These Make Me Smile!

I'm not sure why, but these pictures (especially the first one) just make me smile.  I need to scrapbook them (and a million other things) but I just haven't had the time.  So for now, they will have to do.  Aren't my twins adorable?

I am Thankful for . . .

so many things!  This year, especially, I have so much to be thankful for!  I have 6 healthy, beautiful children, a wonderful husband, a great family, a nice home, my husband has a great job that he loves, amazing friends, and so much more!

Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Oh, I LOVE cookies and was so excited when I came across this recipe on www.ourbestbites.com.  They sounded so good - and finally, after a very long day today, I made them.  And they are yummy!  So, if you are in the mood for a chocolate chip cookie, with a twist (the toffee chips), give these a try - I don't think you will be sorry!

I Love the BYUs

Gavin is so cute.  He is such a funny little boy.  Lately, we have been watching a LOT of football, especially BYU.  Right now we are watching (again) the BYU vs Air Force game from yesterday (that the boys actually went to).  After a big play, Gavin said,

"I love the BYUs!  I love them as much as outer space.  And outer space is never ending!"

5-Months Old (10 days ago)

I finally got around to scrapbooking the twins 5-month "birthday".  The were officially 5-months old 10 days ago.  They are both starting to roll-over - Kesley is much better at it.  Hopefully I will get to scrapbook that this week.  They are starting to be much better at napping and napping at the same time.  They are still sleeping in the same crib but I think that is about to end - last night when I checked on them and Kesley's legs were on top of Cameron's legs, I decided it is about time for separate cribs.  Cameron is almost out of 12-month clothes and Kesley is about out of 6-month clothes.  They are both so happy and so much fun!  

Space Shuttle Launch

Ed was in Florida for work earlier this week - what good timing.  He was lucky enough to sneak away and watch the Space Shuttle launch!  What a fabulous experience!  He had so much fun getting to watch the launch.  He said the coast was lined with people for miles.  He how loud is was and said that he could feel it!  The boys were excited because Ed brought home a packet of post cards for them to share.  They loved hearing all about the Space Shuttle and outer space!

Crockpot Lasagna

Okay - so here is another new recipe.  It really isn't anything really new and exciting but how you cook it is.  I love that you can make lasagna in a crockpot!  I cooked the hamburger and then threw it all in the crockpot after I feed the little ones lunch.  Then, at dinner time it was all ready to go - all the mess was already cleaned up and we could just eat.  What I really liked about it was that we could eat in shifts and it was hot for everyone, but not overcooked or burnt.  We had a thing at school at 5:30 so half the kids were home with a babysitter.  She feed them dinner and when I got home with Dallin and the twins, we ate and it was perfect (especially on a cold night like tonight)!  I think you could use your own lasagna recipe, just follow how this one is done (which is nothing out of the ordinary) - but this was good.  Dallin even asked for seconds!  So, if you want a really easy way to make lasagna, try this one!  Hope you like it!

* Sorry the picture is so bad - I took it hours after we ate.

New Toys & New Tricks

Okay, so these toys and tricks aren't so new anymore.  These pages are a month old - I just never got around to posting them.  So, since I didn't have any new recent pages done, I thought I would put these up.  The toys aren't really even new toys - just new to the twins.  Hopefully I will get some new pages done here soon!  But for now, these will have to do.

A Week of New Recipes - Day 6: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Here is a really yummy soup, great for a cold day like today (snowy and freezing)!  I got this recipe from Michelle T.  I am not a huge soup person but this is really yummy and so easy.  My kids did okay with it - I made them each eat a little bit and then gave them mini-pizzas.  

Anyway, this ends my week of new recipes.  I would LOVE to have any easy, kid friendly recipes that you have.

A Week of New Recipes - Day 5: Captain Crunch Chicken

This isn't really a "NEW" recipe for my family, but I haven't cooked it in months and months.  It is one of our favorites (especially Dallin's).  This is an appetizer at Planet Hollywood that I had back in high school and was so excited when I found the recipe online somewhere.

The best part is the sauce!  When I make this chicken, I cut the chicken into smaller, nugget sized pieces (so they cook faster and so my kids think they are just nuggets).  This time, I also baked them (instead of frying them).  I baked them at 400 for about 20 minutes.  The sauce has a lot of ingredients so it takes a little time to make - but it can be made ahead of time.  And if you can't find Creole style-mustard for the sauce, you can just use a brown (spicy I think) mustard. 

Tomorrow:  Chicken Tortilla Soup

5-Months Old Today

My sweet little twins are 5-months old today!  I tried a little photo shoot but little Kesley was not feeling well at all.  So, I didn't get any great pictures to scrapbook.  So, I will try again tomorrow or the next day.  But for now, I just had to share that they are 5-months old and doing GREAT (besides Kesley being sick).

A Week of New Recipes - Day 4: Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken

This isn't exactly a new recipe, I have had it before but I don't think I have ever made it for my kids.  I thought I would try it when I found it online and that you could serve it with noodles - something my kids love.  I even let them pick which noodles I made - they picked "blow" noodles (aka penne pasta).  Matthew and Gavin loved it.  Dallin pretty much refused to even try it until I made him - and then he liked it.  So, I will make it again.  Of course, this is not a fancy recipe or anything new and exciting.  But it is so easy, fast and pretty kid friendly.

Tomorrow:  Captain Crunch Chicken (not new but haven't made in a long time)

Sweetest Boys EVER!!!!!

This morning I woke-up and took a shower.  I thought everyone but Brecken (who woke up at 6 and was in my room with me) was asleep.  But when I got out of the shower I heard some of the big boys downstairs.  I didn't think anything of it - it was almost time for them to be up to get ready for school.  When I went down around 7:45, my sweet Dallin and my sweet Matthew were both in the kitchen, dressed for school, huge smiles on their faces with breakfast made for me!  They had a plate with 2 waffles (eggo waffles they made in the toaster) with syrup, 2 pieces of toast, a banana, and a glass of milk.  I asked what they were doing.  They said,

"We made you breakfast to show you how much we love you!"

I don't think my day could have started out any better!  Then I found out that they had planned this the night before.  They even set their alarm for 7:10 so they could have it all ready when I came downstairs.  They are the SWEETEST BOYS EVER!!!!

A Week of New Recipes - Day 3: 20-Minute Parmesan Chicken & Rice Dinner

Day 3 was a pretty good meal - not exciting or fabulous but a good, quick, easy meal that even my kids liked!  They even liked the peas in it and didn't fight eating the peas!  I used cream of mushroom soup in it like the recipe said but next time I will use cream of chicken soup instead - I just like the taste better (I am not a mushroom person).  So, if you need a quick and easy meal, this is a good one to try!

Tomorrow:  Creamy Italian Crock-pot Chicken

A Week of New Recipes - Day 2: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Oh, this one is a keeper!  I got this recipe from my friend Michele S. who I think got it from www.ourbestbites.com.  The taquitos are so YUMMY!  You have to make them using the Taco Chicken recipe above - the chicken is so good.  And dip them in Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing (recipe above) - it is a lot like Cafe Rios dressing.  I also made black beans using the recipe above.  Dallin loved the black beans (not normal) but Ed said to keep looking for a black bean recipe (so if anyone has a good one, I would love it).  All in all, it was a fabulous meal that I will make again and again!  This recipe definitely took longer than my other recipes from this week and has more ingredients, but it is totally worth it.  So, if you have a little time and like limes, I would definitely try this one.  Thanks Michele S. for posting this recipe on your blog!

Tip:  I used flour tortillas and colby jack cheese.  I figured my kids would like flour tortillas better and I was worried the pepper jack cheese would be too spicy for them (they thought they were spicy enough with the colby jack cheese).  

Tomorrow:  20-minute Parmesan Chicken & Rice Chicken

A Week of New Recipes - Day 1: Simply Lasagna

Yesterday started my week (or close to week) of new recipes.  I am tired of cooking the same things every week so I thought I would try some new ones this week.  I started last night making lasagna - nothing new and exciting but for some reason I never make this.  It turned out to be pretty good - but I am still on the search for the best lasagna (so if you have a great recipe for lasagna, I would love it - I need to get Michelle T's, I always love hers).  I also need to learn how to take better pictures of food - sorry this isn't a great picture.  Next time I make lasagna, I am going to try to add some spinach.  I found this recipe on Kraft Foods and it suggests substituting spinach (frozen, thawed, and water squeezed out) for the hamburger.  I think I will still add some of the hamburger but add spinach.  We'll see how it turns out.

Check back tomorrow for what I cooked tonight:  Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos with a Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Happiness is . . .

The twins really do love being together!  I always find them holding hands (or trying to eat each others hands).  They are getting to be so much fun!  The love to "talk" and smile!  But they refuse to roll over.  Kesley did roll over once but Cameron hasn't.  They both get on their sides but that is about it.  Trust me, I am not complaining - they are much easier to keep track of - but I know it will happen one day soon (and it will be fun!).  

They are sleeping so much better in the day.  This week, instead of taking a bunch of little 20 minute naps, they are taking two 1 and a half to 2 and a half hour naps.  It is WONDERFUL!  I have actually been able to get a few things done around the house.  I think it has helped putting them in the jumpy toy and saucer and giving them lots of floor time (closely watched because Brecken will step right on them - he still pretty much ignores them).

Saucy Mexican Chicken

This recipe is super EASY, FAST, and YUMMY!  Matthew inhaled it and insists I make it again soon.  Dallin and Gavin ate it, didn't love it - but Dallin doesn't like most foods and Gavin just needa to see that his dad loved it as well.  I got this recipe from the Food & Family magazine (last free issue but can find it online at www.kraftfoods.com).  It is a fun magazine with lots of easy recipes - and a LOT are very kid friendly!  If anyone has any kid friendly, easy recipes, I would LOVE them!  Anyway, if you get the chance, try this one out!

Halloween Cuties!

It is so fun (and crazy) to have TWO little ones to dress-up take pictures of!  I even managed to get in a few of the pictures.  Neither baby was very smiley during our little photo session - but I still had to share how cute they are!

Halloween 2009

Halloween is such a fun and busy time of year (it didn't help having Brecken's surgery the week of Halloween).  It is so much fun to watch the boys dress up and be so excited.  I was so sad that Brecken missed ALL of Halloween.  He didn't nap really well after lunch & was tired so I put him down at 4:00 for what I thought would be a little nap.  I was very wrong - he didn't wake-up until 10:30 pm!!!  Luckily, I put Curious George on and he was happy.  He ate dinner at danced and went back to bed around midnight.  I had hoped to have him in pictures since I knew he couldn't go trick-or-treating (because of his surgery) - but the pictures of him dancing will have to do.

All in all - it was a fun day!  We even lucked out and had FABULOUS weather - no rain or snow or even wind!