Ouch!

My baby took a tumble down a brick step yesterday. Thankfully, she only scraped up her sweet little face. It is just one brick step down but that one step is dangerous! It is the same step that Ava fell down and sprained/broke (Dr. couldn't tell) her ankle when she was 2.

Right now, the girls are asleep, the house is quiet and clean (it's a miracle) so I am actually going to be able to pull out my scrapbook stuff! It has been WAY too long since I've been able to do that.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Movie Night Cookies

These yummy cookies are one of my favorite cookies and definitely a reliable one. I get compliments every time. We made these because I already had the heath bits from the cookies last week. It also uses basic ingredients I keep on hand in our pantry.

Now we are off to snuggle up to Ava on the air mattress and watch a movie. I wonder what we will be baking next week?



HEATH BITS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening (I used butter flavored b/c it is what I had and they are still good)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
34 tsp salt
1 pkg heath toffee bits (I didn't use a full bag and they were fine)

Heat oven to 375.
Beat Shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg, beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in heath bits. Bake 7-10 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool completely. In my oven, it was 8 minutes or 7 minutes on a warm pan. You don't want to wait until the edges turn brown because you will want them soft. It made 5 dozen 1 tsp size cookies. I use the small scoop from Pampered Chef to make it faster and the perfect size.

Movie Night Cookies - REALLY good!!!

Every Friday night is movie night. This week it had to be postponed until Saturday. Ava normally chooses what kind of movie night it is and in true Jackson fashion, it always revolves around food. Sometimes it is popcorn, ice cream, cake, pizza, skittles, or our favorite, cookie night.

Last night we pulled out a cookie recipe I have been wanting to try and wow...it did not disappoint. They had to be good for me to want to post the recipe for you to try. My favorite part of baking?? Seeing my adorable Ava in her apron and chef hat. I hope you will try these and like them as much as we did. Keep in mind that here in Mobile, finding the Heath toffee bits is hard but I found them at Walmart at Dawes. Winn Dixie and Target do not carry them...at least not the ones that do not have the chocolate. You could use either but to me, using the bits of brickle toffee bits without the chocolate is the best for baking.




TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Yield: About 2 dozen (serving size: 2 cookies)
Cost per Serving: $0.29

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits - I used Heath Bits of Brickle

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits.

2. Using your hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, pressing down lightly on each one with a moistened palm.

3. Bake until cookies are firm and just golden around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Birthday Baking & Talking to God

Kenley's 9th birthday party was today. It was so so cute! Everything was decorated with pink and zebra print down to some adorable acrylic paint buckets holding paint brushes. Those were the special touch I think...and the little zebra that was hiding under the drink dispenser. It was a lot of fun but I wonder how it would have been if Nora had not been crying the ENTIRE time or maybe without her throwing herself around the floor in a fit. Throwing a fit is Nora's favorite new hobby. Tonight's lasted approx. 30 minutes. We have our hands full with Nora bug.

Here is the cake that I had fun making for the party (the hot pink border wasn't on the cake when pics were taken). I have figured out that I like the cakes that are less busy so much better and they are more fun to make. Ava sat and watched for 2 hours! She helped make the cakes, mix icings and play with the extra fondant. She's my best friend and we do everything together. I love it.




On the way to my sister's for the party, we saw booms in the causeway. After a brief explanation of what they were, Ava started talking to God. I just listened and tried to keep my heart from just bursting out of my chest. She talked and talked to God about saving the animals, making the oil go away and to please save her beach. It reminded me of how much God loves and wants His children to come to him and just sit with Him, talk to Him and trust Him. She immediately started talking to God. How often do I do that? I have to admit that I think of things, work them out in my head, etc...before talking to God about them. I wish I had a mind and heart of a child sometimes....a lot of the time. Everything would be much more fun and a lot less complicated.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Our Little Ballerina

I am one seriously proud Mommy!
Friday was a big day for our Ava. She had her last swimming lesson. It has been two weeks of lessons but only in the last few days would she put her face in the water. She is 100% girl and doesn't want her face wet. She also started really getting scared when she realized that at some point, they were going to make her go under. Bless her heart. The last day, with a Dora Puppy Power movie and a surprise from Nana on the line, our girl not only put her face in but jumped off the side (there were a few tears but we are still proud) and went down the slide not once but THREE times! We have watched the Dora movie every day since.

Then Friday night, Ava turned into a beautiful little ballerina! Nana went at 4:10 to get seats and believe it or not, so many were already taken. The recital didn't start until 7pm! Nana is such a trooper. She is always willing to do anything for her grandgirls. She probably knew that I couldn't take the stress of it all too. I don't know who was more nervous, me or Ava. I was so nervous that I would forget something important, be late, etc... Ava was so excited to put her costume on. She wasn't nervous at all and when the dance started, you would have thought she was in the Olympics or won an Oscar because her Mommy and Daddy were so proud! It didn't matter if she remembered every step or just stood there because just seeing our little curly Q "baby" up there was enough to make me tear up. They all did really well, Ava included and after seeing them at the rehearsal, all of us mommies were shocked. All year, Ava has danced to the beat of her own drum so to speak so seeing her do the steps was thrilling. I kept thinking, " Hallelujah! She does listen from time to time!" When I went back to get her, the first thing she said was, "Can I have my flowers and presents now?" Hmmm.... Kevin couldn't wait to give her her first recital flowers. It was precious. I just wish I had remembered to take a picture of her by herself in her costume. In all the commotion, I forgot! The recital was amazing and Ava and I ended up staying for the entire thing. Here are a few pictures!



Ava's precious teacher, Mrs. Madeline.
Ava and Anna Kathryn. I went to high school with her Mommy, Rebekah Schapels Hurston

Fountain Fun!

Kevin and Ava are at church. I'm at home with a sick baby. She has had a cold for the last few days. She is down for a nap and I have a quiet house. I am trying to take advantage of the few minutes of quiet that I have. That doesn't come often. As much as I love the quiet, I miss the noise. The "noise" makes this house full of life. I'd much rather have them playing, laughing, even the crying than not have those sounds at all.

Yesterday, Nora decided that she would say a few more words. She can now say "up" and when I say "Ok?" she will reply, "K". She's precious. Check out her chunky legs in these pictures while you can! She is starting to walk faster and faster so I'm afraid these baby legs will go away.

Memorial Day

Going to the "tent" in the mountains is one of our favorite places to go. Ava calls it "Georgia's house" and starts screaming with excitement as soon as we start to see the mountains. Nora only slept 15 minutes during the 7 1/2 hour drive. Needless to say, they watched an obscene amount of movies. As soon as we got to Cleveland, we automatically relaxed. It is a magical place for us. No tv, no internet and even no air conditioning. All of the tents (more like a cabin) have tin roofs so when it rained, the noise made us all sleep like babies. Who am I kidding....Nora cried about 2 hours the first night. The second night, Ava started coughing, waking Nora up and then we were up all night. Yes, the rain is peaceful in a strange way but wow...we were exhausted. It is hard for us to go anywhere because Nora only sleeps in her crib. She won't even take a nap at Nana's. She also wakes up at the slightest sound. At least at the campground, everyone tried very hard to be quiet.

We went to play in the Chattahoochee river, to Babyland and each night, we all (my Mom's side of the family) gathered to eat together. We are definitely all very good at that.

This was just a fun time during the day. Nora had climbed into the baby doll stroller all by herself.

Ava worked so hard moving rocks.

The new Babyland General Hospital.

Notice Ava's doll, Ava Lena (yes, she is creative) going to school with the other "big kids."

Ava's first day at swimming lessons. I'm having to bribe her with icee's to get her to put her face in the water.

My sweet girl in her first dance costume.