Great Wolf Lodge

I tried to put the pics in order but I'd have to choose them backwards to do that!
Here's our trip! Will post more updated pics soon.

Oh, I made our food on this trip. Found a new fav recipe (in fact it's in the crockpot right now!)
Crockpot Lasagna!
Layer 1# hamburger, cheese mixture (16oz cottage cheese, 2 cups mozz, 2 tsp itaian seasoning), 1 1/2 jars tomato sauce, 8 lasagna noodles (uncooked!) Tres Yum! I never made lasagna for my husby before (well, once, before kids), and now I can anytime I want!





Love the 84 degrees! Makes it easy and worth getting wet. Loved it. Lifeguards everywhere, too, and they were attentive and doing a great job.

A 1000 gal bucket (I think) fills and pours like every 3 minutes, that's that big splash in the back. Slide in the kiddie area. Background playground leads to some waterslides. There's so much to do and look at in these areas! Kiddie area is great, goes from inches to a couple feet. Lifevests available for kids, too. Lots of buttons to push and ways to get other people wet in the area!

Liam's so good w/Eva. Eva in her swimsuit, oh, she's edible!




Eva's so cute! Fam eating waffles at the table. The decor of the lobby, really neat. Very lodge-y and amusing, so much to look at! Animals move and talk, too, occasionally.

Snowing outside...

My kitchen: crockpot & toaster oven, yes, fridge included! It was so nice to have our own food in the comfort of our own room. Yes, it took planning and preparing, but it's worth it, esp. for the monetary savings! Newer hotel, nice, clean countertops & sink.


Liam jumping onto the bed, my crockpot brownies (too much/wet of mix, still yummy !)
Adelle nursing her baby & Liam shooting his stick w/his bow


Premade cookie dough! They do the toppings. A good 15 min. activity!
Weather on the way to the Great Wolf Lodge... perfect timing!

Aren't they adorable?



JP... there's one in every family


Bear Bread!


My tree climber. Eva's first taste of food (she's only 4 1/2 months, but she watches us intently)


Best French Toast in the world! Whipped cream w/sour cream, almond, and powdered sugar

Adelle and I do nails and make up together. What a girl, I LOVE her!
Eva's hanging out w/Dad while he's programming a home security panel for his next install.

Something interesting when produce shopping:
Here’s what you should look for:

• A four-digit number means the produce is conventionally grown
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's Genetically Modified


I now have a Pampered Chef website: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/courtneyholcomb
You can have a catalog show on it, people can order under your host name. Also wedding registry! I will, when I plan a class or open house or something, post that on there, too.

I'll write more interesting and personal stuff later, gonna go love on my kids!
Courtney

Amazing Chocolate Mousse

This was a yummy accident! I opened a can of coconut milk for some soup, and the top 2/3 was cream! So I thought FROSTING! Whipped it w/ 1/3 cup cocoa powder and agave to taste, and it became delicious chocolate coconut MOUSSE! I'm going to go get like 10 cans of coconut milk and sit them on my shelf for awhile :)

So another fave coconut milk recipe is boil ramen noodles (sans the packet, the MSG is terrible for you, use a different boullion instead), add sweet peppers and 1/4 to 1/3 can coconut milk per package of noodles. My kids love this, and it's so easy! Add peas for more nutritional benefit.

Something fun

This is circulating Facebook, 25 random facts, kind of fun!

1. I am a tea freak, go through phases of flavors, glad that tea is relatively inexpensive!
2. I have never dyed my hair. Permed it once in 5th grade, and no, you can't see pictures :)
3. I'd love to decorate my walls but don't know how. This is a rental, kind of takes extra creativity.
4. I'm terrible at the upkeep of my carpet. I need hardwood.
5. I recently got a food processor, and I don't know where it's been all my life!
6. A french guy tried to kiss me in France. I ducked.
7. In labor and delivery w/Eva she nearly fell on the floor. Oops, it's difficult to say something during a pushing contraction!
8. Jen, I love going to the zoo, too! Love to meet you there sometime! And for anyone else, I can get you in 1/2 price!
9. I love to bake. Muffins, bread. I guess I esp. love putting a healthier spin on recipes and finding recipes that jive w/what I agree w/nutritionally.
10. I took tap ballet and jazz for six years as a child.
11. Played the oboe, I was bad. Someone should have told me.
12. I love the colors red and green. I dislike yellow.
13. The best smoothies have spinach in them, and with strawberries they look pretty gross.
14. Taught myself how to can food two summers ago, very proud of myself! This year it was applesauce.
15. Someday I'd like to live on a chunk of land in the mountains. I love the majesty of being surrounded by mountains and dense forest, less people, smaller towns, slower life.
16. On my land I'll have a garden and some animals, and my kids will be old enough to pull their share!
17. JP and I recently quit going to church. Yes, we're still "saved" and loving it!
18. I have a weakness for oreos. Maybe that's why this post pardom pooch hasn't receded as quickly as the other ones...
19. I love soup. Any kind. And salad w/dark greens, olive oil, and soy sauce!
20. Didn't watch Anne of Green Gables until recently, then read the books, funny, and I'd already been to Prince Edward Island!
21. I made us buckwheat pillows, the best pillows we've ever had!
22. I cloth diaper my kiddos and save mucho $$$
23. Breakfast is oatmeal, I like the instant ease, and JP likes the inexpensiveness! We top w/raisins or blueberries!
24. Liam rode his bike w/two wheels yesterday, wow! (okay, I cheated, it's about my son.) He did awesome, then he crashed and has the prize on his face for the next week. JP got the crash on video, but it's heart wrenching because he screams at the end.
25. I usually beat my husby at games (I have noticed we don't play as many together anymore...)

Host Special for February

GREAT deal for Feb hosting! 60% off any one item! This is for a show sale of $150 or more. Easy to do, easy to host!

What does this mean for you? You can get a 7 piece set of executive cookware for $150 (reg $375)! I have a comparable brand of hard anodized titanium reinforced cookware and compared the two on the stove... PC one... I didn't think I'd be sold this fast.

I'm going to get the $400 set of forged cutlery for $160! I just got one of these knives and it's way better than my miracle blades, I may as well get rid of the other knives right now because I'm not using them anymore.

Or, the ultimate mandolin for $24 or a piece of stoneware for $15 or less?

Plus, if you host by Feb 23rd, pick either a cranberry trivet or some spices for hosting a charter show of mine, and be entered into a drawing for a free product from me! And still earn free and 1/2 priced items! If you'd like to replenish some of your kitchen supplies, now is the time!

Note: usually the host special is 60% off one of a few selected items. This is a REALLY good deal and great opportunity! If you live far away, do a catalog show and collect some orders!

Also, I have learned that if your organization would like to hold a fund raiser by selling Pampered Chef, and percentage of the sales will be given in cash to the organization.

Pampered Chef

I am now a Pampered Chef consultant! I'm excited. Of course I'll share w/you the benefits of hosting a show, but I'd like you to know my how and why.

I want you to know that being a wife and a mom is of utmost importance to me. I will strive not to loose sight of that. I am a homemaker, I have children to love and teach and read to, meals to make, and a house to keep. My husband is our provider. I do not wish to take that roll. He does a great at it. I am his help meet. If I am too busy for him or my kids or my household responsibilities, I am outside God's will. Titus 2:4-5 says (contemporary english) "so the younger women will be loving wives and mothers. Each of the younger women must be sensible and kind, as well as a good homemaker, who puts her own husband first. Then no one can say insulting things about God's message."

Jean Paul is a full supporter of mine, and my life coach. On a lighter note, he says he wants me to make him good food :) Through his work, he's learning business, I've been watching him with paperwork every day and his organizational system he's worked out for himself. We've been discussing and implementing advertising and following up on customers. He's been reading Thou Shalt Prosper, the QBQ, and 48 days to the Work You Love, changing his way of thinking from a slavery way to a sonship mentality. I look forward to his help, and know that with him we can learn more about business together.

Pampered Chef is well known for their quality kitchen products. My girlfriend, Jessamyn, had a bridal shower for me in 2002, and I was given a pizza stone, food chopper, spatula, and mandolin. I swear by these products and have used them faithfully since! Last year bought a muffin stone pan, and another spatula, JP ruined my 1st one in the blender.

There are several products I'd still really like to have. And I thought, wow, when my husby needs a tool for a job, he goes and gets it (granted, I'm quite pleased for him to finish the porch steps and railing! I love to see him building his manly tool collection.) I really appreciate my quality kitchen tools, and have found that every time I acquire a quality item, I can actually scale down my "stuff" and get rid of two or three others, and my time preparing, cooking, and/or cleaning eases up! I'm in my kitchen every day, have been for several years and have dozens more to come! I'm excited to build my Pampered Chef collection with my commissions, as well as discounts from hosting my own shows.

By booking a show with me, you can get 1/2 price and free items of your choosing! As well as 10% off any orders for the next year. By booking a show in February, March, or April you can help me get a good start to my business. It's easy to host and I will help you out. No pressure to purchase, either, the show I attended in December I went for the fun of it, and didn't buy a thing. I felt quite comfortable, and obviously inspired! Also, I will be doing a drawing for a free product for my February hosts, as well as one more for my March/April hosts!

And if you're local and the Pampered Chef business is something you're interested in, attend or host a show to see. I signed up under who I did because the consultant did such a great job, I wanted HER and her director to help me with my business! They are both quality ladies and I can assure you a solid support network.

With me as your Pampered Chef consultant you will also receive tips and information about your products, recipes, and tips for your meal prep and planning. Pampered Chef products are waranteed and I will help you find the items you like and best fit your needs.

Updates in January

Hi! Well, the girls are down for naps and Liam is w/Jean Paul today doing service calls (Jean Paul installs home security systems monitored by Monitronics, he does a great job and provides customer service above and beyond what's expected for his position).

Eva's 3 months now! She is so sweet, so so sweet. And adorable. I know I'm biased, but she gets attention wherever we go. She's my sweet cheeks, and chins, has two of each, she's filling out quite nicely! And she's gotten to keep her hair, unlike my other two babies :) Last night we had family pictures taken, I'll post those in a couple of weeks. They were post-Christmas pics, didn't quite make it in before then!

Have been adjusting to life w/three... I won't lie, it's been a change! I'm so glad, though. Before Eva our home had never seen french fries and chicken nuggets, corn dogs, etc. I didn't really need them, I did OK in the kitchen preparing food. Well, I can relate very well to the rest of you now! Very humbling. I'm finding my new groove in the kitchen dept. Right now I have over the past days prepped what I need to make calzones: bbq ckn and meatball marinera. Dough's in the breadmaker, got my pre-shredded cheese from Costco (actually, I just got a FOOD PROCESSOR, wahoo! It is amazing, so I can shred my own in 5 minutes start to clean up now). I try to keep items like that frozen so JP can take them to work w/him. My kitchen's been clean for three days now, absolutely amazing. I'm still in awe. Sunday I didn't want to do anything because it was too beautiful of a sight. This my friends is an exception to how we've been living, and it's quite pleasant.

I'm trying to get into gear for homeschooling, too. Liam just turned 4 (birthday pics below), and I got to keep that boy busy! I really look forward to getting some land for that boy someday. A friend recommended a book to teach reading, well they have a website w/two downloadable lessons, and links to their math lessons, w/many downloads and worksheets, including four verbal math lessons (that's right). http://www.readinglesson.com/index.htm

Adelle loves the dollhouse we gave her for Christmas. And right now she's sleeping in a party dress (I actually got it for around the house, I love to see her in dresses). She's such a girl, I love having a girl. And she's now getting interested in helping me! Wonderful! I want her to WANT to help me, because she's going to do it either way :) Earlier I noticed it was quiet. I found her in the bathroom cleaning the toilet. "I'm helping, Mom!" Leave it to a child to spur us on to doing the housework we need to do. My floors have been getting cleaner lately, too, by numerous water cup spills.

Today is an exception. I usually don't have this much of a mind or moment to blog or be on Facebook, but it's fun to keep up with you!

In November I had mastitis, my milk supply has been on the low end, but it's working! Through these struggles and supplementing I've taken a closer look at formula, and there's no comparison. Breast milk provides immunity, and is easily digested and bio available to the child. Not to mention the psycological, hormonal nurturing aspects as well. I love those feel good hormones that bond me to my baby! God created a beautiful thing, and even though I have to supplement sometimes, I'm so thankful that I get to nurse my baby at all. I already have visions of more children, I love my babies, and I love nursing them! Fortunately, I have many years to have them, I figured it out, if they were all three years apart, we'd still probably have 8 kids. I look forward to growing old surrounded by family.

One struggle w/Eva has been less sleep. Until the past two weeks, she stayed up late/early! Agh. It's difficult to keep the house moving on little rest and recoup. JP and I'd prettymuch trade off nights staying up and sleeping in. Now she's been on a better schedule/routine :) I think God really wanted me to enjoy her and get to know her. If I'd only had the day time w/her, our precious time together would have been run over by the other kids (they are fun, but as dependent young ones, they are constant and demanding). So we've shared many smiles and much laughter with her, time I wouldn't trade.

All things work together for good to them that love God! (romans 8:28)