Recipe of the Month- Monster Cookies

This is a great and easy recipe (it also contains no flour for those that might have allergies).  It makes a huge batch of little cookies or when we were younger we used to make these really big.  You could even stick Popsicle sticks in them... a very delicious treat!

Monster Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Mix well and then add:

3 beaten eggs

1 tsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and then add:

4 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup M&M or Reece's Pieces

Drop on greased baking sheet and flatten with a fork.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

C is for...

Complete and Content...

That's how I'm feeling about my family and my life at this time!

8 years and counting

This Tuesday Phil and I celebrated 8 years of wedded bliss.  It has been an amazing journey these past 8 years.  We have lived in Ontario and Alberta.  In Alberta we have lived in three different cities (soon to be 4) and we have lived in 4 different homes (soon to be 5!).  We had fish and guinea pigs in Ontario and we now have two cats, a dog and 2 beautiful children!  What an adventure.  I can't wait to see what is in store for our future.  We know that we are taking a big step with this new move and having children now as part of our lives is so rewarding!

Here's a few pictures from our special day!

We're MOVING!

Wow, when it rains it pours, right?  Well, we have been looking to rent out our place now for almost a month.  Phil got word from one of his roommates that his transfer was accepted and he would be moving out in the middle of September (and then that changed to the beginning of September).  So with him moving out that meant space for the family!  They boys there are going to be playing musical rooms and our family will be taking over the whole upstairs of the house come the second week of September.   But in order to do that we needed to find someone who could come rent out our place (you know, to cover the mortgage and stuff!).  So we went on Kijiji and started to reply to people's wanted adds.  No replies.  We thought about going through a property manager but they cost a lot of money (a couple of hundred dollars a month, just to maintain your property).  Then we posted an add on Kijiji with only a few replies.  We put the word out to friends and friends of friends, but nothing.  So on Wednesday (I think it was Wednesday but it could have been Thursday - my days are all blurred together!) I replied to this one add thinking it would be another dud.  The girl replied really quick and I sent her some photos and then she set up a time to view it that evening.  They came by and loved it after only seeing the first floor.  So we quickly set to work checking out their references and such.  This is so weird to me as I have never done this before and was hoping that Phil being the man of the house and all would take this on - I'm so scared of all the legal things.  But we have this awesome friend who just rented out her apartment so I've been calling her every few days for tips!  (Thanks Lydia!).  The couple just came by this afternoon with a damage deposit and signed the rental agreement!  I am so thankful for all your prayers and support.  This part of the journey is just beginning and I'm a little excited and a little scared.  Things are about to change in big ways but we are so thankful that we will get to be with Phil I just hope it is the right thing. Moving the kids for a few years from big city Edmonton to small city Grande Cache, I just hope it goes well and doesn't ruin them for the future!  Keep checking in here for updates and what we're up to in the mountains!

Here is a glimpse of what I'm moving to...

Stay tuned as the journey continues!

That poor second child

I always heard that the second child gets the short end of the stick (have you seen the lack of pictures around here?).  There's not as much time for them, not enough pictures of them, etc., etc., etc.  I feel bad for Taylor because I see that happening.  He's growing so quickly but Makayla demands so much time.  Taylor still sleeps and eats a lot and is only awake for short periods at a time.  It's hard to capture the moments on film or video.  I feel that when they are doing cute things, I just don't have the time to run and grab the camera and the times that I do by the time I get back one is either crying or the cute moment has passed.  I am trying so hard to make the moments count with both of my kids.

I also worry that Taylor won't be as smart or well adapt as Makayla.  I had so much time and energy to care for Makayla and teach her things but now how do I continue to teach her things and begin to teach Taylor things too?  I guess this is the part of parenting that has to be figured out.  Once again there is no manual for parenting and each kid is so different.  I am learning, but I just worry that Taylor's going to get shafted and so I remind myself with this post to do all I can to be a good mother and teach my kids as best as I can!

Do other mom's out there worry about that stuff and what did you do?