Biscuits & Gravy & Aprons

Tonight for supper Matt thought biscuits and gravy sounded good so... Lillie and I started in on making biscuits from scratch and stirring up some yummy sausage gravy. We like to have home made biscuits whenever we can. They just aren't the same popped open from a can. Some frozen varieties are okay but still not the same. Although they are much more convenient=) I got this particular recipe-using butter not shortening- from a lady in our Sunday school class that we used to go to. We all took turns bringing breakfast to class and her biscuits we always the best! So I had to get the recipe! They are great!

Lillie always loves to help me 'cook' whenever she can so this was the perfect time to try out our matching aprons! She was so excited to be able to actually get to help me while wearing it instead of just pretend cooking.Here is Lillie helping cut out the biscuits!


This is Lillie and me with our matching aprons. Mine still fits but... it it will fit much better in about a month or so=)


And here is Lillie helping to stir the gravy. I think this is the first time that she has actually gotten to stir something 'hot' on the stove so she felt pretty grown up. I probably should have helped her a little more though b/c the gravy got way too thick and I had to add more milk and it just ended up being lumpy. Oh well!!

We had lots of fun making supper tonight! I wonder what we'll think up for tomorrow?!?

Lillie Anne is 4 years old!

Lillie turned 4 on Tuesday, March 17! St.Patrick's Day! She was very excited to be able to celebrate with everyone! We had Matt's and my immediate families over for a hot dog roast, from scratch red velvet cake and home made ice-cream. It was the perfect spring day! Hardly any wind and in the 70s. It was almost too hot for a campfire=) But it was great roasting hot dogs and eating with our families! Happy Birthday Lillie!

Matt is pulling all the kids on the hayrack! He was just moving it a little to get it into place for the party but they all thought it was great fun!


This is Lillie in her new apron that her Aunt Krista made for her. Krista is so talented at designed and making things! She just made this pattern up! I have an apron also that she made for me from the same fabric. Super cute!


Lillie is trying to blow out her candles.

Titus thinks she needs some help, so he comes running up and in the process steps right onto the cupcakes I had sitting on the hay rack! I think he is actually standing on the cupcakes in this picture!

Everyone is singing to Lillie for her birthday! I think she felt very special! (You can see the cupcakes in the corner of this picture, pre-smushed)

Her Grandma and Papa (Matt's parents) got her a kids digital camera. It is pink and it is super durable. So great for her to take her own pics! Her Grammy and Papa (my parents) got her a Leapster with a Dora the Explorer game. Dora is her favorite! My sister Krista made her the apron. My other sister Kayla and her little girl Emily, who is also 4, got her a princess rubber ball for outside. And her aunt Natalie (Matt's older sister) got her some flip-flops and a little purse/bag with lotion in it. They were all perfect gifts for Lillie!

She was having so much fun with all her things that Matt and I forgot to give her the present we got for her! Before we moved I had bought something from ebay to give to her. At this point she doesn't understand or care that presents are new or used so I thought that would be a great way to get her something that would otherwise be too expensive! Since I bought it before we moved I had it packed in a box somewhere still...so about 9 or 10 at night we are searching through all the 'storage' boxes and finally find it and after a full day of fun where she really didn't need anything else at the moment we went ahead and gave it so her=) I think parents are just as excited to give their kids fun things as the kids are about getting them!

Thanks to everyone who came to make Lillie's special day EXTRA special!

What moms will do to go shopping=)

The other day my sister Krista and I both wanted to go to some fabric/craft stores for some good sales they were having. Ideally we could go together with no kids! But of course we both have 2 kids right now so that wasn't really going to work. And being flu season our 'babysitters' weren't up to watching any of them. I have a little 4 year old girl and then we both have 2 year old boys who are only a month apart and then Krista has a little 3 month old boy. My kids, Lillie and Titus, just love the new baby cousin! His big brother loves him too but is pretty indifferent about him=)
Anyway, we really didn't want to take all 4 kids to craft stores...as much as we sometimes want to think it would be okay...it's not. It never works out=) They get cranky, and tired of looking at fabric and want to just run around.
So we came up with a plan! I went to her house and took my kids with me. While she went shopping I stayed with my kids and her 2 kids. Then she came back and stayed with the 3 boys while I went shopping with Lillie (she wanted to pick out some fabric for a dress)! It was kind of crazy but it actually worked pretty well.
She got some good deals at Hobby Lobby and I got some good deals at JoAnn Fabrics! Now her boys have their names hung up on their walls in wooden letters. She covered the letters with cute scrapbook paper. They turned out super cute. And now Lillie has a new Strawberry Shortcake dress!

This is Lillie with her baby cousin Caden. She didn't want to stop holding him! I hope she is as helpful when her baby brother comes!

This is the two little 2 year olds! Yikes, what trouble are they going to get into!!

And this is Lillie and Titus and cousin Everet hanging out watching a movie! It's not too hard babysitting when they are satisfied with Little Bear on the T.V. and animal crackers in their hands!

I always enjoy when I get to spend time with my nieces and nephews and I know Lillie and Titus love playing with their cousins!