Getting stronger!

I heard lots of giggling going on during nap time, so I went to check on Gabe & this is what I found :) So proud of himself! This is the first time he has pulled himself up. Momma is proud too as our little guy is slowly making milestones at his own pace. He finally crawled on his birthday & since then is getting more and more confident everyday. He's small for his age at 18 lbs & seems so much like a little baby to us, which we like :) but the doctors are anxious for a little more from him! As of yesterday he is now speed crawling, pulling up and saying "uh oh". Keep it up kiddo!

Cactus-Ow!

On our way to my parents house from the Phoenix airport, Weston pointed out the window and said " look at dat!" pointing at a cactus. I explained to him what a cactus was and to not touch them since they will give you a boo boo. For the rest of the week Weston called them

" Cactus- Ow". So cute!

We had a wonderful time with Nanni and my parents while Andrew had a quiet house for a very busy work week. My dad took us on rides in the side car, we relaxed, the boys played with all the toys and gadgets, went shopping, attempted to go out to eat :) and much more! Thanks mom and dad for a wonderful time! Weston still talks about going back to Omie and Grandpa's house!

We had fun looking at horses in the beautiful Arabian horse stables

This guy did this all on his own, he was in heaven

This was Weston's fav activity- using the vacuum with Grandpa in the garage

Easy appetizer

My mom in law gave me these sweet little glasses for my bday & there are endless possibilities!

I layered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Drizzle a little balsamic dressing and ur done! Perfect to make ahead and fun individual servings. The guys just shot these straight in their mouths :) & the girls used little teaspoons.

On our way!

A little pit stop at Bravo Farms on our way to Manteca for Thanksgiving!

Parmesan Truffle Spaghetti Squash with fresh basil

This turned out super yummy!

Half one squash and take out seeds. Pierce with fork & place cut side up in baking dish with one inch water. Sprinkle flesh with salt pepper garlic salt and drizzle with truffle oil or olive oil. Roast for 1 hour or until soft.

Cool squash & remove flesh with a fork to make the squash "noodles" the fun part! Return squash to baking dish with more salt and pepper to taste as well as another drizzle of truffle oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup fresh shaved Parmesan and 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil as well as 1/2 cup milk. Bake for 20-30 min or until cheese is melted and heated through.

You can find truffle oil at any specialty grocery store. A small bottle goes a long way. I like black truffle oil. It's a bit stronger so you need less for the awesome taste it adds. I'm cheap!

This would make a fun & interesting side at Thanksgiving for a change :) (maybe instead of the green bean casserole??!)

Happy Birthday Baby Gabe!

A year ago today at 7:02 pm we welcomed this sweet boy into our arms. He was a little dude at 5 lbs 11 oz but he was strong and healthy. We waited 7 hours in the hospital triage room for our turn to get this guy out 2 weeks ahead of schedule for precautionary reasons. 1 hour before the c-section his little heart rate plummeted and an emergency situation almost happened, but the timing was perfect. As the doctor was just washing his hands from last delivery we were whisked into the OR and baby Gabe was out in 5 min perfectly fine! Although the pregnancy and delivery with Gabe were a little less than perfect, this past year has been almost that. He has been an "easy" baby ( if there really is such a thing!) and is turning into a sweet little boy before our eyes.

We pray for our boys that they would love the Lord as their Saviour and source of strength and hope all their life and that they would not only be loving brothers but also brothers in Christ!

Happy Birthday my darling boy- we love you SO much!

The Baby Boy Blues

Today I'm singing the baby boy blues because tomorrow my baby boy turns 1!! I can't believe it is his birthday already! I will post some new born pics and favs of the year tomorrow but today I thought I would share the sweetness of our little one year old. He brings joy to our home every day with his cute smile and joyful spirit. The year has flown because there were never any moments that I wished would go by more quickly. He sleeps well, eats well and the kid has never even had a fever! He absolutely ADORES Weston and the two of them can be heard chatting to each other in the morning when they wake up! Gabriel you have captured our hearts and we can't wait to celebrate you tomorrow!

Love this weather!

Crock Pot Refried Beans

I love restaurant refried beans but cringe at the thought of what they put in them to make them taste so good :) I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and have made it a few times, a few different ways. Yummy and easy and it has no added fat!

1 onion peeled and halved

3 cups dried pinto beans

2 T minced garlic

5 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cumin

9 cups water

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 8 hours. Puree to desired consistency and adjust spices to taste. ( the recipe included some spicy peppers as well, but I left those out to be kid friendly)

Before serving I sprinkled a mexican blend cheese on top and heated in the oven. Tasted just like the restaurant!

This makes a ton of beans so I have some in the freezer as well for later.

Weston the breakdancer