The Way Summer Is Meant To Be....

For the past few days, AC and B have played outside literally from sun up to sun down.  Our neighbor's grandchildren are visiting her and my 2 couldn't be happier.

Slip and slide, water balloon fights, hide and go seek, catching fireflies....only stopping for popsicles and required meals.

A great start to summer!

A Favorite Appetizer

Kelly's Show Us Your Life for this week is favorite appetizers.  I had a hard time choosing just 1 because I love appetizers!  I decided on this one since many of you might have tons of cherry tomatoes from your garden (or the grocery!)

Bacon-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
makes 36-48

2 pounds large cherry tomatoes
salt to taste
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and finey crumbled
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonaise

Place the tomatoes on their stems ends and cut off about 1/4 of the blossom ends.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp with a small spoon.  Salt the inside of the tomatoes lightly and invert to drain.
Combine the bacon, scallions, and mayonaise in a bowl and mix well.  Spoon the mixture into the tomatoes with a small spoon.  Chill until serving time.
*You can substitute softened cream cheese or got cheese for the mayonaise.

This is what Roseola looks like....

Lyla James woke up from her nap yesterday with a rash all over her head and chest.  By this morning, it was also covering her back, arms, and bottom.  She has been running a little bit of a fever and she has been a little fussy, but nothing major. 

It always makes me uncomfortable when people say to me, "At least you know what your doing since you've had twins before," because usually I don't feel like I know what I'm doing at all.  But in this case, experience was beneficial.

When AC and B were right around 10 months, my Dad and I flew to New York with both babies and I kid you not, as soon as we were in the air, AC broke out in this horrible rash and screamed for the next 2 hours.  I absolutely panicked thinking she was reacting to something in the recirculated air of the plane.  A few days after we arrived, Brian started running a temperature that climbed to 105 degrees.  1 Emergency Room visit and 2 pediatrician visits later, it was decided they had Roseola. 

So, I was pretty sure that was what it was...that rash is hard to forget.  Back to the peds office we went and yes, it's Roseola.  The good news is when the rash appears, the virus has pretty much run it's course.  The bad news is it highly contagious for other babies....so now we wait and see if MC is next.

Ode to Medela

You have worked hard through 4 babies, bringing each of them "liquid gold"

You came home from the hospital with us when we had to leave Anna Cate and Brian behind and witnessed me calling the nurses every 2 hours to get updates.

You have accompanied me on many girl's night out trips and family vacations....

I can do a pretty good impersonation of the sound you make, as can my oldest 2 babies.

R.I.P. You will be missed

1. After taking MC to the peds Fiday and being diagnosed with an ear infection, we went back today with all 4 kiddos having fever, sore throats and congestion.....the diagnosis is viral should clear out in the next 24 hours.....you just have not lived until you have taken 2 -6 year olds and 2-9month olds to the peds office alone
2. Yesterday was the kick off for our library's summer reading program.  They do such a great job with prizes, activities...we met up with friends to watch a local martial arts school perform....thank you, God, for great friends who jump in to help when I am crazy enough to take 2- 6 year olds and 2-9 month olds to the library alone....J- if your children get the aforementioned virus, I am SO sorry and I will deliver Starbucks.
3. To end on a happy note, it is hot as blazes here already (not such a happy) and that means "cold suppers."  If you don't live in the South, this might be an unfamiliar term, but it basically means it is too hot to eat anything remotely hot.  We love to grill (and not heat up the kitchen), but sometimes..like when it's 97 degrees, you need a cold supper.  Chicken salad and tuna salad are all good options, but we tried something new tonight....salad bar night- cold grilled chicken (aka leftovers), hardboiled eggs, chopped avocado, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, artichoke hearts,cheese, bell pepper, green onion, crumbled cooked bacon, lettuce, spinach, you get the idea.  The kids loved building their own salads and I loved how easy it was.  Definitely something we will do each week this summer.

Supper in your eyelashes=  loved

We went to my parents' this weekend
to celebrate the engagement of this sweet couple....

my cousin, Rachel, and her fiance, Wes.

Aren't they adorable?

  It was so fun to meet Wes's parents and we are excited to have them join our family!

Rachel, her maid-of-honor, my sister, Lauren, and  Krista.

  Lark Events, Lauren and Krist's event planning business, did such a beautiful job!

Rachel, me, and the baby of our family, Brad. 

Brad and Lauren's husband, Richard.

 Uncle Brad is loved by these boys, especially when he introduces them to the finer things in life like whipped cream sprayed directly in your mouth!

 The babies enjoyed their first "cousin adventure"....quite the line up

Lyla James lover her "La La"

Such a fun weekend!....

despite the fact that I came home looking like I had gone a few rounds in the boxing ring and lost.

Lyla James woke up Sunday morning at 3am screaming bloody murder.  I went running acrooss the room in the dark, tripped over a chair, and was airborne until my face unfortunately met a table.  Black eye, large gashes down my face, and carpet burn on the other side of my face....all in a day's work. 

 It's a good thing I love my job!

Coconut Pound Cake

This is the best pound cake ever!!

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canola oil
2 cups self-rising flour (sifted)
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
1 1/2 small cans Baker's coconut

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 taspoon coconut flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In the mixer, cream the eggs and sugar.  Add the buttermilk and eggs and mix well. Add the flour and mix well.  Add the coconut flavoring and coconut.  Bake in a tube pan for 45 minutes.

For the glaze,  bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan.  Boil 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Add the coconut flavoring.  Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan.  Pour glaze over the cake and let it soak for 7 minutes.  Shake and remove from pan.

Head over to Kelly's for tons of sweet recipes!