Nicki And Adam's Family Blog

I love my book club. It is a diverse group of women from 30 (me) and upwards. We are all in different walks of life: first time parent, grandparent, parent of kids in elementary, middle, high or college and beyond. We all bring something different to the table. We finished and talked about the book "Paris Wife." It did not receive a high rating from this group of women. Probably 4 out of 10. That is okay. Not every book is a winner. Some women thought this book reminded them of the book "Loving Frank." For me, the first 100 pages of the book were the best. Then it got a little slow and didn't have as much "action" as I would have loved. Our next book is "My Name is Mary Sutter" by Robin Oliveira. During this month, I also finished "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have loved both one and two of the trilogy. I will start three very soon. I am also reading "Love and Logic Magic for E...

My sister Jeanne-marie comments that Charlie "always smells like maple syrup." Well, for good reason. It is one thing he will almost consistently eat (drink?). Maple Syrup. Fabulous. So, if I am gonna feed him this, I might as well try to make it healthy. Therefore, in an attempt to find ways to sneak healthy stuff (hidden underneath maple syrup) into Charlie's diet and my husbands, here is a recipe (excellent) for pancakes. He truly loves these! 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (or regular..) 1.5 Tsp Sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1 Cup Yogurt (I use a variety of flavors, kinds, etc....mixes it up a bit) 1-2 bananas (or any fruit you choose) 1 Egg 2 Tblsp Butter Mix all together and put on griddle.

I got the recipe from a co-worker. It is absolutely fabulous. And what makes it even more fabulous....I GOT CHARLIE TO EAT IT! Yes!! Here is a picture of the finished product:  And just to prove that Charlie actually ate it (and did not spit it out), here is proof. The reason I am so excited is because I cannot get Charlie to even try corn or beans. But, in this "dip" he will eat it all. Including the onions and avocado. Yeah! I probably shouldn't get so excited, tomorrow he probably won't touch it. Here is the recipe. Enjoy! 1 can black beans drained 1 can mexican corn drained 1 pkg. Italian Dry dressing 1 small red onion chopped 3-5 gr.onions chopped 2 avocados 1/2 C. Olive Oil 1/4 C. White Vinegar We use crackers or chips to dip with. Adam says it is so good that he can eat it plain!

One of Charlie's favorite things to do is dance. Enjoy!

We have a task to get all three cousins on the Sayre side of the family together for a photo. Easier said than done for a 13 month, 17 month, and 3.5 year old. I could tell you how it went, but I think I will just let you enjoy the pictures instead: This one is my favorite. Charlie is biting on his molars, Elizabeth is watching him, and Noah is flying off the bench like Superman. Fabulous. Below is the best one. We will try again some other day. Thinking photo shop may be the best idea yet!

We have embarked upon finishing our basement this fall. While the work is accurate, speed is something that the Sayre's (not me...remember, I am a Wanta) are not known for. Although we are very thankful that our help only requires Cheez-its and a beer. Here is a picture of the start of process. Hopefully the end will come before July :)

Last weekend (over Labor Day) my cousin Dave Huebschen married Lynne. It was a great wedding! The best part of it was the fact that they are ballroom dancers. There were so many different kinds of dancing/music played that night including a variety of showcases. One of the "showcases" (that I didn't know was coming) was my dad and I asked to start off the polka dancing. We got a cool time to dance alone with the support of all the people in the room. That is pretty special. I am SOOO lucky to have a 75 year old dad in that type of shape. How many of you can say your 75 year old father can dance like that??? Enjoy the video (a little dark). Also, after our showcase, watch the whole family, including my nieces and nephews dancing the polka. It is a bit of a family tradition now. How cool! https://www.facebook.com/nicolewanta

I picked the book for our book club this month. I was intrigued about this book when I read the first few pages. I was hooked. To be honest, I know little to nothing about Ernest Hemingway (quite possibly you don't know much either), but I LOVE the time period in which this took place (flapper 1920's) and the story of his first wife, Hadley. I enjoyed it (but would probably not give it a 10, more like an 8) because I often fantasize about a life lived among the "artists" of the world. What would it be like? Where would I be eating? What city would I be living in? Who would be my friends? Might my friends be famous someday? I think Ernest lived a troubled life, like many artists/writers. I believe that their brains are wired slightly differently. This makes me think, is it better to be "normal and not brilliant" or "brilliant and quite not normal." I don't know. I am in the life that God has given me, which I love, but I would love to play a...