A few more of my nieces and nephews...

I am still editing this session and I am thrilled with the photos...

these kids are adorable...

Soul Searching...

I have been doing a ton of soul searching lately...

well maybe not a ton...

like not for very long either...

maybe just a few minutes...

Okay...

who am I kidding...

I never soul search!

unless soul searching involves internet searches...

cuz I do that a ton...

we had an interesting weekend...

one that involved buying a table that we weren't planning on buying...

bringing the table home and falling completely madly in love with it...

and realizing that in it's 9 foot grandeur...

it was too BIG!

so we took it back last night...

I am sad...

I am mad...

mad because I wasn't really in the market for a table and we bought one anyways...

sad because I really really loved the table we bought and sad because we had to return it...

but it's okay...

the story gets better...

because whilst I was in my soul internet searches lately...

I found this little beauty from the PW herself...

well actually, I saw it on her show Sat. and was smitten at first glance...

I have decided I want this exact table...

but with trestle legs...

but exactly like it in every other way!

My soul has spoken!

and I am listening...

Ummmm....HELLO?

How genius are these little gems!?!

I found this recipe over at PW's Tasty Recipes blog...

I was so excited to try them...

and they totally delivered!

Homemade Butterfingers:

16 oz candy corn

16 oz peanut butter

Melting chocolate (your favorite kind...but not choc. chips)

Melt candy corn in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, making sure to stir at each interval.  When they are totally melted, add peanut butter.  Note:  I had to mix mine up with my hand mixer because it was so thick and sticky.  Put mixture into a wax paper lined 8X8 pan.  Place in freezer until set.  Cut into bite sized bars and dip into melted chocolate using a fork to scrape off excess.  

Personally...the dipping part was tricky but not as bad as I was expecting.  They might not be pretty but they are sure tasty!  The texture is almost spot on like real butterfingers and I was so shocked by this...I mean really...candy corns and peanut butter?!?...Who Knew!?

It will make quite a few bars...which is good cuz it's Taylor's favorite candy bar!

Little Letters...

Dear windows...please just clean yourself.  You are driving me mad and I just bought some expensive cleaner stuff that hooks to my hose and it promised me it would clean but you are still so dirty...ugh!

Dear husband...you are amazing at everything you do.  Like with the basement stuff...you astound me with your talents and abilities to figure stuff out!  The basement is looking so great and I am excited for the finishing product!

Dear kids...again with the picky eating crap...you are terrible!  I wish you would just eat what I fix without whining and crying about it every single night!

Dear clutter...WHOOOOOOSH!!!!  (are you gone?)

Dear hospital...Hire me!

Dear pre-algebra...you are hard and even I don't understand you anymore...Taylor hates you and so do I!

Dear Amanda...thank you for being Taylor's tutor for pre-algebra...you have saved me!

Dear Grady...quit with the getting out of bed when you should be reading like a zillion times every single night!  You are driving me MAD!  Just read!  okay?

Dear Fall...you couldn't come soon enough!  I love you and I love your colors and I especially love the beautiful photo shoots you give me!

Dear feet...quit hurting all the time...I need you to cooperate with me and stop making me limp - slash - hobble all the time!

Dear fellow bloggers...thank you for always updating your blogs and keeping me in the loop...I seriously love reading all of you and I have learned things from each and every one of you!!!  So...Thank you!!!

Mini session with my nieces and nephews!

 I had the most beautiful mini session with these guys over the weekend and it was so fun! 

Aren't they adorable!

 This just makes me smile!

Guilty Pleasure Weekend Edition...

I like weekends...

I like snuggling in bed all morning...

I like hanging with my hubby...

I like baking all kinds of treats...

today it was granola bars and sugar cookies...

tomorrow I'm not sure what to bake...

 I like having a pizza night, it's easy...

I like grilled cheese sammies on Saturdays...

I like the outdoor activities the kids play for hours...

and they get to hang with their pals all day...

I like the laziness...

I like finding old movies to watch on tv...

old as in the 80's not old as in older than that...

older than that movies are annoying...

I like fight nights on Spike...

can't wait to watch Court when the game is over...

I dvr'd him...

and I know people who know him so I sorta know him...

he's one of my crushes...

him and Rob Thomas...

and Eminem...

and let's not forget Channing Tatum...

man I have a lot of crushes...

I like getting together with family...

I like seeing all the cousins playing together...

I like doing photoshoots in the evenings...

it's one of my faves...

the evening light is so beautiful...

I like having a traditional Sunday dinner...

like with pot roast and mashers...

I just like weekends...

all around...

Anniversary!

It's been 14 years!

14 YEARS people!

That's a LOOOOONG time!

And I feel obliged to give you a run-down of our 14 years together...

year...1 - Fell madly in love and got married

2 - Bought 1st home and had a baby

3 - Started a business and worked 2 jobs (Amy)

4 - Sold 1st home, moved in with family, bought 2nd home, moved and had another baby (the last two on same day)

5 - Started a new job (Chris)

6 - Had another baby

7 - Started a new job (Chris)

8 - Thought seriously about moving and put house up for sale at the end of the year

9 - Sold 2nd home, moved in with family, built 3rd home and moved

10 - All three older kids are in school and I have yet another baby

11 - Nothing much but still in love (awwwww)

12 - Had ANOTHER baby

13 - Nothing much

14 - 14 years and still going strong!

See...

isn't it super exciting to 'look' into our lives...

hahahaha...

We are now in that stage of life where there will be no more babies and hopefully no more moving (at least for a long time.)

Cheers to 14!

And in case 'he' is reading...

I am expecting something HUGE for our 15!!!

Like with DIAMONDS and AIRPLANE rides and BEACHES!

Fruit Leather...

I am seriously wondering where I have been all these years...I mean this stuff is soooooo good and sooooo easy to make!  I am beyond excited to whip up a ton of these for my kiddos and I am even more excited for the endless possibilities of flavors!  This one is Raspberry and next up is...Caramel Apple....I mean, can you imagine...an apple layer and a caramel layer on top...rolled up...delicious goodness all in one!

Homemade Fruit Leather:

48 - 64 oz applesauce

1 small box jello - any flavor

Puree the heck out of this either in your food processor or blender.  Pour out on a plastic wrap lined baking sheet (line the plastic wrap as close to edges as possible, avoid folding over the sheet...it won't melt because we are just drying out the fruit).  Spread the mixture all the way to the edges making it as even as possible.  I may look too thick but remember it is going to be drying in your oven and it will sort of shrink when the moisture evaporates.  Bake for 6-8 hours in a 170 degree oven until no longer tacky in the middle.  After it has cooled, separate from plastic wrap and put onto wax paper to cut and roll.  Store in airtight container.

Yum!

If the Caramel Apple works to my liking...I will totally be blogging about them!

The Bash of all Birthdays...

Two little girlies in this household had a Birthday last month...

one is 2 and one is 4...

crazy...

we had the Bash of all Birthdays for both of them and it was a Smashing Success if I do say so myself...

and so I present you a bum-load of pictures!

Brogan at 9 months...

I haven't had any photo shoots for awhile...

and I blame it on Summer...

Summer is just not the time for family picture taking...

I am hoping I get REAL busy come Fall though...

crossing my fingers...

in the mean time...

I took some pics for my sis of her cute babe...

he is so stinkin adorable in these and I am hopin she likey!



This one is my fave!



Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookie...

I love me a good Sugar cookie...

I like em' bakery style or frosted...

but I especially liked these!

I've never had a Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookie but I am told that these are quite similar...

in fact...

I don't feel the need to compare because these are so Delish!

photo courtesy of flickr

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookie:

2 cups shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 1/3 cups cake flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees...grease cookie pans.

Cream together shortening and sugars for 30 seconds, scrape down sides and mix again for a minimum of 3 minutes.  Slowly add vanilla and egg while mixing.  Add soda, powder and salt, mix until combined.  Add flour and mix only until combined...do not over mix!  (Note:  this recipe calls specifically for cake flour and I don't recommend using anything different...I once even tried to make my own substitution and they did not work out.)

Use the large pampered chef scoop to form dough balls.  Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and dip the tops of the dough balls into sugar (I used that big chunky sparkly kind and it was so pretty.)  Place onto the cookie sheets, six to a sheet.  Bake for 9-10 minutes, cracks will appear on the cookie and the edges should not brown.  (Note:  the cookies will not appear to be done in the middle but they continue to set up on the sheets after baking, and the less time to bake the better.)

These are the BOMB and in my professional opinion they are even better the next day!

Boogie Wipes...

This is a non paid product review...

I feel so strongly about these that I just had to share...

and really...

do you think anybody would actually pay me for a review...

hahaha...

These things are freakin' genius!

we have a little song and dance we do when a boogie needs a wipin'...

and the little girls come a runnin'...

what kid do you know that is actually okay with getting their nose wiped?

because of these little gems...

I got two of em'...

and maybe sometimes I use them too!

Bread Machine Mall Pretzels...

Doesn't that look DIVINE!!!

I am telling you...

these are amazing and soooo easy to make!

Mall Pretzels...

1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cups flour (I used bread flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

Wash
1 cup water, mixed with
1 tablespoon baking soda

melted butter
   

Put ingredients into your bread maker and set on the dough cycle.  Let it do it's thang!

Pull the dough out and divide into 16 equal parts.  Roll each piece out into a rope about 16 inches long.  At this point you can either shape your pretzel or keep in a rope shape to make pretzel bites.  Dip into the wash and place on a greased cookie sheet.  If making bites, cut rope into little bite sized pieces with scissors and spread them out a bit.

Let the pretzels rise for 15 minutes.  While they are rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Brush pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with the topping of your choice.

I discovered how to make the 'powdery' cinnamon sugar and parmesan cheese like they have at the pretzel stores in the mall...just blend the tar out of em to get em all 'powdery' and good.  I have a ninja type blender that works wonders!

I found this recipe over at CDKitchen...Love it!

Dear Blogger...

I am not liking you right now!
I can't get any answers as to why my photos are missing and why my updates are slow...
And why do I have to buy more storage for my photos that you have placed in a Picasa album without ever telling me about this album?
I thought you were free!

Is any one else besides me having issues with blogs...
My updates on my blog lists are not showing, like when a blog has a new post, my blog is not communicating that to itself (does that make sense)...
some of MY pictures have been deleted (see bear lake post)...
and some of the pictures on other people's blogs have been deleted...
It seems really weird to me...

Back to School...

So apparently my boys are getting too old for their dear ol' mom to go to the first day of school with them...

and their dear ol' mom couldn't be more okay with it!

Is that weird?

Taylor doesn't start until next Monday and she is oober excited for Jr. High...

she is trying out for the volleyball team this Friday and I couldn't be more ecstatic for her...

crossing my fingers that she does well!

And since I wasn't allowed to take ANY pictures today...

I give you this!

cuz it's funny!

Quick Trip to Bear Lake...

We were fortunate enough to receive a last minute invite to Bear Lake on Friday...

without much hesitation we packed up our junk and headed up to paradise...

I wanna live there...

like for reals...

it's so beautiful up there and we haven't been in like nine years so we were way overdue for a visit...

It was fabulous...

and now I will indulge you with a few photos...

Giant 28 inch pizza for dinner...

Snuggle time with Aunt Sherri...

This is the look I get all the time...

I love campfire...

  

 

The end!

Our Ah-Mazing host's!

Thank you Jodi and Sherri for an awesome time!!!

Birthday Girls...

I came across these two little girls browsing the internet for their birthday present picks...

since when did kids get so computer savvy...

Oh...

and get this...

Jenner asked me if she could play Toy Story online today...

Whahhh!??!???