1000 smiles

You really know how to light up a room. From the moment we walk into your nursery in the morning, you greet us with the most amazing smile. Throughout the morning as we get you ready for school and prepare ourselves for work, we are faced with smile after smile. When you enter your class and greet your teachers, the smiles continue. Your daily progress reports tell us that “I was smiley today” and “I wanted hugs”, and when we walk in to pick up you – yep, you guessed it – more smiles. In the evening when we play with you on your explorer gym, in your swing, on your boppy, on our shoulders and our stomachs, we are delighted by all of the smiles that we receive. And as we kiss you goodnight, the biggest smile is given. We have to count at least 1000 smiles a day that you give us. And at night, while you sleep, we continue to smile at the thought of how blessed we are that you are in our lives.

What the Flock...

OMG. It's Wednesday night and I still feel bloated from all the food I ate over the holiday weekend. Multiple cookouts on Saturday in the Poconos... followed by multiple cookouts on Sunday (at Cathy & Kyles), and more on Monday. Needless to say, I didn't hold back. And I should have. No really. I should have! But the food was SOOOOOOO amazing.

Reaching out into the bloggershere, POM Wonderful graciously sent us a sample of their 100% Pomegranate Juice to try and review. I know, I know... is this what you're reading the blog for? We thought about this long and hard before we considered writing a product review... and then we realized, that's what we've have been doing for other items and those companies didn't send us a sample. We've been sharing products that work for us... whether it be types of wipes, toys, facial products, etc. It's about what makes our lives easier now that we're parents, and hopefully guide others to leading a try things that work for them.

Besides tasting great, you can do so many great things in the kitchen - and on the grill - and at the bar - with POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice.

So... what does one do on a holiday weekend and numerous dishes to cook up? Break open a bottle of POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice and get creative. And so we did...

First up: Mango Tequila Pom Shrimp



In a food processor, combine the mango, cilantro, jalapenos, onion, and garlic and finely chop. Gradually add the all the juices, salt and sugar. Pour this mixture over the shrimp; cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minute. Turn the kabobs several times during this marination.




Next Up: POM Wonderful Pomegranate Barbecue Ribs.






















For step-by-step photos and technique, visit fotocuisine.com - Note that we eliminated the lemon juice.

And the finale of the POM Wonderful recipes, my famous Ménage à trois cocktail (usually made with Three Cherry Pomegranate Vodka... but this version uses 100% pomegranate juice and is much better). This version has been renamed Ménage à POM.

Our love didn't begin with a court decision...

and it won't end with one either.

While the California Supreme Court today let stand Proposition 8, continuing marriage discrimination in California, they refused to undo the 18,000 marriages that same-sex couples celebrated in 2008.

While we take some solace that other loving couples who did marry in California will stay married, an estimated one million more individuals have been denied that dignity and basic right.

For that, we are heartbroken... but we have known this pain before.

Despite today's flawed court ruling, momentum for the freedom to marry continues across the nation. Since April, three more states—Iowa through court decision and Vermont and Maine through legislative action—have the freedom to marry, joining Massachusetts and Connecticut.
All eyes are now on New York, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, whose governors have pledged to sign the pending freedom to marry bills once they reach their desks.

It's all about winning hearts and minds so we can repeal this hateful marriage ban, once and for all. And it's not just California. We need to keep the recent momentum for marriage equality alive until every loving couple across the nation has the right to marry.

I know that those of you who are reading this are on our side... and we can not thank you enough! But we're asking you to help us take action. Watch the video below... and then send it to your friends that may not be so open minded. Ask them to look into the eyes of the people, LGBT and straight, who stand in solidarity today - and then ask them join the effort we must begin. It's one small step. We can't win this fight without you.

Together in the fight!

Boom Boom Pow...

Today, Kensington had another installment of vaccinations. The ride was very similair to Fergies/Black Eyed Peas song.


Gotta get [home] Gotta get [home] Gotta get [home]


Boom boom boom (my headache... from the screaming coming from the back seat)


Gotta get [home] Gotta get [home] Gotta get [home]


Boom boom Pow (where is the asprin when you really need it. It's not in the car - i looked twice).

Watch Out McKinley High School...

Chris and I were extremely excited to watch the students of McKinley High School (aka - GLEE) this past week. The show is a one-hour musical comedy that follows an optimistic high school teacher (our favorite - Matthew Morrison) as he tries to transform the Glee Club and inspire a group of ragtag performers to make it to the biggest competition of all: Nationals.

We were in H E A V E N.

Not only because we were riding the American Idol high, but because we were reunited with Lea Michele (who does an amazing job as the perfectionist firecracker Rachel... who happens to have two gay dads). Lea also starred in "Spring Awakenings", one of our all-time favorite Broadway musicals that won numerous Tony awards in 2007.

In the video below of the Tony awards, you can see that during the production, Spring Awakenings has some of their cast mixed in with audience members that sit on the stage. After seeing the show for the first time and totally falling in love with it, I purchased Chris a seat on the stage. So, in a sense, he was able to share the stage with Lea (they are now they are BFF's). We were able to get our program signed by the entire cast and it's hanging in the game room (next to the new fuse-ball table that matches the pool table perfectly! Ya'll are invited to come over and play anytime. Just call first so I can have a fresh batch of cookies waiting for you :)

Now, I'm off to find a way to get Chris on Glee. Maybe I can get him a role as the janitor or as one of the cafeteria ladies. I can't wait to see him in a hair net [he's going to kill me for posting this!]

Babies for Kris Allen...

will be sleeping VERY well tonight.

Recently married Arkansas college student Kris Allen won the eighth (and best to date) season of "American Idol" tonight... dealing a very unexpected defeat to musical theater actor Adam Lambert - and it was all because of you :)

What a show (though I could have done without Rod Stewart and KISS... what were they thinking?!?!?)!

As the great JT once said,

"What goes around... Comes all the way back around."



What do you get when you leave your camera on the table and walk out of the diner? Your cousins hijacking it and taking tons of pics that cause you to laugh outloud and wet yourself when you finally view them.





Cousins... what do you get when you take my camera?


Those pictures posted on this blog.
















Are you scared yet?























You should be.



Seriously... you should be :)




Keep Scrollings...







Okay.

I'll be nice and hold off on the others.
For the moment

{smile guys - and gal}

Don't Resist Me...

Now is your chance to make this baby a happy one... and a happy baby means two happy daddies!

Kensington stayed up past her curfew to watch her favorite American Idol of the season... Kris Allen.

You have 4 hours to call in and vote.
Now is your chance.
Call 1.866.436.5704 and make baby Kensington smile!

"It was bold, it was brave, and it was fearless..."

Thats right folks... Kara DioGuardi just announced on her blog that Kensington has been elected as the President of "Babies for Kris Allen" fan club. Kensi is urging all of her fans to make sure they Rock The Vote for underdog. Kris did an amazing version of Falling Slowly from Once, and that performace took little Kensi's breath away. Don't let this little Princess down... :)

Small Acts Of Kindness

Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love.

~Lao-Tzu

Today... Kindness in giving helped create a loving family.

Chris and I have been met with many acts of kindness along our adoption journey... and today we received another one.

As we approach the final days until our adoption will be put in front of a judge, we've had to have several additional documents notarized. Today we received a new set and our attorney's office wasn't able to get us in, so we ended up going to a place in town that would do it.

We were greeted by a lady who stayed seating behind the counter. Chris told her we needed to have a couple documents notarized and she asked us if Kensington, who was being an angel in her car seat, was our child. We smiled and raised the car seat to eye level and Kensi let out one huge smile. After looking at the documents, she realized it was our adoption paperwork. She told us where to sign and date, did what she needed to do, and returned the papers back to us, "This is for her." We thought it was a question, "This is for her?" so we answered "yes". With a smile, "This is for her. It's on me. I wish you all the very best of luck. You two have one adorable little girl there."

Why yes... yes we do.

Catch Up Time...

Over the next couple of days, I'll be posting some pictures from the past couple of weeks (Now that I've transferred the 526 pictures off of the camera since Kensington's Mazha and Fazha visited). Here are a few from Kensington's first, first Easter outing. This was Saturday evenings festivities at Kevin and Carmens...

Pre-event wardrobe...

Kensi meets her Great-Auntie Jeff.

This will definitely cause her to go to therapy! What were they thinking?!?! :o)

Later at Uncle Rob and Mikes house.

Nighty, Night.

Yummy, yummy... more food in my tummy!

Kensington has been on a serving of cereal a day... starting on her 4 month birthday. It's usually in her last bottle of the night, which - for the most part - allows her little belly to be full throughout the night. Full belly = less feedings throughout the night.

Auntie Cathy and Uncle Kyle came over this weekend and, with Daddy's help, assisted Kensington with breaking in the highchair and being spoon fed...
Cathy has also informed us that Kensington is a fan of "Asian Food"{Her words, not ours}.
Umm... where's the duck sauce?



[frames courtesy of BBK Scrapbook Corner]