Loving the playground, and hating her bows!

Last week when it was still sunny and nice outside, (before it started snowing every day) we took Charli outside to Grandma's playground for the first time! She LOVED it! At first she was a little unsure about the swings, but soon she was laughing, looking all around, and screamed when I took her out. I'm excited for the sun to come back so we can do this again!

I feel that the days of cute bows are slowly coming to an end. I'm so sad. Every time I I put one on, it only lasts about five minutes before she notices it, and rips it right off! My poor little girl is also slightly lacking in the hair department right now, so this was a sure way to "girly" her up. I'll continue to try, because now and then I'll get lucky and she wont notice, but this is defiantly a rare occasion.

New York Cupcakes!

I must say these could be the best cupcakes I have EVER had! No... I did not make them. For those of you who live here in Seattle, at Bell Square its a semi-new shop that only sells cupcakes, that you have got to try! For those of you else where, it is most defiantly worth searching to find the store nearest you! Its called "New York Cupcakes." Your pick out the flavors you want as if you were at a doughnut shop, which is pretty fun. I recommend Vanilla Bean, and the Amaretto! I did try a new recipe this week called "Mojito Cake", but I'm not going to post it because I thought it was a lot of work for only a so-so cake. If anyone is a mint/lime lover... email me and I'll give you the recipe.

Happy Easter!

When I woke up this morning, as usual, I was hoping for a bright, sunny spring day, so Charli could wear her cute little dress, and I could have my "first Easter, photo shoot" outside. As luck would have it, I think it was poring rain harder than it has in weeks. So.... I had to bust out the fur coat, pull out the umbrella and have a great Easter anyway. Here's a few pics from Easter morning, (right when she woke up), Right before church, and during the family Easter egg hunt at Grandma's house! Pretty cute if I do say so myself.



This onesie is a little small, but it had a bunny, and a tail! how could I resist.

Maybe next year the Easter egg hunt might be a little more meaningful.... we sort of forced it, mostly so I could get a picture.....

Recipe of the Week!

Ok so a while back I really felt like I was stuck in a rut when it came to what I cooked for dinner. I seriously made the same 5 things, over and over, and then ate out when we got sick of my 5 "go to" recipes. So I finally decided when I moved to Washington, to break the cycle and try at least 1 new recipe a week. Welp, its been a huge success! I've added tons of different dishes to my collection, learned a lot about cooking, and made Chris really happy:) So, I decided maybe it would be cool to share the new ones I try (unless I make it and it's gross). So last night I made:

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Avocado-Melon Salsa

Ingredients:

1 small avocado, diced

1 cup 1/3-inch cubes cantaloupe

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3/4 teaspoon grated lime peel
4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets (each about 1 inch thick)

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning

Preparation:

Oil grill rack. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Toss first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season salsa generously with salt and pepper.

Brush fish with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread seasoning in dish. Dredge fish in seasoning, turning to coat. Grill fish until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Serve with salsa.

**My own tips** I added ¾ cup of pineapple, and I thought it made it soooo much better! Also, really don't be shy with the salt and pepper. Everyone really liked it, even those who are not big fish eaters!

Another Milestone!

I think it's kinda funny, because Im always thinking, wow time goes by so fast now, I wish Charli would just stop growing and stay a little baby forever! Yet at the same time, I get so excited every time she does something new! Welp today I guess I can finally say its official, my little rugrat is crawling! She has been on her way for quite a while (scooting backward; being up on all fours, etc.) but the last few days she's been on a roll! Not only is she crawling, but she pulls herself up on just about anything she can get a good grip on. I'm so proud of my little bug! However..... with this new discovery of movement, she's already had her fair share of bumped heads on
the coffee table, and falls backward! She also seems to get extra frustrated in her hopper, or anything that keeps her stationary. Its also been a reality check for me, that its time to cover every outlet, pick up all the dog toys, (for some reason the dogs like to drop them off next to Charli) and of course VACUUM!! I'll say it again, I can't believe how fast she grows!

Birthday Weekend!

We had a busy weekend fully of Dora and Thomas the Train. Also called birthday kids turning 2! My niece Alisi (second from left) and my little brother-in-law Kofi (far right) had back to back birthday party's on Saturday and Sunday. So much fun! As much as I want her to stay a baby forever, I can't wait for Charli's first birthday party. I can't believe she's turned 8 months yesterday!

This is Charli and her cousin Kaho, who was born almost exactly 1 month after her! It's pretty funny because ever since Kaho reached about 2 months, he has consistently had about 3-4 pounds on her despite the fact he's younger!

Kristi with her little birthday girl Alisi!

As you can see... The kids are not the only one's who have all the fun! This is Kristi after getting some cake in the face from her Dad.

We had some pretty nice weather this last week here in rainy Seattle, and Chris and I have been making an extra effort to really take advantage of the sunny days, so we decided to take Charli on her first boat ride! Of course Chris can't possibly go on a boat and not fish, so he did a little of that too. Charli really loved it. Loved it so much in fact that no more than 15 minutes after we got on the boat, she was fast asleep. She slept the entire time, even for the very bumpy ride in.

Charli and me, this is at Grandma Pugmire's house, AKA toy land!

Brett Farve

I'm not sure how many of you out there are football fans, but if you are at all I'm sure you're familiar with the name Brett Farve. After 17 years with the Greenbay Packers, this morning he retired as one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He holds just about every record in the book. Brett Farve is by far Chris's favorite football player ever. He is totally heartbroken and is acting as if he died!! Because Chris is such a huge fan, I slowly became one too, and it is pretty sad. Next NFL season won't quite be the same, but on the bright side, I think next year is gonna be all about the SEAHAWKS!

So this is when Chris turned my little girl into a little boy! During the playoffs my friend Ellen sent us this little outfit, because she is from greenbay and a Big time Packers/Brett Farve fan. Needless to say, Chris was excited and every time they played dressed her up as his little greenbay packer!

8 Dogs!!!!

Ok, so the last 10 days have been busy. While Chris's family was off in Hawaii relaxing in the sun, I was here watching... get ready... 8 dogs, 3 cats, a turtle and a fish. (And of course lets not forget my little 7 month old baby). Sounds like fun huh. lets just say I'm glad their back, and that other then my two little chihuhua's i don't ever want another pet. Ever. Other than being a serious dog sitter, I havent been up to much. I must say I feel its my job to inform everyone, that apparently it's against the law to have a tinted cover over you license plate! Welp I got a new car and had no idea that there was a cover, until I got a nice $220 ticket! It's crazy I know! Aparently people put those on, to avoid the "red light camaras" that send you a ticket in the mail. Im fighting it, but I was so mad! So check your plates and take off the license cover if you have one!