Now that miss Kya is getting older and entertaining herself, I am gaining back more time during the days to do more, which is a nice change! I love blogs about people and the things they create. Crafts, sewing projects, stuff for kids....very fun to see all the things people can come up with! I am hoping that one of these years, Russ will get me a sewing machine, because I have so many ideas in my head that are just dying to be created!!!! If you are interested, I have a friend who started a blog about what she creates.

Click here: *CreatingSarah*

After checking out her blog, I feel the need to create!!! Check it out. And create something too! Hey, it beats sitting in front of the t.v. Or raiding the kitchen cupboards out of boredom, right?

*Thanks miss Kya for finally learning how to crawl, for taking such awesome long naps, and for going to bed early each night! Really appreciating it. A LOT! Maybe I can actually start painting, writing, and creating once again....and blogging!

Cheesy chicken jalapeño dip. Easy, spicy, and sure to be a crowd pleaser!

So, we tried a new recipe last night and it was so SO yummy, I had to share! Try it this weekend and let me know how you liked it!!!

You will need:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 C sour cream
1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 can chopped green chilies
1-2 cans chicken, or same amount cooked shredded chicken breast
3 small jalapeños, roasted
Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

1 pkg flour tortilla shells (small size for fajitas)
Shredded lettuce
Chopped tomato

1-2 bags Birdseye Steamfresh southwestern style rice

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream with hand mixer. Stir in cheese, spices and chicken. In a small frying pan, add canola oil and jalapeños. Roast peppers until soft and skin is bubbly. (that's the only word that comes to mind, but you know what I mean, right?).

In a food processor, combine green chilies and jalapeños. Blend. Add to chicken mixture. (make sure to taste for spiciness. We roasted 6 small jalapeños, and the peppers combined with the green chilies was super spicy! I barely touched the tip of my finger in the mixture, and when I tasted it, my whole mouth was on fire! So we didn't add all of it to our chicken and cream cheese mixture!)

Pour chicken mixture into a square 9x9 baking dish, and I sprinkle a little cheddar cheese on top. Then bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. (30 minutes was perfect for mine)

When done, you can eat the chicken dip with tortilla chips, or like we did last night, put it on soft tortilla shells, added lettuce and tomatoes, and the cooked rice.

It was YUMMYLICIOUS!!!!!!

Carter ate his all! Now that's saying something!

So.....try it.....SOON!!! You'll thank me, really....you will.


Ps: it is great for leftovers...and we are pretty picky about leftovers!

Let's celebrate 4 years of raising one little BOY...

Carter John Meredith

Born July 24, 2007

7lbs 8oz

A boy is a magical creature. You can lock him out of your workshop, but you can't lock him out of your heart. You can get him out of your study, but you can't get him out of your mind.

A treasure to a little boy does not consist of money, gems or jewellery. He will find far greater pleasure in the wonder of a rock, pebble, stick or beetle.

 My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
   -- Mark Twain

 To become a real boy you must prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish.
     -- From "Pinnochio"

  Tall oaks from little acorns grow.

I can sometimes resist temptation, but never mischief.

   He was born with a gift of laughter.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
   -- T.S. Eliot

You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes.

The past four years have been filled with everything from dirty cheeks and feet, slivers, bruises, tantrums, tent-building, monster fighting, pirate ship sailing, corner sitting, rolling, jumping, running, falling....a lot of falling, hugs and tickles, tears, and tears, and big ol crocodile tears...

It's been the kind of day when you wish it would never end, and the kind of evening where you wish the silence would never end. The years have been filled with, "you have 10 seconds to get to your room..." kind of threats, "you have 5 seconds to get up off the floor and stop crying" and often someting like, "you are out of seconds buddy" and somehow the fit ends abruptly and I find a little boy hugging my legs saying, "I'm sorry mom, I won't frow anymow fits."

4 years of push and push and pull at my heartstrings, a year where my patience reached it's last thread, only to find that through year two and three and four, my patience grew more threads! Kinda funny how that happens. And how funny it is that when I look back, those so called "awful" days don't seem so awful anymore, and most of em have already been forgotten, and all I find myself doing is remembering the chubby little baby I used to hold in my arms, with red rosy cheeks and drool dribbling down his chin. And I think back to his first steps, first words, first giggle, first smile...

and it becomes such an amazing miracle and journey...this life....his life...

And all I feel is GRATITUDE...

for the opportunity to have 4 years with my little man.

Love ya buddy! A whole lot!!

Ooooh!!

So Stinking CUTE!!!