weekend update with amelia markgraf and jimmy fallon

WOULDN'T IT BE COOL IF I COULD GET JIMMY FALLON TO GUEST POST HERE ON THE HOMEBOOK? Was anyone else disappointed that they replayed Timberweek last week instead of new episodes? Do I talk about Jimmy too much on my blog?

Anyway, here are some photos of an after church nature/beach/lake walk we took yesterday. It's the middle of August and school is starting this week for lots of kids, but it was our first time at our little spot by Lake Michigan this summer. The weather was perfect and Ralph's morning nap was already a bust, and we could hear the windy, stinky shores calling our name. It was time. We trekked down the big hill and put our feet in the sand, and Ryan immediately took Ralph out to the dangerous rocky parts. Ralph was confused by the sand, and attempted to eat it. He was unsuccessful. It was altogether some good Sunday kind of fun.

But let me tell you about Saturday, because Saturday was quite favorable in the food department: a Packer game was playing at 7pm that evening, so like any good wife of a die hard Packer fan would, I made a big old pot of chili and homemade pretzels with cheese sauce. Yes I did. The pretzels turned out fantastically (here's the recipe I used) and the chili, which is my dad's recipe, was superb as always. The cheese sauce was eh. We feasted after Ralph went to bed, and Ryan watched the game while I did my nails. And now we have enough leftover chili and pretzels with cheese sauce to last until the next Packer game. Which is on Friday. Exciting stuff happening over here.

Here are some other things that happened over the weekend: 

We rescued Ryan's aunt's car from an auto body shop, and Ryan drove it back to our house. He couldn't drive it over 15mph the entire way home, yet I, in my own car, going the speed limit, was the one who got honked at. 

I have the itch to fiiiiiiinally put the finishing touches on Ralphie's room. I just need to figure out the curtain situation and I'll be done. Ryan built 3 little bookshelves and hung them up on the wall yesterday, and they look so spiffy. I can't wait to show you!

While I was busy making chili and pretzels and cheese sauce on Saturday afternoon, Ryan was on Ralph wrangling duty. After a good while of listening to them play from the kitchen, I walked into the living room to find Ryan had set up the pack and play and plopped Ralph in there, while he watched golf from the couch. I'm still not sure if it's a genius or cruel idea. That said, the pack and play is still set up in the living room. Our dear Ralph is a darling, sweet, exhausting child.

I successfully ignored 4 baskets of laundry waiting to be folded on our dining room table all weekend long. Four baskets! This probably wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have four baskets to stuff all that clean laundry into.

That's it. The weekend is over and Monday is here. Ralph and I are going to hang sheets on the clothesline, bake some zucchini bread, and practice our high-five-ing today. Let the week begin!