Our First Adventure...

In May, TJ and I decided to be on the lookout for a used, fifth wheel, recreational vehicle for our little family to buy and take on some adventures in the coming years.  It took a while to find the right one for us (because we needed it to have more beds than just a master and a fold out couch) but we finally found a bunkhouse that is perfect for us.  We are planning an awesome little family vacation in a couple of weeks....pictures to follow.  But, we were anxious to take it on a trial run, just to get a handle on how everything works before we set off on a big adventure.  So, we traveled down Kerrville, set up camp and we really had a good time.  Here are some of the highlights!

If you look closely, Cooper is wiped out, peacefully
sleeping on our way
 back to the RV after our trip to the swimming pool.

We had some yogurt at a really neat little yogurt shop...Chandler loved this!

We were right on the water and it was very peaceful!

Helping Daddy

Daddy of the year award goes to..... TJ!!

Looking at butterflies in Fredericksburg.

Playing Connect Four at Hondo's
(well, playing stack the chips in as fast as we can,
release the chips to fall, laugh and repeat)

So who knew this place existed?!
The Hanger Hotel and Restaurant in Fredericksburg

Chandler LOVED watching the small planes land and take off
while we ate our ice cream.
I think this was the highlight of the trip for him.

The Cafe

Not sure why Cooper isn't happy, but a nice man offered to take a picture of
our family!  I'd highly recommend making this little cafe a stop next time you're
in Fredericksburg!

Update on the Hill Home

A LOT has happened in the month since I posted last!

This little guy has really started to eat up that baby food!  And interestingly enough, he hates apples.  If there is a hint of apple in any of the baby food I buy for him, he screams as he eats it.  Hmmm...

He has started sitting up really well and rolls all over the place.  He cut two teeth two weeks ago (a lot faster than big brother...Chandler didn't cut a tooth until he was one!).  I know he will be crawling soon and I'm happy for these milestones but I'd be lying if I said my heart wasn't a little sad for him to be reaching them so quickly.

But the big news in Cooper's life was his surgery to remove a dermoid cyst from above his right eye.  I was incredibly anxious for him to have to go under anesthesia.  I guess I talk a lot when I'm nervous?  I talked the ears off of my husband, my mother and our Pastor.  But, when the nurses brought him back to me, Cooper looked up at me and smiled and then inhaled a 6 ounce bottle.  You would not have even known he just had surgery.  And that is pretty much how the following days of recovery went!  A few fussy periods but for the most part, Cooper handled this surgery like a champ!  We are incredibly grateful for the prayers that covered our baby boy and thankful to God for keeping him safe and happy. 

Post-Op, Post-Bottle

About a week later
  

Chandler had a big month!  He turned two on the 14th!  He is changing so much every day.  His vocabulary is quite impressive now.  And, of course he repeats everything we say and he does everything his daddy does.  He amazes us!!  He knows his numbers, one through ten, and many of his letters and colors.  He would live outside if we let him.  We were given four horses a few weeks ago so his new favorite thing is to go "check horses" in the evenings at Nana and Andaddy's.  He is such a joy!  He is an absolute delight to have in our lives and I just praise God for allowing us to be his parents!

Birthday morning eating cupcakes

Swimming at Nana's at his party

Playing the piano while Nana sings

What an important job TJ and I have been tasked with.  Being a mother is the hardest job I have ever had but it's also my favorite and the most rewarding.  On the day of Chandler's birthday, I was expressing to TJ how amazed I am at how quickly I feel like the last two years have gone by.  I cried to him that we "only" have sixteen years left!  I know this is "my life's work" (to quote a dear friend) but, we only have sixteen years left until this sweet child graduates high school  and ventures into this big world as an adult.  Not by himself; he will always have us by his side.  As an adult, though.  We have a lot to teach him in these short sixteen years!!  What an incredibly important, amazing job He has trusted us with!  My prayer for us in the next sixteen years is that we are able to teach Chandler how important Christ is to his life and how very very much he is loved by our Lord.  I pray we can equip him with the tools he needs to be financially independent and responsible, emotionally healthy and strong, and to find an adventure around every corner.  I just want us to fill the next sixteen years with as many memories, fun, adventures and love as we possibly can.  It's only sixteen years!

A few more recent pictures

Going to check horses

Reading a book our cousin Kristen sent us

Not only has it been a busy month or so since I posted last, but in a seven day period, we have celebrated Chandler's birthday, my birthday (EEKK), Father's Day and tomorrow we celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary.  What a fun, beautiful life TJ and I get to live!  Our hearts are so incredibly full!

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.

Momma Made

Everyone has those meals that "Momma Made" and no one, not even you, can make it like her, right?!  I loved it when my mother made Tune Noodle Casserole and Stuffed Bell Peppers. There were many delicious dishes she made, but these were just a few of my comfort meals that only my momma can make.  So, now I'm the Momma and along with continuing the tradition of a few of my mother's meals, I also want to create some "Momma Made" meals of my own, that my boys will request as they get older.  Good ole comfort food that our house loves.... recipes I can pass down, along with my mother and grandmother's recipes.  So, last night I tried a new recipe (on my mother's recommendation, actually) and it was delicious!  I have to share it! It definitely has all the right...um...ingredients....to be a "Momma Made" meal!

Creamed Chicken & Biscuits

You'll Need:

1/2 large onion  (I just used a medium onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons of butter  

4 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped pimiento (Didn't have so I left it out!)

1 cup shredded, mild cheddar cheese, divided (I used more like 2 cups...we like cheese!)

6 frozen biscuits, thawed (I used 8 and didn't thaw*)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease bottom and sides of an 11x7 inch casserole.  (I'm not sure if I have an 11x7 so I just used the first rectangular casserole dish I came to in the cabinet.)

Chop the onion and saute it in the butter until tender.

Combine the onion, chicken, soup, sour cream, milk and pimiento in a medium bowl and mix well.  Spoon into your prepared dish and bake for 15 minutes.  While it's baking, shred your cheese.

Sprinkle the baked layer with about 3/4 of your cheese.  Arrange your biscuits in a single layer over top.  Sprinkle the biscuits with the remaining cheese.

Bake until biscuits are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes longer.*  Serve immediately!

*I used Grand's Homestyle Frozen Biscuits and the package says they don't have to be thawed before being baked.  So I didn't thaw them before I put them on my casserole.  It worked well but my casserole had to bake for about 40 minutes instead of the 20 minutes the recipe states. Just make sure the biscuits cook through.  Also, 6 biscuits looked kind of measly (probably because I wasn't careful about the size of my casserole dish?!) so I used 8.  It worked great.  

The only ingredients I really measured were the sour cream and the milk.  You can't go wrong with this recipe.  It wasn't super (like-spaghetti-with-jarred-sauce) easy but it certainly wasn't difficult or too time consuming.  Perfect amount of work, especially if you already have your chicken cooked!

Enjoy!  We certainly did! 

And a thank you to my mother who recommended the dish to me and who instilled in me a love for cooking!