He Is Six.

Happy Birthday Kyan!
Today you are six.
It seems like just yesterday you were born and we weren't even sure if you were going to make it, I get a big knot in my throat just thinking back to that day (I posted about his birth story last year, if you have a little time to read and maybe a tissue or two, click here).

You are the most special (does that even make sense?) little boy I know. From your blue eyes to the sweet little hugs you give me for no reason, to our secret "thumbs up" message to each other, to your love of video games like your daddy, to your patience and tenderness with your sister, to taking out the bad dreams at night and putting the good ones in before you go to sleep, ...I love every moment with you.

I am so excited for you and your special day, today and Saturday. Birthday cupcakes at school (we didn't have enough time to make chocolate chip cookies, but will for his party on Saturday), Ah-So for dinner, as our little family of four (his choice, the birthday person picks! He is a boy after my own heart, seriously...LOVE that he loves that place as much as me), and your Kings and Queens themed party on Saturday (I had so much fun shopping with you Tuesday for everything and can't wait to put it all together)!

I will be singing this in my head all day today and thinking of you.


Happy Birthday Kyan.
I love you more than you will ever know.

The Supper Club - Winter

The Supper Club met up last night at the Butler's house for the Winter Menu! This was our second time meeting, if you missed the first post/menu/introduction to what the Supper Club is all about, click here!

Supper Club Members: Angela & Ryan (Host Couple), Adam & Holly, Abel & Kristen, and Jenni (that is me!) & Chad

Not only do we get to try new foods, that I would typically NEVER try on my own, I get to hang out for an evening with these beautiful ladies! Yes, I get to see them every day at work, but it is few and far between where we get to unwind together for an evening. We try not to bring up school (our husbands do a great job reminding us that it is not the time or the place each time something is said). Last night was a blast and we found lots of ways to keep ourselves entertained!

Ok, so just in case you don't want to click back to the first post on the Supper Club, let's review The Rules quick:

1. No kids.

2. The host comes up with the menu and then divides out the recipes to each of the supper club members to prepare for the party.

3. The host always provides the main dish/side dish with a variety of beverage selections.

4. Remember that it is sometimes best to semi-prepare your dishes and do last minute baking, chilling, slicing, or arranging at the home of the host.

5. Menu items should be new and adventurous.

6. Portion sizes must be small so that you have room to taste every course of the evening, so feel free to reduce recipes in half where ever you see fit.

The Menu
Cocktail:
Rum-Spiked Ginger Beer Cocktail

Appetizers:
Bacon Cheese Poppers
Chicken Bites with Apricot Sauce

Soup:
Holiday Tortellini Soup

Salad:
Fruit with Honey Ginger Dressing

Main Course:
Cranberry Wild Rice
Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Quail with Bourbon-Pepper Jelly Glaze

Dessert:
Creamy Hot White Chocolate with Peppermint Whip Cream
I can't find the recipe online to the whipped cream, so here it is:
In a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream unitl it begins to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract; beat until stiff peaks form. Garnish with 1 tablespoon crushed peppermint candies. Makes 1 cup.

Mint Cookies 'n' Cream Brownies

Another very interesting menu that was surprisingly very delicious once again! I learned how to cut quail properly and got over the fact that I was eating a bird that I see in my backyard on a daily basis! The Bacon Cheese Poppers were to die for, along with the Creamy White Hot Chocolate!

Can't wait to see what Holly and Adam's menu looks like for Spring!

It's Been Awhile...

Can't wait!

My Plate is FULL.

Haven't posted in over a week, to say that I have been busy would be an understatement. I didn't leave school tonight until 6:30, and this was to avoid being a psycho mother when I got home (like I was last night, ignoring my family and just working, I felt horrible and crabby and mean).

Why is every deadline due at the exact same time? Yearbook, Career Ladder, Grades, D & F Reports, Letters of Recommendation...(you get the picture). Not to mention that my son turns 6 next Thursday and I have not even begun to plan his party. He will be my number one priority Friday, after I submit all mentioned paperwork above.
Work is so busy (both works, another HUGE photo shoot this weekend) which means that the housework and laundry (I think there might be about 20 loads screaming at me that they need to be washed. When I was sorting them, there were clothes in there that I completely forgot my kids even owned) are piling up and just getting put on the back burner. I am lucky enough that my sis-in-law is willing to come over to the house tomorrow and help out. I NEED a clean house and I am pretty sure she needs some money, so it is a win/win situation?! Right. That is what I keep telling myself anyway.
Last, but not least, I started a project while watching The Bachelor on Monday (two different ideas I saw in bloggyland that I smooshed together into one), but who knows when I will be able to finish it. Here is a little sneak peek at what I hope I get to work on sometime this weekend (fingers crossed):
Hoping to be back to normal soon. It is not fun to feel like a chicken running around with their head cut off.

Something is Missing!?

This morning I emailed Kyan's teacher about having him take the bus today instead of going to extended day, a really irrelevant part of the story, but how it started. She didn't email me back, so I figured, she got the message, no worries. Right before I went to lunch, I checked my email and she had asked me to send her my cell phone number, she had something to show me. I immediately thought to myself that his tooth finally came out and was hoping that I would have a picture soon! Off I went to lunch, and I was biting into my lunch, this is what she sent me...

I got giant mommy tears in my eyes! My first baby, who will be six in 16 days, lost his first tooth! Kyan has been working that tooth for the past two weeks. He will sit and watch a movie or cartoons and just wiggle away. So today, Mrs. Jones actually took toilet paper and pulled it right before lunch. HA! Did I tell you how much I LOVE Kyan's teacher? Not only did she pull his tooth, but she sent me the picture right after he went to the nurse to get it put away in a special bag! She was so worried that he was going to choke on it as he was eating. It was so ready to come out that it didn't hurt at all!

As soon as I was finished taking this picture, Kyan ran upstairs to put his tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy! He informed me that he thought the tooth fairy was going to bring him $10 for his tooth! No pressure or anything, but I am pretty sure the tooth fairy is going to deliver, it is the first tooth after all!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

It was my first day back at school from Winter Break, and oh how I was dreading going back! How I long to be a stay at home (or at least part time) mama! Lemme tell ya, I live for breaks! Maybe one day...

I kept so busy over break that it really didn't feel like much of a break at all, but when the alarm went off this morning and it was for me, instead of the hubs, I was not loving life! I have been burning the midnight oil (very unusual for me, but I was up late...more like early into the morning most of the time), so sleeping in (when I say that I mean, like 7:30) has been nice. Not the case today!

Anywho, back to work I am and that is why the winner post is coming on so late! So excited to have so many new followers! Welcome! For those that have been followers for awhile, I am so happy to have you and thanks for reading about all of our crazy adventures as a family of four! I hope that you stick around!

Now, for the winner!
(insert drum roll)
Comment #26 I'm a follower!
Amy, who happens to be the creator of Evy's Tree! Love her hoodies!

Kinda funny that Amy ended up the winner (I swear I used Random.org to pick, I just don't know how to take a picture of the little box that displays the number it picks), since I send her most of Lola's hand-me-downs anyway (but the MJ clothes are brand spanking new this time)! Amy and I have never met in real life, just found each other via the blog world and I really do consider her to be a good friend. She used to leave comments on another's blog who I happened to leave comments for all the time and I think she started our friendship by leaving a comment first, but since then, I have grown to love her so much! She tells the most honest stories about life on her personal blog and she makes the most beautiful embellished hoodies (my favorite is The Simple) that she sells in her etsy store! If you haven't checked her out, go!

Congrats Amy, I will get this in the mail to you ASAP!!!

Ringing In the New Year!

If you only knew the lengths that I went to to get this picture, and I guess I should have been more specific to the hubs, to at least smile, as he HATES that I take pictures of everything, everywhere we go. Oh well...this is a pretty typical face for him in pictures, annoyed! So up it goes anyway!

We spent our evening at with the Casillas family household, as both of their extended families were in town! Holly and Syd were there too! The kids got some much needed time together and played so well, while the adults were able to play poker and sit around and visit! I think we have reached a turning point in our kids growing up part of their lives! They don't need us so much anymore and are able to keep themselves entertained! I will say that it is very nice to feel like an adult again!

We headed home just after 11pm and curled up in our beds (me with a good book)! About 11:55, the fireworks started and Lola came running! Not only did she want in bed with me (Chad was on the computer still), she was so scared that she wanted under the covers to sleep, and that is exactly where she fell asleep, in my arms, with the covers pulled over her head!

This morning we woke up to frozen pipes and no running water...in ARIZONA?! It took about an hour of running a drip before it came back on full force! When I was driving to shoot the wedding yesterday, I saw snow on the mountains?! It was crazy and I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone a little bit!

Today we are celebrating 2011 watching the Rose Bowl Parade, watching football, editing wedding pictures, finishing a birthday gift, and celebrating a very special birthday! We are busy!

We were blessed in 2010, cheers to 2011, I am looking forward to all that it brings!
Happy New Year!

PS - If you haven't entered the Matilda Jane Giveaway, worth almost $200, click here, you have 2 more days!