PARK DAYS!

like everyone else, i'm sure, we CANNOT get enough of this fantastic weather!

i might actually be a bit worried about what to expect this summer, if temps are so warm in March!

anyway, we've been taking FULL advantage of this springtime sunshine...

complete with plenty of park days.

I've been taking mid-morning walks with the kids and J's been getting home as early as he can so we can all scarf down some dinner and fit in some swingin' and slidin' before the babes' bedtime :)

and, since the weather man's been calling for rain that never actually comes...

pretty much every day's been a park day!  no one's complainin!

here's what i mean...

day one

day two

day three

day four

{taken by our fabulous sitter, Gina, on date night}

day five

more of this = perfection!

bring it on, Spring... we're lovin' it!

{all of these photos were taken with my iPhone... as are most of my photos.  so convenient.  however, i seriously need to get A LOT better about using my actual camera.}

recipes i've found on Pinterest and actually tried...

I have 77 pins on my "mmm delish" Pinterest board.

I've tried about 7 of them.

all that i've tried have been quite delicious and i'm anxious to dive into some of the more springy/summery recipes in the next few weeks!

{LOVE this weather!}

okay, so here's a few of my faves ::

spinach pesto grilled cheese sandwich

recipe here.

i mean, you can never really go wrong with grilled cheese and i'm realizing there are SO many ways to make them...

i want to try this one too!

next up...

beer battered fried avocado tacos!

recipe here.

ummm.  yes please!

okay, everything about this was divine. 

i just felt a little somethin' was missing.  i'm a fish taco kinda girl, so we grilled up some tilapia with a little S&P to throw into the mix.

seriously, SO good! 

and...

cream and garlic pasta

recipe here.

this has become my go to meal when the hubs is working late and there's no one but me and the babes to feed.  Asa's in love with it!  

you can never go wrong with noodles... and cream... and garlic!

so there's a few quick meals.

and now for a couple snacks...

sour patch grapes

recipe here.

my girlfriend, Kristy, and i made these while our kiddos slept one day... {i think we knew sharing might not be an option}.

loved them!  

found ourselves wishing they were a bit more on the sour side, but that might be helped by using a different flavor of jello.

baked zucchini chips

recipe here.

nothing beats yummy and healthy.

let me suggest at least 3 or 4 zucchini though... they shrink quite a bit while baking.

and you'll wish you made more.

no cookin' tonight!

J's taking me out on the town... who knows where we'll end up.

probably dinner and home.  who am i kidding?!

a little alone time, get dessert to go, couch time and Netflix...

perfection.

FLAGSHIP!

my brother, Grant, is one among the five fantastic artists that make up the band, Flagship.

they've evolved so dramatically over the years to get to this place... such a good place.

you can't put them in a box. don't try... strong, poetic lyrics mixed with a sound that's unlike any other.  each member of the band is unique and so essential to making it "work".

you'll want to be a part of this.

Flagship ::

Drake Margolnick - lead vocals

Matthew Padgett - lead guitar

Grant Harding -keys

Michael Finster - drums

Preston Hayden - bass

American Songwriter features the video for their debut single "Backseat" here.

and read a bit about there upcoming perfomance at SXSW tonight here,

on the music media blog Circuit Sweet.

Happy Weekend!

Asa's 2...

this post has been a long time coming...

and i'm doing it while a very energetic Bellamy sits beside me.  she may have a little something to add in a bit.

for Asa's 1st birthday, we went with a Seussical theme and invited all kinds of sweet family, close friends, and little baby buddies.

this year, we decided to keep it fairly small.

on his actual birthday, Justin and i were up early filling balloons with helium...

we did our best to sneak in his room and leave them before he woke, but were unsuccessful and it actual worked out better because we got to see his initial reaction.

his eyes were filled with wonder as he mumbled through his paci, excitedly pointing out all the different "b-yoons".  Justin lifted him up and they danced through them before we tied a big bunch together and took them downstairs for the morning.
{we've decided this will be a birthday tradition for all the kids.. how fun!}

for breakfast, his favorite, cinnamon rolls and bacon.

pretty soon, we were headed to church, but not before we grabbed 10 balloons to hand out to his Sunday school classmates.

it was so sweet to see how special he felt as he walked into the church building holding all his colored balloons. 

as we ran in to different friends, we'd ask him "how old are you, Asa?" and he'd answer "twooo" while holding up 4 fingers {we haven't quite gotten that part down pat yet}.

the rest of the day was perfect... just the 4 of us. 

the following weekend, we celebrated with family and a couple treasured friends... including Asa's best little buddy, Colt. {we didn't get a picture of those two.  i could kick myself.}

we cooked out, enjoyed some sweet fellowship, let Asa dig in to some cupcakes and presents and called it a day.  i feel sure he loved every second. and so did we.

the end of the 2nd and on to the 3rd!  i can hardly believe it!

oh, one more thing....

wx4j cv 7jcx b xbx 

~Bellamy

she loves him.

Happy Valentines Day...

Justin and i have had notoriously bad Vdays since we were dating...

somehow, on the day, every year if we didn't have a reason to bicker, we'd find one.

i like to think we both put so much pressure on ourselves to make it "special" that we ended up destroying it instead.  for this reason, we decided to start celebrating early about 4 years ago.  since then it's been a dream.

of course, i got lovey little gifts for the babies and made a heart-shaped cookie cake for tonight's dessert, but as far as the hubs and i are concerned {with the exception of a couple extra smooches}, it's just another day ;)

anyway, here's a little glimpse into this years 

Valentines Day {and the day before} festivities...

first up {Feb 13th}, reservations at Chima's Brazilian Steakhouse!

if you haven't been, make this your next fancy date night! SO great!

 complete with one of their signature beverages... Brazilian limeade. uh, YUM!

 afterwards, more goodness awaited at Amelie's French Bakery!

today, i'm lovin' on my littlest Valentines! 

a tradition i started a couple years ago... vintage valentines!  they're cheaper and sweeter!

Ace and Belle love their new monkey friends!

 it's what's for dessert!

what are you doing to celebrate??  crafting, baking, romancing...?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

easy peasy crockpot meals :: a couple of faves

we got a crockpot when we got married, but up until the past year or two, i've been intimidated by the thing... i've seen recipes floating around pinterest, heard friends exchanging theirs, even gotten a couple from my momma... but always thought, "it just CAN'T be that easy!"  well, in case you haven't found out for yourself, it is!!

and when the weather gets colder, there's nothin' better than a delicious aroma floating through the house all day and a hot meal ready at dinner time with little to no prep!

and for those of you with babies who tend to start fussing right around dinner time, it takes quite a load off to know that everything's practically ready!

these are some of our favorites ::

Southwest Chicken

4-5 frozen chicken breasts on the bottom of the pot

1 can of drained white corn

1 can of drained black beans {i use 2}

1 packet of McCormick's taco seasoning

1 160z jar of chunky salsa {don't use restaurant style, it's too watery}

give it a little stir

cook on low for 6-8 hours

about 15 min before you're ready to partake, pull apart the chicken with a fork

and stir in an 8oz block of cream cheese until melted.

you can eat it plain, scoop it up with tortilla chips, or {our fave} wrap it up burrito style with shredded cheddar!

Pesto Alfredo Meatballs

1 medium bag of frozen meatballs {we use ikea's swedish meatballs or turkey}

1 chopped green pepper

1/2 chopped onion

2 garlic cloves minced

1 16 oz jar of alfredo sauce

1/4 cup milk {pour this into empty alfredo jar and swish around before adding to the pot}

stir it up a bit

cook on low 6 hours

before serving, stir in a jar of pesto sauce and 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

serve over rice or pasta

Green Bean Chicken

layer these ingredients, don't stir.

4-5 thawed chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cans french style green beans

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 box stove top herb stuffing

cook on low 6-8 hours

happy day, y'all!

enjoy!

hello again.

January...

it came and went.

February is doing the same.

i've been wrapping my head around a few things lately and decided it was time for a short little blog vacation.

and now, i'm happy to be back.  i've missed it around here.

in the past month...

i made a couple resolutions. {a different post}

and cooked a LOT of crockpot meals. {yet another post}

and mostly, i loved on my family.

our third little bundle is on its way... one of those things i've been wrapping this head of mine around.  i'm nervous, i don't know why.

i've got this.  we want more than three.  Asa's almost 2 and that makes him a toddler.  he and Belle are gonna be chums. Bellamy's not consistently sleeping through the night yet, but she will soon. i have everything i need for a boy or girl now.  Asa will be potty trained {maybe}.

i've got this, right??

anyway, for the next 7 1/2 months, it's just the 4 of us.

we're gonna soak it up, appreciate every second, and get excited about this new little one!

since i've been gone...

we went to the park and spent 75% of our time outside in general... this weather?!

we loved on our babies and they loved on eachother

we celebrated J's big 2-9! @ Zink!

Asa {and momma} got puppy fever! ah!

there was some cousin lovin'!

we got a NEW RIDE!!!  minivan mom and proud!

we made our big reveal!  after a healthy ultrasound/heartbeat :)

J and i decided to spend some one on one time with the babes...

he took Ace to the circus and Belle and i headed to Super Target!  so good!

                               Asa's saying 'cheese' in this shot

so there you have it.

i'll be back tomorrow, with bells on.