From Our Kitchens

After over a 7 year break from the family blog, I'm back with a new twist. By the way, we have added 2 more kiddos to the group, for a total of 4 beautiful grandkids - ages 2 to 8. We've also added another son-in-law almost 4 years ago. A smart one, too, I might add.

I've been making a cookbook of family recipes for the girls for going on 15 years, and recently the aforementioned son-in-law had the great idea of adding the recipes to a blog so that when the girls want to access them, they are as close as the computer.

So with no further adieu, here we go...

Bella ducky and Gracie in the bathtub.

I love my rubber ducks!

How about these wings and my tail?

Happy Halloween 2011!

Bella and Joseph both took home trophies from the Halloween party at church!  Mommy looks very proud.

Little fella is here! October 13, 2011

On October 13, 2011, little fella made his debut.  Between Jen's water breaking and his first cry was about 2 hours and 5 minutes.  He wasn't messing around - he wanted out.  It all happened so quickly that Ray and I just about didn't make it to the hospital in time.  (Aunt Angie and Aunt Stephy beat us there!) Luckily we did, and what an amazing sight to him come into this world.  How fortunate we have been to be able to be a part of witnessing the kids' births. Little fella is officially Timothy Joseph Rosenfeld, Jr; he'll go by the name of Joseph.  He was 7 pounds 14 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long at birth.

Snuggling with Mommy the day Joseph was born.

I love my little brother!

Spruced up and ready to head home.

Getting ready can really poop you out!

The South Carolina Railroad Museum

On Saturday, October 1, 2011, Ray, Isabella, and I drove to Winnsboro, SC, to visit the South Carolina Railroad Museum.  We visited a Gallery with historic pictures and artifacts, then walked through a display train with old fashioned sleeper and dining cars.  Another car contained an area for cargo and a mail counter. On that a day, a specialty train was featured - it was Caboose Day.  We road the coach car, but there were also 3 different types of cabooses that folks could ride in.  We took a leisurely one hour train ride along 5 miles of operating track while the conductor filled us in on the history of the trains and the Winnsboro area.  It was a fun and interesting field trip and a first for all three of us.  Even Ray who is born and raised in South Carolina had never been the SC Railroad Museum.

Isabella is 25 months old - September 21, 2011.

I'm done with the apron!

Bella talking with Precious.  Bella: It's raining outside, Precious.  (I'm serious.  That's exactly what she said!)

Bella playing with her Ikea kitchen in our den...

Playing with the green grapes.

Chef's hat, apron, and glove - the best clearance rack purchase I've ever made.  She loves them!

Our trip to the zoo - September 19, 2011

On September 19, 2011, I was on PTO and joined Jen, Bella, Maleah and Ashlyn on a trip to the zoo.  The weather was beautiful, the animals were active and we had a great time.  We all enjoyed a fun ride on the "train" (it's really the tram, but Bella calls it the train) to the botanical gardens.  Very pretty and lots of fun!

A family weekend in Myrtle Beach - September 16 - 18, 2011

Just before lunch on Friday, September 16^th, Ray, Jen, Bella and I headed to Myrtle Beach to spend the weekend.  Later that afternoon, the rest of our gang headed down to meet us there.  Saturday morning the nine of us went to breakfast, and then spent a couple of hours at the Ripley’s Aquarium.  Bella got to touch the hermit crab, but didn’t want to touch the stingrays.  (Stephanie did; she said they were slimy.)   After that, Ray, Isabella and I played on the beach.  Bella ran on the beach yelling “Papa, I running on the beach!  Watch me run!”  Saturday evening we enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner at The Chesapeake House.  Then it was back to the condo to watch the rest of the USC football game and a game of Yahtzee.  Before leaving on Sunday, we went down the Arcade to play for a while.  All in all a very fun weekend with all of the kids! 

Isabella is 24 months old - August 21, 2011

On August 21st, Isabella turned 2. My, how these last couple of years have just flown by! Bella is such a happy little child and is talking up a storm these days. In these pictures, she was talking with her Papa using my phone. (Papa was in the laundry room about 7 or 8 feet away from her...) One of these days I'll actually get caught up - I'm running behind on getting pictures posted.