Highly Recommended!

I've been following these gals blog for quite some time now-and the day has finally come-there is a cookbook! Right now, Deseret Book is doing preorders with a 15% off code (BESTBITES). Can't wait to order my very own copy! These ladies have AMAZING and fairly simple recipes.

This is our favorite "go to" meal-it's in the book!

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Sweetheart

So funny how she just chill-axes on the couch...such a sweetie :)

My Snuggle Bugs

Oh how I love these 2 boys :) Just snuggling on the couch together-Mike's arm was around Pey when they both fell asleep-however, my flash startled both of them so I missed that memory :( But they're so cute aren't they?

Tap, Tap-Bang Bang

Our local hardware store had a free Christmas craft morning today & of course we had to participate (due to Bryce's recent obsession with "tools"). The kids had great fun-starting with the putting on of the tool belt apron :) The project was to make birdhouses. There were quite a few kiddies there by the time we arrived, so we just plopped ourselves in the middle of an aisle (as were many other families). My sweet student Finn & his dad were there and joined in on our aisle of good times!

So ok-the birdhouses turned out a little....different, crooked walls, the perch somehow ended on the inside, you know-things like that....but hey-we were going for the whimsical/Alice in Wonderland look! Jealous of our carpentry skills aren't ya? :)

whoops-better take that nail out!

After the great building project, the kids got to go have treats and meet Santa. Em had no hesitation. She was PUMPED to tell him that she wanted a (and I quote) "Barbie car that goes vroom-vroom". He said he'd work on it & gave me a look, to which I responded with a wink. lol

Bryce on the other hand, was NOT about the whole Santa business (as is typical). He's been talking for weeks about asking Santa for a "Cha chow" car-then his moment came & he froze. Dad walked up with him & he hesitantly sat on the big guys lap-I told him about what Bryce has been dying to ask him for, and Santa asked him if that's what he'd like for Christmas....at that point Bryce looked at him and gave a huge smile (which of course I missed with the camera-sorry, it's kinda hard to juggle the "mom" thing AND be the photographer simultaneously).

Both kidlets had a blast & came home eager to place their birdhouses in the tree....no food & all! Not that the bird would be able to get it out anyways :) Good times...good times.

I love when the trees look like this! Had to take a picture of it....and in that tree-there was a-

BIRDHOUSE! :)

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

I promised the kids they could have a snow playdate today with their friends Ayden and Sienna. With the freezing fog we've had all day-I knew the hills would be perfect for sledding! They all had a blast. Especially when we stopped at Starbucks for hot chocky on the way home :) Another great sledding trip down in the books!

snowball fight!

The Snow Crew (Ayden said he was doing a cowboy pose-ha ha ha)

Ready......set.....GOOOOOO!!!!

Oops! Caught by a snowball!

(Bryces favorite part....rolling and rolling and rolling down the hill!)

Merry Merry to ME!

No need to be jealous...it's just another new Nikon lens...

Nikon THERMOS lens that is! :)

What? Did you think money grows on trees at my house? Either way- I am infatuated with it!

Mike almost crapped himself when he saw it on the counter, genuine looking Nikon box and dust bag. In all honesty-at first he was 90% excited about a new lens, but immediately went into questioning how the heck we could afford such a big lens :) Personally I thought the price was reasonable. ha ha ha.

Catch Me If You Can!

Today was one of my favorite days of the school year. Turns out-it might just be EmmaLee's now too! My preschoolers learning is centered around a theme of "Gingerbread" and Christmas this month. I read them the Jan Brett book "The Gingerbread Baby" and now they all have a part in our annual play-this year entitled what else..."The Gingerbread Baby" of course! Everything we do is just added excitement to that festive upcoming Gingerbread celebration....this morning was just icing on the cookie!
We practiced our parts in the play and discussed the story a little more in depth. Then we made "real" Gingerbread Babies....the students each took turns rolling the dough, and cutting out their little fella. Pretty funny because as they laid their cookie on the sheet, a couple of the kids welcomed them into the "world" with a friendly "nice to meet you!" (Gosh my students are the cutest!)

I popped them in the oven and we went on to the next activity of a fun Gingerbread poem.

That turned out to be beneficial because while they worked on it-I snuck upstairs, grabbed the baked cookies out of the oven-ran them across the back alley to my TOTALLY AWESOME, BESTEST EVER neighbor Lynette! She knew exactly what to do (seeing as this isn't our first rodeo together with my preschool adventures! She's such a good sport). On the way back, I quickly dispersed a couple gingerbread cookie pictures in various places along the path from my house to Lynette's and taped one to the inside of the door as a beginning clue to the kids.
Now the fun really begins....
I replaced the missing cookie sheet with another one & a note that said "Catch me if you can!" Back in the classroom, I interrupted those munchkins who were hard at work, and said "Oh no! Come quick!!! You'll never believe what has happened! I went to the oven to get your snack and.....well you'll just have to go find out for yourselves...."
this is what they found and their funny reactions :)

They all hurried to get on their snow boots and jackets, and rushed out the door (due to the gingerbread cookie cutout on the door-the kids determined that the cookies probably left the house! Smart Cookies :)
Em spotted the first clue in the snow....

She showed it to her classmates and they ran on to the next clues....

The last clue lead to Lynette's door, where they begged her to help them find their cookies that were missing! Boy did she put on a show for them! Told them all about how the cookies were knocking on her door and desperately needed her help to hide from a FOX! She went as far as to crush ginger snaps all over her porch as a more convincing story that the cookies were in fact there! LOVE THAT ABOUT HER! She invited the kids in and told them they could look for the hidden cookies....

Finn discovered them hiding under a dish cloth on the table and the kids all squealed with delight! Emma is STILL talking about it 10 hours later.....it was a FANTASTIC DAY and I am so BLESSED with a great friend and neighbor. Hugs to you Lynette! You never let my munchkins down-I adore you for that.

Kinda Crushin on the Card!

So I finally got around to finishing up our Christmas cards so they could get shipped....sorry-some of you might not even get them since I am so far behind! Anyhow-here's how they turned out! I ended up doing the folded card from Shutterfly. This is the one where you can put a little "story" on the inside-and I AM LOVING IT! Best idea ever-I am so all over it next year too. You are welcome :) Oh-and Shutterfly, I love you too!

Joy Sage Story Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

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