M.I.A.

Sorry for no posts for SO long. We had a crazy month in April and then our computer crashed and I was without connection for weeks. We are finally back online, BUT our printer is not connected to our computer. That is how i get all of our pictures off the camera and on the computer. So I need to find the original disc and re install so i can finally update...i have so many great pictures just dying to be posted. So please stay tuned. I promise to be much better once we are fully connected again!

File this one under YUMMMM!

I love the blog picky-palate.com she has so many great recipes that are A: Not to complicated to make and B: Not crazy expensive.....my kinda gal! So I took a gander at her site and she had posted about a crock pot pork chop....ok i'm intrigued. I had pretty much all the ingredients, so I said let's go for it.



SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




All 3 girls and even a little boy ate all their dinner!
For some reason keeps throwing in hand signs....not gang signs...she has no idea what a gang is...thank goodness. * on a side note, tonight I took the kids to the elementary school for a magic show and all the kids were up on the floor. So Genna ran up first then Jolie went, i walked up with jillian and jacob and sat a little bit away from Jolie, i asked her to come sit with me and she shook her head and made this face like : You've got to be kidding me mom! AHHH, has it really already begun?
Here's the recipe:

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes5 Tablespoons real butter1 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese6 cloves roasted garlic (click for directions how to roast garlic)1- 1 1/2 Cups warm skim milk (any milk will do, I just happened to use skim)1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste1. Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.2. Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stovetop over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consitency.3. Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. Enjoy!
***** too add i used cream of mushroom, because that's what i had. I also used minced garlic instead of roasted because that's what i had....it tasted amazing. The potato's were like out of a restaraunt good.
I hope you try it...let me know if you do?

I'm so thankful for...

mommy's little helper's....especially during dinner time. Jacob was hungry and i was making dinner, then Jolie needed help with her homework. So I asked Jillian to help Jacob and give him a bite of his yogurt. She excitedly gave him a bite. A few minutes later i came in to see this. A HUGE pile of cheese ( we were having tacos for dinner) and yogurt ALL over him...you can't tell but she had gotten an extra yogurt out and that was tucked under his left arm. They both were happy as can be..so really what's a little extra clean up........

I mean look at that face so sweeet.............UNTIL.......... You see him do this.....Which i am of course thankful for disinfectant and bubble baths.

I hope this isn't the beginning of a career choice...unless that makes him happy!

A new cousin!

Nolan is the newest cousin on the fox side of the family. Aunt Jennifer was so nice to have all the little girls get a turn holding him. Some of these pictures are pretty funny.

Brett is in his favorite position for holding a new baby!

Jolie with her aunt...who at that moment had quite a bit of red hair just like jolie. Jolie was SO excited to go see him.

A close up of the little man!

Jillian's turn...Nolan wasn't quite as sure of this one!

Genevieve get's a turn with the baby...he's so tiny says Genna.

Jolie just couldn't get enough of him!

She's a little bit country!

Jolie and Genevieve went with daddy and grandpa fox to a square dance for the girl scouts. They made the bandanas with their troop and insisted on putting them on their heads. We did our best getting cowgirl apparel. The cowgirl boots Genevieve is wearing has been her new favorite thing to wear. They got there and it was super super crowded. Jolie actually got pretty nervous of everything. She did pretty well with the dancing until they were told to switch partners and they would have to dance with someone they didn't know...they were ready to go after that. They started walking out the door and they called Genevieve's name...she won a prize. YAY!!! They ended the night with ice cream at Picklebob's....all in all, a great daddy and grandpa date!

Jillian's Foot is Broken!

Mommy: Jillian how did you hurt your foot?

Jillian: By the monkey bars! member, that's how i broke my bones, my inside bones.

Mommy: What color is your cast?

Jillian: BLUE!!!!! Because i picked that color.

Mommy: Do you like the special shoe they gsve you?

Jillian: yup, mommy asks: are you sure....she continues to say yes! * yesterday she screamed for 20 minutes when they told her she couldn't wear her tennis shoe. She did NOT like the special shoe. But apparantly she got over it*

Mommy: who wrote on your cast?

Jillian: Mommy and daddy jolie and genevieve, jacob can't draw yet...so you did it mommy.

Jillian doesn't seem too bothered by a cast. She

Jacob's favorite toy!

Jacob can be anywhere in the house and hear the door of the dishwasher open. He comes crawling as fast as his little body will take him. He loves to help by emptying as much as he can...and tasting all silverware to make sure it's clean of course. Once it has emptied to his satisfaction, he will climb in and inspect any damage. If a sister tries to take him out, resistance is met.