Potato Soup

Quick & Easy Potato Soup
Recipe shared from K. Reaser

Ingredients:
8 C chicken broth (2 large boxed cartons)
8 C potatoes (2 pkgs frozen cubes potatoes)
3/4 tsp seasoning salt
3/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic (I use the refrigerated variety)
9 slices bacon (I use precooked) cut into small pieces
8 oz cream cheese, cut into chunks

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender. Smash potatoes several times to release the starch for thickening. If you like it chunky, smash less - if you like it smooth, smash more.
Reduce heat to low, add cream cheese.
Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts
Serve & enjoy

Embrace the Camera: January 3, 2013

I'm Embracing the Camera today with the hubs 

Photo taken at the 2nd annual New Year's Eve party hosted by the Hoods here in our n'hood

Eight is Gr8!

Happy 2013 peanut! Today is your 8th birthday. I know it is so cliche to say it, but really, time has flown by! I will never, never forget the joy and excitement we felt when we learned we were expecting you. It is the same joy I feel each year on your birthday as I reflect back on the blessing that you are to us.

Your Daddy and I recently stumbled upon a little video clip of you from November 2008. We watched it half a dozen times smiling, laughing, tearing up (me). It really caused me to reflect on the magnitude of my love for you and put me in a sentimental mood all day. Life isn't always a bowl of cherries between you and I. I struggle. We struggle together to love each other the way God wants us to. You are a mini me, plain and simple. I look at you and I see me. This is both good and horribly bad. You see, Mommy is flawed. I am very impatient, I have exceptionally high expectations, and I am somewhat of a perfectionist. I am highly emotional and oh so tenderhearted. Guess what? You are these things too. From a very young age you were advanced - an advanced talker, early to potty train, you were writing at a very young age, you picked up reading easily, etc. Mema says it best when she says that I need to remember that you are just a little girl. I push you and sometimes that can mean too far. We butt heads a lot. At times we have difficulty keeping our mouths shut and our emotions in check with one another. My way of showing you that all I want is the very best for you and from you has often come in the form of authoritative parenting. For this I am sorry. Mommy is doing a lot of heart change and am relearning how to love you fully. I thank God daily for you and am committed to pray on a more regular basis for you and for our relationship. I want for you to always feel like I love you best {just as I love Dawson best and McKenna too}! That's allowed you know? :)

Your current loves right now are: looooong hot showers; playing your DS/iPad/games on the computer;  you've taken a greater interest in music and photography and are always, always up for crafting and creating; you enjoy prettying yourself up with lip gloss, eyeshadow & blush and most recently wearing your Tommy Girl perfume that Terry & Barb got you for Christmas; but your favorite thing still remains having quality time with your bestie - Mema. She is an expert at filling up your love tank.

Gabi,  I am in awe of your beauty and your strengths.

May this year find me learning to love you even more! 

I love you much,

Mommy

A Cold Crafternoon

After a blistering cold morning of playing in the snow I planned a few quick, simple crafts with the kids while McKenna napped.

We started by printing this cute reindeer template my friend posted on her blog onto card stock, then added modge podge with a fine tip paintbrush before adding a generous amount of gold or bronze glitter. 

Please let me know if you'd like the template as I'm happy to share it with you or send you to the original link.

The kids then glued red and white pom poms onto card stock candy cane forms. We also added fun washi tape stripes onto more candy canes, punched a hole, added ribbon and had a couple fun new kid friendly, mom approved tree ornaments. We ended our crafternoon by making coffee filter snowflakes. All super cheap and fool proof crafts that kept the kids busy for a couple of hours.

I found it cute that both kids gravitated away from the table momentarily only to return with her respective holiday hats on.

The First Snowfall of Winter

The first day of winter break brought with it our first winter snow "storm." The kids went to bed in anticipation of the snowfall and woke up early {ier than the normal time} to a white covered ground. They were beside themselves with excitement ready to dart outdoors to romp around in it. I had to suppress their excitement for several hours because the winds had been blowing at up to 50mph. Late morning they bundled up in last years whatever snow gear they could gather in a moments time and headed out back.

It was pure bliss for them! They lasted much longer than I would have out in the cold. We only had one episode of crying too (which is monumental at times) when Dawson came in briefly because his hands were freezing. Poor little dude didn't have any snow gloves that fit. GG fixed that problem by picking him up a new pair while out at WalMart.

I enticed them indoors after quite some time with some marshmallow filled hot cocoa. It was baby girl's 1st cup of ho cho and it is safe to say she LOVED it. 

Prec' or what?

It's the Little Things

Gabrielle is a doodler, a drawer and aspiring author so it was fitting that she received a new little journal and fun pen in her stocking from Papa & Mema. She brought it on our recent trip to Springfield to keep her busy during the drive. I found these little gems as I was cleaning out the van.

It's truly the little things like this that can rekindle a love for my kids when all chaos is ensuing with the break from school, schedules and regular sleep patterns. 

Santa's Wonderland

Christmas isn't Christmas without our annual visit to Santa's Wonderland. We paid a visit to the Springfield Bass Pro Shops on Saturday. The kids got to make an adorable button Santa ornament (I may have made one myself, they were so cute) while Daddy waited in line for our turn.

I was so impressed because Santa was SO, SO wonderful with the kids. As you can see in the above photo, McKenna wasn't having any part of sitting on his lap. It was more Stranger Danger than Jolly Old Saint Nick for her. She quickly squirmed her way out of his arms and into her Daddy's. Santa then encouraged me to snap a couple of photos with he and the older two. As we gathered the kids to part ways, he pulled Travis over and positioned the kids with us in the photo then proceeded to take more time asking the kids their wish list. I thanked him and told him he had just earned Best Santa Ever rights in my book.

Merry Christmas Eve to all! 

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
Last years Santa post and equally hilarious photo here.