Opening Day 2010

Take me out to the ballgame ball field...because that is were we will be living for the next 2 months.

Today was opening day for baseball and the official 1st Day of Spring.  Yippie!  We started the morning off with a good old parade...



...with lots of candy throwing.  Mary Reese was thrilled when her baggie was over runneth with candy!

Then we moved onto Opening Ceremonies...



Then finally our first Minor B {the pitching machine} game of the season against the Phillies.  Banks has decided he wants to play...



...catcher!  He caught the entire game {even toughing it out when he got hit in the shoulder}.

He also got to bat twice.


The first time he ended up with a single and was eventually scored {not sure of the correct terminology here}.  The second time at bat he hit the ball but was thrown out at first base.

While Banks was playing and Jody was coaching, the rest of the gang was doing things like:



Cheering Banks on from the bleachers and...




Modeling our new matching shirts with a cousin and...




Trying to figure out how to get on the field with Daddy and...




Riding in the wagon with a bunch of cousins for our millionth trip to the concession stand {I might have to get a part time job to pay for all of Mary Reese's trips to the concession stand} and...




Even catching a little snooze at the park!!!  {It is hard to believe Owen was only about 3 weeks old at Opening Ceremony last year.  A few people who hadn't seen me all winter didn't even believe he was mine!}

But the biggest highlight {even over winning the game} of the entire gorgeous day was...



...getting our first ever GAME BALL!  Coach Earley gave the ball to Banks for catching the entire game!

Going Green

Yesterday we went green.



We didn't want any little leprechauns pinching us!

Last St Patty's Day I made green pancakes in honor of the holiday.  Mary Reese refused to eat them!



This year I had every intention of making them a repeat performance...it just didn't happen.  We were struggling just to get out the door {and I was up at 5 am}!  Banks was extremely dissapointed to find cinnamon sugar biscuits on his plate at breakfast.  Maybe this weekend he can have some belated St Patty Pancakes.

Speaking of going green.  I think this whole thing could have been done a little greener...



Does anyone else think getting the letter a few weeks ago about the upcoming census was a huge waste of money?  Anyway the actual form came in the mail one day this week {actually we got 2, both addressed to our house}.  Banks has been learning about the census in his current events class. 



He was really into helping me fill out the form.  I loved the fact that he knew what a cenus was and why we needed to fill in out...



Thankfully we only had to use Person 1 - 5 and didn't have to use this part of the form...



Can you imagine?

It only took us minutes to complete it.  After we were finished, he put it in the mailbox...



...to make sure we were counted!

Birthday Brunch

On Sunday we celebrated...

...his little boy's...

...milestone of turning ONE {I still can't believe he is already a year old}!

I thought I was about to have to postpone the entire party.  Owen started running a fever Thursday afternoon.  I thought it was from his 1 year old shots he got on Wednesday, but it was still high on Friday.  We took him back to the peditrician's office Friday afternoon.  They ran ever test imaginable but everything came back negative...so they diagnosed it as a fever virus.

We had all the grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins over for Sunday Brunch...

The menu spread included Cheese Grits with a Country Ham & Mushroom Gravy, Sausage Hashbrown Casserole, Summer Breakfast Casserole, Biscuits & Homemade Jellies, Apple Fritters, Cinnamon Rolls, Orange Rolls and Croissant French Toast with Strawberry Syrup & Fresh "Whooped" Cream.

It was absolutely delicious & delightful!

Uncle Topher got to entertain his newest neice...



The older cousins got to eat at their own special table...



They all look exhausted from the lost hour of sleep!  Banks told me the entire time that he was 7 years old which made him too old for the "kiddie" table.

After brunch, Owen had lots of help opening some presents...



I have no clue who gave him what.  I was cleaning the kitchen and missed it all.

After presents, we dove into a Judi Moore cake...


...after singing Happy Birthday to Owen...



He loved the singing!  He beamed & danced the entire time.  {Did you notice his new aqua socks?}

He even got his own personal 1 cake...


...but he didn't dive into his cake like last week...


...but he was really into eating with a fork?

Turning ONE

Baby Brother turned one today...



It is hard to believe this was a year ago today...



Dr. Keller delivered Owen Patrick Murphree at 1:41 pm...and he stole our hearts that very instant!  He has his brother and sister wrapped around his finger {the feeling is mutual}!  I love how they are so close and protective of each other.

Owen quickly learned to roll with the flow...he had to being the youngest of the bunch.

He eats anything he is offered...



...and if you are eating, you better be willing to share!

He sleeps when and where he can...



...last Friday afternoon he caught a quick cat nap in a chair in the den while Banks and Mary Reese were {loudly} playing the Wii.

Today he had his 1 year check up which included a lead test {since our house was built in 1924} and 3 shots.  He took the lead test like a champ but wasn't a huge fan of the shots.  All the nurses told me I was mean for making the appointment on his actual birthday.  Dr. Khouri even gave me the option of doing the shots on a different day.  But I was the mean, mean mommy who made him get them anyway!  His stats...

Weight - 24 pounds, 6 ounces

Length - 30 ¾ inches

{For comparison - Banks weighed 5 ounces less and was ¾ inches shorter at this point in his life.  Mary Reese was 4 pounds, 5 ounces smaller but measured the exact same.}

After his check-up, Nanny Nan treated him to...

...his first pair of shoes!  He has the same Fred Flinstone double-wide feet as Banks {perfect because shoe shopping for extra-wide feet is SO easy}!

Tonight after gymnastics, baseball practice and dinner at church I treated him to...

...a giant cupcake!  He dug in like a professional...

After a few seconds we got smart and stripped him down to his diaper...









He thought he was hysterical.  I think he could have won a cake eating contest for babies...seriously!

Couldn't you just eat this face up?



After he devoured his cake, we headed straight to...



...the bath for a hose down, scrub down!

Happy 1st Birthday, Owie!

Family Favorite - Granola

I ♥ Granola!



I have been trying out several different recipes and finally came up with one that I ♥!

Vanilla Scented Granola

2 c. rolled oats
1 c. whole almonds
1 c. pecan halves
1 c. shredded coconut
½ c. packed brown sugar
¼ c. sunflower seeds
¼ t. salt
1 stick butter, melted
¼ c. honey
1 T. vanilla extract
1½ t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300˚.  Combine the oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, sunflower seeds and salt in a bowl and mix well.  Whisk the butter, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl until blended and drizzle over the oats mixture, tossing to coat.

Spread the oats mixture in an even layer on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once.  Let stand until cool and store in an airtight container {stays fresh for weeks}.

Delicious & delightful on yogurt, with fresh fruit or just by itself.  It has become my new breakfast of choice!

{If you like dried fruit in your granola, you can add it.  You can change up the nuts.  If you aren't a fan of coconut, you can omit that.  You can be as creative as you please!}