Virginia Beach Summer 2012

I am determined to catch up on our blog! Starting where I left off...

The summer of 2012 we lived in Chesapeake, VA right next to Virginia Beach.  We loved it there!  So green and beautiful!!  Here are some highlights...

Dallin turned 4! 

 Gemma learned to crawl, cut most of her teeth and developed the cutest little personality!

 Dallin made a new friend, Ava, and they've been buddies ever since :)

We signed up Dallin for Sports Camp at the local YMCA and he loved it - 2 weeks of learning the basics of lots of different sports. 

 Dallin started swim lessons and we went to the pool at our apartments almost every day! Gemma loves the water too :)  It was good to wear them out each day!

And who could forget the beach!!!  We went to the beach every weekend, sometimes middle of the week too, there's nothing like living by the beach :)

Sea Salt Caramel Chocolates... addicting...

When my parents came last week, my mom introduced me Sea Salt Caramel Chocolates.  We bought them at the beach...twice :)  We tried to make them, kind of successfully, by warming up store bought caramels and sprinkling them with sea salt and then dipping those in melted semi sweet chocolate chips.  We decided (1) let's do milk chocolate next time and (2) we need homemade caramels!  I found a delicious caramel recipe on cooks.com (click here for recipe).

If sweet and salty is your thing and you don't want to spend mega bucks at the candy store, and you don't own a candy thermometer - this is a winner :)

While the caramels were still warm, I put pinches of sea salt all over it! After it cooled, I didn't have any tricks to cut cleanly through the caramels so I grabbed a washed soda lid and cut circles

With just a teaspoon or so of butter, I melted 5 Hershey bars for one minute.  Stopped to stir it at 30 seconds.

Then I just put each caramel on a fork, dipped it in my chocolate and set it on wax paper to harden.  Then I put a dash of sea salt on each chocolate for good measure and tastiness :)

easy and super delicious!

Now, to keep myself from eating ALL of them, that's the tough part.

Sweet Gemma

Isn't she lovely?

Cute Kiddos...

 This little girl is so smiley and happy!  I need to post a giggling video of her because when she laughs, it's the most adorable thing! 

 She usually laughs because of something this handsome little guy does :)

Our little ham...

So many silly faces, I could go on...just love these kiddos!!!

Gemma Bean

This girl is just way too much fun!  She loves her baths :0)

Gemma was blessed on February 5th and it was such a beautiful blessing. 

 We are so grateful to those that came and were a part of Gemma's special day. 

This girl is so precious and we are so happy she's a part of our family. 



Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Merry Christmas with love from the Oaks Family!

"Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the "spirit of Christmas," we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the "Spirit of Christ." -President Thomas S. Monson

Two Months Old

Gemma Girl

3 weeks old

Halloween!

 Our little pirate.

 I love this picture.  He looks like he's posing :)