ON THE FARM {lindsey's birthday}

With all the rain that we are getting today, I look back on this weekend & smile. Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day. We spent the early part of the morning avoiding the crowds for art in the park since with a two year old, we figured our best bet was to stay away from expensive artwork. Unless of course, you'd like to go with us next year and pay for that broken canvas that costs $360 because I'd sure LOVE to go. Anyways, this post isn't about missing out on gazing at masterpieces, it's about our first trip to the farm.

We headed out to the M farm for my brother's girlfriend's birthday gathering. This was the first time Daycen has met Lindsey's family, as well as stepped foot on an actual farm. Despite all of our fears, he was on his best behavior - infact, he turned into this perfect angel. I'm still trying to figure out the switch that turns on the sweet two-year-old because some days, I get sick of the wild, squealing, I have WAY too much energy one that is normally clung to my leg.

My husband was thrilled over the meal that was served; fresh roasted ham. Nothing like treating him to Christmas/Easter dinner early. I really should thank Lindsey's mother for the wonderful meal - I won't have to whip anything fancy up for quite awhile since it's now out of his system with the 13 pieces he gobbled down. Daycen on the other hand is still demanding fancy feasts from me; good thing his only consists of hot dogs mixed with macaroni & cheese.





After dinner, they brought out the baby kittens. The second they were on the floor, Daycen started to strangle them in attempt to pick them up. Thank goodness it didn't take him long to realize they were alive! It would have been just our luck to never be invited to another function because our son killed the kittens.



Once the babies were packed up, we allowed Daycen to enjoy the fresh air outside. Fortunately for us, there was another cat outside that he took fancy too. He spent the whole time chasing the poor thing around the yard. They seemed to be best friends, even when the cat rubbed itself up against him. A little fur in the face never hurt anyone, right?

TACO NIGHT.

One of our favorite meals to have early fall is homemade tacos. There is just something about eating autumn colors; the vibrant red, the striking orange, & the deep brown that make this meal seem like a delicacy.



Depending how much time is available, we jump between making our own taco seasoning & purchasing an already made packet. For those of you out there who have that extra time, & wanted to try a taco seasoning, give this one a shot:


Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. We normally use three tbsp per pound of ground beef used.




This is the first fall that Daycen has been able to participate in our of our taco nights; which to my surprise he was THRILLED! Our normally picky eater went crazy for these. He had his rolled up in soft tortilla shells.



I'm excited to see fall coming around the corner. The leaves outside our windows have started to turn a yellowish hue & the temperature has been dropping rapidly. We've been able to pull our sweaters, scarves, & boots (well, the one pair I have left) out of the closet. Harvest festivals are right around the corner, as well as baby sister. I have a feeling this is going to be the best fall season we've encountered yet. Not to mention, my husband has already learned to deliver the correct autumn treat.

THE JOYS OF NOT LIVING IN A TINY TOWN.

We don't live in a really LARGE city, but I wouldn't say we lived in a tiny one either. The best thing about living in a town our size is they do all those little festivals that smaller towns do, but we have most of the amenities of the big city life. It has also been brought to our attention that the smaller the city, the less BOOM they can produce for their festivals. I guess the community funds just are not there.

On Labor Day, we headed to a small town twenty minutes west of ours for their Fun Days celebration. Which basically is a tiny carnival. This was our first out of town festival, & boy, were we taken back by how downsized it was from our normal activities.

For those of you who have awesome small town festivals, congrats. You should send a how-to list to this town.


On the left, is our pick-a-duck carnival game. The right, shows you theirs.


The left is our delicious cheese curds with hand-dipped batter, the right - theirs.

Not to mention, 85% of our festivals have animals.




We made the best of the evening despite it wasn't exactly what we expected. Infact, their snow cone was EXTREMELY disappointing. I wish I hadn't wasted the $3 on it because it had barely any flavor. If I wanted ice, I would have opened our freezer when I got home. So, Our lesson for this past weekend, before you take a road trip to another town - research it. Otherwise, you'll be craving a good snow cone til your town throws their carnival next year.

NIGHT OWL TURNED EARLY BIRD.

Most mornings I try to get up earlier than Daycen, mainly to have sometime to myself & have breakfast rolling before his little stomach starts a-growlin'. I'm not sure if it is just me or not, but it seems the only time that he wants to be an early bird is those mornings I want to get a little extra shut eye. One of those mornings happened to be today.

I awoke to him howling in his bedroom, yes, literally howling.

I turned the coffee on, welcomed Daycen into the kitchen & began to scramble some eggs for breakfast. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my two-year-old stomp his feet & pout. I've always thought I was pretty quick when it came to making a fast breakfast, but I assure you, Daycen wasn't satisfied with my speed. Yet, he refused to go watch some programs in the living - so, I was stuck with his whining.

Half way through heating the eggs on the skillet, Daycen found a way to entertain himself & his whimpering turned into shrieking laughter.





We like to call this curtain peek-a-boo. It only requires two things; a brightly colored curtain & a semi-tired, hungry two-year-old. What a perfect start to our Labor Day weekend. Hopefully yours started off just as wonderful, & continues that way through Monday.

MEET MY DAUGHTER.

Sometime near the end of November my darling girl will be arriving in our lives. To be honest, I've never really been one of those patient types - I want to have her here now. That obviously isn't possible, nor would it be something I'd want my little girl to go through. So until she is ready, I have set up a series of 3D/4D ultrasound appointments to help pass the time.

We've been going to Baby's Debut. (which has some amazing deals going on through the end of September) I feel that they are very in touch with all their customers, not just pushing you in & out. If your baby is having a bad day; they'll bring you back a few hours later or at a later date so that you get the best pictures for the money you pay. Is it worth it? YES. I highly recommend their services.

So, without further delay - here is Baby Sister!




Even though she didn't cooperate at first, she produced beautiful pictures. The girl is going to be good-looking like her older brother - and much like her brother, it seems like she'll be born with a full head of hair since at 27 weeks she already has some sprouting.

Now, for those of you mother's who are planning ultrasounds in the future. Here is a tip we've learned ...



Pump yourself full of Orange juice because to the baby it is like liquid gold, she'll be dancing around within 45 minutes - and be sure to be well fed, just incase that power juice doesn't have the same effect as it did on my little one.



27 weeks. Approximately 13 more to go. Who's with me on this?!

THE COURAGE OF RETURNING.

Over the past few months a ton of things have happened to my little family, a lot of things that have taken our world, spun it upside down & turned it inside out in a moments notice. This post will be very personal, but I figured if I didn't get it off my chest than nothing would ever feel right again. Those of you who know me personally already know the hardships we have endured in the past few months, everyone else - we aren't looking for sympathy, just simply coming to realization that this isn't something to keep tucked deep in our pockets. We have a story. One in which we need to share.

On March 20th 2010 at quarter after eleven I received the a phone call simply stating that our darling house on First Avenue was on fire. I didn't make it to the house until 12:30, & what I saw I never wished I'd have to see. My childhood was burning before my eyes, my dreams & hopes for Daycen growing up in the same house I did, everything I'd worked so hard for the past few years - gone.

Since that day, I've avoided this blog like a plague, mainly because of the meaning behind it's name. My home on First Avenue is a memory now, something that is simply beautiful but all the same bitterly painful. The first place I went after I was born was that house. The first place my son went after he was born was that house. When I think of my childhood, my teenage years, my early adulthood - that structure is apart of it. Losing it, felt like losing ME.

First Avenue might be an empty lot now, with a for sale sign in the yard. However, to us, it is a place we will always call home. It isn't the end - it's the beginning of something beautiful. We all survived. We were blessed with the news of baby sister a few days following. The next few years whenever we see pictures, we'll cry. Whenever we think of what used to be, we'll mourn. But we are are still here, so we'll rejoice.

First Avenue is the home in our hearts. A place that will never die. This blog will continue, because despite the flames & the heartache, we are left with the courage to step forward. This is the beginning, not the end.