Sunday, August 29, 2010

On a roll...

I saw this idea for a scrapbook design and decided to make my own version to hang on the wall. It is a 20x10 print and we plan to hang it in Eli's room. Maybe with the next baby I will get it finished a little after the 1st birthday instead of a little before the 2nd! I think I am going to write the day/month of each picture, straighten out a few lines and then send it on its way to the printer.
It starts with one day old, one week old, one month through 12 months.


Did I mention that I cried while making this? I did. Look at my baby... what happened to those little chunky cheeks?
Also, I am proud to say that I got the other print from the previous post in the mail this week, bought a frame for it and Chris is hanging it today! Hooray!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Feeling guilty...

I have been feeling guilty.
I have been going over to a lot of friends' houses lately and noticing that they have pictures of their kiddos hanging everywhere. We don't have a single picture of Eli on the wall...not one. How stinkn' sad is that? Really!?! SAD!
 Honestly, we are still in the decorating phase in this house that we have been in for a little over a year!
Last night in a huge wave of guilt, I threw together this collage of our little fire drill shoot of Eli that we took last February...I sent it off to a new printing vendor that we are trying out and it should be here in a few days.
I wonder how long it will take me to get a frame for it....and then to actually get it up on the wall.



And so, there it is. I am a horrible parent. We have so many fantastic pictures of Eli...maybe the next time you come over our walls will be plastered in them. Here is hoping!

Friday, August 20, 2010

I don't do it enough....

So, we are busy. Like super duper busy; which is great, really it is. However, I would be lying if I said that it hasn't affected our marriage. It seems as though there is an unending amount of pictures to edit and projects to do at the end of the day, when Eli doesn't have every ounce of our attention.

I decided that I wanted to take the time to show Chris how much he means to me and just do something a little special for him. I don't do it often enough, but it was really time for some special hubby attention.
What better way than his tummy, right? I got online and picked out an entire meal just for him. One that I normally wouldn't make for myself. It turned out really well; Chris loved it. I wish that Eli would have loved it as much as his daddy, but hey, he isn't going to starve!

We started with lemon pepper chicken, roasted potatoes, roasted corn and peppers, and a side of pesto. Okay, so I know that this really isn't that hard to make, but I wouldn't have come up with this on my own.

First up, the lemon pepper chicken and pesto found at any awesome little blog, Scarlet Threads.

You'll need:

•1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

•1/2 lb. of Chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

•Lemon Pepper spice for seasoning the chicken; this is where my seasoning to taste comes in, so start with 1 tablespoon, then add more if you want more!

•1 jar of pesto sauce
•1/2 of a bag of small pasta; I used Bow Tie this time, but Penne or Spirals would work just fine too.
•1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese; freshly grated tastes best, but any will do.

Directions:
Cook the pasta as directed; while that's cooking, heat the oil in a pan in medium. Spice up the chicken after it's been cut up, but before you throw it in the pan.

Once the oil is hot, toss in the chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring often in order to avoid burning.


Once the pasta is finished, drain and place back in to the pot (but not back on the heat); add the chicken, pesto, and the Parmesan cheese and toss to mix.
And that's it!

Next I found this recipe for summer roasted vegetables.
Oh, now, this you have got to try. I am always looking for sides! This was easy and so, so good. It will become a staple here!

Sweet, Summer Roasted Vegetables

1/3 cup red onion, diced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup zucchini, diced
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Toss all to combine & roast at 400 for 15-20 mins.

I left out the zucchini, but I think that next time I will add yellow squash instead. Pretty much anything would turn out yummy in this recipe!


So, there you go. Chris's meal.
I know that it wasn't that hard, but sometimes we all need a little something to get us out of our rut! Try it! Go cook something extra special, just for your significant other that you would never cook for yourself...you might be surprised!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Meet Miss Kaylee

Meet our new little cousin, Kaylee. She would be my cousin, right? She is my first cousin, Robin's new little bundle of joy, Kaylee Hazel. She was born July 29th on her momma's birthday at 1:25 p.m. and weighed in at 7 lb 2 oz, and 18 3/4 in.

I got the joy of taking a few pictures of her one afternoon! I have been wanting to put them up on the photography blog for a while, but we are so backed up on there that it is just easier for me to put them here!

She is just precious! I had a blast with her...Eli got a little jealous, but I think he better get use to another baby in the house! ;)









and because I didn't know which one to pick, and I wanted Robin to see both...

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Royal Family...

I betcha didn't know that we are related to royalty, did you?
Well, we are!
We are so happy for our niece, Megan! Last week she was crowned Miss Rodeo Top O' Texas Queen!
We were so happy that we were able to be there and celebrate this awesome moment with her!

We took a ton of pictures, and I don't have enough time to post them all yet, but I just had  to show off these few of how adorable she is!









A quick shot of her personal cheering section... don't they all look so proud?!

Congrats, Megan! We are so proud of you! More pictures to come later!