Avoiding Work

Back again! Can you tell that there are about eighty bazillion things I should be doing in my house...being productive? But instead, I get sidetracked by blog posts. Much more fun. The housework can and WILL wait (unfortunately...)

This week, I found a cute summer recipe that Eli could help with and that would cool us all down after the 100 degree + heavily humid days.

Watermelon Pie

It was very easy with only 4 ingredients and NO BAKING! That is my kind of summertime treat. I used:

• lime sherbet - for the rind
• vanilla frozen yogurt - for the inside of the rind
• raspberry sherbet - for the fruit
• and mini chocolate chips - for the seeds

Using a spring form pan, I lined the outer edge with the lime sherbet (after letting it sit on the counter for a bit to soften.)

My outer layer turned out to be a little too wide, so shoot for about an inch wide and mine was about an inch tall as well. I then put it in the freezer to harden the first layer. Next, I added a small vanilla layer inside of the first one, about an inch thick.

I used an icing tool to try to flatten and even out the layers, and as you can see, they weren't perfect, but good enough. And then again, back to the freezer to solidify before adding the middle. While it was hardening, I enlisted the help of my assistant:

Eli helped mix the chocolate chips (while sampling, of course) into the slightly softened red sherbet and added it to the center of our pie.

After letting it all freeze solid, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, pop off the spring form, slice, and serve.

A very cute and refreshing summer dessert. Eli ate his slice all up and then mooched off of Mommy and Daddy's plates for more.

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And on a totally unrelated note, summer is winding down (NOOOOO!!!!!!) Only 2 weeks left before I go back for pre-planning. Sigh! As if that weren't bad enough, Eli had his last gymnastics class of the summer today. They had a free day, complete with a ball pit and other cool equipment.

E loves gymnastics; he loves to hang, climb, and tumble. Forward rolls and the trampoline are favorites. He is a good listener, follows Coach's directions (usually), and remembers the rules like: "Don't. Let. Go!"

Our little monkey is already asking when classes start back up again. Thanks Coach, we had another fun semester.

Showered

This past Saturday, my sisters and I had the honor of showering our beautiful, bride-to-be sissy, Lindsey.

It was a lot of fun seeing all of the ideas for decor, food, and favors come together for a fabulous day.

It is always a pleasure to shower a loved one as she gets ready to take on the next chapter of her life.

It was also fun having my sisters in town for the weekend...we went ahead and made an entire weekend out of it. After the shower we headed to SGI for a little bachelorette getaway weekend.

Theresa treated us all to these adorable glasses and charms.

And now everyone is back in their respective hometowns (boo!), but luckily, the wedding is only 37 days (yay!)...and we get to celebrate all over again. Very very exciting stuff!

The Bump

I have been hesitant to post a belly pic...can never seem to get one that I'm willing to share, but I am finally *OK* with one.

The baby bump in all its glory....at almost 23 weeks (currently nearing 24 weeks.) And no doubt about it, I am definitely showing faster the second time around.

Baby Boy Carson continues to grow well and be healthy. The daily movements and kicks are truly the best part about being pregnant (besides the outcome, of course!) Eli loves to kiss my belly, pray for Jellybean, and sing songs to the little 'bean. The little one already loves his brother and tends to become active when he hears Eli's voice, especially when he sings "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" to my tummy. Just precious. Eli was able to feel a kick for the first time this week. He was in awe.

We continue to welcome your prayers throughout the pregnancy.

Just wrapped up a fabulous weekend filled with a wedding shower and beach bachelorette trip to celebrate my beautiful bride-to-be sister, Lindsey.

I hope to be back later in the week to share some of the pictures and fun.

Follow-up to Tenderhearted

Eli and I encountered several spiders at Grandma and Grandpa's house today, and I totally figured that after seeing Charlotte's Web yesterday, he would be fascinated and maybe even bring up Charlotte's name. I *expected* him to remember Charlotte and possibly experience some of the emotions he did yesterday.

What did he do instead, you may wonder....?

He tried to stomp on them.

I guess these spiders were just not as endearing as Charlotte, the talking, super web-writing spider from the movie. And although he loved her and was so sad for her....these spiders were still just icky critters with webs that freak him out when he runs into them.

Oh well. Note to self: Eli's sympathy and compassion for movie spiders does not translate to real-life spiders.

Tenderhearted

I took Eli to see one of the "free summer movies" offered at a local theater in town. A great way to beat the heat. This week's G selection was Charlotte's Web, and I couldn't resist the desire to show him a classic that I loved in my childhood....only to be surprised that it was the 2006, non-cartoon, remake. Secretly, I was now more excited as this one would be new to me too.

Well, as most of you know (or at least I hope you know...beware...spoiler alert!!), the beloved spider, Charlotte dies after saving Wilbur, the pig, from the smokehouse with her fancy web spinning at the county fair. Eli was devastated.

My little Mr. Sensitive did not just cuddle with me and cry as the credits rolled, but as soon as we were in the car...the waterworks started up again. All the way home, he sobbed while asking questions about the "circle of life" (25 minutes!!!) Through the loss of his grandmother, sadly, he has already learned about death and prays for his loved ones who have passed on every night, but the movie some how stirred up his emotions about it once again. This time he asked me if everyone dies, if he would die, would I die, would Daddy die, when will we die, and so on. It just broke his heart (and mine...), and no matter how much I tried to convince him how awesome Heaven is, he just couldn't stop the tears. I did my best to share what the Word teaches us about death and Heaven; how each day is a gift from God, and that we should do our best to live each day fully.

Have to admit, it reminded me of these truths and the reality of them....

Thankfully, we came home to have lunch and a yummy blueberry popsicle.

And even though the tears were gone, as he played quietly before nap, I heard him talking to his animals about Wilbur and Charlotte, and how Charlotte went to Heaven.

He is such a sweet, tenderhearted soul.....

...who has recently found a love of "Silly Bands."

Love him!

Any Readers Out There?

I know that most of this blog is dedicated to Eli (now Jellybean too...) and his adventures, likes, and dislikes. Every now and again I throw in a family story or a recipe. I don't think I've ever shared that I'm a reader. Since Eli has been born, I don't read quite as much as I used to, but I still manage to read at least a book a month (thanks to my FABULOUS book club...a shout out for my FLWW!) And since I share Eli's favorite book finds, it is only fitting that I share some of mine as well.

I cannot begin to list all of my favorites, so I will just go with the latest page-turner.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom was an outstanding novel. An honest-to-goodness page-turner. I felt that every scene could have been the climax of the novel; so many ups and downs. Now, I tend to like historical novels...and this one follows suit. It takes place on a tobacco plantation in Virgina in the late 18th century. The story follows the life of an orphaned, Irish indentured servant who, at age 7, comes to live and work with other slaves on the plantation. The dynamics of a white servant living amidst the black slaves is an intriguing one that made for a wonderful story.

Along with historical novels, I tend to favor ones that have very well-written characters; the more the better. Ms. Grissom does not dissappoint....there were characters I loved and characters I loved to hate.

If you are looking for a good read, check it out. I don't think you will be disappointed.

And on that note....I'm always looking for good reads. It doesn't have to be historical. I also enjoy reading about different cultures or lifestyles that I don't know a lot about. Now, I do read a lot....so many times I get suggestions for books I have already read. Don't let that stop you from throwing a title into the mix. I don't want to let the good ones get away!

Rice and...

whatever!

This summer I am hooked on rice mixed with something tasty for lunch. I love these 90 second pouches of brown rice.

They cook up so quickly, and it is always perfect.

As for mix-ins, I have been favoring black beans or edamame.

This week we mixed it up a bit with the "fiesta" edamame mix when Publix was out of shelled edamame. It was also very good. And as an added bonus, Eli also finds these dishes to be delicious lunch time fare.

Gotta love the quick and easy lunches that both E and I enjoy. One can only eat so many PB&J sandwiches.