I hope I never forget

Wesley had a hard time getting to sleep tonight. He kept crying and calling my name. I tried to be tough and just let him cry it out, but I eventually went in to see him. He handed me his teddy bear and soft blanket and reached out his arms for me to pick him up. So we rocked and sang for a minute. It was so sweet to watch as he got sleepy. He struggled to keep his little eyes open. As I rocked I thought about how much importance I put on a sleep schedule and falling to sleep on his own, etc. when Dillon was little. You should never rock your baby to sleep!! But as I rocked this sweet little boy I decided that none of that really matters and that the most rewarding part of being a parent is having moments where you feel the deepest love one can imagine. You look into their sweet little eyes and get a little taste of heaven. So we kept singing, humming and rocking and eventually I stood up and we kept swaying as his eyes got heavier and heavier. He has the sweetest little face that I just can't get enough of. When he gets older and loses some of the sweetness I hope I can remember tonight and how precious he really is. So hopefully by writing this, it'll be harder to forget. I'm so lucky to be a mom.

Mom, where's the mouse?

Last week we made a trip to our local library and, as always, Dillon ran straight for his two favorite sections--Transportation and Dinosaurs. As I took the stack he brought me to the front counter, I noticed a book called "The Field Mouse and The Dinosaur Named Sue." When we got home it was one of the first books we read. It's a cute little story about a mouse who lives peacefully in a nice burrow beneath an old bone. His life is turned upside down when a strange group of people show up and start working and pounding all around him. He ventures out and upon returning discovers that the roof of his beloved home--his special bone--is gone! He is determined to find his bone and embarks upon an adventure that lands him at the Field Museum in CHICAGO, IL! His search for his special bone continues amidst the commotion in the museum until one day when he finally finds his roof, in the foot of the biggest T-Rex in the world--Sue. So he makes himself a nice little nest there, right under Sue's foot, happy to be home.Today Dillon got to meet SUE! As he gazed up at her, he turned and quietly asked, "Mom, where's the field mouse?" I told him he probably hides when all the people are there and just comes out at night! It was magical to watch his face as he thought about that little mouse.

I love children's books and I love reading with children, especially my own.

And the winner is...

...ME! I won our ward Chili cook-off! I am not a person that wins any kind of contest, but especially one that has to do with cooking, but I really did it. I can't take all the credit because the recipe came from my mother-in-law, who actually got it from a friend that won at her chili cook-off, but I'm still proud. I wish I would've tried making it beforehand, so I could have tweaked it and really made it my own. I did get a little creative with some of the amounts since I was trying to make more, but didn't quite have enough to double. When I make it again, I want to make it a little thicker and am going to try smashing one of the cans of beans. I'll have to experiment. But, since many people have asked, here is the "famous" recipe, along with a picture of my little prizes! Enjoy! Award Winning Creamy White Chili: In large pot saute: 1 pound chicken, cubed (one of my competitors shredded their chicken and I may try that) 1 medium onion chopped 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 Tbsp vegetable oil Add: 2 (15 oz) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained (try mashing one?) 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth 2 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper My competitor also had a can of corn in her's that I might throw in next time. We decided the combination of our two chilis really would have been amazing! Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30+ minutes. I then pulled it off the heat and let it sit for an hour or so to let the spices really do their job. Then I warmed it back up and added the secret ingredients: 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup whipping cream! The original recipe said to take it off the heat and serve immediately, but I had lots of globs of sour cream so I turned the heat up for a bit to try and get them to blend in. It's super creamy and yummy, so enjoy. Play with it, make it yours and let me know if you win! p.s. I do need to give a little credit to my husband who has touched a pot maybe 5 times since we've been married. He actually put the oil in the pot AND rinsed the beans!!! A huge step for him. I am so proud of you Aaron! We won!

Our V-day present

My awesome husband came up with a great idea for a combined Valentine present for both of us. It was much needed, kind of boring, but kind of fun and romantic too--new bedding! We have had the same bedding for almost 7 years and it was time! I've never liked having a down comforter. I sweat no matter the temperature. Getting new bedding was a process---running back and forth between different stores, mixing and matching throw pillows, bed skirts, etc. But we finally have a finished product that I am really excited about. Happy Valentine's Day to us! Next step--replace the terrible Walmart furniture.

He even let me get matching towels for our bathroom!

I still got roses! And he still got his traditional breakfast in bed (heart-shaped french toast). But it was especially impressive this year, since I had to get up at 5:00 AM to do it so he could get to early morning church meetings. I must love him A LOT!

Just Dillon and Me

I have decided I have awesome kids---by themselves. Somehow, they become sooo much more difficult when they are together. Last Saturday Aaron and I divided and conquered and it was so fun to have a little one on one time with Dillon. He is a cool kid. We made a quick stop by the Ice Fest before hitting a couple stores.

Dillon wanted to take a couple pictures of me---not bad for a 4 year old.

I love my Dillon.

Handsome Little Wes

I swore myself off Sears pictures until I remembered that I can't take good pictures AT ALL, so if I want to document my children's lives, I need a little help doing it. So these are the latest of Wesley. This first one is probably the best and I'm now wishing I'd gotten bigger than just wallets

(don't tell Aaron, I'm the worst decision maker)

He spotted the balls as soon as we walked in and insisted on holding them the whole time.

I ordered an 8 x 10 of this one, but without my knees!

Aaron loves this one so we got one for his office

Looks like he is about to make a pass

He is such a sweet little boy (most of the time) and we LOVE having him in our family.

Surviving Winter

This is the time of year when I get cabin fever and start to go a little stir crazy, but we still have a couple months until it starts warming up, so I have to do lots of fun stuff to keep myself and my boys sane. In the last few weeks, were able to go to Disney on Ice and the Museum of Science and Industry--which I know sounds really lame, but it is so cool! We also finally got in a sledding trip.

Last time we went to the museum we didn't make it to the Idea Factory, and it was so cool!

Trolley--and yes, poor Wesley was pretty sick. Of course, the trains were the highlight!

Sledding

We sledded at a park, so after sledding we took advantage of the slides and swings and had a blast!