these two

I love that my two kiddos love being with each other. At times they really are inseparable.  These pictures were all taken within 2 days.  They just love each other that much that they want to be close to each other.   

Bill snapped this one and it is blurry but I had to include it

I have three sisters and I have always wanted Sydney to have a sister so she can experience the bond that sisters have but for now she has a little brother and it seems she is experiencing a bond with her brother that I never had. 

And just so you know my kids are real, they do fight and bicker with each other, but the togetherness far outweighs the negative stuff.

Maybe one day she will have a sister. 

Coming soon.....

A lot more relaxation for me!  We are all looking forward to our vacation for so many reasons. 

1. spending time with my sister and her family
2. hanging out with my mom and papa
3. driving to Maine and seeing new landscape-we have never driven there from NC
4. spending time with Bill and the kids
5. having time to relax- I just cannot sit and relax sometimes when there is always something that needs done
6. having a break from cooking meals- I do love to cook but at times planing and prepping get old
7. eating fresh seafood!
8. visiting Bar Harbor-where Bill and I spent our honeymoon -very appropriate since we are coming up on our 10 year anniversary in August
9. getting away from the office- I do LOVE my job but it has been busy and also stressful lately

 
 

Movie Night

This week I signed the kids up for the summer reading program at our local library. I am a huge reader (Bill laughs at me because I read all the time, even while blow drying my hair) and I read to the kids daily.  When I signed the kids up they both received a brand new book (they have not seen them yet because they are a vacation surprise), Sydney got a big hardcover Disney princess book and Griffin got a hardback Sandra Boynton book.  The library also a schedule of events and one of them is movie night.  So this past Friday after feeding the kids dinner, and giving them tubbies we got in pjs and headed to the library to watch It's a Bugs Life.  Well our family made up 4 of the 6 people that were there.  Oh well the librarian served us drinks and we enjoyed the show.  Two years ago we went and I just remember the room was full and dark and Griffin was in the stroller and decided to have an acid reflux vomiting episode.  Yes it was lovely.

After the movie we played around the fountain for a bit then headed home to put some sleepy kids to bed.

Does your library have a summer reading program and if so have you signed up yet?

Splash Pad

Our church reserved the Splash Pad at the YMCA last Friday night for all the little kids so I took the kids for a fun evening.

We had a great time.

These days

• we have been enjoying our sun room so much, breakfast, lunch, dinner and after the kids are asleep, it is so relaxing
• we have a new favorite sandwich: rye bread, ham ,turkey, Munster cheese, little mayo, coarse ground mustard and avocado slices-yum
• on the weekends we can usually be found sitting in bag chairs, sipping coffee watching the kids ride bikes in the cul-de-sac before 8 o'clock
• we are counting down the days until our vacation!
• I am using plenty of water from my rain barrel to water the garden
• we are just beginning to enjoy vegetables from our garden, yellow saffron squash
• we are filling up our calendar with great fun, including kindergarten camp, vacation, VBS, an anniversary getaway for Bill and I, water days at daycare and a medical conference/vacation at the beach

What are you up to these days?

recipe- Sunshine Casserole

This is a recipe my mom made when I was growing up and it is so yummy.  A great way to use summer squash.  The recipe is from a friend of my mom. 

1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
4 yellow squash
10 oz package corn, cooked
1/2 tsp garlic salt, or 1 fresh clove
2 Cups grated cheddar cheese (I use sharp)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T butter
bread crumbs

Saute onion in butter, add cut up squash (I like small cubes 1/2 inch) cover and steam until tender.  Drain then add seasonings and corn and cook for few minutes (4).  Stir in cheese and put in 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, top with bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes uncovered.  So yummy.  If you do not like the taste of cumin just leave it out, it will be different but still delicious.

project

I saw this idea on another blog and decided to give it a try. I went to Lowes Hardware and purchased 1 2x4 and then had it cut into 14 inch pieces- (I have some pieces saved for another project) I sanded the wood smooth and then used Modge Podge to glue on my paper. Using a makeup sponge and ink I added some color to the wood and the edges of the paper. Then I used sandpaper again just to add some character. I attached glittered sticker letters and tied ribbon. (I could not find the clips that she used but I may still find them and tweak it a bit) 

I had just gotten these pictures so it was perfect timing.

What do you think?  Of course Bill loved it and it is in the center of his desk.

daddy

If you ask Bill about the best days of his life, I know he would say the day his children were born (all of them).                                                       

 Bill and Griffin 

                                                                       Bill and Sydney

Before Bill and I had our children I knew what kind of dad he would be because I saw him with his big kids.  He of course did not disappoint when we had Sydney and Griffin.  If anything as he has aged he has been able to appreciate all the little things even more. 

When I think of Bill as a dad so many things come to mind:

his dedication

silliness

playful spirit

cuckaberry stories (cuckaberry is a crazy monkey)

affectionate (says I love you daily and always gives hugs and kisses)

demonstrates exceptional work ethic

makes everyday things fun- he plays chef with the kids when he feeds them breakfast

sings songs

tells stories from his childhood

demonstrates his love for God, makes church priority

allows the kids to help him with tasks

makes our family time a priority

provides for us financially

reads to the kids, a favorite is morning comics

teaches life lessons

We are so thankful to celebrate such an EXCEPTIONAL dad and we know we are blessed to have him!



 

Day away with Ellie

My friend Ellie and I enjoyed an afternoon and evening away.  We were celebrating her birthday and our friendship.

We started at Brixx Pizza-yummy!

Then we headed over to the new Whole Foods and took our time browsing and reading labels.  We sampled a few cheeses, salmon salad and grapes.  I was tempted to buy these sunflowers, they reminded me of my sister Amanda.

Have you seen these?  I almost bought the bag to give them a try.

I drooled over the antipesto bar, okay not literally but yummy.

We bought coffee at Starbucks and it took us forever to figure out what these little green sticks were for, oh yes to plug the hole in the lid, ingenius.

We went to the Mellow Mushroom for dinner but since we had pizza for lunch and we were not that hungry we shared a stuffed portabello mushroom and each had a greek salad, again so yummy.

We walked across the street to a place called Elsewhere which is a living museum, nothing is for sale.  We walked around and reminised about toys we used to have, for instance the phone on wheels, trolls and a glow worm.

It was a wonderful day and I feel blessed to have a friend like Ellie.

count down

Sydney made this paper chain so we can count down the days until we leave for Maine- we are so excited!

Sydney's preschool graduation

Videos of kids singing, so pretty and Sydney had a smile the entire time.

 

We are so proud of our little girl!  How did she grow up so fast? 

Sydney with Mrs Lambe- her lead teacher

cupcakes with blue frosting

proud little brother

so happy to finally be at the cupcake party!

helping dad

 Griffin helping Bill wash his car, so sweet watching them together.   I could not help looking up old pictures of Sydney helping Bill. 

I scream, you scream....

We all scream for ice cream !

after a hot day in the sun we are ready for ice cream cones
The kids have wanted ice cream lately while we are out, for instance at the Lazy 5 Ranch and the zoo.  At the zoo they are 3 dollars a cone and really that is just too much.  So we buy sugar cones and a carton of moose tracks (2.69 at Aldi's) and enjoy!

what is your favorite flavor?

Lazy 5 Ranch

A few weekends ago we headed over to the Lazy 5 Ranch , which was one of the things on our summer list.  The last time we went was the spring of 2009- with my sister and her family, so this was Griffin's first trip.  As usual we had a blast!

The zebras were beautiful

Griffin did not feed any of the animals while on the wagon ride- he is a bit afraid

water buffulo- on the left you can see them in the water and then see the one by the wagon

it was a hot day so they were staying cool

giraffes, always a favorite

up close and personal- eating out of our buckets

llama

Sydney talking to them- she is not afraid of any of the animals

Griffin finally agreed to feed this little goat who was all the way at the end by himself

We had a picnic and then played on the playground and swings

the landscape is beautiful

these videos make me smile and laugh out loud- enjoy