The Vanity is Installed!

Matt and his dad installed the vanity in the bathroom! They had to do a lot of leveling and scribing to get it just perfect. We still have to attach the valance on top, and hook up the plumbing to it. I was very worried at how the counter top would match the rest of the bathroom, but I think it's absolutely gorgeous! Way to go, Matt and Jerry!

Grouting the Walls

We brought home our doors from Menards! They're so beautiful and smell great! They sure do make the rooms look a lot smaller, though. They almost touch the ceiling!
Matt grouted the tile on the walls in half the bathroom. He had to be very careful next to the ceiling.

Before

Before

After

After

His hands got all wrinkly because he was wearing latex gloves all day long! Eeeewww!

We also brought home all the parts to our vanity that we had been storing at Matt's parents' house!

"IT'S A MAJOR AWARD!"

(Famous line from the movie "A Christmas Story")

Matt & Matt - The Cop Duo!

Matt was invited to go on a ride-along with his friend, Matt who is a cop. Here's his friend in his squad car.
The car is completey unmarked except for the small badge on the passenger side.

They patrolled the tough streets of Deephaven for 8 hours on Saturday.

By the end of the night, Matt was getting roudy and had to get locked up! (J/K) "I didn't do it Ociffer!"

"Pull Over!" "No, it's a cardigan, but thanks for noticing."

I'm the most fabulous cook EVER!

I found this recipe on parents.com and it is fabulous! It is the best thing I've ever made! I just have to share the recipe with you! You have to like spicy though, or you could omit the jalepenos, but I don't think it would be the same. I changed the recipe to more jalepenos and more corn, this is with my changes. You have to try it!

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (cut off fat)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 jalepeno chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with chiles, drained
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons stone-dround cornmeal
• Shredded Monteray Jack cheese for on top

Directions

1. In a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker, combine onion, chicken, low-sodium broth, green pepper, jalepeno, 1 1/2 tsp of the cumin, 1/4 tsp of the cayenne, and 1/4 tsp of the salt.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
3. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker with remaining 1/4 tsp each of cumin and cayenne, and the tomatoes, corn and beans. Gently mash 1 can of the beans in the can before adding it in (this thickens it).
4. Stir in the cornmeal and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Let sit for a few minutes to soften the cornmeal.
5. Serve sprinkled with a little of the Monteray Jack Cheese and cornbread on the side.

*If you only have a small 3 qt. crockpot like me, you can still cook all of #1 in your slow cooker, and then transfer it to a large chili pot when adding the other ingredients on medium heat.

*If you're in a hurry and can't wait the full 4 hours, you can just take the temp of the chicken, when it's at the right temp that's good enough.

Cute Photos!

Sara reading a book to Aubrey.
These are photos from our Christmas get-together at Matt's cousin's house. I got Aubrey to take a nap. Lucy is sitting with us.

So precious!