Happy Thanksgiving!

Bronwen and Ava have always been my little chefs when it comes to baking, but today their skills went to a whole new level! They helped me wash the turkey, mix the turkey basting -even went to our garden to pick fresh Rosemary- and they stuffed it with vegetables. For the sweet potatoes, they measured and poured all of the ingredients (butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, milk, and their favorite, marshmellows). Bronwen even made the rolls and gravy while Ava was sleeping. She also picked out the wine glasses and filled them with apple cider. We had a few other side dishes that I took care of earlier in the morning, which made for a very filling meal. All in all Thanksgiving was a success thanks to my beautiful family!

Ava's Fourth Birthday

We cannot believe our little mouse is four! On her actual birthday I took the girls to McDonald's to get Happy Meals, then to The Bouncy Place (an indoor play area with many inflatable jumpers). We had an awesome time and topped off the day with a great dinner and cake. Since her birthday was in the middle of the week, we had her party this past Saturday and had a wonderful time! We got to see our good friends from Dupont, a few kids from Ava's preschool class, and one of Bronwen's classmates. In other words, we had a great turnout! Happy birthday Ava, Momma and Dadda love you so much!

A whirlwind of events during the last few weeks!

I have a lot of catching up to do on our blogsite! :-)

A few weeks ago my sisters came up from OR to help me decorate Cate's bedroom. We headed to Ikea and came out with fabulous curtains, light fixtures and an easel for the girls. The rest of the day was spent eating pizza, listening to music (haha Conrad and Bianca!) and painting artwork to hang in Cate's room. I definitely felt great after marking these things off of my to-do list. Ironically, this visit prompted another major to-do...

Since we found out about the pregnancy, Conrad and I debated whether or not to trade my beloved Mercedes for a more functional SUV. We didn't really want to spend more money on a car, and even tried to convince ourselves that there was enough room in the backseat after switching the girls to booster seats. The final straw was the trip coming home from Ikea. There my sisters and I were, with the girls, and our purchases, completely squished together. Bianca, my youngest sister, who was sitting between Bronwen and Ava, was sitting with a curtain rod literally 1 cm away from her head. It felt like clowns were going to come out of the car after we got home. Conrad and I talked and decided that it was time -the Mercedes had to go. In its place is "Shady Sparkles Douglas", our Jeep Commander. It has 7 seats, DVD, nav, etc., and most importantly 4 wheel drive. Now I can sleep at night knowing that we will be able to get to the hospital in time even if it's snowing!

Other news, the girls and I have been busy with a lot of cute Fall arts and crafts, they began dance lessons again two weeks ago, and I reached 25 weeks into my pregnancy. We've had a great time this season, and I'm looking forward to what Winter will bring!

Lovely September Days

The weather was so beautiful yesterday that we drove down to Lake Washington (only 3 miles away!) to spend the afternoon. I was so indescribably happy that I felt close to tears. Simply said, I am amazed at how my life is turning out. I never knew it would be like this.

Ava's First Day in Preschool

So for the last two weeks that Bronwen has been in school, Ava has been asking, "When do I go to preschool?" Finally Tuesday my little girl got to be a "big girl" and go to her own school. Three words: She loves it!

The teachers are wonderful, and she was very excited playing with all of the new toys. There were even some kids we knew from her dance class last year. I am so proud of my mighty mouse. As the picture shows, our social butterfly has already made several friends. :-)

Bronwen's First Day of Kindergarten

It's hard to believe we have a little girl in school now. Bronwen looked so big this morning wearing her school outfit and backpack, complete with her missing tooth (she lost it on Saturday). While Ava and I had a great morning at home, I sure missed my little mouse. I am so happy for her, and so proud to be her mom. Ahh how the time flies by...

My Favorite Cake in the World

About a week ago my friend Jana posted a recipe for Rainbow cake. I had never seen a cake like this! It looked like it would be so much fun to make (and to eat), that I decided to try and make it with the girls. Result? Success! We had a blast making it (it's surprisingly very easy to make), and it was delicious. I swear, I have never been so happy to eat cake in my life. The cake literally makes you smile!

Recipe:

Supplies:
-2 boxes of white cake mix & associated ingredients (6 eggs, water and oil)
-3 cans of frosting
-6 colors of Wilton icing dye (they're in the cake decorating section at Walmart -near scrap booking stuff)
-2 9" round cake pans
-nonstick cooking spray

Steps:
-combine both cake mixes and associated ingredients in one large bowl
-divide batter into 6 smaller containers (about 1.5 cups in each)
-add 1 dye color to each container (red in 1 bowl, green in another, etc.)
-coat cake pans with spray and bake two colors at a time (follow heating temp on cake box -mine took about 12 minutes to bake)
-clean and coat pans and bake rest of layers
-when all layers are completely cooled, add the icing and decorate

SMILE and ENJOY!!! :-D