On The Last Day of 2010...

Marissa drove!

Colin got angry with me and cried because I locked him out of the kitchen! But then he loved on Tuphy later and things were all better.
I am still not sure Tuphy was feeling the love!
Yes, we had an outfit change! LOL
Cade gave me a cheesy smile!
Larry went on a wild ride!
And I got the opportunity to enjoy being with my family! We are doing Family Game Night with my friend, Avie and her son, Ashton! I can't wait to ring in the New Year with them! Bring on 2011!!

Recipe Of The Day

This is one of my FAVORITE crockpot recipes.

It is so easy and yummy! The crockpot is my best cooking friend, EVER! I can throw dinner in there before I go to work and when I come home it is DONE!

White Chicken Chili

Everything you will need for white chicken chili is below. I forgot to take the picture before putting everything in the crockpot so I did afterward.
4 or 5 frozen or thawed chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can white corn (drained)
2 cans of northern beans (drained)
1 can green chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream (at the end)
Place all ingredients in the crockpot, except for the sour cream.
Cook on low (8 to 10 hours).
When finished, take chicken out of the crockpot and shred. Place shredded chicken back into crockpot. Stir in 1/2 cup of sourcream.
You can serve it as is or over rice. I normally add a little bit of shredded cheese to each bowl and serve with tortilla chips!
This is so super easy and yummy! If I could do this once a week without everyone getting tired of it, I would! I just LOVE it!

Remember when I said...

we have had our pictures taken over and over and over again by Marissa! Well, I promise I wasn't kidding!

This is how I feel after having my picture taken multiple times in one day! No, really that isn't how I felt. Marissa just thought my hair looked crazy after being outside in the parking lot at Target. So, of course, what better thing to do then take a picture to show me! I gave her a crazy face just for fun!
Now, just for the fun of it we took these.
And we needed one that wasn't so very silly!
Now not only am I taking pictures of the boys, but so is Marissa. They are getting a little tired of looking at cameras.
This is a picture Marissa took of them. Both busy doing their own things. I will admit when I got pregnant with Colin I thought for sure he was a girl and I was so excited about dressing him! Haha! Much to my surprise he was surely a boy. I can't imagine not having two boys. They are so fun, and full of life. They love each other so much and their mommy loves to dress them in matching outfits or coordinating outfits.
This isn't the greatest picture, but you get the idea of how much I love dressing them alike!

Christmas 2010 Take 2

Marissa was with her mother for Christmas this year. We always do a second Christmas with her when she gets home the day after. This year was really the first year that Cade knew she was gone and begged for her to come back on Christmas Eve. Santa filled her stocking on Christmas Eve as well since Cade made sure to put it out for her.

The boys were filled with the excitement of picking up their "Sissy" and having Christmas with her!
Sissy got one present for each of them this year. They both loved their gifts from her.
Then Sissy began her opening of the presents. She is like me and LOVES her stocking so she started there first. Santa always goes overboard with the stockings and they are always overflowing.
Cade thought it was absolutely hilarious that she got VS panties in her stocking. He could not stop laughing about it. I guess that is what happens when you are a five year old little boy!
Of course you can't open your stocking or your presents without the help of two little brothers.
The camera she has been asking for! Don't worry we have all had our pictures taken multiple times since she got this camera!

Christmas 2010

We have had an absolutely wonderful two days. Christmas Eve with my family was simply amazing. Christmas Day with my husband and the boys was simply amazing as well.

Christmas Eve started off at my house with my friend, Avie, and her son, Ashton. We exchange gifts with the kids every year. This is something the two bigger boys always look forward to and Colin will look forward to it next year as well. This year he just didn't know what to expect but he loved it once they all started opening.
Three gifts for three amazing little boys!
Two of three boys - both ready to open those gifts!
Cade's gift from Ashton!
Ashton's gift from Cade & Colin!
Colin's gift from Ashton!
Colin has played with this food for two days straight. He loves it!
Nothing like a Christmas hug from friends!

Our next event of the day was going to my mom's house for Christmas Eve dinner. I am using the term dinner loosely because it wasn't really dinner more like appetizers. However, that isn't the part the counts! What counts is we were able to spend time with family and of course the fun Chinese Gift Exchange!
My grandparents - Darlin' (aka Granny) and Dickie. I just love this picture of them. I think I am going to have it printed and put it in my house. It makes me smile every single time I look at it. I have truly been blessed to have such amazing, wonderful grandparents.
Darlin' & Dickie with three of the five great-grandchildren. Colin, Cade, & Della. Cade and Della did much better for the picture taking here. Colin was ready to run around and GO GO GO!
Grammy (my mom) with the two babies, Della and Colin. Della and Colin are four months apart in age - Colin is the oldest. My mom is totally not a baby person so this picture just makes me giggle when I look at it.
Sasha with Della, Me with Colin!
Look at those adorable babies - who really don't want their pictures taken!
Della
She is just precious and has the cutest little personality.
Now here is where the fun begins... The Chinese Gift Exchange!
The rules for this year were - a present is dead after being stolen three times and the first person gets to go last, since they didn't have a chance to steal, but only to be stolen from. We all drew numbers! TJ drew lucky number 1. The funny thing, his wife, Sasha drew number 10 (which was our last number).
Tim & Amy
Amy was number 3. She was so excited about this nutcracker penguin.
And number 10, Sasha, was so very excited about these. I am being serious when I say this. She LOVED these things!

Finally, we made it back home. We have a Christmas Eve tradition to open two presents at our house. Those two presents are always the same every year - new Christmas pajamas and a new Christmas Ornament. I think Cade remembered us doing it last year - at least the opening part. He was so ready to open those presents when we got home. I am not sure he was really all that excited about what was inside, but he had fun tearing those packages open and showing Colin what he should with the packages as well.
Both boys unwrapping their Christmas Eve gifts.
The boys with their ornaments from this year. Colin got Mickey and Cade got an ornament from Where The Wild Things Are.
Cade and I worked very hard at picking this ornament out for Larry. We knew he would love it! It is so totally him. My golfer!
Larry worked really hard at picking out my ornament this year. I seriously, LOVE IT!
The boys and I with the ornament that Larry picked out! The Count Down To Christmas

After opening our ornaments and pajamas, Larry and I changed the boys into their Christmas PJ's and went out to look at Christmas lights. We went down a street here in St. Marys that was so beautifully decorated.
Cade obviously didn't make it through the whole light display. He was exhausted from all the playing with Carson and my brother, TJ.
However, he woke up when we got home - just long enough to get Santa's cookies and milk out.
Once, everyone was in bed and asleep. Santa stopped by our house.

Merry Christmas!

Since I was so behind the times this year and I wasn't able to send Christmas Cards out. I thought the next best thing would be to post it here! We have had an amazing 2010! Marissa came to live with us this year and the boys have seriously loved it. So have we - meaning myself and Dad. It has been an amazing year! Merry Christmas, Friends!

With Love Chartreuse Christmas Card

Visit Shutterfly.com for classic photo Christmas cards.

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Christmas Eve...

It's Christmas Eve!

My boys are filled with the excitement of the day. They are ready to be around family - play with their cousins, see their grandparents, and just enjoy this special time.
Of course they are ready for Santa to come as well.
But we will also remember the real reason for the season..

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:9-12