Pumpkin Patch

The girls and I took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago when the 2 big girls were out of school. Sloan was busy at work finishing up the last tax deadline of the year, so a dear friend of mine, Leah Elrod, and I took the girls to Johnston Farms in Greenbriar. The weather was beautiful that day (other than a little hot) and thankfully, there were not mass amounts of school kids there, so we were actually able to enjoy our time at the pumpkin patch. The girls had a great time running through the rows of pumpkins, sticking their heads in the wood cutouts and yelling at me to "take a picture", looking at all the animals and trying to mimic the sounds that each one made so that the animal would in turn make that same sound (it worked with some of them). I think my favorite was when they gobbled like "girl turkeys" and made the big tom turkey puff out his feathers. Here are just a few pictures that I have edited...still need to work on the others.

Isabelle...5 & 1/2 years old

Delaney...7 & 1/2 years old

Madeline...2 years old

Eleanor...4 months old (almost 5 months, here)

All my sweet girls at the pumpkin patch!!!

CA trip "Sneak Peak"

I had a great time in Cali while I was there. It was so good to go back and get to hang out with my family there. I really enjoyed getting to meet my cousin's wife, Macy (who I've been dying to meet for literally forever) and my cousin Amy's boyfriend, Joel...not too mention all my other cousins wives, husbands, kids, etc. Even though Eleanor and I flew out there for my grandmother's funeral, we did get to have some fun. Here is a pic of she and I at Huntington Beach...when I was little we literally went there EVERY Saturday, my mom, brothers and grandma...so many FUN memories there. E liked the beach, but did not like the COLD water (pics of that to come), but until then here is the one of she and I on the shore...what a BEAUTIFUL day!

Goin' back to Cali....

I'm sitting in my aunt and uncle's living room right now. Eleanor and I got here this morning...flight was great, except the rather bumpy 30 minutes till we moved out of some clouds. And since I'm not a great "flyer" a nice smooth flight was just perfect!!! It was so good to see my aunt, 2 uncles, and one of my cousins. The best was seeing my mom who has been here for the last 7 weeks with my grandma, who just passed away this past Monday. We went out to eat at Chipolte...we SO need one of these in LR...they have the BEST guac!!!! Can't wait to hang out with the rest of my fam this weekend. My grandma's funeral is Monday. Pics will be posted...coming soon. So nice to be back in Cali...my old stomping grounds!

Tasty Tuesday...

Tonight we had roasted chicken, orzo with roasted vegetables, watermelon and cantaloupe for dinner. As usual, the girls gobbled up all the fruit and chicken...they are not huge fans of the orzo salad, but I sure am!!! I got this recipe a while back from a dear friend, Kristin Conklin, and her mom, Jackie Conklin, and I am in LOVE with it. I'll never forget the first time Kristin made it for me...it was on one of our many Dancing With the Stars watch party nights...and I wasn't too sure about it at first, but one bite later and I was HOOKED!!! It is so yummy and it's great with roasted chicken, burgers, sandwiches, etc. Anyway, I thought I would share the recipe with you all cause it's too good to not be shared!

(veggies before being cut and roasted)

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients...

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4 inch diced

1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced

1 yellow pepper, 1 inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 & 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing...

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

To assemble...

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, 1/2 inch diced*

Directions...

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Toss eggplant, bell peppers, onion and garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7-9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

4. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the pine nuts and feta. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

*Note...I used crumbled feta since I usually have it on hand (we eat a lot of it in salads). I also usually add an orange bell pepper into the mix as well (it adds another color and it tastes good). I have not tried it, but Kristin said that sometimes they like to roast asparagus too and add that as well (I'm sure it would taste yummy with that, too)!

ENJOY!!!!

(veggies after being roasted for 40 minutes)

(the final result...minus the pine nuts because I forgot to get them at the store...still YUM, put it in my mouth G.O.O.D.)!!!

Memory Lane...

Delaney has a "project" for school. Well, it's not really a project (hence the quotation marks) but it's a questionnaire sheet and a project for mom (or dad). I had to find pics of her to send to school so she can be featured as a "Super Star of the Week" one week this school year. I love looking through pics and here are a few I found of her over the years. I can't believe she is 7 (and a half...she would want you to know that)!!! She is such a good helper around here...not sure what I would do without her some days. My "baby" is so big now...oh, how I love her so!

Delaney with her soccer team...the Soccer Pups!

Delaney at 2 years old!

Playing mini-golf this summer in Hot Springs, AR!

Delaney at 3 (almost 4)!

Loving her cake for her 1st birthday! (I have pics of each one of my girls taken at 1 with a cake...they are hanging in my breakfast nook and I LOVE them)!!!

The Circus Came to Town!!!

For Madeline's 2nd birthday we did a circus theme and had a great time playing games and eating all kinds of fun foods you would eat at a circus or carnival! We had fun games in the backyard (ring toss, goldfish toss, go fish, bean bag toss, a photo booth and bubble machine; I even got my dad to do face painting for the kids...which they all loved...THANK YOU, Grandpa!). The kids had fun playing all the games and getting candy after each game they played, along with other fun prizes. Madeline had the most fun with her friend, Hudson, playing/popping bubbles from the bubble machine (courtesy of Uncle Justin & Aunt Becca). Probably one of my most favorite moments of the night was when Maddie was opening her presents. She LOVED opening them this year and LOVED showing everyone what she got...I mean holding her stuff up and walking around to each person to make sure they saw it. She is so funny and we love her so very much. Hope you had a fun party, Madeline...I know mommy had fun! And a BIG THANKS to Miss Kristin and Leah who helped pull it off!!

Isabelle and Madeline sticking their heads through the poster!!

Mommy and Daddy looking good as a trapeze artist and strong man!

She LOVED the balloons. This was right before she "lost" them and they got stuck in the fan.

Even Eleanor got in on the action!

Eating popcorn and holding her new Cinderella baby doll from the Havens!

Showing everyone her new dress!

Goldfish toss...instead of winning real goldfish they won goldfish crackers.

Madeline in the "photo booth" outside!

Our family before the party started!

The food table...cupcakes from Sam's, animal crackers, circus peanuts, cotton candy!!!

The boxes that held all their candy/prizes!

More pics of the food table. The animal cracker boxes in the background were the party favors!

The food table!

Delaney dressed up like a clown before the party started! Miss Kristin provided the clown costume and I bought a bunch of clown noses off Oriental Trading Company's website!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Madeline!!!

Not too long after she was born!

Mommy and Madeline!

Our big 2 year old!!!