Cheddar Corn Chowder

For all you asking for this soup, here it FINALLY is. (Thanks for constantly reminding me, with 3 kids, I'm a little frazzled in the head!) The original recipe makes 10-12 servings. I cut it in half for the blessing and also for our family and it makes great leftovers where you don't have to add water to it to thin it out the next day. That says a lot since we don't eat leftovers! :)

CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER

4 oz bacon, chopped

3 cups onions, chopped

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp tumeric

6 cups chicken broth

3 cups med diced unpeeled potatoes

5 cups corn

1 cup half & half

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

In large stock pot over med-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon & set aside. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and butter, cook for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and tumeric. Cook 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add corn to soup, then add half and half and cheddar cheese. Cook for 5 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with salt and pepper and garnish with bacon.

Enjoy!

Addison's blessing

Like I said Halloween weekend was crazy with tons of people here. We decided to bless Addison in November but not until after looking at the calendar did we find out Halloween was Saturday night with Fast Sunday the next day. Not so bright on our end, but it worked out fine. While I was getting ready for the luncheon after church, the girls got to go trick or treating with grandma. There were so many hands here to hold Addison, we really didn't see our children a whole lot that weekend. It was kind of nice!!

Our whole family that came for the blessing.

The guys in the circle.

Addison and her dad. Have you seen a more proud father?

Our growing family.

Our three beautiful girls in their white dresses.

Micaela is such a proud aunt.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Berg

Both "Grandma Greats"

The proud grandparents.

The guest of honor herself. I loved the dress we got for her. So beautiful and so much dress for the little woman. She got lost in it a few time. Dave didn't know where to hold her for the blessing.

There's that crooked smile again.

Show & Tell

For Show & Tell for the letter "A" Kelsey wanted to take Addison. But since I was helping in her class that day and with Show & Tell being in the middle of class, Kelsey settled on taking pictures of her instead.

The proud sister

Just hangin' out in the swing. She loves it.

Halloween 2009

This year for Halloween, our house was pretty full (more on that at a later post). We had lots of family here for the weekend and it was so much fun for everyone to see the festivites for the holiday. For years, they've only heard about our craziness, now they got to experience it first hand. First up, we had our annual stake track or treat on Friday night. The girls got enough candy at that, they didn't need to go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

The girls in their costumes, Kelsey as a fairy and Katelyn as a witch, (again, just a different costume). Addison was just happy to be warm because like I said at the pumpkin patch, the weather's been so weird and for Halloween weekend it turned freezing cold.

The girls with their best little bud, Ethan. He was Prince Phillip and to stop a fight from breaking out neither of the girls got to be Sleeping Beauty because when these three get together, they play Sleeping Beauty and fight over who gets to marry Prince Phillip. So naturally Ethan's decided he will marry both!!

Walking along with one mission in mind: Operation Lots of Candy.

Micaela with her 2 most favorite neices. Her third was not available for a photo opp.

Addison's first smiles

Now that Addison is almost 3 months old, she has been smiling for 2 months.

I just love her crooked smile!! Who do you think she looks like?

Kelsey was successful in getting her to smile and capturing it on film too.

The Pumpkin Patch

Our annual photo shoot at the pumpkin patch. But what's wrong these pictures? It's the last week of October and we are all still in short sleeve shirts. This weather's been so crazy this year.

I just love these cute girls.

Trying to tickle her cheek to get her to smile. Unfortunately it wasn't working.

Story time

I know I have some of these pictures with the roles reversed, where Kelsey is reading to Katelyn when she was this size, but it is so cute to see Katelyn reading to Addison. I don't know if there is another baby who is more loved or spoiled than Addison with her two older sisters. And she loves them just as much. The smiles they get from her are just so cute and contagious!

I'm making waffles

See, Katelyn loves to help Dave make breakfast in the morning.

I love her sleepy face

Such concentration.

Citizenship Award

After Kelsey's first full month of school, her teacher sent a note home that she would be getting an award. It was the first assembly of the school year. But being the first assembly of her school career, she didn't know what to do and just sat there when they called her name until her teacher spotted her in the crowd and called her up. She didn't even know I was there so she was so excited when she saw me at the end of the assembly.

Kelsey getting her award. Kelsey we are so proud of you and all you have accomplished.

Cooking with grandma

At home when Dave makes breakfast, the girls love to help with mixing, stirring, and cooking. So when we were in California, naturally they wanted to cook with grandma too.

First Katelyn.
Then Kelsey's turn. (Love the hat)

Hopefully they didn't make it too messy!!

And the best part, they got to eat outside because the weather was so nice.

Flashback Friday: Ventura County Fair

After the beach we headed for home and showers and then it was off to the Ventura County Fair. Alyson wanted to go since she had never been and growing up in southern California, it's something everyone must experience. The girls had a great time at the Petting Zoo, seeing all the animals, riding the rides and of course fair food!! In the petting zoo, there was a llama that was as tall as Alyson and wouldn't leave her alone. Everywhere she went or turned, it was there right in her face. Too bad she had the camera taking pictures of the girls so no pictures of that.

Katelyn in the petting zoo, keeping all fingers away from their mouth
Kelsey took no time at all feeding the animals.
Once Katelyn saw they weren't going to bite her, she was ok with them eating out of her hand too.
She didn't know what to think of this pig. He followed her around trying to get more food and picking up anything she dropped.
This little deer kept trying to eat Katelyn's pants.
My two cute girls. Who wouldn't buy lemondade from them?

Kelsey picked the train to ride by herself.

Sharing a ride in the police helicopter. What a great end to a fun night.

Flashback Friday: Silverstrand Beach

Back in August Dave went on his annual fishing trip with his boss up to southern Utah so the girls and I piled in the truck and headed down to California for one last hoorah before Addison was born. We spent Friday afternoon at Silverstrand Beach with their cousins and before I make this comment, I know there are those of you out there who love the beach. I am not one of them. I loathe the beach and having grown up in California, that may sound weird, but I can't get over the whole sand issue. However after seeing the pictures that Micaela took of the girls, I quickly got over it seeing that they loved going. Thanks for taking all the pictures since my camera never even came out of the bag.

I just love the look on Katelyn's face, complete and utter happiness running from the waves.

There's nothing better than toes in the sand

Digging in the sand with Colt.

Kelsey loved writing things in the sand just for it to be erased by the waves.

Playing in the water. It wasn't warm so I just think she was numb from the waist down.

Kelsey, Katelyn and Chanel playing in the ocean. This is as far as I ever saw Katelyn go in.

Another one so close to shore.

Digging for sandcrabs.
What's wrong with a little seaweed?

Looking for crabs in the jetty

Everyone loves Addison

I don't think this little girl knows just how much she is loved. She is smoothered in kisses everyday from her sisters and everyone fights over who gets to hold her. She's such a sweet baby.

Ready to take Kelsey to school

Kelsey always wants to feed her. Can she multitask or what?

And Kaylene always has time to snuggle her too!!