The Holmes Granparents visit!

So my Bday was a mixture of feelings. I spent half the morning crying, because I missed going out to lunch with sisters, and playing with friends, and my usual B day partying! I miss my home. All of my stuff is here, but it's certainly not quite feeling like home. Then Chris and Dave took pity on me and took me out to lunch. Then the parents arrived in the afternoon and we finished the evening off with a visit to the Cheesecake Factory! Can't top that! Thanks to all of you who called! It means a lot! I miss all of you dearly! So this is one of the funniest Bday cards I have ever received! It is courtesy of my kind, big sister, Susie! This certainly helped to pick up my mood!















We have lawn in our back yard! I wonder how long it will take Thatcher to throw all of the rocks ONTO the yard!
Grandpa Holmes and Thatcher kickin' it on the couch! Grandma brought some cute cars for the kids, one of which included a pig. Thatcher carries this around all day (and night) and affectionately refers to his as his "moo"!
Did I mention that while Chris was in Vegas for work, I was installing some blinds, and Thatcher and Gretchen got into a little miff, and she bit him? Nice, huh!

Thatcher enlisted some help from Gretchen this time!














For Sunday dinner:

To waive off some loneliness this weekend we had a crew over for dinner. Chris's step siblings (3 of the 4) and their kids, and Dave and Char, and cousin Jonathan. It went great! We had fun and managed to fit everyone without any major disasters! I made chicken enchiladas (my new oven cooks faster so I only mildly burned the bottom, sorry again guys) and those tasty orange rolls - always a hit! Dave nearly knocked me over with hugs and kisses when he saw I had made them! He also misses having meals at Susie's with the whole fam and their cooking! For those who are interested, here are those recipes:
Chicken Enchiladas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 tsp. onion powder
1 (2¼ oz.) can chopped or slice olives (optional)
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed(opt)
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (bake drizzled with olive oil or butter and sprinkled with onion powder, garlic salt and pepper, at 350 degrees until thickest part of meat is 170 degrees)
8-10 flour tortillas, cut into bite-sized pieces
¾ lb. grated cheddar cheese

Mix soups, sour cream, onion, olives, black beans, and green chilies. Add chicken and stir. Place half of tortilla pieces in bottom of a greased 9X13 pan. Spread half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle half of cheese over mixture. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered 45-60 min. @ 350˚.

Favorite Orange Rolls
1 c. sugar
2 Tbl. Orange juice
½ c. butter
Combine above ingredients until sugar dissolves. Pour over 2 packages SMALL(the large don't work) hungry jack biscuits in a round bundt pan. Bake @ 350 for 18-25 min.

Holy MONSOON!!

So I believe I have experienced my first Arizona Monsoon! As I drove to pick Gretchen up from school it started to pour. I ran into the school carrying Thatcher (we have to walk in to pick up the kids. Usually it is outside but today they were inside.) Thatcher was giggling as we ran in and got soaked!


I tracked Gretchen down and she was bawling! I guess she got kinda misplaced with the teachers or something and then the thunder and rain, anyway she was upset. We waited inside for a bit hoping it would die down. It didn't so I ran out again with Thatcher giggling. By the time I got to the car I was ankle deep in water! It was like I had backed into a lake to pull in a boat! Gretchen waited inside for me to pull the car up closer. She cried while we ran out and got drenched! As luck would have it, the rain started to let up as we drove home (of course!). Here is a photo of our subdivision's usually dry grassy area, and the mail truck waiting for the water to run off the street so he could drive through. I was grateful to have the truck and pounded through! Gretchen then thought it was fun cause we splashed so much water around! But then she made me pull in the garage so she could get out and not get wet! Ah, what are we to do with her?

Here's Gretch posing at a quaint little fountain at a mall!

So I bought some raisins at Gretchen's request. She has since informed me that she allergic to them because when she tries to eat them it starts to make her throw up a little in her throat!.

Fixed piano, and lots of markers!

As I was working on my last post, I turned around to notice this . . . . Thank heavens for dry erase markers! They clean up in a breeze!

After I yelled and punished, he was sitting so quietly in the corner doing this. . . . It's a good thing he's so dang cute! Cause he's naughty!!

Yeah! the piano is fixed! It's been quite the hit. Gretchen plays everyday, especially the player part. We didn't have room to move down any of the rolls, and I think the piano fixit man felt pity and donated one! I am kinda getting sick of the one song. . .
I just wanted to post an often viewed image at our house of our tantrum throwing, screaming baby. He's starting kicking and rolling on the ground and everything! I'm sure you are very sad to be missing out on those!

Jammin' in AZ

Thatcher has been LOVING to sweep! (I still haven't figured out how to rotate pictures, so just rotate your head if you don't mind! I'll keep working on it!)
We received a fun package from Grandma Holmes that included some activity books for the kids. Thatcher's had stickers which he immediately put to use!
We snuck in a swim in the vacant neighbors pool! It was kinda gross and green - next time I think we'll wait until it's been cleaned!
Everyday we go pick up Gretchen at school and wait at this fence until the teacher brings her out to the locked gate. There is some good security - makes me feel a little better about leaving my litttle girl!
He discovered an empty cabinet for a hiding place!
So Sydney turned Gretchen on to "Camp Rock" and she lives and breathes it. Grandma Holmes gave her the CD just before we left Salt Lake and I think she jammed to it nearly the whole way down. Shortly after we got tv, it was on and Chris recorded it for her. So here is a video of her jammin' out with her rockin' dance moves. FYI: Gretchen just said to me in her usual whiny voice, "Mom, I keep farting and it stinks!" Ha, Ha!

More Thatcher without Gretchen. . .

( Thatcher seems to find things to do while Gretchen is at school) So I made another IKEA trip and got some organizing items. Thatcher thought you were supposed to sit INSIDE the box to play with the toys!
I was putting felt sticky things on the bottom of chairs and such to avoid scratches and I looked down and Thatcher had put them on his chin! It's an awesome felt beard!

His next magic trick included hiding this misc. hard plastic item. It was up his nose! A good distance, too. I had to pin him down and pull it out with tweezers! Gross!

Monday, August 18, 2008

So despite the fact that we have no landscaping, we are continuously showered with petals at our front door! It's like we were meant to be royalty! But . . . where's the red carpet?

The only thing better is the enormous spider we found upon our arrival home Saturday night. And it was carrying a sack full of babies that flew everywhere upon the spiders smashing! It was the best arrival home present ever.