More summer fun via my phone camera.

This is a continuation of my posts about summer via pictures. During the last post I ended with the 4th of July.

1. Travis and I celebrated seven years on July 9th

2. Play date with Hollie and Will

Sweet, sweet boy and so darn cute!

3. Random snuggles and photo shoots with my girl throughout the day

4. Ponytails 

5. Bathing suits...do you think MK has enough?!?

6. Home pedicures

7. Still sleeping in and relaxing whenever we want

8. Celebrating Annie Parker's 3rd birthday

The precious birthday girl!

9. Yummy breakfasts and fresh peaches. Love.

10. More time at the lake

11. Days so hot that even the dogs don't move

12. Fun in the bathtub 

13. Girl Scout cookies during the summer. YUM!

I love an easy and quick recipe. One that can be put together in a matter of minutes and doesn't require much effort on my part. This is that recipe. And when I find a recipe that's easy and also good, because this one definitely is, then I like to pass it on. If more people would do that then I might actually cook every night. Might being the keyword.

I found this recipe on Pinterest. I have found others and either they didn't prove to be as easy as they claimed to be or they weren't nearly as tasty as I thought they should be. This proved to be the whole package. 

I took a pyrex dish and placed chicken cutlets down the center. The recipe called for chicken breasts, but I only had cutlets and it worked out perfectly. I dumped in two cans of green beans, Publix brand, on one side of the chicken. On the other side I cut up and dumped in a few red potatoes. I then sprinkled the entire dish with a small packet of Italian seasoning. (At my hubby's request I sprinkled or coated rather each side of the chicken cutlets, and then sprinkled the rest on the green beans and potatoes.) The recipe didn't call for it, but I drizzled a little olive oil over the entire dish. I think the recipe called for melted butter, but I forgot that step. I then covered the dish with aluminum foil and baked it for 45 minutes at 400. The recipe called for an hour at 350, but we were hungry and wanted it faster. 

It was delish! Next time I may try to remember the melted butter or I might even add a little extra seasoning, but even without doing both of those things it was scrumptious. If you're looking for simple and easy and yummy, then you definitely should try this. 

Happy birthday to the man who...

I call "Boo".

always makes me smile.

is the most amazing daddy.

tries his best to understand my moods. Bless him.

leaves water all over the bathroom counter when he is shaving.

always has the best surprises.

finds great joy in making his "girls" happy and content.

has more "toys" than most children.

I have loved almost half of my life. Seriously.

has taught me so much about life and people and myself.

Happy 33rd birthday, boo! I love you much.

Power of the Puka

*I apologize in advance for the silliness of this post, but a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do.

In case you aren't aware, this is a puka shell necklace. 

Actually, it may or may not be "real" puka. According to Google, there are real puka necklaces and fake puka necklaces. I'm pretty sure the following story revolves around the latter, but for the good of the story we are going to refer to it as just puka. Moving on.

Apparently at one time or another Elvis wore a puka shell necklace.

 And even Kenny Chesney has been spotted sporting the puka.

Rumor has it that years ago, maybe thirteen or fourteen years ago to be exact, two teenage boys were photographed wearing the puka while vacationing at Folly Beach. These two teenage boys are now grown men, both married and one with a young daughter, and they are not as fond of the puka as they once apparently were. It's not to say that the puka isn't cool or hip or in style, after all Kenny Chesney and Elvis clearly enjoy/ed wearing it, it's just that these two boys now prefer other types of accessories. (Please do not be offended if you too enjoy wearing the puka.) Rumor also has it that the photo of the boys wearing the puka happens to still be circulating. In an effort to incriminate others, these same two boys, now grown men, purchased a puka shell necklace while vacationing at Folly this year and attempted to take haunting photos of others wearing it. At the beginning of their week it proved to be quite difficult.

However, by the end of the week most, big and small, were more than wiling to wear the puka and while wearing it proudly proclaimed, "Power of the Puka". And it did indeed have powers because that week at Folly proved to be one of the most relaxing and refreshing weeks in the history of Folly Beach vacations. 

Some sported the puka more than others. Again, not naming any names.

 

Two mysteries remain. One, where is this notorious photo of the two teenage boys? And two, who exactly has the puka from this year?

Folly Favorites 2012 Part 2

I could seriously be a beach bum. No lie. I love the beach and everything about it, even the icky, sticky sand. I'm the happiest when I can just sit in my chair and watch the waves and birds and of course watch my baby girl build a sandcastle. 

I have a really bad habit of playing the "last time this week/month/year" game. You know, where you think back to what you were doing last week this time or where you were last year at this very moment?!? Am I the only one who does this? It can be a really fun game, but it can also be a really sad game. This week it's a sad game because I am really, really missing Folly Beach.

Anyhoo, on to Folly Favorites Part 2. I'm picking up from yesterday.

27. This amazing view. Can't. Get. Enough.

28. Raven and her family were also at Folly the same week we were. When we were younger we were always at Folly at the same time, so it was a special treat to have her family sharing the island again this year. 

 29. Watching our babies play on Folly together. This is a day we've dreamed about for a very long time.

 30. Spending time with my momma. I heart this picture!!!

 31. Spending time with my bros

 32. Still my favorite picture of the week

 33. Having time for a few family pics. This is a picture of all the people that were in our house.

 34. Quality time with both of my grandmothers.

 35. Managing to get a shot of the three of us

36. MK shared a room with us and for all except one night she slept and STAYED in her own bed. One morning, well before our wake up time, she crawled into our bed and as the sun came up I got to watch these two snoozing away. Melt my heart.

37. Kaka and MK enjoying a "piggy back ride" courtesy of Gator

38. We ate THE best food. Chicken one night, seafood twice, spaghetti, steaks and out twice. This was one of our emptied steam pots. 

39. MK wasn't really interested in napping while on vacation. I guess she was afraid she would miss something, so many mornings she caught up on her rest by sleeping much later than any of us. And yes, she is wearing one of my shirts that I wore when I was her age.

40. My parents took their boat to the beach (we all take our boats and spend a lot of time in the river) so my grandmothers were able to go out and spend the day with us in the river. 

41. Catnaps. The beach allows for lots of catnaps. I think Owens took the most. 

We had such a relaxing and fun week. We paid zero attention to the clocks and had no agenda.  It's funny because I didn't spend a lot of time sleeping, but I left feeling so refreshed. MK on the other hand was apparently lacking in the sleep department because after we got home Saturday she took a three hour nap and still slept twelve hours that night. Girl is sleeping good!

Folly Favorites Part 1

There may seriously be like six or seven parts to this Folly Favorites series. Here is part one.

1. The drive to Folly. Seriously. One of my favorite parts.

2. Waking up and seeing waves from the front porch and the marsh from the back porch

3. Breakfast at Folly with all of my family seated around the big table

4. Getting to see Kelly, Tommy and these precious, precious twins

 5. Seeing the excitement on my girl's face

6. Countless seafood dinners


7. No makeup, only mascara


8. Not using a hair dryer THE. ENTIRE. TIME.


9. Watching these two play on the beach

 10. Spending time with "my girls"

 11. Sitting on the front porch or under the house with family while listening to music and sipping on homemade peach daiquiris


12. Watching four men and a little girl battle a kite for hours on the beach

13. Not knowing whether to laugh or reprimand Gator for throwing mud at my girl

14. Seeing my girl in her puddle jumper EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. MK is super smart around the water and asked for her puddle jumper every day. She reminded us that she needed it.

15. Holding Abigail and Addison and not having another care in the world

16. Knowing the Addison Morgan has a fond love for pickles just like me and my Morgan Kate

17. Watching these two play and interact

18. No agenda and no set plans


19. Being able to wear a bathing suit and cover up almost everywhere we went


20. Sharing a room with my little family of three. MK doesn't sleep with us, so it was a treat to have her in our room. She had her own bed, but just knowing she was right there and hearing her little noises and breaths really made my heart content.

 21. Watching Uncle O and MK being so silly together

 22. Photo shoot with these beauties

 23. Getting to hang out with family that we don't see very often 


24. MK getting to spend time with cousins and second cousins 

 25. Piggly Wiggly designer glasses

 26. Seeing my love so happy