These are a few of my Favorite Things...

A sharp dressed man.....and boy.
Beautiful, sweet, girl.

And.....

One of my favorite things is cooking nutritious meals for my family. I love being healthy and knowing that I'm feeding my children things that are helping them to develop physically and mentally. I love it! It's challenging at times but there are very few things that bring me such peace of mind as knowing that my children have strong, healthy, bodies.

My recent favorite thing is this curry dish I made...
Pumpkin Curry

2 tbs. butter ( side note: I love butter and I don't think there is anything wrong with it....it's way better for you than the alternative "butters.")
2 cloves garlic
1 chopped onion
1-2 tbs. curry powder...your own preference
3 cups chicken broth
1 can pumpkin (15oz)
1 can coconut milk

This was so easy. Chop the onions and garlic and simmer in melted butter on the stove. Add curry powder and salt and pepper as you like. Add chicken broth and pumpkin and bring to boil. Cook 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and cook 5 more minutes.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can eat it as a soup, just as is, or you can pour it over rice, bread....
I chose to pour it over fresh spinach. It was so amazing and I was so satisfied knowing it tasted so good and was such a nutritious, warm, yummy dinner.

Me Poem

I don't like milk, but I like dippin' oreos in milk
I don't like rain, but I like listening to the rain patter on the fiberglass covering our back porch
I don't like surprises but I love it when my husband leaves me notes or brings me flowers
I don't like cleaning the toilet
I don't like seeing a dirty toilet
so I guess I like having my toilet clean

I don't have any rhythm, but I love to dance
I don't know how to put on make-up well, but I like mascara.... a lot
I don't know how to whistle but I pretend I do and it sounds funny
I don't like being tickled, but secretly I really do

I do know how to cook, I like to cook
I'm a really good cook
I can love
I can read, I like to read
I really like people, I can relate to people well
I like talking and listening, especially with my kids
I can kiss...really good
I can power walk, it makes me feel good

I love living
loving
sharing
creating
crying
laughing

I was positively edified at my MOPS group last week by a professional writer. She encouraged us to let our creative juices flow....this is my attempt!

GO QUEST

So my brother's team came down to WWU for a basketball game on Monday. We got all Quest'd out and went to cheer them on.
Here he is. The star. The captain. The leader of the pack. I can't believe this is the only picture I got. I was too busy taking pictures of the fans....don't worry. I was watching the game too.
Here is the cheerleader...and the dance queen. My mom won her Quest sweatshirt at the last game. She entered herself into the dance-off at half time and totally won. How funny!
Here are the happy fans.
More happy fans.
My sister made Addy her Quest tu-tu. She looked very cute.
Braxton is really wanting to be on the court himself.

Here's the family...GO BRYCE GO!




The next generation of players.
I'm missing something in this picture but they are all seeing it and fascinated by it.
We love you Bryce! You're a champ!

the little sister

I decided if I ever got to be a kid again I would want to be "the little sister." Adelle is such a doll and she has the best personality of anyone I have ever met. She has her brother and her dad wrapped around her little finger. She can take on any kid her age and isn't intimidated by anything/anyone. She gets away with pretty much anything. She really has it made.
Braxton always has his fingers in her hair. She's at just the right level and this boy loves hair! It drives Adelle crazy. She's always pushing his hand away. It's funny to watch. Braxton is always wanting to love on her and she usually is trying to get away the whole time.
At Braxton's birthday this girl was the first one up in the firetruck. She is sure not bashful.
This is her favorite move. Whenever any of us are laying on the floor she comes and "rides" us. It's fun for Jeff, a little painful for me lately though.
I love this girl. She is so cute and fun and adds so much pizazz to our family.
Here are some of the new words she is proclaiming...
first sentence: "I dig dirt." (only a little sister would say THIS first)
new words:
apple
open
help me
down
up
eat
milk
nose
snack
more
batman
book
our car
school
back pack

Oh and every time we see any sort of tractor, excavator,...she hollers, "daddy." It's really cute too!

Three in the bed and the little one said.....

....."I love sleeping in mom's bed!"
Jeff: "I love it when you sleep in your bed!"
Braxton: "you mean, your bed?"
Jeff: "No, I mean your own bed."
Braxton: "Oh, why?"
Jeff: "I can't tell you that."
Braxton: "Dad, you are funny. Mom loves me sleeping in your bed!"

These two had me on the end of the bed wheezing last night. Braxton is so logical it cracks me up! He wasn't feeling well so he asked me if he could sleep in my bed. I told him he needed to ask daddy. He asked me if I would help him ask dad. This is how he approaches his dad....

Braxton: "We have something to talk to you about."
Jeff: "ok."
Braxton: "Your turn mom, tell dad what we were thinking."

Happy Halloween

I love this cow costume! Braxton wore it when he was barely 1 and Adelle wore it last night. Do you see the resemblance?
Addy was the happiest little cow. She caught on real quick and at each door she would say, "trick treat, trick treat."
Here are the kids all ready to go....Have you ever seen a cuter monkey? fireman? cow?
This is the first year we've actually gone around our neighborhood and it was a blast. The kids were very enthusiastic.
We love Halloween. It was a beautiful night with a full moon and clear skies. Now onto November!

growing up...

Braxton turned 4 on Saturday! He is growing up so fast and Jeff and I still feel like it was yesterday that he joined our family.
I have had "birthday" on the brain for the last several weeks. Planning parties and scheduling events but amidst it all I have often stopped to wonder who has grown up more in the last 4 years...Braxton or myself?
This boy teaches me so much every single day and I am such a better person today than I was 4 years ago. He is so kind and thoughtful and he is the first one to say, "mom, I love you," for no reason other than he really does.
Thanks to all our wonderful family and friends who joined us in helping Braxton have such a great birthday! He is well loved!
Sunday was the last Horrah! We had family over for pie and ice-cream and had a great time. Bryce was able to come down from Canada and Chelsey came too. We were really glad they shared the day with us.
Braxton has been asking and asking for a "real" fire engine and was thrilled when Bama and Umpa gave him one as a gift. This toy basically consumed him for the rest of the night.
Braxton got all of his favorite things....exavators, front loaders, emergency vehicles, lots of gum and gum balls, ball clothes, movies, working clothes...and on and on...
cuties:)
For Braxton's party at Preschool we made these cute little jack-o-lantern rice krispie treats. We had fun making them and Addy had fun eating the scraps!
Braxton is such a big help and loves projects like this one.
Adelle and I got to go to Preschool with Brax on his birthday celebration day. We had such a great time watching him work at school and play with his friends.
Ms. Mimi gave Braxton this special crown and a construction machinery book. He was so happy.
On his actual Birthday Jeff made us all a yummy breakfast...Braxton's favorite waffles and bacon! For lunch we went on a beautiful walk/picnic to the park. I told Braxton we could bring whatever he wanted for lunch. He chose peanut butter and jelly sandwiches:) That night for dinner we got pizza and crazy bread as Braxton requested.
Braxton and his friends at his party after a tour of the local fire station.
Gramy and Papa Ashmore and Auntie Erin and Auntie Gabe and Uncle John and Uncle Ryan sent Braxton a special birthday package for Arizona. It arrived right on his birthday! He scored once again. All the presents were individually wrapped and he loved opening every single one! Lots of fun books, ball clothes, movies and once again....bubble gum, his new obsession!
Braxton loves getting packages. He also got a special birthday letter from Uncle Brent in Spain!
Here are the kiddos in the fire engine at the fire station. They had such a great time there and the firemen were so accommodating!
Chief Braxton driving the engine.
This is what he put on for the rest of the weekend. The back pack is playing the role of air tank since we don't have one of those.
Jeff and I created this fire engine birthday cake. Braxton loved it. It was so worth the effort!
That basically sums up a very fun and eventful week. We are resting for a few days before Halloween.