Cleaning and scrubbing will wait ’till tomorrow, but children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs! Dust go to sleep! I’m rocking my baby. Babies don’t keep. – Ruth Hamilton

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Who's Hot?

Not these two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missouri has been in a drought with no break in sight so it's important to find activities that will keep them cool.  We've had play dates, gone to indoor playgrounds, and been swimming. 

They discovered the shower-enough said.


Fresh watermelon from our garden.

Luckily this evening it was only about 95 so they decided to relax by their water table.
Next week we are heading to St. Louis because there is much more to do inside there!  Hope everyone is staying cool-this has been a miserable summer!!!!!!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

What's Happening In Our Kitchen?

This week I began to get overwhelmed with our produce! Not only are we collecting from our garden, we are also getting our weekly box. I don't want any of it to go to waste so I have been exploring with new recipes and learning how to freeze it.

During the day I am too busy to do ANYTHING-even with our nanny! So the other night I just felt like having some wine and making some pickles...that turned into 5 jars of pickles and blanching tomatoes to freeze. I texted my friend about what I was doing because it's our joke that she would be the one doing stuff like this-not me!
I experimented with all kinds of pickles!  They should be ready at the end of August.
I hope these will work (I saw it on YouTube:))
I received these funny things last week and let them go to waste.  My mom had looked them up and found a yummy recipe for them, but it was too late.  This week they were there again.  They are Patty Pan Squash.  The recipe that came with them was the same my mom had found, so I tried it tonight to go along with our BLT's.
First you boil them for about 10 minutes...with the cover on.

Then when they are tender you cut the tops off and take out the insides.
  

I sauteed that with some onion, garlic, and olive oil.  After that mixture was cooked I added bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper, dill and basil (you can add whatever herbs you want).

Then put the mixture back in the squash and baked them for about 15 minutes.  They were really good!

It does start to get overwhelming, but I have learned to freeze all our zucchini so hopefully we will have fresh veggies this winter!

Can't wait to learn more!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Three, Two and 4 Month Pictures

It's so hard to get pictures with these three! Our nanny had a photo session with them and of course Mack and Avery woke up with colds and didn't want to take pictures. I think she did a great job getting them and I am pleased to have what she captured!!! It's much better to have them done at home.





She brought this Lincoln Log bucket...so cute!


Now, I thought it was hard getting Mack and Avery...try these three!





This picture is so cute!  That is my Samantha doll from my childhood.
This one melts my heart!

Lincoln was not happy this day, but we managed to capture his awsome smile!

I think the one below is perfect!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Baby Lincoln Rolls Over Now!

It has been over a month now and I haven't posted about our youngest rolling over! This is their baby book after all:)

 It was a perfect time to have it happen...at our lake house with family. He was no where near doing it and then up and did it! Now he goes front to back and back to front-he is even starting to scoot toward objects. Must be because he's the youngest and wants to keep up with his brother and sister!
Here he is at almost 5 months old...

and these pictures were of him at the end of June (just 4 months old).  He is really filling out!
He sometimes fights sleep, but other than that he is SUCH a happy baby and has so much to see with Avery and Mack running around.

I just can't believe how much faster this is going the third time around.  I still love all the new adventures!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

When Did This Happen?

I have said it before and I'll say it now-no matter what you do, your child will find what they like on their own!  Since Avery was a girl and was first we tried to give her all kinds of toys-mostly trucks because of her daddy.  Now this is what she is interested in...
We don't have dress up clothes, jewelry, or shoes yet-instead we found this dress and my jewelry!  I will have to load her up with things for her birthday.  I figure growing up with boys she has to be a little princess!  She refers to herself as Princess Avery-have you heard of her?
She is new around town and owning her inner princess!!!  I love her confidence!

You will always be our only princess!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A Fun Blast From My Past

I moved to Minnesota my Freshman year in high school, leaving behind a not so fun place in Chicago.  I was anxious to start over and find new friends.  This was the best move my parents ever made because I have still remained close to a few friends from up north!  One being my dear friend Nicole (aka Pilney (her maiden name and I can't call her anything else))!  She and I didn't hang with the same crowd, but formed a bond with each other fast.  She became a part of my family and helped me through many parts of my life.  Even though we don't talk often enough and don't see each other, we always have a great time catching up and being together.

Her family made the journey down to Columbia on Wednesday and we were very excited for their arrival.  It was the Fourth of July, so we smoked some ribs, had a roast in the crock pot and grilled some zucchini!  In the past we have had a big 4th party and spent a lot of money on fireworks, but this year it was nice to have a small celebration with friends!

 It was still in the 100's last week so we put up a tent for shade, placed their pool in shade and put the slip and slide out.  We kept them cool and hydrated!
 You will see through these pictures that Anna LOVES to strike a pose for the camera.
 Of course we had to show off our apple trees-they're not used to the "country" living:)

 Our firework display was MUCH different!  Not only do we have little ones, but it hasn't rained here in over a month, so we were worried about how dry it was.



 Mark came home early on Friday morning and we drove down to the lake.  Pilney has been apart of my family trips down to the lake since high school and has a love for it like me.  She was very excited to show her girls this wonderful place!  We also got to go (for a short time) to our favorite place at the lake...the spa!
 Avery can't get enough of the boat!  She enjoys it, but again, it was so hot.  We did take a few rides in the evening when the temperatures came down a little.
 Mack's favorite part of the boat is sitting with daddy when he drives.  He would not get down!
 Lincoln doesn't care for his vest, but it does make him go right to sleep.

 This picture makes me laugh because I asked her husband, Jason, to make sure and not get my middle part...
 So instead of zooming in, he just moved the camera up-there is more water than us!!!!
 Just taking a little evening snooze.


 Then it was time for a Popsicle.



It's such a bummer to live away from most of your friends, but it makes it much more fun when you do get to see each other.  We had fun and our kids are wiped out!  I am lucky to have such a great friend like Pils!  Thank you for coming and I can't wait for next summer when we can take my family up to see you and go to the state fair!!!!