Christmas in review

Christmas Eve

Christmas Sunday

Christmas Sunday

John was showering -so MIA! I got to get him in some pictures!

Grandparents

I can't say enough about Grandparents. They are beyond amazing! Matthew and Izzie have 4 of the best. We just had Grandma and Papa Jaggi come and visit for Christmas and they spoiled and love our kids to death. Matthew wants to wrestle and Izzie wants Grandma to build with their new Lego's. They babysit, wipe bums, read, kiss and hug and that is in only 3 days! Thanks to all the Grandparents who put so much time into their grandchildren lives - it really pays off (for everyone!) And we miss you already!

Kids with Santa

Our ward Christmas party with Santa. Matthew asked for some superhero toys as Santa asks Izzie what she wants, she being shy doesn't say anything, then Matthew says, "Just give her something Princess, she likes that." Izzie nods and I laugh!

Books

It isn't to late to read a good Christmas story. I am not talking about 'The night before Christmas' or 'Polar Express' even though they are my favorite kids story books for this time of the year. I am talking, crying or weeping (that was more me), laughing and uplifting books.

AUTHOR-Donna VanLiere

TITLES-
The Christmas Hope
The Christmas Blessings
The Christmas Shoes

They are so good! And at COSTCO!!! or your local library.

Read them - read them and cry, love, and be uplifted!
I wrote about this last year too - just reminding all my friends and family.

My Mama's Fudge

(This fudge has peppermint Andes chopped with almond bark drizzled on top) YUM-O!!

This is my Mama's recipe for fudge, however to give me some glory I added the topping..hee hee! They were so fabulous! So fabulous that I made it for a Christmas party and for my class at church (Mia Maids) that I got so many requests for the recipe, that I had to post it.

Warning-Hard to only eat 1 piece. I probably ate half of my batch. Hello extra pounds to my rear end!

My Mama’s fudge

Ingredients:
1 can evaporated milk
4 ½ cups sugar
1 cup of butter
1 Tablespoons of vanilla extract
3 cups chocolate chips – I like half semi and milk chocolate
1 pkg of mini marshmallows

Directions:
Put chocolate chips and marshmallows in a LARGE bowl – the bigger the better. We are going to be stirring everything in this bowl! Put aside.
Butter a 9x13 dish. (I add buttered foil to my dish – no clean up and I can pull it out when I am done to cut it nicely.)
In a heavy pot add evaporated milk, sugar, and butter. On medium high heat bring to a rolling boil for 6 minutes (do not leave –or put on high heat) Stir continuously for the whole 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla extract-stir. Immediately add to the chocolate marshmallows mixture. Stir really well, it needs to be smooth! Pour into a buttered 9x13 dish. ***Put in fridge for at least 8 hours before cutting into it. Needs to be refrigerated.

***Can add toppings- chopped nuts, chopped heath bars, chopped Andes mints, anything your heart desires. Push into fudge softly. Melt almond bark (1 ½ squares) to spread with fork to decorate the top.

-Makes 5 lbs. without toppings!

December playing around

My kiddos had an evening when there was no snow on the cement and had to play -with their bikes and neighbors! It only lasted about 30 minutes, because it was so cold! But fun for them.

Our house - and our tiny light display. (We are renting- I am not going crazy with lights)

Warning potty talk.......

My girl has potty trained herself!!! I have tried and tried in the past and she just didn't want to do it. So I left it alone. This past Wednesday, she woke up and said she wanted to sit on the potty! So up she went on the potty and pooped! I was so surprised and then she kept telling me to go. Now on Monday(today- day 5), she potties, washes her hands and loves it. I am so amazed! If you told me one week ago if this was possible I would of laughed in your face!

This is her potty chart - pooping comes easier to her. But the pee pee is coming along well to. She will pee in her diaper at night and when we go to church she gets stage fright and will pee in her pull -up. I am not brave enough to go without something (pull-up or something) But at home no problems!! I took a huge package of diapers back to Costco and it was not a sad goodbye.

Christmas 2010

Izzie or my reindeer?



Piper as a reindeer..can you tell he hates it! HA!

His little sweater kills me!

Some of the decorations around the house

I love these little snowman candles

Mr. Snowman...wish I could sit like that.

Dancing Santa - one of the kids favorite.

Our stocking hanging on the fireplace..opps I mean stairs.

Our tree this year-the kids helped put up the decorations on the tree- some branches got 3 to 4 balls on it! To funny.

I love Christmas time!!!!

Pictures from this week November 2010

Matthew and Izzie, just full of LOVE!



I got my hair done - going lighter. Hard to tell in these pics. But here you go SIS!



November 21, 2010 - heading to church. That is why we look so FINE!! (heehee)




Our first snow!

Pumpkin Cobbler

Sorry no picture, but you really can't mess this up. Throw it together and save tons of time-pie is just harder. I think it is even better than pumpkin pie and it is even good for breakfast!


Pumpkin Cobber

3 large eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) butter, melted
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, salt, spices, vanilla and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake 25 minutes. Top with nuts if desired. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Can be served with whipped cream or try vanilla ice cream too.

Diane's advice***(I even halved the recipe (I am the only one in my house that likes pumpkin and it worked great - I shared my yellow cake mix with my neighbor, so she could make it too!) if you half it-use 2 eggs.)

8 to 10 servings

Quick Yummy Dinner

You have to try this! It was so easy and so YUM!

We added fish (Tilapia) 4 fillets

1 cup of red and green red pepper

1/2 cup sliced or diced onion

bunch of cilantro and slice of lime for garish

tofu would be good too!

Just follow directions - and add rice. Yum in under 30 minutes. Kids Loved it!

Books we are liking

Little update on our favorite kid books!



Both kids love any books from Arthur.

We just bought Fancy Nancy and Matthew liked it better than Izzie, but she likes the pictures.

We love little Llama all the books are cute.

#1 hit -Little bunny foo foo - the fairy is so darn funny! We read it everyday and it is a library book -how long can you keep borrowing from the library?

Halloween

Izzie showing off her wings. Her hair was darling!




Our front door - we skipped the carving of the pumpkins.




TWINS - Matthew, Spiderman for the second year in a row. This is his friend Derek that lives down the street from us.




My kiddos - to darling! They loved Halloween, especially the knocking and saying "trick or treat'.

If I am feeling down or blue all I have to do is...

I was working on my primary lesson for Sunday and had to stop look and at the video messages online at www.lds.org
They make me feel the spirit...... well they just make me feel better! So if you need a little pick me up - don't go to the fridge, go online!

Cancer 4 Cupcakes

Cupcakes 4 Cancer

Dear Friends, family, and neighbors-

In two weeks there will be a 5K race to help support my friends' son, Greg, who has been diagnosed with cancer-Burkitts Lymphoma. This fun, family event will be held on Saturday, November 13th at 9:00 am in Westchester Hills housing development in Las Vegas.

If you live there or not, I hope you will join either in running the 5K or walking the 1 or 2 mile race or support by visiting their website. There will be train rides for the kids as well as a 100 yard dash. It should be a lot of fun. Greg and his family will be passing out cupcakes that morning to those who come to support this event.

Please visit www.cupcakes4cancer.blogspot.com for more information and to read Greg's story.

Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way. Here is a chance to come to gather and help ease the burden of Greg's family as they endure this trial in their lives.

Please let others know about this event and see how much we can do to help the Downer family out. Thank you.

October Happenings.....

Piper got a present from grandpa Stewart a little jacket with Lil' Monster on it. He really didn't like his picture being taken, can you tell? But we had to show the folks!

Izzie by our front yard tree - it was so pretty with all the red leaves. Now there is only about a hand full on the tree. Still no snow though.

Last Friday we went hiking with some neighbors. Bear Creek Trail. 3 miles. I carried the girl the whole way and boy was I sore! Can you say Jello Legs!

All rock and trees and a nice waterfall.

Shrunken Heads PART 1

I found this idea from Best Bites and the kids and I HAD to do it.

So we got 3 granny smiths and 2 gala apples (I wanted to see which apple worked the best) Dipped 'em in lemon/salt water and cut their little faces out. I used whole cloves for eyes and rice and barley for teeth. They are so cute - and then we put them on a cookie sheet and waited.....up to 2 weeks to see their transformation for Halloween!

Here are my little guys.......aren't they adorable....ha! you just wait!!!

Shrunken Heads PART 2

Here they are 2 weeks later. I kept them mostly in the oven (out of my way). The only bummer is the granny smith apples were so large that they got moldy. A little gross, but hey that just makes them a little scarier! My gala apples were the stars of the show -I will remember that next year!

He is so ugly (cute)!

Poor dude!

Rest in peace little guys - the kids LOVE them and want to show them off to all the kids in the neighborhood.

Batter Three Ways (Muffins, Pancakes and Waffles)

I had to make a snack for my boys preschool class and tried these - they were so yummy. Even the batter was so yummy. I made the whole batch muffins - chocolate chip and blueberry!


Batter Three Ways (Muffins, Pancakes and Waffles)
Recipe created by Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar (I cut this down by 1/2 cup)
• 2 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 lightly beaten eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, then cooled slightly
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Muffins:
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries or other dried fruit

Pancakes:
• 1 ripe banana , peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp. whole milk , if needed

Waffles:
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions for the batter:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, add the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla, and mix well. Fold the wet ingredients together with the dry until well blended. Divide the batter in half. Use half for the muffins and the remaining half for both the pancakes and the waffles.

To make muffins: Preheat the oven to 375°.
Take half of the prepared batter and fold in the cinnamon, nuts and dried fruit.
Brush the inside of each cup of a nonstick, 12-cup muffin pan with some of the melted butter.
Divide the batter equally into each cup. and bake for 20 minutes or until tests done when pierced with a skewer.
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 12 muffins.

To make pancakes: Fold both the banana and the walnuts into the batter, and thin with little milk if needed.
In a large, nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a medium heat. Using a medium ice cream scoop, pour equal amounts of the batter into the pan.
Cook the pancakes until bubbles rise from the middle of each pancake.
Flip and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes. Keep cooked pancakes in a warm oven as you cook off the remaining batter.
Makes about 8 to 10 pancakes.

To make waffles: Preheat a waffle iron. Fold the chips into the batter until well blended. Drop equal amounts of batter onto the heated waffle iron. When bubbles rise from the center of each waffle, close the top and continue to cook until crisp, about 3 minutes.
Keep cooked waffles warm in a 200° oven until you have cooked off the remaining waffles.
Makes 6 to 8 waffles.

Ode to soccer

Soccer we are glad you came around, but man am I glad to be done with you!

Game 5 was the same as game 4 and 3. But only 32 degrees- FREEZING!!! Thank you for the teaching and experience soccer, but the mommy and daddy was bored to death at the end!

Recent pictures of us

Me with the kids and of course Piper.



Izzie so cute with her smile.



My two happy kids...they keep me busy and happy!




Our family just being silly. Matthew is 4 1/2 and Izzie is almost 2 1/2. Not telling you how old we are - but young at heart!




This is my niece Stefanie who I love SOOOOO much. When her mom (my sis) was pregnant with her I knew it was a girl (they didn't find out till she was born). I loved her instantly. She is the kindest, sweetest and most beautiful girl in the world and I hope Isabel is just like her older cousin.

Matthew riding his bike. He loves his bike and has to ride it everyday without fail. I don't know what he is going to do when it starts to snow. It is now getting so cold, that I freeze watching him, while he is out riding-I almost have to jog in place! Ha! What my neighbors think!

Dang - this picture is turned weird. My beautiful girl - can't get over how big she is getting.