Warm and Delicious

WARNING: you are about to read the easiest, most delicious soup recipe in the world. It's sooo yummy and quick that you might be tempted to try it right this very moment. But I promise, it's worth it!! (thanks Tammy)

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans of Diced Tomatoes w/ basil, oregano & garlic blend
1 block of cream cheese


Put tomatoes in a pot and get it boiling. Cut in cream cheese and cook until it has melted. Use a hand blender or throw it in a regular blender and blend until it is the desired consistency. Feel free to double or triple. Great with bread to dip and soak up the leftovers in your bowl!!

Big Heart

I never thought I'd see the day.

But nonetheless it has come.

Larry has become one of "those" attorneys.

You know...the kind that cares.

Yesterday he took some of his own clothes to work for a client to wear during court.
After inquiring why, he stated there were some clothes in a closet they have available but he was afraid nothing would fit him. And that if it helped the judge & jury like his client more then an orange jumpsuit...so be it.

I guess he's little more soft hearted then I thought.

You Found Me

Keira has found her new favorite spot in the house.

In the CUBE.

This cube was originally purchase so Larry could sit on something in the closet while he put on & off his shoes.

That lasted about 5 seconds.

The kids quickly claimed it as a second seat next to the computer.

This smart little lass not only has conquered climbing it but has learned it has a special little hiding spot, perfect for someone her size.

Soooooooooo, if you ever need to get a hold of Keira call
555-CUBE!

Public Safety Field Trip

Our theme in preschool this month is
SAFETY!
We've been drilling addresses, phone
numbers, stranger danger and 9-1-1
into these kids.
So to reward them I was the lucky ducky
who got to take these crazy kids
to see the best part of being a public
servant.

It's all about the fire trucks and the police cars!

Let's just say a few of them were more
then intimidated by this big machine.
A few even declined getting
into the driver seat!

In awe of this shiny monstrous machine.

And these kind gentleman wouldn't
let us leave with out backpacks FILLED
with little goodies.

Showing off their special clothing and boots.

Dreaming BIG dreams.

Keira...that tire is just a wee bit
bigger then you are! YIKES!!

Next it was off to the
local police station.

The kids were very excited to ask questions about
handcuffs, driving fast, bad guys, robbers,
giving mommy tickets, seat belts and using a gun!

But thankfully our friend Detective Clay
had great answers and even taught
the kids about when to use 9-1-1
and when NOT to use it!

Time for a look in a REAL
police car!

Gosh, could she look any younger sitting
in there?

Well, as long as he's always in the
front seat of this car and not the back
I'll be one happy mom!

THANKS, to all the public servants
that braved the 38 degree weather with us!!

Begger

Sometimes I do give in. I admit it. I'm not always at my peak performance as a parent and sometimes, rarely, they catch me at the right time and I finally give in.

Keira has been carrying around the little container that holds these mini slim jims for days.

She has watched and salivated over her brother and sisters who enjoy them immensely.

Personally I think they are disgusting. But their Father has convinced them other wise.

So it's been about a week and every time Keira can weasel her way into the pantry she grabs the slim jim container and makes a bee-line for it. And then she persistently begs and whines and shakes the container in my face. Now 99% of the time I'm strong. I say 'heck no' and find her something healthy and I pat myself on the back for being a RAD parent.

Until this morning. When I was tired of being interrupted...while I was doing something extremely important...like check my email, look at old navy maternity clothes and play bejeweled blitz on FB all at the same time. (it takes very dedicated concentration to maneuver all these things at once) So I said yes. I ripped open the package with my teeth with one hand while pairing jewels with the other and let my 16 month old eat one of the nastiest things on earth.

And I'm proud to say it took 0.7 seconds of sucking on that atrocious snack before she spit it out and dropped it on the floor. Leaving it behind.

That's my girl!!

Mission accomplished.

(Oh and in case you are wondering...yes I got a high score or 383,400!!)

Dust Bunnies

Why is it that pregnancy always instills this organizational itch that needs to be scratched?

Every time it results in moving furniture, closets, shelves. But it becomes bigger then what was initially intended. Usually it's just something simple like a change over of seasonal clothing for the kids. Which reminds me to clean out their closets, or exchange one bed for another. Either way it results in more work and a sore back.

However, if I really want to be honest. I have to admit. I like it. I love that feeling of organization. Of knowing where everything is. And that it's clean. (for the time being) Maybe these traditional "Merry Maid" festivities are a result of making room for the new addition to the family. Making sure there is proper bedding, drawers and clothes dug out to be prepared for the whirlwind that is always in the wake of a newborn entering a new family. And I don't know why it always surprises us women that we find ourselves knee deep bent over a cupboard asking for a rag to clean out the dust in the back...but we do.

I guess it's just reality...setting in.

Laying It On Thick

It just wouldn't quit.
This snow thing just kept on coming and coming.
Here is what it looked like outside
my front door before I went to bed.

And the morning results...

12 inches of a thick blanket of snow!

I was afraid the trampoline was going to break!

Good ol' trash cans.

Now that's what I call a balancing act.

Poor little stick limbs are straining under
all of that weight!

Down the street is an amazing sight!
So crazy!!
Look at my neighbors trees.
They are hanging SOOOO low!

It's a good thing we kept ours pruned.

Syd and Ben inspect the iced over
slushy gutter.
Of course Ben stepped in it
within seconds.
He just couldn't resist "testing"
it out!

I think the snow was a little deep
for my little man.
He wasn't very happy about loosing his
shoe and his socks every 3 steps.

So we ended our snow experience by taking
walks, making snow angels and
building the Robert's Snowman.

Snow Around The House

White Stuff? In February? In Texas?

Wanna hear something oddly ironic?
The last few days we've been kind of...
"yucky"
around here.
Last night Sydney and I had a touch
of it too.
So in the wee night hours Larry and I
decided that Sydney and he would
stay home.
And luckily they did because they would have
missed this chance of a lifetime!!

SNOW IN DALLAS!!

We loved it!
I couldn't help but be a little giddy, act
like a kid and enjoy natures blessing.

Keira, what about you?
Snow..
good or bad?

I think that's a yes!!

Miraculously once the snow was
revealed Sydney was feeling
much better!

And we could not pass up rolling
the snow...

To make our own snowman.

BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR...
SNOWBALL FIGHT!!

Seriously?
That ball is bigger then her
head!

I couldn't believe how big the
kids could make their snowballs.
Sydney had absolutely NO
qualms about chucking
this beauty at Emma!

To throw or To eat?
Such a dilemma.

But within about 15 mins,
all the girls complained of cold hands
and quickly warmed up inside.

Although Ben, Dad and I couldn't resist.
We were having a blast!

Time to test a trampoline full of snow!

My boys!!

Daddy insisted on making Ben
his very own snowcone!

A 4 Letter Word

Recently I participated in a little contest. To win we had to write about what we "LOVE". It could be funny, creative, but not a novel. Technically they just wanted it to be honest. This is what I came up with.


What do I love?

This is a hard question to ask. Especially for someone who has been as blessed as I am. The list would be long but most likely would miss someone, somewhere to whom I am indebted for their kindness and friendship. But mainly the list would be filled with people. Not things. It is the people in my life, my family, friends, neighbors, strangers, to whom make life filled with happiness.

In all honesty if I had to name the one thing at the top of the list it would be my kids. The creations made by my dear husband and I, our family. But of course, I couldn't pick just one child or specifically say what it is about each one that makes me love them. Really it's the little things. Like this picture shows. It's things like this little freckle that appeared at 6 months on my baby daughters hand, in the strangest place. I love those secret, odd, personality quirks that define each one of my children and make up who they uniquely are. Things that only a mom would know.

That is what, I love.

My Version of Crafty

I'd like to think I'm a pretty good
CRAFTY
kind of person.

But really, I fake it.
Most of the time, I'm in a hurry
and want to finish.
Which usually makes the end product
look like the skill level of a 6th grader.

So if you squint and tilt your head
to the left at the below
"Family Home Evening"
board, you might be able to
pretend that it is a high class
piece of home decor.

And to answer your questions:
-yes the word "evening" is in brown,
which is hard to see in the picture.
-yes, I know one tag is blank,
but since I don't know the name of
baby #5...it's TBA.
-yes, the tags are removable,
thanks to magnets!

But What Am I?

After finishing the post about Larry,
I couldn't help but take a look in the mirror.

It started to make me think about,
what kind of wife am I?
Lately I have to admit.
Instead of looking and feeling like this...

I'm more of the wiped out,
hair in a million directions,
make-up less,
sweat pant wearing,
frog on a log kind of wife.

Kinda like how H-O-T
I was looking while camping with no
running water and a
below freezing temps
at night.

In my defense, I do try to keep up
with all the kids and
randomly whip out a dinner
about twice a week.
While being prego with an eggo
and teaching piano lessons.

But last night I had an
epiphany...

while Larry was losing his
stomach contents
many, many, many times
last night.
(due to lunch at the Golden Arch's)

Besides feeling sorry for him
because it truly sounded quite
awful and painful,
I had 2 major thoughts cross my mind.

#1. Welcome to My World.

#2. At least the toilet was clean.
(you can thank me in the morning)

Compassionate, aren't I?

But in my defense, let me explain.
#1...well let's just say having morning sickness
with 5 kids will hopefully prove my point,
now that he's down in the dumps.
Because really,
it's rare to come that close to how
awful it feels to have a queasy stomach
24-7, for 12 weeks.

#2...let's just say it had been so long since I
cleaned a bathroom that I couldn't
even remember the last time
it had been scrubbed.
But this week it was my goal to do
ALL of them.
Which I did.
Thus, offering up a perfectly sanitary
bleached basin for my hubby to christen.

See I am a good wife... maybe... a little... on occasion.