I won the contest my friend was having at Freckles and Rouge and guess what came in the mail yesterday?

I can tell already he likes it.  ;)

(It took about 20 pictures to get one where you could see all the words...but along the way he made a lot of cute faces!)

Thanks Freckles and Rouge!

(Picture taken before my aunt's funeral)

Every day he looks less and less like a baby and more like a little man.  Sometimes I think I catch glimpses of how he'll look 15 years from now.

The other day we took a family drive and saw the beauty nature has to offer.  My little man is always so enthralled with nature, especially greenery!

My son has decided he really likes the taste of his hands...more specifically a few of his fingers.  I find him chomping on them all the time, and sometimes he even sucks them in his sleep.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to attend a meeting especially for women.  Hubby watched the little man so that I could go, and I'm so grateful!  The words spoken went straight to my heart, gently reminding me that I can always improve and lifting my spirit.

"Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten.  No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you.  In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love."  -Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Isn't that a message for all of us?

With all the apples we picked, I've been trying to find creative ways to sneak them into our meals.  We can only make so much apple pie, after all!  I found a recipe online for apple stuffed chicken and tweaked it based one the ingredients I could find in my home.  It turned out A-ma-zing.  So I'm sharing the recipe!

Apple Stuffed Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 cup chopped apples
1 cup cheese (we used Monterey Jack, but I'm sure cheddar would work too)
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1- Mix together the apples, cheese, cornflakes, and Italian seasoning.

2- Slice your chicken breasts so that they are thin (but still connected).  I've heard it's called a butterfly cut, for you baking savvy folks.  Put a generous amount of the apple mixture inside the chicken and roll it up, securing it with toothpicks.  You will not use all of the mixture, and that's okay. 

3-Melt the butter in a frying pan and stick the stuffed chicken breasts in the pan.  You want to lightly cook all sides.

4-Mix together the chicken broth, water, and cinnamon in a cooking pan.  I used a glass 8x8 pan.  Place the cooked chicken in the pan and cover with remaining apple mixture. 

5-Cook in the over for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until your chicken seems tender and your cheese is melted.

6-Enjoy!

We've been picking apples from the orchard on the university campus and making apple pie filling!

Hubby is no longer working away from home.  Instead he's in school finishing up his associates degree.  He only has one class every morning and while we are still in the process of looking for jobs, this leaves us a lot of time to be together as a family.  When baby boy is upset, he needs his mama; but when baby boy wants to play, he looks for his daddy.  I love these two boys, and I am loving all the extra time they get to spend together!

Isn't this video cute?  Hubby was trying to play "peek a boo" with little man and we realized that every time he couldn't see his daddy, our baby boy would start to cry.  But as soon as hubby popped back into sight, the tears would turn to smiles.  Too sweet.

Hubby is always looking for new ways to get our little man to feed himself.  Here is the newest: