Advent Activities

I do realize that Lent starts next week and then Easter is after that but I am still going to post about our Advent Activities.  This is my blog isn't it?  So, I can write about whatever I want.

This year we were a little scatterbrained when it came to our advent calender/activities but we still managed to have fun.  We didn't open a door everyday but when we did we read scriptures, did activities, or we on field trips to special places in the city.

We found this idea on Pinterest for an edible snowman.  Here are the girls working on theirs.

Brian with his ice cream, twizzlers, and chocolate chip snowman.

My beautiful creation

Telia just cared about eating hers

Trying to figure out how to get a bite of her sisters

Here are a few other places we went and resources we used
Kalightoscope Christmas at The Galt House

Driving around the city looking at Christmas Lights

Lights Under Louisville

We didn't do a Jesse Tree this year but we did read some of the stories from it and colored some pictures pertaining to the stories

What did you do for Advent with your kids?  What about Lenten activities?  Anyone have any great ideas?

New Recipes

Thanks to Pinterest I have found tons of new recipes to try and I am loving it.  Here are a few:

Bacon Guac Grilled Cheese Sandwich I used this recipe more as inspiration and didn't follow it exactly.  I just made a bacon, avocado, grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast on Saturday and it was delish!  We will be having that one again for sure.

Avocado Chicken Salad  Again, I didn't follow this exactly but I think it would've tasted better if I had.  I regret not having cilantro and not using grilled shredded chicken (I used canned chicken).  I will try it again though.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie  This was so good!  Make it today and you will not regret it.

 Creamy White Bean and Apple Chili  This was actually really good and the whole family liked it.  I was surprised because there was no meat in it but the flavors were great.  Next time I will use less onions.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Chorizo and Kale Another great recipe that I would make again with WAY less onions.  Even Brian, who likes onions, thought they were overpowering.  The recipe is vegetarian too but I added real chorizo not soy chorizo and it was great.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas  This recipe wasn't a big hit in the house.  The consistency was kind of mushy and it came out too spicy for the girls.  We probably won't make it again but it was fun to try.

Crockpot Pizza Soup Don't judge this before you check it out.  I made it for our family and my parents and everyone really liked it.  I left out the bell pepper and onions.  We all really liked it and it didn't even give this pregnant Mama indigestion.

Snowflakes by Grandma

When we pulled up to Grandma and Grandpa Laffin's house for Christmas the girls got to see these beautiful snowflakes that Grandma twisted together with lights. They loved them so we took a few minutes one night to get some pictures. Who needs real snow when you have these?

I think Ruby is a little cold in this picture

Some Updates

-  I have been terrible at blogging lately but I do have some good excuses...I'm pregnant, our house has been on the market, we actually got an offer this past weekend, Brian has been working a lot, I'm pregnant, I never know where my cord is for my camera, I lost my phone for a while with most of my pics, I have 2 small children and I'm pregnant!

- YAY!  We accepted an offer on our house this past weekend!  So, now we wait to hear about the inspection and try to find  a house.  Exciting but very stressful at the same time.

- I'm being induced on February 22nd!  Ash Wednesday! 

- We decided on a name for our son which will probably not be a surprise to anyone because most people are on facebook.  I knew it was the right name when Brian did a dance around the living room after he discovered it.  Caius  (Caius we just like and may call him Cai.  It means rejoice) and John (after both of our brothers plus we love the meaning "God is gracious or generous")

- We own a minivan.  We got one out of necessity in December and have been loving the extra space.  It is very surreal to own a minivan...I am definitely a grown up.

- I turned 33 years old last week.

- On January 19th we hit the one year mark of when we lost Ezekiel. 

- I have lot of pictures from Christmas still to post...I will do that eventually

Dance 2011

We started out December with Ruby's 2nd Dance Recital. She had a lot of fun and it was so great seeing how the girls have grown in the past year. We were really surprised at the moves that these 4 and 5 year olds were able to pull off.

Telia all ready to go watch sissy dance.  The recital was during nap time so she was not too happy throughout some of the recital but she made it.

Checking her self out

Mustache

With her friend Nora

In the middle of one of her dances

The family minus Grandpa L. who was taking the photo

Blogs You Should Read Today

I have some photos to upload and recipes to write about but until then check out the blogs of two friends of mine:

My friend Sarah wrote an amazingly insightful, open and honest blog on suffering.  She has been such an encouragement to me this year while in the midst of suffering. Read it, you won't regret it.

Also, my friend Annie who has also endured a lot of suffering has been doing a countdown of the things her 2.5 year old son has struggled with and overcome this year.  Annie is a fairly new friend who has also been a great encouragement to me this year...she put it best when she wrote to me that suffering has a way of bringing people together.  Amen to that. 

Thanksgiving in Kentucky

Our girl enjoying all of her Thanksgiving Meal

I actually told Ruby NOT to smile in this picture.  I think her Uncle John is teaching her bad picture taking habits :)

This is more like her normal pose when I take a picture

The table...yummy food made by Brian's Mom

Of course the girls started the day out with some swinging time.  

Ruby loves to push her sister on the swing.

This year Grandpa and Grandma Laffin bought Ruby her own big girl swing