1000 Words

Here are some pictures of my sweet petunia from lately!



Hall Family Reunion 2012

This weekend was the annual Hall family reunion!  It was great to see our family!  I heard that there were 72 people there in all!!!  It was fun to introduce Lexi to more of her extended family.  Our girl is lucky to have many, many people who love her!:)

Hanging out with Gary and Erin!

Sitting under the tree with Aunt Phyllis, Stacy, Shelly, and Aunt Connie

With our good friend Erin!:)

This was tonight at Pat and Linda's with Uncle Mike and Aunt Phyllis...it was too cute to not include!

Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanks to an abundance of zucchini from our garden, I have been looking for ways to use it up!  I love zucchini cake with cream cheese icing, but I wanted to try it in sheet cake form rather than in a 9 x 13 pan.  I couldn't find any specific recipes for zucchini sheet cake so I just used this recipe and modified it a little bit.  I took it to Pat and Linda's tonight for supper and it was gobbled up in no time!  I also made a change to the cream cheese icing...I only used about half of the powdered sugar that it called for!

Zucchini Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini***
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins (or chopped nuts...or both...or neither!)

8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

For the cake, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Add zucchini and stir until combined.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add raisins (and/or nuts) to the dry ingredients.  Then stir into zucchini mixture.  Pour into greased jellyroll or sheet cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cake is golden and tests done.  Let cool completely.

For the frosting, combine cream cheese, milk, and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Slowly add powdered sugar and mix well after each addition.  Spread on cooled cake.

***To grate my zucchini, I use a method that my grandma taught me.  I peel and cube the zucchini.  Then I put it in the blender and fill about halfway with water.  I use the "grate" setting on the blender and blend until it is smooth.  Then I drain the zucchini in a colander to remove the excess water.  At this point, I use it in a recipe or freeze it to use later!

4-H Fair

This week was the 4-H fair!  My family has loved the fair for many years.  Even when no one in the family is participating, we still love to go watch the shows, look at the projects, eat the food, and see people that we don't always get to see!  I was excited to take Lex to the fair for the first time.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate very well and she didn't get to go very much.  It was VERY hot on Monday and today and yesterday it rained most of the morning.  However, we went a couple of times and I think she had fun...okay, she tolerated it, but I hope that she will learn to love it just like her mama!:)

Aunt Kate and Ty hanging with Alexis at the beef show

Watching the cows...our busybody baby had no shortage of things to look at!:)

More Vacation Pics

Here are a few more pictures from our MN vacation!  In random order...



The view from our cabin

Daddy and Lexi playing with Uncle P.J.

Lexi fishing with her daddy for the first time

Grandma caught Lexi her first walleye

Uncle Drew and Alexis

Uncle P.J. and Alexis

My two loves

Daddy and Lexi playing around while we took a break from driving

Lexi was cheap entertainment:)

Grandma, Lexi, and Aunt Carol hanging out on the deck

Lexi girl taking a snooze on her 3 month birthday

Minnesota Vacation 2012

Last week, we went on our annual vacation to northern Minnesota.  It was Lexi's first vacation and she did absolutely awesome!  We left around her bedtime for each drive and drove through the night.  She slept just as great in her carseat as she does in her bed and it made for an excellent trip.  We made it in about 14 hours each way.  Here are a few pictures from our week...in random order because my iPhone and the blogger app don't seem to get along very well.:)

Our little family of three in front of the lake

P.J. and Rachel and Lexi shared the D2 award this year...for being newlyweds and the new baby in the cabin!

Our family on the lake...LOVE this pic!

Lexi and Mommy snuggling...I soaked it up because she doesn't like to snuggle much lately!

Uncle Drew, Daddy, Mommy, and Alexis ate at the Peppercorn while we waited to check in the resort

Mommy and Lex at sunset on the lake

Lex and her cousin Sarah

Happy, happy girl in the car

Uncle Paul, Daddy, Lexi, Mommy, and Uncle Drew with a stringer of fish

Daddy and Alexis with Paul Bunyan and Babe

The whole fam...minus Sarah and Tim

4 generations...Great Grandma and Grandpa Drewes, Grandma and Grandpa Hall, Daddy and Mommy, and Lexi girl

Great Grandma Drewes and baby girl

Alexis: Three Months Old!

Here is our sweet baby girl at 3 months old!  Growing like crazy!!!:)

Alexis, here is what's happening this month:

• You didn't go to the doctor this month so we're not sure about your stats.  I'm guessing you weigh between 14 and 15 pounds.
• You wear a size 2 diaper.
• You are starting to wear 3-6 month and 6 month clothing.  Most of your 3 month stuff still works, but it's starting to get small!
• You went on your first vacation this month and you did great!  We went to Minnesota for probably the first time of many for you!:)
• You are a great sleeper!  You usually sleep from 8 or 9pm to 8 or 9am.  You get up around 5 or 6am to eat and go right back to sleep.  You usually nap for 1-2 hours in the morning and around 3 hours in the afternoon.  You catnap around lunchtime and in the evening in your swing or carseat.
• You still love your activity mat.
• You are SO smiley in the morning and after your naps!
• You are becoming more flexible with your routine.
• You don't really care to snuggle...you love to sit up and see what's going on!
• You are starting to "talk" more.  I love to hear your little voice!
• You've rolled several times from belly to back and a couple of times from back to belly. 
• You LOVE taking a bath!  You splash like a crazy woman.:)
• You don't really like to be hot.  We've spent several days at home just because it is too hot to go out.
• You've started putting your legs up in the air when you are laying on your back.  It's just a matter of time before you put your toes in your mouth!

Sweet girl, we love you more and more every day!  Your daddy and I often say that we can't believe that we got the BEST baby.:)  Every month gets more exciting...although I have to say that it is going toooooo fast!  We love you, Lex!

First Vacation!

Today, our baby girl embarked on her very first vacation, just shy of 3 months old! The look on her face in this picture says it all...she has done GREAT so far! She slept in her carseat from roughly 10pm to 6am and has only stopped to eat about every 3 hours after that. I am praying that she continues to do well as we settle in for the week! I love my sweet girl!!!

Our Happy Girl!

I took this photo before church yesterday! Our baby girl is SO happy in the mornings! We love that sweet girl and her smile!:)