Friday Fav: World's Greatest Bean Dip

Today I am sharing a recipe that will change your life. It will also change your body, by adding many, many pounds to your hips. :-) This stuff is the best there is, and it is seriously addictive. I always keep the three necessary ingredients around, as this is a quick and simple dip that is a hit at every party.

World's Greatest Bean Dip


Ingredients:
One can of Hormel Chili with Beans
One 8 oz package of cream cheese
1-2cups shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Spread entire package of cream cheese over bottom of a glass pie plate.

Cover cream cheese with bean chili.



Cover chili with shredded cheese.

Place in microwave, heat on high for five minutes or until shredded cheese is melted and dip is bubbling.

Remove from microwave and devour with tortilla chips.

You're welcome.

Smile - It's good for you!

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~Phyllis Diller

The world always looks brighter from behind a smile. ~Author Unknown

Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. ~Jim Beggs

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. ~Mark Twain, Following the Equator

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home. ~Author Unknown

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. ~Andy Rooney

Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it. ~Author Unknown

Everyone smiles in the same language. ~Author Unknown

Smile - sunshine is good for your teeth. ~Author Unknown

The shortest distance between two people is a smile. ~Author Unknown

Smiling is my favorite exercise. ~Author Unknown

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to. ~Author Unknown

You're never fully dressed without a smile. ~Martin Charnin

Smile Quotes from quotegarden.com

Smiling Teenagers

I did a family session a few months ago for some good friends of mine. They have four smart and funny kids, three of which are teenage boys! Needless to say, I was a little nervous about getting good shots of a bunch of teenagers, who typically do not want to mess around with having their picture taken! But, these kids were champs and we had a blast. We used Wendhurst Castle as the backdrop, and had some fun with some silly poses, as well as some nice family portraits. :-)

ImPOSStor

Last year I attempted to grow a vegetable garden. It was an epic failure, due to a bad location, lack of care (by me) and the rampages of the wildlife in our area. Whenever anything would get even close to bearing fruit, little (and big!) rodents would find them and enjoy a late night snack. I'm thinking that this guy, who showed up in my yard today, (in broad daylight!) was partially responsible. :-)





This dude was FAT! When he finally decided he was scared of me, he began to waddle towards the back of the garage. You really can't call it running, or scampering, or anything remotely fast. ;-)



He came back just a few minutes later and checked out the driveway. I'm thinking he was scoping out future meals. Sorry buddy! No veggies this year! :-)
And by the way, as soft and cute as he may look in these pictures, don't be fooled. This dude was UG-LY. Long, ugly nose, fat rolls, skinny tail. :-)

Little Girls in Springtime

The first year program with this pretty little girl is drawing to a close. Makayla just turned one year old this month! These pictures are from her 10 month session. We'll be getting together very soon for her last session! I can't believe how time flies! Makayla was teething at this session, so we had a little trouble getting her to smile, but she is a beautiful girl and the pics still came out great!

A Picture Around Every Corner

On our last day in Spain, we traveled to the beautiful old town of Tarazona. The town winds its way around a hill, and is thousands of years old. The buildings are a crazy mix of Roman ruins, Mudejar towers and Spanish plaster walls. Like so much of Spain, I felt like there were thousands of pictures around every corner. We spent about an hour climbing a million stairs to the top of the city, and then descended through the old Jewish quarter, abandoned long ago when the Jews were expelled and still shut up to this day. So without further ado, the town of Tarazona.

Friday Fav: I Loved Her First

credit

As we head into wedding season, I thought it would be fitting to share one of my favorite songs, I Loved Her First by Heartland. This song came out the year that we were planning our wedding, and I danced to it with my dad. :-) It's such a sweet song that perfectly sums up all of those wedding day feelings!

I Loved Her First lyrics

Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each others face
So much in love you're alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
And she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful woman with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

But I loved her first and I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first

Love you, Daddy!