I truly haven't dropped off the face of the planet--I've just been busy! And let me just say that I absolutely detest this computer. I spent forty minutes yesterday uploading these photos and typing in a really witty blog and I reached the very end and was just about to hit the "publish" option, when this piece of technological junk froze up! I should just be grateful to have a computer at all, but sometimes...sheesh! What a colossal waste of time. Anyway, you will now get the condensed version of what I typed yesterday, for fear of the "iceman" freezing this lame-o again.
So, these are some Halloween photos. Carter was Darth Vadar (we borrowed a costume and had to spend $40 to replace it because...he ripped it the first time he tried it on--oh well), Avery was the Wicked Witch of the West (she loved the green face paint, which aided the deception that she is truly "wicked"), and Maia was the infamous "Raccoonicorn", which makes for an interesting conversation piece. When asked what she was for Halloween, Maia responded, "A 'Coonicorn!'" I would, of course, have to explain the story behind the legendary mythical creature. (One last time for Blog's sake! Bought the unicorn costume for Avery when she was three. Washed. Stuck in dryer--big No No! Hair on mane and tail melted. Seriously looks like a rainbowy raccoon tail!) Oh, and Colby was "cheese and crackers"(get it? Colby Jack cheese? Well, we thought it was funny!) Anyway, the kids had a great Halloween and got lots of candy (or so they think. Just wait 'til they're older and can run from house to house faster--bring on the pillow cases-full!) Oh, and the picture of Avery with the funny glasses and Colby clearly entertained...it's just for laughs!
Hope everyone is enjoying themselves as we dive headfirst into the crazy holiday season. I know our house is a'bustlin' with birthdays and the like. Hold on everyone--"it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

The summer is over. I can't believe it! It went by way too fast, although a certain older son of mine began driving me a wee bit crazy (he was "bored" and very anxious to start the fast-paced school life). I'll include "first day of school" photos in the next blog. I am getting way too behind!

Heather and Kyle have been married for just over a month already. I included my favorite photo from the wedding. It captures the very essence of the whole experience. Heather and Kyle had planned a special surprise for everyone--they somehow managed to get Heath (the biological father of Heather's little boy, Hunter) to write a letter of permission to the temple so that Hunter could be sealed to them for time and all eternity. It was the most amazing and wonderful thing! After Heather and Kyle were sealed, Hunter came in dressed all in white. Talk about no dry eyes! Even though the actual adoption is not complete, the Robinsons were able to be sealed as a family. Awesome.

There's a photo of my hairy brother, Ryan holding Colby. It was taken Labor Day weekend when he was in Seattle visiting his girlfriend, Megan's family. The kids sure love their crazy Uncle Ryan! I included the picture because it is a really cute one.

Maia is finally potty trained (I might have mentioned that before--my memory is sliding...sliding...sliding). It has not been without bumps along the way. She has been our most difficult to potty train thus far. In fact, she is still having accidents, which we haven't had to deal with too much with the other two. It's rather frustrating. The picture was taken at our little "Pee Pee in the Potty" Party. She's sporting the princess dress we bought her has a reward (since then, it has been up on the fridge a handful of times, based on her frequency of accidents).

Lastly, there's Colby's "gimpy leg" (see it there? Written on his cast? Carter wrote it). It finally came off on Friday--Hallelujah! The last week or two were the worst. I think Colby had finally had it. He was getting violent. I was changing his diaper and he brought his leg up and then slammed it down on my finger. Ouch! Jay took to wearing a cup whenever he was holding him because...um, well, you get them picture (and he didn't really wear a cup). Needless to say, we were all ready to see that thing go. Hopefully, he'll start to crawl soon.

So, that's catching us up (for the most part). Hope everyone is enjoying the last little bit of summer weather before the fall comes (well, except the fam in Arizona, where it's summer all the time)!

I can't believe summer is almost over (and I've probably only posted two blogs the whole time). I guess we've just been busy, although I'm not exactly sure what we've been busy doing. I swear our kids are the only kids not in swim lessons, which I think I mentioned in the previous blog. Maybe next summer. Anyway, I had a friend ask me yesterday if our kids spent a lot of time in our new yard. "Hmm..well...actually no, not really." Sad, but true. We've wanted a yard for so long and now we have a big wild one and our kids really don't go out in it much. Sure, they used the new kiddie pool for a stretch at the beginning of the summer and the sprinkler comes on once in awhile. Inside the house seems to be the place to be, though. I feel like I should've done bettergetting my children out of the house, but let's be honest. Will they really remember much about this summer later on?
Enough rambling about my failings as a mother. Some explanation for these photos is in order. My parents came end of July and while they were here, my dad did some odd jobs for us. So,a photo of Carter being a "helper." He's sanding the wall down, in preparation for a new paint job. I mean, I really didn't want to paint over the lovely shade of turquoise (or teal or vomit green or whatever). It is actually now a lovely shade of brown (it looks so much better--thanks, Dad!). We also got new vertical blinds--they no longer clash with everything. So, it's the nasty tile around the fireplace that needs handling next.
Then, there's the quinessential Avery photo--she's covered in mud and loving it! And Maia on her first pony ride. She had to go back and do it three times, I think. BOth of these photos were taken at a company picnic that we were invited to by some friends.
And there's sweet Colby Bear (I call him that sometimes). I love the one where he was crying and then I got him to laugh. His smile is priceless, I tell ya! The last photo needs some explanation. So, see Colby's leg? Yeah. O.k. most of you know this story already, but here it is anyway. Sunday afternoon. On the way to a family get-together. Light splattering of rain on the front porch. Colby and I. Walking down porch steps. My feet. Slippp! I get a nastily bruised bum and Colby gets a fracture in his right femur (that's "thigh bone" for those of you who are medical term-challenged). It was so scary! But, he's been a real sport about it--can't you tell from the picture? His leg was in that splint for a week and now he's in a bright blue cast (which I'll post pictures of later) until Sept. 8th. He's doing really well--swings that blue leg of his like a pro (and man, does it hurt when it whacks you). The kids had a good time writing on Colby's cast. Carter wrote, "Gimpy leg". Ha ha. You can imagine how many times I have told the story of "Colby's Leg"--going into public is a nightmare! How often do you see an eight-month-old baby with a cast on his leg? I'm surprised CPS hasn't stopped by for tea.
Anyway, I guess we've had a pretty adventurous summer for not going anywhere. Oh, wait. We did go somewhere. We went to Arizona (just Jay, Colby, and I) for my baby sister's wedding a few weeks ago. I'll post a separate blog on that one. Ta-Ta for now.

I just wanted to post a few pictures of our summer thus far. It's been pretty quiet. We seem to be the only family on the Eastside (or in the whole country possibly) that isn't involved in swim lessons. It's mostly because we're poor, although it is nice not having to be somewhere at a certain time everyday. I can't seem to get anywhere before noon these days! It's been a rather lazy dazy summer, and at this point, I'm grateful for that.
An explanation of these pics: Well, there's Carter, livin' it up in Hood Canal. We went to the Adams Family cabin a few weekends ago with some friends. The weather was great! The kids had a fabulous time jumping on the trampoline, splashing in the water, and being extremely loud (as only kids in large numbers can). At one point, I should admit that we locked the kids outside for awhile (well, actually, it was only for about 5 minutes). The babies were napping and the other kids kept coming inside and being loud after being told repeatedly not to. So, we locked them out and enjoyed a rather amusing time watching them bang on the windows and doors. There's also a picture of Maia and her bestest friend, Helena Chao sitting on a chair on the porch at the cabin. These two are like two peas in a pod, I tell you! Maia won't take a whole lot of flack from anyone, except Helena. We haven't spent much time at the beach, but this past week, we met some friends at Juanita Beach and the kids had a great time playing. We weren't even there for five minutes and Avery was already top to bottom sand (as in the picture here). Out little dirt magnet! She rode home naked, which she thought was fantastic. Next, there's the picture of Colby with Grandpa Ray. It was taken at Ray's birthday party a few weeks ago. And lastly, a photo of Colby meeting his Great-Grandma Eve for the first time. Families are the best! My parents were just in town, too. I'll post some pictures from that adventure on the next blog, hopefully. Hope everyone is keeping cool this summer. We're not--right now our house is 81 degrees and it's only 9 am. Can't wait for the afternoon sun to beat down! We gotta get some screens on these windows!

Here's a smile to brighten your day! Colby is six months old already. Time is passing so quickly. He is our smiliest kid thus far. He does have a lot to smile about--he is very loved! The kids adore him, especially Avery. I keep telling her he will cease to be a cute little angel and transform into an annoying pest (he will get into her stuff). She doesn't believe me. But that's the way it goes. Anyway, had to post this picture--you can probably see why!

O.k...oops! I uploaded one of these pictures twice. I guess you'll get to enjoy them twice. Anyway, you're probably wondering why my children are dressed like peanuts. Well, the answer is really quite simple--their mom is nuts! For Father's Day, the kids and I did a "Nutty for Daddy" theme for Jay. We made our own costumes and then I wrote some alternate words to the song, "Boom Boom, Ain't It Great to Be Crazy" (in this case, "Nutty"). We sang the song for Jay and gave him his absolute favorite--Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds. I also prepared a lunch involving nuts. I am truly...nuts! But, I think Jay enjoys my insanity from time to time. Hope you are all doing well as we move into another summer!

Definitely time for another go at the blog! First of all, here is some explanation for these photos. There's Colby doing a "no-no". The kid has resisted pass-ees from the start, and just recently, I noticed the little man sneaking a thumb in his wee little mouth. I never really wanted a thumb-sucker, but I have to say (and I think you'll agree) Colby looks dang cute doing it! Of course, he won't look so cute when he's ten-years-old and has beaver teeth, but sometimes that's just the way it goes. As for the other photos, they were all taken at the Adams' Family cabin this weekend. We went over there ("there" being in Belfair on Hood Canal) Friday and Saturday. The weather wasn't exactly beautiful (unless you think tons of rain qualifies), but we still had a great time. The cabin is a great place to eat tons of junk and be really lazy. We set up our new tent and slept in it at the request of the kids. A couple of Jay's brothers and their families joined us as well. We went down to the beach and jumped on the tramp. By the way, the third little girl in the picture with Avery and Maia is Veronica, one of the cousins (she's also Avery's very bestest friend). Check out the picture of Carter on the tramp! And check out those legs! Woo-wee! Definitely scored those babies from the Adams' side.
Anyway, hope you all had a memorable Memorial Day! 'Til next time.

More pictures from the yard! Man, do we love it, but boy, what a load of work! I have been obsessed with trying to keep some semblance of order to our yard. Going from having just a deck with a few potted flowers on it to having over half an acre of wilderness and grass (and geez, there's some grass!), has been an interesting challenge. Especially since our funds are so limited right now. You'll notice our lengthy grass in the picture of Carter picking dandelions.
This doesn't even hold a candle to our front yard. There were spots that came up to my knees practically! Can we say "white trash?" Luckily for us, we live away from suburbia, more or less. A few dandelions are acceptable out here. Jay said, "Hilary, we will never have a putting green for a yard like your Dad does!" Yes, yes--I'm well aware. "But, we do need a lawn mower!", I was quick to point out (a few too many times, apparently--Jay and I had a little, uh, disagreement about this issue. What can I say? I'm a colossal nag). To make a long story short, I ended up going to Lowe's and buying a lawn mower. I spent three or four separate sessions mowing the lawn. Yeah. I've never ever mowed before. But I have to say, all the sweat and sore muscles was well worth it. What a sense of accomplishment! So now we need an edger, you know--to get the very attractive foot-high "fringe" we now have bordering the edges of our yard down to a "non-white trash" standard. Oh well! There's always something.
So, I'll quickly explain the photos. The top right of Maia in her snow mittens says a lot about her personality. She wanted to help me with the gardening and because I was wearing gloves, she had to, too. We even own a pair of kid's garden gloves, but No! She had to have her "pink gloves". Needless to say, she found it a little difficult to help in the garden with those monsters. The top right photo is a family dinner picnic on our newly-mowed front lawn. Excitement. Bottom left: Carter helping me de-weed the back yard (I think he was getting sick of listening to me whine about the dandelions). And bottom right is yet more fun in the yard. We don't own a kiddie pool as of right now. The weather has been beautiful and so, we got out the laundry bucket and filled it with water. What innocently began as playing with plastic turtles in the water, became a fully-clothed bath for my girls! No big surprise there. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the photos!

Here's a little Easter cheer! Enough to give you nightmares. There's actually a story behind this photo, believe it or not. Three Easters ago, the kids and I made some decorations on our flimsy-construction-paper budget. I created this bunny peeking out of a pot and Carter decided he would make the face. When Jay saw the results, he felt so inspired, he burst into song, "It's a pig, it's a bunny, it's a beaver--it's a Puneaver!" We have hung this mythical hare up on our wall every Easter since. While eating dinner the other night, Jay was feeling particularly festive (and entertaining, I might add). He stuck some carrots in his mouth and grabbed the Puneaver off of the wall. The kids thought it was hysterical. Jay is such a great role model for our kids! I can't ever tell them not to play with their food because they can always say, and rightly, "Daddy does it!" Anyway, it is raining here today. We were hoping for an outdoor Easter egg hunt, since we've never had a yard before, but apparently, that's not going to happen. Wishing you all a very Happy Easter! Remember: "Somebunnies love you!"

O.k...so I haven't figured out how to rotate these pictures yet. But I did want to post these because they say a lot about the personalities of my three oldest children.
A few weeks ago, the weather, although not warm, was not freezing cold. We went out in the yard so that I could pull my first weeds. I realized just how much work keeping up a yard is going to be (especially without a lawnmower and an edger--we'll get them eventually. Man, we're broke!) Anyway, the previous owners left a sprinkler and a hose and so the kids really wanted to turn it on--"Just to water the grass, Mom." Well, I'm not a complete idiot. I knew the only grass that would be watered would be the grass they had picked up on their clothes. I let them turn it on anyway and they had a blast! Avery (my dirt-magnet five-year-old) was soaked head to toe in less than five minutes. In the picture above, she's also "flapping" like mad because she's so excited. Go figure. Maia
(my fiesty three-year-old) was quick to follow her older sister into the flood. But then there's Carter (my seven-year-old). Notice how he is standing as far away from the water as possible filling the watering can. Not a drop to be had on that guy! Big shock. His hair is an orangey-red because it was crazy hair day at school that day. The girls, of course, "needed" a bath afterwards because they were really cold--duh!
It does wonders for my happiness to see my kids enjoying our new yard so much. So long to the boxy little condo! I just hope I don't kill all of the desirable plantlife.

Today is Sunday and it is really cold here, which is one of the reasons why we are going to have something warm and tasty for dinner. How about some spaghetti? I found a truly scrumptious spaghetti sauce recipe online some time ago and I've had a few requests for it. So, without further ado, here it is! Bon Appetit!
Desiree's Spaghetti Sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. or so each garlic powder, onion powder, and basil
italian seasoning (shake to cover top of sauce)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 29 oz. can crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1 6 oz. tomato paste
1 lb. ground beef (or turkey) made into meatballs (choose your favorite recipe)
about 8 (I do less) Italian sausage links
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

Brown sausage in oil. Bake meatballs for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees. Make sure sausage is cooked all the way through! Put the meat in a crockpot and then the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

On Saturday, Maia turned three! We had a little birthday party for her on Friday morning, which was more or less a time for the kids to run around the house with their little friends and the moms to sit around and talk. Most of the kids came dressed up (well, it was a dress-up party). Guess what Maia wore? You'll never guess so look in the picture at the left to get a clue. Yep--the infamous "Pink Dress". Maia started wearing it daily two weeks before Halloween and pretty much didn't take it off until after Christmas. She still wears it occasionally around the house (I won't let her wear it in public anymore, but she doesn't seem to care, thankfully). I guess for nostalgic reasons she decided to wear it at her b.day party! I put some make-up on her, too--she looked like our little "Sweet Pea Princess", as her Grandma Cindy likes to call her. On Saturday morning when she got up, Jay gave her a hug and exclaimed, "All done with the Terrible Twos! On to the Terrific Threes!" Hmmm...I'm not as optimistic as Jay, I guess. Sometimes, our little "Sweet Pea" can be a little "Spicy Pepper." We love our Maia Jean!

Ahhh..yes. My other two good luck charms. They have both had colds and so they slept in a little (a very little) this morning. Hey, Dad and Mom--don't think I forgot another important reason for celebrating this day. Has it really been 33 years? Maia and Colby seem to think so (hence, the shamrock message they are holding). I sure hope you get to go on a hot date, or at least that Mom will allow Dad to stray from "cardboard and fish". HAPPY 33RD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, YOU CRAZY LOVE BIRDS!!!! You two are the best parents ever and I love you. Today and every day I feel so "lucky" to have you. Enjoy this "Green" kinda day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! I decided I would get into the spirit of the holiday 'cuz it's fun. I told the kids they should wear green today so that they don't get pinched ("Or flicked," Carter said. "Flicked?" I replied. "Who flicks on St. Patrick's Day?" He didn't know!) Avery was very concerned because she doesn't have any green clothing. I let her wear one of my shirts (actually, recognize the shirt, Jen? It was in the latest installment of hand-me-ups). This picture was taken before Carter left for school today. Just a couple of my good luck charms--the other two were still sleeping. Today, we are doing a "Green" day for our little preschool. The girls get really excited for our preschool days (once or twice a week). I do,too! I love to spend the quality time with my girls! Tonight, we will have breakfast for dinner (aren't you jealous, Heth? Maybe you can convince Mom to take a break from "cardboard and fish" to have some waffles and hash browns). We are having Green Eggs and Ham (which I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole--to Sam I Am's dismay) and green shamrock-shaped pancakes and hash browns with green onions. What a treat!

While Heather was here, we cooked some tasty food. She really wanted to live it up (which means "eat tasty food") because all Mom cooks at home these days, and I quote, is "cardboard and fish." Ewww. Dad is on Weight Watchers (again) and that's all he can eat--"cardboard and fish." It's sad that Mom's cooking has come to this (she is afterall a fabulous cook), but Dad's health is muy importante.

Anyway, on the first night, we made croissant sandwiches (loaded with fat). We decided that fries would make a great side dish, so I added everything into a plastic zipper feature bag (notice I did not say "Ziploc"--if we would have used an actual Ziploc brand bag, what happened would not have happened). I began to shake the bag with everything inside. I think Heather felt excluded so she said, "Pass it over here!" and held her hands wide. We began passing the bag back and forth across the kitchen, getting progressively more creative with our passes. And then the inevitable happened. Heather turned around and launched that fry bag at me from between her legs. The non-Ziploc bag burst open and sprayed me with fries, parmesan, olive oil, and other tasty spices. We both let out a little scream and then stopped, staring in disbelief at my grease-splattered clothes. Then, of course, we had to laugh and pick up the fries, which we decided to eat anyway. The picture shows me in the aftermath. I learned two valuable lessons from this experience: 1. Always use Ziploc bags, and 2. "Fry Bag Throwing" is not a team sport.

Today is Monday. Ahhh...what a peaceful day this is! Normally, I wouldn't say that about a Monday, but this Monday is an exception. I just finished a long, tiring, and very fun week. "Long, tiring, and fun"--I know these words are at odds (or one of them is). It's rather like the Seasame Street game--"One of these words doesn't belong here, la-di-da, yaddi yaddi ya..." Nevertheless, it's true. The week was long, tiring, yet fun. You'd probably like to know "why", rather than read my ramblings. My baby sister, Heather and her little guy, Hunter were in town for a visit. Hunter arrived with the stomach flu and it sort of went down hill from there. Picture this: Hunter (age 2) and Maia (also age 2) alone in a room together. Hunter enjoys throwing anything he can get his wee little hands on; Maia hasn't napped well regularly in days. I probably don't need to describe what happens next. Yeah. It got to the point that Maia would anticipate Hunter's every move--even before he himself thought it up! She would start screaming and crying before Hunter even did anything. This was fascinating to him--afterall, what an intriguing way to learn cause and effect. Who knew antagonizing one's cousin could be so much fun? Anyway, I was at my wit's end with the whole thing by the end. Not to mention my house was a diaster area. I mean, Heather isn't the tidiest cat on the planet (no offense, Heth). Other than those two things, I enjoyed myself immensely and we did some fun things. I'll probably have a few different posts about our week.

Every year, as a Christmas gift, Jay and I plan a creative dinner for his parents. It works out really well, since Ray and Anita have everything they could possibly need or want that is within our meager price range. Four Christmases ago we started doing this and it was such a hit, that we've kept it up as a tradition. The dinner has a theme (of course--what would life be like without themes?). We've done a ballroom dance with a fancy dinner(we dressed up real nice); we did a mystery dinner (everyone was dressed in detective garb); last year was our "pajama" party, where we wore p.j.'s and had breakfast for dinner; and finally, this year, we had a "Mother Goose" evening. We all dressed as characters from different nursery rhymes and the food I served came from nursery rhymes, too. For example, we had roast beef (from "This little piggy went to market"), a cottage cheese-based fruit salad ("Little Miss Muffet... eating her curds and whey"), cherry cream cheese tarts for dessert ("The Queen of Hearts made some tarts"), and water served from a pail ("Jack and Jill"), etc. We also gave them an old Mother Goose nursery rhymes book that we doctored a little (we included some of our own nursery rhymes). It was a great evening! Of course, the best part was spending time talking with Jay's parents. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures from the whole event, which was last Saturday.

O.k. so, I've included the pictures, but obviously, they need to be flipped. I don't know how to do it because I am not in the least computer saavy. Use your imagination and in the meantime, I'll try to learn how to use this thing! The top picture features the Three Blind Mice (Colby had to be included--the other kiddies were at a friend's house so that we could enjoy some uninterrupted adult time). The middle one is Ray and Anita as Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Old Mother Hubbard. The last photo is well...a table shot. Notice the faces on the plates and spoons? You guessed it--"Hey diddle diddle...." Fun, isn't it?

So, one more V.Day post. Check it out! This is a picture I took from our front porch this morning. Carter was leaving to walk down to the bus stop with Jay. But...no bus came. School was 2 hours late--oops! It snowed! On Valentine's Day! What a treat. Gorgeous , isn't it? The kids went out into the backyard and built a snow man. It's great to finally have a backyard--I mean, we were in that dinky condo for seven years. We love our new house! I sure hope someone is reading this. Bye!

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone! I woke up early this morning to make a special breakfast for the family. Those who know me know that I have a weird thing for "themes". The V.Day theme for this year is "Toes". I know, I know--toe-tally strange (o.k...that was "corny"). I found a really tasty recipe for Almond French Toast, so I thought I would share. This is a great meal to show your man you think he's "toe-tally" hot!

French Toe-st with Toe-sted Almonds
1 cup slivered almonds
3 eggs
1 cup milk
3 T. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
12 thick French bread slices
3 T. oil
3 T. butter

Toast almonds in a saucepan until light brown (5 to 10 min.). Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, almond extract, and vanilla. Soak bread slices til saturated. Place in a shallow pan and refrigerate for one hour. Heat oil and butter over med. heat. Press one side of soaked bread slices in almonds to coat. Cook both sides in the oil and buttered pan.
*** I served this "toe-st" with powdered sugar and a little bit of whipped cream on top and stawberries on the side. Round it out with some southern style hashbrowns (they're the little square-looking ones--well, they look the most like toes) and some bacon. I made some Carmelized Bacon which tastes mysteriously like the outer edge of a Honey Baked Ham. Here's the recipe: 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, and 1/2 lb. of bacon (about 8 slices). Heat oven to 450 and spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with foil. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and coat the bacon in the mixture. Bake for 12-15 min. til done.
***"Toe-tally" tasty, but really filling. I normally have at least three snacks between breakfast and lunch (well, I am a nursing mother), but I was so full, I didn't eat until 12:30 for lunch. Phew!

If you want to know more about my "Toe" theme, here goes (if not, log off!--this is a rather lengthy post). THe kids and I made Jay a place mat that had their foot prints on it and said, "We toe-tally love you, Dad!" I wrote him a poem, of course. I also gave him some slippers, which he really wanted because our house is rather chilly. Tonight (shhh! DOn't tell because he doesn't know yet) we'll have a "Toe-st" to us (I'm trying a new smoothie recipe) and I'll give him a foot and toe massage by the fire (cuz it's "toe-sty"). FUn stuff. Anyway, hope you all have or had a fabulous Valentines Day!

Hey, Jen (and everyone else)! This is what I'm fixing for dinner tonight. It's a pretty tasty soup (I've made it several times). So, when it's not a million degrees there in Arizona, give it a try. This soup is even somewhat healthy. Happy cooking!

Hearty Hamburger Soup

1 lb. ground beef (I use turkey, of course)
4 cups water
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery (you don't have to add this, jen)
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 cup cut fresh or frozen green beans

In a large saucepan,cook meat til done. Add next 10 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 min. or til potatoes and carrots are tender. Add beans. Cover and simmer 15 more min. or til beans are tender. I usually sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Our Avery (age 5) sure loves her her new little brother, Colby Parker. She talks to him in a high, squeaky "mommy" voice and smothers him (literally sometimes) with kisses. I just love this picture--it captures Avery's maternal nature perfectly. Colby has started smiling (which I haven't caught on film yet)--he most frequently smiles at Avery. I can't believe he's almost 2 monthes old!

Jared (or "Jay" to some--I've never called him Jared, not even when he's in trouble) and I met almost 14 years ago at a youth Pioneer Trek. We were both stupid and giddy high school kids that called each other things like, "Lary" and "Curly". I was "Lary" (as in HiLary) and Jay was "Curly" (well, he had curly hair which he grew out really long in front and then slicked back--Sweet!). We often wondered, "Who's Moe?" In my vivid romantic imaginings, I pictured Moe as our first child. Jay, on the other hand, didn't even know what a "romantic imagining" was. He had no clue that he would one day marry his stupid and giddy high school friend, Lary. So now, almost 14 years later, Lary and Curly have four little "Moes" (none of which are called "Moe", ironically). Anyway, that is a long-winded reason for both our address and our blog title. Hopefully, we can use this blog to post some fun things about our little family of stooges.