Cooking with Daddie

Many people know that my hobby at home is cooking and that I love to be in the kitchen. What makes it even more fun is to cook with the kids. Awhile back Adrienne and I started a dinner program at home where the kids will cook dinner on most nights. We do this about 4 nights per week and we rotate the nights between McKenzie, Halie and Sadie. They all love the 1 on 1 time with Mom or Dad (usually Mom because of my schedule) and you would be amazed at what they can do in the kitchen. They have learned many skills and cooking has built a lot of confidence within them selves.

Here is a picture of our 3 oldest after we made muffins and omellettes from scratch. They all had a hand in the process and truly did about 95% of the preparation and cooking. We used recipes out of the Ratatouille cookbok that Adrienne's mom sent them for Christmas. Bon Apetit!

Happy 10th Anniversary!!!!!

Oh what an amazingly happy day! Today (actually it's tomorrow but we are celebrating today), 10 years ago, I made the best decision of my life. Richard and I got married and I became the luckiest, most blessed woman in the world. It's crazy to look back through this past decade and see what we've been through. Look at how far we've come. I am so thankful that Richard is in my life. I can't find the words that adequately describe my love for him. I wanted everyone to know how much I love and how much I love the life we have created together. I know that I can make it through any trial with him by my side. I know how corny this sounds, but he is my true soul mate. Everyone thought we were crazy when we got married but I knew the first moment I spoke to him that he was the one I would spend eternity with. Here are the top 10 reasons why I love him (in no particular order)...

10. He puts up with how emotional I am (I get teary eyed over EVERYTHING)

9. He has given me a beautiful family

8. He is very sensitive to my needs

7. He always puts me first

6. He lets me put my cold feet on his warm legs to warm them up (and he HATES cold feet)

5. He makes me feel beautiful

4. He loves me no matter my size

3. He makes up funny songs that make me laugh

2. He is a romantic at heart

1. He makes me happy

He watches chick flicks with me

He is an extraordinary father

He has a testimony and loves the Lord

He cooks for me (I hate to cook)

He ooohhh's and aaahhh's over all my scrapbook page ( and I show him pages all the time)

I couldn't stop at just 1o.... Happy Anniversary Baby! I am so in love with you!

For his gift I made him a 10x20 time line of our blissful 10 years and framed it.

6 Week Update

6 Weeks ago I started the Slim in 6 diet and exercise program by beach body. I vowed to lose weight and was determined to stick by my goal. After 6 hard weeks I wanted to give an update...

I lost a total of 16 pounds and about 10 3/4 total inches.

4 3/4 in. from my waist
2 in. from my hips
2 1/4 in. from my bust
3/4 in. from my right bicep
1 in. from my thigh

I am so excited and this has given me enough motivation to continue on with my goal. My total weight loss goal is to lose 37 lbs. So I have 21 more pounds to go.

picture freak

That is totally what I am...a camera constantly up in my kids faces. In fact here is the proof. I was taking self portraits of myself and Natalie last sunday and when I reviewed the pictures, to my surprise she was smiling in ALL of them. Without anyone behind the camera trying to make her smile. I laughed. She is so used to the camera already and she is only 8 months old.

smarty pants

Today McKenzie was honored at her school for her excellent achievement in math. No surprise there. She is always at the top of her grade for everything. She was just nominated by her teacher to join the GATE (gifted and talented education) program. She scored in the 99% nationally in the standardized testing. She is so funny. We got her report card today and we were going over all her scores in each subject and we got to P.E. and she says

"Oh PE...that is my WORST subject."

It's so opposite of me in school. I always excelled at anything athletic and sucked in everything academic. Richard excelled in both (brat!) However McKenzie still got the highest score in PE since according to her "I still have to do good."

Halie's teacher chose to honor the kids who were at the bottom of the class and pulled themselves up higher. This is a good chance for those kids that are trying really hard, but sucky for Halie since she is always at the top of the class for every subject. Funny thing about Halie is that she got all 'O's for outstanding except in PE. She got an S for satisfactory. What is up with that? She is so athletic and always has been.

All in all they got amazing grades and are both having to get extra work all the time. I am so thankful that they excel in academics.

Brothers

Many of you know that both of my sisters had babies at the begining of November. They are two days apart. How cute! (and my brother and sister (in-law) are having a boy in march) I love that about having a big family....siblings having babies at the same time so that cousins are the same age. Well Andrea has a blog so I can see pictures of Porter (when she posts :) ) anytime but Aubrey doesn't. She sent me pictures of little Micheal and big brother James and they are so stinkin' cute!! I couldn't resist posting them.

I have several boxes of nice baby girl clothes that I am saving for anyone who has a girl. I think it's so funny that every single person, and I am not exagerating, that is having a baby around me is having or had a boy.