Trading Tuesday

Please don't mind the fact that I have no picture, haven't had time to snap a picture of the recipe...but it is a wonderful dessert recipe.

I've been making this dessert for years now & it happens to be one of my families favorite desserts. It's gone as soon as it's made. Hope you all like it as much as we do.

Banana Pudding

5-6 ripe bananas, sliced
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened (full fat, no fat free)
5oz box french vanilla instant pudding
1 tub coolwhip (i use lite or fat free & it taste fine to me)
2 cups cold milk
2 bags chessman cookes (you can substitute for nilla wafers, but the best taste is with chessmans, trust me)

In 1 large bowl mix pudding & cold milk until blended. In another bowl mix the cream cheese, condensed milk until smooth. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding misture & stir. Fold in the cool whip into the pudding mixture.

Line 9 by 11 baking dish with 1 layer of chessman cookies, then top with all the sliced bananas. Follow by putting the pudding mixture on top of the bananas & then laying one more layer of chessman cookies on the very top. Refrigerate until ready to serve, atleast 2 hours. You will love it once you try it.

Father's Day with Family

We celebrated Father's Day on Saturday with a huge HUGE crab & shrimp boil. It's one of our favorite meals to eat at Joe's so you could imagine our delight when our very first crab boil turned out to be a huge success. We ate like kings with plenty of crab & steaks to feed an army...everyone loved it... we will definetly be doing that feast again!

Celebrating the "hallmark" holidays like Father's Day for instance, is a great way to show our appreciation for all the little things these people do in our lives on a day to day basis. All year long our parents/grandparents do things for us, selfless things, without the thought of anything in return.

Bill is such an amazing father to his children & grandchildren, they are always his first thought. He's the type of father/father-in law/grandfather that would do anything for his family without question.

Ty is the best father I could have ever wished my children to have. He's always put his children & family before himself, even if it meant him going without. I respect him for the things he does for his family.

Father's are so important in the lives of kids, especially girls. Their dad's are the ones who set the "bar" of what a Man or husband should be like. Since my father was never around for my life, I was lucky enough to have my Grandfather be that person for me. He showed & taught me many things & the memories I have of our relationship will always be so special to me. One of the happiest days in my life, was the day my grandfather showed his approval for Ty at my wedding. My Grandma tells me is always telling the rest of the family what a wonderful father & husband Ty is. :) Boy...me & the kids are real lucky!


Bill & kris, Not sure what is going on here...Bill was being goofy I think

Bill & Kris

Sweet Little Alliana. (Jake & Hayley's baby)

Grandpa reading his card. The kids just love him!

LOL! What a bunch of CLOWNS (Markel, chelsey's son)

Kyla....fits her PERFECT!

WHY does my husband NEVER SMILE????

Kyla, Markel & Paige

Alexa & Dominique (Chelsey's Daughter) These girls had so much fun together this weekend
It was great watching them.

Brenton & Tyler (chelsey's youngest son) Tyler & brent were tied at the hip all weekend, even at the carnival they ran around together the entire time :)

Chelsey & Markel. He's such a sweet boy.

Prescott Valley Days Parade

Our town does this parade every year (first year for us to attend) & we were able to take the kids this year for their first time. It's a smaller then normal parade with more "small town" floats & entries, but the kids still had a great time anyway. Chelsey & her kids came up & stayed the whole weekend so we could all go together. The kids' favorite were the trikes that did wheelies....OH and all the candy that they got! It was an INSANE amount of Candy these kids got. Has me thinking I should send the next dental bill to the town of PV??? Hmm..lol.

Who you gonna call??

GHOSTBUSTERS!

This is just 1/3 if the candy she got

These would be the town tramps & he must be the pimp...lol

See, I told you it was a Small Town. The ford's my favorite!

These were the trikes...the old men were so funny

Again...funny old men....

The kids along with Chelsey's Kids

Tuesday Trading

To join in on my Friend Brittney's Tuesday Trading Recipe Swap, I've decided to add my blog to the list of recipe swappers. But I'll start next Tuesday, LOL, C'mon..you need to give me time to cook the meal & snap the picture of it first.

Here's how it will work, every tuesday I will post a new easy recipe with a picture. Any of you who want to join in on this recipe swap just leave me a comment & I will make sure I am linked to your blog as well. In all seriousness, I could care less if there is a picture or not...I would just like to add something new to my menu.

I'll start Next Tuesday 23rd.

What is going through my son's head?

The start of our conversation last night as I was tucking him into bed...

Tyler: "Mom, what is it called when someone dies?"

Me: "what do you mean?"

Tyler: "well, what's it called when everyone come to a place after you die?"

Me: "a funeral, why?" Slightly confused here.....

Tyler: "oh, I dont know, I just wanted to know what it was called."

SOOO...Tonight, out of no where he has more questions...

Tyler: " Dad, whats the thing called that you lay in when you die?"

Ty: "What are you talking about?"

Tyler: " you know, the thing you get burried in???"

Ty: " A casket"

Me: "Tyler, why are you asking about these things?? Did this happen to someone you know?"

Tyler: " Oh, No, I just like to know what my words are called"

WHAT???? Am I missing something here??? WEIRD!

Happy Birthday Ty

June 16th, 1977...was the day my very best friend was born into this world. Today marks the 32nd birthday for Tyrone. There's so many great things I could write about Ty that would have me babbling on for hours & hours ,instead, I'll save the novel for another day. (Trust me, LUCKY You, this girl can write forever)

Those of you who know Ty, know what I mean when I say he is "unique". He has a way with people, a way with words & a way with his sense of humor. You either like him, or you don't. For the record, most everyone loves him. He's a man of his word & a man of great integrity. He's admired & adored by his family. His Daughters think he is the greatest, His son looks up to him & finds it an honor to be like his dad, almost the same way Ty looks up to his dad. The relationship Ty & Tyler have is so special & unique.



He's always been a self-less person when it comes to his family & their needs. Ever since we have been together, Ty has been a wonderful provider & he has done so with such pride & devotion that I will always be grateful to him for all that he has done for us. His drive in life has always inspired me to "Go Big", as he would say. When he sets his mind & goals, he always acheives...no matter what obstacle he faces. One of my favorite things about Ty is that he has the ability to live in "the moment"...if only we could all be like this...Right?? Unfortunatly, my moment always seems to be cooking, working or laundry..lol..I'm workin on it..seriously!



I have only known one other man in my life as special as him, that would be my Grandfather.



Happy Birthday Tyronie Bolognie...I love you!!!!!

We're still here...

I know it's been a while since we last blogged (sorry mom) but things have been hectic & crazy for us the past few weeks with work & the kids' events. Really, we have done nothing but work & take the kids to & from the YMCA & their friends' houses. Who knew how much work it would be to transport these kids all over town, I feel like it's another full time job.

Tyler & Alexa have been going to the YMCA along with kyla for their summer kids daycare camp, which they LOVE, they come home so tired every night & with many stories to tell of the days events. I give much credit to the councelors at the YMCA, how they are able to calmly manage hundeds of kids all day (and still stay SANE) keeping them as busy as they do is beyond me! The twins get to swim 3 days a week & kyla goes every day. Recently, they just had a feild trip to a lake...which by the way..was cut short because some little girl fell in the water, LOL.

Paige has gotten a job for this summer, she is babysitting for our neighbor's little girl all summer long. So far she is liking it, with the exception of her wanting to quit after the 2nd day. Ofcourse, that only lasted 1 day until she figured out how much money she was going to be making. Now she wants to babysit every day..LOL. The apple for SURE does not fall far from the tree!

Yesterday we made it to a Diamondbacks game with a friend of mine & her boys. Kids had a blast & can't wait to go back again. Thanks sam for showing us all the neat things to to at the Park that we never even knew about. Ty had asked me why we had never been to the sandlot, I said I never knew what it was! lol. Ty picked out tickets to the next few games he wanted to see, so hopefully next time when we go I will bring my camera & snap some pic's of tyler jammin' out with baxter & the gorilla.


This weekend I will try & get many pictures of the kids since Chelsey & the kids are coming up to stay with us a few days for fathers day & Prescott Valley Days. Should be fun!

Lake Mohave

This last weekend we packed up the kiddos & the family and headed to lake mohave in Laughlin. The weather was perfect, slightly overcast & the water couldn't have been nicer. We also took with us Billy & Whitney. (Ty's little brother & sister for those who don't know)

The second day the weather was a bit more "monsoony" so with the wind, the water was a a little more choppier then ususal...Made for some GREAT tubin' tossin'. The pictures below are of the couch tube we have, but the second day we used "Bertha" & it tore the majority of us up! I wasn't planning on taking bertha, but Ty & Billy had other plans & snuck it back on the boat. lol.

Now that I think of it, I dont think anyone made it 5 minutes on Bertha before getting tossed like a salad in the air! Billy, Ty & Whit flew the highest & farthest! LOL. I have never seen anyone who has wanted to get thrown off like Billy..he loved it! As for Whitney & myself, we were so sore on Sunday we could barely move! (THIS is the reason I dont like bertha..lol) It was a blast & we all can't wait to go back!

Lake Mohave is our favorite lake & by far one of the nicest lakes we have seen yet, the drive is well worth the water & fun. Not to mention having the laughlin hotels 5 minutes away also makes it nice & convenient.

Pictures are kinda blurry...o-well...one of these days I will buy a new camera!


Ty, Kyla & Whitney (above)

Whitney, Paige & Billy (above)

Whitney, Paige & Billy..I think this was right before they ate crap around the turn

Uh huh...posing for the camera...this might have been another time whit flew into the air

relaxing for a swim...the water was awesome!