Cuddling with Grandparents - MI Part 1

Now that we've been back for a few weeks, I'm finally getting around to posting about our trip to Michigan. The kids and I really had a wonderful time visiting with family and enjoying the cooler weather! Here are some shots of the kids cuddling with various grandparents throughout the week!

Max was such a wimp at the beach. He didn't want any of his skin touching the sand or the water. He actually ran down the path from the car to the beach and as soon as his feet (in his little crocs) hit the sand he started bawling. Nana finally got him to dig in the sand a little bit.

Ruby and Bobo made it their nightly ritual to read stories together in the recliner. Ruby really got attached to her Bobo and sure does miss cuddling with him.

Nana and Ruby laughing about the dog contest we were watching at Cherry Festival. They had dogs jumping as far as they could into a swimming pool!

Nana and Max on the Dumbo ride. Max saw Ruby go on the ride and wouldn't let us leave until he had done it too!

Nana and Max driving a nail at the Habitat for Humanity stand at Cherry Festival.

Max and Ruby LOVED eating watermelon on Nana and Bobo's new glider!

More watermelon!

Ruby had a great time on the jet ski with Bobo. The water was rougher than we thought, but she didn't mind the water spraying up at all. She just wanted more, more, more!

Ruby and MawMaw are big cuddlers. Right after we arrived they shared a snack of grapes and cucumbers while Max and I took a nice long nap.

Check back tomorrow for more pictures from our trip!

Pretty in Pink

About a month ago, Ruby had her first taste of nail polish. I know, I know... three years old and she's just now getting her nails painted!!! But, you have to understand. I'm not a primpy person. I don't have make-up. My hair is either down or in a ponytail. I use Sauve shampoo and (gasp!) I always go to one of those el cheapo places to get my hair cut... about once a year. So, you could say I'm not that into fashion. Anyway, I had received a gift card for my birthday from Anne Schmidt suggesting I might use it for a pedicure. I nearly swooned at the thought, but decided instead to buy a sewing machine and some fancy lotion and polish to do my own at home.

When Ruby saw my pink toes she just had to try that out! So, we painted her nails and toes and then my fingernails.

Since then, Ruby has received her very own polish from our next door neighbor, Vera, and gave herself her own manicure yesterday!! I was so impressed. She said, "Mama, I'm really good at painting. I'm gonna just do it myself." I was leery, but she really knows her stuff and they look sparkly and pretty as a picture.

Who knew I could have such a girly little girl!?

Banana Crumb Muffins

I woke up on Sunday morning to leaky bananas on the counter (don't you just hate that?!?). Thanks to Max, however, I was up at 6am and had plenty of time to whip up some muffins for breakfast before church. These muffins were bar none, the BEST banana muffins we'd ever had. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Thanks again, Allrecipes.com.

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Strawberries!

I'm back again with a bunch of great pictures from a few strawberry festivals we went to in June. The first wasn't so much of a festival as just a large farm stand trying to sell a lot of strawberries! We did get to do a few little crafts there though and tried some homemade Strawberry Soup and Strawberry Crumble. YUM!

Ruby thought the berries looked pretty good and managed to eat half a pint before I got the package away from her! By the look on her face, I'd say she enjoyed it!

Max liked this little bench and sat there for the longest time just takin' it all in.

Next we went out to an actual farm that was having a strawberry festival in Concord. We were able to pick our own berries--a task that was pretty challenging with mostly picked over plants, but still rewarding! Max wasn't the most discerning picker and loved to squish the berries. Amazingly, we still ended up with a lot of yummy berries for strawberry shortcake that night!

Ruby wanted the berries to jump into her basket for her, then she was distressed that the berries were warm! That's the sun for you, sweetie!

By the shop they had set up some grills where we feasted on hamburgers and hot dogs. While we ate we enjoyed this marionette show. Ruby really loved watching all the different puppets dance around.

Here's proof that these two do get along once in a while. I won't put up the next picture where Max fell down and Ruby's standing over him laughing...

Daddy and Ruby dancing to the music! What a beautiful day!

I'll end with pictures of my korny kiddos. It really was a wonderful day and one we're thankful we didn't miss! We're hoping to pick some blueberries this week if the weather permits!!

I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy fun and special moments this summer. It hits me at least once every day how fast time goes. Before long these two will be in school and everything will really speed up. I'm enjoying these slow days... even if they are exhausting!

First Words

Max has been a chatty little thing for months now. He's convinced that he's telling you all kinds of things and when you ask, "Did you say you wanted ____?", he says "Da!". He is so consistent with that "Da!" that Jared started speaking some other Russian words to him. So far he's not repeating those (sorry Anzhela and Yulia!)...

Max is also really good at mastering words that we coach him on-- "Mama", "Daddy", etc. and then looking at us like we're aliens the next day when we ask him to say them again. Apparently, "Mommy / Mama" is a lost word. "Daddy", however, is never far from his lips!

This last week, however, Max had a new milestone. He said his first word without any coaching! Anzhela had gotten Max one of these nifty bubble blowers for his birthday and we keep it in a basket in the boot room with other outdoor toys. When Max saw the toy he said, "Bu-bble". I kind of did a double take and said, "What did you say Max?" He said, "Bu-bble!". So, with Maxi chanting "Bu-bble, bu-bble, bu-bble..." we marched down the stairs to blow some bubbles!

It's hard to believe how fast he's changing and growing. He's definitely not my cuddly little baby anymore. He's a big ol' boy and he's ready to tackle the world!

Fresh Peach and Blueberry Crisp

Fresh Peach and Blueberry Crisp

3 c. fresh peaches, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 c. fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp almond extract
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. flour
------
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sliced almonds (or nut of your choice, I used pecans!)
1 stick butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl, combine peaches, blueberries almond extract, lemon juice, 1/2 c. sugar and 2 T. flour. Pour into a deep dish pie plate or 8x8 baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour to butter til crumbly. Sprinkle over berry mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Acadia - Day Three

Our last morning in Maine started before 6am. We did our best to stuff our tummies and empty our cooler before packing up camp and heading out for a few more activities.

We decided to visit one of the lakes to give Ruby a chance at fishing. She tired of it quickly, which was really just find with the rest of us! Thankfully, we have lots of ponds and lakes by our house, so I'm sure she'll get some use out of that fancy Dora fishing pole!

Heidi contemplating the morning!

This is one of the many bridges on the carriage roads that wind all through the park. They are solely for hiking, biking, and horseback riding and apparently go through some really beautiful country. It wasn't feasible for us to walk too far on them with the kids, but we'd love to go back again with bikes some day.

Here's our car loaded down for the ride back. There were thunderstorms on the way and two very exhausted kids, so we left mid morning for the drive back.

The Schmidts graciously hosted us again on the way back for a delicious spaghetti lunch. Ruby was introduced to Frances books by Natalie and just loved having Natalie read to her on the rainy day.

We made it home after a bit of an adventure where we nearly lost a wheel, but then by God's grace found just the right repair shop where they let Jared use their tools for free while Heidi and I took the kids to Denny's for a snack. Everything worked out perfectly.

Our last day with Heidi we took the kids down to the Children's Museum and just enjoyed chatting and playing games. It was hard to send Heidi home again! We had such a great time with her and wish we could all live closer. Until then, thank goodness for cell phones with family plans!

Acadia - Day Two and a Half

After a looong afternoon nap and an early dinner, we headed back out into the park to explore a bit. Jared had popped some Jiffy Pop before we left so that we'd have snacks for our trip. Ruby decided to break into the apples too--I won't complain about that!

We stopped along the way at several points for some rock scrambling and to look out at the many islands along the coast. Max had a hard tim walking on the uneven terrain, but never gave up--even if Mommy wanted him to!

We were able to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain for some beautiful sunset views.

Here's a picture of sogme of the islands off the coast-- so beautiful! Ruby and I both thought of one of her favorite books, One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey when we saw the view.

Max wasn't exactly thrilled I had grabbed him for a photo op, but I think the picture turned out pretty well anyway!

Thanks to Heidi we were able to get quite a few more family shots than normal! This one was a bit too close to sunset, but still nice.

Jared and Ruby had a great time rock scrambling. There were lots of signs posted that you couldn't step on any of the fauna. That made the scrambling even more fun as they took lots of leaps and jumps over the grassy and mossy areas.

Heidi was a big help in trying to keep Max alive on this trip! He was determined to jump off a cliff or into the campfire dozens of times. He also enjoyed sampling pinecones and lots of dirt and rocks. Being a toddler also means being an avid taste tester!

Ruby and Jared on top of the world!

Happy 4th of July!

Please keep our family in your prayers today! The kids and I will be flying solo on a 6am flight to Michigan for a week of fun and sun at Nana and Bobo's house.

My sweet hubby will be flying solo at home for the long weekend. He has a few fun outings planned, but I'm sure sooner or later he'll miss the early morning wake up calls and shrieking children... then again, it is only a week!

Acadia - Day Two

We started our second day in Acadia bright and early thanks to Mr. Max. After a big egg and potato breakfast we were on the trail at just past 7am!!

We decided to walk along the Ocean Trail again going the opposite direction towards Thunder Hole. Unfortunately, we weren't there at the real noisy time , but it was a very picturesque walk and we had a fun time playing "I Spy" with Ruby on the trail.


They have a really nice railed path with steps that lets you get right down to the water. We all enjoyed a snack and rested up for the walk back. Ruby wasn't so keen on walking back to the car, but we tricked her into going most of the way by racing with her! I'm not sure how kids always have energy to run when walking is no longer possible!

After lots of attempts, here's the best picture I was able to get of Heidi and Ruby. If you haven't noticed, Ruby isn't that keen on posing for pictures these days!

Super Dad helped Ruby "jump" from rock to rock along the trail. All while carrying Mr. Chunk in the backpack!

Sand Beach was absolutely beautiful and almost convinced us to brave those icy Maine waters. In the end we only had time for wading. Ruby ended up a bit wetter than she planned when a wave rolled in up to her waist! She didn't complain though and we had her clean and dry in no time at all.

Max enjoyed squashing Aunt Heidi's sandcastles just as fast as she could build them. Yep, he's a boy!

After our hike and playing at the beach we headed into town for a delicious lunch of Maine favorites--lobster, crab, and clams! YUM!! Thanks Heidi for the special treat!

Check back tomorrow for our evening excursion to Cadillac Mountain!

Acadia - Day One

We managed to pull out of our driveway at just a few minutes past 7am with our cargo and passenger areas loaded to the brim. After a few stops, including one at our dear friends home, the Schmidts, whom we met in Copenhagen. Ruby was thrilled to meet their three chickens and rooster and even more thrilled to go egg hunting with Natalie! In fact, when we returned home, finding those eggs was still the highlight of the trip!

I think Jared's favorite part of the trip was trying out his early Father's Day gift from the kids and I, a Garmin navigator. Unfortunately, the front cigarette lighter wigged out on us, so it ran out of batteries about 15 minutes shy of the campsite! Thankfully, I had printed out some directions before we left (just in case!), so it was no big deal. All in all, it was a beautiful drive and had me convinced that Maine's motto, "The way life should be." is no joke!

By the time we finally rolled into camp, we set up and then decided to try for an early dinner before exploring a bit. We ended up driving out to the Park Loop Road and stopped along the ocean trail for a short hike and some rock scrambling.

The tide was sort of in between in and out, but we were able to see a few things scuttling about in tide pools and the kids were able to wear off some of their pent up energy from the car ride.

The evening was beautiful and my pictures really don't do justice to the sights. As you can see my sister, Heidi, was with us which the kids really enjoyed (as did Jared and I!). Heidi did a great job soothing the kids during the drive and sacrificed her comfort to ride in the back with them well over half of the journey!

Here's a final shot of Heidi and I. Models we are not!

Stay tuned for more pictures from our trip and rambling captions tomorrow!

Cajun Style Baked Sweet Potato

I thought I do something wild and crazy and share a somewhat healthy recipe this week! I keep hearing how great sweet potatoes are for you (at least in comparison to their yellow brothers), so decided to try a few new recipes the last few weeks. Up til now, I've pretty much just been a sweet potato casserole girl, but these won us over.

Cajun Style Baked Sweet Potato
(from Allrecipes.com)

1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a small bowl stir together paprika to cayenne pepper.
3. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise (or smaller for faster baking!). Brush pieces with olive oil, then rub with spice mixture. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until tender, or about 1 hour.