8 Months!

I said this on instagram, and I will say it again.  There is no way my baby is 8 months old!  Where has the time gone?  I'm not going to lie, this age has been pretty amazing!  Someone has finally learned how to sleep!  12 hours straight on multiple occasions...I can get used to this!  Some of his favorite things right now

- Balls!  I put him down to play with toys all around, and without a doubt, he will choose the ball.

-The stairs.  This will be the death of me.

-His mama and dada.  He gets so excited when dad gets home and we are all together.

-Baths.

-Food.  He can't get enough.

-Drinking water out of moms cup.  Yummy.

-Peek-a-boo.

-Walks outside.

-Music.

-Eating books.  Its a step I guess!

-Waving hi and bye!

As you can tell, Jax is very cooperative when it comes to taking pictures..... This kid doesn't sit still!

And my favorite pictures from the month!

(Does it not look like he is taking a selfie?)

I can't even look at this picture without laughing!

Wait, all kids don't wake up like this?

We call this his popeye face...he makes it often!

Sure love this crazy boy of mine!  Heres to hoping the next 8 months are as amazing as the first.

Sweet Pork Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

A couple months ago, I found myself in a bit of a rut with cooking.  Sometimes, making dinner every night gets old!  So I made a goal to try at least one new recipe a week.  And the good news is, I have yet to try something we don't like!  Our favorite recipe has been a sweet pork salad with cilantro lime dressing.  I pick and chose from a couple different recipes to come up with this, and have been asked by a few people for the recipe, so here it is!

Sweet Pork Salad

Pork Ingredients:

• 3 lbs pork butt or shoulder
• 20 oz Dr. Pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1.5 c. of salsa
• 2 c. green chili sauce
• 1 c. brown sugar
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chili powder to taste

Instructions:

• Place the pork in crockpot.
• Stir together the Dr. Pepper and salsa.
• Add the minced garlic, and pour the mixture over the meat.
• Cook on high for 4-6 hours.
• When the pork is tender, shred and place back in the crockpot.
• Combine all remaining ingredients and pour over the pork.
• Cook on low for one hour.
• If the mixture needs to thicken, remove the lid.

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

*Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

• 4 juicy limes (original recipe calls for 2-3, but I didn't think this was enough)
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 c. canola oil ( I ended up adding a little more)
• 1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients together in the blender, and mix until smooth.  Make a couple hours ahead of time and place in the refrigerator.  Stir before serving.

Make the salad with your favorite ingredients, and enjoy!

(My salad consists of lettuce, bell pepper, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, and cilantro)

A fake photographer

What do you do all day?  This is a question I ask myself somedays as I look around the house.  Well, I pick up the house about 10 times before giving up until 7:30 when Mr. Moomoo hits the sack.  I cook, run errrands, clean, workout, play with Jax, you name it.  I hate that Jax is growing up, but I love how much fun he is becoming!  Let's be honest, sometimes we get bored around here.  My first thought is to just run to target, but I don't think Garrett appreciates that one much!  It happens on a regular basis...it is down the street after all!  Is it even possible to leave Target without buying multiple things?  So recent idea for entertainment is dressing Jax in a cute outfit and having our own little photo shoot.  I know what you are thinking, lucky kid!  This mom, who is a far cry from a photographer, is sure loving it though.  How could you not with this cute little model?

(Recognize that red cart?  Jax feels right at home in it!)

Is it just me, or does he look 12 in this picture?

Surprisingly, Jax didn't try to eat the leaves, since everything else ends up in his mouth!  This blue eyed silly guy is pretty fun to have around!

Something about moms

Why is it that moms just make everything better?  This last weekend we welcomed my mom in to town for a fun weekend! Fall here in Colorado is absolutely beautiful, so I enjoyed showing off the multicolored trees and sunshine. Jax and I picked her up from the airport Friday afternoon and then headed to lunch. We did a little shopping, and then headed home to get Jackson a nap.  We snuggled Jax and talked the rest of the night away.

(This picture was actual taken before my mom got here, I just think it's pretty!)

It's crazy how having a baby slows you down.  Sometimes I think that the slow down allows us to enjoy quick visits like this even more!  Saturday morning was spent trying to get Jackson to take a nap.  This kid has never been a great sleeper.  But this weekend was particularly bad! It was almost like he knew his grandma was here to play with him.  Seriously though, he would look out the door longingly and refused to close his little eyes! We finally left Garrett to try to get Jax down at 1! We grabbed lunch and ran errands. And luckily, someone took a much needed 3 hour nap. We ended the day with some BYU football and jam making!

And let me tell ya, this was some delicious strawberry jam! Karen is quite the homemaker, and I love learning some of her tips.  She really is as good as they come! And here is what Jax did all night...

 

Such a difficult child I have!  This is him 99.9% of the day. I guess you can say I hit the jackpot!  Sunday afternoon came way too fast for us Wonnacott's as we dropped my mom off at the airport.  Anyone else up for a visit?  Our doors are open!