Remembering Moments...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

It has been way too long since I've posted to this here bloggy! I will try to be better about putting up some photos and ramblings! Until then, we hope you had a great Christmas and that you party in the New Year!!

Very Late 1 Year and 5 Year Photos

2010-07-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got the kid's birthday photos taken. Only a few months behind on one - at least Miss E's were only one month late! Here's the link if you would like to see the proofs. Mr. Q did not enjoy having his photo taken this time. All of the photos, except the last one, were taken on my lap. We couldn't get any of E & Q together! Hopefully he won't be as scared in a few months and we will try again!!

Easter 2010

2010-05-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple photos from Easter morning. Miss E's favorite part of Easter is the egg hunt - she was tearing around the house searching for the Easter bunny's treasure. Thankfully the bunny thought about how cold and wet the morning was going to be and he hid the eggs in the house this year. Mr. Q was even able to find an egg; after he found his egg, he studied it and played with it... he only needed one! After the kids hunted the Easter bunny's eggs at our house we headed down to Granny's for breakfast and another egg hunt, hosted by Granny. Ellie was in heaven, two hunts in one day!! Uncle S, Aunt K and Cousin L celebrated Easter morning with us at Granny's too!

Easter Egg Coloring

2010-05-28T19:44:00.001-07:00

We tried a new spinning egg coloring kit this year. E found it at the store and it looked like fun... it wasn't! The thing didn't work right, and the dye that did end up on the egg, came right back off while drying. So, we pulled out the tried and true Dudley's egg tablets and then we waited and waited. It's really not that long of a wait, but for our little Miss E, it's an eternity!!

This one was sick the week before and after Easter; some kind of respiratory infection and an ear infection in each ear... poor little man!

Mr. Q at One Year!

2010-05-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

I took this picture in the morning on Q's actual birthday:
We also tried getting some photos for our Easter card on Mr. Q's birthday. Getting pictures of Miss E and Q together was a challenge, to say the least! We did get a pretty good one of them with their cousin L. Oh well, hopefully our Christmas photo attempts will go better... yeah right!

Mr. Q Turns One!

2010-05-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

I know, it has been almost two months since little Q's birthday! Hey, at least I'm getting them posted now! Sorry there aren't photos of everybody who was there, I only got a few and they really weren't very flattering! I've already burned it into my little brain to take more photos of the event!!

Our Garden Bounty

2010-05-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

These are photos from March, when we harvested our long overdue carrots. They were all very small, and fairly tasty (one of the varieties we planted was really good, the other, not so much!). I think our soil was a wee bit dense, making it hard for the little carrots to grow. We'll try again at the end of summer and see how it goes - any suggestions for loosening up our soil? Any who, Miss E helped me pick our carrots... when you pick 'em all at once, using a shovel to dig 'em up, it's pretty easy!! We ate a few of the carrots, threw the yucky ones away and made the rest into the best carrot cake ever!! The Easter Bunny even got one of the cupcakes, and boy did he like it!

Fun on the Slide

2010-05-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Q & Miss E love playing on the slide. E will climb up the wrong way, slide down upside down, you name it, she does it... And, her little bro has been watching! His favorite thing to do on the slide is climb up the slide and walk down the ladder! Oh, they'll be the death of me!! It was Daddy's turn to make sure they didn't harm themselves (or each other), and a perfect opportunity for some Pest face time!

To Catch A Leprechaun

2010-03-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Miss E constructed her first Leprechaun trap. She anxiously awaited St. Patty's Day and was delighted to find that the trap had indeed worked... unfortunately the Leprechaun escaped, BUT he did leave her a nice little treat. In fact, she said the chocolate was the best she had ever tasted. Wow! I've gotta get me some of that Leprechaun loot!!

Life With Q

2010-03-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is the reason we now have an ugly fence around our fireplace. Mr. Q took one too many spills off the hearth onto his head!! Mr. Man loves helping with projects. He especially loved helping daddy fix the flooring; even like getting to hammer until it pinched him! He got over it quickly and was ready to get back to work!

Mr. Q loves riding on the slide; he'll climb up the stairs (with help) and slide down full of smiles. Then it's back around to go again, and again!

Catching Up With Miss E

2010-03-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well now Miss E is always a busy girl, but here's the update. Right now she is dreaming of being a paleontologist when she grows up. Wait... she also wants to be an animal doctor and sometimes a cowgirl (with a purple saddle no less)! We think she is tenacious enough to do all three! She keeps herself busy riding her bike, playing with her horses and dinosaurs, coloring, doing puzzles and reading. She also loves to play doctor, especially when it comes to administering shots!! Had to add this photo, it was just too funny... atleast she's got a clean nose!!

Mr. Q at 10 Months & 11 Months

2010-03-18T20:03:00.001-07:00

Here a a couple of photos of baby Q. This first is him at 10 Months, the second at 11 months. Mr. Q is such a happy little man. He is crawling around like a pro - the little bugger can really get moving if he wants to, and he usually wants too! He will walk really well as long as you are holding his hand and can stand unassisted like he's been doing it all his life. He could totally be walking, he just doesn't wanna! Q has his 1 year check-up in a couple of weeks so we'll have some current stats soon!

Lukey No Likey

2010-03-18T19:59:00.001-07:00

Cousin Lukey and his mom & dad came over on Super Bowl Sunday to watch the game and eat yummy food with us, Granny and Miss Kristie & Mr. Gene. Q loves to try to hug, kiss and pet his hair, but as you can see, Cousin Lukey doesn't like it one bit!! Oh well, he recovers quickly!!

I've Been A Bad, Bad Blogger!

2010-03-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

So sorry to have been absent from our little blog! I'm hoping to keep this thing updated a bit more frequently - hoping... Any who, here are a couple of photos just for fun. First up is our new (Christmas gift) bird feeder. This thing is so cool, the birds that eat from it - little yellow bellied birdies - eat out of it upside down! Pest's Auntie and Uncle told us about 'em, so we added the feeder and thistle to our X-mas wish list. It is really fun to watch the birds flock to our sad little tree - somehow they know when it's been filled, like within minutes! As it empties, and there are only two perches left to feed from, the little critters actually fight with each other. Fauna gone wild!

These other photos were just too cute not to post - doesn't Granny look like she's having fun?

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

Hooray for 2010... Let's all have a good one! We celebrated the new year in style: baths for the kids, some horn tootin' and some entertainment provided by Miss E and her awesome hop-ball skills! Mr. Q did help Pest and I ring in the new year, he made sure that we stayed up well past midnight and serenaded us with some crying, burpin' and tootin'!!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Christmas Eve day up on Palomar visiting with the Idahoans and Beppe & PopPop! The kids had a blast running around and even went on a hike with their dad's and PopPop. After their hike they had to hunt around the yard for their gifts from Beppe! Miss E was extra excited during our visit because her cousins brought their dog Izzy with them - happy, happy, joy, joy!! We got home in the evening, got everyone bathed and jammied and then put out the fixin's for Santa. Miss E decided that he needed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a yummy cookie and a mug of cran-apple juice. We also had to include 9 slices of apples for his trusty reindeer, including Rudolph! It seems Santa & his reindeer enjoyed their treats, only a sip of juice and a bit of sandwich remained!

Christmas morning was spent with Granny, Uncle Cotty, Auntie Kass and cousin Lukey. The hit this year with Miss E was her Monty the Dinosaur - her most wished for gift and what she asked Santa for when we visited him at the mall. It was a flurry of activity in the morning and then some quiet time in the afternoon, well, as much quiet time as you can get with the many noise making toys all going at the same time!!! Our Christmas was a good one, hopefully yours was too!

Christmas Card Attempt One

2009-12-17T20:40:00.000-08:00

Q Cuties at 8 Months

2009-12-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of cutie photos for ya'll... He's really workin' that pink cowboy hat - the joys of having an older sister! Thankfully he's game for it; in a few years, not so much! I love the one of him playing in the basket - so fun!

The Pox

2009-12-10T19:59:00.001-08:00

Sorry to have taken so long to post - our house has been in an ever constant infectious state! Here are a couple of pics from Mr. Q's chicken pox. Thankfully he didn't get them too bad. Just bad enough to make him uncomfortable for a couple of days (Benedryl is a very good thing, Martha should add it to her list!). The photo on top is day 2 the one below is day 3.

So Funny

2009-12-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

This is funny & would make a great little gift for the right person:

Paper Source - Notepad (you've gotta check it out)

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

It was a whirlwind, but we made it through! Miss E was just a bundle of energy all day (and the eve of)! We carved pumpkins in the morning and then went to Granny's neighborhood for trick or treating and photos. Cousin Lukey, Uncle Cotty and Auntie Kass celebrated with us too! Miss E was a pretty purple kitty and Mr. Q & Lukey were festive in their skeleton pjs! Miss E wanted to start trick or treating right after pictures, but it just wasn't dark yet. Torture!!! We were able to hold her off until just after 6pm and then headed out. She had fun snooping into the neighbor's house and trying to take their dogs as treats! She had a full bag, and some very good candy, pretty quickly, so we headed back to Granny's so she could hand out candy. Miss E took her job seriously, never leaving the front door, and often meeting the trick or treaters in the front yard!!! She had a blast and Mr. Q loved being out and about while we were trick or treating (he even scored a few candies... yeah for mom and dad!!).

Pumpkin Scones

2009-11-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

We tried these this morning for breakfast and they are really good, and really easy:

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

We made it to the pumpkin patch this past Sunday. Granny came along and we met up with Lukey, Uncle Cotty and Auntie Kass. Miss E had a blast - the pony rides and petting zoo held top honors with her. It was so fun to watch her ride the ponies, not once, but twice! My fav was seeing my kids standing next to the growth chart. We've got 3 years of photos of Miss E and now 1 of Mr. Q; it is so fun to see how much she's changed (frightening too!!). We watched the pigs race again this year... they were a little hung over from whatever Saturday night partying they did and weren't too feisty, but entertaining just the same! Unlike past years we skipped purchasing our pumpkins at the patch - they were just too pricey... thankfully the grocery stores have 'em for some pretty good deals! Halloween is just around the corner, I've got to get me hiney in gear and get Miss E's costume concocted! Keep your fingers crossed!!! Hopefully you can click on each photo grid to see it larger - but, who knows with blogger!

Some Randomness For Ya

2009-10-13T20:40:00.001-07:00

My computer is attempting to take a dump, so I will be brief about these and just get 'em on here. The kids were cooperative the other morning so I got a couple of photos of them being cute. The other pics are of the kids in their little punkin hats I knitted for them (cousin L got one too, hope to get one of the three of them together).

Mr. Q at 6 Months

2009-10-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

His is officially 1/2 year old... six months has gone by so fast! Isn't it crazy how it seems like forever while your trudging along, but when you look back it just flew by? Any who, Q weighed in at 19 lbs 10 ozs and is 27 1/2" long. His Dr. said that he is in the 80% for both. He's been rolling over for a while now, but has recently figured out that he can get around that way. Still only two teeth on the bottom... with the way he's been teething you'd think he'd have a mouthful!! He's such a happy guy and loves watchin' his sister tear around!!

A Trip To Ballet

2009-10-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we decided to take both baby Q and baby L to Miss E's ballet classes. Mom really wanted to come see E dance, so, Mr. L came along too! We thought the boys would like the music and all the movement... we thought! It was pretty comical to see the kids all lined up in the backseat, so I had to snap a few photos. Miss E did really well at her class, Mr. L did not. Granny was asked to take him out to the hall during part of the class - the kids were on stage, and the teacher didn't want them distracted - fair enough!

Flying Baby

2009-10-08T20:52:00.001-07:00

Mr. Q loves being tossed in the air - there's always big smiles and lots of giggles!

The Exersaucer, Friend or Foe?

2009-09-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

Mr. Q loves sittin' and playin' in his exersaucer. Every now and then he gets a bit aggresive with it's parts! Those teeth are a lot of fun to use, ain't they?

Mr. Big Stuff at 5 Months

2009-09-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here's some Mr. Q face time for ya! A little bit for Pestley too!

Finally Finished It

2009-09-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

Well, I finally finished Miss E's sweater! I started it last July and was going great until the all day preggers sickness hit me; the poor sweater was put away with only one arm left to knit! I found it last month and showed it to E, who in turn asked me to finish it. So, here ya go... some photos of her new purple sweater and matching beanie. Not only is purple her favorite color, but it also happens to be one of the 'it' colors for fall - who knew?

This girl is in constant motion, camera setting must be adjusted to account for this. Can you tell I was a little slow on the uptake!Had to post this photo - doesn't she look like she belongs to a dock workers union!

A Girl and HER Dog AND A Lesson Learned

2009-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

***Edited: Sorry to say that Tank had to leave our home and (hopefully) find a new one. A home that can handle his barking all night long and chewing everything in site. A home where if he forgets who his people are and barks in a very strange way at them ,they (his people) won't be afraid he is going to attack them or their small children. Good Luck to Tank and here's hoping any future dog acquisitions for this little family go better!!

We finally broke down and got Miss E a dog. We found him at a pet adoption thing at Petco this past Saturday. I dropped Pest and E off at Petco while Q and I went to Joann's to shop. E and Pest tracked me down at Joann's, both with excited looks on their faces, to let me know about Tank. He's a Blue Tic Cattle Dog and is about 1 year old. We adopted him on Saturday, but weren't allowed to take him home with us - they had to come 'check' our yard and required that he be neutered. So, we couldn't pick him up until Monday, from the vet. Needless to say those couple of days were torture - Miss E wanted HER dog and we heard about it all weekend. I don't blame her, it sucks that she had to wait and sucks even more that we got our dog at 5pm on Monday all groggy from anesthesia! Thankfully Tank (Tanker as E says) wasn't too out of it so E was able to play with him a little. She was on a dog high for a couple of days - actually she was possessed by some little demon!! We've been seeing more and more of our little girl as the new dog high wears off - she's been running and playing with him pretty much non-stop - she gets up at about 6:30 am and she's out the back door yelling and squealing with Tank... the neighbors have got to love us right now!!

Miss E Is Now A Ballerina

2009-08-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

E had her first ballet class on Monday. Ballet won out over soccer and tap - she got to pick and she chose ballet. She had a good time in her class and did really well. She listened to the teacher and only interrupted a couple of times... "Excuse Me, but why are those things up there?" (they had some acoustic panels hanging in the ceiling). Always an 'Excuse Me' first, our Miss E, she's a character! They learned how to position their feet, how to plie, pirouette, skip and leap. They even got to go up on the stage for a little while! And the highlight of the class, a lollipop at the end. Miss E has been practicing her twirls and her leaps - getting ready for the next class!

Q At 4 Months

2009-08-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a little behind in posting, but here ya go!

Here's a bonus... he's about 4 1/2 months in this one.

Swimmin' With Q

2009-08-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Mr. Q really enjoys being in the water. Baths are always a hit; it's his goal to wiggle off of his bath seat and float in the water! This photo isn't the most flattering, but at least we tried to keep it PG!!We've taken him swimming a few times and he's really enjoyed it. I know he doesn't look to excited in these photos, but he is... he's just gets very serious expressions when he's trying new things. He got a little upset when it was time to get him out of the sun, and thus out of the water! Eh, don't feel bad for the little guy, he's still got his baths!!

A Preview of Halloween

2009-08-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

This picture was too cute not to share! But, I can say that it's a hint of Miss E's Halloween costume request for this year. She has been saying that she wanted to be a cat since the day after Halloween last year - I was hoping she would change her mind, I really wanted to sew something pretty! Oh well, she'll be a cute kitty cat, possibly purple!

Food Is Good!

2009-08-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Baby Q is lovin' this eating thing! He's finally figured out that if he opens his mouth, we'll put some food in it! He likes to talk while he's waiting for his next bite; seems to be the norm around here. These photos are a few of weeks old... the boy's uptown now with a high chair!

Don't Hate Her Because She's Beautiful!

2009-07-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, little Miss E had to get some glasses! She had her 4 year check up a couple of weeks ago and basically failed the vision chart - I believe the nurse said she was 20/50. They suggested that we have her eyes checked with the Children's Hospital Opthamologist. So, we took her in last week for an exam and found out that she has a 'significant' astigmatism in each eye. She got to pick out her frames, hence the purple, and we got 'em ordered. The glasses came in yesterday and as you can see, they are adorable on her... or should I say, she's adorable in them!!

Some Face Time For Q

2009-07-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

As if you need to see more! He's pretty stinkin' cute so I have to share the love!Q's not to thrilled about having his picture taken, but E and Pest were cooperating, so there you have it... can't win 'em all!

Coolin' Off

2009-07-12T12:59:00.001-07:00

What better way than on a slip-n-slide?

Mr. Q Goes Under The Knife

2009-07-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

I know what your thinking, and no, he hasn't had work done! Q had to go to Children's on Friday and have a growth removed from his cheek . He was such a trooper... loved having the doctors and nurses looking at his face - he was such a flirt and won them over! He screamed bloody murder when they gave him the local anesthesia and then kind of fussed while they trimmed the growth off and cauterized the wound. When I came back in the procedure room, only five minutes after leaving, he was all smiles and giggles!!

What A Goof-ball!

2009-07-12T12:44:00.001-07:00

Doesn't she have the best sense of fashion!

The 4th 2009

2009-07-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, She's Officially Four

2009-07-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit neglectful of the little ol' blog and hadn't posted about Miss E's birthday. She had a blast hanging out with family and friends, especially the kids! Sloppy joes, chips & dip, cake & ice cream, presents and swimming - who could ask for anything more! Needless to say we were all exhausted by the end of the day! Mr. Q had some quality time by himself in his saucer before everyone got here; then he was passed around to be cuddled by anyone who wanted him!

Countdown To The Big 4

2009-06-23T22:25:00.001-07:00

Only a few more days of being three and Miss E can't wait. She knows that her birthday is coming up, but she doesn't know exactly when it is and we ain't talkin'. We have learned the hard way that it's best to leave Miss E in the dark when it comes to events, trips or visits - she just gets to excited and then all hell breaks loose! Easier on us, and her, to just keep things under our hats until the day of the event, etc. It is hard to believe that our baby is going to be 4!

Baby Q 12 weeks

2009-06-23T22:23:00.001-07:00

Mama's At It Again

2009-06-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, what can I say... If Miss E is willing I'm gonna take advantage. Today was a nice day with a happy girl, gotta get that on film! Baby Q wasn't too excited about having his picture done, hence the blank stares. Can't win 'em all! The one posted above just cracked me up, so I had to share it with ya!

Miss E wanted to take some pictures after I had photographed them and she got this one of me and Baby Q... she's actually taking her time and making sure that we are in the frame. I didn't do a thing to this one, it's all E.

Sportin' The Retro Look

2009-06-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Q was able to wear one of his Uncle Scott's baby outfits... circa 1978-79. Do the yellow duckies give away the era, or could it be the blue polyester? Either way, Q wore it well - I think he's pretty dang cute!

Would You Hire This Painter?

2009-06-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

We surely would! Ain't she cute with her painting outfit and her backwards train conductors hat? She was having fun painting (for about 15 minutes) and got mad at me for taking her picture... she was busy! Or so she said!!

Miss E Dubs Thee...

2009-06-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

LUKEY! Whether you like it or not!

E has been calling her cousin Lukey the last few times she's seen him and it seems she's sticking with that nickname. I have to admit it's pretty cute and will probably stick with us too!

Don't Call The Cops!

2009-06-05T22:25:00.001-07:00

We put him to sleep on his tummy! It's a crime, we know... but he really, really likes to sleep this way. We found out that he had this preference out of pure desperation. He needed sleep and wouldn't quit crying so we put him on his belly just to see what would happen. Well, what happened is he slept for about 5 hours! Breaking the law has its advantages sometimes, doesn't it?

Q At 2 Months

2009-06-05T22:13:00.001-07:00

Look at these smiles... Can you believe that just a few hours before he had 5 injections and 1 oral dose for his first round of immunizations? This kid cried for about 30 seconds then he was back to cooing and grinning at me. I was sure that he would cry and cry and then be a feverish grump all day - the total opposite of his sister (I'm sure that won't be the last time that phrase is uttered)! He weighed in at 13 pounds, 8 ounces and is 23 inches long; growing like a weed!

The Inginuity Of Miss E

2009-06-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me how she came up with this, but she did. Her horses needed saddles, now they have 'em. Don't they look comfy?

There's A Dim Light...

2009-06-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

at the end of this tunnel! I took these photos a couple of days ago, thankfully we are past this point now!The first layer of stucco has been applied to the exterior walls and the drywall has been hung and mudded (crazy side note: Did you know that the city had to come and inspect the drywall to check that enough nails were used to hang it?). By Monday the stucco will be finished and the drywall will be textured! Then the fun of cleaning drywall dust off of pretty much everything in our house begins. I joke, but it will be so nice to have this room finished, We can't wait!

Floater

2009-05-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

No, it's not that kind of floater! Baby Q had his first bath in the bath tub with his big sister. The kitchen sink has been a hit, but on this day it was easier to give 'em both a bath at the same time. While rinsing Q off we discovered that he rather liked floating in the warm water. This photo isn't the best, he really was enjoying himself though!

Look At These Two

2009-05-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a couple of pretty hot days. On this particular day Pest and Ellie had some fun shootin' chickens on their new Wii game after taking a dip in the pool!

Baby Q 6 weeks

2009-05-27T21:31:00.000-07:00

A Tasty Chocolate Chip Cookie

2009-05-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

For you to try...

Why you ask? Because they are awesome! Very tasty and nice and chewy - they're perfect! Miss E and I whipped up a batch of these this afternoon. E has become quite adept at using the mixer and at scrapping down the sides of the bowl. She is also a true professional when it comes to taste testing the finished product as well as each ingredient along the way - shortening anyone? She says it's yummy... strange girl!

House Chocolate Chip Cookie (click the link if you want the original, this is what we did):

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cool room temperature
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Mexican-style or regular vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
Stir flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
Cream butter, shortening and both sugars in a large mixing bowl using high speed of an electric mixer; scrape sides of bowl, reduce speed to low and mix in egg and vanilla – mixing only until egg is blended in. Add flour mixture and stir until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop cookies by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time on center rack for 12 minutes or until golden around edges and set. Transfer to a rack to cool. 24 cookies

Lots Of Pretend Fun!

2009-05-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share some of Miss E's creativity. She set up this picnic/tea party in the backyard yesterday. When I came outside to check on her she invited me to her party. As I took my seat she told me about her other 'guests' - Sparkle-ia and Flower-ia were seated to either side of me and were enjoying their turkey and french fries. Miss E also let me know that she had invited the two dove that were eating at the nearby bird feeder. She is the hostess with the most-est... even had some dirt ice cream ready and waiting for dessert.

Miss E & The Babies

2009-05-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pics of the Graham cousins/grandbabies... Miss E had her hands full!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Just a photo from Sunday... me and my two babes!

This Is What Happens When You Have A Big Sister

2009-05-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Big sisters love to dress up their baby brothers... I'd say ask mine, but he wouldn't remember. Mom has photo proof though; I'll have to find and post a photo!

Baby Q 5 Weeks

2009-05-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

Five weeks old today... It has flown by, but at the same time it feels like it's been five months!

Do Ya Think She Loves Him?

2009-05-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Miss E seems to really like her little bro... She loves being able to hold him and is very patient (for an almost 4 year old) when she gets to feed him.

Photo Fun With Miss E

2009-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

I let E take a few (try 15 - she's got fast fingers) pictures of me and Baby Q today. I had just finished getting some photos of the two of them and she asked if she could 'take some pictures'. The reason I post these photos is because she did a pretty good job (I cropped them slightly) and she caught something really intersting... well, may be not interesting, but funny! See if you see what I mean in photo #2..?

A Couple of Cuties For Ya

2009-05-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

I actually caught a non-cheesy-smile picture of Miss E - I love it! Baby Q is starting to do the smiling for real thing... it's just tough to catch him in the act with a camera!

Baby Q 4 weeks

2009-04-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

We took a few photos of Q at 4 weeks on Monday. Love the blurry one of him smiling! Getting to know Q has been fun... He loves riding in the car - if he's upset though, we better run those red lights or he'll scream bloody murder! He hates having a dirty diaper and will let you know if it's too full. Bath time isn't his favorite right now, or else we're choosing the wrong time to clean him up! When it's time to eat, you better get him fed now or there will be hell to pay! He is bright and alert and loves checking people and things out. We know he has dimples, one on each cheek, and can't wait to see them in action!

This face just keeps popping up... what can we say, it's his thing!

A Little Fun Comparing The Two...

2009-04-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

These photos of Baby Q really reminded me of Miss E as a new baby... So, I thought I'd share. Plus it's more Baby Q facetime!
Baby Q 3 weeks:
Miss E 4 weeks:

Baby Q 3 weeks:

Miss E 2 weeks:

Easter Quickie

2009-04-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

Here's just a couple photos from today. Miss E had a blast hunting for Easter eggs; she kept double checking to see if the Easter Bunny had returned and hidden more eggs! She also had fun dying the eggs - to bad we only had 8 to color... mama broke half of 'em when she was boiling them!
Baby Q enjoyed the day too, he slept through pretty much everything! Oh well, next year he'll be toddling around and will probably be non-stop like his big sister!!

Here's Lucas Scott

2009-04-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a couple of photos from this morning. The baby is doing great and is a big guy (8lbs, 5oz & 19") especially compared to his cousin! Mom and dad are tired, but seem to be doing well.

1 Week Old Today

2009-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some 'out-takes' from our little photo shoot today. We were trying to get a picture for Q's birth announcement. I love the one of him with his eyes crossed! And the one of him all stretched out...

A Quiet Moment...

2009-04-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Baby Q

2009-04-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we have our baby Q a week early! Here are some photos for you - we'll post more as we get 'em!

These are from today, so he's 3 days old:

These are from his birthday and the day after:

Wes had to come straight from work... as you can tell by his lovely chlorine stained work shirt!

Q with Granny:Miss E really enjoys holding "her baby" Q and was serenading him with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star when she visited us at the hospital:Beppe with Q:Miss E meeting her brother Q for the first time... she came right up, climbed up on the bed and held him for quite awhile. She really loves holding him - it's the rest of the day that has her stumped!!

Grub Love

2009-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Miss E has a new favorite critter... the lowly grub. She was having a blast playing with the earthworms that Pest was digging up today (he had to move some sprinklers away from the house) until the grub was discovered! Now, I don't mind the earthworms, except when they get cut in half, yuck... But a gross fat little grub with yucky little legs, No. But, E really likes her grub and was so excited about it that she even posed for photos with it. So, I share the twosome with you!

38 Weeks and Counting!

2009-03-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Here you go, some big ol' belly! Miss E wanted in on the action too!

The Roof!

2009-03-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

As I promised, a photo of the roof...

Now we wait for an inspection (tomorrow), then Pest and his fishing club friend (who is also in construction) will be putting the sheeting on the walls (also tomorrow), and then the roofers can come and lay the paper and tiles down (hopefully at the end of this week, beginning of next) - yeah!

Looky, Looky...

2009-03-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Look, we have a foundation and walls! Pest and his good friend Mr. T got a lot done on Saturday... they moved those 3 walls and put them up by themselves! Miss E really wanted to help, keeping her away while they were moving 500 lb walls was never ending! She did get to help a little bit, she helped hold the measuring tape, and was able to bring an occasional tool. She also found time to give daddy a wildflower tail! Most of the time she played in the dirt and practiced her balance beam walking on the largest (and last to be set) wall that was waiting in the grass. When it was time to set that wall, she had an incredible hissy fit - how would she go on without her balance beam? The fact that there was plenty of balance beam scrap lumber laying all over the place seemed to escape her... thankfully when we pointed that out she settled down!

Do you like the fingers in the ears? Miss E didn't like the sound of the power-nailer or the power saws!

The boys (Pest, Mr. T and another friend of Pest's, D.D.) put the roof on the addition Sunday - I'll post photos tomorrow, hopefully!

Sweet and Sour

2009-03-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot more of this:

Than this:

Miss E seems to really be affected by any changes to her routine or her everyday life and things around her just keep getting crazier!! Keep your fingers crossed that we can get her a bit more adjusted and get more of the sweet Miss E!

Guess What We're Doin'?

2009-03-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

As you can see we've taken on a new project! Yes, we are a little crazy, well, a lot crazy, to start now... But, it needs to be started sometime, right? Any who, we are adding on! We've got our permit and even had our first inspection today. Tomorrow there will be cement pumped into the forms and the roof will start coming off..! I'll post more pictures as I get 'em.

Amazing What An Hour Can Do...

2009-02-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Does this look like a child that only one hour ago was writhing in pain on an ER gurney? Doesn't to me, and I was there! Little Miss E had her first adventure at the ER on Tuesday. At about 9:30 that morning she called me to the bathroom to help her off the potty because her tummy hurt too much to do it herself. She was complaining of pain on the left side of her belly and it hurt even more when she sat. So, I got her into the pediatrician who sent us to the ER after examining Miss E because she was rather concerned that it could be appendicitis and she wanted to get a CT scan. So, we ran (well, drove) over to the ER where we waited... you know how that goes. Thankfully when the triage nurse evaluated E and saw how much pain she was in, she got us out of the waiting room and into the ER. Our poor girl would not sit, she stood the whole time and was just miserable - I have never seen her in so much pain. In the back we were able to lay Miss E down on a gurney while we waited to see the doctor and get the CT scan. When the ER doctor came to see us about 20 minutes later, Miss E was walkin', talkin', sittin', standin'... everything was fine. It was like a switch had been turned off (or on). The doctor checked her out and gave me the option of getting the CT or an x-ray, but said that she did not have appendicitis - no way it just 'goes away'. We're not sure what was wrong... could have been gas, could have been ??? he said with kids sometimes we just don't know!! I was quite relieved to not have to put her through the IV to get the CT scan and even more relieved that she would not need surgery! It was a nerve racking morning... we saw and heard things that we really didn't need to while in the ER. Thankfully Miss E doesn't remember any of what she saw or how scared she was to be there! When we got home from our adventure the UPS driver was delivering Mr. Woody from Toy Story... Perfect timing after our morning. This was Miss E's special treat for using the potty so well the previous couple weeks - all that's gone to crud, but that's an entirely different story!!

Sorry for all the potty talk... could have been worse though!!!

Oh... as you can tell by the photo I gave up and cut E's hair... she told me to do it though, so that makes it ok!!!

34 Week Belly

2009-02-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here's the 34 week photo. Please excuse the goofy expression, Pest was antagonizing me while he took the photo... the turd!! :)

Some Yummy Food That We Tried For Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

We had some tasty new food today, thought I'd share the recipes:

Baked Oatmeal for breakfast. A great recipe that you can make the night before and then bake in the morning. I added a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla and about 1/2 cup chopped granny smith apple to this recipe. It was pretty good!

Barbeque Chicken Pizza Very good and different from other bbq chix pizza recipes we've tried. I used the bread machine pizza dough that we like instead of the pre-baked pizza shells and we sub'd cheddar for the jack cheese.

Shortcakes with mixed berries and ice cream These shortcakes are really good and really easy, they're a drop biscuit, no rolling or cutting! Just beware, the recipe is printed slightly wrong on the website. If you try them, make these changes: increase sugar to 1/4 cup and bake them at 400-degrees for 15 minutes. We had 'em with a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries AND vanilla ice cream... yum!

An Interesting Read

2009-02-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

If your looking for something interesting to read, check out this book:

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats

This book was an easy and fun read. The author explained how and where each ingredient on the Twinkie label comes from. Some were fun and some were downright scarry!

Makin' Valentines

2009-02-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Miss E created her own valentines to give out this year with markers, glue and embellishments. She only made a few, but did manage to make one for Lola Kitty (don't ask me why!). So, a select few received handmade by E cards this year. Everyone else, well, they didn't get a card! I'm bad, I know... at least Easter is only a little ways off! And, We can wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day right now, so, Happy V-Day!!!

Do you love the rag-a-muffin look E is sporting? We are attempting to grow out her hair; by we, I mean me. It's driving me nuts seeing it in her face all the time, or fighting her to let me brush it! The little clippies I put in it to hold it back end up getting shaken out after just an hour or so. I'm fighting the urge to chop it into a cute little bob again - but, I just remind myself how cute she'll be with little Laura Ingalls braids!!

Awesome Brownie Recipe

2009-01-24T21:43:00.000-08:00

Had to share this brownie recipe. Miss E and I made these a couple of days ago and they are the best brownies ever - I mean it!!! We didn't add the nuts or the espresso powder, just so ya know!

On-the-Fence Brownies (King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (used Hershey's Cocoa)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the
butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth; then add the flour, chips, espresso powder, and nuts, again stirring until smooth. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan.

Bake the brownies in a preheated 350°F oven for 28 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center (barely). Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving. Yield: Two dozen 2-inch
brownies.

An Interesting & Somewhat Healthful Cookie

2009-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

We gave this cookie a try today:

Total Chocolate Chunk Cookies

And, they are good! I didn't have any Total cereal, so I used a combo of Corn Flakes and Smart Start and I used toasted almonds instead of walnuts; otherwise, I made them as written. I love how thick and chewy they are and Miss E and Pest enjoyed them too!!

The Belly at 28 Weeks

2009-01-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

Well, here you go... It just keeps getting bigger, that's supposed to happen, right? Miss E really likes to help with the belly photos. It's a good thing too, it's no fun being in a photo by yourself!

The Big Girl Bike

2009-01-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

The rain cleared up the day after christmas, so Miss E was able to take her bike for a spin outside. I love that she's wearing her rain boots while she rides!

Just A Quick Bit About Christmas 2008

2009-01-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

Yeah, the holidays are officially over! Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Christmas was good, busy and a bit crazy, but good. I just wanted to post a couple of pictures; mostly because I love the photo of Miss E on xmas morning... make sure you check out her lovely bed head! I don't know what she does in her sleep (actually, I do, she moves constantly!) but her hair just takes a beating! We left Santa and his reindeer each a treat - the reindeer got a couple carrots to share and Santa got some of Miss E's beautiful gingerbread cookies and a mug of Sprite (she decided he needed something a little different). The next morning E found that the reindeer had been 'parked' on the front porch (we had a rain storm) and had left some 'droppings'. That, combined with the eaten treats, made her morning! She also loved her "purple big girl bike" and was thrilled that Santa had remembered her special request. It was a little overwhelming for her after that point, stockings, gifts with Granny, breakfast, playing with her Idaho cousins, more gift opening, dinner, more running amok... she was one tuckered kid!!

Snow Photos Part Deux

2008-12-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Yeah Snow!

2008-12-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well, the storm that just came through dumped quite a bit of snow on Miss E's Beppe's Mountain (say that three times fast!) so we drove up this morning for a bit of 'no' play. E was so excited to see, touch, taste and play in the 'no' - there is an emphasis on the taste with Miss E. Every time she fell, or just if it had been a minute, she ate some snow... I'm not exaggerating, she pretty much ate snow constantly! She had fun learning how to throw a snowball and sledding with daddy. Then we made a snowman; this was top priority on her snow list of things to do and she loved every minute of it! Next time she says we have to make a mommy and daddy snowman too! We only stayed for about 20 minutes - Miss E had enough when her hands got wet and cold. But, at least we didn't have to drag her away, she went willingly... the warm car and fuzzy slippers were a happy, cozy place to be after all that playing in the 'no'!

Need Some Christmas Spirit?

2008-11-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

Then read this book:

The Paper Bag Christmas

I borrowed it from the library after seeing it at Barnes & Noble. It was a very fast read and so cute. This story is sweet, funny and a bit sappy - gotta love it! So, if your looking for a nice holiday read that will pick up your spirits, get this book and read it!

A Cool Girl Baking

2008-11-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

Cool girls bake (and support their local football team), I have proof:

Pest was able to snap a few photos of Miss E making sugar cookies with me weekend before last. She is getting pretty good at measuring and not making a huge mess! Always a plus! I would share the recipe, but it really didn't taste all that good - I think I'll stick to the tried and true Betty Crocker recipe!

Do ya love the hat? Miss E insisted!

Fun In The Leaves

2008-11-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

Our nectarine tree is loosing it's leaves and Miss E is having fun raking them, tossing them and jumpin in them. Now, if she'll still think it's fun to rake up leaves in about 5 or 6 years?

Some Bellies For You

2008-11-20T16:23:00.001-08:00

Here's Miss E and Me showing you our bellies. 20 weeks for mine and Miss E's is just for show!

Big Surprise

2008-11-20T15:55:00.000-08:00

I didn't make it through a week, much less a month, of thankful stuff... shocking, I know! It was an interesting idea, but one I just couldn't keep up with. But, I will share with you 30 'things' I'm thankful for to represent the 30 days in November - sum it up in one post instead of 30!

The first three you'll recognize, but I'll recap just the same:

Computers
Magazines
Vapor Rub
My Digital Camera - I love photos and sharing them with you guys
Burt's Bees Lip Balm - this stuff is awesome, works like a charm, especially in this horrid dry weather!
My Kitchen Aid mixer - If you bake you know why!
My bread machine - it's not top of the line but it does what I knead it to do!
Blogs - A great source of inspiration and recipes
Amazon.com - books, books, books, oh and some other stuff too!
Our Public Library - endless supply of story books for Miss E, plus and easy way for me to see books before I buy 'em - or read 'em and give 'em back!
Nintendo DS - handheld video game fun, when you just want to be brainless for a little bit
Nintendo Wii - fun to play and fun to watch other people play
Aquafina bottled water - I'll admit it, I'm a water snob... Our tap water is so full of 'stuff' that it smells and tastes terrible!
My Sewing Machine - I love it and it helps me make stuff
Neutrogena Rainbath Shower Gel - Love the smell, reminds me of my G'mommy
Peppermint Candies - Not usually a fan, but right now they help with the preg-o ickies!
Target - Say it with a french accent if you want it to sound nicer, but I love the place. Kicks Wal-Mart's behind!
Gymboree - cutest clothes for Miss E - I always shop the sales, it's the only way!
Sam's Club - For us way better than CostCo... Miss E and Pest like to look for the 'snack ladies'!
Photographs - On the wall or in a book, I love seeing my family and friends!
Bananas - Eat 'em almost every day and don't get sick of 'em...
Knitting Needles - knitting is a great way to forget whatever is buggin' you, at least for a little bit!
Yarn - If I had unlimited resources I could hoard a lot of this stuff - some of it's just so pretty!
Fabric - read above!
My Journal - helps me remember all the stuff I would be sure to forget!
My Car - Get us where we need, or more importantly, want to go!
Mail - not too crazy about our local postal service, but I love getting mail... who doesn't?
Baked Goods - Cookies, cake, bread, muffins, pie... I could go on and on and on!
QVC - sometimes they have some pretty good stuff, plus, if you can't sleep at night they'll keep ya company!
My Fuzzy Slippers - keep my feet warm, clean and comfy... plus they come in fun funky styles!

Day 3 of Thankful Stuff

2008-11-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

I am still feeling very crummy, so today my thankful thing is this:

Growing up I hated this stuff, the smell and the stickiness of it... I'm still not much of a fan, but I've gotta admit, the stuff WORKS! Combined with my Sudafed I can sleep for about 3 hours at a time - then I wipe it off and reapply 'cause it only lasts for a couple hours - I know, too much info! And yes, I buy generic. Especially since both of the generics pictured were made in the USA while the more expensive Vicks brand is made in Mexico. Hmmm? And yes, yes, I'm a crazy person who photograph's her vapo rub, what some? And, for the smart arses that may ask, there are two because the one on top is almost gone and I didn't want to run out in the middle of the night!! So, there!

Thankful Stuff Day 2

2008-11-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm on a roll - two in a row! Since I'm feeling crummy today I am very thankful for my magazines. I love getting them in the mail every month, or picking up one that catches my eye at the grocery/book store. You have to admit, magazines are pretty to look at and full of inspiration. I don't know about you, but I tear many a page out of my magazines - just ask anyone who gets my hand-me-downs! So, here is a list of my favorites.

Magazines I subscribe to:
Country Living
Country Home
Better Home & Gardens
Mary Endelbreit's Home Companion
Woman's Day
Creating Keepsakes
Scrapbooks Etc.
Interweave Knits
Cooking Light
Taste of Home
Family Fun
Parenting

Magzines I pick up often at the store:
Martha Stewart Living - The holiday ones always catch my eye
Southern Living - Again, it's the holiday issues
Quilts and More
Food Network Magazine - A brand spankin' new one that's pretty good

"Stuff" I'm Thankful For

2008-11-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Being that it is now November, and the month of Thanksgiving, I thought I would jump on the blog bandwagon and try to post something I'm thankful for each day. I doubt I'll keep up with it every day, but I'll give it a go. Now, this is going to be day-to-day 'stuff' I'm thankful to have, see, use, etc. Obviously these are not the most meaningful things in my life, just a fun way to share a little of myself with you my loyal readers, all 4 of you!!

Today I'm going to state the obvious and say that I'm thankful for my computer - how else would I be doing all this crazy sharing! 'Puter's are fun, super useful and a real time waster if you're not careful... Can you imagine life without 'em?

Boo To You!

2008-10-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

Take a peek at our new puppy! Miss E decided about a month ago that she wanted to be a Dalmatian doggy, so here she is. The ears were the toughest part to create, she wanted her ears to stand up, not lay down, so what you see is what I could do. It's quite tricky making dog ears, and no store around here had anything that would work. Oh well, she loved her costume and the ears... that's all that matters! She also really liked having her make-up 'done' and ran to the mirror to see her new look as soon as I finished getting her made up!!

Some Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

Last night we all carved our pumpkins. Miss E was so excited to get to carving - once Pest got home from work, she was ready to go! She had a good time getting gooey and getting pumpkin guts everywhere! She told me what she wanted each part of her pumpkin to look like, approved my drawings, and then we transferred the marks to her pumpkin. Then she picked up the carving saw and was ready to go! I helped her guide the saw, but she did the actual 'carving' of about half the pumpkin - then her attention moved on to a slice of yummy banana bread! Miss E's pumpkin is the swirly curly one, Pest's is the tall one and mine is the kitty face (Miss E's request).