Visiting Downingtown

After Atlantic City we stopped at the Clark House for some fun before heading home. It was gorgeous out and mom had some Chili and corn bread on hand (as usual). We even went to Milky Way Farms to get ice cream. It was simply a delight.

I am dying for a Trader Joe's near me. There are so many things my sisters and mom have enlightened me with that come from there. One would be this delicious corn bread. Sweet and delicious.

Daddy... he's always had a cutie smile. Look at those crows feet and grey hair. you're turning into an old man pops!

A board fell on his head while he was working in the garage and he kept talking about his bandaid... i think he wanted us to think he was tough.

Ahh Milky Way Farms. It's become quite the tradition to go here for ice cream when we are in the D-Town area.

My hoodlum husband. Although, i don't think hoodlums smile quite so nicely.

I love taking pictures of mom when she's not looking :) She's so cute.

Maybe this is why i like taking pictures when she's NOT looking. If she knows i am going to take a picture she does this.

Rob and I loving Milky Way farms.

the goodbye from mom and dad's house is always entertaining.

Small trips to D-Town are so refreshing. I've got it pretty good.

AC... A love hate relationship.

The last time i went to Atlantic City I did NOT go there on purpose. In fact, that fateful day I will never forget. I left a friends beach house in OCNJ around midnight because I wasn't feeling well. You know you HAVE to be home when you're sick. I just couldn't stand the thought of being sick at a stinking beach house so i left. Dumb as it may have been to try and drive home at midnight while sick, i did it. I got verbal directions from my friends dad and if you know me... that's a disaster waiting to happen. Which it did of course. GPS's have saved my life. I never know where i am. I don't even know which direction i'm going or where i am in relation to another place. I mean, is OCNJ north or south of Downingtown? Who knows? ok maybe everyone does, but i don't. It's like a learning disability.

Anywho, I started my journey home and lo and behold, ended up on the wrong road. I knew i was lost when i started to see Trump towers and tons of flashing lights. I called my parents who quickly jumped on google maps to help me verbally along the way... Good news! my phone died.......

I cried. I sat in my car driving on ramps past Trump Towers crying because i was tired, lost, and angry. I cry when i'm angry. it's great. I ended up stopping at a rest stop i stumbled upon somewhere and called my dad from a pay phone. Who does that!? I tried to get directions home from the burger king cashier who was useless. After i got off the phone with my dad who said he would come pick me up (i think i was two hours away) i went back to my car, reclined my seat, and took a nap. Gotta love dads :) I woke to a tap on my window and saw my dad standing there who wonderfully guided me home.

THAT is my first experience with Atlantic City. NOT good. hated it.

But.... last weekend, Atlantic City redeemed itself. Rob and I went  down (or over or up, who the heck knows) with a bunch of friends and it was lovely :) Here are some fun times for you...

here's the gang. What a great bunch.

what's a girl to do on a long drive to AC? Play with Kit-Kats. Gosh darn i love Kit-Kat's. so yummy.

Where can you find Kelvie and Carolyn on a Saturday morning in Atlantic City? In the kitchen of course!

Yum Yum. I was the pancake girl, Carolyn was the egg girl. It worked out really well.

The gang on the beach. it was cold but it was fun.

These two are in L.O.V.E. and i love love. So i took pictures.

two great gals showing workin it on the beach.

Football with beer in hand... that's a tough game. Cheers.

Fives for a job well done? Maybe just fives for fun and encouragement.

Prom Photo. Christy loves prom.

Back at the house playing a little of that ball game. What is it called? with the balls and the ladder thing that you throw them at. I was awful. But Rob and Tim look great.

My friend Paulie from New York.

Christyyyy..... Don't fret, that bottle is about the size of christy's pinky finger. I just liked the way it looked :)

Amanda and Mike in front of the beach scene mural. Lookin' good, kids.

Everyone needs a band photo.

Like I said, they're in love. Plus Carolyn's sunglasses are so cute.

Ah, weekends with friends. Does the soul good.

You're lucky i gave you a second chance, Atlantic City. This time I was prepped with a husband who is just like a GPS so this time i didn't cry when i saw those Trump towers. I had fun with you. Maybe i'll go back again one day. But be warned, I will not go to your casino's again. They were so boring. I played a dollar in the slots and lost a dollar in return. Sorry Mr. Trump. NOT interested.

A Following of 5!

I noticed today that I have 5 followers!! this is a reason to celebrate! despite the fact that they are all family members...

Here I sit, deciding how i can celebrate having 5 friends who follow my little baby blog. and there you have it... baby. A baby! that's it! my blog is a baby and my sister just had a baby. and today is his 1 week birthday! ANOTHER reason to celebrate! Golly, today is a good day. So in light of all things baby here are some of my handsome little nephew's first photo's taken by yours truly. 

I have two big sissies and i wouldn't have it any other way. not only have they given me everything i've learned in life, they have given me 4 nephews!! that's 1 less than all my followers! i just need to get them on the bandwagon of reading my blog and i'll have 9. that would be monumental. first, a sneak peek and my cuties.... (yes, they are mine in my head and my sisters in reality. but who needs reality)

these are the big boys... 3 days apart, both big brothers and first borns. I happen to love first borns. I'm married to one. Although, i think he could tone down his first born ways a notch at times :) 

But these two! they are my favorite 2 year olds. Finlay, in green, is an aggressive love machine who I think has the energy to already be an iron man, and Max, in red, is a closet performer with a sweetness none can match.

Onto the baby brothers! I said i liked first borns, and i do, but little siblings have a special place in my heart. I love seeing how being a little sibling forms their personality from the very beginning. Laird, is the sweetest little guy, and little brother to Mr. Finlay. (Disclaimer: I lied. I mentioned earlier these pictures were all mine... this one was taken by sissy Heath!)

This guy is just a bundle of sweetness! I think having Finlay for a big brother has made him immune to loud noises and quick movements. He's such a chill dude! and so dang cute...

Finally, the debut of my newest nephew, Sullivan! Oh he's so precious!

we decided to have a mini photo shoot with him... this is the first day home from the hospital. 3 days old.

poor guy wants swaddled.

wrinkly little feet that have never touched the groud :)

little Sully hanging out with Mommy

A little afternoon nap in the sun

Daddy Daycare!! Poor dad got stuck babysitting while the girls went up to the hospital room to meet Sully. Look at him. What a good Poppy :)

Since I happen to be childless, i need to live vicariously through my sisters and show you how cute Meredith did the kids room... this is baby Sully's side. adorable...

 And this is big brother maxton's side with his big boy bed and all!

 

Welcome, Sully. You are so loved already. And thank you, followers, for giving me something to celebrate. 

Happy 1 Week, Sully!!

Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie.... Oh Thank Heaven.

 
I have to share this baking experience because it turned out to be one of the most delicious recipes I've ever used! Oh, the peanut butter, the chocolate, the bananas, the cream, the graham cracker crust. All of those things alone are to die for.... all of them together.... goodness in it's purest form.

It all started with a hankering. A hankering for something delicious and high calorie :) This was just the ticket. Joy the Baker's Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie. Everyone loves peanut butter on bananas and even more people love chocolate on bananas and to combine the two into a pie is genious! Enjoy the view, friends...

I started to make the pie and couldn't handle having patience so of course i had to go in my fridge and get myself a snack while I spent time baking... I indulged on these crumby lemon cream bars i made 2 days ago. I. love. lemon.

first off.... crust. It was a honey graham craker crust which means I must chop up tons of graham crackers. This girl forgot to put a food processor on her wedding registry last year. The result... a tired arm.

here we are.... graham crackers, butter, salt, and sugar.

I got fancy and bought myself some organic dark chocolate. It was less cause it was organic and more cause it came in adorable 1 oz. packages!

melty melty

I could have used any peanut butter but i found this a few months back... peanut butter and honey. it's incredible.

Oh, i just love what's happening here. I didn't take a photo of it, but there is a layer of that melted dark chocolate beneath the peanut butter. things are looking more and more exciting!

On to the banana cream. At this point Rob walked in the kitchen and i had to slap his hand as he dipped his finger into this... sure it looks yellow like banana cream. Poor guy didn't realize it was just egg yolks and a ton of corn starch so far....

the final product..... ignore my chocolate shavings. My kitchen is a nook and gets so hot that my chocolate started to melt by the time i used it to make shavings. Less like shavings and more like chunks. Oh well. It was too dang delicious.

Welcome, Loves.

I've spent countless hours looking at others' blogs.... mostly baking blogs because i love dessert and looking at step by step photos of butter and sugar turning into dessert. But, after spending the evening making this cutie little blog, i'm most stuck as to what to put in my first post. How fun.. my first post ;) I'm tempted to just upload pictures of my adorable nephews, things i baked (and ate) recently, or cheesy pictures of my hubby named Robby... but it's all too much! I don't know where to start! So it has come down to this... 2 things.

#1: i'm dying to make these. it took everything i had to not run out and buy sweetened condensed milk to whip up these bad boys. I love lemon and anything with a crumb on top is to die for.

Problem: I may or may not have to wear a bathing suit this weekend.
Solution: Make them AFTER i enter into a bathing suit and binge.

#2: A sneek peak into my personal life. Blogs are supposed to generally be about the blogger I suppose... not other people's amazing photography and baking skills...

This is myself and my husband who is affectionately called "Wobby" by my dear nephews. He is witty, has luciously animated eyebrows, is a foot and 2 inches taller than my pint sized self, loves eating chocolate chip cookies, can make horribly ugly faces, is so very different and so very compatible to me, and is my BFF. Totally.

That's it for today folks. I'm sure the next post will be full of all sorts of impressive musings and photos. I must go do my occasional workout... Jillian's 30 day shred. I've been on level 2 for about 2 months. No good, friends. I leave you with Jillian's encouragement... "Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going". Lovely, Jillian, Thanks.