My Menu

Here is my menu for the week. I am only trying a few new recipes this week, compared to last week. I have to say so far we haven't been disappointed in the new recipes, but this week I thought I would go back to a few of our favorites that we are used to.

Sunday: Christmas Day, we had a Ham dinner feast at Uncle Bobby's and Aunt Donna's house--it was nice to not have to slave in the kitchen for the day!

Monday: Spaghetti Batch in the crock pot (I didn't do this last week as I had a cold and didn't feel like cooking) but now we have some sauce in the freezer for our regular spaghetti nights!

Tuesday: Chicken Legs (I will do Teriyaki and Hot and probably one or two plain for the twins), noodles and green beans

Wednesday: Taco Soup (it has been a while since I have made a fresh batch, the last couple times we ate this it was from our frozen stash) and quesadilla's

Thursday: W. T. Night--Baked Potatoes, Chili and Mac and Cheese

Friday: Garlic Skirt Steak (recipe found here), Crack Potatoes (I didn't name them, recipe found here) and pea pods

Saturday: New Years Eve--I always make appetizers on New Years Eve. I am making Crab Ragoon dip--new recipe, Stuffed Mushrooms--mine ARE the best, and Spicy and Teriyaki Chicken Bites--this will be a kid free meal, we try to do that once in a while on Saturday nights, get the kids down and enjoy some food, with peace and quiet!!

So, only 3 new recipes to try, I am pretty excited about the ones I chose for this week. I am busy thinking about my menu for next week already and have to do some more searching on Pinterest to see if I can find anymore that I want to try!! Have a great week!

My Menu

Here is my menu for this week. For some reason I struggled to come up with a menu this week, I went grocery shopping on Saturday and have a fridge and freezer full of food. I think it is because there are so many new recipes I want to try and I just don't know where to put all of them!

Sunday: Pulled Pork Taco's, tator tots and beans (I took the chipotle chicken recipe from here. I cooked the pulled pork all day in the crock pot with chicken stock, shredded it and saved half for regular pulled pork and put the other half in the chipotle sauce--it is kinda spicy so I didn't give it to the kids) it was AMAZING!

Monday: Chicken and Cheese Crescent rolls, rice, and green beans

Tuesday: Pizza Casserole, parmesean garlic knots, and Salad

Wednesday: Pork Chops, Cous Cous and Corn

Thursday: Spaghetti batch in the crockpot, garlic bread and salad

Friday: Angel Chicken (crockpot friday), balsamic carrots (I have been wanting to make these for weeks and haven't gotten around to it) homemade rolls

Saturday: Christmas Eve--we are going to our neighbors house to have appetizers, so YAY no cooking for me :)

As you can see I have a lot of new recipes that I am trying.....everything that is linked is new to me EXCEPT for the garlic bread for Thursday. I still have a ton more ideas, so stayed tuned for next weeks recipes! Have a great week!!

My Menu

I am sticking to the basics this week with my menu, trying very minimal new dishes. However I do have some plans for the upcoming month thanks to Pinterest. I am also struggling with what to cook when since Christmas is just around the corner, but once I get to the grocery store and have my groceries, I figured I would be inspired again and be able to get creative with my menu.

Sunday: Beer Can Chicken, twice baked potatoes and green beans

Monday: Rigatoni w/ spaghetti sauce, salad and homemade garlic bread (from Pinterest)

Tuesday: Fried Chicken, rice and balsamic carrots (again from Pinterest)

Wednesday: I am struggling with what to decide for this day, I was thinking Pork Chops or Meatloaf.

Thursday: Oven Baked Chili Dogs (thanks Pinterest) and fries

Friday: We are considering going out to eat, there is a new Chinese buffet that we have been dying to try and it is a reasonable price and they offer sushi, so we thought why not, we don't eat out that often.

Saturday: ?? depends on what I feel like after grocery shopping, I was thinking homemade pizza's on the BBQ? Maybe appetizers?

I have so many ideas running thru my head on recipes I want to try, I also have to get a big batch of spaghetti sauce frozen as we are running low. I really want to try Pulled Pork Tacos with the chicken chipotle recipe I made last week, there is a pizza casserole I want to try, along with many other recipes, so stay tuned for my upcoming menu's to see what I decide!! Have a great week everyone!!

Flashback Friday

Here we were a year ago.....look how little they all look!

Cameryn:

Jaidyn:

Morgan--and we had SNOW!

Pinterest Recipes

I know I am just repeating myself but I am TOTALLY IN LOVE with Pinterest. Mostly for the variety of recipes that are on there. I LOVE trying new things and my cookbooks just weren't cutting it lately. So far I have tried 4 recipes from pinterest and I thought I would give my review. I unfortunately didn't take pictures as I just thought of doing this but from here on out I will and will post a review every week

This is what I have tried so far:

1. White Chicken Enchilada's
2. Crock Pot Honey Chicken
3. Cheeseburger Soup
4. 7-up biscuits
5. Chipotle Chicken Taco's
6.. Baked Cheesy Chicken
7. Crock Pot French Dips

1. White Chicken Enchilada's
This was the first thing I ever pinned on Pinterest, so I figured, it should be my first recipe from there to try. I was by far the EASIEST enchilada recipe I had made! It was very flavorful and yummy. There was a few changes I would make, rather than just have chicken and cheese as the filling, I would add maybe a few more things for more texture, like onion, or mushrooms. But I will be making this again!

2. Crock Pot Honey Chicken
I was soooo excited to try this recipe, especially after seeing the picture, it looked so good! And who doesn't love to throw their dinner in the crockpot, walk away and to come back and have it done? This recipe was good, however, mine didn't look like the picture, it was a lot more runny sauce wise. Would I make this again? I am not sure, if I could find a way to make it crunchier than yes, otherwise probably not.

3. Cheeseburger soup
I have made this once before but a totally different version, in which the different version was A LOT more time consuming, so I liked how easy this was to make! This recipe calls for only 1/2 of beef, I used a full pound. It really did taste like cheeseburgers and I kept wondering how it would taste with pickles in it! The changes I would make, I would actually add another 1/2 pound of beef and more carrots and celery. It just wasn't chunky enough for us, but it did taste amazing and we got a ton of leftovers for me to freeze and for lunches!

4. 7-up biscuits
Who knew you could add 7-up to biscuits? I stumbled across this recipe and thought, I have to try this. Mine unfortunately didn't turn out like the picture, but I was in a hurry to get them done, I think if I make them a few more times I will get them to look that fluffy. However, they were sooooo good, moist and light. I will never make frozen or canned biscuits again!!!

5. Chipotle Chicken Taco's
When I saw this recipe, I knew that I had to try it. When I make taco's I always use beef, but I was really wanting to try chicken taco's but I was looking for a different flavor than the standard taco flavor. I have to say that this dish was AMAZING! I unfortunately over cooked the chicken, so it would of been a lot better had the chicken been not so chewy. I am thinking this marinade would be good over pulled pork and you can make Carnita's tacos! I will definitely make this again!!

6. Baked Cheesy Chicken
I was so excited for this recipe, I mean who doesn't love creamy chicken, lots of cheese and noodles? I omitted the sun dried tomatoes because I was afraid that Tyson wouldn't like it if they were in there. (we don't eat sun dried tomatoes that often) but he did tell me he would be open to trying it with them next time. I also cut the recipe in half, because we didn't need 2 big dishes of this and I didn't want to freeze it in case if we didn't like it. I think I could of used just a little bit more liquid (or I over cooked it) it was good and creamy but could of been a little bit more creamier.

7. Crock Pot French Dips
Ever since I saw this recipe I had been craving french dips. When I usually make them, I buy deli roast beef, heat it up in some Aus Ju and call it good and I am usually please by this. So I figured why not try it, I like to use my crock pot on Fridays because for some reason on that day I don't really feel like cooking. I thought it turned out okay, it was nice and tender, I barely had to cut it, it was a lot like pot roast to me so that is why I said it was just okay. The husband on the other hand LOVED it and said it was really good. So I think I will for sure use the same ingredients, but maybe change up the cut of meat and use Carne Asada instead so it is less like pot roast.

I am so exicted to try even more of these recipes as well as perfect the ones we liked. I will be trying the chipotle sauce over pork and make shredded pork taco's for sure!

My Menu

I already have this week and next weeks menu's planned! What can I say I was super efficient this week. I am trying ALOT of new recipes thanks again to Pinterest!

Sunday: Honey Crock Pot Chicken (you can find the recipe here.), rice, green beans

Monday: Cheeseburger Soup (recipe here.) and Rhodes rolls

Tuesday: Tacos, (thinking about doing this recipe), re fried beans (for Morgan) and Salad

Wednesday: Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne (another recipe from Pinterest, you can find it here), garlic bread and salad

Thursday: Taco Soup and Quesadillas

Friday: Crock Pot French Dips (we didn't have this last week, recipe again from Pinterest, you can find it here)

Saturday: Steak, shrimp, onions and mushrooms

I know I said this last week, but I am totally in love with Pinterest. The choices of food, is absolutely amazing that I am having a hard time picking what I want to make first! I am hoping that all these recipes turn out so than our menu becomes even more diverse!! Have a great week!

Flashback Friday (even though it is Saturday)

It has been a while since I did my flashback Friday and I was thinking about it today so I figured, why not, even though it is Saturday.

Here was where we were a year ago...

Miss Jaidyn

Cameryn hanging with Camas

Miss Morgan, oh how much you have changed!

My Menu

I know that I am late posting my menu, I have been struggling to find stuff I want to make this week. We have a fridge and freezer full of food, but nothing sounds "good" maybe because I was spoiled last week with only having to cook 2 meals?? Who knows, but here it is

Sunday: I didn't make dinner, we got in from Seattle at 8:15 pm and we had snacked the whole way home.

Monday: White Chicken Enchilada's and tator tots (you can find the recipe here. (Thanks Pinterest--by the way, best thing ever!! and they turned out Delicious!)

Tuesday: Pork Chops, Cous Cous, and corn

Wednesday: Spaghetti, salad and homemade garlic bread, you can find that recipe here--thanks again to Pinterest!

Thursday: not sure yet, I have been struggling to decide, I have a few choices and I was going to wait till I go to the store tomorrow to decide

Friday: Crock Pot French Dips and homemade french fries

Saturday: Appetizer day, Wings, potato skins and another appetizer that I am trying to find that we want to try. I am hoping again that Pinterest will help us out!

Have a great week everyone!!

Everett, Here we come!

We are about to take our longest vacation yet since the twins were born. We are going to Everett, WA for Thanksgiving. My Sister in law and Brother in law moved there with our niece Maggie this summer so that my BIL Dan could run his very own P.F. Changs!

We are very excited to reunite with them, but also scared about the car trip and how things will play out. We bought a DVD player for Morgan to watch movies to keep her distracted....Oh did I mention we have the 2 dogs with us as well...so it should be interesting!

Keep posted for another update, along with pictures....I am determined to have a fun time!!

My Menu

Yea so I have no menu this week. I have to desperately make it to the grocery store and since my friend Lee wasn't able to make in to Boise last week she is coming this week. So I thought we would talk together and see what we want for dinner. So this is what I know so far.

Sunday: Rigatoni with spaghetti sauce, garlic bread

Monday: Pork Chops, cous cous and corn

Tuesday: ??

Wednesday: ??

Thursday: ??

Friday: ??

Saturday:??

I do know that finger steaks with be either Friday or Saturday, just not sure what day yet. Now if only I could get motivated to get to the grocery store. It is not going to happen today as I have a doctor appointment for Cameryn so I guess it will have to wait till tomorrow, but I will be picking Lee up from the airport so maybe not till Wednesday....we will see, that might work out better anyways cause I will have Lee to help push the cart so I don't have to push the stroller and pull the cart at the same time. Have a great week!

15 months and 22 days

Cameryn and Jaidyn are fast approaching 16 months! Where did the time go? Just wanted to give out some updates on them as they have been reaching a TON of milestones!!

Cameryn Paige:

Walking everywhere--we do have to go and get an orthopedic consult as she has a wide gait and her toes turn inwards, that is scheduled for Monday so I am getting pretty anxious about that.

Says "dada" but she says it when I ask her to say "mama"

LOVES milk and a bottle (I have been trying to get them off the bottle and she wants nothing to do with it)

LOVES cheese, she will eat cheese all day if I let her

LOVES strawberries and apple juice

LOVES to drink out of my water glass

Very messy eater and inhales her food as if she hasn't ate in weeks

She is our "aggressor" she is not afraid to go and steal a toy away from her sisters, however when they do it back to her she has a HUGE meltdown

She is also our sensitive one, and not afraid to stick her bottom lip out when crying.

She loves to chase Jaidyn around and giggle the whole time.

she is a giggler, loves to giggle

Can give kisses, with her mouth wide open of course

Weighs 27 lbs and is wearing 18 month size clothes

Jaidyn Elliott

Walking and Running, some of the times she walks like a mummy, arms straight out in front of her

Used to say "mama" but now I can't get her to do so

she is content with a sippy cup, however if she sees Cameryn with a bottle, then she wants one

LOVES cheese as well, she gets really excited when she sees it

LOVES cheese puffs, I swear she would eat half a bag if I let her

LOVES to drink out of my water glass

She actually is a really good eater, usually finishes all her food, she just takes FOREVER to eat. She is also a very clean eater, usually not too much of a mess

She is our "tattler" when someone takes something from her she comes running right to one of us crying

She is also is very intuitive. If I say were going bye bye's she will head to the garage door. Yesterday I told her to pick up the shoes and put them back in the closet and she did, she even closed the closet door.

Loves to have "jobs" I just taught her how to throw away her diapers and shut the door and she smiles so big everytime she does this and when you praise her.

She is our little jokester as well. If I need to change her diaper she will come to me 3/4 of the way get a devilish grin on her face and turn around and run away. She does this a lot right AFTER you get her diaper off.

Loves to eat the soap in her baths, yup, she loves to ingest bubble bath.

can give kisses when you ask for one

she weighs 22 lbs and wears 9-12 month clothes

They seem to really adore each other and I hope it stays this way! Of course there are days where all they do is pick on each other, but usually they are laughing and playing all day together.

Tackle Time, Cameryn let her sit on her like this for a few minutes!

They were hugging

October Recap

It has been awhile since I updated, I guess I just find myself wanting to do other things rather than sit down at the computer. I thought I would give a recap of the month of October for our family.

Every beginning of the month of October we take a drive up to Jackson Peak Lookout in memory of Tyson's dad who passed away October 7th. Jackson Peak was his favorite lookout when he was working for the forest service, we started this tradition the year after we spread his ashes there.

Usually we hike up to the lookout have a few beers in memory, hike down and eat some lunch. This year we went the first weekend (we usually go the 2nd, but Tyson was on call so we couldn't) When we got there the lookout was closed, there were people there so we weren't able to hike up, but we did have a picnic lunch and we able to get out of the house to get some fresh air.

Cameryn was having fun!

Miss Jaidyn, not so sure about the dirt

Here is our attempt at a family photo, kind of hard to get the kids to sit still. The Next big even this month of course was Halloween. In September, I asked Morgan what she wanted to be for Halloween and she promptly replied a Bee. Wow that was easy, we went and got her costume in September and she was very anxious to wear it. I decided to not buy the babies new costumes as I already had a few choices and really, they are going to care what I dress them in. Jaidyn was a Sunflower (Morgan's 1st costume, yes it is a 9 month size and she fit) and Cameryn was a Hot Dog, which was my nieces 2nd costume.

This has to be the cutest Bee I have ever seen!

Not so sure about these costumes (they hate things on their heads)

We went with our neighbors which is traditional, it was so neat to have Morgan just go up by herself with out any help. We decided to let Cameryn and Jaidyn walk up to a few houses to try and get some candy. Cameryn was all about it, Jaidyn was too shy. Needless to say they only did 2 houses and then we put them in their stroller and they watched big sissy do the rest of the trick or treating.

The Whole gang. Hard to get all the kids to look at the camera!

Morgan was getting so much candy we had to dump her bag in the stroller and even after that it was getting heavy. She was tuckered out by the end of the night that she went to bed right away and didn't even come out of her room once!

I can't wait till next year, the twins should be really into the trick or treating part!

My Menu

I didn't post a menu last week mostly because I was just being lazy and we had spent a few hours in the ER on Sunday after Jaidyn took a nasty fall and hit her head really hard. But I am back to it and here is my menu for the week! I have my friend Lee coming in on Tuesday, with her husband joining us on Friday so I am pretty excited about that.

Sunday: Poor Man Hamburger Soup (I made this up, haven't had it before, so hopefully it tastes good) and rolls

Monday: Tuna Casserole, biscuits and green beans

Tuesday: Taco's, refried beans and tator tots

Wednesday: Beer can chicken, cheesy potatoes, corn and rolls

Thursday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread and Salad

Friday: Finger steaks and fries (as requested by Jeremy)

Saturday: ??? Not sure yet, thought I would see what we all felt like

This week I am okay if things change, I was going to chat with Lee when she get here and if she wanted something else than I will be open to making any changes. The only thing I know that won't be changing is Finger Steaks. Jeremy really, really wants them and since they can't get the out in MN I thought I would indulge!

My Menu

I hit a slump this week with my menu. Just not feeling like planning anything, there are all kinds of new things I want to try but I am just lacking the motivation this week for some reason.

Sunday: Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas (from left over buffalo chicken chili I made a feel weeks ago) and Spanish rice

Monday: Chicken and dumplings and salad

Tuesday: Chili and cornbread

Wednesday: Baked Ziti, garlic bread and salad

Thursday: Not sure yet, I want to try a new recipe and will be searching till I find something.

Friday: Crock pot Friday (I have yet to pick something, but I will come up with something at some point)

Saturday: Appetizers, wings, dip, potato skins

My Menu

Here is my menu for the week! I made it to the grocery store this weekend so our freezer and fridge are fully stocked and now I can try out some new recipes!

Sunday: Pot Roast, red potatoes, onions and carrots

Monday: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, salad and garlic toast

Tuesday: Taco's, tator tots and refried beans

Wednesday: Pork Chops, rice and corn

Thursday: ??? I am going to try to find a new recipe so I am not sure yet

Friday: Chili and corn bread (Friday and Sunday are my crock pot days)

Saturday: Chicken drummies (we do teriyaki and franks hot sauce) and potato rounds

Have a great week!

My Menu

Here is my menu for the week, no new recipes this week, but the following week I plan on trying some new things. I stuck to the menu last week with the exception of Thursday, for some reason I thought I had planned on Pork Chops, not Chorizo's, and Saturday, we made appetizers rather than Carne Asada.

Sunday: Carne Asada, grilled veggies and potatoes

Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn

Tuesday: Fried Chicken, Cous Cous and green beans

Wednesday: Rigatoni with spaghetti sauce and garlic bread

Thursday: Chorizo's, caramelized onions, baked beans and pasta salad

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: ??? Not sure yet, I am going to be volunteering at a huge garage sale, so this is still up in the air, plus I have to get to the grocery store at some point.

Have a great week!

Flashback Friday

Here is my flashback, this was last October, I can't believe how much all three kids have changed!

Miss Jaidyn

Miss Cameryn

ONE of my favorites of Morgan

My Menu

It is that time of the week again, time for another menu! I stuck to my menu for the most part last week with the exception of Friday, I just couldn't seem to get that day in order so I picked up fried chicken for dinner, plus it gives us leftovers for lunch so it was a win win. Here is my menu this week, it is going to start getting cold this week so it is will be soon to retire the BBQ for the most part.

Sunday: Crock pot Buffalo Chicken Chili, got the recipe from here , and cornbread.

Monday: Spaghetti and garlic toast

Tuesday: Chicken, noodles and green beans

Wednesday: Taco Soup and rolls

Thursday: Chorizo's, caramelized onions, macaroni salad and baked beans

Friday: Pulled Pork, twice baked potatoes and corn

Saturday: Carne Asada, grilled veggies and roasted potatoes

I have a lot of ideas and new recipes I want to try this coming winter. I really want to try to make a homemade clam chowder, I am even thinking about some kind of sausage and lentil soup. I also want to really try to start baking goodies, I have always loved to bake, but this past year I just didn't have the time, and I need some new equipment, like cookie sheets and cookie cutters. Anyways it is still a bit to warm to start that now but I am going to be keeping a list of all the things I want to make! If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know! Have a great week!!

Foo Who?

I don't know about all of you, but I LOVE music. It makes me feel good, happy and I have some pretty good memories associated with certain songs.

Of course my taste really does range from country, to oldies, to old rock, to alternative, to classical and even some hip hop songs.

Driving home from the bank today a Foo Fighters song came on the radio and I was just rushed with memories that has now inspired me to write this blog. Of course I had the kids in the car, one was napping, so It wasn't like I could crank the volume and belt out the words, even though I wanted to.

I started thinking back to when Tyson and I first met. Music was such a huge part of our relationship. He introduced me to music that I didn't listen too, like Foo Fighters, Offspring, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Blink 182, Elvis Costello, etc. We also have been to a ton of concerts together, he of course has been to many more than I have. We have been to Pearl Jam, Offspring (I even won us backstage passes), The Rolling Stones, The Warped Tour (a bunch of bands playing) and I know there are more, I just can't remember.

My point...now in the reality of our situation, having three kids, cleaning, laundry, home improvements, we just don't have time to sit down and listen to the music we love. It is not like I can blare the radio while the babies nap and clean the house. It is not like we can just drop and go to a concert with out having planned in the future for a babysitter.

My Vow: To pick a CD and play that CD until I have finished it and start the process over again. I of course won't be able to play it as loud as I would like, but maybe I will have some happy endorphins running through my blood to make the day that much better!

My Menu

It is that time again...I am so excited for fall (minus the allergies) because I am going to be doing ALOT of homemade soups, stews, etc....bring on the cold front, I LOVE winter time! Nothing is better than a warm home filled with the aroma of food cooking!!! Well, not this coming week, but soon!!

Sunday: Spaghetti batch (we were down to 2 or 3 in our freezer), sadly that is all I served (we had a late lunch)

Monday: Chicken, rice and corn

Tuesday: Taco's, tator tots, and refried beans

Wednesday: Kielbasa (in my dutch oven), noodles and green beans

Thursday: Pork Chops, rice (again, but we are trying our own rice instead of buying the flavored packages...so we need to practice!) and mixed veggies

Friday: Pulled Pork, twice baked potatoes, and corn on the cob

Saturday: Appetizer day! Wings, potato skins and whatever else I can create to be an appetizer!

Nothing new this week as far as my menu goes...but stay tuned as I will be having some "NEW" recipes in the future! Have a great week!!!

Flashback Friday

It has been a while since I have done this....here is my flashback Friday, I am going 3 years back to a year ago!


Here is Morgan 8 months old

Here is Morgan 18 months old


Here is Morgan at 2 1/2


Here is Cameryn and Jaidyn at 8 weeks old!

Morgan's first haircut

Morgan was long over due for a hair cut, I had not cut any of her hair since she was born and it was turning into a ratty, nasty mess that was very hard to brush even after a bath! Her Grandma Debbie cuts hair and since we were going to McCall for the weekend, I took the opportunity to have it cut. I just wanted the rats nest to be gone and for the hair to be out of her face all the time. I have to say that I am very, very happy with the results and it looks so cute on her! Today after a bath it was so easy to brush and it is nice to see her eyes all the time! Here are some pictures of before, during and after!!!

My Menu

It's that time again for my weekly menu! I am happy to report that I stuck to my menu last week!! Wednesday was up in the air and I decided to make homemade tuna casserole, it turned out very good! We went to McCall this weekend and it was nice to not have to worry about cooking. Tyson's mom cooked us both dinners, pork chops one night and ham the second night! We made it to the pancake house and it was delicious as always!!! Here is my menu:

Sunday: Braut burgers, tator tots and beans

Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and salad

Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas, Spanish rice, and refried beans (mostly for Morgan)

Wednesday: Pork Chops, Couscous, and corn

Thursday: Upside down pizza (new recipe), hot wings and salad

Friday: Crock pot Friday, Beef with mushrooms over egg noodles, rolls and green beans
Saturday: Roasted Chicken (in our smoker), twice baked potatoes and corn on the cob

Last night I decided that I am going to devote Friday's and Sunday's to the crock pot, for some reason I struggle to find motivation to cook on those days so I think this will be the easiest solution. Plus it is going to be getting colder out and there is nothing better than having your house filled with smells of food cooking in the crock pot!! Have a great week everyone!!!

Kids Update

Just thought I would update you all on the changes that have been occurring with my three girls. Cameryn and Jaidyn are only 8 days away from being 14 months. I have been finding myself over this past week remembering what it was like a year ago. It was my first week alone with all three girls and it was very tiring! I have to say that I miss them being tiny little babies, but it is so much more fun now that they are getting around!!

Favorite food(s):

Morgan: Jam sandwiches (what she calls Peanut butter and Jelly), Gogurts (frozen of course), popsicles and M & M's

Cameryn: she eats everything and anything you put in front of her. Her particular favorites are watermelon, peaches, pears, banana's, and cheese

Jaidyn: she pretty much eats everything as well, however she is fond of watermelon, cheese, goldfish crackers and ritz crackers.

Favorite toy:

Morgan: she has really been into her stuffed animals, particularly her big "ahah" which is a huge monkey she got from her grandma debbie.

Cameryn: anything that her big sister Morgan has or anything her little sister Jaidyn has. She is our toy "stealer"

Jaidyn: anything that she can push and walk with. Also things that make loud noises, like the dog bowls

Favorite activity:

Morgan: Painting, painting, and painting. She loves to play with paint! She really enjoys riding her bike as well!

Cameryn: Bath time, she loves splashing the water!! In fact when I start to fill the tub up, she comes cruising to the bathroom all excited.

Jaidyn: Bath time as well, just like Cameryn, sometimes she gets mad when I take her out of the tub!

Eating habits:

Morgan: she loves to "snack" through out the day, We had to put a child proof handle on our pantry door otherwise she would get in there and help herself. We really have to watch how much we let her eat otherwise she won't eat her dinner. She does pretty well with this...I am lucky to say that she loves fruit so I know that she is at least getting some healthy snacks!

Cameryn: she is a shoveler, she shovels the food in so fast that when I give it to her, she is usually done within a few minutes! She is also the messiest eater I have ever encounter, from her hair to her legs she usually has some type of food on her!

Jaidyn: she is a picker, she usually eats one entree at a time and literally eats one piece at a time, she takes FOREVER to eat, as well as drink her milk!

Sleeping Habits:

Morgan: when she sleeps, she will sleep a long time, usually up to 12 hours. She is a mover, and usually wakes up once a night and makes her way to our room. I think her toddler bed is too small for her and that is why she is waking up. Depending on the time of night I will either move her back or let her sleep with us, especially if it is close to the babies waking up. For some reason she sleeps longer in our bed (I think because of the size)

Cameryn: she is the first one to go to bed, Jaidyn can be a light sleeper and Cameryn likes to "talk" herself to sleep. This has gotten better since I just transitioned them to one nap a day, but she is always the first to go down so she won't wake up Jaidyn. She will sleep up to 12 hours a night and sometimes a 3 hour nap.

Jaidyn: when Jaidyn is tired, she is tired and needs to get to bed ASAP and she is not afraid to let you know. She will just meltdown over the littlest things. She is my constant 530 am wake up, but usually she goes back after I give her paci back to her. She will sleep up to 12 hours a night as well, and usually 2-2 1/2 hour naps.

Favorite T.V. show

Morgan: Morgan LOVES T.V. This is the first year that she has really been into it, sometimes we have to restrict the amount she gets because she would sit in front of it all day and all night. Her favorites right now are Caillou, Cat in the Hat (as of this week), Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go and Elmo's World

Cameryn: thankfully she doesn't really pay attention to the T.V. when it is on.

Jaidyn: mostly she doesn't pay attention either, UNLESS Elmo's World is on....she really likes Elmo!!

Mode of Transportation:

Morgan: walking, running, biking (she LOVES her bike)

Cameryn: Crawling and kinda walking, she is getting better every day, but she has a hard time bending her knees, so it is really funny to watch! But she sure is proud of herself when she is walking!

Jaidyn: Walking, walking, almost running and sometimes crawling!!

Choice of Words:

Morgan: here are a few of her favorites, "Can we do that later?", "Sooooo, whats the plan today", "Swiper no swiping, swiper no swiping, swiper nooooo swiping" (after Dora, and mostly when the babies get close to her stuff), "Mommy, I'm hungry, can I have a snack?", "Maybe tomorrow...(fill in the blank), "when I grow up I want to be (fill in the blank, usually a fireman or something she saw on t.v.)

Cameryn: Mama, nanana (i think for banana) and dada

Jaidyn: Mama and dada

Dislikes

Morgan: Typical 3 1/2 year old stuff, she dislikes time outs, having to stop watching TV especially to go to bed. But she is going thru a phase right now of being afraid of the dark!

Cameryn: Hates it when Jaidyn takes her toy that she is playing with away from her. She also gets really mad if I take something she shouldn't have away from her!

Jaidyn: She is very, very afraid of the cat and the vacuum. One day the cat had walked by her, the cat didn't even give her a second thought but you would of thought that she had just fallen and gotten really hurt by the way she was crying! Same with the vacuum, I either vacuum when she is napping or when someone is here to be able to hold her, she watches your every move as well when you are using it!

My Menu

Here is my menu for the week. For the most part I stuck to my menu last week with the exception of Thursday. I had planned on Chicken but I had pulled some really ripe tomatoes from our garden and decided I wanted BLT's instead. Oh and Friday, I didn't feel like cooking so we ordered pizza :). Saturday we ended up doing appetizers, I made my very good Franks Spicy Chicken bites and Teriyaki Bites (basically Chicken, cut in pieces, dredged in egg and flour, fried, than dipped in the dipping sauces and baked for about 20 minutes, very yummy!)

Sunday: Cheeseburgers (from Friday's menu), tator tots and baked beans

Monday: Tilapia, salad and green beans

Tuesday: Fried Chicken (from Thursdays menu), noodles and corn

Wednesday: ?? Maybe breakfast for dinner...otherwise I have some beef I need to use.

Thursday: W.T. Baked Potatoes, chili and Mac and Cheese (I have a meeting for my Boise Mom of Multiples to go to so this is an easy meal for Tyson to make)

Friday: We are headed to McCall for the weekend!!

Saturday: Pancake house here I come!! McCall again!!

We are very excited to be going to McCall this coming weekend. My Mother in Law Debbie is living up there with her boyfriend Joe (more like a husband--they are not officially married but have been together forever!) We haven't been out of town in months so it will be nice to have a change of scenery!!! Have a great week!

Love

I have to say that everyday I feel truly blessed to be able to stay at home with my girls. I only wish I had done this with Morgan and for some reason we thought we wouldn't be able to afford that option, but so far we have made it work! Of course I do have some frustrating days, I do get tired and wish I could take a nap, and I do sometimes just want a few hours to my self. But I figured that will come with time. Here is a list of some of the things I love about being home.

1. I love being in control of our everyday happenings, what they eat, where we go, what we play with, etc.

2. I LOVE Cameryn's smile, she has the biggest smile it lights up the room.

3. I LOVE Jaidyn's giggle, it is the cutest thing I have ever heard.

4. I LOVE having conversations with Morgan, the things she comes up with is unthinkable!

5. I LOVE that if I want to wear pajama bottoms all day, I can.

6. I LOVE that I have time to cook and be creative with our meals.

7. I LOVE that I have time during the week to do laundry instead of trying to get it finished on the weekends.

8. I LOVE that I get to take a ton of pictures a day, more than we ever did with just Morgan.

9. I LOVE watching my girls grow and develop a true friendship for each other.

10. I LOVE that I have time to organize things (now unfortunately this doesn't happen too often, but it is still a nice feeling)

11. I LOVE that I don't feel rushed to be able to get quality time in with my girls, unlike how I felt after an 8 hour day at my old job.

12. I LOVE hearing the twins wake up, they don't cry, they giggle at each other!!

13. I LOVE to see the girl's excitement when daddy comes home for the day.

14. I LOVE being able to walk out the door and take a walk to the park w/o anything holding us back.

15. I LOVE the time between 9-1030 pm as that is my down time and I finally can unwind and watch TV, it feels so much better than when I was working at a "job"

Of course there is a TON more that I love about being a stay at home mom, just thought I would share a few things about how I feel!!! I know that one day, I am going to have to go back to work and part of that sounds really really appealing to me right now (mostly for adult interaction) but I remind myself that I wanted to always stay at home, at least for a few years when I had kids and that puts me back into reality!!

My Menu

I didn't post a menu last week, not because I didn't have one, just because I was being lazy and didn't feel like posting. Here is my menu this week

Sunday: Appetizers, spicy and teriyaki wings, shrimp cocktail, and potato skins

Monday: Carne Asada, grilled veggies and potatoes

Tuesday: Pork Chops, rice and corn on the cob

Wednesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread and Salad

Thursday: Homemade fried chicken strips, noodles and green beans

Friday: Cheeseburgers, baked beans and fries

Saturday: ??? Either we will do Tilapia, or if I don't feel like that we will do appetizers again, that is always one of our favorites

Have a great week everyone!!

Sister Love--lots of photos!!

I have to say that I am enjoying watching Cameryn and Jaidyn's relationship really blossom. It is so neat and cute to see how the interact, play and talk to each other. I hope this is a good sign that they will always be close and will always love each other. I try to get some captured on video but of course as soon as I get the camera out, they stop. Here are some photo's I was able to get.

A Nice Visit

My long time high school friend Lee came out for a visit this last Wednesday with her adorable son Ethan and stayed till Sunday. This was Lee's third time coming to Boise. The first time it was her and her husband Jeremy and Ethan. It had been a couple years since I had seen her so I was super excited that they came out. She also came out a few months ago to be with me and help me with the kids over the weekend while Tyson was in Texas, an it is always nice to have the extra help!

It was perfect timing too because our state fair started that weekend, so I was excited to be able to get out of the house and have some fun! Next year if they come Ethan will be able to partake on some rides, he was still just a little to short to be able to do that.

We just hung out during the week, catching up and watching the kids play! Ethan took a liking to Cameryn and was giving her kisses all the time! It was too cute!!

Saturday was our fair day!! I was so excited, we always go right away in the morning since it is still kind of cool out, however this year the fair changed their hours and didn't open till noon. There was no way the kids were going to be able to last that long w/o a nap so we put them down for a nap and after they woke up we fed them lunch and took off. We got there at about 1 pm and it was HOT already! We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible but it was hard in some spots. We of course were super excited about the fair food and I wish I could of ate more but I was stuffed at the end. I of course had a pronto pup (tradition), I ended up getting a Gryo (it was okay), shared some fries with Lee and than we went to the rides so Morgan could have some fun!

How can you not love this adorable face???

It was nice this year because she was tall enough to go on most of the kids rides, where last year there were only a few she could go on. My favorite part was when she went on a kids roller coaster, as soon as they went over the first mini bump, she grabbed the sides of the coaster and her face was priceless! I wish I could of gotten a picture of it! This was the HOTTEST part of the day. Lee and Tyson, and the little kids hung out in the shade but I had to stand by the rides for when she got done. I was glad we only got her 25 tickets, which was 6 rides. I even went on two of the rides with her!

He was talking.

The visit went by way to fast and I didn't want them to leave! I was very sad when I had to drop them off at the airport. At least there will be some more future visits ahead!!

Tyson taught Ethan "Knuckles"

My Menu

Here is my menu for this week. Last week we stuck to our menu and ended up ordering pizza on Friday. Saturday we just snacked as we had ate a TON at the fair so I wasn't even hungry for dinner. The Chicken Oriental Salad turned out AWESOME and tasted just like the one you get at Applebee's!!! It is something I will make again for sure.

Sunday: Smoked Chicken Legs (in our smoker), roasted potatoes and a veggie (haven't decided yet)

Monday: Pork Chops, rice and corn

Tuesday: Chorizo's, macaroni salad and tator tots

Wednesday: Rigatoni w/ spaghetti sauce, salad and garlic bread

Thursday: Juicy Lucy Cheeseburgers, baked beans and fries

Friday: Chicken Kabobs, Cous Cous and salad

Saturday: Smoked Baby Back Ribs (in our smoker again), twice baked potatoes, and corn on the cob

We have only used our smoker once and we made pulled pork. It turned out really good, so we are excited to try some more things. We decided that we are going to try some "cheaper" things before we splurged on a turkey or a brisket, we don't want to spend $20 or more to ruin it, so we thought we would "practice" a bit more! Have a great week everyone!

My Menu

Here is my menu for the week. I went grocery shopping yesterday and our fridge is packed full of fresh veggies and fruit again! I have a TON of vacuum sealing to do as I bought a lot of Meat for our freezer as well. We have to make one trip to Costco to get the rest of our stuff (I get hamburger there, coffee, whole milk, corn and green beans). Yesterday we bought a smoker from Home Depot so we are going to be using that alot to see what kind of good food we can smoke! Yesterday we BBQ'd homemade pizzas and they turned out delish, so we will probably do that more often!

Sunday: Pulled Pork (on the smoker), Corn on the cob (on the smoker), twice baked potato's and home made bread sticks (I have left over pizza dough)

Monday: Chicken Fajitas, homemade guacamole, mini tator tots, and refried beans (Morgan LOVES refried beans)

Tuesday: Oriental Chicken Salad--from Applebee's, except I am making it, you can find the recipe Here. Maybe some spicy chicken wings as well.

Wednesday: Taco Soup and Cheese Quesadilla's (I have to use the rest of our tortilla's)

Thursday: Lasagna (cooked on the BBQ), Garlic Toast and Salad

Friday: ?? My friend Lee from MN is coming with her son on Wednesday, so maybe we will order out or something

Saturday: ?? I want to smoke a Turkey, but we are probably going to the fair in the morning....and it takes forever and I don't want to leave the house after we start it. Brisket is an option as well!

I am super excited for the fair, nothing is better than fair food. I know my "must haves" will be a pronto pup for sure, I want to definitely get a Gyro, corn on the cob is always good. I haven't had tortatoe's forever so maybe those as well, otherwise I want to try something new, either Gumbo or something different that is deep fried? Gotta love fair food!

34 Things

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought it would be fun. I decided on 34 things because that is my age, and who am I kidding, I could of kept going but decided to stop and in a few months I will do some more. So, here is 34 things you may or may not know about me

1. I was a baton girl in elementary school. I would march in our 4Th of July parade and I have to say I was pretty good at it!

2. I always wanted to be a cheerleader in high school but didn't try out again after not making it freshman year.

3. I joined Gymnastics in high school and always wanted to be better at it than I was, but I didn't have the "discipline" to get better.

4. I wish I could carry a tune...I can't, I am an AWFUL singer.

5. I want to take a photography class and buy a really, really nice camera

6. I have always wanted to go back to school to become an R.N.

7. I have always wanted to know how to style my hair nice and to be able to put make up on so that it looks nice.

8. I am OBSESSED with purses and I dream of one day owning a Coach Purse!

9. I despise putting away whites...not sure why maybe because of all the socks?

10. I have always wanted to backpack through Europe

11. I want Lasik to my eyes but I don't qualify.

12. If I crave a food most often it is Chinese...I love Egg Rolls, Crab Rangoon, Kung Pao Chicken...I love it all!!

13. Some of my favorite memories from childhood are going up to the cabin...I miss going there!

14. I LOVE seafood...I am more apt to order Crab Cakes, Calamari, or Crab Legs when I get the chance to eat it!

15. I think of my Grandma Fitz everyday and wish I could call her on the phone.

16. I wish I could live in Minnesota to be by all of my family.

17. I love to listen to the Oldies...it reminds me of my parents and growing up

18. I miss sometimes being able to just get up and go w/o having to get all the kids ready!

19. I want to own a cabin one day.

20. I want to renew my wedding vows in Vegas when we reach 10 years of marriage!

21. My favorite type of pizza is TONS of pepperoni, green olives and thin crust.

22. I love buffet's but only for the salad

23. I love cookbooks and would collect them if I could. I love to try new recipes.

24. I have always wanted to skydive.

25. Daisy's are my favorite flower.

26. I think working at a wedding dress shop would be fun.

27. I love water slides and roller coasters.

28. My favorite fair food is Pronto Pups, tortato's, gyros, well who am I kidding, I love ALL fair food.

29. I love kitchen stuff....bowls, plates, glasses etc.

30. I am deathly afraid of spiders

31. If I am bored during a book, I skip some of the lines.

32. I prefer water over soda.

33. I love winter because it gets dark early

34. My favorite movie of all time is A Chorus Line.

1 year checkup

Cameryn and Jaidyn had their 1 year check up last week! Everything went well, all except for one detail, which I will get into in just a little bit. Here are their stat's from the appointment

Cameryn:

Weight 24.56 lbs---95 percentile

Length 29 inches---38 percentile

Weight to Length---99 percentile

We were told to go down to 24 ozs of milk a day (I had been giving 32 ozs) and to especially watch Cameryn...she LOVES her milk but she is so chunky already she doesn't really need the "extra" calories. She is built just like Morgan was so I am not concerned, I know once she starts walking a lot of the chub will go away!

Jaidyn:

Weight 19.94 lbs----50 percentile

Length 28.5 inches---21 percentile

Weight to Length---69 percentile

We had mentioned to the nurse that when Jaidyn is upset she will throw her fore head to the ground, over and over until we are able to comfort her (she does it a lot when I cant get her bottle made fast enough or if one of her sister's takes something away from her, even when "strangers" look at her she will do it. When my nephew was here one Sunday she kept crawling on the carpet, on her forehead, crying. It was so bad she gave her self a carpet burn. The Dr. said that it is common to have a kid who will bang their head in frustration and that the best thing to do is scoop them up and put them somewhere safe where they cant hurt their head, like a porta crib and then they will learn that they are not going to get comfort from throwing a "tantrum" Once she started reviewing the girls stat's that was when the one concern came about! Jaidyn's head size jumped from 17.91 from her 9 month appointment to 18.8 (Cameryn had gone from 18.11 to 18.5). So the Dr. was a bit concerned about the rapid growth along with the head banging. She said that if the head banging gets worse we need to call in and she is going to order a head scan. If it doesn't get worse on her next appointment if her head size jumps than she will order a head scan then. So, that is some scary news and I am hoping that everything is okay.

Her head banging has continued, I wouldn't say worse, but is still happening. I am going to give it a week or two before seeing if I should call in for the head scan. On the other news, Jaidyn is consistently standing up, in the most random spots, I would say, she just doesn't want to take that first step (little stinker). Days after she started this Cameryn started as well. It is amazing what they learn from each other! Pretty soon, we are going to have walkers on our hands (help me now please).

I still can't believe a year has gone by! I am getting excited for this winter to see how they are at Christmas time with presents and snow (what little snow we get), and I am so excited for the new adventures and memories we will have as a family!! I will keep you all updated on the result of Jaidyn!