A year in review!

I am going to steal this great idea from my buddies at Two Mom's with a Plan.

2009 was a year of change for us- some good and some bad. I am hoping 2010 will be a better year. I am not good at resolutions but I do have some goals:

To do more for people less fortunate then myself- I am really feeling a calling towards homeless people- so I hope to make a difference in this area and to pass this trait on to my kids

To be the best Mom I can be and to know when to let go just a little, sometimes decisions are not mine to make and I need to remember that

To treasure the time I am given with my family, my wonderful Husband, my friends, and my animals

To do more good then harm-really try to be supportive and not hinder people in any way- I would like to make this world better for people- even if it is just through some laughter

Never take my health for granted- it can be taken away in a second

May 2010 bring everyone laughter and love- thanks for sharing this journey with us and for letting us share in your lives as well.

January- I turned 40 with a fun surprise party!

February- Jen had a baby- unfortunately she died in October but she was pretty sweet while we had her. Jen was laid off from her job and Kate freaked out!

March- Jen rolled one of our Excursions but was OK- Praise God. Taya turned three!

April- We began a huge addition of a kitchen and two bedrooms. Bryce turned 15!

May- Jen decided to tear apart one of our bathrooms. Trey was in a motorcycle accident.

June- Taya got her own room with the construction project and we went to Hawaii

July- The kitchen remodel is done, I have no idea how I ever managed with a kitchen so small.

Bryce got his permit

My wonderful, sweet Grandmother passed away and broke my heart- I still miss you everyday!

August- School started and Bryce helped build our new pergola on the new addition

September- Football began and we had a great turn out for game night

October- Halloween was fun- Jen left for a month of training in PA- Bryce went to not one, but two, Homecomings with different girls

November- The Twins turned 10! Trey had hand surgery- notice who is always in a hospital bed.....

December- Toby turned 12! Some sat on Santa's lap for the first time, and some for the last time.

I am so blessed to have a great family and wonderful friends. From our house to yours- Happy New Year!

No good deed goes unpunished...

The other day when I took Toby to the Dr. I saw a recipe for a Swedish apple pie- so I being the rude person that I am, tore the page out of the magazine so I could make it- not my problem if the person behind me needed to read that page- they should have made their appointment before mine!

So tonight I thought I would make it- we had some apples laying around- so I whipped it up for Jen to take to work tomorrow. I do not care for pie- any kind- just not a fan of it- Jen does not like pie with fruit- so it seemed logical for her to take it to work- I just like to bake and I already had everything here to make it.

Well I got busy and I forgot about it- I did set the timer- but who am I kidding? I can't hear that measly little bird chirp of an alarm, unless I am standing 2 feet in front of it. The funny thing is- I even smelled something burning and it did not register- I thought it was the new heater that I put in Toby's room- you know how they smell a little when you first start using them? About an hour later it dawned on me- THE PIE! Too late- it is history!

Maybe I will try this again another night and let you know if the outcome is any better.

Christmas Pictures

Christmas was wonderful at our house. We actually opened our gifts on Christmas Eve because Jen had to work on Christmas. I did not want to be home alone with the kids on Christmas so I baked a turkey for the less fortunate and we volunteered at the homeless dinner. When we finished with that- we came home and opened our stalkings and then had a quiet dinner with just us- it was kind of nice since I had been feeding everyone night after night.

Taya of course had a wonderful Christmas- as the kids get older their gifts get more expensive so they end up with less. I think they may have been a bit disappointed- but oh well- they get way more then they need that is for sure.

I am still adjusting to Jen's new work schedule. I have never had to spend a holiday alone- so I have been fortunate. I was glad to find something useful for the kids and I to do.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and God Bless.

Leihua with her new Christmas toys

Toby trying to beat my score at "Bop It"

Grandpa enjoyed his new Shop Vac

Bryce made me this serving bowl

Taya- who never takes off her sleep mask, has been begging people to play with her and play dough

Trey and his new PSP

Jen and her ugly Bronco slippers

Bryce and Toby with their new I-Touch's

Taya and the serving bowl she made me- it has her hand prints all over it

Santa's Elves

Merry Christmas to everyone. Christmas is such a magical time of year. I hope everyone is able to enjoy the day, time with family and friends. Jen has to work today so we are having a backwards Christmas. We opened gifts last night and will do stalking's today.

I do appreciate that as some children get older they can help me more. Bryce and Toby were such big help and I appreciate it. This is a lean year for us- but we are all together and that is what we enjoy.

Merry Christmas to all- have a safe holiday!

Happy Birthday Toby!

Happy 12th Birthday son. You are so smart, funny and witty and such a blessing to me. You are my miracle baby- scared the hell out of me when you were born, got to life flight with you on a snowy night. I was so scared to get attached to you because I was told over and over again that you were not going to make it. Here you are 12 years old and such a joy to me. I love you. I love your laugh, and your humor. I love your smile and how great your teeth are when you smile. I love that you never give up and you try so hard to be the best!

Happy Birthday Toby!

Crazy sleeping patterns....

I just had to share these crazy pictures of our kids/animals. Yes Taya still sleeps with us most nights- she has her own bed but she likes to snuggle.

She really likes changing her clothes- drives me crazy- this is not something the boys did. Last week Jen let her go to Awanas with her bathrobe on over her clothes. It is hard for me to let go in these situations because it is not proper- I know it does not hurt anything- but her bathrobe?

Taya loves her brothers. Bryce had a girl over and Taya was so jealous- she told us "it is time for Bryce's friend to go home" we laughed so hard at her.

Trey gets his pins out tomorrow- hopefully that will go OK.

Jen has three days off- so I am pretty happy. My biggest complaint about her new job is that I can't talk to her all day- I am used to calling her whenever I want to talk or need something- so this is tough on me. :)

We had a bit of a water problem over the weekend- I was doing dishes and the basement was flooding- so off went the water. I thought it would be an easy fix- nothing is easy in a 100 year old house. It seems a pipe broke by freezing- one that the workers knew needed to be replaced when we did our kitchen remodel- so that irks me- no one mentioned it when everything was already torn apart and easy to get to.. Now we had a sump pump installed today and we can use the water again- I just pray it solves the problem. I am sick of spending money on this house! Oh well what do you do?


Trey and Taya snuggling and watching TV


This is what I woke up to yesterday

This is what Taya is wearing to bed tonight- notice the different shoes and the coat!

This is what she put on after her bath when I told her to put on her PJ's.

Gingerbread House

Jen has somehow gotten out of this tradition each year- she must always be working- so tonight she got to play! The kids had fun eating and decorating- not sure if there was any plan to the house or how it would turn out. I was thinking how different girls are- they would make it so even ad pretty. Not my kids- just slap it all on there.

In case you are wondering where Toby is- he went to bed right after school, missed dinner, and is still asleep. He does this sometimes- a combination of hormones and his heart.

Do you make a gingerbread house?

Santa Pictures!

So, when you can't figure out the scanner- you go online and pay a ridiculous amount to the Santa company to buy the download- but at least you have photos to post right?

Last year Taya had nothing to do with Santa- so I am happy that she sat on his lap this year. I took every opportunity to get Trey on his lap because I know next year he won't. He is just on the cusp on not believing and being too embarrassed. This year I got him and Dylan though, so I am happy!

Taya loves Santa

Trey and Dylan- they are really enjoying themselves, but still want to be cool

I took this with my cell phone so it is not very good- but I love Santa's socks!

Trey is bigger then Santa!

World's best sugar cookies

OK here is the recipe- thank you Mrs. Straight- a funny story there- we used to live next door to the Straight's and they had a name plague above their garage with their name on it- we always wanted to put one up that said "The not Straights"

Anyway- I love soft sugar cookies- the kind that your teeth sink into when you eat them- the kind that are still soft the next day- and these are!

2 cups sugar

1/2 c shortening

1/2 cup soft butter

(this is a good time to taste the batter)

Cream these together and add:

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla- and don't use that imitation crap- use good vanilla :)

(Batter is not so tasty after you add the sour cream)

Cream together

add 4 1/2 cups of flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

(OK to taste it now it is better)

Chill in the fridge for an hour

roll out with flour- bake at 3:50 for 9 minutes

You can make them as thick or as thin as you want. In between cutting out and cookie- I put the dough back in the fridge because it makes it easier to work with.

I have found the BEST frosting for these is Betty Crocker Fluffy White- not Duncan Hines Fluffy white- it is gross. I have made a lot of frosting in my day and this is better then any recipe I have ever seen. I am telling you it is the best on these cookies. Then you decorate as desired. If you are Taya, you put chocolate sprinkles on every cookie!

Let me know if anyone makes them and what you think.

Christmas Cookies!

Today I made my second batch of sugar cookies, before the month is over I will surly make 4 or 5 more. My kids love frosted sugar cookies and the recipe I have makes the softest cookies- I love them too.

Sometimes it is so weird that my kids like spending time with us and doing stuff like this- when I was growing up I did not want to be anywhere near my parents- so I wasn't. To this day I could not even tell you a whole lot about my parents and visversa- they don't know a whole lot about me. I think it is great that our kids still like us.-This week!

What cookies do you make for the holidays?


Dylan decorating cookies


Trey was a big help with decorating

Bryce does not like a lot of frosting- weird

Toby- just got his hair cut!

Taya- she wanted to put chocolate sprinkles on every cookie

I need the truth- cruel as it may be

I have a dilemma and before I go make an ass of myself I would like your opinion.

We as a family enjoy wearing shorts- all year round. Jen has been on pants strike for 2 years now. The kids enjoy them and that is how we role. I wear flip flops all year round even when it snows- remember we live in CO- but out on the plains so we do not see the snow that you do in the mountains. We are water folks, Hawaii, FL, at the lake every weekend- we even wear shorts skiing.

When the kids are little they have to wear snow boots on snowy days- I get that- they are 3-4 they will step in puddles and get wet- no biggie. Taya wears a hat, gloves, scarf, the works- but she is 3 and she likes it.

Trey and Dylan are 10 and they want to wear shorts to school. They wear a coat- they do not complain about being cold- as long as their tops are warm they are fine. the school is forbidding them to wear shorts. I am frustrated because I am the parents and if I think it is OK- let it be. They are not causing problems by wearing shorts- still playing on the playground and having a good attitude. They do not walk to or from school so that is not an issue.

Trey is in tears over this, I am frustrated because it really should not matter what he is wearing- what do you think?

Wordless Wednesday!

She can't say no

Jen bought the kids these count down the Christmas calendars- where you open a flap each day and get a candy. Well Taya asked Jen if she could eat all of hers and Jen just can't say no to her- so Taya ate 24 pieces of chocolate! So much for the calendar! Seems to me it would have been easier and cheaper to buy the child a bag of M & M's!