Family Pictures

After a late night celebrating a Buffalo Win (yes, you read that right!), the girls and I had pictures made on Saturday. Scott did a great job! I think he captured the girls personalities perfectly! The group shots weren't great because of cooperation issues, but I absolutely love their individual shots. Here's a few of the 140 that he took:

My computer is so slow, so I'm having trouble rotating my pictures. I did get some great individuals of Landrie too but they would have been sideways on here. Plus, I want to save some for surprises later on.

Here's a special shout out to Justin & Jordan - Thanks for watching the girls last night so I could go to Home Team!! I love you and appreciate you both!!!

Party Pooped!

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity! We started Friday with a football game. We had another disappointing loss. The Buffs are going to be named the "almost team" this season. We've had 4 heartbreaker games losing each in the last minutes of the game. Gigi and Grandpa met us there, and the girls were thrilled to see them.

They gave me some relief Saturday morning while I got ready and had a little bit of down time before the celebrating began. Gigi and I did some shopping in the afternoon while the girls napped, and then it was party time!

The party was great! The weather was much nicer than last year and the kids had a great time. I've got pictures coming from several different cameras, so I'll be posting pictures hopefully tomorrow.

Landrie was definitely spoiled!! She's stocked up on cool t-shirts, Hannah Montana and Camp Rock gear to last her a long time.

Thanks to everyone who came and especially to Gigi and Lolly for their help with the party! I couldn't have pulled it off without you.

She's 5!!!!!

It is so hard for me to believe that my first baby is actually 5 today! That seems so BIG! Some days I see glimpses of a future teenager, while other days, she's still my baby girl! I can't wait to see what this year will bring.

Happy Birthday Sweet Landrie! We love you!

Pumpkin Fun at Four (Landrie's Birthday Part 4)

With Landrie having an October birthday, I decided that a Pumpkin-themed party would be great! We had heard about the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch and it didn't disappoint!

The party was inexpensive and fun! They provided a covered table area, a free hay ride and for party favors - a small pumpkin. We brought cupcakes and drinks and that was it. The kids loved all of the cute character cut-outs and the adults loved the picture opportunities! Unfortunately, it felt like it was over 100 degrees outside! Landrie was crying as she opened presents because sweat was dripping in her eyes.

The party went so well and was so much fun, that we're repeating it again tomorrow! This time, I'm in a little over my head as we decided to invite several more families. We're expecting close to 40 kids! I'm sure the party will be great!

The Big 3! (Landrie's Birthday Part 3)

Landrie's 3rd birthday was the first one in our new house. I was a little fearful of kids on the new carpet, so we scaled back - as much as you can with 3 siblings, 5 cousins and their kids, grandparents and great-grandparents! I think we still had close to 40 people!

In all the craziness, I only have a few pictures. They're pretty cute though because typical Landrie - she's covered in chocolate icing! She could care less about the cake, she just wants the messy icing!

On her "real" birthday with the grocery cart and Curious George toy Mommy and Daddy got her. She got her kitchen from Gigi and Grandpa, so we thought the cart would be a good addition. She still plays with the kitchen now.

Karsyn celebrating Landrie's birthday for the first time. She looks really excited. ;)

Little Cowgirl (Landrie's Birthday Part 2)

For Landrie's 2nd birthday, we had a Cowgirl Party - pony and all! We hired Chunky Monkey to come and entertain our family and friends. Landrie still talks like she remembers the actual day. She likes to remind Lolly that she forgot to get a carrot for Chunky Monkey! She was a little timid at first, but I think she enjoyed it in the end. She was a precious little cowgirl!

Looking Back...(Landrie's Birthday Part 1)

In honor of Landrie's 5th birthday on Saturday, I thought I'd look back at each of her birthdays.

I get sentimental this time of year when I think about the blessing that she is. She truly is my miracle child. As I've written before, Landrie gave us a big scare when she was born--not breathing and very gray. To look at her now, you would never even know.

Her first birthday was a celebration of her sweet first year of life. She was just beginning to take her first steps, always very cautious and careful. She was always happy and easy-going. We loved to dress her up in cute clothes from head-to-toe. She is and was more sweet than she is cute. We are blessed!

Landrie at her First Birthday Party

Landrie on her actual birthday - 10/4/04

Little Fans - Pictures added

**I thought I had saved this as a draft and obviously I posted it before I downloaded the pictures. Here they are! You should also know that Daddy was the photographer on these. If I was taking the pictures, they would have had their hair fixed with matching bows! :)

Today Missy brought by Landrie's birthday gift. They gave her and Karsyn Dallas Cowboys jerseys! I knew it would be a hit with Lamar, but I had no idea how much the girls would love to have them!! They both put them on immediately and the only time they took them off was to eat dinner. Landrie is even sleeping in hers tonight!

King of the World

Today we spent several hours outside at my grandmother's house. The girls were there with their cousins playing in the sand and riding bikes. They were filthy! It's really special though because my grandparents had their 8 great-grandchildren all at the house playing together at once. It was a great way to enjoy the nice weather and have some fun family time.

When we were leaving, Ashley (my cousin) and I decided to tag team a trip to Firehouse Subs. I went in and ordered while she sat with the kids and then we switched. The kids were hanging out of the cars and yelling across at each other. Kade (8 years old) pulled a Titanic and yelled "I'm the king of the world!" Landrie quickly responded "No, Jesus is!" I cracked up!

She's a smart girl!

Supper Swap 3

Tonight was our 3rd round of Supper Swap. We both tried new recipes this week and nearly recruited a 3rd family to join us.

For my dinners, I made beef fajitas, Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Creamy Italian Chicken with Pasta.

Missy made Lasagna Macaroni, Turkey and Wild Rice Bake and a chicken/green bean casserole.

Here's the recipes for the chicken enchiladas and creamy Italian chicken.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 Whole Chicken (Cooked or store-bought rotisserie)
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
1 t. Salt
1 C. Sour Cream
24 Corn Tortillas
Monterrey Jack Cheese

Put Rotel, Onion and Garlic in blender and blend until smooth. Set aside. Put Soup, Cilantro and Evaporated Milk in blender and blend until smooth. Add to Rotel mixture. Add Salt and Sour Cream. Add torn up chicken to mixture. Cut tortillas into quarters and add to mixture. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes.


Italian Creamy Chicken

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
¼ cup water
1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushroom stems and pieces (drain)

Put chicken in slow cooker. Stir dressing mix with water and pour over chicken. Cook about 3 hours on high. Beat cheese and soup, pour over chicken. Add mushrooms. Cook about 2 hours longer, stirring a couple of times. I chopped the chicken and then poured the entire mixture over tri-colored rotini and sprinkled with parmesean cheese. I am going to bake it to heat it through, probably 30-40 minutes.

I can't wait to try them all! I'm still looking for some other freezer friendly recipes, so let me know if you have any good ones.

Silence

I'm not a quiet person. I don't like to do anything without some kind of background noise - including sleep. But right now, the only sound I hear is the typing on the keyboard. It's glorious!



This week has been go-go-go and I was looking forward to tonight. Monday night, I drove Lamar's truck in our homecoming parade. One of our organizations needed transportation. The girls loved it! I let them get in the back with some of my students and they waved at the crowd and ate lollipop after lollipop.



Tuesday night was my Open House. Our principal stressed how important it was to be there and let me tell you...for the 2 parents that came by my class...it was imporant. Let me backtrack - Lamar had a late practice and Lolly had plans, so I had to take the girls with me. Right as we're leaving the house, Karsyn decides she needs to go potty. She proceeds to take off all of her clothes and still no results on the potty. She redressed herself, which was great - until I noticed that her shirt was on backwards--after I got to school. She also managed to pull her bow out and mess up her hair in the short trip there. She was a mess to say the least. Lamar picked them up around 8 and got them ready for bed. I'm sure he loved it, but just as he got them down, I called to say I was on my way home.


Last night, we were all at home but it just didn't seem restful since it was the first night I'd had at home all week.


So tonight, Lamar is coaching the JV game and the girls are sleeping. I have my clean, quiet house all to myself! I'm in heaven.

We're gearing up for another exciting Buffalo football game tomorrow! Let's hope we can finally win one!

Dinner tonight...Steak and Rice

Tonight's dinner is an oldie but goodie in our family. I doubt the girls will eat it, but we'll see.

Lolly's Steak and Rice

Medium onion, sliced thin
1 stick butter
2 lbs. cube steak
Lowry's season salt
Flour to coat
12 oz can of Evaporated Milk
Regular milk if necessary

• Freeze cube steak to make it easier to cut.
• Melt butter in large skillet. Cook onions until tender.
• While onions are cooking, slice into 1 inch pieces. In bowl, season steak with season salt. Sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of flour (enough to coat steak).
• Once onions are tender, add steak. Cook until golden brown and is no longer pink.
• Pour can of evaporated milk to make a gravy.
• If it's too thick, you can pour in some regular milk too.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve over white rice.

Enjoy!

Supper Club

About 3 weeks ago, Missy emailed me with an idea. Knowing that we are both busy and both eat out way too much, she suggested that every other Sunday, we each cook 3 casseroles. Instead of baking them in the 9 x 13 like we normally would, we are separating them. I keep 3 9 x 9s and give her the other 3. We only have to double a few of the recipes and we have 6 meals for a 2 week period. So far, it has been great! We have had homecooked meals 6 times, plus enough for lunch the next day. My grocery bill has been less than $120 for 2 weeks!

It works perfectly since we generally eat out on Fridays and Saturdays and have Bible study or family dinners on Sundays. That leaves me with only 1 meal to cook during the week.

When I was growing up, my mom had a supper club with our neighbors too, including Missy's mother-in-law, Tina. It's funny to me that we've come full-circle and are doing the things our parents did with us.

Over the last 2 weeks, we had these dinners:

Chicken and Rice
Chicken Spaghetti
Busy Day Casserole
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake
Spaghetti

I've learned that my chicken enchiladas are not meant to be layered and that frozen dinners take a lot longer to cook than expected!

Sunday, I made King Ranch Chicken, Steak and Rice and Jambalaya. We ate Missy's version of Kara's BBQ Meatballs last night. They are probably my favorite!

I plan to share some of my recipes soon and will let you know the successes and failures.

Do you have any dinners that are easy and freeze well? You can leave your favorite recipes in the comments.

Our Final Day at Disneyland - Part 1

We started out our final day at California Adventure. It's a smaller park with some more recent characters. We quickly found Flick's Faire which had more age appropriate rides for the girls.

We rode the Ladybugs (can't remember the official name) and it was a lot like the Mad Tea Party, but jerked you around more when it changed directions. The girls loved it, but I could have passed on that one.

The Chew-Chew train was great! You heard a story as you traveld through a half-eaten watermelon, giant animal crackers and candy.

We had heard from everyone that Toy Story Midway Mania was a must, so we braved a 30ish minute wait to check it out. It was really cool, but probably more so for the grown ups. You were in these cars with a video game like controller. It would pull up to different targets to shoot out and score points. The girls couldn't master the controllers, but I thought it was really fun.

After that, we went on a different carousel ride and then headed to the hotel for naps. Lolly and I had grand plans of staying for the 9 o'clock fireworks and then the 10:30 Fantasmic show that night, so we knew we needed our rest.

I'll try to update later with the pictures from the Electrical Parade - it was so cool! I don't really know how else to describe it.

Breakfast with Minnie

Here's Day 2 of Disney... It was a LONG day! We rushed to breakfast afraid we'd lose our reservation (Thank goodness we didn't!) and waited for close to 2 hours to see the Disney Princesses! We did take an afternoon break for naps and came back for dinner and the fireworks.

Landrie was VERY into having her picture taken! She posed for me in her Princess gown just after she woke up.

Winnie the Pooh!

Chip

Disney Princess Fantasy Faire

The girls with "Leasin' Booty"

All of us with "Cin-lella"

Princess Minnie

In Minnie's House

Karsyn in the Teacups - Her favorite!

Talent UPDATED

I've been redeemed - at least halfway. Here's Landrie with the mascot on the first day!!

The girls did great today at school! There were only a few tears from Karsyn when I dropped her off. I think she was more upset to leave "Land-ur" than anything else. Bad mommy forgot to take first day pictures though. Luckily some friends got a few pics of Landrie. Poor Karsyn was already in her room when we took the pictures.

Lolly picked them up from school and brought them to me at my school. The girls love coming up there and they are always a BIG hit when they stop by. It's definitely getting easier to have them with me at school. I turned on the TV and had a few more minutes to get things done.

Tonight, when we were leaving the gym, Karsyn kicked her shoes off (as usual). Landrie picked them up and I thanked her for being such a big helper. She just smiled and smiled. After I buckled Karsyn in, Landrie said "that's my talent." Being a helper is definitely one of Landrie's many talents!

I can't wait to see the girls learn new things and grow throughout this school year! I know it will go so fast and be so fun!

Happy Labor Day!

It's hard to believe that the first week of school is already passed. For Lamar and I both, the week went really well. We like our classes and our schedules. The Buffalos had their first game too and unfortunately - not good. They lost 20-12. I feel like it's more promising than last year, but only time will tell.

The girls start school tomorrow! They are both really excited and I know Lolly is excited too! Landrie will be going 4 days (M, Tu, Th, F) and Karsyn just 2 days (Tu, Th). I think it will be great for both of them. Landrie will get to be with her friends almost every day and Karsyn will get some one-on-one time with Lolly. She does so well when she's on her own.

Today we're trying to squeeze in the last bit of summer by swimming and cooking out. Hope you have a great day too!!

PS: I still have MORE Disney pictures, but that seems like so long ago. I'll try to post them later this week.