Dominican Republic

Bart and I just got back from the Dominican Republic. We were celebrating our 10 year anniversary early. It was great and we accomplished just what we wanted to, nothing! We did a lot of sleeping and laying out on the beach and by the pool. We both finished one and a half books. We needed to get away and have some couple time, but I must say we missed our babies.

It didn't take long to get back into our mom and dad routine. We arrived home Friday night at 10:30 and on Saturday we had a soccer game at 9am and three birthday parties. So much for easing back in to reality.

Soccer Girl

Sydney has a new passion and it is soccer. With this passion, she throws me into a special demographic, Soccer Mom. I am loving watching her learn and play this game. She is having a ball. Bart is the coach and I must say he is very good. He is patient, encouraging and organized. I am very impressed with both of the Streets on the field. Last week, Sydney almost scored. She got a breakaway and dribbled the ball all the way up the field by herself. She didn't score, but to look at me you would have thought she won a gold medal. My heart was beating fast and I had tears in my eyes. I thought, 'oh no here we go!'

In Clanton, AL in the 1990's we didn't have soccer, so it is all new to me. I am a fan!

Coach Bart, Sydney and Grace (my future daughter-in-law - she is marrying Mac so she and Sydney can be sisters)

Jennifer Hagler Photography

Hey! I wanted to share the pictures my dear friend, Jennifer Hagler, took for us last week. She lives in Birmingham, AL and does a great job. She has an eye for capturing your children in their environment and let's them be themselves. Every slide show gives you a glimpse into the personalities of the children/families and their uniqueness. Check out our slide show! Her website is www.jenniferhaglerphotography.com.

My Sweet Husband

Poor Bart has been suffering with allergies this season and is miserable. He is stopped up and has itchy, puffy eyes. Yesterday, I decide to mow the lawn for him and let him stay inside with the kids and watch the end of the Masters. I thought that was nice of me. I had already unpacked the car, luggage, started a load of laundry and gone to the grocery store.

Here is the hiccup - I also asked him to feed the kids nuggets and get our dinner ready. I showed him the recipe for Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice. It was in the REAL SIMPLE magazine and seemed very simple. I set out Boil in the Bag Brown Rice and Steamfresh Broccoli (the microwave broccoli) to cook and then mix together. All he had to do was glaze the salmon with brown sugar and soy sauce and broil it. Let's just say that when I came in from mowing the lawn, things had not been as simple as I thought they would be. One look at Bart told me I had thrown him into a war zone with no ammunition! The kitchen was smoky and Bart was exasperated to say the least. I asked who was leading the Masters and he said,'I haven't been able to even look at the television!' He said he didn't know how long to cook the rice, what broil was and that I needed to buy new brown sugar because it was pasty. Well, I don't think I will be letting him cook dinner anytime soon. With that being said, the meal was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed my time mowing the lawn.

Bless his heart, he is so good to me and takes my abuse. He is the sweetest husband and such a loving father. We are all so blessed to have him in our lives. But we will never ask him to multi-task again!

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup long grain white rice (we used Boil in the Bag Brown Rice)
1 head broccoli (stems discarded),chopped (about 2 cups) we used Steamfresh broccoli
4 pieces skinless salmon fillet (1 1/4 pounds total)
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

-Heat broiler. In a bowl, combine the sugar and soy sauce; set aside.
-Cook rice according to the package directions, stirring in the broccoli during the last 3 minutes. Let stand off heat until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
-Meanwhile, place the salmon and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.
-Broil, spooning half the sugar and soy sauce glaze over the salmon during the last 2 minutes of cooking, until the salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon and onion with the rice and the remaining glaze.

Easter Eggs

Is there anything more fun than dyeing and hunting Easter eggs? Mac and Sydney had so much fun this year. Mac decided not to use the dipper for his eggs and instead use his fingers. They turned a lovely shade of green! He was having so much fun, until he decided to act like the Incredible Hulk and smash the eggs in the dye and in his hands. That was not so much fun.

We went to Clanton for our family gathering and egg hunt. My parents have a great backyard with plenty of room to run and play. They both ran their little behinds off. We had a great time and already miss everyone.

Happy Easter!

We had a great Easter/Spring Break in Alabama with family. Here are a few pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits.

My Favorite Breakfast

This is my favorite breakfast. There is a restaurant here, Mug and Muffin, that does something similar, but with a bagel. I hope you enjoy! It tastes a lot like a BLT without the lettuce.

Breakfast Sandwich:

Whole Wheat English Muffin, toasted
Cream cheese, spread on muffin
Two strips of bacon
Sliced tomato with salt and pepper

YUMMY!