Halloween

This year for Halloween Emma basically just wanted to wear a pretty dress so she is Arial. Knox wanted to be either a super hero or a robot. Then he saw this costume and decided it was the one. Technically it is a Power Rangers costume but he thought it was a robot with big muscles. I cheated with Dylan's costume. It is really just a cute warm cover for winter but on Halloween it turned him into "a little green monster".

We went to the Tappans to celebrate but instead of Beth hosting we had Zena the warrior princess. This is what happens to people in her house who double dip.

War Eagle

For the grandparents...... sorry I haven't posted pics in a while but I have sort of forgotten to take any. Poor Dylan will have the typical 3rd child scrapbook..... empty.

Ruin It

For those of you who don't read my husband's blog (www.discerningthetimes.blogspot.com) ..... well, you should. He wrote this and posted it yesterday. I need to read it everyday.

"If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
- Jesus

Ruin it. Take it to the cross and kill it there. Daily. Your only chance is to ruin your life. Punch your IRA in the throat. Tell your investment strategist you want a life that looks ruinous to a world wild for more stuff. Look in the face of a culture bent on wealth, health and prosperity and see how their desire to save themselves has in fact ruined everything for them. Ruin your life by having people talk about your fanatical ideas behind your back. Ruin the lives of your wife and children so they will see the majestic peaks of the gospel up close instead of only in the lives of missionary biographies. Ruin your life by prizing the gospel of grace more than money. Prize it above all else and you will look like a fool. Ruin your life by ignoring the advice of pitchmen and celluloid models, who peddle a moment at the expense of eternity. Ruin your life by placing your trust in the most horrific act in all history. Ruin your life by admitting you are helpless and weak and in need.
You want life? Ruin it.

Carnita Soup

For those of you who loved the carnitas recipe I posted a while back, I have another idea for you. See, when Matt and I eat the carnitas there is sooo much left over. I know, I know, I already gave the idea about freezing it and eating it later but I had another idea I tried out and YES..... success. So after you eat on it a few times, throw the leftovers in a pot with all that glorious juice and add 1 can corn, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can black beans and a tsp of cumin (I may have added a dash of salt too). If you like other stuff throw that in too. Let it simmer. It makes an awesome tortilla like soup. Dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese......yummy!! Just thought I would share.

A Visit from the Heads

Matt's best friend, Jonathan, and his wife, Aimee, and their son, Sam, came for a visit Labor Day weekend. Of course, we took them to see the Keeper of the Plains. We also ate out a lot and talked a lot. It was great having them here. The kids loved having Sam here to play with.

Dirt Cake

Last week, for school, we talked about things close to the ground, like ants, moles, worms etc.... So I thought it would be fun to make dirt cake with worms. They LOVED it, of course!!

Dylan graduates to the saucer

There are certain steps in life that show we are growing or aging. For my kids one of the first is the graduation from the bouncy seat to the saucer. All 3 of my kids have used this saucer that was given to us 2nd hand while we were in seminary. (One of the best gifts ever!!!) I just can't believe that Dylan is ready for this. He will be 5 months old in a few days. Where has the time gone? He was in his bouncy seat screaming and I picked him up and put him in the saucer. He wasn't sure what to think at first.
But then..... He LOVED it. The crying stopped and the jumping started.

We all love the saucer!!
Anyone need a well used bouncy seat? I think we are officially done with it.

My Superman

Knox: "Girls love Superman"

Sunday Picnic

We had a little break in the heat one Sunday and decided to go have a picnic. Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying the day.

Mmmmmm toes!!

Sleep standing up

This is how I found Knox the other night. Not quite standing up but on his feet, leaned over the bed and yes, very much asleep.

Crockpot Carnitas

OK I have been slackin' on posting good recipes but that is because I have been slackin' on trying new recipes. But my friend, Molly, made this for me and I had to have the recipe because it is soooo good.

2 - 3 lb pork roast
1 can rotel
2 cans El Pato tomato sauce (this is in a bright yellow 8 oz can in the Hispanic section of the grocery store)
1 tsp cumin
dash of garlic salt
1 can chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Dump all of the above in a crockpot (this is an exact science, folks). Set it on low and let it cook about 5 hours.
Then add a can of pinto beans. (This is optional)
Cook another hour
Then take roast out and shred it and add it all back to the pot and cook another hour or until you can't stand to smell it another minute without eating it. It will be soupy so either drain some of the liquid or use a slotted spoon.

This is a build your own taco sort of thing - serve with soft tortillas, cheese, sour cream, rice or whatever topping you want. I made a cilantro lime rice like they have at Chipotle:
Cook rice as directed then add chopped fresh cilantro and 2 caps of lime juice (again, exact science here).
This is such a yummy dish and would be great for a casual dinner party or for just yourself with lots of leftovers...hmmmmm!!!

Update: My friend gave me another great tip for this. If you don't want to eat all the leftovers immediantly you can put them in the freezer. Then the day you want them just dump the frozen block back into the crockpot and cook on low all day. She said by that night it will taste just as good as it did the first time...... Awesome!!

David Platt

Here is Matt and Dylan watching David Platt preach on Matt's computer. Dylan sat mesmerized for at least 10 minutes. Yep, Matt, he is yours...... And who knew David Platt could give Baby Einsteins a run for their money.

Mommy's Revenge

This is the story of my revenge on 2 little people in my house who thought they wanted brussels sprouts. At the ripe ages of 6 and 3, 2 of my kids think they know WAY more than Mommy knows. They got into their heads that they wanted brussels sprouts, undoubtedly from a cartoon they had watched (I mean didn't we all want spinach at one time or another because Popeye said it was good and would make us strong). So they started asking for brussels sprouts over and over and over and over..... you get the picture. I kept telling them that brussels sprouts were not good and that they would not like them. But NOOOOO, Mommy doesn't know anything and they insisted on having them. So I made them a deal. I buy you some brussels sprouts and if you like them I will buy more and if you don't then you NEVER talk about them again.

I WIN!!!!

Andover Park

This is the new Andover Park not far from our house. We actually had a nice cool day so we decided to head to the park for a picnic.

July

Sorry, not keeping up with this. Here are a few for the grandparents.

Do you like my hair? Bath time

Just Dylan

OK, the grandparents are getting restless and I am receiving complaints via email that I haven't posted anything in a while. Honestly, I haven't taken many pictures. I was told this would happen with the 3rd child. I will do better...... I vow.

Check out those cute FAT frog legs.

I know you can't hear him because this is not a video but he was talking up a storm and having such a good time doing it that I had to take his picture.

Hang in there grandparents..... we will be there in a little over a week.

Knox's To Do list for Today

Here is Knox's To Do list for Today:
1. Poop in pants in a public place
2. Say "Mommy" 100 times
3. Pull on curtain until I yank the curtain rod out of the wall
4. Drop plate of cut up pizza all over the den floor
5. Say "Mommy" another 100 times (just to be sure she heard me)
6. Poop in pants again (it's not my idea to get potty trained)
7. Pour Spaghetti-Os on the table and down my shirt
8. Pour water out of the tub and onto the floor
9. Spit in bathtub to make sister scream
10. Dump half the bottle of shampoo into the tub
*Mental Note - When in trouble, look at Mommy with big blue eyes and say "but Mommy, I still love you"

Even Superman can have a bad hair day

I promise I did nothing to his hair to make it stand up like this. He woke up Sunday morning and it was standing straight up. It was hilarious. When I asked him about it he said "my hair got tall".

2 Months Old

Dylan is 2 months old today. Time is really flying. Unfortunately for him we went for his 2 months check up and he had to get immunization shots. He also got weighed and measured. He weighed in at 12lb 15oz which puts him in the 79th percentile for weight. No surprise there. Emma Caroline didn't weigh that until she was 4 months. His length was 24.5 inches which puts him in the 93rd percentile. The pediatrician was impressed that he is already sleeping from 10pm to 6am. All I know is that it helps me feel so much more sane. All in all he is a big fella and still as sweet as can be.

This week at our house

It has just been a pretty normal week but here are a few highlights. Knox got to take a bath all by himself, a pretty big deal when you always have to share the space with your sister. He put on her goggles and began to "swim". It was just too cute for me to not snap a few pics. Matt reading a bedtime story to all of the kids. EC will take any excuse to hold Dylan. In case you are wondering, Matt and Knox are yelling "cheese".

I love these next 2 pics not just because they are of my sweet little one but because they were taken by Emma Caroline who just LOVES to take pictures. I never know what random pictures of the garbage can or a door that I might find on my camera if I leave it laying around. So I thought I would put that desire to good use and have her take some of Dylan. Here are a few.

Knox and Dylan

Just wanted to add a few pics for the grandparents and anyone else who do not get to see my kids as they grow. Here is the most recent angel face in our house. (I know, I sound like a mom) The first smile caught on camera.

My 2 sweet boys

This was not planned or asked for. Just a spontaneous kiss I happened to catch.

A busy week

The end of last week was pretty busy but a lot of fun. First, I got to attend a Mother's Day Tea at Emma Caroline's school. They sang for us and gave us gifts. They also served us our dessert. It was a sweet time. It also happened to be on my birthday. Then the following Saturday there was a Ladybug Luncheon at our church that Emma Caroline and I attended together. Here we are just before leaving to go.

Then on Mother's Day they had baby dedication. On top of all that my sweet husband has cooked and cleaned, taken me out, let me go out alone, watched the kids etc..... It was a great week. (and never have I posted so many pictures of myself. At least you know I'm still around)

Emma Caroline turns 6

Our sweet girl turned 6 at the end of April. She actually asked for the bat and balls and Daddy was thrilled. They have gotten out in the yard to hit a few times and she loves it. The same little girl who wanted the bat and ball loves everything girly. She got several barbies and lots of Hello Kitty things. She was thrilled with all of it.

We had a party for her and her friends at Pump it Up. I think they all had a great time.

EC and all of her friends after playing on the inflatables for and hour and a half. They were actually tired and ready for a break - Wow!!

I will probably say it every year but I can't believe how fast they grow. My baby is 6!! You are a sweet little girl, EC, and you have been a blessing to us. We love you!!