Mini Caramel Rolls

Link to original post: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Mini-Caramel-Rolls

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 15 min.

• Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1-1/2 teaspoons 2% milk
• 1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.
• Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; gently press perforations to seal. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over rectangles. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.
• Cut each into nine slices; place cut side down in prepared pie plate. Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pie plate for 1 minute before inverting onto a serving plate. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts 3 rolls equals 155 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 189 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein.

We’re Adopting

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.           James 1:27

We are following God’s call to adopt, and we couldn’t be more excited.

There, it’s on the blog… so that makes it official, right?

All Things Brody (again, pull up a chair)

Oh, my little Brody Alan Hooyer. How is it that you’re getting so big already? How is it that you’re 3 years old already (in a couple weeks it will be 3 1/2, but I’m not giving you that satisfaction yet). You, my little buddy, are quite something.

(We had to quick take pictures while there was some snow, because there wasn’t much this year.)

You keep us busy, and that’s OK. You have an attitude, that’s for sure, but I love your spunk.

You usually know exactly what you want, and you don’t give up until you get it. The other day you were bound & determined to ride your bike. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very nice outside. So, you dressed yourself and headed out… dressed in your shorts, sweatshirt, winter coat (with gloves, of course) and your flip flops. And guess what… you rode your bike!

You snuggle with me. If it was up to you, either Mommy or Daddy would snuggle you to sleep every single night. You’re all boy. You like to play in the mud. Here’s some proof…

You got lots of sun that day. You had white spots all over your back from when you were splattered with mud.

Here’s some of our more recent pics of you:

In this last picture, you were upset because we weren’t going to lay with you up in bed. So you snuck downstairs (or you thought you were being sneaky), and you fell asleep at the bottom of the stairs. There, that was better than laying in your comfortable bed, huh?

Brody, you are so loved. And I love that you love us, too.

All Things Karter (long post… I’m one proud mama)

So, the last time I posted was the day before I dropped my Karter Henry off at preschool. Like I said, he was nervous, maybe even scared.

Well, that didn’t last long. We are now 1/2 way through the year, and he LOVES preschool.

On January 9, that same little Karter Henry turned 5 years old. I can not believe it. I felt all those same emotions that I did the day before bringing him to school for the first time.

Here are a few fun pictures of my (once) little boy.

Tubing with Uncle Brian…

Exploring on Grandma Langstraat’s farm…

First day of school…

Captain of the day…

5th birthday party

This was the first time that we invited friends to a birthday party, and they had a GREAT time bowling. (Pictured below are Brody, Eli, Karter, Kyle Kooi, Jakson Gillespie)

Yes, the picture below was taken in a bar. It’s the only place at the bowling alley that we could eat cake and open presents. (Normally I would wait until their 6th birthday before booking a bar for the party.)

Last night, I was reading a blog about a little baby that died. Karter was asking me what I was reading, so I started telling him about it. I said to him, “Isn’t it sad that this baby died?”

Without thinking he said, “I don’t think it’s sad at all. I think he’s in Heaven with Grandpa and God, and I don’t think that’s sad.”

Keep that kind of faith, Karter. That is my prayer for you.

Where did the time go?

Seriously… where did my little Karter Henry go?

He used to be little.

- He’s not little anymore.

He used to need me to carry him up the steps, because his little legs couldn’t climb.

- Now I can barely carry him at all.

He used to want me to rock him to sleep, and I loved every second of it.

- Now he goes to bed and I listen through the monitor as he and Brody talk and plan and dream.

He used to want to be up on my lap.

- OK, so he still likes to cuddle with me, but he barely fits on my lap!

Where did the time go?

Tomorrow I will bring Karter to preschool. He’s scared and nervous, and he wants me to stay. Or at least that’s what he says today. I am so excited for this season of his life. I know that he will love it. I just wish he wasn’t nervous.

God, thank you for two beautiful children. Thank you for each minute you have given us. Please help me to recognize just how truly blessed I am! And please, please protect them. Amen.

Our House

Here’s what our house looked like after the storm last July:

Well, folks… just shy of a year later, here’s what it looks like now:

We’re not quite done yet. We are hoping to re-shingling the parts that haven’t yet been re-shingled, but you know… it’s all about budgets. The roof is still doing it’s job, so it’s OK if it waits another year. We also still need to paint the foundation, but you know… it’s not a race.

I must say, though… I love how the house turned out. Ron Britt (married to my cousin Andrea) did the work on the outside of the house, and he did a wonderful job!

Pictures of changes to the inside of the house to come soon…

Mark It Down, Folks

Wednesday, July 6, 2011. This is a very important date in our house. Yes, it’s true. Last night, nearly an entire year after our house was hit by a tornado, I went up to my boys’ room, read them two books, said prayers with them, tucked them in their beds and walked out of their room… and they were still awake. They talked, played, yelled for me, and played some more. Then… finally… they went to sleep.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this?

What? You haven’t heard from me in a REALLY long time? What? You want to see pictures of the boys? OK, fine.

But, just let me say it again… my kids went to sleep on their own last night.

Here they are…

I love them.