Chocolate Chip Beet Pancakes

Anyone want to know how to make some healthy valentine pancakes? Make your pancake batter in a blender and throw a slice of fresh beet in....add some chocolate chips and voila. I also throw carrots and apples in the whole wheat batter. Sometimes my husband thinks I go to far with this whole being healthy thing but he'll thank me later when he is still playing basketball at the age of 75.

Christmas Day 2011

After breakfast and presents we met up with my sister's family and two uncles and co. at the beach in Encinitas. It was a spectacular day and the kids had a blast running around.

Christmas morning 2011

The kids were up early Christmas morning because they just couldn't contain their excitement. I remember when I was little being up half the night waiting for the sun to come up so I was able to contain my frustration of not being able to sleep in despite my own late night of making everything just "perfect." The kids read their letter from Santa and the hit item of the year was Fruit Stripe gum!! Anybody remember it?? I found it at Cost Plus....the kids LOVED it. It tastes the same as I remember....quick burst of sugar and 5 seconds later flavorless. And it still has the stripes:) Becca was a late riser because she wasn't feeling so hot but she was able to get in on the action later on and she too loved the gum.....that and the fact that everyone had their own pack of gum.....we get excited about the little things in our family. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast with hot chocolate......

I get anxious in these moments because they are so fleeting. This may very well be Amy's last year of "believing." That makes me sad.....

A true Davis

A while ago my sister-in-law Kristy wrote a blog post about how most parents worry about whether or not their children will get good grades to get into a good college to get a good job. Or...whether or not their kid will excel in sports to get a scholarship to a good college to get a good job. In the Davis family she claims we worry about whether or not our kids will have the capacity to make people laugh. There are enough people who get good jobs but are there enough people who make you laugh or at least chuckle?

So despite the fact I have two months of blog pictures to post, I had to put this one in the front of the line. I opened the freezer yesterday to find this. Greg took Amy to 7 eleven to get a treat...she chose dibs....she ate the dibs....and then affixed this note to the empty container and put it back in the freezer. Amy is 5!!! This is the girl who has a massive meltdown every time I ask her to write a sentence in her ABC book for homework yet she took the initiative to write this note.....notice the correct spelling? CLASSIC. I not only laughed but I was filled with a sense of pride that my daughter is funny!!

Had to share.

A German Christmas

Our kids were esctatic to be able to spend Christmas eve with cousins. It was accompanied by the small fact that Randy's family always celebrates Christmas German style. This means you open presents and stockings on Christmas eve. I wouldn't be surprised if our kids stow away to move in with their cousins.

Mormon Battalion

Another family excursion we had before Christmas was a visit to the Mormon Battalion visitor center in Old Town. The kids LOVE going because they get to pan for gold. They always claim to be wealthy as they leave with their gold nuggets:)