Our trip to NYC!

Sunday Kyle had a day off from baseball so Ava, Grandma Jan and I decided to take him to New York ity!  Graig and Brock had to stay home because they had an end of the season party to go to for Brock's Little League team. 

It's suppose to take 4 hours to get to NYC from our house but on the way down I took a different route and it took us 6 hours!  On the way back home I went my usual way and it only took 4 hours thank goodness!!

On the way down my phone died because I was using the GPS and I also forgot to bring my camera so I have NO pictures of our trip!

Once we finally arrived we decided to take Kyle on a double decker sight seeing bus.  Graig and I did that tour about 12 years ago when we still lived in Illinois and came to NY to visit his family.  It's a great way to see all of the city sites in a short period of time.  The tour took about 3 hours and it was SO hot, it was at least 90 degrees while we were there!

We got off the bus at Rockerfeller Center which was perfect because it was right by the American Girl Store.  That's the only thing that Ava wanted to do all day so we went in and got her a bunny for her doll Lanie. 

We left there and headed for Times Square to get a nice dinner before we got on the road to come home.  We ate at Famous Dave's bbq which is my Dad's favorite resturant.  It was SO good.  Ava and I shared some baby back ribs!

We took a taxi back to grand central station to catch our train to Newark, NJ where my car was parked.  It was the first time Kyle was ever in a taxi!

Summer Flowers and Baseball

Yesterday we took Kyle our baseball player to New York City for the day.  Ava, Grandma Jan and I took him.  We had a fun day but we didn't get home until 12:30 am this morning so we are SOOO tired today!  I am going to do a post about our NYC adventure tomorrow.  Today I thought I would post some quick pictures that I took with my iphone!

I love this picture of Brock this was after his first all-star baseball game last week.  He hates when I take pictures of him during games so he wouldn't smile for this picture-ha ha!

Last week Ava brought home some of her art projects from school.  She loves art!  She did some really great projects this year at school.  I LOVE this picture that she drew.  It is based on van Gogh's sunflower painting.

I took this quick picture tonight of the flowers on our deck.  They are finally looking "full"  I just got the two patio hydrangaes this year and I love them!

Flower pot directions

The flower pot that I posted yesterday is SO easy to make!  This project takes about 15 minutes from start to finish!  I used my house #'s on my pot but I also think this would be cute with your monogram too!  Here is the finished project. 

First you need to type out your letters or numbers as big as you want in microsoft word.  I used modern #20 font.  Then print and cut them out.    You could see some white paper after I cut my numbers so I just filled in the white with a black sharpie. 

My pot is plastic and brand new so to make it look older I brushed on some white craft paint and wiped it off using a papertowel.  I kept wiping until I liked the way the pot looked.  Then I modge podged (you can get this in the craft section at wal-mart, it's fabulous!)  my numbers on and I went ahead and modge podged the whole pot so it all had the same sheen. 
I let it dry overnight and then I added my plant the next day. 
I love the way it turned out!  I also think this would be a quick and easy hostess gift!

Have a good weekend!

Thursday, Thursday!

Tonight Brock doesn't have a baseball game so we are going to relax at home grill out steaks and have mashed potatoes and salad!  I also want to work a little bit in my flower beds.    Kyle has a game so Brock and I am going to watch him play later on tonight while Graig plays poker at our house with his friends. 

Ava is still enjoying her time in Philly with our neighbors. Today they went to the Philadelphia zoo!  She called and talked to me today and said that she wasn't even one bit homesick-ha ha!
I am SO glad that she is having a good time!  This is really her first time going for so long without us.

I did a little summer re-arranging on this shelf in  our living room.  I really like the way it turned out!

I also did this little craft project a few days ago.  I printed out our house #'s and modge podged them on a pot.  I used microsoft word modern no. 20 font.  I think it turned out really cute!

Have a great Thursday!

It's summer!!!

Brock and Ava are FINALLY out of school!!  Now our summer can offically begin!  I have been in summer mode since it turned so pretty and the college students left last month. 

We are doing a bunch of different things this summer for fun we don't have any really big trips planned except for our girls weekend to Illinois  in July to go to my sister's baby shower!! 

Last night Ava left with our neighbors to go to Philadelphia for a mini-vacation.  They are staying at the Crown Plaza and their hotel is on the roof.  Ava was SOOOO excited before she left about the roof top pool.  This afternoon my sweet neighbor sent me this picture of our girls by the pool.

Last night Kyle's game was rained out so I took him grocery shopping so he could get food that he likes.  He picked out a lot of "boy" food like pizza rolls, hotdogs, bacon, hot pockets, etc.  I also picked up some stuff to make  chicken caesar  salad because I have been craving it.  I made it for dinner when I got home and it was SO good!  It's already gone and I am going to buy some more romaine lettuce so I can make it again.  It's so easy just get a bag of romaine lettuce, frozen grilled chicken (I used Tyson), fresh grated parmesan cheese, crutons and ceasar salad dressing. 

We also watched Shutter Island last night, I know it's been out for a while and I have been wanting to watch it.   It was really good, there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot so I actually want to watch it again now that I know how it ends. 

Tonight Brock has a baseball game in Cooperstown.  He's in a wooden bat tournament there where the boys have to use wooden bats instead of metal.  Graig has held two practices with his team this week so they could practice using the wooden bats. It will be fun to see how the boys do tonight!

Have a good Wednesday!

Little League Champions!!

Brock's baseball team won our town's little league championship game tonight!  It was SUCH an exciting game, I was on the edge of my seat the entire game.  The game was even on the radio tonight!  Brock was the pitcher for our team and at the end of the game he was named the "Player of the Game" and he was interviewed on the radio.   He even got a free large ice cream at a local ice cream shop for being the "Player of the Game."  It all happened so quick so Grandma Jan, Ava and I went to my car so we could hear his interview on the radio, he did a great job!  I was so happy to be able to hear his interview live.  The radio station made a copy of the recording for us, which will be a great memory for Brock!  Here are a few pictures from the end of the game tonight.

Graig and Brock after the game

Brock with Graig and PaPa Larry

The whole team in front of our team sign!

It was great night and a great way for Brock to end his Little League career!  Now we are getting ready for All-Stars!  Our first game is Wednesday in Cooperstown.  It's a wooden bat tournament.  So after our game tonight Graig held a practice and the kids got to practice hitting with the wooden bats to get ready for the first game.

Have a good week!

Our Outlaw!

This summer we are a host family for a college age baseball player that is going to be playing baseball in our town this summer.  The team he is playing in is a developmental team for college players to keep up their skills so they can continue playing at a high level.  Our player Kyle hopes to play major league baseball someday!

He got to our house on Tuesday at about noon after flying all night from his home in Southern California!  We are in upstate NY so it was a looong flight for him!  He slept a little Tuesday afternoon and then got us and went to Brock's Little League game with us which was fun.  He was a celebrity down at the Little League field-ha ha!

 His parents raised him right, he is polite, kind and so sweet with Ava and Brock!   Ava is like his shadow and won't leave him alone.  She even showed him how she can jump on our trampoline.  Poor Kyle!

Kyle's first game as an Outlaw was on Thursday night.  Here are some pictures from the game.

Kyle signing autographs before the game.  Of couse Ava was right there with him the whole time-ha ha!

Ava and Kyle

Ava with her friends Jake and Anika

Kyle at the plate, he was the DH (designated hitter) in the game

Kyle before batting

He is going to be with us until the beginning of August.  He has a game almost every day while he is here so we have a LOT of baseball games to attend this summer!

Have a good weekend!

Show us your life-Proposals!!

Toda's Show us your Life sponsored by Kelly's Korner  is proposal stories!  I can't wait to read  how everyone got engaged!

We have the best engagement story!  Waaaay back in the spring of 1997 (yeah I know we have been married a long time-ha ha!)  I went on spring break to South Padre Island Texas with 7 of my best college friends!  We had the BEST time.    While I was there (I had NO idea this was going to happen!) my boyfriend Graig went shopping with two of his friends for an engagement ring for me!

 I remember we talked a couple of times during my trip and we planned that he would pick me up at the St. Louis airport and then we would meet my family (mom, aunt, grandma and sister) for dinner in St Louis.    He picked me up and we went over to my Aunt's house to get ready to go out to eat with my family.  When we got there my Mom suggested that Graig and I go to the St. Louis Arch since Graig grew up in New York he had never been up to the top.   I really wanted him to see it because the Arch is my most favorite thing about St. Louis and I LOVE everything about St. Louis.  

When we got to the Arch my family decided that they would stay at the bottom while Graig and I went to the top.  Graig and I waited in line and got in the elevator that took us to the top. While we were looking out the windows at the top he got down on one knee and proposed!!!!    I  said yes and everyone who was up there with us started clapping!  It was a perfect moment!

We went back down and my family was there holding balloons signs that said "Congrats Angie and Graig!"  We all hugged and celebrated and then went out to dinner.  It was a PERFECT day!

Graig knows how close I am to my family and I am SO happy that he included them in our engagment day.

We just celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on June 7! 

Here is a picture of us at dinner the day we got engaged.

Here is a picture of us our our wedding day-June 7, 1997

Wednesday, Wednesday

I was gone all last week to a conference for work.  It was a 4 day hazing prevention institute in Western NY.  I learned SO much!  I am really glad that I went.  I  learned some cutting edge hazing prevention strategies for my campus and I met some amazing people.  Here is a picture of me with my roomies!  Yes we lived in a residence hall for 4 days!   I really liked the girls I was paired up with so it was a lot of fun.  We stayed up really late each night talking to each other and then we would "talk" during the day using twitter. 

Brock's little league team started their post season tournament this week.  His team is the #1 seed which means absolutely nothing in Little League-ha ha!  Every game is different and every team has the ability to win the tournamnent, so it will be an exciting week for Brock. 

Here is a picture that my friend Abby (thanks Abby!) took of Brock's baseball team for the CooperstownAll-Star Village.  He is going to play there in August!

I made this delicious and easy supper that was featured last week on the Today show.  Ava and I LOVED it Graig and Brock didn't even try it!  My boys love meat and potatoes and this recipe doesn't have either ha ha!

Spaghetti with pesto and tomato-mozzarella salad

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 ounces) thin spaghetti or linguine

• 1 large bunch fresh basil

• 1 small garlic clove, peeled

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 1/2 pints red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, each cut in half

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes


1. In large saucepot, prepare pasta as label directs.


2. Meanwhile, reserve 12 small basil leaves for garnish. From remaining basil, remove enough leaves to equal 2 cups firmly packed. Wash basil well; pat dry with paper towels. In food processor with knife blade attached, blend basil leaves, garlic, 4 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth, stopping processor and scraping down bowl occasionally. Add Parmesan; pulse to combine. Set aside.

3. In medium bowl, mix tomatoes, vinegar, and pepper with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Gently stir in mozzarella.

4. Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return spaghetti and reserved pasta cooking water to saucepot; add pesto and toss well to coat pasta. Spoon spaghetti mixture into large shallow bowl; top with tomato-mozzarella salad. Garnish with reserved basil leaves.

TIPS
Each serving: About 540 calories, 20g protein, 63g carbohydrate, 23g total fat (8g saturated), 3g fiber, 35mg cholesterol, 550mg sodium.

garage sale finds!

I got up at the crack of dawn (6:30) to go to yard sales this weekend.  I am SO glad I got up early and went, I got some cute things!  I went with my friend Sabrina and of course Ava wanted to go too, she always LOVES yard sales. 

My find of the day were these stools.  They were only $5.00 for both of them!  They are painted white and distressed so I took them home and cleaned them up and I am going to use them the way they are.  I LOVE them!

I love silver trays and this one was only .25 cents!  I put it on our coffee table in our living room to hold our remotes.

I got two of these green leaf plates they were .50 cents for both.    I think they will be fun to use this fall!

I got 3 of these guacamole bowls for .50 cents!  We LOVE to make/eat homemade guacamole!!

This sweet little vase was only .5 cents!  I put some peonies in it from our yard and put it in our kitchen.

Last but not least I got this pedastal from the free pile!  I am not sure what I am going to do with it yet so for now it's holding one of my summer candles.

Happy Monday!

Ava's dance recital 2010

This weekend was Ava's dance recital.  She had a show on Friday night, 2 shows yestersday and she has one show this afternoon.   We are ALL exhausted from this busy weekend.   The show was 3 hours and had about 200 dances from ages 3-18.  Ava did 5 dances.  For the first time ever she had some "quick changes" where she had to change costumes right back stage.  A lot of the older girls have quick changes because they are in SO many dances.  Ava was thrilled that she got to do two quick changes this year-ha ha!

Ava with some friends before the show

Ava did hip hop for the first time this year.  These costumes were really cute. 

 

The whole hip-hop class

Ava's ballet costume was my absolute favorite.  I think she looked SO pretty in her ballet outfit. 

Ava with her lyrical dance class.  Ava always tells me that lyrical is her favorite dance.  Lyrical is a cross between jazz and ballet. 

Ava with her lyrical class

Ava with her tap dance class

Ava with her tap friends!

Ava relaxing between dances. 

I hope everyone had a good weekend!