Now Boarding...

Ah . . . Spring Break. What is better than heading to Florida for a little fun in the sun? ! ? ! 

Except this time I was bringing my favorite carry-on item, Miss Eva. 

I haven't flown for two and a half years so I was a little nervous but had done my research and some Facebook crowd-sourcing. I packed super-minimally; made sure I put our address on the child carseat; gathered up an umbrella stroller, Eva's birth certificate, bottles with water, bottles with breastmilk, some books, and some raisins. Okay, let's roll...  

We made it through TSA.

Woohoo! A Jeni's vending machine!
(Stacie, did you see this!?)

A plane! A plane!

Climbing all over the CMH boarding area chairs.

Ohio from above.

Among the fluffy white clouds. 

Getting some sleep on board. 

Hello, Florida!

The planes at RSW.

Back on solid ground . . . with Christin !

 A Florida Highlight: Visiting Cousins

A Florida Highlight: Heading out to the Gulf with Jason and Christin.

In the 11th month...

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."

Colossians 3:2

In the 11th month . . .

. . . Eva seems to really understand a lot of what we are saying. It is a joy to see her respond to our requests.

. . . She knows lots of the motions for the songs we sing at the library's story time. So cute.

. . . She also knows where her head, hands, toes, and nose are, when prompted. So smart.

. . . Still loves Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood as her favorite and only television show. I remember the days of comparing my life to the characters on Friends or The Office but now I see parallels to the lessons learned by Daniel Tiger.

. . . The grocery store is still a favorite hangout spot. 

. . . Grandma and Grandpa Hallas came to visit. She loves spending time with them but the real treat was hanging out with Fisher, a real live "gawg."

. . . Eva enjoyed watching and hearing Daddy's Symphonic Band earn a Superior rating at District contest. Next . . . on to STATES! 

. . . We rode in an airplane to Florida to visit Christin. What fun! (Follow up blog post forthcoming.) We were also able to visit with 2nd cousins, Teyla and Paige while we were there. 

. . .We still read books every chance we get. Favorites are: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Brainy Baby's 123, Pat the Bunny, My First Counting Book, Joshua, and First Words.

. . . She smiles with her whole face, as Ruth says. But it describes this little girl's sunny disposition on her life. 

Hi. I'm 11 months old!

I'm 11 months old and I look good in my swimsuit.

Pi Day is Coming

Pi Day is coming and it is special this year because 31415 are the first five digits of pi. Cool? Super cool.
I am rarely inspired to make a pie for Pi Day but this weekend I did make a pie. Let's celebrate early!
I am not sure what to call this pie . It is half Brownie Pie, half Derby Pie (shout out to my YT lovers), 100% ooey-gooey deliciousness.

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
Pecans
Dark Chocolate Chips
Brownie Mix  - 2 eggs, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup oil
Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter - 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup chocolate chips

I prepared the brownie batter and the chocolate chip cookie batter separately. Then I poured them into the pie crust. I gently swirled them. Sprinkled the top with dark chocolate chips and pecans. Baked at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

"I'm gonna get that camera!"

Conservatory

We took a winter reprieve by driving to the near east side to the Franklin Park Conservatory.  The lush plants, beautiful orchids, and brightly colored glass sculpture captivated us for a couple hours allowing us to forget the frigid temperatures outside.

We were able to see a few butterflies even though they aren't really in full release until next week.

Eva liked all the waterfalls.  Our one recommendation is that you save the South Conservatory for last. We liked it the best so therefore 'save the best' for last was quite a reward.