Lincoln's First Movie

Lincoln went to see his first movie. I took the boys to see Toy Story 3 on Saturday. Lincoln did extremely well...he watched about half of it, then fell asleep. We went to a tiny theater in Arlington, so I wasn't too worried.


I love all the Toy Story movies, and this one was really cute! I even got a little teary eyed at the end... Yes, I cry at G-rated movies. What can I say? I just have a soft heart.

S'mores Ghetto Style

Yesterday, I really wanted to plan a fun family day. We have been having really nice weather, and I wanted to take advantage of living in beautiful WA. My first idea was to go apple picking, but most of the farms were closed on Sunday. (And apple picking season isn't until Oct.- Who knew?) I finally had a brilliant idea to go to Beth and Jimmy's to have a bon fire and roast hot dogs and s'mores. I sent Joe to the store to get all the goods...and he calls to tell me it's raining! Bummer. So we decided to improvise...


S'mores on the barbeque. I'm willing to be called ghetto in the name of delicious melted mallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars. You gotta do what you gotta do. :)

Happy Baby

Yep... I have the cutest baby in the whole world. Enough said.

Sunscreen Alert

Here I am, trying to be the responsible adult and lather up my kids every time we are out in the sun (which isn't very often these days...). Then, I see this:




I have quite a few tubes of sunscreen in my cabinet, and EVERYONE had Oxybenzone in it. Even when I went to the store, I couldn't find one that didn't have it in it!! CRAZY!

Top on the List:
1.) All Terrain
2.) Badger
3.) Beyond Coastal
4.) California Baby
5.) Caribbean Solutions

Now I just gotta find where they sell this stuff. (!) It is most likely more expensive, but my babies are worth it.

Hall of Shame:
1.) Banana Boat Baby
2.) Aveeno Baby (!)
3.) Hawaiian Tropic Baby

Check out this link for more information on sunscreens that are GOOD for you and will actually prevent sun damage. :)

Recipes

Here is the recipe for Joe's birthday dinner...


Penne and Vodka Sauce

1 quart marinara sauce
1 c vodka
1/2 heavy whipping cream
1/2 c grated parmesean cheese
1 lb. penne

Simmer tomato sauce and vodka in large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4. (about 20 minutes) Stir often. Stir cream into tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until heated through. Stir in parmesean cheese.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot, stir occasionally. Drain pasta and transfer to the pan with sauce. Toss to coat. So easy, and so good!



Frozen Chocolate-Covered Cappucino Crunch Cake

1 frozen pound cake, thawed
3/4 c heavy whipping cream
1 3/4 c milk chocolate morsels
4 c coffee ice cream
1 c frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 3/4 c coarsly crushed malted milk balls (or other type of candy- I used Heath Bar)

1. Slice pound cake into 1/8 or 1/4 inch slices. Place half of the slices on the bottom of a 9 inch spring pan. Press down.
2. Bring cream to a boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat, whisk in chocolate morsels until smooth.
3. Pour half of chocolate mixture over pound cake. Spread evenly to within 1/4 inch of edge of pan.
4. Cover and freeze for 1 1/2 hours.
5. Combine softened ice cream and whipped topping in bowl. Fold in 1 3/4 c crushed malt balls. (or candy of choice). Spread over chocolate layer.
6. Refreeze until ice cream is firm (about 2 hours).
7. Top ice cream with remaining pound cake slices, spread remaining chocolate mixture over pound cake. Cover and freeze for 6 hours.
8. Garnish with additional whipped topping and sprinkle candy on top.

As you can probably tell from the picture, this cake is insanely good! Enjoy!

It's Not About Me.

Life is good. God's plan is better. How petty I can be sometimes when something doesn't go my way. It's not about me. There is a bigger picture. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day- laundry, cooking dinner, changing diapers, trying to teach my kids to obey. I want to live a fullfilling life, a fruitful life. Who doesn't? Today, I am reminded that I'm not able to have the life God intends without His grace. When I rely on Him, He gives back in return. It's just the simple. It's not about maintaining my strength to get it all done. I don't have the answers for when Gavin decides to disobey. Or when life's decisions seem too overwhelming. But God does. He always will. And that's why I believe. Because life just makes sense when I have all knowing Father to lead my path.

Dad...

He makes me feel safe, especially when he wraps his arms around me. He taught me how to work hard, be responsible, and be independent. I was always expected to give my best effort in anything I try. He taught me how to persevere through trials. He taught me to have a sense of humor, and to play fair. He showed me how to have a sense of pride, but not be prideful; that it takes sacrifice to accomplish your goals and that life isn't always fair.

Anyone can be a dad, but it takes a real man to be a father. Thank you for all your love, support, patience, sacrifice, and countless words of advice. Thank you especially for helping to shape the person I am today.

I love you, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

This is Me.

I love pickles. And poached eggs. I love to sleep and am cranky when I don't get enough. Music almost always puts me in a better mood. I love to play piano. Hummingbirds will always remind me of my Grandma. I love sunsets and warm weather. I like my feet, especially when they are freshly manicured. Naps on Sunday afternoon make me happy. I don't like being the center of attention. I could quote every Friends episode. I wish I could sing. I have a slight obsession with clean teeth. Swimming in lakes creep me out. I really dislike the wind. I love when my kids smile. I like it best when they hug me. I strive everyday to be a better person than I was the day before.

I Can't Take All This Pressure!

Literally. There is a lot of pressure in my head. Ugh for being sick. And it's been over a week since I've posted something, and someone (I won't mention any names...ahem...COURTNEY) is out posting me. I thought she was my favorite sister.

I'm pleased to announce that my birthday dinner for Joe turned out very well. Everyone was telling me it was delicious, or they were all just being really nice. I made Penne and Vodka Sauce, Caesar Salad and Cappucino Ice Cream Cake. Yum! I'll post the recipes shortly.

I was super excited for my gift for Joe. He is especially hard to shop for (mostly due to his expensive taste and our lack of funds)...but I heard him talk about TOMS shoes before, so I decided to tuck that idea away- and Voila! A perfect b-day idea. I love the shoes, and TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for one. And how bout one for Joe, one for me?? :)

I resisted the urge, but how adorable are these?

We have a Birthday Boy!

Can I just preface- I LOVE birthdays. My mom was always the best at fun surprises, flowers, balloons, and making us feel extra special for the day. I guess that's where I get it from.

Tomorrow is Joe's 28th birthday. Gavin helped picked out his present, and we are celebrating at Beth and Jimmy's. I'm attempting to make Penne and Vodka Sauce (a new recipe) for 12 people... Man- I must REALLY love him! We have a few surprises planned, and Gavin has been totally getting into it. I love it! Especially when Gavin "tricked" Joe and told him we went to the mall...to get Gavin some new clothes. And Joe believed him. I guess I should be proud he kept Joe's present a secret, but is that secretly encouraging lying?? Hmmm...

Mini Turkey Meat Loaves

So it's week #2 for our family dinner. Although our "family" dinner is turning out to be just me and Gavin, we are having fun! I took a picture, but it doesn't look that appetizing, so here's the recipe- I'll leave it up to your imagination...

Turkey Mini Meatloaves

Cooking spray
1/2 c chopped onion
3 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
8 oz ground turkey
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Heat small skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Saute onion 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Combine breadcrumbs, onion and next 7 ingredients. Stir in 2 tbsp ketchup. Spoon 1/2 c mixture into each of 3 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Place muffin tin on cooking sheet. Combine 1 tbsp ketchup and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Brush ketchup mixture over meat loaf tops. Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until a thermometer registers 165. This recipe only serves 3 people, so I doubled it and made 6.

I was pleasantly surprised...they were really good, and super healthy!

Enjoy...

I Heart the Sun.

One disadvantage of living in Washington: I rarely see the sun.
It has been raining for a weeks, and just when I think I can't take it anymore and I start to forget what a little sunshine looks like, it shows up. Just like that. And when the sun comes out, every chore and thing on my to-do list immediately disappears, and out I go. I guess it's the California girl in me.

One advantage of living in Washington: when the sun DOES decide to come out, it is a truly amazing place to be. We live in a great neighborhood, with a couple parks and lots of walking trails. So we headed out to the nearby park to run around. Gavin had a blast! I didn't hear a peep out of Lincoln, so I'm guessing he enjoyed himself too. (And I officially feel old, because I was playing tag with Gavin and he can seriously out run me!)

Then my day got a little more interesting when I realized I locked myself out of my house. Luckily, I have amazing friends just down the street whose doors are always open. Thanks, Crabbys!
Yes, it was a great day to live in Washington.

Side note: I took some pictures of the boys to share, and when I was scrolling through them, I came across some rather interesting pictures. Apparently Gavin was monitoring me, making sure I was doing my job appropriately... Nice to know I always have another pair of eyes watching. :)

* I'm pleased to inform you that my house no longer looks like that, and I'm not sniffing dirty clothes anymore. :)