A special CD

A few months ago I took a short road trip with Shelly, Colin and Ethan to the Outlet Mall. Colin has a 'favorite CD' in the disc changer and makes requests about the songs he'd like to hear. I loved the CD so much that I asked for a copy of it. Then I got the idea that I should make him a new CD with new tunes on it.

It was a challenge, because not only do the songs have to rock for a 6.5 year old, but they also have to rock for Mom and Dad too.

Here's the list I compiled for him:

1. We're Dancing - PYT
2. The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
3. (You Drive Me) Crazy (The Remix) - Brittany Spears
4. Hey Julie - Fountains of Wayne
5. Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
6. The Girl On TV - LFO
7. You Set Me Free - Michelle Branch
8. The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
9. Jump - The Pointer Sisters
10. Roll With The Changes - REO Speedwagon
11. Bye Bye - N*Sync
12. Paradise - Coldplay
    
13. You Make My Dreams - Hall and Oates
14. The Right Stuff - New Kids On The Block
    
15. Love, Your Baby Girl - Sugarland
16. Just A Ride- Jem
17. UP! - Shania Twain
18. Don't Stop - Foster The People
19. The Best Thing - Savage Garden

This is also quickly becoming my favorite work out mix! I really hope he enjoys it as much as I do.

St. Patrick's Day 2012

This year we had Shelley and Kevin over for a Saint Patrick's Day feast!

Our Menu:

-Smoked Brisket in Guiness
-Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Asiago and Garlic
-Biscuits
-Brocolini with Pine Nuts, Lemon and Garlic

-Mint and Chocolate Cupcakes

Here's a shot of my cupcakes all done up:

I used the Martha Stewart recipe for the cupcake itself- she has a mint chocolate recipe, but I wasn't crazy about the frosting, so I used a simple butter cream and substituted vanilla extract for mint. These chocolate cupcakes also have a teaspoon of mint extract in them. I thought that was a lot to add, but the cake is so moist and the mint is so subtle, so she really does know her stuff! I added some green food coloring to the butter cream and then topped with a bit of chocolate bar and green sparkling sugar. Steven said they looked beautiful and I have to agree. They looked like I bought them and that's a wonderful compliment. :)

Here's a sweet pic of Steven's Brisket. He's basting it.

Finally, Steven could not end the night without an Irish Car Bomb. That's Guinness beer with a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream tossed in. You drop the shot glass and then chug it. It's not my idea of a good time, but it is Steven's. So, being the good wife that I am, I documented it with photos.

About to drop the shot in:Chug, Chug, Chug!!!!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

A Sunny Vacation

Steven and I haven't been on a vacation in quite some time. So when my parents suggested that we pack up and visit them in their sunny get-away spot- we jumped on it!

Here's a lovely picture of our gracious hosts in front of their palm tree. I love palm trees!My Dad took Steven out for a long ride on Saturday on the ATVs and they made all kinds of discoveries...

Like the entrance to an abandoned mine shaft...
Preacher's Pass...
The daily trip to the mailbox... Who is that handsome guy? Meanwhile, Mom and I hit the flea market to find some jewelery deals and steals. Boy did we find some amazing stuff. Sadly, I didn't have any photos of our 'loot'!
My Aunt PJ and Uncle Frank also drove 4 hours over just to see us and have lunch with us on Friday. Steven made up some of his famous slider burgers and we had a nice little indoor picnic. We would have been outside, but there were 30 mile an hour sustained winds outside and we thought better of that idea. It was hard enough to keep the BBQ running! I really enjoyed hearing all about my Aunt's Charity work. I hope to come and visit her soon to see her in action. She is such an incredible woman, I hope they know how lucky they are to have her on board!

Finally, our long weekend was over and we were headed out to the airport. I already miss Mom, Dad and Cruiser and can't wait until they are home again.
However, we now have this nice reminder of the sunny, fabulous trip to the desert! Thanks so much for having us!!