Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Kyro's Home, Christmas Lights, SS Party, Christmas Fun...

I thought I would catch you up on the past several days. 
 
My sweet hubster came home last Thursday.  The kiddos and I were soooo excited :)!!  So Thursday after school they proceded to a pillow fight to celebrate *LOL* (which really is a normal day in our house)...

Papa came home last week too and he bought the kids a whoopie cushion.... of course the kids LOVE it :)!! They loved it so much that they tore the first one and he bought them another one.  Thank goodness the 2nd one blows itself back up haha.

Me and Soph being silly.... she likes for me to "ride on her shoulders"....
Finally he made it home :)!!! His beard is soooo out of control LOL!! And he loves it.  He's like.... "You know you think it's sexy" baahaaaa!!!!! NOT!

Soph was checking him out....

She was so excited to see him.....

It was like she couldn't get enough of him.... right here she was arguing with him that she had brown eyes.... of course I got a video too :)...
 
And he had to join the whoopie cushion fun :)......
Friday morning I went and made copies at the school and when I came home the babies were all bundled up outside with their Daddy :)....

Friday night we went and ate Japanese and the babies actually did not get scared :).... SUCCESS!!!

After we ate we rode through and saw the Christmas lights in Enterprise.  It is truly amazing the work that goes into that.
I had to get a picture of Sophie's hair.... she insisted on it being braided :).
So amazed at the lights.....



We accidentally came to this house with this huge sleigh in the front yard.... it was AMAZING!!

Look at how huge these deer and Santa are.... so neat to us.
Ohhhhh and our handsome little man.  He was watching his movie & I saw a great photo opportunity :).
Once we got home, MeMe came to give Kyro some early Christmas presents.  They are terrible when it comes to gifts.  They neither one like to wait until Christmas LOL. 

I love this picture of her pampering him.  Never too old for his mama's sympathy :).
Heidi was helping him open the gifts...
Saturday the kiddos and I went to a party at the skating rink while Kyle helped cook for our Sunday School party that was Saturday night.

This was Sophie's first time skating.  I promise she thinks she is just as big as Heidi and her friends.


LOL And I love this picture of Karter Man playing a game with all of Heidi's girlfriends.  I jokingly said he was going to like having a big sister with friends LOL......
And ole Sophie Girl..... she kept us laughing at the party. 
At one point she helped herself to the table and started finishing off the dip bowl.  Thankfully everyone was finished with it.

When we pulled up to the party, Karter actually said, "Momma.... do you think this is a good idea"?? HAHA.... he watches so many movies and gets all these cute sayings from them.  I said, "No Karter... I really don't" lol.... and sure enough... can't help but be exciting.  Heidi even lost a tooth at the party :).
Once the party was over, we came on home and started getting ready for our party.  Kyle was snacking while he got ready and he thought it was soooo (sadly) cool that his popcorn got stuck in his beard. 
Us at our party :)..... we had SOOOO much fun and seriously have not laughed as hard as we did that night in a long time.  FUN FUN!
While we went to our party, Papa & Nana took the kiddos bowling.  As Karter told Papa, "that was a great time".  :-))))




They said Sophie kept wanting the 14 lb pink ball.. I laughed because she only weighs 10 more lbs than that ball.
Okay, you know how random I am.  I had to show you my pinterest inspired way of keeping up with our Christmas Cards.  It is so awesome and I really wish I had of started it years ago.  I have a card tree, but they just fall out of it.  So usually they just stack up and become out of control until the end of the season when I put them in a ziplock and store them. 

Well this year I punched a hole in the corner of each of them and put them on this ring.  Such a great idea!  I keep them on our end table so when people come over, they can just flip through them like a book. WONDERFUL idea whomever came up with that.
So more Christmas bliss.... Sunday morning our Choir had their Christmas contata and Sunday night was our children's department play.  (Heidi is still too shy to participate, but Sophie was begging to get up there).  They did an awesome job :).  Once it was over, we all stayed and ate finger foods. 

I did the chicken roll up recipe that I put on here last week :).  I just did them in little balls instead of the big crescent rolls.
Sweet Stella Kayte sat with us :)... Is this picture of she and Karter not so cute?  I was so surprised that he smiled for a picture, willingly (ha).

Soph with a big ole jolly rancher *L*...


"Jace Robertson" (hehe)....
Soph was very into the play when it first started.... (first started is the key word).
Karter was enjoying it too.... looks like Kyle too :)...
And then on to Monday......

Heidi's teacher had asked me if I would come in and help them with an ornament craft.  I am so thankful that I now have the opportunity to do things like that (when Kyle is home).  I loved being in her class and just watching all of her classmates and how they all interact.

Once we got home, I checked the mail and SANTA had wrote them each a letter.  He was in a big hurry undoubtedly because all of their names are wrong LOL.  But that is okay :).... Heidi was the only one that caught on.
Most of you already know, but the babies LOVE to "cook".  So I let them help me with most everything that goes on with our stove.  Like seriously, Karter can already scramble his own egg.  So yesterday I let them help with cooking Jambalaya for lunch.
Okay more randomness.... all of you "deal seekers" out there, I found this awesome website... www.mindymaesmarket.com that has incredible deals.  I bought all that you see in this picture for $53 (& that included shipping).  The yellow things are knobs that I am going to use for Heidi's desk I am redoing & if any of you love the bubble necklaces, then you know how much just 1 of those usually are.
LOVE these knobs....
My dad came over and ate some Jambalaya yesterday and the babies of course wanted to go to his house to play.... I was literally OVER whelmed when I walked in the door and saw this..... (check out Sophs smile).
So we got that mess cleaned up and headed to Andalusia to do Christmas with Kyle's aunt and uncle :).  We had lots of fun, but the kiddos got super tired. 
 
So today is a new day and adventure :). 
 
Wanted to leave you with a video of Karter Man since I hardly get him do anything cutesy.  He was watching "Diego" on the ipad.... so he was singing the theme song to it.
Have an awesome day :)....

Monday, December 17, 2012

Countdown to Christmas

I know you  have read or heard where we do the Countdown to Christmas chain & I thought I wouuld share the list with you.  The kids love it.  Each day they pull a chain off and we do whatever it says.  We forgot to pull one off until last night and it was to bake red and green cupcakes, so I told her we would do that today since we waited so late. 

I also didn't have the chain ready (bad bad) by Dec 1, so we started a few days late.... hence the 21 items listed :)!!


* Like on the books, I just took books they already had and wrapped them up :)!!

Anyway.... enjoy :)

1 Unwrap a book to read.
2 Bake cookies
3 Put cookies in the mailbox for the mailman.
4 Ride around town to look at Christmas lights.
5 Make paper snowflakes.
6 Unwrap a book to read.
7 Sing Christmas Caroles.
8 Bake cookies.
9 Take cookies to the bank as a gift.
10 Write a letter to Santa.
11 Eat popcorn and watch a Christmas Movie.
12 Ride to Enterprise (or anywhere) to see the Christmas Lights.
13 Read about the birth of Jesus.
14 Make red and green cupcakes.
15 Unwrap a book to read
16 Visit Bigmama and take her a cupcake.
17 Do our Gingerbread House.
18 Eat wherever you choose.
19 unwrap a book to read
20 bake goodies
21 Read "A Christmas Story" and bake a cake for Jesus. Don't forget to sprinkle reindeer food in the yard.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Fix It Mommy.....

I can't seem to get Karter's innocent little words that he said in the above video out of my head.... "You gotta Fix it".  He was so certain that I could "fix" that poor little lizards life and make it just jump up and run off.  After all, that's what we do right?  We fix all sorts of things.  Mommy's fix boo boos, bad days, hurt feelings, drawings that tear, things that break, etc.  surely I could put the life back in this lizard???

Well I got to thinking about that especially after this past weekend.  Sunday morning Ino had an amazing group come, !!  They were such a blessing to me and I know so many others.  Most were from Nepal, Uganda, and the Phillipines.  They were soooo full of "sunshine" so to speak and just radiated with the love of Jesus.  These kids are orphaned or disadvantaged kids.  They don't have a mother to "fix" things.  All they have to rely on is Jesus Christ and it really shows.  I actually tried to stop smiling during their performances and I just couldn't.  I was smiling and crying.  It was an experience that is hard to explain.  At the end of the service, the children walked up and down the aisles, greeting us with hugs and smiles.  They were just thankful for the opportunity to sing for us.

I have done some research on them since they left.  My mom had lots of questions for me and my brother Sunday that I was unable to answer, but wanted to know the answer :)....These children travel the U.S. for 10 months raising the awareness of the plight of orphaned and disadvantaged children all over the world.

You can visit http://worldhelp.net to learn how you can help save a child. 

*** It really made me thankful that I am a mom to a son that knows and feels that Mommy usually can fix whatever problem there is..... in a child's eye anyway. 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Recipes

I have been trying different recipes lately off of pinterest that are really good that I thought I would share.  The apple pie recipe is not a pinterest inspired one, but I was asked to share it :)!!!

Here is the recipe for Baked Spaghetti.  I just copied and pasted it straight from the pinterest blog that I got it from, hence the website in the middle of the pictures.








I baked cheesy garlic bread to serve with it. The kids had seconds...so I know it was good.




Ingredients:
Reynold's Wrap
1 (8oz) package of cooked spaghetti
2 tablespoons of butter OR margarine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (24oz) carton ricotta cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 jar of preferred spaghetti sauce
1 (8oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with Reynolds Wrap.
2. Combine hot cooked spaghetti with butter; stir until butter melts and coats spaghetti. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; stir to coat. Arrange spaghetti in an even layer in foil-lined pan. Spread ricotta cheese over spaghetti. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Brown ground beef, drain; add pasta sauce. Mix. Spoon over cheeses. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.
3. Cover with non-stick foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue baking 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

AUNT BECKY'S APPLE CRISP (PIE):

5 tart apples
3/4 c sugar or 1/4 c sugar and 1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter
1/4 c water
2 pie crusts

-Peel, core, and thinly slice apples; arrange in the pie crust
-Mix sugar, cinnamon, flour, & butter in a bowl.
-Pour water over apples and sprinkl sugar mixture over all.
-Place the other pie shell on top and cut slits into it.
-Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Serve warm.
PIZZA ROLL:
I used the pizza dough in the refridgeration section at the store.  Roll it out flat.

Spread a thing layer of pizza sauce all over the dough.

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese all over and layer with pepperonis.  Next, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese. You can use grated from a can if that is what you already have on hand...but you can buy the shredded Parmesan in a bag.

Then lightly sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.  Also add a sprinkling of garlic salt or garlic powder.

It is ready to roll up now :)!! Once rolled up, brush some melted butter over the top.  Bake at 375 for 15-25 minutes.  So yummy and so quick.

SHRIMP:
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Melt a stick of butter in the pan. Slice one lemon and layer it on top of the butter. Put down fresh shrimp, then sprinkle one pack of dried Italian seasoning. Put in the oven and bake at 350 for 15 min

CHICKEN ALFREDO ROLL-UPS... (so good that I have made twice recently)
To make 6 roll-ups, I used:
8x8" glass pan
6 lasagna noodles
alfredo sauce
2-3 chicken tenderloins
Italian seasoning
Mozzarella, Parmesan or whatever cheese you like
 
*** I am not all fancy smancy, so I used the jar of alfredo sauce instead of homemade.

Prep pan by spraying with a little bit of non-stick spray and pour some alfredo sauce in to just cover the bottom of the pan. Start cooking the chicken with a little bit of Italian seasoning, and it helps to start boiling a pan of water for noodles at the same time.

When chicken is done, cut into small (slightly smaller than bite-size) pieces and split into 6 piles. When the water is at a rolling boil, drop in noodles and cook for about 8-10 minutes (or until al dente). Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other. (*Very Important!*) Lay out the noodles on some wax paper & blot dry with a paper towel.

Spread a little bit of alfredo sauce over each noodle. (Don't put too much or it will make a bigger mess for you to clean up later.) Sprinkle a little bit of Italian seasoning. Take one of your little groups of chicken and try to spread them out evenly over the noodle. Add a little bit of cheese. To roll up, start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings. They can be hard to handle if they weren't dried. You won't be able to roll them tight and will have to lift the noodle a little over the chicken, otherwise you will end up pushing all the toppings out the other side.

Place the roll-up in the pan, seam-side down so they don't come undone. Once they are all in the pan, pour some more alfredo sauce overtop & try to get in between the roll-ups so they won't stick together. Sprinkle a little Italian seasoning if you want, then add cheese on top. Then bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted on top.

 (I also copied this straight from the webpage that pinterest took me to)
 
OMG And this is the COCONUT DREAM cake recipe that is omg good!!!
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INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil, for misting the pan
Flour, for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 oz) plain white cake mix (my favorite is Duncan Hines)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream of coconut, plus more cream of coconut for brushing the baked layers
3 large eggs
Frosting:
2 cups sour cream
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
3 1/2 to 4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350. Lightly mist three 9 inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.
Place the cake mix, milk, 1/2 cup cream of coconut, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the sides of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the cake batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans, about 1 1/2 cups batter per pan, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven. If your oven is not large enough to hold 3 pans on the center rack, place to pans on that rack and one in the center of the rack above.
Bake the cake until layers are light brown and the tops spring back with lightly pressed with a finger, 18 to 23 minutes. The cake layer on the higher rack may bake faster, so test it for doneness first.
While the cakes bake, make the frosting. Place the sour cream and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the sugar has dissolved, 2 minutes longer. Add the whipped topping and beat on low speed until well blended. Stir in 3 cups of coconut and beat on low speed until mixed. Place the frosting in the refrigerator to chill for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, and then invert again so they are right side up. While the cakes cool, use a small brush to gently brush the tops of the cake with the remaining cream of coconut. Let the cakes cool completely, 15 minutes longer. When the cakes are cool, use a large serrated knife to cut each cake in half horizontally to make 6 layers.
To assemble the cake, transfer one layer, cut side up, to a serving platter. Spread the top with a heaping 2/3 cup frosting. Place another layer, cut side up, on top of the first layer and frost with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat this process with the remaining layers and frost the top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup coconut on top of the cake for garnish.
This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
 
PAULA DEAN MEXICAN CASSEROLE: (actually made this last night)
Pinned Image`

Ingredients          

1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 -ounce can cheddar cheese soup
1 10 3/4 -ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 10-ounce can tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned, and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
11 1/2-ounce package flour tortillas
2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.
In a greased 13 x 9- inch pan, layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

CHICKENROLL UPS (made these tonight)
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First, I boiled 2 chicken breasts.

Meanwhile,  let a block of cream cheese thaw out.

I mixed the cream cheese with a bag of cheddar and Monterey jack cheese mix and some salt and pepper.
 
Shred the chicken once it is cooked and mix with the above mixture.  Then place on big crescent rolls and rolled them up. Oh, and then brushed them with melted butter and topped them with bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
 
The kiddos even enjoyed these and there was enough left for Heidi to take some for lunch tomorrow.