More Spring Time Photos!

About 2 weeks ago while walking to get K from school I brought my camera along. This is becoming a weekly thing, almost! I love it. I'm glad I bought it as well. We got some BEAUTIFUL (if I do say so myself) photos of the 'pink' tree at the school. This past week the wind has blown every single pink flower off of it! It's so sad but it's life I guess.

Enjoy some photos! Oh and I believe this is Q's first day of wearing shorts!

Taken May 3rd 2010.
























This one is my favourite! Once Q realized I was no longer taking photos of him (see Wordless Wednesday) he wanted to get right back in on the action:

1 year ago today

Can you believe what happens in 1 year? Just 365 days. It seems like such a short time. And yet so much has changed. I wanted to share a post from another blog I wrote "Our Summer Adventures 2009"

The day has finally come! We move tomorrow! I'm so surprised how fast things are coming along! I mean we have alot to do in the house but generally things are booking it

Yesterday I was having one of those days. I was so frustrated and I couldn't handle everything. I finally called DH and while whispering into the phone (I lost my voice this week) I asked him to come home. He did about 2 hours later. By then I managed to make him some more lunches, pack up the caned goods and some more randomness! DH came home and emptied our bedroom as well as some buckets of his. It was good to have everything cleaned up and ready to go! I love this feeling, that we are almost ready to move!

Our downside right now is that it says it will rain this weekend while we move. That part sucks ALOT! but what can you do? That and alot of our people who are coming to help us move have now backed out. I'm hoping that we can still get a few of them to come over but we will have to wait and see how it goes. I know our friends who have the truck are helping us move everything (which is good) and we basically need the 'big' stuff moved, after that we are good with just the van.

DH called the campground and found out that we can get in as early as 8am! I think we are going to aim for 9 or 9:30 instead. Then we plan on getting the trailer and tents set up and leave the kids with Mom and Dad for a bit and we will head back home and start cleaning and bringing a few loads of stuff to the storage unit. We have to pack up the beds (I have the plastic covers for them) so hopefully we can get that part done and get them by the door and ready to move. We are going to take out the car seats from the van and put them at the trailer so my parents can take the kids somewhere if needed. We are also going to take out the seats in the van so we can get a few more big things in there. I'm really hoping that most of the 'big' stuff will be done before alot of the people get here.

Next week I plan on being home on Wednesday and Friday so we are going to leave some cleaning supplies and have those ready to go for the last minute problems and such.

Tonight is our last night in this house! Wow, and I can honestly say I"m not going to miss it, that much. I'll miss the 4 hard walls around us but aside from that I"m good

Last night I got the dresser ready in the trailer. I emptied all the 'stuff' from it and packed it full of our clothes. I have a few more clothes from the boys room (I hope to grab those today while they are napping and get them out to the trailer) and then we are generally set! Mind you I got all of DH's clothes (minus his week away which I made him pack for already) in his 1 drawer, then I got most of the boys clothes in their drawers and mine... well what can I say! I'm a girl! I got my clothes in there and in.....2.... garbage bags Thank goodness it all fits somewhat in the trailer. I'm figuring we will have a few boxes under the trailer with things like sweaters and long sleeve shirts and pants and coats. Or in the tent. Who knows.

I know I have been asking alot but please say a prayer for us. We are in the final home stretch and I"m getting a bit scared about things. More so the week I spend without DH. We haven't done it that I was ever alone with the boys before. I mean I spent a month or so with my parents when K was born, and I did do from Feb to June at my parents house but I have always had help. This coming week no help and it's starting to make me worry a bit.

As soon as I get my computer back I'll post photos from before. I did manage to also get the beds made and I got a few cutes photos from the boys pretending to nap in their new beds!

So far the only thing that is the 'same' is the weather. Aside from that we are *not* moving, *not* opening up the trailer, and *not* putting things in a storage unit!

Our plan for today is to chill out at home and maybe get together everything I need to... plant my garden! This was something I really missed last year. Hopefully I will be able to enjoy this garden!

So what about you? take a moment and try to remember, what were you doing 1 year ago today.

Wordless Wednesdays - Q running in boots!

Kid's Favourite Pasta and Chicken (New Food #26)

Ok so I know it's been alot of food today. I hope you are hungry!!

Today's meal was a test trial. I changed alot of things on it so who knows if it was to taste the way it did! (which was ok btw... more of a 2.5/5 but ok)

Start to Finish - 25 minutes

1 - 12 oz package of frozen cooked breaded chicken nuggets
8 - oz dried wagon wheel pasta
4 cups of sliced assorted vegetables (such as broccoli, summer squash, and sweet pepper)
1/2 of an 8oz tub of cream cheese spread with chives and onion
1/2 cup of milk
salt and ground black pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese

1 - Heat chicken nuggets according to package directions.
2 - Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat a large amount of lightly salted water to boiling. Add pasta; cook for 4 minutes. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes more or until pasta is tender. Drain and return to pan.
3 - Add cream cheese spread to pasta mixture. Heat through. Add enough milk to thin to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving. Serve with baked chicken nuggets.

Makes 4 servings.


What we did:
15 chicken nuggets from M&M's
1/2 package of twirlly noodles
2 cups of veggies - frozen corn and broccoli
3/4 tub of normal spread cream cheese
some chives
some of onion powder
1/4 cup of milk
salt and ground black pepper

Things to change for next time - get the cream cheese with onion and chives in there! It might taste better.

Creamy Baked Chicken (New Food #25)

I'm caught up!!!

I made this last night for the C&C boys and they enjoyed it. I've made something similar but this was good! And it got me to use some of my chives I have overtaking the back yard!

1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 pounds), cut up **
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted ***
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon of minced chives ****
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika


1 - place chicken in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the soups, sour cream, water, chives, salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.

2 - bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear.


** I just used boneless skinless chicken breasts.
*** I just used 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
**** I brought some from the garden and I used those.. so WAY more than what they suggested


Served with beans and chive & garlic mashed potatoes

Broccoli/Caulifower Cheese Soup (New Food #24)

I wanted to make something different. A few weeks back (see chicken noodle soup one) I made the soup and Arnold wanted to try something else. He was comparing the soups. It was so cute!

Anyway.... I made my own soup. It was good. I won't lie it didn't look good (in fact it looked like the milk curdled) but it was SOOOOOOO yummy.


1 package of frozen chopped broccoli***
1 package of cauliflower pieces***
2 10oz cans of cheddar cheese soup
2 12oz cans of evaporated milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onions (1 small onion)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4tsp pepper
1 8oz package of cream cheese, cubed
2 cups of water
1 carton of half and half cream***
crumbled bacon, optional


combine all ingredients into the crock pot and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low setting. Enjoy!




***now I didn't use a package, I used the fresh stuff I had from a package that were about to go bad. I then used a half a my-packaged broccoli. As for the half and half cream... I used up what was left over from what my dad gave me, and just to top up the soup a bit more.

Maple-and-pepper pork tenderloin (New Food #23)

I tired this out, and it was good. Even the C&C'ers liked it! It was a great bbq meal!

Prep 5 minutes
Grill 15 minutes
Serves 4 (hahahahaha well whatever you can figure)

1 tbsp - maple syrup
2 tbsp - grainy mustard
1 tbsp - vegetable oil
1 tsp - coarsely ground black pepper or sambal celek (optional)
2 - pork tenderloins, each about 3/4lbs***


1 - oil grill and preheat barbecue to high or oven to 375F. In a small bowl, whisk syrup with mustard, oil and pepper, if using. Evenly rub or brush mixture all over pork.

2 - place coated tenderloins on barbecue. Reduce heat to medium-high and grill with lid closed, turning often, until meat feels firm to the touch. This will take from 15 to 18 minutes. depending on thickness of tenderloins. Or roast on a baking sheet, without turning, 25 to 30 minutes. Removing from grill or oven to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.


I served with rice, scallions, and steamed veggies. It was good!


***I used thick cuts (like maybe 1/2 inch or less) and cut off the extra fat. They were from walmart and pretty good (and cheap).