Oh December

This month is completely jam packed for us. I mean completely. I hardly have enough time to keep up with the laundry, so you probably won't be hearing too much from me until after Christmas! Life is just hectic this time of year, which I think is so ironic. If I have any free time, I will update you on the Dodds' but lately I have been using my free time to play with my baby girl or wash my hair! I still love you all to bits and pieces. Don't forget about us! I'll leave you with some pictures I snapped of Aubrey Grace and her Daddy. They are so sweet together aren't they!?

Love you all!

Bails

Happy Thanksgiving...

From the Dodds!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with my family. Lots of food... and pie... and looking at the "black friday" ads from the paper although none of us are quite crazy enough to actually shop at 4 AM. Or maybe we aren't adventurous enough. And football... there's always football watching on Thanksgiving!

Aubrey Grace looks so concerned here! Maybe because there were like 4 people behind the camera trying to make her smile... and she was having none of it!

She was the life of the party in her gobble turkey shirt! I love that her little belly was hanging over her jeans... as were all of our bellies by the time we were finished eating!

Someday maybe we'll figure out how to de-red-eye our camera... so we look like normal people!

We are so thankful for each one of you. You are our precious family... and our BFF's. You are treasured and so well loved.

Hope your day was wonderful!

Bails

Aubrey Grace will be 5 months old tomorrow.

5 Months.

I am almost certain she gets more beautiful every day... and her little personality is starting to peek to the surface. She's pretty hilarious.

Staring contest...

Aubrey loves her Aunt Allison!

I love her to the moon. And I am so glad she's here.

Have a great weekend!

Bails

Like Daddy... like Daughter.

Aubrey has been falling even more in love with her Daddy these past few weeks. Yesterday she was so over tired after being in the church nursery and socializing with all of her friends and in a very fussy mood... and actually would cry when Tyler would leave the room. Basically we have the makings of a Daddy's girl... which I'm totally fine with. TDodds is the sweetest most patient man ever to walk the face of the earth, and I'm certain that Aubrey could have no better Daddy. I was looking at some photos yesterday and I came across a couple of photos that made my eyes wide and then brought a little giggle. You see... TDodds and Aubrey Grace are two peas in a pod... cut from the same cloth...

Daddy

Daughter

Isn't that crazy!?

The resemblance is uncanny. I've always thought she looked more like me... I think I've been wrong. So very wrong! My heart just wants to melt right out of my body when I think of how much I love them both.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday morning!!

Love you all...

Bails

In the Kitchen... Pasta Salad

The possibilities are endless... really they are.

This really might be the most versatile recipe that I have in my arsenal. You could add so many things and it would still be awesome. Like black olives, chopped ham, turkey, or pepperoni, or bacon, red bell pepper, cucumber, pecans or walnuts or any other nut... and on and on and on. You are only limited by your imagination. If you have an aversion to onion... you could leave it out... I guess.

We like it plain... and TDodds likes to eat it with saltines. Yes. Saltines.

This is a wonderful summer recipe... but I make it year round... because it's that good.

I feel like I'm trying to sell you something... is it working?

Pasta Salad

1 lb. (16 ozs) short cut pasta of your choice (I like to use whole wheat rotini, because I like the taste and it makes me feel like maybe it's a bit more healthy. Maybe not.)

1 very diced green bell pepper

1 very diced red onion (if a regular ole' onion is all you have on hand... only use half)

1 cup Italian salad dressing

1 cup Caesar salad dressing

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (to freshly grate is to freshly taste :) but the kind from the bag works just fine.)

Pepper to taste

Cook your pasta according to package directions. While it's cooking, chop your veggies. The smaller the pieces... the better (in my opinion). In a large bowl combine all of your ingredients besides the pasta. It should look something like this... and yes... I started snacking on the concoction with saltines. It was good. Really good. I think I really might use it sometime as a dip.

After the pasta is al dente... drain and rinse with cold water. You want the pasta to be cool before you add it to your bowl of mush.

After you have drained and rinsed... add the pasta to your bowl of other ingredients and combine. This is your finished product! You can eat it immediately... with saltines... or cover and put it in the fridge. To see a more simplified version of this recipe please visit Tried and True Recipe Share!!

Oh and what's that plastic cup with Sharpie writing for back there you ask?? That's our "coffee water dipper" of course. Doesn't everyone have one of these? It's mainly because we are coffee snobs... I mean lovers. We do not use the coffee carafe to fill up the coffee pot to make coffee. Because of course that would taint the water. Hence the "coffee water dipper." Invented by TDodds. We really should get a patent.
Have a fabulous weekend!!

Love you all!

Bails

Are We Family or What!!??

The Daddy

The Mommy

The Aubrey Grace

Happy Wednesday to you all!!

The Dodds

Sharing Recipes

Sharing well-loved recipes, searching for new ones and then trying them for the first time in my own kitchen, has to be one of my most favorite things to do. I love cookbooks... and recipe blogs. Most of my favorite recipes have come from different blogs because they are simply "tried and true!" No one is going to post a recipe they just "sort-of" enjoy.

All that to say... one of my BFF's Courtney started a recipe blog that me and eight other girls will be contributing to. You must go there immediately and get Courtney's recipe for Pumpkin Bread and make it as soon as possible. It's amazing!

Did I link that enough times for you to get the picture?

It should be very fun and exciting!! I will be checking it often!!

Love you all!!

Bails