what's going on here

it has been a while since i posted last, so let me update y'all on what's been going on around here...

my last post was filled with meals that i made from Pinterest.  well, i'm keeping up with making more Pinterest found meals.  i'm going to share just one with you today.  this is an extremely easy and oh-so-good recipe that my kids really like and my husband loved.  it also helps that it's served over white rice, which is a comfort food for my husband who grew up on rice.  so yes, i will be making this one again.  and it might just find itself being made quite often right now because our oldest, Tanner is playing baseball this season.  if you aren't into baseball at your house, it means three times a week that we are out of the house for baseball, two of which we get home right at dinner time.  so, my crock pot has been going quite a lot lately.  i'm so very thankful for that thing, really i am!  if you don't have one, please go get one, they are a lifesaver sometimes, really they are!

here is what i made: Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Broccoli Over Rice.  let me just say that i know the photo that goes along with this recipe isn't all that appealing, but i promise the recipe is a good one!

as i mentioned above, Tanner is playing baseball.  this sport really keeps me busy during the week, but our son loves it and we are so happy to see him enjoying something that he loves.  i will definitely post pictures after the season starts!

over the weekend my wonderful husband took the older three kids on a one-night camping trip to the high desert with a few friends.  can i just say that he is the best?!  the kids loved it.  dirt, rocks...what could be better?!  while they were gone i had my "kick-off" party here at my house for the new little hobby that i am doing.  if you don't know what i am talking about and you are interested in finding out, please ask!  a few dear friends and my mom showed up, i am so thankful for them!

and then here we are and it's already thursday!  i missed real life wednesday, again...such is life i guess, sorry about that!  one real life moment from today though...i made a second pot of coffee today, sometimes you just need to!

one more thing that i would like to share is a link to a blog that i really do enjoy following, finding joy.  today's post is a good one to read as a parent, not just to try and instill these things in my children, but really for myself as well.  if you read it i hope that it is a blessing to you!

i will end with a picture of my beautiful daughter that i took this morning.  oh how i am blessed to be here momma!

not just pinned...

actually made!

I've been on Pinterest for a while now, but have recently started pinning more frequently.  I find that I pin a lot of food recipes, both meals and desserts.  Well, this past week I decided to actually make some of the recipes that I pinned.

Here are links to the ones that I made:

Dinners:

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce:
I made this one for my moms birthday dinner.  Everyone liked the recipe, even the kids.  This is definitely a more filling type of enchilada, the sauce is very creamy.  A nice twist to traditional enchiladas.
http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/09/chicken-and-avocado-enchiladas-in.html

Spaghettini with Spinach, Garlic and Lemon:
This was my favorite recipe out of the new dinner ones that I made.  My husband liked it a lot as well.  I served it with some baked chicken tenders and a salad.  This would be great in the summertime with barbecued chicken!  I will definitely be making this one again.
http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2011/06/spaghettini-with-spinach-garlic-and.html

Crock Pot Chicken Terriyaki:
There wasn't really a link for this recipe, it was really easy and just right there under the picture on Pinterest.  I actually used cubed pork loin for this.  It turned out okay.  Sometimes I don't like what my crock pot does to sauces, it really thins them out.  So before I served this one I took all the sauce and put it in a sauce pan, warmed it up and added cornstarch to thicken it up.  I'm not sure if I will make this one again.
Recipe: 1lb chicken (sliced, cubed or however), 1c chicken broth, 1/2c terriyaki or soy sauce, 1/3c brown sugar, 3minced garlic cloves

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese:
This is definitely a kid-friendly meal!  The whole family liked this one.  And it was super easy to make.
http://whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com/2010/08/magazinecookbook-monday-slow-baked-mac.html

Desserts:

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
This recipe looked great online.  It didn't live up to my expectations, but a part of that might be because I just made plain frosting.  I might try it again sometime with the frosting that it calls for.  The baby loved this one though!  And it doesn't hurt that it has carrots and zucchini in it!
http://realmomkitchen.com/7878/carrot-and-zucchini-bars-with-lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/


These next three recipes I made for Averie's birthday party.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream:
These cupcakes turned out extremely moist, so moist that my husband actually thought they were undercooked until I told him that there were fresh strawberries mixed into the batter.  I just made a plain buttercream frosting for these, but I am sure that if you made them with the Strawberry Buttercream they would be even better.  I would definitely recommend them!  I also had one of my cousins ask me for the recipe after the party.
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/strawberry-cupcakes-recipe/

Raspberry Lemon Bars:
The picture for this recipe looks just plain amazing!  These little bars did not disappoint!  I would recommend them to anyone who loves raspberries and a little tartness.  These would be great for a summer get-together!
http://theimprovkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/some-foods-just-go-together.html

Caramel Pretzel Brownies:
Like so many of the others, the picture made these looks amazing.  Well, I didn't end up making them from scratch and used a box of brownie mix instead to help save some time.  That might have been my mistake.  They did not at all live up to my expectations, but I would definitely try to make them again and follow the recipe!
http://foodologie.com/2011/11/19/caramel-pretzel-brownies/


If you are like me, you can search on Pinterest or online and see so many recipes that look great, but you just never know if they really are great.  I hope that this post gives you a few new meal or dessert ideas!  And if have a recipe that you just love, please share!

real life wednesday

here we are, another wednesday is upon us.  well, actually it's almost done with here in this corner of the world.

here are my real life wednesday topics today:

it was a big day in our house today, and i really do mean big, as in bbbbiiiigggg!  our three year old has been the hardest one to potty train so far, but today we had a break through...she finally went number two on the potty!  i was so excited, i really started to think that this day wasn't going to come!  yippee!!  now here's to hoping and praying that she keeps it up for good!

our oldest son had his first baseball practice of the season today, exciting stuff!  i found myself there at the field with all the kids, trying to watch Tanner practice with his team, keeping an eye on Jason and Laine as they ran around and played, and held Averie most of the time because it was cold out.  as i looked around i noticed that most of the parents had only their one child who was practicing or maybe one other child with them, and they were able to keep their attention on their child practicing, while my mind and eyes were going wild trying to keep up with everything that was going on with my bunch.  it's times like those that i tend to feel a little out of place, like the odd duck, because lets face it, who has four children these days?!  even though i know many families with four children, i often find myself in situations where i feel like we stand out like a sore thumb.  the kids all did great though (thankfully) and everyone had a great time.  Tanner is on the Tigers...go Tigers!  also, many dads were there...how does that happen at 4:30 in the afternoon on a wednesday?!  i know not everyone has my husbands work schedule, but i am often baffled at the amount of dads who can make afternoon practices.  with all of that said, i'm glad Tanner is back in baseball this year after playing for a couple years.  he really does love it and he is also good at it.  i can't wait to see how much he grows in the sport this season!

i'm trying some new recipes this week, all from Pinterest!  i kept pinning all of these pins and not doing anything with them, so I decided I'd at least start with the foods ones since we have to eat anyways.  For dinner I made crockpot mac n cheese, then after everyone went to bed i made carrot and zucchini bars, yum!  both turned out pretty good and i would recommend the recipe!

well, it is late and i am tired.  hoping your wednesday was a good one!

real life wednesday

things have been going pretty routine around here.  how about you?  is your wednesday going normal, routine?

we are potty training around here this week, round number two for our sweet Laine.  you'd think that since we're on our third run of potty-training that we'd be pros by now, but in reality i have come to dislike potty-training more and more with each child.  i'm secretly hoping that kiddo number four will just magically teach herself how to use the toilet.  ya, i know that isn't really going to happen...but a momma can wish, right?

well, when Laine was on the potty this morning her hair barrette of course came out of her hair and fell into the toilet, yuck!  i might have been more inclined to just flush the thing down the toilet, but it used to be one of my barrettes when i was a child.  so, i ended up sticking my hand down in there and getting it.  really it sounds worse than it really was, if anything, Laine only tinkled in the toilet a tiny bit...could have been much worse.

the boys had a minimum day at school today.  so i decided to surprise the kids with an impromtu trip to the park.  i loved hearing their excitement when they found out what we were doing today. 

that's about it for this wednesday.  i enjoyed surprising the kids with a park trip.  now it's back to normal again...laundry, dinner, dishes, stories, bedtime, and getting ready to do it all over again.

happy wednesday to you!

another one bites the dust

as a kid, i don't think that this grows old, ever.  Tanner lost another tooth this morning, the excitement is the same with every lost tooth.

this is a short post, but i will be back tomorrow for real life wednesday for sure!

not a baby anymore

we are officially out of the baby stage at this point.  a part of me has been looking forward to this day, but then a huge part of me is already missing the baby stage, the tiny little person stage, the figuring it all out stage, the just-let-them-be-little stage.

our little Averie turned one yesterday.  a few tears fell from my eyes the night before her birthday as i went in to check on her before i went to bed.  i have a very huge sentimental side that likes to remember dates and my mind takes me back to those places and times.  as i brushed her face as she was sleeping there soundly in her crib i was taken back to the night of being in labor with her.  it was a cold january night, my water broke at 10:30ish like i had wanted it to (it took four pregnancies to experience that one), contractions were coming like crazy, my husband rushed me to the hospital.  i remember looking at the clock in our car on the way to the hospital and the time either read 11:04pm or 11:06pm, oh how i wish i could remember for sure.  the nurses and my doctor were great that night.  they got me in a room right away, prepped me for a c-section (this was my fourth, the only way i know birth), and at six minutes past midnight Averie was born, a small 4 pounds 10 ounces.  all of these thoughts rushed through my mind as i watched her sleep on the eve of her first birthday, the eve of the end of my baby-mothering years.

Averie had a fun birthday, not that she even knew it was milestone yesterday. 

this weekend we will celebrate this sweet girls first birthday with a few family members and some great friends. 

8 is great!

our oldest had a birthday over the weekend.  he has been waiting for this day for quite some time, it was pretty exciting to have a birthday on a saturday.  the day went somewhat like this:

his choice of breakfast, cream of wheat and english muffins
baseball tryouts with dad and brother
back home, playing in the yard (it was really warm here)
lunch
more playing outside and waiting for his friend to come over
friend got here, they played
we went out to a dinner of his choice, souplantation
back home for dessert (angry bird themed chocolate cake) and gifts
reading some of his new books (i really enjoyed his presents this year)
bedtime and friend spending the night!

oh the life!  Tanner really enjoyed his special day.  i can't believe he is already eight.  it feels like such a short time ago that we brought him home from the hospital, but at the same time it feels like we have been parents all along. 

happy 8th birthday to our intelligent, caring, handsome, fun, outgoing, strong, loud, crazy, lego-building-master, baseball-playing, fact-loving son!

 

 

ssmt #2

"Bear with each other and forgive another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you." -Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

this new memory verse seems fitting for right now, especially when i look back at my previous post.

that's it for now, short and sweet.  it's been a long day around here, time to rest.

sharing my heart

it seems that i have had this sentence stuck in my head all week.  i am finally going to just write it out and share a bit of my heart this week.

sometimes, disappointment runs deep.

there.  there it is. 

there are times when you feel disappointment.  then, there are times when it just feels that the disappointment just keeps coming, almost to the point of overwhelming.  can you relate, at all?

i will spare you dear reader on the details, especially because some of you actually know me.  here are a few things that i will share:  on top of the disappointment that seems to be bothering me in so many different ways, it seems that when i have tried to share with a few good friends that my words have gone completely unrecognized, unnoticed.  this makes me think that i for sure don't want to brush off someones words the next time that they try to share their heart with me.  if only i can be such a friend to live that out.

anyways, it feels like i just keep having the sentence disappointment runs deep going through my head over, and over again.  in sharing with my husband what i have been feeling he helped me to realize that i need to forgive those who have hurt me lately.  {insert loud sigh}  i've been all wrapped up in thinking about my disappointment that i have let it get to the point where i need to forgive, he is right.  as christians, we are called to forgive those who hurt us, over and over again, time and time again.  even if they don't realize they have hurt us, even if they never know what is going on in my heart. 

so, i choose to forgive.  and with that doesn't mean that I won't feel that pain of disappointment again, because i know i will, and probably sooner rather than later.  maybe i'm a little more sensitive than i thought, or maybe this mother-heart of mine is just recognizing it more, feeling more.

i pray for you dear reader to let things go.  to pray a prayer of forgiveness and really mean it.  to set yourself free and those who hurt you free of the disappointment that you may be holding in your heart today.

real life pictures for a {real life wednesday}

here i am, keeping up with my real life wednesday post!

so, Jason had a rough day at school.  i don't want to make excuses for his behavior, but a part of me wonders if his antibiotics had anything to do with it?  anyways, on the way home from school i asked him if he felt okay and he told me that he was tired.  well, i thought okay he should take a nap this afternoon.  after all, he has a double ear infection and possibly a sinus infection, i think extra rest is called for.  he proceeded to tell me that he wasn't in fact tired, he didn't need a nap, and all that other jazz that comes along with not wanting to rest for awhile.  well, wouldn't you know it...he's been napping for a solid hour so far without a single peep or noise coming from his room.  i just love those days when the children tell me they don't need something like say a nap, and then they go sleep for hours.  makes me know i'm doing something right as a mom, and that i can in fact read my children and i know their needs.  maybe makes up a little for those days when i wonder if i'm doing anything right.

with all of that said, our day was pretty routine around here and so is our afternoon.  our oldest son is working on his homework, i have three napping kiddos today instead of only two, and i hear the dryer going in the laundry room.

not much else to say today, mostly just pictures about our day...

morning bath time for Laine.  she loves the bath.  what kid doesn't?!

Little A tried blueberries for the first time today and it was such a joy to watch her experiment with something new to her world.  i ran to get my camera because it was just too much to not take some pictures of.  i ended up having so many good shots that i just put them into a collage instead of flooding this post with huge pictures.

after trying multiple blueberries i can't really say either way if she liked them.  i have a feeling she liked the sweet ones.  then you know as you eat blueberries sometimes you get some that are tart, i'm thinking she might have had a few of those and that's way she was making some funny faces as well.

here is Averie's episode with blueberries.

the girls and i also spent some fun time in the bathroom as i was doing Laine's hair for the day. Averie was being silly as she sat on the stool.

i'd love to hear about your wednesday.  was it normal, routine, or was it a day of being flexible and just going with it?  leave me a comment and let me know!