crazy storm

On Saturday night we had some CRAZY storms come through the sioux falls area - in fact they stretched all the way up to Brookings and down to Iowa.  Chris loves thunderstorms, so he was out on our covered deck during most of it.  He even had Brooks out with him.  The little guy liked the rain and didn't seem bothered by the thousands of lightning flashes across the sky.  Then the wind picked up to like ... oh, 70 mph.  It was NUTS!! 

This was our garage door after the storm.  We live in an apartment and the way the wind was whipping around the building it happened to catch our door just right.  Super.  Good thing was that it didn't really damage the car like I feared.  Just a tiny scratch in the back spoiler.  The guy came out yesterday and fixed the panels, but the opener is still broke.  Hopefully that should be repaired by the end of the week.

This was a worst of it.  Lightning struck our neighbor's house (actually two neighbors since it was a twin home) and it caught on fire.  We watched the whole thing!  My heart was (and still is) so sad for those families.  But I'm so thankful for our volunteer fire department in Tea.  They did a great job responding and making sure everyone was safe.  They were putting out that fire for hours - it was so bad.  It was a little too close for comfort for me, but I'm glad everyone was safe.

Breakfast Muffins

So I've given this new muffin recipe a few test spins and I think it's a keeper.  It's a pretty basic muffin recipe and the best part is that you can add ANY fresh fruit you have.  The first time I made it all I had was apples, so I made apple muffins.  And they were great!!  Then I made them with blueberries.  And today I got really creative and made ........... wait for it ............ apple blueberry muffins.  Ok, that's not creative at all, but they were really good.  So here's the recipe - hopefully they'll make their way into your kitchen for breakfast.

1  3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1  1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. fresh fruit

In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add milk, egg, butter & applesauce; mix until ingredients are moistened - Do not overbeat.   Stir in fresh fruit.  Spoon batter in 12 greased muffin cups (or use paper liners - my preference)  Bake at 400 for 20 min or until muffin tops spring back when touched.

The original recipe did not call for applesauce, but they were a touch too dry for me.  So I added just a little all natural unsweetened applesauce and they turned out perfect!!  Happy baking :)

A Birthday Celebration - part 2

Brooks' birthday was on Wednesday, June 16th.  But because it was in the middle of the week, we decided to have his party the following weekend.  And boy did we party :)

We decided to do a puppy themed party since Brooks loves Charlie so much.  So I made him a puppy dog cake!  This is how it started .....

Here's the finished product ......

Chris said my inner "cake boss" came out.  haha.  I don't think it's that good, but it turned out pretty cute!  We reserved a shelter at a local park here in Sioux Falls for his party.  Lots of friends and even family were able to make it!  Chris' brother JD and his wife Pamela drove from the cities for the weekend to visit & celebrate with us.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives. 

(Note: the following pictures were taken by my wonderful and very talented sister in law Pamela.)

There were balloons ....

and party hats....

and presents ....

and of course cake!!! 

At first he wasn't so sure about it.

But with a little help from dad ...

he discovered that he LOVED it!

And boy did he EAT!

This kiddo loves cake!

Yep, you see correctly.  He ate almost the WHOLE thing.  And beleive it or not, he didn't get sick.  My kid  can eat like a horse.  Why he's so skinny is still beyond me!  It's hard to believe that my baby is one year old.  It has gone so fast.  And although sometimes I'm sad that he's growing up, it makes me happy too.  He is learning, and discovering and maturing each day.  And it's fun to see the world through his eyes .... big and wonderful and full of new suprises! Happy Birthday Little Bird .... I love you!!

A birthday celebration - part 1

Yesterday was my little ... ahem, I mean, BIG boy's first birthday.  And boy did we celebrate!!

We started the day with french toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast that Dad made.  Then Brooks and I headed over to Drew and Cole's house for the morning.  That afternoon we had a picnic in the park (Dad met us for lunch) and then swimming!

Okay, okay I know the hat looks goofy!  But he has too much hair to put sunscreen on his head and not quite enough to block out the sun.  And he was already a little pink on top from playing at the park the day before.  So therefore, we have the hat!

It was a perfect day for swimming.  Clear blue skies, 85 degree weather and just enough breeze to keep you cool.  The pool was actually full to capacity.  So it was a little nuts with all the people there, but we had a blast!  Plus, Brooks LOVES swimming!  I think he would live in the water if he could.

When Dad got home from work, Brooks opened his present from Grandma Lue and Grandpa Les.  What a fun new toy!  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!

Then we went out for supper at Dairy Queen.  We decided that since this boy loves food so much, that we would order him his own burger for supper (instead of just sharing some of mine with him.)  And he chowed it down!!

Dad fed him his first french fry!  His entire meal contained NO fruits or veggies - something I had a hard time with.  But I think I can handle it only one day a year.

We also reached another milestone in Brooks' life.  His first taste of ice cream.  At first he wasn't so sure about it.  It was pretty cold.

But after a few bites .... oh man!  He was squealing with excitement.  We couldn't get that spoon to his mouth fast enough.  It was pretty cute!

We ended the night with a family bike ride with the new (used) bike cart we received from Edith Ellen.  Thanks Grandma Gale.  Brooks loves it!!

Brooks is my little outdoorsman.  It doesn't matter what we're doing ... a picnic, swinging at the park, playing in the pool, going for a walk .... this boy LOVES to be outside.  So naturally he would enjoy bike rides.  It was a beautiful evening and a perfect end to a perfect day.

Happy Birthday "Little Bird"

For starters, Brooks has aquired the nickname "Little Bird". Here's why:

•When you go to pick him up he sticks his arms straight out to the side. Not up. Out.
•When he's really excited about something he'll "flap" his arms in sheer joy!
•Before he begins to nurse, he opens and closes his mouth several times like a little baby bird. It's pretty cute :)
•He's as skinny as a bird. Despite the fact that he eats like a horse, he's still just a tiny little guy. (we have a Dr. appt next week to see how much he's grown - hopefully it goes well)

The name fits on so many levels!

Anyway, today my baby is ONE!!! It's so hard to believe - this year has just flown by. I'm starting to believe people when they say life speeds up the older you get. I miss these tiny baby days ....

.... but I LOVE watching my little bird grow up - he's discovering and learning so much! And he has such a personality. 

Today is a big day for me too as last year on this day I was working my tail off trying to get this kiddo on the outside.  (Chris was working pretty hard himself that day :)  I find myself checking my watch thoughout the day and thinking of what I was doing exactly one year ago.  It's kinda weird.  And as the years pass I'm sure thinking about his actual "birth" may diminish .... but then again maybe they won't.  I had a dad tell me that every year on their kids' birthdays, they'd tell them the story of their birth (minus any unpleasant details, I'm sure)  The kids would ask to hear their "birth"day stories throughout the year, but he would only tell it on their special day.  I kinda like that.  I think we might start that tradition in our family.

Not only was it a wonderful day bringing my baby into this world, but it was a day full of answered prayer and miracles.  Last year, the day before Brooks was born, we found out the cord was wrapped around his neck two times.  The doc wanted to induce, but we didn't.  So we prayed.  We prayed that my body would go into labor on it's own .... that we would go into labor the next day and get a good night's sleep beforehand .... we prayed for an uncomplicated natural delivery ... and above all, we prayed that our baby would be safe.  And wouldn't you know that God was listening???  He answered every one of our prayers.

The next day contractions started all on their own at 5am (after a good night's sleep).  I labored all day and Brooks was born at 6:40pm - totally natural and drug free.  And here's the kicker.  The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck 3 TIMES!!  My midwife (who has delivered over 1000 babies) said his was the longest cord she's ever seen!  He should have never been born naturally.  What an amazing God we serve!  And he has heard our prayers all year - to keep Brooks healthy, growing strong, developing normally.  I couldn't imagine being a mom and raising a family without my Savior.

So Happy Birthday Little Bird.  I love you!!!!

Haircut and Garage Sales

I realized today that of all the haircuts Brooks has recieved (which is 6 by the way) I've never taken a before and after picture.  Well, no more.  This week is Brooks' first birthday so he needed a new 'do' for his party next weekend.  Dad was an awesome help and kept him distracted while I clipped away.

So here's the before ......

And the after ........

He was not at all interested in smiling - so this was the best picture I could get.  Isn't he handsome though????  He always looks so grown up after a haircut.  Here's an interesting fact.  We've cut Brooks' hair 6 times since he's been born, taking over 1/2" off each time.  Had we never cut it, it would be at least 3" longer and well past his shoulders.  Let's just hope if we have any girls that they are blessed with the same abundance of hair!

This weekend was also the Tea city rummage sale.  I've never been much of a 'rummager' before but I've really gotten into it this year.  Today we found some GREAT deals.  I bought a bunch of 18 & 24 month clothes for Brooks!  Here's the take from the day .....

3 pairs of pants, 6 shirts/onesies and two - yes TWO - Viking jerseys. One is size 12 months (for this year's football season) and the other is 3T (for future seasons).  Chris was so torn as to which one to buy that he bought them both!!  He was pretty excited about them.  Looks like Brooks is too.

And this was my favorite buy of the day!

A winter coat for Brooks for this year.  It looks almost brand new!!!

The fleece lining also zips out so it's like 2 coats in 1.  The fleece looks more worn, but the outer shell seriously looks brand new!  No dirt, rips or tears.  It's great!  And for only $3!!  I bought all the clothes and the jacket for $10.  I LOVE garage sales.

Plus I bought a bike for me.  We have one in the garage, but now with two we can go on a family bike ride.  It's not fancy but for $15 you can't go wrong.  A friend of mine is also giving us her little bike cart so Brooks can ride along too!  He absolutely loves being outside, so I'm excited to take it out for a spin.

pizza night

We love pizza in our house.  Well, to be more accurate ... Chris loves pizza!  Much more than me, but I do enjoy a good slice as well.  Tonight we made homemade pizza.  We've tried this in the past with store bought crusts and they've been ok.  But I've started making my own and  they are soooooo much better than Pillsbury.  Here was our creation from tonight:  Canadian bacon, pineapple, black olives and LOTS of cheese! 

Here's my crust recipe so you can have your own pizza night:

1 C. warm water

1 pkg (or 2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

3 C white or wheat flour  - (I used 1 C. white and 2 C wheat so it didn't get too dry)

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

Mix the yeast, sugar and water, stirring to dissolve the yeast.  Let it rest 5 minutes.  Add the other ingredients.  Knead the dough on a floured board, adding more flour until it's not sticky.  Place in a bowl and cover, letting it rise from five minutes to two hours.  (I let mine sit for about 15 minutes and it turns out perfect!)  The longer you let it rise, the more bread-like the dough will become.  Punch down the dough and shape in to a large pizza crust.

I also added about 1 T. each of oregano and garlic salt to the dough before letting it rise.  It smells amazing and makes the crust extra yummy!  You can either divide the dough into two crusts (which makes two 'thin' crusts) or use it all for one pizza - making it thicker.  We've tried it both ways and I prefer the thicker crust.  But you can decide.

Top with any ingredients you like and bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.  I've also loosely calculated the cost  and depending on the toppings you use, it only cost $4-6 per pizza.  The crust itself is only about $.99.  It's about the cost of a frozen pizza, but tastes SO MUCH BETTER!

It was a good team effort.  It was also a slightly momentous occasion as this was Brooks' first time eating pizza!  What did he think??

Well, considering he was shoveling it in by the handful, I'd say he liked it :)

Plus, he at TWO whole pieces!  Like father like son,right?