May

May brought about:

A power surge that killed some lightbulbs and a few minor appliances.

Our first garage sale in years that yielded a paltry profit but was fun, none the less.

My first real haircut in over a year!  Eww.  About time.

Chelsea's first illness -- a cold.  Nate and I also got it.  It was mild but lingered.

An insanely hot Mother's Day.

I recall being barfed on about 3 times by 2 kids this month.

An insurgence of ants and spiders.  Double eww.

New flowers and plants in our front yard planted by yours truly.

Open House at Nate's preschool.

We have movement, people!  Chelsea is scooting around.

Praise the Lord! Goodbye ugly green linoleum in the kitchen. 

Nate's last day in Room 3 at BFUMCNS.  Only 87 days until Pre-K starts.

Chelsea turned 7 months and is in size 9-12 month clothes.

A move of sorts -- Lee and I now sleep in the den (long story).

Music Time. Maybe they'll be the next Carpenters. Yes, I am that old.

Happy girl showing off her dimples.

This is what happens when you take a picture just as somebody sneezes.

Kewpie Doll.

We water plants in our skivvies.

Sir Nathan of Cook Manor.

The King of my heart.

Angry Birds come to life!

I used to exercise on this trampoline when I was single.  Now my kid plays on it.  Story of my life.

Sunflowers 2013.  My 4th summer growing them.

She loves to wrinkle her nose at people.  We call it Chelsea's "stink eye" look.

And there she goes.  Gotta explore and put things in her mouth. Yea for us.

Roseanne Roseannadanna

I'm back!  The Cooks have been computer-less while our beloved laptop has been to see Mr. Fixit for the past two weeks.  How strange to be without a computer for 14 days.  We felt cutoff from the world.  My iPad (a gift from my former employer) kept us somewhat aware of goings-on but I don't care what Apple says -- a tablet does not replace a desktop/laptop!

So I'm suppose to be continuing with my post on photobook reviews but that'll have to wait.  I feel like I need to update this blog with activities in the lives of the Cook 4.  I have so many great photos of each of the kiddos, I feel they each deserve their own post.  Expect to see a "Chelsea" and a "Nate" post soon...

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this little gem.  Are you familiar with the term "Pinterest Fail?"  Well, I had one of my own.  I attempted to give my longer hair some beachy-like waves.  This is how it turned out:

 Which reminds me of this:

Guess I'll stick to wearing my hair straight...

Photobook Reviews: Intro

One of the few hobbies I have stuck with (goodbye jewelry making, so long scrapbooking, adios furniture redos) is photography.  My parents took many pictures of my brother and I, so I grew up with an appreciation for documenting our lives in picture form.  

As our family has grown from just Lee and I to the Cook Threesome and now the Cook Four, I have tried to adapt to the increase of photo-taking opportunities.  I originally printed pictures and put them in photo albums.  It was a fairly easy task; the hardest part was narrowing down the photos to a select few for each event and trying to put them in the albums in chronological order. But that didn't really satisfy my creative juices so I yearned for something else.  I tried traditional and non-traditional scrapbooking but that took up a lot of time and space.  Then, on a whim because of a Groupon, I tried digital photobooks.  Bingo!  I hit the jackpot.  

Why do I love photobooks?  First, let's talk about cost.  Photobooks are probably going to cost more than just putting pictures in a photo album.  But I believe you should never pay full price for a photobook.  There are deals galore out there that would either take a percentage off of the price or provide you with free shipping.   It pays to shop around. Secondly, I love that working on a photobook means just me and a computer.  I don't have piles of photos or scrapbooking materials sitting around getting in everyone's way.   And lastly, I think the effects (backgrounds, graphic elements, etc) are more appealing than anything I would come up with on my own.  This definitely satisfies my creative juices.

At this point, I have a "set list" of photobooks.  I create an annual book that has a double-page spread for each month and highlights our activities for each month.  I work on it through-out the year so that by December the entire book is complete and I've only had to spend limited time working on each previous month's pages (I have done the opposite and created an entire yearbook in December -- too much work at once -- don't do it!!).  I also create a separate book for Christmas because I take a jumbo amount of pics in December.  At some point, I want to create books that compile all of our photos from other holidays like Easter and Halloween.  I also have a wedding book to create -- it's about 8 years late but who's counting??

And here's another thing I like -- the projects remain on your profile so I can slowly start buying multiples (taking advantage of discounts/coupons!) so that Chelsea and Nate each have a copy of every book to take with them when they fly away from our little nest.  Imagine having to recreate old school photo albums for each child - nuts!  With one click, both of my kids can have a library of books showing off their childhood in a fun format.  

Are you convinced this is fun now??

So that's my intro.  Stay tuned for some sample pages and reviews of photobook websites. :)

Delish Shrimp

Another Pinterest recipe.  Thanks Pinterest!  I love shrimp and this was lick-the-plate good.  No kidding. It's so easy that it's almost embarrassing:

Melt 1 stick of butter.
Slice 1 lemon and layer on top of melted butter.
Top with fresh shrimp.
Sprinkle 1 packet of dried Italian dressing mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins.

Sweet Steps

Is there anything cuter than little girl shoes? 

Weekend Wishes

Pirate says "Yaarrrr, happy Friday mateys!"

Cowboy says "Have a rootin' tootin' good weekend!"

Betty Boop says "Where's my mask??"

How Do You Watch Cartoons?

When I was little, I had to eat a carrot while watching Bugs Bunny cartoons.  For Nate -- every morning he puts on his superhero cape and mittens to watch Team Umizoomi.  Spaceship pjs and OJ are also a requirement.

Warm Up with Chili

It's been a chilly day here and it's going to be an even colder night.  What better way to warm up than with a hearty bowl of chicken chili.  This recipe is in heavy rotation in our house during the winter months.  It's easy to make, smells great and tastes even better.

Southwest White Chicken Chili (serves 6)

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes

4 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

3/4 C. water (see note below)

1 1/2 C. frozen whole kernel corn

2 cans (15 oz. each) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Optional: sour cream, Cheddar cheese, cilantro

Heat oil in 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, onion, and pepper and cook until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender, stirring often.

Stir soup, water, corn and beans into saucepan and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with sour cream, Cheddar cheese or cilantro to serve.      

Note:  adding only 3/4 C. of water will make this chili very thick, especially the leftovers.  I like mine to be almost like a soup so I add additional water or chicken stock.  

Be Still My Heart

My Valentine #1:  didn't want to cooperate yet resigned himself to a photo while he held his Valentine's Day craft and treat.

My Valentine #2:  had no choice but cooperate while I took her photo since she can't maneuver her own limbs.

My Valentine #3:  my partner in raising #1 and #2.  My love.  My best friend.  My gardener (grows his own lettuce).