Sunday Photo .17

The on-call pager has decided that it is going out in style. 

(if in fact it really does go away after tomorrow; I have my doubts, I think they will stick it with him longer just because....)

  I think we've seen Wade a total of 40 minutes today.  And that might be rounding up a bit too.  He called around 11:30, on his way home, with plans to make it home for lunch and help us get ready for church.  As he was walking up the front steps, the pager went off two more times.  Back he went again.  Another new patient.  And another surgery.

Really, if shooting the pager isn't an option, then we have to do something to celebrate when this is over. Ideas?

  I've hit my limit this weekend too and the kids are watching episodes of My Little Ponies on Netflix right now.  I don't see anything wrong with that.  

We don't usually ride our bikes on Sunday, but I couldn't help taking this as our Sunday photo. On the way home from church today I got a call from a neighbor that also goes to church with us.  He asked if we would happen to need a bike, they had one that their grandsons had outgrown and they didn't need it anymore.

You bet we need a bike! I didn't even drive home, we went straight to their house for the bike.  I've been worried about our bike dilemma for the past couple weeks.  Avery has learned to ride Noah's bike 2 wheel bike.  She now refuses to ride her tricycle.  Which means every single time we get the bikes out, Avery and Noah have the most horrible fights over who gets to ride the bike.  The most logical thing would be buy Noah a middle size bike, but right now we can't afford to buy a new bike.  I was hoping a garage sale would pop up soon with either a girl bike, or a next size up bike for Noah - at a decent (cheap) price.

They are all so super excited to each have their own bikes.  This "new" bike doesn't have training wheels either, so Noah can't wait to get out there and practice and learn how to ride it.  Plus, it has a picture of a shark on it. Noah is in bike heaven.

Blessings sure come in all shapes, forms and sizes.  Yep, I think Heavenly Father shows he loves us, even with bikes.

Ooey-Gooey Homemade Mac and Goodness Cheese

For dinner tonight we had Noah's favorite.  Ooey-Gooey Homemade Mac and Goodness Cheese.  You could also call this "immediate 5 pound weight gain, roll on the floor moaning after eating because it's so good," dinner.

But Homemade Mac and Cheese is a lot easier to say though.

I got the recipe from a ward cookbook, of a ward I was never in, a friend gave me a copy of the book a few years ago.  It is now a family favorite.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

3 cups grated white cheddar cheese (I usually just use the normal orange stuff, we have it on hand, because we buy it in bulk)

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 lb ziti or penne pasta

3 3/4 cup milk

8 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  In mixing bowl combine cheeses and set aside.

2.  Cook pasta until al dente, drain and place in mixing bowl.

3.  In small saucepan, bring milk to simmer.

4.  In large saucepan, melt butter.  When it bubbles, whisk in flour.  Cook, stirring 5 to 6 minutes and remove from heat.  Whisk in hot milk.  Add cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Reduce heat to low.  Add 2 cups of cheese and cook, stirring until cheese is melted.  Pour sauce over pasta and mix.

6.  Pour pasta into buttered 3 1/2 quart baking dish (I use our 11x13 glass pan).  Top with remaining cheese; pour cream over the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling.

Warning:  The cayenne does add a bit of a kick, but it's good.  Our kids love it.  

The big move...

We are boxing up our rain boots and putting them in storage.  Because we sure won't be needing them in....

Utah!

Yep, that's right, save your foot problems, and make your appointments.

Wade will be practicing in Bountiful, Utah starting July 2nd.

And I have to admit, we are all super excited, but at the same time I'm a little sad to go.  There is a saying around Western Washington.  I've let the "moss grow between my toes."  It's always hard to leave family and friends. I moved here with the kids four years ago.  This will be our ninth move, in twelve years.  So I'm not a stranger to the game.  Ask me in a year, I'll love our new place.  I just know it.

The other part of this is, I'm just nervous.  This means we'll be done and in the real world.  So scary to me. We're pretty good at this student thing.  Even as residents I used it as our crutch.  There is no easy button in life.  I should have learned that by now.

Wade's dream is to work in private practice.  This is a really great opportunity.  But it isn't the easy button.

 It's going to take time to build up and settle down.
This isn't a job with a hospital or a healthcare system.
That would be the easy button.
But it's not what Wade wants.

This is exactly what he wants and we are excited.



We're familiar with Utah and Salt Lake county,
but any housing opinions in Davis county are welcome.

Any empty boxes are even more welcome.

Set up your appointments now.
July will be here before we all know it!

~~~

For those readers interested in our opinions on the job search (E.g. "younger" residency friends)...we don't have helpful advice.  This is our opinion:  It's a lot of hard work.  Staring early can help, but doesn't always mean it's going to pay off.  For us it was a long stressful process. Lots of prayer and fasting involved.  Network, talk to every single person you know, and then talk to more.  The economy isn't very helpful.  It's not fun.  Kinda like the rest of residency.  We both agree we would do med school twice before ever doing residency again.  Good luck.

Saturday Seven No. 13

1.  If you somehow missed it this week, we're having a baby.

2.  Eli learned a new word this week:  Every morning when Wade leaves for work he gives me a good-bye kiss.  The big kids always laugh and say, "Eww...gross!"  Friday when Wade left, Eli pointed at us and said, "GOSS!"

3.  Gage found three, four leaf clovers this week.  Talk about lucky.

4.  Open the bin of blocks, animals and get out the Little People house and Avery is set for hours.  Literally. She will build and play and imagine all sorts of stories.

 5.  I started packing up some bookshelves this week.  I thought I had a lot of boxes, but I'm now out of boxes.  And I still have more books.  If you have boxes, I'll take them.

6.  I just got home from spending four hours at the district Pinewood Derby.  Wade had to work.  I got to fly solo and  take all four crazy kids to the busy Saturday mall full of rowdy cub scouts.  Three of my kids hate the mall.  One loves it.  She loves to wiggle out of the stroller and run wild because there is always something in every single store she wants to look at.

It was an interesting morning.  Gage got a participation medal.  There were 68 cars.  His car got to race 3 times, but I'm writing this up as a "heart-breaking-educational-experience."  We've always got next year.  Plus, everyone got pretzels and mall pretzels are awesome!

7.  Supposedly Wade is done with residency call Monday for good.  Most 3rd years don't take call.  But most 3rd years have other residents at their program.  I sure wish we didn't have to turn in the pager.  I kinda wish we could take it out in a field and shoot it.  I am not even kidding.

Preschool trip to the zoo

Monday was Noah's preschool field trip to the zoo.  We had the best weather you could have asked for.  It's been cold and rainy every other day this week.

His class and their teacher checking out the zoo map.

Noah and Avery and their friends.  Hearts, hearts, blue, blue.  It's like they called each other and planned it.

Noah loves the aquariums at our zoo.  They are always his favorite part.

Touch and feel station.

Monday we got a treat!  The polar bears were wrestling and playing right next to the glass.  The class went wild watching the bears.  It was the highlight of everyone's trip.

It was so funny watching the class of preschoolers walk around and ask questions.  Everyone got a kick out of the stinky reindeer.  Then the teacher explained to the kids that poop is a good thing...they laughed so hard over that!

  Even though I brought the double stroller, Avery had to walk right in the middle of the group too.  Most of the time she held Noah's teachers hand and walked right next to her.  We all love Noah's teacher.

Even though we have a zoo pass I don't make time to go there as much as I should.  It was fun going Monday with Noah's class.

Suncadia Mini Vacation

Last weekend Wade had a state podiatry meeting at Suncadia Resort.  He had been there before his first year and was really impressed, so (since his room was paid for anyway) we decided to make it into a little mini-vacation for the rest of us and we all tagged along.

Suncadia is about 2 hours east of us and on the other "sunny" side of the mountains.  He left early Friday morning, and I headed up with the kids after picking up Gage from school that afternoon.

The place was absolutely gorgeous, we never really wanted to leave!

Obviously, some of these pictures are from their website.

Our room was amazing.  It's pretty hard to find a room that six of us fit in comfortably.  But we totally fit and comfortably to boot!  We had a king bed for us, a queen fold out couch, for the two cuddle bugs Avery and Noah, Gage took the floor in a sleeping bag and Eli got the pack and play.  

And you could STILL walk around.

Amazing.

Plus we had a full size kitchen.  I loved this.  We even had a mini washer and dryer.  I'm a complete dork, but some blankets got wet overnight so I used them, and I've decided I have to buy a front loader washer next time.  Eli laid on the floor watching the wash go around for at least 20 minutes! 

Friday night we hung out in the room.  The pool was already closed so the kids had a bath in the huge tub.

While I put Noah, Avery and Eli to bed, Wade and Gage headed out to the lobby.  They played some chess and enjoyed the fire pit outside.

Saturday Wade was off to meetings, so the rest of us went on some "hikes" around on local trails.  I didn't want to carry Eli, so our hiking wasn't too fast, but it was fun.  Did I mention it how beautiful it was?

The kids had fun with some snow we found on one trail.  They took sticks and broke the snow pack up.  I think they could have stayed there for hours working on this project.

That afternoon Wade was able to take a break and join us at the pool.  This was the boys FAVORITE part of vacation, because the pool had two water slides!  They could have done it for hours.  In fact, they did race up the stairs, down the slide and back up the stairs for at least one hour.  I know, because after 10-15 minutes into their water slide adventures, Avery decided it was NOT fun to watch her brothers anymore.  She wanted a turn.  She wasn't tall enough, plus I would be crazy to let her go on her own anyway, so I got to enjoy a 40 minute tantrum/melt down with her while the boys had fun.  I didn't even attempt to get any pictures. (of the boys...not Avery.)

Saturday night we headed into a little tiny town, Rosyln (where they filmed the old show Northern Exposure).  My friend had recommended a pizza place and it didn't disappoint.  Another resident family from a neighboring program joined us for dinner and we all ordered too much and ate too much pizza.

After dinner we headed to a park in Suncadia.

Saturday night, Wade, Gage and Noah went and sat by the fire pits outside again while I put the little two to bed.  Everyone was so exhausted and slept so well.

Sunday, Wade had a few more meetings.  We went on another little walk and then packed up our things.  Avery and Eli tried to play a rousing game of "throw things off our balcony before mom finds out"

It was a perfect weekend getaway.  We missed Wade most of the time, and hope we can make it back there sometime for a real vacation that he can enjoy too.

5

I think we've all experienced this feeling, one way or another.  You know that feeling you get when you look around, count the group you are with and wonder who you have left our or left behind?

We've been having that feeling around here for quite a while.  With our kids.  4 just wasn't all of them.  And as crazy, chaotic and overwhelming as it gets, we knew someone was missing.

Besides, depending on the day and my attitude, things were crazy, chaotic and overwhelming when there was only one of them.

I knew a long time ago that Eli wasn't the last.  He was itty bitty and I knew it.  It took me a while to come to terms with it.  I'm being honest.  The 18 month between him and Avery were kinda rough.  I spent many days and nights sitting in the rocking chair in their room nursing one and my hand through the bars of the crib rubbing another one's back.  But I kept having the same impression over and over.  Then Wade agreed with me. So I knew it was right.  We joked about it.  Did we want to be done?  Yes.  Where we done?  No.

So number five is on the way.  We knew (what seems like) a long time ago.  Before the job was lined up.  (more on that later).  We took a leap of faith that it would all work out.  We've learned there is never a convenient, perfect, time to have a baby.  If you wait for that, something will undoubtedly always come up.  We had Gage and Wade took a final the next day.  In fact, Wade's mom and sister had to take us home from the hospital because of this!  We had Noah and 3 days later he had a major 2nd year medical test.  We had Avery just a few weeks before boards and we knew if we had "matched" in any medical residency.  And we found out we were having Eli the same month my mom was in ICU, Wade found out his residency program was shutting down and we weren't even sure we would have a job anymore.  We've learned to roll with the faith business.  And it's all worked out so far.

I'm 10 weeks.  I'm due November 27th, but I've had the other ones 10 days early.  So I would guess we will have this little turkey home for Thanksgiving.

Most of the time I feel quite sea sick.  Wade is a super-star and comes home every day, makes dinner, cleans up and puts the kids to bed while I sit green on the couch like a lazy bum.  (That is why I was so mad last night if you follow me on facebook).  I plan dinners, go to the store, buy things that sound totally wonderful at the time, come home, make them and decide that everything tastes like cardboard.

The worst part so far?  Pinterst just makes me sick looking at all that food.  ugh.  It's sad.  I know.

Wade assures me I do this with every single pregnancy and he says I'll feel better soon.  He says I always do, and that I always forget about these first few yucky weeks.

The kids are super excited.  Once we knew we would question them and ask them what they would think of another sibling.  They all thought it would be fun and would start planning out where it would sit, where it would sleep, who would get to play with them.

After I had an ultrasound (yes, there is only one) and after we took the "2 feet" picture, we told them.  Besides, you can only throw up in front of your kids for so long before they start to wonder what is going on.  We asked if they could figure out the picture...they were totally stumped.  Confused.  But when Wade spilled the beans they were so excited!  We told them it was a "secret"

The next day was Sunday.  I got a text from the girl teaching Gage's class that said, "Gage says he knows a secret, that we can all know in November.....congratulations!"  Then Noah told us after church he told a few people too.  And Gage admitted that he might have told a few more people in his class too.

Leave it to the kids to spill the beans.

We're all pretty excited around here.
When we aren't feeling like hurling, that is.


One night I was showing the kids the ultrasound picture and explained that they baby was only the size of a grape right now.  The next morning Noah asked me how a grape turns into a baby.

I have a feeling this time around is going to be a very "educational" journey.

And my bets:  A girl would be fun, but it's another boy. it's just a hunch.  We'll see.

Sunday Photo {Special Edition}

You know, because we love feet around here...

(click to enlarge)

Motherhood

I am a stay at home mother.  Homemaker.  Taxi driver, personal chef, personal tutor, teacher, accountant, and much more.  But I do not get paid.  Not one bit.  I work hard.  And I have to admit, I struggle, almost daily with self-worth because of this.

I know what I am doing right now is important.  I know it is the most important job I could be doing right now. I have always wanted this.  But it still doesn't mean it is easy, to always feel important. Especially in the world that we live in.  For example:  work functions with my husband are always interesting for me.  He is a surgeon (who assures me that he doesn't do anything impressive either???).  But at these dinners I always seem to get asked what I "do."  I reply that we have four children and I stay at home.  The typical response that I get is, "Four kids is a lot.  Wow"  Then it seems like no one really knows what to say to me.

There are days I want to scream at the world that I have a college degree.  I studied hard and graduated with a very good GPA.  I worked in marketing.  I enjoyed my job.  I got a nice pay check.  And even nicer bonuses.  But honestly it bored me a little bit and whole time I was doing it I wanted one thing.  To start my family and to stay at home with them.  Little over eight years ago I gave up my paycheck to stay at home.  A few years ago I watched another little boy in our home and got paid for it, but other than that, I haven't seen a paycheck in quite a long time.

My choice to stay at home has not been an easy one financially.  I didn't choose this path because we were set.  During my stay at home years, my husband has been a full time medical student or resident the entire time.  We acquired more student loans so I could stay home.  Residency is a struggle financially for a single resident, and it has even been more so for our little family of six.  And there are certainly a lot of days I feel guilty about this.

Deep down I feel like I should be contributing. Financially. I have a lot of talented stay at home mom friends.  They are photographers, bloggers, crafters, seamstresses, writers, babysitters, they use their talents to make a little extra money.  I am not one of those.  I like to think of myself as a "jack of all trades" kinda girl.  I can do many things.  But I don't feel like I can do one thing really well.  I make dinner every night, but I am no Pioneer Woman.  My house is clean and fairly organized, but it will never be featured in Better Homes and Garden.  I can sew and I like to make crafts, but I am no Martha Stewart.

The first year home was the hardest.  It was a very hard adjustment to go from paychecks to no paychecks. From getting up and dressed every morning to hoping my baby would take a long enough morning nap so I could take a shower that day.  It was hard adjusting from eating lunch out every day with co-workers to forcing myself to find a social outlet so I could talk to an adult.  But once I got through that first year, I adjusted.  And I have loved it.

I absolutely LOVE staying at home.  I have total freedom. Don't tell my 3 year old, but I am the boss.  And for a control freak like myself, that is pretty darn important.

Well, a few weeks ago I was having this internal struggle once again.  Our lives would be so much easier if I could just find a way to contribute financially to our family.  If I only had a talent that made money.

It happened to be General Conference weekend.  This is a world-wide broadcast our church holds twice a year.  The leaders speak to us, teach us and if we listen and are in tune to the spirit, we can be inspired, learn and hear answers to our prayers.

Sunday afternoon as I was struggling internally, and wrestling kids to stay quiet and entertained for the last 2 hour (of 8 hours) session,  I heard the answer I had been looking for.

Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Disciples, gave a talk "That they Lost May Be Found."  (click for full text).  He was talking about families and the importance of a good home.  I was sitting on the floor while my 3 year old was "making my hair pretty" and I heard him say this,


"And to you young women, I would add that you must also not lose sight of this responsibility.  No career can bring you as much fulfillment as rearing a family.  And when you are my age, you will realize this even more."

I almost cried!  This was the answer to what I was looking for.

That night when Wade and I were talking, I shared this experience with him. He couldn't even remember this talk.  And while he understands that I struggle with this, he think's it's silly that I feel this way at times.  He tells me time and time again that my work inside our home is in fact some of the most hard work out there.

~~~

The talks given during General Conference are now online and I've printed this specific talk out and studied it, highlighted it, and cherished it.

Some more of my favorite quotes from this talk are:

"There can be no genuine happiness separate and apart from the home...There is no happiness without service, and there is no service greater than that which converts the home into a divine institution, and which preserves family life....The home is what needs reforming." -Joseph F. Smith

"When families work and play together, neighborhoods and communities flourish, economies improve, and less government and fewer costly safety nets are required."

"First, may I suggest that we prioritize.  Put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home.  Remember President Harold B. Lee's counsel that "the most important work you will ever do will be with the walls of your own homes"  and President David O. McKays' timeless "No other success can compensate for failure in the home.""

"Organize your personal lives to provide time for prayer and scriptures and family activity.  Give your children responsibilities in the home that will teach them how to work.  Teach them that living the gospel will lead them away from the filth, promiscuity, and violence of the Internet, media and video games.  They will not be lost and they will be prepared to handle responsibly when it is thrust upon them."

"Everyone, married, or single can be happy and supportive within whatever family you may have."

~~~

I'm not really sure where I was even going with this blog post, except to share my thoughts.  I know Heavenly Father is aware of us and our needs.  I know for many reasons, but also because my silly worries about contributing financially to my family were answered a few weeks ago at General Conference.

I don't need a paycheck for what I do.

I've decided this:  I am passionate about being a stay at home mom.  I live in a world where being a stay at home mom isn't seen as "work."  I live in a world where mom's are necessarily admired or seen as important.  But believe me, what I do every day is important.  It does take work and effort.  And to do it will be one of the hardest things I'll ever do in my entire life.

But at the end of the day, when I sit down and really think about what I want out of this life - why I am here, where I am going, what my "purpose" is....I know it is because of these little people that challenge me every single day.  I am here for them, to serve them, to teach them and to grow.

And that might not ever be a job that pays the bills.

But it makes me who I am, it gives me peace, and no amount of money can change that.

I am a mother.

Hair Cut

Last weekend Wade had had enough.  He said Eli needed a hair cut and he needed it now!  I personally thought Eli and his little curls were pretty darn cute, but Wade's the boss (at least of the boys hair) around here.  Plus he's typically the barber too.

I got the step stool out of the kids bathroom and set it up in our bathroom.  Then a few minutes later Wade and I walked by to see Eli already sitting there kicking his feet waiting on us!  What a nutty kid!

Before:

(this was our first before attempt!  Little stinker!  Wade pulled out his phone for a picture, and Eli stuck his finger in his nose, said "cheese" and laughed!!!)

 After:

I know it's not his first haircut, but the pictures were too cute not to blog.  My Eli looks all grown up now with his curls gone.  What a big kid!

Easter 2012

I am finally getting around to blogging about Easter this year.  We celebrate all week long with different activities.  Monday we talked about the Easter story using the pictures from the gospel art kit.  Then I took the pictures and taped them up on a wall in the house.  We left it up all week and it was a nice reminder for the kids (and myself!).  

We also learned a new song - which Gage got to sing with his best friend Luca in Sacrament Meeting at church Easter Sunday in front of the whole congregation!  I thought when they asked us if he could sing it that they asked that both my boys could sing it, so Noah learned it too.  He did such a great job and practiced so hard, but when we got there Sunday his name wasn't on the program.  He was a little heart-broken, but he recovered.  Gage did an awesome job singing the song.  He loves to sing.

Friday night we had some friends over and we made our annual Resurrection Cookies.

Friday one of my sisters and her family flew in from Utah.  It was great to have extra family here and the kids had a lot of fun with their cousins.

Saturday started the big festivities.  I started to post all the pictures, but quickly realized I had too many so I made some quick pages.

Saturday morning we headed to the church for the kid Easter egg hunt.  Avery is such a girl, she would only pick up pink or purple eggs!

Saturday afternoon we dyed Easter Eggs with our cousins in Olympia.

And then Saturday night we headed out for the annual egg roll.  It was fun introducing my sister's family to this silly tradition.

Sunday was a great Easter day.  We spent time together as a family, enjoyed church service, ate too much food at my parents and enjoyed the spirit of the day.  And I didn't take a single picture!

It was a perfect Easter Season.

Sunday Photo .15

Sometimes it's so nice to take a little break from blogging.  That's where I've been the past week.  

But of course, it always leaves me with lots of pictures and activities to catch up on.  I'm giving myself a week to catch up.  But there is no better place to start than today's Sunday Photo.

And a few of my favorite kid stories from this week:

"Daddy, you are married to mommy. I am married to Linkin. And everybody loves to dance!".  - Avery

One evening Avery found her swim suit and put it on.  I walked by and just happened to see her dancing around in it.  I said "Avery you have such a cute tooshie!" and gave her a little pat on the bum.  She looked at me very seriously and replied, "Mom, that is not my tooshie...it is my BUTT"

This morning Wade and I were reminding Noah at breakfast that he should NOT keep getting in our bed at night.  He is too big. He has his own bed, blah, blah, blah.  He said that he was sorry, but last night he had a bad dream.  (He says this every night)  Wade, trying to be sympathetic, asked Noah to tell us what the bad dream is about so that we could help him.  Noah wouldn't tell us.  He said that we would just laugh.

After a little coaxing and assuring him that we would not laugh at him, he finally said, 

"Fine!  I'll tell you!  I have bad dreams!  They are GIRL dreams.  Girls are in my dreams!"

I am sad to admit that no one could keep their promise to not laugh..  We all bust out laughing.  I had to leave the room.  Apparently they chase him, or turn into lions, or do something that involves a lot of pink and purple.  That is all he will tell us.

Poor Noah.

Girls can be pretty scary things!

Here's hoping no one has scary girl dreams at our house or yours tonight.

Happy Sunday.

He Is Risen!

We've enjoyed a week full of simple activities. A weekend full of family and friends. We are looking forward to celebrating a happy day tomorrow. Happy Easter.

 

5 years

5 years ago Noah was this chunky-happy-blue-eyed-baby.

Now he is a skinny-energetic-brown-eyed-boy!

We took the first picture in March 2007 when we were visiting my parents for spring break.  We were poor starving 2nd year medical students.  Chunky Noah could barely even sit up on his own!  Wade and I have both always loved that cute picture of Noah in front of the flowering plum tree.  

So Sunday when we were leaving Wade lifted Noah up and we snapped another picture of cute Noah.  It seems like yesterday we took the first picture.  Sure wish we could slow down time....

Homemade Refried Beans

Nacho's for dinner tonight.  Some of us like beans, some of us don't.  Of course I had just survived the grocery store...I mean got home from the store (with all 4 kids - thanks to spring break!) and found out that that the extra can of beans wasn't in the pantry like I assumed.  So homemade beans I started making.  

And since I've made these a few times and never wrote down the recipe I thought it was about time.  I never think enough ahead of time for the crock pot version.  But they are pretty similar.  There are lots of recipies on pinterst for the same kind of thing.  My favorite part is that they are a fraction of the cost of the store canned beans, I am guessing much better for you, and taste better.  I can't remember what I paid for this bag of beans, but I use about a quarter of the bag for this recipe.

The only downsize is they don't come in that fun little can shape.  Boo.

Homemade Refried Beans

About 5-6 cups water 

(some people use chicken stock or add bullion cubes.  I have, I haven't honestly it just depends on if I remember this step or not.)

2 cups dried refried beans

Half an onion chopped

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1.  Rinse and sort your dried beans.  This is an important step.  When I first stared using dried beans I didn't think it was, but then I always find rocks and strange looking beans.  Rinse and sort.

2.  Place beans onions and seasoning in large pot and cover with water.  Bring to boil and boil for about 3-5 minutes.

3.  Cover and turn down the heat and simmer for 3 or so hours or until beans are soft and can mash with a fork.  Add more water if you need too while they are cooking, just make sure they are always covered with about an inch of water.

4.  Once the beans are soft I drain about half the water.

5.  You can then mash up the beans with a potato masher or you can use your food processor for smoother  beans.  We like the food processor beans.

6.  You're done!  Wade always adds more salt.  

I think he would add salt if I served salt for dinner.

Yum!  We can't wait to eat them with our nacho's tonight!

Sunday Photo.14

If you are looking for some family photo ideas, you should check out what we come up with.  We put out some good stuff.  You might as well pin it right now without even scrolling down.  

We always take the best looking family photos.

I would love to collaborate all of our faces into one large print for the living room wall.

For example, I would take 

Noah from this picture:

Avery, Gage and Eli from this picture (although Wade is pretty awesome):

myself from this picture:

and Wade from this picture.

And that my friends would be

one mighty fine looking family photo.

Happy Sunday.