• Flashback Friday: Meeting Extended Family Members on 1st Trip to Kansas

    Grandma Doris and Brinac

    Great Grandma Doris holding Brina.

    Today’s Flashback Friday goes back to when the girls were just over 3 months old.  It was also their first airplane ride and visit to our Kansas family.  I have a lot of extended family members in the Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado area.  It was an adventure flying with two little ones on heart apnea monitors.  Thankfully my brother Lee flew with us and was a big help getting all the kids and their stuff into the airport.

    The biggest disadvantage to flying with twins is that you cannot sit together.  There is only one extra air mask per row on the airplanes so you cannot sit in the same row, you have to sit either behind or in front of each other if you have a “babe in arms“.  Something we were not aware of until flying with the girls the first time.

    We also realize that a lot of airport workers are not used to seeing babies on heart apnea monitors.  At one point they delayed the plane from leaving and brought the monitors up from the storage area to put them on.  Per the Doctors if we are holding them they didn’t need to be on any monitors, however, the workers insisted that they have them on.  It made one of the security guards at one airport so nervous when we took the monitors off the kids that he pushed all our stuff through without stopping to thoroughly inspect everything and immediately said “please put those monitors back on!”   I guess having tiny ones on monitors makes some people nervous.  To Jake and I it was pretty normal, we had to deal with them from day one.

    We had several family celebrations and gatherings during our long weekend in Kansas.  The girls got to meet a lot of Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins for the first time during this adventure.  They met many new faces on both the Hendrich and St. Clair sides of the family.  Thankful for kids that travel well, safety, and for time with family.

    Thankful for these precious pictures.  The girls are blessed to have so some many wonderful memories with their Grandparents, Great Grandparents, and many more extended family members.

    Grandma Willa and Karliec

    Great Grandma Willa talking with Karlie

    Renelle, Karlie and Grandpa Verlync

     Renelle, Karlie, and Grandpa Veryln being silly!

    Flashback Friday - Aunt Tracy and Karliec

    Aunt Tracy with Karlie.

    Aunt Vick, Karlie, Alecia,  Emily, and Brinac

     Aunt Vick and Alecia with Karlie and Emily with Brina

    Brina and Karlie getting ready for a napc

     Snoozing on the bed at Grandpa Russell’s and Grandma Penny’s house!

    Cousin Nathan being goodc

    My fun and cute nephew Nathan!  He is the girls oldest cousin on that side of the family.

    Daddy and Brinac

     Jake relaxing for a few minutes with Brina!  Thankful for all his help and willingness to travel all the way out to KS with the little ones to visit my family.  Love him so much and he is an amazing Dad to our girls.

    Lee and Jordan at Jordan's graduationc

    We got to go to my cousin Jordan’s High School Graduation while we were in KS.  Jordan’s pictured above with my brother Lee.

    Renelle and Brina at St.Clairsc

    Aunt Renelle holding a sleepy Brina.  Renelle is super good with kids.  She was my “partner-in-crime” while growing up and probably the closest thing to a “sister” I had while growing up in a house with 3 brothers!

    Whitney and Clairec

     My cousin Whitney and her niece Claire!

  • Family Recipe: Bean Dip for Chips

    My Aunt Michelle St. Clair brought this amazing Bean Dip to my bridal shower.  We still make it on occasion when we have guests over.  It has a great mix of flavors and usually by the end of the night the dish is empty.  The dip tastes best with any type of Corn Chip.  It can be used for a party or an appetizer to before a Mexican meal.

    Bean Dip for Chips

    • 2 cans Refried Beans
    • 1/4 cup Onion (optional)
    • 16 oz Sour Cream
    • 1 bottle of Oretoga Taco Sauce
    • 1 package finely Grated Cheese (Cheddar)

    In a 9 x 13 pan layer the above, refried beans, then onion, then sour cream, the sauce, then cheese on top.  Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving with chips. Optional – you can add chopped peppers for additional color and flavor.