Avalyn - 28 Months

Avalyn, you are 28 months old. I wanted to take a minute and record some of the sweet things you say and do so that we don't forget them when you are older!
You are a great big sister to Harper and lately have been asking to pick her up and move her. You want her to be wherever you are. You are a wonderful helper in the kitchen, putting your laundry in the basket and putting things in the trash.
You love going to the zoo to see the giraffes and feed them lettuce. You really like to watch baseball and to throw your ball outside.
You are sure to tell us "um yuv you" (I love you) and your compliments at dinner are so sweet, "Very dishus" (Very delicious) and "yummy."
You got to ride the carousel at the zoo the other day and you loved it. You cried when it stopped and didn't want to get off!
You are learning how to share your toys and take turns. Not always fun but you are doing a great job with figuring this out.
You can count to 5 on your own and to 10 or sometimes 20 with help. You can identify quite a few letters on your own too.
We love you Avalyn and are so thankful for you and your sweet spirit!

Just keepin' it real here.

 

 

   

Fall Quinoa Pilaf

I made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious and pretty too! It paired well with grilled steak and green beans with a small salad on the side. You can easily eat quinoa as a main dish or with a small amount of meat mixed in and it will really fill you up.

I should have taken a picture but you will just have to make it to see for yourself- the golden quinoa, the orange potatoes, the deep red cranberries and light brown of the toasted almonds make it beautiful!

We love quinoa here at our house and if you have never had it before, I highly recommend it. Some information on quinoa is here and here.

Fall Quinoa Pilaf from Cooking4Real
1 cup quinoa
1 T. olive oil
½ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dried cranberries
1 small-medium sweet potato (¼-inch diced)
½ cup slivered almonds
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. While water heats up, toast almonds in dry pan on stove. Add quinoa to boiling water and cook for 12-15 min. until tender.

In frypan on medium heat, sauté cranberries, onions, garlic and sweet potato in olive oil until lightly carmelized. Transfer quinoa to a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in cranberries, sweet potatoes and almonds, Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Honor Flag

Last week the Honor Flag visited Colorado Springs and Josh got to participate in the ceremony. I decided to take the girls to the ceremony since it is a piece of history for our country. I actually didn't even get a glimpse at the flag because of where we were standing to watch the procession but it was a very nice ceremony with about 80 people in the honor guard and a pipe and drum escort as well. Harper wasn't a huge fan of the bagpipes at first so I didn't get any pictures once it started. Here is Avalyn waiting for the ceremony to start. :)

Harper - 7 months

Harper, you are 7 months old now! You are getting so big! At your 6 month checkup you weighed 15 pounds and 12 ounces (average monthly growth is 1 pound) so I know you are at least 16 pounds and probably well on your way to 17. You are switching in mostly 9months size clothing and we had to buy bigger diaper covers this week! It seems like you are starting to understand eating more now and you really like to try whatever food we are having too.
This weekend we went to Famous Dave's with Grandma and Grandpa E and you ate chicken and a few pieces of corn and also tried collard greens, I think you liked it!
You like blueberries, yogurt, and oatmeal which is not surprising since it is still what Avalyn eats for breakfast most days. You also enjoy avocados, roasted carrots, green beans, and roast beef.
You can scoot backwards and roll/spin all over. We think you are trying to figure out crawling because the past few days any time we get you out of your crib you have had your knees up under your belly and are pushing your belly up too. You are a little chatterbox and you light up when you see your sister. You recognize your name when we say it and like to give kisses!

We love you, Harper!

Fallen Firefighter Memorial

Josh had the chance to participate in the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial last weekend. He was in the honor guard and I think he really enjoyed it. The memorial is held every year to honor those who have died in the line of duty. Since it is hosted by our local IAFF chapter, CSFD gets to present the colors and lead the honor guard.