munching on muffins

Oh muffins! I cannot tell a lie! I really love to eat you! I love fresh muffins hot out of the oven. Butter melts at your very presence.... A cup of steaming coffee and one of you and I am in a momentary heaven. And by the pictures of the kids, I think they agree.

ike riding

a very cool old toy!

Isaac showing off his climbing abilities.

and walking abilities.......

Our wonderful neighbor Dave is letting us borrow this amazing antique. He says that he has pictures of himself as a baby in this! Isaac likes it pretty well himself since it grants him a bit of mobility as he is learning to walk. It amazes me what we use to make toys out of. This beautiful metal trike would be abhorred by most mothers of this day in age and yet I think that many of our parents and grandparents survived just fine.

summer dish outdoors

Yesterday was the most glorious day!!!!!! So glad I had the idea to take dinner outdoors. I made my favorite meal, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado salsa. It is such an easy meal and whenever I make it I feel like I am eating a bit of sunshine.

Kyla with her juice. Mommy and Daddy had wine. It was a good time for all:)

Isaac is ready for his outdoor dining experience. With a smile like that who could deny him?

So if you are in the mood to make this tasty dish here is a recipe you are sure to enjoy!

For salsa:
1 avocado chopped
2 small plum tomatoes chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Chicken:
4 chicken breast halves. (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp FRESH cilantro, chopped finely
marinade chicken for at least 15 minutes. I always marinade for closer to 3 hours
Grill chicken and top with salsa

(We always make this dish with a pasta. but not necessary )

Enjoy!!!!!!!

flower arranging take two.

My last flower arrangement was on the small scale. I wanted to see if I could use a bigger vase and still do the same idea. Use Hosta leaves to take up the majority of space so I could cut less blooms in my garden. I think I was successful. What do you think???

Shiner

Oh Ike!

He is an excellent crawler. Very fast and no obstacle will stand in his way. But now, he is doing his best to learn to walk. His poor head definitely is taking the brunt of the learning too. Playing at the park would just not be complete without a lovely shiner to come home with.

I have been told by many now....."That's a boy for ya!" I guess so.

little pretty's

Ah..... its a wonder what can be made with a bit of felt and imagination. Since my kids are forever crawling and grabbing at my necklaces and earrings I have had to forgo wearing them. But these I can wear and feel like I have a bit of pretty on to accentuate my wardrobe.

It was really quite simple to make and I really just used what I had on hand. Buttons, brads, little feathery pieces of floss, beads and even glitter. I bought just the simple felt piece that you can get from any craft store for less than .30 cents a sheet. Pins and hot glue are really all that is necessary beyond your wild and crazy imagination.

steps for a simple felt flower: Cut a circle any size you want of felt. Then cut a concentric circle.

(This is the time to add anything to the edges to add flare like the one above. Let it dry.)

Once its dry start forming your flower from the center out. Hot glue that baby in place. I do use a piece of scrap felt to keep it all together. I put a pin and/or a bobby pin on the back and done! can add beads or buttons to the center to finish off the flower.

This is my little lovely sitting next to a lovely my grandma Jeanne got from my grandpa Jack as an engagement gift. I am so blessed to have it in my possession.

If you want to make one like the red one in my daughters hair the only difference is that you are twisting the felt as you are forming the flower. It really is quite simple and fun. Hope this inspires someone out there to give it a try!

Kyla and first fishing trip

Kyla very excited for her first ever fishing experience.

Here is Kyla and Dustin teaching her how to cast. SUCCESS on the first try!




To give you an idea.....There is a plastic fish that comes with the fishing pole to give kids an opportunity to learn how to cast properly......This little fish is smaller!!!

Packed up and ready to head back to the car. It was a great experience even if we didn't catch any dinner.

Raspberry fingers!

What a fun moment for me! I made Kyla her lunch and it included some fresh raspberries. She loves to put olives on her fingers and when she saw she could do the same with raspberries she went for it. The smile and joy says it all.

Apple blossoms for all time........

Crab apple trees. I love them. I just wish that the blooms would stay forever. But alas they do not. SO I had to make my own. All it took was hot glue, some pretty pink f aux flowers and sticks. This was such an easy DIY project and every spring I have apple blossoms that last me til fall.

My take on flower arranging

So I think that there are alot of people out there like me. I have a garden. I have pretty flowers. But my garden is not so large that I can cut the flowers to bring in doors to enjoy without seriously cutting down on the beauty outside. Well today I found a great way to bring my beauty indoors without needing to cut many of my blooms! HOSTA!!!

I have about ten HUGE Hosta plants that grace the front of my home. Now while they are numerous they are mainly just a big green carpet. Today while outside my daughter began to pull at the leaves and hand them to me... Lightbulb moment. Use Hosta leaves to use up most of the space in a vase and just cut one or two on my blooms. And WA LA......

major slacker!!!!!!

WOOOOOOW!!!!!! I haven't posted a new thing since October!!!! Sorry.!!!
What can I say. Life has been a blur. I am so busy hanging out with the kids that the last thing I have thought about is updating my blog.
SO whats been happening in the Marquand house???? Lots.:) Isaac turned 1 on April 2nd and Kyla turned 3 on May 4th. Both parties were a ton of fun and so enjoyable.

Kyla really got into the whole present thing this year. She is obsessed with horses for the moment and Dustin was able to make her a wooden horse swing. It was the perfect gift.

Isaac is crawling all over the place and not really willing to start walking on his own just yet. If he gets a hold of a hand, he is off and running though!

Dustin has been hard at work. We have been praying hard about the direction his business should go and every time we begin to wonder if Dustin needs to look for something new, he starts to get the phone calls. So far the summer looks like it is full of opportunities.

Me. well, I have been spending alot of time in my gardens. Its amazing the transformation the backyard has experienced in one year. Where there were once dying bushes, now has a growing, thriving perennial garden. AHHHHH color! I never knew the satisfaction of growing something. I am hooked now. We also got our veggie garden planted last weekend. I go out every day in hopes of seeing something breaking through the dirt, reaching toward the sun. Nothing yet, but hoping soon!