Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cards for the Teachers

Here are the cards I made for Zekaia's teachers. Except for the last one with the cupcake on it. That one was Jouette's birthday invite. But since I made all these other that matched it I thought I would throw it in there. I was really stressing over having no envelopes to put it in since the cards a 5"x5" but I used up the last of my card stock vellum to make these great envelopes!






The one above is my favorite!


















So which one is your favorite? Leave me a comment and tell me which one and why?







Sunday, May 23, 2010

Things I love about being a Mom

Around Mothers Day a friend who's blog I follow wrote down all the things she loves about being a Mom. I thought this was a really great idea since I think all too often of all the little things I don't like about being a Mom. Some times to the point that I am very down a depressed. I love my kids and want them to be happy but sometimes it can be a very demanding, unappreciated job. So I spent the last few weeks really trying to think about what things I do love about being a Mom. Here is what I have come up with. I know there is more and I plan to continue to write down and remember all the great things about being a Mom.
Things I love about being a Mom
I love the silence of the afternoon when everyone is napping or at school.
I love snuggling in bed in the morning holding my babies
I love kissing Bhavik's smooth soft skin
I love seeing their faces light up when they see me
I love it when they give me something when no one prompted them they did it purely out of a desire to make me feel good
I love my good morning hugs and kisses
I love it when Bhavik crawls into my arms so I can hold him for just a few minutes before he falls asleep
I love it when Zekaia strokes my face and runs his finger through my hair while I am sing him a song good night
I love singing my kids bed time songs
I love hearing them say this was the best day ever or Jouette say this was the best dessert of my whole life
When Zekaia and Bhavik say MMMMMMM as they are eating something I made to eat
When Bhavik brings me a book and backs up into my lap
When I hear Jouette reading all by herself
I love kissing X-mans chunky legs and thighs or kissing under his chubby chin and hearing him giggle
Watch X look at things with such new eyes
I love Bhavik sitting in my lap singing or playing when we are at playgroup or music class
I love watching Jouette when she is performing
I love how happy Zekaia is when I go to school to see him
How he loves me to read to him and he is special since he gets to sit in my lap
Watching Jouette do all her paper crafts and then gives them so generously to others
I love when Zekaia does something by himself the runs to tell me Surprise since he knows I love surprises.
When I hear the words ,"Mommy I love you"
When some one runs to me with tears on their cheeks & knowing they really believe that my kiss will make it all better.
When I hear the words, Mommy guess what?
When I pick up my baby in the middle of the night and he pulls his whole body in a stretch to one side.
I love hearing my kids sing Primary songs
I love watching Jouette be a kind caring big sister
I love it when Bhavik gently kisses Xijvien
When Bhavik kiss me again and again and again
But most of all my heart melts when they say, "Mommy, I love you!"
Audrey I hope that all my complaining about the no fun parts of being a Mom can be over looked when you read this. Because you can't have just the good. I would never appreciate any of these things if there wasn't the crying, the sickness, or the fighting too.

High Tea

I have been meaning to get on and write a post but life has a way of getting away from me. I have posted some pictures of our month lunch bunch. This month was High Tea. Oh and what fun we had. Since we are all members of the church there was no tea actually served but we were perfectly happy with Lemonade, from a concentrate no less. Yes when you live outside the United States so any length of time it is amazing what things become luxuries. I can't tell you how long it has been since I had drunken a drink made from concentrate. It is the little things like this that one comes to miss about home. As a child and young adult I didn't even realize there were places you couldn't get some things. Now as an adult I have found that even in the U.S. you can't get everything everywhere, but more so than when you live outside the U.S.
I feel bad we had a lovely assortment of different sandwich's that I didn't take a picture of since they were covered when I was taking pictures and I had put my camera away once we actually started to eat. But who knew one could be so happy and feel so spoiled with just a sandwich with the crust cut off. Really I forget how nice a simple sandwich is. I challenge anyone who happens to read this to make some cute little sandwiches, crust cut off, and cut into neat little triangles.
These Gooey Butter Butter Cakes (recipe below) were fabulous!!


Here are some ideas of things you can try:
Cucumber sandwiches (our were cream cheese and dry ranch dressing mixed together then sliced cucumbers)
Egg salad
Tuna with pickle and grated Swiss cheese
Curry Chicken
Shrimp salad
Cranberry fingers (mix Dijon mustard and whole cranberry sauce spread on bread with smoked turkey)
Or any other sandwich combination that you enjoy!


Gooey Butter Cakes...Paula Deen

CAKE
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

FILLING
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 16 oz. box powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 pan.

With electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg and melted butter. Pat into prepared pan and set aside.

Still using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth, add eggs and vanilla. Dump in powdered sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in melted butter. Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgement call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point. Just make sure it rises so the cream cheese cooks through.

Cool completely and enjoy!


















Here are some ideas of things you can try:
Cucumber sandwiches (our were cream cheese and dry ranch dressing mixed together then sliced cumubers)
Egg salad
Tuna with pickle and grated swiss cheese
Curry Chicken
Shrimp salad
Cranberry fingers (mix dijon musturd and whole cranberry sauce spread on bread with smoked turkey)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Tagged

Well I have been tagged and I am suppose to write about me, which is something I don't really do often so I think this might be nice for a change.

I names is Catherine and I am 27 year old. I have two younger brothers and a younger sister who I love dearly. I have been married for almost 9 years, here in a few weeks is my anniversary. I have 4 kids a girl and three boys who I can't imagine living without. I would like to say that we are done but feel like there are still a spirit or two that need to join our family. But I do know it will be a few years since #4 has been a killer and I really need a break.
My husband James is an amazing man and though we never sought out or asked to travel we are currently in our second expat job. We lived first for 3 years in Oostrozebeke, Belgium and we currently reside in Beijing, China. When James and I were first married we talked about saving up to make a trip to Portugal where he served a mission for the LDS church, which we are members of. But it was a long sought our dream that we never thought would come true, at least not until our kids were grow and gone. Only to move to Europe 2 months before our 5 year anniversary. We made that trip to Portugal 1-1/2 years after we arrived in Belgium. We kind of figured after our Belgium trip that we would go back to the states and start our life over only to be offered the chance to go to Beijing for 2 or 3 years. I was really nervous about this at first but I am loving life here in Beijing! Having a housekeeper and driver with all my small kids sure has been a luxury I never even considered.
I spend what little spare time in my scrapbook room mostly making cards but I do try to keep up on the now 5 scrapbooks I have going, one for each child and one for my husband and myself. I love to sing and act but unfortunately they are some hobbies that have had to go on the back burner since I have small children, and live abroad. But I try to keep myself active in the kids school and in my church calling. I currently serve as the teacher for the 4 and 5 year old kids. I also really enjoy cooking and since I do most of the cooking that is one passion that I do get to pursue most of the time. I am trying to learn a bit of Chinese cooking from my Ayi who cooks most of my lunches when I am home and dinner twice a week. So that once we are back in the states I can still enjoy the Chinese food I have grown to love.
As far the the future goes who knows what in store for me. But I am sure it will be whatever the Lord has planned.
I am tagging Megan Raines and Amanda Ross!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Fabulous Ikea find!

Fabulous Ikea find!
Are this not the cuties dish cloths. I am a sucker for cupcakes, Funny I really don't like cake yet when it is in cupcake form it is sooooo much better. Really though I am more in love with the design and the creativeness you can have with a cupcake. I also bought an apron for Jouette for her birthday using these same cupcakes, hope she likes it!






I'm so Lucky

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