Maine

We spent a few days in Maine, visiting with Al's family and enjoying the beauty of the coast...

How many kids can relax on Grammy's hammock?

Spoiling Grammy's dog, Ebby...

Spoiling the Butler's dog...

David with his good buddy, Reese (can't you just feel the energy in these boys?)

Spoiling one of Auntie Laurie's dogs...

Al's sister, Laurie, now owns and operates their dad's business...

One of Laurie's new puppies...

View from Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park

 

David took lots of his own pictures with his sisters' hand-me-down pink camera!

Family hike...

Beautiful pine forests...

Introducing David to his dinner...

A true Cormier Family feast!

Mmmmm...

Traditional family card game...

David's learning the game, too!

Abbie considering her next move...

Owl's Head Light

Two things to note...

As you can see in the pictures, the Cormiers are "dog people". And it seems we are following suit. This summer, we are hoping to bring a new furry, four-legged member into our family. Because we need a little more noise and chaos in this house...

I have fallen in love with lupines, a beautiful flower native to northern New England. I learned that we can, indeed, grow them in northern Illinois, and purchased some seeds in Maine to grow in our back yard. 

Coming soon: pictures from Rhode Island and Vermont... 

First Day/Last Day of School: 2011-12 Edition

Each year, I take pictures of the kids on the first and last days of school as a record of how much they've grown during the school year. This year's pictures speak for themselves...

 

Simple Woman's Daybook - June 18th (Post Vacation Edition)

(Hosted by Simple Woman's Daybook)

Outside my window... grass is dry from the heat, and the weeds are overgrown.

I am thinking... of all the things I need to do to get our family back to normal after vacation, and where to start with all the fun activities I have planned. There are lots of lists involved.

I am thankful for... the time we spent visiting with family in New England these past two weeks. And for the closeness that grew among the six of us during the trip.

I am wearing... my coffee cup jammies and a pink hoodie. Gonna take it slow this morning.

I am going... through my Pinterest boards, planning a few fun things to do with the family this week.

I am creating... this year's Christmas list. Already. One of the bloggers I read regularly (Clover Lane) gets all her Christmas shopping done by the first Sunday in Advent so she can really enjoy the season with her family. That's my goal.

I am currently reading... nothing. I spent all my car time on vacation knitting a baby gift for our niece's new baby girl, and am now working on a Christmas gift. Besides, reading in the car makes me sick. But I'm ready to dive into Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See this summer.

I am learning...how to knit cables. It's not hard!

I am hoping... to get started on painting our bedroom and bathroom downstairs. We're moving our bedrooms around this summer and I'd better get started as it's going to be a big job.

I am looking forward to...checking out the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair this Saturday. All that yarn and knitting - mmmmm...

I am hearing... the hum of the air conditioner (it's hot here) and that's about it. My exhausted family are all sleeping in, giving me some cherished quiet time.

In the kitchen... not much. The cupboards and fridge are bare, and I must do a big grocery shop today to restock. But there is fresh fruit - lots of it - as I sent Al to the Jewel last night. It's so yummy this time of year, and a welcome treat after all that fast food on the road.

Around the house... suitcases and backpacks to unpack, piles of laundry to wash, just a big ol' mess.

One of my favorite things... this early morning quiet time of mine.

A few plans for the rest of the week... besides unpacking and doing laundry, a trip to the library to stock up on summer reading material and sign up for the summer reading program, a mom's night here with the moms from Hannah's China group, the fiber fair, and a reception for our adoption social worker who is retiring. And I think I see a Slip 'n Slide in there, too!

A peek into my day...grocery shopping and a Target run, but mostly just getting us all settled in at home. Hoping it's not too hot for the kids to play outside.

A picture I'd like to share...

The Cormier Crew, Camden, Maine

Pasta Fresca

I am a huge fan of Noodles & Company's Pasta Fresca - penne pasta sauteed with roma tomatoes, baby spinach and a light balsamic sauce, topped with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan. Mmmmmm... The dish seemed simple enough to try to re-create at home, but my attempts just weren't working. I got online and found the actual recipe with instructions and made it for dinner the other night.

I heated up some jarred spaghetti sauce for the kids, figuring they wouldn't care for the new dish. But they all surprised me - they loved it! Everyone gobbled it up! And not a hint of cream soup in it anywhere! It cooked up very quickly, and will be even easier now that I have the sauce already made (you make a large batch of the sauce and use some every time you make the dish). Light, yet filling, and healthy - this is my new "go-to" meal! Oh, and it's totally Aldi-friendly! Score!

It's been a mild winter.

We work with what we have.

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (Hosted by Soulemama)




David's portrait of Mama...



Ho Ho Ho!

Earlier this month, Al and I took the kids to our adoption agency for their annual Cookies With Santa event. Last year was David's first Christmas with our family, but we missed seeing Santa due to a snow storm on the day of the event (and my instincts told me that taking David to see a mall Santa would just not go well at all). So this was David's first visit with Santa and his first chance to enjoy a tradition our family has grown very fond of.

David couldn't wait to show Santa his picture in the Sunny Ridge newsletter!

David was excited to meet Santa "in person" and had no trouble getting up on Santa's lap!



Santa gave each of the children a small gift to open.



Having a little chat with Rachel...

Santa gave Abbie a craft book for making little fairies (Santa knows how much Abbie loves to do crafts).

David spent a lot of time on Santa's lap, just taking in all the excitement.

We treasure this annual family tradition!

Rachel and the Bee

On Tuesday, Rachel competed in her school's annual spelling bee. This is Rachel's second bee. Last year, she made it to the top 10 (out of 30) spellers, to go on to the district bee. This year, Al and I were praying that she'd make it that far again. We didn't want her to be terribly disappointed if she didn't get to the district bee again. We needn't have worried - she rocked the bee!



Here is Rachel, spelling her "warmup" word. She chose the word "pulchritude" - Akeelah's winning word in one of our family's favorite movies, Akeelah and the Bee. (Pulchritude means beauty - it's from the Latin pulcher, meaning beautiful. Rachel likes knowing that!)



Spelling...

Patiently waiting for her next word. Notice all the empty chairs around her...

With some of the Top Ten group...

Rachel has every reason to be proud of her accomplishment. She worked hard to prepare for the bee, staying up late every night to practice new words.

On to the District Bee in January!

Four!

Can't quite believe our precious boy is four years old! This sweet, loving, energetic, joyful little boy has brought so much life into our home! None of us can imagine our family without him! He is a great blessing to every one of us!

Happy Birthday, dear little David! We love you!