Puffy Cake Snack

A few days ago I tried a new recipe...'Puffy Cake' from the book called "Mommy Made~Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby and Toddler". It is a super easy snack to make...and Elsie loved it!
The recipe for those who want to try...
-2 Tbsp unsalted butter
-2 eggs
-6 Tbsp flour
-6 Tbsp almond milk
cinnamon-just a few shakes
1 Banana...peeled and sliced (I used 2)
Maple syrup for serving...we skipped this and it tasted good!
-- Place butter in glass pie plate and put in oven to melt (oven 425*)
--Mix eggs, flour, milk and cinnamon...batter will be lumpy
--Pour batter in pie plate over butter
--Place banana slices over top of batter
-- Bake 15-20 Min or until puffy and golden
--Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup

* A picture of my finished puffy cake...

Elsie waiting and watching for her snack to get done! She loves watching food cook in the oven!

Paint Ball...

This year for Christmas my parents bought all the guys paintball guns! They were all excited...we girls only shook our heads! They put on all their old snow gear...and went out to play a game this afternoon.
Jon and Colter...Colter has a big black and blue welt on his leg...he is proud of it! It hurts me just to look at it! So far Colter is the only one with any bruises to show for it! I am sure this summer with no heavy winter clothes there will be lots of bruises!

Jon with his helmet and gun all ready...I think all the guys think they are getting ready for the swat team or something!

A Full House...

We have had a fun and busy Christmas weekend thus far...Ana and Brandon came late Christmas day evening...and my Grandparents came today. We all congregate at my parents house (aka Grand Central Station). We always have lots of food, even more snacks, and even more laughter, fun and memories. We never seem run out of things to talk about and laugh about! I think all weekend there has been at least 16 people at my parents house...
Elsie wearing uncle Colter's new hat for Nick...

Elsie cuddling with her aunties Jessica, Emma and Marissa...Elsie loves being at my parents house with everyone and whines when we put her coat on to leave...

Jon, Ceara and Ana (and little Oliver, too!) Jon always chooses Ceara to pick on...truth be told...I think she likes it!

The guys all playing the wii the kids got for Christmas...the guys got VERY into all the games they played...hitting the ceiling, yelling and cheering...it is amazing the TV didn't get broken! Notice Colter's hat...I don't think he took it off much last night!

More playing the wii...it was a gift for the kids...but I think the guys all took over!

Simple Pleasures...

The kids all got lots of wonderfull new gifts...but notice what they are playing with?! They discovered that the wooden spinner tray from the center of the table works great for a sit and spin! They would put Elsie in the center of it and slowly spin her around! They all thought this was the best!
Elsie has discovered the simple joys of a piggy-back ride! This kept her happy of a quite some time! Who needs toys? Just an imagination and people to play with!

Christmas Afternoon...

Christmas day was a beautiful day outside...so all the kids went out to play for a bit. We bundled Elsie up and the kids took turns pushing her in the little sled...
All bundled up with her polk-a-dot boots!

Off they all went headed for the sliding hill...

Elsie even got to go down the hill a few times with daddy before coming in with rosy cheeks! What a fun afternoon!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day we went to my parents house...we had a little brunch of pancakes, apple bread, peaches and cinnamon rolls. Than we opened gifts and spent the rest of the day enjoying each others company. Elsie got lots of fun little gifts~ she loves to rip open packages! In my family everyone takes turns openings gifts and Elsie had a difficult time waiting!
After opening gifts the kids had fun playing all the new toys...love the way Elsie is sitting in this picture...looks like it would hurt!

Grandpa and Elsie reading some Christmas stories...

Elsie and mommy...wearing matching shirts! Jon had a similar one as well~I thought it would be a fun thing for us to wear matching PJ's~ but could only find matching shirts...I didn't get a picture of the 3 of us...we will have to do that on new years maybe!

Christmas Eve...

This year for Christmas eve we started a new tradition...we went to St. Francis church for services with Grandma B. and Patrick...than they came over to our house for dinner. We had a lots of tasty good for dinner~ honey glazed ham, roasted pheasant, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, carrots and homemade apple pie for dessert. Elsie's favorite was the squash and carrots!
After Grandma B. and Patrick left we opened our gifts from under the tree. Elsie got a wooden table with 4 chairs, wooden play food, a cabbage patch baby doll, and a knit cupcake and lollipop for play.

Elsie and I gave Jon a mask for playing paint ball~ the gun for paintball was a gift from my parents.

Elsie by the Christmas tree in her lovely new Christmas dress...I could not get her to stop playing with her new play food long enough to get a good picture!

Elsie with her new baby doll by the Christmas tree...Love the colouring in these pictures...

We had a wonderful Christmas eve...

Evening Entertainment...

Saturday evening we all went to see the Winter Wonderland Christmas lights...is was so lovely...
This was my favorite...as we drove around the corner we all thought the church was real...but it was really just a frame with lots of lights...

At the end of the lights we went in and saw Santa...Elsie was terrified of this Santa also...so Grandma held her and all went good!

We also saw the gingerbread exhibit...they all looked so lovely...the pictures below is the house that Grandma B. made...

Looks so good...love the gingerbread boy fence!

Play Time...

After opening gifts Grandma (and Patrick)got some play time with her babies...usually Elsie loves Keegans feet and won't leave them alone...this time Keegan had a thing for Elsie's feet...silly kids!

Grandma doing her best to entertain the kids! They kept looking at her with that toy her her mouth like she was so strange! They all played on the couch for quite a while! Good quality time!

Christmas with Grandma B.

On Saturday we celebrated Christmas with Grandma B. Elsie just loved being with Grandma B. I think Grandma had way to many presents for the kids! I think Elsie got overwhelmed...she had to take a break from opening gifts and just play for a while!

Daddy and Elsie opening a gift together...I think Elsie's favorite gift is the little tea set~she plays with that all the time! Her least favorite is the adorable rocking horse...she is terrified of it for some reason...today we had to put it in her crib so she would go in her room to play! (her crib is 'time out')

Jon cuddling with Keegan during a nap...I think Jon misses having a baby to cuddle with!

Look At Me!

Look what Elsie has learned! It won't be so cute in a year from now...but for now we will laugh and take a picture! One day she was on my lap fussing...and her finger accidentally went up her nose...she instantly stopped crying and smiled and chuckled! She doesn't remember to often how to do this...thank goodness!

All smiles in her lovely new dress from Grandma B.

Wearing auntie Lisa's fancy hat...

I think it is a little too big!

Peek-a-boo...

Going to see Santa...

On Friday my sister Ceara and I brought Marissa, Emma and Elsie to the bank to see Santa...Elsie did not like Santa one bit! We would get close to him and she would start to whimper...thank goodness her aunties were there! The photo below is my favorite...Emma was trying to comfort a not so happy Elsie! So sweet of her!
Another nice picture...but you can see that is a very forced smile for Elsie...at least I got a few pictures!

Home again after a quick visit to see Santa...

Elsie and Mommy...