Pictures from the past week

Matthew's soccer team! So cute!


Trip to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation with my parents and nieces.



Soccer game in action.


Gem Mountain looking for some sapphires.

My family has been here the past week and here are some of the things we have been up to!

Soccer game 2 update

What a change is my kid! No crying or even whining. Game 2 was his game! He did AWESOME - he scored a goal! He was so proud of himself that he came running to me with a huge smile on his face. What a darling boy! Soccer has been so fun for our family! And of course mom forgot the camera today- but he did look just the same just HAPPIER!

Beds

Matt's Room

Izzie's headboard I LOVE her 'heart' sheets!

Trundle bed....... AWESOME

We finally got Izzie her own bed and gave Matthew his back then we got new mattress' for both beds and now we just need happy dreams

Matthew's 1st Soccer Game

Matthew's team and coach. Aren't they so cute and little! 4-5 year olds! We have the smallest and the tallest on our team - gosh who would know!



Practicing kicking the ball. He is good at this!




Action shot! GO SOCCER!

My boy is in Soccer! I know nothing about soccer- just kick the ball and run it to the goal and do a dance - oh yeah don't touch it with your hands. So I ask Matthew if he is interested and he said yes! So, we got him on a local team that has 85% LDS, which is awesome. He gets to know his ward members and neighbor friends. However he was the boober of the team, yeah you read that right. He cried when someone pushed him, tripped him or was stealing his ball-which was the worst ever! We had to kept telling him that it is okay to do this in soccer, but he had a hard time with it. Well at least we know we are teaching him right things - no hitting, pushing in real life but to do it in soccer....... WHAT!!!! My little sensitive boy. I am hoping next game is easier!

Easy MINT frosting!

Are you in love with MINT like I am? I love it! For my birthday a super nice lady in my ward made me cupcakes and one had mint frosting on a chocolate cupcake - YUM-O! So one wasn't enought for me and I made some the next day. I put it on brownies (brownie cupcakes) and it was yummy - but chocolate cake would be awesome too.

I halved the recipe and it worked on 12 cupcakes PERFECT!! No left-overs or wasting!

Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping* consistency.

Note: I tried to keep the mint flavor subtle and not too overpowering. I recommend starting on the light side with 1/8 teaspoon or less and tasting to get the flavor you want.

Okay now Piping the frosting- SO easy - mix up your frosting, if you halved the recipe like I did, get a sandwich bag (please use a good brand like Ziploc) now fold over the top and add the frosting. Zip the top and now don't forget this part!!!!! TAPE the top closed - use masking tape, scotch tape, but do it! Your frosting will push out if you don't and you will be mad at me. Then cut the bottom (the pointy part please) of the sandwich bag and pipe it on the cupcakes, do a swirl motion and it will be so pretty!

ENJOY!

My little Spiderman

And you thought it was August! HA! Costco had 3 left and we had to get one. Matthew loves it so much I had to beg him to take it off so it doesn't get worn out before Halloween gets here. And Matthew thinks that isn't soon enough.

One of the best cookies I have made in a long time!

Most of my friends know I am a COOKIE girl. I love my cookies! However I am so bad that I cheat when I make cookies, I love, love Betty Crocker cookie mix. I have tried to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies, but I can't beat B. C. But I made these cookies off a "hippie whole food store" and they are AWESOME!! You still can't beat Betty's but these mix some of the best favors there can be in a cookie! Try them you will love them.


Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated

In a food processor pulse one cup oats until ground fine. In a large bowl stir together ground oats, remaining 1/2 cup whole oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla and peanut butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and gradually beat in flour mixture. Add chocolate chips and grated chocolate, beating just until combined.

Chill cookie dough, covered, at least 2 hours and up to a week. Preheat oven to 325°

Form rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten balls slightly.

Bake cookies in batches, in middle of oven, 13-15 minutes, or until just pale golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely.