How to Make the Best Chimichangas

1. Cut the raw chicken

2. Cook chicken, add spices, soy sauce, onions, and black beans, and taste test

3. Heat up the deep fryer

4. Stuff and fold raw tortillas with meat mixture and cheese

5. Deep fry till golden brown 6. Anticipate the goodness

7. Have a good appetite

8. Shovel it in

9. ...or eat more civilized

10. Sit back and digest

Warning: Chimichangas may cause belly expansion. Results may vary.

10days {of Christmas}

We've been having far too much fun for me to keep up with the blogging lately.

Let's start at the very beginning:

Friday (18)- The girls spent the night while Mark and Rosie celebrated their anniversary. Daniel made us all delicious pizza, organized our very own indoor track meet, and cooked us all pancakes in the morning. i love when me hubby isn't stressed with his job.

Saturday (19)- Dianna and Daniel arrived with their adorable kiddos. We had a spaghetti dinner and then went to see the lights at this amazing house in the neighborhood, complete with fake snow, synchronized music, and a Santa.

Sunday (20)- dressed in our Sunday best. Kolby and Daniel were unavailable for our little photo shoot:) But my sis-in-law snapped this adorable one at church of the 3 musketeers:) Then we had a big family dinner at Mark and Roise's.

Monday (21)- Went to the Dr. to find out we're having a girl! The kids each got their very own sonogram pic. We stopped by the mall to pick out a baby girl outfit, sent off some letters to Santa, and headed out to Beaumont to visit grandma and grandpa Lawton.

Tuesday (22)- relaxed in Beaumont and i read an entire book, GooseGirl, and loved it.

Wed (23)- came home, played T-ball with all the kiddos, ate pizza and played games at mark and Rosie's.

Thursday (24)- Decorated cookies and gingerbread houses for Santa, ate super super yummy food, Brittany and Ryan arrived from Georgia, acted out Nativity, opened up jammies, listened to grandpa tell the Santa's Pack story, ate Jesus's Birthday cake, came home and took pics with the reindeer antlers my sis brought from preschool:)

Our "meek" Joseph.

Kolbs was shy and scared at first to perform but then he took his role very seriously.

My little angel:)

The "wise" men and a Texan King Herod:)

Friday (25)- Merry Christmas! Everyone slept in which was wonderful since we were up til 1 am the night before. KOlby got a soccer goal from Santa and Olivia got make-up. I got some hot black boots and Daniel finally got the Wii he's been wanting:) We hosted Christmas dinner for 17 people, played games and watched a movie. Its so fun to be surrounded by family for the holidays!

Saturday (26)- Took the kids to see The Squeakquel . They were very good and surprisingly quiet. Once we got home they told me how funny it was and Olivia started singing All the Single Ladies...

Sunday (27)- Enjoyed a relaxing Sunday.

It's a....

GIRL Merry Christmas to us:)

Pregnancy Pangs

Last night as i lay awake having my entire body ache i started adding up all the tolls this prenancy is taking on my body. The third go around seems to have increased the intensity of all of the following:

1. Mental: i truly have no memory left. I can't even remember people's names. I also have made three mistakes on paying my bills in the last 2 months.

2. Emotional: I can basically cry about anything if i think about it long enough, like 2 seconds.

3. Physical: i have no energy, aweful headaches, dark circles under my eyes, veins popping out of my legs, stretch marks, increasing chubbiness, and itchy skin. I am still vomitting and often awake to a strong kick.

Basically i was feeling like a totally abused vessel. I never ever want to be seen in a swim suit again and i can't imagine that my body has anything left to give.

Then i looked at these video clips the kids had me take for fun and got a little choked up. ( I did mention the emotional strain right?) I suppose i can live as a crazy hermit covered from head to toe the rest of my life and still be happy with the results of my pregancies...these cuties!

2009 Recital

They've done it again! My piano students make me so proud! They play beautifully but mostly i love them for the awesome little people that they are!

My kind Kids...

This morning kolby "made" me breakfast. He set the table and poured 3 kinds of cereal in my bowl. It wasn't until afterwards that i realized he set the table with dirty dishes from the dish washer:) yum!

********************************************************** Last night we took the kids to the Dollar Store to pick out presents for each other with their own money. After Daniel and I worked so hard to keep them hidden from each other in the store,Olivia came running up to kolby to show him the ball she picked out for him. So much for secrets.

********************************************************** And here's the convo i had with them yesterday...

kolbs: "We went to the store with daddy and we bought you a...

me: "no don't tell me!"

k: "But mom, we bought you a sssss..."

me: "lalala no don't tell me shhhh..."

k: "mom we bought you a secret!"

me: "oh good!"

Olivia: "Mommy we bought you slippers!!!"

All: (giggles)

I am all Tuckered out!

This weekend was a bit crazy 'round these parts:)

Friday was our ward Christmas party. Thus the picture of the 50 lbs of carrots Daniel and I ended up peeling. It was amazing really, i just had to document it. One of the couples in charge cooked a gourmet meal complete with stuffed chicken, potatoes, green beans, carrots with apricot sauce and some kind of beef which i am too uneducated to know what the proper name is. Anyway...let's just say the food was fabulous! I was in charge of the program. The children reading from Luke were just adorable and the musical numbers were beautiful. Wish i could have had a free moment to get a pic of the whole scene but alas i was a wee busy. And the kids actually sat on Santa's lap without crying. They were completely silent but not crying. Olivia looks like she is on drugs but i swear she isn't. Kolby told us that Santa said to make sure he leaves out cookies and milk for him. Kolby wanted to start baking right away:)

And Saturday...i got a phone call today from my sister who is coming for Christmas telling me that she has been exposed to the Swine flu. I had been debating whether or not to get vaccinated and i suddenly felt the urge. I was scheduled to get mine on the 21st but since it wouldn't give me much time before my sister comes i stood in a 3 hour line today with my kiddos to get free H1N1 shots. My feet were swollen, my hidious newly-aquired varicose vein was throbbing and i was tired of telling my kids to stop hitting each other by the time we made it to the actual room where the shots were. I will omit all commentary of the rude woman behind me who kept running over Olivia every 5 minutes the line moved...really are you trying to cut in front of a 2 year-old?..ok i guess i didn't omit. The room was aweful. I can't think of a more frightening place for children. All you could hear were children screaming bloody murder and having to have 2-3 people hold them down as if being tortured. Luckily my kids were suprisingly brave and sat on my lap without screaming or flailing about. Olivia even put on a tough face and lifted up her own sleeve. Of course they cried hard enough to bring tears to my own eyes once they'd been pricked but i was so proud of them.

Afterward we arrived a half hour late to a birthday party where i took kolby potty. Less than 2 hours later, on our way home I pulled over and tried to fight the holiday madness to get a parking spot at Target. Kolby couldn't wait that long and peed his pants. I cleaned out the booster seat, stuck my kids in the shopping cart and changed him into a new pair of jeans in the clothing section so he wouldn't freeze to death. We had to take yet another potty break before we left the store. Seriously I'm prego and i don't pee that much! Capri Sun...never again!

We finsished the night off with baths, some IB Proufen, a delicious home cooked meal, and Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.

Of course Daniel has missed the entire weekend as he is at a Track Clinic. These kinds of weekends only happen when you're all alone.

I have to say though as i was carrying two crying children to my car and cleaning up pee in a parking lot it really didn't even phase me. I started to think of when I first became a mother and how overwhelming it all was. Motherhood used to drain all my confidence and now it is the source of my self-worth. Today i actually felt quite proud of myself as any mother should when life just throws you one curve after another and you handle it with ease and end up with happy children and a home cooked meal at the end. Is there really a greater achievment in the world? i think not.

Hang on...

Christmas is almost here! I've been slightly stressed lately. Service is great but it sure can wear me out. Can't wait til Christmas so things will just slow down and I can be still.

snip snip

Chopped my hair today. Love it. DOn't know why i can't make normal faces when i take pics of myself. I just end up laughing at myself.

i was inspired by Alice Cullen (ya we're BFFs). But then decided to not be quite as dramatic. baby steps here. I just chopped off like 5 inches.

It is amazing how a new cut can make you forget how frumpy your clothes are and how messy your house is:)

Happy Blessing Day Baby Jack!

Sunday was a family fun day.

Baby Jack was blessed and we celebrated Holly and Leilani's birthdays...and of course there was plenty of delicious food to partake of as well:)