Birthday videos - the last one is GOLDEN

Making a "mess," & "pokie, pokie, pokies!"

Let's really get messy!

The "MONEY-MAKER"

A Birthday to celebrate

Well, 2 birthdays actually. REBECCA & MARY-GAIL turned 2 YEARS OLD Thanksgiving Day. Rebecca turned 2 at exactly 5:49 pm; Mary-Gail turned 2 at exactly 5:53 pm. What wonders of creation these little beauties are.

Good Morning Birthday Girls!

Mary-Gail's birthday hat (my old cosmetic bag)

Tony & I decided to celebrate Rebecca & Mary-Gail's birthday early. We wanted their day to be special, and we wanted Carly & Spencer to be a part of it. We celebrated Rebecca & Mary-Gail last Friday. I made their cakes, and then 2 extra cakes for our special guests.

a PIGGY cake for Rebecca (and her Piggy)

a PANDA cake for Mary-Gail (and her Panda)

Carly inspired me to do this -

she always makes special cakes for the kids for their birthdays

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Mary-Gail is mesmerized by the "fire"

Rebecca blew out her candle! Mary-Gail wanted to touch the "fire"

Rebecca didn't want to get "messy"

Mary-Gail...she let me push her head into the cake. Love her!

5am CRAZIES!!!

That would be me and my sister, Joanna. We are CRAZY! We spend hours viewing the "Black Friday" sales ads, make lists after lists of items we want, re-view the ads, re-make our lists...we do this EVERY YEAR. Our first year of Black Friday shopping (2001) was the most fun: Carly joined us and we three girls convinced Jed to join us as our driver (of the Mazda Protege') and we sped through Provo/Orem picking up things left & right.

This year Jo & I focused on Shopko's 5am sale. Jo picked me up at 4am and we waited in line outside Shopko's doors for an hour, making our game-plan and listing who was going to get what. Shopko was so well organized: they had a map of the store showing where the big-ticket items were located, and had several employees with scanners for price checks (they carried RED balloons with them so they were easy to spot). They had someone guiding the customers through the waiting line for check-out and EVERY register was open. They even had complimentary hot chocolate for us while we waited outside for the store to open.

5am sounded and we flew into the store, JoJo headed back to the toys and I headed to kitchen items. We were done in 15 minutes! We took our shopping carts to the car, unloaded them, and then returned to the store for more. CRAZY!!!

We met up with our sis-in-law, Pam, at Toys'r'us at 5:45am. She ventured to Walmart for her items and said it was a MAD HOUSE!!! The police were called in because people were fighting over electronics!! And, Pam (who is a buck 20) was almost squished to death from the crowd of mad, crazy people.

Toys'r'us was INSANE! I stood in line while Jo & Pam shopped. The line fed through all the isles of the store! I left Jo & Pam in line at 6:50am , and took off to go to Walgreen's (love that store) for some more shopping. I finished at Walgreens just as Jo & Pam were checking out at Toys'r'us. We had to stash the Toys'r'us purchases in Pam's van b/c Jo's van was full! We ate breakfast at Village Inn (at 7:40am), said goodbye to Pam, and headed back to Shopko. Yes, WE ARE CRAZY! Actually, we returned several of the items that we bought (we were in the "SALE" mode and got caught up in the excitement) and saved ourselves (and our husbands) about $200. Nice. Can't wait until next year to do this all over again!!!!

More Thanks for Thanksgiving

Carol invited us to her house for Thanksgiving this year. JoJo, Jed + kids, & my mom joined us also. Carol's parents drove down from Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with them too, and a family friend, Melanie & her mom, Tina, were there. A LOT of people, but Carol managed to find a place for everyone!

After dinner Travis entertained Cy with his reptiles. Travis is destined to be a Zoologist!


Cy loved Travis' Bearded Dragon


Cy just gave the lizard a kiss!




Grandma & Baby Taylor Bug enjoyed CyCy's laughter, but
they didn't want the Beared Dragon close to them!

We topped supper off with Carol's homemade pies - 5 of them!!! Coconut Cream, Chocolate Cream, Pecan, and Pumpkin (x2). Carol also made her homemade whipped cream. WHO IS THIS LADY???

What I'm known for...

The makings of my Sweet Potato Souffle'

Each Thanksgiving I'm asked to my my Sweet Potato Souffle'. OK, it's really JoJo's recipe, but I've fallen so in-love with it that I've claimed it as my own. I made a souffle for mom's Thanksgiving Dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and Carol asked me to make it for her Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

YUMMY 'PRINCELLA' SWEET POTATOES (mashed)

Combine the nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, imitation butter, salt, sugar, eggs, milk, & butter together. Mix in with the mashed sweet potatoes.

Spoon mixture into casserole dish

Take a break & play with these little cuties & helpers :)


Coarsely chop nuts. I use both Pecans & Walnuts


Stir chopped nuts into melted butter, brown sugar, & crushed Corn Flakes

Load the topping on the souffle' & bake!

You've just created a mouth-watering dish that demands second helpings (and thirds)

Thanksgiving @ Mom's, one week early

My mom has made a tradition of having an early Thanksgiving Dinner the Sunday before Thanksgiving. That way all her kids can come since some of us have to rotate holidays with our in-laws. This year was no different, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with Mom & Grandma Gourley on Sunday, 11/23.

JoJo is a SuperMom and had several crafts planned for the "Littles." Gage, Abbie, Preston, McKena, & Reese made "Candy Turkeys" using Oreo's, Sour Patch Gummies, and Whoopers. Me...I just ate their ingredients :)!!!

Grandma Gourley kept saying, "Just look at all these babies!" So, we lined up the "babies" and took pictures of them. Aren't they all so CUTE?!

Ella (6mo); Taylor (5mo); Rebecca (2yrs)

Adding another "baby," Mary-Gail, 2yrs

Adding one more...Cy, 18months

The cutest kids of the bunch!

Snacks with Car Car & Spen-er

CarCar & Spener stopped by Thursday afternoon just in time for snacks! JoJo had just come from work and getting the kids from school, and the day was perfect for outside play-time. We brought out some crackers and cut up apples & cheese, and gave them to CarCar & Spener for handing out. The kids ate every last piece of food. (Mary-Gail is looking for some more in the last picture).

Kisses first, then a snack :)

Becca holding Gage's hand; Reese is hiding

Mary-Gail talking to JoJo & Baby Taylor "Bug"

CyCy sharing his drink with Pixie

Uncle Spener gearing up for the next round of treats

CyCy rolling around

Treats are all gone