Friday Photo Love

I don't have a lot to share, but here are some of my favorite pictures from this summer.

1. Ice cream after a "Deer Ride" 2. Figherfighter high five 3. Weathered Birdhouse 4. Feeding a little lamb


For some real photo inspiration, check out Lisa Clarke at Polka Dot Cottage!

Thankful

We had a very busy week, and I'm not sure we're going to be getting a break anytime soon, so you may not be seeing a lot of me here (or anywhere).  And although it's not Thanksgiving, I would like to share some things I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for every minute we get to spend up at my grandfather's (now my uncle's) cottage.

I'm thankful my mom was relatively unharmed after her car accident.

I'm thankful for our tank of a car that might as well be a Duck after the floodwaters we drove through.

I'm thankful for my husband that keeps his head in stressful situations, and makes me feel safe and loved.

I'm thankful for my oversized green chair when the kids come and snuggle on my lap just before bed.

A New Week

Did you have a good weekend?  Ours was great.  Not only did we have the rummage sale, but we attended a parade that Tommy was in & enjoyed the company of our friends for a little grilling action.

This week will be filled with getting back on track.  First things first:  I stayed away completely from caffiene today!  In fact, I've only had water to drink.  I don't remember the last time my only beverage for the day was water... in fact, I'm not sure that I ever have.

Unfortunately, someone brought in an absolutely delicious, very sweet apple cake.  I lasted until noon, and then I couldn't take it anymore.  I figured it was lunchtime anyway, I'd just try a bite.  Well, a bite turned into a piece, which, over the course of the afternoon, turned into 4 pieces.  Ouch.   I've decided that I have a sugar addiction, and as such, I need to go into rehab (read:spa).  ;-)  OK, maybe it's not that extreme, but I do need to start seriously watching it...and maybe I should just stay away from sweets completely.

I did squeeze in about 15 minutes of yoga tonight.  One word of advice:  DON'T eat before yoga!  Never!  Just wait until you're done.  Ok, it may be just me (because I know my body is strange), but eating before practice makes me sick to my stomach.  And yes, this is the 2nd time it's happened to me.  To my defense, I hadn't planned on practicing tonight, it was a spontaneous decision. 

One last thing to share before closing up shop tonight.  Check out what I got in the mail today for free! 

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer and enLIGHTened by Jessica Berger Gross.  How did I score these for free you ask?  My Points!  I earned enough points for a $25 dollar gift card to Barnes & Noble just by reading emails & taking surveys.  If you'd like to join, email me & I'll send you a link to join!

Garage Sale Day

"Look honey... They salein' the garage!" (In my husband's goofiest southern voice)

We're having a garage sale today... so, stop by!  We're behind the Menomonee Falls High School on Oxford Street.

Also, Caylin is selling Kool-aid and chocolate chip cookies. 

 Her biggest customer so far... is Maya.  ;-)

We'll be here until 4pm today and 8am-2pm on Saturday.

For a short list of what we're selling, visit our post at Craigslist!

Hope to see you!

Gelato

Mike starts a new job tomorrow, and grandma offered to keep the children overnight, so we decided to treat ourselves to some gelato.

He's been around the world 3 times, and he's never had it.  In fact- he's been to Italy more than he can remember.  Can you believe that??

Granted, I'd never had it either... but the furthest I've been is Belize.  I can't believe it's taken us this long.  But, it's a first we've been able to share together, and those are so few and far between.  Oh yeah... in case you don't already know, gelato is amazing.  I can't believe I've been missing out on this.  I'm never gonna have a 31" waist at this point!!

And what a pretty view of a little gazebo across the river.

Happy New Job Baby!!!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Yum!  I don't know what the deal is this year, but I've been craving some Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.  I had never made it myself before this summer, and I had only ever eaten it once before, back in highschool... 10+ years ago! 

I used this recipe, at the Food Network, and altered it to fit my needs... Here are the changes I made:

1.  I used Jiffy Pie Crust Mix... the kind that comes in a box and all you add is water.  I know- what a cheat!

2.  This time around, my rhubarb was not fresh, although for my 1st pie it was.  I'll let you know if I notice a difference, but right now, the pie is still baking!

3.  Minute Tapioca??  What the heck is that??  Nevermind.  Per the suggestions at the bottom of the recipe, I substituted 6 Tbsp of Corn Starch, and the 1st pie held together beautifully.  Like I said... 2nd pie is still baking, but I don't think there should be an issue.

4.  I don't have any large granule white sugar.  I have Large Granule Red & White Sugar, for Valentine's Day Cookies, and Regular White Granule Sugar, but no Large Granule White Sugar.  So, on the first pie, we it looked like a Valentine Pie.  It was kind of odd eating it (although it tasted great!).  This time we're trying just regular sugar. 

PS... Apologies for the last 2 pictures... I'm still learning the settings on my camera!!

PPS...Totally forgot I was boiling pasta while typing this!!! Good thing I went & checked on this pie!