Crop Pot Mac N Cheese

I saw this recipe on Facebook this morning and totally have to try it!

~ Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese ~ 

 

***Best Part = You put the noodles in dry, uncooked!!!  

 Ingredients: 

Cooking oil spray 

2 cups skim milk 

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk 

1 egg 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp. pepper 

1 1/2 cups pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 

 Directions: Spray the pot of the slow cooker or if using a liner bag, spray the bag well. 

In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, evaporated milk, egg, salt and pepper. 

Pour milk mixture into the crock pot. 

Add cheese and uncooked macaroni. 

Stir gently to mix. 

 Turn slow cooker on low and cook 3-4 hours, or until the custard is set and the macaroni is tender. 

(Do not cook more than 4 hours, or the sides will begin to dry out). 

Serve at once.

Will be making this one for dinner tomorrow :)

Where did October go???

Oh my goodness, where did October go? Between work and cheer somehow I lost that it is the last week of October. Usually I already have my Halloween decor up and around the house and have pre planned out where the Christmas tree will go (only because I like to set it up on 11/1). This year I haven't done any of that. At this point I am not sure that I am going to. Halloween wasn't usually one of my favorite holidays but it was so fun for the kids. 

The reality is that my children are no longer small, they are extremely tall and wonderful teenagers that apparently don't plan out their costumes unless they are invited to a Halloween Party (Alexys!). Is it sad that I miss the fight over the cost of the costume or if they can wear the one from last year? As much as I used to dread those moments, now that they are gone I miss them!

Chandler recently turned 14 and decided that trick or treating wasn't so cool or important last year. Alexys finally give up trick or treating because she is a Sophomore and has a boyfriend and has been invited to his families Halloween Party.

Does this mean I have to still pass out candy? Or since my doorbell is broken can I just go to bed early?? 

Over the weekend we took the kids to the pumpkin patch to pick out some WAY overpriced pumpkins. It was actually a lot of fun walking through and picking out the "right" pumpkins. 

We went to Plumper Pumkin Patch

 

The moment when they both decided they were still small :)

 

My beautiful daughter, Alexys

 

Chandler, Paul and Alexys

 

Chandler rocking the pumpkin patch - he so does not love pictures. 

All in all it was a great time! I am glad that we got out and walked through the mud together. Would have liked to save the $40 (which means each pumpkin was approx 10# each) but it was worth the trip. The leaves and the trees are so amazing here. Weekend mini trips likes these; to do something so simple as find the "right" pumpkin are the moments I think I will always treasure. Happy October!x

Fall

Wow, I feel like I am on fire! Okay it just feels good the have some free time to update my blog postings for  those who follow me. Today - is two post Friday apparently!!! Summer and Fall are different season which have totally different events and in our family was the night and day difference and when all of the major changes took place in our lives.

Alexys and Chandler both started new schools the day after Labor Day. Chandler wasn't super thrilled about going from a High School to a JR High again but it has been a great move. The kids schools here do not have nearly as many elective classes or college opportunities. Both of them have settled in and have done extremely well either way.

Alexys Fall 2013

Chandler Fall 2013

I seriously couldn't be a prouder momma of these two amazing teenagers who have been through hell and back and moved across multiple states this year. They are the rocks that keep me grounded and the two people in life that give me the strength everyday to keep a positive attitude and strive to be a better mother. I am truly blessed.

CHEER
Alexys was heartbroken leaving RCHS in Utah. She lives, eats, and breathes cheer. We found a gym and decided to try out a tumbling class at the end of August so that she could continue to work on her skills until Spring Basketball Cheer tryout came around. Here is another perfect example of Everything Happening for a Reason: Midway through her trial tumbling class she was invited to assist the Platinum Cheer Team with some of their stunts. Her 45 minute class turned into 3 hours that night. The coach and owner of the gym invited Alexys to join their Level 4 Platinum Competitive Cheer Team!!

I was super excited and yet super nervous because there were a few skills that she really needed to work on and it is difficult at times to join a team that has already been together for months. Then there were all of the costs involved. We'll just say that I am not buying this girl a car because her cheer cost more than the $1800 I had budgeted for her first car. But it has been totally worth it. Amylynn and Heather at !mpact Athletics are some of the most amazing coaches ever and have been extremely encouraging and supportive of Alexys. I have never seen a coach be able to reach out to young minds and help them work through their fears and accomplish some absolutely amazing stuff.

So now our schedules are worked around cheer and practices and the next 6 months will be full of amazing trips and vacations that we would have never dreamed of or saved for. I am still not sure on the financial part will work out but we are really excited to be going to the Seattle, Washington area twice, Las Vegas in March and Hawaii in April. I decided that if there is a will there is a way and I would have never just taken the kids on any of these vacations had I not had a force (!mpact Cheer) pushing me to do it.

Alexys has made so many improvements just over the last 2 months she has been with !mpact and she has made so many new and great friends. I thankfully feel like I can call !mpact a family, the parents, athletes and coaches are priceless!

One year ago Alexys had a major fall and was told that she would never be able to do her splits again. With determination and support from her coaches she has defied all odds - she's pretty amazing!

Homecoming
Last but not least, Alexys was asked to Homecoming by Jordan who the same evening or the next day asked her out. He is a super sweet and respectful Senior that is on the Varsity Football team at their high school. Here's a couple pictures from homecoming.

Alexys all dolled up for her date.

Alexys and Jordan

Good ~ Bad ~ Indifferent
It just depends on how you look at it. Everything happens for a reason, it happens the way it is meant to be. We are all adjusting just fine here in Portland. We miss our family in Utah and our friends and the warmth of Arizona but Oregon is pretty nice. We enjoy the drive to the beach to play in the ocean and the walks in our neighborhood where we get to enjoy the autumn weather again after two years of missing it.

The beautiful trees we get to enjoy in our neighborhood of green.

The colors, the wonders and the possibilities. Hope you have a wonderful rest of your Friday and enjoy your weekend. God Bless.

SUMMER

TGIF - Happy Friday Peeps

April through August had it's ups and it's downs; major highs and some rock bottom lows. All I can say is that I am thankful and grateful for the friends and family members who supported me no matter how right, wrong or indifferent my decisions have been. You know who you are...... THANK YOU!

Over the summer we had some great times. We took at trip to Las Vegas in June and hung out on the strip.

We got a family tattoo... temporary

Alexys designed them :)

Hung out at the pool

which had really cold water.

Alexys, Paul and I went to the Miss USA Pageant at Planet Hollywood Resorts. She totally should have been a contestant.... and would have won!

 And that was the point that Paul and I decided it might be worth it to do it all over again. No we are not remarried and who knows if we ever will be. But my children got their "daddy" back and we are moving onward. Paul visited us in Utah over the 4th of July weekend which made it very easy for us to decide to take the leap. Shortly after that I was giving my notice to ESG, which was harder than I had thought it would be because I really enjoyed working with the AMAZING people I encountered there.

The kids and I arrived in Oregon just a couple days before Paul's birthday, this was planned so that it would be special and as you could tell from my previous post it was. From there the kids and I spent a few weeks settling in, took our last summer trip up to Eastern Oregon for Labor Day to spend time with the Brooks family in Summit Creek camping. On the way there we stopped at Multnomah Falls which is even more beautiful than Bridavale in person.This was was the weekend Paul taught Chandler to drive! He was pretty fabulous driving a stick shift for the first time.

Columbia River

There was a peek of our summer.... Alexys was cheering for RCHS and it was fast, crazy and furious. It was hard for her to move because she didn't want to leave her school or her cheer squad behind however I still believe that everything happens for a reason and we had even more changes with the kids starting school and the beginning of Fall... All of which I will talk about in my next post.

6 Months Later....

6 MONTHS LATER......

The kids and I moved to Portland, Oregon. back in June Paul and I decided that it was worth it to try and work through some issues regardless of the outcome. After multiple trips of spending time together as a family we decided it just felt right. So in August Paul mad dashed to find a home for all of us. I gave my notice to ESG and on August 14th the kids and I arrived with my car and UHAUL in the driveway of our new home. I am so grateful for my brother Brandon who so generously took his days off to drive the UHAUL and my son here to Oregon; it was such a long drive but time well spent.

While Brandon was here we spent Paul's 40th birthday in Lincoln City and played along the coast.

Paul's Big 40

40th Birthday at the beach

Brandon and Chandler playing in the ocean

Beauty of the beach

Options

Have you ever just been so incredibly emotional that everything seems to intensify that emotion regardless of what it is? That would be me today. I suddenly feel so overwhelmed with everything that simple small things are seeming SOOO BIG!

Work is still pretty great. At times it can be extremely overwhelming just because there is so much to learn. I am still not smoking!!! Even though days like today I really want to.

Kids are doing pretty good. Chandler struggles not having family around like Alexys does and I struggle to find an in between. I notably have stretched myself a little too thin even for me. Chandler goes to his grandparent's home about once a month and gets a 30 minute phone conversation with his bio dad. Sometimes I wish he had more, I wish there was more that I could give him and at times feel like I am failing him. It's rough. Alexys on the other hand is settling in every other weekend with her bio dad and family. I am really grateful that she has a really great step-mom who really tries to involve her in every aspect of their lives. I think that is important as she needs all of the love and support she can get.


And me, well besides the fact that I truly am overwhelmed with school and trying to find a balance am well... overwhelmed and unbalanced. It sometimes feels like I take two steps forward and five steps backwards. This seems to have been the theme lately. I get one dad there for the kids and then the other not, find a great guy to be there for both then have him bail. Sometimes I wonder if I will see the blessings in disguise over some of the turmoil and heartache and other days I really just want to give up. Thankfully I have two amazing children so I have at least five more years to hold it together for them.

So I have heard a lot of the ...you are so strong, yaddy, yady yaddah ... BS I am so not strong. What I am is great at putting a smile on my face and faking it through a bunch of public crap. I wait till I am home... and alone... to find an extra spot to bottle just a little more until I have one of these days....
Then I get online and find stories of others, of women and families who have it so much worse than me and then I pray. I pray that God will soften my heart so I am not angry with those who have the life I once had and not allow others to see my weakness. I read positive and uplifting posts and quotes and try to share them, to try to lift someone else's spirit that day and to push my anger and sadness away. 

I am sick of being an option! I am sick of my children being an option. I am not a rag doll that you can pick up, text, or call because it is so seemingly convenient. With that said, I will not change who I am either. I love, help and care to my own fault. Sometimes so much that when I am in a position that I need that same love, care and help I dished out... often there is no one there to return the favor. That doesn't mean that I suck or that I am a bad friend. It means YOU ARE! I have friends and family I would do anything for, I would forgive for the unforgivable, I would give them my last dollar, the shirt off my back and the food from my children's mouths but I couldn't say that many of them would return the favor. Guess that is the hand I was dealt or they all don't know me at all. Maybe a little bit of both.

Okay so this post is simply going bad. So here I am. Here is the vulnerable me. I totally wanted to delete this and not post it at all but decided that it would be wrong. It would defeat the purpose of me blogging, of me being me.

So here I post. Please, don't flood my inbox or phone because you suddenly give a crap! Instead, pray that God will soften your heart. Try not to treat people as if they were your second option. We all have a choice... thank God for free will. Everything Happens For A Reason. Still standing by that. Today, I am not sure of all of the reasons, or the lessons, I know that everything I have been through has made me who I am... and today, I am okay with it being, just that.

God Bless.

March Update

So I was about to update my FB Status when I realized that I had way to much to share in a status and it's been over a months since my last blog. 

Life has been amazing, crazy, hectic, wonderful, horrible, scary, overwhelming, emotional and any other feeling you could insert here <          >! So I guess I will attempt to update as much as possible before I fall asleep. LOL

WORK ~ I started an amazing job about a month ago. I am a Benefits Administrator for a human resources company here in Utah. Now when I researched and planned this job I though, benefits.... I can totally handle that. 401K's, health insurance, dental, life and so on right? Never did I realize that I would deal with every single insurance company under the sun as well as handle all of the accounts receivable, payable and reconcile all of the bills oh joy! Actually, I really do totally love my job. There is so much more to learn and each day I am excited to learn new things and new skills. I work with the most amazing group of people who are so warm and kind and helpful while I am still getting my feet wet. My first interview I just knew it felt right. My first day, I was taking a tour of the office and noticed more than half of the the staff had the fuzzy slippers under their desks and comfortable blankets wrapped around them. Totally my style! So I am excited to see what is in my future with this company and feel so blessed to have found such a great, family oriented company to work.

QUIT SMOKING ~ So I have quit smoking a million times plus one. I always had an excuse of stress, anxiety, blah blah blah for starting back up. Honestly for the most part each time I quit and started back up I became more and more of a closet smoker. I was so disappointed in myself and didn't want others to be disappointed in me for my lack of self control or commitment to quit.So, this time I did it for me! Not my kids, not my health, not my ex husband, not because I had to........ but because I was ready and I wanted to. I quit on February 25th, which happened to also be my first day of work. I didn't want anyone to know I smoked so I decided not to smoke that morning. I was fine all day long and questioned if I could just not do it... I struggled... BUT I DID IT! I am so proud of myself! So like any other addiction or habit - I have to take it one day at a time and be proud of my accomplishments and reflect on my past. I am so blessed. 

KIDS ~ Oh my children. My daughter went through a lot of firsts lately. She had her first heartbreak, she got to learn to drive, she passed the test and obtained her driving permit! She also became Suzy Homemaker to help out her crazy busy momma. She also made Varsity Cheer!! I just have to say, being a teenager was so hard for me, trying to figure out who I was, where I was going and who I wanted to be.... the only thing harder than being a teenager is being the mother to a teenager. We laugh, we cry, we argue, we fight, we sing, we make up, we live. I have the most amazing daughter, she makes her fair share of mistakes, but she learns quickly from them and moves on. She is so loving and kind. And lately has been our homemaker. She wants to earn money for a car and I am overwhelmed - so she earns money each night she cooks dinner. She offered to make and pack my lunches so she earns money for that too. But really, besides like any teen wanting to earn money, I appreciate that wants to help her brother with his homework and help me out and bless our family with her wonderful gift and ability to be an amazing cook! On that note - I totally have to thank Paul for being an amazing teacher - cause he taught her most of what she knows when it comes to cooking and grilling.

Chandler, well besides the fact that I wish this kid would cut his hair is the most amazing son I could ask for. Totally getting amazing grades, mostly A's and a couple B's! He is enjoying lots of extra time on the XBOX, playing basketball at the nearby park and just being a goof ball. I am so blessed to have a son that stands up for himself but also stands up for others. He is firm in his moral and belief system. He is looking forward to warmer weather and me being finished with school for the summer so we can enjoy more family outdoor activities. 

SCHOOL ~ Well both the kids are working hard and getting amazing grades in school. I am in the second session of my semester at ASU and taking way too many credits! 18 total this semester, 6 the first half and 12 currently. Let's just say I work, study and sleep. Which is why I am so blessed to have amazing children helping me pull through for the next six in a half weeks till the semester is over. I am looking into the Social Work and Psychology Programs at UVU and U of U to determine location and degree wise which school I will transfer to for this fall semester. Which also means I need to HURRY UP! I am taking the summer semester off to enjoy my children in my free time outside of work.

 FAMILY ~ Grandma M. The last two Sunday's we have been going to see my Grandma M who lives in an amazing assisted living facility. Unfortunately, Grandma is at that stage that she often doesn't remember who we are or that she is no longer a child but she sure can be fun to visit. Personally, I have a harder time visiting because Grandma often asks to go home or complains that she doesn't like it where she is, I have a harder time not visiting with my Grandma like we used to; but the kids... bless their hearts, totally love, embrace and enjoy our visits to see Grandma and look forward to the next week. Today we visited and took her some M&M's, we arrived and she was watching golf... really who watches golf! Se we changed the channel to a movie channel and started chatting. At first she wasn't sure who we were or how we got there; much less how she got there. Then when I was on a call Alexys and Chandler helped her open her M&M's and were talking about everything and nothing. Grandma started lobbing candy at Chandler to get his attention, then at me to get off the phone; we laughed! We had a few brief moments of the grandma I remember, asking about Paul and if we were moving back from Arizona, we shared that we moved back and how the kids were doing in school and then she was done. Back to questioning who we were. Alexys showed grandma her dance and new cheer that she learned and Chandler told her about his new XBOX game (which none of us understood. LOL) and then we had to go. I hate to leave her but am so blessed to have my memories with her. I look forward to each of our future weekly visits, each time hoping to steal just a few moments of time when she remembers.

~ BABY OWEN ~ So tonight we had a family dinner at dad's to celebrate Casey and Cheresa's birthday's this month and we all received the most amazing surprise! Baby Owen Arrived!!! No one was able to touch or hold him just yet but for the first time the kids were able to meet their adorable cousin and I was finally able to see my nephew again since I hadn't seen him since August. Everyone says he is still so small but to me he seems So BIG! I remember how tiny he was in August when I met him and now he is none months old and maybe small for his age and adjusted age but he looks absolutely perfect to me! He giggled, smiled and cood; even his brief little cry was a delight. We are so blessed to have him as a part of our family! On that note, Today was also the first time the kids and I had a chance to see my brother in law A (also known as Owen's Amazing Fire Fighting Dad) since we visited in August. With his work schedule and Owen not being able to be around anyone he has been spending as much extra time with his little guy as possible. So it was nice to finally have the whole family under one roof for a family dinner! Actually it was the first time since the kids and I visited last March - so the first time in the last year that we had all been in one place at one time! We all enjoyed great conversation, totally were all goo goo eyed over Owen and enjoyed simply just seeing and watching him. Several played a new card game with the kiddo's. All in all - I couldn't have asked for a better family dinner or a better way to end one week and start another.


FUTURE ~ I am unsure of what the future holds but what ever it is I am sure it will be wonderful. We are looking forward to continuing to resettle and reestablish our roots here in Utah. We are excited for warmer weather and summer cause we are still totally freezing here in Utah. Hoping we may take one or two vacations this summer to new and exciting places we have never been, going camping and spending time on the water with the family boating and fishing. And simply seeing what plan's God has in store for us. 

~EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON~ and I, am totally okay with that. Night all.