Chicken And Rice Casserole

I am now going to declare myself the Queen of Casseroles! If you didn't know that I love casseroles....well ya know now. There is nothing better than throwing all your favorite things in a dish and baking it until bubbly! This is one of my family's favorite dishes. So, for all you casserole lovers....have fun mixing and melting!!!

1 lb cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans green beans, drained
1 4oz jar pimentos, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo
1 6oz box long grain wild rice, cooked accordingly (I love the Uncle Ben's brand and it cooks in 5 minutes)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl
3. Pour into 3qt casserole dish
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly

Play Group At The Park!

Play Group is back in session! Today, we finally got the kids together for an afternoon in the park. It first started out with Colter and Emerson duck watching. Then it was attack of the big bad squirrel who kept stealing the boy's goldfish. Deborah, Graham, and baby Sean joined us later on the playground. Colter learned how much fun moss could be, Emerson climbed everything in sight, and Graham was a pro on the slide! I think even little Sean was entertained. Not only were the boys worn out after the two hours, so were the mommies! Can't wait until the next workout...oh, I mean play group.

Stop all that quaking...

The Goldfish Thief


Giddy Up Dinoboy


Moss?

Or is it a scarf?


Colter STILL playing with the moss...


Move over...make room for the MOSS!

If we stay still they won't see us

And this guys is....MOSS!

Momma save me....Colter has more moss

Deborah and sweet little Sean

Such a boy...going up the slide with a stick

The Kissing Bandits...

Colter's girlfriend Olivia came over to play this morning....and do some KISSING!! If they weren't going up and down the slide they were stealing kisses. Oh to be in love....

HAT!

Yesterday I pulled this hat out of the closet for Colter to play with, because he is HAT obsessed. Well....he hasn't taken it off since!! He has been cracking me up walking around the house with this ugly hat on, which is so big that half of the time it covers his eyes and he walks right into things. Boy does he love HATS!

Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Phew that is a mouthful to say! But you don't have to say it...just eat it! This recipe looks as good as it tastes. It is simple and satisfying....and even better....it's easy!

2 cups penne pasta
1 package fresh spinach leaves (10oz)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz of cream cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1-2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil (whatever you have in the pantry)

1. Heat oven to 375
2. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for the last minute
3. Heat oil in large skillet, then add chicken and basil, and cook until chicken is no longer pink
4. Add sauce, tomatoes, cream cheese, and 1 cup of mozzarella to skillet and cook until heated through
5. Drain pasta and spinach
6. Add the chicken mixture to the pasta and mix well
7. Spoon into a 2 qt baking dish and bake for 20 minutes
8. Add remaining cup of mozzarella cheese to the top and bake 5 more minutes

That's it....yum! And if you want to add even MORE cheese you can sprinkle the top with parmesan!!!

Valentine's Day At The Aquarium...

I wouldn't call this Valentine's Day romantic, but it sure was fun! Chad, Colter, and I went to the Aquarium in Houston. Since "fish" and "blub, blub, blub" (what fish say) are some of Colter's favorite things to say these days I thought he would enjoy seeing the fish up close and personal! Not only did we see tons of fish we dined, rode a train, and got dizzy on a carousel. Although, I think Colter's favorite thing was the Dippin' Dots at the end....yum! And we even ran into Colter's best friend Emerson who happened to be with his parents....how did that happen?

Watching fish while waiting to be seated

Waiting on the train....choo choo!


Train ride to see the sharks

Carousel ride with Daddy

Fish fish everywhere


Hello Mr. Grouper!


I have my eye on you FISH


Oh Mommy was on this trip?

Oh yes...and tigers! Colter kept calling him "dog"

Ewww scary tiger...

ohhh kisses for the scary tiger

Just chillin' at home after the big day

Colter and the cute cowboy bear Nan got him for V-day

Happy Valentine's Day...

25 Random Things About Myself...

Here are 25 RANDOM things about myself. How well do you know me...hmmm? This little list has been on Facebook and now hitting the blogging world....so I thought I would give it a try. It actually didn't take me as long as I thought it would and it was fun!



1. My favorite comfort food....peanut butter and jelly with chips and salsa, and a glass of milk...so weird!



2. I was a twin, but my mom miscarried the boy at 4 months along.



3. Misty Kay Gilbert Straley and I have been best friends for 17 years, and we have never been in one fight...



4. If I could do anything professionally I would be a songwriter.



5. I have a fear that people won't remember me.



6. I am allergic to intravenous iodine and the tetnus shot.



7. I am obsessively early to everything....well, maybe not as much since I had a baby!



8. I have had probably every job that you can imagine...but not because I have been fired, just because I always seem to find something better....my favorite job so far.....mommy.



9. I love the RODEO.....the events, the food, the smell, everything....



10. When I was little I wanted to be a horse trainer.



11. My favorite thing to do on a date is go two steppin' with my hubby.



12. I have 8 nieces and nephews.



13. I love to vacuum!



14. I am scared to death of my mom's parrot that she has had since I was a baby....JINGLES!



15. My brother saved me from drowning when I was 4.



16. I have been to Mexico on vacation 6 times!



17. I own a rifle and a shotgun and love to shoot sporting clays.



18. My blue heeler is named Emily after the Emily Morgan hotel that Chad and I stayed in on our first trip together.....and that is the name of the "Yellow Rose of Texas."



19. I have ridden in a Nascar.



20. I have an addiction to Dancing With The Stars.



21. I hate talking on the phone, but will talk to someone forever in person. (Ok Misty, except you....I talk to her everyday!)



22. I hate people that don't send "Thank You" notes, emails, or give you a phone call!!! Even if you hated the gift....at least let me know you got it!



23. I have a problem with throwing away things....if it gets in my way or on my nerves it is in the trash!



24. I am 1/16 Choctaw Indian....I hear I could have gone to college for free!



25. I named my son Colter after a boy that I had a crush on in 2nd grade!

First Born Questionnaire....

I stole this little questionnaire from Ashley's blog. Just a few facts about my first born! Thought it would be fun to do...it all seems so long ago! If you want to add this to your blog just copy and paste...

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? Yes

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes - 2 years

3. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION? I was excited...Chad was shocked!

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? NO

5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 27 when I found out 28 when I had him

6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Home pregnancy test- it took two!

7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? Chad

8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Definitely

9. DUE DATE? September 20, 2007

10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Oh YES for 16 weeks!

11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Corn dogs, sushi, Chic-fil-a milkshakes

12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Having to pee all the time!

13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Boy

14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? I kept thinking I was going to have a girl even after I saw the ultrasound, but wouldn't change having my little boy for the world...now all I want are boys!

15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 30 exactly

16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Yes...my sister threw me one at my house

17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? I knew

18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? No it was just really long...17 hours and then 2 1/2 hours of pushing

19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? St. Lukes in The Woodlands

20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 17 long hours

21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? Chad

22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? Chad and my mom

23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural

24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Of Course!

25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 8lbs 6oz

26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? September 25, 2007, 10:41pm

27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Colter Dwayne

28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? 1 year 16 months

Mom's Meatloaf

This is my mom's recipe and one of my favorites! I love to cook it and even more....I love to eat it! It is very hard to get a recipe from my mom...anything she makes is in her head, she always changes up her dishes, and unlike me she never measures anything....it's a handful of this and a pinch of that. But I was able to hold her down and make her write out this recipe for me...thanks mom!

2 lbs ground hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion (or as much or as little as you like)
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (again, as much or as little as you like)
1 can Rotel
1 egg
1 cup Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1 tbsp black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients except Rotel in a large bowl
2. Put mixture into a pan and form into a loaf. Don't make the loaf to tall or it will take longer to cook.
3. Pour the entire can of Rotel over the meatloaf
4. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour or until cooked all the way through

** For an easy clean up cover your pan with tin foil **

Mommy & Me

Elephant Baby!

I guess the Willis' household is a circus...first we had the "Bearded Baby," and now we have the "Elephant Baby." Colter's Aunt Laura Wall got him this adorable towel, and he is now finally big enough to sport it! In this picture he was cracking up at himself in the mirror...what a funny hat!