Picking Up Rocks

Last July, our family invested in 25 acres of land that is a perfect place for us to build a home someday. 

These two (plus Cooper) are going to have a lot of fun here in the coming years!

One corner of our property has PLENTY of rocks.  Plenty.
Which is a good thing because Chandler is really into rocks right now.
He LOVES them!

 So we knew where to go when we needed some flat rocks to border our flower beds.  And it was certainly a family effort!  And it was one of the reasons my Mother's Day was so special!

Chandler picked up and placed every single rock on the edge of that tailgate.
Looks like he has his daddy's work ethic! Praise The Lord!

We saw lots of cactus (loved this special one), scorpions, lizards, birds, butterflies and lots of rocks.  It was a great day.  A really great day.

Chandler, Say "Cheese"

Yesterday, I attempted to get a good picture of Chandler 

to use on his birthday invitations. 

Here's a collection of my effort:

Southwestern Baked Spaghetti

My intentions are not for this to become a food blog.  But, I feel compelled to share new recipes that go over really well in our house, especially with my fairly picky two year old!  So, I give you Southwestern Baked Spaghetti!

You'll need:
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, cooked
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 (8 ou) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack

Combine hot, drained spaghetti with egg and milk; mix well. Pour spaghetti mixture into a buttered 9x13 casserole. While your spaghetti is boiling, brown meat, onion, pepper and garlic; drain.  Return meat to skillet.  Add seasonings and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in tomato sauce and cook 2 more minutes.  Spread meat mixture over spaghetti.  Sprinkle with cheese (I always use more cheese than the recipe calls for!).  Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it stand 10 minutes.  It's important to let it stand as it firms up better.

I got this recipe off of Pinterest.  Not all of the recipes I have tried off of Pinterest have been a success.  Last night's Crunchy Baked Chicken, for example, was a huge disappointment.  I love trying new recipes, though!  And I finish typing this post as I finish the leftovers of our Southwestern Baked Spaghetti!

Chandler, Mommy and the booger

Quality snuggle time is becoming less frequent as Chandler gets older.  He is just too busy with trucks, forts, puzzles and his many other toys!  But, because he had such an incredibly fun, but apparently quite exhausting, few days with his Nana and Andaddy (TJ's parents), Chandler fell back to sleep for a while after he initially woke up yesterday.  I really enjoyed my time with him, despite the large, nasty booger stuck on his nose, glaring at me every time he repositioned himself.  It was pretty humorous.    

See the booger?  It doesn't look near as large from this angle.  He would not let me get it off!
Those are sure some pretty eyes, huh?

5 Minutes of Faces With Cooper

The many faces of sweet Cooper

And the sweetest face of all.