Christmas:round 2

A couple days after Christmas my mom and dad came up to Utah for a visit. Of course my mom showers the kids with fun things. The kids were so happy to do a little more present opening.
Grandpa doing the burrito wrap. Grandma made all three kids fun blankets with minky.
She also made McKay this cool vest.
Trenton received a darling matching jacket. I could not believe how well made they were. They looked so professional. I hope to be able to sew like her one day. Perfection.
We all paid a visit to Temple Square after gift opening. All I have to say is BRRRRR!
Chris' older brother Steve came for a visit with their kids as well. They all had a great time playing together.

Santa came!

Like many of you out there I can't wait till Christmas morning and count down the days right along with my kids. Here are some pictures from our special morning: Santa wrote us a letter thanking us for the cookies.

We put out water for Rudolf. We know he had a drink because the water turned red from his nose! It froze too! We have a tradition that if the elves see the kids being extra good, they get a gift from the elves Christmas Eve under the tree. They got BYU pjs.
They were so excited to open their presents Christmas morning, we had to beg them to take one picture before the madness. A BYU cheerleader barbie for Madison. You can't tell we are fans can you?
All morning Trent would say, "Santa bit me bike!"
Watching their faces is priceless. It is so fun to see the magic of Christmas through their eyes.(McKay took off his pjs, he said they were to tight. Of course mom was sad because they didn't match. This is probably the last year Mom could pull it off.)
Trenton really got the hang of unwrapping. He kept unwrapping everyone's gifts and didn't know how to wait his turn. So funny!

Pumpkin Crunch

Whenever I discover something that is delicious I have to share it with everyone. A friend of mine discovered this recipe at Canyon Ranch in Arizona which is a spa and retreat for women. It tastes great on vanilla yogurt( my favorites are Mountain High or some greek yogurt.) It is also good just to snack on, or on oatmeal. Of course it is healthy and very pretty too! You know what they say, we eat with our eyes first.

1 C raw pumpkin seeds that look like this:
1 1/2 t canola oil
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t sea salt
2 T maple syrup
1 1/4 C cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with canola oil and evenly spread coated seeds on baking sheet. Roast for 20 min. or until almost dry.

Place seeds in med. bowl and mix maple syrup until coated. Combine spices in a bowl and add pumpkin seeds. Place back on baking sheet and return to oven. Roast for 15 min. or until dry. Be sure not to burn. Set seeds aside until completely cool, for about 30 min. In a bowl, combine seeds with dried cranberries.

Silly Kiddos

I just had to share a few laughs I had last week.My little piglets.
Trent dumped all of McKay's dirty laundry out, then filled it back up with cars. He carried it all around the house for a couple hours.My neighbor invited us over for sloppy joes and a special visit from Santa. It was so fun to see all the kids surprised faces when he arrived. One of my favorite Christmas memories is when Santa visited my house when I was a little girl before Christmas. It was so unbelievable to me that he came down from the North Pole to make a special visit before all his Christmas deliveries.
This was a very generous Santa. He visits children during the season but only wants donations to give to the Angel Tree. Each parent came prepared with wrapped books for their own children for Santa to hand out.
Of course Trenton wouldn't sit with Santa just yet, he was happy to take his gift though.

Mama and Grandpa Bill

I know those are a little unusual names for a grandma and grandpa, but that is how they do it in Texas. We were so excited to have them come for a visit. We usually see them once a year. The first day they arrived the snowed dumped big time on Utah. It was fun for them to see how pretty it is after a fresh snowfall.
Decorating the gingerbread house.
On day #2 we headed to the luxorious Grand America Hotel to see the gingerbread house displays that were auctioned off for children with diabetes.
Grandpa Bill and Mama's favorite. It was a music box inspiration. Grandpa Bill doesn't look like he's from TX at all, does he?
My favorite; an Italian villa.

We also spent time doing a few other activities but I forgot the camera. We were able to see the holiday lights at Thankgiving Point, see The Magic Fish at the Childrens Theater, and see The Christmas Carol in 3D! I am so thankful for such special in-laws. They are wonderful people with hearts of gold!

It's Christmas time!

Oh how I love this time of year, who doesn't? It truly is such a magical and special time. Family is one of the most special parts of it for me, especially these little guys. It is so fun to see the magic of Christmas through their eyes. I am so grateful to be their mother. Having a wonderful husband and the most perfect extended family are such a blessing in my life too. Most importantly I am so grateful for the Savior who's birth was of the most importance on this earth. I know Mary and Joseph went through many hardships to help get him here, and I am grateful to them. I can only imagine the spirit that was in that stable when Jesus was born, and the overwhelming feelings that Mary had being the mother of the Son of God. I know he came to earth to die for our sins and to be an example for us of how to live our lives and serve others. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Merry Christmas!

Green Machine

One of our family's favorite smoothies to have is The Green Machine! I know that sounds unusual, but it is really yummy and full of nutritious goods. I also call it the Shrek Smoothie for my kids. I thought I would share the recipe so that you can enjoy it too, and fight off all those sicknesses out there.

1 C orange juice
6-8 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 frozen banana
1 heaping handful of fresh spinich
1 T agave nectar or honey
1 C ice

I know, I know, you are thinking spinich? I promise you cannot even taste it. You just have to try it. Just think, you are getting 3 servings of veggies and fruit in one smoothie! Enjoy!

I thought I would also give a shout out that Oprah posted the recipe for Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate!

Celebrate!

Another birthday was celebrated in our home, Chris'! We headed to the new Olive Garden by our house since we had not been yet. Can I say that it is such a pain taking kids to a restaurant!We came back home to open a few gifts. The kids were so excited, they just love birthdays.
McKay trying out Chris ' head messager. I know this seems silly, but it feels soooo good. I discovered it at my parents house and had to purchase one for our family.
One of Chris' favorite desserts, coconut creme pie! Blow out the candle!

Isn't he adorable?

I just had to share Trenton's 2 year old pictures.

Disco fever

Check out our dancing family!
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/mnohLRy4yUjTGLqi

Sisters Retreat

2 years ago we had a perfect addition to our family, my sister-n-law, Lauren. We planned a sisters retreat to have some serious California fun. Mom, myself, Brooke and Lauren played non-stop and did some serious bonding! Here are some pictures from our weekend together:
To kick off the weekend right, we wanted to do a session at the Newport Beach Temple. Unfortunately my recommend expired two weeks ago, and I completely forgot to renew it. Whoops!
So instead we headed to Sprinkles for a 4 dollar cupcake. Ridiculous! I can now say I've tried it, and do not even get what the big deal is? I think cupcakes from a cake mix are better than those. LOL!

We made and wrapped some very addictive caramels.
We went shopping in LA in search of some pieces of jewerly and a few other things. After we got home, we snuck into our pjs and got straight to work on our charm necklaces.
We made neckalces similar to these, my camera would not co-operate in taking a picture of my necklace. I stamped all of my kids names on 3 separate charms. Darling!
The results of our morning pedicures.
I had to take a picture of my lunch, the presentation was so pretty. This guy was hilarious! We watched him from the balcony where we were eating. He was singing at the top of his lungs with a cardboard guitar at this busy intersection. I'm sure he had some loose screws.

A must try

This is soooo good. It is just like the Alice Spring Chicken from Outback. It is my new favorite meal, and for sure has a place in my recipe file. As I have mentioned in the past, food has to be packed with flavor for me to be impressed, this gets 5 stars in my book!

Smothered Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Garlic powder and seasoned salt to taste
1 T. vegetable oil
8 oz. button mushrooms, cut in half or quarters
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese blend
½ c. chopped green onions
½ c. real bacon bits (real bacon works best and tastes the best)
½ c. tomatoes
1 bottle BBQ sauce

Flatten chicken breasts to ¼ in. thick (or just cut chicken breasts in half horizontally). Sprinkle with seasonings. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil for 4 min., or until mostly cooked through (you could also grill them if that is easier) In a separate pan saute cut up bacon until crispy. Drain the excess grease. Add mushrooms to the bacon and cook until mushrooms are soft. Place chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a 9x13 pan. Squeeze a generous amount of bbq sauce on top of each chicken breast. Top the chicken with the mushroom and bacon mixture. Sprinkle the cheese all over the tops of the chicken breasts. Cover and cook until chicken is done and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. When chicken is finished, top the chicken breasts with the fresh tomatoes and green onions. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and honey mustard sauce( I didn't care for the sauce, the chicken is just as good without it.)



Honey Mustard Sauce

1 c. mayo (can use fat free or low fat)
3/4 c. Dijon mustard
¼-1/2 c. honey
1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 T. Lime juice
1 tsp. Ginger powder

Mix. Add extra honey or lime for desired flavor.

Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 lb. russet potatoes (or red potatoes)
½-1 whole 16oz. tub sour cream (depending on how much moisture you need in your potatoes)
1 cube butter
8 oz. half & half or milk
Fresh or dried Parsley
1 clove garlic
Salt & Pepper
½ c. Parmesan cheese (optional)

Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Boil water and add potato chunks. Boil until potatoes are fork tender. Drain majority of water from potatoes. Mash potatoes with either an electric mixer or potato masher. Add whipping cream, butter, sour cream, garlic, salt, pepper & Parmesan cheese.

Copy Cat

Yep that would be me! I can't help it, I have so many talented friends who have such cute, fun ideas, and I have to make one of my very own. I love this birthday sign, you can use it over and over again because it is made from fabric. When you break it out, you know it is going to be a special day for someone!


I guess these stuffed witch boots were selling for 90 bucks at Swiss Days. WHATEVER! I'll make it for 8$ myself thank you! It looks so cute hanging on a door.

Halloween finally came!

All month long my kids asked, "How many more days till Halloween?" So finally it arrived and boy were were they excited!
The cutest Peter Pan I've ever seen, Wendy, and a race car driver. (I tried to get McKay to dress up as Captain Hook, but he did not want to do it. Sniff, sniff.)
Preschoolers on parade
Singing a Halloween song to the proud parents
Madison wanted to wear her lady bug fairy costume that she wore to a summer fairy party to preschool. Of course mom's feelings were hurt that Madison didn't want to wear the Wendy costume that mom made, but mom was not in the mood for a battle. Pick your battles right?

Fall Fun

Here is a fun idea for you to do with your kids: Go on a walk and gather some fall leaves. Place the leaves on some wax paper. Take an old candle and grate it with a cheese grater on top and all around the leaves. Place another piece of wax paper on top. Set you iron on the lowest setting and iron away. The wax melts and looks juicy as you are ironing. Set aside to cool. Cut around the leaves, punch a hole, add some ribbon or string through the hole. Now it is ready to hang in a window or on a doorknob to be displayed! Madison's art before cutting around the leaves
Our Trenton turned 2! We really enjoy celebrating family birthdays! He is always such a happy boy!Madison and McKay are so funny. They gather a few old toys from around the house and wrap them to give as a gift. Trent was happy to open them with their encouragement. He also received a new sweater and a remote control car from mom and dad!
This was the pumpkin we carved as a couple at a Halloween party.A special Halloween thank you I made for a friend. I bought the mold at Target for 4.99! It's about 15 inches in diameter and you can make it into a rice crispy treat, cake or jello mold. I wanted her to have something fun she can use over and over again for the Halloween holiday! It's the gift that keeps on giving!