S'mores Wars

At our house we love a good dessert. We were watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and then went to fix dinner and Shane got inspired. Grace was having a s'more for her dessert. I like to make them in the oven because the chocolate melts really well and the marshmallow toasts just right. I layer the chocolate and marshmallow on one half of the graham cracker and and toast it in a 400 degree oven until the marshmallow is brown and golden. As soon as the concoction comes out, top the s'more with the other half of the cracker and voila!

Shane decided that the tried and true way needed to be spiced up a bit. His challenge was on. It was like a Throwdown with Bobby Flay! He took his graham cracker and layered it with a full Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and then sprinkled a pinch of salt over the cup before layering his marshmallow over the top. He toasted it in the oven at 400 degrees until his marshmallow was golden, and topped it with the other half of the cracker. I really wanted to say that mine was better, but the peanut butter with the chocolate and the little bit of salt really won me over. I think that his way might be better, as much as it pains me to say it.
This one was his. Delicious!
Here's mine. I should have left the marshmallows a tad longer. I like them a little more squishy than that. These were still delicious. Both of them definitely hit the spot!

Cisco Christmas

We headed to my mom and dad's place in Cisco earlier this week for our Christmas with them. The kids love going to the farm and were VERY excited to get there. I was busy running around getting last minute stuff together while Gibson sat on the couch, fully dressed including his hat and coat, for an hour before we were finally out the door. I only heard, "When are we leaving?" as many times as I heard, "Are we there yet?"

Hayden and Mom were reading stories from his new storybook.
Gibson fulfilled his lifelong dream of hunting in a real life deer stand.
My brother and sisters are great with the kids. Tom was home on leave from San Diego. He was heading outside to go and shoot something and the boys asked him no less than fifty times if they could go with him. He said no that many times and then took them out later with the BB gun. Esther and Bekah both went too. Since Esther was taking all of the pictures, she isn't in these pictures. (She looks just like Bekah ;)
Could this kid look any more at home with his dog and gun?

Grace was getting in on the action as well.
Grandma took the littles to the chicken coop to look for eggs and feed the chickens. There weren't any eggs, but there were little crushed hearts. That is their favorite activity in all of farm life.
Landry was lugging the bucket. She was determined to do it all by herself.
The boys were expressing their disappointment over the empty egg basket.

The boys were off!
Grace and Bekah were having fun. They also got together and made coordinating jewelry to commemorate their day.

We always enjoy visiting the farm. Lots of great food, good company and a great trip!

The Christmas Season

I cannot even believe how fast this Christmas season has come and gone. It has been a blur! As a music teacher, of course this is one of my busiest times of the year. It seemed like we just barely squeezed family stuff in during the evenings. We got our tree and it sat in the living room for a couple of days before we were able to decorate it. Landry finally forced me to get the stuff out and helped me decorate. She even made sure to get the star on the very top.
The boys have just been overjoyed at all things Christmas and this hat was worn lots and lots!
Here are all of my little elves. They were enjoying a Christmas movie after their bath. Please excuse the ever-present stacks of laundry in the background. I've resigned myself to the fact that they are a fixture during the school year.

Despite our busy-ness, we all really enjoyed our season. Some of the things that I wanted to do didn't get done, but their were lots of joyful moments and memories and I will add them to the list for next year!

This just in...

Gibson informed me this morning, randomly from the backseat, that he is allergic to rain. (I looked in the sky - no rain clouds. Where did this come from?) Just in case I wanted to know, when it rains he gets the hiccups. That's all.

I'll log that away...

Grace's Last Meet

Beam

All I want for Christmas is a little more energy!

This month has been one of changes (I'll have to post later about that), lots of activities and busyness, and me trying to stay sane!

Last weekend, we barely had time to breathe between having to be at the school in the morning, taking Grace to a meet that afternoon, directing my choir at the town parade that night and then bringing home two extra children for a sleepover. Sunday wasn't much better.

All this last week I held my annual fundraiser in my classroom. It's called Candy Cane Lane and is a Christmas store where the students can come and shop for their family and friends and get their gifts wrapped to put under the tree when they get home. The kids love it and so do I because it funds my program every year, but it is EXHAUSTING! Along with that during the day, we had extra piano lessons, gymnastics pictures, and a science fair project this last week. By the time that we got to Friday, I was nearly done in... So much so that I turned my undies and socks pink by not paying attention to what I was throwing into the washer.

I am hoping that this next week will be a little more quiet and I can get some Christmas pictures in along with baking and enjoying the holidays with my little ones. Landry is having so much fun with Christmas this year and talks about lights, presents and Santa all the time! I am enjoying the holidays even though they are busy. I am determined to take a few breathers this week. Enjoy yours as well!

Big Rocks Park

My boys' favorite place to go is to Big Rocks Park in Glen Rose. The park is the city park and has tons of big rocks along the river. We visit there a couple times a year and our kids love it.
Landry has been cuddly this week and I have enjoyed it.
Dad was hiking with everyone else.
We got a good group picture.