Beau went to Mississippi for work a few weeks ago, and so I was looking for things to do with the boys one afternoon.  The weather was beautiful so I thought I would take them to the zoo.....well, they were still on their winter hours and closed at 5....we pulled in at 4:30 and it was not worth it to lug everyone out of the car for 20 minutes. 


On the way home I called my sweet friend Lindsey who recommended the river walk, so I found a big area where Henry could run and throw stones in the water and went with it!  I happened to have my camera, so I decided to take a few pictures. 

Uncle Brent turned 30 on February 25 and we all went up to help him celebrate his big move from the twenties.  Jan and Bill found a beautiful house in the mountains and we bunked up with them which was lots of fun.  We also got to spend some quality time with everyone and their new baby, Kate Austen.  We had a wonderful visit, the boys loved being with their grandparents, their aunt and uncle, AND their cousin!  Here are a few shots of Brent opening his gifts....or actually, Henry opening them.

Brent is very excited about the new bow ties he got to wear to work!

AND the dress shirts that are wrinkle free!
Finley did not want to open the gifts, but instead eat the bows.

Finley was 6 months old on February 17, 2012 and he is just filling our hearts with so much love!  I can't believe how fast he has grown and how much he has changed.  He is happy for most of the day, but he still has his fussy "bewitching hour," and unfortunately it is right when Beau gets home from work.  I hope it passes quickly.  Finley is rolling like crazy, he is trying so very hard to move/crawl.  He has not figured out how to use his hands and legs at the same time, but he sort of pulls himself to get where he wants.  Crawling is not far away!

I decided I was going to try my culinary skills on making almost all of Finley's baby food. I did not nurse him at all, and with all of the processed and preservative filled foods out there, I thought he deserved something healthier and also something better for his body.  I have tasted store bought baby food.  Some is alright, but nothing is ever as good as the real deal.  I cannot take credit for knowing how to do this (I found a lot of information on this website: Wholesome Homemade Baby Food , and some of my food is still not Finley's favorite, but I am happy I did it and really have enjoyed preparing the food for him.  It is relatively simple, just takes some time.  Here is the play by play for anyone interested in doing this themselves (I definitely recommend it)!
Set out all of your fruits and veggies....then start peeling.  I peel everything....especially those included in the "dirty dozen."  After peeling, you cut up everything into small cubes. Now, there are 3 ways to cook your food.  You can roast in the oven, steam on the stove, or boil/steam.  Fruits work best being boiled or steamed.  Some don't even need much added water.  I roasted the potatoes below and will probably not do that again.  Instead I would boil them like you do for mashed potatoes.