Happy Birthday Nana!

I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday Mom. Thank you for everything that you do for our family. The kids couldn't ask for a sweeter Nana. We all love you very much......Happy, Happy Birthday to you!!

The Best Guacamole Ever

A few years ago I came across this guacamole recipe from Martha Stewart. It has become a family favorite. I always double the recipe because people can't keep their hands out of the bowl as it's being made.

GUACAMOLE

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

2 ripe avocados

1/2 clove garlic (I add TONS extra)

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. salt (add more if desired)

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Pit and peel avocados. Combine avocado, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mash with a large spoon until combined. Stir in cilantro, and serve.

Happy Birthday Allison!

(I hope you don't mind I copied this picture off your blog :)

Allison,

Last night as I was laying in bed awake at 2:30 a.m., I was thinking about the fact that it was your birthday today. I couldn't get back to sleep because my mind was taking me down memory lane. (For those of you who don't know, Allison and I grew up together and she will forever hold a special spot in my heart.) I think that Allison and I quite possibly drove our parents insane with all the giggling that came from the two of us. As I was laying in bed last night, these are the memories that came to me......

Adventure's in toilet papering: Do you remember when you and I snuck out and "borrowed" your parents car, and went to your Grandma Roundy's house to T.P. it? (What were we thinking?) Then your mom caught us coming home and was pretty upset with us. Then when you were visiting me in CA., you, Nicole and I snuck out of my parents house, rolled my car down the street, and then drove out to T.P. my boyfriends house. Then when we were almost done, his dad came out on the balcony and said he was going to "shoot us"!

Dirty hot dogs: We went to cook hot dogs at the park in Kaysville and when we left your Grandma Roundy's house, you dropped the plate of hot dogs. They all rolled down the side walk and we still fed them to your sisters and cousins! From what I remember, you and I didn't have anything to eat, but kept giggling that no one knew that the hot dogs they were eating were dirty.

Foxy Mama Club: (Ok, I blame your dad for this one.) Those silly purple shirts we had made with the "fox" on the back, with "The Foxy Mama's" across the back....our names were on the front....I think we only had one club meeting. (Your dad came up with the name.) I actually started laughing in bed at 3am this morning over the thought of those crazy shirts....if Mike had woken up, he would have thought I was crazy.

-Your neighbor in La Mesa "rescuing" us off the hillside behind your house. Remember the lecture he gave us, telling us we shouldn't be up there. Little did he know, but we went up there "all" the time.

-Crank calling people on the phone, then putting Corey on the phone when she was probably 3 yrs. old, telling her to ask where your sister Sara was.

-Playing "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board" in your brother Brian's room.

-Playing hospital with Sara and Brooke. We had them lay in your water bed, and we made little oxygen cannula's out of masking tape, and stuck them up their noses.

-Our obsession with Ricky Schroeder and sticker books.

I could honestly go on and on with all of the silly things you and I used to do. It's funny where our minds can wander off to when we can't sleep. Thank you for all the great memories......I hope you have a great birthday Allison. Congratulations on the new baby on the way.

Love and miss you,

Jamie

Charger Time

Jacob loves to watch football each Sunday. Today the Chargers were in a playoff game with the Steelers. He always puts on his jersey and runs around the house pretending he is in the game.

RAIN.....

Right now as I'm listening to what sounds like a fire hose spraying my house, I'm really missing this.......

Come back snow.....come back. (alright....enough of the snow pictures)

A Belated 11th Birthday Celebration

Emily was SO patient with Mike and I this year. We were not able to have a little party on her birthday this year like we usually do. I think she might have given up on us......but we were finally able to coordinate a little something for her this past weekend. She only wanted something small, so she had 3 of her girlfriends over to spend the night to celebrate turning 11.

(Zoey loving on Tess.....as you can see, I took the clippers to her.)

Pizza time....

Cupcake time.....

Fiona, Tess, Mikaela and Emily.

Happy 11th Birthday Miss Em......we love you!

Christmas 2008

(I don't know why.......but our cat Charlie ALWAYS looks angry....even on Christmas!)

We had a nice Christmas this year. The picture's are a little out of sequence.....better out of order than never posting them at all right? Christmas eve we had at our house as usual. I had to work the first part of the day, so that kind of stunk a little. I started a roast in the crock pot before I left in the morning, so that was our yummy dinner, followed by some homemade pumpkin pie. My parents and brother came over for dinner and then we all watched the Griswolds Christmas vacation.

This was at my parents house on Christmas night. (My nephew Trevor.)

I'm so thankful that Papa finally didn't have any scary cancer problems this year. We have a lot to be thankful for this year....and every year! He's looking good!

Nana and Miss Em.

Half the gang.

Christmas morning.

(Christmas Eve dinner table.)