September Recap

Man oh man.

Where has September gone?!

I'm feeling completely and utterly depressed with how fast this month has gone by.

I feel like with each new month, the time goes by faster and faster. 

This month was an incredibly fun month for us. 

The weather started to get cooler on most days but we still got some random 80 degree days which were nice since we weren't quite ready to say goodbye to summer.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year and here in Rochester the season is just perfect.

The crisp cool air, the changing leaves, all the pumpkin things to eat and drink. 

I don't think that there would be any way that I didn't think life was perfect during this time of year.

We've been SO busy all month with adventures and projects.

We went on so many nature walks and to science museums

 Baked yummy treats and drank warm apple cider.

 Had play dates and adult dates.

Spent time with family and shared thousands of laughs.

 We grew and learned.

We were thankful for each new beautiful day.

Next week marks the beginning of a new month. 

One of my most favorite months. 

With the start of the new month Josh is leaving for a week for a business trip for his awesome new job so we'll be missing him but we have the whole week filled up with plans already so it will make missing him hurt a little bit less.

We've never been thousands of miles apart before.

We've never been apart for more than one night.

We're so thankful for this new opportunity though and thankful to God for meeting our needs during one of the hardest financial seasons of our life.

Things are looking up and God is always faithful.

(how awkward is this photo?! Josh likes to make my life as weird as possible.^)

I'm so excited to be closing this month and beginning a new.

I can't wait for pumpkins and hiking and costumes and cozy nights!

Thank you Jesus for this beautiful life. 

xo.

Penny: 3 Months!

Now, don't get me wrong...I love the whole squishy newborn phase but once my kids hit 3 months old, it seems like things get a whole heck of a lot more fun!

3 months still seems so fresh and so new, and it is, but my kids like to grow up really fast and start doing things that they shouldn't. 

I wouldn't mind it if they stayed helpless and tiny maybe just a little bit longer...like maybe until 5 months?

But no, they think that they have to be independent and crazy when they hit that 3 month mark.

With Viv I was always shocked at how fast she completed milestones and how young, but with Penny I have come to just know that it's going to happen soon because she is so much like Viv in that aspect.

So, without further ado...here's Penny's 3 month list of accomplishments, likes and dislikes:

Accomplishments:

- Rolling over  

She is rolling over ALL the time. As soon as you set her down, she rolls. She rolls off her blankets and across rooms. She's super tiny so it's really quite weird to see - Josh still can't get over it. 

- Scoot-crawling

Now, believe me or not on this one, but this kid...this tiny, tiny human...she gets around. She rolls over onto her belly, puts that adorable little butt of hers up in the air and scoots forward! It's mind-blowing. Viv wasn't crawling until 4.5 months and even though this isn't really "crawling", it's dang close and I'm scared about having another mobile kid so soon!

- Reaching and playing with toys

She's been enjoying holding little toys for awhile now but just recently she started to reach her little arms out and grab them! When she's in her crib we always watch her roll to her belly and grab a couple toys. They keep her majorly occupied and I'm grateful for that. 

- Tasted her first solid food

Viv started on daily solids at 3 months - she was so ready. This little princess on the other hand, isn't really going to start yet. One exception though was the other day while Viv was eating a banana I told her that she could share a tiny bite with Penny is she wanted. Viv was beaming - so excited to show her sissy one of her favorite snacks! Penny just had a couple little tastes and didn't really know what to do with it but really loved the taste. I'm hoping to exclusively breast-feed until 5 or 6 months depending on how she's doing. 

- Started riding in the stroller without her carseat

This is probably my most favorite thing. Our friend gave us a gorgeous double stroller and Penn is finally big enough to ride in it! It was such a hassle to always have to have the right carseat with the right stroller...now it's simple and awesome. 

Likes:

- being snuggled super close

- laying on the floor/tummy time (freedom!)

- her sister (loves actually)

- napping in her crib (yay!)

- nursing constantly 

- baths (she laughs hysterically every time)

- going for walks in the stroller

- doesn't mind riding in the car (unless she's hungry, then you best watch out)

- being in her sling ( we use the Sakura Bloom ring sling)

- standing ( we just started using the Johnny Jump Up and Exersaucer) 

Dislikes:

- sleeping less than 12 hours a night (don't hate me)

- being constipated 

- shots

- not being held during (our) dinnertime

- being alone in a dark room ( I don't blame her)

- not sleeping next to Mommy at night

I really don't think we have any complaints about this sweet girl.

I couldn't imagine a better little person for our family than her - she's an angel.

She is a total Mama's girl which I love so much.

So blessed with such a sweet and snuggly girl. 

Life is good. 

Recipe: Blueberry and Peach Cobbler

It's Fall! 

Well, not technically yet, but the weather is cooling down and it's feeling more and more like fall everyday!

And do you know what that means?

It means I feel inspired to bake and cook pretty much non-stop!

During the summer I get in such a cooking rut - it's always so hot, we're always so busy, and cooking/baking is the last thing I feel like doing.

So, I usually just make super simple meals during the summer and hardly ever bake any sweet things. 

Well, I'm back into the swing of things and loving it (Josh and Viv don't mind it either, hehe).

Yesterday I, along with a tiny little blue-eyed partner, whipped up a pan of blueberry and peach cobbler that was to die for!

I had never made cobbler before or really ever even eaten it.

Just saying the word "cobbler" makes me feel about 90 years old.

I had a pile of incredible peaches that my grandpa had given me and a quart of blueberries and I knew they were going to go to waste if I didn't do something with them right away.

So I thought and I thought and came up with this recipe on my own (with the help of my sweet tooth - of course).

I had to look up quick recipe for the topping part but other than that I basically let my cravings do the rest.

Seriously you guys, it was heavenly.

Okay, here's what you'll need:

Filling:

- 5 or 6 small/medium peaches (mine were super ripe and juicy) 

- about a cup of blueberries (I might add an extra half a cup next time)

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 1/4 cup sugar 

- 2 or 3 teaspoons cinnamon (more or less depending on how much of a spice flavor you want)

- 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

- 1 cup self-rising flour

- 2 tablespoons sugar (plus a little more to sprinkle on top)

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 3 tablespoons cold butter

- 1/3 cup cold, shaken buttermilk

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- pinch of nutmeg

- teaspoon vanilla

pre-heat oven to 350.

Filling:

Skin and cut peaches into small pieces (I cut them into slices and then cut the slices in half - it doesn't really matter though) and throw into a big bowl. Add blueberries (I microwaved mine for a minute first to get them nice and juicy). Add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir it up. It should be nice and juicy and very purple. 

Pour into a baking dish.

Topping:

Stir flour, sugar and salt together. Add the butter and mix together. Add the buttermilk and mix until it becomes a dough. 

Add pieces of the dough to the top of the filling.

I didn't worry too much about filling all the space because the dough rises and really fills out the dish as it bakes. 

Sprinkle a little bit of sugar over the top of the dough for an extra sweet taste. 

Bake at 350 for about 45-60 minutes.

It's done when the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling!

Serve hot with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream!

I had mine with a warm mug of fresh apple cider and Fleet Foxes spinning - oh the beauties of Autumn.