Luke's 2nd Birthday

Luke's birthday was going to be one of the days that we were traveling back home so we decided to combine it with my families (in-law, white elephant party) that they have every year. Yes, I said in-law party. We invite all the in-laws and their families and it is a good chance to get to know everyone.

Luke loves Scooby-Doo so a Scooby-Doo cake he got. He couldn't have cared less about anything else. He just waned to play with the toys on the cake.

In the video I was trying so hard to have everything ready and I forgot to light the darn candle. It all turned out fine and we had a great time. It was pretty funny. Crazy mom with good intensions.

More Christmas Fun

Ryan's Grandparents house. We always have a very large breakfast but they let the kids open their presents first so they have something to play with while the grown ups get breakfast ready. We love the circle toast (English muffin).

This is at my In-laws house. The best thing about staying at their house was that the downstairs bathroom was finished just before we come to visit. What a great gift. It was so nice to have our own space.

Santa is Real!

We drove to Utah this Christmas to be with our families. The kids didn't know if Santa could bring all the toys to Grandpa and Grandma's house. We wrote several letters explaining our situation and hoped that Santa could find us in Utah. Well Santa did find us and brought a lot of things that we had to carry back with us in the van. Like this big, cool Barbie house. I don't know who was more excited about Lauren's Barbie dollhouse, Mom or Lauren? This house makes noise and has all this adorable furniture, three floors, an elevator and much more. There will be many hours spent playing with this fun house.

Luke is entertained very easily by one small light. It is amazing how they like certain things. He loved unwrapping his presents and other's presents too. He is a big helper.

Johnathan wanted Legos and Indiana Jones Wii game. Here are his funny magifying glasses. His eyes are so big. He loves to be silly and make jokes.

Merry Christmas, we had a wonderful day. It was fun to spend time with our extended family because we don't get to see them on a regular basis. We miss all of our family and want to thank everyone for a great time. We can't wait for summer time to see you again.

Unforgetable Christmas Eve

We had Christmas Eve at my sister's house. It started out like our regular Christmas party but it didn't end up that way. We did our gift exchange and then we did our traditional Nativity Scene where the grand kids dress up while Grandpa reads the story. Every year the kids are so cute and it is fun to watch as they play different parts every year. This year was difficult because we didn't have a baby Jesus. Thankfully my sister's dog Molly filled in the part. She was so darling. Can you believe that she laid on her back with her paws in the air for about 5-10 minutes without moving. She did a great job and all the adults and the kids got a big kick out of it. I wish I could post the real video but it is too long. One of the funniest things I have seen, something I won't forget.

Gift exchange with the cousins.

Lauren and her cousin Emma. They are such cute little pals.

This bag is almost as big as Luke.

Winter Weather

Luke playing in the snow for the first time. He had a great time.

Lauren couldn't wait to play in the snow at Grandpa and Grandma Whitby's House.

Grandma helping Luke.

Big Girl Earrings

While visiting in Utah a couple of weeks ago. My sister decided to take Lauren to get her big girl earrings. She was so good and brave. This is right after it was done they did both ears at the same time (the only way to do it).

Getting instructions on how take care of her earrings. Right away she want to take them out because they hurt a little. I told her she needed to keep them in for 100 days. She cried a little longer. Then things got better after I told her that the Easter Bunny could bring her some down earrings like Mom. She settled right down and was ready to go. Of course she picked the sparkling diamond earrings. Way to go girly.

Looking for a good recipe?

Here are some wonderful recipes from my Ward Relief Society Dinner. They are great and I will be making these recipes for my family as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I know my family will.

ROLLS:

Ingredients

18 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
fresh parsley or rosemary, if desired

Instructions

In the morning take the rolls out of the freezer. Spray cooking spray on a dinner plate. Place the frozen rolls on the sprayed plate. Spray the top of the frozen rolls with cooking spray. Place plastic wrap on top of the rolls and put the plate in the refrigerator. The rolls will be thawed, but still cold, by the afternoon.

In the late afternoon:

In a small bowl combine butter, garlic powder, garlic salt and dried parsley. In another bowl, place parmesan cheese. Dip each roll in the butter mixture and then the cheese. Place the rolls on a large sprayed baking sheet or pizza pan to form a long rectangle (9 rolls x 2 rolls). Sprinkle any remaining cheese over the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until they double (about an hour).

Remove plastic wrap. Bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

To see the recipe we referenced to make these, here's the link:

http://www.rhodesbread.com/recipes/view/1932

SALAD:

Olive Garden Salad Mix

1 bag American Blend Dole Salad (romaine, iceberg, radish, purple cabbage, carrots)

4-5 slices red onions

4-6 black olives

2-4 banana peppers

1/2 cup croutons

1 roma tomato sliced

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. corn syrup

4 Tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic salt-or one clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar (adjust more or less depending on how tart you prefer your dressing)

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed.