mb

half done tree.

the tree has been up since sunday but still stands without lights and ornaments.  andy's had a crazy week and i'm thinking it's going to be something that waits until the weekend.  and i'm totally fine with that.  the boys seem okay with it as well.

thomas has loved this tree skirt since his/our very first christmas.  we received it as a wedding gift and although it's not truly my personal taste he adores it and let's face it... it's a tree skirt and is mostly covered with gifts.  as soon as the tree skirt comes out each year, that's where you can find him napping.  until this year.  i wasn't sure how it would go, but apparently he's willing to share his napping spot with his brother.  love these furry guys, even if they cause as much trouble as the girls do some days. 

so now we prepare for the chaos known as december.  the advent calendars were hung up today and the girls are convinced that christmas is tomorrow because it's the first.  i have a feeling it's going to be a long 24 days for them...

weekly scrapbook layout : 11.28.11.

after not scrapbooking in about three months - hello pregnancy! - it was so nice to get back to some paper last night. 

ever since i posted this layout by keisha campbell on the BasicGrey blog a few weeks ago, i've been wanting to create something similar.  i also fell in love with that hello circle that jen jockisch has used previously.  a combination of the two and i was done in no time.

now baby #3 has the first page for his/her baby book.   and i have to admit that i need to get L's book started and finished asap.

perfect date night.

we try to go out once a month for a date night.  i love date night.  probably because i've likely picked out what we're doing and my husband goes along with the idea.  usually it's a movie or a great restaurant but this month i changed it up and got us tickets to a hockey game.  further to be known as the best date night idea ever.

we had center ice aisle seats only ten rows back.

and this was my dinner.  i'm not sure which i was looking forward to most all day, the game or the nachos.  they were really that good.  even if i did knock over my soda after we scored our one and only goal.

and of course, i was with this guy.  who i love agrees that you stay until the end of the game, not leave just because your team is down.  (one of my biggest pet peeves.)

thinking that we'll be having another hockey date night in the near future.  and hopefully the home team will come away with a victory then.

menu plan monday : 11.14.11

a new week, a new menu.  and only one requested dinner from the husband - chicken + dumpling soup - which i'm saving until the weekend to savor and enjoy.

meatless monday : pasta.  going to keep it simple tonight with just spaghetti + a basic marinara sauce with a loaf of homemade bread to go with.  the girls should be happy (and messy).

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : skillet burgers.  my grandmother's recipe for homemade sloppy joes.  yum!  haven't had these in awhile and right now i'm about all things potato related so it's also a good excuse for fries with dinner.

wednesday : beer braised meatballs.  one of only two recipes that i pulled from the december issue of rachel ray's magazine.  i'm still not loving their new format nor have i really been making a lot from it lately.  if i hadn't gotten a steal of a deal where i'm paying only 30 cents an issue until 2015, i'd cancel.

thursday : shredded korean beef tacos.  looks delicious and has gotten good reviews.  by the end of the week, i'm ready for a meal in the crockpot that i can pull together while the girls eat breakfast.

friday : pizza.  the perfect end to a busy week.

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new recipe review from last week :

baked potato soup.  holy goodness.  [1] it makes 6 quarts of soup.  i had plenty to have a snack of it, give some to another family that just had a baby, andy and i to have a light dinner before heading out saturday night and then again for lunch today.  [2] it's so incredibly easy and hands down the best potato soup recipe i've tasted.  will be making again next week for family that will be in town for thanksgiving.

wordless wednesday : first snow of the year.

hello snow, old friend.  we've missed you!

menu plan monday : 11.7.11

no menu plan last week as i had enough on hand to not go grocery shopping.  love it when that happens and we just make do with what we have.  this week it's back to a plan and back to the store.

meatless monday : sun dried tomato risotto.  we've had this once before and i rather enjoyed it.  it couldn't be easier and is super kid friendly as when you think about it, it's really just cheesy rice.  i use shredded parmesan instead of swiss as i'm not really a fan of swiss in most instances.

i've selected monday as a night of the week for our family to eat a meatless meal as it tends to be more budget friendly as well as a friendlier option for the environment. my meat and potato eating husband tends to go along with this idea because i also make him a yummy dessert in addition to his meatless meal. what can i say, i'm nice like that.

tuesday : chicken noodle soup.  i have chicken thighs to use and it's supposed to be a rainy day tomorrow.  a perfect soup kind of day.  love this soup as it's easy and it's also easy for the girls to eat in pieces rather than soup.  perfect served with a hunk of homemade bread.

wednesday : enchilada casserole.  hello, comfort food!  already looking forward to it.

thursday : baked potato soup.  i pinned this on pinterest two weeks ago and i've had it on the brain since then.  so hope it lives up to my expectations.

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muffin tin monday : 11.7.11

i had some extra time before lunch today and thought i'd treat the girls to a "special" lunch.  i thought we were going to have issues with the bunny sandwiches at the start because C didn't want to hurt them.  luckily when she realized that she could dip them into her vegetable dip, she was good to go.  i think she dipped everything into that dip.  even the apples.  blech.

i realized i don't have another small muffin tin for L to use - i'll have to remedy that! - so she had lunch on a typical plate.  she LOVED the bunny sandwiches but could've cared less about the apples and pita chips.  breakfast seems to be more of her meal of choice these days.  eating tons then and then not much the rest of the day.

tin contents : pita chips, bunny cheese sandwiches, carrots, apples, raisins and vegetable dip.

one, two, three.

my wish that C was hoping to grant yesterday?  that we'll soon have three happy, healthy babies. 

baby #3's expected arrival = may 2012.

wish granted.

you can't tell she enjoys dance class, can you?

this week, they got to wear tutus and have wings and a wand and come to the parent area to grant us a wish.  except for tapping me on the shoulder with her wand, i was more like knocked on the head. 

details, details.

the pumpkin patch version 2011.

after thinking we wouldn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year due to weather and andy's call schedule, it was awesome to be able to go on saturday with a warm afternoon sun and with andy's parents and sister along for the ride.

L was all about the animals. although i'm not sure they were all about her shrieking. that shriek... she had no qualms about petting anything. even if it might threaten to peck at her fingers. luckily this sweet cow was just fine with her reaching out for some love.

and aunt cuckoo enjoyed feeding the goats. we all loved the sign reminding visitors that goats have no manners. because they don't.

the requisite yearly photo with the farm sign. this was C's fourth year taking this exact photo. the first year being tall enough to reach the face cut out without daddy holding her up.

and L's second sign photo. so glad to have extra familiar faces around to get her to actually look towards the camera. this one is a stubborn one i tell you.

the kitten barn is always a favorite and has to be saved for last as once you're there, you don't want to do anything else. these kittens have a rough job as they simply get held and loved on all day. ironically we ended up with a little black and a little yellow kitten. small clones of the kitties we have at home. we were smitten.

the expression on her face says it all. and is also the reason why duke and thomas will run the opposite direction at times. she couldn't hold the weight of this little guy on her own so i'm not sure why she thinks she can hold 16 pound duke on a daily basis.

love this photo of my big girl and fellow animal lover. she wants a dog. and i've promised as soon as we move somewhere with a larger house. (and where mama might not have to walk a dog in crazy winter weather.)

papi and the girls off to check out the many deer near the kitten barn. definitely not as exciting, but an adventure nonetheless.

we have a photo just like this from two years ago with C on daddy's shoulder at the pumpkin patch. i think this shall be framed right along side of it.

C spotted this train and thought i should take her photo with it. aunt cuckoo and L were happy to join in the fun as well.

we snagged the last 13 apple cider donuts on the farm - whew! as i watched the farm worker continue pulling donuts for the woman in front of me i was about to have a coronary thinking i wouldn't be getting any donuts. we had decided to get a dozen so when there were 13 left i selfishly took them all. oops.

we already had three pumpkins at home but got two more at the patch. we have enough roasted pumpkin seeds to last us until next year's visit. and no, that's definitely not a complaint.

ready to head home. two happy girls. can't believe we'll only be headed to this farm once more before moving on. it's definitely been good to us.