Christmas

We had a great Christmas!!
One of my brothers and his wife came down from Idaho and were here for the week. It was great just hanging out with family, playing games, watching movies and of course eating =D Christmas Eve, we all had a part and acted out the Nativity. It was a lot of fun!! We also watched Mr. Kreuger's Christmas and the Tabernacle Choir. It was nice. Christmas morning was great!! The kids didn't wake up until 7:00...yes!! It wasn't a big Christmas but everyone got what they wanted and a few other things. I liked it that way and I think I'll try to do even less next year. It was especially nice to be home with family...that's what makes the holidays...being with family and friends =D

I'll try to post some pictures soon. We got a new camera and it should be here in about a week. We haven't had any snow yet. It's actually been sunny and warm...go figure =D We'll probably have to head up into the mountins for some snow pictures =D

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Well, we made it to Colorado!! YAY!! 30 hours later...and the worst drive is the last leg of the trip...from Wichita, KS into Colorado Springs. It is just dry, open land...nothing to look at and so, so boring. Thankfully the kids were very good in the car and the dogs too =) I took pictures along the way but will have to wait to post them...I don't have the program I normally use here with me or my battery charger. I know I set it out to bring but can't seem to find it.

It's so great to be home and know that we are here to stay =) We went and looked at our house yesterday...it is pretty nice from what we could tell from the outside. We LOVE the location. Our housing area is small and off by itself...soooo nice!!

I can't believe it is Christmas Eve!! I wanted to take a minute to wish all of you a very merry Christmas!! I hope that you have a happy time with friends and or family and just enjoy this wonderful holiday!! I miss all of my Fort Rucker friends already and hope to keep in touch and see you again someday soon!!

Merry Christmas!!

'Tis The Season

Happy Turkey Day!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!! I am so thankful to be here at Fort Rucker at this time and for the many wonderful people I have been so lucky to know!! I am so thankful for my sweet family and for the happiness and joy they bring me =) I am also thankful for my Mom and Dad, they are so good to me and such a good example to me. And for my brothers who always make me laugh. I am thankful for great friends who keep me sane!! I am thankful for this time of year...it is my favorite and it is so exciting to see so many Christmas trees and decorations up already!! I am thankful for so many little things and it is nice to have this holiday to pause and remember ALL the many things I have to be thankful for!!

Hot Corn Dip

Okay everyone, here ya go...the infamous hot corn dip recipe =) I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much!! My mom got this recipe from Food Network and she always makes it when we visit. I've never made it 'til now but it was so easy and of course, soooooo good!! Definitely a favorite!!!

2 TBSP butter or margarine
1 16 oz bag frozen yellow/white corn (I used 1 cup of each since I couldn't find it mixed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion (green and white part)
1 TBSP chopped jalapeno
2 tsp minced or crushed garlic

1 Cup mayonaise
1 Cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large skillet melt butter and then saute corn, salt, pepper, onions, red pepper, jalapeno and garlic until tender.
Transfer to large bowl and add in mayo and cheeses. Mix well while still warm.
Put into casserole dish and bake about 10 minutes until hot and bubbly and heated through.

Serve hot with tortilla chips
Enjoy!! =)

Blue Angels Airshow

Here are some shots from the Airshow. We went down with some friends of ours. It was a lot of fun but super windy and a little chilly. It wore us out after being in it all day. After the airshow we headed to Crabs for dinner. It was a fun place to eat and the food was yummy. We had some shrimp and fried catfish. For an appetizer we had a spinach, crab dip covered with parmesan cheese. Oh man, it was sooooo good!! It was a great weekend and nice to get away =)

Pensacola

This past weekend we headed down to the Navy Base in Pensacola for the Blue Angels Homecoming Airshow! It was a lot of fun and a beautiful day!! I love the old gnarly trees with moss hanging from them. I also love the white sandy beaches. I will miss being so close to the ocean when we move to Colorado.

SCENTSY PARTY

Hey Everyone!!
I am having a Scentsy Party at my house tomorrow night, Tuesday, Nov. 18th, from 6-8pm. Raquel Shepard will be doing the party =) I meant to get out invitations to everyone individually but that didn't happen soooo.... anyone who reads my blog and would like to come and have some good food and visit and smell lots of great smells...come on over!! If anyone needs directions or my address just give me a call. Hope to see lots of you there!!

Fingerpainting Fun

Sunday afternoon I made up some vanilla pudding and we made finger paint =) The kids had fun making their creations and then "licking" their plates clean and starting over again. Liam started out using just his little finger tips and then it was hands and arms =) Thankfully clean up was easy.

Peanut Festival 2008

We went to the Peanut Festival last Saturday and had a great time!! I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to but here are a few. And of course there aren't any of me because I always have the camera...but that's not a huge complaint =) The food there was so good!! We had corn dogs, cheese fries, funnel cake, peanuts, kettlecorn and fresh squeezed lemonade. The kids had fun on the rides and won a couple of little stuffed animals throwing darts at balloons. We spent waaaaay too much money but it was fun and we were exhausted by the time we got home!

Please Help!!

This is a picture of Liam's "artwork" on my leather couch...of course, right? I mean, he couldn't just make a line or two, it had to be this huge masterpiece...such talent, let me tell you!! =) Anyways, does anyone know of a good leather cleaner or anything else that will get this out?!? Help!!

Trick or Treat

I got so involved in getting everyone ready that I forgot to take nice, individual pics of all of us or at least one of the 3 kids together...oh well...here's what I did get. Liam hardly kept his hood up, but he was Blue from Blue's Clues. Sarah was Lola Luftnagle, (Hannah Montana's BFF) and Evan was the Grim Reaper...that's him in the middle of the picture on the 3rd picture =) We had a really fun time walking around with the kids and of course we have WAY too much candy =)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

Pumpkin Farm

We went to Aplin Pumpkin Farm last night. It was so much fun!! We got to cut sunflowers and pick out pumpkins and of course I can't forget the animals...the bunnies were the biggest hit with Evan and Sarah and now that's what they both want for Christmas...a cute little bunny...yeah, no, don't think so =) We got some popcorn and boiled peanuts (which I'm sorry to say must be an aquired taste...I don't like them) It was a fun night and has become a tradition of ours everywhere we have lived.

Comfortable???

I don't know why Liam decided to lay on the table rather than the couch or even the floor...doesn't seem like it'd be that comfortable to me =D

Evan's Birthday Party

Talent Show

Sarah and her friend Maddie performed in their first talent show!! They sang a song and had some little dance moves that they made up to go with the song. They were both soooo, soooo nervous but they did a good job and it turned out pretty cute. It was for their Activity Days Program at church. There was a huge turn out and it was really fun to see all of the girls' different talents! (Sorry the pictures are so dark and that there aren't more...my battery died and I was thankful to get these few)

Arrow of Light

Evan received his Arrow of Light Award last night!! This is Cub Scouting's highest award and the only Cub Scout patch that can be worn on the Boy Scout Uniform. What made the night even more special was that he received the award along with his two best buds Daniel and Colton =D Way to go boys!! Great Job!!

More from Landmark Park

Peanuts
Liam and the cotton field
Sugar cane in the back and cotton
Liam wearing Bill's hat

Landmark Park

Evan in the Outhouse
Looking at the mules
Soooo cute :)
Sarah picked some cotton

Liam's first "real" haircut

Bill took Liam to the barber's for his very first "non-mom" haircut. It turned out really good and he sat on Bill's lap so nicely. He looks like such a little boy now :)

"find joy in the journey"

I loved Pres. Monson's talk during the Sunday morning session. Talk about inspiring!! It really hit home with me when he talked about how quickly time flies and how soon we will be wishing we had piles of dirty laundry and kids running around the house. It seems that most days I get so caught up in the everyday chores of raising a family and keeping a house that I forget to take time and really enjoy my kids and family. This is something I need to do more often and I need to worry less about what my house looks like=D Seems like this would be easier and much more fun anyways. So my new goal is to jump on the trampoline with the kids when they ask me to and play Barbies with Sarah and video games with Evan instead of always being busy with something else and telling them I'll do it later...cause later never comes and today is what is important!!!

Liam's Cheesy Smile

Liam is such a little ham. His newest thing is smiling...so if you tell him to "Smile" he will flash this big cheesy grin with his eyes squinted shut and everything. It is too funny!!

Our first snake

So, lots of people here have had their encounters with snakes in their yards...well we had our first one on Saturday!! Poor Sarah goes to take Liam out back while I was finishing up dinner. She barely get's out the back door and comes running back in, slams the door and starts screaming and crying..."Snake, snake, there's a snake out back" Thankfully we have lots of windows looking out back, cause I wasn't about to go out:) I was a little relieved to see that it was a baby snake and not some big one, but still, it's a snake just the same. Good thing Bill was here and that he's brave and not that afraid of snakes. He tried pushing it off the patio with a shovel and that little snake was fiesty. It kept coiling up and striking the shovel. So Bill got it into the grass and chopped the head off...nice, huh? But then, he picks up the body to show all of us...sooo gross!! So here's our snake pictures and I promise Mom, no more insect, bug, or creature pictures;D