Happy Haunting

I know, I know! I am so behind this week. A quick happy Halloween from my little team. We are so excited to get our treat on. I'm attempting to make Skyline Chili for scratch. Let's just say the process is NASTY. I'll update you on how it turned out to tomorrow.

Some Photos... Enjoy the Show

 My sweet girl

 Playing with Momma

 Little Man at the pumpkin patch

 scarecrow and cow

 corn

 I felt like I had to mention that Taylor loved the pulled pork sandwiches. This is a picture of hers. She asked for seconds!

 This picture makes me giggle. What My desk looks like after work....EVER DAY. Glass of ices coffe, glass of Iced tea and water with snack cups and lunch bowl. I gather everything up and hunker down for the day.

 Long week. Taylor and I were sleepy

 Another shot of our chili from last week. I didn't like it either.

 My little man

Cooper loves his cars.

Will

I adore Will Smith. I find him so inspiring. Someone put this you tube video together of some of his interviews and I watch it all the time.I honestly have the link saved on my work computer and when I feel overwhelmed I take a " Will Smith" moment. Watch it... I think you will like what he has to say. 

This week for dinner

Dusty is out of town this week and we are expecting lots of rain in the bay area so we are having lots of warm and comfy dishes. I made Tina's chili for lunch/dinner on Sunday before our family pictures. Let's just say Cooper was obsessed. After 4 bowl ( yes 4) at lunch, I cut him off. Check out the picture progression of the last bowl. What a little stud.

{ not the greatest pictures since I was using my phone, laughing and shooting into the sun. But that is real life for you. The Dunaway family is not Photoshoped} 

Sunday: Chili -- . Do you think Cooper liked Tina's recipe? You will too. Try the recipe from last week.
Monday: Chicken and Broccoli casserole. Rice
Tuesday: Roasted Garlic and Root Veggie Pasta
Wednesday: Ham and funeral potatoes with steamed peas
Thursday: Left Overs
Friday: French Dip Sandwiches and sweet potato fries.

Weekend!

I am looking forward to the weekend. We are having family pictures taken on Sunday. Fingers crossed that my little team can pull this off. Send us your good vibes. Other than that there will be a lot of fall cleaning and mush needed rest. Hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend.

Photo Dump from San Diego and After...

 Sweet Kenzie!

 Beautiful Kristen and Rylan

 Birthday Cake! This Cute little kids blew out the candles.

 The Crew! LOVE LOVE LOVE

 Cooper and Rylan. They are just a few days apart in age. So darling

Two of my besties. 

Birthday Party!

 Coopers first bike ride with uncle Mike

 The day after we got home Allie and Brad brought me a birthday dinner and we glittered pumpkins.

 Taylor was in heaven! 

Pretty pumpkins and they look great in the house.

1 year ago today...

Today is the one year anniversary of Coopers Williams Syndrome Diagnosis. This day last year was easily the hardest day of my entire life. I never could have imagined how devastating 4 little words could be…. “It came back positive” Honestly I still have very hard days, There are many times that I still cry myself to sleep and not because Cooper isn't amazing, this little man is the world to everyone he meets, but because I am sad that his life will not be easy.

 And also because this diagnosis means that Taylor's life won’t be easy. My heart breaks for her. I can give everything to both of them but I can’t be here forever. I panic about what life will be like for both of them when Dusty and I are gone. Cooper will be given every chance that I can give him but in the end I know that Taylor have to be his biggest support, she will have to take over when I am gone and frankly that is devastating to me. Just like this was not the path that Cooper deserves, it was not the path that Taylor picked. And to be, honest it makes me VERY angry.

I hear moms say all the time, I wouldn't change a thing about my child. I love Cooper, more than anyone could imagine, but trust me if I could take this away from him I would do it in a heartbeat. I would do anything to replace the deletion in his genes. ANYTHING. I would give up anything… do anything… but I know that I can’t, so I treat him like any other child. I work harder, support more and worry more than I could have ever imagined. 

People often say to me. I don’t know how you do it. Well, I don’t have a choice, Cooper and my whole little team doesn't have a choice. So we move on. This one year anniversary marks just one more day . We just move on. I refuse to let this diagnosis define who we are and what we can become. I refuse to let Cooper become a statistic. Come hell or high water I will do whatever it take to insure that both of my children have the best life possible.

I am sure there will still be many more hard days,( this week has been particularly difficult). But I have found peace and we are all beyond blessed to have this little man in our lives. Would I change his diagnosis yes, but I wouldn't change his soul. He is the light of our lives and a blessing to the world.  I feel lucky that we have the knowledge of families who have struggled through this journey before we did. Cooper has incredible resources, a supportive family and a great WS network . Together we can make his life far better than I could have ever imagine a year ago.

Thank you to all of my dear friends and family who have held my hand through this first year. The educators and doctors who have given me the knowledge to be Coopers advocate and for my wonderful husband who has been the rock of our family. This year is a just one more brick that we will lay to build the foundation of a better life for my little man, and I am blessed and humbled to have you all along for the journey.

xoxo

This week for Dinner

Our weekend was so busy. So much more busy than normal, I didn't even have time to do our grocery shopping for the week! We sent our lovely weekend hanging out with our sweet team, picking out pumpkins at out favorite pumpkin patch, watching spooky movies, I picked out our outfits for our family photo shoot this weekend and ..... Dusty bought me a new car! I know. I have the best husband EVER!!!!

This Week for Dinner

Sunday: Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce and a garden salad
Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Cold Slaw. ( We skipped this last week and had leftovers... I hate to waste what I have already cooked, don't you!)
Tuesday: Pizza dinner with friends from Taylor's preschool
Wednesday: Chicken Cordon Blue, Rice and Broccoli
Thursday: Coconut curry Shrimp Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice
Friday: Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

 Next Saturday I am making the Chili from last week. Arghhh I wish I would have had time to make it over the weekend.

Here is my pretty new car!!!! 

Hearty Turkey Chili from Tina @ More Please Recipes

I am so excited to introduce you to Tina from " More Please", Our guest blogger today. She cooked up an amazing chili recipe for our little Cooper! Next step is to make this for our family. I can't wait, I know everyone will love it. I'm going to be cooking up this yummy feast next Sunday, stay tuned for the recap. Make sure you drop by her blog and say hello. Please see below from Tina.

Last month I had the pleasure of connecting with lifestyle blogger Ashley Dunaway of The Pickled Bean.  Mother to Taylor and Cooper, parents Ashley and Dusty write of their life's events, recipes, and travels.  From my experience so far, I am impressed by their love of family, their positivity, and openness.

Dusty, Taylor, Ashley, and Cooper Dunaway from The Pickled Bean

When Ashley selflessly reached out to me and said she'd be happy to feature my site on hers, I was elated by the notion.  Having the opportunity to develop a recipe for her family is the kind of work I love to do.  Using the family blog as research and learning of their likes and dislikes was similar to having a little window into a family I barely knew.  I knew I wanted to create a healthy version of a family favorite; something that would be satisfying to every member of the family including Cooper.

After Ashley told me of Cooper's love of chili, how it remains hearty without being too hard to chew, I knew that would be the one.  It's a perfect family meal, packed with protein and fiber, and is satisfying to all age groups.  I kept it mild in spice but simmered it for a long while to really get the flavors of chili powder, cumin, and paprika that seasoned the meat.  And, although we thought we might keep this a secret at first (from Dusty in particular) ground beef has been replaced with healthier ground turkey.  But wait Dusty!  The meat still tastes rich because I still kept the hearty beef flavor with the broth I used.

I am a big fan of spice myself and I was a bit sad to forgo it for the little ones.  So I did make a side of cheddar jalapeno drop biscuits to add just a little bit of a heat bonus.  This super simple recipe is included at the end.

At More Please Recipes, I am trying to do more than just create great food.  Although, that by no way means the food is EVER getting the short end of the stick.  When combined in the right ways, recipes can be transformed from simple ingredients into a new memory, an experience, or perhaps a family tradition.  So, with this recipe, I like to look in through my window and imagine the Dunaways sitting around the dinner table laughing and talking.  We haven't heard from Cooper in awhile and that's because he's spooning up the yummy, hot chili voraciously.  He stops, only after finishing the whole bowl, and looks up at his mother with a big huge grin.  Although he doesn't say a word, his parents know he's taking a moment to stop and say thank you.

Cooper Dunaway and his big, blue eyes

Hearty Turkey Chili

2 large onions, chopped

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 lbs ground dark turkey meat

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tbsp cumin, ground

2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 1/4 cups beef broth

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

14 oz fresh tomato sauce

20 oz cooked kidney beans

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium to low heat.  Add the onions, and cook stirring at times, until they are softened and translucent.  Add the garlic and stir for an additional minute.

Add the ground turkey and cook it over medium heat, stirring it and breaking up the chunks, cooking until no longer pink, for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano, stirring to mix in with the meat for about 1 minute.  Add the tomato sauce, broth, and vinegar.  Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil.  Then, bring the heat back down to a simmer and cover, for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the kidney beans, the bell peppers, and salt and pepper to taste and allow to simmer for an extra 15 minutes uncovered, and until the bell peppers are tender.

Yield: 10-12 servings

Cheddar Jalapeno Drop Biscuits 

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tbsp butter, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated

1 jalapeno, diced (seeds included)

1 cup sour cream 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Then, add the butter, and blend until it resembles a coarse meal.  Add the cheddar and jalapeno to the mixture.  Finally, add the sour cream and mix until it forms a soft, sticky dough.  On a floured surface, knead the dough about 5 times.

Using a soup ladle, or large spoon, drop a spoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 8 biscuits

Girls Night Out and a Guest Blogger

My sweet girlfriends planned a lovely girls night out while I was in San Diego. There were a few people missing but I feel like my soul was recharged. They are the best, seriously the best. If I were you I wouldn't be surprised is we moved back to San Diego in the next couple years.

I am also so thrilled to tell you that I will have a guest blogger share an amazing recipe tomorrow. Tina actually tailored a recipe for my little Cooper. Can you believe that?!? She has the most lovely new food blog, and she is the most wonderful writer.  Check to out her blog today and look at this amazing recipe.

DISNEY

We had the most wonderful time at Disneyland and California Adventure. I can't believe it but we made it from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm at night. Let's just say both kids we asleep by 7:30.
HIGHLIGHTS:

• Getting to spend the day with the Munoz family!!!!!!
• Cooper loving Pirates! he was jumping up and down screaming wow! WOW! WOWOWOW!!!
• Taylor screaming at Merida from the movie Brave from across the park. Merida looked right at her a blew her a big kiss.
• Cooper hugging Merida.... over and over and over
• Peter Pan ride....
• Car's land: It was amazing like walking into the movie
• The parade: Because cooper has a disability we were able to sit in a special location where the characters stopped and danced for them up close. This was my favorite part... and taylor too.
• Taylor loving it's a small world. She has been singing the song ever since.
• Team Dunaway boys vs girls competition on the Toy Story ride. Cooper and Dusty were the winners. 
• Taylor dressing up in her new dress and asking for a photo shoot. Priceless.
• And so many many more. We are counting the minutes until we can go back.

Now here is your Disneyland Photo Dump!

 The little crew.

 ESPN for lunch. Yes please!

 It was a nice 95 degrees in the park that day. 

 Merida was perfect. 

Cooper loves hugging

Wait one more hug. I love how her hair covers his little body.

Please one more. Oh, she couldn't get enough of him.... but who could?!?

At the rabbits house

Cars land

Lightening McQueen!

Yes, this is how close we were to the parade. AMAZING

Arial pointed at Taylor and flipped her fin. Taylor almost passed out. 

Taylor was shouting " take a picture of Tangled momma"

Riding Mickey's car. Cooper favorite. Let's just say a super tantrum happened after this picture when   we had to take him out of the car. We left the park after that. 

Photo Shoot

Take two

Take Three