sworn in

We went to Virginia the first weekend of June so that Michael could be sworn into the Virginia Bar. I think Michael said it best when he said that the best part of all this was passing the Bar. Law school graduation and being sworn into the Bar were just formalities, hoops that he had to get through essentially. But, of course it was fun to make it official by the Virginia Supreme Court judges. And you don't need to ask me twice to take a trip to Virginia. It was an insanely quick weekend, during which we tried to see everyone we could, but we had a great time!

While the lawyers were in a meeting, we had lots of time to play and run around in the convention center. Reese and Matthew have been partners in crime for most of their lives....once the became aware of each other pretty much. Every time they see each other, they are able to pick up right where they left off.

So much spinning and twirling...these kids were worn out!

It was even more fun to make this a family affair, as Michael's parents and brother James made the trip to Richmond with us!

Do these guys look carefree, or what?

These two dads are about to have a lot more time to spend with their kids...now that school and the Bar are all over. Isn't this just an image of bliss. What could be better than riding on your dad's shoulders?

One last goodbye in the parking lot before we went our separate ways. So sad.

happy anniversary

Love this guy. Best 5 years ever.
(and I'm starting to notice that we look really young in our wedding pictures...)

memorial day

May has been a crazy month for us. After our graduation trip to Virginia, Reese and I went to visit MommaCat in Tupelo for a few days and after a couple days back at home--just long enough to do some laundry and pack again--we were off to Hilton Head for Memorial Day weekend. We had been planning this trip with our friends, the McNairs, for months and the excitement had been growing more and more as it got closer. Reese and Jack were so excited to see each other! In fact, every time they saw each other, like after a nap or first thing in the morning, they would give each other a big hug. It was so precious!
Reese and Jack had the best time jumping over the waves in the ocean. All they wanted to do was walk back and forth to the water, and jump over ever wave that came in. Reese would say, after a while, that she wanted to take a break and then as soon as we got back to our chairs, she would want to go right back to the ocean. That girl is a water baby for sure!

When I found out that my sister Tessa in Cincinnati was within a day's drive to our beach destination, I couldn't wait to invite her. To make a long story short, she told me they couldn't come, as they were planning a camping trip for the long weekend. Duffy, sensing that Tessa would prefer to go to the beach, ultimately surprised her by changing their plans and meeting us in Hilton Head! Of all of my sisters, myself included, Tessa is the most fun to play with on the beach. And she didn't disappoint--she and Duffy brought a whole bin of beach toys! After watching Reese try to swing the bat, I saw that we have our work cut out for us. While Tessa was pitching to her, I just took as many pictures as I could; when I looked at them afterward, I was laughing so hard that Reese was not looking at the ball in any of the pictures I captured!

how is she going to hit that with her eyes closed?

how is she going to hit the ball when she is looking at the camera?

bless her.

these two just had a ball together all weekend! (ha, no pun intended.)

The last morning before we checked out, we decided to hit the pool. Reese loves this star-shaped tube that I got her. She actually thinks she can swim when she wears it! And how cute is that bathing suit?!

is this kid having fun, or what?!

Aunt Tessie is the funnest!

Since Hilton Head is so close to Savannah, Georgia, we were excited to fit both places into our weekend getaway. We tried to get a reservation at Lady and Sons, Paula Deen's restaurant, but in order to do that you have to wait in line at the corner of the building at 9am on the day of. Instead, we settled for a picture outside the restaurant and a trip to Paula Deen's store next door.
Walking around downtown Savannah was really fun...there were too many places where I wanted to eat! And, lots of candy stores where they make their own toffees and chocolates in house...with samples at the door--LOVE THAT!
It was such a fun weekend! So fun to see the McNairs and the Olsons. So sad once it was over. Anxiously awaiting the beach trip of 2011! (or, hey, why not Labor Day?!)

graduation

This weekend we went back to Virginia for Michael's graduation from law school. It was a quick weekend, but we tried to fit it all in! Our first stop after we rolled into town was Wegmans...oh, how I miss that place. We found lots of goodies for the graduation party and Reese got to roll around the store in her new-found favorite car cart with two of her buddies.

are we having fun yet, or what?!

The graduation ceremony was really nice. The speakers were interesting and kept their comments short and sweet--what more could you ask for? Michael looked so handsome in his cap and gown...Reese especially liked the tassel.

these boys can be so silly when they get together!

oh that Reese. isn't she a hoot?

After the ceremony we had some friends over for a graduation party. It was so nice to have so many friends and family over to help celebrate such an achievement...although Michael did what he could to shift the attention away from him. We had bbq and brats on the grill, and I made some goodies to go along with the spread. Peanut Butter Granola bars and Rice Krispies on steroids, two of my go-to's, were on the menu, along with some graduation cap cupcakes.

I also made some toffee cookie bars that I saw Giada make, and had been anxious to try. They were fabulous and the first of the goodies to go. (recipe to follow)

pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

Reese was so happy to be reunited with her best friends! It was such a fun weekend that was over much too quickly. We are so proud of Michael for being such a champ! It's a bit hard to believe that it's all over, but we are pretty excited that it is.


To make the Mascarpone chocolate Toffee Bars, here's what you'll need:

1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 (1.4-ounces) Skor bars, coarsely chopped, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Peel off the parchment paper and cut into bars. Serve at room temperature. This recipe is so easy and delicious--you'll love it!

Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

big weekend

We started our weekend with a birthday celebration for Michael! Reese was so excited to help me make a birthday cake for him. All week long we talked about what kind of cake Daddy should have--Reese thought it should be pink, naturally. Luckily, Michael requested a strawberry cake, so pink it was!

Recently, Reese has found a new interest in helping me bake. She loves to pull a chair over and stand with me by the KitchenAid and pour in one ingredient after another. And, of course, her favorite part is tasting!

Reese helped me make the cake before her nap and the frosting after. She insisted that she sleep in her apron that afternoon. The cake was delicious and I have never been prouder of little Reese!

The next day, we headed to Atlanta to see what we could see. Ever since I read this post on Bakerella's website, I could not wait to plan a trip to Atlanta to go to Sublime and try these fabulous-looking doughnuts! You know how I feel about cupcakes...but to try doughnuts in cupcake-like flavors?! So exciting! We called some friends in Atlanta to meet us to sample as many of these delicious doughnuts as we could handle. I can't believe we didn't take any pictures, but the doughnuts were fabulous!!! We tried Fresh Strawberries n' Creme, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Orange Dream Star (Reese picked this one and still talks about the star doughnuts!), Frosted Croissant, S'mores, and Cookies n' Cream (Oreo). My favorite was the Oreo doughnut, but what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything with Oreos! There were a couple that I didn't get to try this time around and my mouth waters when I think about going back!

After doughnuts, we went to the Centennial Olympic Park. We couldn't have asked for better weather. It had been in the 90s for a few days before, but on Saturday it was just sunny with a cool breeze. The perfect spring day! We brought a suit for Reese and let her run around and play in the sprayground. She still isn't quite down with actually running into the fountains, but she does love to stand on the sideline and watch everyone else getting wet.

And she just loves the new bathing suit she picked out with the Monkey girl!

We rounded out the day with a trip to Flip Burger, another restaurant on my radar of places to try. The chef and creative director is Richard Blais, a former contestant of Top Chef: Chicago. I'm pretty sure he was the first runner up of that season and was really fun to watch--he always made amazing looking and sounding dishes. So, naturally, I was really excited to eat at one of his restaurants. And it was fabulous!!! If a traditional burger is what you want, then you can certainly find it there. But the menu also offers such creations as an ossobuco burger, a shrimp burger, a chorizo burger, and a po boyger. And they have liquid nitrogen milkshakes! The four of us each got a different burger and the three that I tasted were excellent! I found out that there is also a Flip Burger in Birmingham (about an hour closer to us) and I cannot wait to go back!

We made it home from Atlanta just in time to finish our talks for church the next day...in the Spanish Sacrament meeting. Not my first choice of things to do on Mother's Day, especially since I don't speak Spanish, but that is another story for another post. In the words of Michael, "It went better than I thought it would." Thanks. But I did come home from church that day with two roses, two chocolate covered strawberries and a half dozen chocolate dipped sugar cookies left over from Primary. Not a bad way to round of the weekend!