Our Hatchlings

Summer 2013 Scavenger-gram

Last night, while Ryan and I were out on a date, I mentioned that it would be fun to have some type of a picture scavenger hunt over the summer.

I've seen a lot of these Instagram photo-a-day challenges, but I've always had a hard time following them.  I find myself searching for that one perfect shot to fit the word, and then when I don't get it I end up frustrated and then the whole month is out.  I even made up my own list for last July, and made it about 5 days before giving up.

This time around I decided to put a new twist on an old challenge.

It's a little something I like to call the Summer 2013 Scavenger-gram:

Here are the details:

1. Go over the list of 101 summertime words to try and "hunt" for during your summer break.

2. Any words you do find, document with a photo and post to Instagram.

3. Use the hash tags: #summer2013scavengergram, and then whatever word it is that you used for your picture (ie - #beachumbrella).

4. The goal is to try and document as many of these words during your summer months.  If you miss a day, no big deal.  If you find 9 words in one day, then all the better!  Mash them together in a scavenger-gram collage or post one at a time!

Sounds easy enough, right?!

So.....spread the word!

And bring on summer vacation!

Where Does Your Passion Lie?

Last month I had the opportunity to accompany Ryan to a gala dinner in Washington, DC in honor of our National Parks.  I had gone with him back when I was first pregnant with Emma, but I don't remember much aside from how nauseated I felt the entire time.  This time around I was able to enjoy myself more and had a chance to visit with those who were sitting at our table.

Most everyone there was an environmentalist, or represented a politician who was.  I kind of felt out of place since I've only been to a few National Parks, but it was fun to listen as the woman next to me talked about her bike ride through Yellowstone, or the woman next to her who talked about camping at Yosemite while studying for her college finals.

After the dinner portion they invited the keynote speaker, Terry Tempest Williams, to get up and give her address.  She was incredibly eloquent, and very passionate in her love for our National Parks.

Although I didn't agree with everything she spoke about, I did admire her passion for the beautiful American landscape.

On the whole her speech made me realize that we need to be passionate about the things we care most deeply for.

That's when I leaned over to Ryan and said, "I wish people would be this passionate when speaking about families."

There is nothing in this world that has brought me greater joy than my family.  Sure we've gone through tough times, experienced everything from heartache, sorrow, and tears, to excitement, love, and accomplishments.  But we did it together.  Ryan and I are different in some ways, similar in others, but we complete each other.  Our kids all have different personalities, different likes and dislikes, and we are constantly learning to be better parents.  We try to teach them to be honest, respectful, friendly, and  hard-working.  Most of all we try and instill in them a love for others and show them the importance of family values.

All around us traditional families are falling apart.  Whether its a result of drugs and alcohol, infidelity, or any other host of reasons, we should be as passionate about saving families as these environmentalists are about saving the National Parks.

When you get a chance, take a moment and find what you are most passionate about.

Then, pack up your family and head to a national park!  There is nothing more amazing than standing next to The General Sherman tree in Sequoia National Park, looking at the Half Dome in Yosemite, staring at the wide expanse of the Grand Canyon, or driving under the falling leaves in the Appalachian mountains.

Grandma Merrell's Ice Cream Cake

For some reason I've been thinking about my Grandma a lot lately.  In two weeks it will be three years since she passed away, and I still miss her.  I was lucky enough to grow up close to her and my Grandpa, and almost all of my cousins and I have so many good memories from those years together.

One of my favorite memories was getting together for family birthdays.  It seems like we gathered together with everyone at least once a month to celebrate a birthday (or birthdays).  It was tradition that we have an ice cream cake.  I'm not exactly sure how long before I was born that this tradition started, but it has been around as far back as I can remember.

So to honor and preserve my Grandma's memory, I'm sharing her ice cream cake recipe:

Grandma Merrell's Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

1 gallon vanilla ice cream (we usually buy two 1/2 gallon boxes)
1/2 gallon orange sherbet
1/2 gallon raspberry sherbet
1/2 gallon pistachio ice cream (or mint chocolate chip)
2-3 cubes Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
8-12 oz. whipping cream
2 Tbls. sugar

Directions:
***When making this give yourself plenty of time to get it assembled and allow it to set in the freezer. This is pretty labor intensive, but so yummy!***
Open up the vanilla ice cream boxes and with a large knife cut it into slices and place in a large bowl. Give it time to thaw out long enough for you to stir it until smooth. While you are waiting take the chocolate cubes and with a knife shave the chocolate into the vanilla ice cream. Stir together until well mixed and ice cream is smooth.

Using an Angel Food Cake pan assemble the cake in layers...start withe vanilla, then do a layer of raspberry sherbet, another layer of vanilla, a layer of pistacio (or mint choc. chip), another layer of vanilla, a layer of orange sherbet, a final layer of vanilla. With that last layer make sure it reaches the top of the cake pan.

Put in freezer and allow cake to set overnight.

Once the cake has set, remove from freezer and set pan in a sink full of cool water to get the sides to thaw just enough so it will come out of the pan. DO NOT SUBMERGE. Turn cake over onto platter. Remove the side pan first, then carefully remove the top and center pan. Return to freezer to allow it to set again.

While it sets whip the cream and add sugar. Also add some food dye for color. Using a knife "frost" the ice cream cake with the whipped cream then return to the freezer until ready to serve.

ENJOY!

Lily's Cups

We often joke in our family that if something were to ever happen to Ryan and me in the middle of the night and the kids had to fend for themselves, Lily would be the only one to survive.  That girl can search out food no matter where we are.  One time we were at the eye doctor with Brooklyn and just like pulling a rabbit out of a magic hat, Lily found unopened fruit snacks in the depths of my diaper bag.

She loves food.  She asks for it all day long.  If you don't get it for her, she will get it herself.

A few months ago Lily discovered the paper cups in our pantry.  Ever since then they have served as her "snack holder".  At first it was animal crackers, but since then it has evolved into....

caramel popcorn....

tortilla chips....

club crackers....

"stickers" or return address labels....

granola bars....

pretzels....

whole apples....

and my personal favorite - sticks of gum.

That's not all.  We've found her with cereal, carrot sticks, Oreo cookies, popcorn, potato chips, etc.  If it can "fit" in the cup, she uses it.

We have had some really good laughs out of her use of these cups.

I don't know what to do with that girl!

Learning Photography

Back in March of 2007 Ryan and I bought our first DSLR camera.  I loved how clear the pictures turned out and that I could snap away without missing a moment with my two {very active} little girls.  But, I knew there was so much more to learn when it came to photography.

I would go over online tutorials trying to improve my skills, and attempt to shoot in manual mode.  I found myself taking pictures of lots of objects that DIDN'T move....

My pictures always turned out blurry or too dark....

And I had to ALWAYS take pictures in rooms where the light was just right....

Some of my best pictures were the ones I took of ribbons back when I used to do online hairbow tutorials:

Pictures of my girls, on the otherhand?  Well, I was hopeless.  There was only so much that I could glean from the world wide web.  So, I began to turn towards taking a photography course.  I searched and searched, but was very wary and overwhelmed by most of the classes offered online.

That was until I came across a friend who was taking a class from a girl named Wendy Schulz.  She had trained Erin Cobb, and offered and online courses in photography that included one on one chats to discuss your work.  I was intrigued, but there was a waiting list.....A YEAR LONG!

I put my name on the list.

And waited.

Ryan began his final semester of law school.

And I waited some more.

We moved to Arizona.

And I was still waiting.

But in March of 2009 my name made it to the top of the list.  I hesitated to commit, but I called my friend who had taken Wendy's course and she told me it was the best thing she had ever done.  So I made the plunge into the world of learning photography.

I will tell you here and now.....when it comes to my DSLR, it really was the best thing I could have done!

Wendy took my photography from here:

To here:

And finally to here:

You can even see more of my work on my photography blog here.

I've had a lot of people ask me where I learned to take pictures.

Having a good DSLR is a start....

BUT....even with a nice camera, it helps to know a thing or two about how to work it.

What I'm getting at is, don't just walk.....RUN over to Wendy's site and check out her classes!  I've since taken two others and I have learned SO much!  She is an amazing teacher!  Incredibly patient and has a way of explaining things so even people like me understand.  If she could teach me how to use a camera, as dense as I am sometimes, I know she can teach any of you!

She has classes that start May 6th, and from what I've heard there is NO wait list!!!

I waited a YEAR!

Best of all, once you finish your first course she adds you to a forum of alumni.  There are so many amazing women and photographers that I have become friends with and learned from through that forum.  Worth the price of admission right there!

And if you're worried that she's just some robot behind a computer screen, I can personally attest that she is a real live human being.  She lives right here in sunny Arizona, and when I was stuck on a certain lesson she met with me and we went over it together.....perks of living by the teacher I guess!

Be sure to tell her I sent you....

I promise you won't be disappointed!

Ten Years

Back in 2003 when Ryan and I got married I had a few people tell me that over time I'd love him more than I did at that moment.  I honestly didn't think it was possible.

But, guess what?

I do.

Through all the ups and downs, I love him more and more everyday.  

It's been a crazy, busy TEN years, but in that time together we have:

Made 10+ trips to Disneyland {and 1 to Disney World}.

Gone to the beach back east with my family 9 times!

Gotten old enough to be parents to an 8 year old!  {still trying to wrap my mind around how fast these kids are growing!}

Used 7 different sets of washers and dryers.

Lived in 6 different homes/apartments/basements.

Owned 5 different cars.

Have 4 of the most adorable brown-eyed kids.

Spent 3 years in DC while Ryan went to law school.

Made 2 BIG cross country moves.

And through it all we are still 1 happily married couple.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing!

Ten Years from Ashby Hatch on Vimeo.

 Happy TEN YEARS to my best friend and my rock!  So glad I have you with me on this crazy ride called "Life".  Can't imagine doing it without you!

 

The Bread Challenge

I love homemade bread.  With a passion I love it.  I think there is nothing better than a yummy slice of toasted homemade bread with a little butter and jelly spread on it for breakfast.

But bread alludes me.  I've always been terrified of making it, and when I did it was a much bigger chore (and disaster!) than I had signed myself up for.

I think in 2012 I made bread once.  It literally was that exhausting that I never made it again.

However, I remember watching my mom make bread all the time growing up and it looked so simple.

Turns out that the mixer I have isn't conducive to making and kneading bread without kneading the last several cups of flour in by hand.

Cue the disaster area.

For years I have pined over a Bosch Universal mixer, but never bit the bullet on getting one because I already had a perfectly nice mixer in my cupboard.  After I had Blake I had mentioned something to my mom about wanting one.  My friends all had one and just raved about what they were able to make with it.  Would you believe me when I told you it can also shred chicken in less than 10 seconds?  I'm telling you, I was so intrigued by this machine!  So, this Christmas my mom surprised me with one.

You have no idea how excited I was!

Ryan, on the other hand, was confused as to why I needed another kitchen appliance, even though I told him this wasn't just any old appliance.  This was a Bosch, which meant I could mix and knead bread dough all in one without getting my hands dirty.

He claimed I wouldn't make more than one batch of bread in that thing.

I took that as a challenge.

Since then I have made at least 5 batches, roughly about 1 each week that I've had it.  I'm still working on perfecting it, and I have a few more items to iron out with it, but I love that it has kept me from buying bread at the store.

Best of all, I've been making my mom's recipe that she got from my grandmother.  It's the same bread recipe I grew up watching her make.  My girls love it, too, so I thought I'd document it here for myself, them, and anyone else whose in search of a yummy and super easy bread recipe!

Oh and PS, that shredding chicken in the mixer thing is amazing!

Grandma's Homemade Bread

5 cups hot water (from tap)

1 stick of butter (cut up)

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup honey

Stir the above until butter melts.  Add 4 cups of white flour.  Mix well.  Add 2 rounded Tbls. yeast, 4 tsp. of salt, and remaining flour (white or wheat) one cup at a time (approximately 4-8 cups) until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl.  Mix for 10 minutes (timed).

While dough is kneading, preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Spread 2 Tbls. of vegetable oil on clean counter.  Pull dough out of mixing bowl and divide into thirds.  Form each third into a rectagle, roll up and pich seam together.  Place seam-side down in a well greased bread pan.  Put all three bread pans in the oven, make sure they are not touching and turn oven off.  Let rise in warm oven for 20 minutes.  When the timer goes off turn oven on, with bread still in it, to 350 degrees and cook bread for 25-30 minutes.

Halfway to One

Today is this handsome little devil's half-birthday.

How in the WORLD is he six months already?!  It honestly blows my mind.

I wish I could say that we did something fun and exciting to celebrate such a milestone....

Unfortunately we have been passing around a little flu bug.  Emma had it last week, it then got passed on to Blake, who then passed it on to me....so it was a day spent laying in bed, under a pile of tissues and empty water bottles, switching off Tylenol and Advil, and just praying the other three don't catch it.

So instead, I reminisced the past year by looking back through pictures and old blog posts.

I came across this one from January 29th 2012, exactly one year ago, the day I announced we were expecting #4.  So much has changed in that year, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

There are so many things I want to remember about this little guy!

At 6 months.....

• Blake LOVES to be held, loved on, rocked, you name it.  Good thing there are so many willing arms to hold him.  He is so spoiled!  And yet, I'm totally okay with it.  Every night I get to rock him to sleep  It is quite possibly my most favorite time of the day.  I hate when my kids get too old to be rocked to sleep.

• He is still 100% breastfed.  When he was first born we'd give him a bottle of formula every now and then so we could leave him with a babysitter.  He has long since given that up.  Our poor babysitters can't get him to take formula anymore.  He also refuses to eat solids, even the good stuff like apples and bananas.  He is perfectly content nursing, and so far he seems to be doing just fine with it.

• He loves to lay in bed next to me.  Sometimes I'll out Lily down for a nap during the day and Blake and I will go lay in my bed.  More often than not we'll both take a little cat nap.  I've even found that if he's upset and I can't console him, if I go and lay him down in my bed, on my pillow, he calms right down.

• He can now roll over both ways, and is starting to stretch and reach for things around him.  However, for the most part, he is content to just stay put.  He'll only roll once, doesn't scoot or turn circles, and best of all.....he doesn't crawl!  By this point my girls were crawling all the way across the room.  I'm loving that this little guy doesn't go anywhere.  I know he will start moving eventually, but the longer I can keep him my little baby, the better!

• Since Blake was born he has had too many colds to count (thanks to all those school germs the girls bring home).  He has slept in a swing off and on since we brought him home.  Whenever his nose starts running we bust out with the swing again.  Thanks to the flu, he's back in the swing this week.  However, his most favorite place to sleep is his carseat.  This morning I had to run Ryan somewhere and Blake slept the whole time, and even slept in it after we got home.  He finally woke up 3 hours later!

We love having this little boy in our family!  

Happy 6 months to my sweet, snuggly, little guy!

Love you Blakers!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

We've been hit with the flu virus in our house.  Thankfully it hasn't been too severe (knock on wood!) and it has only affected two kids so far (knock on wood, again!).  It lasts forever though.  Right when I thought Kid #1 was over it, Kid #2 came down with it, and then Kid #1 spiked a fever again.  Will the madness ever end?  Between all the rounds of Tylenol and Ibuprofen, searching for the thermometer time and time again, massive amounts of baby holding, and the rainstorm that rolled in a few days ago, I've been craving some real chicken noodle soup.  Only problem, I couldn't find a single recipe that I liked.  All of them contained some weird ingredient, which I didn't have, or required me to make my own chicken stock.  However, I was fresh out of a whole chicken.  So I channeled my inner Julia Child and decided to wing it, knowing full well it could have been an epic failure.

Turns out I have a knack for making homemade soup and even my pickiest eaters (*ahem....Ryan and the big girls) were thoroughly impressed.  Throw in some homemade rolls and I'm Mom of the Year....even if it's only for a night.  This is a soup for the books!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 small white onion, diced

2 Tbls. butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 stalks celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

8-10 cups chicken broth

½ lb. pasta, uncooked

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken breasts and cook in a well greased frying pan.  While they are cooking add diced onions and butter to a stock pot.  Cook until onions become translucent.  Add garlic, celery, and carrots.  Continue cooking until celery and carrots are barely tender.  Slowly add in chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Shred chicken and add to soup.   Once it comes to a boil add pasta, salt and pepper to taste, and reduce heat.  Simmer until pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 15-20 minutes before serving.

If you're feeling adventurous add in these homemade dinner rolls and you've got yourself a meal!  Best of all, ENJOY!  Nothing says comfort food on a sick and rainy day like a bowl of real chicken noodle soup.

Blake 365

Ever since Blake was born I've been doing a 365 of his first year.  It has taken precedence over my blogging, and even though I don't post right away, I am still taking pictures every day.  So, I refer you to that blog for updates on our family.....for now.  I'm hoping 2013 will bring with it a renewed sense of excitement in posting here.  Until then, enjoy....

Blake 365