Mother’s Day Gifts and Recipes
3 days ago
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Campsite Reconnaissance
We are preparing for the upcoming camping season and have been having a lot of fun checking out future campsites. Snake encounters, a billion potty stops and a few tick invasions has been standard operating procedure. We are enjoying this new phase of our camping hobby, these boys are thrilled at the prospect of sleeping outside, getting dirty and roasting marshmallows. Come on fall, we are ready!!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 26
...something old...
Abandoned since the 1940s, and isolated by its remote location in the middle of Big Bend National Park, the Mariscal Mine is the best preserved mercury mining site in the state of Texas, and is a listed historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Got a little history lesson today, didn't ya?
Abandoned since the 1940s, and isolated by its remote location in the middle of Big Bend National Park, the Mariscal Mine is the best preserved mercury mining site in the state of Texas, and is a listed historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 21
...a pretty pattern...
on some fabric...
that will eventually be a purse for ME.....hopefully soon, like before this splurge fabric is considered vintage!
on some fabric...
that will eventually be a purse for ME.....hopefully soon, like before this splurge fabric is considered vintage!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Happy 4th Matthew
Oh my little Matthew, today you turn 4. I dreamed about you for YEARS, you know the funny thing, you have and continue to exceed my expectations.
You went from this....
to this
WAY TOO FAST!
WAY TOO FAST!
Time has flown and you are so very thrilled to be 4, while I cannot say that we are totally ready for 4 year old in the house.......here we go.
It's official, my firstborn baby is rapidly transforming into a little boy, stinky feet and all. Your cute little round head gets more angular every day, you are starting to finally get a little taller, I swear you need a haircut monthly your hair grows so fast. I am proud of the little boy your are becoming...well...most of the time.
You are an extremely loving and touchy feely guy. You still need and ask for me to rock with you daily. I cherish these moments and know just how fleeting they are. You randomly hug and kiss us..which makes me think we might be doing something right. You are becoming a good little helper and do a good job at your chores, which include putting up clean underwear, feeding Muppet, matching socks and picking up toys. You are also learning to make beds, water plants and bring in groceries.
You have an opinion more often than I would like and can get quite inflamed when my opinion/instructions differ from your master plan. Time out is pretty effective with you but you also respect the wooden spoon. You lack patience with yourself which is not fun to watch but boy do we feel your pain.
You love to pretend. Most of your pretending revolves around going hiking, building a project, being a super hero or cooking. You also love to help cook. We make homemade biscuits pretty often and I am convinced within another year you will be able to do it on your own. You enjoy drawing, playing with play-doh and making random crafts.
You LOVE peanut butter. You like strawberries, grapes, Cheetos, ice cream, chocolate, risotto, cottage cheese, yogurt, frosted flakes, cheese, ham and noodles. You are still not a big eater but you seem to be growing on pace.
You love your friends...even though they are almost ALL GIRLS. You have certainly worn your fair share of princess dresses and Super Girl costumes. I can elicit good behavior from you by threatening to call and tell them they cannot come over because you are having a bad attitude.
Despite the fact that most of your buddies are girls, you are all boy. Trains, trucks, tractors, baseball, soccer and hiking are some of your loves. It seems Papa is not allowed to work on a project without your assistance. Band aids, holy moley apparently I should have started stocking up on these puppies long ago. You can go through the band aids my buddy, not that their application slows you down any.
Kimber and Muppet the dog are your best pals..but also the ones you love to antagonize most. I watch the sweetest moments pass between you two brothers, like holding hands sometimes when you go to sleep. It makes all of the work-dirt-lack of sleep so worth it. You guys can also fight and Kimber is starting to hold his own with you, suffice it to say, you are not impressed with this development.
You love love love climbing trees...or shrubs...or well just about anything!
You are really into Super Heroes right now with Iron Man, Spider Man and Captain America being your favorites. I amazed you a few mornings ago by whipping up not one but two cardboard Captain America shields for you and Kimber to play with. I am quickly learning the names of all these Supers, I keep wondering if there is a Cliff Notes edition so I can study up. You ride in the jogging stroller through the neighborhood a lot and shoot anything that moves with spider webs, I feel crazy safe with you around my little hero.
You decided you wanted to go bowling for your birthday and had an awesome time. I am a little surprised we did not get booted from the bowling alley with you and your buddies rolling multiple balls down the lanes simultaneously. The poor bowling alley lady certainly worked for her money last night.
All in all I think your day turned out great. You had PB&J for breakfast and lunch (as per your request) and two cupcakes, you were thrilled...and really whooped! Happy 4th!!
I love you little buddy and am so blessed to share my life with you.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 16
...what I ate...
our annual Butternut Squash Chowder, thank you Williams Sonoma.
Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, chopped sage, the 4 tsp. salt and the 1 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Add the butternut squash puree and bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and garnish with sage leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
our annual Butternut Squash Chowder, thank you Williams Sonoma.
Ingredients:
- 4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh sage, plus small sage
leaves for garnish - 4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch
cubes - 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 jar (32 oz.) butternut squash puree
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towellined plate. Set aside.Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, chopped sage, the 4 tsp. salt and the 1 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the vegetables are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer, stirring to scrape up the browned bits, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Add the butternut squash puree and bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and garnish with sage leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
Monday, August 15, 2011
30 Day Photo Challenge - Day 15
...my shoes...
I knew it would eventually happen. This is my 9th pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, they are the most awesome shoe ever, at least for my feet. I was sad when I went to pick this pair up today and found that the 2011 model is pink. UGH. Really, pink? I am not a pink girl by any means and it sure doesn't seem to belong on a running shoe. Despite their pinkness...these puppies fit like a DREAM!!!
I knew it would eventually happen. This is my 9th pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, they are the most awesome shoe ever, at least for my feet. I was sad when I went to pick this pair up today and found that the 2011 model is pink. UGH. Really, pink? I am not a pink girl by any means and it sure doesn't seem to belong on a running shoe. Despite their pinkness...these puppies fit like a DREAM!!!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Kickin'
Matthew recently completed a week of British Soccer Camp and he LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was very hot and sunny but each morning we lathered him up in sunscreen and he happily trudged onto the field to hone his ball handling skills with six other tiny players. I was impressed by the drills disguised as unique games with characters all little people recognize like Lightening McQueen and Shrek. We went through A LOT of gatorade and water and Matt actually took a nap after the first day. Kimber was an awesome sidekick and enjoyed being let in on the action periodically by the amazing Coach Mark. We hope to make this an annual event. A few booty-load of pics from our steamy week of camp.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
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