Christmas Dinner

We planned on heading to Idaho after the Christmas festivities at our house, and the weather changed our minds. But that left us without the traditional dinner. I got some inspiration from Kung Foo Panda, that movie always makes me need Chinnese food. I have this recipe for Panda Express Orange Chicken and, well it is two pages long and I have never had the courage to attempt it. We had most of the ingredient and I improvised the rest and it turned out awesome! There are still some left overs so feel free to swing by and help yourself!~

Have a Fah Rah Rah Rah Christmas!

Proof

Merry Christmas Everyone! We Believe!

Christmas Lights

For the first time in 8 years Darin has set up Christmas lights. I was so excited because I love Christmas lights. It is so fun when your husband takes up a task you really want them to do without you (the wife) having to nag.

Christmas Gingerbread

Continuing our gingerbread tradition from last year, I found a gingerbread train kit and set to work with the kids decorating it. I am glad I got a picture because it has been harder to keep the kids from touching it than the Christmas tree. I used to get annoyed with it then my activity day girls came over and they touched it just as much as my kids. Soo I guess I will just have to accept that all kids will want to eat gingerbread and the candy that makes it fun.

Things you can only do in the country

My parent's have these two great apple trees. They are huge because they have never been pruned and are so much fun to climb but the apples well even when we were little we would only eat them on a dare. So basically they just drop and make a big mess. Luckily my parent's neighbors have horses that love any kind of apple. When we finished with the apple we moved on to some old carrots left in the fridge. The kiddos wanted to feed the horses some more so we asked Grandma for something else. She gave us brussel sprouts. Horses (like me) won't eat brussel spouts!

Thanksgiving crafts

The Dallimore cousins got together to make some Thanksgiving crafts. It probably goes without saying that the candy turkeys were the favorites. We don't call M-girl junk food baby for nothing!

Best Friends

Your best friend is someone you would do anything for. No sacrifice is too great, even if that means going on a cruise. It's hard but best friends do those things! Seriously Cari's wedding cruise to Cabo San Lucas Mexico was a blast! Chance of a life time!

Fun on the boat

Hanging out by the Pool

Leaving San Diego

Formal Night

So one night on the cruise we had a formal night. It was fun to dress up and eat lobster!

Cruise Novelties

Every night at dinner I ordered the molten chocolate cake, yeah it was that good!

At night the crew turned down our bed and left a towel critter. The dinosaur was my favorite!

The Gang

I thought it was funny because Darin said before we left that "We are not hanging out with other people! This is our vacation." We had so much fun with the gang, playing ping-pong, volleyball, going down the slide and going to all of the shows.

Happy Halloween

So I know it is a little early but I got the kids all dressed up for a costume party sooo here they are: Your friendly neighborhood spiderman and a ballerina kitty! She does not let go of that tail!

The Murderer

So Who did it? Was it the spoiled selfish rich girl or her playboy drug dealing boyfriend?

The psychic sister or her Texas oil drilling Husband?

The rich widowed neighbor or the cheating husband?

The disgruntled employee or the quiet all knowing secretary?

Welcome to an Evening of MURDER!!

We had a Murder Mystery Dinner that was fabulous!!! This is sooo much fun! I highly recommend it! Our friends totally got into character and the whole evening was filled with twists and turns. We had a great meal. I tried out several new recipes so I was worried but everything worked! Even my rolls. We had cheese and crackers, and stuffed mushrooms for appetizers, a yummy salad that I pulled off the Johnny Carino's website, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and beef bourguignonne and for dessert chocolate cake from scratch (no boxes here)! Good food and good company.

Cousins

So last week we were able to get together thanks to my cousin Camille getting married and my rockstar of a sister driving all the way from Reno Nevado with a baby and a toddler! Go Shanna! So after the wedding we all went swimming and had pizza at my parent's hotel room! Like old times. K-dawg loved having someone to play tackle football and wrestle thanks to Jackson!

I wish I would've gottan a picture of those two! M-girl and K-dawg were excite to hold baby Ashton. Who wouldn't, she is so cute!

Peaches

I don't know what it is but canning peaches make me feel like a domestic goddess! This year I got 42 quarts canned. I started at 5:00 AM and was all done by 10:30. I was going to try beans this year but our masive bean vines only produced vines!

At least now we have something in our food storage that M-girl will actually eat. It must fit into her 5th and main food group junk food.

The Box Rocks

So thanks to our neighbor the kiddos got a new play toy! Further evidence that all kids really need is a box. K-dawg loved it so much he slept in it one night (in his bedroom of course).

Yum Celery

So I was in the grocery store with my kiddos last week. The produce lady was arranging the fruits and veggies. K went up to her and said yum celery I love celery! She was pretty shocked to see a kid looking at the veggies like they were candy. So she said do you want a piece of celery? Of course he said yes and he was munching down that celery like it was a donut!

Now if he could only teach M how to eat her veggies!

Success!!

So I can without any reservations M-GIRL is POTTY TRAINED!!! It has been a long and grewly process and at one point I thought changing diapers has got to be easier than washing out poopy underwear and hosing down my poopy girl in the shower. Darin said when she goes on dates we will have to send her diaper and wipes with her dates. It felt like training would take until she was 16!

Now my advice to anyone potty training the longer you wait the easier it is!! With K we waited until he was older. It was only 3 days of yuck and then he was potty trained during the day and at night 3 months later.

But now M-girl is a rock star potty trained girl!! She even mastered the public toilet for the first time this week. YOU GO GIRL!!

Mommy and daddy and the pocketbook say THANK YOU!!!

Happy Birthday K-Dawg

So my numero uno is now four years old. We celebrated by throwing a kid party for he and all of his friends. We settled on a pirate theme and had boat races, a treasure hunt, decorated cupcakes and had a pirate chest pinata. Now that I know how much work a friend party is, the next one will be when he is eight and we can take them all to the bowling alley!

Straw bail fun

This was where we found K-dawg most of the reunion.

Walk the fence

One of the games was a challenge to walk the fence. I guess I still have my ballet balance.

Horse ride

Here are some photos from the horse ride.