rees genre

I started a food blog recently; the purpose of the blog is to share healthy gourmet recipes. I feel a little lame because the food blog is a little over done, but I wanted a place to keep track of recipes that I like as well as glean great ideas from other authors. In fact, I'm looking for authors to contribute, so if you are interested, let me know and I'll add you. Feel free to check it out, try recipes, and make comments. I love the feedback! Good:  http://u2caneatgoodfood.blogspot.com/

We had a great time hanging out with our friends, the Prices, this weekend. It is always flattering that they are willing to make the journey and we had a great time hanging out at home, listening to General Conference, and playing in Charlotte. The Mint Museums are free on the first Saturday of the month for Bank of America account holders, so we took advantage. The kids had a great time (and I think the adults enjoyed it too). The Bechtler Museum is hosting an exhibit of Niki de Saint Phelle which includes several large sculptures in The Green (a grassy oasis among the high rises in Uptown Charlotte) and they are spectacular. La Cabeza  is a large skull, vividly decorate on the inside and out. The kids had a great time going into the mirrored interior and looking through the big teeth.

Davin is one step closer to fulfilling his dream: to play in a real baseball stadium. Davin likes a lot of sports but he really loves baseball. We put him on his first team this year and he was so excited to be on the same team as his best friend from school, Conner. Chris, Conner's dad (Matt), and a few other dads are the coaches this year and they seem to be having a great time. The season opened on Saturday (Davin's first game is on Wednesday so cheer hard!) with a carnival and team pictures. Davin got his number painted on his cheek as well as the team logo on his hand. His uniform is more than just a t-shirt, too. He has the full outfit from hat to socks and everything in between. He was really excited that they are the red team (the Rebels, opposite of the Yankees apparently) because red is his favorite color. I'm so excited to cheer for Davin! The only challenge with going to games is taking Rowan. We went to a practice a few weeks ago and Rowan cried big, sad tea...

Last Tuesday, Rowan got a new set of ears. For any of you new comers, Rowan is deaf and he has bilateral cochlear implants . Ever since he was implanted , the processors that we wore were strapped around his waste in a harness and then he had cords come up his back with "coils" that connect magnetically to his head. His new devices are called "Behind the Ear" processors, or BTEs.  Instead of wearing the processor around his waist, he wears a much more compact version behind his ear. He still has a cord that magnetically connects the "coil" to his head, but it lays flatter against his head. Why make the change? There are several reasons. The microphone on the body worn processor was at the back of his head whereas, the microphone on the BTE is over his ear, which gives him a more natural listening experience (he can now put a phone to his ear or wear ear buds, though he can also connect his device directly to an Ipod as well).  Also, wearing the body worn ...

My friend Danielle started this cute blog encouraging parents to take their kids out to play every day in April, rain or shine. We decided to take on the challenge, which I thought wouldn't be too hard considering that "outside time" is a crucial part of our routine. However, the last few days of March were cold and wet, and I wondered if I really would be able to do outside time if the dreariness continued. Fortunately the weather broke on April 1st and we had no problem doing our 30 minutes (and more) a day this weekend. I love watching the boys play outside and joining in as well. Davin loves his ongoing sports fantasy; he still hits golf balls and baseballs all over the yard but he has recently been introduced to volleyball (he likes to hit the ball over a string of lights that hangs between our deck and a tree), likes to play tennis, and has a pretty good basketball shot as well. Rowan loves the swings and playing in the sand box. Even simple things become great g...

I know I'm constantly talking about my boys on this blog, but there is one boy that I have to brag about. Chris is a dedicated church basketball player and I'm really impressed with his dedication. He plays on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings (at 6:30 am!!!) every week. They recently finished their tournament season and finished in the semi-finals. We had a fun time cheering for him at one of his games!

My boys woke up on St. Patrick's day to find that the leprechauns had brought a treasure, their Grandma Stevenson came to visit! We had a great time with Grandma in town and we were all sad to see her go. It was fun to show her some new sites in Charlotte. Some of our favorites included: Visiting the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Visiting the garden was always on my to do list and I was glad to finally have an excuse to go. The weather was amazing, warm and blissfully 80 degrees. We ate a picnic lunch on the terrace and then wandered through the gardens. There are several fountains, which delighted the boys, especially the one that you can run through (parents be warned that if you bring your kids to the gardens, be prepared to have your kids get wet). The boys stripped shirts right away and when pants became a burden, they were stripped too. We finished our visit with a trip to the amazing Orchid House. St. Patty's Parade, Mint Museum, and Belmont We caught the St. Pat...