Quesadillas with a Friend

My friend, Stephanie, and I got together again to cook. Last time I taught her to make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken. This time we tried a couple new recipes together, Black Bean Quesadillas and Easy Peasy Spanish Rice, both from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 4, from Jordan Page. Oh, there was also a recipe for a zesty quesadilla dipping sauce that we made.

We had fun again and both had meals to eat. That helped me a lot because that afternoon/evening was so busy it was nice to already have food ready that just needed to be reheated.

 

This is the picture she sent me later that day. 

Her husband told me that he really enjoyed the food, too.

Birds and Food

One Saturday morning, Nichole, Lucky, and I got out in the cold to go birding with Utah County Birders at the Provo River Delta. It's open now. Woohoo. Jeremy and I loved going there to celebrate our anniversary back in May so I've been excited to take the kids.

It was certainly cold but fun to see the birds and spend time with those two. I love nature.

That evening we made homemade Panda Express food for National Fast Food Day, November 16. Sweetfire Chicken, white rice, and chow mein. Mmmmmm.

 

November 17 was Homemade Bread Day. I made bread with the intention of letting us tear into one loaf and slicing the rest. Jet had other ideas apparently. Ha Ha. I did get three sliced loaves out of it, though.

 

November 19 was International Men's Day, Have a Bad Day Day, and Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day. Jeremy was tired enough at work that he had to celebrate. Poor guy.

We're Thankful For... Jet

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way From your first bassinet to your last dying day."

 

We love Jet. He is a huge blessing in our lives. Huge. He is funny, smart, clever, and fits right in with our family.

This year, Jeremy was out of town on Jet's birthday so we celebrated twice. Once on his actual birthday and once on a later day when both Jeremy and Nichole could be there. Jet didn't complain.

He got birthday dinner twice (different each night) and "cake" and ice cream twice and he got to open presents twice. He did not complain.

Since he usually skips the cake and prefers to just eat the ice cream, I decided to make brownies instead since I know he likes brownies (and I could make those twice very easily). He still skipped the brownie and just ate the ice cream. I guess he's just an ice cream kid at birthdays. We can't put the candles in the ice cream however. Brownies worked. He did enjoying singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out the candles twice.

For dinner on his birthday, we had cheeseburger pasta, corn, apples, bananas, and milk. We didn't blow bubbles in our milk this year.

It has become a joke in our family that the boys taught Jet early on to say, "Eyeball soup." I don't know why they did that but they did. For his second birthday dinner, we had eyeball soup. I made more "eyeballs" like we had on Greasy Food Day and Picasso's Birthday (and Pasta Day and Breadstick Day) and put them in tomato soup. He was happy with the Eyeball Soup.    

Jet loved Halloween so much, he is often asking to go trick or treating. For his second birthday this year, we let him. He went to different doors in the house to trick or treat and got cards and presents. It was cute.

 

On his actual birthday, he got to open a rubber chicken because he really liked the one Jr. Jr. got for his birthday.

On his birthday with Nichole and Dad, Jet got to open LEGO Duplos and a little stuffed penguin.

Jet really wanted a balloon Spinosaurus for his birthday so Jeremy made him one. Unfortunately I didn't get decent pictures.

 

Besides the birthday party stuff, Jet and I had a special day with just the two of us. Jet's been wanting to go to the "dinosaur museum" (Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point so while the boys were at school, we went. Afterward he told me we went to the "brachiosaur museum."

He even got a souvenir squished penny for his birthday.

We had so much fun that we went again a couple days later. 

"Hi, sleeping crab."

 

A while ago, Jet wanted to use a cookie cutter so we made gingerbread cookies so we could cut out shapes. We had a good time. Jet is my baking buddy after all.

One day we went to pick Jr. up from school and Jet saw someone carrying a box of donuts. He wanted donuts. I told him we could make donuts together like we made cookies. He got very excited about that idea and said, "Say goodbye cookies and Helloooo, donuts." So for his birthday we made donuts together.

Jet had some fun his birthday(s) this year.

 

Jet, we love you. Thank you for being part of our family. You are such a treasure.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The KAT's Meow

Jet: I want Tinker Bell to feel me better.

Jr. reminded me that we put the Tinker Bell towel down when someone isn't feeling well.

 

Dad: Jet, I really want to give you a hug.

Jet: Oh well. (and walks away)

 

 

 

I told Jet the song I was singing was from The Beatles. He didn't want me to sing the "bug" song. A little bit later, he decided to sing a grasshopper song. "I'm a grasshopper. Yeah yeah yeah. I'm a grasshopper. Yeah yeah yeah." Sounds like some lyrics from The Beatles. 

Jet (lying down): Can I have a glass of water?

Mommy: Of course.

Mommy (brings cup of water): Here you go. You'll have to sit up to drink it.

Jet: 

Mommy: Here's your water. You'll have to sit up to drink it.

Jet (sighs): Fine. (sits up)

The sun was going down.

Jet: Oh no. The world turned to dark.

November 15

November 15 was Steve Irwin Day. Jet and I saw some living fish. I remembered to call them "gorgeous." I also thought about how their species have been around for millions of years.

November 15 was Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. We ate leftovers.

 

November 15 was Raisin Bran Cereal Day. Jet and I made muffins from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. I love my baking buddy.

 

That was November 15.

Kind Pickles

November 13 was World Kindness Day. During my scripture study that day I read Ether 4:12. "And whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good..." 

I really appreciated the reminder that if you feel prompted to do something kind, do it. Good things come from God.

 

November 14 was National Pickle Day. Jet and I ready Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs then Jet watched the movie while I made meatballs. Later we read the other two books. The second book is called Pickles to Pittsburgh.

I then had a Relief Society dinner that night. I of course shared that it was National Pickle Day and my friend later sent me a video of Lucille Ball dressed up as a pickle.

Catch of the Day

 

Jeremy: What's the matter? Never seen a guy playing on his phone before?

Me: How long have you been like this?

Jeremy: About half an hour or so.

One of the Best Holidays Ever

November 12, Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day, is one of the best holidays ever in my opinion.

I don't like it when I miss this holiday as pizza is my favorite food.

Luckily this year we did not miss it. We had classic pepperoni pizza, chicken alfredo pizza, and a couple of BBQ pepperoni pizzas that the boys made. Thanks, boys.

I took some alfredo pizza down to Nichole and she was very grateful.

I LOVE PIZZA!

A Busy Weekend

Let me tell you about a busy weekend we had recently.

We're still trying to work on the UCB challenge so Lucky and I got out Saturday morning to Powell Slough Wildlife Management Area. Every time I go there I hear Virginia Rails. Jeremy saw one once while we were there but I missed it. Lucky and I did hear rails and one gave us a quick glimpse of it. Yippee! 

Can you see it just peeking out in the center of the picture?

 

What was also fun but I wasn't expecting is that there were also soras who were out a bit more than the rails so we got better looks at them. Fun fun fun. I like birds.

Later Lucky and Nichole had a couple appointments, several of us went for a drive around the lake, then we went home and ate biscuits and gravy.

The next morning, Jet decided to be up with me really early in the morning while I put some final touches on my Relief Society lesson I was teaching later. I got a new calling- Relief Society teacher. That day was also the Primary Program and the kids were so cute as usual.

Some of us went for another drive around the lake that afternoon/evening. It was a beautiful evening.

Monday was Veteran's Day.