they do love each other!!

These pictures tug at my heart strings something awful.

As much as my munchkins bicker and fight and yell and scream...they still love each other.

Layla had a friend over and Hayden was upset that he didn't get to ride in the jeep like he usually does.  So sissy let him ride with her...in her lap.  Yes, they were touching.  I was in shock and HAD to snap a few pictures!!  She never unwrapped her arms from around him.  She wanted him to be safe. 

The next time they are fighting, I am going to make them look at this post!

a new spin on a classic

Does your family love spaghetti and meat sauce, but get tired of it?  Do you get tired of making it the same way everytime?  I threw my crew for a loop the other night when I changed up our regular spaghetti recipe.  Here is what I used and how I did it:

1 lbs ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

olive oil for sauteing

1 jar of pasta sauce

4 oz cream cheese

1 lb pasta of your choice, I used spaghetti

6 oz Monterrey jack/cheddar cheese for topping

Saute veggies first, set aside.  Brown beef, drain and add the veggies into the beef.  Pour in the pasta sauce and then throw in the cubed cream cheese.  Stir until the cream cheese is fully melted.  Let the beef mixture hang out and mesh while boiling the pasta.  Drain and place into the beef mixture.  Pour into a baking dish and top with cheese.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

I took these pictures with my iPhone and used instagram to edit them.  It is a fun iPhone app that lets you play with the look of your pictures.  It's fun!

One of my favorite smells ever...veggies sauteing in the skillet!

I edited this picture so the sauce looks more red. The white is the cubed cream cheese before it melted.

I added the pasta, stired it up and put it into a baking dish.

Then I topped it with cheese. 

The kids loved slurping the spaghetti noodles.  And see that bread stick on Hayden's plate.  All I had in the house was canned biscuits, so I rolled them long and baked them up.  They tasted just like garlic bread sticks.

How is that for a different way to make spaghetti and meat sauce?  I love cooking up new and different things!  We get bored with food so easily...I love experimenting.  Usually my Guinea pigs will try it...and they will be brutally honest too if they don't like what I serve.

What have you done to change up boring recipes lately?

Bogey...

...is 4 months old!

We have had him for over a month, and he is fitting into our family so well.  He is a spunky little pup full of energy!  He loves to pester the kids and Harley.  Harley spends 80 % of her day growling at Bogey.  You'd think she'd be used to him, but she isn't.  They fight as much, if not more than the kids do.

Bogey is 25 pounds and growing.  He eats all the time and begs for more food.  I think he would eat all day long if we'd let him.  He is being crate trained.  He is doing great with it during the day when we are gone on errands.  He should sleep in the crate at night too, but I have been letting him sleep with us.  One day he is going to be too large to sleep with us.  He sleeps at our feet and loves it!  He is doing so well at potty training.  He hasn't had an accident in the house in a few weeks.  He sits at the back door waiting for one of us to let him outside.

He chews on everything he can.  On Tuesday morning he woke me up throwing up.  And he didn't get better.  Poor little puppy was so sick.  He just layed around and wouldn't eat or drink.  Gary and I decided to take him to the vet.   They did ex-rays and a few tests and just decided it must have been something he ate.  Bless his heart, they gave him medicine and he is a little better now.  Thank goodness.  I hate when my kids and puppies are sick.  Pray with me that he doesn't have Parvo.  He goes through spurts where he is better, worse, better worse. 

We are all so happy to have Bogey as our newest family member.  We are super happy to know we adopted him...we saved him from an uncertain future.  He will now bring us joy for years to come.

my backpack and purse search

I am so excited to show you the Ju Ju Be bag I have been eyeballing for months.

 I treated myself after I won a $50.00 CSN giveaway hosted my Jenn @ The Getts Times! 

Thanks Jenn for hosting such a fun giveaway :)

  Isn't is just adorable?  And girlie?  I love it!  With both kids being in school now and ALL the field trips we attend, I wanted a fun girlie backpack.  This one is also purple, and I love purple!

I think it is the perfect size!  I looked at several sizes, but this one is the best for me.  My camera fits wonderfully inside the main compartment.  And I can even fit my wallet, phone and snacks inside with room to spare.  It also has a pocket for a diaper and wipes for Hayden.  Each side has a small pocket for water bottles.  Can you tell I am excited? 

I can't wait until next Friday...we are heading to the zoo for a kindergarten adventure.  I can't wait to carry my new Ju Ju Be backpack.  Thanks again for having such a great giveaway Jenn!

**********

In other news I am having the hardest time picking out a purse.  I just hate making choices.  Honestly, I just want someone to pick out a purse, tell me to buy it and that is that.  I think I want a bright fun color, like pink, purple, teal or coral.  But I am afraid I will get tired of it.  But it it is a purse.  I am such a goof!  I'm acting like I am stuck with it forever or something.  Ha!

On a recent shopping adventure I went to Sam Moon and walked around and around.  I picked up a million purses and none of them jumped out at me.  I did notice this strange and creepy man looking at purses though. Yes, I said man, looking at purses. It was weird.  It made me really nervous.  I tried to get away from him, but he seemed to be in the same places in the store as me.  When I really started to get freaked out, I noticed a woman acting weird too.  She picked up every single purse I touched.  It's like she followed me around just to see what I was looking at.  Eeeewww!  I couldn't get out of that store fast enough...so I'm still looking for a purse. 

** And I want to say a big thank you to my twitter friends for all the input and purse ideas!!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for

love letter

I am so happy Layla is learning to read and write.  We get the sweetest notes.
 Oh, and the reason it is all wrinkled...Hayden wadded it up and sent his sweet Sissy into the fit of all fits.


This note says,

Love Layla

 I love you for the food we get and I love you for the

(over)

Baby brother I have.  Dad, I love you and I love your good food and I love your job.

The first side was for me, and  put the 'love Layla' part at the top instead of the bottom, but we understand what she meant.  Not too bad for a 5 year old!! 

I think it is funny she thanked us both for food. 

We don't like food much do we?