Cookie Exchange

December 6th 2009 marked my 4th annual cookie exchange, and I know I sound like a broken record, but really! It DOES get BETTER AND BETTER every single year. I keep learning from it, what to make, what not to make, tips for my friends, rules for my friends! Ha!
Every year I make a bunch of extra treats for my exchange to eat and send home with my friends. This year I made mostly new things, and I loved all of them. I will try and post all the recipes either here or on my cooking blog, www.stephandteeshcook.blogspot.com
Here is a list of the things that I made:
-Truffle pops
-Rice Krispy Treats
-Pumpkin Cheesecake
-Peppermint Bark
-Peppermint Cloud Brownies
And my actual exchange cookie was Martha Stewart's Mini Black and White cookies! They were yummy :) I also made dinner for the first time and I think I will keep that up! Yummy tomato-basil soup and chicken salad sandwiches with warm home-made dinner rolls! It was a nice way to balance out all the sweets!
I cant wait until next years exchange!

Mommy Tip #55

ALWAYS, always, always, remember to have LOTS of ibuprofen and baby orajel when the baby is teething! They get cranky fast!!

Santa Train

The McGeary Family invited us on the Santa Train this year in Boulder City! It was so much fun and I got to spend some time with just Hunter and I , which is always a nice treat! Here are a few good pics! Some I think were even taken by Hunter!

Hunter and Noah!



The boys playing around

Hunter took this one of Noah! What a cute kid!

Christmas 2009

What a fun Christmas! We had such a good one this year...lots of friends and families and WONDERFUL, EXCITING announcements....none I'm sharing here just yet though! ha! Sorry!
We spent the morning and early afternoon at my parents, then drove to Jeff's parents and spent the rest of the evening there. Jeff's step-brother (or brother from another mother as they say!) lives in WA and got leave from the military (he is an RN at an Army base there) to be in LV over the holiday, so that was exciting! We were happy to have him, as I'm sure he wont be so lucky every year.
Of course the kids got entirely too much stuff, and after leaving Debbie's it looked as if a Toys "R" Us exploded in the back of my truck! The kids haven't stopped playing with their new toys in 2 days! I think while they are distracted, I will be a mean mom and clean out their old things to make room for the new!

Hunter trying to see if there was an H or an A on the pakage! Thats how he could tell if it was for him, or Allie!

Here is Hunter opening the Batman house that he wanted so badly! He was really excited to get this!


Here is sissy on Christmas morning! So cute!

Thanksgiving and Christmas at Pre-school

Hunter attends the best preschool! He has such a good time there all the time! They do the cutest things at the holidays. For Thanksgiving they all made these really cute pilgrim shirts and feather hats and had a HUGE feast! The kids loved it!


For Christmas the kids always learn a few Christmas songs and have a Christmas program in the Chapel of the church connected to the school and they sing the songs they have spent so much time learning. They are very excited and proud of themselves...as they should be! In my opinion they are the cutest group of 4 and 5 yr olds I know!

Thanksgiving 2009

We did Thanksgiving at Chad and Krista's new house this year. My parents were going to be in Jamaica on the actual day so we met up a few days earlier and, for a change cooked for our parents instead of the other way around. Chad and I both enjoy cooking, and we probably get that from our Mom and Grandma Antonino. Our parents declared it a success and suggested that we do it this way from now on! All they had to do was entertain the kids and give advice when asked...oh, and I think they did help w/the dishes!

Ever give a kid a camera?

Well, maybe you should! Sure, your going to get weird, fuzzy shots of his cartoons like these:


Or random shots like these ones:


Or pictures of your sister: (sometimes in compromising positions, like this one w/her drawing on my wall!!!!)



You also get a lot of self portraits:


But sometimes you just get good pictures like these ones!



About the time Hunter turned 3, I bought him a real Kodak camera from Target for $20. It was an out of the box item, so I thought "why not"? Turns out its one of the coolest things I have done! He walks all over looking through his little camera and snapping away! And, because everyone is so animated with kids, usually, if your paying attention to him, the picture comes out cute! One of my goals for the new year is to start an album with just Hunters pictures in it, for him. I think that would be a cute thing to have around....the world through a kids eye!

I just realized:

I just realized that one day I'm going to have all the time in the world to do the things I want and by then I will have no interest/drive to do them anymore! Ah...such is life :)

Mommy tip #3542

Keep the baby away from the Habanero plant! They BURN!!!


Not a very good picture, but that baby is half gone in one quick bite!


Look at that RED face! Those poor lips!


That popsicle was gone in 2 minutes! Poor thing...

I have a little problem...

I love to bake, make sweets and generally make food that is high in carbs and sugar...BUT, my kids get enough of my crap and I get my fair share too and Jeff...well, he is another story! About the only sweet thing I can get him to eat is this. So, when I want to whip up a batch of these, who do I give them to??? Seriously?? WHO??? W.H.O.?.

Things are slow around here

Only for blogging though! I managed to break every camera that I own, and since going out and replacing mine isnt so simple, I have slacked on blogging!
Here is whats going on with us:

* BOTH kids got croup...yep, it sucked! I was/still am up a lot during the nights...Hunter gets hit especially hard with it every time and this time got sent home with a nebulizer to do breathing treatments at home. It seems to have helped a lot, although it took a long time to see results...about 4 days!
*Allie is her usual fire-cracker self! She goes in time-out now and says "no" to every question you ask her...its a little irritating! She also just learned how to say "Hey", and thats pretty cute!
* I am still busy with school...its almost done for the semester and I am excited about that...Jeff is going to sign up for two classes next semester to help him get a new job, so dont know where that leaves me next semester...
* We went to UT for Halloween this year and it was TONS of fun!! I would like to do it every year, but not sure that will be possible! Hunter and Logan had a lot of fun together and didnt want to part! Tecia and Steve were kind enough to offer to let us stay with them, and that is always good fun! Thanks Brinkerhoffs!
*Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, and I dont have any time to make the gifts I am giving...hmmm....
* I havent touched my sewing machine in probably a month and that makes me a little sad... this is the bad thing about school...only enough time for school and family...not much else!

Hopefully I can get a camera soon so you guys wont have to just read, you can see too :)

Pamperd Chef

If you don't have this Deep Covered Baker from the Pampered Chef, you should make every effort to have it! It RULES! Buy one now, or two, or three....whatever!
Seriously though, the Deep Covered Baker rocks! You wouldn't believe the stuff I am churning out around here! Make your husband and kids happy! Get one and start cooking!

Halloween costumes

How cute are these kids? I bought Allies costume last December at Gymbore for $7.99 and made Hunters costume for about the same! They are adorable in them!

Allison

This little gal is getting cuter and cuter by the day! She is getting SO big on us! Here she is, miss personality (and sometimes known as drama queen, crabby patty and miss independent)!

Starting a new blog

Well, another one in addition to Reece Family, StephandTeeshcook and now: (drumroll pleeaasse..............!!!)

Becoming Martha Stewart! I figured I would do a blog on all sorts of cooking, baking and crafting...some from Martha herself, but from other places too. Check me out in a few days here Until then :)

P.S. Stop laughing...you know its going to be fun!

Its been too long

I haven't been blogging and I suck. Sorry kids, no memories for this month...Mom was too busy with feeding you, feeding Dad, cleaning, working, shuffling Hunter from preschool to speech to play dates and soccer practice and games. Also, Allie had a few hundred doctor appts. in between to figure out her rashes...(notice plural usage there). Oh yeah, and as if that wasnt enough I also have school 3 nights/week...I hope it slows down a little around here...Im starting to think that although it seemed great during the summer (you know, when I had days and hours to do nothing with) to sigh Hunter up for soccer, that we really should've waited another year...honestly, its just one. more. thing. for me to do *sigh*

Won again!

I follow some really awesome blogs...no, really I do! You should see all the talent out there! I enter as many giveaways as possible too, and now its paid off twice! I follow this cute blog, The Crafy Crow, and she hunts down all this really cute stuff for you to do with your kids. Well, she had this giveaway for this amazing little book By Little Hands and I thought: that would be fun to have! So, I entered and won! I was really shocked...really! The author emailed me and got my address and this cute little book is on its way to the Reece house! I cant wait to check it out! See people...it pays to enter contests!

Labor Day

We went camping for Labor Day with my parents, and Chad and Krista were able to make it up for a few day too. We went to Panguitch Lake (the usual!) and we had a blast! We fished and rode the ATV'S all over and some of us (not me of course) even TENT CAMPED!! Can you believe it? Hunter and Jeff slept in Jeff's (notice I didn't say OUR tent??!!) and Chad and Krista had their own. Hunter only made it one night in the tent and halfway in the middle of the 2nd night Jeff walked him into the trailer and said "Hes crying and he wants you". Duh...of course!! Its COLD out there! Here are a few pics!

Allie thinking she gets coffee in the morning too

Jeff and his HUGE fish (trout) he caught. And he actually said to me...wait for it..."I kinda wanna get this mounted". gesh...

"US"-self portrait!

The guys (yes, watching a football game!)

Grandma taking the kids out on a scoot!

Doughnuts

Hunter and I made some doughnuts this afternoon and since I am still craving Fall I made the icing a spicy, apple cider icing...these are fabulous! And so super easy! Just bring a large pot of vegetable oil to high and cut holes out of the center of refrigerated biscuits. And, when you have little hands (and may I say extremely cute and still dimply ones like these) you just have to drop them in the hot oil and flip them once they brown up. About 2-3 min on each side. Then, dip the tops in the icing and just dunk the holes all the way under and enjoy! Nothing like sweet, simple, easy lovin'!

Allison has chicken pox!

How did she get it? Don't know. Where did she get if from? Don't know that either. All I know is the cute little girl got them! Who du thunk it? I didn't even think kids these days still got these, you know with the vaccine they get to protect them from it and all...oh, wait...yep, its coming back to me now...she didn't get hers! She is behind because of those darn ears...and now look what happened! At least its a very mild case of the chicken pox and thank God for that! And, she is handling it well, so another point for Allie! Plus, look at those cute pink cheeks and those round, chubby little knees! Yep, she's still got it! Even if she has, well, the plauge! Poor baby!

End of Summer

So, I am not really feeling summer anymore. You know, you remember how excited I was for it here. But, I am so ready for fall...I keep looking at my soup pots and my baking supplies and I long for days where cooking all day in the kitchen wont make my power bill $500....C'mon Fall! I need you!

Crafty mamma!

Its been a while since my last post! In my defense I have had trouble uploading pictures from my camera to my computer so I had to find a different way to get them off my camera...on the other hand I haven't really been taking pics of anything so that makes for boring blogging! HA! So anyways here is what I have been up to lately! LOTS OF CRAFTING!!!! I'm in one of those moods this summer! Here are some of the things I have been making. On a side note, I would like to say that although I am "crafty", I am NOT a perfectionist, and I am not the best craft'er and some stuff I am still learning how to do, so...with that said, here it all is!


Cute snowman embroidery project I got from my friend Lisa. I thought it only fitting I giver her the first one I made! I will be making lots of these soon...cute, fast, cheap and great gifts! My kind of project!

The bug box idea that I got from here. Does it look the same? No. Do I care? No. Does Hunter use it? Nope. But, I tried and that's what counts!

Cute clipboard idea I got from here. Again, I am not a perfectionist and this was my first time doing this, but, you know what? I like it even though it has air bubbles all over it, and lets be honest people...its going to be covered up with papers at some point, so really...its OK right?!

The cross-stitch project that I have been working on for my mother-in-law for her birthday which happens to be in oh, 7 days! Thank goodness she is going out of town! She just bought me 2 weeks to finish this baby up...hopefully I do, otherwise...Merry Christmas!! HA!




Close up view. Its going to be of 2 angels with a saying in between them that reads :Bless this Autumn Harvest...there is one for all 4 seasons and I have been eying them for about 7 years now! No time to make them like the present right??!!


And lastly (and my PERSONAL FAVORITE!!!) my coffee cozy!


Front.....


and the (cute!) back!