Raw Ice Cream

we blended frozen bananas, some expeller pressed coconut oil, chia seeds and some ground flax ( a recipe I found HERE along with a really neat post)

then we laid in some supplies - raspberries, raw chocolate sauce, raw homemade granola, and goji berries

put all that goodness atop our ice cream



and then we dug in! Bella is more the "stirred" ice cream type while Card is more the "get it in my tummy right now" type....

'round here

we hear nothin'.........

The Polenta Covered Hot Dog

so we realized a while back, when Will was quoting a line out of "Blues Brothers"..you know, the one where the guy orders two WHOLE fried chickens and a coke.... that our son (Card) has never had fried chicken. He asks "Daddy, what IS fried chicken"....
Now a few days later we realize another "food" that he has never had... he came home and told Will - "and Dad-Dad had a hot dog covered in polenta!" (for those of you who don't know, polenta is just coarse cornmeal that we usually make in the mornings -also known as grits) He was, of course, referring to a corn dog......

Happy Birthday Holly

Love the action shot...Bo just wanted to say Happy Birthday too!!



checking over the goodies with her birthday buddy



Greg, Holly and Hanna pray over the meal (Lord please turn this Cheeto into a carrot stick on the way down... I know you Schnak's get it...)

Holly and her birthday buddy Hanna - everyone in their family has a birthday buddy...good thing there is an even number of folks...for now anyway :)

and this is for the girls - complete with his "phantom tattoo" on his arm :)

Whoops, I forgot

that I had actually taken a few pictures before I opened my new camera :)


the kids helping dad open his gift


Jen and Georgia aka Peaches


The whole group assembles around Aunt Barbara each year as she hands out gifts. Here are Card, AJ, Lelia, Bella, Mrs. Bobbi and baby Keilee.

Happy 40th Anniversary Bill and Colleen

Bill and Colleen celebrated their 40th anniversary this year! These cookies were made by our good friend Launa Barrett - who makes the best soy-free cookie icing :)

Christmas Day

Then Christmas day is spent with just us in the morning and a visit from Dad-Dad and Mom-Mom (and this year Lil Mom-Mom also) in the evening.

The kids with, what seems to be, the favorite gift. This is a Plan Toys Victorian Dollhouse and was for Katie and Bella.....

but the boys seem to have moved in on the action too! The girls don't mind sharing and since Card got a Plan City fire engine, he is always on call to put out the ineveitable house fire :)

after gifts and such, mommy played around with her camera

This years Christmas

We spend Christmas Eve at Uncle Bobby and Aunt Barbara's house each year. Their is an ever increasing number of children there and our kids love seeing them each year. It is just really neat to watch each others kids growing up - we were just kids ourselves "hanging out" with each other - right Jen?? What happened??

The very first picture taken with my Nikon D 90 that my dad and husband bought for me! This camera is amazing. And what better subjects than 2 of the people I love the most :)


here is a small picture of the camera - it is awesome.... the kids are LOVING mommy having a new digital to take all the pictures of them she wants too....


and now on to more serious subjects....

like getting a hold of that ball!!

Jen playing with two of my kiddoes - it is such a blessing to spend time with friends and family each year.


Ah ha - you thought you would not see the photographer huh?? Lelia insisted that she have a picture with me and her Princess picnic set (which I have no idea who gave it to her, but she loved it). Lelia belongs to Damion and Mrs. Bobbi (as we refer to her in our house, since there are now Mrs. Bobbi and Uncle Bobby....) and is as sweet as can be. Damion and Bobbi also have AJ, Keilee and a new baby on the way! Sweet family - hope you get to feeling better soon Bobbi!

Some December pictures

Seems I am updating more on a monthly basis than the planned weekly basis - oh well, the kids are not complaining about the extra time with mama :)
Some of our recent pictures - this was last month at the Boytim home...






















We found this huge tomato plant growing out of our mulch pile!















with beautiful tomatoes all ready to eat - we hurried and picked them before the first frost of the season...yes, the first frost here in TX came well into December

Bella working on some school work. This picture of her was featured in our monthly homeschool newsletter- her and Card are doing so well this year!

A Jay Bird in flight!

and last but not least - we eat in this house... here is one of our local diners enjoying a typical meal.