaper changes without being asked and does the nightly bottle feeding so I can sneak in some extra sleep! The past week has been quite the whirlwind and I'm so sad that it's Jordan's last night home with us before he goes back to teaching this week...time has flown by!!

And in other exciting news, my parents are officially back in Iowa for good! They got here on Friday and have made themselves welcome in our home and will be living with us until they find a house of their own. I'm pretty excited to have my mom around to help me out with Everly, organizing and decorating our house, and she'll be here to give me more advice and support as I navigate my way into motherhood. Definitely feeling pretty thankful that my parents were able to sell their house in Texas and my dad got his new job when he did! I'm so happy they are back in the midwest and especially happy that they are so close to us!

Homemade Pretzel Bites

Homemade Pretzel Bites with dipping sauces!

Well after watching a brutal first half football game by the Hawks against Michigan, I decided it was time to get in the kitchen and give myself a distraction from the game. I'm thankful for being able to feed myself and Jordan each day! I came across a great recipe that seemed easy enough and we had all of the ingredients for. I tweeked it a little bit here and there but Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake is definitely a site I will be visiting frequently for more delicious and easy recipes! I made both the parmesan garlic bites and cinnamon-sugar bites. The perfect mix of salty and sweet! Make some yourself for the next gameday or group gathering and they are sure to be a big hit...they didn't last long at our place! And you'll be too busy dipping the bites and eating them one after another to even notice the second half of the game!

Ingredients: Bites:
-1 roll of frozen bread dough or frozen roll dough
-2 tablespoons butter
-cinnamon-sugar
-parmesan, kosher salt and garlic salt

Vanilla Glaze:-1 cup powered sugar
-2 tablespoons milk
-1 tablespoon melted butter
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheese Dip:
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 tablespoon all purpose flour
-1 cup milk
-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I used taco blend and it gave the cheese dip an added zip of flavor!)

Directions: 
1. set out frozen bread or rolls to unthaw. Once it is unthawed, cut it into slices and then cut each slice into 4 pieces.

2. place on a greased baking sheet and allow them to rise and fully "puff up"
3. once they are puffy, bring some water to a boil in a large pot and preheat oven to 375*. Place about 10-15 bites into boiling water for about 45 seconds. After that, remove them from water with a slotted spoon and place them on another baking sheet that is lined with paper towels.
4. remove them carefully from paper towels and place on the greased baking sheet. Bake at 375* for about 15 minutes or until they are a nice golden color.
5. melt the butter and then remove the bites form oven and butter them generously.
6. roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture and/or parmesan with garlic and kosher salt mixture

For the dips: Vanilla Glaze:
1. combine powered sugar, milk, butter and vanilla and mix well.

Cheese Dip:
1. melt butter in saucepan over medium heat then add the flour until blended.
2. slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly.
3. remove from the heat and slowly add in the cheese until it's completely melted and stir until it is smooth.

Friday Funnies - 11.9

Whoo whoo another week down and wouldn't ya know, it looks like we have some awesome weather lined up for this weekend!! Jordan and I got tickets for the Iowa football game this weekend so we're pretty pumped about that as well...it's supposed to be mid-60s and we get to spend the day at Kinnick watching our Hawks! There are few things better than that so hopefully the Hawks pull out a big win for us to watch! If not, well, I'm sure we'll have a great time tailgating at least because some of our closest friends will be back in town again. Yay for visits from friends! Hope everyone had a good week and an even better weekend. Now, let's get laughing!

I know I am not the only person to think of Scar whenever you are told "Be prepared!"
These construction signs should actually have his picture on them...just think of how serious people would actually take them!
image via Pinterest

You'll eat a muffin. You'll eat it and like it!

So try all of our delicious Cunningham muffins...at Cunningham muffins!

Perfect Picks

Oh yeah, we're the highlighted team...at the top!

Jordan and I play in an NFL Pick 'Em Pool with my dad, sister, brother, several uncles and then lots of co-workers and friends of my uncles. We thought it would be a fun thing to get into and give us all something to talk smack about with each other. Well.....it has quickly turned into MUCH more than that. Basically, it's a really easy concept: you pick who you think is going to win every NFL game for the week and then give a tiebreaker score. That's it. No picking individual players or a defense. And the people who finish in the Top 3 each week win money! This pick 'em pool is perfect for me and Jordan because it's a great combination of my luck and his football knowledge (although, I know my fair share of football facts.) After a few kind of rough weeks, we've slowly been creeping our way back up to the top. Then the past two weeks, the Top 3 places came down to the tiebreaker score and we got beat out. Devastating. And so this week we came back with a vengeance!  AND WE TOTALLY DOMINATED!!!! We had PERFECT picks across the board for a solid 13-0 showing and no tie breaker to determine the winner. We outright won it and made some huge ground for the overall points for the season to get within 3 of the winner. Whoop whoop! Now that's what I call teamwork, baby!

homemade mini pizzas for gameday!

Well right now, our Hawks are playing and it's halftime. And they look awful. Man, we spent the day tailgating, hopping around seeing a bunch of our friends, soaking in Melrose Madness, and walked past the roar of Kinnick Stadium before heading home to catch the game. We were going to try and get tickets but two things in the end made us decide to come home: a. the tickets people were selling were from $50-75 a piece and we just don't roll like that. and b. I was already cold and had all of my layers on that I brought. So sue me, I forgot to bring a hat and gloves! Anyway, now after watching the first half in the comfort of our home, we're both pretty happy we passed up the tickets! Since it's gameday, I figured we'd go for a fun and easy dinner that's like the other tailgate food we had been snacking on all day. And the first thing that came to mind was, mini pizzas!!! We actually make these bad boys every Thursday night at the hospital for Bingo & Pizza with the kiddos and they love them! This seriously is a 15-minute dinner and about a $5.00 meal and it's delicious. Is there anything better than a quick, cheap and tasty meal? I think not!

Ingredients:1 can of homestyle biscuits (I used the smaller ones that had 10 in the package, but you could use the big fluffy ones that have 6-8 in the can)
1 jar of Ragu pizza sauce
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of mini pepperonis (I used turkey pepperoni--70% less fat than regular!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*F
2. Take biscuits out of can, flatten them down between your hands and then spread evenly on an ungreased baking sheet.
3. Cover biscuits with the pizza sauce (however much sauce you like), then layer the cheese and pepperonis on top. 

equal peps on each pizza...
I forgot how much they spread so I would add more next time!

4. bake for 10 minutes or until the biscuit is golden brown and the cheese is baked to your liking.

5. let cool and enjoy! 

Then cheer on your team like crazy to play a better second half! Come on Hawks, pull it together! And there's talk of carving our AMAZING pumpkins tonight...so that could be happening! Since it's already getting so late though, it might be a two-day project but I'm excited to carve mine because I have a great idea instead of just decorating it....and then I'm going to make roasted pumpkin seeds! Mmmm! 

Sunday Snuggles

snug as a bug.

It's been a cold and drizzly day here all day long so that calls for some Sunday Snuggles! I actually had to work this afternoon at the hospital so I made the most of the morning and got a good snuggle session in with Paisley. I spent the afternoon at work checking on some kiddos and making sure that they have enough activities and games to keep them busy for the day. Then I hung out with the sweetest and sassiest 7 year old I know! She is a recent relapse but her spirit, sense of humor and big bear hugs would definitely make you think different. It's hard to complain about an afternoon at work when I get to spend it being inspired by such amazing kids.

Once I got back home though, it was right back to the sweats and hoody to enjoy the rest of this lazy Sunday! The afternoon NFL games were still on so I got to catch the second half of the Vikings game....as well as Jordan freaking out excitedly one minute and ranting the next. Always hate to see the Vikes lose but at least our Hawkeyes won and pulled off a huge upset over Michigan State! And since it's so cold and crappy out, I opted for some go-to comfort food tonight and we had the rest of my homemade beef stew. Yummmy! I whipped it up after making a pot roast last week then with the left overs, I added a packet of dry onion soup mix and a can of beef broth....just like my Grandma does and it was just as delicious! Now it's time to settle in, snuggle up and enjoy some of our favorite Sunday night shows, Dexter and Homeland! Hope everyone had a good weekend, enjoyed some R&R and are geared up to start another week!

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and today is the last day of the month. What have YOU done to make a difference in the life of child with cancer or for a family with a child battling this nasty monster? Remember, my brave little friend Coleman who has earned his angel wings once said, "an act of kindness, big or small, is the greatest gift of all." Once the clock strikes midnight at the end of the month, September will be over. But the fight to cure childhood cancer won't be. And we need to start facing the facts and amp up the funding so that sufficient research can be getting done. For instance on average, 36 kids are diagnosed with cancer EVERY DAY in the United States. That means, that 1 in every 4 elementary school has a child with cancer and the average high school has two students who are current or former cancer patients. Not only this but cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children over the age of 1 even with cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, AIDS, asthma and juvenile diabetes combined. Childhood cancer cannot be prevented. It spares no ethic group, socioeconomic class or geographic region. It can happen anywhere, anytime and to any child. Scary thought?? Yes. Wish you could do something about it, yes? Then by all means, DO SOMETHING!!! Donate your time by volunteering at a children's hospital, Ronald McDonald House, or a sibling/parent support group. Donate money in any amount to a research based or hospital based credible source (always, always know where your money is going--it's sad how many people try to make a buck out of people trying to do something good.) Make hats or blankets for the children in the hospital. Donate gift cards to general places such as Target, Walmart or Visa cards, gas cards and fast food cards for families in the hospitals to use. Spread the word. Advocate for these kids and their families! 

Many people look at me with a sad look when I tell them what I'm going to school for and the professional field I have picked to work in. They think, "isn't that so sad? how can you stand that? what a depressing job..." Yes there are sad days and yes, there are days that I can't stand because it is so unfair seeing cancer strike such innocent kids. But otherwise, I don't think of it as a depressing, downer of a job. Every day I get to the hospital, I find hope. The halls are filled with laughter and I'm always greeted with hugs and smiles. The kids I meet have the cards stacked against them every day and they still wake up more optimistic than even the most well off people I know. My heart hurts for them all more than they would ever know but because of their spirits, they make my job worth every minute. I cherish all of my time that I get to spend with them. Every day I am inspired by the kids and families I meet to do more with my life, try harder, be a better person, don't give up on myself, not to stress over the little things, and to let go of my worries. The toughest lesson I've learned though from too many of these kids is to love wholeheartedly every minute of the day because we never know when our last minute will be. The fight doesn't end because the month of September is ending. And thanks to mine and Jordan's amazing family and friends, we were able to make a $350 donation to Dance Marathon, the student organization at Iowa that raises money to support kids treated for cancer at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital! We raised this money during our Dollar Dance at our wedding reception and honestly, that is one of our favorite decisions we made about our wedding! We are grateful for the money we received and are honored to be donating it For The Kids. This organization is very near and dear to our hearts as this is where we met each other, both of our closest friends and it led us to our career paths. 

This is why we fight for the cure and why we keep dancing. For sweet kiddos and precious babies like Jasmine. For the kiddos who have earned their angel wings. For the kiddos who have fought the good fight and won. And for the kiddos who put their gloves on day after day and fight back. Make a difference for them. Be the miracle. For The Kids, always and forever.

http://dancemarathon.uiowa.edu/
Donate and get involved!
Creating Tomorrow By Dancing Today!

Iowa's 100th Homecoming Celebration

This weekend it will be the University of Iowa's 100th Homecoming! Pretty cool, huh?! And it will be the 6th one that Jordan and I have celebrated...weird! The best part about all of this is that we will have a full house this weekend with six of our close friends all staying at our place...it's going to be cramped but it's going to be awesome and I can't wait! I already have the whole place clean and organized, toilet paper is stocked, towels and blankets are clean, air mattress is ready to go and we have plenty of beer and frozen pizzas to last us a week! Let's Go Hawks and hurry "home" to us friends! Can't wait for them to start arriving tomorrow!

working for the weekend

It's hump day so at least that means two things: the week is already half over and a great weekend is now closer to being here today than it was yesterday! And I'm super excited for this weekend! My brother is coming on Friday night with both the kiddos and Kat is meeting them here! A weekend with the coolest brother and sister-in-law ever and throw in the two cutest kids in the world mixed with a home Iowa football game along with Jordan and our friends?! Well people, that adds up to what's about to be one hell of a weekend and I for one am so pumped!!!! I haven't seen Scott and his family since the wedding so I'm looking forward to seeing them and hearing all about their new house in Madison and catching up while enjoying some cold ones together! Happy Hump Day everyone and here's to another fabulous fall weekend!

I.S. Who??

Well, Iowa hasn't been called the "Heartbreak Hawks" for nothing before. And that's exactly what the Hawks did to all of us this weekend...broke our hearts after a sad showing and overall pathetic game. Ughhh total drag. The only upside to it was that I got a surprise visit from my close friend Monica! I love fun surprises like that! We hung out Friday night at our place and met up on Saturday to tailgate together....even if she is a Cyclone! 

my favorite CyClown
(and it was the perfect day to wear my
Hawkeye tailgating dress!)

grrr! Put me in coach!

We spent the rest of the day after the awful football game lounging and watching more football.....and then repeated that again all day on Sunday. There are few things that I love more than Lazy Sunday's lounging all day watching football and alternating between snuggling and napping with Jordan or Paisley...or sometimes all three of us piled on the couch! Since we spent the whole weekend doing more lounging than moving, it's safe to say that today has been super productive on my end! Hope everyone had a great start to their week!

I'm so hungry I could die!!!

Iowa won! And we tailgated like we're freshman all over again! I'm pretty sure I wasn't even a real person at one point because I was SOOO hungry (and okay, maybe the gin bucket didn't help my case.) And we had an absolute blast every minute of the whole weekend. I mean, how couldn't we?! Jordan's parents bought us tickets for the game and then my parents surprised us and flew up for the game too. AND to top it off, all of our closest friends were there too! It was amazing and quite the reunion for all of us to be together again after the wedding! I know I say it a lot, but we're so lucky to have such awesome family and kickass friends in our lives!

it wouldn't be a game day and tailgating without a love hug

started out as boyfriend and girlfriend...
last season we were fiance and fiance...
and now this year we're happy to be Mr and Mrs!

my fam at the game
Dad, it's not raining. Ditch the poncho!

The Bean

Turns out The Bean isn't so big after all...

finally eating dinner and celebrating the Hawks victory!

my two favorite guys and the biggest Hawk fans
who I know and love so much

Back In Black

Less than a week until Iowa Football is officially kicked off for the season! And we're doing it up big in Chicago at Soldier Field none the less! I don't know exactly when I started getting so into football but I can't say it's a bad thing. Maybe it was when I first started at Iowa that I realized I needed to step it up in the "football knowledge and watching department". Maybe it was when I realized, "hey I need one more thing to make my blood boil and since Iowa football does that to my Dad sometimes, I'm going to get into it too." Or maybe it was when I realized it's true, that guys dig chicks into sports especially when the chick is okay with lounging around all day in sweats with football on. Whatever it is, I'm glad I finally woke up and accepted it. I love me some college football....okay and the Vikings thanks to Jordan. Can't wait to kick off the football season this weekend in Chicago with both of our families and all of our friends! Back In Black will officially be on repeat the rest of the week...Let's Go Iowa!!!!!!