What Summer?

This so called Summer Vacation has me soooooooo TICKED OFF!!! I mean really...what do I do with my kids all day long when all they want to do is SWIM!!! This weather has got to STOP!!!! We are going STIR CRAZY!!!!

Jenner came out of the boys room the other day all shackled...and she liked it...she kept these handcuffs on for quite awhile.

Below are just a couple of pictures of what's been going on at our house...the kids have found every single little animal in the house to play War with...just look at my floor...

Nevermind the laundrybaskets and laundry all over the floor...

8 things tag...

My friend from High School tagged me and since I haven't done a tag in forever, I thought it would be fun...I actually like to do tags once in a while because they make you reflect on yourself...you know, what are you really looking forward to? Things like that...it's fun!

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. the rain to stop
2. my backyard grass to continue to grow
3. my mums to bloom
4. swimming
5. swimming
6. getting a tan
7. swimming
8. having a new little one in the house again

8 things I did yesterday
1. woke up at a decent hour
2. got prescriptions
3. actually saw the kicking of the baby
4. started the HP and the Half Blood Prince...I am way behind on this series
5. checked on my shipment from E.L.F....can't wait for that
6. had a long soak in a very hot tub...ahhhhh
7. watched SYTYCD first 'real' episode and I amazed at almost all of them...
8. discussed why Wade Robson is only choreographing crazy shock value dances rather than choreograph like he used to...he's in it for the shock of people rather than the true dancing...
and I used to love his work

8 things I wish I could do
1. run (and by run I mean so I don't die after 30 yards of it)
2. quilt like Heidi or my MIL
3. organize things a little better
4. find a way to make some money so we can stay here...in our beautiful home that we love
5. be more patient with Taylor...she can make my blood boil
6. go to a culinary arts school
7. get LASIK and never deal with glasses again
8. be the mom my sister is

8 shows I watch
1. SYTYCD
2. grey's
3. house
4. criminal minds
5. UFC fights
6. keeping up with kardashians
7. daisy of love
8. bachelorette
9. NBA finals
10. the listener
11. csi
12. the hills
13. jon & kate plus 8
14. food network shows
15. kendra
16. dr. 90210
17. 90210
18. EVERYTHING!!!

8 people I tag
Lara
Melissa S
Tami
Ashley
Amber
Heather
Kristina P.
Alleen

Just some video...

This, That and The Other...Oh My YUMM!!!

After church and a late lunch we decided to go the Air Show at HAFB...and we forgot the camera, as usual...but the Air Show delivered a spectacular sight...too bad it was stopped by a crazy rain and hail storm...the news said Layton got 1.63 inches of rain today. Watching those jets and hearing the crazy noise is so exilerating, I am so glad we made the last minute decision to go. We just drove up to the base and parked about 1/2 mile from the air strip...I guess the Thunderbirds only perform 3 times a year and HAFB only sees them every 3-4 years. It was amazing to see and we are hoping that the next time they are here we will actually make to the base and get to be on the front row...it would be so cool!!!


This is a picture of Jenner and I making rolls...yes, it's me and my Fat Self letting someone take a picture...hold your applause...I really don't need your pity right now!!!

Apparently Jenner knows all about how beneficial having a wallet can be...I guess it's only beneficial if their is money to back it...

Chris took the boys fishing this weekend and this is the only picture he got...our new camera isn't all that and so he had trouble with it...This is Grady, Rob (our cousin) and Rhett...they had a great time fishing and they even had to sleep in the boat Friday night. Chris forgot that Rob has a dog that practically lives in the trailer with them so he had to make a few modifications for Grady's health...I love that man!!!

Now for the goodies...Brace yourself...

I just happen to run accross this recipe and Oh My YUMM!!!...this picture doesn't do it an ounce of justice...underneath that top graham layer is some good ol' gooey chocolate...YUMM!! I guess I have been in the mood to post recipes lately because when I log on to my blog...that's all I see!

Gooey S'Mores Bars

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup flour

1/8 tsp. salt

1 bag Hershey's Milk Chocolate chips

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

1 cup mini marshmallows

Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, and egg together. Add crumbs, flour and salt. Reserve 2 cups of graham mixture and press the remaining mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture evenly. Drop marshmallow creme by spoonfuls on to chocolate chips. Wet fingers and spread around lightly. Sprinkly marshmallows on top. Sprinke with reserved graham mixture, press down slightly.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 17-22 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown. Cool at least 30 minutes and EAT!!!

E.L.F. Coupon Savings...

So my sis-in-law Ashley just called me and told me about this awesome deal at E.L.F. cosmetics...basically Nordstrom bought them out and is repackaging everything so they are selling all of their stuff for cheap...I just bought a bunch of nail polish, all over face colors, nail blocks, lip moisterizers, nail polish removing pads and other things for only $25.00...I'm talking about a TON of stuff!!! Everything I bought was $1.00...

At the end of my order I entered the code carolina and it gave me another $7.50 off. The shipping was $6.95 and there was no tax...YAY!!!! You just have to look at all of their products to find the deals...the nail polishes were the best deal!!! $1.00!!! I stocked up for summer pedicures...

www.eyeslipsface.com

Raspberry Jello Dessert/Salad...

This is one of those recipes that reminds of Christmas time with Chris' family...I just love it!!! Every now and then I crave it like crazy and so comes the time to make whether it's Christmas or not...I hope you like it. It's called a Salad but it's more like a Dessert...Yumm!!

Raspberry Jello Salad/Dessert

Make crust of:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
6 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Press down into 9x13 pan, reserving 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top.

Cream Cheese layer:
1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 pint cold whipping cream

Mix softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until there are no more lumps. Add whipping cream and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Put half of this mixture over crust. Reserve other half. Refrigerate.

Jello Layer:
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 6 oz. package raspberry jello
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 packages frozen raspberries

Pour boiling water over jello in bowl, add lemon juice and stir until dissolved. Add raspberries. Put jello in fridge for about 20 minutes and then pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm.

Pour other half of cream cheese mixture over jello and then sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Let the whole thing set up in fridge and ENJOY!!!!

Eye See You...

Kinda CREEPY right?

Look, I have other kids to take pictures of...

She loves slurpees...

She REALLY loves slurpees...and how cute is this picture?

Everything but the kitchen sink cookies...

This recipe was sort of result of a couple of recipes put together...they are really good though...and, I think you should try them! They are super simple and the best part is...my kids won't eat them because of the cranberries...More for Chris and I!!!


Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies...Whew!


1 c. butter
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 c. oats
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 bag Moana Loa Premier White Chips with Macadamia Nut pieces
1 c. sweetened dried cranberries


Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add rest of ingredients and scoop out with the Medium pampered chef scoop on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. YUM!

Mama called the Dr. and the Dr. said...

So I called the Dr. yesterday and he called me back at around 7:00pm...he's so cool! I love that he always calls me back...anyways, we talked about things and what is going on and he suggested MELATONIN too...he says it's perfectly safe and very effective...Who Knew? I have always loved melatonin so I had some on hand but didn't know I could give it to my kids...DuH? I only had the 3mg ones and he said it would be fine...YAY! So we gave her one last night and I let her read the label that specifically says...REDUCES STRESS AND HELPS AID WITH SLEEP!!! She was out like a light in 20 minutes...

He also suggested that we take Jenner out of her room for awhile to see how that works...for now I am sticking with the Melatonin because setting up that crib is a BEAST!!!

And HEATHER...I will gladly buy your lunch cuz You Never Eat Anything...no wonder you're so SKINNY!!!!!!! Hahaha

Shoes, and I need some Advice...

So my cute little Jenner is such a fashionista...she especially loves shoes. This is common for toddlers but she is unusually obsessed...like when she threw a FIT because she wanted to wear her black patent leather shoes (Yeah, the Christmas kind)...in 80 degree weather...with shorts and a t-shirt...much to my shagrin...and I gave in and let her do it! Or take last night for example...she again threw a FIT because she wanted to wear her sandals to bed...and we let her...she has now had them on for over 24 hours...crazy kid! She will even find her shoes that are too small and wear them...even when you can tell they hurt her when she walks...what do I do...LAUGH I guess!!!

Now for the advice...If you know my Taylor than you know that we have had some issues with her...she has a little anxiety and she can't communicate her emotions very well. This has resulted in her not being able to go to sleep and when she does...she sometimes sleep walks. We have tried some herbal supplements for the sleep thing like Calm's Forte for kids and sometimes Benedryl. Basically it's all in her head and she wants to take a pill to make her sleep. I think she's too little to be taking pills but when it's 11:00pm at night and she still isn't asleep...what do you do? This issue has become quite a big deal around here...she is grounded for the whole day today because of it...and I made her do extra chores around the house...in hopes of her deciding that it's not worth it and to just go to sleep...When she walks out of her room 3-5 times a night whining that she can't go to sleep, it completely infuriates me...she usually gives herself 15-20 minutes to fall asleep and then bawls because she can't...we think she isn't giving it enough time. We have even talked to her on numerous occasions about it and given her ideas and such but, it's still going on and I am literally at the end of my rope...Anyone want a 10 year old girl? Anyways...if you have any advice, ideas or a fresh outlook on this...PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Cravings and a Recipe...

My raging pregnancy hormones have me in quite a frenzy lately...not only do I CRY all of the time...over totally lame things...even while laughing...I am really craving a lot of foods too!!! With my other babies I would crave a few things here and there but with this one...I have a multitude of cravings...maybe she'll have some hair when she is born...

Such cravings include:

Broccoli - steamed with salt...I could have it with every dinner
Cheeseburgers - not those wimpy McD's ones but the ones loaded with fry sauce, pickles and lettuce...yummm!!!

Also, I hate to cook when I am pregnant...totally HATE it...I would rather the kids just eat cereal while I go and get a cheeseburger...everynight...and with every baby, I have always loved sandwiches...

Scones - I have been really craving these lately and I found a great recipe online...it follows. Fun fact about scones...most of the recipes I researched online all came back to roots in UTAH...must be a mormon thing!




German Fried Scones...

2 packages dry yeast (roughly 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup warm-hot water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water and then add 1 Tbsp. sugar. Pour boiling water over other 1/2 cup sugar, butter and salt. Mix well...add eggs. Add yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour, mix well. Add rest of flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Fry in hot oil. Can be refrigerated overnight.

Honey Butter

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2-3/4 cup honey

2-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Mix together and serve with scones.

Southwestern Chicken Egg Rolls...

Southwestern Chicken Egg Rolls...

6 chicken tenders, cooked and diced

1/2 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can black beans

1/2 can corn

Chicken taco seasoning (enough for taste)

Mix all together and place filling into uncooked tortillas with a little cheese and roll up egg roll style...seal with a little water. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Enjoy with your favorite Cilantro Ranch Dressing...either from Cafe Rio, Bajio's or Costa Vida. I have added 1 avacado to 1 cup dressing and blended it up and it's delicious!

Ultrasound Pictures...

I finally was able to scan in my ultrasound pictures from May 1st...it's definately a girl!!!

Welcome to the NutHouse...

It's official...Chris and I have lost our minds...We let the kids buy a Hampster tonight...but, not without consulting Grady's Dr. first about his allergies...apparently he's okay to have a hampster...Here she is...her name is Louise!

We'll see how the next couple of months go...

Jenner has gotten quite fond of otter pops lately...she can even handle it all by herself~

Allergy Testing...

We went to an allergy specialist today to test Grady...this is what happened. They tested him for 20 different things (one being the control test) and he was allergic to 17 of them. When the nurse came in to check on him, her only reaction was "WOW"...and the Doctor said the same thing...he is very allergic to alot of things...poor kid! We have another appointment set up for tomorrow to discuss treatment...I'm pretty sure we're headed for weekly shots...poor kid again!

Happy Freakin Mother's Day!!!

Happy Freakin Mother's Day to me...my day started at about 6:00 AM to the ever so beautiful sounds of Chris puking his guts out (among other things) and this has continued on for the entire day! I know, I know...you're thinking...WOW, what an amazing woman I am to not complain or be upset about my DAY being ruined...well...I am amazing and I will not complain at all...well maybe just a little...cleaning up after someone else's bodily functions have erupted isn't as fun as it sounds...just ask me!

I was however, able to get some cute video of Jenner singing to me...I like to think she was dedicating her entire song to what a wonderful mom I am...cuz I am!

Anyhoo...Happy Freakin Mother's Day to you too!!!

Pics...

Some Easter pictures that I shamelessly stole from Jodi's facebook page...she's so nice!!!

Big Belly

A couple of you out there have asked me to show my preggo belly...and as reluctant and as shy as I am...I will still fulfill your dreams of seeing the most perfect preggo belly ever...remember, I am no little girl and so this picture might be a bit much for you faint at heart...but I will tell you that I am so flattered that so very few of you wanted to see...thanks, it was a real boost to my ego...not that I really needed it but still...brace yourself...










I never realized how hairy I was until we took this picture...and mind you, the hair covers up my boo boo's!!!

Why? and a Pot Roast to DINE for!!!

Why is it that whenever I am asked to do a favor for someone something CRAZY happens...take last night for example...our cute neighbors Dave and Michelle just had their cute little squishy baby girl and asked if I could help them out with their older son Sammy...Sure I could...I can definately do THAT...right??? Well Lo and Behold this morning when Jenner woke up (in my bed) she had this weird crusty reddish orange-ish crap all over her...hmmmmm...I wonder if she threw up and I didn't even know it!!! Nothing in my bed....hmmmmm....so I head on over to her crib in Taylor's room and I see nothing....until I pull up the blankets and there is SPEWWWWWW all over the place...really? I pull up all of her bedding (including bumper pads) and then I give the call of shame to Dave....um Dave? My baby threw up and I can't help you this morning....SORRY? I feel sooooo bad!!! Thanks to my other neighbor Hollie for saving the day and taking Sammy this morning....again SORRY!!!


So the moral of this story is...why do these things always seem to happen when I am trying to help someone out...or go visiting teaching...or be visit taught...things like this happen all the time and I tell ya, I have yet to figure it out!


On to the POT ROAST TO DINE FOR!!!


My genious brother in law, Brandon, is a wiz in the kitchen and his recipe for Pot Roast is soooo good...I suggest you try it this Sunday!!!


1. Rub Pot Roast all over with Lowry's seasoning salt
2. Place roast in slow cooker
3. Pour 1 can of either beef broth or chicken broth into cooker
4. Sprinkle 1 packet beefy onion soup into broth and whisk until blended
5. Cover and cook on LOW for about 12-18 hours...put in the night before


To make mashed potatoes taste Oh so Heavenly...add some butter, sour cream, s&p, and my secret ingredient...Parmesan Cheese...gets em' beggin for more!!!


And to make the EASIEST gravy ever...use the drippings from the meat and add some Cream of Chicken soup to it...warm on stove...YUM!!!


I know what I am having for dinner SOON!!!

What's in a name?

Now that we know we are having a GIRL (and we are VERY excited) the first thing out of everybody's mouth is...."What are you naming her?" My response is..."How should I know?"

A name is sooooo important and I feel like it is one of the hardest things to do...I mean, this little girl will have her name forever and she has to like it...it's really hard to decide these things. With Jenner...the kids started calling her Jenner before we knew she was a girl and just like that...a name was born...Chris picked Taylor's name...I picked Rhett's (my parents almost named my older brother Rhett and I have always liked it)...and I picked Grady's name when I was about 6 months pregnant...only to have Chris say "That is the stupidest name I have ever heard"...and then proceeded to pick it out of a book on our last day in the hospital! MEN?!?

A few names that we have liked in the past are...Millie (after my grandma), Avery, Afton and I really can't think of anymore...

My question to you is...What would name MY baby?

Pink or Blue?????

Well...Everything on the Ultrasound looks Perfect!!!

If you are still wondering...36% of you were right...we are in the PINK!!!