Twin Bum Bums

Be prepared to have a serious urge to pinch some cute little bum bum cheeks! I have a weekness for little boys in boxer briefs...their little bums look so cute! When Nick was giving the boys some good morning cuddles yesterday, I was snapping away. I love the way that they love their daddy! PRECIOUS!

LOVE this!
They surprisingly love to get their picture taken right now, and are constantly reminding me to "take picture"! They give me some pretty good cheeses too!

Beautiful Mess

Why doesn't he wear bibs anymore??? Good question, because he obviously still needs them! I guess no one needs to ask why I spend half of my life in the laundry room, because here's some proof for you! Even with his dirty face and crusty shirt, his big blue eyes melt me. I just can't get enough of that crazy, quirky, silly, beautiful little mess!

Did I mention that this picture was taken after lunch...we change their shirts at least 2 times every day. (Times 2 equals lots of laundry!) We also change pants and underwear quite a bit, but that's just due to bad aim. :)

Better late than never

I'm finally getting around to editing our December pictures...I had to share!

Someone was a Mr. Grumpy pants that day!

I'm pretty sure he thought he was helping daddy by laying on him!
Yep, I made him smile
The big haul

Priceless Expressions

I know that none of you will believe this, but I've been horrible at taking pictures of my boys lately! Ava is always willing to give me a good smile, so she hasn't been neglected in this area quite as much. There are a few reasons for my lack of picture taking with the boys: 1. I was so busy taking pictures for other people in October, November and December that I didn't even think about taking pictures of them. 2. I really have a hard time getting them to sit still, so I just choose not to even bother. 3. It's so darn cold outside, and I would rather do outside pictures. I've taken a few here and there, but I need to be better! Anyways, I bit the bullet today and went for it. I didn't even have anyone behind me jumping up and down this time! I will admit that I did bribe them with a little candy, but who doesn't??!! I love all of their cute little expressions. :) I didn't get more than one good one for each kid, but I'm happy with that!

Coleson John

Weston James

Carter Scott

My obsession with deception

Yes, I am being very sneaky, but it's for the right reasons. I got Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, a few years ago. I didn't have a Magic Bullet or Food Processor at the time, so in the cook book drawer it went to collect dust. I brought it out again the other day, and have been steaming and pureeing like a crazy woman. I have added veggies to things that should never have veggies in them....but it works!

Here's what I've made so far:

* Tuna salad with fresh celery and cauliflower puree (Yummy!)

* Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars with spinach puree (Amazing, and you can't taste the spinach at all)

* Beef/Barley/Black Bean soup with cauliflower, spinach, tomato and carrot puree

* Scrambled Eggs with cauliflower puree and Parmesan cheese . (Nick and I liked it, but the kids weren't big fans.)

I would consider us pretty healthy eaters, but let's face it, most kids try to skip out on the veggies, mine included. I will probably use a few recipes from the book, and then just add veggie purees to other meals here and there.

Here are a few more recipes from the book that I am going to try:

* Mac and Cheese with pureed squash and cauliflower

* Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with pureed squash and beets

* Blueberry Cheesecake cupcakes with pureed squash, blueberries and spinach

* Tacos with pureed sweet potato and carrots added to the meat

* Lasagna with pureed spinach and carrots added to the sauce

* Pita pizzas with with pureed spinach added to the tomato sauce

* Mozzarella Sticks with pureed cauliflower

* Mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower whipped in

* Chicken Nuggets with spinach and sweet potato puree

* Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with pureed banana and zucchini

* Chocolate Cake with pureed beets

* Hot Cocoa with sweet potato puree

* Carrot Cake muffins with carrot and cauliflower puree and cream cheese frosting

* Chocolate Chip Cookies with garbanzo bean puree

Some of these might sound gross if you aren't a huge vegetable fan, but you aren't supposed to be able to taste them. Let me know if you want me to post any recipes! It's worth a shot. Do it for your kids!

How to steam and puree:

*Steam veggies until slightly tender- Spinach- 45 seconds, Carrots- 10 minutes, Cauliflower- 8 minutes, etc..
*Put them in a Magic bullet, blender or food processor and blend until creamy. ( about 2 minutes) Add a few tsp. of water to carrots, cauliflower and broccoli to help get a creamy texture.
*Divide into freezer bags in 1/2 cup or 1 cup increments and freeze. Then just pull them out when needed to add to sauces, soups or anything else you can think of!
***This is also nice when veggies start to get a little dated. Just puree and freeze for later!

Hopefully some of you try this new way of sneaking good veggies into your kid's food. Maybe some of you will share my obsession with deception!

Four Christmas Mornings

Not only do I remember taking all of these pictures, but I remember what was going on in our lives and the feelings that I was having when all of them were taken. It's funny how you have no idea what is in store for your life, and you have to laugh at the way things turn out!

2007

We found out 3 days after this picture was taken that a baby would be joining our family.

We found out 3 weeks later that it would actually be TWO babies! Ava was 5 and in preschool, and Carter was 2 1/2.

2008

I remember being so overwhelmed at the blessings that we had received that year. We had been quite worried about the health of the twins on several occasions, and to see 4 healthy kids in front of our tree was truely a gift from God. Ava was a big kindergartner, Carter was 3 1/2 and the twins were 5 months. 2009

The fun had just begun last Christmas. These 2 little trouble makers had just started walking, and you might notice that our tree was in a different room due to their destructive behavior. I remember being surprised at how they were all kids now, and there weren't any babies in our family anymore.

2010
I love that my kids love each other so much! Do they fight? YES! But they would do anything to protect one another. I love how Carter has his arms around Coleson and Ava, and how big sister has her baby brother on her lap. We are so blessed!

Update on our little potty trainers

Well, it's been a long 4 days, but I am happy to say that we are making progress! They have got the peeing thing down, but we still have a ways to go in the number 2 department. We are so glad that they've caught on so well!

Weston has had a few accidents, but he's started to catch them and finishing in the potty. He has stayed dry during naps, which is a good start. He is so good about going potty anytime we ask, and he's so proud of himself when he's done! He never forgets to ask for a treat when he's done. :)

Coleson caught on after daddy got a little tougher and forced him to go on the potty. After that, it started clicking very quickly and he's doing so much better. He stayed dry all morning, and he can actually wait a few hours between going now that's he's figured it out. He is kind of a stinker and never wants to just sit and go, and it can sometime take up to an hour of him fidgeting before he actually focuses. He has also been staying dry during naps!

I'll let you know more in a few days, but for now, this is all I have time for between laundry and spot-shot.