i love you all day long

proud

2011-05-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

Our girl received 2 scholarships for college the other night at the Awards banquet.

I could not be more proud of my girl!

She must get her smarts from her mama..right?! LOL!

Kaylee graduates in less then a month. I can't believe it! Where has the time gone?

I will admit it makes me a bit teary-eyed to think about it. I'm sure I will need to carry kleenex with me on graduation night.

I hope you're having a lovely day! It's foggy, and dreary here today, but we received some much needed rain lastnight, so I can certainly deal with a little fog and dreariness today.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T08:34:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day!

Sincerely,

Michelle

fun in the sun

2011-05-07T19:25:00.008-05:00

It's a beautiful, hot Saturday. The kids are keeping cool in the sprinklers.

I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Teacher Appreciaton Week

2011-05-02T10:27:00.005-05:00

The first week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week, and the first Tuesday of May is consider Teacher Appreciation Day.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF YOU TEACHERS OUT THERE!!

You have a tough, and sometimes very thankless job.

Our family truly appreciates you so much!!

"Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." ~Author Unknown

Kaleb wanted to get his teacher donuts to help start her week off sweet. LOL! So, we made a little card, printed it out, and Kaleb signed it and drew a picture of himself on it. Then we stopped and picked up a box of donuts this morning, and used double sided tape to stick his card onto the box. He's blessed to have a really great teacher, and we definitely want her to know we apprecaite her.

Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you have a lovely day!

Sincerely, Michelle

We're back!

2011-05-01T19:04:00.017-05:00

We've missed you!

Our little world has been anything but boring since my last blog post!

Let's catch up a little..

The kids are great. Keeping me busy as ever.

My sweet dh has taken a new job that has taken him away from home for a little bit.
He's doing well, and is keeping very busy. He'll be home soon.

Our sweet Lily has had a rough time of it. She disappeared. The last time we had seen her was the day our neighbor was out shooting on his property. We thought she was dead somewhere. The neighbors in our area have been loosing sheep, so they have resorted to shoot first..ask questions later. We looked for her everywhere. Could not find her anywhere. We were so upset about it. Then one day, just shy of her being gone for 3 weeks she came hoping around the house. I was standing in the back yard, and I honestly had to look twice to believe it was her! She looked awful! She had wounds on her back paw, and 2 huge opening's on her hindend and on her side just under her front right paw. I rushed her to the vet. She had been shot with a .22 3 times. The vet said she had been wounded for at least a couple of weeks, and he was amazed she was still alive. She's a miracle! He cleaned her up, stitched her up, and put her on strong antibiotics. He said she looked good considering everything, and thought she'd make full recovery..all except for her front right paw. When she was shot it grazed her leg and shattered the bone. It healed, but she'll always have a limp. Amazingly enough she has made a full recovery!! The picture below is what she looks like now. Pretty and sweet as ever! It's a blessing!!
Needless to say she doesn't leave our sight anymore. She's a fulltime house dog, and only goes out under supervision. We have no proof of who shot her. We have a good idea, but we'll never really know for certain. We decided to let it alone, and be thankful our Lily is back with us.

A couple of days before Lily came back home, we got this little sweety.

Her name is Breeny. She's a cairn terrier. Lily didn't take to her very quickly..as you can well imagine, but she finally came around. They're good friends now, and you don't see one without the other. Kadin loves Breeny! She's just his size. LOL!

We went to Cloudcroft, NM with my parents for our springbreak.

We hiked in the mountains.

Stayed in a really nice cabin.

And played in the sand at White Sands, NM.

It was a good time!

Easter was fun!

I made these for Kaleb's class.

I got the idea and instructions from here: Bunny Tails.

We had a lovely Easter at home. The Easter bunny was good to the kids.

My parents and sister came for a visit.

It was a great time, and we enjoyed spending the holiday together.

Our latest excitement (and I say that with tons of sarcasm) has been snakes in the chicken house.

We've had not 1, but 2 giant snakes in there in less than week of each other!!!

The man in the picture is a good friend's husband that was kind enough to come out and take care of them for us.

He told me they are chicken snakes. They were eating our eggs. The chickens didn't seem to mind them, as they kept laying the entire time the snakes were in their house.

I really hate snakes. I'm so scared of them.

I'm seriously thinking about finding new homes for my feathered friends.

I definitely can't do snakes!

Anyway, that's a little of what we've been up too.
I enjoyed my break from blogging, but I miss having this small record of our little world to look back through. I'll definitely be posting regularly again.

If you're still out there...thanks for checking in with me!

Sincerely,

Michelle

on hold for a while..

2011-01-30T19:11:00.002-06:00

Hi,

My blog is going to be on hold for a while. Our little world is super busy right now, and a bit upside down. I'm not sure when I'll be back to blogging, but I'm keeping my blog. Hopefully sometime I'll be able to get back to it.

Thanks,
Michelle

homemade truffles for easy gift

2010-12-16T21:43:00.004-06:00

Dh and I made these tonight to give as teacher gifts tomorrow.

They are very easy, and inexpensive to make. I put them in cut little paper cups, and then aligned them in fun Christmas tins I bought last year on clearance.

I'm giving these and a cute travel mug I found during the year with a teacher's verse on it.

Total cost of gift under $15.

I got the recipe from Kraft.

What You Need
2-1/2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate (20 squares), divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
Decorations: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

Make It

MELT 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.
SHAPE into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.
MELT remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles in chocolate; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Very easy!

You can find variations for this recipe & quick how to video HERE.

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season!

Merry Christmas,

Michelle

Live, video messages from Santa..

2010-12-14T14:34:00.002-06:00

I think this is so super neat!

My kids loved getting their video message from Santa.

www.portablenorthpole.tv

You can personalize the message with pictures, etc.

So much fun, and it's free. There is also a page that gives daily updates from Santa and views of the North Pole.

Merry Christmas,

Michelle

snowman pancakes..

2010-12-14T11:56:00.003-06:00

My boys love pancakes, and this morning I made snowman shaped pancakes.

It's very simple. I used a ladle and poured a large circle for the bottom, and then poured a smaller amount for the head. I used chocolate chips for the face and buttons. You could use whatever you like (raisins, blueberries, cranberries, etc.) Make sure you let it cook until your snowman is covered in little tiny bubbles before you flip it...otherwise you'll have a bit of a messy snowman.

They loved them...and had fun eating them, which was the goal. I have a really hard time getting Kaleb to eat breakfast before school. It takes tricks like this to make it happen. ;)

I hope you're having a really nice day!

Merry Christmas!

Michelle

Christmas lights...

2010-12-12T17:01:00.008-06:00

We drove through the Christmas lights lastnight at BLORA. This is a yearly tradition for our family. Some years it's tons of fun, and other years it's not very fun. Well, last night we had such a great time! The kids sang Christmas songs. Kadin squeeled with delight at the fun looking light displays. It was really so much fun. We got there at just the right time..right before the line started, and we didn't have to wait at all. It's 5 miles of Christmas lights, and it's beautiful!

I love this time of year! There is nothing better then family time, Christmas songs, and hearing giggles coming from my children.

Merry Christmas to you all!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Sale today through Amazon..possible Christmas toys..

2010-12-03T08:17:00.008-06:00

Hi, I thought I'd pass along that today on Amazon they're having several toy Gold box deals. These deals are timed and some will sell out quickly, but it's definitely worth checking out.

http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/amazon/98266-amazon-lightning-deals-toys-schedule-friday.html

Also, the Gold Box deal of the day is 50% off select Melissa & Doug toys. These are wooden toys..very cute..and lots of educational choices. There are several of them that are marked $10 and below. This sale will go through the entire day.

FYI:
If you sign up for a FREE month trial for Amazon Prime, you can get free 2 day shipping. You can cancel your trial period anytime within the month and you won't be charged for the prime service. If you'd prefer not to do that, you have another option of free shipping. If you spend $25 or more on items sold through Amazon (not a 3rd party businees) you can choose the free shipping option. This option usually is a 5-8 day delivery period.

If I find anything else worth posting about on Amazon, I'll update this post.

Hope you're having a great day!
Sincerely,
Michelle

PS. I am NOT getting anything from Amazon for this..or anyone else for that matter. Just trying to help you find Christmas gifts for a cheaper price. That's the whole truth and nothing but the truth. :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:43:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.
If you're traveling..be safe! ♥

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalms 107:1

Sincerely,
Michelle

Meatball Sub Casserole...ehh

2010-11-19T18:45:00.004-06:00

This was the first time I've made this recipe. My husband loved it! My boys liked the meatballs and a little of the sauce. I thought it was good, but it's a bit too rich for my taste. Also, I didn't like how the bread became so mushy in the bottom. If I were to make this again I think I'd try toasting the bread, and maybe decreasing the cream cheese, and mayo.

Anyway, if you'd like to give it a shot. Here's the recipe...MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE

I hope you're having a nice Saturday. We have alot to do today. Busy day, but a good day.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

our menu..

2010-11-17T22:11:00.006-06:00

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

This is my menu plan for the next 2 weeks (minus a few days for the holidays..we'll be with family).

Thurs. 18th - vegetable soup & BLT sandwiches

Fri. 19th - Meatball Sub Casserole & salad

Sat. 20th - Feta & Spinach Chicken, Rice, & corn on the cob

Sun. 21st - tacos, spanish rice, salad, chips, & salsa

Mon. 22nd - chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, and apple slices (dh and I have a date this night..total kids type meal)

Tues. 23rd - BBQ meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, & salad

Wed. 24th - (we'll be on the road) "brown bags" homemade mini pizza rolls, mini carots, apple slices, a cookie, and a drink

Sun. 28th - frozen pizza (easy after a long road trip..no brain power or energy required)

Mon. 29th - Beef, Broccoli, & rice with a salad

Tues. 3oth - white chili & I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to serve with it??

Wed. 1st - meatloaf sandwiches on yeast bread, baked potato wedges, & salad

This will get us through until the next payday. I didn't list breakfast or lunches, because they're usually pretty basic...pancakes, toast & eggs, or cereal for breakfast. Sandwiches, canned soup, ramen noodles, or mac-n-cheese for lunches paired with some sort of fruit or cookie.

Sincerely,

Michelle

barter system

2010-11-16T07:56:00.006-06:00

Do you ever barter your time, or with items you own, in trade for something you need? We're learning this type of system can be very beneficial.

We have a friend, that every once in a while needs dh's expertise in making small repairs to some of his large construction equipment. Dh doesn't mind lending him a hand, and in return he keeps us in firewood.

I works out great for all of us!
Tell me, what things do you barter with, or for? I'm looking for more ideas like this one. ;)
I hope you're having a great day.
Sincerely,
Michelle

homemade tortillas

2010-11-14T12:58:00.008-06:00

We love homemade tortillas. They are so yummy, and you just can't buy that homemade taste at the store. They are so easy to make, and require very few ingredients. I took a quick lesson from this video with Chef Jason Hill...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Yx-auWEdM

and Viola! Yummy tortillas!!

The ingredients you will need are: (the recipe comes from Chef Jason Hill)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 salt (he uses seasalt, but regular salt works just as well)
1 cup to 1 1/4 cups warm water

Mix the flour and the baking powder together in a bowl. Add the vegetable shortening,and mix together with your hands, forming a course, meal consistancy. ((noun) meal any substance that is coarsely pulverized like meal, but not granulated)

Next, mix the salt into the measuring cup containing your water and whisk it togethere. Then add it your flour mixture. Mix the ingredients together to form a large ball. Set the dough ball aside, covered for 20 minutes.

When the 20 minutes is up divide the dough into 12 pieces. Preheat a skillet at medium heat.
Rub a little shortening on your hands (this'll prevent the dough from sticking to your hands),and roll each piece into a ball.
Lightly flour your surface. Using a rolling pin roll out each of your doughballs. Make them as flat and thin as you can. (do not stress about making them perfectly round. They're homemade, and
taste even better when their oddly shaped. LOL.)

Then add one to your hot skillet. Let each side cook 15 to 20 seconds. Remove your tortilla from the skillet and place in a kitchen towel to keep warm while you cook the others.
YUMMY!

I encourage you to watch the short how-to video. You'll see for yourself just how super easy it really is.

Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

a visitor..

2010-11-14T07:46:00.004-06:00

Last night we were watching a movie and our dog was barking like crazy. Being a good dog mama, I got up to see what was wrong. What I found was a opossum sitting behind Lily's (our dog) food bowl. It had wedged itself in behind the feeder to try to escape Lily's barking.

Lily didn't do anything to it..just barked at it. Clearly she was trying to explain to Mr. or Mrs. Opsossum that he/she needed to leave. At this point I hollered for my super hero honey to come save the day. I knew the opossum wouldn't want to tango with him.

Well, being the super hero type man that he is, he came to the backdoor, looked at the opossum, said "Yeah, that's a opossum." He then, knowing how brave I am, went back to the livingroom to watch the movie. Totally leaving me in charge to handle the situation.

Anyway, doing what any other brave, super hero doggie mama would do...I told Lily to leave it alone..thinking it would run off in a little bit. Lily laid down by the backdoor and kept watch. I felt safe knowing she was there..protecting the door in case the opossum had any thoughts of breaking in during the middle of the night. I switched off the porch light and went back to the movie.

I woke up this morning (before the chickens), because Lily was going crazy again...clearly a signal the opossum was trying to break in the house. I turned on the back porch light, and thankfully the opossum wasn't trying to pick any locks or chomp through the wall to get in. He/she was sitting under our swing. I opened the door (I have nerves of steal), and through the tiny little crack in the door I tried to get a better look. The opossum just sat there..staring at me with it's beedy eyes. Clearly my bravery had freaked the poor little thing out and it was frozen in it's spot.

I decided to take my bravery a bit farther. I grabbed my camera, and opened the door all the way (I know..I get chills just thinking about it). Knowing I needed to move fast, I squated down, and snapped a picture (I'm fearless). Not wanting to press my luck, I quickly closed the door, and locked it. Why did I lock the door you ask? Well because everyone knows opossums are stealthy creatures. They can open a door with one wiggle of their long tails. See..not only am a I super brave..my intelligence regarding nocturnal animals is impressive!

Knowing that I'm safetly locked in the house I decided to wait for back-up. To be safe I did patrol duty (patrol duty: to look out the window every 2-3 minutes to make sure the opossum isn't trying to get into the house).

Eventually the boys and dh woke up. I filled them in on my bravery. I showed them the picture I so stealthly took of opossum.. Clearly the boys were impressed by my super hero skill in keeping them safe. I know this because they yawned and went into the livingroom to find a good cartoon to watch.

Dh looked out the window, saw the opossum was indeed under the swing, went to make himself coffee, and fired up his WOW game.

This mama had it all under control. They all knew this. After all, they saw the picture I took...knowing I had to open the door to do it.

I bet your wondering how this story ends..yeah, I know I go on and on sometimes. ;)

Well, after about an hour or two, dh went out, onto the back porch, to get the ash bucket (he was going to clean out the fireplace, and start a fire).

Apparently dh's super hero nature just oozes off of him, because the opossum stood up and took off to the wooded area next door. Dh didn't so much as say "boo". I know..I'm way proud of him, and his bravery!!

Dear blog friends please do not worry we're all safe, and no opossums were harmed in the making of this story.

I hope you're having a great weekend. We're clearly enjoy an uneventful one.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

(super hero mama, brave beyond description)

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, and Toffee cookies

2010-11-11T10:46:00.009-06:00

These cookies are sooooo good..and super easy to make!

This is what I used, but you can use whatever brand you like. ;)

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, & Toffe Cookies

1 stick butter Crisco
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup toffee bits

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat crisco and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add oats, chocolate chips, and toffee bits; mix well.

(These are my new favorite cookie baking pans! They're muffin top baking pans, and I love them for baking cookies. Your cookies come out all the same size, and perfectly round.)

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets or if using a muffin top pan..drop tbs. and smoosh it around to fill the cup.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool for a couple minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

One of my official taste testers assures me that these cookies are super yummy! ;)

Using the heaping tablespoons, I got 33 x-large cookies from one batch of dough.

I hope you're having a great day! Thank you so much for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

"C is for cookie. That's good enough for me." ~Cookie Monster

thankful

2010-11-10T22:21:00.005-06:00

I am very thankful for our soldiers and our veterans. They give (or have given) so much of themselves, and ask for nothing in return.

THANK YOU so much to our soldiers..past and present! God bless you.

I'm very proud of the veterans & soldier in my family. I love you..all 3 of you so much.

My dh..he is no longer active.

my brother..still serving in the reserves

my grandfather served in WWII

Happy Veterans Day!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

catching up..

2010-11-09T07:46:00.020-06:00

Phew..October flew by so quickly. It was definitely a busy month for us, and at times I found myself thinking everything was going so quickly we hardly had time to enjoy it.

I've been a very bad blogger. I apologize for that. Life is calming down a tiny little bit now, and I hope to be better at my blogging. I truly love having this record of our little world. I hope someday my children will be able to look back and remember how their lives were as children. ;)

Anyway..let me tell you a little bit about what we've been up to.

October brought...

Soccer (we still have 2 more games before the season is over).

Kadin loves sno-cones and feels it's the best part of soccer. lol

Kaleb and his team received their metals. He was/is so proud of it.

He's loved playing soccer. I'm sure this is just the begining of many more soccer seasons to come.

Kaleb celebrated his 6th birthday in October. I took cupcakes to his school and they sang happy birthday to him. He LOVED it!

I forgot to take pictures of the cupcakes I made. They were green cupcakes with blue icing. His request, and all of the children were wearing blue mouths when I left. lol

At home we had a small little family party. He wanted a skateboarding cake. So, I did my best and put one together for him. Of course, it was green cake with blue icing. His favorite right now. lol

Halloween was great fun this year!

Kaylee was a murdered prom queen. lol Don't worry..that's not her actual prom dress. It's a duplicate that arrived a few days after her prom last year...long story.

Kaleb had his very first school Halloween party. I had purchased their costumes a couple weeks before Halloween, but I didn't let them play, look, or even open them until the day of the school party...so, they work up at 5:30 a.m. that morning to get them on. LOL! Better then Christmas morning..their excitement made the morning so much fun!

Dh was testing the mask...Kaleb was telling him he needed to run to Wally world and get a Iron Man 2 costume of his own. lol

Kaleb was Iron Man 2 and Kadin was a orange dragon. The mask for Kadin's costume was way too creepy..so we didn't bother with it. ;)

For the school party I made giant m&m cookies. I found the recipe at Picky Palate. Love it!!

The school party was so much fun! The entire school marched through each class in a parade of costumes. Kaleb's teacher was a dice...so cute!

They had so many goodies. The kiddos didn't know what to choose first.

The boys took their costumes off before they ate so they wouldn't be dirty for Halloween.

For Halloween we attended the local Boozar, but I forgot my camera (I know..I could kick myself). They had alot fun doing that.

Let's see..what else..oh yeah..I'm no longer working at the donut shop. Working til 3;30 am was much too much for this mama. I couldn't keep up with my mama duties and work there. Loved the experience, learned so much, made a little extra cash, but doing my mama/wife job is much more important to me. ;)

Now we're into November, and it's pretty amazing how quickly it's moving along. Thanksgiving will be here before we blink!

Last weekend my brother got married. We traveled to Lousiana for the wedding. It was small and super sweet. Loved it!

Here is the newly wed Mr. & Mrs. She's beautiful on the outside and on the inside. Love her..and he's pretty great too! ;)

That's a bit of what's been going on in my little world. Life is good, and couldn't ask for anything more.

Thank you so much for checking in with me. I hope you'll come back soon. I promise to be a better blogger. ;)

Sincerely,

Michelle

Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. --Dale Carnegie

Our Saturday mornings...

2010-10-19T16:04:00.006-05:00

Sincerely,

Michelle

a little boy and his toys..

2010-08-31T06:53:00.003-05:00

My sweet boy loves his little plastic animals. He can literally play with them for hours. I love watching him play and pretend. It amazes me to watch his imagination in action. His animals do battle daily, and when their not in battle they're helping each other rescue their friends.

Amazing.

Thanks for checking in with me. As you can see, while K1 and K2 are at school, K3 is entertaining me. ;)

Sincerely,

Michelle

a visitor in the night...

2010-08-30T06:39:00.004-05:00

K2 lost his first tooth a couple days ago. The new one is already half up. It was coming in behind the baby tooth. Having a loose tooth was a bit tramatic for K2. No matter what we said he would not believe that it wouldn't hurt when the loose tooth came out. Thankfully it happened without much trama, as it popped out when he was eating. HURRAY!!

The Tooth Fairy came for a visit last night, and now K2 is wondering how he can loose more teeth! LOL!

We're up and ready to start a new week. I hope it's a great Monday for you!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Catching up & the 1st day of school...

2010-08-23T09:15:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends! I've been away for a little while. Life has been crazy, busy. We enjoyed a great summer, but it went way too fast!

K3 turned 3 a couple weeks ago. He's getting so big! It's hard to believe he's already 3.

I got a little part time job working at the local donut shop. I work in the late evenings making donuts. Helps bring in a little extra spending money. :) I actually enjoy it..donut making is fun!

Today K1 and K2 started school. This is K1's last year, and the just the beginning for K2. Definitely a big year for us. I'm sad my babies are growing up so fast. K3 wasn't too happy about driving away from the school without K2 this morning, but I assured him we'd be back to pick him up in a little while.

My sweet dh and I are busier then ever keeping up with the kids. Life is good. I'm ready for cooler temps. and soccer games. Bring on FALL! LOL!

There will be new pictures added to the photo show above today. :)

I hope you're having a lovely day! Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

I'm ready..

2010-07-12T09:45:00.002-05:00

Anyone else ready for the cooler weather of fall?
I am. I enjoy summer, well, until just after 4th of July. Then, I'm ready for a season change. I'm ready for cool crisp mornings, warm soups, and the smell of cinnamon-y goodness coming from the oven. Of course, living in Texas, it won't be cool around here until maybe October..if we're lucky.

Summer has been fun for us. Lots of adventure, and I'm sure we'll find a bit more before school starts, but I'm already craving fall.

I'm also thinking of planting a fall/winter garden this year. I've never done this before, and since my summer garden was non-existant this year maybe I can plant some yummy goodness this fall.

Okay, well, back to the reality of 90+ weather...I'm off to freshen the chicken's water, and drop a couple ice cubes for the dogs. :)

I hope you have a great day! Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

Funny Friday! Tim Hawkins - GPS

2010-07-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

This is so funny! Happy Friday!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Happy 4th of July!!

2010-07-01T21:22:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July!!

God Bless America!

Sincerely,

Michelle

ps. Be sure to stop the auto music down at the bottom of the page, so you'll be able to hear the video.

Weekly Words to Live by...

2010-06-28T16:20:00.003-05:00

Don't wait for people to be friendly, show them how.

~Author Unknown

For more thought provoking goodness please visit Notes from A Cottage Industry.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

boy humor...

2010-06-18T13:53:00.002-05:00

Our etiquette lesson for today comes from Scooby-doo..more specifically Shaggy.

K2 shares this info. with me..and he thinks it's hysterical.

K2: Momma, you know what Shaggy says.

Me: What does Shaggy say?

K2: [giggling so hard he can barely talk] Shaggy says: Never pick your nose in public.

Me: That's good advice.

K2: [still giggling] Momma, what's public mean?

Me: [now laughing] Public means people. Shaggy is telling Scooby not to do this in front of people. [Kaleb giggling harder]

Me: My best advice for you though, is to not pick your nose. It's better to get a Kleenex.

K2: That Shaggy is funny. [more giggling, and K3 joins the giggling]

It's never boring around here. My boys find such humor in the grossest stuff. Don't even mention the "fart" word around here. You'll hear serious giggling for a good 10 minutes.

Those of you with boys..do they find this type stuff funny? Does the words describing bodily function create giggles and smiles? Or, am I the only momma with this pleasure?

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-06-16T10:57:00.008-05:00

For more..

Click: Wordless Wednesday

Sincerely,

Michelle

Our newest family member..

2010-06-13T21:12:00.002-05:00

This is German. K2 started calling him that, and we all decided we liked it.

Someone dumped him out on our doorstep. Dh came home from running an errand and found sitting on the front porch, by the door.

We don't usually keep strays, but this one has won all of our hearts..so he's found home.

We're thinking he's a some sort of mix with a german shepard..maybe with a mastive??

He's so sweet, and pretty smart. He's already running after the ball and bringing it back.

Hmm..wonder if we can teach him to work for his food? ;) I'm pretty sure he's going to be huge.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Papa's boots..

2010-06-08T12:19:00.003-05:00

K2: "I'm gonna get big and be able to fit your boots soon Papa. I'm getting muscles like you."

He was so proud to be walking in Papa's boots.

I just hope he's not in too big a hurry to fill them. I much prefer he stay my little boy for as long as possible.

Sincerely,

Michelle

you know it's time to mow the yard when...

2010-06-07T22:55:00.003-05:00

you can barely see your chickens because the grass is so tall.

It's been a whirlwind two weeks around here. Add rain, and well, as you can see, we have grass tall enough to hide anything the size of a chicken.

WANTED: Hungry goat(s)

Hope you're having a nice start to your week.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Weekly Words to Live By..

2010-06-06T00:39:00.002-05:00

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

~author unknown

I really love to read quotes, and thoughts from other people that make me think.

Notes from A Cottage Industry

offers this brain food weekly. It's a pure gift to read the quotes.

She has a pretty great blog too.

If you're interested..hop on over and have a look. :)

Thanks for checking in with me.

I hope you're having a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Camping...

2010-06-02T09:06:00.007-05:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend we went camping at Turner Falls, OK.

It was so much fun! The water was cold, but it was hot enough that it felt pretty great to jump into the river.

Below are a few pictures. I'll have more to share when I can get them from my mom's camera. :)

My dad, K2, and dh around the campfire roasting marshmallows.

K2, K1, and K3 playing with their glo-sticks. They were pretending to be ninja's. LOL!

My mom and K3 getting smores together.

K2, and dh roasting marshmallows. You can kinda our camp in the background.

K2 and dh roasting marshmallows.

I'll post more pictures when I get them.

Thanks for checking in with me.

I hope you're having a nice day.

Sincerely,

Michelle

fun breakfast..

2010-05-23T15:53:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun making these this morning.

I found the idea HERE (the directions are there too).

They're called Egg In a Nest.

It's very easy!

You're only limited by your cookie cutters.

We toasted the stars too. Add a little jelly or honey, bacon, and it's all good eatin' from there. ;)

Next time I think I'm going to use the gingerbread man cookie cutter and sprinkle some shredded cheese on his head. ;)

Fun, fun!!

Hope you're having a great Sunday!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Easy Coconut Cream Pie

2010-05-20T09:50:00.004-05:00

I made this pie yesterday for dh's birthday.

So yummy!

Coconut Cream Pie

The recipe can be found HERE.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

outline

2010-05-15T08:27:00.005-05:00

The boys took turns laying the little blocks out around each other's bodies. Making outlines. Then they would count the blocks to determine how long their arms and legs were..according to the block count. :) (ex. K3's arms are 8 blocks long) lol

They were really into this.

Look at K3's tongue. He's definitely concentrating. ;)

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

dinner menu..

2010-05-13T10:06:00.005-05:00

I have been having such a good time changing up our dinner menu.

It's nice to have different meals, and not the same 'ole dinners.

I've been busy, and haven't kept up with this as well as I would have liked here on my blog, but I assure we have not been eating the same dinners. ;)

Last night I made THIS, or at least I should say, I attempted to make that. lol It didn't turn out near as pretty as hers. Actually, it looked nothing like hers, BUT it did taste really good!

I only had the Pillsbury Refrigerator French Loaf on hand..so I used it. The trouble with that is that it didn't roll out very well (well, it's not really suppose to anyway..since it's a loaf lol).

I used her recipe..everything but the dough.

I stuffed it all in the dough, and baked for 25 minutes.

Yeah, not pretty, BUT it did taste really good. Dh and K1 were arguing over the leftovers for lunch today. As I've said before..this is a good sign. ;)

I served this with broccoli/califlower, and a garden salad.

I hope you're having a great Thursday! Tonight is my library/grocery night with dh. We leave the boys with K1, venture off to the library, and then to purchase groceries. ALL BY OURSELVES!! It's lovely, and I look forward to it every week.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely, Michelle

Mother's Day Picnic...

2010-05-10T00:30:00.015-05:00

It was a really nice day!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Ps. I'm still trying different meals. I'll post about that tomorrow. :)

FREE 8x10 Collage at Walgreens (5/6 thru 5/8)

2010-05-06T12:36:00.003-05:00

Today thru Saturday you can get a FREE 8x10 collage. No other purchase is necessary.
Simply type GOODTHOUGHTS in as the promotion code.

For more information you can go here.

Great Mother's Day gift, or even a nice gift for yourself. :)

I uploaded my pictures a few minutes ago and it'll be ready in couple hours. Simple and FREE!

I hope you're having a great day!
Sincerely,
Michelle

easy day..

2010-05-04T21:31:00.003-05:00

Happy Tuesday! :)

Did you have a good day?

I hope so. :)

We had a quiet, slow day. The boys played outside and I sat in a lawn chair and read a book.

I'm reading The Penny Tree right now. So far, I like it.

Well, the new dinner menu idea (talked about it here) is going really well.

Last night we had leftover stuffed shells. Just as good the second time around..very yummy! :)

So tonight was #4 and I chose to do my own thing. Yeah, very brave of me! ::snort::

Anyway, I made homemade yeast rolls, and turkey type burgers. Only I sorta did a meatloaf type recipe for them. I'm really bad about just dumping whatever sounds good into meat. lol Sometimes it's WONDERFUL..other times..it's SCARY! :)

Tonight it worked out pretty well. At least I'm pretty sure it did. Dh and K1 were arguing over who was taking what for the their lunches tomorrow. I consider that a very good sign. :)

So, for the turkey patties I dumped probably a cup of oatmeal, a lb. of ground turkey, a couple dashes of soy sauce, a couple dashes of Wirschestshire sauce, salt and pepper, a couple pinches of red pepper flakes, and 1 egg.

I formed them into small patties and fried them. (I sprayed my pan with a little Pam).

I served them with a green salad, and a noodle salad. I used leftover large shells from our last meal. I sliced them into ribbons, added chopped pickles, sliced provolone cheese into small bits, salt, pepper, and a couple tablespoons of mayo. My kids love it this way..kinda a bland in my opinion...but they gobbled it up.

Good meal, nice day, and I'm ready for bed. :)
Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

“He enjoys much who is thankful for little; a grateful mind is both a great and happy mind.”
~author unknown

Lovely Sunday..

2010-05-02T21:31:00.008-05:00

We had such a lovely Sunday.

Living in the country we do not have sidewalks, so other then drive-way, the boys don't have anywhere to ride there big wheels.

We loaded up their "bikes" and took them into town so they could peddal to their hearts content. Then we played at the playground for a while. It was so much fun. After that we hit Sonic for liquid refreshment (diet cokes for mom & dad, Ocean water for the boys). Then we drove out to a nearby state park. We've never really roamed through there, and it was really nice. We discovered they have camping facilities. Now we're looking forward to trying them out.

Tonight's dinner (for #3) was Chorizo & Italian Sausage stuffed shells.

Oh yeah, it's really good, and it makes ALOT!

One pan was for dinner..and leftovers for tomorrow night. The other went into the freezer for another time.

It's fun cooking something besides the same '0le, same '0le. :)

I hope you had a lovely Sunday too!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

imagination & dinner #2

2010-05-01T20:47:00.003-05:00

Imagination is more important than knowledge. For while knowledge defines all we currently know and understand, imagination points to all we might yet discover and create.

~Albert Einstien

The boys built a castle from a couple bricks and a few rocks they found around the yard this afternoon.

Their castle has windows, and is strong enough that no dragon can tear it down. :)

It withstood a couple different battles this afternoon, and stood strong through it all. K2 said "it is a good castle".

I don't think I could ever describe the pleasure it brings me..the pure joy I feel, when I watch my children playing..using their imaginations. It's one of those little gifts..you know..the smallest of gifts that brings the greastest joy.

Tonight for dinner I made this.

Oh.My.Goodness.
It is so good!
I used regular, mild cheddar cheese, as my little store didn't have the smokey version of cheese Picky Palate used.
It definitely didn't taste like a leftover meal (as I used the BBQ chicken from last night).
This making different dinner's thing..it's really good! LOL! :)

I hope you're having a great weekend.
Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

Day 1 of a new dinner menu..

2010-04-30T22:07:00.005-05:00

I made this for dinner tonight. I found it here. It was very yummy.

We loved the coleslaw recipe. Delicious!

I added broiled potato wedges, and used KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce.

Bought cute little wheat rolls to use as buns and toasted them under the broiler.

Very good meal. We'll be having this again...sometime. :)

A big THANK YOU to Picky Palate!! I'll probably be stalking your site for a while. Lots of yummy recipes there.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

menu blahs..

2010-04-29T16:14:00.003-05:00

I'm very tired of our same 'ole menu. The same meals week after week. Blah! My goal is to find new dinner recipes, and use them :), for the next 2 weeks. If it goes well, I may extend it a little longer.

I buy my groceries a week at a time, and usually on Thursday evening...as it's payday. :)

I'll begin our new menu tomorrow (Friday), as tonight I need to stock up.

Anyway, if you have the menu blah's I recommend hoping over to Picky Palate. She has a great selection. That's where I'm starting. I'm looking forward to new food ideas.

If you find a site or have a great recipe, please share it with me. I'd very much appreciate it.

Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you're having a great Thursday. It's been a nice day here..just super windy. :)

Sincerely,

Michelle

SURPRISE!!

2010-04-28T09:05:00.002-05:00

K2 yelled this as I walked into my room this morning. He made my bed for me. The grin on his face was as good as a smile on Christmas morning. He asked if I was "so proud of him for being helpful?" I told him I was VERY proud, and what a super-great job he did.

It's the little things that can make a day..a little better..a little brighter.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

green

2010-04-27T11:44:00.002-05:00

This beautiful smile comes from Hulk popscicles, and the pleasure of knowing they can turn you green if they touch your skin..not just your mouth.

(note to self: do not make a habit of buying these..color takes a little while to wear off)

We're having a great day, and I hope you are too.
Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

sky fishing

2010-04-24T17:03:00.011-05:00

We can't find our kite string. No idea where it's hiding. You would think that without kite string you wouldn't be able to fly kites. This doesn't deter us. Dh tied the kites to his fishing poles. I thought it was a pretty ingenious idea. The kids loved it, and I think it made it easier for them to fly their kites.

So, lot's of sky fishing going on this afternoon. ;)

We're having a lovely Saturday, and I hope you are too.

Thank you for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Prom..

2010-04-17T22:06:00.004-05:00

Our sweet, beautiful girl!

Her dress fit perfectly. It was/is beautiful!

She had a wonderful time, and I'm so glad. It makes all the stress..for the dress..completely worth it. :)

If you are needing a beautiful dress, and have a small budget..I recommend www.milanoo.com.

Be sure to order with plenty of time before the event. The dresses are made in, and come from China. :)

I hope you're weekend has been wonderful.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Did you hear that?

2010-04-15T14:19:00.003-05:00

Shh..I think it was a truck! {runs to the window to check} :sigh: No, it was just someone drivng by.

5 minutes later..
Lily's barking!! {runs to the door to look out} :sigh: Lily, stop barking at that tractor 2 doors down!! :sigh:

20 minutes later..
Was that a truck? {runs to the door to look out} NO, I'm hearing things. :sigh:

Rinse and Repeat..over and over again. This has been my existance for the last 3 days.

Before you call the people that issue the funny white coats..Let me explain..I have a VERY GOOD reason for this craziness.

We're waiting for K1's prom dress to be delivered. It should have been here by now, but it isn't. Guess when prom is.

Saturday. Yes..this Saturday. Yes...today is Thursday. Yes, this is making us crazy!

You see this madness started last month..March 17th to be exact. K1's friend order a beautiful dress from a place online and the price was unbelievable. K1 begged to order her dress from there, because we were not having any luck finding anything in our area. K1 found a dress she adored..color that was perfect...price was unbelievable, and within our small budget. So, we ordered the dress on March 18th. Umm..maybe I should mention the dress is coming from China. Yeah..China. The friend's dress is wonderful, you can pay via paypal, my budget was screaming..YES! K1 was begging..so, I gave in..we ordered, and have been holding our breath ever since. I started getting really worried about 2 weeks ago. It still had not been shipped. So, for the last 2 weeks I've had daily conversations with their customer service via the interent. They always tell me "Please do not worry. The dress will be there in time." The dress finally shipped Monday.
Today is Thursday!!
Please be delivered today!!

Umm..I won't even go into the after prom party bonfire we're having..here at our house..Saturday night. You'll certainly be Googling for the number for the white jackets then. lol

Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you're having a great day. My little world is a bit crazy right now, but life is still GOOD! :)
Sincerely,
Michelle

Update: The dress is here!! It's beautiful! I'm waiting to K1 to get home so she can try it on. Looks like it should fit. I'll post pictures after prom, and post the website..good prices..beautiful dresses. :)

daddy's girl..

2010-04-14T10:04:00.002-05:00

Love this picture!

Only wish he'd have smiled.

I hope you're having a great day!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

in the bluebonnets...

2010-04-12T23:21:00.007-05:00

I love spring!

Thanks for checking in with me. :)

Sincerely,

Michelle

Sunday Afternoon...

2010-04-11T21:24:00.013-05:00

We made our way to our favorite nature trail for big adventure!

Serious fun, and guess what...it's 100% free! We pack a backpack with water, and snacks. Today we took leftover homemade pizza, sliced strawberries, and apples.

Anyway, on with the tale of our adventure. Ha!

We had been walking for a bit a the boys wanted to rest, so they sat down on the stone steps we were climbing down.

After I took K2's picture (above). He moved and I noticed this...

How creepy is that! It looks like something is peeking out at us, from inside the rock. After starring at for a minute we decided to quickly move on. Creeeeeeppppyyy! :)

We came to a stream, and saw a frog.
Oh, don't you know their squatting there wondering if they could risk hopping into the water without being scolded. :) I'm happy to report we all moved along with dry feet.

Further into our walk we came to an old rickety bridge. We did indeed risk life and limb to cross it! Well,...maybe not life and limb, but if we'd fallen off the bridge at any point, our feet and pants would have been wet all the way up past our ankles! I thought we were all very brave! :)

Dh is one tough fella! This hill was tough, and the humidity was 100%. I honestly don't know how he does it.

A rest at the top of that hill. Phew! We needed it! :)

K3 would hear a bird, and look so hard to find it with his toy binoculars. Not sure he ever actually found one, but he had so much fun trying.

Our biggest adventure is keeping up with K3. His 2 year old bravery definitely keeps us on our toes.

It was a really great Sunday afternoon.

I hope you had a great day..and are having a great day!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Free 8x10 photo at Walgreens (4/9 ONLY)

2010-04-09T13:02:00.003-05:00

Thought I'd pass this great deal along to ya'll. :) I learned about it here: WeUseCoupons
Thank you so much Didie!

It's FREE. There is no purchase necessary. It's great if you have an Easter picture or another picture you'd love to enlarge. Great Mother's day gift! :)

I ordered mine and it'll be ready to pick up at 3:45p.m. this afternoon. Just enter the code big8x10

I hope you're having a great day!
Sincerely,
Michelle

Easter was so fun!

2010-04-06T10:34:00.012-05:00

Actually, the whole weekend was pretty wonderful. We drove up to visit our families.

Friday, dh and the kids went to visit with his family. They played so hard and had such a blast over there!

I went shopping, got pedicures, ate at the cutest cafe, and went to a movie with my mom and sister. Fun girl time! LOVED every minute of it!!

Saturday, we spent the day with my grandparents. My grandpa has been so sick, and it was a such a blessing to have a whole day with him, and my grandma. We BBQ'd steaks, visited, and just enjoyed being at their home. It was a lovely day!

Sunday, we hid eggs (some of the pictures below), and BBQ'd hamburgers with my family, before driving the long road back home.

The whole weekend was really nice.

We're truly blessed to have such wonderful families.

I hope you are having a great day!

Sincerely,

Michelle

Fun at the park...

2010-04-05T09:52:00.002-05:00

I hope you are having a really great Monday!

Sincerely,

Michelle

spring..

2010-03-18T09:44:00.004-05:00

We're in luck! My little video camera takes pictures! HURRAY!

This past Sunday we went for a long walk at the nature trail, and the boys loved it! Sadly, K1 was out of town with friends, but we'll go back soon with her. :)

Spring

2010-03-14T10:40:00.002-05:00

The beginings of spring are appearing around here. The grass is starting to turn green. Our fruit trees are starting to bud. The weather is turning warmer. We're loving it. We've been outside clearing out bushes and dead tree limbs along the fence line. The boys are loving that. Dh gave them each a pair of pliers (like daddy's cutting shears). They've been working so hard to clear out leaves. lol

My camera died, so sadly I have no pictures. I MUST get a new camera..and soon. :)

I hope you are having a lovely weekend.

Sincerely,
Michelle

1...2...3.... You're outta there!!

2010-01-17T10:23:00.003-06:00

My boys love to wrestle with their daddy. They giggle and holler.

It's music to my ears.

They love their daddy.

I hope you're having a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Michelle

mmm...tasty!

2010-01-13T09:14:00.003-06:00

Today for breakfast K2 wanted blue pancakes. Not just any blue pancakes..nope, that's boring..he wanted them shaped. Now, you might think it's shaped as a gingerbread man..WRONG! As K2 explained to me..."Mama, boys don't eat gingerbread men for breakfast! Boys eat monsters for breakfast!"

Then, he proceeded to cut the monster's head off and devour it.

K2: "Mmmm...tasty!"

I love having boys. I'm learning so much.

I hope you're having a great day!

Sincerely,

Michelle

"Happiness is not in our circumstances, but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are." ~ John B. Sheerin

a bumpy start...

2010-01-07T09:24:00.002-06:00

Our New Year started off a bit bumpy. Dh and the kids all had a nasty stomach bug. Luckily it skipped me, and everyone is feeling better now. We had a little issue with our truck on New Year's day, and luckily dh was able to fix it. It's really nice to have a mechanical husband. So, now we're hoping this means the rest of 2010 will be smooth sailing. ;)

Have you taken down your tree? I usually get this done before the New Year, but this year I haven't felt like taking it down, and it's still up. I've really enjoyed it this year, but I guess I'll take it down this weekend. We've already taken the lights off the house and the wreath's off the door...guess it's time to stop dragging my feet on the tree. ;)

Today my plan is to organize the boys' room and get our room in order too. We have Christmas goodies that need to be organized, and now that everyone is well, it's time to get this place back into shape.

I hope you have a lovely day, and Happy New Year. Thanks so much for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:31:00.001-06:00

I hope you are all having a lovely day!

God bless you and keep you well through this holiday season!

Sincerely,

Michelle

too cute Tuesday!

2009-12-15T07:10:00.002-06:00

K1 took this in the car while we were waiting to see Christmas lights.

I love it!

I hope you have a lovely day!

Merry Christmas,

Michelle

been away for a little while..

2009-12-14T06:53:00.002-06:00

Hello out there. :)
I've been away from blogging for a little while, and I've missed it..and I've missed ya'll. It is my hope to start posting regularly again. Thank you to those that sent comments wondering where I was. We are all doing well. We've been busy..caught up in our everday lives. K2 is doing well with homeschool pre-k. It's such a pleasure to see him learning. K3 is busy trying to do everything K2 is doing. lol He is so funny and makes us laugh daily. K1 is busy being a teenager, and all that entails. She's doing well, and is loving her junior year. Dh is working like crazy, and I'm busy loving my family. :)

I hope you're having a lovely December. It's one of my most favorite months of the year. So much to do, so much to see, and a perfect time to count our blessings and share kindness.

If you're still out there, thank you so much for checking in with me.
Merry Christmas,
Michelle

alphabet..

2009-08-31T20:31:00.004-05:00

We started homeschool (pre-k) for Kaleb a little over 2 weeks ago. It has been so much fun! Truly, I am enjoying it, and I think he is too. Tonight we made alphabet cookies. My mom found these cookie cutters at a garage sale for $.10 (thank you mom!). The whole family got in on it and it was so much fun. We'll be spelling our snacks. lol

The Ultimate Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c Sugar

1 c Butter Flavor Crisco

2 Eggs

1/4 c Light corn syrup

1 tbs Vanilla ( I substituted with lemon extract for a lemon flavor cookie)

3 c All-purpose flour

3/4 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Salt

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375'F.2. Combine sugar and Butter Flavor Crisco in large bowl. Beat atmedium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, syrupand vanilla. Beat well.3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add graduallyto creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until well blended. Divide doughinto quarters. TIP If dough is too sticky/soft to roll, wrap eachquarter of dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour. Keeprefrigerated until ready to roll.4. Spread 1 tablespoon of flour os large sheet of waxed paper.5. Place a quarter of dough on floured paper. Flatten dough slightly,turn over, and cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Roll dough to1/4" thickness. Cut out with floured cutter. Transfer to ungreasedbaking sheet, 2" apart. Sprinkle with decors, or leave plain to frostwhen cooled.6. Bake at 375'F. for 5-9 minutes (bake smaller, thinner cut-outscloser to 5 minutes, larger cut-outs closer to 9 minutes).7. DON'T OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to counter, cool, frost if desired.

Sincerely,

Michelle

interesting & free

2009-08-14T11:37:00.005-05:00

I stumbled upon this magazine from a post over at Not Quite June Cleaver.

It's a great on-line magazine, filled with all kinds of wonderful how-to information, articles, and recipes. The current issues are free, and I believe back issues cost $3. If a have a few minutes hop over and check it out. You'll love it! :)

(click the pic to go to their site)

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

fun, simple, & cake

2009-08-11T22:36:00.008-05:00

K3 is now 2.

We had a fun little party at my mom's house.

The whole family came over, and the cousins played in the water.

It was a great way to celebrate turning 2.

Thanks for checking in with me.
Sincerely,
Michelle

we found something better...

2009-08-03T08:26:00.004-05:00

and had so much fun! This past Saturday we went out to find another cache. We went back to the old iron bridge, and didn't find anything. Then, we decided to try a local park. Another cache is reported to be around some old ruins they have in the park. When we got there, we found something so much better. They installed a water park area. It's attached to the old ruins..you walk through the ruins to get to the water fun! We had no clue it was there. They installed it this past May/June. It's all FREE and open to the public. Needless to say the boys didn't feel we needed to hunt for caches any longer. They went clothes and all and played in the water all afternoon. Dh ran to town to get hamburgers. We had a fun picnic and played in the water. When we finished there, the boys played at the playground.

What a fun day!!

We are truly loving this cache hunting thing! We've discovered our little town has much more than it appears to have. :)

Thank you so much for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

PS. If you can not view the slideshow below you can

View Pictures Here

our first geocaching adventure...

2009-07-30T21:43:00.004-05:00

(this was taken under the bridge..sorry it's blury..used my phone to take the pic)

This adventure took us to the old iron bridge we have locally. It was built in 1904, and if you stand on it while a car or truck goes by, it gives you a good shake and wobble!

Sadly, we didn't find the cache, but we're going back Saturday with K1 and her BFF to look again!

This is such a fun thing to do. It's free, and it involves the family. Love it!

I'll be sure to report when we actually find a cache. lol We have 4 on our list to find for Saturday. Hopefully we'll find at least 1. ROFL! :)

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Have you heard about this?

2009-07-28T13:55:00.003-05:00

Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site

My dh learned about this at work today. Several of his co-workers do this on the weekends and evenings with their families/girlfriends/boyfriends/etc. It's a GPS treasure hunt you can do anywhere throughout the world. On a smaller scale...you can do it locally. I did a search of what is avaliable in our little tiny town..and yes..there are items to search for! Go plug in your zipcode and see if there are hunts avaliable in your area! I'm willing to bet there is something. :)

Dh said that you'll either find a log..and then you write your name and the date in it..or you'll find a little treasure. If you take the treasure, you are suppose to replace it with something of equal or greater value. :)
I think this is such a fun idea! I can't wait to go on our first hunt.

Go check it out!
Sincerely,
Michelle

Saturday

2009-07-25T13:50:00.005-05:00

The boys are helping me bake cupcakes and make zucchini bread.

My little helpers...or should I say the official taste testers. lol

Dh helped me to put this vinyl cling on my bedroom wall. (thanks mom!)

Now all I need is 3 black rustic looking frames and a picture of each kiddo to hang underneath it. When I get that accomplished I'll share it with you.

I like it the words though.

just makes you think they must be fun people..

2009-07-25T11:19:00.003-05:00

and another one here: The Ultimate Wedding Dance
Life's too short to be so serious all the time! Love that they know how to have a good time!

I hope you're having a great Saturday!
Sincerely,
Michelle

bald is beautiful

2009-07-14T21:31:00.000-05:00

K3's hair was getting so long, and he hates to have his hair cut. So, we just did a quick shave. He looks so cute. I love it! I asked K2 if he'd like his head shaved and he said no thank you. He'll be visiting the barber tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

midnight movie...

2009-07-14T18:12:00.007-05:00

My little family loves Harry Potter. We love the imagination and magic of it all. Tonight I'm taking K1 and her best friend to see the newst Harry Potter movie. I'm excited to see it..as is K1 and her friend. I think a midnight show makes it even more exciting for them...yeah, okay and for me too. :)

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,
Michelle

an apple a day...

2009-07-10T19:57:00.003-05:00

We can't wait to eat them!!

I so love that we now have fruit trees.

Can there be anything better then watching fruit grow..anticipating how sweet it will taste?

Sincerely,

Michelle

Today is my Blogoversary!!

2009-07-07T16:27:00.003-05:00

3 years of blogging!

I can't believe it's been that long since I started my little blog. :) So much has happened over the last 3 years. I'm greatful to have a place to record some of it. It's fun to look to back and see how our lives have changed over the years. I look forward to many more years of blogging...recording the little bits of my family lifel

Thank you for checking in with me on this special day. :)

Sincerely,

Michelle

the view from my dinning room window this morning..

2009-07-02T09:10:00.002-05:00

this is our back field

Thanks for checking in with me today.
Sincerely,
Michelle

no sweeter words could ever be spoken...

2009-06-25T11:44:00.005-05:00

K3: Momma, love too!!

AWWW!!

Is there anything in this world more precious then when your baby says he loves you too for the first time?!! I don't think so.

I'm so blessed.

Thank you for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Hershey's Firecracker Cake Recipe

2009-06-19T14:36:00.003-05:00

HERSHEY'S Firecracker Cake

Ingredients:

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

Powdered sugar

1 cup cherry pie filling

1 tub (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolate,

HERSHEY'S HUGS Brand Chocolates,

HERSHEY'S MINIATURES Chocolate Bars

Blueberries,

raspberries,

halved strawberries

1 TWIZZLERS Strawberry Twists

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Line 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan with foil; generously grease foil.

2. Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy; gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

3. Beat egg yolks and vanilla in small bowl on high speed of mixer for about

3 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar; continue beating 2 minutes. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to egg yolk mixture alternately with water on low speed, beating just until batter is smooth.

4. Fold chocolate mixture gradually into egg whites; spread evenly in prepared pan.

5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan;invert on towel sprinkled with powdered sugr. Carefully remove foil. Immediately roll cake in towel, starting from narrow end; place on wire rack to cool.

6. Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread with pie filling and 1-1/2 cups whipped topping; reroll cake. Frost cake with remaining whipped topping. Place candies and fruit on frosted cake so that they form stripes around the cake. Add strawberry twist for "wick".

Refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 8 to 10.

Isn't that such a fun cake for the 4th!!

Definitely on my list to make. :)

Special thanks to engineerswife @ www.weusecoupons.com for finding and sharing this recipe!!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

summer has officially arrived..

2009-06-08T23:01:00.003-05:00

Today K2 started swimming lessons. He loves it! He's like a fish. :)

He would be the little boy going down the slide.

He didn't bat an eye when he was asked to this or when he was told to jump off the diving board.

He'll be going all week. I could hardly get him to bed tonight, because he's so excited about going again tomorrow. :)

I hope your summer is off to a good start! Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T18:33:00.003-05:00

sweet sunday

2009-05-31T20:43:00.006-05:00

The boys have been hard at play this evening. Dh and I had an afternoon out, away shopping, and found 2 little waterguns for the boys to play with. They have had bigtime adventure shooting bad-guy trees, flying bugs, and our poor dog has withstood the occassional squirt. K1 has been hard at work writing a history paper..so no water play for her, but there will be other evenings for water battle. School is almost out.

Tonight we had our dessert outside, at the picnic table. Vanilla pudding.

As I type this, my two sweet boys are playing in the bath tub. Dh is reffering who gets which cup to play with and fill with bubbles. ;)

I hope you've had a lovely Sunday. We sure have! Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

book review

2009-05-29T10:40:00.004-05:00

I'm not a professional book reviewer, but I like this book and wanted to tell you about it....

Queen of the Castle 52 weeks of encouragement for the uninspired, domestically challenged, or just plain tired homemaker

I found a recommedation for the this book over at Aunt Ruthie's Farmhouse and thought it looked interesting, so I purchased it. I love being a SAHM/Homemaker, but who couldn't use a little encouragement every once in a while.

I have found this book to be exactly what it says in the title: "52 weeks of encouragement for the uninspired, domestically challenged, or just plain tired homemaker".

It's well written, and it's written in a way that does not make you feel inferior or superior...just the plain truth about it how it is. I have found it to be uplifting, and inspiring. Ms. Walker has put together a book that offers a wide range of advice, encouragement, and few laughs for good measure. She's added prayers, daily dictionary words, quotable passages, and recipes...several chocolate recipes. :)

If you could use a little homemaker inspiration, I recommend this book. After you read it...you can't help but feel uplifted and ready to move through another day.

I hope you're having a lovely day. Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

camping fun

2009-05-26T17:22:00.006-05:00

We had such a fun time on our camping trip!! We floated down the Gaudalupe River. BBQ'd and roasted marshmallows. We drove over to Gruene and looked around. It's such a cute town!! We played in the river. The kids, especially K2 & K3 loved that! They climbed over rocks, splashed and slid around. Fun, Fun!! There were so many people..so many, but everyone did their own thing and nobody bothered anyone else.

K1 was especially pleased by all the "cute guys" walking around. lol lol

We really love camping! We're going again for the 4th of July weekend! I can't wait!

I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend!

Thank you for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Michelle

A Camping Adventure...Coming Soon!!

2009-05-21T14:15:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we're off on a fun, filled weekend camping adventure. We're going to be staying at a camping ground located along the Gaudalupe River. We're planning on tubing down the river, bbq'ing, taking long walks, making s'mores, and telling ghost stories by the campfire. I can not wait!! My kids are super excited too!! Oh, and even better my mom is coming along to join in the fun!! Of course I will tell you all about, when we get back..or maybe even while we're there. The campground has wi-fi..can you believe that. lol :)

I love long weekends!!

A camping we will go, a camping we will go, hi ho the dairy O, a camping we will go!! lol

Thanks for checking in with me. I hope you have something fun planned for the long weekend. :)

Sincerely,

Michelle

Happy Birthday to My Sweet DH!!

2009-05-19T20:32:00.001-05:00

I love you!

Michelle

Balloon Project

2009-05-18T17:35:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine from www.weusecoupons.com is helping her son to do a Science Fair project by tracking wind currents. She made arrangements for people to do a little balloon experiment from all over the world, which included us.
Anyway, we were to release 10 red balloons. Each balloon had a 2ft. string and attached to each string was a card explaining the project and an email address for people to report when and where they found their balloon.

We released our balloons yesterday afternoon. It was so much fun!! We all enjoyed watching the balloons float off. We'd watch them until we couldn't see them anymore.
Well last night my friend let me know that one our balloons was found!! It had floated 91 miles away from our home. Isn't that amazing!! Pretty fun science project. :)

Thanks for checking in with me!

Sincerely,
Michelle

thankful Thursday...

2009-05-14T15:47:00.005-05:00

my sister and my precious K1

my parents

My brother and his lovely girlfriend (she is a doll)!

I am truly blessed with wonderful parents and supportive/fun siblings. I never laugh as much, any where else, as I do when I am with them.
I love ya'll!

Pumpkin + Cake Mix = YUMMY Muffins

2009-05-10T14:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

My mom is visiting us (along with my dad and sister) and she made these yummy muffins.

This recipe has been around for awhile, but my mom dresses it up a bit with a few chocolate chips and some nuts. :)

Recipe:

1 box cake mix (we prefer Chocolate Devils food cake or Spice cake mix)

1 can pumpkin

Mix well, and drop spoonfuls into a mini-muffin tin.

Place 4 chocolate chips and a tsp. of chopped nuts on top.

Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

YUMMY good, and full of fiber. :)

My kids have no clue they're eating pumpkin.

I hope you are having a lovely day! I'm sorry I've been away from my blog. Lots of spring/garden/cleaning/ keeping up with my little ones going on around here.

Sincerely,

Homemade Carpet Cleaner

2009-04-08T11:43:00.005-05:00

This homemade solution works really well!

It's easy to make, works quickly, and does not leave a lingering odor.

"To make spray-on spot and stain remover, fill a spray bottle with 5 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Fill a second spray bottle with 1 part nonsudsy ammonia and 5 parts water.

Saturate a stain with the vingar solution. Let it settle for a few minutes, then blot thoroughly with a clean, dry cloth. Then spray and blot using the ammonia solution. Repeat until the stain is gone. "

I found these bottles at W@lm@art. They're pretty cheap.

I wanted to show you this does work. So here are spots on my carpet that have been sprayed with the vinegar solution.

Here the same area of carpet after following both steps to the recipe.
This picture was taken the next morning after the carpet was dry.
No vinegar or ammonia smell remained.

**Recipe taken from Reader's Digest; extraordinary uses for ordinary things

I love, love, love this book!

Other suggestions for cleaning your carpet from this book...
Page 346

Rub light carpet stains with a mixture of 2 tablespoons salt dissolved in 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the solution dry, then vacuum.
For larger or darker stains, add 2 tablespoons borax to the mixture and use in the same way.
For tough, ground-in dirt and other stains, make a paste of 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and rub it into the stain using a dry cloth. Let it set for two days, then vacuum.

I hope you have a lovely day. Thank you for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Translation...

2009-04-05T14:52:00.003-05:00

So, we're driving in the car on our way home from grocery shopping.

K2 and K3 are buckled into their carseats.

K3 is thirsty and not feeling very patient.

He's screaming "dink" "dink"!!!

Dh was working on getting a bottle of Sprite open, it had been shaken so it required a minute to let the fizz fall back down.

Anyway, K3 is all the while yelling "dink", "dink"!!

K2 says, "In case ya'll don't know dink means Drink in Spanish!!

He's wanting a drink!!

lol lol

So, we laughed and gave K3 a "dink" which of course means drink in spanish!! lol

I love it!!

Choos (which means bye in german)

On

2009-04-03T10:28:00.002-05:00

On is K3's new favorite word.

He uses this word when he wants his taboggon put "on" his head 1000 times a day.

He uses this word when he turns the lights "on" and off 1000 times a day (he stands on the couch in the livingroom which allows him access to all this funny goodness).

"On" is his favorite word when he puts his brothers shoes "on" the wrong feet.

"On" is the word he screams at the top of his lungs when his brother tries to take said shoes off his feet.

"On" is what he hollers when he's taken off his shirt for the 30th time in a day, and would like mom to put it back "on".

"On" is also the sweet little word he says when he wants to crawl up into mamma's lap and snuggle.

"On" isn't such a terrible word. Some might say it's pretty sweet when spoken from such a cute little man.

Some might even think he's learned more than the word "on"...every time he says it.

I hope you are having a nice day. Thanks for checking in with me.

I'm off to check "on" my sweet little men.

Sincerely,

Homemade Watercolor Fun

2009-03-30T10:50:00.011-05:00

Recipe for homemade watercolors...

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons each of baking soda, cornstarch, and vinegar with 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup. Wait for the fizzing to subside, then seperate the mixture into several small containers or jar lids. Add eight drops of food coloring to each batch and mix well. Put a different color in each batch or combine colors to make new shades. Kids can either use the paint right away, or wait for them to harden, in which case, they'll need to use a wet brush before painting.

I used the little plastic lids that came from little bottles I used when I was breastfeeding.

They're the perfect size, but the possibilities are endless.

I used toothpicks to mix the food color for each color. Easy to clean up..just pich in the trash.

I left them to set up over night and dry, so it wouldn't be so messy.
I was worried he might tip them over while they were so wet and it'd spill every where.
I found an empty baby wipe container to keep the paints and brushes in.
This way everything will be altogether.

They worked really well dry and adding water. He loves them!! They paint just like watercolors you buy at the store.

Now I will have lovely art to hang in my kitchen/diningroom.

I'll be sure to post pictures when I have them matted and hanging.

Thanks for checking in with me.
I hope you're having a nice day. As you can see our morning is all about painting.
Sincerely,

the possibilites are endless when you're 4

2009-03-26T11:15:00.003-05:00

This morning I was climbing out of bed and K2 walks into my room.

He was still in that sleepy state...yawning..eyes barely open.

K2: good morning mamma

Me: good morning K2..did you sleep good?

K2: Mamma did you hear my dreams?

Me: Did I hear your dreams?

K2: yeah, my dreams.

Me: No, I don't think I heard them...what did they say?

K2: I don't remember. I don't remember what I dreamed and I thought you might have heard them so you could tell me.

ME: ::insert hug for K2 here:: I promise if I ever here your dreams I'll be sure to tell you all about them. :insert kiss, kiss from mamma here:

K2: thank you, because I would need to know what I dreamed.

This conversation put a smile on my face this morning. I'm still smiling about it.

When you're 4...anything is possible.

I hope you're having a good day!

Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,

Wordless Wednesday...

2009-03-24T18:15:00.002-05:00

Thanks for checking in with me.

I hope you're doing well.

Sincerely,

my daughter...

2009-03-12T14:48:00.013-05:00

You'll rarely ever find K1 without her camera. She love, love, loves to take pictures.

I always look forward to when she's downloaded them to the computer. It gives me a little glimps into her world. You know..the world parents are not allowed.

My girl is a typical teenage girl. She's all about her friends, boys, and she has lots of school stuff going on. She's always busy doing something.

When I see her pictures, I see a beautiful, fun loving, happy young lady that is growing up. It's a bit bittersweet, but I'm glad to see she's having a good time.

Thanks for checking in with me. Don't forget to hug your kiddos today. They grow up so fast.

If you read this K..I love you.

Sincerely,

rainy day...swiss steak in the crockpot...

2009-03-11T12:43:00.009-05:00

It's chilly out today and it's finally raining!

We've been needing rain so badly, so you will not hear any complaints from me about the weather today. :)

Anyway, it's cold and wet out so I decided a nice swiss steak in crockpot would be yummy for dinner tonight.

The recipe is as follows...

2 tbs. oil

2 lbs. beef round steak, cut into serving pieces

1/2 cup flour

Heat oil in a skillet, then coat the steak with flour and brown in the oil.

(I add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to my flour mixture)

2 onions, sliced (I had one large)

4 carrots, sliced (I just used up the little ones in my frig)

3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered (dh did the potatoes and felt we should have 6)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper (i just sprinkle to our desired taste)

Place the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of the Crock-Pot Slow Cooker.

1-14 1/2 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce

Place the steak on top of the vegetables. Pour the tomato sauce and tomatoes over the meat.

Cover; cook on LOW for 10 hours, or on HIGH for 6 hours.

Recommended Unit Size 3-6 Quarts.

I plan to make some homemade bread and a salad to serve with this. YUMMY!!

It'll make my home smell so delicious throughout the day and then we'll have some comfort food for dinner tonight!! :)

I hope you're having a nice day. Thank you so much for checking in with me.

Please feel free to drop me a note if you have a second. ;)

Sincerely,

dreaming of fruit...

2009-03-08T18:01:00.005-05:00

We've always wanted an orchard. Rows and rows of trees full of fruity goodness. I've dreamt of picking sweet fruit from the tree, canning pretty little jars full of homemade jellies and jams. Today we're making that dream a reality. We're planting fruit trees and a couple pecan trees for good measure. We have 2 pear trees, 4 apple trees, 2 pecan trees, and we have 1 peach tree that was planted a couple of years ago. It's a good start, and I am completely excited!!

I'm on the hunt for a couple of plum, cherry, and maybe couple more peach trees.

My local store didn't have them, but I bet I can find them in the "big" city. :)

Below you'll see K2 digging. He says he's hunting for treasure.

He's been hunting all over the place. So far..no treasure, but he's sure it's here somewhere.

I sure do love that kid!

K3 is happy to keep our dog Lily chasing golf balls.

I hope you're having a good day. Thank you so much for checking in with me.

If you'd like...I'd love for you to drop me a hello in the comments.

Sincerely,

friday night sandwiches and movies...

2009-03-06T18:06:00.008-06:00

Today I made some nice crusty homemade bread for sandwiches, and Kaylee whipped up some Ranch dip with sour cream. The kids rented movies. We'll be pigging out and having a quiet night at home in front of the t.v.

I hope you're enjoying your evening. Thanks for checking in with me.

Sincerely,