My girl turns 8

Man, I feel old! It was just yesterday (so it seems) that my little girl decided to make her grand and quick entrance into the world. She must have been mighty excited to get here with such a quick labor. If only I'd known it was going to be so short I may have enjoyed it a little more. Okay, maybe not. She has added a bit of spice to our lives eversince.

It was a very pink birthday: pink scripture case, pink dress, pink dance outfit, pink necklace. You know, we have to insert a bit of girl into her every once in a while with all the testosterone floating around here. She can get dirty and fight just as well as the boys, but she also appreciates a girly thing once in a while.

Crock-Pot love

I've been trying to use my slow-cooker more these days. I even put it outside so I don't warm up the kitchen. Yesterday I tried a new recipe. It was pretty good.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 ounces) chopped mild green chilies
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
Salt and Black pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4-inch strips (or corn tortilla chips)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or any cheese you have on hand)
1 avocado diced and tossed with lime juice

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix tomatoes, chilies, onion, garlic, broth and cumin in bowl. Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on High 3-4 hours.
2. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Add seasonings if necessary.
3. Just before serving, add tortillas (I served tortilla chips with soup instead) and cilantro and stir to blend. Top with cheese, avocado, and squeeze of lime juice.

Here's 3 more slow-cooker recipes we have liked:


Chicken Fiesta Soup
Serves 8
4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 can (14 ½ ounces) stewed tomatoes
2 cans (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can (28 ounces) enchilada sauce
1 can (14 ½ ounces) chicken broth
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t each of salt, ground cumin, & chili powder
¾ t black pepper
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced

Mix everything in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Garnish with corn tortilla chips and shredded cheese.


Greek-Style Chicken
Makes 4-6 Servings
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chicken broth
1 lemon, thinly sliced
¼ cup pitted kalamata (greek) olives
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried oregano

Remove and discard visible fat from chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat until hot. Brown chicken on all sides. Transfer to crock-pot. (Most of the time I skip the browning and just throw everything in the crock-pot. I’m lazy.)
Add broth, lemon, olives, garlic, and oregano. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours. Serve with rice or orzo. (My crock pot kicks to a "keep warm" mode when the time set is done. I have never used lemon in the recipe. I usually triple the recipe, but don’t triple the liquid. I only put about ½ as much liquid.) I usually triple the recipe and freeze the extras. It freezes wonderfully!

Easy Parmesan Chicken
Makes 4 Servings
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 med onion, cut into thin wedges
1 T olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 jar (26 ounces) pasta sauce
½ t dried basil
¼ t dried oregano
1 bay leaf
½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked pasta

1. Place mushrooms and onion in crock-pot.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat until hot. Lightly brown chicken on both sides.
3. Place in crock-pot. Pour pasta sauce over chicken; add basil, oregano and bay leaf.
4. Cover; cook on Low 6-7 hours or on High 3-4 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf.
5. Sprinkle chicken with cheeses. Cook uncovered, on Low 15-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve over hot pasta.
(I tenderize the chicken breast by pounding them a bit with a wood pestle.)

Mama Needs New Shoes

After a week of pain in my right foot every time I walked the dog I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and get some new runners. Now my feet are in heaven. I did splurge a bit with a $40 purchase, but felt pretty good considering they were originally $75. I considered a pair on clearance for $20, but I think in this case I would've gotten what I payed for. They were obviously lower quality and didn't seem to love my feet as much. Besides, these make fashion sense, matching with my walking pants and all!

No more pain in the ball of my foot. I can continue with my walking ritual. I love new runners. They are so pretty and comfortable. I think I could run a marathon. Okay, maybe not.

Swimming and Sand

After boating we went for a short drive to Two Rivers Park to find a place to swim. The park doesn't have the highest class of clientele, but what can you expect at a public park. I felt really out of place, because I actually had a bathing suit on, rather than just swimming in my cut-offs and tank top like half of the other people there! We were able to find a spot to hang out next to a large Russian (or that neck of the woods) family that were not smoking or drinking. There are a lot of people from the former Soviet Union who have immigrated (or is it emigrated, I can never remember which is which) to the area. They seem to go everywhere with their entire family. Anyway, I digress. The bottom line: There was water. There was sand. The kids were happy.

This is a classic Max picture. We always seem to get him in action.
Yes, Lisa, that's right, no bathing suit photos for you to view. So sorry to disappoint you!

Boating with the McGary's

Yesterday we had a surprise visit from our old Bishop and his wife inviting us to go down to the river to go boating. They usually invite us once a summer and the kids totally love it, with the exception of Miranda. She loves swimming, but doesn't care too much for boating, particularly when they go fast. Although, she did muster up the courage to go for a slow ride after the boys went for rides on the tubes. I figure, by the time she is 16 we might get her to go tubing, maybe even ski.

Doug and Tanner tubing in the cold water of the Columbia River. There was a lot of late snow run-off, so it is extra chilly this year. I decided it was best to stay away from any water sports while in my current state. I haven't skied in several years and don't think this is the summer to take to it again.

Tanner's Creation

Tanner wanted a post about his latest bionicle creation. He and Max are always building some new guys from all of the various bionicles they've accumulated over the past few years. Sometimes they even let Miranda in the mix and play "Barbies and Bionicles." Who says girls and boys don't play well together?

Playing at the Park

The kids had a fun time playing at the spraypark after visiting the library. This park is great. The library is on site, along with basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, the spraypark and gardens to tour.

Relaxation!

Tanner and Doug had their campout at the Stake Center. Behind the building there is a huge grassy area where they camped. They had some competitions pitting the boys against their dads: fire building (this must have been the favorite b/c I heard all about it), first-aid, and archery.




This is their sleeping setup. They thought it was pretty sweet. They were going to just sleep under the stars and use the tent for changing clothes, but had to anchor down the tent with they're pillows and heads b/c they thought they had forgotten the tent stakes (which they found later on). Tanner thought it was cool to be able to see the stars. I guess we need to sleep outside on the lawn more often.

Prego shot for Lisa.

Lisa, here's the exciting photo of my big belly near the half-way point. I know, I know, please try to contain your excitement. Now you're probably wondering why you requested a photo. I guess I could of taken one of the bare belly. You could have at least seen the lovely designs left behind from all my other children, along with my lovely "Snoopy nose." (That's what my mom says the remains of my belly button look like)

I should have digitally enhanced it a bit, shrinking a few parts here and there. I have yet to fit into most of my maternity clothes, but am way to big (everywhere) for normal clothes. Soon enough I will be able to wear my wardrobe of tent-like attire. That's all that will fit me in the end with my huge basketball tummy.

Activity Day Camp

Miranda began her 3-day Activity Day Camp today. She had a ball. She jabbered about all the different activity stations they went to. They had a dance instructor come and teach the girls some dance moves. It was so cute how she showed Doug and I all the moves she learned. I think she enjoyed being with so many girls around her age.

Yes her shirt is this bright. It made her group very easy to spot.

I think she was learning the electric slide here.

I think Miranda decided that line dancing is not her thing. The dance moves they learned on the 1st day were more up her alley.

Scout Camp

Tanner began his 11-year old scout camp today. He went for a hike, made a first-aid kit, and cooked a dutch-oven dinner. He did some other things, but those must have been the highlights in his mind. Tomorrow they get to go swimming. Friday is the overnight campout with the dads and leaders.

Carson's "little" accident

Carson took a tumble onto some rocks when Garrett got a wild hair to take a ride on the rope swing. Doug and the other kids were all standing at the water's edge, but it just so happened that Carson was the one to be in Garrett's path.

3 of his top teeth knocked loose toward the back of his mouth, but they moved back when I put some ice on the backside of his gums. The teeth aren't quite back to their original position, but they are at least straight up and down. His gap between the front teeth is a bit wider, but he's still as cute as ever. Hopefully, his teeth will stay in until his adult teeth are ready to push them out. He is fine and happy as long as we give him ibuprofen every 7-8 hours. Luckily, the mouth does seem to heal rather quickly, so I'm sure he'll be back to his normal happy self in no time.

These kind of accidents seem to turn this mom into a nervous wreck. After this little spill I would hardly let Carson out of my sight. I didn't even want him to ride on the cable swing. Of course, he wanted Doug to pull him really high. I didn't even watch him go down. Somehow he survived playing outside all day Saturday and I even let him go to the nursery on Sunday (not without hesitation though).


His mouth was pretty sore, but he still managed to give a cheesy, crooked grin for the camera.

Rope challenge

Mom and Dad have had this rope swing up ever since I can remember. Back when I was in Junior High I could climb clear to the top. I don't think I'd make it 10 feet now. Now we're trying to figure out a way to have a climbing rope in our backyard without a giant tree. Our only tree is a pear tree. I don't think it would enjoy becoming a play structure.

Miranda and her graceful descent.

Garrett had the best climbing technique.

Doug won the height contest. What a macho man!

The final conclusion: My children must be part monkey.

Independence Day

We went to Walla Walla for the holiday weekend. The kids had a fun time playing at Pioneer Park. Doug and I had our laughs wondering what people were thinking about these crazy people with their boatload of kids. People were staring as if to say, "Don't they know when to stop having babies!" It was all quite amusing.

This was a "tire" swing made for the Knighton 5. We've never come across a swing that can hold all the kids at once. Now I wonder if they make one for 6 children.