Turducken #4

Here is our done Turducken I am bummed because I forgot to take a picture of it being cut open. The inside looks like a lasagna. It can be a little difficult to serve but if you use a big spatula or even a cake server it works great! We were able to serve almost 20 people and have about 2 days of left overs.

Turducken #3

While Mike was deboning the birds I was making the stuffing. I took a recipe I found online and changed some things about it. But here is the gist of what and how it is done.

Take about 1/2 C or 1 stick of butter and melt it in a large skillet over high heat. Add about 3 cups of diced onions and 1-1/2 cups celery also diced. Saute until the onions are dark brown but not burned, it takes about 10-15 minutes. Make sure you stir it though so they don't burn. I then added 1lb of turkey sausage (I would have added 2lbs, but we only had 1lb) to the skillet and cooked it about 5 minutes or until the sausage was browned. Next I added paprika (2 tbsp.) and minced garlic (3 tbsp.) and cook approximately 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups of stock and bring to simmer. Continue cooking until stock evaporates a bit and oil rises to top, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2-3 cups toasted bread crumbs and mix well. Add more bread crumbs if mixture is too moist or more chicken stock if you need it more moist. I think next time I'll actually make double this recipe as we had to be really careful as to how much stuffing we put in between the birds.

We turned the oven on to 225 degrees. Once we had all three birds deboned, we laid the turkey out flat on the chopping board. Mike then smeared butter and minced garlic all over the inside of the turkey. We also sprinkled some garlic salt and paprika. I quartered up an onion and then Mike put them in different spots on the turkey (like under flaps of the bird or in crevices to give it a little more flavor). Next we poured out some stuffing (if you divide your stuffing up first it helps a lot) onto the turkey and spread it out. Place the duck on the stuffing filled turkey and repeat with the butter, spices, stuffing and onion. Then place the chicken on the stuffing filled duck.

Now this is going to take 2 people minimally, lol. The turkey is very slippery. Have everything ready that you need to sew up the bird, yes I said sew. We found a great product at the grocery store that has metal skewer things that have a hook on 1 end. It comes with about 5 metal skewer things and some twine. I do wish we had had 2 of these packages it would have helped. First, close up the chicken, then the duck, and lastly the turkey. The second person needs to sew the opening closed while the first person is holding the turkey together.

Once the Turducken is sewed closed place it in a roasting pan, sewed side down. We then smeared the outside of the Turducken with butter and sprinkled it with garlic salt and paprika for coloring. We put a baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any stray drippings.

We plopped the beast in the oven and let it cook for 2 hours. Then we basted it. Let it cook another hour and then baste it again. And then yet another hour and baste it again. We then made a foil tent to cover the birds and kicked the heat up to 275 degrees. Continue to baste the bird every hour or so. It took us about 8 hours to cook but we read that it can take up to 10 hours. Just make sure that you check the internal temperature of the bird, it needs to be at 165 degrees.

Turducken #3

The picture above is of the chicken being deboned and the picture on the left shows the duck being deboned .

Turducken #2

This is where the mess begins. Grab about 3 plates to put all the bones, giblets, extra fat and skin on, we saved these for our gravy. Here is the link we used to debone the turkey. Mike accidentally deboned the turkey upside down but it still worked :) http://homecooking.about.com/od/turkeyrecipes/ss/deboneturkeysbs.htm

Turducken #1

Here is Mike with our turkey. We actually saved over half of our grocery shoping so we could get a free turkey. Our store had a promo where if you buy $100 worth of groceries you would receive a free 15lb turkey and if the turkey weighed more (which ours was 18lbs) then you paid the price per pound which was only .99c. So for the whole turducken it was $23.

Many asked so here it is :)

I know many of you asked what in the world we were thinking at Thanksgiving. As many of you know Mike does something different with the turkey each year and this year was no exception. We poured over a bunch of different ideas but the one that kept coming back to us was the Turducken. I wanted to capture this memory as it was one full of laughter and exhaustion, lol. So I tried to take pictures all throughout the process and even kept a time log for this beast :) Let me know if you try this out and what you think. We thoroughly enjoyed our tasty endeavor. For your viewing pleasure (well the only yummy looking picture is when the bird was done) here are the recipes, directions, and pictures.

Black Bean Crockpot Stoup Recipe

So, I've been craving black beans, but only had an idea of how to make them. I finally took a few recipes and mixed them together to make this stoup. A stoup, for those who do not know, is a middle place between a stew and a soup, it is usually more chunky and think, but still a bit watery, if that at all makes sense, lol. The great part was everybody enjoyed it. The nice part about this is that you can scoop out some of the beans and put on a tortilla for a burrito or on chips for nachos, or just in a bowl for stoup :) Here's the recipe, let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1lb Ground Turkey meat cooked up till browned and seasoned with garlic salt, drain fat
1 16oz bag of dried black beans
1 small onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic crushed
1-1 1/2 Cups of salsa
Optional Toppings
cheese
sour cream
avacodo
green onions chopped
Put black beans in crockpot and pick out all the beans that are cracked or broken and discard them. Place chopped up onion and garlic into crockpot as well. Add enough water to beans, garlic and onions so that it will cover the mixture plus about 1-2 inches higher. Place lid on it and cook on low all day. That night drain all the contents of the crockpot into a colander. Add beans, salsa and cooked ground turkey back to the crockpot. Add water or chicken broth till desired thickness is achieved. Let cook for about 30 minutes (doesn't take long if you have just cooked the ground turkey as that will be hot) or till everything is heated through. Now the fun part. Put stoup in bowls (liquid and all) and sprinkle with whatever toppings you like, we did avacodo, shredded cheese, and sour cream, Mike and Brandon made theirs into burritos so they used a slotted spoon to put the beans onto a tortilla and made it that way. Our family consumed the entire contents of the crockpot, so we will probably have to do two bags next time for a couple of left overs. Hope you enjoy and let me know if you make it, what you think, and what tweaks you made to it.

Holding our children's hearts...

"No one else named “Mom” lives in our homes and holds our children’s hearts and lives like we do. Let’s not miss our greatest ministry!" I received this out of a great e-mail from a friend (thanks Kim) that just smacked me up side the head and these two sentences were the last ones on that e-mail. As I read that I looked and saw how many opportunities I miss because I want myhouse clean, or I want homeschooling done, or I want my kids to act just right, or sometimes even my husband, but how many times have I missed their hearts? I know that is one of the biggest reasons why we homeschool is for our childrens hearts. Isn't it amazing how God can put a simple sentence on our heart that makes us search so much deeper for Him and for Him for our family?!

Annika is 7!!!

Can you believe it?! My baby girl is 7. Yes she is still has tiny as ever, wearing only size 5 clothes, but she is amazing. Some of the many accomplishments she has had this year: Horseback riding (thank you Chelsey for making that dream a reality!), sewing - yes with a real sewing machine, she has made a double sided apron and a Christmas stocking with a pocket for her stuffed baby monkey, reading and writing like a whiz, and drawing everything she can. We were blessed to have some dear friends come over and be a part of her special day. Hope you enjoy seeing the pics. Have a great week!!!

Amazing Classes!!!

This last weekend I had the honor of going to not just one but 2 amazing classes. It is very rare that you find people who are at an expert level who can explain what they do and how they do it to a novice like myself. But God has been putting people in front of me who do just that.
At 8am I went to the Fair Oaks Horticultural Society. The Master Gardners there were doing classes on all different winter stuff. The one I wanted to learn about was gardening in the winter. The MG was so awesome. She gave me a pamphlet of when to plant what, and invited me to come back next month, to open garden day, and ask any questions I had. After that class I rushed to the library grabbed some books and headed to a cooking class that I received a complimentery pass too. God worked ahead on that one as well. I really wanted to go this class but couldn't bear myself to spend $35 for it. Low and behold we got a package from our chiropractor and his office and there was the certificate in it :) Dr. Ken and Rachel, who taught the class, have such a passion for serving God through teaching others. They had so many great tips recipes. We got to try everything!!! I brought home some recipes and today we are going to make the muffins. I'm going to do Rachels tip and make a double batch and freeze some for quick healthy breakfasts. It was so much fun.
On another positive note: Mike got his grade back from his first Chemistry test. He not only got an A+ but got the extra credit for 4 extra points. I'm so proud of all his hard work.
Not only is Mike going to school but he is joining us for co-op this year. The kids are so excited! Mikey is taking "Exploring the Human Body" and "Games, Sports, & Songs", Annika is taking "Cup Stacking" (which if you don't know what that is go to www.youtube.com and type in cup stacking, you will be totally amazed) and "Draw Write Now", Joshua is in a "stories and craft" time and also has a snack and game time, and Mace will be in the nursery. Mike is going to be doing worship for the entire group. Please keep him in your prayers as I know he truly wants to glorify God and bring kids into a great worship experience.
Well that about concludes last week, lol. Hope all of you are having amazing weeks as well!!!

Still crazy but slowing down

It is amazing to look back and see how God has been working. Mike was able to get into every class he needed to. So my hubby is now taking Microbiology, nutrition, chemistry, and is taking class at the University of Phoenix. He is now in school 7 days a week, but all different times of the day. It does make for a hectic schedule, but we are learning to work around him.
I just received the grades for my first 2 weeks of school and praise God I'm doing good. It is truly by the grace of God that we are even making it through this. Only 2 years and 50 weeks to go, lol!

New College Students

Well today I started my first two classes at The University of Phoenix. I had to post a bio, which was actually hard to do, but I did realize how much of my time truly is spent with homeschooling, potty training, bottles, cleaning, and just running after kidds :) . I also started my reading assignments, printed out my two syllabuses and calendars. I really am liking this whole going to school online thing, can't beat turning in homework at 11pm, lol.
Mike started school as well and God has been opening up insane doors left and right. Now there is only one door left, a psych class. When God opens that door (whether it be tomorrow or next semester) that will be all the prerequisites that he needs to start nursing school this next fall, which would be huge! A lot of people need their prerequisites for nursing also and these classes are really hard to get into, that's why I know it is God.
I was reading a bio on the makers of the movie "Facing the Giants" (which if you haven't rented it, go immediately to your nearest video rental store and grab it!) and they were talking about how people have written them and said "those miracles in the movie don't happen" as to which one of the brothers replied "all the miracles are real, if you can completely explain something then it's probably not a miracle, but many things happen that should have never been possible!" That's how I'm looking at the journey we are going on right now, simply put it's MIRACULOUS!
Thank-you to all of you have been praying for us, please, please, please, keep it up. We know God is leading us and can't wait to see what He does next! I pray next I'll be able to write that Mike got that last class he needed :)
Have an amazing week everyone and keep your eyes out for the miracles!

lots of stuff going on...

Well it has been an insane month. First off we have found an amazing church that we love. It's called East Valley off of Hazel Avenue near our house. They, so far, have everything that we've been praying about. The pastor has been doing great sermons about the armour of God that have truly hit home.
We've have been trying to figure out where God is leading us and Mike has been feeling a calling to go back to school. We've praying about it for a bit, since some doors needed to close and others needed to open. And God did just that. Not only did He open the doors for Mike to go back to school but also for me to go to school also. So we will both be college students as of August 25th. I will be doing all my schooling online though (a huge door opening right there) while Mike will only have to go on campus 1 day a week for 4 hours (another huge door opened).
With all the talk of schooling out we also prayed about our housing situation. And felt that we should humbly move into Mikes parents house. This actually had a lot of positives but one huge negative our pride, lol. We now will have Brandon 24/7 and he will only be a few blocks from school. Mikes parents will be living primarily in San Francisco as his mom will work full time there and only 2 days a month (if all goes as planned). Plus God has already provided a potential renter for our home. That's been a really hard one for me to let go of. But God has been more than faithful!!!
We also are taking a class through our chiropractors office called Body By God. It has been amazing and so much fun. And a couple of my girlfriends and I are going to one of their "healthy" cooking classes soon :)
I know its been awhile since I've posted anything and there is so much more than these few paragraphs that have been happening, but know that God is working and we are doing our best to follow the direction that He leads. There are still huge mountains but we are following faithfully knowing that those mountains will be moved!!! Thank-you so much to so many of you who have continued to keep us in your prayers, they have been and continue to be answered and we are forever grateful for friends who love us enough that they lift us up when sometimes we just don't have the strength. I pray all of you are truly able to wear and feel the "boots of peace" surrounding you and your families. Have an amazing week and know that we are lifting you up in prayer and love as well.

God is good

Have you ever noticed how God seems to give you exactly what you need, just not exactly what you thought you needed, lol. I am starting to love gardening and am seeing how it truly does take me back to the basics and remind me of Gods undying love. All of our plants started at about an inch tall, not to much to talk about, lol. And even though this is my first year gardening and I have no idea what I'm doing (thank God for friends and google, lol) these plants are not just growing but flourishing. It's amazing how even though we planted them and sometimes we forget to water them our veggies seem to know that if they just hold on one more day they can grow even bigger. I am realizing how much I need to apply that to my own life. I've been so worried about getting things perfect or not doing them at all that I seem to forget that God doesn't forget to water or fertalize, yes garbage happens, but he is always faithful. He has been constantly reminding me to be "strong and courageous". How can you be strong and courageous when somedays you want to stay in your nice comfy bed and just lie there? I looked up the word courage and this is what it said "to act in accordance with one's beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism". I hate to admit it but that criticism whether real or things we think are being said or thought are tough to get past. But it doesn't say to be courageous because there is nothing to be afraid of it says inspite of it we are to stand up. So go for it, when you feel like falling down, go to your knees instead, when you feel like crying cry tears of joy because you are loved, when you feel like you can't take one more step Know that He is with you!

Getting back to our roots

Yesterday Mike and I took Annika, Mason and Joshua to our local farmer's market. We bought some apricots, plums, pluots (pronounced plew-ot, they are a crossbreed between a plum and an apricot), and some nectarines from an organic farmer there and then we met an organic dairy farm stand. The people were amazing and their cheeses.... if you haven't tried organic cheese you are missing out. We bought 2 chunks from them as we realized we would actually be using less cheese since their cheese is so much more pungent. We also bought some stuff called Quark. It is a German style cream cheese. We bought the vanilla bean flavor to use with our fruits for a dessert.
Then I found an amazing treasure through a friend (thanks Annette). It is the Tomich farm off of Chestnut Avenue, 6702 Chestnut Avenue to be exact, can you tell I want you to visit, lol. I went there thinking I would get a box of peaches that were seconds, for those of you who don't know what seconds are (I didn't before 2 weeks ago, lol - it is the fruit that is slightly bruised or nicked that is still good to eat but great for preserving, but found out there was a short waiting list (I think everyone else had the same idea as I did). So instead the 2 wonderful ladies there showed me 2 other boxes that were a little more bruised and nicked (I'll call them thirds, since I have no clue what they really are called), I figured I'd take one. The boxes were 20lbs each and I paid my $10 for the 1 box - yes I really did say $10, I was just as shocked that they were so cheap, and took it out to the back of my truck. When I stopped and thought about all the great peach butter and peach jam I could make I turned around and asked for the second box. Mike was surprised to see me with 40 lbs of peaches for only $20. I did call them later and took my name off the list but found out that if you call them they will tell you if there is a list and you can get your name on it or have them make you a box even before you get there. BTW these peaches were picked that morning. This morning I did juice a few of the peaches and they were delicious (we did add a couple of the other fruits as well).
Today I will start teaching Mikey and Annika how to make peach butter and jam. I will hopefully get some good pics, I keep forgetting to take pictures so all of you can see, lol.
PS. If anyone wants the number to the Tomich Farm (BTW it's NOT the Tom Tomich farm right off of Greenback, it is the Tomich Farm off of Chestnut and Greenback (I guess 2 brothers split a farm and went in different directions) the number is (916)988-0165, if you want to reserve your box. The ladies said they are getting so many peaches they are having to throw quiet a bit away. Let me know if any of you try it out and what you think :)

A look at this week...

Well as I said in an earlier post Joshua didn't get in the water for his swim lessons for 2 days. Tuesday we tried to bribe him with going on the slide at the playground there, but that was a no go. So I actually let Mikey and Annika go slide so he could see that they were being rewarded because they went swimming. Wednesday we went to another chiropractor appointment and then swim lessons again. Once again I tried to get Joshua to go to his lessons and once again he started crying and saying he didn't want to leave me (it wasn't the swim lessons that he didn't like it was that Mommy wasn't going in with him, lol). So I made him sit on a bench and watch everyone else swim. Well he didn't like that so he asked to go to his class. We walked half way around the pool and he decided he didn't want to go again.... We went back to the bench to wait for Mikey and Annika when low and behold Joshua saw his class playing with toys in the pool. So I explained to him the kids in his class got to play with toys because they were swimming. He didn't like that and said he wanted to go swimming. So we took that long walk again and guess who went to play with his class :) He only had about 5 minutes with his class, but I was so happy. When swim lessons was out we went straight to the playground and went to the slide. The next day guess who wanted to go to his class right away? Joshua loves his class now and does amazingly well. He loves to dive under the water to grab the toys, loves to kick in the pool, and loves to jump in to the pool.
On some other exciting news Annika now will be going to the chiropractor only 1 day a week instead of the 3 days a week she has been going with Mikey and I. The doctor will do this for a few weeks and then reevaluate if she is still making good progress. Dr. Jeff is wonderful with the kids, Mikey and Annika were both really nervous after their first appointment, but Dr. Jeff decided to try a different technique and the kids now ask when their appointments are because they are so excited to go. Annika was actually bummed that she is dropping down to 1 day a week.
Tonight Mike and I are taking Brandon and his girlfriend Ashley to a picnic dinner at the drive in. I never thought I would double date with my son, lol. This "date" is to celebrate their 5 month anniversary :) Man I remember when I use to do that to...... But before that 2 of my girlfriends and I are going to go celebrate one of their birthdays. It will be a very fun filled evening.
And tomorrow we are taking all the kids to the farmers market to get some organic fruits and seconds (which are fruits that are slightly bruised or cut) for the week and for our new juicer (Thank-you G.G. we love it and have tried some fun concoctions). Hope all of you have a fun filled and blessed weekend.

Swim Lessons

The joy of summer... We had our first swim lessons today which over all went really good. Mikey and Annika both really like their teachers, their classes have about 7 kids in each of them so not a terrible amount. But then there is Joshua.... Yes my dear sweet 3yr old little boy, cried the entire time and didn't want to do anything with his class, even though the day before we went over to some friends house and he "swam" for a couple hours. I think it is more he doesn't know the people. I had him go over and talk to his teacher after class and we are going to try again tomorrow. Hopefully it goes good.
On another note, Annika had her tap recital on Sunday. She did so good, we were very proud. She really knew the dance and some of the other girls looked to her to see what their next move was :) Their song was "Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear" and with their costumes they got little teddy bears who were dressed in the same outfit as the girls that they get to keep. I think that was the most exciting part for all the little girls is that they knew their bear was coming home.

Busy Busy Busy

Isn't it funny how all year long we wait for the summer when we think we can slooowww down... yeah like that ever really happens. Well since the car accident Mikey, Annika and I have been going to the chiropractor 3 times a week, now don't get me wrong we love our doctors and the staff there is amazing, but it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get everyone ready, there, adjusted and back. And now we added swim lessons right after our appointments. But the kids are having fun and enjoying summer even if Mom is making them do a little school during the summer. Well, I hope all of you are having a great summer whether busy or just cruising along.

Been Awhile

Well, it's been awhile since I posted on our family blog. We were actually set to go on vacation last week, BUT Mike had to work out of town. So my mom and I decided to do fun stuff around the area. Well Monday was our first venture. Brandon actually watched Mason while my mom, Mikey, Annika, Joshua, and myself went up to Truckee to go visit a kids musuem. Well our planned trip turned sour pretty quickly.... Joshua got car sick and threw up on himself and his carseat. Mikey was so awesome as he was sitting next to him and trying to take care of him till we could pull off. We got Joshua cleaned up and realized that I forgot his extra clothes in our car (we were in my moms car), so now we needed to find a clothes store for a shirt. We stopped at a few places but all of them sold adult sized clothes. We decided to turn around and go to a thrift store that we saw. We were at a stop light waiting to turn when the SUV behind us hit us. So we pulled over to a parking lot where a young girl got out of the car, she was petrified. We found out her foot slipped off the brake and punched into the gas. When I looked at the back of my mom's car there were 2 wholes about the size of tennis balls in her bumper and a big dent in her trunk. God was truly with us as there was no major trauma done to us or the kiddos. We did go to a chiropractor as my neck was really giving me problems about 20minutes later. And then after my visit with the chiropractor I decided to bring the kiddos in as Mikey had complained of some headaches, and I wanted to be safe more than sorry. So that was our exciting trip. Praise God my mom was around as I couldn't lift up Mason without it hurting, let alone Joshua. We learned a lot of great lessons that day, the biggest one being that we have the choice to have a good time no matter what happens. We did have a good time and Mikey, Annika and I are spending time together driving to and from the chiropractors office :) I guess it really is a lot of how you look at it. Have a blessed weekend. BTW Annika's dance recital is this weekend so we will hopefully have some good pics of her up soon.

Cheese!

Here's Brandon with his braces off, isn't he handsome!

An exciting week for 2 boys

Well this last week was a great week for 2 of my boys. Brandon finally got his braces off. He was so excited. He now has an "invisible" retainer that he needs to wear except for when he eats. So far he hasn't lost them so that in and of itself is pretty good. I will hopefully get a picture of him up real soon with a before and after.
Mason got his first hair cut this week. He now looks like a little Peña boy. His long hair in the top middle of his head are now in a baggy waiting for a scrapbook to be put in (we will see how long that takes, lol). He is absolutely adorable.

Thank-you

Memorial Day

Our family wanted to take a moment and thank all the men and women who have served or are serving our country. We are truly greatful to each and every one of you. We know that freedom is not free and many have payed with their lives. You all are in our hearts and prayers.

Check out my Slide Show!

Family Day

Mike has been wanting to go to the beach, which is odd in and of itself, because he is more of a home body. So at 8am we headed to Stinson Beach, near San Francisco. It took about 2 and a half hours with a stop for a family breakfast where we sat and talked about The Great Wall of China. The drive was beautiful, with lots of trees and shrubs all around and then the kids saw the ocean. Their mouthes dropped open and couldn't believe where we were. We parked and got everyone and all of our stuff out; Mason's backpack carrier, a diaper bag, a towel bag, cell phones, lol, and walked to the beach. We all sat down and took off our shoes, well everyone but Mike (yes even Mason had no shoes). The kids ran and jumped in the sand. It was pretty cold there, so we all had pants and sweaters on, but the water was just too tempting. So Mikey, Annika, Joshua, and Mindy all rolled up their pant legs and headed out to chase the waves. We were winning against the waves that is until Annika was trying to outrun one, and "accidentally" fell and rolled around in the wave and sand. Poor thing was so cold, her lips were quivering. Mindy took her to the outdoor shower where she tried to no avail to get all the sand out of her hair, ears, face, and clothes. The girls walked back to the boys who were having fun playing in the sand. We decided that Annika was to cold so we decided to call it a day. But before we left Mindy walked Mason out to the waves where he stuck his little feet into the ocean, which he didn't like, he wasn't to sure about having sand on his feet either. Everyone except for Mike and Annika fell asleep in the car. It was a great day. We are going to try and go back this summer and actually do a bit more swimming and not just wave chasing.
PS. Happy B-day Kelly, Annette, and Sarah I pray that it is the best year so far for all of you and that God blesses you beyond what any of us could ever think or imagine. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Love you all

Play List

Well today I added a playlist as you can probably hear, lol. It was so much fun to go through all of the music that we love. When our kiddos were little we "gave" each of them a song that reminded us of them. Brandons song is "Just The Way I Am" - because when Mike and I got married he was already here :) And I love him just the way he is, Mikeys song is "You Are My Sunshine" because he just always wants people to feel loved, Annikas is "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" of course cause she's the only girl and I love all the oldies, Joshuas is "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" with having so many now I remember looking at him and thinking I'm so blessed to stay at home with all of you and I don't want to miss a thing, and Masons is "You're Gonna Be", this song is so beautiful and just touched a mommy cord in me. And Yes I even added the song from our wedding "From This Moment", everytime I hear it I can still see us standing at the altar getting ready to plunge into marriage. It was so much fun to put all their songs together and think back over their lives. Wow God has blessed us with them beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined. I hope you enjoy the music and it makes your heart smile :)

Check out my Slide Show!

Mothers Day

First of all Happy Mothers Day to all you momma's out there!!! I honestly wasn't expecting anything this year and was greatly surprised. My 4 younger kiddos made breakfast for me with their daddy only supervising. Mikey (8) fried up some Turkey Bacon, Annika (6) cracked, scrambled, cooked, and even flipped scrambled eggs, Joshua (2) made cinnamon rolls - well his daddy opened the container, but he pulled them out, put them on the pan and even frosted every single roll and Mason (1) supervised. They brought me breakfast in bed with a card with the sweetest picture attached of them in the kitchen and a Lowes gift card. Now most of you are thinking man that doesn't sound fun. But I had told my dear hubby that all I wanted was for him to really think of me. And he really did this year! I've been planning to plant a garden and have been trying to save up funds and plan so the Lowes card will actually help with our garden. We went there today and checked out all the neat plants they have there and got really excited about what we will be harvesting. I pray all of you momma's felt thought of and loved today! Once again Happy Mothers Day!

The Beginning

Wow, so this is the beginning. I never thought I would start a blog, but I wanted all our extended family and friends to be able to see what we've been up to. BTW Happy Mothers Day to all you Mommy's out there, you are beyond important, thank-you for doing what you do.