Hammock

Jenn and Scott bought Ben a hammock for his birthday (his birthday is tomorrow, but we celebrated at lunch today). We just put it up and Ben is LOVING it already!

We are about to make some zingers, light the tiki torches, and read Harry Potter 7 together in the hammock. What an awesome present!

$22

I got 5 pairs of shoes yesterday for $22 total at Payless, and it wasn't even BOGO (buy one get one free)!

I'm not crazy about the silver sandals, but they were only $1. I just couldn't pass up $1 sandals.

Jalapenos

Our jalapenos are growing away! I am so proud because I planted these babies from seeds! Going to pick our first one tonight for a lamb and cherry tomato ragu.

This is just one pot...

...and we have another pot, and several growing in a garden in the yard. I'd say we have about 15 good ones ready to pick already. I hope we can figure out a good way to freeze them!!

Look-alike

The other day I was showing my mom some pictures from Ben's cousin Rachel's wedding. She spotted a bridesmaid that looks just like me! Ben said he couldn't see it (and naturally, I got really annoyed because I thought the resemblance was so obvious- ha), but then I took a picture of myself from the same angle, and he said, "Well yeah, with your hair that way you look alike." Puh-leeease, like it even has anything to do with the hair! It's the face! Boys. *sigh*

What do you think?

Dinner with the Kuhls

We had Carl and Deena over Tuesday night for dinner. I wanted to make something special since we haven't had them over in a long time and since they always do so much for us. I tried to make all the food special: homegrown tomatoes and basil with mozzarella (one of Deena's favorites); an assortment of cheeses; carrot and ginger soup (the recipe from Mon Ami Gabi in Vegas where we ate it with Carl) with sour cream and lemon zest garnish; steaks on the grill (our good Henry County beef from our quarter cow we bought this year); garlic mashed potatoes from our CSA and served in individual crocks; peas in a homemade turkey broth reduction; homemade rolls with fresh rosemary in the melted butter I brushed on top; and homemade chocolate ice cream for dessert.

It turned out to be a pretty good meal and fun conversation while eating it out on the deck. Hopefully we can do it again soon!

Cow Appreciation Day

Last Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A, which means that if you wear something like a cow, you get a free item off the menu...or, if you come fully dressed as a cow, you get a free meal. Ben and I debated on whether or not to do it...we were "coward" at first, but then came up with an idea..."Let's ask Jason to go with us!" So, we decided if my cousin Jason said yes to the offer, we'd go, otherwise we'd forget it.

Clearly, Jason said yes.

Paper spots, ears, and horns, crate paper for udders, yarn for a tail, surgical masks for noses, socks for hooves, and a Christmas ornament for a "cowbell"...all things either we or Jason had around our houses.

As you can imagine, we got the free meals...and those were the best free meals ever! We ate like pigs!! I mean...cows.

Backyard Adventures

A few things of interest happening in our back yard...

First, we got some fish to put in the pond. For fear that they wouldn't live without the right filtration system hooked up yet, we only bought 9 tiny goldfish for 19 cents each.

After a week, we have found 2 dead, although I only ever see a few, so I have a feeling others have died too. We should be getting a pump in this week which we will hook up to a filter, so hopefully that will help.

Second, my aunt Tammy and uncle Chris were generous enough to give us this new grill they won at some event.

We love it!! Grilled burgers on it a few nights ago and they were amazing. Thanks, Tammy and Chris!!

And finally...our first tomato has ripened!

What to do...I'm thinking tomato and mozzarella with basil...either that, or BLT sandwiches for lunch. Mmm...

4th of July

My parents had us over for the 4th of July, along with Jenn and Scott, my grandma (Dad's mom), and grandpa (Mom's dad). We had an awesome barbeque dinner and two batches of delicious homemade ice cream, both chocolate and vanilla. YUM! Wish I could have some right this very second!

My dad has done a ton of work to their back yard recently, including a water feature coming down off part of the deck into a little pond, and a huge patio area. It is SO NICE!

Even though it was really hot that day, we played some cards out there and several games of corn hole.

That evening, after the grandparents has left, the rest of us stayed late watching a movie--outside! Jenn and Scott brought a projector and a white sheet to project a movie on--it was AWESOME!! We watched an old Alfred Hitchcock movie with Jimmy Stuart called "The Man Who Knew Too Much", enjoying the outdoor patio area and hearing fireworks explode in the distance. It was such a fun night! Can't wait to do it again!

More deck furniture

We had my family over for Father's Day and realized that 6 chairs on our deck wasn't enough...we had to bring a couple out from the kitchen.

The next weekend, Ben remedied that situation.

Chairs were on clearance at Lowe's, and they match the ones we have almost perfectly. And he bought that cute little table to go with them. Love it!

Homemade Pizza

I made a homemade pizza after all of Ben's hard work on the pond. This was one of our recipes that goes along with our "wine of the month" (our Christmas present from Jenn and Scott).

Yes, this is the wine from April! We're a little behind. I made the dough a couple hours in advance so it could rise. Then I spread it out into the pizza shape...

...made the sauce with some of the wine in it and let it simmer for a long time to cook down...

...shredded the mozzarella, and picked the basil off of our basil plant.

It was a simple cheese pizza, but the sauce was really flavorful, and the basil really added something to it.

If I could do it again, I'd smother it in basil instead of just the little sprinkling I had on there...basil is just so tasty. Also, I would make more than one!

Pond and Pool

Last weekend, Ben decided to clean out our pond in our back yard. Oddly enough, I think my dad cleaned it out exactly one year ago to that very day (I remember the date because I had come home for my grandma's funeral and he cleaned it one day when I was home). It was full of leaves and a big mess. When the hose stopped sucking water out, Ben did the rest himself with a bucket.

It looked nice and clean afterward. We're going to buy some fish to put in it.

I didn't help with any of this. Instead, I observed from the deck where I sat nice and cool in my baby pool, drinking iced tea and reading magazines.

Oh yeah, I am so cool. :)

Weekend with the Family

The weekend after the wedding in West Palm Beach, the whole family was in Louisville, including Quint, Reagan, and Noah, who were missing from the wedding. What a fun weekend! Love just hanging out with them, playing with the kiddos...

...delicious homemade pasta dinner...

...watching Ben successfully change a diaper...

...holding baby Vera...

...taking a walk with Reagan and Ellie, making zingers, the guys buying new shirts, family picture...it was a great weekend!

That Sunday night Carl and Deena took us out to Ruth's Chris (Reagan and Quint were at home with a baby sitter). The food was de-lish! The majority of the table either got the filet...

...or the stuffed chicken...

...but I got crab cakes...

...and everyone loved the sweet potatoes, among several other sides we ordered.

And of course, dessert:

We had some great discussion around the dinner table about church, about God's love, about how it is irrelevant what someone's sin is because we are all born with a sin nature and hopeless without the saving grace of Christ. Ben's brother Carl had some great insight as a preacher, and I think we all benefited from his wisdom.

Like I said...love being around the family, love the close connection between us and how we can have meaningful discussions. Wish they all lived in town so we could do this more often!