Mud Run

On Saturday Eric and some of our good friends ran in the Marine Core Mud Run in Colombia, South Carolina.  They ran 5.2 miles and completed 32 obstacles.  They had 2 teams, each with 4 people, and with an age range of 14 to 57. They all loved it! 
I watched the 7 kids and we took lots of pictures.  It was definitely muddy, dirty, and disgusting, but actually looked like a lot of fun.  I am definitely in next year!  GG and NG were able to run the last leg of the race with their Daddy and go over the last obstacle (some kind of log thing).   They were thrilled!  Eric said he would do it again in a heartbeat.  All the money raised from the 9,000 mudrunners goes to the marine veterans, and at each obstacle there were marines cheering on the runners. Maybe I can get Eric to add his commentary on the mud run to my blog....  

The Campers Return...

Packing and saying Goodbye



Their humble abode

 Friends

The lake right before sunrise



Island Camping

Daddy, BP and BB left this morning for a 3 day camping trip.  A great way to celebrate the first day of Summer. Baby C and I miss them terribly already.  It is VERY quiet here.  So quiet I actually have time to update the blog, which has not happened in weeks? So sorry... 
Here are some pictures they sent us.  They are camping on an island in the middle of a lake in the Adirondacks.  4 hours from home.  They brought our 16 ft. boat to access their campsite.  They will be sleeping in the lean-to pictured above. No potties, no showers, just the great outdoors, loons, float planes, and a little cell service.  I loved hearing their excited little voices when they checked in a couple hours ago.  Also love that Daddy wants to give them memories and traditions rather than "stuff".  Someday Baby C will join this new tradition. 

Good Dirt

This is the third year for our garden on Swiss Hill (cannot call it our new house anymore). And we finally have some "good dirt" as Barefoot Dad declared yesterday. He has been adding stuff (peat, poop, and I honestly don't know what else) to it and tilling it for 3 years. Here he is with his crew yesterday.

ipad education????

Barefoot Dad found a bunch of Montessori ipad apps. Here is BP doing the Hundred Board, which is one of her favorite "works" to do at school. Scary thing is this is what our world will become. It will be like..."Welcome to Kindergarten Johnny, here is your ipad. Now get to work".

Sushi

BP and Daddy at our favorite Sushi restaurant in the town we used to live. It is an hour away now, but totally worth the drive.

Basement Project Update

Barefoot Dad's office is almost complete.

The concrete floors are polished, stained + finished. Painting is 99% complete + should be done tomorrow.

More pictures + details i.e. paint colors etc. to come. Just one last thought...do you know how hard it is to find a TRUE "barn red"?

Prayers Please...

Found this picture this morning while straightening up our house. (1979 Barefoot Dad + Grandma Ruth)

We visited Grandma Ruth just last night. She is not feeling well + needs prayers.

Basement Project

Been busy with little design / construction project in our basement the last couple of weeks. Barefoot Dad is finally going to get a home office. He really needs it! He gave up his when Baby C was born + truth be told he deserves a man place. A place to escape from the sorority house feeling he sometimes gets living with 4 girls!

The two contractors are finishing up today then we have the floor guy coming + we are going to tackle the painting ourselves. It turned out to be a pretty cool space. I will show more pics when it is finished, but here is a sneak peak of one of the sliding barn doors. My vision for the space was rustic with an urban / modern edge. Think Soho loft meets country barn. Rod + Pete, the contractors totally got my scratch pad drawings, internet print-outs + verbal descriptions. They were amazing at putting the vision to life. So now Barefoot Dad will have a place to call his own, a place to organize his office on wheels, and a place to escape the girly madness upstairs :)

Daddy Date #2 (BP)

Daddy Date #2 was BP's turn. They went kayaking on a pristine local resevoir. She left with a pillow to sit on, a small quilt, snacks, her pink water bottle, her binoculars, and of course a pink life jacket. He left with a life jacket, snacks, a water bottle, and my camera. They both came home 3 hours later with huge smiles and lots of stories from their adventure. I just have to say that my husband is the perfect "girl Dad." He just gets them, and understands that sometimes they are sensitive and whiny. And other times they are adventurous and all about bugs and kayaking and peeing in the woods. Now BP is planning on an afterschool kayaking trip. Yes, she has asked Daddy "to pick her up in his green truck with the kayak" and go in the nearby Delaware or another lake they spotted recently. It seesm she cannot wait for the weekend. I give her credit. I am not all that confident of a kayaker. She is a braver chick than me!

Daddy Date #1 (BB)

Daddy and BB went for a hike Saturday morning. BB thought she was the cat's meow riding in Daddy's truck and having one on one time with him. It seems BP normally steals all the Daddy time away, but Little BB is coming into her own. She has really grown up this summer. She is good company and can talk your ear off!

Hey Cowboys...

This picture was taken at the Brad Paisley concert a couple weeks ago. They planned their outfits like two sorority girls and even made a last minute shopping trip to Tractor Supply. Aunt Nicole and I rolled our eyes and made jokes about them. When we got to the concert Brad Paisley was wearing the same exact hat!

Her Prince

BP calls him her Prince and she ADORES him. Hey, who am I kidding, we ALL do!!!

We are three very lucky girls to live with this amazing guy.

I love these pictures of BP and her Daddy just chilling this past weekend.

The Dog Catcher

BP and her Daddy discovered another use for Papa's JD Gator. They used it to seek out and catch Flaps when he ran away this past weekend. The little runaway enjoyed his ride back to our house in the back. Check out his tongue!

Italian Stir Fry

Delicious! We are trying to make some lifestyle changes in our house and eating is the major one. For almost a week we have been doing the Weight Watchers diet. So far so good. We both have seen instant results and feel amazing! I wanted to support my sweetheart and honestly have a few lbs. to lose from my last pregnancy. I figured if we did it together we would be more successful. The Weight Watchers recipes are so amazing that I don't feel like I am missing out on anything, and I am definitely not starving. Avoiding convience foods and choosing healthier options makes all the difference in the world. Oh, and no more soda for either of us. That alone made a difference in how I feel immediately. The other big reason for this change is to set a good example for our girls.



The recipe below is my favorite right now...

Italian Stir Fry (It is steak and salad all in one dish and ready in about ten minutes!)

Try it. I promise you will love it!



2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped red pepper

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 lb. sirloin, trimmed of fat and slice into stips

2 medium cloves of garlic chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

5 cups of arugala

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (has to be fresh, it really makes the meal)



Heat a very large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and turn pan to coat.

Add peppers and mushrooms, saute until peppers begin to soften, about three minutes. Move veggies to side of skillet.

Add sirloin and garlic to open space in skillet, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Turn beef after 1 minute and then continue to cook for 3 minutes more, shaking pan accasionally to mix all ingredients back together.

Add arugala, stir frequently until it wilts slightly

Serve with parmesan cheese.

7 points for 2 servings (2 cups)
3 additional points with brown rice
We have never added the brown rice and it is quite filling.

(Picture above from macys.com)

Fall Fishing...

While we played on the beach we also watched Daddy fish. Apparently it is strpier season in Cape May. BP was all about helping with the fishing gear and she even helped reel in one fish. She was not a big fan of the smelly clam bait though. We watched the sun set and then said good-bye to the beach.

Green and Gold

These pictures are for my husband who is a fan of the old classic John Deere tractors. His favorite tractor is the John Deere "B" model pictured right above. I often see him perusing ebay in search for one of these at a bargain price.

Happy Anniversary!

I look at this picture taken four years ago on our honeymoon and I think... Wow! A lot has happened in four years. In four years we have gone from two to four. We have gone from a couple to a family. It has been a wonderful journey and taking every step together has been a gift! Everyday I am blessed that you are in my life. Thank You!!!

Finger Painting with Daddy

I was upstairs putting BB to sleep and this is what happened. She came running upstairs saying, "look mommy!!!"

Retro Chic

At an antique truck show this weekend this 1962 Airtstream trailer caught the Barefoot Dad's eye and I would say his heart too. I think it is a very classy, very sharp, and very chic home on wheels. We learned that about 70% of the original Airstream trailers are still in use today. This is like a second home on wheels. It even has a bathtub inside! Being from the school of thought that going somewhere more than once is silly beacuse there is so much to see in the world... the Airsteam appeals to me and makes perfect sense.