More pictures of Cheetah

Okay, I got some cute pictures of Holly and Cheetah this morning so I thought I'd add them on here. Holly absolutely adores the kitten and Cheetah doesn't seem to mind being mauled and hauled around. Holly hasn't been afflicted by any scratches thus far, so I'm hoping it stays that way!

The newest Finkbeiner...Cheetah!

Cheetah is our newest member of the Finkbeiner family! She's a beautiful orange striped kitten that's about 8-9 weeks old. My parents' cat had a little of kittens and we brought one home with us this weekend from their house. This is the only picture I've managed to snap so for, sorry it's not the best but I thought it was cute anyway! I think it's kind of funny that they "match," as Holly would say. She and Lucy are almost the same color!

Going to the Circus

Ruth and Owen Ross invited us to go to the circus several weeks ago. Holly was very excited, even though I'm pretty sure she had NO idea what the circus was! She enjoyed it very much, especially getting to ride the ponies. She also liked watching the elephants and the tigers. It was an awesome evening with great friends!

Fishing with Papa Rich

Over Memorial weekend and 4th of July, Holly spent some time fishing with her Papa. She absolutely adores my dad, and any time he offers to take her fishing she jumps at the chance! She's pretty good about begging *cough*, I mean, politely asking, him to take her also. :)

Oh boy, blogging slacker!

Alright, I'll start off with Holly's "new" swing set. Some friends of ours were wanting to get rid of a swing set that their kids had outgrown. We had been thinking about getting one for a while and decided since it's free, what the heck! Here are some pictures of her trying it out. She loves it!

She's such a big girl! She learned to pump on her own this spring and Carol's house (her babysitter) and is able to keep herself very entertained now in the yard. :)

Good Recipe!

Kieth's niece, Jaclyn, was here this weekend and I made this meal one night. She enjoyed it and told several family members about it and I've been asked to share. So...here it is!

Pollo Saltillo

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cubed
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups V-8 juice (may use the spicy kind if you like!)
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 oz cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Heat oil, add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic for last minute or two of cooking onions, making sure not to burn garlic. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, and oregano, cooking until chicken is no longer pink.  Add broth, V-8, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Add cheese, stir until melted. Remove from heat. Serve over rice with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

*This recipe works best in a large dutch oven type pot. It's very easy to increase the recipe or double, if desired.

Holly's 3rd Birthday

As you already know from my title, today is Holly's 3rd birthday. What a blast! She's known all week that Saturday was going to be her birthday and she was looking forward to it very much. Kieth had made plans to eat breakfast at our church's cafe this morning at 7:30 with another guy from church, and Holly was up early so she tagged along and ate breakfast with Daddy. I worked at the thrift store for a few hours, for our church was having a big clothing sale. When I got home, she was taking her nap so I started getting things our for her party. When she got up, she helped me get things ready and get decorations up. At 4pm, her five main friends from her babysitter's came, along with Carol, the babysitter, and all the parents. Her friend Paige from across the street also came with her grandparents. Holly's cake was a purse (purple, of course!) and there were lots of presents! The kids wore themselves out blowing bubbles, chasing the dog, and playing outside in the sandbox. Overall, I think everyone had fun, me included! What a great day! I can't believe it's been three years since I delivered her at the hospital. As everyone always says, they grow up too fast. I love watching her learn and grow into a beautiful girl and can't wait to see what she'll come up with next! :) Here are some pictures of the big day.

 The purple purse cake

 Spending some time with Daddy in the sunshine

 Showing us her present

 All the kids!

 Her new bike

...and with the helmet (still in attached to the cardboard)

They were "sitting by the fire" they told us