Crock Pot Potato Chowder (for the BUSY mom)

This soup has quickly become my families favorite soup. It is really easy and extra delicious (esp. on a cold day).  Try it out and ENJOY!

Ingredients

o    8 cups diced potatoes

o    1/3 cup onions, chopped

o    3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth

o    1 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup

o    1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cubed, softened

o    1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (I prefer turkey bacon)

o    chives

(I also add about 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese right before serving.  And you can put it in a bread bowl for an extra yummy dish.)

Directions

1.    Combine potatoes, onion, broth, and cream of chicken soup in crock pot.

2.    Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until potatoes are tender.

3.    Add cream cheese and blend.

4.    Top with bacon and chives before serving.

ENJOY!

Also “Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored byKitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset”  they have so many great ideas for delicious soups and this contest going on right now, great time to check it out!!

I WAS firmly against 3rd Trimester Pics....

So after 3 pregnancies I made a rule that I am against any 3rd trimester photos of myself! I was serious too! I know that sounds SO vain, but my face just gets so chunky (well other areas as well) but especially my face and I always DESPISE the pictures of myself in my 3rd trimester and at the hospital. But how could I say that when this lovely lady....

my SWEET sister-in-law Sarah

Mom, Sarah, me, my Ella, Hayley, Peyton, April

...decided to throw me a wonderful BABY brunch with some of my bestest friends in the whole world. Including of course, these blood relations of mine, that I call family.....

my sis Hayley holding the BUMP

...and I knew if these super SWEET ladies & great friends came....

Kami and Joyce Newman (dear family friends)

...there was NO WAY I was escaping a CAMERA or having my baby being completly spoiled (if you ever saw Ella's bumble bee room from when she was a baby, yeah that was ALL this talented lady)! I tried to make her swear not to bring a thing, which she didn't listen, but I actually got teary eyed (OK YES I AM PREGNANT, WAY PREGNANT OK) but they made all kinds of custom gifts for baby TATE. And seeing his name on onsies, a quilt, burp clothe, it just made it so special and real for me!!

So despite truly not wanting or needing a darn thing for this baby #3, I sure felt SUPER special with all my special girlfriends showing up to brunch with me! This one....

Kati (now Aleman)

...has been a best friend since Junior High and drove from LA just for brunch...darn I felt so lucky to have such kind friends! Heather my other Jr. High BF got me a massage which is like the best gift EVER that I cannot WAIT to redeem...ahhhhhh!

These two gals (both moms of 3 like I will soon be) came out from Perris...

Katie Bock and Shannon Morris

We all had a WONDERFUL brunch at this place The Avocado House (thanks to Shelly, who also catered our wedding) for giving us special permission to do this little brunch there (they usually don't) but I KNOW she has new customers now, after all the gals who had never been are now IN LOVE (try the cinnamon swirl french toast with caramel sauce, delish)!!!!

My sweet BABY girl (almost 6!!!!!) also came with us girls to the party!

Ella and I

Kami and I

My WONDERFUL mother in-law who LOVES and LIVES for her Grandchildren and has been SUCH A BLESSING in our lives and to our family!

Of course my TWIN, mi Madre

My "adopted" sister Michelle, and one of Hayley's best friends

Vanessa got me this hanging with my PEEPS onsie which I loved because it has THREE peeps!!!

And just after looking at this picture....

Ella with BOTH her Grandmas from BOTH sides of our family (Nana & Grammy)

...I cant help but think HOW BLESSED I AM!! As a mother of (almost 3) my life is just BUSY being MOM. I take the kids to school, pick them up, do homework, play, clean up, make dinner, bedtime and the day is OVER. I rarely hang out with friends (except my husband of course) and despise talking on the phone (most my friends already know that) so I often don't feel like I have many friends. So this special day and brunch just made me feel like the Queen of the WORLD! I felt so spoiled and blessed to have old friends, new friends, family friends, and sisters all there to just hang out with me and celebrate the birth of my special little guy!

Hayley & Amber peeking their heads behind Katie & Shannon

THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY DEAR FRIENDS!

William's Update

Most of you remember when I started a blog for my nephew last summer and we were going through this.  It seemed like a bad dream. And after now realizing the FEW months he was suffering, were really only a few months, it seems so insane to me because it felt like YEARS. It helped me realize how quickly things can change and time can heal.

So I am so happy to report how well my nephew is doing, it has been miraculous.
Will's latest update

Valentine Heart Activity (we are full of LOVE)

We stole this idea for this cute little activity of creating hearts of things we LOVE, my kids had a blast writing/drawing on the various hearts & then they hung them on the fridge.  

I wrote them all down (see below) too so we can remember what they said, but tried to take a few close up pictures to remember their drawings as well.

Monsters Inc. (Movies)
My teacher (Mrs. Padilla)
Cuckoo Clocks (? we don't even have one)
Myself: Ella (we do try to instill self worth) :)
Daddy, Ella, Asher, Tate (Family)
Swings
Papa Snakes (this was probably my favorite, Asher put that??)
McDonald's (BLAH, my least favorite place to eat, EVER!)
Numbers
Famuley (family)
My friends
Home
House
Tooth Fairy
Mom
Happy Faces
Yosemite
Food
Asher (by Ella, I think my other favorite, with the picture, SO cute)
Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts/Uncles (they wanted me to name them ALL, its a LOT)
Animals
Aunties (Ella adores EVERY one of her aunts like CRAZY)

Caption THIS photo

GIVE ME A CAPTION!!!!



So the other week Chick-fil-A had super hero night. We love doing the various little family night activities around town & especially at Chick-fil-A (remember one of our favorites!).  So Ned made the kids these "SUPER" cool head bands. And I let them make capes out of paper (so they colored the backs) and I was able to trash them at the end of the night. What we didn't plan for was Asher going to the bathroom, losing his pants, running outside (I yelled at him to get shoes as he was running around in his underwear while I talked to the neighbors) and then he put on his rain boots!
So this is what we ended up with (with no help from me).  He is a FUNNY kid and always has been, so he loved that I thought he was hysterical in his super hero costume. Needless to say we did NOT go out of the house like this, but I HAD to take pictures to at least remember this fun time.  You can read a lil bit more about it here and see my cute niece on my sisters blog.

Classic Asher face