Oh Happy Day!!!

It came! It came! It finally came!

I am officially a TEACHER! (one without a job currently, but still a teacher)

YUM-O! *C.C.B.E.T.S.*

* Cheese Cilantro Bacon Egg & Tomato Sandwich*

There is really no recipe for this one, just a REALLY good sandwich...

Dinner at the Miller's

L>R: Jackson, Cole and Aubrey

Last Saturday night, the Miller's invited us out for dinner while we were in Outlaw Country. The kids had a blast playing with a big appliance box.

Thanks again for having us over.

YUM-O! *Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Bars*

What else do you do during an ice storm, but bake. Cole watched Disney movies non-stop for the last 2 1/2 days and I had to do something to occupy myself. If I watched the "puppy movie" or the "moo movie" one more time, I would need to put in a straight jacket. We have got to put a DVD player in Cole's room. Is he too young for that?

*Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Bars*

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 granulated cups sugar

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Grease 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

Cut into bars.

Dance, Dance!

Snow Day

...Or ice day, or sleet day, or maybe freezing rain day...whatever. In lovely Oklahoma we don't usually get actual snow, so when we get this "stuff" the whole state closes up and takes cover. We are not expert "bad weather" drivers here in sunny OK, and I am not about to get out there with the rest of the "crazies".

I have thoroughly enjoyed spending the last 2 1/2 days at home with my little man. It has given me new respect for Mrs. Kim and what she does every day. She is greatly under paid in my book.

This was the Ice Day outfit Cole put together.

Backyard

Front yard

"OUTSIDE!!!", finally. Cole was so exited he went skipping through the yard. Look closely, he is actually in mid-air in this shot. I just love my new camera.

He wouldn't stop looking down at the snow.

Watch that step...

I think he got hit in the head with a water drop from the eve of the roof, and was trying to figure out what it was.

I can't even begin to tell you what this face was all about.

Stay tuned for a dance video...

Thoughtful Thursday

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Wordless Wednesday

What I'm Reading *Marley & Me*

*Marley & Me*

by John Grogan

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life.
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
Marley quickly grew into a barreling, 97-pound streamroller of a Labrador Retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged into drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women’s undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good —Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, “Don’t hesitate to use these.”
And yet, his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. He shared the couple’s joy at first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a 17-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.
Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.

(from http://www.johngroganbooks.com/marley/book.html)

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OMG! This book was GREAT. If you are dog lover, you definitely need to read this book. It will make you laugh out loud and cry like a baby. I LOVED IT!

In Honor of...

BEDLAM!!!

(Cole was about 6 months old)

BOOMER SOONER!!!

GO POKES!!!

LOOK Ma' No Pants!!!

I'm not sure why, but I turned around Sunday morning and Cole was walking around with his pants around his ankles...and, of course, being concerned for his safety, I grabbed by camera.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Remind yourself that it's okay that we are all a little different.

Thoughtful Thursday

"Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you're up to." - Unknown

Wordless Wednesday

Life's Little Instructions

Pay attention. Life sometimes gives you only one chance to see the material before it gives you the test.

Backyard Fun *Black & White Edition*

The weather was beautiful this weekend, so Cole got to spend some time outside...finally. He's like a caged animal during daylight savings time. By the time we get home in the evenings, it's already dark outside.

I thought it might be fun to make this a black & white photo post.

Cole and Daddy

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Your job is to try to determine what the people in your life are trying to teach you.

Life's Little Instructions

So what if some of the crayons are missing; use the ones still in the box. Maybe the world needs a purple horse.

Ignore

"Maybe if I just ignore her, she'll STOP TAKING MY PICTURE!"

My Buddy *Part 3*