KiTChEn CuPbOArDs

Does anybody else have to go to their child's kitchen cupboards to find the food they need when cooking???? This is seriously the best stocked little tikes kitchen ever.
Avery loves to write  grocery shopping lists and recipes and then go shopping in my cupboards so she can cook in her kitchen.  It is so cute, but such a pain to put the groceries away 20 times a week. Whatever keeps her busy!

On another note, I ordered some more crochet hats. I LOVE these hats, they are so stinkin' cute. I found a different vendor and the quality is SO much nicer than the ones I ordered before. I only got a few of each color, but if you would like one, just let me know. I sell them on etsy for around $12.00. But If you ask nice I'll give them to you for $7.00 for just the hat or $9.00 with a bow :) I have light pink, bright pink, brown, black, red, and natural.

And the winner is...

Alissa! Good Guess Alissa! Avery is going to be Lemon Meringue, one of the Strawberry Shortcake characters. And she makes the cutest lemon meringue you have EVER seen I might add :) Her little red headed friend Emma is going to be Strawberry shortcake and her sister is going to be Blueberry Muffin. I didn't take any pictures at the ward party, so you'll have to wait until next week to see how cute she really is!



I was feeling a little unfestive (is that a word?) with our lack of Halloween decorations, so I made this sign last week and I think it looks so cute! I can't take all the credit though, I ordered a kit from myemmiecakes. I thought the price was a little steep at first (She unfortunately just raised her prices this week. I'm glad I ordered mine before) but once I added it all up, I couldn't have made it for much cheaper myself, if at all, once you buy all the tulle, ribbon, paper, etc.. I really want to make a cute Happy Birthday one for Avery next.

Halloween costume

We had our ward Halloween party on Saturday and only 1 person figured out what Avery's costume was (thanks Amie)!! I thought that the tights would give it away, but I guess not. My sister and I LOVED these characters when we were little. I had every single one of the dolls, the toothbrush holder, the trolley, etc.. My mom still has our collection and the grandkids play with them at her house. So, I want to see how many of you can guess what Avery's costume is. If you already know, don't say! Think 80s! 

Tasty Tuesday

This has been one of my favorite cakes since I was a little girl. I can remember sneaking bites of it when my mom wasn't looking : ) It is the perfect way to celebrate all that is fall time.

Apple Cake

4 cups chopped apples

2 cups sugar-pour over apples and set aside

mix:

2 eggs

3/4 cup oil

2 t vanilla

then add this to the apple mixture

mix:

2 cups flour

1 1/4 t baking soda

2 t cinnamon

1 t salt

add to apples mixture and stir as little as possible until all ingredients are incorporated

Bake 350* for 45-50 minutes

while still warm, pour glaze over top

butter 

lemon juice

powdered sugar

(I don't know the exact amounts, I always just do it to taste. But, here is a starting point:

 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, juice of 1 lemon, and 2 T butter)

It is SO yummy, you have to try it!

and since every post is better with photos, here are a few for your viewing pleasure :)

how cute is he?

I just had to post this picture. Couldn't you just eat him?

Sneak Peak

This is for you Loralee, but this is all your getting :) These were seriously the cutest outfits I have ever seen!! Thanks for letting me take pictures of your cute girls!

Fall is in the air

We went to our favorite place this weekend, Patterson's fruit farm. It is beautiful, you can pick apples and pumpkins, go on hayrides, and they have apple fritters and doughnuts that are so good Andy dreams about them. :) It has become a fun family fall tradition. The kids love it.

Getting ready for winter

Who doesn't love a cute winter hat with ear flaps??

Confessions on a fast Sunday

In my first ward at BYU, the bishopric had little "get to know you" interviews with everyone. During my interview, I remember being asked what the one calling I DIDN'T want would be. I told him that I didn't want to be a teacher because I hate being in front of people. Little did I know that those words would come back to haunt me. The next week I was asked to accept a calling as a Sunday school teacher. Ummm, okay. In EVERY BYU ward thereafter (both singles and family wards) I was called to be a sunday school teacher or a relief society teacher. The big guy sure does have a sense of humor! But, I actually learned to LOVE teaching and it became easier for me to speak in front of groups. I liked that it made me go out of my comfort zone and that it gave me so many opportunities to study the gospel and bear testimony.  During my summers at BYU, I worked as an EFY counselor and loved having the chance to teach the gospel and bear testimony to the youth. I also served a mission, once again, LOTS of opportunities. For about 8 years of my life, I never really had to seek out opportunities to bear testimony, they always just presented them self in various ways. And, I never really bore my testimony on fast sundays because I figured everyone had already heard enough from me. Well, for the last couple of years I have gotten out of the habit and it is getting harder and harder for me to find the strength to get up and bear my testimony. The longer I wait, the harder it gets. I don't feel that my testimony is weakening, but I do know that it is not being strengthened from the blessings of bearing it. Why am I telling you all this? because I wanted to let you know (and remind myself) that the pit in your stomach you feel before you go up to bear your testimony is nothing compared to the pit that remains after you ignore the promptings and don't get up. I may not be eloquent in speech or have amazing faith promoting stories to tell, but I do have a testimony of the restored gospel and it needs to be heard. Maybe not by you, but I need to let the Lord know that I know that He knows that I know!

Snap Happy

Ever since Avery was born, I have been really snap happy (as most moms are). As a result, my computer is LOADED with 1000s of pictures. The other day I was having so much fun looking at all the pictures and reminiscing. I started scrapbooking when Avery was born, so I have a few of the favorite pictures in there, but I realized that I loved looking at the "out takes" or not so perfect pictures as well. I have TONS of pictures just sitting on my computer, doing nothing. I've never been good at getting them printed, so I feel really overwhelmed by the idea of printing and putting them into albums. But I need to do SOMETHING with them. I need your advice. What do YOU do with your pictures? How do you organize them and stay on top of it? Do you leave them all on your computer or delete them? Where do I even start? Please share all your picture organizing tips!!! I need HELP!!!

A TRUE Ingersoll, a new love, and a funny

Andy had a dental convention in Columbus this weekend, so we all decided to tag along for a fun little getaway. Here are a few pictures from the Columbus Zoo. 5 bucks for the first person to say which picture shows the sign of  a true Ingersoll :)



And for my new love. I don't think I have ever seen a Lion up close like this before. They are Amazing, Beautiful creatures. They are so powerful and yet have such a calm sweetness about them. I seriously could have stared at the lion all day!!

Now for the funny


The other day Avery and I were cuddling in bed and talking. She randomly started naming of letters in the alphabet. I couldn't quite figure out what she was saying. "KLPQTULV!" she repeated. I finally asked her what she was saying and she said "I'm spelling out letters like you always do to Daddy!" I couldn't help but laugh!

Feeling a little blue

On Wednesday I noticed a little red rash on Avery's face. I thought it was maybe a reaction from her Barbie Makeup she had been playing with. But, when she woke up on Thursday morning, this is what she looked like (the picture really doesn't do it justice).

Her face swelled up and the rash was spreading quickly so I decided to take her to the doctor. I had No idea what it was, and I was a little worried. The Doctor walked in the room and said "What happened to your face?" took one more look and asked us where we had been. I said we went to the lake on Monday. He immediately knew that she had come in contact with some poison ivy. Are you serious??? We had been to that exact spot the weekend before and the kids totally played in the bushes more then with no problems. We went with 2 other families and none of the other kids got it. So weird.

So, all day yesterday everyone was staring at Avery and asking what happened to her face. Every time Drew looked at her, he would just walk over and give her a hug. By the end of the day she was feeling really sad about it. She has been such a trooper though and is trying really hard not to scratch it and is being good about taking her medicine. I read that the rash can last 2-4 weeks. Poor girl!!

School girl

Today was a bittersweet day. Avery started preschool and I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed as I drove away from my baby girl. Andrew and I wandered around the house aimlessly trying to figure out what to do without her. Why do thy grow so fast? I feel like such a dork, it is only preschool. What am I going to do when she starts kindergarten? Oh, lets not talk about that yet! Live in, and enjoy the moment! right?!

Avery has been so excited for weeks thinking about going to school like her Daddy. I have never seen a little girl more excited to go school shopping and pick out a new outfit.  And, lets not forget that she had to pack her Dora backpack just like Daddy too. So cute!

The first day went well. Her teacher said that she was a total chatterbox and wouldn't stop whispering and talking to her friends. They also did some testing and when the teacher would ask another kid a question like "what letter is this?", Avery would stop what she was doing to tell the other kids the answers. She is such a little know-it-all!

Here is my spunky, stubborn, tenderhearted little preschooler on her first day of class!

Mission Impossible!!

I have been wanting to get some cute pictures of Drew, but he is IMPOSSIBLE to photograph.  It takes 200 shots to get 1 of him looking. sigh. And yes, those are FALL LEAVES in the background. What??? It's not even September!! I can't believe it!

Soaking up the Sun

Last week was beautiful and I tried to take advantage of the warm weather because I know that winter is just around the corner. so sad. We did as many outdoor activities as we could. Here are a few pictures from some of our new favorite places. I'm trying to appreciate snapshots of my kids again. Learning photography totally ruins you!

the BoTaNiCaL GarDenS are so beautiful and so much fun. Avery and Drew had a blast! I couldn't belive how much they had for the kids to do!

It was Mudpie Monday so the kids got to make little MuD PiEs and stick fresh flowers from the gardens in them. look how hard Drew is concentrating

     They also have this big atrium FILLED with butterflies. It is so cool! They just fly all around and a few even landed on us. We bribed this one with an apple. This Butterfly was HUGE and the inside of its wings are an amazing blue which you can see in the second picture. I had never seen anything like this before. Loved it!

There were these cute old school water pumps for the kids to play with. Drew is filling the watering can while Avery pumps it.

There were also ponds throughout the whole place. The kids could just go and play in them, try to catch frogs, fish, turtles, whatever. Drew loved the ponds and watching the fish... until he fell in. He wasn't too happy after that.

And no kid friendly place is complete without a sandbox. Drew was in Heaven with that tractor. He is all boy, totally obsessed with trucks, cars, tractors, etc.

And, a cute little playhouse
A fun hidden treasure in the middle of downtown Cleveland. Who knew?!

We also went to FARMPARK with some friends. My kids usually love animals, but they were both being big wimps that day. Drew would not even get close to ANY of the animals. He screamed when I started to walk towards the Llamas. silly kid. At least there were some Tractors to redeem the day!

watching the sheepdogs heard the sheep
cute Trevor in the tractor wheel

Just chillin' by the smelly pigs


I can't believe summer is over. It feels like it just started to warm up! We have had some good times though. I hope you have too!