The Video of Selah's Winter Showcase!

 Here is a little clip of her first official performance!

Selah's Winter Showcase

Selah had her winter showcase today, she did such a great job! We will put on video soon. I was so nervous for her, Mom and Dad were you nervous before all of our recitals? It is so different from sports, maybe because I know what's going on.

She was so sweet up there! Her actual recital with costume is in May, I hope we are here to make it!

Selah and the other little dancers watching the big girls.

Luke's commets in the KItchen

Tonight Luke was helping me with dinner and we were making cornbread.  He helped me mix up the ingredients and then I told him, "Okay Luke now it says we need to let it rest for 3 or 4 minutes before we pour it into the pan."  After like a minute he says to me "Is it not tired now Mommy?"  

I love this kid!

Pinewood Derby Races

Last night we went to our first Pinewood Derby Race, Jackson and Brad made a car to enter for Cub Scouts and had very high hopes for taking home a trophy. Here are the boys' cars, do you spot Jack's? It isn't Cyclone colors but is of course painted team colors. Here it is, his Vikings car, number 28. Daddy had a little trouble with the weight and had to glue on/rip off/ glue back on etc. until it was the right weight, so Jack's car looks a little rough!

Jack setting up his car on the track very carefully!

Waiting at the finishline.

He made it to the semifinals! He got to do plenty of racing and we had a fun night watching, this is some serious business for the Cub Scouts. Luke loved watching, especially the countdown!

Jack with his car and his ribbon.

Winter Books

We have been cooped up and doing a lot of reading so I thought I would post some of our favorites. This is one of the early Little House books my sister got for Jack and the boys especially love it, it is about Almanzo as a boy in New York on the farm.

I love Jan Brett books! The pictures are so sweet and she has on each page a picture on the sides that tells you what is going to happen next. The Three Snow Bears is an adaptation of the Three Bears but way up north and with a little eskimo girl, so cute!

This is by far Luke's favorite, The Snowy Day he recites it when he is outside, walking with his feet pointed out like this, and walking with his feet pointed in, like this!

We are doing quite a few activites for The Mitten right now that I got of off the website Homeschool Share. They have so many activites you can print off on tons of books, for free!

http://www.homeschoolshare.com

We love the Mitten! Another Jan Brett book and the pictures are great. We were wondering if Aunt Lele could knit us snow white mittens that could hold this many animals squeezed in?

I printed this easy reader for Jack and Luke to read on their own.

They can match different descriptions of each animal with the pictures.

You can also print off a giant mitten and all of the animals in the book that they can put in while you read the story.

Selah's favorite is the mitten color match.

I know they have activites on the website for the Snowy Day too, maybe next month! Does anyone have any good Valentine books? I only have an Aurthur one and would love to know some of your favorites!

Potato Cheese Soup

Yeah, I had a request for a recipe!  Here you go,  it is a good warm soup for a day like this, too bad it's not on my schedule, just kidding!  Really is it cold enough?

Potato Cheese Soup

3 large potatoes, cubed

2 medium onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter (real butter please, I didn't say it was a fat free recipe!)

2 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz Velveeta cheese

6-8 slices bacon cut up

Saute onions in butter.  Add water, cubed potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the potatoes are soft (do not drain).  Add the milk and cheese; heat until the cheese is melted.  Add bacon last and then serve.  Brad calls this a stew because we like it thick but you can thin it with milk.

Our New Nephew and Three Dancing Princesses

We have another nephew! Andrew Robert Stratton was born last Sunday, this is Brad's sister Jennifer's 3rd baby boy! Congratulations Bob, Jen, Grant, and Nick! Jen is still the princess of the house in Indiana. Hopefully we can see him soon, Selah would smother baby Andrew, right now she copies my sister with Jude (no longer a baby!) every time we see them.

Speaking of princesses, Selah had friends over last night, Grace and Nora came over in their ballerina costumes and we had a very girly night full of dancing and playing house! Look at all this pink! Jack really didn't know what to think, we had them outnumbered!

Poor Grace was squished in the middle but still so cute of all of them!

Selah really, really loves playing with girls so thank you Mark and Jenny for letting us borrow a few of yours for the night! And also we have quite a few of the creations from the beads that are all over your house, I know a few were presents to Selah but we have the whole bag that they brought.

She is showing them some of her dance moves, and although Grace and Nora were pretty shy about dancing while I was there, I'm pretty sure I heard some ballet going on when I was out of the room!

Can You Stand It?

Selah needed to get tights, ballet shoes and a leotard for her dance class and I cannot even stand how cute she looks. It's all so official now, I have a girl and a very girly one!

She even showed off a few moves when we got home, I will have to videotape it and post them. I'm sure then she would want to watch herself again and again.

Organizing and Meal Plans

I love to organize things, it is a strange thing, but really I think it is fun!  I even have our days in half hour increments, scary I know!  I love lists and schedules.  Crossing things off is super fun for me.  Yes I am one of those, and I am starting to embrace it and use it as something God has given to me and not just a crazy obsession!

So I have been working on menu plans the past few months, and after four months of setting it up I am now starting to rotate through meals again.  My sister gave me a cookbook that is like this set up but with the menus and I loved it, but wanted it with our favorite meals.  So here is the first month.

Week 1 -

Sun - beef stew/bread

Mon - chicken pattie sandwiches/tator tots/carrots and ranch

Tue - ham steaks/brown sugar carrots/sweet potatoes

Wed- chicken stuffing bake/creamy cucumbers

Thurs- leftovers

Fri - Hawaiian turkey sandwiches/veggie

Sat - BBQ chicken/mashed potatoes/green beans

Week 2-

Sun -potato cheese soup

Mon-tacos/corn

Tue - stuffed shells/7 layer salad/bread

Wed- golden baked pork chops/rice/mixed veggies

Thurs- leftovers

Fri- Hawaiian haystacks

Sat- homemade pizza

Week 3-

Sun-broccoli cheese soup

Mon-spaghetti/salad/bread

Tue-croissant chicken casserole

Wed-crock pot strognoff

Thurs-leftovers

Fri-chicken tetrazzini/peas

Sat-Swedish meatballs/mashed potatoes/veggie

Week 4 -

Sun - chili soup/cinnamon rolls

Mon-grilled cheese/tomato soup

Tue-fettuccine Alfredo/garlic cheese biscuits

Wed-calico beans/corn bread

Thurs-leftovers

Fri-roast beef sandwiches/mashed potatoes/broccoli and cheese

Sat-chicken divine/rice

We have soups on Sundays, cheap meals on Mondays, and leftovers on Thursdays.  Clearly we rarely go out to eat!  I get groceries for two or three weeks at a time and then don't have to think about dinner at all except what to lay out in the morning, such peace!  So this is the first month and I will post next month too if anyone is interested in being super structured in their meals like I am.  So let me know.  And to my fly by the seat of your pants neighbors, if we don't feel like something one night of course you can switch with another night's meal!  If you want any recipes for anything just ask, I do have them all entered in a system but haven't figured out how to post them easily.

Our New Games

Brad and I have gotten the kids games for Christmas the past couple of years because we love to play games at our house.  These are the ones we got this year and we are loving them.  I am particularly fond of the Blokus game!  We spent a lot of New Years Eve and Day either swimming or playing these three games in the hotel...fun times! They really love Zingo, in fact when they saw this picture I was putting on the blog they ran to get it and are playing right now! Sequence for kids is really fun too, both of the last two even Selah plays by herself without any trouble.  Thank you to Tami for the ideas for games this year, we love them!

Jack the Snowboarder!

Brad worked in Mankato this week for New Years and we went with to do some swimming at the hotel and then go skiing. Selah, Luke, and I waited at the bottom of the hill for Jack and Daddy to come down and this is what we saw! Where are those boys? I am getting chilly!

Luke had no interest to go skiing or snowboarding!

Jack was looking sweet for a big day on the slopes.

Looking good Jack! Wait, Brad is behind him saying "Fall Jack, fall!" why would he be saying that?

Oh.....

Brad : "Um, sorry sir, this is his first time at Mt. Kato and he's still a little unsure on steering."

Brad again: "Well Jack, are you ready to get up and try another hill?"

I have to admit I was giggling a little, how sad is it that instead of running to help his Mommy was taking pictures to document the whole thing? I didn't post the pictures of the chair lift stopping so they could help Jack get back on because his Daddy was holding him up by his coat! Jackson had a rough day on the slopes!

Happy New Year - Some Christmas Pictures

Christmas 2008 - We had both sets of families come to our house this year for Christmas parties because Brad had to work Christmas Day.  First Brad's parents came Christmas Eve and Christmas night, and then my whole family came to stay Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night!  It was a fun time with everyone spread out to sleep all over our house.  I do love a full house, I just wish I had more beds for everyone's poor backs! This was after a big day of opening presents, love the jammies!

Grandkids with Grandpa Ken and Grandma Lois

What a great looking group of kids!

This was our first attempt at fondue!  After a bit of stress in the beginning when none of the cheese was melting and the kids were sitting hungry, we forgot the fondue pot and melted everything in saucepans and in the microwave.  After that it was a lot of fun!

Brad was Mr. Smoker during our Christmas parties, here is the turkey he smoked for 11 hours Christmas Day!  It was yummy!  He also smoked a ham and a brisket a few days later, we have been very spoiled! Group picture when Brad's Mom and Dad were here, again after a long day of opening and playing with presents! Grandpa Rex and Grandma Cathy and the grandkids (we missed Jen's family but she is having a baby soon, another grandchild and cousin for next Christmas!)