Going Cruising, Day 1

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Drive, drive, drive!  We left our home in Bann, Germany around 7am and headed to Barcelona.  So far, we are loving this trip in the new van.  The kids are happily watching tv, and Mike and I are blaring Better Than Ezra and singing along.  McDonald's in France was quite a pleasant experience.  We ordered on a touch screen and paid with the credit card, thus avoiding any language barriers.  Shortly afterwards, our food was brought to us by a sweet French girl with a smile and a "bon appetit"!  Nice!  Happy meals rock in France!  The kids had 5 different main entree selections to choose from including a fish sandwich and a croqu a do??  It was like a little ham and cheese pannini.  Cute!  Next, they picked from sides or fries, potato wedges, a small salad, or a bag of cherry tomatoes.  Second side to choose was a yogurt, apple sauce in a squirty juice box type container, fruit, or a pineapple stick.  Last, they picked their drink.  Strawberry milk prevailed!  The lady also threw in an extra bag of fruit for each child for free!  I am SO getting the Happy Meal next time!  Those happy meals= happy kids+ happy parents, as the kids all had snacks for later in the car and a fun toy that spoke French to them, and they all got a balloon! I was equally happy to find pristine bathrooms to utilize! Very important on a long drive!
GPS says we should get to our hotel in Barcelona around 8:30pm. Only 5 1/2 more hours of driving through the snowy scenery. Here is some pix of the happy travelers and the French scenery!

Birthday girl!

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Happy birthday to our Tehyabear!! She was our tiniest baby, weighing in at only 6 pounds 5 ounces. Now, my nine year old girl sure is growing up! She loves to sing along with Taylor Swift, is very excited to be growing out her hair, she loves to cook, Irish dance, write stories, and she has always been a bit of a daredevil. When she was 5, if you asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would tell you a race car driver. That is, until she found out jets go faster, then she wanted to be pilot! When Ethan was a baby, she could always calm him down when he was upset, so we called her the "Ethan Whisperer". They still have quite a close bond and she still loves to play and entertain any little kiddo in close proximity to her. She loves traveling around Europe and seeing new sights. Which is why she wanted her own camera for her birthday. She has such a fun sweet spirit and we are so proud of her! Happy birthday, Tehya!

Turkey Day!

Look at the snow!

Mike's S'mores Cheesecake!

Cute girls having fun!

Yummy!

My lil buddy!

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We woke up to the first snow of the year on Thanksgiving. The kids were so excited! Then, we got to cooking, cooking, cooking! Hayley made a wonderful apple pie, Tehya made the pecan pie, Josh helped make the sweet potatoes, Mike made his s'mores cheesecake, I assisted the kids, and Ethan sat at the table munching on the pecans that G-ma Stick sent us for Christmas. We headed out in the falling snow and had a great meal w/ the Webster and Layer families. The kids had fun playing games the rest of the night. What a fun day! No pics of Josh, they came out blurry! He won't stop moving long enough to get a clear shot!

Stew it up!!

Need a hearty stew to warm your family's bellies this winter? Try this recipe I have been tinkering with for awhile! It is so yummy!!

Savory Pork Stew
1 T evoo
2 lbs cubed pork stew meat
Ground black pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Corn starch as needed
6 red potatoes, cut in chunks
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
3 stalks celery, chopped in chunks
1 sm bag baby carrots
Fresh garlic
1 (14oz) sliced stewed tomatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (14oz) can beef broth
1 1/4 c milk
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander

Heat evoo in skillet over med heat. Sprinkle pork on all sides w/ salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lightly coat pork in corn starch. Place pork in skillet. Cook until lightly brown, but not done. Transfer to slow cooker. Add potatoes, onion, corn, celery, and carrots.

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, soup, and broth. Pour in slow cooker and mix well. Add spices and mix. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Add milk the last hour of cooking. Thicken up the stew w/ corn starch.

Fried eggs? Really?

So Ethan has decided that the only things he now eats are toast, PB & J, cereal, and hot dogs. I made him scrambled eggs with cheese for breakfast, and promptly got his auto response of, "I don't like that!". So I tried a new tactic and told him I would make him a "new, special" egg. So, I fried an egg up for Tehya and had her talk it up. Then, I gave Ethan one and he actually ate it! Score one point for Mom! Amazing how winning a small battle can make Mom so happy! Did I mention he likes spicy German mustard on his hot dog? But scrambled eggs are a no go! He is a puzzle I am still trying to solve!

Piano fun

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A quiet day is perfect for playing around on the piano! Let's have some fun!

Getting our swagger on

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We said goodbye to our old 2000 Mazda MPV. It had actually been a very good vehicle for us, we wish it well with it's new owner!

Our pretty new van is a Town & Country. It has tons of cool features too! The kids favorite is the 2 tvs and auto doors, Mike's favorite is the heated seats and the touch screen radio, and I am loving the back up camera and remote starter! Something for everyone! If only I could get it in the driveway! Parking in our cramped space is tight to say the least. Think I'll stick with parking her on the space in front of the house! Can't wait for the next long drive!!