Is is Really September 20th Already?????

Where does the time go???

We have been having a great End-of-Summer/Beginning-of-Fall here. We are in the thick of our wedding season. My cousin Hannah was married to Marcus on Sept. 10th. Gorgeous & fun family wedding! My step-niece Gina was married to Steve on Sept 17th. This one was slightly more monumental, since Ellie was a flower girl :) OR I should say a pseudo-flower girl. She refused to walk down the aisle (mommy had to carry her) and would not take any pictures w/ the bridal party. BUT she looked really cute, and of course eventually her shy-ness wore off and she TORE UP the dance floor. She even joined Uncle Bob as he said a prayer in front of 200+ people. Like I've said before, 2 year olds are BI-POLAR!!!!

Some other fun things we've done... gone to the farmers market, rented a boat on Geist Reservoir w/ the Hutchersons (took the kids in the morning and adult time in the afternoon!), watched my other step-niece Aimee sing on stage at RibFest, girls trip w/ my college roommates... I've really been trying to exercise. I have GOT to lose some weight! I love doing it, so that is not a problem. It's just finding the time! Excuses, Excuses...

We are busy pretty much through Halloween. Pumpkin Show is this weekend! Iu game w/ my college friends, Jesse & Lori's wedding, chili cookoff, claire bear's bday party, AAAAND a visit from Aunt Kim, Tate & Mema!!!! YAY!

OH AND to top it all off, we put an offer in on a house!!!! Send some prayers our way on that. It's a short sale, so we are still waiting to hear from the Seller's bank and the process can get a little sticky I hear, so keep those fingers crossed!

Here are some fun pics from the last few weeks:

http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4697798015/a=5766466_5766466/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

And an album from Gina & Steve's wedding rehearsal and wedding day! (more to come of that--these are just the ones from my camera)

http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4696384015/a=5766466_5766466/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

IU Gang Pics

So, I am still besties with my roommates from IU. Sara, Becca, Kim, Jade & I all lived together at 720 N. Grant our Senior Year at IU. Definitely one of the most fun years of my life! Our house was nicknamed the Tacklebox at one point. I probably won't share the reason here, but we do need to think of a new name for our group of friends!


We are all still close friends--plus the Kelkers. We didn't live w/ Craig and Nicole that year, but I'm pretty sure they passed out on our couches more than once. We all still get together as much as we can, even go on girls trips (Check out my friend Jade's blog post for that re-cap) Between the group, there are 15 kiddos! The oldest is 7... so 15 kids 7 and under. When we get together it is a little nutty to say the least. We are all counting down the years/days until we can all sit on someone's patio and drink a beer while the kids go play. We are getting there, though!

Becca has always been the best at remembering to take pictures AND sending them out to share with everyone.

I thought I would share an album from our recent labor day cookout at Sara and Ian's.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=3780399030103%3A763616434&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=Share-_-Personal-_-Email-_-Sharee-_-Top

Slow Cooker

My good friend Kim recently asked me to send her a couple of our favorite crockpot recipes. Thought I would share! I seriously cook in my crock pot at least 3 nights a week. Even in the summer--that way you don't get your kitchen all hot w/ the oven!

My recent favorite--SO YUMMY in corn tortillas & so easy... also cheap:
Pork Carnitas
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/02/slow-cooker-carnitas-recipe.html

Craig's favorite lately:
Chicken Parm
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/chicken-parmesan-crockpot-recipe.html

A sort of different stew/soup (kinda like Becca's taco soup):
Cowboy Stew
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-cowboy-stew-recipe.html

GREAT cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Fast-Cook-Slow-Everyday/dp/1401310044

They are all available online but I keep this one out on my countertop!

Of course my ALWAYS go to favorite is roast. If you make a roast (ANY recipe), buy a bigger one. You can make yummy french dip sandwiches w/ the left over meat the next night. Let me know if you want my french dip recipe... which I made up :) If you have leftover potatoes from the roast, too, you can throw those on a baking sheet the next night and roast them (just get them a little crispy) and have french dips & roasted potatoes.

Tip: Always buy red or yellow potatoes--you don't have to peel them!!!

MY OTHER go-to is to just throw frozen chicken breasts in there w/ ANY sauce. BBQ (makes awesome shredded bbq sandwiches), Marinara (shred the chicken in the sauce & serve over pasta), or really any kind of salad dressing or marinade! You can always serve it with pasta or rice :)

Evelyn Smiling & Kicking

Untitled from Jennifer Skinner on Vimeo.

August 2011 (65 photos), by jennifer skinner

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

album 08\03\2011 (46 photos), by jennifer skinner

Here are some pics from this summer & Ellie's little family get together!


I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Feathers

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS NEW FEATHER IN THE HAIR TREND IS ALL ABOUT!!!

Apparently, it is very en vogue these days (again) to put feather extensions in one's hair. I am not totally opposed to the trend, but must say it is one of many that is making me feel old. Here is a picture from the blog Tipsy Society:





I know that fashions are always being recycled... or so my MOM has always told me that. Yes, when we started wearing bell bottoms in high school in the 90's we were told that our parents had worn the same thing in the 70's. When we started wearing platform shoes a few years later, same thing.

When VESTS offically came back in style recently I knew I was in trouble. I AM NOW OLD ENOUGH TO BE LIVING THROUGH A TREND COMING BACK IN STYLE! How sad is that!?!?!?

Anyway, back to the feathers. I TOTALLY forgot about this trend, but now I remember going to various fairs (Marion County Fair, Holy Spirit Festival to name a few) circa 1984ish and spending ALL of my allowance money in attempts to win feathers attached to roach clips (not that I had any idea what a roach clip was at the time) to put in my hair! Do you remember that!!!????