The Hewlett House

"Make your own...Whaaaat?!" Entry #5: Peach Iced Tea

2011-07-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that fresh fruit is practically my favorite fruit? Do you know that I make fresh batches of brewed iced tea twice a week? When I got the idea to combine peaches in my tea, I got a little giggly.

I have particular memories of Snapple's peach iced tea on rides to and from the shore...Wawa peach iced tea after gymnastics practices...Turkey Hill peach iced tea for lunch during my student teaching days. What a great combo! Time to make my own. :)

On top of the nostalgia and peach/tea being a favorite combination to me...I had 4 peaches in my fruit bowl getting ready to go bad. Perfect timing to try my own summer treat!

Here's what you'll need to try yours:

Fresh/almost-going-bad peaches (I used 4 to get started) - sliced into small pieces
3 tbsp. agave nectar
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 1/2 c. water
Food Processor/Blender Ice Cube Tray

Peel and slice peaches into small pieces.

Boil peaches on medium-high heat with water. Once boiling, let the peaches simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Check a peach to make sure its soft and slightly flaky.

Drain peaches from water, then put peaches into a food processor or blender. Add agave nectar and corn syrup into blender. Sugar and honey could be substituted instead.

Blend peaches and syrups. If the mixture seems very thick, add a few teaspoons of water and blend again.

**My initial goal for this recipe was to create a syrup that could be put into the drink itself, but the thickness seems better in an ice cube mixture. As the cubes melt, the mixture is incredible...even better than my long-standing memory/history with peach tea. :)

Pour peach mixture into ice cube trays.

Let ice cubes sit for 24 hours before using.

Add the tea over the cubes...Mmm...seriously delicious. And refreshing!

On a 91 degree day in South Jersey...when the AC is off to save some energy-this tea hit the spot!

How about you?? What delicious summer refreshments have you created?

"Make your own...Whaaaat?!" Entry #4: Laundry Detergent

2011-07-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

It has always bothered my to buy my own cleaning products. Always. I get kind of huffy, and even twitchy in the store when I put my hand on a bottle.
Why? Because in Little House on the Prairie, Ma made her own. Because chemicals are not meant to treat our houses, dishes, or clothing. Because I hate how expensive it is. Because I can do it myself, gosh darnit!

I have been making most of my own cleaning products for the last couple of years, but have always shied away from laundry. I don't know, maybe something about messing up my $3 t-shirts from the thrift store scares me. (Ha)
I wish I hadn't waited though...making your own detergent is just so.darn.easy!

Here is what you will need:

1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other natural bar of soap

1/2 c. washing soda (Don't confuse this with baking soda!!)

1/2 c. Borax

A large bucket or tub
(*You can find all of these ingredients in a mainstream grocery store. Wegmen's has all three right next to one another!)

1.) Cut your bar of soap to size, then grate the soap over a medium/large pot. Be careful not to leave too many large chunks of soap...they just don't melt as quickly. The first time I did this, I actually only used 1/2 of the measurments listed above, so as not to overwhelm myself with the product. Next time, I will use the correct meausurements!
2.) Add 6 cups of water, and turn the burner on medium heat. Stir occasionally. Your soap shreds will begin to melt and turn your water the color of your bar of soap.

3.) When your soap fully melts, and the water starts to simmer, it's time to add your washing soda and Borax. (Have I mentioned that these 2 ingredients are used in half of my other cleaning products as well? Can't go wrong having them in the house!)

Let the mixture continue to simmer until everything has dissolved. Then remove from heat.

4.) Get your large bucket and pour 4 cups of hot water. I would recommend a 5 gallon bucket. (I did not use it, but I would next time when I use the full amounts of ingredients, not half!)

5.) Pour in your soap/water mixture. Then...add LOTS more water: appx. 1 1/2 gallons, or 1 gallon and 6 more cups. *If you don't have a container holding more than 2 1/2 gallons, just half the recipe like I did.

After this, your laundry detergent is done! You will need to let it sit for about 24 hours before using it. It will solidify, but not in the way you might be thinking. It comes out much like the fat from a cooked chicken, or a thickened egg drop soup.

My only problem now is...what to store it in! If you have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid...this is a good option.

Here are some other ideas I have for containers, I just haven't purchased one yet. Container Option #1 or Container Option #2. Do you have any ideas for me??

You only need a 1/2 cup of detergent per full load of laundry. I have now tested this recipe on dish towels, bath towels, baby laundry and adult laundry and have found it works well with everything!

Hope you have as much success as I did!

"Make your own...Whaaaat?!" Entry #3: Tortillas

2011-06-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Guacamole may be one of my favorite foods. Wait...no, no, salsa. Better yet...burritos. My point is: Mexican food is one of my all-time weaknesses. I love all things Mexican-food related. When I started making my own tortillas to go with all of this goodness, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
The best part is how stinkin' easy they are to make. Just be warned, once you try these, you will never want a bag of store-bought tortillas again.

Here's what you'll need:

4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. shortening/lard
Appx. 1 c. water

Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together, like so.

*I should also note that wheat flour works just as well as white, however I would not do more than 2 of the 4 cups with wheat. They will become too stiff to work with.

Stir together, then add the shortening. Now the fun part...Noa's favorite part, in fact. Use your clean hands to squish the shortening into the flour. You should do this all through the flour til it's evenly spread. Then add the water a little at a time, continuing to mix with your hands until a nice dough ball forms. (pictured below)

Then create smaller dough balls, about an inch and a half around. This batch made 12 dough balls, which is more than enough for a family of four's tacos! Also, be sure they are each pretty large, otherwise you will end up with itty bitty tortillas that you can't fit any toppings on!Next, the smashing!! Another kid-friendly favorite part. :)

Push the dough down into circles, then roll them out until they are quite thin, but not so think that you can't pick them up without them breaking apart.
Your tortillas do NOT need to look like perfect circles. Infact, I prefer mine to look like outlines of continents on a map. ;) (See Australia below)

Next, turn your burner on to medium heat, using a non-stick skillet. I prefer my pancake skillet so I can do more than one at a time! Lay out the tortillas on the skillet and wait until you see your tortilla starting to form bubbles. Check the back, and if small brown spots are beginning to occur, flip your tortilla to get the same done-ness on the other side.

Voila! Tortillas. :) These guys are pretty hearty if you ask me, so you should plan for about 2 per each person you are cooking for. Tacos were the order of business for us last night, so here are my tortillas at work, pictured with spiced ground beef, homemade salsa, sour cream and monterey jack cheese. Mmm....

They are a favorite with everyone in my household, especially the little one!!

You should also try these with fajitas, quesadillas, egg and cheese wraps, whatever! Enjoy. :)

"Make your own...Whaaaat?!" Entry #2: Freezer Fudge

2011-06-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite parts about the Jersey shore is the fudge. The last time I was at the shore, I ordered. 1.5 lbs of fudge. I couldn't believe I was taking a box that weighs as much as a small pet of PURE chocolate home with me... Bryce and I devoured the box in a weekend. I had always wanted to try my hand at making my own, but the thought was too daunting. Until...I found this--Freezer Fudge.
This recipe was passed to me by word of mouth from a mom at a mom's group I meet with. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and is the pefect after-dinner chocolate treat. Delightful.
Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Chocolate - Chocolate chips, barred chocolate, or cocoa powder all work, but I prefer a yummy piece of dark chocolate, or dark chocolate chips
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup of shredded coconut if you wish

Start by melting down the chocolate chips with the butter on low heat. Slowly add the oil and sugar and stir until sugar has dissolved well. Add vanilla and salt. When chocolate mixture is starting to bubble and sugar has dissolved, add coconut. You could also add nuts, dried fruit...whatever you'd like!

Once everything is stirred in, it's time to freeze the fudge. This fudge is a little stiffer than Jersey shore fudge, and needs to be kept in the freezer when not eating. That's what makes it the perfect summer treat!

Pour the fudge into a glass dish and let sit. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and put in freezer. The fudge should be ready in about 2-3 hours.

Isn't that easy? The only hard part is waiting for it to cool....(as seen in photo below :) )

Enjoy! Anyone else have any good, easy fudge recipes out there?

"Make your own...Whaaaat?!" Entry #1: Nutri-grain Bars

2011-06-13T12:52:00.001-07:00

I've always been fascinated by making my "own" anything. When I was little, I would walk through the jewelry store and try to figure out if I could buy the right beads to make my own necklace. When I bought a home, and realized how awful chemical cleaners were for our health, I began making my own cleaning supplies and haven't turned back.

I've been moving more toward the food portions of "make your own"...particularly, snacks. Who doesn't love a great box of cheese-it crackers, name brand cookies, or a great jar of marinara sauce. What I never explored was..."How could I make this myself?"

So here goes, my summer series on my blog: "Make your own...Whaaaat?" First up:

Strawberry Nutri-grain Bars

I use the brand name of this item specifically because "cereal bar" can often be confused with granola bars, which are not the item I am going for this time. This is more specifically a combination of grains and oats, mixed with a fruit preservative. Such a great treat for an on-the-go-breakfast, between meal snack, or toddler meal replacement in some cases! (haha)

My favorite brand is Kashi TLC Cereal Bars, however, at about $5 a box, and only 8 in a package, I wanted to see if I could come up with my own version that are healthier, tastier, less processed, and just plain fun to make. I think I found it!

Start with:
2 sticks of butter/margerine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
Appx. 1/2 cup Strawberry preserves/jam
2 tsp. almond extract

Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Press 2/3 of mixture in 9x13 pan. This works best if you coat your hands with butter first so the mixture doesn't stick to your utensil or hands when pressing.

Add a layer of preserves. I used my homemade jam to make strawberry preserves. (I will add the recipe later!)

Take the rest of the oats/flour mixture and drop over top of the preserves layer. If you add 1/2 more of each ingredient, you can cover the entire layer completely making it much more like real nutri-grain bars in appearance. Since I'm obsessed with strawberries, I opted for just 1/3 of the whole mixture for the top.

Bake at 300 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until slightly brown on top. Let cool, and then separate like bars.

If you'd like them to "keep" for longer than a few days, I suggest wrapping them individually in plastic wrap, and then sealing them in an air-tight container.

Enjoy!! :)

Yard Sale for a Cause!

2011-06-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hark! The perfect berry

2011-06-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Pickim' Pals

2011-06-13T10:20:00.000-07:00

Cheering Mama on at a 5K!

2011-06-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

The First Steps Toward the Shed...

2011-06-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Building, Building...

2011-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

The Newest Addition to our Backyard - A Shed!

2011-06-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

A Picnic Birthday Party for our 2-Year Old

2011-06-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

Puddle Jumping Friends

2011-06-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Swim Lessons at the YMCA

2011-06-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Season of Love

2011-02-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Today, as we make Valentines (pics to come) and think about all of the Valentine surprises we have in store for our friends and family, I decided to take a poll on what is loved around here. More to come, but I asked Noa first. Here were her responses, in order:

ABC's
"Rosty the No-Man"
Joel n Lauren
soup
"happy, dolly soul"
Riley
"pick me up"
"I way-ler" (IE: I am coloring)
juice
"need a tissue pees"

More love in store to come!

For now, Hewletts

Around the Hewlett House

2011-02-02T09:32:00.001-08:00

What's been going on at the Hewlett house lately?

Here is the Top 8 List! (sorry, had trouble thinking of 2 more to round off to 10...)

8. Bread Making, and trying out new recipes, like Thai Red Curry Salmon (Mmm..) and soups galore.

7. Community living brunch. This consisted of all of our friends that live in our neighborhood getting together to talk about the ways in which we can be more intentional about our neighborhood, explore our community living dreams, and eat some darn good food. Brody and I also ended up matching, which was worth taking a picture of. He was being too shy to pose with me, but you get the idea. :)

6. Emmy & Noa take a trip to the Please Touch Meusam! We are lucky to have such a cool place for kids to explore. And with Groupon sending a great deal to us, Em was able to take Noa and have a great time. Here is Noa trying on a space suit, and riding a carousel--her favorite!

5. Bryce goes back to school! Bryce has started a program at Spring Arbor University in Michigan! It is an all online program, that is fairly intensive over 2 years. The program is in Spiritual Formation--something Bryce has always been interested in. We are excited for his new journey!

4. Snow, snow and more snow! Hard to believe that we are getting hit so hard 2 winters in a row with snow! But, we have all been enjoying it (somewhat) so far. Snow cream, snow angels, and walks in the snow--it's been a lot of fun. One day, Rob came over and played with the kids in the back yard. What a great time for kids...and hopefully Rob. :) Riley and Noa are especially fond of all things "snow".

3. Snow Days! With all the snow, come snow days. Unfortunately, there are no snow days in cyber school (boo) but when Bryce gets a day off, it really is so nice. Here is Bryce and Noa enjoying the ladybug tent on a snow day. :) 2. Home Renovations! I am going to include a slideshow at the bottom of the blog. I want to show you all the cool things being done but not all in the post, but I'll give you some clues: Piano (purchased on Craiglist for $150, probably worth $600), wood burning stove, exposed beams and lighting) Check for the slideshow soon!

1. A growing girl. Can you believe our Noa Claire is almost 2? We sure can't. She is something else, this girl of ours. The other day, I mentioned that she was going to start swimming lessons soon. She got so excited she started to shake...and immediately insisted on wearing her "baving soup". (shown below) She also went to the bathroom on her potty for the very first time! This girl is growing up--too, too fast!!

Snowy Day Recipe

2011-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

I won't lie, I pride myself on my soups. I. LOVE. MAKING/TASTING/EATING AND EXPERIMENTING with SOUP!!

Soups I love to make: Corn Chowder, Chili, Baked Potato, Kale & Potato, Wild Rice & Mushroom, Chicken Noodle...and my newest favorite: Brocoli Cheddar. MMMMmmm....

This, my friends, is the perfect belly-coating, warm, and luscious meal you'll eat this winter. I've made it with a honey corn bread from this recipe here: Honey Corn Bread but next time I'd like to make my own.

Here is the recipe, and I hope you all enjoy!!

2 heads of brocoli--broken into small florets
4 large carrots shredded
1 red onion chopped small
2 cups light or heavy cream
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 heaping tbsp. flour
1 cup water
1 stick butter
3 cups cheddar cheese (I did one sharp/2 mild)
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder.

Simmer the butter on low until melted. Add chopped onions and simmer until transluscent. Add 2 tbsp. flour until a nice rue is formed. Add broth and water and turn up heat.
Once boiling, add brocoli and carrots. When veggies are soft, add cream and cheese to pot. Turn heat to medium and let sit and simmer. Then add spices to taste. I won't lie, I am a salt/pepper freak, :) so I add much more than what I've put here.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as my family did!

I promised pics!

2011-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the living room is another step closer to being complete. :) Here is what we've done:

Exposed our brick chimney! The hope is to put a wood burning stove on the floor and through the chimney--in the works for the Fall '11!

Here is another shot of the brick, with our new lighting.

New recessed lighting! Remember the ugly ceiling fan? Gone! The gold lighting? Gone! We now have canned recess lighting on the sides of the ceiling. You can't see the other changes quite as well here, but basically, the exposed ends of the beamed ceiling have now been closed up on all ends with dry wall. All electrical wires that were exposed have now been hidden as well.

So thankful to my husband and our friends: Robert, Rob, Jarrod, Mike, Joel and Kent for their help on this project! :)

Living Room Renovations

2011-01-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

As I write this, I am sitting in my parent's kitchen, biting my lip and fingernails in nervousness. Why? My husband is currently demolishing our living room, and re-creating it into a new space, that's all!
This past July, we began work on our living room ceiling and walls. The goal: exposed ceiling beams, a potential wood-burning fire place, and bookshelves--lots of 'em. We got a good jump this summer--exposing the beams and putting up shelving, but there was still much to be done. Things like this get put off until January, however, when you run out of time and money!

Here is what got accomplished in July:

And this:
(except with bookshelves on either side of the brown wall)

Here are some of the looks we were inspired by:

This weekend, with the help of friends, shout-outs to our great friends: Joel Smith, Robert Scobey, Rob Lairmore, and Jarrod Shaffer, we hope to finish the exposed beams work and close up the sides with sheet rock, change the lighting in the room to recess lighting instead of the awful celing fan lighting, and make way for the fireplace we intend to have next Winter!

So far, I have no pictures...I'll get to see first hand how things are progressing tomorrow. But don't worry--I'll keep you posted! Keep your fingers crossed with me!

Welcome 2011--And Re-Capping 2010

2011-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

I promise...I will continue to plug away at this blogging thing, even when I give up for extended periods of time. I decided that this post will celebrate the year 2010. I always love getting newsletters from friends and families around the holidays. I love to know what's going on with others, even when I only get to see them once in a blue moon.
Here's my attempt to update you on our year in a nutshell, and what's to come in this new year.

Enjoy!

Last January we enjoyed lots of snow, an 8 month-old baby, and convincing lots of friends to move to our little neck of the woods in Gloucester City, NJ. New Jersey was hit was THREE huge blizzards last year, and we really enjoyed every second of it! I particularly remembering snuggling on the couch with the family and making snow forts with my friends Riley and Grayson Hulfish.

I also turned 25 years old in February which was enjoyable to celebrate!

Spring is always the best time around here, when we can take walks through our little town, go to the park, exercise OUTdoors, and enjoy some of my favorite cooking: barb-e-qued anything. (minus the barbeque sauce)

Noa turned 1 year old in April and we celebrated with a party in our own backyard. It was lots of fun and she was royally spoiled with friends, family and gifts to celebrate with.

Bryce also began to re-discover some long lost loves of his...disc golf and baseball...both of which he played a whole lot of growing up, but hadn't really kept up with much since then, besides following our Phillies and his first love: the Cubs.

He began going on many early morning disc golf adventures with our friends Rob and Kent, as well as introducing it to the rest of the gang. Noa particularly loves to put the disc in the basket, and she's good at it too!

Baseball was an adventure for all of us...the excitement kept him up all night the very first time he organized his own game! From retro jerseys, 80's baseball mustaches, finding friends to play and creating a line-up card, it was really all a baseball lover could ask for. Noa and I are good cheerleaders and score keepers too.

These hobbies, along with other fun outdoor activities extended well into our summer. I especially love summer because I get a couple of weeks free of work....and time to travel! Getting out of the house is always a plus for me!

The summer of 2010 was no different. Bryce and I were able to take a much-needed mini-vacation to Shanendoah National Park. Shanendoah was absolutely beautiful, and nature-ific! HA--I was not ready for the bears, deer, raccoons, skunks, possums..YIKES! We were able to do one night of camping, and one night in a fancy mountain top lodge--we both won. :)
We also headed out to Iowa for some Hewlett family fun. It was great to visit in the summertime, and actually RELAX instead of our normal rush-rush holiday visits in December. Noa really loves her "Nana & Bumpa", and all of her aunts and uncles. We even snuck in a visit to the Field of Dreams in Iowa which was very cool!
Bryce and I were also priveledged to take a day trip down to St. Louis and see our good friends get married. Have you ever seen the St. Louis arch? It is QUITE cool!

The rest of our summer was basically spent hanging out at my mom and step-dad's pool...Grammy and Bumpa Jim were gracious enough to let us lounge and swim and stay cool! Noa became quite the water bug, and I am looking forward to getting her into some swimming lessons this winter.

Bryce turned 26 in August and we celebrated with a Batting cage birthday extravangza. If you are wondering where we got the awesome cake, (and the one for Noa's 1st b-day-"Hooray for Fish" themed, you should check out my friend Renee's blog: Cakes by Renee

We also celebrated out 3rd year anniversary (with our daughter this time) by finishing off the summer at the Jersey Shore--Ocean City. It was probably one of the most enjoyable days of the year, lounging on the boards with my family, letting Noa explore the ocean, and consuming my very favorite pizza of all time-Mack n' Manco's. Mmm....I am missing summer and that pizza as I write this!

Our sister Emily moved in with us as well, keeping an eye on Noa for me as I work a couple of days a week, helping around the house, and overall just living life in the great state of New Jersey. We absolutely love having her here. She is a friend, the most amazing baby-sitter, and a lovely person. We hope she stays for a very long time!

Fall brought another new school year for me at Agora Cyber Charter School. I always love the first day of school and all that it brings me professionally. I still love to work with students and enjoy being a part of education on all levels.

In October we took a family trip to the beautiful state of New Hampshire to see the fall foliage and just "get away". It was quite an adventure...we all really needed! The apple orchard was a highlight--Noa thought that picking apples off of the trees was the most amazing thing. I am looking forward to introducing her to much more "pick your own" adventures this year!

Halloween was probably the most fantastic holiday for Miss Noa...as she got to dress like a ballerina, (a favorite costume), knock on doors (a favorite hobby) and say "REAT!!" [trick-or-treat] - and receive candy in her pink pumpkin. (a favorite food) She couldn't have been more pleased with the day's events!

The holidays from there out were a bustling time. My step-dad Jim had surgery at the end of November which has been a difficult time for him. We are all praying for his recovery, and hoping to keep his spirits high.
I, along with my sisters in law, mother in law, and aunt ran in my very first Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving--a 5 miler. I was quite happy with my results and will definitely race again in the near future!
We took not one, but TWO roadtrips to Iowa for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's right, FOUR 16 hour trips in about a 5 week time period. Yes, we are probably crazy. But it was really wonderful seeing so many friends and family on both trips.
After our trip to Iowa at Christmas, we also drove to Wisconsin to spend some time with my extended family. What a great time we had, with Noa's very first sledding trip, Bryce and my uncles singing Christmas carols Elvis-style, eating my grandmother's incredible food, and playing Wii sports. It is always a good time being there!

I think I am finally over 2010 and ready to move into 2011. Will you join us on the adventure in the new year?

It's almost Christmas

2010-12-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

I'm so behind on blogging. But, it's almost Christmas--we can't wait around here! Advent has been a challening, learning and growing experience, filled also with JOY and lots of LOVE.

Our camera was stolen :( so I am lacking in photos these days, but will hopefully get some more pictures up here soon!

Happy Holidays, and check out our Elf Yourself below!

Ready for our New England Adventure Dad!

2010-10-13T08:58:00.000-07:00

My Little Autumn Pumpkin :)

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Roadtrip Buddies

2010-10-13T08:54:00.002-07:00

The view down to Lake Winnapasaukee

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It's coming! Our scenic cruise

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Here it is!

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Waiting for our boat

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An island with it's own house!

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Captain Noa

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Mama's Girlfriend

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Daddy & His Girl

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Sisters :)

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Eskimo Kisses

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First mates!

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Enjoying the views aboard the ship

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I love this little girl, snotty nose and all

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Enjoying going up and down the steps on the boat

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Cheeeeese!

2010-10-13T08:44:00.002-07:00

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Such a nice day!

2010-10-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Mt. Washington

2010-10-13T08:42:00.002-07:00

Sunday Morning

2010-10-13T08:42:00.001-07:00

Fallen Beauty

2010-10-13T08:41:00.002-07:00

Continuing to work on my photography skills

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The view outside our hotel: Meredith, NH

2010-10-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

A Pitstop to Green Mntn National Forest

2010-10-13T08:38:00.002-07:00

My Daddy

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Sadie's favorite part of the trip

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Explorers

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We were chilly!

2010-10-13T08:35:00.002-07:00

Hi guys!!

2010-10-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

2010-10-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

It was just so pretty...

2010-10-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Hewletts take on the apple orchard, Stow, MASS

2010-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I found it..the perfect apple!

2010-10-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

If I can't get it off, I'll just eat it up here...

2010-10-13T06:58:00.002-07:00

Mmm....

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Apple #3

2010-10-13T06:57:00.002-07:00

Go, Em Go!

2010-10-13T06:57:00.001-07:00

This apple picking is hard work

2010-10-13T06:56:00.000-07:00

The best ones are always at the top

2010-10-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Don't sit under that apple tree with anyone but me...

2010-10-13T06:54:00.002-07:00

Our Whole Crew

2010-10-13T06:54:00.001-07:00

This way to the Red Delicious!

2010-10-13T06:53:00.001-07:00

Stocking our bag

2010-10-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Why are we letting these fallen apples go to waste?

2010-10-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Putting the fallen apples back in the tree...

2010-10-13T05:10:00.002-07:00

Apple Perfection

2010-10-13T05:10:00.001-07:00

Siblings

2010-10-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

The apple that's as big as her head...

2010-10-13T05:08:00.001-07:00

Children of the Orchard

2010-10-13T05:07:00.002-07:00

Sharing

2010-10-13T05:07:00.001-07:00

I think this was apple #6...

2010-10-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

A Kiss for the Pumpkin

2010-10-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Lovin'

2010-10-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

If You Build It, They Will Come

2010-08-13T11:21:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago, on our vacation in Iowa. I was so excited to visit Dyersville--home of the Field of Dreams. [think Kevin Costner, ghost baseball players, and James Earl Jones' booming voice]

What a great visit! We all had a great time. :)

2010-08-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

The infamous Field of Dreams

2010-08-13T11:18:00.002-07:00

A leisurely stroll around the bases...

2010-08-13T11:18:00.001-07:00

Ground level view at home plate

2010-08-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Hannah had better things to do than play baseball!

2010-08-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Caleb & Micah take the field

2010-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

The famous Field of Dreams home!

2010-08-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Batter up Mom!

2010-08-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle Caleb and Noey, hanging out on first!

2010-08-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Father vs. Son

2010-08-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Just like Shoeless Joe Jackson...

2010-08-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Emmie and Caleb

2010-08-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite shot! Go Bethany!

2010-08-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

My turn to give it a whirl...

2010-08-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Go Em, Go!

2010-08-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Family Shot

2010-08-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

Just like the movie!

2010-08-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Disappearing...

2010-08-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Children of the corn.

Update

2010-08-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to blog so badly lately, but a.) I've just been so busy, and b.) I lost my camera cord for awhile leaving me unable to upload pics. I promise to put some updates up this weekend. :)

Meet me in St. Louis

2010-07-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

The worst part of our day trip to St. Louis was forgetting my camera. The best parts of our day trip to St. Louis were...getting some alone time, seeing the famous Gateway Arch, annnndd...seeing our friends Joe and Jess Hall exchange their wedding vows! What an exciting day!

I unfortunately have NOT ONE picture of the wedding. We only had our phone to take pics and it just plain would not work indoors. However, I can attest to the fact that Jess looked absolutely lovely, the groom Joe was happy as ever, and there was a whole lot of fun to be had!

Between the ceremony and reception, we had quite a bit of time to hang out and putz around St. Louis. Since I had never been before, we decided to head on over to the Arch. So cool! I mean--not cool enough to spend the whole day there, or go to the top, but cool enough to say we've been there and get some good pictures. Here's a few!

That little figure at the bottom of the 4th picture is Bryce. Pretty cool huh?

Jess and Joe's wedding reception was really nice--good conversation, a crazy/awesome summer storm, and lots of dancing. What could be better?

What a great way to spend my first visit to the great St. Louis! Til next time...