Happy Fathers Week!!

I have to start by saying that Josh is one of the most wonderful/loving/fun/Godly/passionate/caring/entertaining fathers that I could have ever hoped for my children to have. He's a leader that's worth following and I couldn't be happier that he is the one I get to raise our children with. Happy Fathers Week Pie!!

Fathers Day was very fun at our house this year! The kids got Josh a hammock for the backyard which he really liked and was surprised by. Josh got to spend the first bit of time in the hammock, then he let Goosey climb in with him and we all took turns trying it out.

Frank was up early helping out with the hammock hanging, what a handsome boy!

We also had a family jam session because Josh got his guitar worked on and it came back better than he was expecting. It is hilarious watching Frank play the harmonica because he actually knows how, very cute! Gels was jammin on a guitar and we had a bit of percussion going.

Hope all is well! XOXO -Amber

That's a tiara fit for a Queen!

When I read that Swedish royals always wear conservative, simple dresses I was a little bummed because I translated that to mean plain. Clearly I was wrong, this is beautiful and classic. They seem very happy!!

Holy jalapenos batman!

When I was taking these pictures I was thinking they were kind of anti-climactic because it's hard to get a good picture of a plant. However, my mama asked for garden pics so here they are : ) Love you mom! Also, I noticed while I was uploading these what a huge difference there is from the last pictures I took a few weeks back. I didn't really realize how much our garden has grown. We've had guacamole with the jalapenos, tomatoes just the way they are, ratatouille with the eggplant, green beans, bell peppers, strawberries, and we'll be having okra tonight. One thing that has me kind of perplexed is the squash and zucchini. The plants have grown, they start to bear veggies but they never get any bigger than an inch maybe and then they wither up. What gives?!? Anywho, here are some photos for your enjoyment!

Our tomatoes are the most exciting to look at because they are the biggest and they have by far the most fruit

Our carrots are nearly ready to come up

Our bell peppers and eggplant (Japanese eggplant) are neighbors

Our little jalapenos which I don't have too many recipes for, ideas are welcomed

Our okra which grew practically overnight!

The girls were drawing impressionist artwork for the birds to enjoy from their back window, so thoughtful

I had to post this picture because someone actually muttered "there's nothing to eat!" I nearly died, ha ha. I think they expect to open the fridge and see a plate of food already warmed and everything! Just imagine if they lived when there were no microwaves : )

Hope all is well! Happy Summer ~ XOXO -Amber

lazy mans ratatouille

Here are my kiddos doing what they've been doing lately; Jill reading, Frank playing with shoes, and Gelsey being artistic. So far it's been a very relaxing summer! Yesterday I harvested 2 japanese eggplant from the garden and made the tastyest ratatouille EVER! It went with our Sunday roast chicken and a delish pea risotto. Instead of making ratatouille the laborious way with salting the veggies and layering everything perfectly I made it like a stew. Sauted the garlic and onions in evoo, added the eggplant and zuchinni for a minute or so and then added the roughly chopped and deseeded tomato. Then I just added some fresh oregano and turned down the heat and let it stew for about 30-45 minutes, topped it with a bit of fresh grated parmesan and voila, TASTY! Hope all is well! xoxo -Amber

The start of "summer"

So the quality of these pictures is low because they were all taken on my phone. That's how busy we've been having fun since school got out : ) We've been to the pool quite a few times; sometimes just to play and sometimes for swimming lessons. I also had a date with Frank at P.F. Changs which was hilarious and fun. Lastly a fabulous couple of report cards which the girls were rewarded for with cash, meaning we've been to Justice to spend said cash. They're so predictable, ha ha! Hope all is well! xoxo -Amber