Audrey's Flying Machine

Audrey's 3rd grade class project (for open house) was to make a flying machine. It doesn't really have to fly (thank goodness!). Josh encouraged her to draw a picture of what her machine would look like, Grandma let us rummage thru her recycling, and then they got to work creating. Can you see the lego girl inside the cockpit? Good work Audrey (and Daddy)!

Easter 2010

Not sure where March went, but it's April now. Easter has come and gone. Blogging has taken a back burner to life, children, facebook, laundry, and everything else I'm doing...

I think everyone is sorta smiling :)

Grace posing in front of her playhouse at Nana & Papa's

Family pic, not such a good one, but show's how diificult it is to get everyone happy for a shot.

Papa and Joel swinging

Olivia

Josh, Joel, Pops, Papa (4 generations of Wilkinsons)

Josh, Joel, Papa (not sure what that look on Josh's face means)

Valentine's Day

The days leading up to Valentine's Day are always kinda crazy....this year (and last) Grandma was here to experience the chaos (and fun). Not sure what I would've done without her (Josh was in Iowa for work). She patiently helped the girls write their names and friends' names on each card and she quietly assisted in our endeavor to bake homemade sugar cookies with glace frosting. I had found a recipe and had been wanting to try it. We had a lot of fun, but made a HUGE mess decorating cookies for each girls' class. My sister, Lisa, made each girls' valentines. This has become a tradition my kids look forward to every year. At Christmastime, Lisa asks each girl what kind of valentines they would like. Then she spends the next few months designing and working on the beautiful cards. She's awesome and we all appreciated her hard work!

Audrey's kitty valentines

Olivia's monkey valentines

Ellie and her froggy valentines

Look at those pretty cookies

A closer look

I'm messy in the kitchen, who spills that much flour on the counter? :) Wish I had my own clean-up crew like on food network, wait....I have 5 kids, I do have my own clean-up crew!

Ellie and Joel (not sure why it's underlining)

January happenings

January brought Olivia's 5th birthday. We celebrated at Red Robin with 6 little girls, Joel, mommy and daddy. Here are some pictures of our January...

partytime

Olivia and her monkey pet pillow

Olivia put on her Kaweah sweatshirt and hard hat to surprise daddy one night after he got home.

This one is a classic....Josh painting nails (he's good too)

Meal Planning in 2010

Happy 2010! In an attempt to be more organized and strategic I have been spending more time this year (I know it's only January) MEAL PLANNING. The links below have some great information on the topic of meal planning. I am trying to do my BIG grocery shopping twice a month, and I am trying to stay within a budget. I plan 4-5 meals each week, and I plan 2 weeks of meals at a time. I grocery shop in the evening without any kids, makes the trip actually halfway enjoyable(I usually grab Starbucks on the way) and I think I buy less crap cuz no one is trying to convince me they have to have pop tarts or gogurts. I've also found some really fun food blogs that have great, easy recipes that taste great! If you have some other great meal planning/food blog ideas can you share them with me?

My Kitchen Cafe: Kitchen Tip: Menu Planning 101

http://www.plantoeat.com/

http://www.ourbestbites.com/

http://picky-palate.com/

http://www.eatatallies.com/

http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/

http://www.health-full.blogspot.com/

Christmas 2009

Grace, Audrey, Ellie, and Olivia in their Christmas Eve jammies

Nana, Joel, and Grace

Olivia

Ellie

The tree and all the presents after Santa had come

Christmas morning

Olivia and the HUGE bear Grace gave her

Audrey and Joel

Joel in his new tonka truck

Christmas day play time

the little elf and Nana

Olivia in Papa's Santa beard

singing Christmas carols as Papa strums his guitar

Cookie Decorating

The Kyllos and us go way back. We knew each other before we had any children, now they have 6, we have 5. They recently moved back to the area, and we have had a chance to catch up and enjoy their company. The kids are 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 4, 4, 2, 2, 6 mo, and 2 mo. Our kids are very close in age and get along great. Thanks Melinda for inviting us to decorate cookies, we had a great time!

The Wilkinson and Kyllo clans

Look at those beautiful cookies

Ellie showing off her candy cane

Sarah and Audrey

Grace with a BIG smile

Olivia, Ellie, and Clara

Cookie decorating in action.