Hotdogs, Baseball, Friends, and Thanks

You know it's a good weekend when you end up dining outside more than inside...

Yesterday we had a cookout with our ABF after church.  The adults had fun visiting and the kids had a great time playing.  I love the sweet families in our class.

Then, last night we joined a group of friends from Crockett, Jon's school, for an Air Hog's (minor league) baseball game.

Tonight, we celebrated Memorial Day with Jon's parents and grandparents.  Papa grilled, and it was good. 

A special thanks to Poppie, a veteran of multiple wars, for his dedication and service to our country.  It was pretty special to hear Liam say, "Thanks for fighting in wars for me." 

Hair

There was a big, huge, monumental event that occurred at our house this past weekend...

Jon gave himself a new do, and in turn, provided relief on so many different fronts.  No longer was his wife wondering if the guy under the long locks was really her husband.  She could now see his face!  And also, remember how clean-up crews in the Gulf were using human hair to mop up the oil spill last year?  Well, I'm happy to say that with the amount of hair that Jon shaved off his head on Saturday, cleaning up another spill will be no problem at all, so we can all sleep a little easier tonight.

Liam contributed his part to the hair-frenzy weekend by begging for a piece of tape that could easily be turned into a faux moustache.  Here he is sporting his handlebar.

Patty-Cake

They both love to do it!

It never seems to get old.

Whenever we need to turn a frown upside-down.

Patty-cake will do the trick.

Good Vegetable Bean Dip...Really!

I'm not a lover of anything in this recipe, but somehow all the ingredients work together, and I love this recipe.  My sister, Debby, made me try it, and it was love at first bite, so she gladly shared the recipe.  I made it for a little baby shower our ABF class hosted on Sunday.  It makes a lot, so have a couple bags of tortilla chips ready before assembling.

1 can black eye peas
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can shoepec corn
1 small jar chopped pimento

Drain all these ingredients and blend together.
Now chop (I use food processor) and add the following...

1 medium onion
1 cup green pepper
1 cup celery

Then boil together...

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil

Refrigerate (overnight, if possible) and drain before serving with tortilla chips.

Night Out at the Ballpark

See my garlic fries in the background?

What a fun night Jon and I just had at the Ranger game.  As all great nights usually go, we started with food.  I had garlic fries and Jon had sweet potato fries.  It's hard to admit, but we spent $16 on french fries.  It's almost a crime, but they were so good.  And I think I've maxed out my quota of garlic for the month and quite possibly the year.  I'll probably be popping Altoids for the next week...or month...or possibly year. 

Once in our cheap seats at the tippy-top of the stadium, my friend Diane (who works for the Rangers) texted me and we met up with her and her hubby, Jason, in their suite. The view was much nicer, and it was so great to catch up with them.  They have sweet baby Lola who is absolutely precious.  I think our girls are going to have fun playing with one another when they get bigger. 

Oh, and President Bush and Laura were also there.  He almost caught a foul ball.  This is our second Laura sighting in the past nine months or so...I have a feeling she may be trailing us.  Anyway, garlic fries, baseball, dot races, friends, Presidents, and Josh Hamilton's big return all make for a fun-filled evening with my baseball man on a Monday night.

This picture is a little dark, but here I am with my pal, Diane, and baby Lola, .

On Tour

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this past weekend, and we spent plenty of time outside enjoying it!  On Friday night, we went to Main Street Days in downtown Grapevine.  If you like festivals, (which I absolutely do) this is a fun one!  We went so sweet Madison Branum's birthday party on Saturday, and then we headed out to Little Elm to catch Keaton's baseball game.  With church, meetings, and a concert for Jon also squeezed in, We spent so much time running around, it kind of felt like we were on tour all weekend.  Not really like a rock bank tour, more like a circus...without the scary clowns.

Main Street Days...


Yum, yum that corn was good!




Liam rode helicopter and a train...




...And talked to a robot.




The girls just hung out and took in all the sights.




Guess who we saw?  Our favorite weather guy and local celeb, Pete Delkus.

Pump it Up Birthday Party...



Liam picking up speed.




Cutie-pie Madison and Liam.  He followed her around.




Stop.




The girls wanted to play, too, but they're still a little too young.



Keaton's Baseball Game...




The cousins watching Keaton play ball.




Keaton up to bat!

11 Months

The baby carriers are gone, and the "big girl" car seats are purchased.  One month from today, we'll have two one-year-olds.  They stand on wobbly legs and take a step or two into loving arms.  They've started interacting so much more with each other and big brother.  They giggle and smile and give the best hugs and kisses.  Life with little girls is just plain sweet.

Not-So-Easy Mac 'N Cheese

Last Saturday, I was headed out to pull a million weeds from the flowerbed.

The girls were asleep upstairs.

Jon was about to make lunch for Liam and put him down for a nap afterwards.

All of a sudden...

Memaw and Poppie pull up in the driveway.

"We're taking Liam to lunch and to run errands afterwards."

Jon opens the front door.

Smoke and the distinct scent of charred food billow out of the house.

"The kitchen's on fire!"

Liam runs out the front door.

"Memaw!  Poppie!  Look at the fire!!!"

Liam hops in their car, and away they go.

Jon and I go investigate the situation.

The culprit:  Easy Mac n' Cheese.

The lesson:  Add water before microwaving.

A Day for Moms

It's such a privilege to be able to recognize and honor all the special women in our lives who, among many other roles, also take on the incredible task of mothering...



Sweet Nana with Liam, Ellery, and Marin.  My babies are lucky to have her as a grandmother, and I'm lucky to have her as a mother by marriage.




The little boy who allowed me to become a mother.




Marin loves her pretty cousin Rylann.  (I know this doesn't really have anything to do with Mother's Day, but we had dinner at Jon's parents' house tonight, and that means fun cousin time for the kiddos).



My Mom.  She is the best mama a gal could ever have.

A Picnic for Mom

Jon and the kids treated me to a lovely Mother's Day picnic on Saturday night.  It was an absolutely perfect evening, so we tossed the picnic blanket in the car, loaded the kids, picked up a pizza on the way, and staked out a shady spot in the grass.  After we ate, the kids played hard, and the girls had their very first go on the swings.  They loved it.  So did Mama.  So thankful for my little mid-sized family. 

Hats!

Last week, hats were all the rage...Anybody watch the royal wedding???  The girls have the cutest hats that match their Easter dresses, but they will only stay on for thirty seconds or so.  I had to snap quickly to get a shot before they flung them across the room.  Definitely not a very royal move, ladies.

Marin's Mealtime Mess

There's really not much to say...



The pictures speak for themselves.



The messier the meal, the happier the baby.




And when she's done, it's almost like she doesn't know what just happened, but she does know that it's not her problem.




Mama and Daddy always wipe her clean...or in this case, just put her in the tub!