My Favorite Pass time...

This morning I stayed home with my kids because they were both feeling under the weather... so i utilized this day to play "super mom" i wanted to make them breakfast, and they wanted pancakes... however... we were out of the pancake mix, you know the kind you "just add water" too. haha so... i got out the ole' cook book and made these suckers from scratch! And i do have to say... they were the absolute best pancakes I have had in a REALLLYYY long time. you know you are growing up when you can whip something up from scratch :)

Probably because I spend my spare time reading Southern Living and browsing blogs, the internet, random cookbooks for things I can feed my family with. They always say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.... no wonder men are more appreciative of their wives in their older years than in the beginning... because i know josh did not love me because of my cooking skills in the beginning... and its a good thing he loves me for my cooking skills now because i dont have the body/looks i did when he loved me in the beginning haha.

Anyways, since recipe scoping and backing/cooking have become my favorite pass time, i thought i would share one of my all time favorite most memorable things in the world with you. This is a blank cookbook I got from my grandma's house when she passed away. She had tons and tons of books(literally like a library) and i found this old cookbook full of weather blank pages. I took it and have since then continued to fill it in with family recipes and some of my favorites as i come across new things. I hope to pass this onto my kids one day. They already love to help in the kitchen (especially Kenz) so hopefully they will get married knowing how to cook instead of trying to figuring it out on their own like I did.

I think we need to have a blogger recipe share so we can all trade ideas :)

Holiday Cheer

we had the best christmas EVER in the napier house! We got to spend it with all our family! we had a house full and a busy schedule for two straight days and we wouldn't have it any other way! Me and my fabulous aunt mary baked for 2 straight days before we even had christmas dinner. we had so great conversations in the kitchen. I think everyone should have an aunt mary. she has taught me many important life lessons over some cookie dough and meringue toppings :)

Anyways, Here are so pics. of the festivities. Santa brought the girls a three story barbie townhouse, tons of barbies, and two baby dolls... they stayed up sooo late on christmas eve that they didnt want to get up christmas morning. I tried to wake maddie up at 9:30 ( I NEVER SLEPT PAST 7 ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WHATS WRONG WITH HER!!!!) and I said, "Maddie, wake up santa came!" and her response was "I dont care, let me go back to sleep!" haha i was like um... wish i would have known that because we could have saved santa a good 300+buckaroos haha. but she was excited a few minutes after walking into the living room!

Also... we got to spend christmas with Brook. (see below photo's). This is Jeff's girlfriend and one of my best friends. Let me give you the background on her. her and jeff dated back when mckenzie was born and our family fell in love with her but she had to move off and her and jeff decided the long distance was too hard... I honestly prayed constantly that they would get back together and i told jeff at least once a month he was going to marry her. Well... through divine intervention (thats what i call it) she joined the air force and was stationed here in wichita falls for a little less than a year and guess who rekindled their relationship! Yep! and although she is stationed in san antionio now... their short time together made them realize that they couldnt live without each other and are now stronger than ever! As a matter of fact... jeffrey is in san antonio this entire week!! Just call me cupid! :)

This is the girls with their finished products in front of the christmas tree. Those cookies had tons of icing on them... so much so... the trashcan got most of them but a few crumbs were left on the plates so that there was evidence that "santa" enjoyed their treats!

Look at jeffrey decorating cookies with the girls. He is joshs cousin and he currently lives with us because he just went back to school. him and josh are SUPER close and so i think of him more as a brother in law vs cousin. we love him. he is soooo good with the girls.

ugh... ignore the roughness of myself, but this is me after slaving in the kitche nfor two days :) but note my husbands "christmasy" sweater his wife has good taste :) He's such a hottie. "santa baby.. hurry down the chimney for me"

heather "monkey" as the girls call her. jeffs sister-our cousin. we love her!

Does she look happy to you?

Love birds with their movie tickets from me and josh :)

Heather, Aunt Mary, Brook, and myself... could not live without these three!

my three loves digging into their gifts! i live for these moments with these three. i am beyond blessed.



If you are wondering what "loot" i got for christmas... i'll fill you in... i got a new coffee pot, a new cookie sheet, 6 bottles of twisted pepermint lotion from bath and body works (I'm goo goo over this scent and its only a seasonal :(, some Victoria Secret Heavenly (my signature scent), some Victoria Secret Oh La La, some Victoria Secret Love spell body lotion/body wash, some gift cards to kohls, ross, cracker barrell, chili's, some scrubs, some pajamas, some holister sweats, some picture frames, some cash (since we are going to vegas on Jan 15th!) With my gift cards got some new boots, jeans, three sweaters, some new kitchen stuff, and tons of other little stuff. I was spoiled for sure :) Can't wait to do it again next year (with a huge pay raise might i add since i graduate in MAY! woot woot!)

Hope you all had a fabulous christmas as well!

The Gift of Giving...

Since I work nights (Yes I am working right now as I blog... be jealous :) I am always up at 5 am just in time to catch my daily preaching by my all time fave Joyce Meyer. That sister's got soul, a big one, and I love it! She is RRREEAAALLLL! Anyways, This morning as I was watching her, she said something that hit home to me. Quote

"Love wants to give. It doesn't feel put out when its asked to give. It looks for reason to give. When you are giving with a good attitude you are more like God than any other time in your life, because God was a giver!"

This made me smile... I have always said, and will always believe that "giving" is my love language. As a matter of fact, last night when me and the hubs were in walmart I said, "I just love to give" and he said "No, you just love to shop" Why this is not an untrue statement, My statement remains more true. I am a giver. There is nothing that fulfils me more than giving to people. I would stop and give to every hobo/bum on the street (even if I knew they were going to walk to the parking lot across the street and drive off in their lexus after holding up the "Will work for food" sign) its just the fact that once when I was a little girl my gma pearl told me that you must be good to all people because you never know if you are entertaining angels. I hear her tell me that ALL the time. When I see a homeless guy, or a unfortunate kid, or a family member that has thrown all they have away on drugs and alcohol and have nothing because they are constantly starting over... i think.. is this a test... is God placing this person in my life at this time to see where my heart stands?

anyways... i'm off my soap box.

hope you guys have a fabulous week! GET OUT AND BE A BLESSING!

Happy Monday!

Back With a Bang... 30 Day Challenge :)

I know, I know... it's been almost a year since i've posted... I suck... I get it... But hopefully I can redeem myself with this 30 Day Challenge (http://amandafouts.blogspot.com/2010/12/30-day-blog-challenge.html) If you are an avid blog reader.... Amanda's blog is the one to read. she is fantastic.. i live vicariously through her fabulous fun filled life :).

Anyways, 30 day blog challenege... My favorite all time song would be....

thinking....
thinking....
thinking...

i'm not sure i can say that i have an "All time favorite song" because if you know me, then you know i change my mind faster than the wind can blow... so answering this question would have to depend on what type of mood I was in that day. I seriously can sit in my car and listen to the radio and every other song I'm like "Turn it up, this is my favorite song." haha.

So instead of giving one.... i'm going to bend the rules a bit and give several.

Have you ever seen the movie, "The Preachers Wife" ? Well in that movie, Whitney Houston sings a song called "I believe in you and me" and i LOVE IT!!!!!!!! if i would have gotten to have the wedding of my dreams... it would have been played at my wedding.

I love love love
carrie underwoods... Temporary Home
carrie underwoods.... MaMa's Song
Miranda Lambert.... Only Prettier
Miranda Lambert... Gun Powder and Lead
Sugarlands..... Little Miss
Sugarlands.... Stuck like Glue (this is maddie and kenzies FAVORITE SONG FOR SURE!)
Tracy Byrd.... Keeper of the Star's
Michael Buble.... Home
Michael Buble... Everything
Gavin Degraw.... More than Anyone (this is mine and joshs song... he used to sing it to me when we were dating :)

I could go on and on because i love music... and especially lately one of my favorite things to do is drive the girls around until they go to sleep and then jam out and clear my head to xm's the highway. haha.

i'm a huge loser i know... :)

see you tomorrow!!!

oh did i mention that I passed my finals this semester so i only have one semester left before i'm a big RN!!! (Whoot Whoot!)

God is sooo Good!!!!!