Happy Weekend.

Where's all the snow?!!

I bought these bad boys and I'm ready to ski on them!

After a very mild winter last year I'm ready for some snow this year!

It's supposed to rain tomorrow...booooo!

In other news...my baby turns one tomorrow!

I can't believe it either!

We'll be celebrating this weekend...pictures to come!

Have a good one ya'll!

Cooking with Kelly

Every stay at home mom is different...truly.  Some are exceptionally good at keeping a clean home, or extremely organized, perhaps crafty, or good at gardening, paying bills, volunteering at school, yadda, yadda, yadda.  And if you're good at it all...well, goodie for you.  I, however am not.  Although I really wish I could be more organized, that would be great!  But alas, I'm just not, and I need to accept that.

So anyway, I was thinking about my own "stay at home mom" talents and I think I'm pretty good at cooking.  I'm not a gourmet or anything like that.  My meals are family friendly, quick and easy most of time.  I think I'm pretty good at whipping something up last minute with whatever I have on hand...because that's usually what I do.  Remember, I'm not organized...if I were then I would have every meal planned out for the week and would never have that problem.

But like lots of moms we have a tendency to get into cooking ruts and staying with what we know.  So I decided to challenge myself with a new recipe every week.  I'll share them on this little blog of mine.  I'll let you know if it was a success or failure.  And I'll also share some of our family favorites too.

So, to celebrate pizza and movie night (which we'll be doing tomorrow night) I'm kicking if off with a family favorite: Pizza!

Pizza Dough

(This will make about 3 pounds of dough, enough to fill two jelly roll pans)

2 1/4  cups warm water

1/4  cup sugar

3 tsp. yeast

3 tsp. salt

6 cups flour (give or take...I really never measure this part)

olive oil for pans

Mix the warm water, sugar and yeast and let sit for 10-15 minutes or until really foamy.  Add 3 cups flour and the salt and mix well.  Continue adding flour and kneading dough until a dough ball forms but still slightly sticky.  Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise for 30-60 minutes.

Coat the pans with olive oil.  I divide the dough in half and spread onto two jelly roll pans.

Top with what ever your family loves!

Our favorites are BBQ chicken and grilled onions or pineapple and Canadian bacon.

Enjoy!

Happy Movie Night!

Next week I'll share a new recipe that I'm cooking up for my family.

I Am Thankful.

A very pregnant me a year ago on Thanksgiving.

I realized that I never wrote a real Thanksgiving post about what I'm grateful for...because truly there are so many things!

I couldn't help but think about last year at this time.  I was big and pregnant.  And with such a scary pregnancy with lots of ups and downs making nine months feel like eternity, I couldn't wait to meet our baby!

So number one, I'm so thankful our little Rory came safely into this world!  She is a blessing to our family and we love her so much.

I'm thankful for my family's health.  My children are strong, energetic, full of life and imagination.  And I'm thankful that Ryan and I can keep up with them.

I'm thankful for our home and where we live.  I love that my children can run and play outside freely.  I love that they can walk to school.  I love our church.  I love the mountains right outside my door.  I love the changing seasons.  I'm so lucky to live where I live.

I'm thankful for my Ryan.  Because without him I wouldn't have any of this.  He works hard everyday to provide for us and give us the things we need.  And I'm also lucky that his job brings in enough so that I can stay at home with our children.  I feel so privileged!

And I know that we are truly blessed with wonderful family and friends and I'm so thankful for that.

Thanksgiving 2012

We ended up leaving on Sunday for Sedona.  Piper still woke up with a fever, but we figured it would most likely be the last day of it, so we hit the road.  Well, we were wrong.  She ended up having a fever for a couple more days in Sedona.  So I admit, the first half of the trip I was a little down and out...I felt bad bringing in a sick kid with a house full of family.  

So, a sick kid = a grumpy kid.  She was pretty much glued to Ryan's side the entire week and of course Rory was glued to mine (what's new there?).  

Other realities: Wednesday morning, two little girls (their names starting with an "H" and "M") didn't remember some very important rules I laid down earlier in the week and this resulted in a broken pipe, a flooded yard and a mom  in tears (this mom may have been me).  It wasn't the best morning and we'll leave at that.  In a desperate attempt to recharge and get some much needed time away from the kids Ryan and I escaped for a bit to go on a mountain bike ride (thank you to family for watching the kids).  However, that ride resulted in Ryan getting a flat tire and me falling into a prickly pear.  And while we were gone Rory and Piper were basically crying the entire time.  Mountain bike ride...fail.  But luckily Wednesday evening perked up with an awesome family dinner, s'mores, and hot tub.  Nice ending to a kinda crummy day.

But with that said...we had a wonderful time!  We filled our week with hiking, going to the park, shopping at the Gap outlet, family dinners, playing games, coloring, painting, and feeding the ducks.  I just loved watching the girls play with their cousins...everyone gets along so well!  They are going to have such great memories of these visits!  

Oh, and the weather was absolutely amazing!  

The traditional jammie picture.

Rory loved the swings at the park.

 Football before our Thanksgiving feast.

I believe this has now become a new tradition.

 The kids made little turkeys for our place settings.

The weather was so nice we ate outside!

 Traditional Thanksgiving walk before dessert.

 Friday's outing to to Talaquepaque to feed the ducks.

Until next year!

Sick Day

Normally today the family would have been loaded up in the Burban on our way to Sedona,  but here we are...at home.  We decided to push the trip back another day giving Piper some time to feel a little better as this awful cold has taken her out too.  Last night was horrendous.  I'm so thankful Ryan was home to help me.  Piper could just not settle down...she was up most the night with a really sore throat, fever and barky cough.

Haley was devastated when we told her that we weren't leaving today.  She has been counting down the days for weeks.  But hopefully this helps teach her a little bit of patience, and the importance of family and taking care of each other...since her initial response was, "Can't we just get a babysitter for Piper and then the rest of us can leave."  I suppose that's eight year old logic for you.

I would like to add that I am the last one standing.  Superior immune system...I think so.

Little Sick Rory

Rory had a temp of 103 last night.  But she's still the cutest little thing...fever and all.  

She has not been sleeping well at all with neither her naps nor at night time.

I'm exhausted trying to keep up with everything.

I could really go for a cup of coffee right about now.

But anyway, we've been hanging low, not doing much at all, and I feel kinda bad for Piper...I've been a very unfun mom lately to her.  I can tell she's kind of bored floating around the house while I take care of Rory.  But then I guess we'll make up for it next week when we're in Sedona with family...that house will be going full blast.  

So much to do before Saturday.  Here's to hoping I can get it done.

Spreading like wild fire.

This dreaded cold is slowly taking out one family member at a time.  Morgan and Ryan were last week, Haley was over the weekend and now my little Rory has indeed come down with it.  She started getting a cough and fever yesterday evening.  The cough sounds horrible...each kid sounds like a little seal barking.

Last night was rough.  It took me forever to get Rory to fall asleep...she was just so miserable.  Finally around 10:30 all was quite.

Before bed I needed to take the dogs out for the night.  Now, we have a rule for the dogs when they're in the house...no going on the carpet.  They know this, and they do a good job with it.  Unless I'm upstairs for a while not watching them...in that case, they've been known to sneek into the living room.  And Etta loves to curl up on the girls bean bags...that darn dog!  But, I don't think they've ever been upstairs...ever!

So, back to me taking them out last night.  They were both sleeping when I started walking to the back door.  Very quietly I said, "Okay pups...time to go out."  And Etta, out of nowhere, stands up and bolts...races straight up the stairs!!  Now keep in mind I JUST got Rory to sleep, the last thing I need is hyper dog racing around up there!!  So I go tearing up there to find Etta in Morgan's bed licking her face!  Of course I drag her out of there.  Then if that wasn't enough, she starts tearing around the living room and family room...I had to chase her down again.  And Belle, poor Belle, she just stood there the whole time in shock, probably thinking "Don't yell at me...I didn't do anything!"  Anyway, it was just so out of the blue...she's never done that before.  Crazy dog.  Luckily, Morgan didn't even wake up...and neither did the others thank goodness!

And the rest of night didn't go much better.  My little Rory was up from 2 to about 5.  It was not so fun.  And then Piper was up at 6:30.  I'm pretty worn out.

We're going to take it easy today.  I need everyone healthy by Saturday!!

I want to be cute again.

 I've been weaning Rory this month, which has been bittersweet.  I'm down to two nursing sessions a day now.  But it seems after every baby has been weaned I get the urge to buy things for myself.  After nearly three years of maternity wear, nursing bras, and sweats...I'm ready for some new pieces of clothing.  And make-up!  Piper has destroyed pretty much every bit of make-up that I own.  Aren't kids fun?!  So anyway, slowly I'm trying to get back into the world of fashion.  But every time I'm in the stores I'm at a loss, "What?!  People are wearing this??!"  I feel like what my grandmother probably felt when she took me shopping as a kid.  But as you remember, I did cave and bought my first pair of skinny jeans recently...that's right...see?  Progress.

I know my body isn't how it used to be...after popping out four babies it seems my belly will be forever squishy.  But I do know that having some new things to wear do wonders for my soul.

I'm trying to fit in with the times again...trying to feel cute again.

So yeah, I was feeling pretty good about myself today when I was on my errands, rockin' my new boots!  Feelin' hip...and kinda cool.  And then I come home to feed the wee ones.  I hold up a spoonful of yogurt for Rory and she immediately whacks it with her hand and the yogurt goes flying...right onto my new boot. I nearly cried.

I guess that's motherhood for ya.

I'll keep trying.

Weekend Review

This weekend was a lot of snow play for the kids as we got quite the dumping of snow!

Immediately after school Friday Haley was playing in it.

And Saturday it was more of the same...lots of snow, lots of snow play.

 When it's bitterly cold outside I'm always so thankful for a cozy house!  We had the fireplace going throughout the weekend...oh how I love that fireplace!

 After all the snow play on Saturday, by the evening Haley came down with a fever and a cough.  The same darn cold that Morgan and Ryan had last week.  So Haley took it easy on Sunday watching movie after movie.  Luckily, we had a couple of new ones from the Library...The Princess Bride, and Lassie Come Home.  Classics.  She's home today from school taking another day to recover.  She probably could have gone to school but what's one day??  She's been cuddling with the dogs all morning.  Those dogs...so spoiled when it's gets cold outside.

Ryan left for CO this morning for the week and then we're off to Sedona on Saturday.  I sure do hope the little ones stay healthy!  I have nightmares of that CA trip where I spent three days in the hospital with Rory when she had RSV.  I DO NOT want a repeat of that!

Here's to a good week.  Happy Monday!

Light the fireplace...Winter has arrived!

I was browsing through our photos and found this.

Don't you just love Little People?  We have so many...so so many!  We could fill up the living room floor with an entire Little People village.  This little bunch on the table is just the tip of the ice berg!  Little People are like cockroaches...for every one that you see, there are about 20 that you don't see.  I find them everywhere!  But they're so dang cute...don't you think?

This week has been a bit exhausting for me.  The girls have had early out for parent/teacher conferences which means they got out at 1:30.  Which means all the girls are home by 2:00.

I was picking up the kids one day and another mother says to me, "Don't you just wish the kids got out at 1:30 everyday?"  My answer, "No...I don't wish that at all!"  I love my kids, and I love being around them...but I have discovered that I NEED a break in the day from being a mom.  And the time between 1:00 and 3:00 when the little ones are napping and the older ones in school and the house is quiet and I can do ANYTHING I want too...yeah, I need that time.  Having complete silence in a house is extremely refreshing.

Today, winter has arrived...the snow has been falling all day.  There must be about 5 inches so far and there is no sign of it letting up any time soon.  Piper and I walked to the school to pick up the girls and what should have taken us 15 minutes, took us more like 40 minutes with all of Pipers stops to eat the snow.  We were all drenched by the time we got home.  And now, while we're all hunkered down by a cozy fire (thank you very much Ryan) Haley has been outside playing in the snow ever since we got home...I love her zest for life.  On the most gloomy of days, she always sees the beauty in it.  What an example she is.

I got my haircut today.  Nothing crazy, just a trim.  But there's something about sitting in the chair, having a young, cute 20 something cutting your hair to make you feel old.  I know those drape things they put around you are extremely unflattering, but good grief, I felt very unglamorous.

But I do like my haircut, and I'm getting my lashes done next week...so that should perk me up a bit.

This weekend I think its all about staying warm and cozy by the fire as it's going to be a cold one!

Tonight's menu: Corn chowder with paninis...that says cozy all over, don't you think?!

Happy Weekend!

Election Day!

I waited in line for over an hour to do it...but I did it!  I had Rory, Piper and Morgan with me and luckily they did fabulous while waiting.  Morgan had a fever last night (she's been suffering from a bit of a cold) so I kept her home from school.  And I really, really, really didn't want to wait til this evening (when Ryan is home) to vote, so I gave her some Tylenol and dragged her along.  But she was fine...in fact she helped keep an eye on Piper for me, so that was nice.  And then I had to stop by the grocery on the way home for a few things...I know, no rest for the sickies.  Now that we're home, she chillin'  on the sofa.  I want her to rest at least a little before I drag her out again to go pick up Haley.  What happened to the days of just watching TV all day when kids are sick?!

Now I get to walk around feeling very proud with my "I Voted" sticker.  Did you vote today?

The Skinny

As you may or may not know, I was never into the whole skinny jean thing.  When they first came out I didn't think they were very flattering.  But, it seems EVERYONE wears skinny jeans these days!  And just recently I bought a pair of boots (I was going for a riding boot...but then in the end opted for a warmer boot for winter).

I like the boots...I think...but now I needed some new jeans to wear with them.  Sooooo, the person that once said "I'm never going to buy skinny jeans!" just bought skinny jeans.  

And you know what...they really aren't that bad.

In fact, I may even go as far as say that I like them.

At least I'm trying to move away from wearing sweats every single day.

In other news, we had a great Halloween...except for the fact that I lost every picture from the night.  Not sure why...my camera started being screwy and BAM, pictures vanished.  So I'm pretty bummed about that.    But the girls had a blast and we now have candy up to our eyeballs!