We belong together :)

We're huge dorks :)

Mommy and Mady

Package from Grandma Alison

A package from my mom showed up today, and it had a Halloween Mr. Potato Head, so here's Mady checking him out :) Thanks for the Scooby Boo boo too, that will be great for bumps! Mady liked her card too ;)

Thank you Oprah :)

Oprah's show did this 1/2 off your entire purchase yesterday at Payless, so we got Mady some snow boots :) They're a little big still but I thought that would be great since she's growing like a weed. She decided she needed to wear them before bed.

Mid Terms... are over. phew.

I can't believe I'm already half way through this semester. It hasn't felt that long at all. I got my midterm grades, and I am excited to report things are going well. I have 3 A's and 2 Bs. One of the Bs is because in order to get an A in the class, we have to 'do something' at some point during the semester. I haven't 'done something' yet. The other B is because the only graded thing we've had in the class at all so far is one test, and that's what I got on the test. I know I can pull that grade up though. I'm proud of myself for taking 15 credits and maintaining good grades. It isn't easy, but I know it will be worth it. It helps that I really love the program so far, and have so much respect for my teachers, they really inspire me to go the distance.

Through the stress of the new semester, etc... *excuses*!! I gained back about 3-4 lbs. I have lost 4.5 lbs in the last two weeks so I feel like I'm back on track. I got a cool app on my phone that helps me track my calories, and I am doing much better.. That seems to do the trick for me, keeping myself accountable for what I put into my body. It's too easy to think, oh this *insert food* won't matter this time... but it really does! When I have a list of what I've eaten, it brings me back to reality. I bought two new cookbooks last weekend, they are both focused on healthy meals for the family. I really like them so far, and I have started making a few of the recipies. All of them provide the nutrition information, and all have fresh fruits and veggies as the main ingredients. It's a little more expensive, since I have to double the recipe to provide for 6 people (They're only 4 servings) and take longer to prepare since it's all fresh, but so far they've turned out pretty good. Christmas hint! I would like cookbooks! ;)

I see you!

Mady and her buddy Levi

Gross.

These are the spiders that live in our basement. These spiders are ginormous to me... we have daddy long legs and mini spiders in Alaska, so these totally freak me out. They are really creepy and fast...It took all the courage I could muster just to take these pictures!

On a much cuter note, Mady has figured out how to get in between the two front doors.

Lately Mady loves going up to our bed and says 'bed bed bed' (it's too high for her to get up on after we got our new mattress) and she insists on getting under the covers and pretend sleeping :)

Helping Daddy

Petting Zoo at Bear World

If you click on the pictures, they'll get bigger and you can see her face better.

We thought Mady would be terrified, but she had a blast going on the kiddie rides. It's funny because she would cry hysterically if we went near the carousel at the park.

Yum

I hate pork. I don't eat it... yuck yuck yuck. Which is why I wanted to share this recipe. For the past month or so, my family has had to endure recipe after recipe from my Campbell's recipe card collection. Some have been great, some not so great. BUT tonight we had the Golden Mushroom Pork and Apples. It is a crockpot recipe. Yes, you are reading this right. I ate pork... and *gasp* liked it.

You will need:
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed (I just used Italian seasoning, which has tyme and oregano)
8 boneless pork chops (about 2 lbs, 3/4 inch thick)
4 Large Granny Smith Apples, sliced
2 large onions, sliced (about 2 cups)

You will do:
1. Stir the soup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and thyme in slow cooker. Add the pork chops and turn to coat with the soup mixture. Top with the apples and onions.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or until the pork is cooked through.
OR do what I did since I was too lazy to get up any earlier before class, and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

So ridiculously easy, and the pork turned out so tender and moist. Sauce was a little runnier than I expected though, and James swears by adding sour cream to thicken sauces up. I guess we'll try that next time. I served with lemon herb broccoli (another campbell's recipe) and crescent rolls. Fed 5 adults and one toddler. Cost about $8.