Cute Colby is one............

Our little guy is not so little anymore. Colby recently turned one year old and is still as loving and playful as he was the first day we brought him home.

This first pic is after my hubby gave him a bath. So fluffy!

A couple of weeks after we had him. One of my favorite pictures of him.

A couple of months old here....






Recently, he was intently studying a little bug......so cute :)

and......here is "The King" sitting on the back of the couch. He loves to sit up higher than anyone else, kind of like he is in charge!

Well, come to think of it, he does 'rule the roost'! Well, most of the time anyway :)

Lemon Cheese Bars

I seem to make these quite frequently, as these are my son's absolute favorite. Then again, most things with lemon flavor he likes :)

These bars are super easy and only require 6 ingredients.

Lemon Cheese Bars

1 Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix (it actually calls for Duncan Hines)

1 lemon (zest and juice) using 2 tablespoons of the juice

2 eggs

1/3 cup Canola oil

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

Combine the cake mix, oil and only 1 of the eggs.

Mix at low speed 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula until crumbly.

Reserve 1 cup for the topping and set aside.

Using your fingertips, press down the remaining crust mixture in a lightly sprayed ( I use Pam) 13 x 9 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Leave the oven on.

For the cream filling mix, place the cream cheese in the same mixing bowl used to prepare the crust, with the same beaters...no need to wash yet. How nice is that! Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy.

Add the zest only from the lemon,

2 tablespoons of juice from the lemon,

the remaining 1 egg,

and the 1/3 cup granulated sugar.

Beat on low speed, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally until well combined and creamy.

Use the rubber spatula to spread the filling mixture to the sides of the pan, covering the crust completely.

Scatter the remaining 1 cup of the crumbly crust mixture over the filling.

Bake until crust is golden brown and the filling starts to set, 14 to 15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes and cut into 24 bars.

They are very yummy! I have had people request I make these for different occasions, they are that good! Easy to make....

15 minutes prep time and 27 total minutes bake time.

I found the recipe in a book my hubby bought me a while ago, called 'The Cake Mix Doctor' by Anne Byrn (page 312). There are a few others that are quite good in this book.

Somehow it comes easy.........

This year my son took a class called Allied Health and has done wonderful in it. With this class, he became a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America). He recently competed in February at the regional conference and placed to go to the HOSA State Leadership Conference in April. It will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort. He is so excited to go. I will not miss this one for the world! I am so proud of him.

This pic below is after he burst in the door and said, "Guess what Mom??". He was so excited and proud that he made it to State. I love when he comes home and is so excited to tell me something about his life :) I am going to miss that when he is off to college.

Ahhh....that smile, I love to see that!

I always tell him.........'the sky is the limit for you', if you keep working hard :) He keeps amazing me every day. I thank the Lord that he has his feet pointed in the right direction.

I am truly lucky to be his Mom!!

A true Buckeye fan to the core :)

Living with my father, it was hard not to be a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even after each of my sister, brother and I went to different schools, we still have a liking for all things buckeye related. He loves his school and has stayed a loyal fan 59 years now.

My sister lives in St. Joseph, Michigan and discovered that at a local carousel, there was an Ohio State themed horse. My father and I went to lunch with her and went to see the horse. My father was like a kid in a candy store when he saw that horse. He even wanted to go for a ride! It was priceless to see the joy he had that day. The pictures below reflect his exuberance!

He definitely is a true "Buckeye Nut", and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Such simple little things......always the best :)