So on Monday I decided to try a new recipe that I found on Pinterest. The original recipe came from HERE. The only thing I changed in the recipe was how I cooked it. Cooking things on high for only 3-4 hours in a crock pot really isn't an option for me, so I turned it on low at about 7:30ish a.m. I took the first bowl and ate out of it at about 3:30 and it stayed on till 5:00ish when everyone was done eating. I thought this tasted really good however I felt the kale seemed a little overcooked. The potato's and sausage seemed perfect, so if I were to make this again and it was an option, I'd probably throw the kale in about 1/2 way through instead of at the beginning. Either way, I'm sure I'll make this again! It's not quit as great as Olive Garden's soup (but maybe that's because I didn't have the yummy bread sticks to go with it), but it's definitely good enough to make again!
So last weekend I finally had the chance to watch The Hunger Games movie. I loved the books and was really hoping I wouldn't be disappointed with the movie. I got it from The RedBox for free (gotta love finding coupon codes online) and watched it with a friend. Although there were obvious changes made from the book to the movie I believe they did a great job with it (unlike Water for Elephants - that was just to many changes, which ticks me off). Now I can't wait to see the second one (just starting to record it if I remember correctly). 
On that note, last night for dinner I made a Chili Dog Casserole. I originally found the recipe on Pinterest, which originated from THIS blog. Ingredients: 2-15oz cans of chili (I used one "normal" can of chili with beans and one can of spicy without beans), hot dogs (yes, I buy the $.79 ones at Woodmans cause I'm cheap, lol), tortillas, and cheese (I used a mix of Colby & cheddar). Okay, I know this definitely is not the most healthy thing I've ever made but on a lazy Sunday night it was just what I needed. With having the one can of spicy chili in there it gave the whole thing a nice little kick without being overbearing, so the kids could still eat it. Justin ended up coming over for dinner and I still have enough for 2 lunches (well 1 now since I ate one today). This recipe will be put in the "make again" category!
So a few weeks ago we picked up from the library That's What I Am. The main reason we picked it up was because of Randy Orton being in it (WWE wrestler that Connor really likes - and I think he's pretty nice to look :) ). I didn't really know what to expect from the movie but I really enjoyed it and recommend it to everyone. It's a great story about sticking up for yourself and others, even in the case when people believe something completely not true about you. I know most people probably haven't heard of this movie, but it's worth checking out. 
So almost 2 weeks ago we all went down to the VFW for a Generation's B-Day Party. The party was celebrating several of Scott's family/friends. The party was mainly to celebrate GG's 80th B-Day, but then we also celebrated a 20th, several 50th, some 60th, and some 70th Birthday's too. It was a lot of fun but we did cut out before 8 p.m. so we could go enjoy a bonfire at Aunt Missy's (since this summer has been crazy and we haven't had a chance to go out there as much as usual). 
So for this months book club, it was Jessica's turn to pick and so we read The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta. Overall we were all pretty torn on how we liked the book. A couple of people loved the book and a couple of people (myself included) seemed to not. I felt like there was way to many things left open that could have been addressed. Me & Sarah both felt it would have been more interesting if it would have focused more on the people who disappeared and how that happened. Either way it was a pretty decent book. It wouldn't be one of my first choices to recommend to someone but I wouldn't say not to read it, make sense? 
So a few weeks ago I finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed. This is actually the first book I've read on my kindle! I "borrowed" a copy from the Library for 3 weeks but didn't end up needing it for that long. I enjoyed the book and her journey on the trail. The thing I feel it was missing was more details about after she got off the trail. The story is all about how she changed on the trail and it tells us eventually where she ends up but doesn't really specify how long it took her to get there. Was it something immediate? Otherwise it was a very interesting book and I'm glad I read it. 
So a couple of weeks ago for work we had a pot luck. I made some of my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins but for Scott I decided to try a new recipe, so I went to allrecipes.com and found THIS recipe for Egg and Cheese Puffs. I followed the recipe exactly and they were a big hit. The recipe actually made several more than it stated it would so there where plenty of leftovers. I actually popped a small bagful in the freezer for later. Word of advise, use the metal liners for them. A bunch of people in the comments section said that without putting a liner they stuck really bad, so I used regular liners....and they still stuck really bad. A co-worker said to try the metal ones, so I'll do that next time I make these. 
So a few weeks ago was the Christian Family Reunion. There's always a lot of people and this year there was a lot of great food and a fun bouncy house for the kids to play in. This is the first time I've gone in a few years - for some reason they kept sending the invite to Scott & Amanda, so I refused to go until they got it right, lol, well this year they got it right. A difference this year was a kids raffle. Each kid got a ticket, and 5 kids got money. Savannah got to pick the $20 prize, and Ella won! Unfortunately we didn't get to stay long because it was the same weekend as the Festival, but next year they've moved weekends so that shouldn't be a problem. 
So it's been 2 weeks but I still wanted to write about the St. Dennis Festival. It's the annual festival that we do every summer, it's the church where we got married and both kids were baptized in. It's always a lot of fun. Lots to eat, drink, and games to play! Connor went to the treasure chest way to many times! And we played a ton of pop toss and filled our fridge up with Gatorade. Buddy & Connor both got their face painted and all of kids got balloon animals (none which lasted very long, lol - oh well!). It was a really fun weekend like always and now we get to count down until next year's festival!
So recently I checked out from the Library Sparkpeoples: 28 Day Bootcamp. Unfortunately I only got to check it out for a week so I only used the video 4 times. The whole DVD is an 84 minute workout (way to long for me, since there's always so much going on) but it is neatly broken into smaller segments. The first night I did one of the 20 minute sections, then the second night I did a slightly longer section and the 3rd and 4th I started from the top and did the warm up and the first 2 - 12 minute sections. All are really great workouts but I think I sweat more by starting at the beginning and doing those first sections. Either way, whichever combination you decide to do you'll get your heart rate going. The biggest criticism I have is that they seem to go really fast doing the exercises. Sometimes it took me awhile to really figure out what they were doing. I wish they would have slowed some of those down so I didn't feel like I was moving at hyper speed. Overall, I would say this is more of an intermediate DVD (b/c of the speed) but it is one that I will check out from the library again.
A couple of weeks ago was the Dane County Fair. We've gone on Sunday the last couple of years but not always with the same people. This year we went with the Moore family and with Scott's parents. I got some sugar covered nuts (yum), the Moore's purchased some tastey chips, and Jim & Pat bought some yummy wine slush stuff. And of course Connor had to go win his "fishy" friend! We only ever stay a couple of hours but it's always a lot of fun. I really wanted to take one of the cute bunnies that I saw home! The animals were probably the kids favorite part.
So a few weeks ago we went "camping" with Scott's sister's family & his parents. We waited to long to be able to get into any of the places that we wanted to, so we decided to save some money and camped in the back yard. Unfortunately Friday night Scott & I were super sick, so me and Savannah went home to sleep and Scott & Connor toughed it out in the tent. The big thing Saturday was the Aquatic Center but because of my swimmers ear from the previous weekend, I couldn't go, so Savannah and I went back home and took a good nap. Throughout the weekend there was a lot of yummy food to eat, we took a walk to Dairy Queen, and we also had some light saber duels in the backyard, lol. Other than being sick Friday night the weekend was a lot of fun.
So recently I finished reading One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf. This is the third book she's written, and I've read all of her books now. This particular one just came out at the end of June and as soon as I could I put myself on the waiting list at the library. I was excited to read her new book and I was not disappointed. Her writing always draws me in and I always finish her books very quickly. With having children, this book definitely brings to mind my worst nightmare of sending my children to school. Thankfully all turns well with very little injury to anyone in the story. I can honestly say, for once, I did not guess who the villain was and was surprised at the end of the story. If you've read her other books and enjoyed them, definitely pick up her newest one! Now is the wait until she writes another one! I'm sure I'll read that one right away too!
So about a week and a half ago I finished reading Beyond The Sling by Mayim Bialik. I've been meaning to read this book for awhile and had actually gotten it once before from the Library but at that time I just didn't have enough time to actually sit down and read it. I'm glad I finally got to read it. It reads very easily (read it in only a few days) and briefly touches on all aspects of Attachment Parenting. I follow some of the "rules" of attachment parenting but there are areas I do not. Even if you think attachment parenting is "crazy" I recommend you reading this book to get a good idea on what it's all about. It's really not all that "crazy" it's more about listening to yourself and trusting your instincts that you know how to parent your children. I'm really glad she has a reference section in the back of the book so I can get some more books on a couple of the subjects since within the length of the book she truly could not go into a huge amount of detail. 
So a little over a week ago now, while we were camping, we had to take a time out and drive back into Madison for Donovan's 5th Birthday party. Unfortunately we weren't able to stay for very long but I'm still glad we showed up for a little while at least. For his birthday we gave him a new sweatshirt that he should be able to wear for school this coming year and also one of those big Car's color, construct things that get super big. I hope he has a lot of fun putting that all together. I hope his birthday was fabulous and he received everything his five year old heart desired.
So last weekend with John & Carol we headed up north to Lodi to go camping at Smokey Hollow campground. OMG - it was a blast! They had a man made pond that was so much fun to play in. They had multiple different inflatable things to play on - several slides, a trampoline, etc. Connor kept track and he went swimming 6 times (Friday, 4x Saturday, and Sunday). Their little store had some yummy ice cream, slushies and some iced coffee and the campgrounds overall were pretty nice. So between swimming, and playing at the playground (right outside our camper - well Aunt Lori & Kari's camper that they let us borrow) we kept very busy. This is a place I would definitely consider going to again. 
So recently I finished reading the whole series of Fifty Shades by EL James. I read all 3 of the books in a little over a week, so I obviously enjoyed reading them. I really enjoyed the characters and I'm glad the entire book didn't 100% focus on the "adult scenes". From the way people were talking about it I thought it would be too over whelming and I wouldn't enjoy them, but I did. It's definitely not a type of book I would normally read but the characters kept my interest enough to finish out the entire series. Have any of you read the series? What did you think?
For the fourth of July we usually go to DeForest and watch the parade and sometimes go and walk around the park afterwards, not this year. It was so hot (100+ degrees) we decided to go up north to Devil's Lake for a day of swimming. The lake felt amazing and it was nice to get some sun. We went up with John & Carol and then Kari, Lori, Helen, Hanna and her friend joined us later. 
On my birthday I finished reading Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg. I enjoyed the story and thought it funny and outrageous at times but I really have a hard time believing that that stuff really happened to her growing up. It's just so ridiculous and horrible at times that it almost feels made up. As long as I pictured it as not-real I enjoyed the story and it was pretty quick read. Since then I've read several other books that I will post about, but currently I am finally reading "Beyond The Sling."
So about 2 weeks ago was my birthday. I can't believe how the years are just flying by. Aren't they suppose to be slow until you're older? Have I already reached the age where some of the years blur together and I'm not sure if it was this year or the previous when such and such happened? Ugh. I don't want to think about that right now. My birthday was pretty nice. We went to Lake Mills to go swimming, picked up some Subway on the way. Then went home and took a nap (I love naps if you didn't know that already). For dinner we went to the Great Dane and afterwards came back to the house for cake & presents. I received a Kindle Fire (which I love but still haven't actually read a book on it), some clothes, floor mats for my car (still have to clean it out so I can put them in), a new blender (really needed that) and a gift card to Boston Store (where I get my makeup). All in all I can't complain it was a nice birthday and I'm still glad I continue to take the day off of work each year. 
So for this month's book club we decided to read Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (we'll be meeting to discuss next Friday). It was a very quick read and I really enjoyed reading it. While reading it I could totally picture the movie, and I hope when I see it I wont be disappointed by it. The only part of the book that I did not like was the part with Walter & Camel. I really wish that would have turned out a little differently. Scott actually was "reading" (he gets the CD's and listens to it on the way to and from work - he's not much of a reader) it at the same time, so it was kind of fun to discuss and give eachother little hints about what was going to happen next. 
Working my way through my favorite cookbook, on page 59 of Taste of Home: Simple & Delicious is the recipe called Blackened Fish Salad. Ingredients: cajun blackened grilled fish fillets, deli pasta, baby spinach, and parmesan cheese. We used THIS pasta salad (my all time favorite!!!) and we actually forgot to put the parmesan cheese onto it (didn't realize until a couple of days later when we were having spaghetti and Scott went to use it and it hadn't been opened yet, oops!). I really enjoyed this recipe but unfortunately no one else in the house did. Scott isn't a big fan of the fish, and the kids devoured the pasta part of it they barley touched the rest of it. I hope I can convince them to make this again, but I might not be able too. 
So a little over a week ago was Father's Day. Scott received from us: 2 Angry Bird Shirts, and 1 Fruit Ninja Shirt (Scott loves novelty t-shirts and I have to start replacing all of his old ones because the Larges look like they fit Scott, but they don't. After you wash them once or twice they end up being way to short), we also cooked a nice dinner on Saturday night, and also there is a promise to get a new cell phone for him (and me) when we have time to go get it done. That morning we woke up and went to breakfast at the VFW with Scott's family and then we headed to the zoo with them. We walked around for awhile and then had a nice picnic lunch right outside. Then the kids got to play on the playground for awhile then we headed home for a nap. For dinner we were going to go to Aunt Missy's but she text to cancel so instead we went over to the Moore's house and ordered Glass Nickel - yumm! I love their stuff and could eat there almost every day, but it's a little pricey to do that and I would get super fat, lol. I hope all the Daddy's out there had a wonderful day. 
So recently I finished the third and final book in the series, "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest" by Stieg Larsson. Wow. What a series! I really enjoyed reading the entire series and liked how he finished everything. Like the other two books there is a lot of background information, which some of it I lost track of and couldn't keep straight, but overall the stories flowed very smoothly and kept my interest. I really can't wait until they come out with the other movies, it'll be interesting to see how closely they follow the storyline. 
So recently we finished reading "The Story For Little Ones". I'm so happy we stumbled upon this when visiting Crosspointe Community Church in Michigan. The chapters are perfect size to read to the kids, and actually we would read it twice, just to make sure Connor heard most of it, and then we'd ask him what happened in the chapter. We're not a very religious family, and only attend church once in a great while, but I do what my children to have some sort of basic knowledge in religion and when they're older they can choose for themselves. 
I know its been a couple of weeks, but I wanted to post Connor's super cute 4k Graduation Picture. They had a little ceremony, sang 2 songs, handed out their diplomas and then we got to eat some snacks and play outside for awhile. Not very long (a co-workers was 2 hours long........can't imagine what they would do for 2 hours, lol) but at least it was something (a friend of mines didn't have a ceremony for 4k). It was a lot of fun and I'll miss all of his little friends that I knew all by name. Most of the kids he will never see again, he will see a couple at his birthday party and maybe he'll stay in touch with one or two though out the year - I really hope him and his bff Matthew will stay in touch, but it will be hard since they wont be going to the same school next year. Can't believe my baby will start kindergarten in September!!
Earlier this month Savannah had her 18 month check up and she's perfect, like always. She is still slightly delayed in her speech but she's very advanced in her small & large motor skills and problem solving, and since kids develop at such different rates, she's just fine. Her biggest problem is she wont sit still long enough to learn new words and when she does finally say a new word she will only say it once, if you keep asking her to say it she wont (she said Ella the other day, clear as day, but only once, lol - stubborn!). She is 32.25 inches tall (62.3% on the WHO chart) and 20lbs11oz (24.7% on the WHO chart). So although she is tall & skinny, she is definitely staying on the same growth line. However, if you look at the dumb CDC chart she's only 5.65% for weight. I'm not sure why they still have that chart out there, it's invalid and makes parents worry. It took me a long time to figure out that the WHO chart more accurately reflects Savannah's growth and the CDC chart is outdated and I can ignore it. 
Almost 2 weeks ago we headed out to Marshall to Celebrate AJ's 2nd Birthday! I really can't believe that this little guy is 2, which means before we know it Savannah will be 2! Craziness!! The Browne family parties are always fun with good food and yummy cake. For his birthday we gave AJ a pair of shorts and a matchbox truck. A really cool birthday surprise he received was getting to take a lap around the block in a real racecar, and all the kids got to climb in and sit in it too! I hope his birthday was amazing, even though he wont remember it when he is older, but I hope he'll be able to tell from all the pictures how much he is loved!
So almost 2 weeks ago, June 1st, Miss. Savannah turned 18 months old. Where did the time go? She is finally starting to say a few words here and there (but only when she wants to, if you ask her to, she wont do it). She's also learned how to climb on everything (more so than before, if that's even possible!) and nothing is out of reach to her. If she can't reach it, she'll figure out a way to move something to get what she wants. She is just the funniest little person, who just has way to much personality for her size, which is exactly why I call her Tink (Tinkerbell - little with attitude). Also to note, I finally upgraded her to size 18 month clothing! Thank you Katie for providing us with so many cute Lily clothes! I love this little "naughty" girl and can't imagine my life without her. 