Vacation

We were not planning on taking a big vacation this year but we thought we would take 4 days off and head to Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The Marriott there is so wonderful for kids plus it is only 2 1/2 hours from our house which is nice because Jack has decided that he doesn't really like to be in the car anymore. 

Wednesday morning we woke up to this. lovely.

about an hour into our drive...

This was not looking good. We were really disappointed - it hadn't rained in over a month and of course it starts raining the day we left for vacation AND according to the weather report it was going to continue raining for the next week - awesome. But we pressed on hoping that our luck would change :)

the view from our patio. it's raining - boo!

 there was a brief break in the rain so we headed to the outdoor pool. That water is about 50 degrees and it was only 70 degrees outside so we opted for the hot tub :)

 Jack loved the hot tub - he would get so relaxed. He is always very tight and tense, it was weird to hold him when we has completely relaxed. I think we need a hot tub at home!!

It started raining again so we decided to head into Florence, AL to "explore". We had been told several times in the past to check out this little 50's style dinner and soda fountain shop. I will withhold the name because as soon as we stepped foot in there we wanted to leave. It was not the 50's style I had in mind, it had more of a 70's/80's decor, it was dirty and the ice cream wasn't even good. We won't be making a repeat visit but it got us out of the rain ;) 

We were really scrambling for things to do - if you can't be outside in Muscle Shoals then you may as well just go home. Everything is outdoors so we got crazy and headed to......

We have been debating all summer whether we should buy Jack a Puddle Jumper or not. I was against it because I didn't think he could do it and Brian thought he could. While killing time at Target we noticed that the Puddle Jumpers were on sale so we bought one to test out in the indoor pool at the hotel. 

 looking super cute!!

 he can totally do it all my himself!! you just have to hold his head up because he loves to drink the water - crazy boy!

 look! all by himself!!

Day 2

still raining - yay.

 after a quick swim in the indoor pool, I was desperately searching for things for us to do and came across the Children's Museum in Florence, Alabama so we packed up and headed over there. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was better than doing nothing!

Children's Museum of Florence, Alabama

They had the "Big" piano.

 Jack enjoyed playing the huge drum.

 Emi got in a little dress-up time.

 Some sweet kids put on a puppet show for Jack - he loved it.

 And they had awesome books like this to read. yikes!

After this little trip, it makes me appreciate what we have in Memphis a lot more!!!

Hanging out in the hotel room

That night we ate at the restaurant in the hotel, we sat on the patio - it was freezing and raining (shocker!) but it was still kind of a nice dinner. The food was great and I always like to listen to the rain just preferably not on my vacation ;)

Day 3 we decided to cut our losses and head home. The forecast was calling for rain for the next week and we had done everything there was to do indoors. So Brian and Emi headed to the indoor pool while I packed us up. As the bellhop was loading the last of our luggage on the cart I looked out the window to this

yep, that would be the sun. SERIOUSLY?!?!?! But we stuck with our decision and I am glad we did because the sun didn't last long and it has done nothing but rain on us since we've been home. Oh well, maybe we will have better luck on our next trip - it was nice to get to be together :)

Grilled Chocolate Banana Melts

We are not usually big dessert eaters unless it is a special occasion but lately I have been making desserts like crazy (thank you Pinterest). Emi and I made these the other night, they were scrumptious and so easy.

Grilled Chocolate Banana Melts

recipe by quick-dish.tablespoon.com

pic by quick-dish.tablespoon.com

1 banana, peeled

2 tablespoons mini-marshmallows

2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons cinnamon toast crunch cereal, lightly crushed

1. Preheat grill to med-high heat or preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.Slice banana lengthwise and slightly open. Place on a rectangle of aluminum foil.

3. Insert marshmallows and chocolate chips into sliced banana.

4. Wrap banana in foil and place on grill or in oven for 5-6 minutes.

5. Unwrap banana and top with cereal. Eat with a spoon.

It doesn't look like much but it was heavenly!!

Emi gets so annoyed with me always taking pictures ;)

Even Jack loved it and he doesn't like sweets - he seriously can't be my kid!!

Jack's P

When Jack started school back in the fall, his teachers were not thrilled that he was still using a paci. It's not that we were bad parents and just didn't want to hear him scream (which would be reason enough for me to let him keep it) but he is very oral and has to always have something in his mouth - if it's not his paci, it's his hands and he will literally chew the skin off of his hands so we had doctor's telling us to keep the paci and therapists telling us to get rid of it - awesome! Our wonderful Occupational Therapist at Farmington Elementary suggested that we try the "P". It's literally a plastic P that is meant for chewing. Well we tried it for 6 months and he had no interest but one day he just decided to go for it and it hasn't left his mouth since - not even to sleep :)

this picture makes me smile every time I see it :)

DIY Jewelry Holder

I have been wanting a jewelry holder for quite some time. Several people have "pinned" DIY instructions on Pinterest so I decided to make myself one. That's where I should have stopped and said to myself "No! you are crazy, just buy one. This will not turn out like the picture on Pinterest, put the supplies down and RUN out of Lowe's." But do I listen to myself - NO! 

I made them a few days ago and have recovered enough from my wounds (both physically and emotionally) to blog about it. 

Here was my awful Jewelry situation. Yes, that is a ziploc bag - I ran out of room in my bowl :) Obviously something needed to be done!

So, I gathered up my supplies and got to work. I must add that since it is summer and Emi is not in school she was with me as I was gathering supplies at Lowe's and insisted that "we" make her one as well. I bought chicken wire, 2 picture frames, picture hangers, cup hooks and a staple gun.

Emi couldn't find the color frame she wanted so we bought an unfinished frame and painted it with glitter blast spray paint. 

ready to paint!

Emi hard at work

first coat done

here is the finished picture of Emi's. I somehow missed some pics in between the first coat of spray paint and the finished product - oops ;) See that red stuff of the mallet? It's not my blood but it may as well have been - cutting that $#%& chicken wire almost killed me and I'm about 100% sure I need a tetanus shot after this little project. 

I used the picture hangers to hang her necklaces.

the cup hooks are for the bracelets

finished product. Now, I wanted to take that chicken wire and throw it out the window, the last thing I wanted to do was do this all over again. I mean, I barely had any skin left on my hands as it was! But I had started with Emi's (should've done mine first!) and I still wanted mine so I bravely pressed on.

finished mine BUT

when I turned it over the staples had ruined the finish of the frame - ughhhh!

I hung it up anyway and you can hardly tell - it just gives it that distressed look. Plus it's just going in my bathroom so no one is really going to ever see it :)

Yay, finally finished!!

I really need to find a support group for people who think they can handle these Pinterest projects!

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

Here is another one of my favorite recipes. It's not the healthiest but it is SOOOO good!! I have made this before and we are having it again tonight for dinner (that right there should let you know how much we like it!) So, just because I love you I will give you the recipe :)

pic from www.sugarlaws.com

Artichoke Crusted Chicken

2 six-ounce chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used canned artichoke hearts, but frozen ones that have been thawed would be fine)
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Salt and pepper the chicken and then sauté each chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat, for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork.  Set aside.

Mix together the mayonnaise, artichoke hearts and cheddar cheese until evenly distributed.  Spread the mixture over the sauteed chicken breasts, and then broil at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes.  Do not take your eyes off them — broiling can lead to burning faster than you can imagine.  When the cheese is melted and bubbling and the tops are golden, remove and serve.

Serves 2.

P.S. This recipe is for 2 chicken breasts and I always cook 3 for our family - this was actually enough to spread over 3 breasts. Enjoy!!

Wheeler Family Reunion

This past weekend we had our annual Wheeler Family Reunion. We started out with dinner at Amerigo's friday night, the boys and Becky :) played golf on saturday followed by a bbq dinner/swim party at Dad and Darnelle's house and we ended the evening watching our neighborhood firework show. It was a great weekend and we are tired today!! Looking forward to next year!!

Friday Night Dinner at Amerigo's

 Brian and Emi

 Louise (Meme), Jack and Me

 Me and Sara

Saturday Night BBQ Dinner

 Jack hanging out in his spot with the ball popper

 Annette and Louise

 KK working really hard

 Emi and Eli having some sort of deep conversation by the pool

 Forced to be nice to each other so Mom can get a picture

Jack and his buddy Makenna

I found me a baby to play with ;)

 Jack and Becky

 Jack and Dad with a sparkler - he's really into it and pant less, it was a great party!

 everyone getting into the sparkler action

Neighborhood Firework Show

 Emi is always nervous about watching the fireworks

 Jack couldn't be bothered to watch fireworks - he stayed in the car so he could watch Elmo

Happy Fourth of July!!

Teacher Gifts

I made these (thank you Pinterest!!) for Jack's summer school teachers. He just completed his 4 weeks of summer school and I am all about showing our appreciation to these wonderful women who take care of our precious boy! When I saw this, I knew it would be the perfect summer treat and it was super easy to make and assemble.

You will need:

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
Marzetti's Caramel Dip (15 oz.)
Heath Bits (found in the baking aisle)
1/2 pint mason jars

medium size cellophane bags

apples

ribbon

Mix the cream cheese and half of the caramel dip in a bowl. Put a generous scoop into the mason jar followed by a scoop of the leftover caramel. Then top with a sprinkle of Heath bits.

Pop that little puppy into a bag, throw an apple on top and tie with some cute ribbon. I added a thank you note for good measure :)

I will be making this dip for us to snack on because it was GOOD!!