More Guess What Onesie Pictures

I hope you guys saw our announcement yesterday. I think most of those who read this already knew - but those who didn't, now know why this blog has been pretty lackluster the past two months. More on that later ..

I have a little bit to catch you up on, but let's start with the 'Guess What' onesie. I wanted to do something unique for our announcement (and Facebook - which we will post sooner or later). I think the "our family is growing by two feet" pictures are adorable, but there are so many of them, that I wanted something new. Now, I'm sure this has been done before, but in my googling, I didn't find it. 

My parents were in town the weekend we found out that I was pregnant. My dad works on a Navy ship and is gone for four months at a time, so he missed Christmas this year. We were doing a little "Christmas in Charlotte" to give him his presents. It was so soon that the news hadn't fully sunk in for Dan and myself, but I knew it was our only opportunity to tell them in person.

I went to Michael's and bought fabric paint and a pack of onesies (who knew they sold them at Michael's?) I simply painted the words "Guess What?" on the onesie. Originally I choose orange as a gender neutral color, but it works well for an October baby! 

We printed a little sign that said "Our first little one is due October 19th, Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa!" and added some scrapbook paper as a border. (I think the original said 10/16 as the due date (my dad's birthday) but that has since changed by 3 days).

That was all wrapped up in a white box. I told them that it was for both of them, but that it was something dad specifically asked for. They were thrilled!

My poor mom wanted to keep the onesie and I told her I would have to mail it to her later. I really didn't want to paint another one!

Anyway, here are a few more pictures from our little photoshoot. 

The onesie was ironed immediately after taking this photo.

I love how happy Dan looks in this one.

I was testing the lighting when Dan decided to pose. I love this photo!

And we can't forget our first child!

Guess what?

We are thrilled to share that we are expecting a little pumpkin on October 19th!

With much love and excitement,

Dan and Kelley

Yogurt

Three rows high and three rows deep. I think we have a problem. 

Kiawah Island 2013

The weekend before last, Dan and I headed to Kiawah Island to meet his mom, brother, and grandfather. We semi took Friday off (worked a little in Kiawah), took the puppy, and headed down there for the weekend.

It was a little chilly. I know you can't expect beach weather in March, but it was definitely unseasonably chilly. We spent a few hours at the beach in long pants and blankets to take in the scenery, but we were not nearly as brave as the highschoolers who tried to lay out in bathing suits. I wish we could have gotten a little sun, but it was so nice to have a relaxing weekend out of town with family.

We did a lot of walking -- around Kiawah and on the beach. Koda even clocked in over 10 miles one day! Dan's mom also rented bikes so we were able to bike around the island as well. 

For the second year in a row, Dan's mom got involved in making a March Madness bracket. This then led to her following each of the basketball games. It then led to her watching all of the games, and might have slipped into a borderline obsession (teenage boy style). 

She had us watching the games throughout the weekend, and I was recalling the rules from the high school basketball games I used to attend. What's double bonus? How long is the shot clock? 

Before we knew it, I had a vested interest in the games and got incredibly excited as the scores got close. I might even make a bracket next year. Might. This could all blow over. 

We had two wonderful dinners. One at an Italian place on John's Island, and the other at the Sanctuary hotel on Kiawah Island. We then ended up at the Sanctuary on Sunday morning for Easter brunch. Everything was delicious. 

I am so sad that I didn't get a picture of us all dressed up for Easter. 

The weekend went by too fast, and before we knew it we were back at work with a handful of unpacking on our to-do list.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cream Cheese

I don't normally like flavored cream cheese - but this one turned out delicious. I think its because the flavors were fresh ingredients instead of chemicals or powders blended into the cream cheese. 

This was so easy, it is more of an idea than an exact recipe. 

1/3 cup of cream cheese

1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

2 T jalapenos (or to taste - esp if you bought a spicy one!)

Mash all of the ingredients together with a fork.

It'll keep in your fridge for a few days. I think this amount topped 4 bagels. 

I can't wait until later in the spring when my jalapenos are growing - to use fresh ones from the garden. 

Kylie's Bachelorette

My parents were gracious enough to let 8 girls invade their condo in Destin, Florida last weekend. They have a wonderful 3 bed room, full kitchen, ocean view, bay view, sleeps 12 condo. Here's the link to the condo with pictures, if you want to feel like you were there with us. Or if you are looking for a vacation rental. Shameless plug. 

We didn't end up with the best weather (which we knew northern Florida isn't the place to go in March) - but we did have a wonderful time. 

Only one small issue: the lock stopped working, and we couldn't get into the condo around 10 pm on Thursday. After 13 keys were made and tried, and one IT professional on the case (that's me..obviously) it was determined that the keys were not the problem, and it was indeed the lock. (Shockingly, key number 12 did not get us to that conclusion..).We got to meet all of the security guards, the front desk people, and one locksmith. We got to hear the crazy spring break stories of the past week, and talk to some super nice 24 hour line individuals from ResortQuest, and we were all set for the weekend. 

On Friday we attempted to venture to the hot tub, but apparently were not the only ones with that idea. So we grabbed the packed cooler, set it up in the middle of the condo and pretended we were out on the beach. We went to Pompano Joe's for dinner, where the bartender made Kylie a margarita in her bride cup (he even salted the rim!). 

This is the only group shot I have of the entire weekend. Apparently our waiter had some issues with the autofocus. 

The next morning we went to the Whale's Tail for breakfast on the beach. Although it was a little windy and chilly - so we settled for the breakfast with a view of the beach. 

We did some outlet mall shopping during the day. Then stayed in the condo that night to play games, eat dinner, eat cake, and finish up the beer in the cooler. 

(Obviously I am leaving out the incriminating stories. What kind of friend would I be if I told the internet everything?)

Sunday was the most beautiful day. Everyone had to leave early except for Tricia, Grace and myself. So we went out by the pool to get a little sun. It was only around 63 degrees, so we didn't think to put on sunscreen - and no one really wanted to have to shower again before flying. 

Note to self - don't lay out in capris. My reverse sock tan has made it impossible to wear dresses or skirts to work this week. 

This is a horrible picture, but its too funny not to share. Here's to hoping that this goes away soon!

I can't wait until we all get together again in May to celebrate Kylie and Justin!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Sorry for the blog hiatus. I really put a lot of weight in Punxsutawney Phil and his ability to predict weather patterns. He said we would have an early spring, and every morning, when I check the weather, and it's below freezing (in the South! in March!), a little part of me gets angrier and angrier. I keep thinking 'tomorrow is the today' and am constantly let down. I really hope this gets brought up in Punxsutawney Phil's 2013 performance review. I can't be the only disgruntled customer.

Needless to say, I am ready for warmer weather! There hasn't been a whole lot happening around here, which is why I haven't been posting much. I plan to be out in the garden, taking Koda on more walks, playing some tennis, and laying by a pool as this weather gets warmer. But until then, we are mostly eating and catching up on our DVR.

I did go through my pictures today and found that I actually do have a good bit to catch up on. Most of these are recipes, which I apologize for - but what else is there to do in the winter but eat? So expect a few more posts from me - and hopefully no more longer-than-a-week breaks. 

Starting with the first one, a hearty vegetable soup to get you through these last few weeks of winter (I refuse to pretend that it is Spring ... 27 degrees is not Spring).

8 cups beef broth 

1 diced bell pepper

1 diced jalapeno

2 cloves garlic minced

2 T olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 sprig of rosemary

1 potato – chopped

1 sweet potato – peeled chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup green beans (cut into 1inch pieces)

1 cup loosely chopped broccoli

1 portabello mushroom – diced

1 cup spinach
2 T half and half

First, let me explain some of the ingredients. I used 8 cups of water and 8 beef bouillon cubes to make the broth, so feel free to do the same. The sugar is used to neutralize the spiciness of the jalapeno - so don't worry about this being spicy. I don't think spicy goes well with the flavors of sweet potatoes, garlic, and rosemary - so I definitely recommend the sugar. Lastly, the half and half gives it just a hint of creamy (which works well with the potatoes) without much added fat. 

As someone who doesn't love cooked spinach (and therefore finds other ways of eating it) the spinach in this just completely melts in your mouth. I love it!

1. In a large stock pot combine the bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic and olive oil.
2. Sautee over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the beef broth. Add the sugar and the rosemary. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the potato, sweet potato, and carrots. Boil 10 minutes.
5. Add the green beans, broccoli, and mushrooms. Boil for 2 minutes.
6. Add the spinach and the half and half. Boil for 1 minute. 
7. Remove from heat. Carefully remove the rosemary stem. Serve and enjoy. 

A hearty, calendar-is-pretending-its-spring-but-really-its-winter soup that takes less than 20 minutes to make. 

I cut up some stale bread, baked for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprayed the cubes with olive oil, baked another 2 minutes, and served on top of the soup.