Rolo Cookies

You can't eat just one of these! This is one of my favorite cookie/candy recipe...so easy, the kids love to help make them, takes about 10 minutes and the results are great! I love the sweet and salty combination....plus caramel!

All you need are pretzels, Rolo candy, and topping of your choice....today I used m&ms......in the fall I'll use candy corn....at Christmas time I'll use pecans.

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. spread out pretzels on baking sheet.

3. unwrap and place one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel.

4. bake for 5 minutes or until candy is soft.

5. press down Rolo with topping of your choice: pecans, m&ms, candy corn

6. let completely cool, when I'm in a rush I'll place the pan in the fridge to let the chocolate set.

And I couldn't have a post with out a picture of the kids....here they are "painting" (with water) the house (very dusty house). They thought this was the best idea ever.....they were at it for over an hour!

water + water = keeping cool

We have been keeping cool this summer by staying in the water....our local lake most days, trips to Aunt Ginny's house on Buzzard's Bay, a friend's pool, and Nana and Grampa's house on the lake. Caroline loves to go tubing! This was the first time she went and she absolutely loved it.......she had the biggest smile on her face....completely content.

And, summer always means there is a carnival somewhere...this one was right up the street! The kids had a blast on all the rides, visiting with friends, eating fried dough (my favorite), and winning prizes.

brother and sister waiting their turn....(and yes, you are seeing Caroline in the same dress most days this summer...as soon as I wash it she wants to wear it....very comfy to sleep in as well.)

Cooper screamed like crazy when Caroline went on a ride without him!

Rob was just thrilled to go on all the rides.....really he was......

Before they start building the walls of the new kitchen they need to prep this outside wall of the house.....stripped off the aluminium siding and the original clapboard to expose the wide planks....found a door on the second floor....so they had to rebuild that part of the wall....also came across hundreds of bees as they worked in 90 degree heat.The windows have been taken out of the kitchen and covered with plywood.....but I still have the sink!!! No worries yet!! I have been slowly packing up the kitchen, amazed at all the stuff!!!

Not doing my homework

I am suppose to be looking at shingles, who new that I would have to pick a style AND color.....not my cup of tea...so I have been looking at these instead.......chandeliers!!!

the above one is at Pottery Barn...less expensive than the one I found at Restoration Hardware...below...I always favor the more expensive.....wouldn't this look great above a table on a porch...or screened in room....

Something simple...

or.....Simply crazy?

Ok.....the rain has stopped....so I'm taking the kids out for a walk around the neighborhood.....to look at shingles.....can you feel my excitement.....

Back from the Beach

We packed up the kids and the mini-van on Friday and traveled to visit Rob's relatives....who live on the water.....we had three days of beach, boating, exploring, fish catching, shell collecting...and catching up...spending days and nights with a family that we love....no matter how much time goes by...we still feel at home with them.....the cousins reconnect.....ages 2 to 17......and the days are filled with fun.This is Long Beach.....my favorite spot......the only place with a breeze.....it is about a 5 minute boat ride to this remote peninsula of sand.....at low tide it is great for exploring......the kids collect shells, catch fish.....and endless swimming. And then as the tide comes in....the water rolls over the beach till the whole place is underwater. The kids (and Rob) loved taking a shower in the outdoor shower!

And, Caroline loved catching the little fish.

Cooper, Caroline and cousin Abby

Keeping Cool and Construction Update

Our new summer hangout...the beach at our local lake.....By 10am we have claimed our spot...set up the chairs...suntan lotion applied...hats on...and the kids play in the sand and swim for hours. Within the last couple of weeks Caroline is swimming on her own...and Cooper thinks he can....and the deal is...if Caroline can leave without a tantrum (leaving anything is difficult for Caroline) than we can come back the next day....they can't seem to get enough of it....it helps that there are at least 20 kids and only 5 minutes from home.

Are you ready for this...... Construction Update: the framing has begun!!! We have walls and a roof....just the garage so far.....the space between the old house and the new will be the new kitchen....off of this space will be a set of french doors out to a patio.....off of the old kitchen (to the left of the patio) will be another set of french doors leading out to a screened in porch. First the garage will go up and then they will build the kitchen space which will connect everything together! And then they tear down the wall and demo our kitchen...that is when we go to Gramma's house!Starting to look like a garage!! And the kids, I mean Rob....will have an amazing play room...I mean workroom....on the second floor.

New Boots

Warning: Lots of pictures of the kiddos.They received new splash boots from their Great Auntie Norma and we just happen to have some mud around......

Cooper's frog face.....

Caroline Toss

This looks scarier than it actually is...Rob and Caroline's new game....Caroline Toss.....Caroline can't get enough of it....she has a bit of her mom's dare devil side.....although I fear more the older I get.....I was fearless back in the day.....bungee jumping, skydiving, white water rafting, flying lessons (a plane that is)....maybe again...someday.....

And she lived happily ever after....

Caroline was in her glory on her Birthday....didn't sleep all night because she was so excited to turn four!!! I was completely stressed out because the construction left us with no yard....but Caroline and 15 of her friends had fun and it didn't seem to faze them one bit!!!

Uncle Jeff did an amazing job on the cake this year......soooo yummy!!!

Everyone had fun with the princess crafts...they made crowns and magnets with the foam stickers. And they had fun dressing up with the princess jewelry and tattoos.

Uncle Mark didn't mind too much that we decorated his machine with a pink balloon.

Happy Birthday Rob and Caroline!!!!

Four years ago today I woke up at 2am and yelled to Rob..." Happy Birthday honey!!! My water just broke!!!" We called the doctor and she said it was too early to come to the hospital so we should go back to bed and get some rest....well...we tried that but we were too excited...so we went down stairs and Rob opened up his birthday presents...and then at 3:30 am as my contractions became stronger we drove to the hospital......after being almost a week late, almost 20 hours of labor, 4 of which I was pushing...Caroline was born by c-section at 11:06pm....

Happy Birthday Rob......Happy Birthday Caroline!!!