Coyote of the Month

We are so proud of Carter. He received the COYOTE OF THE MONTH award at school today. Mrs. Boelens had a lot of kind things to say about Carter. She mentioned that even when he missed a few days of school last week, he had completed all of his work & turned it in on time just so he wouldn't fall behind. She commended him for being on time to school & ready to work each day. She said that he is a trust worthy student & a good friend. As she was winding down her remarks about Carter, she said "I really could go on & on, all day about this student".
Keep up the awesome job, Carter!

my baby...

my last born. He really isn't a baby anymore{insert tears here}.


























He is a big boy & is pretty much a BIG deal in our little world. At almost 2 1/2 years of age, you can hear him say things like: "tag, you're it." Doesn't matter who you are, if you look like a good chase, it is game on in his world.

If I am headed into the kitchen, he will follow me & say; "what are you making?" He is a talker & wants to be in the know!

After I hang up the phone, he will ask " who was that?"

He has the best manners. He says please & thank you all the time. Not always in the right order, but he tries.

When a prayer is said at church, he has the loudest AMEN & sometimes that Amen is said before the prayer is even over.

He likes to knock on the bedroom doors & say "knock, knock. Who's there? Is anybody there"? It is pretty funny!

He loves his big brothers so much & wants to do everything that they do. He loves seeing them off to school in the morning. He sends them off with Brody kisses & hugs! It is very sweet & tender.

He is a super busy two year old. I need to remember to stop & enjoy these sweet little moments, a little more often.

Recipe share

I am loving the crock pot this week. I have been in a rut lately when it comes to dinners. I blame it on all of the soccer practices...4 nights a week. It is hard to plan dinner & even harder to get it done early the day. Then I worry about keeping it warm until everyone gets home. My friend Jan, is the queen of trying new recipes.


















I am so thankful that she is so good about passing on her latest & greatest finds to me. She has saved dinner at our house this week. Thanks Jan!!
I thought I would share the most recent Crock Pot recipe.

Mandi Forester’s White Chicken Chili –
Rachel Ray winner 2009

Ingredients
• 1 32-ounce box chicken stock
• 3 cans white beans, left undrained
• 5 cups cooked chicken – (rotisserie or boiled) about 3 - 4 frozen chicken breasts
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa (I also add 2 cups Pico de Gallo)
• 1 small can chopped green chilies
• 1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Black or white pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips/ tortilla chips
• Sour cream, for garnish
Yields: 6 servings
________________________________________
Preparation
Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot. Cook on high until the cheese is melted.
Chili may also be cooked on the stove top over medium-high heat until cheese is melted.
When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.
Can also do chicken in crockpot – put 5 frozen chicken breasts in crockpot for about 4 hours. Drain and then continue with recipe. I let my cook on low for a couple of hours. Definitely add the crushed corn chips to thicken it.

**I used 3 cans of Navy beans & tortilla chips. Make sure you have plenty of chips on hand for the kids to dip in their chili. This was yummy & perfect for the fall weather we are enjoying. Enjoy!!!

making me happy...

it's not hard to do! As I look around my crazy house, I am reminded that I have so much to be thankful for, so many things that make me happy on a daily basis. Here are a few things that are making me smile today.

The piano & the nice sounds that are coming from it. I don't claim to have any musical talent but I DO love music(all types) & I love to sing...but I really shouldn't :-). Tanner started piano lessons with Miss Patti last month & he loves it. It has been wonderful to watch him learn. It is nice to hear sounds other than little fists pounding on the keys.
















Halloween decoration are making me happy this week. Our pumpkins look so cute all lined up on our porch. I usually try to add one new decoration each holiday & this wreath is the latest. I made this cute wreath @ Enrichment last week. I am proud of myself for actually finishing it before the holiday was over :-).



























The latest Green Tangerines Kit Club kit is so yummy this month. I LOVE it...very Fallish. I am hoping to sneak into my scrapbook room for a few hours to get some projects started. I am excited to create with it.

I have been loving the new crock pot recipes from my friend, Jan. Crock pot meals are the best when it starts to cool down. I have been in such a rut lately when it comes to dinner.

It makes me happy to know that my boys love school. They love their teachers & so do I. They are learning so much. I am thankful to live in an area where the schools are fabulous. Last week (Thurs.), Garrett was able to participate in a record breaking morning. They helped set the record for the most children, across the U.S. reading The Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle at the same time. The morning news was even there to record the festivities. Garrett came home with a darling Caterpillar headband & his very own, Hungry Caterpillar book.





We are loving the beautiful California weather. It is warm enough to be outside & actually enjoy it. We washed the car & took advantage of the sunshine. The boys were able to put their swim trunks on & that somehow led to a huge water fight. Good times.




















I am thankful for the simple things in life that really do make me happy!
What is making you smile today?

KOTW

Here is the Kit Of The Week that was released today at Green Tangerines. Kelly(my boss) handed me the green Cosmo cricket pattern paper & asked "do you have soccer pictures & can you make a soccer layout with this paper"? Do I have soccer pictures...only by the memory cards full :-)! I am always up for the challenge. Away I went with my pattern paper & a few supplies. Here is a peek at what I came up with.






















In this weeks kit, you will find Bazzill cardstock, Cosmo Cricket pattern paper, Thickers by American Crafts, Fuzzy brads, hand cut stars(yes, you read that right,hand cut), and a custom soccer ball die cut.

A HUGE shout out to Mer. She designs these lovely little peeks at the KOTW's for all the scrapbooking world to see. She is over the top talented. I wish she had a blog so I could link you all to her amazing work...hopefully some day soon!

While I am on the topic of scrapbooking & Green Tangerines, here is another peek for you! This is this months kit. It is amazing! It is packed with yummy pattern papers, fun embellishments, cute ribbons & so much more. Check it out!



























Word on the GTKC blog is that the product found in this months kit hasn't even hit the floor at GT. Kit Club members are getting a go at it FIRST. How awesome is that? I am hoping to dig into my kit tomorrow during Brody's nap. If you want more info about the GTKC, call the store at 916-771-8010.

October tradition

Bishop's Pumpkin farm is a MUST for our family, come October. We enjoyed Family Home Evening out at the patch tonight. We hit a HUGE milestone tonight...Brody walked (okay, he ran too) with us the entire time. We didn't even get the stroller out of the car! Folks, this is HUGE in our world :-).

During our visit, we enjoyed:
the hay ride out to the patch,




















picking our pumpkins off the vine,






















the petting farm,




















I am pretty sure this cow was trying to eat my camera!

soft serve ice cream/apple pie,




















the slides,




















the HUGE tires,




















the trains,





















the fabulous Fall colors & weather,




















& each other.




















Our pumpkins are now on the porch helping to create that festive & Fall-ish look. Poor Garrett, he was convinced that we needed to carve them tonight. Just a few more weeks Garrett & we'll turn those pumpkins into cool looking Jack's.

KOTW

Happy Fall! I am loving the cooler weather & the happiness that the month of October brings me. YAY for sweaters, Starbucks Carmel Apple cider, & all thing Fall-ish!

Here is a look at the Kit of the Week that was released this morning. In this kit, you will find Bazzill cardstock, American Crafts Thickers, MLS(tiny alpha letters), buttons & pattern paper by October Afternoon & KI Memories. I was able to get FOUR, 4 X 6 photos on this LO. The quote on the right reads: "The love of a FAMILY is life's best blessing". You get a pkg. of Thickers a small aplha's so you can change the title up if you want.
p.s. I used pop dots to raise random circles & everything was inked with black chalk ink.



















Just for fun, here are a few LO's using the Green Tangerines Kit Club (July) product.






























































I love how versatile these kits are. I was able to create a wedding LO, a mini reunion LO & a 4th of July LO with one kit AND I still have product left to create more projects. You can call Green Tangerines(916-771-8010) for more information on the KOTW & GTKC if you are interested.