A Christmas card of sorts



Make a Smilebox scrapbook

O Christmas Card, O Christmas Card

Getting a good picture of both the boys is never easy. My attempts at a Christmas card for this year were no exception.



Not to bad, but a little cheesy. It only goes downhill from here...



It now looks like someone is going to need their diaper changed...hmmm, aren't we supposed to be taking pictures?



I'm not sure if this is a cough, yell, or what. He usually is the good one when it comes to having pictures taken!









And really, this isn't what it looks like. Will was sneezing and Jackson was being helpful, but it sure looks like we have a mutiny on our hands! Better luck next time I guess.

Bon Apetit

Deciding what to make for dinner is not one of my favorite parts of the day. About this time of the year the novelty of the pasta dishes and baked things we don't really eat in the summer wears off and I'm left pining for the grill and feeling like I make the same 4 or 5 meals over and over again. If I was really organized I'd make a menu for the week (or 2 weeks, imagine that) and just get all the annoyance over with at one time. This would also make for less trips to the grocery store. Going to the store with kids ranks right up there with deciding what to make for dinner and cleaning toilets. Ok, it's not that bad, but we always have at least one meltdown at the grocery store. Someone I hardly know bore witness to one of these works of art and actually sent me a card in the mail reminding me that God's blessings often come in ways we don't expect it. She was commending me on being a good mother (I must not have lost my temper during this particular meltdown) and saying what a blessing our children are, even when they have fits. So true and she was very sweet but I couldn't help being just a little embarrassed!
Ok, where is all this going? I found a recipe online and it was a hit for dinner, minimal ingredients, and it took about 2o minutes. Even better, the kids loved it. Even the picky one! That is one of God's small blessings right there. I thought I would share the recipe with you and help you to avoid the dreaded question of what to make for dinner.

Tuscan Chicken Simmer
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pesto
2 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Italian cheese blend

Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover skillet with lid. Cook 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium. Add cream cheese, water, pesto and tomatoes to skillet. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occassionally.

Return chicken to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until chicken is coated and heated through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Very yummy! We had long grain rice and broccoli with it, but this would be excellent over pasta too. Happy eating!

Crazy kids

Kids are so goofy...ours are no exception. The things they say and do never cease to amaze me.

Goof #1- "Mommy? Do you have God's number? I need to call him." I'm beyond curious as to where this conversation is going to go so I ask him what he needs to say to God. "I need to ask him a question." Ok, what are you going to ask him. "Where's your house? Is it near the North Pole? Do you have all your Christmas stuff out yet?"

Goof #1 was apparently pining for summer because we found him riding his bike down the
driveway through at least 2 inches of snow!

Goof #2...where do I begin? The boy has been in love with dogs since the day he was born. Last weekend our friends James and Alisa brought their dog Winston over for an evening. (Jackson calls him Quniston- who knows why!) Winston is a big fella. He probably weighs close to 100 pounds and his cage is the size of Will's crib. Keeping true to himself, Will couldn't get enough of Winston, or his massive cage.

Did I mention the fact that I never need to hire a babysitter again? I just need a Winston sized cage!

Jackson-be-nimble...

In preschool Jackson has been learning different nursery rhymes. This one was a favorite!