Life on (De) Mars

Christmas Decorating

2012-02-07T10:35:00.000-06:00

After the Thanksgiving festivities were over we got down to the business for decorating for Christmas.

Got to get the outside all purty!

And thanks to bad planning(laziness) on my part, there is no after picture of the front yard. My bad!

Next comes all flat surfaces inside.

Big thanks to Grandma and Be Be for pawning off their old decorations so I could have new stuff!

Because he's cute. And it shows the mantle lit up.

And now for the tree!

I really miss having a cedar tree. It meant Christmas for my entire life until after I got married. The first year we had a tree, it wasn't cedar and it was infested with bugs. The next year it wasn't a cedar but at least there were no bugs. The next year we had a crawling baby and were heading to my parent's house so we didn't even get one. The year after that I had a new born and we didn't even get a tree!

After that sad year we went out and got an artificial. It's tall and wonderful and we love it. Someday we'll have a second tree that's real and I will, somehow, convince my husband that it has to be a cedar tree. I miss that smell. Back to our regular scheduled topic.

"Helping"

Riley did much better with the helping part!

Pretty.

We did it!

Before:

After!

And because I love it and it makes me giggle: Grandma and Bronco cuddles.

Silly and getting ready for Christmas

2012-01-13T10:55:00.002-06:00

Here is your dose of silly for today:

Riley made this shirt at school for Thanksgiving. The hat was part of the Halloween celebrations. He had to show it off to Grandma!

Grandma also brought some decorations to paint for our Christmas tree. Riley had a great time working on them.

And on the seventh day of being stuck with the children, Grandma rested. And Bronco was pleased.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-06T14:49:00.002-06:00

Now that it's 2012, I figure it's time to post Thanksgiving pictures. We Had a full house this year. My in laws came up from Florida for the first time. This is my favorite holiday so I was super excited to have more people! My parents have been coming to our house for Turkey day since The Guy and I got married in 2005.

Preparing the turkey

I melt a ton of butter and mix in salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary. Then we pour it over the turkey. The turkey is also stuffed with a poultry blend of fresh herbs.

The Guy grills our turkey! It's more like smoking it, but it's done on our little round Weber grill.

It takes about the same amount of time as it would in the oven but my oven isn't full of turkey. I love this aspect.

Granddaddy and his granddog.

The grandmothers
BeBe

Grandma

Entertaining children while food is being prepared

Rolls straight from the oven

This is a fabulous recipe. It's yeast rolls in one hour. They are my go to rolls.

Our traditional appetizer being prepared.

And eaten.

It's super easy. Go to Williams Sonoma in the fall and pick up their Pecan Pumpkin Butter Lay down a bunch of cream cheese and top with the pumpkin butter. Then top with chopped, toasted pecans and some crisp crumbled bacon. Serve with wheat thins. I know it sounds weird, but it's soooo good.

Check in on the turkey.

More entertaining of children.

The Grandfathers

Getting ready

Turkey!

Taste testing

Can you spot the glow stick?

Biding time

Cuddles!

When will lunch be ready?

Still taste testing.

Still waiting.

The spread

I wish I had taken an after, but here's a before!

Finally time for food.

It was a wonderful day. I am so thankful for my family and the amazing blessings God has given all of us. I can't wait to do it all again next year!

Banana Cinnamon Chip muffins

2012-01-04T07:46:00.000-06:00

There are my go to banana muffins.

I make a big batch and freeze the extras. One minute in the microwave and we've got breakfast!
http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/02/25/cinnamon-chip-banana-bread/

I get my cinnamon chips from King Arthur Flour but I hear, in some places, you can get them at the grocery store.

Random pictures

2012-01-02T07:41:00.002-06:00

Just something to tide the grandparents over until I get an new, proper post up!

This is Brock.

This is Brock's hair after sleep.

Without fail, y'all. And unless I spray it with a ton of detangler and work on it for 10 minutes, all while fighting the boy, it stays like this. It's all party in the back!

See that little pile there? That's acorns.

They were very proud of their pile. It worked to entertain them for at least 3 trips to the backyard. Hooray for uninterrupted cleaning time!

Practicing some soccer.

Bronco gets super excited if the word "outside" is mentioned.

He loves having the company!

Halloween

2011-12-13T07:08:00.000-06:00

The boys and I headed to Walmart to find their costumes. I had 5 costumes picked out for Riley to choose from. He picked:

A doctor!!!! I know it's a bit early to get excited about such things, but when your 4 year old would rather be a doctor than a ninja, spiderman, or batman, you tend to get a little giddy.

Poor Brock had to be a hand me down motorcycle rider. He was desperate to be spiderman but the only things left even near his size were a mario brothers and a pirate princess.

We had a quick visit from our neighbor dog, Bella.

At the neighbor's house--first stop!

There was no way I was lugging these big boys around in the wagon this year, so we took the 4 wheeler. Brock wanted to walk so Riley got it all to himself!

We had a great time. There was much candy and much running and rejoicing at the candy. And, thankfully, they said Thank You to everyone!

The Spider

2011-12-11T14:30:00.002-06:00

*shiver*

This big booger was found around the back patio.

He would have filled up the palm of my hand.

*barf* *shudder* *RUN AWAY*

A week later I was pulling weeds in the front yard and found TWO more of these horrible creatures!

I killed this one before finding his/her buddy.

The buddy was guarding 2 massive egg sacks. UGH. Seriously.

I have not gone looking for anymore relatives in our area!

Soccer time!

2011-12-09T14:23:00.000-06:00

We went from not even a little bit of controlled chaos to doing pretty well in soccer this year!

Riley had a really great time and improved more than I thought was possible.

We can't wait for next year!

A trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-12-07T14:20:00.000-06:00

Both of the kids loved playing in the corn box.

Hay bale maze.

Riley's buddy, Pepper.

Caged, as he should be.

He made sure I got the picture of him touching a goat and then he was done.

Hay ride!

Riley loves his Mrs. Heather! She's such an awesome teacher for my boy.

Brock turns 3!

2011-12-06T14:59:00.000-06:00

How I don't have a picture of the whole cake, I don't know! He had a chocolate train cake. He picked the flavor. That's my boy!

Riley certainly enjoyed it, too.

He also picked vanilla ice cream to go along with his cake.

Happy Campers!

Pictures

2011-12-05T14:17:00.002-06:00

Just some randoms until I manage to get a real post up!

Ready or not.....

Waiting his turn on the field.

One of my favorite pictures of the boys! I love watching them explore their world.

Fun with Grandpa

At the soccer field.

Chicken and Bacon Creamy Pasta

2011-11-12T15:30:00.000-06:00

A delicious pasta dish

Mix together:
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4C softened butter
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2/3C milk

Blend those together well and then microwave in 30 minute intervals until it's warm, stirring each time.

Prepare 8 oz. of your favorite pasta (I used penne) according to pkg directions.

Chop up cooked chicken and crispy bacon.

Stir together cream cheese mixture and pasta. Add bacon and chicken and toss. I'm sure, if you're smart, you could add some veggies to this. Top with 1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese.

Delicious!

Burgers

2011-11-07T15:28:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I don't have a final picture of these, especially since they were so amazingly delicious. But I'm not very good at remembering the after shot!

Anyway, these are Cheddar Ranch Spinach burgers. I made them up.

Mix:
ground beef
ranch dressing powder
worchestershire sauce
shredded cheddar
fresh spinach
salt and pepper

Form patties and fry them up. These were really amazing.

A trip to the Natural Science Museum

2011-11-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness for Groupon. I have gotten some great deals through them. One of them was a year membership to the Natural Science Museum. We took a trip over with our buddies Cindy and Thomas for the frog exhibit.

Brock meets Kermit.

Climbing

Turtles!

Taking a walk on the trails.

Cuties

Sliding

We had a great time. Now to get back over there to take advantage of it!

Some randoms

2011-11-03T14:42:00.002-05:00

Here are a few newish pictures of the family.

First soccer practice for Riley. Can you tell his legs are crazy long? All his shorts look like short shorts!

Brock making a traffic jam on Daddy's leg.

Bronco getting some love.

My boys.

First game.

My puzzle maniac.

A Riley creation.

Story time

2011-10-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

With Grandpa!

And one of the beast for fun.

Hair cuts

2011-10-14T07:16:00.002-05:00

The boys hair got super long and shaggy this summer. So while the grandparents were here, we took all the boys(including Daddy and Grandpa) to get their hair cut.

Before:

During:

After:

They didn't go short enough with Brock but I fixed that later by hacking off a ton at home and then taking him to get it neatened by a pro. The Guy was not pleased.

Pictures for BeBe!

2011-10-04T14:41:00.003-05:00

It seems that my mother is bored with the granola and other food stuffs that I've left languishing as the last blog for a while.

School has started which means I'm back at "work". I work at the Mother's Day Out program that Brock goes to. It's connected to Riley's school(everything takes place at a local Methodist church).

So here are some newish pictures to tide you over until I can bust out the camera and take some more.

Playing Lincoln Logs with Grandpa on one of his summer visits. Grandma and Grandpa have moved to Florida so we're going to be able to see them a lot more! I'm so excited!

Brock is a puzzle fiend. He can do 60+ piece puzzles with no help. Such a wonderful, QUIET activity. I love it!

Trouble is such a good sport.

Riley built a garage and a parking lot for his cars!

Snuggles

Movie time!

Homemade Granola

2011-08-23T13:52:00.000-05:00

You'll need:
1 tbsp butter
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4C oats (quick or old fashioned)

Melt the first 3 ingredients together in sauce pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes then take it off the heat.

Mix together cinnamon and oats in a very large bowl.

Add the butter mixture to the oats and keep stirring until well coated. Spread the oats onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15-10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. You're looking for just the right crunchiness. Let it cool and then store in airtight container.

We use this mostly for snacks and parfaits. I have yet to manage a picture of "after" but I know I will someday!

Bacon wrapped brown sugar chicken

2011-08-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

You'll need:
a few chicken breasts, cut into strips
salt and pepper
lawrys seasoning salt
bacon
brown sugar

Season the chicken strips with the s&p and lawrys.

Wrap each one with with a slice of bacon and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with a little bit of brown sugar. You can also add a few drops of apple cider vinegar if you like.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. I'm not good at timing on chicken. I have to keep checking for the thick pieces to be not pink anymore.

This is delicious!

Homemade Vanilla

2011-08-21T13:39:00.000-05:00

Vanilla Beans and Vodka. That's it. Oh, and you'll need a jar.

I used 20 vanilla beans and almost a liter of vodka for each jar--because that's what would fit in each one. Then I put them under my laundry room sink.

It'll be ready in time for Christmas gifts for everyone!

Random pictures

2011-08-20T13:33:00.002-05:00

A boy and his dog. Bronco is so tolerant of the boys. And he LOVES when they go outside to play. I know he misses Denver so much.

Both boys enjoy making their "necklace". It's just a shoe string and some large wooden beads from Hobby Lobby. But it keeps them occupied for 5 whole minutes!

Oh, and this summer has been the season of not wearing a shirt. Riley started it and his brother had to follow it. I guess it's good they're boys.

Cuddles

In the "pit". We have to make these all the time. The boys like to lay (or, more likely, jump) in them.

Gimme that.

Shhh. I'm busy eating my smore.

Movie and popcorn time.

Riley has becoming an amazing little fish this summer!

Everyone but me.

All the "little" ones. I don't think Trouble really qualifies for his species but we'll let it slide this time.

New Orleans

2011-08-17T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Thomas grandparents treated all of their progeny and their progeny to a great weekend trip down to New Orleans. We stayed at the gorgeous Windsor Court.

The view from our balcony.

We encountered some interesting folk. Did you know that the devil has tan lines? I wasn't as surprised to find out that the smoked.

My cute boys waiting at the aquarium.

We went out to Brennans for dinner one night. That night just so happened to be mine and Josh's 6 year anniversary.

The food was fabulous and we all had a great time. Before we left they brought us a very interesting creation in celebration of our big day.

I mean, really, he can be so cute sometimes. And other times he can be down right demonish!

The boys and their cousin, Alex.

BeBe got a photographer to come one morning while we were there. We got lots of great pictures done. This was our little family's first professional shoot!

The other half of the younger clan. My brother, his beautiful wife, Nakissa, and probably the nicest kid I have ever met, my nephew, Alex.

The grandboys.

All together now....Awwwwwwww.

Grandparents and grandchildren.

The original set.

My favorite shot!

Love BeBe and Granddaddy.

Since it was our anniversary we agreed that this trip would be our gift and we needn't do anything else. Yea, The Guy pulled an awesome.

We got one last souvenir from our trip. The last day, in the last hour, we were all down at the pool and were getting ready to leave. Riley was all bundled up in a towel, took a step, and fell onto the cement. With his chin. I had no idea what was wrong at first but he had a DEEP cut in his chin. We left right away and got home just in time to turn around and head to the pediatrician. Thank goodness the cut was just deep, not long. GLUE!

Riley was a total champ and we had a great time (other than that rough bit at the end).

Random pictures

2011-08-16T21:15:00.002-05:00

Bronco is getting more and more brave when it comes to Trouble. Normally, he would have slowly gotten up and moved away when Trouble got this close to him. You can tell he thinks about it, but he doesn't do it anymore. So proud of our big boy.

Some outside time.

Lizard!

A post brought to you by Riley

2011-08-14T14:56:00.002-05:00

Riley really loves taking pictures. So does Brock but they usually consist of pictures of his thumb or shirt. So here's one from Riley's stock of pictures.

An interestingly composed shot of Brock.

His brothers.

Getting ready for the pool.

Streaker!

He told us all to get together for this one. Hey Grandma!

I think Daddy took over for this one.

And another posed shot. He wanted me, Bronco, and the big duck to all be together.

And one more of Grandma. Riley misses his Grandma!

The wreck

2011-08-12T13:48:00.000-05:00

This will certainly tell you how far behind I am on the blog. And it kind of explains the reason why, too.

On May 23rd a man ran his red light(going at least 50) and hit my door. We had just pulled out of Walmart and I didn't even see him coming, just felt the impact. We don't think Brock was that lucky. He had a horrible time sleeping for about 3 weeks after the accident. Since I felt the impact every time I closed my eyes, I wonder if Brock saw it and felt it every time he closed his eyes. Talk about heart breaking!

Today is August 11th. I finally got the van back yesterday. It took that long for them to fix it all. Here's why--

Don't you want to just pick him up and cuddle him?

Something is a bit off with this car....

After the sleep issues, Brock got better. He had a few relapses but seems to be pretty good now. He's very quiet in the van so far, but it's only been a day. Riley talked about the time that guy hit our car and it was really loud and really scary for a while. He then told everyone how are car was broken and why. Then it was talk about how it was almost fixed, just one part to do. He's faired the best of all of us.

I went to the hospital right after the accident. The EMT's and firemen cleared the boys so Josh took them home. I had xrays done of my left shoulder and arm and of my right ankle. They were the worst of the pain. Nothing was broken so I went on home. I went back a week later to a regular doctor because I could barely move my neck and I couldn't do anything without pain. More xrays, more medicines, nothing worked. A week after that I went to another doctor and started physical therapy and massage. Two and a half months later and I'm still not better. MRI should occur at some point next week.

So I'm the only casualty left. I can't believe I didn't take a bunch of pictures in the beginning, but Riley got a picture of one of my bruises the day after the accident.

I just continue to thank God it was my door that was hit and not Brock's. And I thank Him those airbags worked. And that the boys are ok. And I'm gonna be ok, someday.

End of the year party

2011-08-11T16:35:00.000-05:00

Our last party as a Pre K3 class was held out at Abigail's house. They kids had the BEST time.
First there was the hay ride.

Riley got some cuddles from his best girl friend, Morgan. If they're not the same class this year, I think I'll cry.

Then they painted horseshoes.

Trying to keep Brock away from this was a tough one.

Then we got to ride Abigail's pony!!! And by we, I mean the boys, b/c that poor pony would have buckled under my heft.

Chow time. Brock got some love from his buddy Gunner. We're going to miss him at Mother's Day Out this year!

Abigail has a massive playhouse and huge pile of sand in her yard. The kids were in heaven.

And one last little picture of Riley and Abigail "napping" together. We'll miss her this year!

First taste of cake batter

2011-08-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

I am a horrible mother. I bake constantly, and not until my oldest was well over 4, did I hand over the beaters for a taste. I guess, for them, it was worth the wait. They loved it!

Last breakfast and the ride home

2011-08-10T07:41:00.000-05:00

Brock really enjoyed his donut

Good spirits at the beginning of the ride!

Even Daddy was happy even though vacation was over.

No one needed a picture taken at the end of that long drive. 10-11 hours straight was a bit much for all of us. So I leave you with a picture of my adorable pedicure!

Disney brought to you by Riley and Brock

2011-08-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

They didn't get the camera a lot but there were a few shots worth sharing.

Arrival

Riley's view in the stroller.

Disney store

Lego store

Self portrait

I have no idea

The other self portrait with a creepy picture in the background

Cars 2

2011-08-05T13:56:00.004-05:00

The vehicles from Cars 2 just happened to be in town while we were at Disney. We had to go visit!

We got there early but we still had to wait in line for a while. We had a nice view though.

It was a bit hot and someone needed a rest.

Our first spotting--Finn McMissle!

The kids had no point of reference for him since the movie wasn't even out yet, so there wasn't as much excitement about him.

Mater on the other hand....we had to physically restrain Brock from climbing over barracades to get to him. He kept screaming, "My Mater!"

On to the main event. Lightening McQueen! Can you sense the excitement?

They kept getting in trouble for touching it.

They loved it. I even got a nice kick out of it!

Downtown Disney and LegoLand

2011-08-05T13:32:00.003-05:00

We headed over to downtown Disney one day when the big boys went to play golf.

Our first stop was Lego Land. They have a play area in front of the store where you can build all sorts of things. And they had a sloped race track and car building pieces. Brock had a blast!

One of my favorite shots-it makes me giggle.

The lego displays were seriously impressive.

Plenty of things to pose with. The Disney store there was awe inspiring. I think they said it was the biggest in the world. I got sucked in and bought a few things. There was a Mr. Potato Head play area that we had to drag Brock away from.

They had a great time on the Merry Go Round with Grandma.

Fun ride.

Chilling out at lunch.

My paparazzi.

Check out what was in the parking lot on the way out!!!

The Delorean might have been my favorite part of the whole week.

More Animal Kingdom

2011-08-05T12:48:00.002-05:00

We stopped for lunch at a Rainforest Cafe. It was insanely loud but we all loved it.

Riley had his first taste of Coke. I am super excited to say he was not impressed!

Give Brock some tortilla chips and the boy is good to go.

Cuteness

And again with the chips.

Grandma and Grandpa are so cute!

Off to the tree of life.

We wove our way around and under the tree to see the Bug's Life 4D show. It was amazing! But seeing all the carvings was a huge treat, too!

You need to check out the show and the tree. They were amazing!

Animal Kingdom!

2011-07-16T11:27:00.002-05:00

We started off early Wednesday morning and headed to Animal Kingdom. It wasn't nearly as crowded as the Magical Kingdom.

First order of business is the tram from the 2nd largest parking lot in the Americas. I have no idea which one was in first place, they didn't share.

Stylin'

Everyone got settled and off we went.

The first thing we did was the Safari.

Rhinos!

Those big blobs in the water are hippos.

A pit full of alligators--

A shout out to my sister-in-law, Nakissa. Hook 'em Horns!

Grandma looking pretty.

Weeee eee ee oo eee ee oo, the lion sleeps today.

Ostrich eggs. There were little piles of these everywhere it seemed.

Pretty waterfall with a silverback at the bottom.

Fishies!

Family

We did not have as much fun at AK as we did at MK. There wasn't as much to do for our age kids. It was insanely hot and we were all pretty tired anyway. We did have a great lunch that I'll be back to blog about.

A little night golf

2011-06-24T07:15:00.001-05:00

There were a few golf courses at the resort we stayed at in Kissimmee, FL. The one right outside our screened porches was the lit executive course. We went out there almost every night for the kids to play and the men to practice. Everyone had so much fun.

I know it looks like it's day time but it was dark already. The lights were awesome!

Watching Daddy and Grandpa with the kids was so sweet.

Riley has actually been doing pretty well with his swing lately. He practices in the front yard with the clubs Grandma and Grandpa got him on his 3rd birthday.

Grandpa has the patience of a saint. He got Brock. He is less than disciplined with his golf and his golf etiquette.

But everyone had so much fun doing it each night. And it was a great way to wind the kids down before putting them in the same bedroom for sleep!

Magic Kingdom Continued

2011-06-24T07:01:00.002-05:00

We're over halfway through our day at this point. The kids haven't napped and we're all starting to get a bit cranky from the heat. But we had a special treat waiting for us that we'd fast passed earlier.
Mickey and Minnie meet and greet!

Riley was in awe. It was adorable.

Brock, not quite so much.

Mickey was very sweet but Brock just wasn't feeling it. Riley really loved it though.

We passed the castle again and they had a show going with Goofy and Donald.

But there was not a lick of shade available around the castle so we decided to skip it.

More line waiting for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was in a cave like thing and wasn't too hot so we liked this line!

Grandma and Grandpa were such troupers. They took the kids into the Swiss Family Robinson tree house while The Guy and I just sat on our butts.

Then we found another sit down ride into the jungle on a boat. Our guide was hilarious so we were kept well entertained.

Massive butterflies grow in this jungle.

There was a family of lions and a group of elephants--though not right together!

Finally, one kid(Brock) passes out just as we hit the truly kid section of Magic Kingdom. This is the one with Dumbo and the teacups and inside stuff for Peter Pan and other toddler favorites. The waits were HOURS long so we just hit the teacups and got ready to go.

Brock wasn't too interested in riding. He was completely worn out.

But Riley had a great time with Grandma and Daddy!

One last ride was a rocket ship way up high in Tomorrow Land. I thought this could be the one ride I could stand. It didn't look to crazy. Right?

Yea, this thing went way up high and very fast and had some crazy velocity as we were swung around in a tight circle. It is a miracle I didn't throw up. I really really wanted to. But the fact that I was crushing Josh's leg kept me from adding insult to injury but puking on him.

It was a fun but exhausting day. Next time we go we'll have a much better strategy than wandering aimlessly!

Disney: First days

2011-06-21T07:44:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time coming--since it's been over a month since we went to Disney World in Orlando, but I'm finally ready to start blogging our trip!

We left Saturday afternoon and the trip was going pretty well. Kids were watching movies and snacking. Josh and I were doing fine. But we noticed on one of our stops that Brock was really hot so I got out the thermometer. Yea, 102. We decided we'd better stop for the night in Tallahassee, FL. We must have gone to 6 different hotels looking for the best deal. We finally decided to just stay at the last one we visited because Brock was getting very cranky. We checked in and got him in a cold bath and then kept wiping him down with a cold cloth as he whimpered. The kids slept fitfully and Josh and I didn't sleep at all. But we made it.

We set off Sunday morning-Mother's Day-and made it down in record time. As soon as the boys saw Grandma and Grandpa they went running! It was precious.

Riley went swimming with his grandparents and Brock went to Target with Josh and me since he was still feverish.

We made plans to visit Magic Kingdom the next day. We found that Monday is NOT the best day to go to MK but, live and learn!
Here we go!

Tram from the massive parking lot, which they have down to a science for the parking and filling and filing. Truly amazing.

Gotta slather on the sun screen.

The line to get on the train was LONG. If you look closely, you'll see Riley's head through the cover on the stroller.

More waiting...

We made it!

We're in!

There was a street show going on. Super cute but it was so crowded on main street we were just trying to get through.

We had been telling the boys for months that they were going to get to see the castle in person soon. They see it so often on their movies. And we finally made it! Now anytime we watch a Disney movie Riley tells us that he saw that castle at Disney.

Time for Adventureland.

Daddy and Grandpa took the boys on their first ride. It was an Aladdin ride on his magic carpet.

I spotted Aladdin and Jasmine before they took their break.

It was very very hot. I cannot imagine going in true summer! Next trip will be in the Fall I think. We took a break from the heat to watch the bear show. It has a name but I can't remember! It was cute. Plenty for the kids to enjoy and lots of slyness for the adults to giggle at.

More to come on Magic Kingdom!

The Royal Wedding!

2011-06-04T13:31:00.001-05:00

My parent's trip to England missed the wedding by just 2 days! They didn't get to see a few of the sites because they were being prepared for the big day. They did get to go to the Canterbury Easter service with the Arch Bishop that performed the ceremony for William and Katherine.

And they brought me souvenirs!
My magnet:

And my tea towel!

And check it out--straight from Harrods!

I didn't manage to watch it live but I caught up on it later. The wedding was beautiful and fairy tale and I loved it! And I have my tacky keepsakes to prove it.

Stealth

2011-05-30T07:59:00.001-05:00

I tried to have stealth:

But was spotted right away.

Trouble was unimpressed with my skills.

All I wanted was to see him in his pit.

Hey, Trouble!

Class field trip

2011-05-29T14:31:00.001-05:00

Right before school got out, we took Riley's class(an their siblings) to the Jackson Zoo. The kids had a great time!

We identified lots of fun animals and did plenty of walking.

Riley called to me and said, "Look! I'm a flamingo!"

Brock was a big hit with the ladies. As always!

Before we left we went to the very small play area and went down the slide.

Brock's hair stood straight up each time. It was hilarious!

Then we had lunch at the picnic tables. Both of my kids swiped the good stuff that other folks had brought. They were unimpressed with my offerings.

And to top it all off, we rode the choo choo around the old park area of the zoo.
Riley sitting with his women.

Poor Brock was stuck with me.

We had so much fun!

Lunch

2011-05-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

I started with the crescent rolls that come in one long sheet. I cut it into 4 pieces. I put some turkey meat (from a large turkey I had made earlier), chopped bacon, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing on each piece and folded it over. 15 minutes at 375 and we had a delicious lunch!

Haircut

2011-05-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

It was time for a trim.

I felt called to give all this hair away instead of just trimming it. So I went in with a baggy and some short hair pictures. And out a came with an 11 inch pony tail and a new 'do!

It's taken me a month but I'm finally used to it and liking it.

Easter Bunny

2011-05-26T12:15:00.000-05:00

BeBe and Granddaddy sent a basket for each kid and I added a bit to it. We went to church Easter morning and, while the kids were napping, the Easter Bunny came.

Mass destruction!

Easter Party

2011-05-25T12:09:00.000-05:00

We had Riley's class party at our house. It was the best party! And there wasn't even a mess to clean up. Amazing!

First was the hunt.

Then it was time to decorate some cupcakes! Riley, instead of spreading it on his cupcake, took his spoonful of icing and put it directly in his mouth.

Games! We had bunny hop and an egg tossing game.

It was so fun!

The frog

2011-05-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

We've got a few frogs that show up on our patio every once in a while. We played with this one for a while.

Sadly, this one didn't make it. He got a little too played with. RIP frog.

Outside play time

2011-05-23T11:59:00.000-05:00

The weather keeps getting better and better! The 4 wheeler is definitely the favorite outside activity.

Brock hamming it up for the camera.

How cute are they?

School program

2011-05-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Riley's Spring program at school was too cute! He did better this time--compared to the Christmas program. Better = not yawning or picking his nose the entire time!

Heading in with his pal, Fisher.

Being spotted.

The whole school!

Everyone was precious. They sang cute songs and Riley even did the hand motions!

Lunch

2011-05-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Not that this is the most awesome lunch ever, but the kids liked it!

Nutella on a wheat tortilla and rolled up plus bananas on a stick!

Homemade white bread

2011-05-20T19:25:00.001-05:00

I'd like to start by saying, "Thank you," to the King Arthur Flour Company for giving me the confidence to make my own bread. I haven't bought anything but one batch of Hawaiian Bread since I started making all the bread for my family. It's soooo much better! And the delicious smell in my house is awesome!

You're going to need:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons, to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water(depending on the amount of humidity in the air)
1 heaping tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules

Bust out your kitchen aid stand mixer. I have never kneaded anything by hand because I'm lazy so this is the only way I know how to make bread.

Mix all of the ingredients in the order listed, and mix and knead to make a smooth dough. It won't be particularly soft nor stiff; it should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic under your hands.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl(I butter a glass bowl). Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's become quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in size. I put the covered bowl under the lights over my stove top. They put off enough heat to help the dough rise.

Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a fat 9" log. Place it in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Cover the pan, and let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's crowned 1" to 1 1/2" over the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, till it's golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F. I do the 20 minutes just in case!

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool. I like to take a stick of butter and rub it over the top of the bread as soon as it's out of the oven. Why now? When completely cool, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature.

This bread is great for sandwiches, toast, or just as an afternoon snack. Delicious!

My boys

2011-05-20T11:38:00.003-05:00

Just pictures. Because, why not?

Riley is 4!

2011-04-30T21:14:00.004-05:00

Hey, I'm less than 2 months behind. That's a big improvement!

I am a lazy mom. Until I can't take treats to school to celebrate a child's birthday, I will avoid having a "real" birthday party. I like the tiny family party we have that is zero pressure, quick, and easy.

I made a Jimmy Neutron themed cake for Riley. I found a guy on ebay who had all the Burger King toys from when Jimmy Neutron was cool. Riley's request was for chocolate cake with red icing. I had to use an entire container of red gel coloring!

The cake was simple but it was a big hit!

BeBe looking on.

And we had Grandma and Grandpa on skype for the festivities!

Presents!

And a big thank you to Thomas and Cindy for our new favorite movie!

Random and chores

2011-04-09T07:58:00.001-05:00

I think this is the closest Bronco and Trouble have laid down together.

Since Denver has been gone, it's actually been Trouble who seeks out Bronco. Bronco is still terrified but he is getting more comfortable with Trouble...as long as a human is right beside Trouble. Maybe he thinks we'll keep Trouble from hurting him? If only he knew we encourage it!

Brock loves to wear his daddy's hat.

Riley is becoming such a big boy! He makes his bed everyday and feeds Bronco for us. Next up is laundry helper!
He can pull the clothes out of the washer into a basket.

And then we shove that basket over and he can load the dryer. SCORE!

I can't wait 'til we can really put them to work. Yard work, bathroom scrubbing, dishwasher unloading. Big perk of having kids = slave labor!

Ice

2011-04-09T07:56:00.003-05:00

Sadly, this is the only decent picture we took during all of this, but we had a nice little ice storm blow through here in early spring. Water would drip down the eaves onto our bushes and trees and create the most elaborate ice sculptures! It was really, really neat.

Something for a long day at home

2011-04-09T07:52:00.002-05:00

We had spring break in early March and I needed to find some things to entertain the children. I found that thing on day one!

I got an easel for the boys for Christmas and we've used it all for 4 times. I got a roll of butcher paper to go along with it and that has come in super handy!

I covered half our kitchen table with the paper and let the boys go to town on it. They both really enjoyed having such a large area to color it.

Oh, and that shirt in the last picture says, "I'm happy. Don't ruin it." It came from Grandpa and is Riley's absolute favorite shirt. It's starting to get a little tight and I know he will freak out when he outgrows it!

Used Car Salesman

2011-04-01T10:25:00.003-05:00

The Guy grew a beard in January and decided to shave it off before he started at our own dealership-- www.yournetauto.com . He had a little bit of fun first.

This is the only picture I managed to take and upload before The Guy erased everything!

Doesn't he look like an old school used car guy?

Children's Museum

2011-04-01T10:19:00.002-05:00

When Grandma was here way back in January, she got us a membership to the new Children's Museum in Jackson. This place is AWESOME. Both kids love it though Brock is still a bit short for some of the stuff. We've been a few times since that first visit but that just trip was the only time I managed to take pictures!

Both boys got SOAKED playing in the water but they loved it. That's pretty much to first place they visit when they get to the museum.

It was a little late in the game but we put the cover apron on Riley anyway.

Grandma was such a big help!

We actually had to strip them down when we got in the car because they were so wet.

Brock had fun "building" the house. He still loves doing that.

And Riley loves playing with the car. Am even considering letting him be a NASCAR racer someday.

If you haven't been yet, you really should go. There is so much to do and the kids have so much fun!

Doesn't Riley look so studious here?

Winter

2011-03-24T19:23:00.002-05:00

Big boy bike!

Cuteness

Movie time = popcorn and m&ms!

Driving through the town.

Daddy cuddles

4 wheeler

2011-03-24T19:20:00.003-05:00

The best present by far was the 4 wheeler The Guy got the boys with his Honda points(something they give managers instead of money!). As long as it's not raining, we're still using the 4 wheeler almost daily in March. SCORE!

So much joy from this thing!

They've gotten really good at riding together.

Seriously, Riley is in love with this thing.

Our little dare devil!

BeBe and Granddaddy arrive

2011-02-05T13:14:00.001-06:00

It seems I'm in serious trouble with the grandparents for neglecting this blog. I'm going to throw some pictures up and then try to get back to some kind of normal schedule!

I'll finish up the Christmas pictures.

Granddaddy and BeBe arrived with many presents that had many little pieces(THANKS for that). The kids loved it all.

This particular toy has caused many a hurt foot. But the kids loved all the tractors!

The kids had a fabulous Christmas!

Christmas morning

2011-01-30T13:19:00.005-06:00

There was much joy and rejoicing on Christmas morning. There was also a lot of video instead of pictures taken of some important moments. Oh well!

Brock getting his first glance at Riley's much talked about Big Boy Bike.

The suckers out of their stockings were the first big hit of the morning.

Daddy and Bronco watching the action.

Bronco ready for his close up.

Daddy took some very dark and blurry pictures.

Look at the camera!

Goggles that went with the tool set from Grandma and Grandpa were lots of fun!

Having fun with the alligator game Uncle Dan and Aunt Nakissa sent.

Riley on his new bike!

Playing(and fighting) around their new truck track.

Open?

Gimme!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-25T14:40:00.004-06:00

We got some good pictures of the presents and the order before the chaos of Christmas morning commenced.

Ikea chalk/dry erase board

Big boy bike and a bunch more

Brock's pile

Riley's pile

Trouble wishing he had a pile

Our pretty tree

The 4 wheeler! This was a big surprise. Josh had won a bunch of Honda points for being a sales manager. He went to their points site and found this. It wasn't supposed to get here until January but showed up on our doorstep Christmas Eve! It was a cinch to put together and I think it's been the most loved present of all. And we didn't have to pay for it! Merry Christmas to us!

Our Kincaid Christmas tree. The boys managed to break off pretty much every lamppost on the thing. Punks.

I made this cinnamon baked french toast for our Christmas breakfast. Delicious!

Gumbo!

2011-01-25T14:33:00.003-06:00

Over Christmas break Josh made us gumbo. There isn't a recipe really. Start with a big, yummy roue and go from there. It's full of crab, shrimp, scallops, and andouille sausage. That along with onions, celery, carrots, okra, tomatoes.....gracious. Too much stuff to list! We made a batch so big it took my 6qt dutch oven along with another 6qt pot. We have a ton in the freezer to last us through the winter.

Mmmmmmmm

The Cabinet

2011-01-25T14:28:00.003-06:00

The boys are always playing in the empty cabinet in the kitchen/dining room. Bronco decided to use that space for unknown reasons.

But isn't he super cute? I said as much so you know what happened. Look at me, Mama.

Why are you in my spot?

Family time

2011-01-25T14:23:00.003-06:00

Hanging with Daddy

Hey, Mama, can I have that camera?

No, baby.

Time to wake up Riley!

Have y'all noticed that Bronco is in most of the shots now? Since we lost Denver he's with us pretty much all the time. Our skinny outside dog has turned into a chubbing, inside, lap dog. We don't mind it.

Brock is always on the floor. He'll lay down anywhere.

My boys

Christmas Photo Shoot

2011-01-25T14:21:00.004-06:00

If you got a Christmas card from us, this will look familiar. I bought matching pj's for the boys and forced them in front of the tree so I could take come pictures.

Brock was way more interested in playing with his hat.

They cooperated better than I could have hoped!

First real haircut

2011-01-22T14:39:00.004-06:00

FINALLY

I have been butchering my poor children's hair since they had enough hair to cut. I just refused to pay $10 a pop for a little boy haircut! The Guy put his foot down recently and said it just wasn't fair to our poor kids for me to make them look funny. I relented because the last few times have been really awful.

Before pictures:

Poor child has about 8 cowlicks.

You can still see a bit of the uneven mess I made last time.

During:

Bribery!! Thank goodness for suckers.

We had a few unhappy moments but, for the most part, it went really well.

After:

Chillaxin' at home.

Spinach Salad

2011-01-22T14:34:00.004-06:00

Mmmmmmm

I had already made oven bacon so I had crispy bacon as well as bacon grease. Make sure you have both--either by frying bacon fresh in a pan and using it or using both from your fridge.

Dressing:
Melt(or use fresh) some bacon grease(maybe a tablespoon or 2). Add in brown sugar and apple cider vinegar until it smells right. I like mine a bit sweet so I use a good bit of brown sugar. Add bacon. Boil to reduce a little.

In a bowl, mix:
Fresh spinach
mandarin oranges
slivered almonds

Poor dressing over and toss. Enjoy!

Smiley

2011-01-22T14:33:00.001-06:00

He's just too cute.

Fireman Brock

Bread Fail

2011-01-22T14:29:00.003-06:00

I was too ashamed to take the after pictures. I tried to make 15 sourdough bread bowls.

I was making them for teacher appreciation at Riley's school. They just wouldn't rise! It was so aggravating. Two hours before I was due at the school I gave up and ran to the store and bought a few boxes of corn bread mix and baked it. Someday I'll try bread bowls again but it'll be a while. I need to time to lick my wounds.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-01-22T14:22:00.002-06:00

I really need to catch this blog up! I should have been doing that while The Guy was home for 2 weeks. Hindsight...

The children were much more interested in the ladder than the act of decorating.

Cuties

I tried to distract them with their own tree to decorate. I cut it all our of felt.

No pictures please. Nothing to see here.

We all got in the act. Except Daddy, he was the photographer.

Careful, Buddy.

Riley's take on the tree.

Frugality

2011-01-17T07:38:00.002-06:00

We are starting a new chapter in our lives. The Guy is going into his own dealership with 2 partners. We're leaving the security and familiarity of what we've known for the great unknown. We heard a wonderful sermon at church yesterday based on Abraham's journey to the promised land. The preacher talked about how Abraham didn't have much information to go on. God spoke to him and said get moving, I'll let you know when you get there. Just head this way.

It was a perfect sermon for us. We're off on a new adventure and we hope and pray it is a happy and prosperous one!

Because we're leaving behind security, it's time to buckle down and stop spending money. We don't eat out much and I usually menu plan but we still bleed money at the grocery store(and Walmart)(and Target). I hope to discover more ways of saving money that I will realistically use. I'll share them with you and I hope you'll tell me ways you save money!

My first goal is to quit buying bread at the store. I already make bread but I still buy it at the store. No more. I can make hamburger buns, white bread, wheat bread, and sourdough. I just need to make them more regularly.

So what do you do to save money?

Riley again

2011-01-08T14:10:00.002-06:00

Since the first few fun times Riley has had with the camera, we let him have it regularly. Here's a new set of Riley shots.

Self portrait

Checking out the molars

Practicing his skills on his brother

CHEESE

Hey Daddy

Smile, Mama

Random

2010-12-28T13:40:00.003-06:00

Our sweet Bronco

I made a big maze of roads out of tape for the boys to drive their cars on. It was awesome for about 10 minutes and then they forgot about it.

They got busy doing this:

Anyone else think they have enough cars?

Looking at pictures with all my animals.

Check out this action shot!

Love my boys.

Charging Bull

2010-12-28T13:34:00.002-06:00

Yes, I know we just had Christmas and I'm only up to Thanksgiving on the blog. Get over it.

Riley's teacher gave him the Indian name Charging Bull for whatever they were doing the week of Thanksgiving.

He got an awesome shirt for his costume.

Such a cute bull.

Cream Biscuits

2010-12-11T16:22:00.004-06:00

Oh heaven, I've found you. I made these one Sunday morning as my first ever attempt at biscuits. They were easy and very very delicious. Give them a try!

I got the recipe from Emeril on foodnetwork.com.

You'll need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Slowly add 1 cup of the cream, stirring with a rubber spatula, to form a smooth dough. Add up to 1/2 cup additional cream if mixture is too dry, being careful not to overwork the dough or the biscuits will be tough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a square, about 3/4-inch thick. With a 2-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into 12 circles, gathering the scraps and gently patting out again, if necessary. Dip each round into the melted butter to coat on all sides. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and srinkle the tops with a little more sugar. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

As you can see, I just cut them into squares so I wouldn't have to do anything extra. They were tender and awesome!

Top bunk!

2010-12-11T16:16:00.003-06:00

We recently decided to let Riley use his top bunk. We installed the ladder and he was a happy camper!

He even slept up there for his nap, just a few hours later.

He spent plenty of time playing up there.

Too bad for him I started using that ladder as a privilege. It's been taken off a total of 3 times so far. He then has to earn it back. It's currently off b/c he had a bad week at school. Brock learned to climb up. I didn't manage a picture of that because I was having a heart attack.

And on that note, Brock has finally learned to climb DOWN his ladder so he's discovered he doesn't have to stay in bed once he gets put in there. CURSES!

Wordless Weekend

2010-12-11T16:14:00.002-06:00

I can't keep quiet on this one. Look at the torture Trouble puts up with. And he keeps coming back for more. Half the time he's seeking the kids so someone will touch him!

Denver

2010-12-04T13:45:00.003-06:00

Our dogs came as a matched set in July of 2006. They showed up in our neighbor's yard while we were out of town on a trip to Nashville. We had just found out we were pregnant with Riley and were high on life. The day after we got home I noticed the two puppies. I asked my neighbor and he said they just showed up. They were licking the grass so he gave them water and some cat food he had, but he did not want them. I couldn't help but pet them and play with them a bit. They both had fat bellies but were tiny everywhere else. 2 days later Josh had a day off and he fell in love with them. I wasn't sure I wanted 2 dogs with a baby on the way but we couldn't separate them!

After asking around and finding no one to claim the dogs, we took them to the vet and they were ours. After much discussion I came up with Denver and Bronco as their names. They were rambunctious and destructive but they were also beyond cute and sweet. They feared Trouble from day one and Trouble made sure that feeling stayed with them. But Denver was always a bit more daring and wanted to be friends with Trouble. They had a brotherly relationship in which they play fought. So cute.

They came with us when we moved to Jackson and had to live in the backyard for 6 months because I had a new born and they were always filthy! One of the big considerations when we were looking for a house to buy was that it had to have a huge backyard so the dogs could run and play.

Denver was always the home body. He wanted to be inside and in comfort. Bronco would taunt him to get him outside to play.

A few weeks ago, Denver started hacking so we shooed him outside. I checked on him before bed and he was laying down at the bottom of the yard and wouldn't come in. We have no idea what happened but when Josh went out an hour later, Denver had passed. We miss him everyday. Bronco had a hard time at the beginning but he's doing better now. He's eating more finally. Denver was the alpha of the two and didn't allow Bronco free access to their food. He's staying inside more but that's ok with me. We get to give him a lot of love and he's opening up more.

It will never be the same without Denver but we're glad to still have Bronco with us. We love you, Denver.

Halloween!

2010-12-04T13:18:00.003-06:00

I had gotten pajamas for the boys that I thought would double as costumes. I can't help it, I have issues with buying something that's only going to be worn once or twice. We don't do a lot of dress up around here! But the pajamas were a little too tight to look like anything other than pajamas. Brock is still young enough to get away with that but I felt bad for Riley. So we headed to Walmart and found an awesome bmx rider outfit. Riley was very excited to be a motorcycle rider.

Brock got to choose between Buzz and Woody.

Obligatory shot before we set out for trick or treating.

And we're off!

They were really excited to get some candy.

I had not planned on hauling them the whole way but once we got candy they wanted to sit and eat it.

I made this hat!

And some cute extras.

DIRTY

2010-12-04T13:16:00.003-06:00

There is no doubt that Riley helped Brock get to this state.

I don't think Brock minds. He loves being dirty.

And some extras with Daddy.

Brock is 2!

2010-12-03T14:04:00.002-06:00

Our sweet Brock turned 2 October 23rd. It's still hard to believe.

I made a car cake for him.

Riley managed to get a taste before we were ready to serve...

The boys were very happy with their cake!

BeBe was unimpressed. Or chagrined at having her picture taken. Or just being a ham.

Yummy!

Blue icing rocks.

Clean up crew.

Such a cutie pie.

I think he had a good time.

Dinner this week

2010-11-29T13:53:00.003-06:00

Since I do this most weeks, I'll pop on here and post what I plan to cook for the week in case anyone needs inspiration!

Monday--burgers
Tuesday-- Chicken fried steak with steamed broccoli and corn casserole(recipe at bottom)
Wednesday--Pork burritos--this is a new one for us
Thursday--leftovers
Friday-- Loaded Chicken Philly Sandwiches. This is another new one. Bacon, chicken, cheese, homemade hoagies. How can I go wrong?
Saturday--I think I'll buy a honey baked ham with a coupon I have so we can eat on that for the weekend.

Corn Casserole
2 small cans sweet whole corn
1 regular can creamed corn
1 stick melted butter
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (8oz) container french onion dip

Mix it all up, pour in an 8x8 dish and cook for 40 minutes at 350.

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-28T20:37:00.003-06:00

Riley's preschool class went on their first field trip right before Halloween. We headed to a local farm for a hayride and pumpkin picking.

Brock got to go!

A picture before we got started. Brock, Riley, his best bud AJ, and his girlfriend Morgan.

On the hayride.

Picking out his pumpkin.

Scaring the beejeezus out of Mama by sitting on the rail.

They had a pit of corn--instead of sand. The kids loved it!

King of the Mountain!

About to take off into the hay maze.

Leaps and bounds.

The cute little class of hellions!

We had so much fun!

Outside!

2010-11-28T20:33:00.000-06:00

Just some fun in the sun.

Carpooling

An adventure

2010-11-16T18:30:00.003-06:00

I woke up one morning hearing weird sounds from the library kitchen area. Riley must have heard me getting dressed b/c I heard some major noise and shuffling before I made it out. He was just walking away from the counter when I came out. On that counter was our camera. I didn't really pay any attention until a few days later when I uploaded pictures to my computer.

A morning alone, photographed by Riley.

Cars!

Self portrait.

Chair, cause those are cool.

Ummmmm

I think those are our front doors.

That's not a bad shot of the front yard, right?

This one makes me want to vomit a little. I think it makes me feel motion sick.

And again with the darkness.

I have yet to decipher this one.

Think that's a face shot with his thumb over the lens?

And the puppy who probably watched all this with a bit of perplexity. Hey Bronco!

That concludes Riley's morning pictorial essay.

More brother love

2010-11-16T18:26:00.003-06:00

Squee!

I know I just did some of these, but it cracks me up when they come riding up on a scooter together.

Couch time with Daddy.

Gimmie kisses!

They love holding hands.

Volcano

2010-11-16T17:56:00.002-06:00

I started the evening by letting the boys color pages from a Curious George coloring book while I got some dishes done. After a page each was finished I switched to blank paper because Riley started doodling around the edges of his paper. I had never seen him do this before. He wrote the letters R and Q and drew a dog! He's only ever really scribbled before now so I might have gotten a bit over excited. I was doing finishing up loading the dishwasher when he came over telling me something and showing me his picture. Once I saw the picture I realized he was saying volcano!

Is that not the cutest, sweetest volcano you've ever seen?

I love creativity.

Loaded potato soup

2010-11-15T18:17:00.003-06:00

I made a delicious soup tonight. I looked through many recipes and couldn't find one easy enough and yummy looking enough so I combined a few. I made a really big pot because I like to share and I like to be able to freeze some. So you might want to pare this down a bit.

1lb bacon
4C chicken broth
water
6-10 med. sized potatoes(mine were pretty small Idahos so I used 10)
1 onion, diced
1-2 cloves or garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups milk/whipping cream(any combo of the 2)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar
1C sour cream
Salt and pepper

Cook bacon. Crumble. I oven baked mine earlier in the day and let the grease cool. You'll need about 2 tbsp of the bacon grease saved so I scooped it off the tin foil in the pan and put it to the side until I needed it.

Peel your potatoes and cut them up into chunks. Put them in a pot and pour in the chicken broth. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes. Potatoes need to be fork tender but not mushy.

Get out your dutch oven or a very large pot. Add the bacon grease and melt it. Add your diced onions and saute until translucent. Add in the garlic for just a minute.

Pour off a lot of the potato liquid and reserve. Bring down to about half the level it was. Add the potatoes and left over liquid to the big pot and stir. Take a potato masher and mash the potatoes a bit so you get a good creamy texture with plenty of chunks. Let his mixture simmer while you prepare the next step.

Melt the butter in a med. saucepan. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring all the while. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken-it doesn't take long. Stir this mixture into the potatoes and combine well. Simmer.

Add the cheese, sour cream, bacon, and salt and pepper.

It's now ready when you are!

I'll get a picture added when I take one.

Traffic Jam

2010-11-10T14:18:00.003-06:00

I randomly come upon these displays throughout the house.

They're sometimes on a window sill or the hearth, or on the bed upstairs.

This was a bit more artfully done that some of the others.

Notice the domino effect.

Riley is such a little artist.

Brock's Big Boy Bed

2010-11-10T14:06:00.002-06:00

Check out that alliteration!

BeBe and Granddaddy got Brock a big boy bed for birthday/Christmas this year. The Guy and I picked it out. We agonized over what bed to get for Brock. Riley has this awesome bunk bed that's beautiful and fun and will last forever. We really wanted Brock to have a cool big boy bed but, him being the 2nd kid and all, we didn't want to spend as much money as we did the first time around! Poor Brock.

The Guy and I went to furniture stores all over. I went to a ton with just the kids, and I still could not find a bed I loved. Then I went to Walmart.com. Cue angel music. I found the perfect bed for Brock for the next few years. When he's 5 or 6 he can pick out the bed he's going to be stuck with for the rest of his time in our house.

It came in a really big box that I wanted to save but that The Guy wanted to ditch because he's tired of all the trash I give to the kids in the name of TOY.

The thing is plastic. It's made by the same people that make outdoor slides and climbing toys for kids.

It was a cinch to put together! It might have taken up 20 minutes from start to finish.

The boys love it and play in it almost every day.

And the best part? Brock is too scared to climb out of it on his own. So it's just like a crib! I haven't had to deal with him showing up in my room at 1am or banging on his door during nap or coming in to find his room completely destroyed(all things his brother did when he got a bbb).

YAY!

Food links!

2010-11-08T13:38:00.003-06:00

Since I'm doing horribly at blogging anything about food, I've decided to just put down some links for some of my favorite recipes.

Drunken Pork Chops

Thank you, Pioneer Woman. Her Ranch style Chickenn is amazing!

These little suckers are a great lunch for me and the boys. Just dip them in a little mustard.

This one has become very popular with my Goonies. Such an easy way to get Chicken Parmesan.

These are easy and very very yummy. You can even freeze the filling if you want to for another time.

Oh, man. This chipotle shredded beef is amazing. It's great on corn tortillas.

Here's another crockpot recipe that's great. Red beans and rice.

Kickin' Chicken is great and easy. I drain out as much liquid as possible and then use this as a filling in tacos or burritos.

Oh, Tasty Kitchen, how I love thee. If you haven't signed up over there, you need to. Here are some of my favorite main dishes from there:

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches - I use banana peppers b/c we like it a little weaker, but these are so tasty. I highly recommend homemade rolls to go with it!

I was never a fan of salmon until I made this. Bliss.

And one more for today. These come up nice and crispy. Oven baked fish.

The cute, pudgy one

2010-10-23T08:33:00.000-05:00

Cute little Brock.
His favorite way to be: DIRTY

He is a born swimmer. He loves putting his ears under and has no problem getting his face wet.

Wassup?

Today is the little one's second birthday. I am struggling with my baby being 2. At this point in Riley's life I already had a 5 month old! Brock brings so much joy and laughter to our lives. He's cute and cuddly and sweet and a spoiled brat! He loves his brother to distraction and tries to do everything Riley does(sometimes ending in disaster and pain). He's a picky eater unless it's sweet and then he's just like his mama.

Happy Birthday Brock. We love you.

What's gonna work?

2010-10-21T19:45:00.003-05:00

TEAMWORK! 2 points to everyone who is now singing the Wonder Pets.

For Grandma

2010-10-21T18:08:00.000-05:00

In case you needed a pick me up.

A river runs through it

2010-10-18T17:14:00.002-05:00

Our yard, that is. When we get substantial rain our backyard turns into a lake and our side yard becomes a flowing river. Kids and dogs love it. And in honor of the little bit of rain we had this week(first rain in weeks) here are some pictures.

Really, I'm not kidding about the lake.

Denver the water dog. He's so low to the ground you'd think he'd be swimming.

Can't forget Bronco. His hair is so long that he's forced to stay outside for days since he won't stay dry.

The boys had a chance to play in the side yard part of it a while back.

Whatcha doin', Brother?

Splish Splash

The deepest part.

Plug that leak!

And if you've ever wondered, looking at all the old mud pictures, how we have that much muck in our yard--now you know!

Random

2010-10-07T13:22:00.002-05:00

Making little pizzas with Mommy(which they wouldn't flipping eat!).

We searched and searched for a new bed for Brock. 2 trips to Meridian. Multiple trips to all the local furniture stores. I was going crazy! I will keep you suspense a little longer on the bed we actually got but here's a shot from a cool bed at Woodstock Furniture in Meridian.
Peek a Boo!

There were a lot of geese at our lake all summer. They took a trip up our cul-de-sac one day and we got a few pictures of it. The boys wanted to go out and play but I was little scared the geese would be mean. Our neighbor ran them off before the deposited too much poop in our yards.

There's something wrong with my camera

2010-09-28T14:13:00.002-05:00

The pictures just haven't been coming out as nicely as they should.

They're kinda blurry.

Hazy, don't you think?

I love obstacle courses.

I know what's wrong with these. It was very humid outside and the camera steamed up.

But look! It's a baby frog!

The Dallas Aquarium

2010-09-21T16:23:00.004-05:00

The boys, Uncle Dan, cousin Alex, and I went down to the aquarium one morning during our trip. I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures because the place was packed. Not only was it packed but it was a maze you could not escape. It wasn't a free form place. You had to follow the path along with the other 100 people jammed in there with you. It was pretty hard to keep track of the little ones in that many folks.

We did enjoy the room where you the water was in a tunnel around you. I managed a shot of all the boys.

SHARK!

The boys checking out a fish tank.

One last picture from the trip of Dan and Riley having a cuddle.

The Dallas circus

2010-09-21T16:16:00.003-05:00

We went to Dallas in July to visit with Uncle Dan, Aunt Nakissa, and cousin Alex. Bebe took the trip with us and took us all to the circus. Brock thought it was ok, but Riley really loved it!

Elephants!

Dogs(much less awe-inspiring)

Riley was spellbound.

Check out the acrobats!

Tigers!

There were two in the cage that were pretty mad at the trainer. They were naughty kitties that kinda made me afraid for the dude in there with them.

Brock really wasn't all that into it. He had more fun messing with this cup holder and getting in and out of my lap five. hundred. times.

Riley really did enjoy it. He liked the animals the best.

And one more of the one that didn't allow me to watch the whole show.

Brothers

2010-09-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

While there are times I wish I could lock the boys in separate rooms so they'll stop fighting, I am so glad they have each other. They may fight like cats and dogs, they love each other and want to be together all the time.

Taken with my phone--sorry about the blur.

A friend of mine lost her sweet baby Ellie at birth and we lit a candle for her.

More sweetness.

And two by themselves.
Chillaxin'

Scootering around.