Christmas Baking

This aisle at Ben Franklin makes me giddy...

The possibilities for a plain wooden box are ENDLESS!

Decorating those cookies was SO FUN.

Definitely worth the back ache.

Points of Interest:

• Royal icing is THE BEST! I will never go back.
• Meringue powder costs real money.
• Gel Paste food colorings are the only way to go.

Yesterday I helped Jill make her neighbor gifts.

We made these babies...

SO FABULOUS!

They are Aunt Lisa's Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls.

Recipe HERE.

Only slight collateral damage...

Christmas Treats

Soft Perfect Sugar Cookies
Penny's Peanut Butter Balls
Martha Stewart.com for Marbleized Peppermint-candy frosting

A not-so-bad very good day

i have come to realize that I should never EVER post on a not-so-good very bad day.
I have also come to realize that I should never EVER have a box of oreos sitting around on a not-so-good very bad day.
I have also come to realize that "It's the Most WOnderful Time of the Year" is a GREAT Hallmark movie.
IHACTR that no matter how not-so-good and very bad my day was Bryan will inevitably make it better.
IHACTR that an entire box of oreos has approximately 2400 calories in it.
IHACTR that I must own a private jet so I can fly down to St. G to attend my best good friends' Christmas Soup Party.
IHACTR that if I do my pony tail with my left hand, the poof goes in front and it looks invariably better.
IHACTR that as hard as 3 kids seems I will most likely have 2 or 3 more.... or 1.
IHACTR that mother's who are responible for multiple children get sick, too.
I have also experienced first hand that 5 pounds can be lost in 2 weeks on the Flat Belly Diet. (this does not include oreos)
IHACTR that with more time I would write down many more things that IHCTR.
At this moment my pants are snot-free.

It is a not-so-bad very good day.

Dear Santa

Any of these things would be great additions for under the tree this year...

America's Test Kitchen Baking Book


Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine by Marcia Lynn McClure


Kiss in the Dark e-book by Marcia Lynn McClure


Hypotrochoid Art setLotions lotions lotions
A Contigo water bottle
And while I'm at it...

A house would be nice
The complete manuscript of Midnight Sun
A very early showing of Eclipse
A mild sedative for my children
BOSE sound dock
Cake decorating classes... in NYC
A session with Nuttall Photography
$15,000 in unmarked bills... in a cute little briefcase

( :

Just thought I'd ramble and publish it

When my friends stop blogging I silently get mad at them.
Now I'm the one who has stopped publishing my life.
I think that subconsciously I'm simplifying.
I wish.
It's more like... had a 3rd baby, bye bye bloggy.

I'm not sure I'm really up for this 3 kid thing. I love how I say that when James is what?... 5 months? It's not getting any easier. I take that back. It did get easier, but it's still a constant.... hard! I keep waiting for that moment when I'm going to say "ok, ya, it's working like a machine now. I could have 6 kids". That's not happening. It's more like.. "let's go back to two, please". ( :

Bryan's at the Pro Rodeo tonight in Vegas. You can call me Jealous. He's there for 'work'. Ya? Well, I'm at home still in my workout clothes with 4 day old hair cleaning poo out of the hallway... for 'work'. Just kidding. I love Bryan and I love that he loves his job. I love his job, too. I just wish mine involved a Pro Rodeo.

What else can I possibly say except for that right at this moment I am staring at a huge snot smear on the knee of my pants? I'll leave it at that.

New Moon!

I LOVE this picture...

(Me, Alyssa, Cyndi, Georgia, Rachel, Kari)

It shows how very intense this movie was.

It also shows the different personalities of all my friends. HAHA!!!

I MISS YOU GUYS!

This is how utterly fabulous my day went Thursday...
With the help of my friends ABBA, Beyonce, and Dave Ramsey I drove myself all by myself ( : the 3 1/2 hours from AF to St. G. Worth every single solitary deserty mile because then I got to hang out with my friends ALL DAY with NO KIDS. Only Mr. Twizzler and Mr. Pizza Factory for company. Yes, this would be another 16 hour line. Did it last year. Will do it again next year. Except next year Eclipse comes out in June which means we'll be waiting in line in our binkinis (ya right).

Thought the movie was FABULOUS! Did you expect me to say anything else?

I particularly want to go see it again right away.

ANd I MUST catch the Michael Jackson movie before it leaves theatres. MUST!

The Hunger Games

COULD NOT PUT THEM DOWN!!!

Definitely TEAM GALE!

When does the next one come out? Need it NOW! Want it YESTERDAY!

I like this picture. It's Gale, Katniss, and Peeta but Peeta defnitely needs a little more beef on those bones.

Halloween

TOTALLY DELICSH!

The gangs all here...

Nice biceps, Jo.

James' new spittin' face...

They Came

Mr. UPS brought our Halloween costumes today.
It has been a party ever since.

A Happy Woman

I've come to the realization that since I had James and am now a 3 kid mom... I never blog.

Barely check my facebook.
Never sit and browse my favorite websites...
Heidi's recipes
Amy Atlas
Pioneer Woman
Food Network

Wishlist is history (as fun as it was).
Barely reply to emails.

What do I DO all day?
I've added it up:
2 hours out of my day is spent just putting on and taking off boots as the kids go in and out of the house.
The other 14 hours of awake time is spent stuffing their mouths.

I do sneak in a daydream here and there and this is what I've been dreaming about...

I could stare at that photo all day.

I'm going to turn this exciting idea into reality this Saturday...

As well as a Chili recipe with beer in it. It cooks out... doesn't it?

Makin' "Slow Cooker Country Style Pork Ribs with Sausage and Beans" tomorrow.

Let me make a cake pop or two and I'm a happy woman.

HIL

I am LAUGHING OUT LOUD!!!

Best Ever Homemade Bread

James would like to present to you the best ever loaf of homemade white bread...

This recipe was so easy I was just ASTOUNDED!

3 1/2 c. hot water
3/4 c. powdered milk
1 c. instant potatos
3/4 c. sugar
2 T yeast
1 T. salt
1/4 c. oil
flour
(add flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides) I think I used about 7 cups.

Mix.
Knead for 5 minutes (a Bosch is excellent for this step)
let is rest a mite
form into loaves
put in pans (I used clear glass bread pans and sprayed them with PAM)
Let raise. (for like an hour maybe. Maybe 2. whatev.)
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 loaves.

Life Happens

Our new backyard....Ah, isn't it beautiful? We enjoyed it for about one day and then...

...we rented our home and moved out...

All set and ready to go...
Headseat? Check!
Dum dum? Check!
Personalized DVD player for baby on repeat? Check!Personalized chauffeuring by Pappa Fred himself? Check!A small army to move the piano? Check!Finally getting a picture of Jill and baby James? Check!
Job Offer? Check!
He da man!!!
(Mountain Orthopedics, Dr. Pepper Murray, Bountiful, UT)So here we are at Grandma K'Lyn's house in our spacious one room suite in the basement.
We have good days...And bad...The whole process has just worn us out...We're ready to relax and eat pumpkin frosted sugar cookies all day.

Life is good!!!

(big smile on my face)

New Curbing

There's nothing cooler than finally putting in a backyard the day before you move out of your home. Nothing.

There's also nothing cooler than finally putting in wood blinds the day before you move out of your home.

There's also nothing cooler than cleaning the oven, cleaning the grout on the tile, and cleaning the oil stains off the floor of your garage the day BEFORE you move OUT of your home.

-( :

The Bus and the Cooher

Waitin' for the bus...


Here it comes.
Wait for it... Wait for it...

See you later happy home. Hello cruel world... (jk)

You'll get your turn, Bryson...

Some little treasures...
James being STINKIN' CUTE...