Bye, Bye Summer!

It's officially here.  Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. While we are expected to have a heat index of 106 today, autumn is quickly approaching. Football has started back (although with a disappointing opening game, Gamecocks!) and the countdowns until Christmas are all over Facebook.

Memorial Day to now has been a big blur. But I do have fond memories of seafood cookouts in Wilmington with family for July 4th, a little one who celebrated her 2nd birthday and loved her t-ball set present, a week at the beach with "all our kids" that included a rare treat of night walks on the beach and bike rides with my one and only, trips to the Farmer's Market, hot days spent cooling off at the pool, a first and last Blowfish baseball game, and a wonderful work trip to Minneapolis. I'm thankful that memories were made and I have the Instagram pics to remember them.

I recently heard someone with little children say "the days are long but the years are short."  It's a perfect description of life as the mom of a now 2 year old and our life this summer. It's hard not to get caught up in the day to day without remember that it's all so fleeting.

And it's a shame that I just created the most perfect summer salad just this past weekend and I've eaten it every day since. Because it's just that good!

The Crescent Olive is the most amazing store in Columbia that makes delicious oils and vinegars. I had a tasting there on Friday (not as gross as it might sound) and left with two fantastic items: Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil and Grapefruit White Vinegar Balsamic.

Which lead to this heavenly creation:

 The pork chop was covered in the olive oil and baked in the oven. While it was very good, I think I'll pan fry it next time. The salad is really where it's at. It's a combination of mixed greens, strawberries, and blueberry vanilla goat cheese from Trader Joe's with the grapefruit balsamic. I'm salivating now just thinking about it. It's the perfect combo of sweet and tangy. And bonus points, it's healthy.

I'll call closing out the summer with a handful of special memories and an original recipe creation a success.  Bring on the cooler days, pumpkin spice anything and scarves with boots! 

*M

Hello, July!

The summer is flying by! Last week we loaded up the car and drove down to Wilmington for the 4th. Despite threats of category one Hurricane Arthur, we braved the wind and rain and made it safely to Wilmington Thursday evening. Friday through Sunday were gorgeous days filled with lots of fun!

Emily and I went to the park and Aunt Kelly snapped some really cute photos with her awesome camera (because I don't remember the last time Emily had pictures that didn't come from my iPhone). Emily had a blast swinging and sliding.  This is the second time we've been to this park and the second time we have seen one of the alligators that lives there. Emily was just standing on the dock looking at the turtles when out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a head gliding towards us in the water. I said a four letter that was definitely not child friendly, grabbed Emily and backed away as fast as I could. The alligator looked young and couldn't have been more than 4 feet long, BUT STILL. Alligator near my baby....not. cool.   

We had a blast playing at my parents house and Emily got some quality time with her grandparents while we went out on the boat. My sister, brother-in-law and their two friends love to fish and Randy and I went along for the ride. The water was beautiful and thanks to the high tides from Arthur, we were able to go back into areas that you normally wouldn't be able to access by boat. We spent a good three hours out there and only caught one fish but had lots of laughs and a very relaxing time.

 A trip to Wilmington wouldn't be complete with a trip to Port City Java and time on the beach. Sunday we loaded up and drove out to Carolina Beach early before the crowds descended upon us. The sky was clear, the beach was pretty empty and Emily basically lost her baby mind out there.  She ran back and forth from our chairs to the water. She splashed, she squealed, she fell down, she ran some more, and then she crashed. Which made for a very nice, quiet ride back home.

Our time in Wilmington is always too short and I'm already planning our next trip!

*M

Summer is Here!

Although it's not "official" until tomorrow, summer is definitely here in South Carolina! We've been at or close to 100 degrees every day this week. The summer thunderstorms roll in almost like clockwork every afternoon. And we've got at least 3 more months of this. Welcome to the South! :)

Despite the sweltering heat, I love this time of year. Ok, I really love EVERY time of year but I REALLY love summer. Long days, outdoor activities, cool drinks. Can't beat it. 

Last year, I created a summer to-do list of all the things I wanted to do as a family. As always, I was a little ambitious but I think we managed to make our way at least half way through the list and had a great time doing it.

While I have yet to make an official list for summer 2014, I did come across a great blog post I just had to share with some excellent ideas. I'm sure we will do some of our usual warm weather activities like trips to the beach, outings to the zoo and farmers market, and visits to the pool. I would like to try some new things like check out the splash pad at Saluda Shoals or ride a train in Winnsboro. I'm loving the fact that Emily is older this year and able to do and enjoy new activities. The good times truly keep coming and it's a wonderful thing. :)


Whatever you do this summer, be sure to stay hydrated.  And don't try to take this girl's water bottle as her daddy found out the hard way. Let's just say there were big tears during the start of a very quiet wedding.

The look says it all.

Here's to summer 2014!

*M

Recap of Fun Happenings in the Midlands!

It's that glorious time of the year, spring in the South! The little snow we did have is a distant memory and the sun is warming things up nicely, without burning us to a crisp.

With nicer weather comes the opportunity for lots of outdoor activities. Last weekend, I had the chance to visit Tartan Day South and the Midlands Farm Tour. Both affordable, family fun activities that we will definitely attend next year!

Tartan Day South is a 4 day Celtic celebration in Cayce, SC. Tickets are $10 per adult and kids under 5 are free. There's music, Irish dancing, sheep herding, athletic competitions, axe throwing (!), hand made pottery for sale, and tons of food!  My favorite part was the music. Saor Patrol  is the real deal when it comes to Celtic music and they are amazing.  Emily especially loved the sheep herding and made an attempt to try it herself!

Checking out the athletic competition

Saor Patrol rocking out.

Sheep herding

Emily trying to join the herding fun!

A couple of tips for anyone planning on going to Tartan Day South next year:

• Get there early. There is a lot going on in the morning and it's not at all crowded.
• Your ticket allows for reentry! You can leave for lunch (or a nap) and come back in the afternoon.
• Bring chairs/blankets and find a spot to camp out. That way everyone can wander around checking everyone out and still have a central plan to meet up.
• If you are planning on bringing small kiddos, the field is all grass so a regular stroller might be tough to navagate. I'd opt for a jogging stroller. 
• Don't forget sunscreen (like I did!).
• Portapotties only, so bring extra hand sanitizer. :)

Midlands Farm Tour  is a new opportunity to visit local family farms, enjoy organic food and tour the farms. On Sunday, I went on a girls trip (no husbands or kiddos) to tour two local farms. We got to hold baby chickens and snack on some amazing goat cheese at Humble Farm in Gilbert and learned about greenhouse gardening at Terra Kotta Farms in Leesville. I loved getting to meet the farmers and families that make these local farms what they are. It was quite an adventure (including a trip down a sketchy looking dirt road) complete with a delicious picnic with our farm purchases.

Meeting some new friends!

Cutest goat!

Love this American flag made of scrap wood.

Greenhouse growing.

Took home these delicious and beautiful eggs.

A couple of tips for anyone planning on going on Midlands Farm Tour next year:

• Plan ahead! One ticket ($25 per car) will give you access to all farms on Saturday and on Sunday.  Find out which farms are closest together and which ones have what you want to see or buy. 
• Bring cash and a cooler. Most farms have lots of goodies for sell, including food and plants.
• Dress ready to have fun (and possibly get dirty). Remember, you are going to be walking all over a farm so sneakers or boots are probably the best food wear to have on.
• I didn't bring Emily this year but will next year. She would love to see the animals and lots of other kids were there, too.
• You can also volunteer at one farm and get access to the other farms the next day, for free!

Happy adventures, everyone
*M

Birthday, Beach and Big Changes

Wow! What an eventful past 9 days it has been!

Emily turned one on the 20th and we had a small birthday bash at the house. There were friends, presents and cake. Lots of yummy cake.

Emily had a blast digging into her "smash" cake (she wasn't sure what do with it at first). We let her chow down for a bit until we had to take away to prevent a sugar high meltdown later in the evening. Thank goodness she had her own cake because about halfway through, she sneezed all over it! She got the hang of opening presents and had a blast pulling off the paper and tissue paper. She played with all her toys and passed out promptly at 8:30. Having fun can be so tiring.
It was a good thing she went to bed early because Randy and I were able to get to work packing up for our beach trip the next day! We spent a wonderful week at the beach with both the boys and their girlfriends. We had lots of laughs, a bike ride, naps with EG, shopping, hot tubbing, time on the beach, yummy food (crab legs-TWICE) and NO rain! It was a wonderful trip and just what the doctor ordered to melt the stress away.

Coming back to reality has been a little less than pleasant. Emily had her one year check up this morning. Lots of tears and screams for two shots. And I had to drop her off at daycare afterwards. So hard to leave my sweet girl after spending more than a week with her! She gave me such a sad look when I dropped her off (like "where you going, mama?"). Between that and the doctor's office, I was emotionally drained for the day way before 10am. But her check up was great. Her growth is right on track and she's an all around healthy baby. Here are her 12 month stats:

• She's 20lbs and 29 inches long.
• She can pull up, cruise and push her walker around. Her newest thing is trying the walker one handed. It's terrifying because she goes so fast and is so unsteady. I know she will be walking in no time!
• She is loving all her food. We tried sandwiches at the beach and she is a fan! Trying to get her to drink milk but not having much luck yet. But girlfriend is all about some cheese.
• She is really into pulling/dumping things out of baskets and bags. Hurricane Emily can tear up a room in a mater of minutes.
• "No no" is definitely not her favorite word and she pretty much has a full on meltdown when we say it. Sometimes she will point to something she is not suposed to have and shake her head "no". It's so cute but the cuteness is usually short lived because she will touch the thing she is not supposed to and we end up having to say the dreaded words. It's a vicious cycle.
• She has started blowing kisses and waving "bye bye". The cuteness just about does me in every time. To see her little fingers wigging in a fist is beyond words precious.
• She dances to just about any music that comes on. While sitting, she twists her upper body to the music. If she's, standing it's a full on booty shake! I giggle every time I see her do it. She is probably going to hate me when she is older for taking videos of it. :)
• She's still taking up a storm with lots of "mama" and "dada". She can get REALLY loud (and always at the worst times!) and it sometimes sounds like she is carrying on a conversation while playing with her toys. It's really amazing to see how she plays with her toys now, such focus and determination. She's a smart and curious little girl and I love her so much!

Emily isn't the only Branham kid who's growing up right before our eyes. Aaron is moving to Raleigh this week (with his girlfriend) in hopes of landing a "real job". I'm so excited for them both to start this new chapter, but sad that they won't be close by anymore.  And Zachary proposed to his girlfriend on Sunday. While they won't be getting married anytime soon (finishing school first), it's kind of wild to think about having a daughter-in-law. Both boys are amazing and I'm enjoying being a part of of their lives during these big changes.

Here's to a wonderful vacation and a wonderful family!

*M

July 4th and Peach Cobbler

After my last doom and gloom post, the sun finally broke through yesterday. Answered prayers!

Randy and I both had yesterday off and decided to check out the Gilbert Peach Festival parade. Gilbert is a little town not too far from us and I've always heard about the parade but never been. We woke up yesterday morning (overslept a bit so we got ready and flew out of the house in less than 1 hour) and drove over to Gilbert. We made it JUST before they blocked the road off for the parade. A few minutes later, and we might have been in the parade.

Emily had a great time checking out all the sights. She saw a few dogs, clapped her hands at everything and only got scared once when an ambulance went by.

Afterwards, we made our way through the thousands (I swear) of hot, sweaty people to the vendor area. I got the one thing I came for: peach ice cream. And it was amazing! We also got some fresh peaches which I came home and made THIS:

Yes, you are looking at fresh, homemade peach cobbler right of the oven! I know you are amazed. Thanks to Southern Living, it's pretty much the easiest, most delicious recipe ever:

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk 
• 4 cups fresh peach slices
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

1. Melt butter in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired (and I did).
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Three things: I didn't have lemon juice so I used lime and that worked fine. I was a little worried that the peaches were too juicy when I poured them over the batter but it firmed up nicely (so don't freak if yours looks the same). I think next time I will only use 1/2 cup of sugar in the peaches. The whole thing is very sweet (but very delicious)!


I wasn't sure how Emily would do with the loud noises and she can barely stay up past 8:30 (but then again, neither can I , so we opted to just do sparklers this year. They were always my favorites when I was little and I can't wait for a little bit bigger Emily to try them out. But for now, she enjoyed watching her Daddy with them.

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. My deepest thanks to those who serve to keep our country the land of the free and the home of the brave!

*M