5 Weeks Off

Hi all,

I have been slacking big time on the blogging front. I have had 5 weeks off of school (just a few more days left.) I have kept us so busy Dan is ready to lock me in a closet! We have done so much over the last few weeks and I'm still squeezing in a mini vacay and the Jimmy Buffett concert! Whew ;)

Dan and I just celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on the 15th (also Father's Day). We had a day away and we spent it on Put in Bay. We got a super sweet ride over ;) We spent the day with our friends, the Boylans, on their amazing boat. Dan and I snuck away for a little dinner alone to celebrate. It was amazing weather. It was a perfect day!

In the last few weeks we've gotten to visit with all the little "cousins" aka my cousins kids, we did the Kidney Walk for the National Kidney Foundation. Oh yeah, and my dad and I planned a fundraiser for it in 4 days and still managed to have an amazing night with over 40 prizes and over $1000 raised. In all between online and at the party we raised $1656 I believe. Pretty freakin awesome!! The actual kidney walk was wet and cold, but it was still pretty cool. Crossing the finish line with Amanda was emotional for me. It felt like we won her battle. It was great :)

The mom of multiples club, NEOMoM, that I'm a member of had our 50th anniversary. We had an awesome year end dinner and it was such a fun night out. There's nothing better than being in a room full of women who understand your life!!! I also got to go to an Indians game with my cousin, Karen. Sooo fun :)  Dan, Marlene (mother in law), the kids and I spent a day in Geneva on the Lake, I had my 6 month post kidney donation check up (all is well!), we've been to the zoo, I painted the living room (trim, door, and walls), the kids went to Parade the Circle with my mom, the strawberry fest with Dan's fam and Grandma Marlene's pool finally opened!!!! Not to mention SO much more ;)

We. Have. Been. Busy. But I just love this weather, and I absolutely despise winter so I like to live it up all summer! Poor Dan is pulled along for the ride ;) He is such a trooper though, all things considered. He has a lot of physical issues so the fact that he has mostly kept up is amazing!! 

I hope you are all having amazing days in this sunshine :)

 Geneva OTL

 Tribe Game, we won!

Crazy kids, fun dinner with great friends.

 Squires Castle

 Uncle Dave's Bday, with Shelby and baby Pete

 The Cleveland Zoo's 4 newest veterinarians

 Flying

Supergirl 

 Cassi, one of my best friends and I

Prom.... I mean NEOMoM dinner

 Papa and Kyla

 At the pool

 Kidney Walk. Donor and recipient :)

 4 days worth of planning for this awesome fundraiser!

Happy Anniversary, babe <3

Xo Em

'Merica!! with lots of pictures!

I hope you all had an amazing Memorial Day weekend! We had a blast. Sunday we went to Waldameer park in Pennsylvania with the Wounded Warrior Project. The event was actually hosted by 2 of the 26 founders of the WWP! How amazing is that? They were wonderful people. They have a son who is a wounded warrior, and they don't want anyone left behind, or forgotten. We also met amazing people, including one family we spent the day with. They have an 8 year old boy and a 4 year old girl so the twins were totally obsessed!! :)

We LOVE the Wounded Warrior Project. They do SO much for the Iraq-Afghanistan combat veterans, it's really amazing. We meet the best people at their event's. Meeting people with lives just like ours, who understand every aspect, is really a special thing. Dan can make instant connection with any of the WWP vets because they've been there and done that and so has he. I make friends with the wives so easily because we are literally caregivers to our husbands. They aren't just any ole' husband, they require many things a "normal" guy (wait, is there a such thing?! ;) doesn't require.

So here are a few pictures from our Memorial Day. We had a big cookout with SO. MUCH. FOOD. :)

I love crafty stuff. Yay for burlap and paint. (YES, next time I will use a stencil for those letters ;)

A couple of the desserts I made, Kyla was the official sprinkle eater...

 Um yes, I took a picture of charcoal, this stuff is KILLER!

 Our itty bitty backyard, that we totally make work!

 My grillin man

 Seriously....YUM

 Yes, we had 3 grills going!! (That's our neighbor James, by the way!)

YUMMMMM (only part of the food of course)

Earlier in the day I took the twins and the neighbor Aubrey to the parade in Euclid, they LOVED it!

Later that night we did more American things, like play cornhole, drink beer, and have smores... haha

So basically I took  a lot of pictures that day, we ate a lot of food, and had a lot of fun. I live for days like that. Family, sunshine, and good cookin'.

All in honor of the men and women who gave their lives for this great country.

Goodnight everyone,

XoXo Emily

Memorial Day

A long weekend, a good excuse to have a party, cookout, go to a parade, and enjoy the nice weather.

What is really about, though, a lot of people seem to forget. It is a day to remember the people who gave their lives so heroically for this country.

I was raised to know what this day was about and of course our kiddos are going to be raised the same way! With Dan having served in the USMC for 7 years, we are a very proud, patriotic, American family! We love Memorial Day- we do use it as an excuse for a big ole' cookout, but we never forget to remember the men and women who died while serving our country. We are literally beyond words grateful for these people, not just one day a year, but every day. We both have friends who we lost in the recent wars so we live to honor their names!

This is Marine Cpl. Ronald R. Payne Jr.

KIA May 7, 2004

Ron was deployed with Danny in Afghanistan. They also worked on the mess deck in the ship together on the way to the deployment. Ron was fatally wounded because of hostile action from the enemy. Dan honors him by wearing his name on a bracelet he never takes off. Dan has told me Ron was an awesome guy, and also extremely tall! No one could miss him :)

This is Marine SSgt Edgar A. Heredia, 

one of the most amazing people I have ever met.

KIA June 26, 2008

I had the privilege of  knowing Eddie for a few years before he went to be with God. He was one of the nicest, funniest, smartest, goofiest people I have ever met. I always always had fun with him. He always had some smart ass comment to make, and it was always hilarious. Eddie taught me a lot about life. I wish every day he was still here so he could know my children. They know who Eddie is, Kyla asks about him all the time and always wants to see his pictures. I love talking about him and sharing memories. I also have a memorial bracelet I wear every day in his honor. After he died I got a tattoo in his honor as well. It says "vuela libre", it means fly free (in Spanish of course, because Eddie spoke Spanish - his parents were from Mexico.) I got that because we were supposed to go sky diving together after his delpoyment, and because he's an angel now flying around upstairs ;)

I had never lost a friend before. It was one of the worst days of my life, I was SO unbelievably sad. But now I am just so grateful for the memories, and that I am in touch with his family. I learned Eddie was a huge hero that day and saved the lives of many. He lives on through everyone else. I love you so dearly, Eddie! I am so proud to be your friend.

There are so many other men and women who we have lost, thank you to everyone who has a family member who gave their life for our country. We are forever grateful for their selflessness. Your hero lives on in our heart. 

I hope you all have an amazing Memorial Day. Enjoy the beautiful weather and all the great food!!! Take a moment to be silent and remember the heroes we honor.

Xo

Em

'MERICA! ;)

Quiche, Quiche, and Muffins!

In my last post I let you all know what was on the Mother's Day brunch menu, now I will share the recipes! They were all super quick and super easy (perfect for busy people! :)

Quiche 

(I make mine crust-less because I am gluten free, and it takes the hassle out of whipping up a crust (or buying one)

Sausage Bacon Cheddar

You need: 

1 & 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese 

1 & 1/2 cups whole milk, half and half (or combo)

4 eggs slightly beaten 

4 bacon slices cooked and crumbled

3/4 cup breakfast sausage cooked and crumbled

I precooked my bacon and sausage the night before mothers day, so on mothers day I could just throw it into the recipe. If you have time the morning you make this, cook these then! Crumble and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the eggs and milk. Add the bacon, sausage and cheese to the egg and mix well. Pour into greased pie or cake pan (or into your unbaked crust).

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until set. Insert toothpick or knife to check!

 original recipe here: http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2010/11/my-favorite-breakfast-quiche-potluck.html

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Broccoli Cheddar

You need:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups medium diced yellow onion

coarse salt and ground pepper

6 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 and 1/2, whole milk, etc..)

3/4 pound broccoli florets, steamed until crisp-tender

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (4oz)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden. 8-10 min. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add onion, broccoli, and cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake 40-45 minutes until center is just set. 

http://www.marthastewart.com/868430/broccoli-cheddar-quiche

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 Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

(I made them gluten free! Also, you can choose a different berry!)

You need: 

2 & 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. 

(Unless you're making them gluten free, then use a brand that is "cup for cup" like Domata or  Pamelas)

3/4 cup sugar - white or light brown

(plus extra if you want to sprinkle the tops)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk 

(I used almond milk and it was fine)

2 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 & 1/2 cup fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried

(The original recipe calls for blueberries, I just LOVE raspberries!!! Can you believe I was around 22 years old when I started eating them?! What was I thinking waiting so long!?)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a 12 muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside. (I didn't use liners, I just greased the pan and they were fine!)

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Microwave the butter (cover with plastic wrap in a bowl) for about 30 seconds. (Or in a saucepan.) Whisk the milk, eggs, and vanilla with the butter. 

Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the well and stir with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients are moistened, but still lumpy. Do not overmix the batter or your muffins will be dense. (For real, follow this, apparently I didn't and my muffins weren't as fluffy as I would have liked!! :)

Gently stir in the berry of choice. Divide batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops generously with sugar. (I skipped that step, sorry family who ate them ;)

Put the muffins in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes, rotating the pan half way through the cooking. Check with a toothpick. Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes, turn muffins out of the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

Original recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/blueberry-lemon-muffins-recipe.html

Hope you enjoy!!!

Xo

Emily

Mothers Day, Brunch and A Quick Change of Pace.....

Happy Mother's Day all of you beautiful momma's out there. What a wonderful thing we were blessed with, this whole mommy thing :)

These are the two amazing little humans who made me MOMMY!

Kyla and Landon, if you ever see this one day down the road, I am SO blessed and SO lucky to be your mommy. Thank you for making every day so beautiful, fun and crazy. I love you both to the moon and back!!!! No words can really express how amazing you two are and how proud I am of you!

And this is the beautiful woman who became a mommy all because of yours truly ;) ....and my sister and brother of course :) She went through hell to bring me into this world. She had surgery on her brain two months before I was born and we both made it out perfectly. What an amazing thing. She taught me SO much and still does all the time. I am so lucky to have her as a mom and now my kiddos having her as a grandma.

I love mothers day, I love my momma, and my grandmas. I love Dan's mom and grandma and our aunts. They are all such beautiful, sweet women who all did one hell of a job raising their kids. This year I wanted to host brunch so we can all have some good food and a nice time together :)

I made these, with help from the twins, for my mom and Marlene (my mother in law)

And these (with help from Kyla) for my mom, Marlene and Bea (Dannys grandma). I bought the vases and little blue glass stones from the dollar store, had the stickers with my scrapbook stuff (hence, why they don't all match haha) and spent about $15 on the flowers. Walmart. Yep, they sure are beautiful! Cheap, easy, beautiful DIY gifts!!

The second picture is a back of the camera shot, I added more flowers to the bouquet on the right after I saw the first picture of the flowers on the brick. I thought they turned out really beautiful :)

On the menu: Gluten Free Lemon Raspberry Muffins, Bacon and Sausage Quiche, Broccoli Cheddar Quiche, a Fruit Parfait Bar including: Vanilla and Strawberry Yogurt, Granola, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Homemade Breakfast Potatoes (Cut up by Amanda, made by Geoff- thanks for the help you two!), gluten free shortbread cookies, Pink Lemonade, Southern Sweet Tea, and Mimosas of course! My mom brought a yummy fruit salad, and Grandma Bea brought spudnuts! Thank you both!!

It was a beautiful 70+ degree day, and we haven't had many of those here in Ohio, so we embraced the weather and spent the entire day outside of course.

The tiny little setup. Last night I had a dream we bought a house (larger than the one we live in now) and I was SO excited because I could do stuff like this all the time! I love cooking for people and entertaining. I can't wait to have the space to do it for a larger crowd one day.

( Also, I will post a separate blog later with the recipes I used for the food!)

Now, about that change of pace that day......

So I had planned on this being a happy, pretty blog post, but on Mother's Day we got a call saying my in law Aunt Boo had an accident and was life flighted to Metro in Cleveland. Our Level 1 Trauma Center. If you get flown there, it's not usually for a good reason....... I guess what better post to talk about Boo than a Mother's Day post. She is a momma to two AMAZING kids. Sunny and Cayne. She raised some kick ass children, to say the least..........She had a major head injury and we are now three days into it and it is not looking good. Sunday night Dan and his mom went to the hospital to be with the family. I got a call later saying I should head up. Thank you to my dad for babysitting on a moments notice. We have been there every day since, and the twins went on Monday just to bring everyone's spirits up. Kyla has been breaking my heart through this process. She is so concerned and sweet and loving. She insisted on seeing Aunt Boo, but we didn't feel it was appropriate (because she has quite a few machines goin on in her room). Kyla went straight to the gift shop, got Boo a hello kitty doll and said she wanted her to have it. It was the sweetest, kindest thing. She has had a lot of questions because she really loves her Aunt Boo Boo. It is very hard to explain these things to a 4 year old. It is heart wrenching. Especially in a time like this, when it was an unexpected accident. If you could just say a prayer for Boo, Babette Chumita, her husband Brian, her daughter Sunny and her son Cayne. Also, for her sister Jody and brother Frank. For their children. For all of her family. We would appreciate it dearly. And thank you to everyone who has offered to help in any way, and thank you to everyone who has been praying. It means the world.

We love you Boo

 At our wedding, Boo looked stunning. 6-15-12

 Boo, Cheryl, Grandma Bea, Danny, Grandpa Chum, Cayne, Amanda

 Amanda, Sunny and Boo

 Jon, really? haha!

Boo and her husband Brian

Boo and her daughter Sunny

Thanks for your love and prayers everyone
Xo Em