The Reason

One of our first Christmas tree in our first house. 

Christmas time is a very magical time of year! There are so many things to look forward to when you are a child and also as you grow up and have kids of your own. I love seeing their eyes light up with all the wonder and magic of the Christmas season. The lights on the tree, pulling the ornaments they have made out of the box, reading their favorite Christmas stories, watching their favorite Christmas movies, making gingerbread houses the list goes on and on.  I still remember the things that were especially wonderful from my childhood and so does Jared and we try to incorporate them into our traditions with our own kids. 

We had moved up to two kids to buy presents for.

Three Kids and a new house... Take my advice- don't buy your kids a drum set.

As the mom, I feel like I should run the show when it comes to Christmas. I am the one who is home with the kids, I know what they would like, I like shopping, I decorate, I bake, I invite, I plan. But this does not mean I run the show on Christmas morning.  For Jared it's all about the magic. He wants his kids to wake up and be awed by the amount of gifts that are under a sparkling tree. There has to be no less than a huge gigantic gift, a large gift and lots of small to medium sized gifts for each child arranged just so under the tree. The more the merrier he seems to think. That was how it was done in Jared's childhood and it made such an impact on him that he tries to recreate this joy of Christmas for his children every year. I love that about him! But he doesn't do this just for the kids, either! He makes sure Christmas is just as magical for me too. He always has a big surprise for me, something I have been wanting for a long time but it's just to expensive for me to justify getting for myself. Some of these gifts were- a new camera, a bike with a bike trailer, a treadmill, a laptop, a deluxe double waffle iron, another new camera... I can't remember them all but he is a good husband and makes Christmas special for me!

Four kids...

Well, as the years have gone on we have added more kids and a bigger mortgage to the bills. Christmas has been scaled down a couple times so that now we have a more realistic amount of presents under the tree. We still joke about the Christmas that we had opened all the presents and the kids were playing happily. I had opened a few small gifts from Jared but I just knew he was hiding my big gift out in the garage and was going to bring it in and surprise me at any moment, but he never did. Finally, I had to ask, "Where is my surprise?" He looked at me sheepishly "I didn't get you one this year, I stuck to our budget."  "You say that every year and you still always surprise me!" I didn't believe that there was really no surprise until I actually checked all his hiding spots, because I had been tricked before. And that was the year we started sticking to a budget.

Our tree this year. Yes, we know its crooked.

We have really good kids that appreciate gifts of any kind or any amount and I am sure they have no idea that Christmas is any different from one year to the next. I have seen this downsizing of gifts as a blessing because we have been able to focus more on what Christmas is really about. Its not about the presents or the stress that comes with trying to get every item on everyone's Christmas list. It's about the spirit of giving, of kindness, of charity, of love. The Christ-like love for all. Because He is the reason for it all! The decorations, the lights, the gifts, the goodies- all of it, down to the smallest gift under the tree. It's all because He lived! He was born! He is our Savior! And He lives still now, and we celebrate Him in this Christmas season. 

 Because Jesus is the Reason for the Season. 

Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I have been making chocolate chip cookies for many, many moons. I first started making them from my mom's good ol' Betty Crocker Cookbook. And I still swear by this recipe! If you make chocolate chip cookies from this orange cookbook you will not be disappointed! But over the past 20 years of trial and error and combining things that work and taking out things that didn't work I have come up with my own recipe that is pretty much perfection!

I mean look at these beauties!

 Always worthy of a close up!

 And would you believe I made these cookies with whole wheat flour! These cookies are so easy to make and so delicious that you must remember- With great power comes great responsibility! 

Famous Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oven 350 degrees 

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 stick (1/2 c) butter

1/2 c vegetable oil (I use canola)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons pure vanilla, if you are using imitation vanilla use 3-4 teaspoons

2 1/2 c flour (you can use whole wheat like I did, or white flour, or half and half of both, they all turn out fabulous!) 

2 cups chocolate chips

Bake time 8 min.

 Cream sugars, eggs, butter and oil. (The oil is my secret to perfect cookies!)

 Add salt, baking soda, and vanilla.

 Mix in flour.

 Toss in the chocolate chips of your choice!

 Combine it all together! And...

Voila! Eight minutes later in a 350 degree oven, perfect cookies! Make sure the edges are golden and the middle of the cookies no longer look wet and shiny. 

(I have a convection bake setting on my oven and it really makes a difference on how my cookies turn out, but if you don't have a convection oven, its ok! You can still have perfect cookies, you may just need to cook them a bit longer.) 

Trust me if you make this recipe no one will leave you alone, you will be forever getting calls, texts and emails, asking for the recipe! So give them a try and let me know if you think they are the perfect chocolate chip cookies!

Ugh!

I found out I was pregnant in January with Nash. I had a good month of morning sickness but I was able to keep running up until March and then it felt like I was to puttering out of steam. I could walk, but I just didn't seem to have enough energy to make a baby, take care of my family and keep running. I had dreamed that I would be one of those moms that could run marathons while cooking up a human being, but my body said, "Nope, not happening!" And I was ok with it. I needed a break. Around April a little baby bulge began to show.

Just barely showing stage. People aren't sure whether they should ask you if you are pregnant or just gaining a little weight. 

I was a little more than excited to see that there really was a baby growing in my tummy. It was almost as exciting as when I was pregnant with my first.

Moving on to the cute pregnant stage. People know you are pregnant at this point.

Around summer time, I started to inflate more quickly and it become harder for me to bend over, tie shoes, pick up toys, scrub floors... You know the stuff moms do all day.

About 7 months here. Still in the cute pregnant stage, but getting a few more questions like- when are you due again?? 

I picked up a habit of saying "Ugh," whenever I had to do anything involving bending over. Ugh like a caveman would say. And this began to extremely annoy my husband. I have to give my husband props because he really pulled out all the stops for me this pregnancy. He took care of my every whim. If he was home he helped me with the house, the kids, and my cravings. I couldn't ask for a better man. But when it came to me saying ugh 50 times a day it started to get on his nerves.

No longer in the cute stage. Three weeks to go. Everyone asks when the baby is coming, and/ or they act so surprised to see that I am still pregnant.

 I remember Jared told me one day, in his nicest voice that he would tolerate it while I was pregnant but he couldn't wait until this baby was out so he wouldn't have to hear my new, favorite expression ever again! 

I am days away from giving birth. People avoid me entirely because it looks as though a baby may come shooting out at any moment.

 The day finally arrives, the baby is here! Finally, Jared thinks he is safe in assuming he is free from ever hearing an ugh again!

Uh Oh!

You know the saying Monkey sees, monkey do ???

Well, we have 4 monkeys....

 Ugh! 

 Ugh!

 Ugh!

Ugh!

Oops! Sorry, Babe!

Five is the new Ten!

I have 5 children. I have 5 kids. There are 5 kids in our family... I am constantly reminding myself of this. Even nine weeks with our beautiful, cuddly baby hasn't really given me enough time to accept this very obvious fact.  Jared and I were very happy with our family of six. 

Our cute little family of 6 in 2009. Don't we just make it look easy! :0)  

Four kids is still a lot of kids these days. I always said four was the new six when it came to kids. Four kids makes a big family but it is still a very acceptable amount of children but when you move above the safe zone of four you have gone over the edge. And it seems to me  that five kids is the new ten. People look at you with wide eyes when you tell them this bundle of joy is your fifth child and they say something like, "Wow, that's a lot of kids." or they whistle "Woo wee!" And, of course I say, Yeah, don't I know it!" 

Fast forward to 2013. Our now gigantic family of 7! Will we ever be able to take a good picture again???

Surprisingly, I am handling having five children very well considering the fact that I had a five year gap between my fourth and my fifth. That five years gave me enough time to  do a lot more things than I was previously able to do with four young kids. I was able to run a lot more, and I even ran my first marathon. My oldest daughter turned twelve and could now babysit while Jared and I had weekly date nights!  And as they got older I was able to leave my husband with the kids over night and go places with my girlfriends. Having a taste of all that freedom was what scared me most about having baby number five. When you have your kids close together, like my first four, you have already succumbed to the life of having toddlers and a baby. The work is still fresh in your mind. But now I remembered what life was like before I had to spend a half an hour looking for shoes before I could leave the house, and what it felt like to go to the grocery store by myself, and best of all sleep in my bed without feet or a fist in my face.  I relished in my new found freedom and comforts. I had paid my dues and now I was reaping the benefits! Life was very, very good!

But God wasn't finished with us yet! Baby Nash was meant to be a part of our family. Yes, he did surprise us, but he is not an accident. Our family was missing someone and now he is here and we feel very blessed he made it! He is a happy, smiley, chubby cheeked ball of baby goodness! Yes, I have to change diapers again, breastfeed every 2-3 hours, and practically pack a suitcase before I can leave the house. But, honestly there is nothing else I would rather be doing then taking care of this little guy who slid into our family like a baseball player slides into home base, at the bottom of the ninth, to win the game and everybody cheers! And our life is still very, very good, and just maybe even a bit better!

To celebrate here are nine pictures from Nash's first nine weeks of life- 

Aww, now ain't he cute!

Shopper Profiling

Ugh! Grocery shopping! One of my least favorite things to do. There is just so much prep work involved. You have to make a list, make sure the kids are dressed in actual clothes not just their pajamas, find everyone's shoes (can I just say that this is probably the hardest step in getting out of the house in my family), then getting in the car, buckling car seats and seat belts, driving to the store, getting the kids back out of all the carseats and seat belts into the shopping cart and then into the store! Whew! Just typing all that out has made me exhausted! And I have the added bonus right now of packing up a newborn. My pantry has to be pretty empty before I will make the effort to go grocery shopping.

 Just a few years ago I was the mom with 2 preschoolers and a screaming baby in the cart, but now I have most of my kids in school full day so it has taken a load off.  If you aren't there yet, stay strong! Your day will come too! Right now my trip to the store includes strapping my infant carseat to the cart and making sure my kindergartener doesn't get ran over by other shopping carts as I try to navigate through the isles. 

 It's so interesting to see how other people "drive" their carts. It is probably similar to how people drive their cars on the road. Here are some grocery shopper profiles that are important to be familiar with-

Shopper profiles

Slow pokes: Usually old people, or moms who have escaped the house without their kids. These shoppers meander slowly down the isles to look at this or that, not really sure exactly what they want to buy, usually leaving their cart in the middle of the isle while the mull over their choice between store brand products or name brands.  

Speed Racers: Students, Men picking up a few items for the wife on their way home from work, and moms who have someone watching their kids at home and only have a short amount of time to shop. These shoppers fly around corners with G force, they are constantly apologizing to people they almost crash into, and you have to watch your heels if one comes at you from behind!

Frazzled Parent: An adult with one or more children who are screaming, crying, or throwing a tantrum. These poor shoppers need love and understanding! Never judge a parent dealing with an all out temper tantrum. Show your support by adverting your attention elsewhere and pretending that everything is normal. Maybe show them a small sympathic smile. If you do offer your assistance to these poor souls be prepared for an emotional breakdown from the parent who also needs a shoulder to cry on.

Couponers: Usually the shoppers in this category are women but occasionally there can be men, who are pushing carts full of many of the same items. These women are there for the deal. They will clean the shelves if they have enough coupons. If you see a couponer make sure they aren't headed for the isle you are and if they are run ahead and get your items before they are gone! Never get in line behind one of these shoppers! You will be there all night!

The moral of this post-

 When you go to the store remember you are not always in control of the situation, but you can control your reaction to anything that comes your way. I think of grocery shopping as an opportunity to refine my character. By teaching me to bite my tongue when the guy behind me runs into my heels, or to show kindness to someone who can't reach the top shelf, to be patient when the speed racer with the shopping cart cuts you off, and to look for opportunities to give service to strangers. Some days I have to try harder than others to keep it together at the grocery store but what counts is I tried and I keep on trying!! The kids are always going to have to eat, right?? 

 Which Shopper Profile fits you? Is there another category you fit into? 

Opposites Attract

Jared and I have been together a long time.

He likes Coke and I like Dr. Pepper.

And we still love each other. 

The End.

You know you are a good mom when...

You know you are a good mom when your 5 year old son is singing the words from the song Gangnam Style "Hey, sexy lady..." all the way down the hallway at church. 

And you also know you are a really good mom when that same five year old goes to school like this because I didn't give him a bath the night before.

But how I know I am a really, really good mom is when my son looks up at me out of the blue, tells me he loves me and gives me a hug before running off to play.

How do you know you are a good mom???

Dinner Solved!

Making meals every single day can be difficult,to say the least.  In fact, it can seem like a very effective form torture. And by the time dinner rolls around I often feel a lot like this! 

There have been times when I just don't have the time or energy to make dinner and that makes for times when I let things be called dinner that really shouldn't be. Some of the things I have fed my kids for dinner include- ice cream, cereal, left over birthday cake, pancakes, popcorn, cookies... (I could keep going, but I will stop there.) I do try hard to make a well balanced meal most days of the week. So when one of those days come up that I just don't really want to make anything but my kids have already had ice cream for dinner once that week, I do have a few 'go to' dinners that I can whip up in less than an hour that take a minimal amount of work and have a short  ingredient list.

So here is one of my recipes that my husband and kids all approve of.

Quick and Cheap Beef and Broccoli 

1lb ground beef 

1 package of frozen broccoli florets (or you can use the equivalent in fresh)

2 cups rice uncooked 

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 1/2 cups water- divided

2 T cornstarch

2 t sugar

garlic powder

ginger powder

First up- Defrost 1lb of hamburger (obviously, if yours isn'tfrozen omit this step)

 Cook 2 cups of rice according to package directions

 While you are waiting for the hamburger and rice get out all your ingredients (not pictured is 1-1/12 cups water, and 2 t sugar).

Then start browning the 'burger

When it's cooked add the soy sauce and 1 cup water.

 Mix the corn starch into the remaining 1/2 c water and throw that in too, then you can sprinkle in the garlic, ginger and sugar to taste.

 Toss in the broccoli ... 

Cover and simmer until broccoli is cooked and your sauce has thickened. This usually takes less than 10 minutes.

 And voila! Dinner is ready! 

 The time was 6:12 pm when I started defrosting the hamburger and it was 6:50pm when I took the last picture. That's a pretty quick and easy dinner!

 And it looks yummy too!

It gets a thumbs up from this kid who eats his broccoli like candy first!

What are some of your 'go to' dinners? And what are some things that you have passed as dinner at your house? :0)