This year for Holiday Tables Rochelle, Catie, and I decided to do two tables and decorate them baby shower shabby chic. We had fun decorating them and can’t wait until next year…
Category Archives: Holiday’s
4th of July in Washington DC 2012
Happy Birthday America! Being so close to Washington DC, we had to take the kids in to celebrate with the Nation’s Capital. We started our day with a red white and blue breakfast, blueberry pancakes with strawberries and bananas and then we loaded them into the car and headed for Springfield to take the train in.
Every little kid loves to take the train.
We got off at the Smithsonian stop and headed over to the mall to camp out our spot for the fireworks before the crowds came in. We parked our blankets on the hill, right under the National Monument facing the reflecting pool and the Lincoln Memorial.
It was really hot again today, pushing 100 and the heat index was said to be 105, so to cool off the boys we took them down to the WWII memorial fountain to put their feet in.
All throughout the mall there were water fountains, established and brought in, as well as hoses for the kids to spray themselves down.
Another fun find were the air vents…
On our way to lunch we stopped by the White House for the classic out front photo. Davy was so sweet,when I told him we were going to see the White House he says, “Will we get to see President Obama???” If only it were that easy… 🙂
We saw this hanging off of the side of a building, I thought that it was nice.
Ahhhh, an air-conditioned lunch… 🙂
Cucumber gin and tonic with some of the best macaroni and cheese ever…Â Yum!
Street vendors were lined up everywhere selling water, ice pops, and fruit!
Fat suits, according to the boys…
The Marine Corps jazz band started playing at 6 and entertained us throughout the evening. Right before 9 o’clock, 850,000 people sang the “Star Spangled Banner” together and then did a countdown from 10 to 1… The beautiful fireworks shot off into the night…
After the fireworks were over, Davy turns to me and says, “Well that’s something you don’t see everyday!” Love him!
Little Matty didn’t quite make it back to the train. Although we were all hot, dirty, and tired…we finally made it home. This was a wonderful experience and I can’t wait to do it again!
Filed under 4th of July, Bucket List, Carothers Family, Holiday's, Richmond, Vacations
Christmas Eve Party 2011
Christmas Eve 2011…it has finally arrived!  After months of planning and sending messages to Santa, the wait is almost over… Davy and Andy asked if we could have another party this year and since Eve is on Saturday…I said ‘why not!’ 🙂 Here is Andy hanging out in the ‘man room’ with Brandie’s dad, Brain, Mark, and Garrett.
This year we decided to make the party pot-luck…everyone brought a dish or two. Here the table is starting to fill up. We eventually ran out of room in the dining room and ended up filling up the kitchen too!
Matty Bear loves his Courtney!!!
Ryla playing with Grandma Deb!
Time to throw the carrots onto the roof for the reindeer and leave Santa his milk and cookies…
Ummm… I don’t think that it quite made it to the roof…
Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…
Look at what we found in the middle of the night!!!
I can’t believe Santa left Davy a sleigh bell! That is just what he asked for….
Filed under Christmas Traditions, Holiday's, Krulik Family
Davys Kindergarten Christmas Party
Tyler
Wren
Emily
Gabriella and Colton
Kylie
Sophia
Mikey
Mrs. Lewis
Filed under Berkeley Prep, Christmas Traditions, Holiday's
Davys Kindergarten Calendar
Davy made this calendar for us as a Christmas present. He gave it to us after the Winter Concert.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Â
Filed under Berkeley Prep, Christmas Traditions, Fun Stuff, Holiday's
The Easter Bunny Was Here!!!
Around 6:45 in the morning, Andy and I were just beginning to wake up when we hear the sound of a kitchen chair scraping across the floor. We jump out of bed because we know that Davy is searching all through the house for two Easter baskets, hidden by the bunny himself. Of course it didn’t take him very long, Andy and I were very impressed with his night vision skills because it was still dark in the house. We wake Matty up, bring him down stairs, and just smile as we watch our two little love bunnies drag their baskets into the living room and begin to dive in….
Matty received a Chuggington train set and it was a huge hit for both boys.
“Mom! I don’t want to smile for any more pictures!!”
As April is blueberry season, it has become tradition over the last couple of years that we make blueberry pancakes on Easter morning. Yum Yum!!
At 8 o’clock on the dot we began the Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny dropped somewhere around 300 eggs outside, most of them filled with candy…but a few of them had some money!!
After the egg hunt we packed up and headed to granny’s for an Easter dinner. Davy still had a fever, so we were unable to the Easter service at church. Along the way to Granny’s, we stopped and let the boys pick Phlox. I do love them so. They are the most beautiful wildflower.
The Easter bunny left a couple of baskets for the boys at Granny’s too. They were thrilled to get more goodies.
Having a fun egg hunt in Granny’s yard.
Let’s Dye Easter Eggs
It’s the day before Easter, the weather is beautiful, and we are going to have a perfect relaxing Saturday. We started the morning with a Starbucks run. Afterwards, we came home and I cleaned the kitchen while my three guys swan in the pool. A little later in the morning we ventured out again and took the boys to get their hair cut. We are thinking that this will be the last cut until they go back to school in the fall, I do love to let it grow long and blond in the summer. For lunch we went over to Keystone Korner. It is a little mom and pop sandwich place out on Tarpon Springs road…and we loved it. It’s that kind of place that just makes you feel home-grown and country. You order your food inside and then head outside to eat at a picnic table under a large Oak tree while drinking a grape or orange soda. After lunch, the boys took their naps and I boiled us some Easter eggs to get ready for dying!
Well, best laid plans…Davy woke up with a 101.6 fever and was crying because his stomach hurt. I took him over to the Urgent Care around the corner and he tested positive for Strep and his chest x-ray showed the beginning signs of pneumonia. He has been coughing for over a week, allergies (most everyone around here is), so we were just waiting for something stronger to set in. We had planned on going to the Saturday night church service…but that’s out now. One of these years we will make it to an Easter church service.
Courtney came over today, it was perfect timing because she was able to participate in our egg dying activity. The boys have been looking forward to this all week and it was fun to watch Davy concentrate on the eggs to try to make the perfect. Matty of course just wanted to dye his green. He had fun taking them in and out of the egg dye. The eggs turned out beautiful and I can’t wait to make some delicious egg salad in a few days.
Wk 37 – Corned Beef and Cabbage
As we get closer and closer to St. Patrick’s Day, several people have asked me how I cook this delicious Irish dish for my family…so I thought that I would make it a little early this year and share it with all of you. This recipe comes from Southern Living Slow-Cooker Cookbook and is one of our favorites. By cooking it in the crock-pot I am accomplishing two things: 1. Since I work, dinner is ready when we get home and 2. By cooking all day, the beef is super tender and just shreds apart..YUM! If you decide to make this, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Corned Beef and Cabbage
- 1 cured corned beef brisket with spice packet, large enough to feed your family
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 8 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 a bag of tiny red or Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1 14-ounce can beef broth
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
Trim fat from brisket. Place onions and carrots in a slow cooker; place brisket on top of vegetables. Place bay leaves and garlic slices over brisket. Add potatoes on top of brisket.
Combine spice packet from brisket, beef broth, sugar, mustard, and caraway seeds; pour over potatoes and brisket.
Cover and cook on High 1 hour (if available). Reduce to low heat and cook for 8 hours. If not available cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. 1 to 1 1/2 hours before dinner add cabbage and cook until tender. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Cut brisket across grain into slices or shred; serve with cabbage, vegetables, and potatoes.
Filed under 52 Week Challenge, Holiday's, Recipes
New Years Eve 2010
It’s New Year’s Eve 2010 and what better way is there to bring in the new year with our children and friends. We started the evening with a wonderful steak, lobster, risotto, ravioli, asparagus, and champagne punch dinner…Yum! Then afterwards, Brian fired up the bonfire outside and we let the kids roast marshmallows. About 15 minutes before midnight we woke up Matty and Ryla so that they could watch the ball drop with us and get a midnight kiss… Happy New Year’s!!!
Filed under Holiday's, Krulik Family, New Years Eve
Christmas Day 2010
 It’s early Christmas morning and Andy and I woke to the sound of sleigh bells outside and the silent creaking of the back door closing..and we knew that Santa Claus had been to our house. Very quietly we snuck out into the livingroom and this is what we found… We both just glowed with excitement because we knew that the boys would be up shortly and they were going to be soooo surprised and happy.
Davy was the first one to come sprinting down the stairs…
Shortly followed by Matty who zeroed in on a really large Mac truck from the movie Cars.
Davy is very excited to find a stuffed Toothless from the movie “How to train your Dragon”. This was the theme of his 5th birthday party here at home.
Davy’s first set of big boy golf clubs…Santa was so smart to bring these because Davy is starting the Golf Club at school in January.
I think that Davy opened one of his big gifts…a Nintendo DS!
Wow!! We were so excited about the presents, we forgot to get into the stockings. They are so full, they are overflowing!
Christmas isn’t complete unless you have the movie “A Christmas Story” on loop. Davy watching the snow scene while checking out his new spy kit…
Here’s Matty’s big gift…a bounce house. Boy, Santa sure does know our little Matty bear. Matty jumps all the time and everywhere he can.
Team effort to put together the basketball hoop…Andy put together 98% of it and he did a great job.
A little outdoor fun to burn off some extra energy before bedtime.
This picture here is classic Matty because he always jumps onto the swings on this belly.
Filed under Christmas Traditions, Holiday's
Mountains! Beach! or Both!... 