Sunshine Splendor: Family, Food + Fun

It's been a LONG week! First, David was in Miami for a bachelor party ~ now he is in Texas for three days (insert long lonely-hardworking-mommy sigh here), we attended our very first 1yo birthday party, I cooked an awesome meal from my new cookbook, and we had two fabulous visitors yesterday! Let's start from the beginning.

I Praise You, Single Mothers!
It is hard work when you're alone all day with two little ones. But, doing this day in and day out, really alone, is even harder! David was gone from Friday to Sunday soaking up the sun's magical rays while I was here, covered in drool, cooking for the boys, feeding the boys, cleaning up poop and food, putting them down, getting them up...... Where's MY 3 day vaca?! I do hate leaving the boys, even for a feeding. But, I really think I need some R+R. David did, however, meet us at Leighton's 1st birthday party Sunday! It was so sweet watching her shovel cake down her gullet and comb it through her hair! Here are some photos and video...

Proud mom + dad, Heather + Jason

Hunter + Baylor have their very first swing! We haven't been able to find a park with swings for babies/toddlers... FINALLY! I have been dying to put them in a swing. Honestly, I have! And they had sooo much fun! I loved it :)

Mmmmmm.......... Yummy-deliciousness!
Did I mention in my last post that I love my new cookbook?! I made the poached salmon dish that Sam Bealle made last week. I really liked it, but it was a bit too heavy for us. I think I will make this with trout like Sam because it was so much lighter! I also made the herbed spoonbread and blackberry cobbler! Mm, mm, mmmm! David plowed through them all and especially loved the cobbler. Please forgive my partially eaten plate! I, as always, forgot to take a picture of the dish. And I plated it so beautifully!

Blackberry cobbler in the making

And then there was cobbler!

Add a little vanilla bean ice cream and you're set!

I Love It When Family Comes To Visit!
My Aunt Lisa and cousin Sydney came over Wednesday to have a little visit ~ all the way from Anderson, SC! It was Syd's spring break and she said she wanted "to visit Sarah Ann and the boys"! How sweet is that? We had a really great day with them and the boys warmed up nicely! It seemed to fly by...

Update ~~~
There are 7 teeth between the two.
Both crawl like big boys and stand using what ever they can to pull themselves up.
Both took a few steps behind their walking toy this week!
They talk and laugh with one another constantly!
Separation anxiety is becoming a part of the norm.
Still napping 3 times a day (not sure if I'm happy about that or not!).
They love black beans, avocado, yogurt + oatmeal.
Using mom + dad as a junglegym ~ of course!

Here are some cute pics of Baylor + Hunter

hon,hon,hon... je m'apelle huntair.... (black bean soup mustache)