I've been busy.....

Hello friends! Hope everyone is having a great week! I know I am. Well, it's super rainy and dreary today but that's ok because it gives me time to update the good ol' blog or blob as my dear husband calls it.

It's been a busy week time since I posted last Thursday. On Friday Charlie and I drove out to my sisters for an awesome Mother's day dinner that she cooked for me, my mom and my grandma. It was so sweet of her. She also got us each these cute little gifts! I felt awful, I didn't even get her a card! She knows I love her though and that I think she's the best! Charlie started the usual fussiness around 645 so as much as I hated it I knew I had to eat and run. She started her squealing about 10 minutes from home but once we got in she was ready for bed. Whew. Friday was fun.

On Saturday I was supposed to have a mommy and me session with a friend of mine but that got postponed and we are now doing it this Saturday. The weather last Saturday morning wasn't great for an outdoor session that's for sure. Saturday morning I ran errands, went to the grocery and then that night I watched two friends get married and it was BEAUTIFUL! Jamie and Cody got married at Mellwood Arts Center in the same room where my wedding reception was. I love how they can curtain that room off for the ceremony and reception. I had never seen it done in person but now that I have I can say it was very pretty! I had to go to the wedding solo because hubby stayed home with the baby. We didn't have a sitter and I kind of wanted to wake up on Mother's Day with my little girl there with me. Anyway, after the wedding we danced and tore up the dance floor until I finally had to get outta there around 11 or so. My friend Brian thought I bailed early when I was outside talking to friends so he was blowing up my phone. (He always says that I leave events super early now because I have a kiddo (He has none so he doesn't get it lol) ) Told you I didn't leave B! Haha.

Sunday morning I got up around 630 and decided to try and go for a run. Yeah, that was a terrible decision. I think I maybe did 1.78 miles. Ha! I should have known better. I didn't drink much the night before but I did have some wine so that wasn't great to run on. After my run I came home to my loves and then Ryan went to church with his mom, dad and my bro and sis in law. I would have went but my daddio and mamaw were coming over to visit me and Charlie. They hung out for a while until  Charlie got fussy and needed a nap. I tried to catch a nap before Ryan got back but that didn't happen. He got me some yummy food from Cracker Barrel and it was delicious!

We all rested for a bit then went out to my bosses house for her son Ethan's homecoming. He just graduated from Marine Corps bootcamp. It was a lot of fun and it was nice seeing him again and asking him all kinds of questions. He and Ryan talked for a while of course because Ryan is a Marine Vet and wanted to know all the details of the San Diego bootcamp and what he thought of it. Ryan went to boot camp at Paris Island and he claims it's the "Real" bootcamp. Ha! Charlie was such an angel during this little outing. She played with her toys and had a good time talking to all the dogs. I was really impressed with how well she just took everything in stride. She didn't even get fussy until around 7 and then we decided we should head home. Mother's day was awesome.

OH!

And I got an awesome Mother's Day Present. I'm currently taking a workshop over at In Beauty & Chaos called Capturing the Everyday Environmental Portraiture with Children. You can read more about it HERE but a friend is teaching it that I've gotten to know over the past year through her photography on our 365 group. Kerry is awesome and I'm already loving this class! So that was my Mother's Day gift from Charlie and Ryan. He knows the way to my heart is through cameras, lenses and of course education and workshops! This workshop deals with Children so obviously you're going to be seeing a lot of Charlie pics on my 365 project over the next 4 weeks. Hope ya don't mind! :-)

Ok, this is a LONG blog post. I swear I keep telling myself I need to write more and stop letting it all pile up! Oh well. Let's finish this post with a 365 update!

Hope everyone has a great week and weekend. I'll be posting again soon.....

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In motion.

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Blueberry Snacks.

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Welcome home Ethan!

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Tiny & Wild is RIGHT!

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Dramatic Light.

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I know I've told you how much I love my in laws sink. More proof. (Engaging my subject)

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Dinner time. Again, engaging the subject and setting the scene.

 xxx

Ryan

A dose of cuteness for your Thursday.

GOOD MORNING!

I've had coffee today so excuse my excitement. As promised I'm here to deliver your dose of my 365 project. These pictures are all of my little bug. When I can't find anything to take pictures of I've always got the cutest girl in all the land to snap a photo or two of.

Here we go:

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Had fun splashing around in grandmas sink on daddy's birthday dinner day. I've always wanted a sink that sits in front of a window. Look at that LIGHT!? Photogs dream right there. For our next house, this will be a requirement. Ahh.....7 more years.....

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Not quite ready for bed yet.

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Getting a quick bath after dinner at grandmas house. Again with that light. Drool.

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Our friends left their baby pool at our house after the Derby party so we threw some water in it and Charlie had a ball. She was wearing a bathing suit but decided to go to the bathroom so we got changed and just decided to go nakey. She loved it. 

Here she is contemplating life and other things after a hard day at daycare....

Seriously. This kid is too much. I just can't handle the cuteness.

Hope everyone has an amazing day! I've got a special photoshoot planned tonight that I have to keep under wraps until the 17th! UGH! Surprises are so fun though :-)

xxx

Ryan

Derb-a-licious weekend update.

Derby weekend is over and I'm still recovering from all the fun. I'm going to try to get caught up here but who knows how far I'll get!

Derby weekend was such a success. Friday night was totally amazing. I had so much fun with my ladies at the Fillies and Stallions Party! I was super excited to get to meet Aaron Rogers and so many of the UofL basketball team! Here are some pictures from that night.  Also, these are totally out of order because this blog site drives me nuts and I can't figure it out half of the time and I don't feel like uploading every single picture one by one. So there.

Me, Aaron Rogers & Ashlee. WHAT!!!

Very nice and soft spoken guy. I was so excited to meet him! (PS...Thanks Brittney for making this happen)

Bonefish apps with the ladies before heading out.

Mr. Chane Behanan 

Creeping on Kris Humphries

Me and my bestest. Love this lady.

Borrowed from the Jenny Drake line.

Found Marissa on the dance floor!

My best girl. 

Momma's ready for some fun!

After the Fillies and Stallions party luckily for me Krista was sober and was willing to drive us home! Yay! I hate not sleeping in my own bed, especially if I have things to do the next morning. So anyway, once I got home I ate some chicken ramen noodles and took my butt to bed. At 4am. Shew wee. Momma doesn't party like that anymore. :-)

I woke up ready to go at 8:45am. Yep. I LOVE DERBY DAY! I quickly texted the husband a big ol' Happy 30th Birthday text since he was in a turkey blind and go up ready to start my day! I really didn't have much to prepare because I did a lot the day before since I was off. I went to try and find Derby programs and that was a complete bust. Everyone was sold out. So I ventured over to Starbucks and had the new Caramel Crunch Frappe. OMG. Talk about life changing. It was seriously the best drink ever. I totally gained 3 pounds last week but I've gotten back on track since then. So, I got my starbucks and a ham, egg & swiss croissant and then I went back home to prepare for the rest of the day.

I had Pandora jamming the Lorde station while I was making food. Ryan got home around noon and started getting the corn hole boards ready and all the fish and turkey set out for the fish fry. YUM!

People started arriving around 2 and Geoff and I got our corn hole winning streak underway. We were beat a few times but I'm pretty sure we were still the champions of the whole wide world. (As my dad would say.) :-)

Me and Krista being twinsies.

Me and momma.

My love. 

Who knows. 

The boys hanging out in the garage.

Krista Sammich.

The Derby pots were selling, corn hole was being played, fish and frog legs were being fried and everyone was having a good time! My baby girl finally got home around 4. My mother in law kept her Oaks night and most of the day Derby so I could get things ready for the party. Little bug was tired but she had fun playing with her best buddy Raegan.

Once the Derby was done and California Chrome was declared the winner I was pumped because I actually won the $5 Derby pot! I never win these things and I always spend so much money! Cali Chrome was the favorite so  when I drew him I definitely didn't think that I was going to win because the favorites don't win often. I knew I was taking my winnings to target to get some cute skirts. Yay!

We hung out with friends until around 930 and then Ryan and I were beat so we went to bed. On Sunday we had his birthday dinner over at his parents. Enchiladas, chocolate cake and ice cream. YUM! Jan's chocolate cake is amazing and this time she put a layer of fudge in it. WHAT?! I didn't eat any after the enchiladas but I did have a small piece later that night and it was so delicious. (I told you I gained 3 pounds last week)

So there you have it folks. My Derby weekend update. It was a lot of fun and it was exhausting and I'm already looking forward to next year!

365 update will be up tomorrow along with a few other things!


xxx

Ryan

The most perfect melt in your mouth venison steak!

I've had some requests for this recipe since I posted the photo for my 365 project so I figured I would throw it up here really quick. This venison steak is melt in your mouth delicious.  I actually got this deer steak recipe from Field and Stream but I've added my own little tweaks to it. I think this tastes best with tenderloin because it's thicker.

I have hubby pull some tenderloin or steaks from the freezer and let them thaw for a few days.

Once they thaw I then put them in a marinade made of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper and steak seasoning for no less than 24 hours. I also beat them a few times with a meat hammer to make them a little more tender.

1. When I'm ready to cook I take the steaks and marinade out of the fridge about an hour before I'm ready to throw them on the skillet.  I let the meat rest on the counter until it comes to room temperature or close to it.

2. Place a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet in the oven and set the temperature to 450 degrees.

3. Using a paper towel, blot any surface moisture, blood and marinade off steak. Rub both sides with canola or vegetable oils. Sprinkle heavily with salt and cracked pepper, pressing the seasonings into the meat with your hand.

4. When the oven comes up to temperature, carefully remove the hot pan to a stovetop burner set to medium-high.

5. Place the steak in the pan and sear one side quickly, no more than 30 seconds. Flip the steak and transfer the pan back into the oven. Cook about two minutes per side for medium rare, but no longer than 3 minutes per side.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the steak to a plate. Let the meat rest for about five minutes before slicing. Use this time to deglaze the pan with a little red wine or stock to make a quick, easy pan sauce.

Once sliced your steak will look and taste as delicious as this......

Enjoy!


xxx

Ryan

Last post before the MAIN EVENT!

I'm guessing this will be my last post until after all of this weekends festivities have ended. I have a busy weekend ahead of myself so I don't forsee any blog time in my near future. I just have to survive this last work day and then it's straight fun for the next 4 days. Yes 4. I'm so going to enjoy this 4 day weekend!

Tomorrow I have a ton of things to do. I have to pick up Ryan's birthday cake, go grocery shopping, go shoe shopping, go accessory shopping, clean my house, food prep for Saturday, get ready and then go to the Fillies & Stallions party at Mellwood Arts Center. I'm really looking forward to this event. I don't get out too much these days because I would rather be home with my love bugs but when I do go out, I make sure I have a good time.

I'm meeting my sister and my lovely friends at my sisters condo tomorrow at 730. Then our plan is to get some appetizers at Bonefish and then head down to the party. Should be a good time filled with dancing, drinks and a few celebrities. Looking forward to it.

I have to be somewhat careful on my drink intake because I have a party to host on Saturday for the Derby! This is the 7th year that Ryan and I have thrown a Derby party. I'll admit, in years past things have gotten a little crazy but now that most of our friends have kids we keep it under control a little better. Everyone still has a great time but there's not as much debauchery going on. :-)

Saturday is also Ryan's 30th birthday so we've mixed that in with the Derby party too. I've already told him his present  because I had to make sure he was ok with it before I pulled the trigger. He doesn't get it until November though! I got us tickets to go see Notre Dame/Louisville play up at South Bend on November 22nd. He is a huge Notre Dame fan and duh, I'm a huge Cardinal fan so of course we are going to be going to that game. Not only are we going but about 15 of my friends are going as well and we all have hotels for the whole weekend. Ryan couldn't be the only Notre Dame fan with all us crazy Card fans so we asked his cousin Adam if he wanted to go and of course he said yes. It's going to be SO much fun! Leaving our kiddo for a weekend might be rough though! At least I still have a few months to prepare for that.

So. That's my weekend plans. Sunday we are eating at Ryan's parents for his birthday dinner and then Monday I'm off work again so I guess I'll write up a weekend summary then. Be prepared for lots of iphone pics!

Have a great DERBY weekend my friends!!

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A man and his truck.

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Arrow symmetry.

xxx

Ryan

Derby Week Monday!

I've decided that I'll probably blog every day this week because I'm so anxious and excited for the weekend that I need to kill some time and stay busy. :-)

Today was another eventful day in the Cecil household. Alarm clock was blaring at 530 and I hopped out of bed to crank out some Cardio T-25. I killed it and felt great. Apparently it must have been sleep in day at my house because Charlie and Ryan didn't bother rolling out of bed until 8 which was GREAT for me! I actually got to relax a little this morning and enjoy a cup of coffee which I normally don't do. Most times I'm rushing around, making lunch, straightening the house, feeding the baby, getting the baby dressed or doing some other random thing around here. So anyway, when those two sleep in, I enjoy it.

When Charlie finally decided to wake up I was changing her and noticed a rash all up her belly and her back to her hairline. I was like oh great, what terrible thing is wrong with her now! I was hoping it was just a little reaction to her medicine or maybe she had a reaction to some mandarins that she tried for the first time Sunday. I wasn't too concerned because she seemed fine so we got ready and off to daycare we went. When I got there I was telling Miss C. about the rash and then Ms. T came out and told me that it could possibly be strep rash. WHAT?! She was tested for strep last week when we were at the doctor but they had me convinced that this is now what she had. Ugh.

They let her stay and I told them I would call the doctor so that's what I did when I first got to work. Of course they said they needed to see her so here goes another half day at work. Thankfully my bosses have been understanding and haven't minded me leaving to take care of the little one. They have a ton going on so I really appreciate them on days like today when I'm stressing out and worrying about the little bug. I left work at 2 and picked up the kiddo and we ran over to the pediatricians office. It was really crowded when we got there but we had an appointment so it didn't take long to get back and see Dr. Rash. Ha. Her name is Dr. Rash and we were seeing her because Charlie had a rash. That was ironic.

As soon as she walked in and looked her over she said immediately that Charlie didn't have strep and even if she did the antibiotic that she has been on since last week would have already knocked it out. Well, that's nice to know. She informed me that Charlie has a touch of Roseola which if my mother in law hadn't called me earlier in the day to tell me that this was something Ryan got when he was younger after a fever I would have looked at her like a deer in headlights. Instead I felt pretty informed and grateful that it was nothing to worry about! (Thanks Jan!)

When we left the doctor I was so relieved. The last thing we need during Derby week is Strep and a sickly baby! We came home and she immediately went down for a nap and I tidied up a little since I had some unexpected free time at home. Today has been so rainy and dreary so I haven't really felt like doing much except sitting around. Glad I knocked out my workout early.

Next topic. A friend and fellow blogger has entered a cute little picture of her and her daughter in a mother/daughter photo competition and I think you should go vote for them. The link to her blog is HERE and the voting site is at the bottom of her blog. Feel free to browse around. She's always blogging fun stuff!

Well, I think my husband is on the way home so I guess I better wrap this up. Hope everyone is having a great day despite the rain (here in KY).

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As long as it stops raining by Friday we will be in good shape. 

xxx

Ryan & the rashy babe

IT'S DERBY WEEK!

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I'm so excited! This is my absolute most favorite time of the year! I had plans to take Charlie to the Balloon Glow on Friday with Courtney and the kiddos but of course she is still recovering from that stinkin ear infection so we didn't go. My mother in law came over and brought me dinner and watched Charlie for a little while so I could go run some errands. That woman is a SAINT! Seriously, they help us out so much and I'm super grateful. All of our parents have been so much help. They aren't kidding when they say it takes a village. I'm glad I've got a large one!

So anyway this weekend wasn't exactly as fun as I wanted it to be. We had our friendly weight loss competition yesterday and I didn't win. Boo. BUT I've lost 14.8% of my body weight in 4 months so who gives a CRAP!? The money would have been nice but I prefer this lifestyle change and I have plans to keep losing until I get to my goal. 15 more pounds to go! Trucking on. Big congrats to my friends Ashley Shutts and Brian Vogel. They killed the competition. As did Brian's wife Kristin and my best buddy Geoff. Plan get skinny for summer is in effect!

Aside from weigh in yesterday me and Charlie didn't do much. Ryan came home early from the farm and I needed that break because Charlie was driving me bonkers. So when he got home I ran some errands and picked up some things for the Derby party and then last night my friend Geoff came over for some friend time and I had a few drinks for the first time in a month. I sure do love Blue Moon. Yum.

Today was uneventful. Charlie slept most of the day and I got to get the house somewhat put together. There's still work to do but everything will be in order for the party this weekend.

Here's what I've been up to:

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The boys had a good day.

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Double Ear Infection :-(

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"So I can't go outside if I'm sick?"

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Hollywood 

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Diaper Daze 

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Awake.

Thanks for looking! Hopefully I have time to write again this week!

HAPPY DERBY WEEK KENTUCKY!!!!

xxx

Ryan