Fun In The Sun

Spring is here, AGAIN, and hopefully it will stick around for a while this time!

We were very pleasantly surprised last month when spring seemed to arrive right on schedule, a welcome respite from our winter duldroms. That joy and sunshine were short lived however, and the cold and spring fever once more enveloped us. We even received several more inches of snow! I was absolutely thrilled then, when we found out the warm weather was going to return this week and gladly made plans to head to the park with a friend and her kids. We met at a park I had never been to before, but quickly decided it was one of my new favorites and will be returning frequently. The kids had a great time playing and we had a great time chatting, so great that we forgot all about the time and ended up staying for near 3 hours! Here are some pics of the fun!

So proud of herself for her short climb, she said "I did it!" over and over!

The kids were more interested in the rocks than the tulips.

We finished the day off splashing in the rain puddle, collected in the fountain, that will hopefully be filled on purpose soon!

Just To Name a Few

Well, it is definitely time for a new post and I actually do have something to share as luck would have it! We have reached several milestones in our home this past week, all of which reminding me of the many blessings I have in my life.


First of all, our little guy has started crawling, sitting up on his own, and then pulling himself up on furniture! We are now officially at the "stand in the crib and cry" stage. Luckily he doesn't have his teeth yet, so the crib is still unscathed. They just grow up too darn fast! It seems I may not have much say over it though. I am so grateful for beautiful, happy, and healthy children. Especially after the last few weeks of sickness at our house.

That brings me to my second milestone, Jake had his first ear infection, and in fact it was the very first ear infection I have had to deal with as a mom period! Alli has never had one, or at least that I was aware of. The poor guy hates talking medicine (or letting me put ANYTHING in his mouth for that matter) and so it has been a challenge. But I think we are on the mend.

In other news, we are now a minivan family!! I wasn't expecting it quite this soon, but I am actually way more excited about it than I ever thought I would be. It is a '06 Dodge Grand Caravan. It needs a little body work, as we got it from a salvage auction, but as anyone who knows us knows, we like them that way. Hopefully we will have it looking good as new in a few weeks, but plan on taking it on a trip to California first anyway. I am looking forward to the extra room for the drive.



And last but not least, I have finally mastered a skill a I have been trying to acquire for some time now! I made my first successful lasagna last night!!! It was glorious, it looked and tasted every bit as good as any I have ever eaten! A far cry from my past dried out, but soggy, slices of tastelessness. It is amazing what the right recipe, and VERY specific step by step instructions will do for you. It comes from "The New Best Recipe" Cookbook, by Cooks Illustrated. Because it is from America's Test Kitchens, it has about three pages describing in detail how to get the perfect lasagna, and exactly what not to do as well. I really love this cookbook, but just as everything is really good, it can also take a really long time to make anything because every instruction is very specific. Anyway, if anyone is looking for help in kitchen, I highly recommend this cookbook! Sometimes I read it just for leisure!

Well, that about does it for today!

It's Potty Time!

I'm in love! Well, if you could really be in love with a potty, this is just about as close as you come. I just had to share what I consider to be a great find. The time has finally arrived for our family to prepare for potty training. Although I haven't made the big push, and don't intend to force it until she is ready, I thought it was time for Al to get acquainted with "the big girl world". I was really hesitant to buy a potty. I really hate the way they look, the thought of cleaning them, and the space they take up in the bathroom. I was hoping to get away with just an attached seat on the real thing, but as Alli seems to be terrified of it as of yet, I broke down. Luckily though, I stumbled upon this! It not only looks much better than the typical potty, it also functions as a stool and bathtub side bench, sturdy up to 300 lbs! My favorite feature so far though is the side storage bins, perfect for wipes, diapers, or whatever, and it even has a built in holder for toilet paper! I am thrilled with my new purchase and just wanted to share!