The power of words.

There is something I have been terrified of, long since before we decided to have children. I remember leaving high school, and being so happy that I would (hopefully) never have to be around those with insecurities or issues, that would choose to channel those feelings negatively,  and would then bully or pick on someone to feel better about themselves. This has proved mostly true thankfully, although there have been moments where I have witnessed even adults in some really sad and rather pathetic behaviors.

 I love these two boys. They may drive me absolutely crazy at moments, but they are just such incredible little ones. They are smart, kind, funny, and just two little boys that care immensely about those around them. These two were both fortunate to have had not only 2 very special siblings come before them, but a beloved special needs family member, named Barbara Perrie, that taught them at a very young age that we all are very different, but that each and every person is special. 

But both of these boys have had their first situation in the last 2 weeks of being teased. It scares me, as words, both written and verbal, are incredibly powerful. 

It broke something inside of me to know, that already, at the tender ages of 3.5 and 5, my boys have had unkind words said to them. I know the kids probably did not intentionally mean to be cruel or unkind, but the words still hurt their feelings. I literally want to cry just thinking about it, because I want these little boys to know how much I love them, and instill it in them in such a way that maybe those words will not hurt, or that they will realize that there are special and loved, despite whatever anyone says about them.

I started substitute teaching last week (I LOVED it!) but at the end of the day, two little girls brought me a note that had been delivered to them, with incredibly unkind words. I stood in front of that class, very near tears, as I had grown to just love these darling third graders, every one, telling them that words were powerful, and that I was incredibly saddened to see that someone had written those mean words. I think I was especially saddened that another student was probably hurting themselves, and decided to also hurt these two classmates. It brought my fears of what my kids will face daily, in school, to the surface. Will Collin be teased because he is adopted, or because he looks different then us? Will Jacob be teased for his delays, or how he talks, or perhaps again for those chubby cheeks? I will do all I can to build and shape my children, into loving and kind souls that treat others with respect, and hope and pray that they likewise make friends that will build them up, and look out for one another, just as these two do.

And hopefully, they will never feel the need to belittle or tease others around them. I just wish sometimes I could bubble and buffer them from the scary world we live in. 

Funny but oh-so naughty!

So a few weeks ago (right before Collin's 5th Birthday) we came downstairs to find this fine piece of art work on our wall done in a purple Sharpie (although I am still unsure exactly what it is supposed to be). Around these parts, we are typically pretty good about sniffing out when we are being told a story, and this time was no exception. Mike questioned both boys, each one blaming another. But you see, this little artist also signed his artwork, right off to the left there. Mike asked Collin "who did this?" Collin's response: "Jacob did it, see, C-O-L-L-I-N, which spells Jacob". 

Nice try big brother, nice try. 

Six Months

Cora hit six months at the end of February, which was just crazy as this little girl just still seems so little to me. She is just so sweet, is generally a pretty decent sleeper, and just such a joy.

We had to do a tiny photo-shoot for our Brazilian family, as they brought the most darling t-shirts for our kids, and Cora finally grew into hers. 

I loved this picture below. Cora fell asleep while sitting in her bouncer. One minute she was playing, the next minute she was dozing off. 

Cora really does smile. She is such a smiley baby (as long as she is not hungry or exhausted, or over stimulated). But if you stick a phone, a camera, or an iPod in front of her, she becomes quite serious and inquisitive, and will not give out any smiles. 

Cora had her check-up last week, and she is pretty tiny, only weighing in at 13 pounds, 6 ounces, is a little over 24 inches long, and her head circumference is 16 inches. This puts her in the teeny tiny (non-adjusted) percentiles of 1, 2, and 7 percentiles, although she would be more in the 25% if they adjusted for when she was due. But I really do not get very into the numbers. She is growing well, developing spot on, and she is healthy and happy.

We are so grateful to have her as part of our family. She loves her brothers, loves to coo and talk to us. Cora has also discovered her voice recently, and it is pretty funny. She is our little sweetheart and we are so incredibly grateful to have her as ours.

The Garden

 ^^^Collin exploring and trying to find rocks, digging for worms, and just digging holes in general. 

We have had such nice weather here, that I finally decided to try and get into the yard, and get some of the weeding and garden preparation done. My two helpers are the best, as they help with the rocks and pebbles out, and just provide some very cute and very inquisitive entertainment and company.

We made some really awesome discoveries in our little garden today. We found some strawberry plants, that had been planted in the years past, and then what I think are either blackberries or raspberries, something I was looking into planting either this year or next. 

^^^Close up of the strawberry and the enigma of a berry plant/vine.

^^^Collin working on digging more holes.

^^^Whenever I pull out my camera, each boy wants their picture taken too.

When we were newlyweds, we attended a stake conference, where our much loved Stake President gave us some very wise advice. He challenged us to do a garden. He told us that is would bless our lives in many ways. It would teach us that hard-work can be very rewarding, teach us to love the land and work on it, and it would help our families to grow. Our first year we tried (which was our second year of marriage) we planted the Saturday before Mother's Day, and sadly, we had a late frost that destroyed our plants. The year following, our neighbor's 2 rabbits got out, came into our yard, and att a lll of our plants, minus the tomato plant. The next two years, we stuck to tomatoes and peppers. And then we finally had a year with a wider variety of vegetables and a decent crop. Last year we did not get one in, as we knew we would be moving. So hopefully this year will bring much luck, no neighbor's rabbits, and no late frosts.

Gardening really is a joy. My boys love spending the time outside, love seeing their seeds grow, and then eating the food that they help to plant. I by no means have a green thumb, but I hope in my trying, that maybe I will learn and then allow my boys to learn even more. But for now, we just enjoy working the earth, being together, and looking forward to even warmer temperatures and our garden growing and blooming. 

Pinterest Favorites: Easy Dinners

So I have to say, Pinterest is one of the best inventions out there (at least for this mom). I know that it can be a waste of times, as much of what is pinned is not ever really utilized. And with that thought, I decided (for the most part) I wanted to Pin ideas that would inspire me or that I would be able to use. So I think I will do a series on some of our favorites. I typically try 1-2 new recipes, all of which are inspired through the ease of Pinterest. The first in the series will be easy dinner ideas.

The first few are some of our new favorites. What I consider 'easy' is something that takes me about less then 30 minutes to prepare or make, typically with ingredients I readily have in my home.

Here is the link to the first pick: http://brunchtimebaker.com/2014/02/12/buffalo-chicken-quesadillas/
These are really yummy, and like I said, ingredients I typically have in the house. Pinterest has introduced me to buffalo wing sauce, something which adds the right amount of spice, (but not too much). Of course the Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas would not be the same without the delicious Frank's Sauce. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
½ cup buffalo wing sauce
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
2 teaspoons canola oil
⅛ cup cilantro (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
4 flour tortillas (10 inches)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
¼ sour cream for dipping
Instructions
Heat skillet to medium heat, In a small bowl, toss chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch, cheese, salt & pepper, and cilantro.
Lightly grease pan with olive, Place tortilla on pan, top with ¼ of chicken mixture and fold in half. Allow to cook for 2 minutes and flip for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat and repeat the process for all four tortillas. Cut each quesadillas into 4 portions, makes 16 slices.
In a small bowl, mix sour cream, garnish with cilantro and serve with the quesadillas as a dip.
Enjoy!

This next one is Mike's favorite pick, and great for when you will not be home. Mike honestly asks for this one almost every week: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/11/slow-cooker-creamy-chicken-fajita-soup.html

I just throw everything in the crockpot, and let it cook. When I get home, I shred up the chicken, and you have a delicious dinner that everyone will love. My 3 and 5 year old love it, we have already established Mike loves it, and it is a really good lunch for the next day. We serve it with some cheese, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips. Also, I add some pinto beans too, with even an extra can of black beans too. Here it is:

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Fajita Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (or this Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe)
1 cup salsa
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro (optional)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
favorite toppings

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken into slow cooker.
In a bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, salsa, corn, black beans, water, cumin, and cilantro. Pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours). Remove chicken and shred using 2 forks. Put chicken back into slow cooker, add cheese, and let cook for 15 more minutes. Serve with your favorite fajita toppings (tomato, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, etc).

The last one I wanted to share is yet another chicken recipe (I am kind of funny about meat) but is so easy and so delicious. Here is the link: http://www.plainchicken.com/2013/05/chicken-lazone.html#_a5y_p=1164632

This chicken lazone is delicious and easy (so very easy) although my boys do not always want this, but for the most part are pretty good about eating it.

1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups heavy cream

Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle over both sides of chicken tenders.

In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken tenders until done, about 8 minutes.

Pour the cream and remaining butter into the skillet.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.  Serve chicken and sauce over pasta or mashed potatoes, if desired.

Hope this brings some new ideas to your kitchen, and gets you excited about dinner. Something we strive for every night is to sit down and eat dinner together as a family. It allows us to talk with our boys and hear what they have done with their day (my boys both are in preschool). Happy dinner!!!

Girl's Night

So when of the tremendous blessings of having sisters is being able to spend time with them. Generally, those times are WONDERFUL and happy, but we all do have our moment(s) that provide us with something to laugh about through the years. Knowing how burned out we were after the Christmas business, we decided to plan an overnight trip for the end of February in Salt Lake City, giving us a chance to relax, eat good food, laugh a little, and catch up. I have to admit, I kind of had moments where I would live for this trip, especially after an exhausting day filled with frustrations o home, family, or work. Being a mom is a wonderful blessing, and I love my kids so, but it is also thankless and it can be exhausting at times. And two of my sisters are in school, one is in a masters program and the other is doing generals while working. So they were in need of a break too. 

^^^ I have titled the above picture "why you no smile?" and it just makes me chuckle. We love Lindsey and were so happy this trip timed right with her trip back home from Nebraska.

^^^These two are the most diva-est of our bunch, but man do they make the trips so much fun!

We left at about 2:30 so we could check into the hotel shortly after 3. We threw our stuff down, and immediately got into our swim suits. I swear one of the best reasons to escape to a hotel are the hot tubs and swimming pool. It was very relaxing to enjoy the warm water of the swimming pool, but then to also relax in the heat of the hot tub. We went back up to get dressed, and to get ready for a fun night. The mall we stayed next to has some really nice stores (all pretty much out of my price range) but it was fun to peruse stores like Restoration Hardware and Tiffany's while we waited for one sister to show up.

One of the best parts of our girls' nights is generally sharing some really yummy food, and this night proved to live up to our expectations. We hit a delicious restaurant called "The Bayou" and partook in some incredible cajun fine cuisine. My favourite there is the fried cheese ravioli with some spicy marinara and then the pork loin.

We headed back to the hotel to do another round of swimming, and after just spent the time talking, laughing, and singing (one point so loud that the next door neighbor pounded on the door, oops!). It was a lot of fun, and it just endeared my sisters to me that much more. The next morning we hit Kneaders for their awesome endless French toast with cinnamon syrup, whipped cream, and fresh sliced strawberries. We went back to the hotel to do our nails (my sister has the light and supplies to do gel nails) so we did that while we packed up. We said goodbye to Lindsey then, and went to get some lunch at another bar/grill with even more yummy food. 

^^^I swear my sisters could not survive without their IPhones, although they do come in handy from time to time, just not while you are trying to talk to them.

^^^This was the friendliest and kindest dog I have ever seen. Although this picture does not begin to convey how huge this dog was, he was seriously massive. But he loved people and loved to give kisses. I wished I could take him home, but I could imagine the amount of food I would go through or the excrements I would have to clean up if he were my own dog.

All in all, it was incredible trip, and we are already planning ahead for another some time this year. I pray Cora is close to her girl cousins or makes a really awesome bunch of friends someday, so that she can likewise share in the joy of being with the "sisters" in her life and the support they bring. Because although I know Lilly will always watch over her, I want her to have the close bonds of sisterhood I was able to experience. 

February-somebody turns 5!!!

We will start with this little girl. February marked 6 months of being on this earth for this darling little miss. She amazes me each day, with how much she is growing and developing.

Although this 7 pm pictures will lead you to believe otherwise, she one of the happiest and chill babies (unless she is hungry, because then she is actually hangry). She coos and babbles, and I am in disbelief that we have such a vocal little girl. I think this is just the beginning, but for now, we just babble and coo right back.

She is also quite the mover and shaker, and does not like to be laid back, and does not like to sit still. I do not think she will crawl as early as Collin, but she definitely will not be waiting until a year like Jacob. It really is interesting seeing how individual each little one is.

And the picture below is Collin trying to take a picture of Cora. What is really cute about Collin, is his love and adoration for his baby sister. I will come into the room, and he will have picked her up, set her in his lap, and she will be sitting there, watching him and smiling. That little girl just loves her big brother(s). And they sure love her. Everyday, I get Cora dressed (we've got to use up all of those cute clothes) and Collin will come in, saying "Jacob, ohhhhh, come here, ohhhh, look at how CUUUTTTTEEE she is, ohhhh, she's adorable! Ohhhhh, look at that dress, Jacob, come look at her outfit!" Who knew the older brother would be about the only one to appreciate Cora's cute clothes (besides me that is)? 

We asked Collin in January what he what wanted to do for his birthday. He said he wanted a "What Does the Fox Say" themed party. I rolled my eyes, hoping I could talk him into something else. No such luck, so we went with it. With him turning 5, we decided to oblige his request of celebrating with his cousins and friends. 

We originally said only friends and cousins 4 and older, but then Mike's sister had a baby, so to give mom a break, we took the 2-almost-3 year old, and because of a sick 5 year old cousin (homebound with pneumonia), we instead took her 3 year old brother. So we had two 2 almost 3 year olds, two 3+ year olds, three 4 year olds, three 5 year olds, and a very helpful 7 year old. It was a bit crazy, but really fun. I cut out 15 glittery masks, and then had a whole slew of feathers, glitter, paper, pipe cleaner, and a few jewels, and we made animal masks. We are still finding pipe cleaners and glitter, almost a month later ironically, but it was well worth the fun. While the masks were drying, we had pizza, breadsticks, and strawberries, with juice boxes to drink. 

I made the cupcakes (with the help of a talented friend making the toppers) and they were a hit, probably because the icing to cupcake ration was about 60 to 40, 

which is my idea of a yummy cupcake. 

After that, we put on our masks, and danced to the song, and then it was time to go home. Here are a few of our little animal guests.

I loved how individual and exact each kid was in designing their masks. It was a blast! Collin was spoiled his entire birthday week, with lunches, movies, and sleepovers. Being 5 must be pretty exciting (it was one of the first birthdays I really can remember). 

On Collin's actual birthday (once he came home) we spent a little bit of time calling his birth grandmother, whom we had lost contact with for awhile (because of moving and a lost phone) and she was so grateful to catch up. It was really nice to chat and neat for Collin to have such a wonderful birth Grandmother that very much loves him. She is one of the main reasons we are blessed to have him in our home, and we will be forever grateful to her for that.

January

January was a pretty good month to us. Much better then last year as we did not have to battle the sub-zero temperatures, but we did have to fight the inversion, which meant way too much time inside for us. Cora started to drink more and more, and continued to bless us with not only being such a pleasant baby, but also a pretty darn good sleeper, only waking maybe once a night, here and there. And we started enjoying some chunk being added to this sweet girl's little thighs.

As I mentioned before, the inversion was hateful, so there was a lot of play time spent inside, and Collin's imagination just exploded. He really has such an amazing little engineering mind, and does all of these himself, both in planning and execution. 

Another huge milestone for Collin and Jacob was starting preschool. Because Jacob has some delays (in his pronunciation of words and fine motor skills) he qualified for early intervention preschool. I am guessing they were expecting a completely different little boy, based off his testing, but were just shocked with the little person they got to meet. Jacob has always scared me, because despite his little flaws, he is just so incredibly sweet and kind, only wanting to share in the love. I wondered if this was a mother's bias, but after a week of pre-school, his teacher and the two aides and I were chatting. The one aide said "we are not supposed to have favorites, but he is our favorite." Jacob is just so ready and willing to learn, to observe and watch, cheer others up, and light up the room with his contagious smile and his shining eyes. I kind of secretly love when he throws tantrums, because it helps me realize that he still has much to work on in this world, that maybe I will not lose this other child of mine with his little celestial spirit. 

This picture is of Jacob holding Cora, after asking to all morning, and then him trying to feed her, with Cora going "ummm....do you know what you are doing here?" This was his first morning of waiting for the school bus to come and get him. The funny part about the bus is that the kid loves to ride the bus. I went once to pick him up, and will try my best to not again, as I seemed to have sucked the fun out his day, and it made for a disappointed little boy. Collin started preschool at the local high school, and loves, loves, loves going. They ask every day, "mom, do we go to school today?" I am so glad that they both enjoy learning and playing. Collin has really taken off, with being able to recognise all of his letters, write nearly all of them, and even read short words. He also can write his name. It makes me feel like we have done something right as parents, and that the free art time, reading at least two books with them each day, and the other games we play have made a difference.

The next several pictures are the photobomb that happened on my computer. I told you, that inversion can really get to you (and to a certain 3 and 5 year old). 

 And her is what I call Cora's "I Love Lucy" inspired outfit (the headband was a gift, although I have made some like this, with a little bit of tweaking since). 

One more month to go (Collin's Birthday month) and then I think this will finally be caught up.