Halloween

Our ward had their Halloween Party this past Saturday. The kids had the best time. Bart won a prize for his "bat" pumpkin. Cole was a monster truck driver (of course!), Sadie was a fairy princess, Jayda was Dora and Kelsey was a cheerleader for "Team Dad". We are enjoying the cooler weather and the changing of the tree leaves. We love Fall!

Rolling...

Kelsey HATES tummy time. She will last for about 10 seconds before she starts screaming. I didn't know if she would ever learn to roll over. But, yesterday, she was lying on the floor watching me fold laundry and she rolled right over onto her tummy... as if it wasn't a big deal at all. I ran to get my camera and this is the smile she gave! Way to go, Kelsey!

Warm Comfort Food

Now that the cooler weather is here, it's time to break out the warm food recipes. Here is one of my favorites...

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 med. onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 TB vegetable oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I only use 1 can)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a large sauce pan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and heavy whipping cream.

Feeling the Love...

I came into the kitchen to find Kelsey surrounded by toys and wearing these shades... all courtesy of Jayda. Jayda LOVES taking care of Kelsey and helping Kelsey to be happy if she is sad. The first picture is before Jayda "fixed" Kelsey's glasses. Too cute!

PENNSYLVANIA!

We took a trip to Pennsylvania this past weekend because Cole was out of school. We had the best time! We went to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm and to the Hay Creek Apple Festival. The kids loved it! There were wagon rides, farm animals to pet, a huge corn maze, long slides, obstacle courses, jumping pillows and delicious food. We enjoyed the most delicious apple fritters, fresh pressed apple juice (we got to watch it be pressed and then drink it right then) and apple crisp. The scenery was completely gorgeous. The kids got a kick out of seeing horses and buggies driving around the roads. The best part was being together as a family!

Kiddos

Random pictures of the last couple weeks...
Cute kids!

Kelsey

Cole

Sadie and Jayda playing in the house dressed in their rain gear...

Great Falls

I'm a little behind on my posts. Last week, before Conference, we headed to see the Great Falls with some friends. We hadn't been there before and it was just gorgeous! It was good for the kids to run around, the weather was perfect and the surrounding so beautiful!

Breakfast!

Blueberry (or Banana) Buttermilk Pancakes


I asked Bart to make his yummy banana pancakes that he makes for us on occasion. I think he wanted to do something a little different and he started flipping through the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook. He made us these little gems that were so good, I wanted to share the recipe. The cornmeal added something quite divine. (not a super awesome picture, but you get the idea)

Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes
(Bart doubled this recipe)

1 c. all purpose flour
2 TB cornmeal
1 TB sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 beaten egg
1 c. buttermilk
2 TB oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt and cinnamon. Make a well in center of dry mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the egg, buttermilk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries.

For each pancake, pour about 1/4 c. of the batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Growing!

I took this picture for a couple reasons... (1) Jayda and Kelsey are super cute and (2) These are the outfits I bought a couple years ago when Sadie and Jayda were these ages. My how time flies and how fast little angels grow!