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Friday, May 24, 2013

JoJo's Six Month Pictures...

I realized yesterday that I hadn't posted any pictures yet of Jo Jo from her 6 month photo shoot and since she will be 8 months next week, I figured I had better get on it.  Plus, I took more pictures of her last week that are my absolute favorite so far, so I need to share them with you as well.  I know you were all sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for these;)

I took the pictures in her bedroom.  It was the first time I had ever taken pictures in there..aside from snap shots.  I don't know why I've waited so long.  The natural light in her room is glorious and the yellow walls really make the room bright!  The lighting is still a bit off thanks to user error and she wasn't her normal smiley self that day so I really had to work hard to get a smile from her.


She had just recently started sitting up by herself right before I took these and she was so proud of herself as you can see in the picture below.  I was also sitting on pins and needles waiting to catch her if she fell backward.  Hardwood floors and babies learning to sit up aren't a good combo! 

Those eyes! All of my babies have been blessed with blue eyes and they are my favorite thing to photograph.  In certain lights they pop! 
The tutu... 
Mel had her picture taken in this also, but I'm too lazy to dig through the archives right now...maybe some other day. 



Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!
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Monday, May 20, 2013

Keeping It Simple:Taking Meals to the Field With Kids...

Several farmers are in the midst of planting. Taking meals to the field is a tough job, I'm not gonna lie, especially when you have to pack up 3 kids (sometimes 4) on top of the lunch, but it is very much appreciated, or so I think;).  When I was little, most of the time my mom packed my dad a sandwich, some chips, a candy bar and something to drink.  Sometimes I do this as well, but most days I like to deliver a hot meal.
You can read my post from a couple years ago about delivering meals here.  And this is one of my favorite things to make to take to the fields.  In fact, it is simmering on the stove as I type!  When I'm finished cooking the food, the first thing I do is load it all into the Suburban before I start packing kids up.  They are much more patient when they have toys to entertain them then when they are sitting in a warm car strapped in their car seat.  It can get a little ugly.  Trust me!  I may have done this once, and quickly learned my lesson!
 I got this "on the go" crockpot  from my in-laws as a birthday gift a few years ago and I love it!  I no longer have to worry about sloppy joes, or whatever concoction I have in their spilling when I hit a bump in the road.
I also like to use a basket like this one to hold most of the condiments and such...
Well, the car is loaded now it's time to get the kids....
This Ciao! baby highchair is quite possibly the best item I have purchase this year!
When B and Mel were babies I often said, "I wish someone would invent a highchair that looks like a camping chair!  I guess if I would have been the genius behind this idea, I might be a millionaire right now!
We have used this thing several times already not just for taking meals to the fields, but when we go to people's houses, ball games, anywhere.  I keep it in the car so it is easily accessible.
My sister-in-law got me this wonderful picnic blanket from Thirty-One for Christmas.  It is also a new must have at the fields.  It is waterproof and the bottom is slick so you don't have to worry about grass sticking to it!  Just fold it up and go!

Happy planting everyone!...and happy eating!
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Friday, May 17, 2013

Peanut Butter M&M Cookie Dough Brownies...

These brownies are so good and so rich.  A little sliver will suit you just fine, but it's best to splurge because these won't last long, trust me.
First, bake up a pan of brownies and let them cool.

Next, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth...
Add the sugars and mix again until fluffy... 
Add the milk and vanilla... 

Add the flour and mix until combined... 
Sprinkle in the M&Ms and stir with a spoon to combine.. 

Spread the dough evenly over the brownies.. 
Richly scrumptious! 

Peanut Butter M&M Cookie Dough Brownies

1 Brownie box mix for 9X13 pan.  
1/4 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar, packed
1/4 C. + 2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
2C. flour
1 C. M&Ms

1. Prepare and bake brownies according to directions on box.  Set aside to cool.
2. Cream the butter and Peanut Butter until smooth.
3. Add the sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.
4. Add milk and vanilla and mix until smooth.
5. Add the flour and mix until combined.
6. Stir in the M&Ms with a spoon.
7. Spread the cookie dough gently over the cooled brownies.

Enjoy!
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Thursday, May 9, 2013

7 Months...

Jo Jo is now 7 months old.
Not a lot has changed since 6 months.  She can roll over, but chooses not too.  She sleeps through the night, most of the time.  Occasionally she wakes up, but we put her paci back in and she goes back to sleep.  Sometimes she decides that she doesn't need to take a nap and that usually makes for a fun day!

Check out the onesie!  I thought it was appropriate for this occasion.
Her new favorite face...
She loves her toes...
I had to use the fish to keep her distracted so she wouldn't grab the sign.
But that didn't work very long, so I had to resort to taping it on the wall behind her...

A little wiggle bug...



I don't have any 7 month stats because she didn't have a checkup.  She goes back to the doctor at 9 months.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

5 things...

A while back I was tagged by Colleen at Five Little Homesteaders for Five Things.  I am supposed to share 5 things with you that you don't know about me.  She tagged me a couple months ago and I have been racking my brain to come up with 5 things I haven't already told you!  I don't really live an exciting life so there isn't much I haven't shared with you other than getting too personal:) So, here goes...

1) I am terrified of birds.  Any kind of bird. Ornithophobia is the fear of birds (I googled it) and I think I have it!  I think it all started when I was in high school.  I opened the door of our house to go outside and my cat came running in with a bird in it's mouth.  The cat was making a funny sound and the bird was too as well as flapping it's wings.  I stayed outside until my mom came home from work.  We couldn't find any sign of the bird.  Not even the feathers.  Maybe the cat ate those too?  When Brad would shoot starlings as they started to invade our trees, he wouldn't always pick them up(I think he did this on purpose because he thought it was funny) and I would mow around them because I was scared that the feathers and bird goo would splatter all over me.  True story.  I am slowly getting better though because if a baby bird falls out of it's nest and lands on the sidewalk where the girls ride their bikes, I can scoop it up with a shovel...with my eyes closed of course.  If a full size bird is anywhere near me though, it's a totally different story!

2) I love March Madness!!!  So much so that Brad threatens to move out during the month of March!

3) I went to a Catholic school for grades K-6.

4) There are certain words that cannot be said in my house.  Of course the usual four letter words are a big no-no, but also "Shut up" and "stupid."  Just saying them makes me cringe.  I don't like them and my girls seriously think they are curse words.  I have recently added "bored" to the list.  When B comes home from school and 5 minutes later announces that she is "bored" it makes me want to scream.

5)I cannot stand stuffed food.  Stuffed pork chops, stuffed chicken, jelly filled doughnuts, etc.  I don't like biting into something and not knowing what the texture is going to be.  Blech!

Okay.  I've spilled my beans now it's time for these five people to spill their's:

Susan at Stew Mama Says
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