Beach Weekend

I am so excited for our beach trip this weekend! Matt, Baby Girl and I are going camping on the beach at Carolina Beach, where you can drive right on to the beach! And we'll have some friends with us too. I'm pretty excited to try out our 4-whel drive for the first time. I just hope we don't get stuck! :)

It will also be the first time I've been to the beach this summer! How is that possible?! I suppose when driving for more than an hour or so doesn't jive with the little one, it makes it hard to go on trips... Any way, I'm really looking forward to watching Evie discover the sand! So far, the weather is looking pretty good and I can't wait!!

Recipe Time: Turkey Gnocchi Soup

So, I wasn't sure what to do for dinner because my planned menu had gone out the window. I'd used up some ingredients already and didn't want to go buy more because I had a ton of food in my fridge! I just needed something to make with it. Thus, this soup was born. It was raining on Monday when I made it and I knew I needed something that would make a ton so I could take the rest of it to a sister in our ward who just had a baby. Soup just sounded right, so I started assembling things I had on hand and I was pretty impressed with how it turned out! I didn't measure anything, so don't hold me to the amounts. I just did a little of this and a little of that until it turned out right, so you may have to tweak this to your personal tastes, but in the end , I know you'll love it!

Turkey Gnocchi Soup - Serves 12 (aka, make this in a BIG pot)

1 Stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
6 cups milk
6 cups of chicken stock
Turkey breast, fully cooked, cut into big chunks
Big handful of shredded carrot
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 lb. potato gnocchi
1 bag of frozen vegetables of your choice (I used peas and corn)
Seasoned salt and Pepper to taste


In a large pot on the stove, melt the butter and whisk in your flour. Cook the mixture over medium high heat for about a minute or two. Then, slowly whisk in your milk and chicken stock. Keep whisking until the soup thickens. Once the soup thickens, add your chopped turkey breast, shredded carrot, and garlic and onion powders and keep heating for about 10 minutes. Add the gnocchi and frozen vegetables and season to taste. Allow the gnocchi and vegetables to heat through and serve with some yummy bread!


Sorry I don't have a picture to show! All the leftovers went to feed the other family. But let me assure you, this soup won't last long in your fridge!

Baby Kisses

Is there anything better than kisses from babies? I'm not sure that there is. Lately, Baby Girl has taken to face-plant kissing any patch of my exposed skin. I *love* it. She's learned so many new things lately! It seems like she's doing something new everyday. Perhaps this is the reason she hasn't been sleeping lately.... Hmmm. Any way, I can't believe how big she is! Especially when I look at her newborn photos. 

Ack!  Where did my little baby go?

I'm so happy that she's growing and thriving and learning new things every day and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to stay at home with her everyday, because I wouldn't want miss any of these moments.

The Olympic quilt

Not too long ago, I read about a wonderful organization that takes fabric that would've been thrown away (because it was not in season or was being discontinued, not because it was defective or gross) and uses it to make quilt kits. These kits are used by people (like me!) to make quilts for kids in the hospital who are very sick or have been through some incredible trauma.

So, I signed up to make one, even though I've never made a quilt before. I was just so moved by this organization's mission that I told myself I'd learn, and even though it might not be pretty, it would be made with love.

So, while watching the Olympics in the evening, I assembled this quilt. Thus, the Olympic Quilt.

I am so proud of it. It's not perfect. Far from it, but I did everything on my own, without help (that is, as long as you don't count youtube). Usually when I do a sewing project I run to my mom or my sister for help, because they are WAY better than I am. But this time, I couldn't run to them. They were unavailable. So, I was stinkin' proud of myself for putting on my big girl panties and trying something new.

Now, I don't think I'm sold on the idea of quilting as a hobby, but it's nice to know the skill for the future. And in the process, I produced a wonderful quilt for someone.

Before I sent it off, I had everyone in the family give it a great big hug so that it would be full of love for the next person. I really hope this quilt can comfort a child who needs it.

If you're interested in making a quilt too, you can go here and request a kit. And if you need help putting it together, I can help! I know how! ;)