singing with andrew

Eli is rather subtly rocking the car with our favorite kid's cd: Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies by Andrew Peterson. 

He's even doing all the "dadadada's" and "whoooo's".

homemade goodies

So sometimes homemade food is just in order. 

After we had a whole chicken last night, I used the bones and leftover veggies I've been saving to make chicken stock using my crock pot! Absolutely easy (easier than the stove).  This time instead of using mason jars to freeze the stock I used ziplock baggies each filled with one cup of broth.  I'm thinking this will be much easier to thaw than a glass jar!

Here's the recipe I used: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/01/homemade-chicken-broth-crockpot-recipe.html

 Yesterday I made this homemade peanut butter granola.  The recipe is via my friend Kim from this site: http://unadulteratedshivaree.blogspot.com/2012/01/peanut-butter-granola.html  The granola is yumm-eee!!  And also very easy and quick to make.  In fact I made it while Eli was playing and Isaac was waking up from a nap.  I've already eaten it on top of 2 bowls of yogurt.  De-lish!

And while we're on the subject of making things homemade, I've made homemade laundry detergent recently and I think it works BETTER than the ALL Free & Clear detergent I was using.  And at .05 cents per load its a bargain! And all the ingredients can be found on the cleaning aisle at Wal-Mart.  Simple.
Here's the site: http://www.diynatural.com/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/
Note: I used my food processor to "grate" the Fels-Naptha instead of using a hand grater.  Mucho-easier.

the best of friends

Eating cookies and being silly. 

This is the first time they ever met.  Yes, that is a one week old Eli and a 1.5 year old Garret. Wow!

Thank you for another wonderful visit Ian, Rachel, and Garret!!

lil' conductors

It's always fun when a friend comes over to play.  Glad you came Isaiah!

 Luckily we have enough trains to go around. :)

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Also, the most beautiful sunset I've seen happened last night.  What a sweet gift from God at the end of a day.

all by himself

This is what happened when I put Isaac in the chair to have a snack.  He decided that it would be a good idea to stand up. Amazing what a kid can do when you're in the same room!

christmas morning (a little belated)

Since nothing's really been going on around here lately I thought I would post some pictures of the boys getting their stockings on Christmas morning.  

some new skillz

The boys are growing and learning and growing. It's amazing to see it happen.  

Eli LOVES his Thomas and tracks.  Daddy taught him how to turn the trains on & off so now he can play by himself. 

Isaac can sit at the little table for a snack then slide off the chair by himself when he's done. 

ALSO....Isaac has been walking some by himself.  A video will be posted when I can capture him in action!

Those are some great skillz boys!!

matt...you're awesome

So this is what my husband did over Christmas....built a chandelier out a a wagon wheel.  I honestly really have no idea what that entails, but I do know that he started with a wooden wagon wheel and ended up with a working light fixture that was hanging from his parents' cabin ceiling.  That's awesome in my book. 

I had to include these pictures of the wagon wheel being hung because it was an ordeal that involved 5 men and two women (us other women were on babysitting duty so that means we helped, right), metal scaffolding, a heavy duty pulley, and lots of ingenuity. Oh and did I mention that it was hung like 50 feet in the air (matt says more like 30, but it looks like 50 to me!) Btw, I took these pictures while standing in the loft. 

And the finished product....beautiful.

happy birthday boy

the fam

the Mabry, Phillips, and Adams families

the cuz's

next christmas Aaron will have his little brother to sit behind!

breakfast boys

With their new table & chairs.