Hot Chocolate

We LOVE hot chocolate in the winter.  Daily staple.  I prefer the healthier options that aren't overwhelmingly sweet.  Here are a few 'healthy' recipes we use:

http://www.nutmegnanny.com/2013/01/09/vitamix-hot-chocolate/

https://www.vitamix.com/Find-Recipes/H/A/Hazelnut-Hot-Chocolate?RSRCH=1

http://www.jodimckenna.com/2013/10/quick-hot-chocolate-in-the-vitamix.html

But no matter how much I try, the kids and their dad can't shake their preference for the little packets you rip open and pour in.  So we decided to see if making our own homemade mix would be fun, frugal, tasty and practical.

It was FUN (for the kids who thought the measuring and mixing of the powders was great and who were completely unphased by the mess the mixing and measuring of the powders created).

It was not so FRUGAL - maybe because we consume so much hot chocolate?  This did not end up being the most cost effective option for our family.

It was TASTY - no doubt about it, this is a super-creamy and chocolately treat.

It was, in the end, not PRACTICAL for us to do all the time.  But absolutely a recipe I would revisit for the kiddos.

Here's the one we used:

http://thethriftycouple.com/2014/09/24/homemade-bulk-hot-cocoa-mix-recipe/

Enjoyed a great time with this guy today.  We have fallen behind in purposing one-on-one time with the kiddos so I was blessed when my hubby sent G and I out for lunch.

He talked non-stop.  We covered Legos, Star Wars, school, Moses, Abraham, our response to God leading in our lives, football, the best ice cream flavors, music, golden vipers, creatures of the Amazon, the capitols of the countries of South America (he knew far more than me), his plans for his day off, why sleeping in is awesome, literally whatever thought popped into his mind next - that's where our conversation went.

Growing up into quite the exceptional young man, he is (see, that Star Wars talk has me phrasing like Yoda).

What a gift this chunk of time was, and an important reminder of how valuable it is when we can give one of our children our complete, undivided attention.

Last night, after a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service, the Thompson crew came home and gathered in pajamas in our room to read before going to bed.  The kiddos chose a story about the song Silent Night.  We snuggled, I read.  When the book finished, it was quiet for a moment, then L began to sing Silent Night.  G joined in.  Then their Daddy added his lovely voice.  Our little quartet sang three verses.

My heart felt so full, I thought it might burst.

This quiet, simple moment is now my favorite Christmas memory.

That my children are filled with His peace and His joy.  That we can celebrate the birth of our Savior today and every day.  That we are surrounded by love in so many ways.

These are real gifts - greater than anything that could fit under our tree.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Fall Ball

G's baseball season has come to an end and I gotta tell you, this mama is happy about it!  Never have I seen such a competitive and critical crew - and I'm talking about the baseball parents, LOL.  So much pressure being put on the boys of this 3/4th grade team.  We did not quite realize what we were getting into.  Fortunately, G had a great experience and early on earned the favor of his coaches.  He enjoyed playing second and third base, never sat out an inning and loved being up at bat.  In literally every at bat, he was walked to first.  He was often able to score a run for his team by stealing bases, but never made actual contact with the ball using his bat.  He fielded some plays while on outfield and overall enjoyed himself.  We are gearing up for winter basketball, but I did ask if he was interested in playing baseball in the spring (because even though I wasn't a fan, I would whole heartedly support my kid should he want to do it again) and I got 'I don't know, maybe.'  So we shall see!

Outfield

On deck

Last game was a cold one so she bundled up.

And it wasn't enough - they ended up calling the game early.  Two kids gave up and went to the car rather than play.  G kept coming over to hang under the blankets with us when he could.  Baseball is not a cold weather sport.

Fun Hair

I came across some Curl Formers on GroopDealz several weeks ago and decided to give them a try with L.  She affectionately refers to them as her noodles.  We put them in post-shower in the evening, she sleeps in them (and has no discomfort from them!) and we pull them out in the morning.  Now, I like them right out of the curlers, but L prefers to comb them out.  I'd recommend them to anyone looking for easy, comfortable and heat-free curls.

Here she combed them out on her own.

Fresh out of the curlers in the morning.

Noodles from the back.

Noodles from the front.

Fall Shots

Here are some shots from our busy fall - thankful for wonderful moments with these precious kiddos!

Soaking up the last warm days at our local park.

Perfect for burning off some energy after a school day.

Enjoying outings with this sweet lady at local tourist spots.  She's so excited for the samples at Kitchen Kettle Village.

Having a delicious pizza dinner with family overlooking the water and taking in the sunset.

Participating in one (of many) local fall festivals.

Attempting to stomach all the rides at Hershey Park.... well, I'm attempting, the kiddos love every minute.

Trying out new restaurants together on dreary days.

Love Me Some PicMonkey

Since a portion of our schooling is taking place at home now, we created a learning/work space in one of our bedrooms.  I thought it would be fun to fill it with some homemade encouragements and decorations so I headed to my favorite website and got busy.  Some I printed using Shutterfly freebies, some I transferred to canvas using this technique.

And, as my children insisted on it, I was sure to leave plenty of wall space for their 'masterpiece creations.'