{Old} Christmas Tradition - Sacrament Meeting Christmas Program

Today was one of the most inspiring and best programs I have seen in years!  I came away wanting to be a better person.  Thank you to those who put the Rivergrove 2nd program together this year.  The one advantage of having winter babies is holding them in my arms during all of those Christmas baby lullabies. 

New Recipe: Mini Meatloaves (from 5dinners1hour.blogspot.com)

My Rating: Great and easy!

Also from that trial menu.  Seriously, this was so fast to put together.  I served it with baked potatoes and salad.  So you mix the first set of ingredients together.  I omitted onion powder because I don't have any and salt because you don't need it and used regular sage.  I just sprayed my muffin tin with Pam and found that this recipe makes about 10-11 meatloaves.  I don't have any dry mustard so I just squirted some regular mustard in and omitted the W. sauce.

2 eggs
½ C milk
2/3 C bread crumbs
1 t onion powder
1 t salt
½ t rubbed sage
1 ½ lbs ground beef
Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over top and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.
Sauce:
¼ C ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 t ground mustard
½ t Worcestershire sauce
*freezable

New Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas (from 5dinners1hour.blogspot.com)

My Rating: Easy and delicious

It's a busy time of year for all of us.  I found a link while looking at someone else's blog, and decided to give it a try.  If you go here you can get a free trial of a week's menu.  I love that the grocery list is included.  In theory, you are supposed to be able to make up all 5 dinners in 1 hour and store them in the fridge until you want to use them.  I didn't have time to do that today, but I did try this meal.  I used pinto beans I had previously cooked in the crockpot.  I didn't have any salsa, so I omitted it.  I normally use uncooked flour tortillas from Costco.  They really are the best!  So, I barely cooked 8 of them, kept them in the warmer, then went back and filled them 2 at a time in the skillet and cooked them again.  It worked out nicely.  I served these with a green salad.  I thought they were easy and fun.

3 T chopped onion
1 can black beans
1 C. frozen corn
1 T brown sugar
¼ C salsa
¼ t red pepper flakes
1 T chili powder
½ t cumin
2 C Monterrey jack cheese
10 flour tortillas

Scoop 1 cup bean mixture onto 5 tortillas. Top with another tortilla and place on sprayed baking sheet. Spray
quesadillas with cooking spray and bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until brown and crisp. Serve with green salad.
*freezable

Note:  Since this first time, I have made these several more times.  I have tried adding the salsa, but I think it makes them messier to eat and doesn't change the flavor.  I omit the red pepper flakes because I don't like the kick.  I have also found that I prefer cheddar cheese.  And I don't add the onion either because it's just an extra step.  So I have it down to beans (whatever kind I have cooked up), corn, brown sugar, cheese, chili powder, cumin, and tortillas...a reasonable list of ingredients.  All things I have on hand.  And these really are so yummy!

{Old} Christmas Tradition - Looking at Christmas Lights

After the piano recital, we drove around and looked at some of our favorite Christmas lights in Provo.  We will probably do this several more times before the season is over.

{New} Christmas Tradition - Piano Recital

I suppose this is an old tradition that has been resurrected this year!  I am so proud that all 3 of my piano students did such a wonderful job on their Christmas pieces.  We heard awesome renditions of "Jingle Bells," "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful," "Aria," "Once There Was a Snowman," "Joy to the World," and "Silent Night."  I am also happy to say that all but 1 of the pieces were memorized!  Yeah!  There is nothing like Christmas music to bring the Christmas spirit!!!

{New} Christmas Tradition - ROC Christmas Concert

It was also tonight.  Because I love Christmas music so much, we went to 2 concerts, one right after another.  That was asking a bit much of a 3 year old, don't you think?  Actually, we all enjoyed it, including Luz.  I was under the impression that this was a Latin American group and would be performing in Spanish.  I assumed wrong.  It is a multi-cultural group that performs in English.  Their original music was quite impressive.  I would definitely attend another concert, but probably not the Christmas one again.

{Old} Christmas Tradition - Stake Christmas Concert

It was tonight.  I always enjoy so many things about Christmas, especially the music.  In our stake, each ward participates.  We have a GREAT organ in our stake center.  It has a star that adds so much to "Joy to the World."  I love this tradition and plan on keeping it forever.

{New} Christmas Tradition - Classic Skating Christmas Party

As part of a home school group, we attended a Halloween roller-skating party back in October and LOVED it.  This time, we were all able to attend the Christmas party.  I even skated for a short bit.  It's only been about 20 years since I put on roller skates.  Luz scootered around again and had a blast.  Ezra enjoyed looking around at all the lights and people.  And Juan was a great cheerleader. :)  I hope to continue this tradition.

Merry Christmas!

This is a great video!

{New} Christmas Tradition - Christmas Oranges Benefits Concert

I love Christmas music.  A friend from my mission (Marshall McDonald) is a composer and organized this concert several years ago.  This year, the stars aligned and we were able to attend.  It was amazing!  A definite keeper as far as Christmas traditions go.

Family fun at the Doctor!

Luz had her 3 year check-up and Ezra his 2 month.  Here are our stats:

Luz 

Weight: 32.2 pounds; 70%

Height: 39 inches; 80%

Head: 51 cm; 95%

Ezra

Weight: 14 pounds; 95%

Length: 23.5 inches; 75%

Head: 40 cm; 50%

Happy Birthday to Luz - Part 3

Today we wrapped up Luz' 3rd birthday.  After her Sunday nap, she got to lick the spoon and then frosted (and sprinkled) the cupcakes I had baked while she was sleeping.

 

Then she got to open her card from Grandma M. and her presents from Abuela.  Thank you!  And then we read all of the books.  By the way, the reason I have never before read The Mitten could be that it was published in 1989 (I was 13).

And finally, we sang and ate cake and ice cream.  She picked white cake with pink frosting and cherry vanilla ice cream because it was pink.

Happy Birthday to Luz!

Happy Birthday to Luz - Part 2

We asked Luz a couple of weeks ago what she wanted for her birthday and she replied, "A haircut."  Well, alright then.  This all came about because last month I was combing her hair and mentioned to Juan that I thought it would be good to give her a trim.  She has never had a haircut and her ends often tangle up during the course of the day.  We do what we can to avoid tangles and such, but sometimes you just need to trim those ends.  Anyway, when I mentioned it to Juan, he replied that we should take her to a place.  I was curious as to why.  I am pretty sure I could trim her hair and do an ok job for a 3 year old at least.  He said that it would be good to teach her that we go to places to get our hair cut and that we absolutely DO NOT do this at home.  Good point.  So, we went.  She was nervous, but was a trooper.  We went the same place Juan goes and I was not happy with them at all.  The girl was incompetent and mean to Luz.  I do not like either of those qualities.  We will be going to a "just for kids" place next time.  I forgot to take a "before" picture.  The other thing was that I had told the girl 1 inch and she just kept chopping away.  I think she ended up getting about 3 inches off.

Happy Birthday to Luz - Part 1

Happy Birthday to our sweet little girl Luz.  Today she is 3 years old.  As I rocked her to sleep for her nap today I thought to myself that there may not be that many more times I can rock her.  She's growing up and hardly fits on my lap anymore.  She will be moving into a big girl bed soon.  She may not want me to rock her in the not too distant future.  Sad.  I hugged her a little bit tighter and felt thankful that today I could rock her to sleep.  It's hard to believe that she's 3 already.

Happily, the guys were coming over today for piano.  Luz adores many people, but "the guys" are still on the top of the list.  They came bearing a gift...Dora Memory Game.  We have already played it several times.  She LOVES it!  Thank you!

Then we got ready to go to Macey's grocery store.  There, she got to buy her own ice cream cone.  She loves to order it herself and pay for it herself.  Best 50 cents I spent today.  She also picked out a cake mix, frosting, and ice cream (more to follow on that).

Yesterday I asked her what she wanted for her birthday dinner.  She thought for a moment, and then I suggested burritos (you know, something different).  She emphatically stated that she wanted hot dogs and happy birthday salad (orange fluff) and then I suggested we also have uvas (grapes) to pretend there was something healthy in the meal. :)  She made the happy birthday salad.

Here she is with her 3rd birthday dinner.  Looks like Luz and Matthew have something in common.

So, we were planning to make the cake together when we got home from Macey's.  However, Luz was just too tired and needed a nap.  So, I put Luz her down for a nap.  Meanwhile, I decided that we could bake the cake together either tonight or tomorrow.  Also, our cute little neighbor's 5th birthday is also today, and when he found out it was also Luz' birthday, he brought some of his birthday cupcakes over to share.  So, tonight we sang, "Happy Birthday," and ate those cupcakes.  Thanks Che!  Ours will get made and eaten sometime this weekend.

A big "thank you," to Tio Matthew, Abuela, and Tia Stephanie for the special phone calls!

This big boy is 2 months old!

We'll be going to the doctor on Monday, December 6th and I will post his stats then.  I can't believe how fast time has flown.  He is beautiful, happy, and growing like a weed!