Homemade Apple Crisp
I was so excited to make homemade apple crisp with the apples we got from the orchard yesterday that I decided to blog about it. It turned out yummy! (Note: we had so many apples I tripled the recipe.)
Question: Which do you prefer apple crisp or apple pie? Take the quiz on my sidebar. ** Apple Crisp won 9 to 6 over Apple Pie!**

What you'll need....
5 cups sliced, peeled and cored apples.
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter (softened)
First you peel, slice and core your apples. I borrowed my sister's Apple (& potato) Peeler & I LOVE it!!
It was so easy to use. Just put the apple on the end & turn the crank.It peels, slices & cores the apple for you.How awesome is this?! And easy clean up.Then place your apple slices in 8x8 dish. (or bigger if you used more apples) Mix together sugar, oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon & cut in butter.
Sprinkle over your sliced applesBake at 375 for approximate 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Mr. Wilson's Apple Orchard
Yesterday, we went to the Apple Orchard. I borrowed a wagon from my friend, Michelle (thanks, it worked great) and asked my sister, Kim, if she'd like to join us. I asked Kim to join us for a few reasons:
1.) I thought she'd enjoy seeing my kiddos run around the apple orchard. I know the orchard is one of her favorite places to take her kids and I thought she'd love to see my kiddos there for the first time.
2.) She knows how to get to the orchard. Always, easier to have someone along that knows where they are going.
3.) She could help me wrangle in the kiddos. Open field + 3 two year olds (could) = disaster.
What I didn't expect was for us to have our own personal photographer! She got some really GREAT pics of the kiddos wandering the apple orchard~ huge THANK YOU Kim, I love all the pics!!
Here are just a few......
Kiddos running up the hill. "Wait up girls!"

Austen searching for the perfect apple, moving the branches out of his way.

Caitlen thinks she's found the perfect apple- "right there, that one!"

Brooklen pausing to see what treasures may be hidden on the ground.

I think it's so cute when they hold hands. Caitlen leading the way with the basket, Brooklen loves to hold hands with the other 2 so, I wasn't surprised she was in the middle & Austen carrying his apples.

This is my favorite picture~ I just LOVE it!

Enjoying some sliced apples while Momma & Aunt Kim buy apples & apple dip =) It was great that they were handing out apple slices, it gave me time to look in the little shop, not much time, but a little.

Is it really October already?
Where did September go??
Ok, I had a plan to blog yesterday, didn't get to it... so, I thought I'd blog today.... I've got SICK kiddos!! YUCK! =( Everyone is feeling yucky & it was a LOOONNNNGGG night. I don't think I got an uninterrupted hour of sleep! Austen has croup & both the girls are all stuffed up. I'm taking Austen to the doctor this morning & I'll see how the girls are doing once they are up. I'm not ready for cold season! I really hope these colds don't hold on forever, you know how some colds last a long time.... maybe we'll get lucky & be done with them before the weekend.

Anyway, it's kind of a rainy, yucky day today, but overall it's been beautiful. Well, actually, a little warm for me, but I know it'll be cold before too long. I hope everyone is enjoying the warm Autumn. I'm excited (hopeful) to get to a Pumpkin Patch & maybe an Apple Orchard soon, we'll just have to wait & see.

Here are a few photos of my sick kiddos. Yep, we are all geared up for Halloween, wearing our festive t-shirts.

Kansas City Chief's vs. Denver Bronco's
Just like the days in Denver- Bronco Football, tailgating, great friends & good times!! Last weekend we (just me & DJ) headed down to KC to visit my friend Brandy. We were definitely in need of a couples weekend & my Mom was AWESOME to come & stay with the kiddos all weekend~ HUGE Thank you Mom!!! Brandy had called a little over a week earlier & said they had extra Bronco tickets. I know Brandy from Denver & she is a BIG Bronco fan. Her only stipulation was we had to wear Bronco gear. We really aren't Bronco fans, we do have one sweatshirt, but the weather was going to be too warm for that. We did find Orange shirts to wear & we said "Go Broncos" a few times =)
We left Friday night for Brandy's (about an hour from KC), got there pretty late, around 11:30, so we only chatted a bit before heading off to bed. Got up Saturday & Jared made us breakfast~ yummy! Then we headed out to do some shopping. We hit an Archiver's~ fun, fun & then to OTB for lunch. (OTB is On The Border, my favorite restaurant!) It was soooo good, but I way over ate, I just can't stop with a few chips & salsa!! We did a little more shopping before heading home for a couple drinks, ladder golf (it was my first time) & grilled dinner.
Sunday we got up & drove to KC to do some tailgating before the noon game. Here is a view of Arrowhead Stadium from our tailgating spot.We had a great time- didn't get many pics, when do I lately?
Here is a pic of Brandy & her fiancé Jared, tailgating in their Bronco gear.Here is a view from our seats on club level. They were great seats, we could see the whole field & they were in the shade~ HUGE plus for me. It was like 89 degrees that day. Too hot for football!At half-time we moved down by Brandy & Jared, they were on the 30 yard line, 9 rows from the field. Also, great seats, but in the sun. It was HOT, HOT, HOT!!The Bronco's ended up losing the game, which they were supposed to win easily. I have to give it up to the Chief's fans. They are really fun fans. It was a great stadium to see a game & all the fans were super nice~ even to us "Bronco fans". There was just fun banter back & forth. I was actually pleasantly surprised how nice all the Chief's fans were to the Bronco fans~ you don't always see that.

Trip to Des Moines & Blank Park Zoo
Last week the kiddos & I headed to Des Moines for a sleepover. I'd been emailing my friend Wendy regarding that we (me & the kiddos) really don't do much for fun during the week. When we lived in Des Moines the gals there always kept us going, either to the park to play, the mall to walk & shop or the the zoo or wherever~ I really miss that!! Anyway, Wendy emailed me that her husband was going out of town & invited me & the kiddos over.
We had a GREAT time~ THANK YOU, Wendy, Bubba & Sissy =)
We headed out Tuesday morning right after breakfast. We met at the Blank Park Zoo, where Katie & her girls also met us. I didn't take many pictures at the zoo~ Wendy brought a double stroller for me to use (so we wouldn't have to pack so much) & either 1 or 2 of my kiddos were walking & they did a great job! They are starting to listen a little better.... there is hope! With one or two always on the lose and pushing the stroller, that doesn't leave an extra hand to snap pictures! But I did get a couple.
Here's the kiddos feeding a goat... watch your fingers!
Here is Wendy & Elise feeding a giraffe~ Look at that tongue!

After the Zoo we headed to Wendy's, where I was hoping the kiddos would take a nap. Bummer, they all fell asleep on the way to Wendy's and then woke up once we got there. We tried to have some quiet/reading time, but didn't have much luck.
Early evening Shelli & her kids (3 year old twin girls & 6 month old boy) came over for a pizza dinner & playing fun outside. Oh, I think all the kids had a great time! Wendy has a great swing set, playhouse & toys outside & then to add to the fun Shelli brought a jump house over!! What more could you ask for?? My kiddos were too busy to eat dinner... & dinner was pizza! Brooklen of course wasn't too busy to eat dessert, brownie & ice cream! (We were all too busy to get pics of the super fun evening~ darn it!) Then it was off to bed for the kiddos while I got to look thru a tub of winter clothes from Shelli~ oh, did I hit the jackpot!! Thanks Shelli!!
The next morning we got up had breakfast, decided to head over to the mall, just wandered around a bit, ate some lunch & then we headed home. It was a GREAT trip~Thanks again!! (Hey Wendy~ does your hubby have plans out of town again soon?)

Old McDonald's Farm

We took the kiddos to Old McDonald's Farm (petting zoo) last Sunday & they had a great time! We had a birthday party at the nearby park in the afternoon so we decided to head down a little early & make a day of it. The kiddos love animals. We walked around, Austen was even brave enough to try to pet the pig. We had to walk back & forth a couple times looking at the ducks swimming. Oh, they loved the ducks: "duwks wimming" "duwks wimming in bluwe wadder" "two duwks wimming" "lots aw duwks wimming"

Then we sat down for a Picnic Lunch. They did great! All sat down & ate their jelly sandwiches, goldfish & bowl of fruit. Yes, I forgot a place mat of any kind so we had to use papers I had in the van (mapquest maps) We decided to try the picnic lunch before the party because I thought they may not eat the best at the party with lots of people around & stuff going on~ they'd be too afraid to sit down for too long that they'd miss something!

As much as they liked this farm/zoo, I think they'd love a real zoo. We may have to try to get that in before the snow starts to fall!

Breaking Dawn release date~ TODAY!


I think this is the first book EVER that I've actually been waiting for it to come out. For those of you who don't know, I'm not much of a reader. But, there is something special about these books for me. I just LOVE them!! So, with the upcoming release of the fourth book, I decided to reread all of the books. Yes, another first for me! So, the other day I started Twilight- it's even better the 2nd time. I picked up on so much more just already knowing the story. I'll then read New Moon. Then I have to wait for my sister to return from her vacation so I can get Eclipse & then Breaking Dawn from her! I cannot believe how much I LOVE these books. I can hardly put them down. I figure I'll finish all of them by the end of August & then I'll have to spend September cleaning my house because right now I spend EVERY extra minute I get reading!

Twilight Series

TROUBLE..... DOUBLE TROUBLE!!!
Oh, look at that adorable face, she couldn't be up to anything ornery. Wait, don't let this cute little face fool you for one minute, she's up to something.....





Yep, up & over the side of the crib she went. Yesterday afternoon I could hear the girls up from their naps chattering a bit, but I just wanted a few more minutes of "me time", plus I was reading a good book. Well, they were just chattering away when all of a sudden they both started giggling... hummm, I better go check this out. I walked into their room & they were running around on the floor. Caitlen looked up at me "I'm running...... running in circles" oh, it was so cute. I looked at both of them & asked them how they got out of their cribs. I put them both back in their cribs, Caitlen just cried that she wanted out, but Brooklen put her leg up & over the side, gripped the side of the crib with all her might, pulled herself up & then out of the crib- without much trouble. I know I shouldn't egg her on, but I had her do it again for the camera. It was so cute & I wanted pictures to show everyone how ornery this kiddos are getting & how much they are climbing!! So, what's my next step??? Do we move to big girl beds? I'm not ready for that! I was thinking maybe this winter when we do the potty training stuff, but not yet. They are still my babies.... oops, I mean toddlers! There really isn't much they can get into in their rooms. I will feel better once their dressers are fastened to the wall, but otherwise all they can really do is empty their drawers, which won't be fun to clean up, but what can ya do?!

Here are a few pics of the kiddos coming down the stairs. They are getting really good at it & most of the time hold onto the wall or try to hold onto the railing. I just hate it when they want to walk down the center & "I do it!" Oh, is that getting to be a familiar statement!

2 Year Pictures
Here are the kiddos' 2 year pictures. We went to Portrait Innovations & I have to say we were pretty pleased~ we got some great individual pictures & the group pics aren't too bad~ no one is crying, so that is a good day! I love the bottom 2 of them playing ring around the rosie with each other!

Austen~ our little man, looking as handsome as ever. Posing well in the first picture, a little more relaxed in the B&W pic.






Caitlen~ she almost always smiles so good for the camera. She just loves to laugh! Can't you just hear a giggle in the B&W pic?










Brooklen~ she is pretty hesitant around new people so it was hard to get her to smile. In the B&W pic I'm standing behind her & she is smiling at G'ma K. Oh, what a cute smile!











Then it was super cute~ we got them to play Ring around the Rosie and got a couple of pictures of them turning circles & then falling down.