Friday, June 19, 2009
All Star District Champions!!
Gunner was invited to play on the All Star team this year...after 3 weeks of practices every day and a week of baseball games every night it all paid off....WE WON!!! Now on to the state tournament! But first we're off to the beach for a week!!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Birthday Girl
I can hardly believe Nicole is 13!! It seems like just yesterday I caught her tattooing her body in permanent marker at the age of 2 and now suddenly she's a TEENAGER (which she is thrilled about) with tons of friends...see photo below. She is turning into an amazing young lady who is working hard at achieving her young women goals, keeping up with school work, and dancing and tumbling her heart out (more on that later)! She is a delight to have in our home and a second mother to our little ones! I love her so much and look forward to many fun teenage years! 
Her birthday always seems to fall on dance recital weekend...which is crazy enough without a birthday added into the mix. But this year I decided to go ahead and surprise her with breakfast in bed with 20...yes you read that right 20 of her friends! Even though she woke up while we were still gathering- she was totally surprised! We made 5 batches of homemade buttermilk pancakes and 4 batches of buttermilk syrup! Todd was a little surprised at how much girls could eat...looked at me and said "don't tell me girls can't eat" I responded with "I never said they couldn't especially when boys aren't around"! It was so much fun we just might have to do it again!!
Her birthday always seems to fall on dance recital weekend...which is crazy enough without a birthday added into the mix. But this year I decided to go ahead and surprise her with breakfast in bed with 20...yes you read that right 20 of her friends! Even though she woke up while we were still gathering- she was totally surprised! We made 5 batches of homemade buttermilk pancakes and 4 batches of buttermilk syrup! Todd was a little surprised at how much girls could eat...looked at me and said "don't tell me girls can't eat" I responded with "I never said they couldn't especially when boys aren't around"! It was so much fun we just might have to do it again!!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Hide & Seek
Today Bridget and I were playing "Hide & Seek"...which by the way she tells me exactly were to hide so she's not surprised when I say "boo"- in case you didn't know Bridget is a "spooky child"...anyway, the phone rang and she said "mom I got it stay there" so I did as I was told and listen while she said "Hello! She's hiding and I'm going to find her so call her back -k- BYE!"
These are the things I'll miss...however, I won't miss her kicking me in the back ALL night long night after night!! Well, maybe I will 20 years from now!!
These are the things I'll miss...however, I won't miss her kicking me in the back ALL night long night after night!! Well, maybe I will 20 years from now!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Trials
"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such quailities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God...and it is through sorrow and suffering, tiol and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven." Orson F. Whitney
Thanks Jenet for sharing this quote with me!!
Thanks Jenet for sharing this quote with me!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Happy 7th Birthday Sweet Courtney
I can hardly believe my sweet little Courtney is 7...CRAZY! She had a great day filled with breakfast in bed, birthday wishes at school, an AWESOME b-day party at Jump and Shout and a late night with cousin Kate. Stay tuned for a b-day update tomorrow...I need to go to bed!! We love you "Nanny" happy birthday
Nanny McPhee
For the past week or so, Courtney's two front teeth have been wiggly...and sticking almost straight out! They would hang over her lip when she closed her mouth so I named her "Nanny McPhee". But when she got off the bus yesterday one of them was literally hanging by a thread...
So after a traumatic few minutes dad prevailed!! And now she looks even more like Nanny!! But we still love her!
So after a traumatic few minutes dad prevailed!! And now she looks even more like Nanny!! But we still love her!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
6 Months old
I can hardly believe my baby is 6 months old today!! Where is time going?!? Slipping away that's for sure. We have been practicing on his "sitting" skills...they're improving! He prefers to be perched upon my hip (or on anyone's hip who will hold him) rather than on the floor so he isn't moving around much...which is fine with me considering he is my last!!
He's growing so fast we had to cut the ends of his pj's off...when we did those piggy toes came right out!! Needless to say we quickly got new ones-he's sporting them in the picture above...they say "Rad like Dad"! Gunner asked what does "rad" mean-man I'm getting old!!
He's growing so fast we had to cut the ends of his pj's off...when we did those piggy toes came right out!! Needless to say we quickly got new ones-he's sporting them in the picture above...they say "Rad like Dad"! Gunner asked what does "rad" mean-man I'm getting old!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Valentine's Day 1 Month Late
I know Valentine's Day was LONG ago but it was so fun I had to post even if it was a month ago!! We started the morning out with pink heart shaped pancakes...I'm gorgeous I know...
and ended it with a picnic at our neighborhood park and KFC for dinner
Then on Sunday we decorated the table with our fun red "special" occasion glasses, rose pedals, candles, and sparkling cider! Perfect...spent with the ones I love the most!!
and ended it with a picnic at our neighborhood park and KFC for dinner
Then on Sunday we decorated the table with our fun red "special" occasion glasses, rose pedals, candles, and sparkling cider! Perfect...spent with the ones I love the most!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
CHEESY!!!
Nicole just informed me that my new background is a little too "CHEESY"!!
That made me laugh out loud...I said "it's only temporary...it's Valentines Day...I like it". She then said "that explains a lot"!!
Watch-it girl!!!!
That made me laugh out loud...I said "it's only temporary...it's Valentines Day...I like it". She then said "that explains a lot"!!
Watch-it girl!!!!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Never to Forget...
One advantage to living in Arizona in the winter (there are none in the summer) are the ORANGES!!!
Can I tell you how much I love the orange season... nice big juicy orange's straight from the tree...really there's nothing better!
I grew up with a backyard full of citrus trees, orange, grapefruit, and tangerine!! My two best friends (Jenni and Michelle Burnham) and I, spent hours in the back yard climbing trees and eating tangerine after tangerine! Vitamin C supplement...what's that...we had the real stuff - can't beat that!
Now it's my children who enjoy playing outside for hours on end during the winter months smelling of oranges at the end of the day...I LOVE IT!!
Of all my children, Courtney seems to enjoy them the most. Everyday when she gets off the bus she picks an orange, peels and eats it on her way home!! So Friday when she came home holding her orange I asked if I could take her picture.
She asked why and I told her..."because as mommies get old they forget things and I never want to forget that you loved oranges and how cute you are with orange finger nails from peeling it all by yourself!"
With that she kindly obliged....
She's so dang cute!!!
Can I tell you how much I love the orange season... nice big juicy orange's straight from the tree...really there's nothing better!
I grew up with a backyard full of citrus trees, orange, grapefruit, and tangerine!! My two best friends (Jenni and Michelle Burnham) and I, spent hours in the back yard climbing trees and eating tangerine after tangerine! Vitamin C supplement...what's that...we had the real stuff - can't beat that!
Now it's my children who enjoy playing outside for hours on end during the winter months smelling of oranges at the end of the day...I LOVE IT!!
Of all my children, Courtney seems to enjoy them the most. Everyday when she gets off the bus she picks an orange, peels and eats it on her way home!! So Friday when she came home holding her orange I asked if I could take her picture.
She asked why and I told her..."because as mommies get old they forget things and I never want to forget that you loved oranges and how cute you are with orange finger nails from peeling it all by yourself!"
With that she kindly obliged....
She's so dang cute!!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Another recipe to try...
Here's another recipe you must try!!! This one is much simpler than the last one I posted and simply Divine!!!
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)
Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a Ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
from Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)
Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a Ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.
Friday, January 23, 2009
"dinner rut"
I don't know about you...but I'm in a "dinner rut"!! So I decided to branch out and try some new recipes. This is one of them and it was a HUGE hit!! It came from Sisters Cafe blog...so far every recipe I've tried from it we've loved. I would do a couple things differnt though...here they are
1. I would use a whole box of linguine...they're enough sauce to do that
2. I would use a whole tablespoon of the chili oil...I only used a 1/2 and it needed more.
Other than that we loved it there was nothing left...NOTHING!! Hope you like it!
Sesame Chicken and Asparagus Pasta8 oz linguine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
6 Tbs chunky peanut butter (¼ c. plus 2 T.)
¼ cup soy sauce
scant ¼ cup sesame oil
½ - 1 Tbs hot chili oil (depending on how hot your chili oil is. I add the whole Tb.)
2 ½ boneless and skinless cooked chicken breast halves
5 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
¾ lb to 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed
3 scallions, white bulb and 3 inches green, cut into 2-inch julienne
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
Cook chicken. (Many options here – put frozen breasts in microwave at 50% power, or boil in water, or cook for a few hours in the crock pot with a cup of water…)
Trim asparagus; set aside. *see note below
Toast sesame seeds, set aside. (Two options: toast in the microwave, stirring every minute or so, or toast in a dry skillet on medium, stirring frequently. They are done when they turn brown. Takes 5-10 minutes.)
Cut scallions and cucumber as directed in ingredients. Set aside.
Prepare sauce: Place the garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and soy sauce in a food processor. Process for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add the sesame and hot chili oils through the feed tube, and process until well blended.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine, and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again, and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Shred the chicken into 2-inch julienne, and toss with the linguine. Add the sauce and 4 Tbs of the sesame seeds, and toss to coat well.
Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths. Blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. They will be done when you can easily insert a thin-bladed knife or skewer into them. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. **see note below
Place the linguine and chicken in a large flat serving bowl, and arrange the asparagus on top. Sprinkle with the scallions, cucumber, and remaining 1 Tbs sesame seeds.
Number Of Servings:6
* Trimming the asparagus - This is a very important step. Snap the ends off by bending the bottoms until they snap. They will snap off above the white part, and some of the green will snap off too. This is the safest way to trim asparagus. It seems like you are wasting a lot of asparagus, but don’t be deceived! When I was new at cooking I tried cutting off just the white part, or just 1 inch off the bottoms, and would live to regret it! The bottom part of asparagus spears are very fibrous. If you don’t cut enough off the bottom, you will feel like you are trying to chew on a piece of bamboo. It’s horrible. My trusty cookbook by Mark Bittman says, “Snap off the bottom of each stalk; they will usually separate naturally right where the woody part ends.” Take it from the pro.
**Also, I combine the steps of blanching the asparagus and cooking the linguine. 4-5 minutes before linguine is done, I add the asparagus. Then I drain it all when the asparagus is done. I drain the noodles and asparagus once, then add the sauce, chicken, and some sesame seeds and toss. Then I add the scallions, cucumber and remaining sesame seeds on top and lightly toss a bit. I've learned to combine steps to make this a faster recipe.
1. I would use a whole box of linguine...they're enough sauce to do that
2. I would use a whole tablespoon of the chili oil...I only used a 1/2 and it needed more.
Other than that we loved it there was nothing left...NOTHING!! Hope you like it!
Sesame Chicken and Asparagus Pasta8 oz linguine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
6 Tbs chunky peanut butter (¼ c. plus 2 T.)
¼ cup soy sauce
scant ¼ cup sesame oil
½ - 1 Tbs hot chili oil (depending on how hot your chili oil is. I add the whole Tb.)
2 ½ boneless and skinless cooked chicken breast halves
5 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted
¾ lb to 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed
3 scallions, white bulb and 3 inches green, cut into 2-inch julienne
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice
Cook chicken. (Many options here – put frozen breasts in microwave at 50% power, or boil in water, or cook for a few hours in the crock pot with a cup of water…)
Trim asparagus; set aside. *see note below
Toast sesame seeds, set aside. (Two options: toast in the microwave, stirring every minute or so, or toast in a dry skillet on medium, stirring frequently. They are done when they turn brown. Takes 5-10 minutes.)
Cut scallions and cucumber as directed in ingredients. Set aside.
Prepare sauce: Place the garlic, vinegar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and soy sauce in a food processor. Process for 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add the sesame and hot chili oils through the feed tube, and process until well blended.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine, and cook at a rolling boil until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, drain again, and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Shred the chicken into 2-inch julienne, and toss with the linguine. Add the sauce and 4 Tbs of the sesame seeds, and toss to coat well.
Cut the asparagus on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths. Blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 2-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus. They will be done when you can easily insert a thin-bladed knife or skewer into them. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. **see note below
Place the linguine and chicken in a large flat serving bowl, and arrange the asparagus on top. Sprinkle with the scallions, cucumber, and remaining 1 Tbs sesame seeds.
Number Of Servings:6
* Trimming the asparagus - This is a very important step. Snap the ends off by bending the bottoms until they snap. They will snap off above the white part, and some of the green will snap off too. This is the safest way to trim asparagus. It seems like you are wasting a lot of asparagus, but don’t be deceived! When I was new at cooking I tried cutting off just the white part, or just 1 inch off the bottoms, and would live to regret it! The bottom part of asparagus spears are very fibrous. If you don’t cut enough off the bottom, you will feel like you are trying to chew on a piece of bamboo. It’s horrible. My trusty cookbook by Mark Bittman says, “Snap off the bottom of each stalk; they will usually separate naturally right where the woody part ends.” Take it from the pro.
**Also, I combine the steps of blanching the asparagus and cooking the linguine. 4-5 minutes before linguine is done, I add the asparagus. Then I drain it all when the asparagus is done. I drain the noodles and asparagus once, then add the sauce, chicken, and some sesame seeds and toss. Then I add the scallions, cucumber and remaining sesame seeds on top and lightly toss a bit. I've learned to combine steps to make this a faster recipe.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Christmas 2008
Christmas was wonderful this year, everyone got what they were hoping for from Santa which always makes for a happy morning. It started off with a wonderful Christmas Eve at my folks where we enjoyed our "Mexican Fiesta" (not very traditional I know...but sooooooooooo YUMMY) followed by the Christmas program staring the greatest cast you'll ever see....the grand kids!
Then it was time to head home so we could share "our family" tradition of opening our "Christmas Eve" gift...bet you can guess what that was...Yep, new PJ's!! A must for Christmas morning (some years they're Christmas jams but not this year) Now off to bed now so SANTA can come!!
Christmas morning greeted us with.... A new bed spread for Nicole
A cool new scooter for Gunner
A darling bike for Courtney
A "Gotta Go" doll for Bridget
And colorful play gym for Brody to lay and look at but- he preferred the "free" teddy bear we got from Aeropostale. Don't tell him- he didn't know it was free!!
Among all the wonderful gifts we receive each year, the greatest is the Light of Christ is our lives and the spirit that comes with knowing and understanding the sacrifice's he made in our behalf. How wonderful it is to celebrate his life and to reflect back on that sacred night when he was born. My hope is that I will take time to acknowledge my blessings and honor him everyday and not just during the Christmas season. How blessed my life is because of all he has given me.
It is time now for us to say goodbye to 2008 which brought many great blessings. We welcomed a healthy new baby, junior high, the school orchestra and new friends this year. And although it means I am growing older, I anxiously await what the new year holds for me and my family. I know we will face challenges in the year to come, but along side challenges come great blessings. Usually the greatest blessing of all is drawing closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior through adversity.
With that I say farewell 2008 and hello 2009!!!!
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