If you want to be domestic clap your hands

Clap*Clap This weekend we took on a new challenge around here, and we made our debut attempt at homemade applesauce. We used three different kinds of apples, and a little hard work with the peeling, and soon we were smelling the yummy smells of Autumn, apples, cinnamon, and some secret ingredients.
James is getting ready to measure the amounts into our jars so that we can seal them up.
And a little while later this is what we have to show for our efforts...and full tummies as well. You know that you can't just make something this yummy and not eat it as you go, that would be silly.
Maybe one day I can actually say that I am kind of domestic, instead of just trying to be, but as for today, I will keep pretending.

What a Friday night should be

So I think that Friday nights should be spent with friends and yummy food, treats of course, and what better way to do that then hosting a little get together in celebration of Jackie's upcoming baby...in other words a baby shower. Lets see what was on the list...

Food: Check, and lots of it too.
Salads: Check! Thanks to Elizabeth and Emily Kelley for the perfect and yummy sides.
Treats: Check, Thanks to Brooke and her amazing baking skills we had pink conversation cupcakes, lemon bars*, chocolate eclairs, a candy station where you could fill up your own bags of treats, AND she even made sugar cookie favors that were yellow rubber duckies, and pink hearts all tied up in a decorated bag. Way to go Brooke.
Drinks: Check we had pretty much anything you could imagine to drink from smoothies, and soda, to festive lime water and a little celebration cider, yeah I think that you could say that we were covered if you wanted a drink.
And as the celebration started and we were just waiting for the guests to file in all eyes were on...
Jackie of course. Lets just say that she has a way with capturing the audience. She is so much fun.
Gifts: Check! This (not yet named) baby girl is not going to have to worry about not having anything to wear that is for sure.
Maddie and Leanne were happy to help Jackie unwrap all the gifts. And it was fun to see friends and family as we all enjoyed the evening full of talk talk talk and catching up with everyone.
I think that was a great way to spend a Friday night, what more could you ask for? Oh yeah and I am happy to say that we didn't have to rush anyone to the hospital for an unexpected delivery (Brooke, Jackie, or Paige...) although that could have made for an interesting story sometime down the road. Especially you Paige, seeing as you are only half way through. Glad everyone made it through safe and sound.

* special thanks to Justin for his assistance on the Lemon Bars, they were super yummy and I appreciate your assistance!

I spy...

I spy with my little eyes some place that I had never been before...
Where the security was very reminiscent of an airport...they even took the straws that I had for the kids drinks...because they were plastic!
The wait to get in was just part of the whole experience I suppose. Then as soon as we crossed through the second security gate we were finally there....Sea World that is. We started with a little...
Dolphin fun. And it is a good thing that it was hot that day because our dolphin friends were all about the splashing and sending the waves our way.
Reminds me of the ol' show Flipper.
Even Liv was all about the dolphins.
Yep Gwen was totally cool with being that close to the water, and her shirt was soaked after just a few minutes.
Harry also enjoyed the show, but he would have rather been in the water with them, that is why he is being restrained in James' arms. All was well, except I was starting out the day with the squidgy feeling of wet in flip flops...not really my favorite.
We would load em' up and move em' out to the next site, and I don't think that there was one time that the kids were ever in the same wagon around the park, it really was like musical mobility as we meandered around.

It was nice and cool in the aquarium where we spotted the sharks, piranha's, and other odd looking fish.

James showed Harry the big sharks, and then we were off to the next thing.
Soon enough we were to the rides part of the park, and James took Gwen on her first roller coaster ride,
She was in awe, she really liked it, so much so that before we left the park she asked if she could ride it again, and seeing as James just can't say no to that little face he took her for one more ride.
Time for a little lunch, and Harry was all about the watermelon, who knew he could open his mouth so wide.
We caught the Beluga Whale show and the kids seemed to enjoy that.

Then we went for a little swim. Well the kids did at least. Syl and I snuck off to ride some roller coasters of our own. Let me tell you I was glad that I hadn't eaten much for lunch.


After some more little things, and some more roller coaster rides with James we caught the final show of the day, and although it was SUPER cheesy I will admit that I wish that I had the guts that those animal trainers have to get in the water with the killer whales.

After a really long and hot day we were all ready to call it quits, so it was a slow ride to the exit of the park, and quite ride home. Whew, what a fun little day trip that ended up to be.
Thanks to Sea World for sucking us dry of energy, adrenalin, and cash, what more could a theme park offer.

weekend warriors

Weekend projects, who doesn't have them and love them. While James' parents were here we busted out a few of our own projects and here is one of them. We started with a little of this,
Needed a little of that...and a whole lot of sawing and painting and some power tool usage, add a big ol' mat from IKEA and what do you get...
A really cool play table for the kids room. It has four cubbies that are all cut into different shapes on the bottom, and the mat that has all the roads on it...
Finish it off with some toys and pint sized stools and what do you get...
A really fun play area that the kids can't get enough of. I love it and I think that it turned out so great, Thanks James and Brent for all the hard work.

look who came to visit

Hooray! Grandma and Grandpa Barlow came to see us, and that means that while they stay we are jam packing each day to try and fit in all the fun things that we can. Part of the reason that I have been so absent from the blogging world. So naturally since we are now in Round Rock we had to start off the first day with some Round Rock donuts. Mmmm.
Add some chocolate milk and a cupcake for Gwen and we had a fantastic breakfast to start off the day.

We also were able to head down town with Ryan's family to do something that I have been wanting to do since we moved here...See the Congress bridge bats of course.
We had dinner at Whole Foods and then off to the bridge and see the little flock of 1.5 million bats take flight at dusk.
Look both ways before you cross the street Harrison.
Waiting...waiting....waiting and then...
They started to fly out over by that big clump of trees so my camera didn't really pick up on them so well, but soon there were so many all over the sky it looked like dark clouds.
Kind of creepy, like there were swarms of huge bugs coming towards us...but really they were flying away.

Gwen really liked all the boats that were there for the show.
So did Harry, and did I mention that it was hot...um yeah that groddie glisten on my face is not the light...it is me sweating almost to death.
We also made time to dance a little around the giant guitars that are placed around downtown.

Love to dance, and run around with the cousins. It never gets boring. And nothing is boring when the grandparents are around.