Simplify Supper

My sister-in-law just told me about this website and I just checked it out and I think it might help me start making more dinners! I haven't tried it yet but I think it's awesome and wanted to share right away! SimplifySupper.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father for blessing us with our dear families and wonderful friends who bless our lives in so many ways. We love you! We wish you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you find yourselves as blessed as we do!

Love,
Jeff, Nichole, & Hudson

Feelin' Christmas-y

I tried. I really did. I wanted to wait until the day after Thanksgiving to put Christmas music on the blog and deck it out in a Christmas-y layout. But, I couldn't resist. Poor Thanksgiving. I love it. I really do. But Christmas is the best and I want it to last as long as possible! What's that song....Elvis...Christmas lasting the whole year through? Argh. Can't think of it (I have Christmas in Dixie running through my head). Anyway....
Really the reason I had to post it because I felt like splurging and indulging in some gourmet hot chocolate today, so I bought this chocolate CINNAMON flavor, made it (with hot milk instead of water), and guiltily gulped it down in about 10 seconds. It was SOOOO good! Thought the world (or at least the 5 of you that read this blog) should be aware of this fine beverage. Way to go Stephen's. Way to go.

Oh yeah. I also wanted to post a pic of the killer cake I made for Jeff and Hudson's birthday.
Tah Dah!

Christmas Tag

I was tagged by Cori.

1. Egg Nog or Hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate! I can only enjoy about a tablespoon of egg nog each year. That's enough for me.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? I'm going to have to say he wraps them, unless it's odd shaped or too big.

3. Colored lights on a tree/house or white? I used to be a clear lights person, but it seemed like that was what everyone did, and the last few years I think I have kind of wanted to revert back to my childhood and get colored lights. We did colored lights on the house last year, but my (pre-lit) tree is clear lights. I think we are going to cut our own tree down this year, so I'll probably put colored lights on it.

4. Do I hang mistletoe? Can't say I've ever hung mistletoe.

5. When do I put up my decorations? I try to be strong and hold out until the day after Thanksgiving. It used to be to wait until December 1st, but I get way too excited long before that.

6. What is my favorite holiday dish? Well, it's not a really a dish. It's a drink. My mom's wassail. I LOVE it! She makes it every year. It warms the tummy and the soul!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: I can't really pin point one memory. I just loved not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve because of the anticipation of waiting to see what Santa would bring.

8. When and how did I learn the truth about Santa? The truth that Santa exists? I probably learned that Santa EXISTED when I was around 2 or 3. I know he exists. I have pictures to prove it.

9. Do we open a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes.

10. How do I decorate our tree? The last few years it has been clear lights, fat red/cream/green plaid ribbon, rusty tin stars and other rusty tin ornaments, and berry sprigs with a big rusty tin star on top. I think this year will be different since we'll probably be cutting our own tree.

11. Can I ice skate? Not gracefully. Quite horribly, actually, but I can. It's been a while.

12. Can I remember my favorite gift? There were lots of them. I remember getting my little yellow Popples...and I still have it. I was also pretty stoked to get my first CD player/stereo.

13. What is the most important thing about the holidays for me? Not being stressed and just trying to relax and take it all in and enjoy it and remember what Christmas is all about. I try to read a little Christmas story or something everyday in December that is about the Savior.

14. What is my favorite holiday dessert? I can't think of just one but I love to get those really crappy caramels with the white cream in the middle in my stocking. I love them!

15. What is my favorite holiday tradition? I love getting together with my mom's family on Christmas Eve. We have dinner, usually have a good Christmas movie on, and then the girls (and sometimes the guys) get together and play bingo for little prizes that we've found on sale throughout the year. This year I've really gotten into it and have been stocking up on prizes. Santa usually makes an appearance, also. And my grandma gives us things like toothbrushes.

16. What tops my tree. A star

17. What do I prefer - Giving or receiving? Both. I think it's so much more fun as a parent to give, though and watch their little faces as they open their presents.

18. What is my favorite Christmas song? I honestly can't choose. One of my favorite parts of Christmas is Christmas music! I love all the classing songs by people like Bing Crosby.


19. Candy Canes? I might eat one the whole year. The wrapping is impossible to get off, they break and crumble, they are an awkward shape, and after you suck them for a while they get those sharp edges that cut your tongue. Can't say I'm a huge fan.

20. Do I feel Christmas is too commercialized? Yes and no. I think the stores obviously want to sell sell sell. That's their job. But I love walking into a store that is all decorated, smells like cinnamon pine cones, Christmas music in the background. I think it's as commercialized as you want to make it. Just because the stores make it all about the presents, doesn't mean you have to, too. I think shopping is one of the fun things about Christmas because I try not to get stressed about it, and I don't make it the most important part of my holiday. (I've found getting shopping done early makes me feel like it's less commercialized because I'm not out in the hustle and bustle.)

I tag Holly, Teresa, Marie, Ashley, Gina and anyone who wants to do it!

Totally Free Crap!

I came across this website that gives you "TOTALLY FREE CRAP" and my freebies are beginning to come in the mail. Yes, it does take a little time to fill in all your info , and yes, this may also result in a little junk mail in your in-box, and no, not everything you sign up for makes it to your mailbox, but I'll leave it up to you to weight the pros and cons. Every once in a while there is a catch such as completing an offer or something like that, but not usually. Most ask you to answer just a few questions.
So far I've gotten a granola bar, a Pull-Up and potty training kit, a perfume sample, and a little sample of lotion. I love getting free stuff in the mail!
They put new stuff up all the time and the good stuff goes fast, so if you want it, check it frequently. Good luck!

Homesick for SAMOA!

Last year at this time, Jeff's parents took us to Samoa where they had recently served a mission. It was the experience of a lifetime and Jeff and I fell in love with Samoa. We love the people, the culture, the beauty of the island....everything! We are "homesick" for it and hope we can return someday. Until then, we will just have to rely on pictures and the great memories we have of it.

I also just wanted to add, as Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, that the Samoans have the very BASIC necessities. Food (that they catch in the ocean or grow for the most part), clothing (not a lot, and nothing fancy), and shelter (literally just a thatched roof over their heads). Nothing else. Yet these are the happiest people in the world. They love life, they are always singing, they are so happy and friendly and giving. I love that about the Samoan people and I hope we can all remember to be truly thankful for all the things we have in our lives...especially the things that are the most important. The things that are still there when you take all the material things away.

Hudson's 3rd Birthday Festivities

It can't get any cuter than this!

Opening presents from Grandma and Grandpa Bell and Aunt Samantha who came to visit today!

Playing Whac-A-Mole with Daddy

My birthday boys.

I guess you can't really tell from the pictures but it was a Spiderman themed birthday party, so the cupcakes have a web on them.

Hot Wheels tracks? Cool!

Opening a present from the Reeds. A Doodle Pro!

Whac-A-Mole!

Dinner: Lasagna, salad and garlic bread. Yummm.

I thought I had bought a Spiderman tablecloth, but I guess not. I improvised by covering the table with brown paper, glued down some comic book (that came with Hudson's Spiderman Halloween costume) pages, and printed some Spiderman pictures for an activity for the kids to do. I thought it turned out pretty good!

I made Hudson's reqest for lunch: PB & J.


His breakfast request: Waffles. I stopped recording after the song (I hate my voice. Sorry.) but then I thought it was cute that he was "licking the candles"so I started recording again. After reviewing the tape, I noticed he's not licking them, he's biting the tips off and eating them! SICK! Weird kid. Gotta love it!

My cute sister Natalie and cute niece Hayli were so nice to surprise us by bringing their instruments to play "Happy Birthday" to Jeff and Hudson. They did such a good job! Natalie (in blue) plays the cello, and Hayli (in pink) plays the violin.
(make sure you check out Jeff's birthday bash in the blog below...)

Jeff's 30th Surprise Birthday

Since Jeff wasn't going to be here for his birthday, I decided to throw him a surprise birthday on Saturday. I had never thrown him a surprise party before, so it was fun. A little stressful, but fun. I had his friends and family meet at our house at 9 am. I tried keeping Jeff in bed till then but that didn't work, so I had to keep him locked in our room so I could get things ready. I just told him I wanted to make him breakfast in bed. He bought that. At 9 someone was pounding on the door. I acted like I didn't know who it was and told Jeff he had to get it. Everyone was there and Jeff said he was really surprised.
Then we had breakfast. I made a breakfast casserole and cheesy hashbrowns and had donut holes which doubled as Jeff's birthday cake for the day (I am making him a real one later this week).



After breakfast I sent Jeff on a treasure hunt to find his birthday present. He finally found them and was pretty excited, I think. He's been needing new tires and rims for his 4 wheeler for a long time. Getting those and keeping them a secret was quite the task!



After that was yet another surprise for Jeff. We all went out and went skeet shooting. That was fun and something alot of us hadn't done in quite a while.

I feel bad I didn't get a group shot of everyone before they left, but this is who was left after I remembered to get a group shot. We had a few friends who left just before this.

I hit my first one but missed everything else. I need practice. I have a nice bruise(s) on my arm because I wasn't holding it in my shoulder like I should have. Nice.

Isn't he the HOTTEST!? Hee hee. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JEFF! I LOVE YOU, BABE! YOU ARE THE HOTTEST, SWEETEST, MOST LIKEABLE 30 YEAR OLD I KNOW! I'M GLAD YOU'RE MY HUSBAND FOR ETERNITY! YOUR'E MY FAVORITE! XO XO XO XO XO XO XO

Happy Birthday Jeff and Hudson!

I will have a lot more to post in the next day or two, but I wanted to tell my boys HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love you both so much! My Hudson is turning 3 today, the 17th, and Jeff will be the BIG THREE-OH tomorrow, the 18th!!!

Makin' a Little Mess

Hudson helped his dad make cookies last night and had some fun with the flour. I remember my mom letting me play in the flour as a kid. Sometimes I think you just need to let your hair down, don't worry about the mess, and let your kid be a kid!

(Sorry the videos are always so dark. I promise we don't live in a cave.)

Calling all kids from the 80's

I still have some She-Ra paper dolls.


I used to have a Jem doll.


I still have the small yellow popple!



























I have a paper that my mom had written of things I did or liked as a kid. It says I liked watching He-Man and I would stand on the fireplace and (I think I might have had a plastic sword?) shout "By the power of Grey Skull!" and jump off. How cool is that? I was probably 4 or 5.




I remember this one so vividly and now it is just CREEPY! I used to have one of these dolls, too.






I loved this show and couldn't remember what it was called, but I finally found it! This one was a favorite.

These are all shows I remember as a kid, some from even being like 3 or 4 years old. Wow. Did we really watch that much tv back then? And I know there are even more that I could have posted, but I thought this was already going a little overboard. Alf, Full House, Dennis the Menace, Sesame Street, Strawberry Shortcake, Pound Puppies, Mr. Rogers, the original Loony Tunes...They don't make them like they used to. What shows do you remember watching as a kid?

Gratitude

My friend Erin has both of these things posted on her blog. I hope she doesn't mind me stealing them and putting them here. I just love passing good things along.
As Thanksgiving is coming up, I thought these were great reminders, and the 30 days of gratitude was a good way to stop and think about the abundance of blessings I have in my life and to make this holiday (and life in general) a little more meaningful. I hope you can click on it to view the full size and print it out and for the next 30 days write something you are grateful for each day. Count your many blessings! I loved that some examples Erin gave were a loaf of burnt bread (because you have the ingredients and the knowledge of how to make bread), a difficult child (because you God has entrusted you with that child)...etc. Sometimes (I would say always) life's hardships and trials are blessings in disguise if you just change your attitude and perspective and see what God is trying to teach you. (Erin also suggested keeping this list in your scrapbook or journal and maybe taking and adding a few pictures to it. I really could have just copied Erin's whole blog. Well, I kind of just did, but I still think hers was more eloquent!)
I am grateful for all of you in my life and I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family!

If you didn't smile at the results of the election....

Neither did we. But I found this through some blog surfing and if I can't smile about anything about B.O. being our next president, this did make me chuckle a bit.

You Can Vote However You Like...

I loved this! Make sure you watch the song at the end...it's the best, but I wanted to show the interview at the first, too. These kids are so articulate for their age and seem pretty knowledgeable about the election. And I love that Willie doesn't follow the crowd and stands all alone for McCain! I love that they are learning that kind of stuff at that age and I would love for my kids to go to a school that teaches in a fun way like that.

Halloween

I'll get you, my buddy, and your candy, too!

This was the 3rd time in about a week dressing up as a witch!

Hudson got some fangs in his trick-or-treat bucket.

This was the first (and definitely not last) year I made dinner in a pumpkin! It was SO yummy!

There were quite a few spidermen running around our neighborhood, but Hudson was the toughest and coolest one!

Carving the pumpkins!