Dinner with some family

Last night we had dinner @ my cousin Vanessa's house. She is a very good cook. She made homemade potato corn chowder. At first when she said that was what she was making, I was like? Eww, that doesn't even sound good. But...Oh my goodness it was YUMMY! It was cooked for a few hours in water (potatoes, carrots, corn, celery, onion, bacon). Then she added some grated cheddar cheese and some condensed milk at the very end and brought it back to a boil. So, it wasn't like an actual chowder where it was a thick milk base...but oh so yummy! Then we had some YUMMY dinner rolls that come from a home bakery that is located about 1/4 mile from my parents' old farm. Wayne and I were in charge of dessert, so we picked up some italian focacia bread and a specialty lemon cake. The bread was yummy...but the cake was WODNERFUL! Not the typical "yellow gel" goop that's usually in the middle of the layers, but a creamy, light frosting that was all over the top and in the layers. The cake wasn't the typical cake either, it was like a pound cake, but lighter in texture/taste, and there were 3 layers...YUMMY stuff!
This picture is Mayzie Kate, my cousin's daughter. She turned 3 in July. She is such a little sweety...although she has her moments, but what toddler doesn't? Because there is such an age difference between her and MacKenzie, sometimes they do not play well together. But I think Mayzie is growing up some, as well as MacKenzie. Mac understands that there are some things that a 3 year old can't do and that she doesn't always understand that is is better to share. And Mayzie is growing up, and wants others to play with her, so she is more willing to allow things to go other directions...instead of what she wants all the time! So these 2 girls did AWESOME :) It made my heart smile that they were having such a good time! They PLAYED everything! When we first got there, Vanessa was babysitting her cousin Conner (14 months). Mac and Mayzie played with him, acting like little mommies! Too cute! Then we he left and we finished dinner, they played grocery store along with house. They went shopping, went home to cook. Took care of their babies...then they were doctors "fixing" the babies. Next it was time for games! They played operation, dora the explorer candy land, hungry hungry hippos, attempted a puzzle, and some others I can't remember right now! Mayzie doesn't know all the rules and doesn't play by them (a typical toddler) but MacKenzie was a good sport and played anyway...she deemed that there DID NOT NEED TO BE A WINNER! Yay Mac! Then the girls played ball for what seemed like FOREVER! That is what this picture is of. Mayzie had her "lollipop" from Halloween! What a silly girl! BTW, that is what she kept telling me about MacKenzie, "Aunt Mandy, MacKenzie is SILLY!" Oh, I almost forgot the funniest part!!!! The girls found a real stethescope. They wanted to hear both of the babies heartbeats...so Vanessa and I obliged. Mayzie would put it on our tummies for like 2 seconds and pronounce, "The baby's eating!" Then we asked her what he was eating. "Ummm, he's eating potatoes and slicing them with his toes!" Remember we had potatoes in our soup? LOL! It was HYSTERICAL! That was my baby boy... Vanessa's (Oliver) was eating "Lemon cake and licking the frosting off his fingers." I forgot just how funny little kids could be!