Christmas Season

Here are some pictures from our Christmas season...

Outside our house during our Christmas card photo shoot

Posing at home after Eli's Christmas program at school

Reading to his Teddy Bear

3 Halloweens

I thought it would be neat to see how Eli has changed over the past three years.  We've taken his picture each year in the same spot on Halloween - a bale of hay we put on our porch with pumpkins.  

2010

Fall Fest!

Eli's school had a special Fall Festival today just for the one and two-year-olds.  They had all kinds of crafts, games and snacks, and they even had a hay ride!

 

making a fall picture frame 

stamping with apples and indian corn

riding a see-saw with classmate ava

trying to sit still for a picture with so much going on 

(and a cookie to eat!)

Cute Pics of the Week

Eli (and Piper) this Week

 

Eli & Piper before bed a few nights ago...always wearing a guitar shirt

 

Leaving for school this morning (handsome little man, and again, a guitar shirt)

 

Big Boy Turns 2

Eli turned 2 yesterday!!!!!  It was a pretty normal day - Kevin went to work, I drove to Raleigh and back for a college fair, and Eli went to school.  It was a sweet day though because Eli understood that it was his birthday. We did a good job prepping him by saying it was Eli's birthday and he was going to be two.  In fact, when you ask him how old he is, he says, "two" and hold up about four fingers.  :)

Since yesterday was a regular workday, we just did a little celebration at Chick-Fil-A with some good friends, Tiffany, Ryan and Kaylen, who is Eli's little girlfriend.  We all ate - except Eli who had eaten lots of candy earlier and wasn't hungry for dinner - and let the kids play on the playground which is enclosed.  It was a special "fire saftey" night at Chick-Fil-A, so they had a firetruck and their big cow mascot dressed in fireman gear.  It was great for little guys.  We're having a party at our house this Saturday to celebrate with more friends and family.

Here are just a few pictures of Eli from when we got home:

 

 Eli holding his new tractor from Mimi and Papa

Wearing his new puppy dog jammies

 

Pig Pickin'

Every year during the last weekend of September, Kevin cooks a lot of pork - or BBQ as they call it down here - for his fraternity's annual Pig Pickin'.  This year was no different than the rest...he and his college buddy, Chris, were up at the crack of dawn getting the cooker fired up to smoke 70 pounds of BBQ for 100 fraternity brothers and their families.  

It takes about 8 hours to cook all the meat.  Eli and I hung out outside with Kevin and Chris for a long time - it was a beautiful afternoon.  Here's how E spent his time...

Kevin, Chris and Eli right before they took the BBQ off the cooker.

All of the above happened on Friday; the actual Pig Pickin' event was on Saturday.  It was far too hectic to take a camera to the event, so we only took a few pictures with our phones.  The typical schedule of a pig pickin' day is:

Noon:  Everyone arrives and hangs out for a while

12:30:  Eat!

2:00:  Alumni/Undergrad Football Game

5:00ish:  Everyone packs up and goes home

 Like I mentioned above, about 100 people came this year.  It was fantastic.  It's a mix of old alumni from UNC Charlotte with their families and young undergrad students.  Here are a few more pictures from the day.

sipping southern spirits

eli holding the "Icard Cup".  seriously, they have a trophy called the "Icard Cup" in honor of Kevin saving their fraternity in the late 90's.

and this isn't pig pickin', but it was the night before and eli was "rockin' my baby" as he likes to say.  sweet dreams.

The Next American Idol???

Eli's newest thing is singing.  He loves to sing songs, mostly Itsy Bitsy Spider, Happy Birthday (which he knows from birthday celebrations at school) and Old MacDonald.  Every night after his bath, he asks for "La La La", which means Lady Gaga's song, Bad Romance - she sings the phrase "La La La" many times throughout the song, so it only makes sense that an almost two-year-old would assume that's the name of the song.

I caught him sitting on the steps singing the other day...

You'll also hear one of Eli's key phrases, "Go Mama, go!"  It's not just directed at me, but at anyone that's sitting next to him at any time.  He's moving into such a phase of wanting to be independent.  It's cute, for now...

 

Lovely Lawn

We've lived in our house for almost 5 years (hard to believe!).  In that time, we've spent countless hours maintaining and improving both the inside and outside of our home, so you can only imagine how excited we were when we received a letter in our mailbox stating that we won the "Yard of the Week" contest.  

Recently our subdivision was sold to a large national builder, Ryland Homes, and in an effort to make improvements to the neighborhood, they've started this competition.  Our yard is the second to win this award! It's nice to know that all the hard work, time and money we've sunk into our space is being recognized.   

sign in our front yard

 

 

 

our new patio

my best effort at camouflaging electrical & telephone boxes

The prizes we received are kind of funny, we thought it would be a gift card to a restaurant or Target - we were wrong and no where near close.  We got a free facial at a spa, $50 gift card to a salon and a free car wash.  Kind of weird, but appreciated nonetheless.  :)

Jumping Bean

Eli's newest "trick" is to jump on the couch and do flips over the back of the couch (with our help, of course!).  He is desperate to jump off the couch - he says, "Eye-O (phonetic spelling of how he says 'Eli') jump!"  He's not been brave enough to try it...thankfully.  But here's a little video of him jumping on the couch the other day.  He's a little dare devil that we have to watch constantly!

Yay Pool!

"Yay Pool!" is one of Eli's favorite phrases this season.  He loves to swim and is often too courageous for my liking.  His latest tricks are to put his entire face down into the water, lay flat on his back and float and (my favorite) have Kevin lift him up in the air while he's standing up and once he's up, he put his arms up in the air like he's a little gymnast.  

Here are some pictures of times E's spent at the pool so far this summer:

Icard Cousins: Declan (8), Ella (10), Eli (1)

 Eli and his buddy, Anthony Colantuono

Eli & his girl, Kaylen

July 4 Weekend

Here's how we spent July 4 weekend:

We went to Historic Brattonsville - a Revolutionary War Plantation in South Carolina

Everything was decorated for the 4th!

Mom & Eli outside of the Plantation house.

Reading of the Declaration of Independance

Dad & Eli

Trying on a coon-skin hat in the gift shop

On July 5, we went to visit Grandpa Jack & Barbara 

"Mmmm...I love country ham for lunch!"

Summer Nights

We've been spending a lot of time on our front porch this summer for a few reasons: 

1) Our backyard gets the afternoon sun and it's too hot to be back there, and

2) Eli is pretty contained because our porch sits up on three brick steps which he doesn't really try to go down (I think because he fell off them a few months ago) 

Here's how we spent our evening last night...

Painting!!!!!  Eli loves to paint.  

As you can see, a lot the fun of painting is not painting on paper, but on himself.  

Now I get out my crayons...

I'm in trouble - Dad put me in time-out!

Showing my patriotic side.  ;)

Finishing my night with an evening stroll with Mom.

Atlanta Eats

Two weeks ago I went to Atlanta to work at a Christian music festival, Atlantafest, to promote Messiah.  I was fortunate to go with a colleague that enjoys food as much as I do, and we were both fortunate that our festival didn't begin each day until 3 p.m. which gave us plenty of time to try out some of Atlanta's best foodie hot-spots.  My first, and probably favorite, was Gladys Knight and Ron Winans' Chicken and Waffles.  I learned of this place from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network and it lived up to its expectation.  

We walked up to the hoppin' restaurant right at lunchtime and had to wait - always a good sign.  Each of us scoured the menu and decided on the "Uncle Ron's": three pieces of dark southern fried chicken.  As we ordered, we vowed we'd never eat it all.  I got mac and cheese and squash casserole for my side.  The chicken came out and it was moist, crunchy and delicious!!!!  Yes, we both ate all three pieces of chicken (six large pieces were consumed at our table that afternoon).  Although the chicken was the highlight, the second best item on my plate wasn't the mac and cheese (or squash), but the creamy, sweet-yet-savory corn muffin that came with my meal.  The deliciousness of this corn muffin rivals any cornbread muffin I've ever had.

My second favorite spot that we visited on our Atlanta epicurean voyage/music festival jaunt was Sublime Doughnuts.  We decided to become mass transit junkies and take the MARTA all over, including the stop at Georgia Tech's campus.  Thinking a one mile walk isn't that far (right?) we got off at midtown station and began our trek towards Sublime.  Well, a single mile really isn't that far in a typical situation, but in 95 degree, direct sun, muggy Georgia heat, it's not that easy.  All that kept us going was the thought of a doughnut (and there was no guilt involved with the idea of eating a doughnut since we were walking so far!).  We reached the dingy strip mall that houses Sublime and pure joy set in - finally, air conditioning!!!

We went in and the owner described each of the luscious-looking doughnuts for us.  I opted for a Strawberries and Cream while my counterpart chose a Chocolate Wild Berry Fritter.  It was a fantastic doughnut, and although we were sweaty and felt awful, it was a delight to sit on a stool facing a window, look out into the steamy sunshine and delight in my freshly made treat.  

Knowing that I'll be back in Atlanta again this fall is all the better now that I have a few places that I'll journey back to each time I'm there.  Next time I'll be sure to bring a box of doughnuts home for Kevin and Eli, too.

Recipes!

I love to cook and so does Kevin, but we have VERY different styles of cooking. I enjoy scouring the Food Network website, watching Giada and Barefoot Contessa, and reading a variety of cooking magazines for new and unusual recipes to try. Kevin, on the other hand, reaches into his Southern soul and enjoys making foods he knows how to make by heart, food like BBQ, ribs, mac and cheese, the list goes on and on. He is a comfort food cook to down to his bones and I do look forward to the days when Harris Teeter has boston butt roasts on sale (that's pork shoulder for those of you not in tune with cuts of pork) because I know that a great batch of BBQ is coming soon. He's not the Pig Pickin' King for no reason!

Today, however, I am not going to share Kevin's recipes, but I am going to share some recipes I've made in the past few weeks that have been stellar.

Spicy Tangerine Beef
North African Meatballs & Couscous with Dates
Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad
Ligurian Fish Stew

These are my favorites from the past two weeks that I've made, but I'm always looking for new suggestions to keep my dinners from getting to be stale, same-old entrees. Any recommendations are welcome!

What's New?

Wow! It's been a long time since I've written - so much has happened in our lives in the past month. Let's recap:

1. Piper came home from his knee/broken bone series of surgeries and just when things were looking up, he developed a bad staph infection in his leg from the multiple incisions and hardware he had placed in his leg. Poor fella spent two full weeks at Carolina Vet Specialists since the infection was a strain resistant to oral antibiotics. He finally came home and had to be given injections once a day (by me!) for a week and now, after several more x-rays and bandage changes, I think he is truly on the road to recovery. We are so thankful to Dr. Weaver at Sharon Lakes Animal Hospital who has helped us tremendously with Piper's recovery.

2. I spent a week on campus at Messiah, but the week plan turned into a three day work week due to a blizzard that hit central PA while I was there. No worries though! I was staying with my parents and actually enjoyed being stuck in the house with them (quite a change from feeling trapped as a teen during snow storms). I did end up having a productive week as I was able to be on campus for two big scholarship interview days and meet quite a few of my prospective students.

3. Kevin went to Chapel Hill for another week of coursework for his City/County Management Certification through UNC's School of Government. I think Kevin secretly (or not so secretly) enjoys this time away from us! He has made friends with fellow students since they've all been in this class together since September and has become quite the socialite staying out until very late...some things never change. It's good that he has this time away to recharge his "daddy" batteries. :)

4. I spent a week in Florida doing a series of college fairs through NACCAP (North American Coalition of Christian Admissions Professionals). It was a crazy week - I visited 8 cities in 5 days and I traveled (including a roundtrip flight) over 1900 miles! I am still recovering from a sore neck that I got from doing so much driving. It was a good trip, though, and I did make some cool friends with some of the other counselors from Eastern University (in Philly) and Northwestern College (in Iowa - random?).

5. ELI! Eli is talking and has so much to say these days. Some of the latest words he's added to his vocaubulary are:

apple
car
oh no!
cheese
hi (when he holds one of phones to his ear)
eat
bath

He is also very in tune with noises now:

tiger=roar!
money=e e e
cow=moo
car=beep beep

It is such a joy to see him grow and develop everyday. Now if we could just get him to eat some new foods we'd be on to something!

Eli's favorite game is to sit on one of us and pretend we're his horse. Fun for him, not for us.

Eli's new slide!

Sometimes I like to take everything out of the cabinet then sit down for a while.

Piper's Coming Home!

We are scheduled to pick up Piper today from Carolina Veterinary Specialist at 4:00. We are so excited and taking precautions so he won't hurt himself during recovery. Kevin's building a ramp in our garage over the steps coming into the house so Piper can easily get in and out, we're putting a big rug down in our dining room so he won't slide on the hardwood floors and we are probably going to try a gate in front of the stairs to limit his ability going up and down.

We are so thankful and happy that tonight we'll have our family back in one piece!

Kill 'Em With Kindness

Tonight I was assured that being kind does pay off. Kevin and I were given a gift that we never would have thought to ask for, and, we were fortunate enough to receive this gift because we are "nice people." I was told, "do not ever let anyone tell you that being nice doesn't pay off." I have always tried to live my life and be an example of kindness for others, and tonight I can see that I have been blessed for making that choice.

What's the Purpose?

I don't really believe in karma or anything like that, I think that God has a purpose for all that happens and, although accidents do happen, there is a greater purpose to all things. We might not like the purpose for which an event happens, but it is there to teach us a lesson, appreciate those around us more, or strengthen us in times of difficulty.

I am trying to work through one of these not-so-pleasant accidents right now as I wait to hear from our vet about our dog, Piper, who fractured his hind leg while recovering at the vet from surgery which repaired a torn ACL (did you get all that?). It's actually been easy for me to see what good has come from this mess over the past few days. For starters, it is forcing Kevin and I to make some pretty tough decisions, both financially and emotionally, on the spot together. I am seeing that Kevin is a good decision maker and really stays calm during hectic times. I have also learned that the people around us, from our veterinarian, Dr. Weaver, to the directors at Eli's daycare, are willing to help us and work with us because they are caring, good people. It is easy to complain that things aren't going our way, but I feel like we've been taught in these two days that Kevin and I do make a good team and we are fortunate to have surrounded ourselves (even in business) with wonderful people.

More news to come on Piper's condition...