Brunch...whether you like it or not!

It's a tradition in our household-no matter what:

Brunch for Mother & Father's Day! 

Luckily for me,

brunch can have some pretty loose interpretations,

and I've finangled chocolate dipped strawberries

and

roasted asparagus into mine.

Samuel, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.

The boy LIVES for breakfast food so naturally he takes full advantage of the opportunity. 

So, per tradition,

this Father Day,

he ate it up!

Everyone had an assignment:

Mom: Brunch

Ava: Confetti Eggs

Iris: Flowers

Bella: Decor & Card

Owen: All of the above plus playing with toys (very, very important).

Gabriel: To be obliviously happy-like he always is.

Dad: Sleep-in and stay-out-of-the-way!

I had a blast in the kitchen...

Ava rocked the eggs...

Confetti Eggs:

Drain them,

clean them,

fill them,

squeeze them!

Iris picked the most beautiful bouquet on the planet...

while Bella holed up in her room creating the decor & card!

Samuel was "surprised"...

...and properly "confettied"!

After church we came home,

ate dinner and ice-cream sundaes,

and just had some great daddy-time.

Samuel,

You are good man.

And a great dad.

Thank you for putting your family first, above all.

I love you.

Very much.

-Me

Summer Roast

I hate s'mores.

Always have.  Always will.

Now marshmallows and chocolate alone?

Completely separate from one another, and minus any graham action?

That's another story.

Yum.

But what are you going to do?

S'mores are a summer staple

-especially if you have a firepit-

and the kids go crazy for them. 

So here you go...

Oodles of kids with hot pokers:

Very dangerous!

But also extremely fun!



Bella & Hallie





Uncle Nathan getting some sweets on.

And Gabriel wearing the latest in baby summer attire.

Happy First Birthday, Gabriel!

Little man.

Moose Munch.

Bear.

Choncho.

Basically,

no matter what your nickname,

you are everything and more to us!

Happy First Birthday, Gabriel!

We had a great time celebrating with cousins, Taylor & Lola.

And of course,

with all the grandmas!

 We feasted on classic kid-fare:

Hot dogs & Potato chips

And for the grown-ups:

Spicy Polish Dogs

with mustard,

fresh sliced-tomatoes,

and crisp Kosher Dills!

The birthday boy had other ideas about what tasted good...

...and was delighted by the whole present-opening experience!

The cake was another story...

...but in the end that won him over too!





One is king!

Happy Birthday, son!

The Night Before One

Where did the time go?

On the eve of Gabriel's first birthday
I took him into the front yard to look at the stars.

This little guy is so special to our family,

and I needed that quiet moment to savor his baby-i-ness.



He indulged me for approximately 3 seconds!

Thank you, son!

For letting me hold you,

love you,

and of course,

the awesome priveledge
of being your mom!

I am so very grateful.

Love,

Me

A "Squeeze Inn" Father's Day

The Squeeze Inn certainly has a reputation,

and as you can see,

now you probably know why!

They opened a new location in Roseville,

making the perfect location for our Father's Day get-together.

I think it's pretty unanimous:

This is a once-in-a-lifetime meal.

Definately NOT something you eat everyday,

much less every week,

month,

or even year!



Frozen yogurt is another story entirely!

And a twirl around The Fountains

with our frozen treats was the perfect way

to end the heavy meal.

Grandpa told stories about his childhood,

including one about a moose!

And Grandma shared her own with Owen too!

Some opted to get wet...



...but most chose to just watch!



Gabriel was exhausted from all the "Father's Day" excitement,
and I was only too happy to scoop him up for some hugs!

Happy Father's Day!

Homemade Popcornopolis

This recipe is so simple, so easy, and soooo delicious!

Pass on the super-expensive stuff at the store and make this at home!

Homemade Popcornopolis

 Serves 4 (generously)

Ingredients

1 bag of 97 % fat free microwave popcorn, popped

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/2 c mini-marshmallows

Directions

In a large shallow pan, spread out the popcorn and allow to cool completely (5-7 minutes).

Sprinkle with marshmallows and drizzle evenly with the melted chocolate.

Refrigerate until the chocolate is set (10 minutes) and...

Enjoy!

Homemade Popcornopolis

Popcorn + Marshmallows + Chocolate =

Happy Kids!

Nothing Better...

...then spending time in the kitchen with my kids!

These are magical moments:

{Teaching}

{Tasting}

{Togetherness}

(Is that a word?  It is now!)

Tart!

Thanks to the Culp family,

we had bowls and bowls of fresh-picked blackberries!

Owen's a fan.

Or is he?

Thanks again!



Who Doesn't Live for Moment's Like This?

Sometimes,
the happiest sounds in the home...

...have no sound at all!