Bonnie & Galen

Jonathan's Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Galen came for a visit last Friday evening. They are Jonathan's dad's brother and sister-in-law. They came from Waxhaw, NC on Friday to visit Jonathan's dad in Maury on Saturday. They make this trip about every other month. Uncle Galen looks so much like Grandpa Ed (J's dad) that it almost feels like the kids are getting to spend time with him too. :) I know Ed is incredibly thankful to them for taking their time and money to come visit him so often. Good, good people. Galen and Bonnie are new grandparents to a beautiful baby girl, Estia. We enjoyed our visit with you guys!

Grandpa Ed has been in prison for 9 years including his time at the detention center. We pray for him and look forward to the day he is released! He is a great example to us on how to make the BEST out of a bad situation.

Looks like Uncle Galen learned the oreo trick...

You give Weston an oreo, and you're best friends for life.

Brother and Sister

I took a snack up to the playroom this morning. Weston took his right over to the table to sit down and of course Elliott follows him. I haven't ever set them down there for a snack so it was really cute.

Sharing maybe?

Uh oh, E's juice fell and she's going in for the good stuff...Weston's "Choc-co-cate" milk.

Notice Bentlie waiting patiently.

Celebrate Good Times!

Hey now, I can be cheesy with my title. Yesterday was Grey's birthday and Lanier's birthday party(today is his birthday!). They are 20 and 2. :) So yesterday was a good good day. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Happy Birthday Sissy!

Oh no she didn't!

New Boots!

Looks like Aaron must have taken these next pics!

Colby

The birthday boy!

2 Infinity...!

My best bud Morgan's son, Lanier, celebrated his 2nd birthday yesterday. Lanier is more of a donut guy, but I told Morgan I could make a cake for her to have as well. He loves Toy Story and especially Buzz Lightyear.

So...this is my second attempt at making a layered birthday cake. The first was Elliott's 1st birthday cake. The recipe I have used both times is Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa) Birthday Cake and Butter Frosting.

Ingredients

Butter, Flour, and then line the pans with Parchment

Butter and Sugar

The THICK batter

Ready for the oven

Works like a charm

First layers iced

Went with two 'Buzz' colors for dots b/w the layers

Thankful for 2 amazing years and many more to come!

Wrapped and in the fridge, ready for the party the next day

One thing I have learned from working with butter icing...it's not fondant! You aren't going to get it perfectly smooth.

Yummy Pasta

Tagliatelle with mushrooms, onions, and bacon happened here for dinner. It's the second time I've made this dish and we likey. Grey is pretty passionate about it. The butter sauce makes it interesting and different than what we are used to. As soon as the onions and bacon hit the hot pan, the aroma brings Jonathan out of his office.

This is a Tyler Florence recipe from his Tyler's Ultimate cookbook. I haven't been able to find this recipe anywhere on the internet, which baffles me. I swap out the cipolline onions it calls for with chopped onion to make it simpler, less expensive, and so that I actually want to cook it. :) I leave out the (fresh) parsley because I am not a big fan and it is one more ingredient to buy that I can do without. I do believe in making good food at home so that we will look forward to eating here. Sometimes "good food" can get expensive so I try to work around it when I can.

Mushrooms, Onion, Bacon, & Garlic hanging out

Getting the Parmigiano ready

Some of the starchy pasta water and butter, thickening

Pouring the sauce onto the pasta and adding the cheese

Toss it up and SERVE IT UP

Just in case...

Vanity Pictures!

So, the little vanity I talked about in my Being Vain blog is finished!

Here is what it looked like before-once Jonathan had sanded it and taken off the seat top.

Finished and in the bedroom! It's actually out from the corner a bit here and can fit inside the molding perfectly.

Now I just need to find some lighting for Jonathan to install on either side of the mirror.

Maybe I will recover the stool again with Elliott's left over curtain fabric in a few years and pass it on to her.

Thanks to craigslist I have a new vanity without having to spend much money at all. Yay for DIY projects!

Play Time!

We were so excited Morgan and Lanier could come over for a play date. We planned it around the time Elliott would be napping so that Weston and Lanier could play a little without sissy around. As they get older, play dates are getting more fun and interesting. They both love Buzz Lightyear, to slide, and get in and out of the cozy coupe. :)

Feb 12th 2010

Jan 3rd 2011

Morgan and I