Pressing Matters

I know, so many of us this time of year are thinking about resolutions . . . .how we can improve our lives, and what we can do to better ourselves.

I am thinking.

Should I blog this season of the Bachelor?

Vote

Yes, or Nuooo ------------------------------------------------------------->

Ps, that was for my husband. We get asked the Yes, or Nuooo question at least 10 times a day by Wade.

This year, I've been naughty.

This holiday season, I had more time on my hands.

And there was good reason.

I made Christmas goodies, but didn't pass them all out. (Come by if you want some!)

I didn't send out a Christmas card, but if I did, it may have looked something like this.

Abby? Who's Abby?

I didn't get pictures with Santa, or do the tree of sharing. (Both things I really, really wanted to do-but was feeling a little like a charity case myself. )

I didn't go to parties that I didn't want to go to.

And you know what?

I am okay with it.

I am REALLY, REALLY okay with it.

Will I shun my normal Holiday routines EVERY year? No, definitely not.

It's not like I didn't do ANYTHING . . . .

I spent time reading books,

I spent time hanging out with my husband, who "claims" to like to spend time with me.

I watched movies,

I went to movies,

I went on date night, and hung out with friends I love.

I got a pedicure.

I baked, and baked, and cooked, and baked.

I avoided the store.

And you know what? I really enjoyed not being stressed out, too busy, or unavailable.

It is a great thing, to just BE. And be Happy. Maybe next year, you should try it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Got a little time on my hands. . .

Something is going on with me.

I feel like I need something to do.

A project? I have projects.

A mission? It seems like I am ALWAYS on a mission.

What is it that is missing?

I don't know, but it is driving me nuts.

And even driving a few people I know nuts.

Because I insist on helping, and they don't want help.

Anyone need to re-org some closest?

Re-decorate a room?

Anyone feel like sewing?

No?

Maybe just me.

If you need me, please call. Chances are, I am dying to help you.

Have you ever wanted to know. . .

what a Scottish man wears under his kilt?

According to Jaxon, nothing.

Now you know. I hope he did that AFTER he turned it into his teacher, and not before.

My Gift To You

My Gift To You this year is.

Jaxon.

Think of it as re-gifting.

Just kidding.

Actually, there are a few things that Jaxon does that are just his signature. Like, act like a cartoon character. ALL.THE.TIME.

It is endearing most of the time.


Jaxon also has a passion for song and dance. I am not sure how much he will do with this talent, but for now, it provides us with hours of entertainment.

So, for your viewing pleasure.


Here is Jaxon as: THE HEAT MISER.




Here is the original in case you need a reminder.

Christmas Cards Gone By

Our Family started in April of 2000. I don't recall sending out Christmas cards those first couple of years. Really, is sending Christmas cards any fun when you don't have any kids? Well, I guess it could be, but, let's just say it is MORE fun, if you have a kid to show their growth pattern. And who wouldn't want a picture of this kid.

I think I was one or two month pregnant with Jaxon at the time. Abby had no idea what was going to rock her world.

CHRISTMAS 2002

Here is our arrival in our Christmas pic the next year. . . . Merry Christmas, from the GRUMPIEST BABY EVER!

CHRISTMAS 2003

My husband is seriously going to kill me because of this picture. He hates it, and I am not fond of it either, but since I am doing this for history sake, let's just get on with it.

Yes, it is in beautiful scenic Hawaii. After a 5 hour plane ride with the grumpiest child in the world. Let's just say we were cured of travel with small children for quite some time.

CHRISTMAS 2004

Wanna hear something sad about 2005? I don't know what Christmas card we used. Worse, is that all my pix were wiped off my drive by a virus? Or my computer was rendered useless by one? I can't quite remember, but this will represent . .

CHRISTMAS 2005

Apparently I have my hands up like that because I can't find Jaxon.

This REALLY IS CHRISTMAS 2006! Well, it is fall 2006, and we are at a pumpkin patch, but we really did use this pic as our Christmas card. I liked it! I liked that a professional photog did not have to take it! PS- Yes, Wade is in this picture, but he is only about 3 months along.



Ah, finally, A good all around picture. We all know the pains of taking a good picture, right? I am quite certain two or maybe even three heads were photo shopped in this pic. And it was taken in the summer, long BEFORE Christmas, but who cares right?

CHRISTMAS 2007


Once again, I have no idea what picture I sent out for Christmas. My mind is telling me, I didn't send Christmas cards this particular year. Maybe it was because 2008, wasn't that great. So, I don't think I did. Did I send out a Valentines Day card? If someone out there remembers, will you let me know? Either way, I DID have cute pictures of my kids.

CHRISTMAS 2008

This right hear is Christmas 2009. And guess, what. This is good as it is going to get for this year too. Because I didn't send out Christmas Cards.

CHRISTMAS 2009


And you know what? I am okay with that. Hope you are too! :)

PS- I DO have a Christmas PRESENT for you though, and it will be coming tomorrow! So, be sure to check back!

Abby the Author

I love seeing what talents our children acquire. I love to try to let them explore and develop their talents, and I am hoping, in some way, to push them in the right direction to fuel their passion.

With Abby, I don't have to try much. She will waltz into the kitchen and grab a pile of papers and my stapler, and disappear into her room. I am not sure how long her creations take, but eventually, she emerges with a final product.

I am always excited with anticipation. I think I better start meeting with publishers. Anyone know one?

This one is called, MISS PIGGY PIG. Enjoy.

How adorable is THAT.

What amazes me is her different angles on the drawings!

Forgive that girl's left arm. Her mom has long arms.

I will take any guesses on what is inscribed on that mirror.

Indeed.

Wasn't she chic?

How daring!

You're never too old to be a model! (Notice the Project runway heading)

Thank heavens she has her values in check. Can you believe how adorable those piglets are?

Of course she did.

It's the Holiday Season!

And whoop de doo, and fiddle de dumb and don't cha think, it's a whole lotta fun!

Peter and I have made that our offical favorite Holiday song, because you do not have to know the words, you can just make up whatever the heck you want, and it always sounds good.

For example, you probably think the words above are the right words.

No, they are not.

The right words are:

It's the holiday season
With the whoop-de-do and hickory dock
And don't forget to hang up your sock
'Cause just exactly at 12 o'clock
He'll be coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney
Coming down the chimney, down!

Anywho, the next time that you feel like getting into the Christmas spirit, I give you permission to sing that song and put whatever words you want after "Whoop de do, and fiddle de dumb" It is just a lot more fun that way, trust me.

The other song that gets stuck in my head is the Secret Agent Oso song.

I used to have nothing against Special Agent Oso, but my husband has become rather disturbed by the stupidity of sweet Oso, and now, as a tribute to Oso, my husband will make mundane tasks, like unloading the dishwasher, or changing a diaper into Agent Oso missions. I will hear him, in his best Agent Oso impersonation (my husband is SUPER good at impersonations) in another room saying things like, "Now we get out a diaper!" "Now, we wipe the bumb!" etc. You get the picture.

Our house, we are a laugh a minute around here, you should come by.

You never know when you might be instructed to do something in "THREE SPECIAL STEPS".

Smearing Poop

*Warning*

If the title didn't tell you enough, this is my warning to you that this blog post deals with Poop. Enough Said.

A while ago, well, I would say, almost exactly two years ago, I was dealing with Poop. Funny how these things seem to re-surface from time to time. Isn't it? Kind of like a re-occurring nightmare that just keeps happening? (Or is that just having more than one child, anywho. . .)

Seems now that Kaylie is exactly Wade's age when I did that last post, I would be dealing with poop again. Yet, I wish it was only poop in the tub.

Kaylie has decided that poop is fun to play with. Only in the morning, in the quiet confines of her crib. She didn't realize that her body made such a fun, mushy, (yet smelly) type of play dough.

It seemed fun to smear around the bed, into her hair, on her feet and along the rungs of her crib.

Well, it is fun until mommy comes into the room and has to strip her naked and throw her in the tub all the while saying, "NO TOUCH THE POO POO KAYLIE!!!!!"

Day One, frustrating. Day TWO, MADDENING. DAY THREE. . .My threats, lectures, and luke warm baths in the AM are not working!!!!!! Time to take this into serious measures. . . .

Footie Pajamas.

And guess what, she didn't appreciate it. When I put those footie pajamas (sleeper, whatever you want to call it) on her tonight, she screamed out like she was in a horror flick. But, hopefully, I will have a poop free morning.

We will soon find out.

Either way, I am CERTAIN this is why Heavenly Father made kids so stinkin' cute.

Holiday Obsessions

Abby gets obsessed with Christmas. Every. Single. Year. Out of all my kids, she is the most obsessed with material objects. She always has been. When she was little and bored in the back of the car, she would obsess about something and get stuck on it.

For example.

We would be driving and suddenly hear: "Birthday cake?"

We would ignore her and keep talking or whatever and she would say, "Birthday Cake?"

We would look at each other and start laughing, and she would say, "Birthday Cake?"

Almost as if she asked for it enough times eventually, she would get it.

We finally just made up a song about all of her favorite things and start singing it. "Birthday Cake, Sucklebus (popsicle), Donut, Donut, DONUT! lalalala!"

She would get so stumped that she would finally stop repeating the thing that she wanted.

It was awesome. Peter and I are pretty talented at times.

Anywho.

Abby is obsessed. Once again.

Last year it was a Zhu Zhu pets.

The year before that, it was a Robot Dog.

I wish I could remember what it was before that, because it is ALWAYS something. EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!

This year it is PENBO.

Conicidentally, she had an assignement at school called Persuasive Vocabulary Commercial Project.

Serious?

Abby was BORN for this.

Her commerical on the back reads:

This robot Penguin is cute, funny, and talkative. It's so cute everyone will be bothering you to play with it! (A number one reason someone should NOT buy something... it will make other people bother you! :) You'll love this cute and fun toy following you around. Everyone should get it and hve it in their house! Buy one soon because Penbo wants a caring friend!


Penbo is a lotta dough. Mommy refuses to buy Penbo. Abby still thinks that if she talks about Penbo enough, she will get it. Mommy refuses to buy Penbo based purely on Abby's obsession with it. Abby will open all of her Christmas presents Christmas morning, and there will be NO PENBO. Mommy has already TOLD Abby that Penbo costs $$ and mommy only spends $$$ on Christmas and so, if mommy bought Penbo, then Abby would only get Penbo and one or two other things. Mommy tried to convince Abby that would NOT be fun for Christmas. Mommy doesn't think it worked, but Mommy will NOT have Penbo under the tree. Abby will NOT be getting Penbo from Mommy.


(buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, she might be getting it from G-pa and K-lo)

Another year, another love

Oh. Man. My little blog life has completely gotten away from me! I have blog posts lined up from here to Timbuktu and I don't have the time to post them all. We just got back from a vacay (is there such a thing as vacationing with a 1 1/2 year old? No.) and it was the first one we have had in a LONG time. It was nice, but not very relaxing. (ahem. Kaylie.)

But, before I move on any further, I need to post the latest Jaxon news. There is a new love in his life. MOVE OVER MICHELLE. There is a new girl in town, and it looks like she has the corner on your man.

Before we left for our trip, Jaxon came home with his backpack stuffed with papers. Those papers included a few that were carefully stapled together and gently stuffed in his backpack (others are stuffed not so nicely). At first, I thought his teacher had put some special art work in there, but then I got a closer look. The art work, was more like . . . LOVE work.

Not sure who wrote whom first, but I will tell you right now Rian. Jaxon is an ARTIST. NOT a writer. Sorry. This first pic would be Jaxon's rendition of the lovely couple. Apparently, Rian wears some pretty fine head decor. But each is a lovely shade of blue.

And this right here would be Rian's rendition. Her rendition is a little more realistic. Jaxon, completely blonde in all ways with blue (okay, he has green but who is paying attention) eyes, and Rian, in her natural color with fabulous pig tails. Love. It.

But this is where it gets REALLY good. Rian actually has the wherewithal to profess her affections.

Jaxon my friend. Hold on to this one. Girls who like the "funny boy" are rare in numbers.

Ps- I would like to give a special "thanks" to Rian's mom for not calling the teacher and expressing her concern over Jaxon's affections toward Rian. And kudos to both Rian and her family for loving Jaxon for who he is. :)

Divine Pumpkin

The pumpkin tasting was a smashing success. Get it? Pumpkin? Smashing? Oh never mind.

A few days ago, my friend Rachel and I decided that we wanted to bake. That baking together was FUN. More fun than baking alone, right?

Actually, Rachel said that baking was NOT fun, so, I told her we just needed to do it together, and I could change her mind. You'll have to ask her if it worked. I am not sure yet. I put a Facebook post out there for any and all of your favorite pumpkin recipes. I got plenty to choose from. They were ALL delicious. Rachel made the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bread, Pumpkin Craisin Muffins, and Pumpkin Carmel Cheesecake. . . .

Doesn't this look like the most beautiful cheesecake EVER?

I made these scones. . .and they were completely and totally scrumptious. Doesn't that scone look amazing? It was.

Here is the Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Bread.

And the pumpkin craisin muffins. (Aren't these pictures awesome? Thanks Liz!)

Here is a happy customer. HI ANGEL!

And this would be an amazing Pumpkin Bisque with Mexican Cream.

And this is what my counter would look like after Rachel told me she was frustrated in my kitchen because things were in the WRONG PLACE. Honestly, THE NERVE.

Actually, I agreed. My kitchen wasn't working for me either. It was a combination of moving into a kitchen 1/2 the size of the one I had before, and gaining about 500 new kitchen gadgets ala Pampered Chef. It is tough to find space for all those fabulous tools, I admit.

However, after declaring that I could NOT have three junk drawers in my kitchen (the most organized junk drawers anyone has ever seen mind you) she swiftly re-arranged my kitchen to make it work. And I must admit, I like it.

Except, this pile on the counter.

Of which remnants of this pile are still there. Three days later.

I will be posting the rest of the recipes on my food blog soon!

Making Happiness

I was reading the Costco Magazine the other day (an embarrassing admission for sure). Ina Garten is on the front. Did you know that she is NOT a trained chef? NOT. I mean, no school, no nothin.

Her "original" career was as a nuclear energy policy analyst. Sounds thrilling, no? Basically, she just had a passion. She loved to COOK. I know that must seem like an absolutely insane idea, but she did. It wasn't about the food either, it was about the people.

Ina and I, me and Ina, we think alike. We really do. There is nothing that gives me quite as much satisfaction as re-creating a fabulous recipe to perfection. There is nothing that gives me more joy, than to see the expression on the face of someone who is enjoying it. I love to cook for people. It brings me joy. My favorite person to cook for is my father-in-law. Because he just goes absolutely bananas for anything I cook. He swears he is not going to eat another single, solitary thing, and then, I few minutes later, I will catch him slathering butter on yet ANOTHER roll, or grabbing just one more scone, or picking at the remnants of an amazing dinner. The only thing that brings me more joy is when I see my children choosing the right.

I have a passion. It is for cooking, and baking. I have a friend who told me that she has a total and complete passion for cooking, but hated baking. This, I couldn't understand. Her frustration is with the measuring and exactness that goes into baking, but I insisted that the joy she finds in "creating" with cooking, can be found in baking as well. Once you are comfortable with the basics of baking, you can "alter" your recipes and make them your very own, thus creating.

That is all it took. She just needed to know that she could create when she bakes, and you absolutely can. There is not a recipe on my food blog that I thought up all on my own, but every recipe on there has been manipulated by me at some point. That is the beauty of cooking.

I wish people found more joy in cooking. I love providing my family with a meal that I know was made with REAL ingredients. My husband swears he would be fine with a can of beanie-weanies, but you know what? I, am not. Are my children always appreciative? Definitely NOT. Do my recipes always taste good? Not by a long shot, but I find joy in finding that ONE recipe that will stick with my family for years, that I will make 100 times and finally commit to memory.

I have found, that once you find a good recipe source, you will go back to that source again, and again.

Find it.

The internet has provided an unlimited source for recipes. Here are just a few of my favorite, sure fire recipe suppliers.

The Pioneer Woman

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

and of course you can always find my adaptations or just plain copying of their recipes here:

Favorite Family Food

PUMPKIN OBSESSION

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I am obsessed with Pumpkin. Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Trifles, Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin!!! I hatched a plan this morning. I want MORE pumpkin recipes, but the thing is, I only want the BEST! So, I gathered a partner in crime. I don't have time to make every pumpkin recipe that comes along, but I still long to look at them, and ooh and ahh over them, and I would like to make WAY more of them than I can do by myself,

So, I am having a PUMPKIN OFF.

Send me your best Pumpkin recipe between now and Sunday night. Your favorite one. I mean the BEST you have EVER had. I want it, and I want to make it and then: Monday morning, I am going to make it. There is going to be a Pumpkin Explosion at my house. I have roped in another famous chef, Rachel Thomas, to help me out that morning, and at 12:00 noon, we are going to feast on our pumpkin explosion, and you can too.

PUMPKIN TASTING PARTY AT 12:00 p.m. I need to have your recipes though, so, e-mail them, message them, post them in the comments. If we decide to make YOUR recipe, then you might win a Pampered Chef item that is a MUST HAVE in the kitchen!

YOU IN?

PUMPKIN NOW.

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST PUMPKIN, and YOU MIGHT WIN!

GIFT GIVING

Honestly. Does Holiday shopping stress you out? I try to not let it, but let's face it. It does. The lists are long, the lines are long, money is tight and people should be happy, but most of them are GRUMPY.

Most of the people on my list are getting Pampered Chef. (CAN YOU BLAME ME?) And, in order to save your sanity, I have decided to share some of Pampered Chef's greatest gift ideas. Honestly, there isn't a person I know, cook or non-cook, who wouldn't love a scoop, or a spatula stuffed in their stocking or tied to the top of their box.

I also have a little GIFT for you. For you local peeps. If you are willing to come and pick it up at my house, I am offering FREE SHIPPING. Yup. You heard me. FREE. Because I love ya. And because if you have read this far, I REALLY love ya. If you want some items for yourself, be sure to send me your wishlist, and send your husband my phone number. He will get free shipping too. (Ps- if you don't live by me, you can host your own catalog show and get free shipping to your house! Kara Kelly just got $90 of FREE PRODUCTS for her own catalog show. How is THAT for a Merry Christmas, and cheap shopping? However, I think it was all a present for herself. :) Oh, I guess you can do a catalog show if you DO live by me too. I'm easy like that.

Does anyone else hate shopping for the men in your life? Seriously. Mine are tough, and they have everything already. But guys love grill tools, and ours are awesome. The grill tools aren't even pictured here! But HERE is a link, you're welcome.

Are these classic batter bowls the cutest gift ever? I am sure you sister would LOVE to get these cute bowls, stuffed with a few goodies. I just love the presentation.

I have to admit, these new Bamboo Bowls are seriously beautiful. A total piece of art. I am sure you momma would be grateful to throw that old wooden one in the TRASH!

In my family, Pie is BIG.

Who would have thought an oven mitt could double at as a stocking!

In my family, Pizza night is a Friday night tradition. Maybe it should be in your family too.

Quick and cheap? A scoop. Love 'em. Once you have ONE, you will want them ALL. Need a teacher gift? Give her a scoop with your favorite cookie recipe attached. Perfect.

Beautiful and festive? The Tiered Serving Tray. In the Holiday Catalog, they have it topped with greens on a table. Great idea. I think I will be adopting it.

And these stainless steel bowls will seriously be going to someone in my family, because they really really want them. Your wish is my command.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!