Ackerly VBS 2012

The kids were able to attend Ackerly's VBS in June, which this year was titled "Discovering the Treasures of God's Love".  Mom taught the toddlers' class & the kids had a blast, while learning all about Joshua, Solomon, David, and the greatest treasure that God has given us, the Bible.  Cy even memorized the first four books of the New Testament! Here are a few more pictures of our little treasure hunters...

 Sweet Emory

 Mr. Trenton

 Checking out the preacher's four wheelers

...and while not in bible school, having loads of fun with Gramps & Mimi!

 

Lila Grace's 19 Month Stats...

Lila Grace had her 18 month well check today, on which she technically turned 19 months.  So here are our princess' 19 month stats, and of course, a few recent pictures that I've taken of our cutie patootie (a few of which include her beloved "Honey").

Weight:  22 lbs 1 oz (20%)

Height:  33" (85%!!!!!)

Our Little Man Is 3!!!

Our sweet boy turned 3 on May 27th & unfortunately, Mom is just now getting around to blogging about it.  We have been having so much fun this summer & I am absolutely relishing the kids at their current ages.  Cy Wesley is quite the big boy and continues to amaze us with his growth physically, mentally, & verbally.  He becomes less of a toddler & more of a little boy every day, no matter how hard I try to stop it.  Here are a few milestones that Cy is tackling and his 3 year stats.

Height:  37.3"  (65%)

Weight: 34 lbs (75%)

Some of his favorite foods include fruit snacks, lasagna, soup (loves Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocci soup), mac & cheese, corn on the cob, raw carrots with ranch dressing, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, blueberries & rice krispie treats, to name a few.  He's allowed one Capri Sun and one pack of gummies per day which he ops to eat pretty quickly after he wakes up each morning.

He's a big fan of  brushing his teeth.  We're currently working on learning how to spit, so that he can start using flouridated toothpaste.  Cy's also great about letting me floss his teeth :)

Loves carrying around groups of toys, a few animals, 3 or 4 trains, several hot wheels....his hands are always full of treasures & he "needs" all of them!

He is super sweet to "his baby" sister.  They play together really well.  As soon as either of them wake up from their naps, they ask about the other.  Precious!

When Travis comes home after work, he is immediately met with a big "Welcome Home, Papa" from Cy & Lila, followed quickly by "Can we go jump on the bed???"  The time that get to spend with their daddy in the evenings is so special for both of them.  A new favorite is "The Couch Swinging Game" (which Cy so aptly named), where Travis swings them up high, then tosses them into the couch. 

Currently, his top DVD choice is "The Incredibles",  "Finding Nemo", "Cars", "Kung Fu Panda" & "Monsters, Inc" should certainly receive an honorable mention.  Hands down, his favorite cartoon is "Max & Ruby"!  Not exactly sure why it's so appealing to him, but he LOVES it!  He's also a big fan of "Diego" & "Dora".

He's a pro at using the stairs, swinging a bat, throwing & kicking a ball, & pedalling a tricycle.

He tends to use both hands equally, but we've noticed that he's more coordinated throwing a ball and swinging a bat with his left hand.

Has started telling stories or making up a story for his toys to act out, and engaging in fantasy play.

As of late, he's really stuck on the concept of time.  He often tells me that he did something "yesterday", or that he wants to do something "real quick".

He can count to 20, can count to 10 in Spanish, knows all of his colors, and the names of most animals, trucks, and construction, farm, & emergency vehicles known to man.

Cy loves to sing.  Some of his favorite songs are: "Zaccheus", "Booster, Booster", "The Bible", "The Lord's Army", "The Wise Man" & "Jesus Loves Me".

A few of his favorite books include:  "Where the Wild Things Are", "Cars and Trucks & Things That Go", and any book featuring trucks or farm vehicles.

Clothing is optional!  It's pretty challenging to keep clothes on this boy.  He sheds his shoes as soon as he gets into the car on the way home from an activity, and asks to have his shirt & shorts taken off, as soon as he crosses the threshold of the house.  He also prefers not to wear a bathing suit or play clothes while he's swimming or playing in the backyard.

Potty training was a piece of cake for our big boy!  He still wears a pull-up for naps and at night, but wakes up dry 99% of the time.  I am hesitant to drop the pull-up (pun intended) because inevidibly, there will be accidents and Mom is not a fan of changing sheets.  So since there has been no confusion regarding the pull-up, and a non-issue for Cy...we'll continue to wear it at night for a bit longer.

Wearing 3T clothing and size 8 or 9 shoes.

He loves water & being outside.  We've signed Cy up for swim lessons in July & I'm excited to see how much he will learn.  He's also scheduled to take a beginners gymnastics class at Ready Set Go next month. 

Cy treasures time with Gramps!  He lights up when he sees him and talks constantly of riding the tractor, Big Red, and four wheelers with Gramps.  He makes my heart sing to see what a special relationship they have!

I'm sure that there are tons of things that I'm forgetting, but the most important thing is that Cy Wesley is a happy & healthy boy with a kind heart, sweet spirit, & a love of life!  We couldn't be more proud of him!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

In honor of summer, here are a few of my favorite recipes.  Some I've recently discovered and others have been loved and enjoyed by our family for many years.  Here is one at the top of my list...Fresh Strawberry Pie!  The strawberries have been so fantastic lately, it would be a shame not to enjoy them in this delicious dessert.  I made this for our family a couple weeks ago, and quickly remembered why I don't often make pie...I LOVE PIE!!!  I do however, make this recipe (which was given to me by my mother-in-law...who is a wonderful cook) frequently for friends.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh strawberries (cut in halves...you can use more!)
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. strawberry jello
1 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
4 drops red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Boil sugar, cornstarch, jello & water until thickened (about 3 min)- stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, add lemon juice and coloring, and allow to cool.

Place berries in a cooled pie shell only when filling is cool and ready.  Pour filling over strawberries & chill 2-4 hours.  Top with whipped cream.

Perfect Pie Crust

This is the Pioneer Woman's pie crust that I often use.

Ingredients:

3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
1 egg
5 T. cold water
1 T. distilled white vinegar

Directions:

Combine flour & salt in large bowl.  Add in shortening.  Using pastry cutter, gradually work the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles.  Lightly beat the egg with a fork, then add to the mixture.  Add cold water & vinegar.  Stir mixture until just combined, them remove half of dough from bowl. 

Place in large plastic bag (do not seal) & slightly flatten with a rolling pin.  After flattening, seal the bag tightly.  Repeat with the other half of the dough and place the plastic bags in freezer. 

When you are ready to use crust, remove from freezer and allow to thaw slightly, about 20 minutes.  remove from bag and place on lightly floured surface.  Roll out dough from center, outward. 

Fill with pie weights (or pinto beans placed on aluminum foil) and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden.

Whipping Cream

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. sugar

Combine cream and sugar & beat until peaks form.  Spread over pie.

Braised Brisket

Oh, how I do adore Ree Drummond, aka...The Pioneer Woman.  Travis and I love the vast majority of the recipes that we've tried from her cookbooks & website, and this Braised Brisket recipe is no exception.  I have to admit that I have never cooked a brisket.  I'm not really sure what exactly intimidated me about it, but let me tell you, it doesn't get any easier than this!  Delicious and  the leftover brisket is fantastic on sandwiches.  This is officially my go to brisket recipe!

Pioneer Woman's Braised Brisket

Ingredients

• 2 cans Beef Consomme
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
• 1-1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 5 cloves Chopped Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
• 10 pounds Beef Brisket

Preparation Instructions

Combine first five ingredients in large roasting pan (a disposable is just fine). Place brisket in the marinade, fat side up. Cover tightly with foil. Marinate in refrigerator for 24-48 hours. When ready to cook, place pan covered in foil into a 300-degree oven. Cook brisket for approximately 40 minutes per pound.
When fork-tender, transfer whole brisket to a cutting board. Slice against the grain and place slices back into the cooking liquid. Serve immediately, spooning juice over the slices. Barbeque sauce may be used, if preferred.
You may store pan in fridge for up to two days or freeze for use at a later date. If fat collects and hardens at the top, remove and discard.
Brisket is great with mashed potatoes, with the juice spooned over the top. It’s also great on a sandwich with melted cheese.

"Best" Potato Salad

 

This recipe gained the title of "Best" Potato Salad courtesy of Pinterest, and the foodies in my home quickly agreed! 

Best Potato Salad

Ingredients

3 lbs. medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
8 dill pickle spears
3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 c.)
1/2 medium red onion, chopped (about 3/4 c.p)
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2/3 c. mayonnaise
2 tbs. whole-grain mustard
2-1/2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tbs. fresh dill, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. (You can check for doneness by pricking the potatoes with a fork. If the fork goes in fairly easily, then they're done.) Drain and cool slightly.
2. While they’re still warm, cut potatoes into chunks and transfer to a large bowl with the onion, pickle and celery. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard, vinegar and dill, then pour the dressing over the potatoes. Season potato salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: You can prepare the vegetables and dressing separately a day before and then combine an hour before serving.

Banana Pudding

Here's a delicious banana pudding recipe that my family loves.  It comes from allrecipes.com and has received 5 stars from over 1600 reviews!

Banana Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups cold milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 4 bananas, sliced
• 1/2 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the whipped topping.
2. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish with vanilla wafers. Arrange sliced bananas evenly over wafers. Spread with pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. Chill.

Lila Grace at 18 months...

Our sweet girl is now 18 months old!!!  How is that possible?  This little lady is so much fun...sweet, a bit sassy, smart, independent, and so happy!  Here are few milestones that our Lila Grace is tackling at the moment.

She a climber!  I really have to watch her because Lila is absolutely fearless!  She climbs on chairs, tables, ladders, monkey bars, beds, you name it, & she'll find a way to conquer it.  Consequently, she also falls a lot so Lila is usually sporting several bruises, scratches, and a couple of band-aids at any given time.

She loves stairs & can walk up and down them while holding on with one hand (with close supervision, of course). Although, most the time she obliges her momma and slides down them on her bottom...which she thinks is great fun!

Wearing 18-24 mo. clothes, size 3 diapers, & size 5 shoes.

Takes one nap a day, which usually begins around 1 pm, and lasts 2-3 hours.

Can use a spoon & cup to feed herself. 

Loves Elmo & Abby.

Imitates scribbling

She adores her big brother, following him around throughout the day.  They are great companions!  Cy and Lila play so well together most of the time, with of course, the occasional & expected brother/sister squabbles.  Cy calls her "his baby"...so sweet!

Has started to sing.  We recently attended Ackerly's VBS (post to follow) & she loved the "Booster, Booster" Song.  She's been singing bits and pieces of it for the past few days.

She gives the best hugs!

For an 18 month old, her vocabulary skills are off the charts!  This girl can spout out just about any word, has a vocabulary of around 200+ words, understands at least twice that, and is starting to put 3 & 4 word sentences together.  Some of these phrases include:
"Lila tee-tee on potty"
"Welcome Home Papa"
"Lila watch Elmo & Abby"
"Lila see puppy outside"
"Lila read Bible book"
"Gigi, ride Jeep"
"Papa, Lila jump bed"
"Momma Rock-Rock Lila"
"Momma, shut the gate"
"Blue M&M, please"

Our little lady is fascinated with anything related to the potty, & has definitely shown a strong interest in potty training; but I am going to hold off a bit longer before making the transition.  She asks to have her diaper changed whenever she's dirty & often when she's just wet, and wants to "go tee-tee in the potty" throughout the day.  We may possibly give it a go toward the end of the summer for a few days and see how she does. 

She can identify most of the parts of the body.

She loves to read. "I Know a Rhino", her "Bible Book", "B is for Bear", "Bedtime Safari", and any book starring Elmo are her favorites.

Lila can throw a ball & swing a bat.

Brushes her teeth with help & frequently asks for "more paste".  Her canines are coming in right now, so she has a grand total of 16 teeth (just lacking her 2 year old molars)!

She can swing in a big swing.

When I go to get Lila Grace out of bed in the mornings, I'm greeting with a sweet & excited "Hi, Momma!"

If she wakes up during the night, she tells me "Rock-Rock", wanting to be rocked back to sleep.  Which I happily oblige!

Loves to point out people in pictures and tell you their name.

Lila likes to play with Momma's make-up, & in our shower.

She loves to be outside swinging, swimming, climbing & exploring.  She is such a happy girl!