Kitchen Olympics

There should totally be a medal for dancing in the kitchen. My girls would take home the gold every time.

July Book Update #3

On this the last day of the month I am happy to report a final book update. I started a (really) long book while we were at the beach. I made it a good way through the book but then life began again in earnest once we returned home and I hadn't been able to pick it back up.

It's called Cutting for Stone. I found it at out used bookstore and the blurb on the back was enough for me to pick it up. The author is a physician who, strangely enough, was a leading AIDS researcher for a time in the Johnson City up where my parents used to live.

Anyway...back to the book.....it's unlike anything I've ever read. It is set largely in Ethiopia and is the story of twins born to a Catholic nun and British surgeon.

It explores what it means to be a family and how homeland plays a vital role in the people we become. I was fascinated by all the medical knowledge included in the book. Sometimes it made my eyes glaze over when he would use a paragraph full of medical jargon but his writing was so compelling I wasn't able to walk away for long. It's one of those books that covers a very large period of time which contributed to its length. So glad I chose something outside my comfort zone! I was rewarded page after page.

Also before the month ran out I was able to read my mom's latest book in the Wolff Mountain series that comes out in September. You can pre-order it now! (And you should!)

Lamar Family Potrait

By Ainsley-Age 6

Like A Fish to Water

This week Allie started a new daytime routine. Our sitter quit unexpectedly a few weeks back and we were forced to explore other options rather quickly.

As is often the case, the answer lies right under your nose. We are grateful that an opportunity for childcare was open at a local church. She started there yesterday and took to it like a fish to water. I'm so glad we were able to find a good place for her. Allie is a people person and while I know she enjoyed one-on-one time with me, I know she needed and wanted interaction with other kids her age. As you can tell....she loves it.

Back To School

Today was our first day back to school! We took our usual photos on the front porch this morning. Allie doesn't start her school until tomorrow, but she still wanted in on the action.

Ainsley-First day of First Grade

Anastasia-First day of Third Grade

I'm heading to pick them up soon and I can't wait to hear how the first day went!

Merry Christmas

Over the weekend we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family. We have been celebrating in July for the last 9 years. It's so much easier to set aside time in the summer as opposed to trying to squeeze in time during the hectic holiday season.

We open gifts, share a big meal, and play games. It's just like we were celebrating in December...only the thermometer reads 90*.

It was truly a wonderful weekend. I am blessed with a large, gregarious family who really enjoys being together. My aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins were all there. We played cornhole and four square. We grilled hamburgers and ate cake. It rained on Saturday morning but we didn't let that stop the fun.

And of course....we took a family portrait. It's one of our best ones!

In addition to Christmas, a surprise baby shower, and several birthdays and anniversaries among the group....we also celebrated the wedding of my aunt and new uncle. My girls, along with my cousin's daughter E, were honored to serve as flower girls for the ceremony.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend. It's these experiences that I hope my girls remember for years to come. I want them to understand the importance of family and that even though our family has grown and changed shape and location over the years, we can still come together and share a weekend of laughter and love.

(And yes, in case you were wondering...the Easter egg hunt is next weekend.)

Back to the Zoo!

When July began, my girls made a list of all the things they wanted to do before school started. We've been successful at crossing most of them off our list. Last week we did the zoo again. It was a beautiful day and Gran even got to join us for the fun.

We saw our favorite animals and even got to hit the Safari Splash Pad again.

We had a blast!

It's been such a wonderful summer and I'm so grateful for all the time with my girls. We've had so many adventures! I'm sorry to see it come to an end but I'm already looking ahead to fall break and the fun we will have then.

July Book Update #2

I recently finished a wonderful book about a whaleship that sailed from Nantucket in the early 1800's. I'm quite unfamiliar with the maritime history of New England so I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not. It is the true story of the Essex as it sailed (and later sank) to the South Pacific on a whaling expedition.

It reads like a novel although it is chock full of history, including fascinating pictures of artifacts and paintings from the period. It also offered plenty of maps to show just how far the sailors traveled. Only eight of the crew survived the aftermath of their ship's sinking and when you think about the lack of technology on those little lifeboats adrift in the vast ocean it is truly unbelievable that any of them made it. If you're into adventure stuff like Into Thin Air, then this one is probably right up your alley!

Vacation Recap: Pt. 5

Friday was our last day at the beach. We are wild and crazy kids so we went to a second fort on our trip. Neato! We hopped down to Sullivna's Island to visit Ft. Moultrie. It's across the harbor from Ft. Sumter and so we felt we needed to stop by to complete our historic experience.

I hadn't been since I was a kid...turns out...it hasn't changed at all! We watched a hysterical video on the fort's history. I don't think they intended it to be funny, but we chuckled the whole time! After the movie we braved the humidity and toured the fort.

The girls even got their Jr. Ranger badges! The volunteer was super awesome and made a big announcement.

After the fort we had lunch at a local seafood place with giant shrimp and tasty desserts. After naps and snacks we returned to the beach for one last evening of fun.

It was a great week and we are so thankful for the time together as a family.

Family vacations have always been important to me but I don't take them for granted. I realize how fortunate we are to be able to afford them. This was yet another awesome Lamar family adventure and we can't wait for our next one!

Vacation Recap: Pt. 4

Thursday morning we got up and hit the beach early (notice a pattern?) before the tide came in and before everyone else woke up.

The girls explored the tidal pools and the girls found tons of starfish!

They, along with a couple of friends they met, saved a bunch of them from the tidal pools and returned them to the ocean. It was just a really beautiful morning.



For dinner we returned to Poe's Tavern and then spent the evening on the beach!

Wordless Wednesday

Vacation Recap: Pt. 3

Wednesday we battled Allie's fever and spent more time on the beach. We ordered a pizza for our dinner so we could avoid getting everyone dressed, ready and out to eat. Despite illness, we managed to have quite a fun day! We even spotted quite a few dolphins from the beach and from our balcony.

Vacation Recap: Pt. 2

Tuesday dawned sunny and beautiful so we were up and on the beach early. That was a good thing as it was low tide so we had plenty of room to roam.

We made sand castles and rode the waves all morning long.

When you are a kid...the beach offers an endless array of activities and we certainly enjoyed them all.

During naptime for Allie I read a book and the older girls went shopping with Nana and Granddad. For dinner we ate at Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island. It was yummy...so yummy in fact we went back there later in the week. Unfortunately, Allie ran a fever after dinner and had to stay in the room for the rest of the night. But her sisters were able to go out and enjoy some more time on the water.

More to come....

Vacation Recap: Part 1

So I know you've all been dying to know how our vacation went (okay...probably not but read on anyway). We left on Sunday the 8th and drove to Charleston. It was a good trip....minus the migraine I got and the car sickness Anastasia experienced. We played the license plate game along the way and even saw a Hawaii! (Note to self: do not shout HAWAII! while your husband is driving down the interstate.) We stayed in Mt. Pleasant the first night and everyone was SUPER glad to be out of the car. We ate at a yummy seafood joint on the water and then hit the hotel pool for some swimming time.

On Monday we headed over to Patriot's Point to catch a boat to Fort. Sumter.

The boat ride was great and we even saw dolphins! Our trip to the fort was hot and mosquito-ridden, but we still had a great time exploring the fort. The girls even earned their Jr. Ranger badges!

After lunch on the water (where we saw even more dolphins!) we drove over to Isle of Palms to check into our hotel for the week. What a view we had!

We opted for sandwiches on the picnic tables at the hotel so we could spend more time enjoying the beach.

And enjoy it we did!

We bought the girls boogie boards so they could ride the waves. It was such a great purchase and they really used them all week!

That concludes the first update....more to come....

July Book Update #1

Technically I've not completed a book this month, but in the absence of a new book review I decided to post about one of my favorite books....EVER.

My mom introduced me to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon more than 10 years ago. They are responsible for my strong desire to travel to Scotland and the reason I married someone named Jamie (totally kidding!). The books are epically long and follow Jamie and Claire Fraser across the decades. If you've never picked these books up, do so...immediately. The 8th book is due out late this year, but those first seven should keep you occupied until then!

My New Kitchen Staple

I know people have been cooking with this stuff for decades but I am new to the world of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.


I now can't imagine my kitchen without it. We serve it with all kinds of things. It's the perfect (and inexpensive) complement to everything from BBQ chicken to country ham. Hooray for that little blue box!

Wordless Wednesday

A Funny for Your Tuesday

Allie loves taking pictures (and videos) of herself on my iPhone. This one is from a recent trip to the grocery store. It cracks me up every time I look through my pictures!

Chock Full of Chickpeas

I'm always looking for new recipe ideas for our family. I get stuck in "food ruts" and make the same meals over and over and over again.

A few months ago I came across a section of the Martha Stewart website that offered inexpensive meals. There are some really great ideas for meals on the site. Some were so weird that I knew my family wouldn't even try them. But one caught my eye. It was a chickpea pasta recipe.

Obviously that is the Martha Stewart version. Mine never turns out quite so "pretty" but it certainly is tasty. I was worried the kids wouldn't eat it, but they seem to enjoy it. Plus I call them chickpeas and not "garbonzo beans" and I think that helps. It's all in the spin, you know. I alter the recipe a bit to our tastes and once, when I ran out of broth, made it with water instead and no one was the wiser. I seriously couldn't tell a taste difference. The grand total for this meal is about $4...and it feeds our family of five for two nights!

Mad Scientists

This could also be called "how to mess up the kitchen for less than $2." This week while Allie napped I turned the girls loose in the kitchen with baking soda and vinegar. It was awesome.

They spent more than an hour "experimenting" and making a huge mess. We made goop too!

This project was so awesome and enthralling for them (got it from Pinterest, no surprise there...) that I actually read an ENTIRE chapter of my latest book while they explored.

More great summer fun...on the cheap!

And on the 39th Day, She Rested

I did it! I survive the Runner's World summer running challenge. I ran (at least one mile) every day from Memorial Day to July 4th. 38 days straight of running. It was a very good experience for me as a runner. I learned that there's always time for a run. No matter how busy you are, there is ALWAYS time. I also learned that every mile matters. Your speed is of no consequence. Every mile, even ONE mile a day, matters. I learned to run on tired legs which I feel will benefit me in my marathon training this fall.

Thanks to this challenge I tripled my June mileage from last year. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. And while I am resting today, rest assured, I'll be back out there tomorrow working on my next mile or two.

Happy Fourth of July!

I had to work today so we won't really get to enjoy true Independence Day festivities. And in the absence of fireworks and BBQs, you have to make your own fun...so we did.

We headed down to World's Fair Park this morning and arrived right as they turned on the fountains! It was a beautiful morning and no one else was around so we enjoyed an hour or so in the water. It was the perfect way to spend a hot summer morning! Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Wordless Wednesday

More From Biltmore Estate

Despite the fact that they won't allow you take photographs inside the house, I still got some beautiful shots from our trip on Sunday. We only explored a small portion of the grounds due to the heat, so the kids can't wait to go back so we can check out the farm on the property. Enjoy!