Sunday picnic

On Sunday, after the girls had taken their naps, we decided to have a picnic dinner up on the mountain. We quickly made some peanut butter sandwiches, put hot soup in the thermos, added apples, fruit snacks, granola bars, and some water and we were ready in no time. We decided to go to Tie Hack which has some nice picnic tables by the lake. There is a small dam that we were able to walk across, and a short hiking trail that goes below the dam. We put Megan into the backpack, but Lindsey decided that she wanted to walk. I never knew what a great hiker Lindsey is! She hiked all the way to the bottom and back to the top. If you have ever been to Tie Hack that is quite the hike. It is pretty steep the whole way. I was very proud of Lindsey. We kept asking her if she wanted to ride in the backpack, and she would tell us no. She made it the whole way (okay, minus about a 5 minute stretch where she wanted to be carried, but still wouldn't ride in the backpack). Megan had a great time in the backpack. She loves to ride in there and is always so good for me. After our short hike, we enjoyed our little picnic dinner. Overall, it was a very fun evening!

Meg enjoying the ride.

Me and little Megan
Jason and Lindsey

Lindsey looking at the river.

Megan taking in the sights.

Lindsey feeling the spray off the dam.

Tie Hack Dam

View of the lake.

Rainy day S'mores

Today being Memorial Day, we decided that we wanted to go up on the mountain to barbecue. The weather had a different plan for us. We were rained on most of the day, so we stayed at home and worked on a few projects. I had already purchased the S'mores, so we thought we might as well cook them up! Just after Jason got the fired started, it started to rain on us again. We were already out there and determined to make our S'mores. So we ate S'mores in the rain! It was actually a really fun time. We got really wet and the girls were pretty cold, but we still had fun. Good thing the rain decided to stop just as we were finishing our treat. Why can't the weather just cooperate?

Tuckered out

Last week as I was making dinner, I put Megan in the high chair to eat some cheese. I guess we had a pretty hard day because the next thing I know she is sound asleep. Poor little kid! When I picked her up she didn't wake up, so I put her right to bed. She actually does this quite a bit. Maybe she needs more naps during the day. I don't know. But I DO know that it makes for a cute picture!

Hangin' in the hammock!

Well it is finished! I know I posted a couple weeks back about how the stand was done, but now the hammock has been hung and we have been enjoying it. It is so nice! Come and try it out! Lindsey is a little leary of it because she has fallen out once or twice, but Megan just thinks it's a blast!

Yes, there is a bit of a puddle beneath the hammock, but if you are careful than you don't get much mud on your feet. Now that the grass is getting thicker, you can step on the clumps of grass and avoid almost all the mud.

The many faces of Lindsey

I was trying to capture the many faces that Lindsey makes. She is such a cute little girl, and I can't believe how big and grown up she seems lately.

Her sad face.

Happy face.
Goofy face.

This is great! Her mad face.

More matching dresses

I just can't help myself! I love to dress the girls up in matching dresses. I apologize if you are getting tired of seeing them in matching outfits all the time. It probably will happen again as long as I am the one dressing them!

Cheesy Wild Rice Soup

We had this for dinner tonight, and it was just too good to not share. I hope that everyone enjoys it! Jason told me that it was restaurant quality. That's a pretty good compliment for someone that is still not a very good cook!

Cheesy Wild Rice Soup

1 package (6.2 ounces) fast-cooking long grain and wild rice mix
4 cups milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large saucepan, prepare rice according to package directions. Stir in the milk, soup and cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with bacon. Yield: 8 servings.

Notes: It would probably be easier to cook the bacon sometime during the day before making the soup. I also used powdered milk and it turned out really well. It made quite a bit and we didn't eat it all, so I put the leftovers in the freezer for another meal.