And then the Ceiling Came Down

I know that it's been over four months since my last post - and that I owe a whoooole lotta updates and pictures and things we've been up to... but can we just talk about this picture of our kitchen in its current state?

It's what happens when your well meaning toddler leaves the upstairs sink faucet on while everyone is getting ready to leave for a little family outing to the library.  And then everyone does leave and the faucet is left running.

Oh, yes she did. (Insert note that it was a collaborated effort.  I'm not sure how I didn't catch that the faucet water was still running after she had plugged the drain to give her bath toys a little bath of their own in the sink while I pulled her hair back in a pony.  It's just a lot easier to point a finger when it comes to who was responsible. Hahaha!)

BUT, the good news is that we were only gone for an hour, Brant is a very handy guy, and the leak-turned-pool happening in the ceiling was over the kitchen.  This could have been catastrophic, but we've been wanting to replace the boxed fluorescent kitchen lights with canned lighting.  It was a lower priority project, but just found it's self at the top of the home improvement list.  It's like the canned lights knew this was the only way it was going to get it's chance.  Well done canned lighting.  Well done.

Annual Garden Post: The Best Yet

Scaling back on gardening space when we moved from Georgia to Texas year last year didn't discourage  Brant when it came planting season.  In fact, this avid gardener was actually excited for the challenge to reconfigure his plants to fit in our (much smaller) Texas backyard.  Leaving behind the square foot garden boxes and trellis, he went back to the drawing board and this year he planted in regular ol' pots - or whatever else he could plant in (remember his first garden here).

And the perseverance has been paying off!

It may be a smaller garden than in years past, but its thriving and the best one he's had in the five years we've been married.  Not that he has gone it alone, though.  With the help of some little helping fingers (who quickly learned that we only pick the red tomatoes) in our kitchen counter top basket there is now an ongoing fresh harvest supply of cherry tomatoes, okra, bell peppers, green onions, banana peppers, and jalapeno peppers.

Hats off to a hard working father/daughter gardening duo!

Best. Holiday. Ever.

 

The day after Ryleigh's baby blessing (see here) and the excitement of the sparkler fruitcake, we packed our car and headed up to Dallas for 4th of July festivities that included an excited Savannah getting her swim on, mouthwatering BBQ ribs (I'm thinking those are a must for every BBQ going forward) and a magnificent firework display that concluded an hour long wait in the local Kroger parking lot (hey, it was the best place to stake out if we wanted to make a quick exit afterwards).

And maybe one year I'll be able to decide on just one 4th of July outfit.  But until then - and for as long as they let me dress them - these cuties will be changing in and out of red, white, & blue all the day dong long.

Not Your Mom's Fruitcake

Thanks to Pinterest - and my sister who headed up the project - we were able to celebrate a birthday (Brant's 30th), a baby blessing (sweet baby Ryleigh's) and a holiday (4th of July) all in one weekend and all in one melon/strawberry/blueberry/kiwi cake:

What are those sticks coming out of the cake, you ask?  Just some sparklers.  It was a really fun cake -but word to the wise?  If you don't want to smoke out your home and all your guests that have come to help celebrate, then it's best to light a cake with sparklers.... outside.  

Summer Lovin'

All this new baby and summer lovin' has had us a little MIA lately!  So to hold you over while I get caught up in the blogosphere, here's a picture from yesterday of Savannah living it up at our local splashpad.    

On a side note, did I just count six different swimsuits that she's worn just over the last month or so??

Yes, yes I did.

My name is Kristen and I have a weakness for buying toddler swimsuits.



P.S.  Invites to the Our Little One(s) blog were sent out this morning, so let me know if yours didn't make it.  Silly Blogger. Always changing things around.  

Meet Ryleigh!

Interested in the birth story?  Click here.  

Don't have access but want it?  Just say the word.

For the Record

The Woodlands Public Library has a beautiful amphitheater and waterway next to it that made for an enjoyable family outing this morning.

That, and I think Brant has become an aspiring iPhone photographer with me being in week 34 of this little one.  

We're getting closer!

.

The Good  

(the great)

This Evening 5 Years Ago

Friday April 13, 2007 

Flying in a two seat plane from Provo to Salt Lake single ... but then flying back that evening engaged.

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The Bad 

(but hopeful)

10am This Morning 

Friday April 13, 2012 

Holding Savannah on my lap while at St.Luke's Hospital to have her blood drawn for allergy testing 

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The Ironic

Did you notice the date today?  Completely coincidental on both occasions!

More like "Icky!"

It's the simple things- like when you are at the doctor's office with your two year old when she spots the Biohazard sign and exclaims "Mickey!" 

...that make you really laugh.

Is this girl going to be an ace at spotting hidden Mickey's around Disney World or what?

Someday

I hope to visit Chicago on St. Patty's Day to see it when their river is dyed green.  In the same way I'd like to someday be in Times Square to watch the ball drop for New Years, or be in Washington DC to watch the fireworks extravaganza that happens every year on the 4th of July.

But until then, Savannah and I will be sporting our green ensembles and spend the afternoon baking these mint brownies, eating frozen green grapes, and making leprechaun traps around the house.

And then I'm pretty sure that after Brant comes home this evening and we've had dinner - complete with our mint chocolate chip shakes for dessert- that I will be spending the rest of the night coming down from an extreme sugar high.  Love these holidays!

It was a pretty day in Texas

The multi acre Mercer Botanic Gardens could possibly top our list of favorite places around town at the moment (so could the gym which explains our choice of clothing this morning).  

Brant's favorite?  Pretty much any of the plants and colors (being the avid gardener he is).  My favorite?  Enjoying time together as a little family in the beautiful weather.  Savannah's favorite?  The turtles lined up sun bathing on the wood log in the pond along with the brightly colored fishies. ("How many fishies do you see?" "One...two...free...eight...ten!")  

And yes, I  know we're going to pay for this beautiful 73 degree sunny weather come summer time...but let's not think about that right now!

Babymoom - Galveston Style

So....Galveston Beach!

It's a pretty neat place and makes for a great overnight trip when it's just the two of you.  And when you go during the week in late February, you can plan on having the city to yourselves!  Some of our favorites:

-Driving into town and seeing the huge Carnival Cruise ship a block away loading up passengers

-A hit and miss with booking the night stay at the Coastal Dreams Bed & Breakfast.  Apparently they need more than a moments notice so they can be ready to book your room.  

- But then not feeling so bad about the B&B when we got a room here on ther 10th floor with a full ocean view

- Walking down the beach with our lunch packed away in a picnic basket.  Good thing my husband is an Eagle Scout- it takes some skillz to build a small fire on the beach and get the kettle water hot enough to whistle.  Beach fire boiling water makes for some great marshmallow caramel hot chocolate in the unforgiving coastal wind.

- Catching an afternoon showing of The Great Storm at Pier 21.

- Taking the hotel staff's recommendation of eating dinner at Shrimp 'N Stuff.
You know it's good when it's where the locals hang.

- Stopping at Ben & Jerry's after dinner for a Banana Split.  I think they call it a split for more than just the banana part.  You really need to split it with someone else because it's got that much sugar!

-  Stopping to watch a surfer kite surfing in the waves.

- Sleeping in over luxurious king bed with perfect down comforter while sleeping in the next morning 

- Eating a super delicious buffet breakfast at the hotel.  Not that anything on the buffet was out of the ordinary... it was just really good food.

- Stopping at a souvenir shop and saying to Brant "I think it'd be really cool to have one of those old fashion boat steering wheels in a miniature size as a souvenir Christmas ornament.  And then finding that exact thing there.

- Seagul and dolphin watching while riding the ferry (drive onto the ferry and ride with your car with you?  ok!) 

- Taking one last stroll around the old town Galveston before heading back home.

- Pulling over at a DSW to pick us up each a pair of new shoes.

-Coming home to a happy toddler who was really sad to see her Grandma leave after being showered with lots and lots of attention while mom & dad were away.

Now, where did I leave off ...?

I received my fortune from Zoltar this morning in Galveston Beach, TX  - where we were getting ready to hit the road home after our fun babymoom getaway.  He said that there were a lot of blog updates in my future.

Well, good thing I got rid of the personal assistant that I hired awhile back to do my blog updates.  I mean three months and no updates?!   Un.  Excusable.

Stay tuned.