Welcome Fall!

Well I have conceded. It's no longer summer.

We welcome fall in our house by going to our old road and hunting for chestnuts. It's like an Easter egg hunt, but without the chocolate.

Amaris has developed a rather interesting 'camera smile'. Yes, it's this little gem here:

Hmmmm. What can I say about that. She smiles like this almost every time I ask her to smile for the camera. Hilarious!

Mister Mister

My little guy Jamison is 11 months old now. I can't even believe it. I was reading through my blog and there is post after post with pictures and updates on Amaris, and poor Jamie has nothing.

Let me give the LD (that's Low Down for you less gangster people out there).
He is the most amazing baby. He rarely every cries or whines. We joke that when he does, it's just to keep in practice incase he ever needs it. He is a whirlwind of activity and never stops, he crawls almost as fast as I can walk. He eats more than Amaris does at every meal. He weighs almost 23lbs. He has strawberry blonde hair and dark dark pond water green eyes.

He laughs like everything is a joke, he clicks his tongue and pops his lips and waves like crazy man all the time. He is very verbal and 'talks' all the time, he has an incredible deep and raspy voice and it melts my heart. He says "Oh wow" and "Oh boy". And he says "Daan" for all done. I think he may be saying Mama too, but it's hard to tell what just sounds are and what they know they are saying.

Pinterest

There's a growing phenomenon in the blogging community, and I'd have to say, it's worth the buzz! It's Pinterest. And it's cool. At first I didn't understand the hype, but suffice to say after spending awhile on the site, I'm hooked!
It's such a super place for inspiration. Here's what I'm digging on it:
*Yes, it's all baby related. I'm nearing completion on Amaris' room, and just starting to get idea's for Jamison's nursery.*

LOVE the bright open windows, and dreamy breezy curtains. But the realist in me points out, would baby ever nap with all that energy streaming in!?

So far this is winning. Love the bursts of orange and gentle neutral base.

I so totally just brought a bunch of driftwood home in the truck this week for the purpose of hanging some type of mobile off it. Love this! And what a swell crib.

How darling is this idea? A baby footprint growth chart, doubling as super cute wall art!

Small Rant

Wow, talk about been awhile! Like three months awhile!
When I'm lying awake at night unable to sleep there are a few things I think about blogging. The big one is, I have a BIG, UGLY, horrible story about Jenner Chevrolet in Langford, B.C. and the 'service' there. I keep meaning to contact Better Business Bureau, or post a google review (I tried, but it didn't post for some reason, maybe it was too long and too full of colourful language? (Just kidding about the colourful language, but it was long)).

Anyways I'll post the longer version later when I feel like getting nice and worked up, but right now just to get the word out there, NEVER GO THERE WITH YOUR BUSINESS! They lied to our faces, double dipped from our pocket and our warrenty coverage, lied to the other dealerships trying to help us, GM head office, and tried to steal our papers proving that they were doing shady business! Sickening.

I can only imagine how many people went through the same thing and never found out they payed for something that Jenner also claimed from the warrenty coverage. Hello 'dollar dollar bill ya'll' for the employees. Sad faces for the customers.

David's Birthday

So I spent a week of cleverly hiding the planning of David's 27th birthday. I don't know what possessed me to do a surprise birthday, but I thought it would be fun. It was, but the anticipation and planning was a lot of work! So this is what David did, he went out shooting and firewood cutting with his boys. The photos are taking forever to get in the right order, so just accept the jumbled mess that was the jumbled day of his birthday!

David and his mom with the kids.



Oh Amaris, and the smushed window face.

David Jr. shooting, and my Dad, David Sr. having a turn.

Bear and Jesurun and the two trucks full of wood.

My beautiful table. Mind you, it looked better before all the mess of people eating happened.

Want to learn how to make the tissue paper pom poms you see in the pictures? Check it out!

Calm Before the Storm

It always blows me away how calm can turn into mayhem so easily with two small humans in my life. Take today for example, I am sitting on the couch, feet up, writing to-do lists (my personal therapy) and trolling through the internet for birthday ideas for my almost 27 year old hubby. Kids are calm, Jamison is playing on the floor, Amaris has taken care of her potty needs and is reading a book while sitting on her toilet. Life is peaceful, productive even, in the sitting with my feet up sense of the word.

Queue the storm/mayhem/crying/spilling/mess.

Within about 15 seconds life went from the above to the directly above mentioned scenarios. I hear a BANG of something crashing to the floor, followed by a hiss (yes I was weirded out too from my couch cushioned spot) then silence. For about 10 seconds. Then the freaking-out-age. I run over to the toilet and Amaris is COVERED from head to toe (literally) in soda pop! We had stacked left over coke on the shelf in the kitchen (yes her potty was in the kitchen) and somehow, this is still a mystery, it fell off and exploded at her feet. And I mean EXPLODED! Her book, her hair, her body (she was also sitting on the potty nekked, that's how we roll) the pantry cupboard, the shelf, all the canned goods, her potty, the floor, the garbage can. Imagine shaking a can of pop and then water gunning it out onto the kitchen and your kid. That was the scene before me. Sigh, say goodbye to a calm morning.

Anyways the ensuing mayhem ruffled Jamison's feathers and so he decided to join in the crazy. So the only thing Amaris hates more then being covered from head to toe in pop is the bath. Which continued her joy as I turned on the water and threw her in as I raced around trying to deal with the 8 month old in need of a nap and the sticky rain in the kitchen.

All in all the world is back up right, the kitchen is cleaner then before the great pop explosion of 2011. Thanks to my Dad for saving my butt and scrubbing the shmeck while I dealt with meltdowns 1 & 2. I love my family.

Naan Pizza with Curried Chicken and Asparagus

Thought I'd share a new delicious recipe I found in a magazine. I got the magazine 'House and Home' a 2009 issue from the library and the returned it after writing down the recipe. Then I took all my ingredients out of the fridge and freezer and went to get my recipe - it wasn't there!! And trust me you can NOT find this recipe by googling it. Anyways I found my recipe again and though the Internet should have it, since it doesn't already.

Naan Pizza with Curried Chicken and Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus (app. 15)

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp curry powder

3/4 cup tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup plain yogurt

salt

6 Naan

1 cup (or more depending on preference) monterey jack

(I used a bit of mozzarella and a bit of mixed monterey)

fresh cilantro

lime wedges

Place asparagus in a large salted pot of water, boil 1 minute, then plunge into ice water. Drain when cool, pat dry, cut into short lengths you think would be good to chomp on in bites.

Fry onion in butter, add chicken, cook till golden, add garlic and curry powder, cook 30 seconds or so longer. add tomato sauce and water, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stir in yogurt and salt.

Heat oven to 400F, place naans on baking sheet, top with chicken mixture, add asparagus, sprinkle with cheese, bake 6-9 minutes or until cheese melts.

Garnish with cilantro, serve with wedge of lime for delicious squeezing flavour.

Serves 4-6 people depending on how hungry your eaters are, David eats two himself and I only eat one.

Enjoy!