timing is just off, again!

Ok so our water heater went out the other night, I went in to have my 'calgon' moment ran my bath water, went to get in, and found my water FREEZING, well I thought maybe brian did laundry or dishes or something so I drained the water and went to bed, just a little frustrated! The next morning at 5:45 yes, thats a.m. Zach came in our room to let us know that he tried to take his moring shower, and there was no hot water! So I was like huh, there is a real problem. I kicked 'B' out of bed and made him check out the water heater. He said the pilot light went out, he relit it, zach and joey both showered and the kids got off to school, then we started smelling something not right........we checked out the water heater and it looked like it was burning!!! we quickly shut everything off and realized that we needed a new water heater. So long story well long I guess we got a new water heater, brought it home got the old one out and found this.....It totally burned up the floor!! Scary we could have burned our house down. We were pretty lucky we caught it when we did. So now we have a nice new water heater. As to the timing thing.......

A few weeks ago we had a major rain storm and snow thaw, IF it would have made it into my house it could have cooled off my floor under my water heater :) But instead my boys just played in it!

Yes he is kneeling in it, and yes it is FREEZING!

Jason running through the puddles/river!

Joey loving the cold water!

the land of the weird!!

Ok so the kids have been asking and asking and asking! And I finally gave in, and it was pretty good if I admit it! I made speghetti tacos!! No recipe, just make your normal spheghetti and put it in a hard taco shell. It is acutally yummy. And the kids loved it! and I am now a fan. So you all can join us in the land of the wierd and make your spheghetti tacos! And for dessert I made whoopie pies, way yummy! I took the recipe out of this months family fun magazine, but I will post it below for those of you who don't get the magazine. Totally worth it. these were delish.
Ingredients:
for the cakes:
2 c. flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c. softened butter

1 cup sugar
1 egg

for the filling:
1/2 c. softened butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. marshmellow creme
1 tsp. vanilla
red food coloring ( optional)

Heat oven to 350
in bowl mix flour cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. in glass measuring bowl stir together the buttermilk and vanilla.
In mixing bowl mix butter and sugar till well blended add egg, beat till smooth.
Pour in half the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture till combined. then add buttermilk mixture beat till just blended, add the remaining flour mixture and beat again.
use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop onto cookie sheet. slightly flatten each mound with a spoon. bake till done, (I know this sounds bad, but the page in my family fun book has a black mark in it and I can't read how long it cooks for, and when I baked mine I never timed them, I just baked them, and kept checking them, when you touch the cookies and they feel somewhat firm (don't sink when you touch them) they are done)
Mix all the frosting ingredients.
to make each pie:
spoon a heaping TB of the filling onto the bottom of a cake them gently press another cake on top gently squishing the filling to the edges.
remember when you take your first bite of this yummy dessert you must shout WHOOPIE!!!!

Also helpful hint if you do not have buttermilk as I did not, tomake your own buttermilk, simply take 1 cup milk add 1 TB lemon juice, OR 1 TB vinegar and let sit for 5 min. this makes homemade buttermilk :)

wrappin it up!

Well, I have been wanting to post for a while now, but have not been coming up with anything to say, I have decided that every January I get the winter blues, however mine came in November,and they are still hanging around. So I have been thinking back on the last year, (thats a long time ago) and I am so grateful for the things I have now. The first half of the year was spent mostly with Joey and his swim meets, and running the kids around to their various activities, dance, scouts, swimming, baseball. Summer went by in a whirwind with swimming and entertaining 5 kids!! Then school starts and all 5 of my babies started school! Wow what a crazy thing to happen, but it has been good for me. And kind of lonely too. Ok, a lot lonely, but I will cope I am sure. Once fall hit, thats when all the excitement hit for the carroll household! Zach started getting sick, falling behind in school, then not able to go to school at all, he just kept throwing up all the time, in the meantime, while we were trying to figure out what was wrong with him, we were juswt finishing up the home study for the adoption of Abby, and a day before the actual home study, Abby fell at dance, and I had to take her to the ER for 7 stitches, (thank goodness for bangs) a couple of days later we got the stitches out, homestudy is done, and we end up taking zach to the dr. where we end up back in the ER. where they find his appendix ruptured, as you all know, we were in the hospital for a week, and it was a month long recovery. This was so hard, there were a few times I wondered if I was going to lose my baby boy (yes, he may be 13 but he will always be my baby boy) This all let to lots of catch up in school, and depression for him, (and me) but life goes on, swimming started, holidays were coming up, We had thanksgiving coming up, and the adoption court date, which I was so nervous for. I had som e of my own medical problems that caused problems for a couple of weeks. but am doing much better now. We got through the court date, the adoption is final. That is all behind us. We are still taking abby to the Dr. every 2-3 weeks trying to get her anxiety,and ocd, under control, and we are getting closer to that. Her prader willi is a little more controlable every day!! Next came thanksgiving. I got to spend thanksgiving with my whole family, all my siblings made it to my parents house, and we had a blast! I had a birthday in there somewhere, that is all I am mentioning about that!! Then on to Dec. Due to all that happened November I didn't even start on christmas shopping till midway through dec. which way caused stress!!! Plus my darling children have signed up for everything, basketball, band, swimming, dance, scouts, joey is now being tutored a couple times a week, ahhhhh sorry just typing it makes me scream.. So besides all that, we actually had a great christmas!! Probably one of the best for my kids, they are all really happy! We had a great new years party with my friend and her fam. a nice quiet party into the new year! and here we are 2011!! so I would say bring it on, but its already here and in full swing, with some sort of activity every single evening of the week, you know I thought a stay at home mom stayed at home, huh, I guess I was wrong!