Double Doozies

What is a Double Doozie you ask...?That my friends is a Double Doozie, and there are FABULOUS!!! A few weeks back we decided to go check out the "biggest mall in WV" in Barboursville. While we were there we stopped and got these babies at Great American Cookies. The kids and I fell in love and I went on the hunt to find a recipe claiming it was the real deal. I looked at several and as far as I can tell we got a pretty good imitation. It has been raining for the last several days so we decided today was PERFECT for cookie making.We got all the stuff ready, recipe in hand and started our quest to quench our cookie cravings.The kids loved getting to help measure, pour, and scoop the cookies.

Lily had more fun eating the m&m's then actually helping, but that is ok :).Ah the finished product! And of course the best part?!... Enjoying the fruits of our labor!!!And here is the recipe if you decide you want to try them yourselves!!!

Double Doozies

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

(I added 1 tsp of salt, but it didn't call for it)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

12 ounces chocolate chips ( I only used 1 cup)

1 cup M&M's

Icing:

1 pound confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons hot water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I didn't have this and they still tasted awesome!!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together butter, baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugars, vanilla extract and pudding mix. Add eggs. Gradually add flour (may need to add a little more as dough needs to be stiff, but not too stiff). When mixed well, add chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet. After cookies have taken their form, place the M&M's on top and edges. Total bake time is 8 to 10 minutes. ( Mine cooked for 12 min) Cool.

While cookies are baking, make icing. Mix together confectioners' sugar, butter, shortening, milk, hot water, salt, vanilla and almond extract. Apply a layer of icing between two cooled cookies to form a sandwich.

These freeze well!

Kids

My kids make me laugh on a daily basis. This is something that really helps me get through my days and I am so glad for these moments. I know that you other moms know what I am talking about. But in case any of you out there don't, let me share a few of mine.
A few days ago Lily, Gabby and Nate were in the kitchen eating a snack. I walked in and Nate grabbed me into a big hug. I was enjoying this brief moment of affection when from behind me in a rather shrill voice I hear, " NO!!!! My daddy!!!!" Lily came running over to push us apart and insist that "her daddy" hug only her!
Then last Friday we were at the lake with DeNae and the kids. We were headed home so I was getting the sand off the kids and changing them back into their clothes. Lily had sand in EVERY part of her body so I took her up to the rinse off showers while DeNae helped Gabby into her clothes. While helping her, DeNae found that Gabby also had some sand that needed to be brushed off. She told Gabby to get it off "down there" and Gabby said "where?" So DeNae says " on your bum." To which Gabby replies, " Oh you don't have to call it that, My brother and I call it a booty." !!!! What a nut!
Man I love being a mom! :)

Lake Time!!

I have to revise my statement made in an earlier post about not having anyone out here; it turns out there are old friends all around, as long as I don't mind driving anywhere from a half an hour to 2 and 1/2 hours! We have some friends that are in Charleston, the Harmans, the Israelsens in Huntington, the Duncans in Lexington, Kentucky and the Rasmussens in Columbus Ohio. I am sooo happy!! I love all these people and have been friends with some of them for many many years!! We have been able to go to Beech Fork lake with the Israelsens a few times and just hang out a few times too. They are so much fun! Then on Saturday we got to reconnect with the Harmans and went to Summersville Lake. We had a great time even though the temp decided to go from 87 to 62 that day and the Harmans got a flat tire!! James and Michelle introduced us to some new friends, Katie and Cordell, and their cute kids. We are feeling so fortunate to have such good people close by. Now we just need to see these other two families!! (hint, hint!!!!!) Here are some pictures from when DeNae and I took the kids to the lake without the husbands last week.I forgot my camera when we went to Summersville Lake so I stole these pictures from Michelle's blog! Thanks Michelle!!

It was pretty cold but the kids wanted to play in the water anyways, good thing for these girls Michelle thought to bring a blanket :)!Nice job changing the tire boys!!

So the moral of my story is that there are always friends around if I just look hard enough!! I am really glad to have these great people close by, even the ones we haven't seen yet. I think that I am so quick to get discouraged when things get a little lonely and tough, I am just glad to know the Lord is mindful of me and what I need. Yay for friends!!!

The Big 3-0!!

Yesterday, I know I know, was Nate's big 30th birthday!! Unfortunately since we just moved and don't know many people we didn't get to have a big bash like I would have wanted to do!! (He was VERY happy about this!!!) But we were able to have a nice dinner with some friends and to have cake with just the kids.

I know lots of wives think they have the best man there is, but I have to say I have them all beat! I could go on and on about how wonderful he is and about all the awesome things he does, but I will simply say that in my opinion I have the most wonderful man alive and I am thankful for that! Thanks Nate and Happy Birthday!!

Notice how Lily has her fork ready to dive into dad's "jello-cake"!! She was so excited to eat it!!You have to have a candle blowing picture, sorry love!! (I didn't have 30 candles so we made a 30 instead, this didn't sit well with Luke though.)

FOR SALE!!!

I have a really beautiful little curly haired, blue eyed monster for sale!!! She answers to the names of Lily, LilyBug, Bugsy, Bug-a-boo, Lilikins, Lizzy, Libby-lu, or LILY ELIZABETH TRACEY!!!! (Said while trying NOT to yell but feeling very much like you want to!) She like to stick her hands in toilets, while there is urine that her siblings didn't flush, in it. She also like to draw on the church chairs with crayons, climb up onto the table and throw food on the floor, color with pens on furniture, take her sippy cup and drip her juice on the couch or floor, take her own diaper off and finger paint with the really gross contents of said diaper, rip out as many handfuls of her sisters as hair as she can before mom gets to her, rip apart the same sisters favorite books, destroy her brothers newly made Lego ships, and get into mom's make-up eating the chap stick and rubbing the blush into the carpet leaving hours of clean up for her mother. All of this in a days work.

However she also gives the best hugs you could imagine coming from a 21 month old, smiles a smile that could melt any heart (especially when she IS in trouble ;)), loves me even when I don't succeed in the NOT yelling department, loves to oogle at babies and cuddle with stuffed animals pretending they are babies, and loves to grab her blanket and snuggle with you anytime you need it! On second thought, maybe she isn't for sale... How about "For Rent", on a month to month basis!!?

The New Place

Ok this has taken me forever to post, but here are the pictures of the outside of our new place! We really like it and are getting pretty settled in. (I only have a few more boxes to unload!!) There isn't a yard so the kids place in the street, but we live on a dead end road in a pretty quiet place. After I finish getting all the boxes unloaded and the house put in order I will add pictures of the inside too, but for now this will have to do! We are just so glad that we found a nice place in a nice area, thanks again everyone who listened to my complaining and prayed with us to find this nice place!!