Macation, Bacation, Dacation

Vacation! We went to the beach with my husband's family and all 20 of us stayed in one big huge house-
 good times were had by all.
In fact we made so many great memories, I don't know where to begin!
The little guys each had their own word for vacation (except for one of the 2 yr olds who clearly said vacation). 
Their morning began bright and early each day with Grandma serving them pop tarts and hot chocolate and taking them out to the beach in their Jammies! They spotted dolphins, crabs and jellies and they found a lagoon that was just their size. They called it the little ocean! The children shared the pool table with the adults, and the adults kept the children safe on the beach. And we all spent a lot of time relaxing and laughing with friends (who happen to be family too).
I didn't carry my SLR very much so I only got about 200 photos with it. The other 200 are on my iphone ;)
Here are a few of my favorites:

to be continued...

Rain, rain, go away...

Well, I know we need the rain but I was starting to think we might never see the sun again. 

And here it is, shining away as if it's been here all along! ;)

And now that the sun is shining, I can appreciate my rain drop photos from earlier in the week.

I don't have time to edit any of these so you'll have to imagine what these could be if they were photo-shopped. In fact, you can let me know if you have ideas. Enjoy!

This is my favorite! 

I had a baby boy...

...and now he is two!

He has grown so fast, it seems like he was born just a few days ago.

It was early Monday morning, drizzly, much like today but labor with him was perfect- each contraction felt strong and intense but between contractions I felt like dancing!
Throughout my pregnancy with him I wondered how I would handle three little ones (especially while my husband was at work or out of town) but in the last few weeks my anxiety was replaced with boundless excitement and curiosity about our new little person.

My memory is that when he was born, the sun shone through the clouds and the day became beautiful and clear, and his personality is so cheerful and sunny! Not that those things are related :)

Anyway, he was welcomed with open arms by his whole family, but the funniest was his big sister. Her mothering instincts kicked into full gear and she seemed to think that she should be his primary care giver. She would say "Mine babeeee."

Big brother took good care of him too. The first time he held his baby brother he whispered in his ear and then said
"I told him how to walk."

And even though the time has flown by, this little boy has just as much of my heart as the others. He is my little sunshine. My Bingley boy (those who know Pride and Prejudice will remember that Mr. Bingley was always in a rage to approve of everything and everyone that he met.)

Here's my Bingley boy:

 

He is such a cutie! Friendly with everyone, playful, ticklish, inquisitive and busy. He doesn't talk much but he makes all kinds of sounds- his word for Airplane is actually the sound an airplane makes!
The kid really likes airplanes- in fact he is SO taken that we decided to put airplanes on his birthday cake...

And now that he is officially two he pitched a classic two-year-old fit and asked to go potty- twice!
I think it's hilarious that he entered this phase literally on his 2nd birthday and I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve!

Soup of the Evening

The much anticipated fall season has brought the relief of cool breezes, 

gorgeous clear skies and open windows. 

Apparently this time of year has also brought a sore throat and pressure in the sinuses to the point of explosion.

Well, I don't know about you, but I woke up from my NyQuil induced coma this morning and thought
"I can't believe my head is still here!"

My voice is almost gone but I have just enough to croak/warble to the kids. I say something  like "Oh, please stop asking me questions that require an answer" and the kids look baffled and amused. 

It is pretty ridiculous and I would laugh at myself if it didn't hurt so bad!

Anyway, yesterday evening my tummy was rumbling but the thought of eating scratchy food made me wince. So I fell back on one of my favorite fall soups from our church cookbook:

Curried Pumpkin Soup

So smooth and creamy!

Here is the recipe:

4c chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can 100% pure pumpkin

2tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Heat all ingredients in a large saucepan until thoroughly heated, stirring often. 

Top with a dollop of sour cream. 

Serves 6.

For dessert, I recommend Hall's Mentho-Lyptus cough drops. 

Enjoy!

Scavenger Hunt

1. Inspired by a Book or a Movie

2. Brown

3. Hazy

4. Coffee or Tea

5. Linger