Fruity-licious Treat

The kids absolutely love this quick and easy after school snack! It is a simple twist on the old favorite Rice Krispy Treats...just with a fruity kick.


1/4 cup Butter
10 oz. bag Marshmallows
11 oz. box Fruity Pebbles Cereal

Melt butter over medium heat. Once heated, add marshmallows. Turn down to low and let marshmallows melt. Once the consistency of syrup, add Fruity Pebbles and stir. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish and let set. Cut into squares and serve.

Valentine's Day Goodies

To be honest with you, I feel like V-Day gets the shaft with the five dubs. When February 14th rolls around every year I am sliding off the coattails of party planning, present wrapping, and celebrating for the past three months. It is hard for me to get excited/motivated about another party.

When the school parties roll around I am known to resort to the old faithful cards that come in a box, are perforated, and have "To" and "From" on one side. You know which ones I mean? These are the ones that my kids' classmates will be receiving this year:



Good old Bakugan and Princess!

I feel bad because there are tons of ideas and instructions on how to make some precious Valentine's cards. And I like to be creative and crafty! My all time fave is creating a heart shaped crayon...(I have seen this idea numerous places, but I cannot remember where I snagged this picture from...definitely from a blogger!)


I am all about celebrating love, but my creative juices are simply run dry.

However, the other day I came across a sandwich bag topper that was available to download for free. All you have to do is print, cut, and staple to a sandwich sized ziploc bag full of sweet treats. Simple enough. Something I knew I could handle. So, the kids' teachers will be receiving this upgrade of a happy:


I think it turned out pretty cute! Maybe next year I can reserve enough mojo to create my own sandwich bag topper!

Walking With Dinosaurs

Before Christmas Kris and I started seeing commercials for Walking with Dinosaurs. It seemed like a pretty incredible show. We started researching tickets and times and decided it was worth taking the kiddos to see. It worked out for us to plan our trip the weekend the kids were out of school for MLK.

Kris and I had been so excited because we knew the kids would be in awe! Wes has had a fondness of the animals since he was very young. In our Mommy and Me class we sang a dinosaur song and I used to hear him "roaring" to it from his car seat. Those were some good days :) Bankston Hays is enthralled with dinosaurs right now (his birthday party theme was dinosaurs). It was one of the more difficult words that he said well early on. It could not have been better timing for PBS Kids to come out with a new show, Dinosaur Train, while he was at such a dinosaur/train loving age! And, poor Ann Elise, she is destined to love dinosaurs because she is sandwiched between two dino-loving boys. And, Ann Elise loves those dino-loving boys more than she loves herself.

We waited till about an hour before time to load up to tell them the news. We showed them a trailer of the show and their minds started reeling with questions. "Would it be loud? Would it be warm and misty inside? Would they come to life?" We loaded up and began our adventure.

Turns out our seats were incredibly high. Almost to the point of being uncomfortable. I am sure the reality factor would have been even more huge in the high dollar seats!! But, the experience was still enjoyable.

The show people know what they are doing (of course). Every dinosaur was realistically detailed and the facts of each animal were amazing. They saved the best for last...Tyrannosaurus Rex. The boom of his roar made you come out of your seat! We would highly recommend this show if you have dino-lovers in your household.


(This picture shows the way they sat most of the show. Kris and I finally decided they thought they would fall out of their chairs because we were so high. They were holding onto each other for dear life!)

FLASHBACK: Scouts/USS Alabama

Shortly after the school year started we received information letting us know that Wes was eligible to join Scouts. After Kris and I discussed it we mentioned it to Wes. The word alone was all he had to hear and he was sold! I feel quite sure his little mind immediately filled with visions of spending starry nights in a tent while the wolves howled all around :)

Wes is our child (so far) that is up for anything, thinks everything sounds fun, and is eager to try it all. We knew he would enjoy it...the trips and adventures would be fun, the badges would be neat, and he'd love the friendships. We just weren't sure if the rest of us could handle it...more meetings, another night away from home, the fund-raising, etc. Luckily for Wes, Momma was at a weak point. "After all, my first born is a FIRST GRADER!! He will be a SENIOR before I look up. How could I be so cruel as to not let him join scouts? After all, where else is my little boy gonna learn the sport of archery?!?!?"

And so the journey began...our very own Tiger Cub!



Night Away on the USS ALABAMA
In early November Wes' Pack had the opportunity to spend the night on the USS Alabama. What fun!! The weekend getaway was for Dads and their sons. They spent time exploring the ship and its history, searching nooks and crannies with their flashlights, and sleeping in hammock-like beds.

Happy Birthday, Ann Elise!

It is hard to believe that today you turn FIVE! The day you entered this world was very special. You made an unforgettable entrance :) This year will bring about many milestones in your precious life and we are excited to watch you grow up a little more each day. You are becoming such a little lady and we are honored to be your mom and dad!

Ann Elise's Answers:
What are you good at doing? playing soccer
If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it? give it to Haiti
What are you afraid of? shadows
What is important to you? Jesus
What is your favorite book? Sleeping Beauty
What is your favorite food? chicken nuggets
What is your favorite thing about school? get to play on the playground
What is your favorite thing to do? play on our swingset
How do you show your family you love them? by not sinning
What do you want to be when you grow up? doctor
Why? so I can help people in Haiti
What are you thankful for? Bitty
Tell me something about God. God loves everybody in the whole wide world.