recipe

3 c. flour
2 pkg yeast
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1/4 c dry milk
1 1/4 c warm water
1 large egg, beaten
8 T melted butter
2 T butter flavored crisco

mix 2 c flour and next four ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl mix the egg and water. Make a well in the flour mixture then pour in the water/egg. Mix with a spoon 150 strokes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 4 t. of melted butter and combine well. Add the remaining 1 c of flour 1/3 c at a time. Cover and sit for 1 hour. Punch dough down (it is very sticky!) I got some extra flour to mix in as needed. Make 12 balls, and place in a greased (with the crisco) pan. the recipe called for placing them in muffin tins, which I had doubled the recipe and did half that way, they don't get as fluffy and the bottom is a bit crusty. We preferred the pan method. Anyway set them coverd for 30 minutes and then bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes. brush with the melted butter when you remove them.

Happy belated turkey day

Emma enjoying her thanksgiving dinner

I had to force her to sit still for a picture, some weird phase??

a great new roll recipe, SO easy and very tasty!!

Jakob being a clown giving himself rabbit ears

Joe Jefferson lost his very first tooth!! We hope he can stop sucking his fingers at night so his new teeth don't get jacked up like his top teeth.

THE MEAL

What a great looking bunch!

sweet magnolia claire

Emma loving her baby sister in a non jealous moment

Maggie enjoying her thanksgiving day!

crazy kids!!

We had a nice turkey day full of bike rides, outdoor play, and cooking and cleaning!! Sam was nervous about "the bird" as Chris referred to it...didn't want to look at it, or eat it, nor did he care for Anna's homemade cranberry sauce as he spooned it back into the serving bowl while nobody was watching. During the day this funny thing happened:

Jakob asked me as he was holding Maggie "Do you think she is going to be a boy when she grows up?"

Me: What??

Jakob: well I think she will because she looks like one

almost as funny as the new Walmart commercial about all the check out lanes being opened during the holidays as the store is portrayed all nice and cheery with happy workers.

more sweet baby

Here are lots of pictures of Maggie Claire because we think she is so cute (even when crying), she is the only one on the camera this week...sorry kids

Cozy baby

perhaps the kids could get some photography lessons

one of the few outfits I saved from Emma, apparently Maggie does not care for hand me downs

I can never really think of good titles

I am holding sweet Magnolia right now, she slept all through church today and my BFF Carol hogged her all up! I am so going to miss Carol when she moves and do not know if the last six months here will be tolerable without her, she even saves the bench at church for me every week because I cannot always make it the extra hour early, or we would have to sit in the gym. and my kids LOVE her especially Sam, except when she came over in the middle of the night (she really is a good friend) when I went to have the baby, he ran to her room and told her to go home...he has gotten over that though. We will be in the gym next week because Chris is on call, although I may just skip sacrament mtg. Nolan still doesn't like nursery so that may even force me to stay home.
a great day because after our fabulous bkfst for dinner Chris cleaned the kitchen even washing the pots & pans, that is the best ever. I guess I will stop telling him that I wish I didn't let him pick the baby name, even though I am still a little bit sad her name is not Amelia (not sad enough to have another baby though!!)
we are listening to holiday tunes and the girls are changing their thin matelasse coverlets to thick silk quilts all in pink, they are excited because there is a chance of snow this week...I sure love A snowfall but do not miss the lake effect snow of Erie PA. but since we will probably end up down south I will miss the seasons, not a huge fan of the heat but think everything will be great once we know for sure where we will be moving. There is a ton still to do with the house, painting lots, of trim to paint and the basement stairs...get it looking nice for the future tentants. hopefully it will sell, but I am not worrying about that for a few more months.
I am off to put the covers back on the couch (I know it is the sabbath, but they needed to be washed ok I wanted them to be washed, don't judge:)
so heres to a happy week with fewer breakdowns!!!

a day

what a difference a day makes, and one with no headache even better!! The kids were happy this morning (since they went to bed a bit early last night:) and Christmas music already on the radio, a cute song dominic the donkey that the boys loved. Even the rain was okay. We brought Maggie in for her weight check and she is up to 7 lb 4 oz almost her birth weight so we will not be going back every week like I did with the boys, yeah!!!!

my head might explode!

just when I thought it couldn't get any worse....I went to the dr for Sam's three yr old, & Nolan's 18m checkups they weren't horrible, I was just tired. Then I had to feed Maggie and then go over to the audiologist jsut so you know there is no close parking at the UPC so carrying Nollie pushing the stroller and Sam following along. The lady comes out
"Don't you have someone to watch these kids??"
NO, well we'll try it and all go into a teeny room were the kids have to be really quiet, well we did reschedule and the nice lady asked me if I could get someone to watch my kids so not to bring t hem next time....I had my last breakdown and cry and do feel better now. and my head has just a hint of sinus pressure. I need to get the little guys in bed, wish my Chris were home!!! Oh by the way Jill,about my "decked out" kids...Jakob wore tennis shoes to church the last two weeks, so embarrasing!!!

wreck

I like it when I wake up in the morning with the same sinus headache I went to bed with, only worse. and the dr husband says take tylenol you'll be surprised how much it will help... oh yeah right. Then when you are mean to the kids before they get on the bus ruining their day, and feeling guilty about the horrible breakfasts they have been eating, not spending any quality time with any of them, one an emotional wreck because she is certain you like the new baby more than her now, sending one to school with a paper thin jacket because you have no time to get to the store and pick an acceptable one out, the house staying a complete disaster, knowing you will throw out that enormous crockpot of chili away you made last night because it was easy, but knowing only two people would eat it and you are not one of them, having one pair of pants that fit, and your husband asking if you are going to get the weight off before your trip next month, vacuuming fifty times and then having an emotional breakdown, finally getting to the bank (yes, the same one you went to yesterday that was closed! holiday!!) waiting for 7 minutes for someone to help then sending my stuff in and then sending over my drivers license to get cash back, No, your license expired last month...thanks getting all my kids in and out of Hershey Pharmacy, which is full of little knick nacs to get some sinus medication, hurrying over to the drs office...wait, why are the lights off and everyone leaving??!! your appointment is not for two more hours, and then you'll have to rush over after those two appointments to take Maggie to the audiologist...and then you start crying right there almost uncontrollably because you realize that headache is nothing compared to the immense feeling of AAAHHHHHH!!! my life is completely unraveling right from under my feet and I am not sure how I can keep it together....but the medication is starting to work now so there is some good news.

maggie claire

First shoes

first up her nose photo

first bath

one week old photo

She is keeping us busy, and Sammy Lewis too as he always needs to know the whereabouts of his Maggie Claire, wants to hold her...give me my baby mommy. When I am feeding her he was nervous she was going to eat me, but I explained to him she drinks milk like a baby cow...you not a cow mommy (he is so sweet). he also wanted to share his BBQ with her and is so happy her chocolate button (umbilical cord) is gone because he always insisted I cover that thing up, it's so yucky!!

words unneccesary

A glimpse of these two partners in crime, amazing what they can do while I am nursing the baby. Get your sleep now GMa Toni, you're gonna need it!!!!

HAPPY THREE!!!

Sam with his firetruck mega Blocks present (thanks to Carol and her cleaning out her basement, she has lots of great stuff...head on over there!!)

Sam's steak and chips dinner with Jell-O for dessert!!! Sam Loves "BBQ"

Happy Sam

Sam is still the baby!

Cute baby sam

We Love You Sammy Lewis McQueen!!!!!

voting

I just got back from voting, no lines or crowds at our polling place. I am happy that I get to vote, this is the 5th presidential election I have voted in. Since I took a women's American history class in college it further instilled the importance of making ones voice heard. Especially since I live in a swing state...

don't cry over spilled milk

or rice (pic to come) for that matter, or the baby out of the bassinet (thank you Sam and Nolan) as I have been trying to "get through" the last few days as usual and having some mini breakdowns...I get an email this morning request for personal prayers see the boover bunch blog for my friends Hilton and Emily and their baby Ella born early, after losing a baby earlier this year and how grateful they are for each moment with their sweet baby. So today I will try to be a bit more humble and go to the Lord for help and be thankful for my sweet Magnolia Claire and all her spirited siblings!!!

stuff

Ff

Things have been busy since we brought maggie home. we had halloween that night (no costumes for the girls so they just wore dress ups) they got a ton of candy! notice the lollipop stick in Nolan's hair. we went on a family walk/bikeride maggie couldn't wait to get home. Yesterday was warm in the sixties so the kids took advantage and played in the hose. Maggie is doing better every night sleeping, no screaming for hours like the first few nights as she was working up some mucus that made her pretty uncomfortable. we all love the baby, Nolan maybe too much...everyone wants a turn to hold her even me!! We made some yummy pumpkin muffins for sam this morning and they really are good for everyone and are all gone. The girls are at church with some friends since Chris is working this wknd I was not able to make it ;) Thanks to all my friends for the great dinners and stuff and babysitting!!!