Happy new year!

We are wild and crazy over here.

Appetizer dinner...
touchdown taco dip (Lilly's choice)
stuffed mushrooms (Dave's choice)
artichoke bacon bites (my choice)
(thanks to my good friend Ali for 2/3 of those recipes ;)

And for dessert...
chocolate fondue (cohen's choice)

2012 was pretty good for us, but we are excited to see what 2013 will bring!!

happy new year everyone!!

Oh my.

I can blog from my new toy...
This may be a good thing?

now...
If I can just figure out how to add pictures... Oooooh I think I just did!!

wholly crap

so i was searching my own blog today to find pictures of pumpkin cookies.
i found the pictures i was looking for.
and wholly crap.
dreams do come true :)

http://itsmejen.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-forgot-to-share-my-halloween-costume.html

gives me chills.
just awesome :)

traveling

for some crazy reason, i thought i'd be able to pick blogging back up again.

(but i'm not sure that i can back myself up on that.)

because things are getting kind of big around here.

Sweet Day Bakery is traveling... 

(and i can hardly believe it myself)

you can follow us on facebook and twitter if you'd like :)

hello?

would you believe it if i said i may start blogging again?

yeah. me neither ;)

let's see if this thing still works...

 (pics taken by daddy.)

(on our 11 year anniversary in may :)

letting go

3 kids.
1 dear husband.
babysitting.
embroidery.
baking.
just to name a few.

trying to find a balance, though i'm not convinced it's possible.
life is getting to me.  it's very full. but good.

if i want to do more, or do well at what i am doing... i have to let some go.
and that's ok. i cannot do it all.

obviously, i haven't been blogging regularly for quite some time.
it's not that i don't want to. or that i don't have things i want to blog about.
i do. and i do.

but i've got to let it go for now.
let go of this blog.


i'll still be on facebook, and i know a lot of you keep in touch with me there.
(and that makes me glad.)
ill be embroidering. and baking. and going to the rink. and to the soccer fields.
and nursing my sweet baby boy. a lot.
and trying to be the best wife, and mommy, and person that i can be.
without this blog :)

thank you. for being here with me.

i'm sure i'll be back. someday.

NHL debut

one of cohen's hockey coaches invited him (and dave) to skate in a skills
competition between periods at a columbus blue jackets game,
to represent the junior jackets skating program.

cohen is probably the CBJ's biggest 4 year old fan... and given this awesome opportunity we couldn't say no.  though it was a school night, we decided that this was one time the kids could stay up past their bedtime.

i think i was more nervous and excited than the boys.

i am proud to report that i did not cry.
though i'm not sure my smile could have gotten any bigger.

to say that i am proud is an understatement :)
(fyi: cohen is the little guy with the white jersey, skating on daddy's team)
(more pictures coming soon...)

my first real quilt

i'd been wanting to make a real quilt for a long time.

real as in... pieced, and batted, and quilted together.

(ive made rag quilts before, but they are a little less complex.)

my sister got married in march last year.

a quilt!  handmade with love.

i think that would make a perfect wedding gift.

we went out and got the fabric right away.

and finally put it together. in november.

while 8 months pregnant :)

a fun swirly stitch in red.

the top.

the back.

it's by all means imperfect.

the kids helped with pinning, and unpinning.

and pushing the sewing pedal, and laying out pieced strips on the floor.

dave helped stretch and tape down and pin the layers together.

all 4 (5) of us helped put it together with lots of love.

so i guess that does make it quite perfect.

packed tight in a box and mailed to brooklyn to its new home.

my favorite of the fabrics is the one i call peacock.

i reserved some to make a nursing cover :)

which has already been put to good use.

i'm itching to make another quilt.

someday :)

cream of broccoli soup

i'm pretty sure this is my most favorite soup. ever.
my dad's cream of broccoli soup.
i loved when dad would make it while i was growing up.
now i get to make it myself.
and i make it a lot now that soup season is here :)
i don't mind one bit!  (neither does dave, i think it's one of his favorites too.)

Cream of Broccoli Soup
http://itsmejen.blogspot.com/

12 oz. of frozen broccoli (or 2 or 3 heads of fresh chopped broccoli)
Cook broccoli in 3 to 4 cups of water, add 4 chicken bouillon cubes
Add 1 cup of chopped celery
Add 1 cup of chopped onions
Add 1 cup of diced ham.
Simmer for 30 minutes

In a separate pan Make Roux:
Melt ½ cup butter and ½ cup of margarine
Add 1 cup all-purpose flour
Mix until well blended
Add 6 cups milk to broccoli/veggie/broth mixture.
Add roux to soup mixture and stir until thick over medium heat.
Add 1 tsp pepper and salt to taste.

enjoy!! yum.

where has all the blogging gone?

the blogging has fallen by the wayside.
though i still think about it a lot.
i wish i posted as much as i used to.
recipes. and crafts. and vides. and conversations.

i said i wouldnt join facebook, in fear of not blogging anymore.
i was right.
the ease of facebook (and the less amount of time i have now) is keeping me from blogging.

and then i went and joined pinterest.
another (fun) waste of my time.
but, we need to have some fun, right?

here are a few pics to share for those of you who are blog only readers :)

 the little man is already a month old.

where can i find more time?