My babes...

Nicholai took some amazing photos of my kiddos and I love them so much!!!

I hope you likey too!

Heavenly PB & Oatmeal Bars...

These are sooooo good...

especially while still warm...

with a little ice cream on top...

Mmmmmmm...

Heavenly PB & Oatmeal Bars:

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Add and mix well:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Add:

1 cup flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Press into a greased 9X13 baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Cool slightly before eating.  These are good with or without the ice cream...my kids prefer them without!

Sara...

I have enjoyed photography so much...

and after this last session...

I feel that I have seen the light...

literally...

like one of those A-HA moments...
I hope you likey!

I am sitting here laughing at me-self about these last two posts...

one basically suggests that I am not too happy (Dear self...in Little Letters) 

and the other suggests that I am doing great (ordering clothes for me-self...the same self that I am struggling to like)...

maybe I am bi-polar or something...

hahaha

(insert) evil laugh...

(insert) giggle...

see what I mean?

Me Mum's Day...

How was your Mom day?

Mine was good...

I didn't get out of all the cleaning and wiping...

but it was a good day!

What is it about Old Navy that I love?

I love most everything about their clothes...

and so for myself for Mom's day...

I ordered my some!

Hooray!

Little Letters...

Dear Taylor...

Stop growing up so fast!...

just stop!  

I am struggling with the fact that you are almost a teenager which means that you are almost in high school which means that you are almost in college which means...

well, I don't want to talk about it!

Just stop growing up...

mmmmm.....K!

Dear Addy...

Stop growing up so fast too!...

you are my last babe and I want to enjoy you longer...

although...

you are at a really hard stage right now and so maybe you can get like Jenner's age and then stop...

yeah...

I think that would work!

Dear Hollywood...

Your movies are lame...

just plain lame...

get on the ball and make some good ones again...

and ignore the need to rate all of them R...

because that's just plain rude!

Dear self...

why are you so LARGE...

why do you like to eat...

why can't you have skinny genes...

no not skinny jeans...

skinny genes...

why can't you feel beautiful to me?

Dear Mother's day...

It's about time!

Dear kids...

why are you so picky?

cuz I like to cook...

and I don't like Ramen all the time...

I like real food...

so figure that out would ya?

Dear Melaleuca...

Thanks for coming into our life...

I love all of your products...

I really love your shampoo and conditioner...

and laundry stuff...

and cleaner stuff...

etc.

Dear conditioner...

Thank you for giving Katy the idea to use you to shave her legs...

cuz I just shaved mine with you and they are Super Silky!

Genius...Genius!!!

.

Caramel Waffle Syrup...

Let me just preface this blog post with...

YOU MUST TRY THIS RECIPE!!!

and yes...

that's an order!

Special Caramel Syrup:

1 cube butter (the real stuff)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 cup cream (heavy whipping cream)

1 tsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Bring the butter, sugars, cream, flour and salt to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Take off heat and add vanilla.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Pour over strategically stacked waffles...like this...1st waffle, 2nd cool whip, 3rd strawberries with sugar (thus making their own syrup) and lastly but certainly not least...the Special Caramel Syrup!

I promise...promise...you will LOVE it! 

Proud Mama...

So I am one proud Mama of Taylor right now...

She just finished her Good Works project for PP...

she donated all of the money she made babysitting for the month of April to my Bro and Sis-in-law for the passing of their little Sage...

They were given a Christmas Tree from the Festival of Trees this last year and they wanted to donate one this year in honor of sweet Sage...

the tree costs a ton of money to decorate and do it up right and so Taylor wanted to figure out a way to help out...

hence the Good Works project...

She was able to raise just over $100 and gave them the money on Sunday...

it was so AWESOME!!!

after they left our house my Bro-in-law sent me this comment on one of my posts...

it read:

Amy,

I want you to know how completely amazed I am about what Taylor did today.

I'm not sure if you could tell, but I had to struggle to keep my emotions in check when she said how much money she had raised and wanted to donate it all to help with Sage's tree.

I don't know of another 12 year old anywhere who having raised $100.00 and could spend it on anything he/she wanted, and then give it all out of the goodness of her heart.

There have been many acts of love and service given to our family this past year. This one, I will remember forever.

Please tell Taylor how much we love her and are grateful for the incredible generosity she has shown.

In the midst of much sorrow and tears, I have been uplifted to see the wonderful kindness of the human heart. Taylor's is pure gold!

With love,

Tyler

Like I said...

I am one proud Mama!

For Mindy...

This family was so much fun to work with...

we were all giggling the whole time...

even when little Peyton took a spill their mojo didn't stop...

this is just a little sneak peek for Mom and Chandler...

hope you like what I did with ya Chandler...