Just 7 Little Words....

....reminded me that it's all worth it.

"You're the best nurse I've ever had!"

Awesome!

Such accolades deserve to be rewarded, doncha think?

Punched the clock, peeled out of the parking deck, stopped by my favorite little Greek restaurant to pick up the most yummy meal, ever! (lamb gyro, tomato/cucumber/feta/basil salad, pita and cucumber dip), hurried home, threw on my pjs, poured a glass of vino, and settled in to watch the results show of Dancing with the Stars.

Don't mind if I do!

Alabama Football and Dreamland BBQ....

....what could be better???

Great Finds

***Update***

So, I decided to play with a couple of pictures on "Picnik" tonight!

Scroll down to see the magic.....Cool, huh!?

Isn't it fun when you discover something really fun and cool? If it saves you money or time, well that is just a big 'ole bonus! I haven't had much time for scowling the internet or window shopping this Summer, so this list is going to be short....for now!

I love sharing great things. My friends laugh at me for it (yes, I have an unhealthy relationship with Costco....ask anyone who knows me well), but if I find something that is worth sharing....well, share it I must. I'll even venture to say that I drive a few friends crazy with these 4 little words....

"Guess what I found!?"

So, here is a list of my "great finds" this summer. Remember.....

If the text is lime green, then it's a link.....just click on it and see for yourself (just a little friendly tip for my less tech-savvy readers....You're welcome!)

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library! The gist? Register your less than 5 year old child and receive a free book every month until they turn 5. Free books....Yay! Greer just got her first one this week (The Little Engine That Could).

Bottle Cap Necklaces Sure wish I was still young enough to pull off wearing these, but my 5 year old can and she LOVES them. They're all the rage down here in the 'Ham.

Picnik As much as I would LOVE to understand Photoshop, well, it still makes my brain hurt (I'm not giving up yet though). In the meantime? I found this fun/easy photoediting site, and well, I heart it! (thanks Savannah)

Look what I did in a matter of minutes!

Marshmallow Fluff Let's just face it....everything is more fun with fluff. It was the token food of the summer 'round here (no, we didn't eat it for every meal, but I will always remember this summer as the "summer of the fluff"!)

Oh, and if you follow me on twitter, you saw that I was on the hunt for some "waterproof vinyl labels" for Greer's sippy cups and food containers.....

I found some great ones on etsy! These things are awesome!

What Cool Things did you find this summer? Please leave a comment if you have something you just can't NOT share! I promise it'll make you feel so much better to get it off your chest!

Wordful Wednesday....Greer's Appetite!

From the moment she started eating solid foods, Greer has been serious about her food. I can honestly say that she will eat anything! And, she wants to do it herself! She has gotten great with utensils and usually cleans her plate. I've made sure not to deprive her palate of any toppings or exotic foods just because her older siblings never liked them.....

The difference between the first child and the third child, I guess.

She will eat a cheeseburger with everything on it. Mustard, pickles, onions, tomato, lettuce....you name it. And don't even think about breaking it into pieces. Two fisted feasting for my sweet baby girl!

Burritos filled with rice and beans, cheese dip and salsa, salad with balsamic vinaigrette, boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce, vegetable soup, chicken salad, tuna salad, hummus, scrambled eggs, green bean casserole, fried green tomatoes....

But I forgot about olives, she doesn't like olives.

One of her most favorite foods is hard boiled eggs. The other day I was cleaning out the fridge and I found an egg that I couldn't remember boiling. I made the decision to throw the questionable egg away (it couldn't have been more than a few days old) and went about my morning.

A half hour or so later, I was shocked to find that Greer had rescued the egg from the garbage can, and by the time I realized it, she had eaten half of it.....shell and ALL!

3 days later, and she is no worse for the wear. Guess it wasn't spoiled....and she sure thought it tasted pretty good. Did I mention that she'll eat anything???

Head over to Angie's blog for more fun Wordful Wednesday posts!

Who says.....

....you can't grow plants actual PRODUCE! and children at the same time?

Fluffernutter Sandwiches and Mr. Pig

Thanks to my sweet friend, Krista, Lucy has been introduced to some fun new treats this week! Krista came down from Alabama armed with plenty of Mr. Pibb (which Lucy affectionately calls Mr. Pig), marshmallow fluff, and peanut butter. Well, you can imagine that Lucy my child with the insatiable sweet tooth was immediately taken with these sugary delights!

But what's even sweeter? Watching them together. Krista is so amazingly gifted when it comes to engaging with children (and thankfully she uses this passion working as a first grade teacher and in children's ministry at church). I am so blessed to have her as my friend....

Even if she does enjoy raising my child's blood sugar on a regular basis! Thank you, friend!

Click on that cute little button up there to head over to Angie's blog.Sometimes a picture tells such a story....that's what Wordful Wednesday is all about. I'd love to see what you have to say! Have a great day, y'all!

Our Perfect Fourth of July

....and a not so perfect picture. It's humid here in Destin, Florida (in case you didn't know). As soon as you walk outside, the lens fogs up and you get pictures that look something like this. Reeves took this picture tonight as we played on the lawn near our condo watching fireworks out over the ocean. We were pretty busy having lots of untechnical fun today, so I sure hope you'll forgive us. It was a blissful day....

Even with the humidity (which is amazingly more bearable than the stagnant sweltering we have been experiencing in dear ole Alabama....thank the good LORD for a precious sea breeze). We have had an amazing Fourth of July.

In fact, we finally broke in one of our wedding gifts.

Yes, you heard me right.....a wedding gift. From our wedding that happened about 9 and a half years ago. Who says that old saying is true?......

Maybe you should hang on to those things that you haven't used in a decade year! Food for thought....

And for the first time in almost 10 years.....we made homemade icecream. With a perfectly good icecream maker that had never seen the light of day. She had been content to wait on a shelf in our little ole garage for the past 9 and a half years just living for this day....

This amazing 4th of July in the year 2009. This day filled with sweet donuts, sandy beaches, skim boarding, peach eating, nap taking, sun soaking, pool floating, rib grilling, porch swinging, firework gazing, watermelon devouring fun....

Yep, it was well worth the wait. Thank you, sweet icecream maker, for being so patient....and for being part of this perfect day!!!

The Cajun Cleaver

I would like to introduce you to my friends, Nick and Adrienne....

And their new store.....




Words cannot describe the awesomeness of this place! If you live in my neck of the woods (you know who you are, wink wink), you can't go another WEEK without stopping in. I've told you before that I love supporting small businesses....I have a special place in my heart for the local entrepreneur. Well, I've been waiting for this little business to open up for a while now. Nick and Adrienne are my friends because we share a love of a certain little family who moved to a certain little town in North Carolina. That's all I can say on the subject without bursting into tears.


But I digress.....


The Cajun Cleaver is a specialty butcher shop PLUS plus, plus, plus, plus....

It's the PLUS that I'm most excited about.


See, I'm a mom. A rather busy mom. A mom who enjoys delicious food and entertaining and taking meals to friends. I love to cook, but sometimes it's just too darned hot hard to get my act together. I have kids and a husband who love to eat yummy food. That's where this place has swooped in to save my sanity!


Affordable, delicious, ready to pop in the oven and heat up meals! Who could ask for anything more? They have entrees, side dishes, and the greatest peanut butter pie you will ever eat (not to mention all sorts of meats and soups and sauces and gumbo)! If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my tweets about our supper Wednesday night. My sister was coming in with all 3 of her little ones, and the last thing we had a second to do wanted to do was spend the evening in the kitchen.


After an afternoon at the pool, Lucy, Caroline and I ran down and picked up a couple of entrees (chicken tetrazzini and penne pasta with meatballs and marinara.....oh, and some sausages to grill for appetizers). For $30, I fed 6 adults and 5 kiddos.....now THAT is a deal! I plan on stopping by soon for another easy meal night!


So here's what I'm thinking.....


Why not stock up on a few meals to carry with me to the beach in a couple of weeks....how easy will that be? And next time a friend is in the hospital or has a baby, I'm stopping by to let Nick do the cooking! It's as good as homemade....maybe even better!


Just had to share this little treasure with all my local readers. Sorry if you aren't close enough to enjoy it.....maybe one day they'll franchise!!!


P.S. (for Adrienne)....the kids LOVED the meatballs. I mean L.O.V.E.D!!!! I'll call you and tell you what else they had to say....it was really funny :)

Fabulous Friday: Summer Treats!

I have been meaning to join in on the Fabulous Friday fun for weeks now, but haven't gotten my act together till now! This one is right up my alley, so I thought I would give it a shot.

My sweet friend, Danielle (yes, we really have become friends) and blog designer extraordinaire hosts this fun bloggy carnival every Friday! I hope you'll join in the fun, too!

So, here's my little entry for this week.....

I think Lucy is completely addicted. We have visited the local shaved ice haunt EVERY DAY this week...

....and we have not been disappointed. It's good, cheap fun, y'all! Can't beat a $1 ice-cold treat on a hot Alabama day. Speaking of a hot Alabama day.....

Can't beat the fake flower foliage that you get (not to mention the AstroTurf) to enjoy while you tackle your icy deliciousness! There's nothing better than enjoying an artificially flavored, sugar-filled delight right outside the local BP Gas Station!

Mmmmmmmmmm! They really are AWESOME!

As for dessert....well, this is how we roll! Enjoy! (Oh, and make sure you scroll down to the bottom and pause my play list before you click play on this video)! Eat UP and Happy Summer, Y'all!

My Sleepin' Machine

Or as Chris likes to say.... the "rack beast"!

Greer has always been a great sleeper. From the very beginning, she was very predictable with her naps and nighttime sleeping. She consistently sleeps 18 hours a day (between nighttime sleep and naps), and has been known to sleep up to 21 hours in a day.

I know I shouldn't complain about this....believe me, I'm not complaining...... just concerned. I've asked my pediatrician about it, and my dad (who is also a pediatrician). They both said, "Well, it's not usual", but they didn't seem concerned. She is meeting all her developmental milestones and growing just fine!

I guess I shouldn't be concerned either, but there is always that naggy mom guilt/worry thing floating around in the back of my head (I think that might just be the bad guy trying to creep in) that makes me question all the little things that could be wrong with her.

But, above and beyond everything, I trust my Father in Heaven. I have prayed for peace and comfort for sweet Greer from her very first days. Maybe all this good sleepin' is simply an answer to those prayers. Who am I to question her heavenly Father.....my heavenly Father? I know that she is in His hands no matter what.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen my tweets about how much food she manages to ingest following a long night (and by long....I mean going down at 7 p.m. and waking up at noon the following day). She is literally shaky when she wakes....I am convinced that her blood sugar level must be close to 30 after all that time!

I have actually started giving her Orange Juice first thing....while I prepare her monster morning meal. Or should I say meals.

Today (these pics were taken this morning), she consumed the following (in a matter of minutes).....

6 ounces of Orange Juice

4 ounces of Whole Milk

A fistful of blueberries

Large container of peach yogurt

2 Strawberry Waffles

3 scrambled eggs

4 large strawberries

1 Cheese stick

I kid you NOT!

2 hours later.....

Chicken noodle soup

Boiled egg (she likes eggs)

Cherries and Strawberries

Oh, and she had her first Cherry Lime Shaved Ice somewhere in between!

So, thanks to all my friends on twitter who offered support and reassurance that it does happen.....and that their babies are just fine (and to all my IRL friends who have given me the same reassurance). I am going to just enjoy all the time it allows me with my older two, and the time it gives me to rest and get things accomplished. I'll just keep counting my blessings!

Pretty Near Perfect

For the most part, I enjoy cooking with fresh ingredients. I don't mind a recipe, but most of the time, I like to create my own meals out of basic, fresh ingredients. I get that from my father, I think (but, if you must know....my mom is an amazing chef, too).

In my quest to discover some simple, really delicious meals, I ran across this little treasure.....and I have to share it with my faithful readers! I realize that some of you don't have a Publix anywhere near you. That is such a shame....

....cause this bottled sauce is pretty near perfection! I honestly don't think I could come up with a recipe that could come close to the goodness of this pre-packaged divinity. You HAVE to try it (and if you do, will you please comment or email me to tell me what you think!)! It is scrum-diddly-umptious!

You're Welcome!

P.S. Oh, and the ingredients are pretty pure and simple (if I do say so myself):

Italian peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, whole cream, fresh onions, imported olive oil, imported pecorino romano cheese, vodka, minced garlic, salt, sugar, basil, parsley flakes, crushed red pepper seeds, citric acid, and spices.

In case you're looking for us....

This is where we will be....

all summer long!

It's a pretty sweet life, if I do say so myself...

and I thank my sweet Father every day for my blessings!

Maybe I'll manage to get a smile out of Greer

at some point...

We call this her "duh" look!

And since it's summer....it's time for easy summer suppers! Tonight we're having grilled chicken (marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette) and roasted rosemary/olive oil potatoes. I always have a salad fixed and ready to go (we're all big salad people....well, all of us but Chris!)....and of course I have fresh Ranch dressing ready to serve with it! Yummers!

Wanna come join us? We have plenty!

Settling in

No pictures for this post....I'm actually doing good to get a post up at all.

We had a tolerable pretty decent drive home (it actually seemed to go pretty quickly). The kids were not as amused with this drive, but it was "OK," considering. Chris got a bit outdone with Reeves kicking his seat, and I was not amused when I had to unbuckle to find the Nintendo DS and the green crayon, but all in all, it wasn't too bad.

I did make a pretty good dent in the second Twilight book....that was a big 'ole bonus ('specially since it is a recent development for me to be able to tolerate reading while driving....I have a bad history with car-sickness). I may have been a bit more snappy than I would normally be as I got deeper and deeper into the story. And, maybe I hit my "mommy breaking point" a bit prematurely!

Thankfully, before long we found a Chick-fil-a, some sweet tea, and remembered who was waiting for us back home. The further we got from Orlando, the more excited I was to see my sweet baby girl......it was almost more than I could bear.

I'd be lying if I said that her reaction didn't break my heart.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry.

She's 16 months old.

16 month-olds have major issues with separation anxiety and latch on to their immediate care-giver.

I know that.

But,

It. still. broke. my. heart!

Greer didn't want me. She didn't seem to know me. It took 30 minutes for her to warm up to me.

She reached for my mom and cried when I held her.

I cried.

But, she finally warmed up to us (Chris first....he wrestled with her on the floor), and before long, she was showing us all her new tricks.

Rocking her to sleep was bliss, and I can't wait to see her in the morning. I know it's all par for the course, but it still stings. It wasn't something I was prepared for, and I can't say I wasn't shocked. I just can't wait to spend some time with my baby girl, and I can't wait for her to really get excited about us being home.

But you wanna know what I am thankful for? I am thankful that she felt loved and cared for by her grandparents. For they love her as much as we ever could, and with them she felt safe. and loved. and secure.

That's what matters most.