8 months old!

Well...at least this post isn't a whole month old...just half a month:)

We had a fun weekend at a pumpkin patch with cousin Landen!

Hayes was far more interested in everything going on around him.

Oh well...still a cutie!

Who Dat! We have quite the collection of pictures supporting our football teams.

Happy Halloween!

Isn't my bag o' bones adorable?

Hayes loves pulling up on everything in sight. He is also  talking up a storm. He is growing so fast and does something new everyday. Mommy and Daddy love you, handsome Hayes!

Easy Supper

When you become a mommy, the time you have to spend cooking decreases. Or maybe it's the time you want to spend cooking that decreases. Regardless, our meals have changed from elaborate to quick and easy. I hate to even call these "recipes," because they require very little effort. Tonight, we are having Spaghetti and Meatballs! (not from scratch, of course)

2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 bag frozen meatballs
spaghetti noodles
fresh veggies
seasonings

I make this a little different every time. Sometimes, I use cans of stewed tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce. The result is less saucey, but still good. Tonight, I chopped up mushrooms, bell pepper, celery, and onion. I heated oil in my stock pot and threw them all in to cook. I added in random seasonings....garlic salt, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, basil, oregano, Worcestershire...and maybe something else. I don't remember. Add your sauce and meatballs. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until meatballs are heated all the way. Serve over spaghetti noodles. Ta-da! Nothing fancy, but fast. If you cut out veggies, it's very little prep time. This dish also make a boatload of food...and leftovers are even more easy to prepare!

Sweet Sawyer

I had the chance to take a few pictures of Sawyer recently. I don't think he will pursue a career in modeling, he did not enjoy himself. It's a shame, because he is fun to photograph:)

 He loves his mommy...can you tell?

I will also share a few pictures from his shower. I forgot my camera, of course, so I stole these from Sawyer's mommy...or grandma.

I made this banner to go with the "transportation" theme.

I made this corsage for the proud mommy and daddy. It says "Sawyer has the keys to my heart."

This plaque served many puposes. It decorated the gift table. It hung above his bed during his stay in the NICU. And it is now hanging in his room....I think. At least that is what his mommy told me:)



7 months old!

This post is 1 month old...oops. Hayes is growing so fast. He loves to eat and if he had any teeth, I'm sure he would eat what we eat. He is officially crawling now. And it's the real crawl, not the army crawl. And it's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. Now for the fun part...pictures!

8 month pictures will be here soon!

Brady's Birthday Weekend...Part 2

This is going to be a huge post full of pictures. Let the madness begin!

Commentary courtesy of Hayes, Brady, and Tenley.

"Well, this isn't too bad." Brady

"Nice chair." Hayes

"This is officially not fun anymore." Hayes

"I don't mind it." Brady

"Don't worry, Hayes." Brady

"Wait a second. These shoes are awesome." Brady

"Thanks, dude." Hayes

"Did you really just put another person in this chair? Whyyy?" Hayes

And now there are officially 6 people in this picture.

"Whew. Way better out here." Brady

"Totes." Hayes

"By the way, this is what your leg will look like one day." Brady

"Thanks for the heads up." Hayes

"Finally...peace and quiet." Tenley

Super Kids! They are all too cool for the camera.

"A little help here..." Tenley

"Watch out." Brady

"Hahahaha." Hayes

"I said...Watch Out!" Brady

"But I really want to chew on that dog." Hayes

Oh the chaos of photographing small children.

Just a few more of sweet Tenley...

Brady's Birthday Weekend...Part 1

There were so many fun pictures from Brady's birthday, so I decided to break this post up into two parts. Brady turned 2 on September 23...kinda crazy he is already that old. He had a fun pirate birthday party complete with cupcakes, treasure maps, and a birthday banner. I didn't take pictures of any of those details though...oops. Brady enjoyed playing with his new toys and Hayes enjoyed chewing on them. I'm pretty sure Tenley slept through the whole party.

Brady playing.

Hayes chewing.

Brady playing.

Hayes chewing.

Brady playing.

Hayes chewing....see a theme?

Brady thought the chewing looked like fun, so he gave it a try.

Sweet Tenley girl.

Hayes and I aren't very good at looking at the camera.

We had a fun time seeing family and friends and chasing kids all over the house. The part 2 post will include our attempts at pictures with all 3 kids. It really is too bad that we didn't have a video camera going while we were taking them.

Good night!

Lasagna Soup

Want to make your house smell like Italian heaven? Make this soup. It is incredible. Another recipe compliments of Pinterest strikes again. If you can't tell, I am a huge Pinterest fan. I will include the link to the original recipe. I usually don't follow the measurements as closely. And yes, the recipe includes a "cheesy yum."

Lasagna Soup

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage
3 cups diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
Oregano and crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 Tbsp tomato paste
28 oz fire-roasted tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb pasta (I used fusilli)
Basil, salt, and pepper to taste

for the cheesy yum:
8 oz ricotta
1/2 cup parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Mozz cheese

Brown the sausage. I used 2 lbs because I didn't feel like have a 1/2 lb of sausage left over. Once sausage is done, add in onions. Cook until onions are tender. Add in garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add tomato paste and stir until combined. In a large pot, combine tomatoes, chicken broth, and meat mixture. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add pasta and cook until pasta is done. Don't cook too long..the pasta will get mushy. While the pasta is cooking, make the cheesy yum. Combine the cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl.

In soup bowls, put a dollop of cheesy yum. Top with mozz cheese and ladle soup over top. Enjoy!

via

Enchiladas!

Tonight for dinner...White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Chili Sauce. Another recipe...compliments of Pinterest. Here is the original link. This recipe was easy to make and tasted delicious!

2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheese
1 pack soft tortillas (I used a 10 pack)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chilies

Combine your chicken and 1 cup cheese in a bowl. Spoon some chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll it up, and place it in a greased 9x13 dish. Melt the butter in a skillet. Slowly add the flour in, whisking to combine. If you add all the flour at once, it becomes clumpy. If it becomes clumpy, just add more butter:) Add chicken broth and continue to stir until the mixture starts to thicken. Add in sour cream and green chilies. Poor sauce over top of enchiladas. Top with remaining one cup of cheese. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Via