Valentine's Day Fun

This year we mixed things up a bit. We usually spend the day before Valentine's Day making our favorite sugar cookies (see recipe below) but decided on trying a new recipe this year (besides I had to make the cookies for a YW activity the next week and didn't want to make them twice). I found a new recipe for Homemade Oreo Chocolates (yummy) and the girls had a blast making them. Warning- They can be messy!!We also made chocolate covered strawberries. Baylee and Brinley were my good helpers!! They had a blast eating all the leftover chocolate.

Rylee however, was the BEST helper of all. She slept the entire time we baked. I can only imagine what my kitchen would have looked like if she would have been out there to "help". She also insisted on wearing a heart sticker on her forehead all day. She didn't take it off until she crawled into bed that night.

After delivering our Valentine's to our friends and family, we had a fun dinner. We ate heart shaped pizza, pink drinks (as Brinley calls it), and our favorite Frozen Hot Chocolate (as seen on the Oprah show). Yes it's as good as she says!! We started this tradition in dental school when Baylee was only 1. We all gather around the drink with our own straw and drink till it's gone. We all get a brain freeze but it's worth it!!

The girls thought it was funny that I broke the pizza's heart.

We had to remind the girls to come up for air.

Rylee finished it off to the very last drop!!

I think she liked it!!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Here is my favorite sugar cookie recipe for all of you who have been asking me for it. Caution though, you can't eat just one!! Enjoy!

Special-occasion Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

In large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, egg, whipping cream, vanilla and almond extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill 1 to 2 hours, or until firm

Heat oven to 400. On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut desired shapes into dough. Place shapes 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Decorate as desired.

Butter Cream Frosting (this is my Mom's recipe)
2 lb bag of powder sugar
1 cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup water (approximately-only pour in 1/3 c. then slowly add rest of water until it is smooth. I don't usually use all the water.)

Mix the above ingredients at high speed until well blended.

"Rylee Style"

My little Rylee is 2 going on 17. This little girl is a handful!! She keeps us on our toes 24/7. There's not a minute in the day when she is not trying to make us laugh. She is always putting a smile on our faces. However, I could not get her to smile for these pictures. This was on Valentine's Day and she wanted "tails" in her hair. She looked so cute and I wanted to get some pictures, but she was not about to smile.

After I gave her some candy, she started being silly again. Still not the smile I was looking for.

This is the cute smile that puts a smile on our faces. I had to offer more candy to get this smile.

At age 2 here are some funny things she does...

• Still calls her milk "coke". It's so fun in church when it's quiet and she is yelling for her COKE. All drinks are coke to her.
• Calls herself Ry Ry. When we ask her her name she says "Ry Ry". We'll say no it's Rylee and she corrects us and says no Ry Ry!
• Colors on everything with every pen, marker, crayon, pencil, or anything that will make a mark. I have become very good at removing artwork.
• When I do her hair, she will ask for a bow. When I put the bow in her hair, she looks up and down at her clothes (to make sure it matches), and then in the mirror and says, "Oh, I lub it" or "Oh, that's so coot". Beware, if the bow doesn't match, WATCH OUT!!
• Her new thing is when we ask her a question she replies, "I don't know". You can pretty much ask her anything and she'll reply "I don't know" and she usually gives you that cute smile.
• Loves to watch movies. Her favorites right now are "Tinkabell" (Tinkerbell), "Wash Away" (Flushed Away), and "Pooh, Pooh Panda" (Kung Fu Panda).
• She reads stories to her stuffed animals. We don't have a clue what she is telling them!
• She definitely thinks she is BOSS around the house. She is constantly telling her sisters and parents what to do. The sad part is that we usually end up doing what she tells us to do.
• Loves to do somersaults. Watch out though, she'll roll right on you. I'm thinking of getting her in gymnastics. She's not afraid to climb, jump, flip, or fall off anything. I think it's perfect for her!!
• When I put her to bed, I have to blow her 2 kisses from the door and she blows them back to me. If I forget to do it, she gets out of bed and tells me "kisses Mommy". I love it!!
• The one that melts my heart and is my favorite thing is her singing. She LOVES to sing. She'll sing anytime, anywhere, any song. Usually her own made up song. She has learned "I Am A Child Of God" and it is the sweetest thing to hear her sing it. It goes something like this "Lead me, guide me, walk a side me, HELP (is really loud) me find a wake". We hear that same line all day long, even when we put her to bed she is still in her bed singing until she falls asleep. I will forever sing this song "Rylee style". It just puts a smile on my face!!