the "elf" on the shelf

Do you know about the elf on the shelf? Do you have an elf at your house this season?

This is our elf.

He stays on his shelf during the day and watches our behavior. At night he goes back to the North Pole and tells Santa how we were that day and if we go on the Naughty List or the Nice List. Then he comes back right before we wake up, but he never quite makes back to his spot on the shelf. Sometimes he lands on the banister...
...and once he even landed on top of the tv.

Each morning we pop out of bed and run downstairs to see where the elf has landed. Sometimes, if we've had a really good day, Santa even sends a little surprise back with him. Our little Christmas visitor is a great way to help remember to do things that will help us stay on the NICE List!

i'm mrs. pteranodon

Have you seen PBS's new kids show "Dinosaur Train" yet?

I love it.



Oh, and that baby loves it, too. She built a nest and even went to the fridge to try to get some eggs to sit on. She's Mrs. Pteranodon. And she knows how to say Stygimoloch and Corythosaurus.

epiphany

Tonight after her bedtime story that baby wanted to sing "Away in a Manger" together. She's working on re-learning the words after not singing it for 11 months. She had some sort of a breakthrough tonight when we got to the second section -- "no crib for a bed."

"THAT'S why he was in the manger, Mama! They didn't have a crib for his bed!"

how bees help us

they go on all our pumpkins and watermelons and put honey on them and help them grow.

thanks, uncle john...

... for addicting her to THIS on Thanksgiving.

in her own words

I am thankful for:
* Heavenly Father
* my turkey hat
* Heavenly Father helping me find my mom when I'm scared
* BlueBaby
* Gramma and Grampa in Utah
* Aunt Gina
* Aunt Peggy
* our whole family

* Daddy getting our donuts for us to share
* You, even if you're grouchy

Happy Thanksgiving!

holy turkey loaf

I'm not a big cooker (baker, yes; cooker, no) and therefore I'm not a big recipe poster, but holy turkey loaf I had to post this. My cousin made it for us one day while we were staying with her in Texas and I have never smelled anything so heavenly. Sure it's delicious, but the smell will get you long before you get to taste it.
(The only thing about this recipe is that, again, the measurements are less than exact. But you probably won't mess it up. Try it. Also you could probably halve the recipe, but you don't want to. You'll want the leftovers.)
(And also, most of the ingredients are from Costco.)

Holy Turkey Loaf

2 pkgs ground turkey
2 eggs
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
2 cups parmesan cheese
1 palmful chopped fresh parsley
1/3 c. olive oil
1 T minced dried onions (from Costco)
1 t granulated garlic (from Costco)
lots of salt and pepper (which we get in grinders from Costco)
1/2 can French's fried onions (I use about 2 handfuls... from Costco)

Mix ingredients and form into loaf. Place in a greased 8x11 glass pan and top loaf with a little more olive oil and some more parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Bake at 365 (yes 365) for 45 to 60 minutes (internal temp of 165). Don't let it go too long or it will dry out. YUM.

(The best part is the "crust," so I've formed two loaves today to make extra surface area: more crustiness. Just a tip.)

everything's bigger in texas...

...including that baby. We went to Texas for a week for a vacation/work conference for dadda, and ended up spending two weeks there. And when we got home all of that baby's pants were two inches too short.

chicken tortilla soup

This recipe originally came from a friend's blog, who posted it from allrecipes, with a few of her own changes. And then we made a few of our own changes. So now it's mine. All measurements are approximate. (I just throw it all in there. Gina, you know what I mean.)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
  
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 can black beans (not drained)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 jar chunky salsa

• corn tortilla chips to taste (great way to use up stale chips!)
  
• sour cream to taste
• shredded colby jack cheese to taste
• avocado chunks to taste
  

Saute the onions and garlic over medium heat in the oil. Throw everything else in a large pot over medium heat (I use the crock pot on high because it's big and keeps it warm). Add garlic and onions and simmer. Put crunched up chips in the bottom of bowl and top with warm soup. Add shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado to taste. MMMmmm!

halloween, texas style

We went to Texas for a long time. We didn't mean for it to be that long, but it was super fun and we had a little family emergency, so we ended up being gone for about two weeks. That baby and I stayed the bulk of the time with my awesome cousin Gina and her family at their fabulous house north of Austin. The mooks did not know how awesome it could be to have a cousin just a year older than you (anna is four) living in your same house for a week. She wept when we told her we had to leave. Wept tears.

The dadda had a conference in Austin so we decided to make a family trip of it and stay an extra couple of days with Gina and fam before the conference started. He ended up having to make a side trip and leave the area for a few days, so me and the mooks moved back in with G and it was ridiculously fun. I could absolutely live in Texas, especially Austin or anywhere in that gorgeous hill country. Fredericksburg, are you kidding me? I think I was supposed to be born there.

We stayed over Halloween so Memma got to have an extra fun Halloween with party after party after party around the neighborhood and then some of the best trick or treating I've ever seen. She wore a different costume each day, including Bob the Builder, a mermaid, and a pumpkin princess. We went around one block and about 3/4 of the way through she had to hand me her bag because it was too heavy.


Also, this is Blue. The star of the show.
This is my favorite face he makes.
So the sad thing is that we were having so much fun that I barely took any photos. Luckily Gina is a pro and did a random photo shoot with the mooks, so look for one of those on your Christmas card this year. :)

Gina and Jamie, you're amazing and we'd love to come stay with you more times. Expect us often. :)