Quote of the Day

While listening to XM Satellite Radio channel 17-Holly in the car today, my son Zack exclaims:

I like Michael Jackson when he's older, when he doesn't sound so girly"

Thanksgiving Feast

Today was Josh's Thanksgiving Feast at school. I was remarking to another mom that this was my 5th (yes 5th) Thanksgiving Feast. Wow. That made me feel so old!

Josh and his teacher, Mrs. Puck

His Thanksgiving Place Mat (I think I've kept all the kids' placemats! I'm such a sap!)


Me and My Big Boy!

Conversation of the Day

While coming home from Bible Study on Tuesday morning. Josh was sitting in the back seat, quietly eating his sandwich. Out of the clear blue I hear him say:

Josh: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Mommy: What did you say?
Josh: Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Mommy: Did you learn that at your class at church?
Josh: Yep.

I'm thanking God every day for Compass Bible Church Not only does it meet the needs of adults, meets the needs of children and teaches them God's Word. I'm so thankful for our church and that were invited there by some dear friends almost 2 years ago.

Yes, Josh. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. I will remember that. My prayer is that you do too!

Truly Awesome

If you can't make chocolate chip cookies. These are a great substitute! Packed FULL of chocolate chips, bigger than that "other" brand that you sometimes buy. Put them in the microwave for a few seconds and you'll think you just pulled freshly baked cookies from your oven. Some might say that these are better because there are no cookie sheets or mixing bowls to clean up!

Thanks to Bzzagent, I was able to join this campaign and give them my honest opinion of these Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Nature's Own Bread

I've started a new bzzagent campaign. I'm part of the campaign for Nature's Own Bread. I got my free coupon in the mail a few days ago. The kids love the softness. I love the healthy part. The bread makes a great sandwich, great cinnamon toast and my kids' favorite, "butter bread".

Thank you bzzagent for the free coupon and the opportunity to try this new product. If you're interested in trying bzzagent out, I highly recommend it!

Halloween 2011 and Memory Lane

Halloween Fun

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here it is 100 degrees in Southern California and I'm in the mood to bake all things pumpkin. What was I thinking???

Since I joined The Red Hat Society, the Red Hat Society Cookbook I bought a few years ago has become more of a staple cookbook for me. Today, I found a recipe for pumpkin & chocolate chip cookies and I just had to make them. And boy, am I glad I did! These cookies are fluffy and airy but full of fall flavor. I must be careful. The 30 pounds I've lost might find their way back if I eat too many of these!

This recipe is from Catie McIntyre Walker AKA Queen Cabernet Catie from Les Merlot Chapeaux out of Walla Walla, Washington.

1 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (I used 1 cup roasted, pureed pumpkin from last year's pumpkin roasting)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (I used cinnamon)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)--I didn't use them since we have nut allergies here!

Preheat oven to 350. Beat shortening/butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer till fluffy. Add egg and pumpkin, mixing well. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in vanilla, chocolate chips and pecans if using. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 13 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Patch

Joshua got to visit the pumpkin patch for the first time today. He's watched his sister and brother do this every year with their preschool classes and finally got to experience it for himself. He loved petting the animals and picking his own vegetables. He loved the tractor ride and running through the pumpkin patch. We had a fun afternoon!

Burts Bees

I just got in the mail today my free sample of Burts Bees Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser and Facial Moisturizing Cream. Amazing.

If you want free samples of great products, become a BzzAgent. BzzAgent matches you with companies looking for your opinion of their products. Then, you're sent samples of the product and you're asked to give your honest opinion about them.

Burts Bees sensitive skin products contain Softening Cotton Extract which helps skin replenish its outer layer, shielding it from potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers, so your sensitive skin will look and feel beautiful, naturally.

Laughlin Summer 2011

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I want to try this

This is the SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Starter Kit. How amazing would it be to be able to MAKE your own soda? With the exact amount of sweetness you wanted, the exact flavor you wanted at any time you wanted? Not only amazingly convenient but cost effective too! Everything from cola to diet to sparkling flavored waters...OH MY! I totally need this product!

I'm part of the BzzAgent program where I get to try products for FREE and then review them! I've been able to try some really amazing products! This product is a pretty popular one with agents and there are only a few spaces left in the test. I want to be chosen as a participant!!!

The Red Hatters

Our latest outing to Paris in a Cup was a splendid afternoon. The tea was delicious, the scones were the best I've ever eaten and the company was divine!

Four Years Old

The baby is 4. THE BABY IS 4! How is that possible?????? It just seems like yesterday when we were in this stage:

Now we are in this stage:



Josh, we love you so much. You are a special gift to us. Your smile lights up an entire room and your love for all things with wheels makes me smile. You will always be our "love bug", "kissing bandit", and "pockmorn" eater. We pray you continue to love Jesus and grow to know Him more each day! Happy Fourth Birthday!

Better late than never

First day of school. Doesn't seem like we've been in school for 2 weeks, but we have. The kids are adjusting very well to their new school. They are making friends and fitting right in! Zack was blessed with 2 friends in his class. One from preschool and one from church. Gabby didn't know anyone but that didn't stop her from making a new friend everyday for the first week of school. We are thankful for a smaller school and the homey feel it brings!

Josh is loving being at preschool. He likes his class and his teacher. He's so glad he can finally go to "Bubba's skool"

My Favorite Pizza Sauce

You're probably saying, "What brand is that? I've never even heard of it!". Well, that's because it's from PA. It's the brand my grandmother and mother always used. Once we moved to CA, it became a very fond but distant memory. Everytime we'd go visit my grandma, there would be jars and jars of this sauce in her cupboards. Although, now that I think about it, it was in a can. She'd whip up a pizza in a jiffy, much to everyone's delight.

So, you're asking, "How on earth did you find your grandmother's pizza sauce in CA?" Well, thanks for asking!

I was browsing through my local Big Lots in the canned goods aisle and low and behold, there on the shelf were 2 jars of this sauce. I was shocked. I picked them up to see that they were marked $1. Yes, $1. Did they not know what treasure they had? I got down so I could be eye-level with the shelf to see if there were more jars hiding behind other canned goods. Much to my dismay, there were none.

I grabbed the 2 on the shelf and left the store with giddy delight!

Delgrosso was the sauce my grandmother used, my mother used and if I could get my hands on it here in CA, I'd use it too.

It's made in Tipton, PA. Very close to my birthplace. I spent many a summer at Bland's Park (which they owned), where I spent my grandmother's money for rides on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

Seeing that jar of pizza sauce took me back to a simple time that I miss dearly!

Thank you DelGrosso for selling your pizza sauce at Big Lots in CA. I hope to see more of your family of products there (and at any other store locally for that matter!)

A little of this and a little of that

So much to catch up on...can I do it in one post?

River trips to Laughlin since June?--3. It's been a great boating summer!
Days in the pool? Almost all of them since school let out. The kids are FISH! Zack dives like a champ, Gabby swims like a mermaid and Josh is the fastest kicker around!
Visits to Pretend City?-- 2. The kids still love to pretend together.
Weight loss for Mommy?--22 lbs. Mommy has been working hard and the hard work is paying off! Only 18 more lbs to go and she'll be at her goal!
Visits from Shasha and Papa?--1. We had a wonderful 7 days with them and didn't want them to leave!
Fun with the Red Hatters?--2 times. The Red Hat Society is so much fun. The ladies in my group are full of spunk and are certainly fun. They treat me like I've been with them since the beginning. Looking forward to spending more time with them!
Visits to the OC Fair?--1. We ate our way through the fair! Turkey legs, pulled pork, roasted corn, icecream, funnel cakes, pizza, sausage with grilled peppers and onions. The kids rode rides up until the last possible minute. Such a fun day!
Vacation Bible School?--1 full week. An amazing week of learning directly from God's word and working with volunteers.
Time spent with friends?--Lots! We had so many friends over to swim. We played with the neighbor kids in the street with bikes and scooters. We attended birthday parties and had sleep overs. Lots of memories made!
Swim lessons?--Yes! Miss Lesa is a great teacher and the kiddos love her.
More fun to come? Of course! We are going to Lake Powell tomorrow for a week on a houseboat with our good friends.

We are living up the last moments of summer to their fullest.

Plateau

My youngest is almost 4. I don't think I'm able to blame the extra pounds on "baby weight". So for the last month or so, I've really been working hard to get rid of the "extra baby weight" (if I'm even able to call it that at this point!).

I'm 15 pounds down, my clothes fit SO MUCH BETTER and I'm able to wear things that I haven't worn in years. BUT I'm stuck. I haven't lost a pound in over 2 weeks.

I hate the plateau. It's discouraging. I work so hard. No sweets, no bread, no rice no potatoes. Lots of lean protein and tons of salad. Sometimes I even gain a pound! How is that possible!!!!

I'll keep going. I'll keep eating rabbit food. I'll keep walking. I will BUST this plateau!

Conversation of the Day

Mommy: Zack can't have any more cookies.
Daddy: Why?
Mommy: Because he ate half the sleeve of Thin Mints already!
Daddy: Wow.
Zack: You want me to throw them up? I can do that you know.

(Laughter Erupts!)

Zack cries because he thinks we are laughing at him.

Quote of the Day

Zack: Mommy, can Daddy arrest his-self?

My New Adventure

I know I'm not 50. I know that most will say I'm not old enough for this. I don't care. I'm going to have a ball!

Gals who haven't reached 50 yet can only wear pink and lavender. And boy, am I going to wear it proudly! Pink floppy hats with feathers and sequins, feather boas and as much bling as I can wear at once. I can't wait!

Out and In

We're out of our "stop over" place.

We're in our permanent place. Where our kids will grow up. Where we will play in the pool all day. Where we'll make new friends and have fun at the park. Where we'll share our place with friends and neighbors. Where we'll start a boy in kindergarten and a boy in preschool. Where our girl will start third grade. WOW!

We still have boxes everywhere and tons of furniture we'll have to sell. But...we're out of our "stop over" place and we're.........

HOME!

Bathbub Babes

Thank you Awana!

This morning, I woke at 7:15 to my little guy sitting on the toilet singing at the top of his lungs. He was singing the Books of the Bible song.

"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Acts and Romanthians. Joshua, Judges, Ruth"

Here's the song in it's entirety.



He's only 3 and already singing the books of the bible. Although, I didn't know that "Romaninthians" was a book! :)

Moving

Yes, we're moving. No longer in our "stop over" place. We'll be home...in "our" place.

We're in the middle of boxes, packing tape and peanuts.

A home of our own will feel so good.

Excited doesn't even come close to how we feel.