Vday, Stevens music program, and more...

Valentines Day- we did our usual Valentines Day treasure hunt, kids had parties at school, and just enjoyed our evening together.

Sydneys friend Ryen sent her this bear, candy and lip gloss in the mail for Valentines Day. She was so excited to get something in the mail...from a boy!
Stevens 1st grade music program, which I had to miss because I had to be at Activity Days...but Steve was able to go with the 2 little girls.

Sydney and her friend Chloe. Those two.... when they get together it gets wild and crazy around here all preteenie!

Tori got her self dressed and called it her new "fashion style"

Tori singing so seriously....I love that face!


Baby Reese who is almost 2!!!!


Sydneys dance camp


I found this T-shirt for Steve with his favorite phrase "YOUR FACE!"

McCall, Id trip

We had a great time in McCall. It was so pretty and the kids loved all the snow. Everyone around here goes up there all the time so we finally made a 1 night trip out of it. The winter carnival was a couple weeks ago so some of the ice sculptures were still up and fun to see. The lake was frozen over so got to walk out on it. The kids probably loved the sledding the most since it was their first time going and they LOVED it! Even Reese loved going down with us....and hitting the bumps! We ate a lot of good food and at a really great breakfast place where the pancakes and cinnamon rolls were HUGE!!!! I should have taken a picture! They were about 13in. in diameter! On the ride back I just had to get the kids out and go run and mess up all the snow in these big open fields. It was fun...there was about 2 feet of snow with a layer of ice and then fresh powder on top...so we could walk on top and then drop down a couple feet. It was fun!

WRESTLING!!!!!!!

Steven and his friend Jacob at the Skyview wrestling camp tournament. Steven and Jacob are in the same class in school and at church and were born the same day AND are the same size! So they got to be sparring buddies at the wrestling camp together all week and ended up, of course, wrestling each other at the end. But that was perfect because they both were a bit hesitant about wrestling other kids they didnt know. It was really fun to watch them. They split the kids up in groups of 4 but Stevens group only had 3...so he wrestled each boy 2 times for 3 30 sec. matches with everyone being declared winners.....but we all know my little Steven kicked some buns out there! ;) Hehehe!

Still needs some work on his technique.....I think he thinks its all about who's tougher!

Chocolate Creme Oreo cake

This is YUMMO! I got this recipe from Kierstin and it is amazing!



Chocolate Oreo Cream Cake
• 1 pkg chocolate cake mix (I used triple chocolate)
• ingredients need to make the cake on the back of the box
Filling:
• 8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups Cool whip (I used the extra creamy kind)
• 12 oreo cookies, coarsely crushed
Frosting:
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 4 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 5 to 6 Tbsp milk or more if needed
1. Prepare cake mix according to package directions for 2 9-inch round cakes. Cook Cake according to the package. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and remove from the pan. then allow cake to cool completely.
2. Once cakes are completely cooled, prepare the filling by beating the cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer until well blended. Fold in the cool whip until almost blended then fold in the crushed oreos.
3. In another bowl, make the frosting by whisking together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Then add the butter, vanilla, and milk. Blend with a mixture until smooth. Add additional milk if needed to make the frosting spreadable.
4. Now it’s time to assemble the cake. With a serrated knife, cut off the domed top of each of the rounds to make the cake even and level. Save the parts you cut off for another use. Place one round on your serving platter or cake plate. Top with half of the filling mixture and spread evenly. Top with the other cake round.
5. Now use the reaming filling to fill in the center filling section of the cake so that the filling layer is completely even with the cake layers. You may not need all of the filling. Then cover the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate frosting. You may have some leftover frosting.

NOTE: This is what I did with the left over filling and cake.
I mixed them and a bowl and made cake balls and put them on top of the cake.

Steves ma'stache

Steve has been working long and hard to grow this......going on 3 weeks now. He may or may not have had some help from the beard/mustache dye kit....

The after Christmas party......

All packed up in the suburb headed to WA.



Then we had Christmas at Steves Mom house. The kids had so much fun seeing everyone, and we all had a great time.



I think Steve was trying to get Marty to dance with him.....

Mom and Dads House

The boys have to stick close together doing manly things like guns, and playing pool!



Steve and Jade formed a tight bond while we were there.....actually I think she only liked Steven. :)



Sydney had sooo much fun with her cousins!! She missed them so much. She loves playing with all the girls!





My friend Nicole and her guy Ryan had their baby on Christmas Eve! So I was soo excited to meet him and see them all. He is such a sweet little baby!




We also got to have lunch with Amber and her boys. Sydney was so excited to see Ryen. ITs funny because Sydney is not at all shy with boys...(so much that it scares us!)but with Ryen she was totally speechless. He is such a nice boy. Steve always jokes about how him and Bryce would be going back and forth about the kids crushes on eachother.



We celebrated Steves dads birthday which is on New Years Eve with him and Teri. We had a great time and the kids just love Teri! She is the sweetest!






Kierstin, Sydney, Mom, Grandma and I at lunch.




Celebrating Moms Birthday on New Years day!





Visiting with Traci, Jodi and Kaden!

Catchin up on Christmas

We had a great Holiday season! We are excited to see what 2012 will bring! Cant wait to meet up with ALL our family (Kanooth side) in Oct. at Disney Land! It cant come soon enough! We miss you Leif, Rachel, and Twinsies!!!!!

Stevens class Christmas party




Christmas treats




Christmas Eve we took the kids to pick out donuts for Christmas breakfast, We frosted cookies for Santa and had dinner at Texas RoadHouse followed by Christmas lights and Christmas Jamies!


Notice my substitute husband behind me!!!























On Christmas morning we told the kids not to wake up before six and right at six o'clock Sydney came strollin in our room along with Tori and Steven. So we all got up and opened presents ate donuts and OJ, destroyed the living room and then got ready for church. When we got back we played ate our Christmas ham dinner and PACKED for WA. We planned on getting up early and leaving so it made for a Crazy, but fun Christmas day. We always love having something to look forward to after Christmas so this is why we take our trip the day after.
ANd our post of events in Wa will have to wait for another day....