feelin' the love this weekend

We had a four day weekend. No one got sick. And it was full of fun...and this:

(love, that is)

Today, Maddox and I ventured out for a little shopping trip. He has always been my shopping buddy, but this morning he declared, "I hate shopping! I don't want to go!" What??? I had to bribe him with lollipops and he gave in. And of course, he had fun! We even had a soup and bread date at Panera, at his request♥

(I bet your date is not as cute as mine!)

And then I came home to yet a second adorable little face. Daddy and Maddox had park time and Jude and I had lawn-mower-in-the-front-yard time. 

He stole Maddox's sweet tea and drank it down to the very last drop.

It's ok. Maddox didn't even ask about it!

 If you are ever in the mood for a little bit of heaven in your kitchen, you should give this recipe a try. It is a meatlover's  dream (bacon AND chicken in one!) and even semi meat-eaters like me will enjoy it (because of all the brown sugar). Take a look!

http://diaryofarecipeaddict.blogspot.com/2011/07/sweet-spicy-bacon-chicken.html

The Big Bad Sickness

Life was going good. Well, for about 2 weeks. Andrew recovered, everyone was healthy and happy, and we did the usual:

 Smiled, acted silly, played dress-up, went out for ice cream, park adventures...yep, the usual.

And then, the sickness hit. Within 24 hours, I was at the doctor's office twice and the ER once. The diagnosis changed each time: virus, double ear infection, strep. But one thing was for sure: these babies were sick! Especially Jude. He screamed for hours nonstop. And whatever this nightmare was, it caused ulcers all down the throat, a rash, and blisters on the skin. I'm no doctor, but it sounded pretty much like hand, foot and mouth virus. 

Mimi and Grandpa were back! They helped out with the kids and around the house, and thankfully, by the end of the week...the kiddos were all back to their wild selves. 

I've never been so thankful for wild (but the best part: happy) children...who once again sleep through the night.

Afternoon at the park...

Feb 1st

The house feels empty with no grandparents in it.

We woke up to lots of clouds and rain...the perfect day for broccoli cheese soup. This recipe (http://www.food.com/recipe/panera-broccoli-cheese-soup-150384) is supposed to taste just like the Panera version, and I'd say it's pretty darn close. Thanks to a friend for posting this! I am always on the lookout for good soup recipes.

Well, here we are at the start of February, aka the month of love and all things red and pink. 

Did you know that Jude's favorite red food is an apple? 

He prefers to play with it and take a teeny tiny bite every now and then.

 He clutches it like a football, hides it, throws it, and giggles at it. He can't get enough of apples...and I can't get enough of his sweet chubby face. What a happy little man he is.