Hot Dog Guilt

Okay, I serve my kids hotdogs. Every time I do, I feel a little guilty because I know they are garbage. However, it's easy, and they love them. I have discovered the most delicious alternative (and it's incredibly delicious for adults, too). The company uses all natural chicken with very few added "junk" ingredients. I love the pineapple and bacon and the chicken and apple. I just slice, and brown in a skillet.

Makes for a great appetizer served with cheese and crackers.

Give it a try!

Easter Treats

Pretty sure everyone in our family had a sugar high after Easter.

Oh well.

Egg Hunt

One of my favorite Easter traditions is the egg hunt at McVay Park on Good Friday with my mother-in-law's work friends (and their kids and grandkids). This year Nick took off work so he could join us. We had a great time! (minus the Easter Bunny). Anything that qualifies as a "big puppet" is pure evil in Molly's opinion.

Here are a few pictures taken at the hunt...

Perfect Cheesy/Redneck/Rainy Spring Break

We had a wonderful Spring Break trip just the four of us in Branson, MO. We decided at the last minute to forgo a beach trip and do something a little different. Despite the tornado damage from late February, we packed up the car, and headed north. Not the most glamourous vacation, but to us, it was the perfect mix of kid-friendly restaurants, pretty views, and a cozy condo. It was a perfect get-away spot to relax.

The weather was terrible, so the first night we spent hanging out at Bass Pro and eating Pancake at Bob Evans.

Graham's first attempt to color. He loved it (along with the taste of the crayons).

These two did some serious bonding this weekend.

Our best "group shot".

I can't express my love for this guy.

The BEST Husband and Daddy I could ask for.

We have started picking condo spots based on good pools and playgrounds. Graham approved.

My Cutie Pie, Molly Clare

This picture sums up how we were all feeling driving back into Memphis. We had fun, but there is no place like home. Vacations with little ones are exhausting!

Cocos

Molly has called Cheerios "co-c0"s ever since she could talk. One day when Molly was a baby Nick stuck a cheerio on her nose and she kept it on there for what seemed like forever. So, recently Nick thought we'd let Graham enjoy the same "Co-Co" experience.

Molly

(and looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't trim her mullet)

Graham

Dominican Republic

Nick and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic in January for a Tire dealer incentive trip. While there are obviously more glamourous professions to be in, the yearly incentive trips for tire store owners make the not-so-fancy parts pretty easy to swallow.

Here's my shameless plug...if you need some tires or automotive work, go see Nick, Sid, or Sam.

http://www.performancetireandservice.com/

Here are a few pictures from our week away (with no kids might I add)...

Most days we ate breakfast and dinner at restaurants and grabbed lunch by one of the pools.

One of the pools we enjoyed.

The beach was very nice. No other hotels for as far as you could see. I spent lots of time here with a good book.

Beauty of an all-inclusive- ice cream at your constant disposal.

Being that it was a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino there was a lot of memorabilia in the lobbies.

Not a bad view for a January day.

A few nights we enjoyed playing pool before dinner.

This was the best meal we ate on our trip. Hibachi style, but better than Benihana.

our waiter/entertainer for the evening

Our room.

nachos by the pool

We are determined to get away once a year from now on. It was so fun and refreshing to be with each other with no distractions (insert molly and graham's name here). Our moms were wonderful for watch our little rascals while we were gone. We owe them big-time!

Princess Cookies

I was recently asked to make some princess cookies for a little girl's 4th birthday party. Cinderella was the guest of honor, so I suggested some crowns and glass slippers. I hope these made her dream birthday a little bit dreamier.