Afternoon Playdate

This afternoon my sister-in-law, Jennifer and her 9 1/2 month old daughter Jessica came over for lunch and some cousin bonding time. Lately we have been getting together more with the girls now that they are older and can actually play with one another (although most of the time they play by themselves..haha, oh well!).



I made some yummy sandwiches for lunch. My new trick with sandwiches lately is to add one "special" meat and it really can kick a sandwich up to the next level. Today I used some sopressata (it has a similar flavor to salami, however a little more spice)with turkey and provolone cheese. I also have been using arugula instead of lettuce and then add a drizzle of olive oil over the arugula. Who says a sandwich can't be sophisticated?!?

The girls seemed to have a good time and so did us mom's. It's nice to chat with another mom sometimes, just to laugh and chat it up with someone your own age (both us being with our daughters all day).



Thanks for coming over--looking forward to doing it again soon!

Yummy Quiche

I made a quiche last night in my newly finished kitchen. It was so nice to have everything back and Jason even put together the new chopping block table. I definitely go through phases with cooking, but right now I'm definitely on a kick (probably because everything is so new and nice).

Jason had told me that he wasn't a big quiche fan, so I was determined to make it and prove him wrong! I knew if he just tried it again that he would change his mind. He ended up really liking it...only one critique, "More bacon please!".

I love quiche of all kinds. I think it's the perfect dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It was delicious!



Spinach and Bacon Quiche

* 6 large eggs, beaten
* 1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
* Salt and pepper
* 2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
* 1/4 lb. of bacon
* 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
* 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch glass pie plate

Mix the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper together. Layer the bottom of the pie dish with the spinach, bacon, and cheese. Pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and the crust is golden. Enjoy!

Another Part Done!

Yesterday Jason, with the help of my dad, was able to finish the last part of the cabinets. We use to have a cabinet with a vent attached over the stove. When we looked into replacing the vent we decided to put in a microwave/vent. With the limited counter space in our kitchen we both always had issues of where to put our microwave. We don't use it that often, so we didn't feel like it "deserved" a spot on the counter. So, for the past year the microwave has been in our garage. It's pretty hilarious when we have had babysitters over and they never can find it to heat up the dinner we left for them.



So, now we have easy access to the microwave and it's not taking up counter space...best of both worlds!

Before (unfortunately I didn't get a picture before Jason had ripped off the counter and vent already, but you get the idea)...



After shots...







**I had to include some cute shots of Aspen--I can't believe in less than two week she will 1!

Finally Caught It On Video!

I know two blog posts in one day...yikes! I shot this video after I had posted the last entry. I have been trying to catch Aspen trying out "walking" for the past few days. I finally got it today!

Enjoy...

New and Improved!

So the finish line of our renovations is so close I can see it in the distance. Jason has been working so hard to complete the project as fast as possible with Aspen's birthday as the target end date. I thought I would share some photos with how the project is coming since it's mostly what I've been talking about lately.

The old photos...





We also removed the bottom cabinets, the sink, and countertops. We decided to keep our dishwasher because it works great and what's the point of replacing something that does it's job!

The new cabinets, sink, countertops, and lighting...



So far I think everything looks awesome and I love what a great job Jason has done. It's hard to tell in the picture, but we also painted the walls a light yellow. It really has brightened the room. We are going to also add a title back splash that will hopefully brighten things a little and had a little character to the kitchen. I'm so luck to have such a handy husband :)

Of course I had to include a cute picture of the little one. Check out the shades.



I also wanted to post this video. I know it's really long! I wasn't going to post it, but you get a really great view of how our floors look now. If you didn't see them before consider yourself lucky--they were horrible!

Friday Morning Dance Party

Shouldn't we all try to wake up every morning this excited about life...



You know it just puts the biggest smile on my face when she starts dancing around like this. Hope it puts a smile on your face--Happy Friday!

An Afternoon at IKEA

Today we went and purchased our new kitchen cabinets from IKEA. I can't wait for our project to be done. The floors look amazing and now we are getting the painting done. I'll post pictures after everything is finished.



Aspen had a blast while we were there and we even had lunch while we waited for our large order of cabinets and etc. We got her a PB&J to eat with some apple sauce. She ate the apple sauce, but first taste of the PB&J--well, she wasn't impressed. She preferred her Dad's lasagna. What a sophisticated palette for such a youngster.

Family Wedding/4th of July/11 months old--all in one big post!

We got back yesterday from a week long trip up to Massachusetts and Maine. We went to not only spend time with my mom, but also to attend my cousin's wedding. It was a very busy trip, activities everyday, but it was wonderful to spend time with everyone.

The Wedding

My cousin Jillian got married on Friday evening. It was a gorgeous ceremony and reception. My uncle (the father of the bride) gave a wonderful speech that had everyone in tears. It was nice being a guest at the wedding and getting to enjoy the food, drink,and of course dancing! We left Aspen with my Aunt Judy (other side of the family) and Uncle Jim. Unfortunately Aspen wasn't on her best behavior for them, but they made it through and I didn't call so thankfully I wasn't worried. I think there was a lot of activity and location changes that Aspen was bound to have a little meltdown. This was her only one the whole time--otherwise she did great.

The Bride and Groom (Jill and Steve)



Cousins--Amanda, Jill, and Me



On Saturday my Uncle John and Aunt Dora had people over to their house for a post-wedding BBQ. I'm so glad they had this so that people could meet Aspen. She hung out in the backyard under the huge tent enjoying watermelon and a grilled cheese. I'm so glad everyone got to meet her and hopefully next time we can all spend more time together.



Aspen and her Great-Grammy



4 of July in Maine

We headed out late afternoon from the BBQ to go to Maine for the 4th. My Aunt Mary has a cabin on a lake that I literally grew up on. My brother and I spent every summer from birth at Mirror Lake. Then about 11 years ago my aunt bought a cabin on the lake, so now I get to share this place with my husband and my daughter.

Godfather and Goddaughter (someone just woke up)



We took Aspen out for a swim and after getting her an age appropriate float, she loved it! She was kicking her legs and splashing the water. The only reason we got out was the sun and the fact that she was trying to swallow half the lake. I'm so glad she wasn't afraid and is such a brave girl.



We also enjoyed some lobsters thanks to Aunt Mary. Of course Aspen had to try some--I'm not sure if it was the lobster or the butter, but she enjoyed it!



The guys had an awesome time fishing, of course turning it into a competition. I think Matt won in the end--I'm sure there might be a rematch next time the opportunity comes up.





Aspen also made a new best friend--her soon to be Auntie Corry. Thanks for all your help with her, she really enjoys your songs!




11 months old



On Monday Aspen turned 11 months old. One more month and she will 1! Last time this year I was dying of heat and ready to get "this baby out!". She has been so much fun and is quite the handful. Mostly because she has no fear, which makes me nervous from time to time. Not walking yet, but I know she could if she wanted to--she cruises everywhere. No more teeth so far, just the two still. She is still petite, but it works out because her clothes are lasting longer. She continues to "talk" all the time and her favorite word is definitely "Dada". Although anyone could be dada at this point. She is such a goofball sometimes and even after stressful days can always put a smile on my face.