Merry Christmas

Sorry for the technical difficulties, here's the video with the post. :)

This is what Christmas is all about!

Highlights: Joseph leading Mary into Bethlehem,

Angels come praying,

Mary's exhausted at the end-hello? She just had a baby!

Don't you just love our orange blinds!?

chuga chuga choo choo

Thank you Kyla! She told us about this train display in the Sirrine's backyard. Unfortunately last night was the last night they are doing this, so if you missed it, just enjoy it through my pictures. ;)

We took the kids who were just AWED at the size of this train playground. Well, so were we.

We spent quite a bit of time just following the train tracks and getting excited when the trains would come and pass us.

Are my kids goofy or what?

Then after that I had my girls night, and I told Gwen that if she was really good she could come with me. She was soooo excited! She kept asking every few minutes if it was time to leave.

Part of our Christmas girls night is a gift exchange, and would you believe that someone actually brought a Barbie Thumbelina flower growing kit, and Gwen got that!? She LOVES it!

And then luckily Gwen was there to get a group picture of us girls.

I spy with my little eye

a little boy fast asleep

a little girl with PRESS ON NAILS!

a husband mowing the lawn

All things that make me smile!

I hope my 7 layer dip was enjoyed

because I sacrificed the tip of my finger to make it!

I totally sharpened my knife to slice those green onions and tomatoes. Why do people say it's better to cut yourself with a sharp knife than a dull knife? I don't think a dull knife would have cut through the finger and nail!

sew cool

Remember our awesome gingerbread house? Well look at it now!

As soon as the last piece of candy was put on it the kids were begging to eat it. Well....why not? So we had a busting party and I think EVERY piece of candy that was on it was devoured.

I'm so proud of my Gwenny! This is one of her favorite shrugs, and the button on it came off. Well Gwen got out a needle and thread herself, THREADED it herself, and then sewed it on. ALL BY HERSELF!!

This girl is so rad, I don't know how I got so lucky!

And here are my children, two feet away from the TV, watching Arrested Development. Oh how I love them!

Christmas dreaming

For some reason I think that there's some rich reader out there that cares about what I want for Christmas. So wealthy anonymous reader, feel free to make my material Christmas dreams come true!

That Garmin watch.

Lotsa super cute fabric!

Yes, my Costco membership is up for renewal in January.

A fancy wetsuit for SWIMMING, not wakeboarding/snorkeling.

Knee high brown boots please!

Tickets to the Jack's Mannequin show in February!! I'll be so sad if we miss it.

A nice white watch. I'll go for this white leather Chalet, and at $120...

it's much more reasonable than this ceramic 42-20 ($2000!!!!) But you don't care right, because you're loaded and just want to give me whatever I want?

A nice SLR camera. Nikon's my flavor.

THIS cakestand!!!!!! My friend Kari has a similar one, and whenever I go to her house I feel bad for drooling all over it.

Season three. Please.

And I damaged one of my Silpats last night trying to make stained glass windows for our gingerbread house. I forgot that I had broken Lifesavers in the oven until the black smoke started choking us.

Now this is just the stuff I could think of off hand. I'll probably remember more later, so wealthy reader check back to be sure you don't forget anything! ;)

gingerbread casa

It's that time of year again! The kids have been dying to do it, but I didn't want to spend $10-$15 on a gingerbread house kit. (yes I'm cheaper than ever!) So I figured I'd make my own gingerbread, roll it out and cut my own pieces. And WOW! My new FAVORITE way for my home to smell. Seriously, could not get over how good it smelled baking the gingerbread today! For some reason it smelled better than making gingerbread cookies.
Tip: keep the kids out of your hair while you're rolling and cutting serious business by giving them some dough to roll and form on their own. This kept Drake busy for over an hour! My stuff was in the oven, baked and cooling while he was still working his dough!
See look at his focus. He'll impress some girl some day with his cooking skillz. Then she'll have me to thank and will be forever in my debt. I'm already coming up with ways she can pay me back. wuahhahhahahah (my evil laugh)

Gwen's house front we decided looks like Monster House

We kinda spoiled our appetite for dinner by playing a little game called "One for me, one for the house".

It turned out pretty cute!

Just when you do it, make sure your measurements are exact, or you'll have spaces between pieces like this. My measurements should have been perfect! At least it all fits in my head. I think that some pieces got stretched in transferring from the counter to the cookie sheet.

Fun activity, not hard, smells good, and this might actually be a gingerbread house that we'll eat!

Gingerbread for construction

3/4 C buttermilk

6 T butter

1 C brown sugar

1/2 C molasses

1 egg

5 1/2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1 t ginger

1/2 t salt

Heat butter and buttermilk in saucepan just until butter melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar and molasses. Transfer to mixing bowl. Add egg, 1 C flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix. Add remaining flour. Will be a thick dough. Refriegerate 1 hour.

Roll 1/4" thick. Bake at 350º for 15-18 minutes or until edges just start to brown.

Royal Icing

3 egg whites

1/2 t cream of tartar

4 C powdered sugar

In mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar just until stiff. Add powdered sugar gradually while mixing. Put in pastry bag and glue your pieces together.

Potato Soup

Last night Gwen and I made Potato Soup. It was a total hit with Ryan, and today when he brought left overs to school for lunch, I guess it was the envy. A recipe post was requested, and I'm happy to oblige! And here's a shout out to Precious!!

Baked Potato Soup
5 bacon strips
1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T flour
1 t salt
1 t basil
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

4 C chickem broth

2 large baked potatoes, cubed

1 baked potato, mashed

1 C heavy cream (that's why it's SOOO good!)

1 t Tabasco

1 C shredded cheddar, plus more for topping

In stock pot, brown up bacon. Set aside and crumble to top soup. Reserve 1 T of fat and saute onion and garlic until soft. Stir in flour, salt basil and pepper. Add broth and bring to boil. Boil 3 min. Stir in mashed potato, boil 2 more min. Add cream, cubed potatoes, Tabasco, and cheddar. Heat through and garnish with cheese, bacon, and green onions. Enjoy!

I'm back!!

Okay, so I'm trying the public blog again.
My sister, Tara, called out my stalker ex-boyfriend on Facebook and his friends found out about the creepy stuff he's been doing (he emailed her denying everything of course-what a bonehead! I've got proof!). So here's to hoping he stops and I don't have to hide anymore!

Thanksgivingness

Our Thanksgiving holiday started with the Turkey Trot. Jasmyn and I ran it again this year, and then were able to meet up with my SIL, Emily at the finish. Nothing like burning 600+ calories on a day of feasting. And feast we did!!!

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the beautiful spread.

But I've got a picture of the well fed!

Then the next day instead of shopping, we put up the Christmas tree and still had Jack and Aubrey around to help.

Unfortunately the fun had to end and the Taylors went home. :(
But I seriously LOVE this time of year. Can't wait to finish decorating and start Christmas baking!

bake sale

Yesterday Gwen kept asking if she could have a table out front to do a bake sale. I told her I'd make some goodies and she could do one tomorrow. So today while she was at school I whipped some up and when she got home Tara helped her make a sign.


She sat in front of the house for an hour and a half and had four non-family member customers. Eli was the number one customer buying a rice krispy treat for a dollar! (we sold everything for a quarter) It was so adorable! Funny thing is, she came up with all of this all by herself! What a little entrepreneur we have!!!!

In other news, the kids are loving having the Taylors stay with us!

my running baby

So Gwen has loved going to my races, and envies my medals. She has been saying that she wants to do a race and earn a medal. Well, I found the perfect first race for her. Part of the Arizona Ironman is a kid run that I entered her in. She's been practicing and this morning was her time to shine!

It was 48º so Drake stayed huddled in this blanket for a while.

They grouped the kids according to their grades, so Gwen was with other kids her age.

So Gwen's making a funny face here, but this was the only picture with her medal that she's so proud of in it.

Way to go Gwenny bum, we're sure proud of you!

my kind of mudflap!

Seriously, I want this. I mean really, how is it okay for dumb men, excuse me, I mean boys to drive around with a naked silhouette of a hooker on their cars? Smart is sexy to me!

Holy cow!!!!!

Seriously!? So uncalled for. Good to hear that she's been suspended indefinitely.

Phoenix Children's Museum

We ventured out for the free night at Phoenix Children's tonight. So we learned, played, explored, and crafted to our hearts content. Or at least my heart's content, the kids could have stayed all night. Luckily the lure of Golden Spoon got them in the car.

oww

Last weekend, we were moving some stuff from the old house to the new one, and I was carrying a load, couldn't really see around it until it was too late. I saw Drake sitting on the floor in the garage, doing a wind up with Ryan's long board, and sent the long board sailing into my feet. Well I was carrying year supply food. So oatmeal and beans went everywhere! And I was left with a bruised foot. It was so tender where my toes meet my foot. And I saw the look in Drake's eyes while he was putting his evil plan together. I know it was no accident. I now lock the door to my room when I go to bed so I don't wake up with all my hair cut off or my pajamas lit on fire.
Then yesterday I was unpacking- STILL, and I picked up a giant glass jar by the lid. (dumb I know) Well the lid popped off the jar, and it fell right on my same foot. So that bump pictured above doesn't mean that I'm preggo with a swollen foot. Instead I just have a mutilated foot.