fridays

on fridays i work in the parking lot booth...and sometimes i have help :)

by the numbers

my boys have always been massive; this past dr's appt was no exception.

here's where they are #'s wise these days:

Jordan, age 3 years 9 months: 45lbs; 4 oz and 41 1/2 inches (Off the chart for weight and 90% for height)
Jaxon, age 17 months: 30 lbs; 12 oz and 34 1/2 inches (95% for weight and off the chart for height)

the docs and nurses are always amazed at these big boys!

Chicken Tacos (in the crockpot!)

we tried this last week and LOVED it! definitely on the regular rotation now...and this is super versatile...and simple.

Easy Chicken taco Meat:

3-4 large frozen chicken breasts (or several frozen breast tenders, or thawed chicken works fine too!)
1 can rotel OR small jar salsa
1 pkt taco seasoning

Cook on low 8-10 hrs. Could be less depending on crockpot.
Shred chicken well with two forks. Drain off "extra" liquid.

Enjoy your tacos! Great with shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

And for the leftovers-these are great ideas i found on a recipe site:

• Use leftover chicken to make tortilla soup. Combine chicken taco meat with 32 ounces of chicken broth, 1 can of mild Ro-Tel tomatoes, 1 can of corn or 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn, 1 tablespoon lime juice and 2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh cilantro. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve with crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheese. Could also add black beans to this.

• Try this chicken to fill enchiladas or quesadillas or top a taco salad or make super-quick and healthy nachos by layering tortilla chips, black beans, chicken, salsa, onions (green or diced purple), cheddar cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

• Add this chicken to beans and, if you like, rice and use it for burritos.

• Use the salsa water that's leftover in the crockpot to make rice with. You can make about 2 cups of rice to have as a side dish or put on your tacos

just 'cause

spiderman undies, daddy's tennis shoes and both phones. why not?

after bath hair do


apologies for lack of pics and posts lately. Year End has got me sucked in. Problem wont be resolved until 01.31! Until then, enjoy these :)
Much to post and it will come soon, I promise!

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

Just made these today and forgot how delicious they were so I thought I'd share this simple recipe. They are fashioned after Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay biscuits. I'd rate them pretty close to the real things!

Enjoy!

3 c self rising flour

2 1/4 c milk

2 c grated cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 stick butter (melted)

-Mix all ingredients together and pour into greased muffin pan.

Bake @ 375 for 15-20 min until a little brown on top.

Brush with melted butter/garlic salt mixture as soon as they come out of oven.

I had two for lunch today and can't wait to serve them with dinner tonight!

make your own oatmeal bath

since we've been battling the tummy bug here at the Hudgins house, J&J have also battled diaper rash. I used to buy the Aveeno Oatmeal bath soak (about $6-8!) when we had this problem, but found out how to make my own today. Wanted to share it! Also great for:

chicken pox
shingles
poison ivy, oak or sumac
nettles
dry skin
insect bites or stings
eczema
diaper rash
anal itching
sunburn
windburn

CLICK HERE

spoon-fed

jax "got" the spoon this week. fun watching him feed himself. he still needs help turning it right every now and then but i'm super proud of my boy! now he can "eat, eat, eat" faster. (Eat, eat, eat!)=his new favorite phrase.

two adorable dawgs

even though we live in the land of the Tigers; we are and always will be Dawgs. I happened to dress them alike one day in their gear and got a couple good pics.

placemats

i'm not very "crafty" but i thought these were fun. i bought some craft foam and used scrapbook paper for the backround. put their pictures and a Scripture that i pray for them.
they are covered with clear contact paper and wipe off great.
i figure i'd be replacing them often but they were simple to make and i think they'll like it if they're changed up every now and then. you could do "learning" ones with the Alphabet, Numbers, etc.

brrrrrrrrrr

when it "warmed" into the low 40's yesterday i took the boys outside for a much needed play break (for them and for me).



there are not many pics of J because he preferred to play in the van rather than in the cold. smart kid.


this is my new favorite of him.

seasons

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven....
(Ecc 3:1)


when i took this picture of the boys playing yesterday i didnt realize how much it was similar to one taken early in the summer. when i look at these i cant help but be amazed at where we were then and where we are now. early summer was scary; unknown...full of heartache and wondering how we were going to deal with what we'd been given. the new year brings excitement. we are where we need to be. J starts "school" next Monday. A teacher in our home giving him specialized instruction. Speech and OT start next week too. In February we'll start "group speech" at Southeastern. These can only bring about positive changes. We have a plan; it's moving into action. There are still days that feel much like the ones in the early summer. J's transition back home after this last GA trip was hard. Lots of meltdowns and frustration on his part. Lots of wondering what to do on our part. Some days I feel so lost. But most days feel good...we will figure this thing out; what J needs...and do the best we can for him, with God's help. Thanks for the prayers. We'll be sure to let you know how it's all going!