Beating the Mid-Winter Blues

 I was flipping through January pics..and many of them are just random.  Thought I would do a quick post on how we beat the mid-winter blues.  Here are some of the highlights from the month...Enjoy :)  

Snow play dough   We made white play dough and put glitter in it to make it sparkle like the snow.  The kids loved it!  

 We loved watching 6 deer walk through our back yard  

 Isaac and puppy hanging out in the laundry baskets  

 We got a warm spell for a day or so...so we headed out to check out the walking path in town.  

it was nice to get fresh air and exercise.  

This is one amazing man.  He is an incredible father!  What a blessing that he loves his family and makes time for us.  The kids and I are madly in love with him. 

For a while, the kids were into putting bibs around their heads (manes) every night after dinner and crawling around like they were lions.  Can you hear them roar?!

 Birthday dinner with Pop.  We made him a wall calendar for home and desk calendar for work with pics of the grandkids.  

 Unfortunately, January also included sickness.  God protected momma...but the rest just passed it from one to the other.  I hate seeing my kids sick.  Here's Bubby and Puppy resting on one of his not so good days...

 More pretend play...on this day, they were shepherds.  

So thankful for the many blessings of life!  

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

We had such a nice evening with friends tonight.  We had time of fellowship around a meal and then spent time together in prayer.
I brought dessert and the recipe was requested...here it is.  Super easy, but very yummy.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (a Paula Deen recipe)

Cake
1 regular package of yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 T butter (1 stick) melted

Filling:
1-8 ox pkg cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
8 T butter, melted
1 16-oz box, powdered sugar.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*
Combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and butter; mix well with and electric mixer.
Put the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 in baking dish.
It's really crumbly, so pat it into the dish with your hands.

Prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla and butter; beat together.
Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well.  Spread over the cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Make sure NOT to over bake as center should be a little gooey.
Garnish top, if desired with powdered sugar.

Christmas at Papa and Grandma's

It was the year of new homes.  We are so happy for Seth's parents that they were able to move into a new home this past year!!  We loved spending our first Christmas as a family there!  It was so cozy!  

Isaac loved all of Grandma's Christmas decorations  

 We spent an afternoon at Chuck E Cheese...it was not crowded at all, which made for a much more enjoyable time.  :)  

 Isaac wouldn't ride by himself, but he had fun with Daddy!

 Basketball with Grandma and Papa  

 Cal loved this game

 and getting tickets!

 We got to be with Papa on his birthday.  Hannah kept his present a surprise until the end...then she told him. Here he is trying to be surprised about what might be inside.  :) 

 Hannah was so excited to give him his gift and had so much fun watching him open it.  

 what could it be?!  

 I love their smiles :)

 yay!  A squirrel proof birdfeeder!  

Isaac didn't feel good...He came down from his nap and went right back to sleep on Daddy's lap...

 Excited to share movie night with Grandma and Papa

 Big Smiles  

Grandma's house:  A place where cousins become best friends  

 Present time!! 

 so excited!!

 A whole Jesse outfit 

 and a Jesse doll....just what she wanted 

 Isaac loves his train!!

 Now we have a house full of cowboys and a cow girl :)

 snuggles for Auntie Jill

Christmas at Home!

It was such a blessing and a joy to spend our first Christmas morning in our own home.  In the past we have always had a "Christmas morning" at home, but never on the day itself.  What fun to wake up with the children and head downstairs to celebrate together, just our little family.  

The kids are at such great ages...

after reading the Christmas story and acting it out with their first gift, the Little People Nativity  they were so excited to open the rest of their gifts.  

 A Buzz and Woody blanket 

 and a Rapunzel blanket

 Isaac loved his new floor puzzle

and Mega Blocks

 They both got nerf "shooters" which has given them hours of fun!  

 Hannah said her favorite gift was her watch

Later in the day, we hosted my family for Christmas dinner.  We had the afternoon to get everything all ready

 I had to come up with a centerpiece of the small table...I remembered seeing something like this on pinterest...ta da!  

 Seth helping with the ham.  We worked together to brine it this year, it was delish!  

 We were excited to give Abby her girly gift :)  

Gotta Love our crazy family!  What a nice Christmas we had together!