Santa

We happened by the Santa at Walmart the other day. They both told him they want a scooter, a camera, and a doll. Ava wants Chou Chou Doll which is 40 bucks (ouch!). Gracie wants a water baby. I looked all around and couldn't find one, but I was at D.I looking at patterns (while G was at preschool) and Ava picked one up to show me. I snatched it right up, brought it home, washed it, filled it with water, and hid it. Now I just need to buy some doll clothes and a bottle and she will never know her doll cost $39.00 less than Ava's.

p.s I know, I know....the pacifier ruins the smile. Believe me we're working on it! Now the cowboy boots with sweats......sorry but I only make my kids wear what I pick on Sundays. ;-)

Spaghetti Squash W/ Cheese N' Croutons

Ingredients: 1 (about 3 lb) spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise 1-1/2 cup garlic-onion croutons (or any croutons that are garlic flavored) 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese 3 Tb minced garlic 2 tsp olive oil 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped 1 (about 2 lb) head cauliflower, trimmed into small pieces 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each 3 Tb parsley flakes Directions: Place squash, cut side down, in a large microwavable dish. Microwave about 15-18 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, combine the croutons and cheese in a bowl; set aside. Heat the oil in a medium sized pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the bell pepper and cook until softened. Add the cauliflower, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer, cover and cook until cauliflower is tender. Turn the squash cut side up and let cool slightly. With a fork scrape out the pulp/seeds. Fluff up squash with a fork until spaghetti-like consistency is achieved. Add cauliflower mix on top and top with cheese/crouton mix. Microwave an additional 30 seconds to melt cheese a bit. Enjoy! This recipe is really good. I am not one of these people that eats bran for breakfast and loads of veggies for dinner, so don't get me wrong, BUT this really has a great taste to it.

Thanksgiving

I had two different things on my mind this Thanksgiving holiday that I was thankful for. Of course much more than two, but two stood out.

#1. That Ryan has a job. With the downward turn in the economy I am so grateful that Ryan has a job and we have a home to live in. Cross our fingers he actually gets his bonus in March, but either way we are blessed.

#2. That my family and I have good health. As hard as it is keeping up with three kids I'm just grateful I have the health to do so. I think it's sad enough if my kids throw up, stub a toe, or brutally beat up on each other. Can you imagine having a terminally ill child or spouse?

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and thanked God for all that we have.

Zuka & Jasper

Well it is high time I wrote about my twin sons Zuka (black) & Jasper (yellow). These two are brothers and are so stinkin cute, and fun, and did I mention annoying?! Zuka is by far the smarter one. Jasper was the runt so Zuka is bigger and seems to be more of a people pleaser. Jasper is sweet too and does a cute little howl/bark when he wants to play. Ryan calls him a weenie, but I think he is endearing.

I wanted to get a grown dog to take as a running companion, but Ryan wanted a pup that he could train, so I told him I refuse to get just one. They are pack animals and since I refuse to let them inside they have to have each other to snuggle with at night.

Ryan built this awesome dog house. I will post it sometime. It is 4x6 feet. It is insulated, has shingles, and I painted it maroon and white. They have a huge dog pillow inside. They are spoiled compared to all the other ignored, annoying dogs in our neighborhood. I will have to wait 18 months to run with them, but I'll survive. Immediately Ava decided Zuka was her's and Gracie decided Jasper was her's.

No make up and "Relief Society" arms, but that's life right?

Matching Skirts By Suzie Sewmaker

Breck's pic is just an after thought to this post. He loves climbing in and out of the laundry basket, and he's so cute in his church clothes. I made matching skirts for G & A. I'm sure there will be more posts to come on matching things I've made. So cute!

I guess Ava is listening to the voices in her head and Gracie is practicing her modeling. ;-)

Bitter Sweet

It's so interesting how watching your kids grow brings so much joy and at the same time so much sadness also. You love to watch them develop, but you realize with each passing day they will never be the same again! :-(

Creamy Hash Brown Potatoes

Ingredients: 1 package (32 oz) frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes 1 can condensed cream of potato soup, undiluted 2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup sour cream 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp salt 1 carton (8 oz) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese Directions: Place potatoes in a lightly greased slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the soup, cheese, sour cream, pepper and salt. Pour over potatoes and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving. It has been so cold lately so I decided a nice warm crock pot recipe was in order. This really is good! I don't know why I always say that. Of course it is or I wouldn't put it on right?

Ok So I'm Biased.....

But isn't my son the cutest little handsome man you have ever seen? Now I don't expect you to answer that, as every mother is biased. His hair is getting a little long for a spike so Ryan thought he would do a little comb-over for church instead. He is getting so big! Can't forget my beautiful Gracie. Her face is so pretty. Whenever the camera comes out Gracie is right there. My little Ava was getting her shoes on or something so I will have to catch her another time.

Halloween

I made these really cute Halloween tutu's (G's was orange, black and pink; A's was orange, black and green) and they had matching wings, tights and shirts to go with it. Well I left G's wings at my sister in laws so she didn't want to wear her outfit. She decided to wear the tights that go with it and be a ballerina instead. My friend Annika taught me how to make those tights. They are just the creepy crawler things that are made out of women's socks. They cost 3 bucks to make G and A's. I paid 16 bucks plus shipping last spring when I bought them online!!! Ava decided to forget the adorable Halloween fairy and be a dragon instead.

Breck started out as a dog..........

But soon morphed into a giraffe when I figured out the dog was too big for him.

We went dowtown and hit all the shops. Then me, G, and A went with the neighbor and her kids to the trunk or treat at the church while Ryan stayed home and worked on a project in the garage and Breck slept.

I am not a big Halloween fan so I was ready to get in bed around 8:30 p.m.

sCaRy PoPpInS

I'm sure you are all expecting my new post to be about Halloween right? Well I am behind so I must put first things first. Ryan and I got together with three of his friends from work, and their wives, last Friday. We met at Rafael's restaurant in Murray. Yummy! I got the chalupa. It wasn't anything like the ones at Taco Bell...lol...it was like a tostada almost. Just laying flat with a bunch of yummy stuff on top. Well after the guacamole and olives went to Ryan I was set to dig in.

We then went and saw Scary Poppins at the Desert Star. It is a play about Mary Poppins twin sister. It really was funny! I love plays. I wish we could get season tickets to the Desert Star. They have other ones coming up in 2009 that I think sound really funny like "Home School Musical" etc.....

Anyway it was a lot of fun. Cost us 30 smackers for a babysitter, but that's what you get when you move out in the sticks. :-)