Happy 14th Birthday Katie

DECEMBER 28TH 2009

Katie and her birthday tree. We have done this every year she was born just to make her birthday special since it is a few days after Christmas. She has never been left out. So hard to believe she is 14. Where did the time go. I am kinda selfish in a way...I think I have the best kids in the world.

Surprise Katie, you got your iPod touch and from mom and dad and your Snuggie from Aunt Shannon, Uncle Dean and your cousin Jordyn. They live so far away, but knew what to get you. They are one special family.

ANDREW taking up a lot of time on SANTA'S lap
He said he had to sumerize and hopes he remembers it all.

Katie and one of her friends Sarah

Merry Christmas 2009

Okay I have to admit I have a little addiction...

This is the pot of TACO JOE DIP. I made for the F.O.P. Cookie/treat exchange.
This is so yummy...When I make I double recipe.
1 can (16oz) Kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can (15oz) whole kernal corn drained
1 can (15oz) black beans rinsed and drained
1 can (14oz) stewed tomatoes
1 can (80z) tomato sauce
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilis
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion
tortilla chips

In slow cooker combine all ingredients except chips. Cook on low for 5 hours
Serve with tortilla chips.

My cards
Hannah's card
Tiffany's Card
Tiffany's sisters card
Debbie's card
Nancy's card
again Nancy's card
and...Nancy's card




Tiffany and her sisters tags...
My Yummy Treats for the FOP exchange/ (Faternal Order of Police)
Oh My I had to try Caramel apples too.
After some fail attempts I found a trick::: Want to know you say???

Grab a big pot and boil water. dip your apples in boiling water for less than 5 seconds and then dry and place in fridge. They will look like they are ruined apples. This takes the wax off.
After they have been in fridge for like overnight. Melt you caramels or make your own caramel. I have done both but I like easy. Dip cold apples into caramel and drip off excess. if going to decorate here do so or place in fridge to harden. Next is dip in melted chocolate and garnish with what your heart desires. replace in fridge and when hard then wrap pretty. I kept mine wrapped and placed in the garage because of had very cold temps outside. KEEP cold till ready to eat. YUMMY....

Happy Birthday Dear Andrew

Andrew turns 9. Oh, where did the time go. Wasn't he just born yesterday...Well the best things about him not being born just yesterday is that we are both sleeping through the night. We celebrated his birthday earlier in the week and went Perkins for dinner. We all love breakfast food for dinner. The day of his birthday we left to go to Twin Falls. Emily had a clogging workshop all day Saturday and then they performed what they learned. She and her friends Courtney and Katherine road down with me and they are the best girls in the world...they even played some of my ERA.

Happy 9th Birthday Andrew...We love you

Sadie Hawkins Dance 2009
Emily and Jared.
They just both recently turned 16 and this was their first dance. They said they had fun.

These are Emily's Best friends Kathryn and Courtney.

CDC Club

CDC club was canceled this last Monday. So sad. I had the two cutest cards ever. The theme of course was Christmas. I used the Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge and loved the Santa suit as you can tell.

I will know hopefully tonight when we can reschedule.

The little/BIG addiction

This is only a few I have made. I have made many for gifts and cannot post them for this reason. These are so fun to make and lets your imagination flow. My girls love making them also. The black and yellow are Sandcreek Middle School.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming this next week and I wanted to share what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my family and all the little and big things they do for me and others. They really are special. I am thankful for the trials that have been handed to us. It has made us a stronger close knit family. We have have more compassion and do more service because of our trials. I know with my husbands and daughters health issues more trials are to come in time and I believe our past trials make us stronger for what our future holds. (Okay I will quit rambling)

May all my friends and family have a Happy Thanksgiving and you remember what you are thankful for. Remember to tell others how thankful you are to them.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to all and to all a safe night. I like Halloween it is so fun to see the kids dress up and they get so excited. The best part of Halloween this year is the clocks get set back an hour so we get an extra hour of sleep. Us parents are going to need it with our kids on a sugar high. Andrew went a Hunter and Katie went as a cute Minnie Mouse. Emily went to the youth dance but, did not dress up.

Time fly's when you are having fun.

CDC day October 2009
Theme Halloween
***Note for November 2009, Meet at my house November 9th. Time: 9:30am to 2:30pm.
Bring a side dish or a treat to share. I will have lunch. Have not decided what I am going to fix yet.

These are the cards we walked away with this past month. They are all so awesome that I am having a hard time sending these away to friends and family.Haven't got a clue why some are sideways, sorry they were right side up before downloading.

This amazing tag came with some witches brew mix. that you add into your hot chocolate or coffee, which ever you want.

This card made me want to go out and buy this one. Just way too cute. Maybe a big hint to my family that is what they can get me for a stocking stuffer. I sure hope they read this...

These cricut cutouts just amaze me. Just use your imagination.

The sweet moon last night. Shinning through the clouds. It was so bright.

Emily Sweet 16. Oh where did the time go. She was just a baby the other day. She is everything I want to be when I grow up. Confident, outgoing, cheerful, positive, outgoing, caring and supportive. She doesn't care who you are on the outside she loves you for who you are.

These TWO are so goofy.
Love these too also.

Emily Party favors. I found these really cool water marbles and 2 packages for $3.00 made 12 favors and found the large flowers and a vase for $1.00 each. Total favor cost less that $3.00 each and the girls just loved them.

Emily's Sweet 16 cake. No I did not have time to make a cake but with these beautiful flowers I had to create this master piece.

3rd weekend in October I was able to go with Jeff to Coeur D'alene to an optometry conference that he was speaking at. A lot of people asked us why optometry? Well Jeff has Fabry's and this can be diagnosed early in youth if optometrists are educated on what findings are in the eyes. Jeff spoke regarding A patients perspective. Jeff was not diagnosed till April of 2003. (he has had this since birth) He was diagnosed with other problems that were not correct but, sounded good at the time. When he was diagnosed he was in advanced kidney failure and things just seemed to move so fast that it did not soak in right away what was happening, we just knew that this was not good and he was pretty ill at the time. He went from Biopsy's of the kidney's to dialysis the next week and then a diagnoses of Fabry's along with our two daughters. The girls are doing fine now and will cont. see a doctor to monitor kidney and heart functions long with all other systems. I learned more about this disease than the doctors. About 2 months later the FDA released a drug to help control this disease ( it doesn't make him better but makes things so they hopefully won't get worse.) So in July 2003 he started the infusions, he gets these every two weeks for the rest of his life. By the end of August of 2003 we received a call from the U of U stating his dad matched as a kidney donor. We were elated at the time. See he was doing dialysis 3 days a week about 4 hours at a time and infusions every other week which were about 5 hours long and still working full time. People tell me I am amazing woman. Well I can tell you I could not have done it without him, Those that know him he is so positive and upbeat about everything, he was so supportive of me when I just needed some time alone. Don't get me wrong he does have a soft side to him and he did shed some tears. Mainly of fear of what the future holds. He doesn't let on that he is having a bad day. Boy I sure do.!!! He has done well with all his trials and we pray to have him around for many years. I want to grow old with him.

Andrew our soccer kid. he is the one in the black on the right. He definitely can run and when he does he is fast. He coach challenged him to out run her and he did. She did not challenge anyone else.

Andrew our Soccer Player, His coach Megan made a comment to me about him one day, that "grin of his makes my day". "He is so positive and thoughtful of others".
Andrew is a good kid, full of energy. He makes me smile too.