Green Chicken Chili

At FHE in the singles ward, we had a chili cook off. I offered to make a pot of chili since there were not many signed up. (We eat a LOT in this ward).

I don't have a great recipe for chili but I found two (one was RaeLene's) that I thought sounded good, so I combined them. It was really yummy and surprise, it was voted to best!

Green Chicken Chili

1 pkg grilled chicken breast strips (I get from Costco). Break into bit-size pieces

3 green onions

4 tsp garlic powder

Saute in 2 - 3 tbs oil

Add:

4 cups chicken broth

5 cans Northern White Beans, drained

1 large can (28 0z) La Palmas Green Chili Enchilada sauce

1 cup whipping cream

1 8 oz container sour cream

1 can diced green chilies

Heat throughly. Then add:

1 lb grated jack cheese

Continue to heat until cheese is melted.

This recipe filled my large red pot. I would guess it could easily feed 15 people or more.

"Because I am...."

Lana told me something that Ella said that was just so cute.

Lana was talking to here and asked her why she was so pretty. Ella said, "Because I am Heavenly Father's little girl!" That is just so tender to me. She has wonderful parents who are teaching her valuable concepts.

Yesterday, she came over early in the morning. She was still in her pajama's. I asked her if she slept well the night before. She said yes but that she had a bad dream. She couldn't remember what it was about but she just knew it was bad. I asked her if she goes and gets in bed with her parents when she has bad dreams. She said, "No, I just pray and read the scriptures." I found out later that she sleeps with Sesily old scriptures.

She doesn't even know how to read and yet just holding the scriptures brings comfort to her.

Oh Ella, you are a lucky girl to know what you know. Yes, you are Heavenly Father's little girl. You have a mommy and daddy who love you and a Mamma and Papa who adore you!

One blanket, one ticket

This year we each made and donated a fleece blanket to the charity Project Linus. For each blanket donated, we received a free ticket into Disneyland. A great deal!

A favorite ride for all the kids was Dumbo. Right after we then took the kids on the Mad Hatter and I think that made Ella worried the rest of the day. She did not like that ride with it's fluorescent light explosions and such.

This was the first time ever I have been on the steam boat ride to Tom Sawyer's island (is that what it is called). I grabbed a few shots while we were waiting.

Have you ever known anyone who brings his school work to Disneyland? I haven't, until now! Trent was taking an online statistic class, I think that's what he was taking at the time, and he needed to use every spare minute he had to study.

Must be hard to study in Disneyland!

But the timing was great because Ella needed a nap.

To celebrate (or grieve) the first day of school, we had a 'Back to School dinner' with sack lunches!

Everyone got to make their own sandwiches and they would have been so much better if I would not have left the lettuce, onion, tomatoes and avocado at home on the counter! I hate when I do stuff like that (and it is more often than not!)

Sesily made sugar cookies each with our own names on. It was fun!

Llayton loves the cheeto's. That is what he is saying

is "cheese" in this picture.

Happy Birthday to Grandma Lee. How old are you? I don't even know. Wait, I remember she is 20 years older than Chad so she is 73 (or maybe turning 74?)

What a gift!

Grandpa Kennedy has been working for several months making this doll house for Ella. Sesily had seen these last Christmas at the Sun City hobby center and said how she would love to have one for Ella. I think it has been a great project for him to work on and Ella has loved playing with it. There is wallpaper on the bedroom walls, little

furniture and accessories, tiny little stair railing, white picket fencing. It is amazing!

Amara is not allowed to be near it! She could do some damage!

She's too little right now.

An 'all day' ordeal

Bree traveled with the boys from Canada to Vegas which took most of the day. They took a boat ride, a bus ride and a plane ride. What a day for Llayton! And an exhausting day for Bree! She said people where so kind to her always asking if she needed help. But she didn't! She could handle it on her own.

She came home to pack up the house and get it ready so Brett could move it back into our house before they leave for New Zealand.

While they were home, they traveled to California to bless Llayton with his Harrison cousin, Layah Lundblad. Bree is staying in California with her family and spending time there. Brett is now in Ohio doing summer sales until the middle of October when they go to N.Z.

(Pictures taken at the airport - end of Aug 2010)

Oh, I shouldn't!

I know I really shouldn't post this picture....

BUTT....

I still am.

The boys were playing in the backyard when the sprinklers came on and the temptation was more than they could control. Off they went, with all their clothes on, running and playing in the water.

We had to take all their clothes off before they could go back into the house. They were as happy as could be running naked.

It's just a cute bum shot! Makes me laugh!

(I hope no one is offended)

On the other side of the camera

I LOVE education week at BYU. I love everything about it, the classes, the instructors, the learning, the campus and the Spirit I feel there, the town, the bookstore, the people, everything! It is what motivates me, regenerates me, excites me.

These last two years we have been able to spend time with Kenny and Megan, too. They trade off watching Bennett while the other goes to class. Sometimes we meet up in classes and sometimes it just for lunch. They let us stay there with them too, which is always a plus for us!

We thought it would be fun this year to do a photo shoot with some cute, young models. Candace brought her nieces (cute, young models) and look who Megan ended up with...Chad and I (not cute, young models)! She had taken some pictures at this old barn in Mapleton with a family in the past. That is where we shot. So cool. We don't have anything like that here in Vegas. I loved the barn and the tall, wheaty grass.

Chad was a good sport. Besides, he needed a new picture of us on his face book page. And look how good Megan made us look! Thank you, Megan! You just made Education week that much more fun. Maybe next year we can get some cute, young models!

Caiden 2.5 months

Caiden at 2.5 months.

A little chunk!

Bree came home a bit before Brett to pack up the house.

Brett was here to help move everything and then left for another month to sell in Canada.

Bree is staying here with her family and us until they leave for New Zealand mid October.

Sidewalk painting

I love when good people share good ideas! A blog that I like to go to, The Idea Room, www.idearoom.net, gave the recipe for sidewalk paint. It's pretty simple, if I remember with corn starch water and food coloring. Since I knew I would be taking the kids, one at a time, while Sesily was gone to Girl Camp, I thought this might be a fun activity.

Both Cohen and Ella, had a good time, just by themselves, painting the sidewalk! They just were in their own little world. Ella chose 'girly' colors.

Cohen hummed his own little tunes as he painted.

And then, after we painted the sidewalks, we painted some more!

I had these little plaster of paris things, (lack of a better word!) that were left from our beach vacation, so we painted those.

One more picture just because.....well....

I love his little face!