Guest Post: Jimmy

Hi All!
I was on a mini-vacation this past week, but now I am back!
I spent the week with my Momma and Dad. I really love being with them. And I know they love having me back home with them. When I am there, I sleep in Momma and Dad's room in my little navy blue and while whale bed, with my blankie and they give me lots of lovin's, treats and we spent a lot of time on the front porch. They know how much I love the fresh air out there so we have fun!

Lance was visiting, and well, he's not so fond of me. Not in an awfully bad way, but his size alone could just squash me so everyone thought it was a good time for me to go on vacation.

I thought I would send you some recent pictures of life in my little and low (to the ground) world.

I love to poke my head under the kitchen curtains to watch Mono work in the backyard.

I love being outside. Sometimes when Mono is out in the backyard, Mare just lets me hang out on the deck. And every once in a while I check in to see what she is doing inside.

And sometimes I really want her to come out too, so I give her a little look and she melts and comes out with us.

I love my bed! It is sooooooo cozy. I take a lot of naps during the day and it is one of my favorite spots.

Yesterday, Mare cleaned out the bedroom. She is getting ready for more boys to share the room with us! Can you believe it? There will be four boys and Marezy in one room. I really like to lay with Mare and Mono's clothes because it smells like them so I took a nap in the pile on the floor.

One of my spots on the bed. When it is made first thing in the morning, I like the lay behind the "kiss me" pillows and cuddle in all the others. You can't see me when I am laying there, but when I hear Mare walk in, I poke my head up to let her know I'm here.

Mare has been outside a lot the past couple of days taking care of the gardens, so I get to spend a lot of time outside too! I love it!

I am glad the weekend is here and I am hoping I get to spend most of the time with Mare and Mono. They said they are going to stay home and relax. I like that so we are all together.

And I still can't believe I was wrong about the babes. I guessed they were going to be two malteses! No! They are two boys! We are going to have a house full of boys. Boy colors, boy toys (and there is a lot of those - mine, Mono's and now the baby boy thing that will come!), boy games, boy food.... Oh dreamy!

My sweet little friend, Katie, is now on Facebook. I am so excited! We can talk more often. I really like her. She might come to visit in July. I hope so.

So, that's what has been going on here. What's going on with all of you?

Family Pool

We've have plenty of pool parties in our family, but this family pool is a first...

It's a baby pool.

My family and close friends are making bets in different categories on the twins.

Will they be boys or girls, or one of each?

How much will they weigh (total together)?

How much will I gain and how much will Mono gain?

What will their birthday be?

What time of day will the be born?

You get the picture. 

It's funny to see everyone's picks and it will be loads of fun to see who wins!

At this point, we know the genders... and only a few people guessed that part right. 

Two boys wasn't the favorite, but it was very obviously the winning answer in the ultrasound pictures!

I love my family.

My family I was born into, married into and chosen at heart.

And I know these two little boys are going to be so crazy loved by all of them!

My heart skips a beat for colors like this!

It's a distinct color. 

One all of it's own. 

Unmistakeable. 

Like a box from Tiffany's.

One that makes your heart skip a momentary beat.

The doorbell rang and there in the postman's hand was that pink color I knew so well.

I probably had a very confused look on my face because all I could think was, "Now why would I be receiving a box from Georgetown Cupcake? Who could it be from?"

I had yet to see that it was actually in fact from Georgetown Cupcake, but I didn't have any doubts.

I thanked the nice man and closed the door... then ran to the kitchen to open it.

 That is when I noticed it was from my friend, wedding photographer, and fellow G-town Cupcake lover.

Figures. Why was I surprised? She is ah-mazing. Really. She never disappoints. Never ceases to amaze me! I just love her. It's a good thing we don't live nearby each other, because she'd actually be able to see my obsession/crush in person. 

I have them on the boys shelf already, waiting for them to be able to wear them! Now won't that make for cute pictures! Boys in their cupcake onezies, Momma eating a cupcake!!! There is not a single doubt in the world that these babies of mine will be introduced to these lovely confectionaries once they are old enough to eat them!

Megan, thank you for your constant, never-ending kindness. You are a treasured friend.

I love my brother-in-law and sister-in-law...and instagram...and Lilly

(these are two wedding photos taken by Megan Beth)

 

As you know, I grew up as an only child, so I dreamed of the day when I got married and I'd have brothers and sisters... my husband's family. When Mono and I met, his brother wasn't married yet, but was dating his now wife. Erin has always been part of the family since the beginning for me. I'll never forget my very first trip to meet the family. I had already met a few of them, but this specific time, I was going to meet everyone... Aunts, Uncles, Cousins... Everyone. I loved it. Despite having packed the perfect wardrobe for my week with his family and it then getting lost, everything was smooth sailing. I loved everyone, had an amazing time and felt like I was part of their great family from the very start. I loved Mono's brother and sister-in-law a whole lot. They're a lot of fun, and so easy to get along with. Now, fast forward a few years, and both boys are married and we're all officially family. I really wish we lived closer so we could spend more time together, have barbecues, hang out by the pool, all those fun family things. But since we live hundreds of miles apart, we make the best out of the time we do get together. 

 This was from that first trip...

 Family vacations...

 and outings...

This year, for my birthday, my sweet sister-in-law, found the perfect gift for me. It was completely unexpected, things I thought no one knew I wanted. I had just set up an Instagram account and was at a store and was in Lilly heaven and took a picture of these tumblers that I adored. Little did she know, I was also checking out their stationery. Lilly just shouts Summer and living in a warm, sunny place. It brings a Florida feel to my life. I didn't know anyone payed any attention to my pictures, much less payed enough attention to then go out and buy me those very items for my birthday!

 

I am so grateful to be a part of such a fantastic family, and to finally have a brother and sister.

167. my Lilly cups that I drink nearly every drink out of

168. my brother-in-law and sister-in-law

169. my parents visits and all the help they give us while visiting

170. my other parents coming to visit this week!

171. days that I can really accomplish things and not have to deal with too much morning sickness

Yard Work

When we moved into our home, we knew the front yard was going to be a huge undertaking at some point. And today the huge project began. What a big, hard, project! Those two massive bushes on either side of the stairs were the biggest pain to cut down and take out. They were completely dead except for 3-4 inches on the outside and they were so overgrown that we couldn't have trimmed them. So those had to come out. We really had no choice. Unfortunately, most of the bushes in our yard were never trimmed or taken care of and they grew so big that they choked each other and started to kill the bushes. We're going to try to take them out and transplant the ones that are salvageable.  Those were the first to come out, and then we will take other things out and trim the rest. I'm really excited to start fresh. It looks and feels so good. We also planted a line of bushes in our backyard between us and the neighbors for a cozier yard. And we are going to line our sidewalk with liriope plants which will be really nice.

 For these big bushes, we had to cut away at all the outer branches. That took such a long time, but it was my favorite project. Probably because it was nearly the only thing I was able to do. I couldn't do the heavy work, but I spent a lot of time chopping away at these bushes. I also weeded, made sure everyone was always hydrated and made a barbecue dinner for everyone. We had my parents, Mono and I, two of my parents friends and their two kids (the son helped us work all day today). So we did all the work, then I went inside, made dinner and we had an enjoyable time to rest and chat!

 And here is my little helper. He loved being outside, chewing on twigs, rolling in the grass... But he was hot and tired so he took a break.

 Here are some of the after pictures from when those monster bushes were finally removed...

 The liriope lining our walkway. We are going to make that a nice garden area!

 Beautiful sky tonight.

 The line of bushes making us have a start to a cozy backyar.

 And the before and after. It was a lot of work, yet it doesn't look like we did a whole lot!! I can't wait to get trimming!

 Everyone worked so hard today and I am so pleased at the end result. We still have a long way to go, but the hardest part is over! Now it's time to shower and rest!

162. family and friends helping give our yard a makeover
163. meeting new neighbors
164. springtime barbecues
165. painted nails
166. a small sip of Pepsi (I miss Pepsi!!!)

16lbs and Counting

16 pounds have entered my tummy in the past few weeks...

16 pounds of nectarines that is... not baby weight... yet.

I have been eating 3-4 nectarines a day.
They are so good and I really enjoy them.
It's a healthy snack too, so I'm not chomping on lots of junk food.
I'm not sure how long this will last though.
I seem to go through real phases with what I like and do not like eating.
The smallest thing can throw me off.
But as of today, I've already had 16lbs of them!
That's a lot of nectarines.



Note: I wrote this last week and never posted it. The nectarines are done. I got sick on Friday, the morning Mono had to go to the hospital and that was the end of the nectarine love. If I get sick too close to eating a certain food, I cross it off my list. 
Today I introduced apples to my diet. I was a little nervous about doing that because for whatever reason I thought they weren't going to sit in my stomach well. But they did and I was happy to be eating my favorite fruit again.
I wonder if I will be going through so many pounds of apples, like I had with the nectarines.

Abuelo Agustin's Apple Pie

While I was planning for my birthday party, I was debating what I'd make for dessert. My usual go to is cupcakes. They are my favorite. But this year, the few days before my birthday were a little hectic and cupcakes didn't seem like the right choice for turning twenty-six. Apple pie seemed like the right move. Yep, apple pie. If you know me kinda well, you might know that not only do I not like pie, but I hate it. An old friend of mine used to laugh because I would not eat cooked fruit. We've lost touch, but if she was around to know that I didn't just eat apple pie, but I chose to bake it and eat it, she'd be proud!

I have never, ever baked an apple pie or any other pie before… at least on my own. I've helped someone else in baking a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but that is the extent of my pie baking history. While I was making the pie on Sunday, I thought to myself, "I think this will be my first and last pie I bake." I didn't think it was going to go over well. I was wrong. I will certainly be baking this recipe again. I just need an excuse to make it.

Now, I have to tell you the history that goes with this pie. It's not just any old recipe from some modern cookbook. It is a recipe that was learned generations ago and baked with love many times over. I'm happy to be part of this family and can then tell our kids about the recipe and pass it to them and keep the love of Abuelo Agustin's pie alive for years to come!

Now, getting to the history behind the pie. I hope I am getting this right. Forgive me (family) if I don't and you'll have to correct me!

First I will tell you the family members involved.

Bello: Mono's grandfather

Bella: Mono's grandmother, Bello's wife

Abuelo Agustin: Bello's father

Abuela Sofia: Bello's mother

Rosa: Bello's family's maid, turned cook, but really, an adopted out of love, member of the family

Nina: Mono's aunt/godmother

Mami: Mono's mom

Mono's family, on his mom's side, is from Cuba. They are Cuban through and through and I just love to hear about life in that beautiful country. They have some amazing stories and I just close my eyes and picture what life was like their during the years of the beginning of this pie. When Mono and I were flying to Aruba on our honeymoon, we flew over Cuba. That was big for both of us, especially him. We weren't over the area that they lived though. That is what I was really wishing for. I really wanted to get a glimpse into what their home was like. 

Abuelo Agustin and Abuela Sofia both had a love for cooking, and were very good at it from what I hear. After eating this pie and many of their recipes, I know they were good in the kitchen! Their family hired Rosa as their maid and Bello's mother taught her how to cook when she came. Rosa picked up the skills and she also became a wonderful cook in their house. She took over the cooking for their family. I'm not sure how Abuela learned how to cook, maybe it was passed down from her family. I do know that Abuelo learned to cook in college. We think he may have hung out in the kitchen a lot while at school. That is where this pie originated. He learned how to make this pie while he was there. 

Some years have passed and now it is time to bring in our sweet Bella. She always had a love for cooking ever since she was a young girl. While she may not have been the one that actually did the cooking, she loved to play in the kitchen and watch her family's cook. But it was when she met Bello and spent time with his family, that she learned to cook, from Rosa. And to this day, Bella is one of the very greatest cooks I know! What she can do in the kitchen amazes me and makes me hope that one day, I can be half as good making meals for my family.

The first time I had this pie, it was made by Nina. It was delicious. But every dessert I have tried made by Nina is fabulous. Her chocolate mousse, her rum cake, the apple pie. All delicious. I thought this was just another one of her good recipes. I saw how much Bello loved it and that is when I started to pick up little bits and pieces about the pie and where it originated. 

So this year, for my birthday, being the first one where I am officially part of the family, I knew it would be okay to take on the pie. I asked Nina for the recipe and with a little coaching from Nina and Mami, I think I did a pretty good job on Abuelo Agustin's pie. It came out watery because I used the yummiest and juiciest of apples...my very favorite, honey crisp. Nina and Mami warned me that it could be pretty juicy, but being my first pie ever, I didn't know how much flour would be too much so I figured a little apple juice wouldn't kill us, or ruin the pie. And it didn't. In fact, I think I liked it that way.

Now you know how special this pie is in our family.

Do you have any special recipes that have been passed down from one generation to another?

I am so thankful, for not only the family I was born into and grew up in, but for the family I am married into. I cherish Mono's family just like they were the family I was born into. I am enjoying learning new things about my whole family every day.

Learning about your family history is a gift. Never, ever take that for granted. If you have grandparents that can sit down and share their past with you, sit and listen... and remember it.

On my Mom's side, there were two things that I learned when I was in my late teens-early twenties that shocked me.

One. My great-grandmother's (Mom's grandmother) real name was not Nannie. Everyone called her Nannie. Everyone. So I thought that was her real name. I never new her name was Jane.

Two. My Aunt Agnes and Uncle Al lived together in my great-grandparents house. I always thought they were married. Wouldn't you? Well, they were not married... but they are brother and sister. Aunt Agnes and Uncle Al are my Popa's (Mom's dad) siblings!! No wonder they all looked alike! hehe.

On my birthday, I learned two big things about my family, again from my mom's side.

One. Back to Nannie again... She eloped. At sixteen! Yes, she ran away with my great-grandfather and didn't tell their family. They took a two day honeymoon and went back to their family and the rest is history. At some point they were married in the Church, but we don't know all those details. I wish we had someone that would remember.

At sixteen, I still can't get over this.

Two. Popa's dad was an orphan. I have a real soft spot in my family for children without a family to love them, so I was touched to hear that we actually have someone in our family who was orphaned. 

I have learned a lot these past few days, about family and about baking apple pie.

157. a cherished and delicious family recipe

158. grandparents to tell us their history

159. beautiful weather to enjoy outside

160. comfortable maternity clothes (so happy I don't have to squeeze into my old clothes)

161. family, past, present and future