Yummy!!!

Every year I look forward to baking for the holidays! My favorite recipe is Rocky Road!! It's super easy, and super yummy!!! Here's how:

Johnna's Rocky Road

Ingredients:

*1/2 stick of butter

*1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

*12 oz. chocolate chips

*1 jar of dry roasted peanuts

*1 bag of mini marshmallows

Melt butter on low until fully melted. Add in condensed milk, and then the chocolate chips until melted. Turn off heat, and add peanuts. Mix thoroughly. Then add marshmallows, and mix again. Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 pan, and chill. Cut into small squares, and serve!

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary Babe!

A few months ago, I started thinking about what to do for Eric. Not only were Christmas and his birthday coming up, but also our 15 year wedding anniversary. I wanted to do something special for him this year. He has been so supportive this year. So, I had qualified for an extra bonus with SLAH, so, I decided to save my money as surprise him. At first, I was just going to drive us to the airport, and not tell him, but a couple of weeks before, I chickened out, and told him. :) He was so excited!

I had got a Cowboys package, that got us to stay at the Gaylord Texan, an autograph session, go to a pre-game party at the corral, game tickets, and then back the next day to tour the stadium, and locker room! We had such a great time! It also helped that we beat the pants off the Giants!!! How 'bout them Cowboys!!!

How 'bout them COWBOYS!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...how lovely are your branches

Every year I envision a beautifully decorated tree, full of ribbons and bows, matching ornaments...but, that is not the tree of the Briners. :) The boys are always so excited to decorate the tree! They love going through the ornaments, and remembering them. This year Ethan loved being able to hang them on his own.

This year Eric did also get me a small flocked tree, that I decorated in blue and silver. It was really fun "foofing" it up...but there is nothing like our family tree!

Johnna Briner...Slackerblogger

There is nothing worse than checking your friends blogs....and it's a old post! Yes, I've become one of those friends! Not that you are all dying to read what happens in the Briner house...but it's like therapy for me! We are heading to Dallas this weekend...(gift for hubby...Dallas game...a whole 'nother blog) and I will be updating next week. :) Don't take me off your blogging friends list yet!!! ;)

Oh Christmas Cards, Oh Christmas Cards...

I am so excited about all of the great pictures of the boys! A friend of mine, Candice Wagenlietner, is doing pictures to raise money for their upcoming adoption of a little girl from Korea! She is great! (As you can tell!) Her phone number is 325-1583.

BLACK FRIDAY...Are you ready to SHOP???

The day is coming....The Biggest shopping day of the YEAR!!! I know, you think I'm CrAzY!!! Yes, I am a shopper of Black Friday. It's a tradition! Every year, I shop with my sister-in-laws, and anyone else who is willing to be up at the crack of dawn...Starbucks in hand...and list in tow! I have done this 1 day overdue...8 mos. pregnant...and just had given birth 2 weeks prior...Now granted...I don't look like the picture above...but it is so much fun! Now, don't get me wrong...I am rarely at Walmart at 2 am, but I have found some great deals. My favorite place to go is Macys!!! 50% off their clearance! One year Sara, my SIL, found a pair of Ralph Lauren shorts for $2.14!! Crazy 8, and Old Navy are also good...not so crazy...spots. We usually hit Michaels too...can never have enough ribbon!

Shoppers have gotten smarter these days! In the past, you had to wait to hear the thump of that 50 lb. newspaper to hit your driveway Thanksgiving morning to see the great deals! Now, there are websites cluing you in on what's going to be on sale! Here are a few that I have found...

www.blackfriday.info
www.bfads.net
www.black-friday.net

Now, I personally, will wait for the "thump" tomorrow morning to start my plan of attack! Here are some great tips that I found online...that I thought I would share with you first-timers or rookies!! Happy Shopping....see you at Macys!!!

Shopping Tips:

• Know exactly the time that the stores you want to hit are open, and go to the store that has the best deals, and/or the gift you want to get the most first. Be there at least a half-hour before it opens if the gift is popular.

• Leave the kids at home; this is not a day to worry about hand-holding and good behavior.• Be caffeinated and full – don’t shop on low energy and an empty stomach.

• Pack snacks so that you don’t have to stop your marathon shopping day to grab some grub from the food court.

• Bring along a MP3 player or portable CD player to help pass the time when you are waiting to pay for your finds.

• Don’t worry about purchasing little gifts today, such as stocking stuffers, but rather focus on gifts that are bigger, harder to find, and more expensive.

• Consider this a good day to look for that new winter coat or little black dress you need. Clothing sales are usually very good on Black Friday, because so many people are already in the stores looking for toys and gifts.

• If a product is not available, but the store offers a rain check, take it. Make sure that when you cash in your rain check you are getting the price that the product was listed at for that day.

A Few Days After Black Friday Sales:

• Cyber Monday, the Monday immediately following Black Friday, is a busy day for online retailers who offer special deals, products, and discounts. FYI, the term was coined by Shop.org in 2005.

• If you didn’t get all of the products off of your list while shopping at those after-Thanksgiving sales, log on first thing Monday morning and see what you can find.

• Visit retailmenot.com for online coupons, including offers for free shipping and 15% off discounts from certain retailers.

• Know the online retailers return policy, shipping information, and payment procedure so that you are not worrying about any of those details before you purchase the item.

• Do a little research among retailers, and don’t just settle for the first good price that you see on that must-have product.

• Calculate shipping and other online fees before determining whether you are getting a fair deal.

Happy 2nd Birthday Dawson!

My baby turns 2!

Well, technically, not until Friday, but today (Thanksgiving 2006) was actually his due date two years ago. On November 28th, 2006, Dawson Tate entered our world! He weighed 9 lbs. 7 oz., and was 21 1/2 inches long. He has been such a blessing, and is full of joy! He brings smiles to everyone, and knows no stranger. He already has picked up his brother, Ethan's wit, and will always have mommy's heart! He still lets me hold him like a baby, and says, "Mommy's baby". (Even though most of the time, he calls me "Babe"!) He loves cars, especially, "Mommy's cool car, Daddy's cool car, and Grama's cool car" as he calls them...and every other white truck and SUV! Even though he is now officially a toddler...he will always be my baby!

"Magical" Birthday!

This year, for Colton and Zac's birthday (they are only 13 mos. apart), we gave them a choice of having a party, or going to Magic Mountain, and inviting a friend. They chose Magic Mountain!!! It was a blast! Eric and I love roller coasters, but hadn't been since my 25th birthday. (A few years ago :) ) We weren't quite sure how they would do, but thought we would go for it! They boys invited their friend Christian, and his parents joined us. We drove to Valencia for the day, and we had a blast! Colton and Zac had no fear! I was a little worried on the first ride...Goliath...I thought Zac was going to have a heart attack by the look on his face. But, when we pulled back to the gate, he yelled...AWESOME!! I think their favorite ride was the log rides. They got soaked...but went back for more! Happy Birthday Colton and Zac!!!

Oh My Heaven...Colton is Turning Eleven!!!

It just seems like yesterday, we were bringing home our 1st baby boy. Colton Bailey Briner was born November 9th, 1997. Weighing in at 9 lbs. 5 oz. and had "muscles" at one day old! It's hard to believe that eleven years have flown by!

3 weeks old

6 months old4 years old11 years old
I thank God for giving us such a blessing. Colton is a true first born, natural leader, determined and driven, although, he is very caring and nurturing, always helping with his younger brothers, and anyone who needs a helping hand.

Happy 11th Birthday Colton!!

We love you!

God's Love is Everything

Last Sunday, we set the clocks back, and since I had the extra hour, I decided to go for a walk. (with a few jogs :) ) The week before at Peoples Church MOMS group, my dear friend Michelene, shared with her not only her amazing story, but also a worship CD she uses when she runs. I will have to be honest, normally my iPod is full of hip hop music when it comes to exercising, but I downloaded it, and thought I would try it out.

I can honestly say, that walk was the most AWESOME walk I have ever taken. It had been raining the past few days. The clouds were still rolling, and there was a constant sprinkle. Just as I turned the corner, I saw a break in the clouds, and a beautiful rainbow appeared. At the same time, the song, "Your Love is Everything", by Chris Quilala started on my iPod. I can't explain how God moved me during this song! There is nothing like staring at God's beauty in a rainbow, and hearing this song and his promises. Awesome!

Here are the words to the song. And a great reminder...no matter what you go through!

Your Love is Everything

by Chris Quilala

When I'm dry and thirsty Lord,

and I'm crying out for more

I know I can trust in your love

In the darkness in the night

When I'm starving for the light

I know I can trust in your love

You keep no record of my sin

You don't remember all my shame

Your love heals every disease

Your love fulfills my every need

Your love is everything to me

Your love is everything

I will not forget

I won't forget your promises

I will not forget

I won't forget your love

I will not forget

Nothing is impossible

I will not forget!

I will not forget!

Halloween Fun

Pumpkin Carving

Last Saturday, we headed up the hill, to Aunt Cheri's house for some fun pumpkin carving and S'mores around the fire! The boys had a great time creating their own faces, and scraping most of the goop out!

Great Aunt Ardie, Me, Aunt Cheri, and Grandma Audrey. I honestly think that we haven't ever taken a picture together....at least for 20+ years! I'm so glad I got it!!!

The Notebook

Have you ever had one of those "feelings", right before you do something stupid? Well, let me tell you what happened tonight. It was about 10:00 p.m., and I had got the kids and hubby to bed, and wanted to switch the laundry over before bed. (Now I should preface, that our laundry room is our "drop zone". It's the first room you walk into from the garage, and always has random things that need to be put away on the dryer.) After switching the laundry over, I thought I should probably clean out the lint cleaner, which is on top of the piled-high-with-junk dryer. As I was doing this, I though, "Hmmm, I should probably move something before I do this." Before I could reconsider, I slid the lint catcher out, and down slid a pocket notebook.

Realizing, that paper in a dryer was probably not the best thing to leave, I tried to pull the dryer out, and disconnect the dryer vent tube, and stick my hand up the hole. (Probably not the smartest of ideas either!) I couldn't reach it, so I had to disassemble the whole back part of the dryer! Luckily, I have my own tools, and went to work. Within about 15 minutes, I had the notebook, and everything put back together! I'm sure that Sears would've charged me at least $50 for that! Just call me...Mrs. Fix-It! ;)

The funniest part of it all was I couldn't wait to blog about my stupidity!

(Good as new!)

Cute Idea

I just found this cute way to decorate pumpkins! What a great way to recycle old magazines!

Your youngest holiday revelers will love these kooky characters that are more silly than scary.

CRAFT MATERIALS:Pumpkin (any size)Old magazines or catalogs, Glue dots
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Cut a mismatched pair of eyes and ears, a nose, mouth, hair, and any accessories from magazine or catalog pages.
2. Adhere the features to the pumpkin using glue dots. For ears that stick out (such as those shown here), cut an extra tab that you can fold back, then use glue dots to secure the tab in place. Display your pals in a covered area to protect them from the elements.

And so it begins....

Our crazy Fall soccer season has kicked off in full force! This year we have 3 of the 4 boys playing! Colton is playing U12 Freedom Galaxy, Zac is playing U10 Freedom Wildfire, and Ethan is playing U6 Freedom Inferno!

Even though we are on the soccer field Monday thru Thursday nights, and 3 games on Saturdays...we are excited for this season! Eric is coaching Ethan's team too!


Last weekend, Colton and Zac had their seeding tournaments. Colton had 2 tough losses, although if you ask me, he was their star player for both games! Zac played 4 games, and had 2 wins, and 2 ties. They ended up placing 3rd in the tournament!! The season officially begins on October 3rd...so if you have a free Saturday from now thru November...stop on by the field!! They boys would love to have you!



GO BRINER BOYS!!!!!

One Sweet Guy!

Well, as you can see by my lack of blogging, I have been swamped, and not to mention sick. :( I have had this annoying cough for almost 2 weeks now, but have had to keep going. The boys started school, and since we homeschool...this teacher couldn't call in for a sub! I also ran a booth at the Women's Conference, and also had 3 parties, oh ya, and soccer practice 4 nights a week! Needless to say I'm a little pooped!

What does this have to do with Eric? Well, I just have to brag on him...while trying to get to the Women's Conference this week at 6:30 a.m., I was frantically trying to leave early because I had to go to the bank. Of course I was running late, but went to grab my purse, and Eric had left cash and my keys all laid out for me. :) (Not to mention he watched the boys all that day too!) This weekend he took the 3 older boys camping, but before he left, he sat me down, and turned on the TV. He told me he wanted me to relax this weekend, and he had TIVO'd me some movies. (Including my favorite...Sixteen Candles!)

Thanks Sweetie, I love you! Even after 18 years...you've still got it!

New Blog Announcement

Yes, it's 1:07 a.m. Yes, I'm fighting a cold. Yes, I have 4 loads of laundry on my bed. Yes, I should be sleeping....but I'm so excited I've decided to start a NEW blog! It's called the Queen of Copy! (queenofcopy.blogspot.com) So many times I get asked where I get my ideas for decorating, centerpieces, entertaining, and honestly, most of the time, I just copy what I've seen, and try to do it for less! This blog is going to let me share my secrets! (Well, at least the decorating ones!) :) I also am hoping to get some great ideas too! Not much is up yet...but keep checking back, and let me know what you think!

A hunting they will go...

September. Most people think of fall leaves & fresh autumn air...well, not my boys. The whole year they look forward to the opening of dove hunting season. This year Colton took a gun safey course with his grandpa, and loved taking the class, and spending one on one time with grandpa too. September first, they got up at 3:30 a.m. and were off. They spent the whole day with Eric, grandpa, and Uncle. They shot more clay pigeons than actual birds, but it was a great memory. Today Ethan gets to join them on their evening hunt tonight. They have their camo gear...and are ready to hunt! Hey, better them...than me! ;)

Hangin' with the Fitz's

Friday night we double dated with the Fitzgeralds. After first thinking of just getting together for a BBQ...with 7 kids between us, we decided to get sitters, and go out just us! (I can't remember the last time we went out with friends...and no kids!) We went to Public House; our NEW favorite restaurant! It's at Ashlan and Cedar, and even on a Friday night there is no wait! It's a Irish Pub atmosphere...the bartender even rings a bell, and says an Irish quote! They have AMAZING Irish nachos that are to die for! Dinner you can get anything from "Bangers and Mash", to fish and chips, burgers, or Shepherds Pie!

We had a great time, but I think we realized we're getting older...at about 8:30, we were all yawning, and ready for bed! How sad is that???

Sweet Georgia Grace is HERE!!!

The Briner family has waited...and after 7 boys in the family, Georgia Grace Karlson arrived this morning, weighing 7 lbs. and 10 oz. She is so beautiful! She even has brown hair like her auntie Johnna! ;) I will post more pictures soon! Let the spoiling begin!!!

Things to do....

Every summer, or trip I go on, I love getting a mindless, fun book. True, these books due not inspire or educate me...but that's the point! For our trip to the Dominican, I found the book, "The Next Thing on My List", by Jill Smolinski. By reading the back, it sounded great. The storyline is about a girl that offers a ride to a girl she just met at a Weight Watchers meeting, and on the way home, they get in a car accident, and the passenger is killed. In her wallet, she had a list of things she wanted to do before her 25th birthday. The story tells how she tries to complete the list for her by her birthday. Needless to say, I finished the book almost before we landed the plane!

This book, and the "list" has been on my mind ever since. The list wasn't one of making millions, or big impossible dreams, it was more of things that were fun, little things, that we never do. A few things from her list were:

* Get a massage

*Take mom and grandma to see Wayne Newton

*Throw away my bathroom scale

*Watch a sunrise

Just having a birthday a few weeks ago, and turning 35 next year, I decided to make a list. I may add some, and I may not meet all of them...but why not try! I'm posting it to keep me accountable too!

Things to do by August 11, 2009:

1. Be within 5 lbs. of the weight on my drivers license
2. Take a train ride
3. Run a 5K
4. Give up soda
5. Donate/Raise $500 for charity
6. Be out of debt
7. Learn Spanish
8. Learn to play an instrument
9. Catch up on scrapbooking
10. Get together with friends once a month

Please, ask me how I'm doing on my list! (And don't ask me out for ice cream :) !!) Anyone want to join me??? Let me know if you have a list!

Look out Clinton Kelly....

Ok, so most of you know that my favorite show on earth is TLC's What Not to Wear! I would LOVE to have Stacy and Clinton tell me what to wear, what works, and what doesn't. But after shopping this afternoon with Ethan...I don't know if I could handle it!

I decided to pop into Old Navy this afternoon with Ethan and Dawson to see if they had any great deals I couldn't live without. Dawson started helping me look through the clothes, like most one year olds do, and I heard Ethan say, "No Dawson, don't touch the cooties!" I turn and see Dawson grabbing "panties" off the rack. I asked him if he meant "panties"? And he said...well I call them "cooties". :)

I found a few things, and headed to the dressing rooms. Of course with two little boys, they had to come into the 2' x 2' stall with me, shopping cart in all. As if that wasn't uncomfortable enough, Ethan decided he would help choose the outfits I tried on. I tried on a few things, and then after not agreeing with my 5 year old, I was going to try on the shirt that I liked the best. I said, "I think I'm really going to like this one"...Ethan's response...."Not that one, it's hideous!"

I think next time...I'll get a sitter....

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Sunday morning before church Eric and the boys asked if I was ready for my birthday present. My birthday wasn't until Monday, so I said "SURE!" They told me they had made reservations in Avila Beach, and we were going to the coast right after church!



We stayed at the Inn at Avila Beach, (the pink hotel, as the boys call it!) and walked the pier and then headed into San Luis for dinner. We went to Firestone Grill (same as Dog House here) and then walked downtown.







The morning of my birthday, we woke up and had breakfast in Avila, beat Eric at Ms. Pacman, and then went for a walk on the beach. We found a "beached" stingray, and the boys

had fun playing in the icy cold ocean, even though it was probably only 50 degrees outside!





We then headed to Pismo, for clam chowder at Splash Cafe, and then back to San Luis for the best pizza in the world for dinner at Woodstocks pizza!



What a GREAT present! Thanks boys!!!

The "GREAT" Outdoors

Well, this year the guys talked us into camping with them. The last week in July, we all camped at Dinkey Creek. For those who know me, know I don't particularly like camping. (Especially since three days earlier I was staying in a 5 star hotel at the beach!!!) I did survive, and we did have fun, and lots of memories!! :)Camping with the family there is ALWAYS yummy food! Luckily for us girls, the guys take care of most of the cooking! The best, was baked beans the simmered over the fire all day!! YUM!

All 7 boys had a blast! We had 2 campsites, and right in the middle was two dirt hills. Eric packed enough bikes and ride-on toys for an army, so they had a blast being daredevils! Grampa even packed a hammock, where the boys kicked back with Uncle Cliff and Peter.
Dawson and Ethan bathed in the old faithful brown bucket. This has been around since Eric was a kid, and has been used with all of the grandkids!
It was fun while it lasted....then home to mountains of laundry!!!