Checkin In...

It's a new year so I guess it's time for an update! I decided that this year is going to be the year that I do and start to do a lot of things that I've always wanted to! I now get to bake most of the desserts for my restaurant! My family has been making better nutrition choices and so I still get to get my baking itch out!! I get to make a Mascarpone Cheesecake that melts in your mouth!! Our Chef Eli has been teaching me! It's a blast!

I also have dreamed of being a spin instructor! I've been spinning for about 6 years now and love it so much! I am unofficially training with a spin instructor at my gym and then when I feel ready I will apply to teach classes!

Getting ready to be in 2 weddings this summer and the girls are flower girls in 3!!!! It's that kind of year I guess and I love it!

We got our car stolen a couple of weeks ago. I had it parked in a lot behind my restaurant and came out and the window was on the ground and the car was gone! Glad it was paid off...not so glad we didn't have theft insurance. We have always had it in the past and when we bought this car 6 weeks ago and changed over the insurance plan there was somehow a mixup. If the car is found they will replace it, but if it remains gone we get nothing! :( The police have no leads! YOU LIVE AND YOU LEARN!! We are trying not to beat ourselves up too much over it!

Nate is also doing well!! He was so proud of his Bronco's this season! We all were!

The girls are doing great! Loving their new bunk beds that Santa brought as well as their new playroom! (So that mom and dad can have an entire office now!)

That's it for now!

Thankful

We got to enjoy a few days off for Thanksgiving last week and tried to fill it with family fun! Friday we took the girls to see The Muppet's and then I got to take Hailey on a special date to see The Nutcracker. My sister in law, Tighe, has been doing ballet forever...so this year my entire family got to see her preform. She was amazing...the show was amazing...and even more amazing was getting to watch Hailey fall in love with the show! Her eyes were glued to the stage the entire 2 hours! She kept whispering to me how beautiful she thought the dancers were! Must start the night off at Starbucks!

We also had a great Thanksgiving with the entire family! 13 adults and 5 kids....wowza!!!!

So thankful to Aaron and Tighe for hosting this year!!! Espcially since our house is still on the market and we have so many last minute showings!! We are already on our 21st showing! AHHHHH

Nate spend several hours slaving away at making his apple cheese cake! YUM!!!

Our cousin Corey got to spend a week here! It was so good to see him!

There were kids there I swear...they were just off getting into trouble when we had the camera out I guess!

ALSO...on Sunday Jordan and Travis got engaged!!!! Can't wait for wedding planning!!!!

She Turned 3!!!

So my baby girl recently turned 3!! I cannot believe how time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday I was bringing my sweet, mellow newborn home from the hospital! She may still be sweet, but she is anything but mellow! This girl attempts to change her outfit at least 5 times a day and seems to always be caring for a crying baby doll! She loves to "get married" and pretend to iron and bake. She truly is a girly girl if I have ever met one! She never stops talking and dancing...wonder where she gets that from?!?! She is a handful...but so much fun!!
Happy Birthday our sweet Ashtyn Tori!!!

Trick or Treat

Had such a great Halloween this year! Got to go to grandpa's house for chili and trick or treating! We had joked that his neighborhood better be giving out whole candy bars...well we were right! HA

Loved that Aunt Marti got to come as well! The girls just adore her! Speaking of Marti...she recently got engaged!!! We are so happy for her!!!


The high light of Nate and my night was going to Tim Tebow's house! He happens to live right next door to Nate's dad. Of course had to take advantage of the holiday! We thought for she he wouldn't answer! So glad to be pleasantly surprised! He was so sweet with a huge smile and Ashtyn kept giving his dog Bronco kisses! I didn't want to be annoying with the pictures, but so happy I snuck at least one!
It was really good lighting on their front steps so had to take advantage and get a few good ones of Nate and I.

I haven't been working as much lately so I have been up to lots of baking and cooking...will post some new good recipes soon!

Snow Lovin...

Wednesday morning we woke up to about 5 inches of snow on the ground! It was beautiful!! After the girls played outside we snuggled on the couch by the fire, drank hot coco, and watched a movie! It was amazing!!! I LOVE SNOW DAYS!!

Fall Break

...Off to a good start!!!

Just enjoying some sweet time together this week as both girls are on fall break!! Trying to do some fun things together! Pumpkin patches, cousin sleepovers, movie nights, baking...ya know the fun stuff!

Monster Mash

Hailey had her school Halloween party last weekend...I thought it was too early to reveal their Halloween costumes...but just couldn't wait any longer! :) LOL These are my 2 favorite things around!

It was so much fun to meet all of Hailey's friends and to watch her in that setting! These two girls directly to her left are Holly and Grace. They are the girls that send Hailey home with love letters and pictures. I think they are about 2ND grade...they kept Hailey by their side the entire night! It was so sweet!

It was interesting to watch that most of Hailey's good friends at this point are older. I think they like her young soul and how she is willing to follow them to do whatever they tell her to! That is sweet for now.,..but of course could become a problem in the future.

This is our next door neighbor David...the girls tell people he is their best friend! It's adorable!

Hailey's teacher approached Nate and I while we were there and told us the sweetest story about Hailey. A large group of schools came to Hailey's school for an assembly. She said the auditorium was filled. Hailey walked in and was overwhelmed with excitement. She was blowing kisses from across the room and yelling "we are so happy you are all here!" Her teacher said that there was not a face in the room that wasn't smiling! It made me teary and so thankful, once again, that God chose us to be her parents! Despite the challenges...I thank God everyday for that little piece of her 7Th chromosome that is missing and for making her the way she is!!!!!!

Baking Bliss and Fall Festivities

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons...and inspires me to bake like crazy!!! I love the kids and husband coming home to a house filled with the aroma of pumpkin spice muffins and snicker doodle cookies!! I always go back to the family activities that involve cooking...we made caramel apples with the cousins this week!


I also have been trying to somehow bring my baked goods into the new restaurant that I work for. They are thinking about doing a rich beer brownie (made with one of our stout beers on draft) paired with a raspberry beer. I made 3 different recipes and had the staff taste test them for the best one.



Seems hard to believe, but we have been trying to bring more healthy choices into our home lately. Although I bake a lot...I give most of it away. We are trying not to give the girls sugar except on special occasions. This week I made a low calorie granola with no sugar, banana, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a some fun chex mix! Here are a couple of the recipes:

TRULY HEALTHY GRANOLA

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons fruit juice concentrate ( any flavor will work, I use Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Peach)
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried fruit ( I like Sun-maid brand Fruit Bits)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, heat the juice, honey and maple syrup over medium heat until you can stir the mixture easily, but before it starts to boil. About 5 minutes.
Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir quickly to coat.
Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the granola is crisp and starts to brown. About 15 minutes. Watch it carefully, or the granola may burn.
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and while the granola is still warm, toss in the pecans and dried fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and finish cooling on the baking sheet.
Store in an airtight container.

BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
PS You have to freeze a few of these. The kids go crazy for them right out of the freezer!
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (Makes 30 Cookies)

3 Bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup Dried Dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 Cup Applesauce

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips, Walnuts or Raisins

1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 25 Minutes.5. Cool and serve.

** To make into bars – place dough in a greased 7×11 dish, bake for 35-40 minutes then allow to cool. Cut into bars or squares.
**To Freeze: allow cookies to cool after baking then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.


Ashtyn has also been enjoying preschool! Can't believe she is almost 3!!!

The girls have also been going to AWANAS...they love it!!!

We have had our house on the market now for about 2 weeks and had about 8 showings!! Keeping our fingeres crossed!

For Sale

We have been discussing for awhile putting our Centennial house on the market and moving closer to Denver. We finally decided to move forward with it! Both Nate and I work a lot in Denver and my entire family lives there. It's been on the market for 2 days now and already have 4 showings, so off to a good start! I'm trying not to get my emotions too involved this time because last time was so hard. I don't even want to start looking for another house until we are in escrow on this one! We shall see!!
Here's a few pictures that the real estate company took...so glad that I can have them to look back on!