Happy New Year!

I wish you and your loved ones a blessed and joyous 2010!

"Be always at war with your vices,

at peace with your neighbors,

and let each New Year find you a better man."

~Benjamin Franklin

Recipe For A Happy New Year

"Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work, hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, rest, prayer, meditation, and one well-selected resolution. Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor." ~ Anonymous

I know I used the same quote and recipe from last year. They are my favorites. I will probably use them every year. And, I hope you like the Christmas music, because I am thinking about leaving it up all year. :) Seriously, I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful year. Make peace with your enemies, hold on tight to your family and friends, tell them you love them, and do for others, even when no one is looking. My New Year's Resolution is to be more patient with my children, stop cussing, eat better and to make a difference in someones life. I think I can achieve all of those except eating better! ;) Happy New Year!

Christmas Continued- Heaven On Earth

Luke 2:11

"Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you:

he is Christ the Lord."

What a wonderful Christmas! Part three, four and five of Christmas all happened in the last two days. We have been so busy! Lastnight we went to my mom and dad's to open gifts. We have done this for as long as I can remember. We laugh, we eat, we bake and we open gifts. It is a tradition to decorate sugar cookies and make divinity. However, due to the hazardous road conditions we cut the evening short. We made divinity this morning. I didn't mind at all. To say that I LOVE snow would be an understatement. I am so happy that we had a white Christmas! This morning we opened presents at our house with the girls. And, every year I make us waffles for breakfast. After we eat breakfast we regroup and head back to my mom and dad's house to celebrate Christmas with the Crazy Crawleys. We always have a good time. We eat and then we play Dirty Santa. I think every gift I opened was stolen from me! Luke took the girls sledding. They only went down two hills. It was bitter cold today. I think the windchill was 4 degrees when they went out. BURR The snow was too dry today to make a snowman. We are hoping we can make one tomorrow. To wrap up the day we drove down to the farm. I took the picture above on the way down there. It is a picture of our upper pasture and the barn we just rebuilt. (It is kind of hard to see because I can't zoom very far) It was a beautiful sight!

I am thankful for my beautiful girls, my wonderful husband, my family and my friends. I am thankful for my mom who works very hard to plan our family dinners. She is amazing. I am also thankful for the snow. I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas! God is good!

Party!

Kinnison is staying the night with Ty tonight. We told Kimber we were going to have a party when we got home. She must have thought we were serious. She decided to empty an entire bottle of shampoo into the tub. I just bought it today! The results...

I love this girl!

After the water drained...bet they are still there tomorrow morning!

Christmas- Round Two- Tyrees

We had Christmas with the Tyree family tonight. It was a lot of fun. Great food and great company! Santa even came to visit! Here are some pictures from tonight...

Christmas- Round One- Bumgardners

Luke's Grandpa, Luke's Mom and Doug came over tonight. We had a wonderful time visiting and dinner was delicious. Kinnison's favorite gift was the Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera. She has taken a couple hundred photos already. Kimber's favorite gift was a baby doll that moves around and cries. Kimber also got a doll house that they both love. Luke's mom got me and Luke a digital photo frame. I love it! Tomorrow night we will celebrate Christmas with the Tyree Family. Some photos from tonight....

I wanted to post some photos of the upstairs. We have lived here for 3.5 years and are just now finishing the upstairs. I think it is turning out good. We were going for the rustic look. LOL We have changed our mind many, many times.

Bake, Bake, Bake!

Not really! I have made some Chex-Mix, Peanut Butter Balls and tonight I made a Spiced Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie and a Pumpkin Pecan Pie. Luke LOVES the Spiced Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. He won't get to try the other one until tomorrow because it has to be refrigerated. I hope he likes it!

This is the Spiced Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie. I tried a new technique to *drizzle* the chocolate on top and I don't like it...too thick. I will try something new next time! Recipe from Pillsbury.

Ingredients

1	Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
3/4	cup light corn syrup
1/2	cup sugar
3	tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1	teaspoon vanilla
3	eggs
1	cup coarsely chopped pecans
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1	teaspoon shortening
	Whipped cream, if desired

Directions

	Heat oven to 325°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
	In large bowl, beat corn syrup, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in pecans and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in crust-lined plate. Cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.
	Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 to 25 minutes longer or until pie is deep golden brown and filling is set. Cool 15 minutes.
	In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and the shortening uncovered on High 1 minute; stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over top of pie. Serve pie warm or cool. Top each serving with whipped cream. Store covered in refrigerator. This is the Pumpkin Pecan Pie. Recipe from Bakerella

Refrigerated Pie Crust

Cream Cheese Layer

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp lemon juice.

• Mix the cream cheese and sugar using a mixer. Add egg and lemon juice and continue mixing until creamy.
• Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make the Pumpkin Layer

15 oz. can of pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1/2 cup evaporated milk

• Beat pumpkin, sugar and spice with a mixer.
• Add eggs and beat until combined.
• Add milk and beat until combined.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture in the dough covered pie plate.
• Layer the pumpkin mixture on top and try not to disturb the cream cheese underneath.
• Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil to keep them from getting too brown and place the pie in the oven.
• Bake for about 20 minutes then apply the topping before baking the rest of the time needed.

Topping

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

• Mix the ingredients in a medium bowl.
• After the pie has baked for the first 20 minutes, remove the foil and layer the topping on.
• Bake for another 25-30 minutes. Remove and cool.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

Seven Years.

Yesterday Luke and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary. To celebrate we took the girls to Silver Dollar City. If you read my Anniversary post last year you might remember that I swore we were never going back. But, it is tradition. This year was actually much better than last year. They had the parking lots done so we got to park in actual parking spots instead of in a field in Branson West. There was more shuttles this year and we didn't wait over 2 minutes to get on when we got there or when we left. Luke's mom went with us. I think that made it a little easier as well. We went earlier this year too.We left after the 6 o'clock tree lighting. That is when it started getting a little crazy. People were actually stepping over Kimber and the stroller. Luckily an older lady in front of me noticed and started clearing a path. Luke and I spent our honeymoon in Branson and every year since then we have went to see the lights. I am guessing that will never change...no matter how miserable it is for us. The girls had so much fun. Kinnison was fearless! She wanted to ride every ride there. Kimber even rode a couple rides without screaming! We made some wonderful memories. I am so incredibly blessed!

Luke~

I can't believe I have put up with you for 7 YEARS! Just kidding.

Our journey so far has been fun, exciting and sometimes challenging. I am excited about our future. I can't wait to make memories with you and our girls. Thanks for being a wonderful husband (minus you leaving clothes on the floor, your selective hearing and constantly passing gas) and a wonderful father. We love you!

*skinny us*

(us before marriage and kids)

Prayer Request.

I have been following the story of this precious baby girl for a few weeks. My heart is breaking for this family. Please pray for her. Pray for her momma and daddy. Pray for her brother. Pray for a miracle. And, please pray for all of the other children who are enduring things they shouldn't have to be enduring.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahgracecrumby

http://hannahandcaleb.blogspot.com/