Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

This is what we are having for dinner tonight. My sister gave me this recipe about a year ago, and it’s really easy and quick to make. It’s a little difficult to find new meals that Jason will get on board with, but he really liked this so it has become part of our regular rotation.

1 tube of biscuits (10)
1 lb. hamburger meat
½ cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. chili powder (or eyeball it like I do)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ¾ lb. of the hamburger meat. Drain and put in a mixing bowl. Mix in ½ cup of ketchup, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, ½ tsp. of chili powder, and 3 Tbsp. of brown sugar. Mix it all together.

Spray 10 holes in a muffin pan with cooking spray. Take a biscuit and flatten it out with your fingers. Place it in a muffin space with the dough going up the sides (forming a cup). Spoon hamburger mixture into the cup and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Repeat for the remaining 9 and bake based on the time/temperature on the biscuit tube.

Family Reunion

This past Saturday we traveled to Columbia for the Burley family reunion. My family has never really done reunions, but it is a tradition in the Burley family that has been going on for years. We always have such a great time catching up with everyone, we always eat way too much, and I love for Camryn to have a chance to spend time with her grandparents and great-grandparents. Camryn had a ball showing off for everyone there. She especially had a good time with her Uncle Isaac – let me tell you, she had him wrapped around her finger in no time at all! She seems to have a way with both of her uncles! Here are some pictures from the day.

"Rock-rock" with Daddy and Uncle Happy


Talking with Papa

Getting spoiled by Granna

Hugs from Uncle Isaac

COB and CAP

Things I Discovered ...

... between 4:30 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. this morning when I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep

~the lights on our monitor could rival the brightness of the sun

~our dog is a night prowler

~if we ever build a house, I have an exact floor plan in mind

~our loveseat is not the most comfortable place for trying to get back to sleep

~the couch is a much better option

~I worry about too many things

~eating 3 triple chocolate decadence cookies at 10:30 p.m. last night probably wasn’t the best idea

~my 17-month old talks in her sleep and is a pretty restless sleeper

~my named spelled backwards doesn’t spell much

~I can still name all 50 states in alphabetical order

~I can’t remember the alphabet in French

~counting sheep is not an effective method of falling back asleep

Lunch Dates

One thing I love the most about my summers is lunch dates! Jason and I love to take advantage of the days Camryn is at daycare to have some time to ourselves for a lunch date. I also really enjoy having lunch with girlfriends during the summer. Today I had the chance to have lunch with my college roommate, Jessica. It was great to spend some time with her catching up on friends, family, our daughters, and mommy-talk. There is nothing like a good lunch date with a girlfriend!

I was invited to be a guest blogger today for Jordan and Beth’s anniversary! You can click here to see it. Happy 5th Anniversary, you guys!

Random Thoughts

This morning has been a "catching up morning" - I've caught up on some emails, picked up around the house, finished up the laundry, and caught up on Camryn's baby book. I realized the other day I had not updated it since before December (am I a bad mama or what?), so I took about an hour this morning and filled in all the information on her last few doctor visits, shots, Christmas, birthday, etc.

I've started to realize in the last few days that back to school is getting closer and closer. I don't think I've ever dreaded going back to work as much as I do this summer. I was talking to Jason the other night and told him I really think our family is much happier when I'm at home. I wasn't trying to make him feel guilty that I have to work, but I was just making an observation. I think I may feel that our family is happier because I am happier. In the mornings when Camryn is at daycare and Jason is at work, I have time to get things done like cleaning, laundry, meal prep, etc., so I can actually focus my attention and energy on them at night. When I'm working I feel so rushed and busy trying to get everything done in the evening that I just collpase at night and don't feel like I'm giving my best to my two best people! I also can't bear the thought of having less time with Camryn. She only goes to daycare Monday through Wednesday during the summer, so I have had so much fun having her home with me on Thursdays and Fridays. Last summer she was still so little, and we were having trouble because she was fighting naps and was always cranky. But, this summer has been completely different, and I'm going to miss my special extra time with her when I'm back at work. Oh well ... like I said, just random thoughts ...

Update on the potty - we bought Cam a little potty last night (cushioned seat and all!), and she has already gone 4 times here at home! Let me tell you, she is so proud of herself every time she goes! She looks up to see my reaction and then claps her hands and says "Yea!" I could post a picture, but I think you get the idea ...

By the way, take a minute to visit Beth's blog today. She has the most precious pictures of her little boy and Camryn!

Potty Time!

A little while ago Christie (our daycare worker) called me and said, "Guess what your daughter just did." I'm thinking to myself oh great - did she throw up, hurt somebody? Christie said, "She just went pee pee on the potty!" I was so excited! Camryn has been interested in the potty for a while now. She asks to go but then just sits there and grins at me. It's like a game to her. Or, she will ask to go, do nothing, and 5 minutes later, she has a dirty diaper. Because interest in the potty is the first step, we have usually taken her whenever she asks to go even though we know she just wants to sit there. But, this is the first time she's actually done something! So, I guess we'll be making a trip to good 'ol Toys 'R Us to buy a potty! We'll definitely be taking it slow because she's still a little young for this (17 months this Saturday), but for right now, I'm one proud mama!

The Most Awesome Shirt

I have waited and waited for Camryn to be able to wear this shirt, and today was finally the day! This was Jason's Dukes of Hazzard shirt when he was little. We were going through some of his old baby clothes at his parents' house last year and found it. I laughed and told him I would let Camryn wear it one day ... I don't think he really believed me. I loved watching Dukes of Hazzard when I was little and had the biggest crush on Bo! I think almost everyone my age that I know loved it, too! So, I think it is hilarious that my daughter gets to wear this shirt!

Friday Night with Friends

Last night we went to Greenville to have dinner with two of our very best friends from college and their 3 year old son. Jordan and Beth are two of the most wonderful people we know, and we love spending time with them. We ate dinner at Monterrey's Mexican restaurant (a tradition), and while the guys played Playstation and talked sports, the girls talked clothes, kids, and family. It was especially fun watching the little ones together. Camryn had a great time playing with all the "boy toys" - trucks, bugs, etc. And to end the night, the two of them ran back and forth through the kitchen giggling and screaming at the top of their lungs. The four adults just sat back and laughed at them and wondered where we got such crazy kids! Here are a couple of pictures from some of the more calm moments of the night!

Daddy, Watch!

If you are ever at our house in the evening, you will hear this phrase repeated over and over again ... "Daddy, watch!" Camryn loves to have her Daddy's attention. Once she gets it, she'll do any number of things. Sometimes she'll just stand there and grin. Other times she will stand on her head and do her "trick." Or she may bounce on her Sit & Spin Zebra ... anything that might make her Daddy smile or laugh. If she doesn't immediatly get his attention you'll hear this: "Daddy ... Daddy ... Daddy ... Daddy, Daddy, Daddy ... Daddy ..." and over and over again until he looks at her. It is so sweet to watch our little girl relish her Daddy's attention.

"Daddy, watch!" This is Camryn's trick!

Am I That Old?

One of my best friends from high school emailed me over the weekend to tell me our 10 year high school reunion will take place in September. She said, "Can you believe it has been 10 years since we graduated high school?" My answer to that? Absolutely! Because Jason works closely with the youth at our church, we are constantly reminded we are no longer young or cool.

For example, last week we were at the mall and went into Aeropostale to look around. Two of the girls from the youth group were in the store and said to us with very surprised looks on their faces, "You shop here?" Instances like that coupled with comments about how "old" we are remind me it has, indeed, been 10 years since I graduated high school. (The youth are all great kids by the way!) Looking forward to it in September, though! Maybe we will all sit around and talk about how "old" we are!

By the way, Day 1 with the steriods went pretty smoothly - we're keeping our fingers crossed!

Camryn's Ears

When we went for Camryn's 15 month check-up, the doctor saw fluid behind her ears. We have been back on two other occasions, and the fluid is still there. The doctor said the fluid "moves" in the left ear but is pretty thick in the right ear. So, this time she prescribed steriods, which she said is a great medication with horrible side effects. She said over the next five days we will experience increased irritability and anger, increased appetite, and decreased sleep. Just can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that. Would anybody like to take my kid for the next 5 days?

Blueberry Muffins

I love to cook and bake. And, I especially love getting new recipes to try out. So, I thought every once in a while I would share new ones that come my way that I've really liked. Over the weekend, I had some frozen blueberries I needed to do something with, so I made blueberry muffins for our family on Saturday morning and made them again on Sunday for the college class we co-teach. They were a hit on both occasions. I doubled the streusel topping when I made it for the college kids, and I think that was just right.

Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh, canned (drained), or frozen blueberries

Streusel Topping (like I said, I doubled this)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons firm butter or stick margarine

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups with shortening or line with paper baking cups.

2) Make streusel topping by mixing flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until crumbly. Set aside.

3) Beat milk, oil, and egg in large bowl with fork or wire whisk. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle muffins evenly with streusel topping.

4) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If baked in a greased pan, let stand about 5 minutes, then remove from pan; if baked in paper cups, immediately remove from pan.

A New Phase

Camryn is going through "a thing" right now where she can't get to sleep by herself. During this past week, whenever we put her down for a nap or to sleep at night, she's starting crying and screaming as soon as we leave the room. We have to make several trips back to stand by her crib and rub her back or just stand in the room until she falls asleep. She lays there and opens her eyes every so often just to make sure we're still there. It's like she's seriously terrified for us to leave her alone. She was up at 5:30 this morning crying because she couldn't get back to sleep. I spent 15 minutes inching my way out of her room until she dozed off. I know this is just a phase, and the developmental sheet from the doctor says "sleep disturbances" around this age, but I don't want to start any bad habits that we'll have to break (like she suddenly can't fall asleep unless we're in the room!) Sounds like I may already be there, huh? Any suggestions?

On another note ... took Camryn to the grocery store with me yesterday and realized halfway there that the Floppy was in Daddy's car. If you know me at all, you know how traumatic it was for me to have to put my baby in a shopping cart without the protection of the Floppy. I was especially horrified when she leaned forward and put her mouth on the handle of the cart. It just makes me cringe!

Friday Morning Fun

We had a special treat this morning. Camryn's very best friend came over to play for a few hours while her mommy went to a doctor's appointment. Camryn adores this little girl, and it is really so much fun watching these two in action. I just know one day they will be going on double dates together (maybe when they're 30!), going shopping together (just like their mommies!), having sleepovers, etc. But for now, here are a few pictures of them dancing and from their tea party this morning. They are just too sweet!

My Trainer

I have found myself doing The Firm's Ab Sculpt quite often during the past few days. Not for my own self-improvement as you may think, but because my daughter thinks it is hilarious. She will pull the tape out and say, "Mommy, PP" (her word for the TV) or go over and try to put it in the VCR herself. She loves to sit at my feet and giggle at me every time I sit up for a crunch, or she loves to sit on my stomach while I do the crunches, which increases the difficulty tenfold! She's the best personal trainer I've ever had!

Also, a big happy birthday to my father-in-law! He is really just one of the nicest men you will ever want to meet and always has a big smile for you when he sees you. Happy Birthday, Mr. B!

Camryn's Top Ten

This is a list of Camryn's latest obsessions. We hear about each of them multiple times a day!

1) Food

If you've had the opportunity to share a meal with us lately, you know what I'm talking about. Seriously, people, the kid eats like it's her job.

2) Elmo

We have an Elmo DVD, an Elmo chair, a couple of Elmo outfits, Elmo books, Elmo sippy cups, a Tickle-Me-Elmo, a stuffed baby Elmo ...

3) "Bob"

This is Camryn's word for the Veggie Tales CD we listen to in the car (if you aren't familiar with VT, Bob is the tomato). She originally called it "Bob-Bob" but has now shortened it to just "Bob." I can't think of a time in the last 2 months that I've ridden anywhere without listening to The Song of the Cebu or The Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps.

4) No

I know every parent experiences this at one time or another, but I think if I hear her tell me "no" one more time I may pull my hair out.

5) "Color"

Her word for crayons, pens, colored pencils, or any writing utensil. She hasn't actually mastered coloring on paper but loves to carry them around and put them in and out of the box.

6) Her belly

She loves to show it off ... just ask her!

7) Gracie

Now that she's old enough to appreciate playing with/torturing Gracie, it's the only thing she wants to do. Whenever she leaves for daycare in the morning, she blows Gracie a goodbye kiss before she blows one to me!

8) Cocky

Anytime she sees Cocky or the Carolina logo she says, "Cocky!" Nothing has made her daddy more proud!

9) "A-B"

Her way of requesting that you sing the alphabet song. Just ask Grammy and Papa Lussier ... they sang until they were blue in the face when we were visiting a couple weeks ago.

10) "Tash" aka Trash

She loves throwing things in the trashcan! It's kind of nice if I'm in the den and don't feel like walking to the kitchen to throw something away - I just send her! But, EVERYTHING is trash to her ... even her cup when it's empty. I've found her Elmo cup sitting on top of the trash more than once!

The Blog Debut

Call it peer pressure or just plain boredom, but yes, I have decided to start a blog. I think it is probably safe to say the majority of this blog will be about my precious Camryn, but from time to time I'm sure I'll throw some things in about Jason and me, our family, our friends, our church, etc. But, be forewarned, you'll probably end up knowing more than you ever wanted to about the life and times of our daughter!

After I sat in front of the computer for almost 2 hours yesterday sending my family updated pictures of Cam, I thought this might be an easier way to keep everyone updated.

Hope you enjoy it! By the way, my husband has let me know in no uncertain terms that he will have no part of this ... he HATES blogs! :)