Big bear getaway

We are spending a few days with family in the snow...see you in the new year!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Thanking the Lord tonight for His incarnation, the Word became flesh, so that we have a Great High Priest who intercedes for us! Happy Birthday Jesus is what we are saying these days! We have loved the simplicity of the Christmas story as we are teaching Weston what Christmas is all about... a love story that a child can understand and one that most grown men don't accept. We pray that our boys will always be in wonder at truth of Christmas, and that the Truth would change their hearts to love and obey Jesus Christ, God became man. I am thankful this Christmas for getting back to the basics of this wonderful story, HIStory! Merry Christmas and happy new year!

Helping Grandpa

Weston has loved helping grandpa do things around the house...here they are making a new air filter!

Hangin in our Jams

Here's my sweet sick boys still in their pjs ( & so was mommy!) in the middle of the day playing so sweetly. Yes, Weston is sick now too but we are actually enjoying the down time and a few Christmas cookies are always a good way to ease the pain :)
My fav recipes to follow!

O what fun! - revised

Lest we get too comfortable and relaxed, this holiday season needed a little drama I guess!

Gabe came down with a sudden case of croup which warranted a trip to the ER last night due to breathing difficulty in the middle of the night~ everyone is tired but doing great :) Gabe was given a steroid shot for his lungs and by passed a full waiting room of people since he was having trouble breathing. He is sooo much better today. Please pray for this coming week as our family comes into town and that no one else catches it. We are thanking the Lord for good care at the hospital and that this is the only sickness that we have dealt with this year!

O what fun!

This holiday season has been remarkably calm with the perfect amount of busy and we have so enjoyed all the "Christmasy" things with the boys! One Sunday night after evening service there was a fun time of music, cookies and a family photo op...see pic above and then the pics below were a fun little day trip to Dland with my friend Hilary and her boys as well as a sweet Highschool student Kariann who came along to help us with all the kiddos! Despite Weston's face, he had a blast with his friend Jacob and Jackson.

PS I'm known as a Disneyland hater, its kinda true... but I have to say that they do a fabulous job transforming the place into a beautiful Christmas wonderland! My favorite were all the real poinsettias everywhere!! ( and of course the giant tree)

A better "breaded" fish

Our family loves fish. I tried a new method making a breaded fish and it was easier, healthier and still tasted great! I served it with the greens and garlic stir fry and some steamed organic red potatoes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

rinse and pat dry your white fish fillets ( i used tilapia for this recipe) and place in a greased roasting pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small skillet combine 1 pat butter, 1 T Panko bread crumbs/per fillet as well as 1 tsp dried parsley and 1 tsp spice mix of your choice.

Toast bread crumbs over med. heat until butter melts and crumbs are golden. Top each fillet with the bread crumb mixture and bake for 10 min or until done and fish flakes easily with fork. And you are done! no messy 3 step breading process! yay

Greens and Garlic stir fry

This is super easy and super healthy!

Chop up 3 celery sticks, 1 bunch spinach and 1/2 head green cabbage. Heat 2 T olive oil in pan and add 2 cloves minced garlic. Throw in the greens and sauté until spinach is wilted and cabbage is tender. Season with S & P. Add leftover brown rice to the mix or even chicken to make this a main dish.

It has a nice crunch and the simple flavors are great. I used this as a side for our dinner tonight!

Our Christmas Tree Adventure

I love my husband :) He is "Mr. Christmas"! He loves Christmas ALOT...one of the many reasons I love this man. He loves everything about Christmas so he makes celebrating this time of year so fun. No Mr. Scrooge in this house!

Well, this year is extra special in that we get to celebrate Christmas for the first time in our own house! Which means...that we can finally get a Christmas tree for the first time since we have been married. It never made sense to invest in a tree that we would be leaving half of December alone in the house. Plus we have never had room for one until now anyway. So Mr. Christmas decided to make this tree getting thing a fun big deal since it is our first time.

He surprised us by getting train tickets for the family to ride a vintage train to a cut-ur-own tree lot in Fillmore! What a fabulous day! The train was decked out with lights and ornaments inside, it served snacks and hot cocoa, and even Santa came by to every kid handing out candy canes which the boys loved. The ride was so beautiful as we traveled through fields and mountains. Weston LOVED running around the trees and was fascinated by them "falling off"

( he meant falling down) when people cut them down.

Thanks Daddy for this fun surprise and such a fun memory together!

Gabe lovin the train ride

Look at this guy posing in the trees :) Can you tell he is trouble?!

It has been fun to decorate the house as well and I found this fun idea on Pinterest to display cards. They used a big frame, but I had this old window that I got for $5...I like mine better! :) So easy to make. Just attach twine to the back of a frame or whatever and clothes pin the cards.

A few friends and I got together to make these Christmas banners. We all chose different sayings. It was so fun! Easy as well. All you need is some burlap, stencils, fabric paint and ribbon.

The front room decorated for Christmas. we love the smell of a cut tree. Weston and Gabe think it is so fun to be in here now. They can barely keep their hands off the ornaments or out of the fireplace :) Weston says "No touch mommy's deco-asions" and Gabe says "uh oh" when he gets near the fireplace. They want the tree lights to be on all day and I gladly agree! If you look closely you can see Gabe scooting around on the floor.

We have also been having fun teaching Weston about Christmas this year since he can grasp a bit more than last year. Although half the time he thinks baby Jesus is baby David

(he really likes David and his sheep)...so funny!

Thanksgiving in Manteca

Of course we had so much fun and of course the time just flew by! It is so much fun to get these cousins together- they play so well with eachother. It is fun for us girls too, we fit in a couple little shopping trips and the boys ( men) loved the football!

Nanni outfitted the kids in matching PJ's- thanks nanni!

Love this pic of papa watching his grandkids playing in the yard in their pajamas...love vacation!

Weston snacking from Auntie's garden

This kid is intense about his tee- ball :)

The meal was held for the first time at Nanni's house and we did it in the garage that was transformed to a fun and cozy dining room!

When you came in, you had to write on the wall with chalk what you were thankful for...I put my "boys"

Jon the Turkey master! This turkey was smoked and had the most amazing flavor- very different!

Feeling Chatty

Weston delights us every day these days with new and funny things he is saying! It is amazing when your kids become verbal and you get a peek into their minds and how they work and what they think about the world around them.

Tonight Weston said his clearest and longest sentences to date...Andrew and I both about fell over!

Daddy: " You have chocolate all over your face!"

Weston: " Ya I have chocolate on my mouth...know why?"

Daddy: "why"

Weston: "because I had cookie this morning!" ( he meant evening)

He actually said all those words clearly! So weird and fun :)

...Just had to share

Celebrating Gabe

We had so much fun celebrating our peanut! We had a sweet day with him on his actual bday opening a few presents and cards, then Papa Ray came into town as well as my sis, cousin Ryder, and Omie and Grandpa! We had a small bday party for him on that Saturday evening.

(In the pic above daddy is giving Gabe bday kisses before work...I have such handsome boys!)

here Gabe is having his birthday eggs, one of his favs

Opening presents with mommy and Daddy that night

Papa going with the boys on their weekly Saturday walk for donuts in the morning...rain or shine!

Lucky me getting kisses from my nephew!

my sis and dad chillin' with Gabe before the little party

We did a green apple theme

The "Caramel Apple Cafe" with 3 kinds of caramel apples, apple shaped cupcakes, and of course the little man's bday cake! We also had apple cider

Gabe eating his special bday dinner: his fav were the mini meat loaves with mashed potatoes

Gabe was very calm about his cake, carefully scraping and eating off the sprinkles and once those were gone, he was done :)

Presents!

Omie showing Gabe his new elmo book from Auntie Leah that makes him laugh every time!

Weston liked Gabe's birthday presents too

Isn't she a beautiful mommy?! I love you sister!

Grandpa with his 3 grandsons at his feet, so FUN!