tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56290013101401913922024-03-13T03:49:08.315-07:00life effervescentKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-48280245586514943302011-08-15T14:25:00.000-07:002011-08-15T14:25:02.184-07:00Weekend -- August 6 & 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyG5QvsVXYWAkkBcaYSjAGnh2Z0szafPaXAqVgaCEkxZwI3KcaIoVQeevtbc4sD4gQBrhJr6IDM-U-k1g9NRYqehCRQd49ZAnTPSRblo_oiaUiHGbkgJus34LOhaFpKAI6hYJEd0K1zU/s1600/IMG_0057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyG5QvsVXYWAkkBcaYSjAGnh2Z0szafPaXAqVgaCEkxZwI3KcaIoVQeevtbc4sD4gQBrhJr6IDM-U-k1g9NRYqehCRQd49ZAnTPSRblo_oiaUiHGbkgJus34LOhaFpKAI6hYJEd0K1zU/s640/IMG_0057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv_wT1eddD_Wd4vtRvDuEkRXROFCIVNPjrbyDJo7DL9m6DVWZN-s3hvNyEaIfe0cbovzMoLE8VRNoomn0L4ttJAfCZJkKOMwYaDQiM45yiDYPETzaoIf7XPnEpXlyEXN12KtxcEwFdXY/s1600/IMG_0060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbv_wT1eddD_Wd4vtRvDuEkRXROFCIVNPjrbyDJo7DL9m6DVWZN-s3hvNyEaIfe0cbovzMoLE8VRNoomn0L4ttJAfCZJkKOMwYaDQiM45yiDYPETzaoIf7XPnEpXlyEXN12KtxcEwFdXY/s640/IMG_0060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXadPrYNsyNys382k2d7EgRbYGiXm6WoCTMdgbMCQOEEjT9lEnJeppK5wrU6zKze7X0YMfYRFbPRCQU5sSXlGAaLNz5vN1zOHiXbEk90ipxX7XxPo0e4AzcD_vn0qR1Gvd9G06BneViQ/s1600/DSC_2451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXadPrYNsyNys382k2d7EgRbYGiXm6WoCTMdgbMCQOEEjT9lEnJeppK5wrU6zKze7X0YMfYRFbPRCQU5sSXlGAaLNz5vN1zOHiXbEk90ipxX7XxPo0e4AzcD_vn0qR1Gvd9G06BneViQ/s640/DSC_2451.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_c9ltBnDKcvJZ79lNMrp4BUIqaKZmxYb06sZeJ_h_E6VEKYSF6l7759yAfKp9Hs-3_ztlSelyf_kJGZcCYoL05CNLKLZ_YqFowC5bl7FrcZB6J-S_h8dASF_a2T4JFkoqLOV8t5zK3g/s1600/IMGP0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_c9ltBnDKcvJZ79lNMrp4BUIqaKZmxYb06sZeJ_h_E6VEKYSF6l7759yAfKp9Hs-3_ztlSelyf_kJGZcCYoL05CNLKLZ_YqFowC5bl7FrcZB6J-S_h8dASF_a2T4JFkoqLOV8t5zK3g/s640/IMGP0266.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYSGslUV8SHp43Cs_EtQYGk_TUHwazJG9c9oz6HFyrqNsMcrMsdjpSUbVovWWyS1RiqjV46rT12Ie6CAcp9gyI_uT_6kdMFW2kzDGGjRY9g-okLGeh1YqG3L-hMaX9-57Wu-ECmT8yAM/s1600/IMGP0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYSGslUV8SHp43Cs_EtQYGk_TUHwazJG9c9oz6HFyrqNsMcrMsdjpSUbVovWWyS1RiqjV46rT12Ie6CAcp9gyI_uT_6kdMFW2kzDGGjRY9g-okLGeh1YqG3L-hMaX9-57Wu-ECmT8yAM/s640/IMGP0271.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWsj-aJ-z-x9KL3bjQrF6axT9RtJR9RfL_A3Ii96aWnODveUUv_wZNbSS8G2G54bW0kGM8AvIHxR4KHC35AqyHHNLqFhjy3fQWSryKFnOIYKNrj4teWD2dITiIVqZLT6HhZjpavo0If0/s1600/DSC_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWsj-aJ-z-x9KL3bjQrF6axT9RtJR9RfL_A3Ii96aWnODveUUv_wZNbSS8G2G54bW0kGM8AvIHxR4KHC35AqyHHNLqFhjy3fQWSryKFnOIYKNrj4teWD2dITiIVqZLT6HhZjpavo0If0/s640/DSC_2455.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZMbrLzBuEQYj7jVlhBqFsnCJ5D7NXojwHpHRQDzDCD3mgJUSBPy6CCpov-J83fpJDuo_ZwL2HCDZRzojakgmzMGmGnNdntFCtq-ujtfL6wFuOYsIeYXd6Jo0NUBax0BITNhnQN2hcvI/s1600/DSC_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZMbrLzBuEQYj7jVlhBqFsnCJ5D7NXojwHpHRQDzDCD3mgJUSBPy6CCpov-J83fpJDuo_ZwL2HCDZRzojakgmzMGmGnNdntFCtq-ujtfL6wFuOYsIeYXd6Jo0NUBax0BITNhnQN2hcvI/s640/DSC_2459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvy2Y-p2qvrVEh7xs-Ri_NyJrxAxMQIHoqH3Mptp7f34LOC66bAoEUuSrIdmDpaQXyXg3skbk7dCP6Fk2tZvoBo2eXvJpADoIdDBvWqM-gFd3SbFAyLz1Jh_ufoqnL6n7YB0VcLWwS84/s1600/DSC_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvy2Y-p2qvrVEh7xs-Ri_NyJrxAxMQIHoqH3Mptp7f34LOC66bAoEUuSrIdmDpaQXyXg3skbk7dCP6Fk2tZvoBo2eXvJpADoIdDBvWqM-gFd3SbFAyLz1Jh_ufoqnL6n7YB0VcLWwS84/s640/DSC_2468.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdnBxp0JwNMoh-CHEYW1ncd0pReNfnfVGMLvuIV6rUbnlyTn3gO8Ihxn0YhMCsO5SBt48EHCqG5UyrEzfXJTQEfCTOstBDxX-vBAd8umMpSM87y3gthBK0E4kEKOT8Di0cIzf1c3kvJw/s1600/DSC_2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdnBxp0JwNMoh-CHEYW1ncd0pReNfnfVGMLvuIV6rUbnlyTn3gO8Ihxn0YhMCsO5SBt48EHCqG5UyrEzfXJTQEfCTOstBDxX-vBAd8umMpSM87y3gthBK0E4kEKOT8Di0cIzf1c3kvJw/s640/DSC_2478.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkEtG52EOvcLOjrdR0_oiVdwP_QUxyl04QtNDwYiKdvNvICaDD-H8XO-VncwECKyDzAD8e8l9GUSOFXzi5FwGh9WnP26xLy4JwYy0IDHdYrwPp7NtJ__ArRHVdUJ2w6ZrgBJ48OjX0BQ/s1600/DSC_2495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkEtG52EOvcLOjrdR0_oiVdwP_QUxyl04QtNDwYiKdvNvICaDD-H8XO-VncwECKyDzAD8e8l9GUSOFXzi5FwGh9WnP26xLy4JwYy0IDHdYrwPp7NtJ__ArRHVdUJ2w6ZrgBJ48OjX0BQ/s640/DSC_2495.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It was a busy weekend. But definitely a fun one. <br />
<br />
One of my favorite memories as a child was in first or second grade when my parents surprised us one day at school. They just showed up in the middle of the day and took us out of class. My grandparents had come to visit, so we spent the afternoon going to garage sales (one of Grandpa's favorite activities). With this in mind, during my lunch hour on Friday, after I nursed Ellie, I took Ava out of class and we went to the Children's Fair for 20 minutes. It was just enough time for her first pony ride (on the smallest pony I've ever seen, Tinkerbell), a slide down a giant inflatable slide, and a cherry sno cone.<br />
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Saturday was my friend Julie's wedding. It's the first one we've been to in years and it was so much fun. It was so nice of her to invite Ava and Ellie and they both had so much fun. Ava immediately acquainted herself with the photographer (I can't wait to see if any of her make the final wedding album), asking to have her picture taken. She was also the queen of the dance floor and would have gladly danced the night away if her mean parents hadn't taken her home to bed.<br />
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Sunday, we went to the mall to find some shoes for kindergarten gym class (and left with lots of things, but no gym shoes). On the way home, we decided to get some use out of our zoo membership and spent an hour strolling through the zoo until it got too hot. Ava rode a camel for the first time (something I've never even done). This was big stuff because she's not a fan of heights. But she climbed right now, a little nervous at first, then deciding she could handle it. Afterward, I asked her if she preferred riding ponies or camels. Her reply? The carousel. <br />
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</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-11658455726602136662011-08-14T21:14:00.000-07:002011-08-14T21:14:43.991-07:00Weekend -- July 30 & 31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMdoucThxC-BqAPu7fSkrTgJYW9uGJSunGMvQbxtLKeA5qMaqI4UqHKBlPjvtGPyhmf_ueKy3ClL_Ig64HQ10vr2ghSyo81E2HnoAA6PF0h7b6w2hiM6NKjJMkbYPRWtkxPchAWdo7Lg/s1600/Ellie_Baby.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMdoucThxC-BqAPu7fSkrTgJYW9uGJSunGMvQbxtLKeA5qMaqI4UqHKBlPjvtGPyhmf_ueKy3ClL_Ig64HQ10vr2ghSyo81E2HnoAA6PF0h7b6w2hiM6NKjJMkbYPRWtkxPchAWdo7Lg/s640/Ellie_Baby.BMP" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUyC_qcfmEYON3aFPkaUlCF629a4neQ11xqUmMU8WEAsqXmqRwzvEZGm88u5jB8ssLQhefHt7YjQFddsmT0thjeFYliqoJR1GebqJscJlSLpcLKoYqpvn9OR0Oo_2QC00Bji9T-6nXgo/s1600/IMG_0053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKUyC_qcfmEYON3aFPkaUlCF629a4neQ11xqUmMU8WEAsqXmqRwzvEZGm88u5jB8ssLQhefHt7YjQFddsmT0thjeFYliqoJR1GebqJscJlSLpcLKoYqpvn9OR0Oo_2QC00Bji9T-6nXgo/s640/IMG_0053.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDtsVXJR0LFgYxfDu4nD_7Qnt4IgwBYQsdCjbNF110QWS4jCTzw0tNKel6PxRHCTAnkMQzJOHJAMRnodssVAkWG_Br-q7EDHDF5n5yrUVkg0PLPYdS2xYhg6MLxbEzTCf6oaPKxLwr2A/s1600/Face+Paint.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDtsVXJR0LFgYxfDu4nD_7Qnt4IgwBYQsdCjbNF110QWS4jCTzw0tNKel6PxRHCTAnkMQzJOHJAMRnodssVAkWG_Br-q7EDHDF5n5yrUVkg0PLPYdS2xYhg6MLxbEzTCf6oaPKxLwr2A/s640/Face+Paint.BMP" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7xkzZYiApz1lFYSq0N7LX8epDL9MAQnz9pkjDPkomA1KSKnC3wNaquiqVceqKnlRP-xAwxj4nCQYGvN8gbjy2vtyEwESP8LF8Vn1WjIWA5ZOyzDdU5AGRFAIA3ARkpZ8DFz2huiwc2Y/s1600/Farmers+Market.BMP" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7xkzZYiApz1lFYSq0N7LX8epDL9MAQnz9pkjDPkomA1KSKnC3wNaquiqVceqKnlRP-xAwxj4nCQYGvN8gbjy2vtyEwESP8LF8Vn1WjIWA5ZOyzDdU5AGRFAIA3ARkpZ8DFz2huiwc2Y/s640/Farmers+Market.BMP" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Ellie got her very first baby doll of her very own. She named her A-ha and slathered her with kisses immediately. She's not even six months old yet, but this is a girl who knows what she wants. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We finally made it to the farmer's market for the first time this summer. Ava used her money to get her face painted (it was actually a fundraiser for the Kids Food Basket) and to buy a bouquet of really beautiful summer flowers. Good choices, I think. </div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-46906073312096759292011-08-13T13:40:00.000-07:002011-08-13T13:40:05.231-07:00Ava's Favorite Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YdTv_QsqzJt00K-Lg-s90KFO_bqpkpBfXw-sY2Eha5po8VJvN2cC9KbDBHTWR1FFjCQtY1gWIZCR4HCDLjsKT1bE6xVFZ2k7MhsCE_ULwdHGNt5636VxN6b-tqM3tBGVCCYVurYe8is/s1600/DSC_2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YdTv_QsqzJt00K-Lg-s90KFO_bqpkpBfXw-sY2Eha5po8VJvN2cC9KbDBHTWR1FFjCQtY1gWIZCR4HCDLjsKT1bE6xVFZ2k7MhsCE_ULwdHGNt5636VxN6b-tqM3tBGVCCYVurYe8is/s640/DSC_2332.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB42X-KGpbv2eP_Qn_jmJoqsX-1mymt2XWUjv8pNyYsSonpxzMOsi8yvsChq0AmA2nnBdDryv2dXuE-8UqC2G4pnye_3TFEyCaYxDNzNzX-PZLC5vl-HP2IZWSrVNVHKX_O9PKA_PLIY/s1600/DSC_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnB42X-KGpbv2eP_Qn_jmJoqsX-1mymt2XWUjv8pNyYsSonpxzMOsi8yvsChq0AmA2nnBdDryv2dXuE-8UqC2G4pnye_3TFEyCaYxDNzNzX-PZLC5vl-HP2IZWSrVNVHKX_O9PKA_PLIY/s640/DSC_2333.JPG" t$="true" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is Ava's very favorite soup. It's the one meal (besides macaroni and cheese) that she requests by name. And it really couldn't be more simple.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cans Rotel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 can corn, drained</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 can refried beans</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 can black beans, drained and rinses</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 can chicken or vegetable stock</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2-3 Tbs. fresh cilantro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (optional)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dump it all in a big soup pot and heat it up. Serve with sour cream and green onions on top. And to truly be Ava's favorite, you must serve it with blue corn tortilla chips.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwonNOOL4HnVY96ZDVqfkX5_9K8UjrBejpSOKobdtD14HaLmq-IGXxjYov31rJPEXnxY6uStwR7fDrM9oLG7uHzJ3Tc1VL7qjWhfWWr5gs-9EcijKgBLI7hmoL1zro-osaI6J6J9LM28/s1600/DSC_2335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwonNOOL4HnVY96ZDVqfkX5_9K8UjrBejpSOKobdtD14HaLmq-IGXxjYov31rJPEXnxY6uStwR7fDrM9oLG7uHzJ3Tc1VL7qjWhfWWr5gs-9EcijKgBLI7hmoL1zro-osaI6J6J9LM28/s640/DSC_2335.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div>One of the things on our summer list was to make ice cream from scratch. We can check that one off! We followed <a href="http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2010/05/homemadeicecream/">this recipe</a> (which doesn't use an ice cream maker) and it was really yummy.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-66382885404616305252011-08-13T13:25:00.000-07:002011-08-13T13:25:56.745-07:00Ellie: 5 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24wGr8wECZlluAs7dIKJXT6BcIeikJyXTU6X4cy7lRyTLmYQUD8W4KieJZcFo96Mp-zMuaXlqvOSDH8ng5bxc69n3CEXQEITJUlMm6S-Ef5flh3Jbn9u-YOJNDPkyqeinaCz6wJa6Fzo/s1600/DSC_2345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24wGr8wECZlluAs7dIKJXT6BcIeikJyXTU6X4cy7lRyTLmYQUD8W4KieJZcFo96Mp-zMuaXlqvOSDH8ng5bxc69n3CEXQEITJUlMm6S-Ef5flh3Jbn9u-YOJNDPkyqeinaCz6wJa6Fzo/s640/DSC_2345.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><strong>Height:</strong><br />
<strong>Weight:</strong> 15 lbs. 4 oz.<br />
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<strong>About You: </strong>You are a drooler. Sometimes we have to change your outfit several times a day because you soak through. Everyone asks if you're teething, but no signs of teeth yet. You've started saying Da-Da (we think you learned if from one of the other babies at school). Right now you seem to just look that sound, but Daddy swears you know what it means. You stuck your thumb in a hole in a toy at daycare and cut it (twice). Your daycare teacher felt really awful about it, but you forgave her pretty much immediately. You seem to have a special talent for finding things to stick your thumbs and fingers into. Once you start moving around more, we're really going to have to make sure all the outlets are babyproofed. You've also started sitting up. At first you looked a bit like a surfer, constantly adjusting your balance to stay up. But you've gotten pretty good at it. You even sat in a high chair at a restaurant today.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-2725649420383489092011-08-13T13:17:00.000-07:002011-08-13T13:18:09.225-07:00Ellie: 4 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe0M3fQf0SLoGzkEWBlhwWIbKT9hCbZg5V0U3bSAyoDlXr4gQOJ9bvOj2Zy9uiu-u4StOXFHJBxyEI0gqVzzSJV05PluYb_D9WNSz0g5XWyQdMaDUnaCgdTiLNMamhuDFmDDuZOiOttE/s1600/DSC_2330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCe0M3fQf0SLoGzkEWBlhwWIbKT9hCbZg5V0U3bSAyoDlXr4gQOJ9bvOj2Zy9uiu-u4StOXFHJBxyEI0gqVzzSJV05PluYb_D9WNSz0g5XWyQdMaDUnaCgdTiLNMamhuDFmDDuZOiOttE/s640/DSC_2330.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><strong>Height: </strong>24 in.<br />
<strong>Weight: </strong>14 lbs., 15 oz.<br />
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<strong>About You:</strong> You have won over all the hearts of the teachers at daycare. They love your easy smiles and your easygoing nature. I miss you the hours we're apart, but I love seeing you at lunch everyday. We thought you were ready to start solids. You would watch us whenever we ate and you'd open your mouth like a little bird every time food came anywhere near your mouth. But when we gave you your first spoonful of rice cereal you cried. We're going to wait a bit and see if you do better next month. Your favorite thing is peek-a-boo. You pull whatever is around (blankets, towels, your dress) over your head, then pull it down and look around to make sure everyone knows how funny you are.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-11611289778521677122011-07-24T14:54:00.000-07:002011-07-24T14:54:00.300-07:00Food, flowers, and fabulous nails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-8-JDwaQrn61vcJomwBnG8iPvXMRbpC_-Sk97zwNrO7QEsP4qyHtyafDlrBH1AbbF9WpZJOu1ayt7nbx5H_L5gkEZkyeBYg_vKtz6IKY0BJEo4sl1FGhydWMJ641l5rL2-UHJPtINsg/s1600/DSC_2411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-8-JDwaQrn61vcJomwBnG8iPvXMRbpC_-Sk97zwNrO7QEsP4qyHtyafDlrBH1AbbF9WpZJOu1ayt7nbx5H_L5gkEZkyeBYg_vKtz6IKY0BJEo4sl1FGhydWMJ641l5rL2-UHJPtINsg/s640/DSC_2411.JPG" t$="true" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-_uj2EHdTEy2J7WcJo3XeZCtxuYzvLg6_W8PAeNx1gdnITZsJP6FeblqeTbZqWIFjmSdjSyW0bM8mlxxeQuvYN12OOBSjUfC3Fg2oUvdn_HBzDYottxxRRmw6_7-gWGBpn3snXitnpE/s1600/DSC_2412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-_uj2EHdTEy2J7WcJo3XeZCtxuYzvLg6_W8PAeNx1gdnITZsJP6FeblqeTbZqWIFjmSdjSyW0bM8mlxxeQuvYN12OOBSjUfC3Fg2oUvdn_HBzDYottxxRRmw6_7-gWGBpn3snXitnpE/s640/DSC_2412.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HscSxlDGINmykkbTPZyOE_CWJMZgXlNoBXMmJUIFlG8xMxQfPSceRzh4m2sTaJWPadaR3XF67d0JDHS_6Z_PlkVX63afIuzKlF7C2B2Y86jtLO07uJC5E0-jB-9XKDyVd7Q1FQRq8w8/s1600/DSC_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HscSxlDGINmykkbTPZyOE_CWJMZgXlNoBXMmJUIFlG8xMxQfPSceRzh4m2sTaJWPadaR3XF67d0JDHS_6Z_PlkVX63afIuzKlF7C2B2Y86jtLO07uJC5E0-jB-9XKDyVd7Q1FQRq8w8/s640/DSC_2413.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div>Ava's favorite thing about going to the bookstore with me is the pizza pretzels in the cafe. She now associates pizza pretzels so much with books that when I tell her we're going to the library, she asks if she can get a pretzel. We tried our hand at making our own this week. We started with pizza dough, rolled it out, cut it into four pieces, and added sauce and cheese (Ava's going through a no-toppings phase).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF4DbvMF1FkttkqbUns8E_22-h4Qu2V4dCy_-7gMoQ4lYEERtyaRSpPQjNYklFtMevXpPJMjLTMGfVsLBVRpRu3PuH22E2nuJr3kkdYT1YRtv2QyT4TPNyugiGitooUjdYfIBYWhYZc0/s1600/DSC_2420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF4DbvMF1FkttkqbUns8E_22-h4Qu2V4dCy_-7gMoQ4lYEERtyaRSpPQjNYklFtMevXpPJMjLTMGfVsLBVRpRu3PuH22E2nuJr3kkdYT1YRtv2QyT4TPNyugiGitooUjdYfIBYWhYZc0/s640/DSC_2420.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgU-koFwAM1KLk4X6bSMqacA80ipAQvzfcXJj98PNTWT5tMQb_kIwmK6R-DUTLLhKADE4Tv-ii-toZPlJK1sz4LhKvBm3AOYN6wP_zkAHIQuaxjAIqnyl7VuQi2TR-MVB0iSXfqyfBjo/s1600/DSC_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgU-koFwAM1KLk4X6bSMqacA80ipAQvzfcXJj98PNTWT5tMQb_kIwmK6R-DUTLLhKADE4Tv-ii-toZPlJK1sz4LhKvBm3AOYN6wP_zkAHIQuaxjAIqnyl7VuQi2TR-MVB0iSXfqyfBjo/s640/DSC_2421.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Then we tried our hand at rainbow nails. I think the hardest part was probably getting Ava to stay still enough to paint each stripe. She was so exicted about them. The next day at school her teachers said she had to show them off to everyone. Next we're going to try to paint butterflies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mNVHQBqdGiwXunWAnVoLKu4EFEB6E7XssbAwWW_7Bvecs2hFRuuPo78dmLGemSqo2ViU7ATXo3A7uyznZDl_tAKawwBiAjUYfOU-TSHdNM9OF_7eHhEfJxhK7QI20T9F5ONDCQ0w9I4/s1600/DSC_2425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mNVHQBqdGiwXunWAnVoLKu4EFEB6E7XssbAwWW_7Bvecs2hFRuuPo78dmLGemSqo2ViU7ATXo3A7uyznZDl_tAKawwBiAjUYfOU-TSHdNM9OF_7eHhEfJxhK7QI20T9F5ONDCQ0w9I4/s640/DSC_2425.JPG" t$="true" width="424" /></a></div>David bought me these at the grocery store. I love glads. I think they might be my favorite flower. They make me think of summer at my grandma's. She's always grown them on the bank near her house. Behind the flowers you can see my new (to me) curtains. They are the one purchase for the house that David and I both like equally (Thanks, Joslyn!).Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-9017900479702801892011-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:002011-07-23T20:24:55.623-07:00Weekend -- July 16 & 17I've decided to starting taking at least five photos every weekend. I feel like I'm always negligent on taking photos of all the fun things we do, and so they're forgotten. Now at least I'll have a bit of a record.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbH5pa4mUZy4FZ32xAyQsOMpM2pbFS93OzVF3lGOuUBAubMTe41ksgx845EUfLeCTo0teb0SDWMu4I_9TU_mbLX9EK9QGz4ZOHj9RNkC9nxBZ9FGChqs5TUjP_oj-f-uVPd6Xniyakuk/s1600/DSC_2392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbH5pa4mUZy4FZ32xAyQsOMpM2pbFS93OzVF3lGOuUBAubMTe41ksgx845EUfLeCTo0teb0SDWMu4I_9TU_mbLX9EK9QGz4ZOHj9RNkC9nxBZ9FGChqs5TUjP_oj-f-uVPd6Xniyakuk/s640/DSC_2392.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqo7DH5vemCFlSD5pNEau4SGGu6I3c1UrHzwJAeP0Tr0CRHOAwvYEzED_NGAf5B6q75FULdyE71lek6zKS-G0UlKLIFXvvhBuQZyZr4oFPut7UBs8gkba5PJ2SPGAXuy1m9BmIe1KUaw/s1600/DSC_2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqo7DH5vemCFlSD5pNEau4SGGu6I3c1UrHzwJAeP0Tr0CRHOAwvYEzED_NGAf5B6q75FULdyE71lek6zKS-G0UlKLIFXvvhBuQZyZr4oFPut7UBs8gkba5PJ2SPGAXuy1m9BmIe1KUaw/s640/DSC_2409.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPqG2f7w5TdGQVJKvqPGogEnWdlYbKnuklmnjv_bYl5rOqyDbjdil8dNJlhjqgbajXhFauvlDiBwTS56WEowRjc9kFhGTrKCVDShxmNnwgSRs0DYjxWhlv_FmpO3xG11Vt73GLO_bVXw/s1600/DSC_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPqG2f7w5TdGQVJKvqPGogEnWdlYbKnuklmnjv_bYl5rOqyDbjdil8dNJlhjqgbajXhFauvlDiBwTS56WEowRjc9kFhGTrKCVDShxmNnwgSRs0DYjxWhlv_FmpO3xG11Vt73GLO_bVXw/s640/DSC_2398.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqM_5VbHIyPPXd63i-5oLsAgmk-bJfNhyphenhyphen8lDvB4M_F-_E31Mx9kk0gb1NK4B2ttzhOnVSRvklfMwrP4Y0Z8yZ7HBZ2ULmwkO1qoTW68Fnmt6ibRKm9drqBQJJZbyY-70fVEQCTr4NnK4/s1600/DSC_2393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqM_5VbHIyPPXd63i-5oLsAgmk-bJfNhyphenhyphen8lDvB4M_F-_E31Mx9kk0gb1NK4B2ttzhOnVSRvklfMwrP4Y0Z8yZ7HBZ2ULmwkO1qoTW68Fnmt6ibRKm9drqBQJJZbyY-70fVEQCTr4NnK4/s640/DSC_2393.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlG3SCBJWmCMGpVj-9ICy8-_kJpT6VGw0wVT0s8VQAXxaPnKNGApr8fFTOeOwOAF1IxXU4jl_usPpRS72I7Srr_npS8-SNDV4FntPGBsM-5f_sMQIrwR3nexpI2PHG8ZjaN3ANDdswwU/s1600/DSC_2394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlG3SCBJWmCMGpVj-9ICy8-_kJpT6VGw0wVT0s8VQAXxaPnKNGApr8fFTOeOwOAF1IxXU4jl_usPpRS72I7Srr_npS8-SNDV4FntPGBsM-5f_sMQIrwR3nexpI2PHG8ZjaN3ANDdswwU/s640/DSC_2394.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuyyqA5YXQi1zOuefe658qthAw2PDo8RpIMsqzZpvjToaT_8m9O8OIZFVRERUqRcvVq2Li8BfSqPfOwlPAGWZ_ITZEPK31Ac1j7hbB6D93bfiHnRS5oC3diFgZx1FXBXimhPZkJC_dkw/s1600/DSC_2403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuyyqA5YXQi1zOuefe658qthAw2PDo8RpIMsqzZpvjToaT_8m9O8OIZFVRERUqRcvVq2Li8BfSqPfOwlPAGWZ_ITZEPK31Ac1j7hbB6D93bfiHnRS5oC3diFgZx1FXBXimhPZkJC_dkw/s640/DSC_2403.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK2dqv6auvdA7m6LyHINZk8Spqg7wONksEGGqH5K18RehGFUWwF49xIKsdB8ajshzOcMS2hLV_YzaslKerJEZZ6Qd4kUpUYVvoxoh4rQI4ddC_icr5lwe5zPwsugiQ5Ldg7TyN58N3zg/s1600/DSC_2401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK2dqv6auvdA7m6LyHINZk8Spqg7wONksEGGqH5K18RehGFUWwF49xIKsdB8ajshzOcMS2hLV_YzaslKerJEZZ6Qd4kUpUYVvoxoh4rQI4ddC_icr5lwe5zPwsugiQ5Ldg7TyN58N3zg/s640/DSC_2401.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_0-0m3jUv-HND4QaECtQCBNVyiaT6TcvNIuv20qLBtBzOxpQ30AT-bCVdRew-RJlZz9HBX_ztrtMkOWzoCLf6RBKe8K0VPAaA3aEKoyUyYRQilf00mLadbYafu6k3p6N0WlUu98p19g/s1600/DSC_2407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_0-0m3jUv-HND4QaECtQCBNVyiaT6TcvNIuv20qLBtBzOxpQ30AT-bCVdRew-RJlZz9HBX_ztrtMkOWzoCLf6RBKe8K0VPAaA3aEKoyUyYRQilf00mLadbYafu6k3p6N0WlUu98p19g/s640/DSC_2407.JPG" t$="true" width="640" /></a></div>We drove across the state for a family reunion. I love long drives along back country roads. They're always so much more interesting than taking the highway. Mid-Michigan is home to lots of Amish families and we saw a few carts along our route selling homemade yummies. We stopped at one and Ava picked out a some molasses cream cookies and monster cookies. We thought it was so interesting that even though they had grown up in Michigan as we had their accents were so uniquely Amish. David and I always have the best conversations when we're in the car. It's my favorite part of long drives. No distractions means we can really talk. Love that!<br />
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Each year at the reunion they have an auction to raise funds for the next year. David's dad was always the auctioneer. This year they asked David to do it. It was so important to him to do a good job. His dad always made it fun and funny and David wanted to do the same in tribute to him. He did a great job, but it was a bittersweet reunion because we felt so strongly the absence of Lee.<br />
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We also got to celebrate the 30th birthday of one of my best friends in the whole world, Amy. She's expecting her second little boy on 11.11.11. Ellie snacked on toes while the rest of us had yummy burgers.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-32495421483329323822011-06-16T19:47:00.000-07:002011-06-16T19:47:13.738-07:00WeekendSo many things going on right now, I don't know where to start. This week has been a weird one, I keep getting confused about what day it is to the point that Ava missed her last dance class today because I thought it was Wednesday...Yikes. I felt terrible, but she wasn't too upset about it. <br />
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On Saturday, Ava had her dance recital. Last year I was one of the chaperones for her class, but with the baby I couldn't do it this year. I didn't think much about it until Ava got sick while she was waiting for her class to perform. I thought she might be coming down with the flu, but she was fine once I was backstage with her. Stage fright. Another sign that she's getting older; she's starting to worry about what other people think. It makes me a little sad. She's always been so fearless and outgoing; I feel like she's learned this self-consciousness from me. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2BpfosQ7x-1eIN43Ps4d6faa9_1xTviTOBIqQ7ul7PdZxyA_OmBhux5b10xoEAp-GKuLlijpMnWTOoC8AXh8rnpJXSnXsfL7CQ6ugi1iqo9WsaavdoVtqgutfXFShp-HTwibPovqkIE/s1600/DSC_2305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2BpfosQ7x-1eIN43Ps4d6faa9_1xTviTOBIqQ7ul7PdZxyA_OmBhux5b10xoEAp-GKuLlijpMnWTOoC8AXh8rnpJXSnXsfL7CQ6ugi1iqo9WsaavdoVtqgutfXFShp-HTwibPovqkIE/s640/DSC_2305.JPG" t8="true" width="424" /></a></div>After her recital, we grabbed lunch at our favorite restaurant. Ava gave an encore performance for the other diners, so maybe she's not becoming too shy. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzkQdQ8MrWPTZi0-_-G1987J7aum5ef_AD6PNtr-stFS7XgdW38hppwogS5zK69PC1pjqxMjPYmxYqRFfx6eseeZrPb3XZLeToQF8eLkDqepLaBykbzEGsoGqNmf2tBXjkf3i0UPFuK0/s1600/IMGP0222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzkQdQ8MrWPTZi0-_-G1987J7aum5ef_AD6PNtr-stFS7XgdW38hppwogS5zK69PC1pjqxMjPYmxYqRFfx6eseeZrPb3XZLeToQF8eLkDqepLaBykbzEGsoGqNmf2tBXjkf3i0UPFuK0/s640/IMGP0222.JPG" t8="true" width="480" /></a></div><br />
That night we went to the Summer Celebration for the fireworks. As we were walking down the midway with the bright lights and the smells and sounds, I realized that these simple but exciting family activities are the things that my girls will remember. These are the things that make a childhood. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhbqo5OXhxj_dJJ0mu4hdRP5VQr22ADW0XHeK9aHkJ7Dzy19OyEzox58YYLEjfB04N0rCDSMfLJtdGnB1YZD0PllvClqMX2NWHxONccwwmM-hqDAsrKTMzk4qBdUw8iO0vqDbYW9guQA/s1600/IMGP0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhbqo5OXhxj_dJJ0mu4hdRP5VQr22ADW0XHeK9aHkJ7Dzy19OyEzox58YYLEjfB04N0rCDSMfLJtdGnB1YZD0PllvClqMX2NWHxONccwwmM-hqDAsrKTMzk4qBdUw8iO0vqDbYW9guQA/s640/IMGP0212.JPG" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div>We each picked out one terrible for us food (which isn't helping me lose the baby weight, btw). Ava chose a corn dog, which totally surprised me but she seemed to like it. (This photo cracks me up. I just brought our little point-and-shoot camera instead of the Nikon and I could not for the life of me get a good photo).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYShryoWb9IOPQchMC7PHAPAfVtjaq1SdMfqapn96tNk-g5znHXBDnb8Y6R3J4mi_bFYYoMO58wER-FS__mumnr8zuoxksFWPzcIuz9zUpK4uENd6N2E6GQTHVbd6UhaymoNsA-yTixyA/s1600/IMGP0215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYShryoWb9IOPQchMC7PHAPAfVtjaq1SdMfqapn96tNk-g5znHXBDnb8Y6R3J4mi_bFYYoMO58wER-FS__mumnr8zuoxksFWPzcIuz9zUpK4uENd6N2E6GQTHVbd6UhaymoNsA-yTixyA/s640/IMGP0215.JPG" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div>There was a guy juggling fire and bowling bowls. Ava loved this. I told her these are not things we try at home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kp74ORX9ov8tjsV0dnFpnYuxz-Fe__4-Z6FQfx5M80jvbfFUI_M-2_aD0yZNK6wznvxI9wMhXFiMgMotglOweBQTcfuDZlFjyRCJzQp2Di9vFCYss7A63oPHtm6LqZVeOh9pK6gAmGE/s1600/IMGP0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kp74ORX9ov8tjsV0dnFpnYuxz-Fe__4-Z6FQfx5M80jvbfFUI_M-2_aD0yZNK6wznvxI9wMhXFiMgMotglOweBQTcfuDZlFjyRCJzQp2Di9vFCYss7A63oPHtm6LqZVeOh9pK6gAmGE/s640/IMGP0220.JPG" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div>Ellie was pretty mellow about her first fireworks, the were loud but it didn't seem to bother her at all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHL1U-mOgsNaW61l6U7467f5mn9Rl3thG7BqYddlRWoKT9GIqmEKbD1zdJWNR8FvMDFC8F1X8ZA0VOt6jJ3QW0WgECFWp0YOvzcNDHC0VAbpaDTfPdmD6M068EURQ7bZv_nQSoDzlrc4/s1600/IMGP0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHL1U-mOgsNaW61l6U7467f5mn9Rl3thG7BqYddlRWoKT9GIqmEKbD1zdJWNR8FvMDFC8F1X8ZA0VOt6jJ3QW0WgECFWp0YOvzcNDHC0VAbpaDTfPdmD6M068EURQ7bZv_nQSoDzlrc4/s640/IMGP0225.JPG" t8="true" width="480" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-89990221696277329932011-06-09T11:12:00.000-07:002011-06-10T15:16:52.054-07:00Home Depot Installation NightmareSo, we've been planning to get new carpet in our house for a while. It was behind time. We had builder basic beige carpet left over from the previous owners that had seen better days. In fact the last time I had it cleaned, they told us it was really time for new carpet. <br />
<br />
Fast forward to months later when after much (much, much) deliberation and comparison. I found a carpet I really loved at Home Depot for a reasonable price. I pulled the trigger and we made our most costly (in more ways than one) home purchase to date. I thought the hard part was over. <br />
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Nope. This was only the beginning of what our we and our friends are (not so) fondly referring to as the Great Carpet Saga.<br />
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Because we were having all the carpet in our entire house replaced, we had David's brothers come over and help us move ALL of our belongings out into the garage and pull up the old carpet and pad. The new carpet was to go in on Monday, so I thought we could handle one night living like this with a 4 year old and a newborn. But even one night was hard. We discussed maybe just going to a hotel, but with spending so much on carpet, I really didn't want to plunk down more cash.<br />
<br />
On Monday (our scheduled installation day) I was on my way home from dropping the girls off at daycare when my husband called: "They can't install the carpet."<br />
<br />
What?! Apparently because we had tile in our kitchen and dining room, we needed to have special shims where the carpet met the tile. No one had told us this when we ordered the carpet or when someone had come out to measure. They also told us they couldn't install the downstairs carpet because the tack strips on the cement needed to be glued down. I started to hyperventilate. There is no telling when they'd be able to come back out and we definitely couldn't live like this indefinitely. <br />
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I called Home Depot and spoke to Michelle, who was very helpful and worked with installation company to have the installers go and pick-up the needed shims, install them and glue down the strips downstairs, then they would come back a few days later (after the glue had dried) to lay the downstairs carpet. <br />
<br />
At this point, I was relieved, I thought we'd had a bit of a hiccup but now everything was under control. Nope. Silly me.<br />
<br />
On the day the installers were supposed to come and do the downstairs, I was supposed to get a call in the morning to tell me what time they would be there. By 10am I hadn't heard anything, so I called Home Depot again. About 30 minutes later, the installation company calls and says, "Oops sorry, we forgot to put you on the schedule." They said they could squeeze us in the next day. Fine.<br />
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Friday morning the installers actually show up. Yippee! By the end of the day the carpet is down and I feel like finally the ordeal is over...And then we notice some problems. David comes home and says, "Look at this, there is a gap between the carpet and the wall on the stairs." Upon closer inspection, we also find a "bubble" under the carpet downstairs and a piece of carpet hanging off where the carpet meets the concrete floor of the laundry room. I feel like I've been had. That the installers slacked off because I was a woman and the only one home when the did the second installation. Or, at the very best the rushed the job because they were trying to squeeze us in that day.<br />
<br />
I called Home Depot again to schedule a repair. At this point Michelle and I are on a first name basis. The manager on duty offers us a $100 refund. We are grateful, but honestly would rather just have had our carpet installed without all the hassle (plus, $100 is about 3% of what we paid). <br />
<br />
Three weeks later (our garage still filled with most of our belongings), the carpet repair guy is scheduled to come out and fix the issues. This time David stays home. They call at 9am to say the guy will be there between 2 and 5. He arrives at 5:40. He can fix the bubble, but will have to order new carpet for the stairs and the carpet is hanging off in the laundry room because the first set of guys installed it on a broken tack strip (seemingly confirming my suspicions).<br />
<br />
That's where we are now. We've had to miss five days of work. The process has dragged on for a month. While Home Depot had been sympathetic (or at least pretended to be, which is fine. Sometimes you just want somebody to listen), the installation company has been a nightmare to work with. They've given us the impression that they have a contract with Home Depot (the goose that lays the golden egg) and they don't care about individual customers. I'm intentionally not using the name of the installation company. From what I've learned, the installers Home Depot uses are different in different regions, so yours may be great. For our part, we've learned that while Home Depot is great for buying supplies, don't get sucked in by the seemingly too good to be true installation prices. From now on, we'll pay the extra to have someone we've researched and trust to do the actual installation.<br />
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Phew! If you'd made it this far, bless you. I just really needed to vent.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-33312675211991064612011-05-27T16:36:00.000-07:002011-05-27T16:36:03.028-07:00Betwixt Look-a-like?I recently discovered (or, rather, discovered the name of) beautiful Betwixt fabric. Such a great name and a great fabric, unfortunately it's only sold "to the trade" a good sign that I can't afford it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ws4AE8ErSV24N3Ee3fys9uTjFRx1BbKoHllsyBm666iTF2z_09q3fs2jhqnGZbs2c9yVEt1W8XmYzojz2Ew_U3sGuZBvxeLXL2VFFTP2ovwRYmVHMEs0fJ3j6IbgQj7qQjLuaaVE3ZY/s1600/1_vivian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ws4AE8ErSV24N3Ee3fys9uTjFRx1BbKoHllsyBm666iTF2z_09q3fs2jhqnGZbs2c9yVEt1W8XmYzojz2Ew_U3sGuZBvxeLXL2VFFTP2ovwRYmVHMEs0fJ3j6IbgQj7qQjLuaaVE3ZY/s640/1_vivian.jpg" t8="true" width="460" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(can't remember where this photo came from, but it sparked my love of this pattern)</span></div><br />
Imagine my surprise when I was browsing around <a href="http://www.thecompanystore.com/Square-Ottomans/xr14-ps,default,pd.html?start=1&q=jenny%20woven">The Company Store</a> and spotted these ottomans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pV_Th6DFDR3YvGHSP9VaRKEiPuyHbOvshqX0hOHmaIlIvNd_YfcVU8e6yDI8wCWxMha3tocez9zwaVBxb1nje-jdf_WqQlXFTogljgQkpkM1hsws32pweTWBjwPzzWxI2J9iiz3XJBM/s1600/Company+store+ottomans.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pV_Th6DFDR3YvGHSP9VaRKEiPuyHbOvshqX0hOHmaIlIvNd_YfcVU8e6yDI8wCWxMha3tocez9zwaVBxb1nje-jdf_WqQlXFTogljgQkpkM1hsws32pweTWBjwPzzWxI2J9iiz3XJBM/s640/Company+store+ottomans.bmp" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div>$179 eachKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-4575623916485094462011-05-25T07:46:00.000-07:002011-05-25T07:46:22.350-07:00Ellie: 3 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqSjqNOSO0bTckKoZTbspoYwUKcV6h_08pgMbM-5t_LhgIBIJxv5Tz4gwKWkT28MOA23dSgZWOQOj6x8QhD_2kiLDoBp4mCMObyC-c659xjkV7MnoP7KQXdskBYjEq8sbESkgKlUH9hY/s1600/ellie1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqSjqNOSO0bTckKoZTbspoYwUKcV6h_08pgMbM-5t_LhgIBIJxv5Tz4gwKWkT28MOA23dSgZWOQOj6x8QhD_2kiLDoBp4mCMObyC-c659xjkV7MnoP7KQXdskBYjEq8sbESkgKlUH9hY/s640/ellie1.bmp" t8="true" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Length:</strong><br />
<strong>Weight:</strong><br />
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<strong>About You:</strong> During your second month you discovered your hands! We were having dinner at our favorite pizza place and you kept lifting them up and staring at them. You met my grandma (Grandma Ann) for the first time. You defintely recognize your mama; every time you see me you get all smily and kick your legs. You rolled over! The week before Mommy had to go back to work.You started going to daycare with Ava and mama went back to work. We're still trying to adjust to this. You love to reach up and touch your hair (and you have quite a bit) and you like to suck on your thumb or bottom lip.<br />
<br />
<strong>About the World:</strong> Prince William married Kate Middleton. You decided we should get up at 4 am and watch the royal wedding (this may have been a coincidence, we're not sure). Terrible storms and tornados have swept through the country. Osama bin Laden was killed.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-10309615591684210792011-05-08T16:35:00.000-07:002011-05-08T16:35:46.144-07:00Dresser RedoFor the girls' room, I had my old childhood dresser refinished. <br />
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Before:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqzxsy1JcCm_xDHq6Eq9C4ACVbUnzjV8VtqpAnxfzw2SDKxIL058QkewDM91bLxaq62cOVMqf83ZRZsTVReGaxdEERQIzYOISRpiuFyOkyb05AiOSp79wZIGm78gjM67qdhHnTDUIa1M/s1600/DSC_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqzxsy1JcCm_xDHq6Eq9C4ACVbUnzjV8VtqpAnxfzw2SDKxIL058QkewDM91bLxaq62cOVMqf83ZRZsTVReGaxdEERQIzYOISRpiuFyOkyb05AiOSp79wZIGm78gjM67qdhHnTDUIa1M/s640/DSC_1821.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>After:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicytMl_aZAcHRxgkCtVWzbH6N8W_RLZ727Lr4LiBWeymbI_d-WRipoBcP_gu7wIgEANPO7lKsMiEU2gX9ti_IRQmt9ChFvS0hzAz1nkKkHSyELazv_kMtubH7z3mhQp4M0aNE2GiBLVlY/s1600/DSC_2278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicytMl_aZAcHRxgkCtVWzbH6N8W_RLZ727Lr4LiBWeymbI_d-WRipoBcP_gu7wIgEANPO7lKsMiEU2gX9ti_IRQmt9ChFvS0hzAz1nkKkHSyELazv_kMtubH7z3mhQp4M0aNE2GiBLVlY/s640/DSC_2278.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYTqDsfJKCurzu3UnlyWekqobsIS0M9MFxSXBOGAR4NQ93TKclqVpMBdgMCXxrgYvSl56p7TA52sQAElO7PoNwowloXluXR_jmUYCnyrQDkJJxoyhhCHCc8Aort5kxhHkiwJqryYFFtE/s1600/DSC_2280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYTqDsfJKCurzu3UnlyWekqobsIS0M9MFxSXBOGAR4NQ93TKclqVpMBdgMCXxrgYvSl56p7TA52sQAElO7PoNwowloXluXR_jmUYCnyrQDkJJxoyhhCHCc8Aort5kxhHkiwJqryYFFtE/s640/DSC_2280.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxy3_kutp4CEsI2SNUc0db7Xi7aQDes9AcLnH0hifTh9DxbrCRyVXXvuzgCVD4W_3hhgYVpWmzDLdcVBjxqdIlDdn_4-lSzWEoeFQ1kuMdVumcx2z4D-PUdeL_RG2H93FF8dy-vodrhY/s1600/DSC_2279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxy3_kutp4CEsI2SNUc0db7Xi7aQDes9AcLnH0hifTh9DxbrCRyVXXvuzgCVD4W_3hhgYVpWmzDLdcVBjxqdIlDdn_4-lSzWEoeFQ1kuMdVumcx2z4D-PUdeL_RG2H93FF8dy-vodrhY/s640/DSC_2279.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-55347339093911395842011-05-04T11:13:00.000-07:002011-05-04T11:13:27.461-07:00My Ava GraduatesLast night my little Ava walked across the stage and accepted her diploma. From preschool, but still. This was a momentous occassion. Her class sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and I cried. I could picture so clearly what she'll look like wearing her cap and gown up on stage again in 13 more years. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBkRwJUPw8YKli9IGHi-WctTPv2DmMq6zBM5MRTwjvI2OqyRlCW9pb-sC0HbPHXgZOu77AlxZRK_44eBYAYwHXAVhJxjmwB4IVYXiFIqbf4JujUVn2Z5TiTiwV4I0s5iefYWhOq6t4fA/s1600/IMGP0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBkRwJUPw8YKli9IGHi-WctTPv2DmMq6zBM5MRTwjvI2OqyRlCW9pb-sC0HbPHXgZOu77AlxZRK_44eBYAYwHXAVhJxjmwB4IVYXiFIqbf4JujUVn2Z5TiTiwV4I0s5iefYWhOq6t4fA/s640/IMGP0190.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>They asked each kid what they wanted to be when they grew up. Most of the other girls said "princess" or "fairy," Ava said cowgirl, but my favorite was the little boy who said he wanted to be a trick-or-treater. Wouldn't that be the best job? <br />
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I love the way four year old minds work. Ava loves trying out new words; when she picks one up she wants to use it all the time. For a while it was "niece," then "accessories," right now it's "compliment." She doesn't quite know what it means. Yesterday in the store she told me she could see my wrinkles (I'm 27!). To which I think I replied, "Ava!" She said: "It's just a compliment." Mmm-hmmm.<br />
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She also gets unfamliar words a little confused like in these recent occurences:<br />
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To the waitress at the pizza place after ordering bread sticks.<br />
A: "But I don't want any irving."<br />
Me: "You mean herbs?"<br />
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In the car on the way home from preschool:<br />
A: "I know what unicorns are."<br />
Me: "You do? What are they?"<br />
A: "Clothes that match.:<br />
Me: ?<br />
A: "Red ones and blue ones and green ones and black ones. Like on the field."<br />
Me: Oh, uniforms!<br />
A: "Yeah, uniforms. That's what I'm talkin' bout."<br />
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There's a little boy at school named Landon who's parents I wanted to meet at graduation, but they left before I had a chance. Last week Ava's class had a field trip to see a performance of the play Click Clack Moo. They match up each of the kids with a buddy when the go on field trips, and on this day Ava's buddy was Landon. Unfortunately the play was at a time when the kids are normally taking their nap and my girl needs her sleep. So, on the bus ride home her buddy Landon sat really still so she could sleep on his shoulder. Is that not the sweetest thing? She was really shy about it when she told me (I had asked if she was tired from not having a nap that day). <br />
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We gave both of her preschool teachers gifts at her graduation and it's also teacher appreciation week. I found this at our local independent bookstore and thought it would make a great teacher gift.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VBa8QjnDr5Jwa_z2hOcJLLGGJmOnIBX06GAF-dcmp9AuOe9RKS7Fu4dLKmLU_nYUW4AC2bsf7RJ1wEby0tYmaNCzgyisEsaM9h2PEdvUbopbXhTQHlz8HnC0X1GgQBFXeEbwZuUZNcw/s1600/IMGP0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VBa8QjnDr5Jwa_z2hOcJLLGGJmOnIBX06GAF-dcmp9AuOe9RKS7Fu4dLKmLU_nYUW4AC2bsf7RJ1wEby0tYmaNCzgyisEsaM9h2PEdvUbopbXhTQHlz8HnC0X1GgQBFXeEbwZuUZNcw/s640/IMGP0184.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-84979214047307659862011-05-02T06:20:00.000-07:002011-05-02T06:20:25.261-07:00Ellie: Month 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VKSYK4p206Y9KdhyG4Gf1zn8_QXEcYxneFfddRum73PfWR3PJWqose6IGCsXl67_rCD83EAWivEgWpj92Z5fa0nIj23z3LGSZ0tOCE3zfRSio-7azm0VCDTrQCnblaRO7U5lWFMQ4cY/s1600/DSC_2246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VKSYK4p206Y9KdhyG4Gf1zn8_QXEcYxneFfddRum73PfWR3PJWqose6IGCsXl67_rCD83EAWivEgWpj92Z5fa0nIj23z3LGSZ0tOCE3zfRSio-7azm0VCDTrQCnblaRO7U5lWFMQ4cY/s640/DSC_2246.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><strong>Length: </strong>22 inches<br />
<strong>Weight:</strong> 11 pounds, 15 ounces<br />
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<strong>About You:</strong> Your favorite things are blowing bubbles, cooing, and your sissy. You smile so big when you see her. You already know she's someone very important. You've also started making a lot of new noises and try to have conversations with us.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-40484766788786980862011-04-21T17:17:00.000-07:002011-05-25T07:40:52.279-07:00Where do babies come from?Ava: "This is my baby sister. I bought her online."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPG_ex8Gc4xSIuANm0dYr_86mtCUaRSYXENrwONvR8D8YqLZNaAUTAbyDtgdKfmK6ol44DN0nLL6QNhb1UkdChbLlT3TSB1yW28g9ZhzlB6sH0CDiPIVEWOE-09rlOTHx3p6SvPkgoz7Y/s1600/DSC_2222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPG_ex8Gc4xSIuANm0dYr_86mtCUaRSYXENrwONvR8D8YqLZNaAUTAbyDtgdKfmK6ol44DN0nLL6QNhb1UkdChbLlT3TSB1yW28g9ZhzlB6sH0CDiPIVEWOE-09rlOTHx3p6SvPkgoz7Y/s640/DSC_2222.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">5.25.11 Update:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I found her in the woods."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I borrowed her from Kmart." (We don't even live near a Kmart, I don't know where she even heard the name).</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-5148717383268493062011-04-18T11:34:00.000-07:002011-04-18T11:34:34.904-07:00My sweet girls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw88AhPFqya80Jh4uh_19r8cfLYoXAUu3L6JrJa3J_IyaOPSlO3OGNr2-n7mVE00nMWuzP9c6n5VtZrzCGrkh5RlUsoK5aqEd2bGb3BPVFG84s9DDEizj77cyLpMXQ8Nf9rkRRnb0Msn8/s1600/DSC_2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw88AhPFqya80Jh4uh_19r8cfLYoXAUu3L6JrJa3J_IyaOPSlO3OGNr2-n7mVE00nMWuzP9c6n5VtZrzCGrkh5RlUsoK5aqEd2bGb3BPVFG84s9DDEizj77cyLpMXQ8Nf9rkRRnb0Msn8/s640/DSC_2239.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Sometimes I get frustrated when I feel like I'm always picking up after everyone else and the house is never clean. Or when I cook dinner then have to take care of everyone else's needs and by the time I get to sit down and eat it's already cold. <br />
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But I hope my girls know how much I love them. And even when I get frustrated and grumpy, they are my treasures. <br />
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Ava is very mature, well-spoken and easy-going. Sometimes I forget she has a very tender little heart. Like the time she used too much toilet paper and clogged the toilet. Later in the week I discovered she had started throwing toilet paper in the trash can instead of flushing it because she didn't want to clog the toilet again. <br />
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Being a mom is the most important thing I've ever done. I need to protect and nurture those tender hearts and remind myself that if my girls are safe and warm and know they are loved, then we are greatly blessed and I can deal with a messy house and a cold meal. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPF_OXYnlRiaCItw-ioR10gMxO_WzzL7IP4QuRrDSRmf_FGBm5VASnFWVcSoGqa0aSu_zRS4acP9ai-6cxKuIwzZTgsPHChfXSTcy4R-YryuddCd3lHcq0KYY1ky5TK8-NOyiob2IfXI/s1600/DSC_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPF_OXYnlRiaCItw-ioR10gMxO_WzzL7IP4QuRrDSRmf_FGBm5VASnFWVcSoGqa0aSu_zRS4acP9ai-6cxKuIwzZTgsPHChfXSTcy4R-YryuddCd3lHcq0KYY1ky5TK8-NOyiob2IfXI/s640/DSC_2245.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-59428049788098324102011-03-17T14:44:00.000-07:002011-03-17T14:44:11.720-07:00Happy St. Patrick's Day!Now that I'm on maternity leave and my day job is not using up all my creativity, I've been wanting to make a project. Ava's preschool offered the perfect opportunity when the scheduled picture day on St. Patrick's Day. In order to add a little green to her outfit, but remove it for her photo, I decided to make a special St. Patrick's Day ribbon.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYUBYFWMuu4f4lXEKRDAE8P0VvlG0qBJWlL1b8RphGcvIkw8EtGF3Hohi5dCnx0KloDJ9l0ZGcZjv0ec1_NqnVTxmbhaScPM0WDok7Kx7l-dqrr_f5E4IZd9VxVnyUrgLKfTyM9j3hB8/s1600/DSC_2070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYUBYFWMuu4f4lXEKRDAE8P0VvlG0qBJWlL1b8RphGcvIkw8EtGF3Hohi5dCnx0KloDJ9l0ZGcZjv0ec1_NqnVTxmbhaScPM0WDok7Kx7l-dqrr_f5E4IZd9VxVnyUrgLKfTyM9j3hB8/s640/DSC_2070.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>I basically just grabbed any craft supplies I had lying around that were green, pink or white and hot glued them together. Ava was pretty excited to wear it to school this morning (although you can't tell from this photo -- it was early).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGhbavhmKcAeYaavQtXDXw0RNDc66-nhtDxFYRkLkFFfB2HjWf9pJqjbP5smYDrWuyhORkVbvC7JDLOZADZoIWSongTff5jStw-o3NsBYwIuKsOhUZ-j2f_hefxkvhGItuUJnraGtmVQ/s1600/865607671215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGhbavhmKcAeYaavQtXDXw0RNDc66-nhtDxFYRkLkFFfB2HjWf9pJqjbP5smYDrWuyhORkVbvC7JDLOZADZoIWSongTff5jStw-o3NsBYwIuKsOhUZ-j2f_hefxkvhGItuUJnraGtmVQ/s640/865607671215.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>I had to make that bow late last night after seeing the (much, much cuter) ones at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wendyandpeter">Wendy and Peter</a>. <br />
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Ava's preschool class is having green pancakes this morning and she was very curious yesterday about how you would catch a leprechaun. Holidays like St. Patrick's Day is so much more fun with kids.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-10610102700167173512011-03-16T11:46:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:46:44.891-07:00Ellie: Month 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOdg429RB8VpGho3vko3aM2FBYX8xVUPDJUUsDzHc0h5f9RNCehi1kJxoU20hp3vk1SzmhmJxN79PFM_yfT6oVDxoxdyaTmikJp9pj9ZSFOKl-WOLBO_UtK_uOEl6xDRijoPYSaAbBdM/s1600/DSC_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOdg429RB8VpGho3vko3aM2FBYX8xVUPDJUUsDzHc0h5f9RNCehi1kJxoU20hp3vk1SzmhmJxN79PFM_yfT6oVDxoxdyaTmikJp9pj9ZSFOKl-WOLBO_UtK_uOEl6xDRijoPYSaAbBdM/s640/DSC_2036.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><strong>Weight:</strong> 10.5 pounds<br />
<strong>Length:</strong> 21 inches<br />
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<strong>About You:</strong> You first smiled the day after you were born and you haven't stopped. Your eyes are still blue, but Daddy is sure they'll be brown soon. You like to be held up so you can stand and your little legs are getting pretty strong. You've also started babbling in your sweet little baby voice and like to talk back to us when we talk to you. You don't like to sleep in your cradle or crib, but you're a pretty good sleeper when you're in my arms or your baby swing. Your big sister, Ava, loves to hug and kiss you. <br />
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<strong>About the World:</strong> It's been warm this week (it's supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow!) and the birds have started to sing. It's finally beginng to feel like spring is coming. The news is filled with the ongoing tradgy in Japan. On Friday, March 11, a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, causing an enoromous tidal wave and damaging a nuclear power plant. We've been praying for those affected along with the rest of the world.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-12640392631898854612011-03-14T11:30:00.000-07:002011-03-14T11:30:48.477-07:00Baby LashesBoth my babies have incredibly thick, dark lashes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaBDY8iUaJU0LeD6pG7YSunBdS8Wc0_kyftf7FiX7lSr7DgIXrrfzlW384cBXrPRajOeNOqW7fVLLjqoIxhUJ_sqQ_0rFZk81_9SO9szrkusxRIKF6zu8d5TkI0qbglDkpU4vxHhDHg/s1600/DSC_2051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vaBDY8iUaJU0LeD6pG7YSunBdS8Wc0_kyftf7FiX7lSr7DgIXrrfzlW384cBXrPRajOeNOqW7fVLLjqoIxhUJ_sqQ_0rFZk81_9SO9szrkusxRIKF6zu8d5TkI0qbglDkpU4vxHhDHg/s640/DSC_2051.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3YCSxgpUPSgg8lLENFRMXGpRKWYCSCHRchpXLzErKdAI8nF2ahMNoGKAKPfvh8fo68xcekAESd8bHlDB9GqZgiD9UDpemXYFRlBO0eLrrjAJMTo47_P60dlOmTywBhsY-hRnbc2UBgw/s1600/DSC_2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3YCSxgpUPSgg8lLENFRMXGpRKWYCSCHRchpXLzErKdAI8nF2ahMNoGKAKPfvh8fo68xcekAESd8bHlDB9GqZgiD9UDpemXYFRlBO0eLrrjAJMTo47_P60dlOmTywBhsY-hRnbc2UBgw/s640/DSC_2052.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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So many people have commented on them lately. I wish I could take credit, but this is one feature they definitely don't get from me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">P.S. Ava's lovely Aunt Jessica took her to see Disney Princesses on Ice Sunday afternoon and she loved it so much that she has refused to remove her princess dress since.</span>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-59625538593613345442011-02-24T12:45:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:46:53.386-08:00Baby EllieOur Valentine's Day was interrupted this year with something better than chocolate or flowers (although my awesome husband got me both of those things as well). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NmyCeCAkK_zkzywAiF_RVXlND8mMoHClHhmKiGh2kqyBnG0Nq884f7NdzBInByJV_LqDbTnEh1h1qM4vVJPM2Rb1XixjAzyizIiZmB1yP7-5XiJsYR3TaAi6i_v5ubRpS1IO9zuj57Y/s1600/DSC_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NmyCeCAkK_zkzywAiF_RVXlND8mMoHClHhmKiGh2kqyBnG0Nq884f7NdzBInByJV_LqDbTnEh1h1qM4vVJPM2Rb1XixjAzyizIiZmB1yP7-5XiJsYR3TaAi6i_v5ubRpS1IO9zuj57Y/s640/DSC_2015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went into labor with baby Elizabeth Lee on Valentine's Day evening and she made her debut on Tuesday, February 15, at 12:54 p.m. -- about one week overdue. We were so ready to meet her! </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She's a chunky little sweetheart at 8 lbs., 10 oz. and 20.5 inches.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ava has been talking about her little sister Ellie long before we were expecting, so we chose the name Elizabeth so we could call her Ellie. It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog and a lot has happened in the interim, including the sudden and tragic death of my husband's father, Lee, three days after Christmas. We gave her the middle name Lee in rememberance of him and his excitement for his littlest granddaughter that he never got the chance to meet in person.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-16992620352659006462010-10-26T07:36:00.000-07:002010-10-26T07:36:31.172-07:00NaNoWriMo<a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">November is National Novel Writing Month</a> wherein you're supposed to write 50,000 words in 30 days. And squeeze in Thanksgiving preperations and holiday shopping. I've never finished, but I keep trying. But I'm not sure about this year. With the speed in which October has flown by, I don't know where I'll find the time...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieais0oPwKVZar4O2VgI8GS1CKVhYhsmLY-_u1o5XSI8Lqfc263AGnKwdjh7QjjApjkuVr-a88ftStCXXrwyk76NZ3GdL0Z6c6aSHVGpLS9wVtdnztra-nDjQBBLIzAns2eIUQWyF5Ts/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieais0oPwKVZar4O2VgI8GS1CKVhYhsmLY-_u1o5XSI8Lqfc263AGnKwdjh7QjjApjkuVr-a88ftStCXXrwyk76NZ3GdL0Z6c6aSHVGpLS9wVtdnztra-nDjQBBLIzAns2eIUQWyF5Ts/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>Are you doing NaNoWriMo this month? How do find time for it?Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-29355081635924485812010-09-23T19:08:00.000-07:002010-09-23T19:08:28.081-07:00Favorite Things About Fall: FoodWe're lucky enough to live in a part of the country where there are a lot of apple orchards. I knew fall had truly arrived when the crisp, cool breeze carried the faint sent of ripe apples. There is something so comforting about fall. The apple cider, knit scarves, hearty vegetables, snuggling under cozy blankets, sunny days and cool nights. <br />
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Even though we've actually had a major warm-up this week, I'm deep into my fall recipe file. I've already cooked a big batch of vegetable chili and had several bowls of butternut squash soup. And this week I created what I think is going to become a new fall favorite: creamy pumpkin ravioli. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WYx0pLgmV7VGRwC9r7bk2Y5j-bF4L1-W3MTyGV0zNjBVSgmI2OUY8BsNXv-202ehZQc8zoEGU6HyHHbPySjkhTMyolZV1BgZEsPZ0IAy7RFr28kJcBlIc1qt5NE38urL-VhxZe6eEO4/s1600/DSC_1741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WYx0pLgmV7VGRwC9r7bk2Y5j-bF4L1-W3MTyGV0zNjBVSgmI2OUY8BsNXv-202ehZQc8zoEGU6HyHHbPySjkhTMyolZV1BgZEsPZ0IAy7RFr28kJcBlIc1qt5NE38urL-VhxZe6eEO4/s640/DSC_1741.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
We had ours with roasted Brussels sprouts. If you've never had them, do yourself a favorite and make a batch tonight. They are so good. Even my almost-4-year-old loves them. In fact, while I was cutting up Brussels sprouts for dinner she insisted on munching on a few raw. <br />
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<strong>Creamy Pumpkin Ravioli</strong><br />
1 pkg. pumpkin (or butternut squash, or plain cheese in a pinch) ravioli<br />
1 pkg. (8 oz.) neufchatel cheese<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1 red pepper, chopped<br />
1/2 medium onion, chopped<br />
1 cup canned pumpkin (make sure you get 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)<br />
Chopped walnuts (I didn't measure these, just added in what looked good)<br />
Dash of pumpkin pie spice<br />
Pinch of red pepper<br />
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Saute the onions and red pepper on medium until the onions start to get brown and caramelized. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1S4hlaNskgwol4SSo0lttyYfUeLDmwixBnTR2XPdp-H_KIHE6DZK1P-Yipddq1F5JAklwT9KhOLj58KPgh2wGcy4Pt0LN76HRuRXm4jNXaHzQeaqYAQR8Xyf-0-F2ehWSevmSvdBcMA/s1600/DSC_1737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1S4hlaNskgwol4SSo0lttyYfUeLDmwixBnTR2XPdp-H_KIHE6DZK1P-Yipddq1F5JAklwT9KhOLj58KPgh2wGcy4Pt0LN76HRuRXm4jNXaHzQeaqYAQR8Xyf-0-F2ehWSevmSvdBcMA/s640/DSC_1737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Turn heat to low and add walnuts. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tWzY4OZWzK5HGP4Y9ZLixv1e-yD8fN59Rc96w_mT3HxJ4Urx_boqaKOzJCXY2vYctPcQhs-OdC8nNHHNYu2o_WapWS09ceDMBU4BwKVtIDnHeq-TG3vhazVFAXdUAsT2UJV1MfFdmOU/s1600/DSC_1739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tWzY4OZWzK5HGP4Y9ZLixv1e-yD8fN59Rc96w_mT3HxJ4Urx_boqaKOzJCXY2vYctPcQhs-OdC8nNHHNYu2o_WapWS09ceDMBU4BwKVtIDnHeq-TG3vhazVFAXdUAsT2UJV1MfFdmOU/s640/DSC_1739.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Once pan has had some time to cool, add the cheese, milk, and butter. Stir frequently until the cheese and butter has completely melted. Add pumpkin and spices, then cook until completely heated, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook the ravioli per package directions. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LIlEf2FEMEUQ0QHi1QNZU_6ZiAp1fi1wq54TUcFcP-wgqZGbeebD8gaWSl3uIQtRV7FgFGXDzkJGaJVncB97n0hXIQnLRYstGFmRmYYnghBkLKuUU2zUw0L-ZHCqQLESizAQD2eXOFM/s1600/DSC_1740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LIlEf2FEMEUQ0QHi1QNZU_6ZiAp1fi1wq54TUcFcP-wgqZGbeebD8gaWSl3uIQtRV7FgFGXDzkJGaJVncB97n0hXIQnLRYstGFmRmYYnghBkLKuUU2zUw0L-ZHCqQLESizAQD2eXOFM/s640/DSC_1740.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Devour immediately.<br />
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<strong>Roasted Brussels Sprouts</strong><br />
Brussels sprouts<br />
Olive oil<br />
Salt<br />
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This really couldn't be easier, but the result is so delicious. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts, pull of any leaves that look yellow or brown, then cut in half. Toss the sprouts in olive oil, then spread out on a pan and salt. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to evenly roast.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKv-yYj_w4DVOdsP3_IYSD5C9e3HQQClH7oWR5O3B4_Zt7p34e6M3SZFclP3O0_dqsc8G50alo_QOsLOXNmQLyaZ6mE7uqODWwU_hpImXOU8g1L6CmSP-M__W-goIgti88ZSn5-asR-4/s1600/DSC_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKv-yYj_w4DVOdsP3_IYSD5C9e3HQQClH7oWR5O3B4_Zt7p34e6M3SZFclP3O0_dqsc8G50alo_QOsLOXNmQLyaZ6mE7uqODWwU_hpImXOU8g1L6CmSP-M__W-goIgti88ZSn5-asR-4/s640/DSC_1738.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-2616413172414259372010-09-21T13:21:00.000-07:002010-09-23T19:09:04.516-07:00It's a Girl!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZxrM1tYqTc_wKEShjaCPU1avJBeNQq0sKt9VCZq1njKPkxDCZqjVN0nR_aO-axQY0lCIkS8wKZEv_I7NzyMAE6My6dJXpyvAvynZDYraeSW9Xo6zQOwEh-JEyMOZlxv4BcI9L88nirc/s1600/Sweets.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZxrM1tYqTc_wKEShjaCPU1avJBeNQq0sKt9VCZq1njKPkxDCZqjVN0nR_aO-axQY0lCIkS8wKZEv_I7NzyMAE6My6dJXpyvAvynZDYraeSW9Xo6zQOwEh-JEyMOZlxv4BcI9L88nirc/s640/Sweets.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>We're getting more sugar and spice and everything nice!<br />
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When the ultrasound technician said it was a girl, Ava leaned in close to me and whispered, "We're going to be best friends, Mommy." I hope so. She's already offered to share all her toys.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from </span><a href="http://amyatlas.com/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Amy Atlas</span></a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-78379202317943883612010-09-09T07:07:00.000-07:002010-09-09T07:07:35.682-07:00Preschool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr_4APLxekGo6uhQueWoIeDeGL1MnhKUT__0ZnkN70eVhiAkItp0fKKXdz6ftw949ZrCbyd1iUSbpRSNUlnRMtCQoEI5MthGl1967rKqjksoOL_OZanZPts5hu7J97BAausT7f-q0mU4/s1600/DSC_1727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHr_4APLxekGo6uhQueWoIeDeGL1MnhKUT__0ZnkN70eVhiAkItp0fKKXdz6ftw949ZrCbyd1iUSbpRSNUlnRMtCQoEI5MthGl1967rKqjksoOL_OZanZPts5hu7J97BAausT7f-q0mU4/s640/DSC_1727.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My little girl is growing up. Ava started preschool this week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cute sign from <a href="http://blonde-designs.squarespace.com/blonde-designs-blog/2010/9/2/back-to-school-signs.html">Blonde Designs</a>.</div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629001310140191392.post-47753912149381691422010-08-26T06:31:00.000-07:002010-08-26T06:31:45.895-07:00What up, Suckas?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuWmJbEtM8bMd7G_Dv3qu1jznre5AYyn9RQCXF5B9BAYxbv49DAqLuGKwu9qWLWj2UQYBPcTlBqS6J5zTaEHPnwcnVY6tmA815wLLseW97m4m5eha__vZ68JGm6_cL17FhGuzTEcVH3I/s1600/264307954115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuWmJbEtM8bMd7G_Dv3qu1jznre5AYyn9RQCXF5B9BAYxbv49DAqLuGKwu9qWLWj2UQYBPcTlBqS6J5zTaEHPnwcnVY6tmA815wLLseW97m4m5eha__vZ68JGm6_cL17FhGuzTEcVH3I/s640/264307954115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Anyone still out there?<br />
<br />
David and I were in the living room a few days ago and Ava walked in from her room and said, "What up, Suckas?" I don't know where she gets these things, but she always keeps us laughing.<br />
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I've been missing from this blog for several months now, but for good reason. We're having a baby!<br />
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I'm just now starting to feel human again after many long weeks of intense morning sickness. I don't even like to call it morning sickness because I think some people (especially male people) tend to think of morning sickness as no big deal and even kind of cute really. But this was like the most intense stomach flu I've ever had. I lost 14 pounds in three weeks and nothing was helping until my doctor put me on a medication normally used for people undergoing chemo. And now, well into my second trimester, it's still the only thing keeping me from throwing up every day (although I am feeling much better than I was). But, it's all for a very good reason. <br />
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Ava is very excited about the possibility of a sister, but NOT a brother. We'll find out on Sept. 21...Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11936725271923444247noreply@blogger.com1