Empty!

Makayla is spending the night at her Grandparents tonight. Though all her things are in her room and she would normally be sleeping at this time the house still feels so empty and quiet. I am grateful that she has this time with them and that I will be able to sleep in and get a few FULL hours of house cleaning in, in the morning. I still miss her!

FALL FUN (long post with LOTS of pictures)

I am taking some time off of Tickle your Taste buds Tuesday because I have been out of ideas lately. Though I am still cooking I don't know if anything is worthy of my wonderful readers. Do you have any ideas or would you like to guest post on my blog? I would love for you too. Just leave a comment here in this post or email me and we can set things up.

Now for a much needed update and lots of pictures of what we have been up to. The cooler weather has been great and we have been super busy with lots of fun fall stuff. However after I loaded up some of the pictures I some how deleted them and they are now gone forever. Like a few weeks ago we went to an event for Steve's dealership and got stuck really deep in the mud and I had some super fun pictures from that but they got deleted.

We also went to see Elmo live with our friends Jen and Hannah and those pictures got deleted also but I have one picture of Makayla in her super cute dress from that day that I took with another camera SEE!

Makayla LOVED Elmo live. She was in awww the whole time right until the end and then she got a little restless, but she loved it and has not stopped say Elmo "Melmo" since then!

We wen to the rattle snake festival with our friends Kasie and Cooper and there family. We also made cute Halloween bags at Publix. After the festival we went to there family farm to visit the cows. Now Makayla can MOOO like a real cow. Here are a few pictures from that day.

But you can see all the pictures from at day by clicking HERE

Last Monday we went to the pumpkin patch for a play date. We played in pumpkins, went to a hay ride, listen to Halloween stories and some kids got there face painted. It was cold that morning so M got good use out of her new jacket!

You can see that entire album by clicking HERE

We carved pumpkins at a friends house and Makayla got to play with big kids the entire night. She is growing up so fast and becoming so independent and not afraid of anything. She plays with big kids and does her own thing she doesn't need Mom and Dad all the time anymore. It is so fun watching her grow and become a kid and not a baby.

All the pictures are HERE

We also went to the pumpkin patch with Cooper and his family and though neither kid wanted to corporate that day we got some pretty good pictures.

There is a ton more pictures you can see them ALL HERE

Makayla and Cooper are IN LOVE as you can see from the pictures. They do everything together and want to do everything for each other. It is really cute to see them together and how well they play together. We feel so blessed to have Kasie and Cooper as part of our lives these days. Cooper is soon going to the big brother of twin boys so I know Makayla will be his playmate when everyone is going nuts over the new babies!

Last but least we did a little taco night/ pumpkin carving of our own. Steve and I worked very hard to make Makayla the best pumpkins she could ask for. This was our creation. We both worked really hard and was super happy with the results! What do you think?

Hard at work on our pumpkins

Steve's pumpkin

My pumpkin

Makayla loved them and that made us so happy.

WOW that might be the longest post ever. I hope you were able to get through it all and had a chance to look at all the pictures. I told you we have been super busy, but having a great time.

We have a busy week but I will try and update pictures of Makayla in her costume as soon as I take some! LOL Let me know how you like the NEW flicker links and viewing the pictures there. It is easier for me to upload them to flicker with the new computer.

I hope all is well with everyone and that you all have a safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We are celebrating at home with yummy scary food and good friends!

Ohh and don't forget you can still vote for Makayla to be the next GAP model! Just click on her picture in the right side bar at the top. I know the registration is long but you only have to do it once and then you can vote everyday until November 17th. Thanks for voting

OHH that face she could be a model!

Well now maybe she can but she needs the help of our readers.

Someone sent me the link and said "enter her she could win" I thought about it and said heck why not. So all you have to do it register and go back daily and vote for our Beautiful Makayla.

Click here to take you to the site to vote. You can vote everyday until November 17th. So once you register you don't have to do that again just vote daily! Feel free to pass this along to anyone and everyone you know! Thank you all for your help. I will let you know if she gets a call! This could be fun.

3 years and many more to go!

Three years ago today Steve and I stood in the sands of Key West and made vows to be together through it all. The good the bad and the ugly. I have to say the last 3 years have been amazing. Don't get me wrong we have had our rough spots but they have only brought us closer together. Steve is my support system, he is my rock, he is by far my best friend! Without him I would be lost. A little after a year after this day is when we conceived the best thing that has ever happen to either of us. Makayla! I would not change a thing about the last 3 years and I can only hope and pray that we have many years together to spend our lives growing old and taking care of each other.

We poured sand from two shells together in one bowl to signify our ever lasting love and to combine two worlds into one. The grains of my pink and his brown sand intertwined with each other to crete a new life that can never be taken apart.

Though Steve and I had been together many years (11) before we got married our first kiss as husband and wife was like kissing him for the first time. He is an amazing man and I thank my lucky stars everyday that he is mine to have to hold.

The beautiful back drop of Key West was the perfect setting. We hope to one day have our feet in the sand there as more then just a vacation spot!

I want to thank you all for traveling along on this journey of our lives. Steve and I try every day to be the best to each other and be the best parents we can for Makayla. We might now always make the right choices but we try. Marriage is not something that just happens it is something you have to work at everyday. I couldn't be happier to work along side my best friend to build a family and future that we are both happy to be a part of.

What's your guess?

The winner is..... KASIE.... she got the weight right on at 30 inches and was only off a few ounces with a guess of 21 lbs..her weight was 20lbs 15 ounces. I took guesses from facebook and twitter also, Kasie entered her guess on facebook. Thank for all that played. It was fun wasn't it?

Makayla went for her 15 month well check this morning. She is looking perfect and extremely advanced in the language department HMMM I wonder where she gets that from?

At Makayla's 12 month appointment she was 29.5 inches tall and her weight was 19 pounds.

So now at 15 months what do you think her weight is? What is your guess? There will be a fun prize for the winner so get your guesses in by 5:00pm est. today to win the prize!!!!!

You can twitter me facebook me, or just leave it here in the comments.

Happy Guessing!!!!

Dancing and Singing

This is a geat video of Makayla being silly. She started dancing and singing the other night and it was too fun not to get on video. Enjoy

Tickle Your Taste Buds Tuesday

Pumpkin Swirl Cheese Cake Bars

Ok Ok I have to admit I took the easy way out this week and did a little copy and pasting. AHHHH I know but that is because I spent my time making these delicious bars so I could try and them and pass the recipe along to you. I got the recipe from the Kraft Magazine I get for free. (I guess you have to pay for it now) BUT all the recipes are in there archives for free so just go there! They have a lot of really good budget friendly meals the whole family will love. I haven't done a dessert in a really long time and with it being fall and all I though you might like these. Let me know what you think.

25-35 Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Pecans

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups plain batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

Do you have a recipe you want to share? Email me at slbower(at)gmail(dot)com, or leave me a comment below. I am always looking for new recipe ideas. Let me know if you try this one or you have a suggestion.

Did you miss out on a past recipes? Just click on the picture at the top of this post or in the right side bar and you can see them all. Give one a try tonight there are some good ones! Make sure to check back every Tuesday for a new recipe and don't forget to let me know if you try one and what spin you put on to make it your own!

Daddy's Girl

Steve is such a great Dad. He helps in every way. When we go out to dinner he always helps Makayla eat so I can have a break eat with both hands. He always makes sure her bag is packed with snacks, and the diaper sac is full. He takes her outside to do yard work so she can "help". He does it all. I usually never have to say "Babe can you help?" He is always usually 1 step ahead. Lately he has been wanting things he had when he was little for Makayla. Just little things I never thought he would care about. It's really cute. Last weekend we went to a birthday party and he was so excited they could match!

That's where we took this picture.

Since I have started working Steve stays home with Makayla on Thursdays. She has now become a total Daddy's girl. They do all kinds of thing together, go to the sponge docks, run errands, go out to lunch, they do it all. I would love to be a fly on the wall when they go out just to see how cute they are together! There relationship has grown x10 and Makayla LOVES to be with her daddy now. I love it I think it is so great they get this special time together to bond and grow close. She is growing so fast before long she is be starting school and we won't get these days with her.

Bowtastic

The lest few weeks Makayla's hair has gotten out of control but it is not quit ready for a cut just yet. I have been trying to find "good" hair clips to hold her hair back but none seem to stay and the ones that do are kinda of expensive. My solution? Of course make them myself. The last few days I have been busy making bows and Makayla has been busy playing in them. Some of them are bows I bought and redid on clips that stay! What do you think?

Below are the ones I made!

What do you think would you want to buy these for your little girl?

Even Grandmom got into playing with the bows. Don't they look just beautiful?

I had a bunch of ribbon and bought clips from Sally's (100 for $5) and a few folds and twist of some ribbon mixed with a little hot glue and there you have it! Hair clips that stay for cheap.