Someone is turning ONE on Saturday!
(already?)

and this is what we've been up to...









and these will be hung from the ceiling...



I can't wait to see it all come together!
Busy Busy Busy!

We have been out enjoying the last of the summery weather so I thought I would share some of our adventures with you...

We took Bennett to the Portland Zoo for the first time, and I wasn't sure if he would enjoy/understand it. He seemed to be having fun but I think his favorite part was watching all the kids watch the animals.

polar bears...
turtles on a log...
fish...
baby bird...

full belly and so relaxed...
...and he's out!
(notice the crumbs on his belly)
Last weekend we visited Mount St. Helens, unfortnately it was pretty cloudy so didn't get to see the crater. The whole volcano/national park was cool to see nonetheless.

the crater is right behind those clouds...
it's been 30 years since the eruption and everything is pretty green now, but check out the giant layer of ash on the ground...
Bennett had a nice little blowout right after we left our house so goodbye fashionable skinny jeans and tank top, hello cousin Lukas' sock monkey onesie and cotton pants that fit a 3 month old! (note to self: put a change of clothes in the diaper bag)
awesome view from the restaraunt we ate at...

Bennett has also started swim lessons. They are 30mins everyday, this week and next week. I'm not one of those crazy moms who start their kids early so they can get a leg up on competition for the 2030 Olympics. He just really enjoys being in the water and splashing.

How cute is the pool his lessons are at?!...
Mom, you're embarassing me. Stop it...
He loves to jump in...
September looks to be even crazier for us... I'm busy planning for Bennett's 1st birthday which is in less than 2 weeks, then we go camping, then my sister's birthday, then my birthday then hopefully some relaxing at Olivia Beach for a week. So busy, but so fun!


Here are the rest of my favorites from our family photoshoot...
these ones are mostly of the little guy.
Photo overload I know, but I think it's amazing that a family's
personality can be captured through a lens.
Kind of amazing and I can't stop looking!
















If you remember, for our anniversary Chris surprised me with a family photoshoot by Tyler Gould. We got the pictures back lastnight and are so happy with the way they turned out!
There are so many I want to share, so today is mostly pictures of the three of us, and tomorrow will be ones of mostly Bennett. Enjoy!














I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did, but I guess I'm a little biased. :)


Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Scones

I love scones but usually when I make them they end up tasting more like biscuits. I've never found a recipe where they turn out like the tasty ones in coffee shops or bakeries...until now!

These scones have a lovely crust on the outside but are soft and crumbly on the inside. The best part about them is that they are probably more healthy than your average scone because there is no white flour or sugar to be found!

These are so addicting, so if you make these...don't say I didn't warn you! And when the recipe says it makes 8 large scones it means 8 LARGE scones...next time I will give them one more cut to make them mini scones.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Scones
(Yields 8 large triangular scones)
original recipe here

3 C whole wheat flour
1/3 C brown sugar
2½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
¾ t salt
1.5 sticks cold butter, cut into small cubes (put the butter in the freezer to make it easier to cut)
1 C low-fat buttermilk or 1 C low-fat milk + 1 T distilled vinegar
1 C chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark)

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour + sugar + baking powder + baking soda + salt. Mix well.
  • Mix the flour and cold butter cubes with your hands (the best tools) until the mixture becomes crumbly. (I kind of had to squeeze the butter chunks into it.) Do not overmix. Add the chocolate chips and mix.
  • Pour in the buttermilk in parts, mixing the dough with your hands after each addition. Continue to pour in the buttermilk until the mixture becomes doughy and soft. I only used up about 3/4 C of the liquid. Be careful not to pour in too much liquid.
  • Plop (it's a technical term) the dough onto a floured baking sheet and form into a large round shape. Flatten the top and push the dough out to create a bigger circle. Remember not to over-work it as it will yield to a tough dough. Just work the dough for less than a minute.
  • Using a pizza cutter, cut the circle into about 8 triangles. ( if you don't want ginormous scones, do one more angled cut to make them mini scones.) Pull all of the triangles apart from one another so they cook evenly and brush the tops with a little melted butter.
  • The scones of this size and thickness will bake for about 12 mins or until the outside is golden and the scones, firm to the touch. Let the scones cool for a bit.


* * * * * *
Important things to keep in mind:

1. The butter has to be cold or fresh from the fridge.
2. If working with your hands, do it fast (especially if working in a warm environment) so as not to quickly melt the butter. (Cold butter keeps the dough flaky)
3. It's recommended to keep the buttermilk cold as well.
4. Never ever get "knead/mix-happy" so as not to produce a tough dough. Treat the dough gingerly and do not exert too much force on it.


And introducing my new niece Piper who was born on Tuesday afternoon!
(she evened it out... we now have 2 nieces and 2 nephews!)