FOOD BLOGS!

I know there are hundreds and hundreds of food blogs out there....but I feel very privileged to have two good friends who have really AMAZING food blogs.

The first is one of my closest and dearest friends. We were college roommates, and she means the world to me. DEBORAH! She has even been on TV a couple of times to do some cooking clips...(I think on KSL). She's amazing!

I think that I've made more of her dessert recipes than anything else, because they look so dang good! Deborah has literally HUNDREDS of recipes on her blog.....just check her "recipe archives" on her site to see the list.

Her blog is www.tasteandtellblog.com

Cookies n' Cream Cake (I just made this Sunday for Damon's birthday)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie - to die for

My other friend, I only knew in person for a couple of months, but in that short amount of time she became one of my favorite people, and has become an inspiration to me in more ways than one. JENNA!

Her food blog is www.just-cook-already.blogspot.com

Many people contribute to this blog, and I've made some super delicious, yet, ridiculously EASY recipes from this blog.

My favorites being the Big Sky Chili, and Crock pot chicken taco's- which you later make into chicken tortilla soup with the leftover chicken (cooking on my stove right now!)

Big Sky Chili

Peach Cobbler - which I can't wait to make!

I will never be an avid enough cook to have my own food blog, which is why i am super grateful for good friends who can share their delicious recipes with me!

Love it!

So Brixton has curly hair! I love it! It's only curly in the back, and some day soon we'll probably be giving him a hair cut...and I'm afraid the curls won't ever grow back! I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Playseum....

A few weeks ago we went to a new place in Bethesda called "The Playseum". There are 14 different rooms....a cooking room, ball room, animal room, space room, music room,...etc...the list goes on and on. It only costs $5 per person (even babies). There are additional things inside you can spend money on inside.. (cookie dough your kids makes, ceramic plates your kids can paint on..etc...) , but you can easily go without spending any additional money.

Damon got to pet a lizard, and a couple different bunnies. We met our friend Kelli there with her son Lauten, and he was OBSESSED with the bunnies! It was hilarious!

It was not busy at all when we went, so I let Damon make the cookie dough....He had so much fun

I even got Brixton out of the stroller (for once) to let him play around in this big room

getting a ride from his brother

Lauten and Damon playing some music

I totally recommend this place to anyone in the area!

Pre-School Ends...

A quick post.....

Damon's pre-school class put on an adorable little musical called "Caps for Sale"....Damon played one of the boys selling the "caps".....The music teacher, Mrs. Collins, had also interviewed each child and asked them all kinds of questions...favorite thing about school, at home, what they want to be when they grow up...etc...and she did a program and read about each child. It was so much fun to hear about all the kids in his class, and made us really sad that we are all done with Bannockburn Nursery School.

I thought I had taken more pictures of his class...but they were videos. That is his class, and teacher on the stairs.

A week later we went to a going away party for his sweet little cute friend Laura. They are moving back to Germany after two years in DC. These two spent two years together in pre-school. They used to sit and hold hands in circle time. Such cute friends! We will miss her!

Damon just playing in the fountains at Turtle Park (at Laura's party)

Brixton 1 year old

A few weeks ago our little (or not so little) Brixton turned 1. We went to dinner with our good friends, Scott and Jenny, then came home and did a little birthday cake for our little chunk. He LOVED it. As most kids do. I can not believe how quickly this year has gone....He started out soooo tiny, and just became such a big kid so quickly. He loves to dance, jabber, smile, eat, sleep, laugh, chew on my wallet, play with his big brother, and make all of us smile.

(I wouldn't have these pictures without wonderful Jenny lending me her camera for the night! thank you! )

Damon was only patient for so long before needing his piece of cake.....

even after all the sugar....he still fell right to sleep....

We sure do love this little chunk

Vacation - Camping in the Adirondack Mountains

We continued north to camp up in the Adirondacks. This was a big deal for us because we have not been on a family vacation (besides our trips to Utah) in years! We couldn't believe it when we really figured that out. It was a great trip, the weather was phenomenal. It was probably in the 70's during the day, and in the 60's at night. Damon was in heaven with endless sticks to find, rocks to throw, fires to build,and lakes to play in.

This picture and the one below are just at a random stop we made on our way through upstate New York

Damon needed some rocks to climb!

Damon was playing in a lake, and Brixton thought it was a perfect time for a nap

This was Damon's play ground when we were hanging around the camp site

Brixton just continued to be his happy little self, hanging in the stroller, tent or in our arms. He amazes me daily at how content and happy he is. It is sometimes unbelievable.

Brixton was loving hanging out in the tent....nice comfy sleeping bags, blankets...he loved it

Of course, had to pick up the marshmallows.....I will brag that Mike makes THE best roasted marshmallows that I have ever had in my entire life. He's so patient! I just stick it in, burn the top, and pop it in my mouth. Not Mike...he's got the skills1

Damon loved being Daddy's little helper with the fire.

I love this one

We definitely enjoyed the Adirondack Mountains....but they don't quite compare to the Uintahs! Especially since they are 9 hours away! As opposed to the Uintah's which now feel like they were in our backyard when we lived in Utah! We'll be back one day!

Videos - Camp Woodward

Vacation - Camp Woodward

Most of you have probably never heard of Camp Woodward....I never had until we were planning this trip. It is a giant place for skate boarding / bike riding / gymnastics...and a bunch of other sports. With Damon's recent obsession of riding his bike like a maniac...Mike thought this would be a fun place to take him, and it worked out perfectly go to over Mem. Day weekend because it wasn't open yet for it's super crowded Summer Camps (1500 kids come to this place each week in the Summer). It was such beautiful weather, and a really fun place to visit.

I wish I would have taken pictures of all of the outdoor stuff they had there. It was amazing.

The Lodge that we stayed in

had to make sure Brixton didn't feel left out.

Damon was going up and down every ramp in every gym....but didn't do much on the half pipes (I was okay with that) - He rode into foam pits, and got both tires off the ground going up a couple of ramps. I'll try to post some videos....