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Saturday, December 26, 2009

super P

Meet Super P

He's brave.

He's strong.

He's courageous.

He's fearless

And he's powerful.

But at the end of the day he just a kid who likes to play his brother's DSI!!

We gave Preston this cape for Christmas. I was so happy to see that he absolutely loved it. He turned into a different little kid when he put this cape and mask on. It was precious!!

Last year when Matt and I celebrated our first Christmas we told our parents we would get together with them anytime but Christmas morning. We wanted to always reserve Christmas morning for our family Christmas. Since we don't have any children right now, it doesn't really matter, but I love that we have already started some Christmas morning traditions that we will start with our children someday. Santa Claus will never have to find us on Christmas Eve, because we will always be at our house.

We started Christmas morning by sleeping late. Matt's sister said they were up at 5:20 opening gifts. I'm so glad we weren't up that early!!

Izzie was very anxious to open up her stocking. She heard something that sounded like treats!!

She was right. She had some treats, a new collar and a flower for her collar, and a new bed in her stocking. We also opened up our stocking and Izzie got to test out her new bed.

It didn't take her long to snuggle up in it!!

Matt totally spoiled me with all my wonderful gifts. He's a great shopper!!

I surprised Matt with a guitar this year. He has been begging for one for quite some time now. He has always wanted to play the guitar. I didn't get a picture of him with his guitar, but hopefully I'll get some pictures of him while he's learning to play!!

Christmas breakfast is one of my favorite traditions. This year I made an Egg Casserole, Monkey Bread, Sausage Rolls, & Mimosas.

We had a wonderful Christmas morning with each other. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas morning with your family, too!!

Friday, December 25, 2009

merry christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

only in texas

Only in Texas can it be 70 degrees one day and 32 degrees and snowing the next.

I can't complain though. We got a White Christmas Eve!!

Here's what my parents patio looked like after all the snow this evening.

christmas eve

Tonight we celebrated Christmas at my parent's house. We went to the Christmas Eve Service then came back home for a snack supper and gifts.

I always love my Mom's Christmas tree. She does such a good job decorating for Christmas. Most of my Christmas decorations are just copied from my Mom.

It's so fun to have a little one around at Christmas. We all could just sit around and watch Carson. Carson loves to play with anything that has wheels, cell phones, house phones, & remotes! He's likes real things!!

We gave him a puzzle with his name on it and he seemed pretty interested in it, until....

....my Dad rolled in a custom painted low-rider wagon. I'm not sure who liked it more Carson or his Daddy.

He was so happy just sitting in it! He loved it.

Dad's big surprise was an album that my Mom made on Snapfish of all of his cars through the years. Dad is always so hard to buy for, so it was fun for him to get a gift that totally surprised him.

After supper and gifts, this little dude got in the softest PJ's ever and headed home to wait for Santa to come.

We all stuck around for a while and played some Mexican Train with my Uncle and cousins.

I absolutely love spending time with my family and Matt's family for Christmas, but the thing I look forward to the most is the sweet time Matt and I get to spend together Christmas morning. I love starting and making new traditions for our family.

Tomorrow is Christmas!!

christmas cards make me smile

I think we may have gotten our last Christmas card today. That kind of makes me sad. I sure do love checking the mail during the month of December. There's just something about real mail that makes me happy!!

Secretly I'm hoping at least one person is late sending their Christmas cards. I would love to get a few more after Christmas. I'm not ready for my mailbox to just be full of bills and junk.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

the eve of christmas eve

We celebrated Christmas at Nonnie's house tonight. We started out with a delicious dinner at Babe's!!

After we stuffed ourselves full, we headed back to Nonnie's for gifts. Before we even started passing out gifts, Carson spotted his. He got right on it and started playing with all the buttons. This boy is going to be just like his Daddy. He loves wheels!!

Every gift I got had to do with the kitchen. I told my Mom, "You know you are a real grown up when all of your gifts are for the kitchen, and that's they way you like it!!"

My grandma does a lot of cooking with her pressure cooker. She's even done some cooking for me with her pressure cooker. I've been begging her for one, and I finally got one!! I can't wait to try it out.

Thanks Nonnie for the yummy dinner at Babe's and all of the wonderful gifts. We both loved everything we got!!

We love you, Nonnie!!

ho! ho! ho!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Merry Christmas!!

My cousins are in town from Nashville Tennessee. All four of them came over today!!

Ashton was busy painting.

Cole and Kennedy watched Elf.

And Mackenzie and I made cute little Nutter Butter Santas!!

*Thanks for blogging about these Becky!! We had so much fun making them!!

Here's how we made them....

Nutter Butter Santas

Nutter Butters

Almond Bark

Red Sugar Sprinkles

Mini Chocolate Chips

Red Hots

Marshmallows

Melt the almond bark in a microwave safe bowl. Dip one side of the Nutter Butter in the almond bark. Sprinkle immediately with red sugar sprinkles. Do this to all of the Nutter Butters. Spoon on a teeny tiny bit of almond bark below the hat. Carefully put on 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes and a red hot for the nose. Once they are all dry dip the other side of the Nutter Butter in the almond bark for the beard. For the top of the hat, cut a marshmallow in half and dip the bottom into the almond bark. Place at the top of the hat and you're done!! Enjoy!!

I'm off to get ready for our first of four Christmas celebrations. Tonight we are doing Christmas with my Mom's side of the family. We are all eating at Babe's for dinner, then going back to my grandma's house for desserts and presents!!

eggs, toast, & bacon with a twist

Eggs in a Basket......Have you ever had them??

My Mom used to make them for me as a kid all the time. I even get them every time I go to Cracker Barrel, (which is not that often) but I've never actually made them myself.

I decided to give it a try last weekend for our Saturday breakfast. They turned out delicious!!

Here's how to make them.

Eggs in a Basket

Cut a hole in the bread. Melt some butter in the bottom of a skillet. Grill the bread for a little bit. Crack an egg into each hole.

Salt and pepper. Cook for a bit. Flip and cook for a bit more. Serve with bacon.

If you need a more detailed recipe, you can go here.

another sweet giveaway

http://kellyskornerreviews.blogspot.com/

http://mckgiveaways.blogspot.com/

http://totallytogetherreviews.blogspot.com/

http://boomama.net/

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

new recipes

I've tried three new recipes this week. They have all turned out great, so I thought I would share!!

Crescent Chicken

2 cups of chopped boiled chicken

1 cup of shredded cheese

1 can of crescent rolls

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of milk

Put the chicken in a mixing bowl then add the shredded cheese. Open the crescent rolls and separate the dough. Place about a 1/3 cup of the chicken/cheese mixture into each triangle. Pull the dough as best as you can around the chicken/cheese mixture. It doesn't have to be pretty.

Mix the can of cream of chicken and milk with a whisk. Pour over your chicken/dough bundles.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

And enjoy!!

*the 1st & 3rd picture and the recipe came from whatever. (a new blog that I read.)

Lasagna Roll-Ups

1 pound box, lasagna noodles

1/2 pound of italian sausage

2 cups of small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cups bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach

1 egg, beaten

1 (10 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Boil lasagna noodles as directed. Cook spinach in microwave for 3-4 minutes or until thawed. Place thawed spinach in a sieve and using a spoon, press out all of the liquid.

In a medium size bowl, mix spinach, italian sausage, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and egg.

Once noodles are cooked, drain and place in cool water. Place ½ of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a two 9x13 glass baking dish. Take one noodle at a time out of the water and blot off with a towel or paper towel and lay the noodle on a cutting board or flat surface. Cut the noodle in half (so it is half as long). Spread a thin layer of the mixture all over one side of the noodle and starting at one narrow end, roll the noodle and filling mixture up. Repeat with all noodles. Place each noodle roll in the baking dish. I put 1o roll ups in each 9x13 dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the roll ups. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover pan with foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until hot.

*recipe from my friend Tammy

Cornbread Taco Casserole

1 lb ground beef

1 can cream corn
1 packet taco seasoning

cornbread mix
2/3 cup salsa

1/2 teaspoon of onion flakes
1 cup water

1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix cream corn, cornbread mix and 1/2 cup water in small bowl.
Spread mixture into bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and then remove.
Cook meat with onion, drain well.
Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning and simmer until water is absorbed.
Add salsa and black beans to meat and mix well.
Spoon meat mixture over cornbread evenly. Top with cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Enjoy!!

*Recipe from my friend Lauren

**Pictures don't really do justice to this recipe.

my sweet nephew

Monday, December 21, 2009

relaxin' in my snuggie

While I'm out of school for two weeks, I think I'm going to put my new Snuggie to good use!!

I have some other things I'd like to get done over the break, but I think I'll be spending most of my time just relaxing.....in my Snuggie of course!!