Toot Toot

I hate to toot my own horn but I have found the most amazing photographer! Really someone else introduced me to her but I'm still the one who got some awesome pictures! I do firmly believe that finding a photographer that meets your wants and desires is a personal, sometimes frustrating journey. I think everyone has their own expectations and viewpoints and not every photographer is going to be a good fit for your personality and/or style. Having gone through several photographers (including the one from our wedding), I've developed a pretty good idea of what I want, or more importantly, what I DON'T want. When I found Denisha, I loved her uniqueness, her quirky style, her organic take of photography. I could only hope that my photos would turn out half as good as those on her site.

After a fun morning, in Richmond of all places, Wes and I were eager to see the finished results. As we drove down this deserted street and pulled into a vacant parking lot, I joked that it was a good thing she had warned us of where we were going. Since taking more interest in photography, I can appreciate the subtle nuiances in the backdrops or surroundings that make up a picture. Sure the picture is about the subject but the background can really enhance the subject. I looked around at these deserted old buildings and saw so much character and charm remaining amongst them. The colors were amazing and I was so pleased, as I knew they'd make for some beautiful backdrops.

Colin was immediately happy as a clam with the copious amounts of rocks. Yep, no toys, balls, or paci's here, we're entralled with rocks - and the more the merrier. As luck would have it, all 3 of our locations had rocks. Oh well, it kept him happy and somewhat occupied. Wes was getting frustrated and I reminded him that it could be a lot worse! We all ended up having a blast and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Denisha. You could tell she had young children of her own because of her patience, willingness to work with us, and some little tricks up her sleeve. She was totally into us and that's exactly what we wanted. She made it so easy for us to just be ourselves and I think the pictures reflect it as such. She was kind enough to post a sneak peak for us on her blog. Yep, we had the pictures taken on Saturday and the photos were up 24 hours later - totally unheard of, right?! If you're in the market for a photographer, I'd highly recommend checking Denisha's work out and seeing if she might be a good fit for you!

My Baby is Growing Up

I wish it weren't true but my little 8lb 15oz bundle of joy turned 2 last month. Time seems to speed past you once you have children. We celebrated his birthday at the beach and he welcomed the terrible 2's in true fashion. That was easily his worst day of the week but it just took the one day to get it out of his system.

Once we got home we had another mini celebration at our house so he could open his presents from us. Not knowing we were planning this (it was very impromptu even for me), my mom had to have yet another mini celebration the next night at her house so he could open his presents from her. So after cheesecake, a cupcake, and a plethora of presents, I'd say he had a pretty good birthday! By the way, a friend made the cheesecake for us before we went on vacation and thankfully it froze perfectly. If you're looking for a cheesecake recipe, look no further than her Grandma Lynette's recipe! And, if you're not into baking for yourself, the cupcake mom picked up for Colin from Caramanda's was superb! I consider myself quite picky when it comes to baked goods but this White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake didn't disappoint. The raspberry flavoring was very prominent, pretty much negating the white chocolate, but that didn't matter because it was soft, moist, and delicious!

After much hesitation, here he is trying to put the entire cheesecake square in his mouth. That's my boy!

Mommy goes for the educational puzzle boards, while Daddy goes for...

the loud and obnoxious Handy Manny tool set! Not surprising, this was the favorite.

One Cool Kid

We've officially gone from hating the pool to being totally fine with it. I wouldn't go so far to say he loves it, but we're definitely making strides towards it. Having other people, i.e. his cousins, along side certainly helps. I've decided Colin's ideal playmate is about 4-6 years old. He's not so much into kids his own age but he LOVES the older ones. Back to the swimming, my mom took him this week and came back with a glowing report. Prior to them going, I joked that she should get him a pair of goggles to make it easier for him to go under the water. Although she did, he proved he didn't need them. He got in the water - check, he jumped off the side - check, and he went under the water - check, check, check!

Since bath time is still no bed of roses around this house, I though I'd pull out the goggles in an attempt to keep the water out of his eyes. Well here's how it went:

So much for that great idea. The bath was still a chore and the goggles only stayed on while we were outside of the tub. Not exactly how I had it planned in my head!

Weekly Recipe Roundup 4

Now that summer is in full swing, my kitchen time has greatly decreased. Between birthday celebrations, vacations, holidays, and wanting to spend more time outside, that doesn't leave much time to prepare elaborate meals. I love the summer for the fresh veggies that are available at our local farmer's market or even just our local groceries. Fruits and veggies taste so much better when they are actually in season! We've been enjoying lots of grilled zucchini, squash, onions, and peppers - especially Wes since cleanup is a snap. I'm not sure if it's all attributable to the season, or if perhaps I've finally convinced myself I don't have enough time to make "Bon Appetit" style meals every night. Whatever the case may be, I've enjoyed finding more and more quick and easy recipes so that I can enjoy more time with my family.

These are 3 quick recipes that are both worth mentioning. The first is from Cooking Light and I can't even begin to guess how long I've had this recipe in my "to-try" notebook (yes, I'm a total nerd and organize my recipes, by type, in 2 notebooks). I love cold, non-lettuce, salads that you can make the night before and let marinate overnight. They also last several days and are good side dishes for multiple nights. This Lima Bean Salad is a great way to incorporate lots of good fiber-rich beans, making for a really colorful salad. I did add some white balsamic vinegar to step up the flavor a bit. I was out of fresh herbs, so I omitted the chives and added about 1 tsp dried parsley. I'm sure I added more mustard than the recipe calls for as well. I wish there were a way to scale back the quantity this salad makes but if you were serving more than 3, it would be perfect.

Next up is a recipe I found in a magazine several years ago for Roast Beef Swirlwiches. This is the second or third time I've made it and that's really saying something coming from someone who never repeats recipes! I love a good sandwich or wrap, especially one that has lots of flavor with little effort. This one fits the bill for sure. The first time I made these I didn't use the Havarti with dill cheese, rather some other pre-shredded cheese I had on hand. This time I wanted to experience the recipe as written, so I splurged for the Havarti. What a disappointment! I was hoping to really taste the cheese enhanced by the dill, instead I hardly tasted any cheese at all. The marinade with the roast beef provides such a strong flavor that I would suggest matching it with more intense cheese, like Swiss, sharp cheddar, smoked Gouda, something along those lines. I also omitted the green onions this time because I didn't have them on hand. I did include them last time and they did provide a little extra flavor that was missing this time. And I'd strongly suggest using something other than a plain flour tortilla. I used Flat-Out wraps, but any flavored shells would do. It's a very forgiving recipe that can be altered to meet your desired tastes.

I don't have a photo to go with this last one but Southern Living was gracious enough to bail me out with one of their own. This Squash Casserole is a great way to use up the plethora of squash in season right now. I used 3 large squash, totaling about 2 1/2 lbs. Because I reduced the squash, I only used an 8x8 pan but I kept all the remaining ingredients the same. The sharp cheddar is a must, as it adds a needed boost of flavor to the dish. Don't let SL's lackluster 3-star rating discourage you from trying this one. It's a keeper in our house and it's a good way to disguise a veggie from your otherwise picky eaters!

I hope you enjoy one or all of these recipes! Now that we're back from vacation, the kitchen should be open full time and I should be back with more great recipes for you to try.

I almost forgot...

While we were on vacation, we decided to go ahead and purchase a piece of real estate for future visits. No, we weren't thrilled with the dining scene but the area is still growing, so there's hope. Plus, this will be just one of many homes in our collection, I'm sure.

As you can tell, it's still under construction so it will be a while before I'll be able to rent it out to my fellow blog friends. Be sure to hold your breath waiting!

Are you holding your breath?

Seriously, this picture doesn't even do this monstrosity justice! From the road this looked like the Sydney Opera House is scale and grandeur. The small structure on the far left is actually a separate building that we think might be a garage. We heard this is only one of the owner's homes and that they live in Panama City Beach, a mere 45 minutes away! Seriously, what could they possibly do for a living? Print money?

Our Week in Pictures

Oh come on, you'd be disappointed if there were no words! Our vacation was wonderful. Colin was such a trooper in the car and took up with Sidney right away. The two of them played and played and the 4 adults agreed that was the highlight of our trip, seeing them interact so well together. The favorite phrase was, "See Sidney" or "See Colin". We couldn't have asked for better company, weather, or location. I will, however, spare you the restaurant reviews because I was overall very unimpressed with the food. High prices, subpar food, and little variety just doesn't make for good reading or writing.

Now as promised, here was our week in pictures:

This is the house we rented in Seacrest. It was the perfect layout for our 2 families and close to both the beach and the pool!

The two lovebirds sharing on the first day! We're off to a great start.

Colin and his "big boppie". He's partial to the corners of it and he looks like a caged animal trying to get at it. We spent a lot of time right here just so he could get his fix. I'm guessing it'll be around for a while.

One of our first days at the beach when Colin actually let the sand touch his feet. In his defense, the sand was about a million degrees. He's not bashful when it comes to other people's toys. He's surrounded by a bunch of toys, none of which are his own.

Chillin' out like a big boy. I'm still just as pasty white as ever.

Ol' papaw sitting in his lounge chair, sipping a cold beverage. Thank goodness for these chairs, they were a lifesaver!

Shocker of the week: Colin loved the pool and his float! It helped that the pool water was about 85 degrees and there weren't many people there - hmm, wonder why?! He wore himself out kicking his legs and jumping off the side of the pool (still not a fan of his head getting wet though).

Future super model! What would have made this picture even more perfect would have been the addition of Sidney's "Super Model" bib that Colin loved to wear! As you can see, he came out of his shell rather quickly.

There were bikes everywhere and Colin was enamored with them! He loved getting on this one and pretending he was riding.

One of only two bites of his birthday cupcake that he ate. He was too full from dinner and wanted to get down and play.

His preference for a birthday treat - a nice cold cup of ice water. He discovered the straw this week and just couldn't get enough of it. Notice the wet hair - wet from sweat from running around so much.

Colin also took to Sidney's mommy, Brooke. There were no shortage of books or stories on this trip!

See what I mean? What a captive audience Sidney's daddy has.

In the car on the long drive home, content as can be. Wes and I both thanked him about a dozen times for being such a good boy!! I'm still shocked and amazed we made it back in 1 day and without incident!

Temporarily Unavailable

This blogger is temporarily unavailable due to high doses of sunshine and crashing waves. Oh and the 10+ hour car ride, screaming children, and lack of sleeping routine. Other than that, this should be a great week! I'll hopefully have lots of pictures when we return. Wish us luck and have a great week next week.

Pete and Repeat

As a parent, you're always looking ahead to the next big milestone and anxiously awaiting it's arrival. Despite the fact time flies, we can't seem to help ourselves from rushing these events. It's not really a conscious thing, I prefer to blame it on our predecessors, the books, the timelines, etc. If we didn't know what to expect, we'd just be content living in the moment...well maybe.

One of the milestones we couldn't wait for was talking. We tried to imagine what Colin's little voice would sound like, whether or not he'd have a speech impediment, and of course, what his first word would be. What we didn't so much plan for was the repeating stage. Well we're there now and let me tell you, it really makes you stop and think about the words coming out of your mouth, or should I say my mouth. Wes thinks this is great fun and takes pleasure in making Colin repeat what he thinks are funny, harmless words or phrases. He's right, at this stage of the game they are probably all harmless, but some things would be quite embarrassing and a little hard to explain if he said them to the wrong person. Here's an example of one of my favorites:

Daddy: Colin, say "boom, boom, pow" (from the Black-Eyed Peas)

Colin: bashful look, followed by the thumb in mouth

2 hours later...

Colin: "Boom, boom, pow!" - as he puts multiple pairs of shoes in a big box.

See what I'm dealing with here? I have to admit they both keep me laughing!

Details

Okay all my impatient friends, I'm here to reveal the details of my celebratory surprise(s). Wes told me sometime Saturday morning that we wouldn't be leaving until around 4:30pm. That really threw me for a loop because I had guessed we were going to Cincinnati for dinner and since we're elderly folk, that would have made dinner somewhere around 6:30 and that's too late for grandma and grandpa. So now I figured we were going to Louisville, but where exactly. He told me I might want to dress up a little, so that made me think of 610 Magnolia. The only issue there is that we've been there before and when surprising one another we usually don't repeat places we've already been. As he was getting ready - I was already dressed and wearing a little black dress - he checks the computer one last time and reports that he'll be wearing nice jeans. What?! You tell me to dress up and then you're wearing jeans? My response must have eluded to my feelings because he comes back wearing khakis and a button down. I don't mind what you wear but I don't want to stick out like a sore thumb you know. Oh and somewhere in the midst of all this, he tells me I need to pack an overnight bag.

So now my little mind is spinning and I come up with the following scenario - fully believing I had it all figured out - dinner at 610 and then we were going to stay at the hotel that houses Proof on Main, 21C. Well to make a long story shorter, I was wrong. Wrong on all accounts. We ended up at L&N Wine Bar & Bistro. The food was good but the wine was made the place unique. With nearly 80 wines by the glass, all available as a tasting, a glass, or bottle, their selection is quite extensive. They are able to offer this many because of their nifty 54-unit wine bar dispenser that holds and protects wines at "cellar" temperature under inert-gas pressure. In laymen terms that means that an opened bottle of wine actually is drinkable the next day.

In addition to the plethora of wine, their menu is pretty decent as well. I would compare both the atmosphere and clientele to that of Lexington's Merrick Inn. It's an old house who's dining room consists of a bunch of smaller rooms, there's exposed brick and fireplaces, it's somewhat dark and dated, and we were by far the youngest people in the place (but remember that we do eat with Grandma and Grandpa so that might be part of the explanation there). The food portions were enormous and not meant for the tasting-menu style dinner that Wes and I tried to create. We eat decided to order an appetizer, a soup, and an entree and were regretting our decision about midway through our soup. Everything was good but nothing was particularly stellar. We hold Louisville to a pretty high bar because of some of the outstanding meals we've had there (Corbett's, Seviche, Asiatique to name a few).

After dinner the celebration wasn't over. After a dessert fiasco, we were on our way to our overnight destination, The Seelbach. I was excited to stay there because I've always heard mention of it but had never so much as driven by it before. While somewhat small for a non-NYC hotel, the rooms were quite elegant. Double layered sheets, flat screen tv, granite desktop and vanity, dark cherry wood, and Crabtree and Evelyn bath products rounded out the amenities. We both appreciated the charm of some of the historic nuances they've managed to retain - wooden doors into each guest room, ornate mill work, stately furnishings in both the hallways and guest rooms, and of course the infamous secret escape for Al Capone in the Oak Room dining room. Aside from our EXTREMELY loud and obnoxious floor mates (we were awake for over an hour listening to them yell, cackle, slam doors, etc), the hotel was a nice escape.

We couldn't stop there. Oh no, after all breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! We ended this wonderful birthday weekend at http://www.crackinwildeggs.com/. My mom and I had been here once before but it was when they first opened and were still ironing out the new business kinks. I tried to steer clear of the heavy pancakes after the large meal the night before, so I opted for a light egg white omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese. I did say "tried" - I had to at least have a taste, so I ordered one on the side. It was okay but I was glad I hadn't ordered that for my entire meal. I've become somewhat of a pancake snob over the years and these didn't make it very far up my list. The omelet was a nice change of pace for me and the ample goat cheese made it a step above the rest. Wes seemed to enjoy his Belgian waffle just fine. It was packed and had people waiting when we left, so others must think it's pretty good too.

Every time we come back from Louisville we always wonder why Lexington doesn't have more independent eateries. And breakfast spots around here are even more limited. Why is that? Could this be my calling? If you know a good investor, send him/her my way!

Thanks, Wes, for a great start to my birthday (and Grams for watching Colin). I kind of like having a birthday in the middle of the week because you get to celebrate twice, once during the weekend and then again on your actual day! As long as I don't have to turn 2 years older, I'm all for it. This age thing is starting to hit me that I'm not getting any younger. I keep noticing how Colin time is flying with Colin and he's getting older but somehow I think time has frozen for me. Not so and that's a harsh reality. No time to be sad on my birthday though. Happy thoughts...CAKE (a la Joyce!).

Sorry for the lack of pictures on this post. Somehow the old blog took a back seat to the mystery and intrigue of the journey.

Stayed tuned...

...for my upcoming birthday surprise. All I know is we're doing something tomorrow, Colin is staying with my mom, and it involves a restaurant, among other things. I'm super excited and can't wait to find out the details. I'm sure it will be lots of fun and I'm looking forward to spending some time alone with my hubby!