Date With My Boys

While the girls “glammed,” I had a rare opportunity to have a date with both my men.  We ate at our favorite “pho” and then went next door for some boba.  We took our drinks to Cable Airport to watch the planes come and go.  My friend has been taking her boys for years, and for some reason it is just not something we’d ever done before.

Though we didn’t see any planes take off, we were able to see a few land.  Just walking around and seeing the planes during that magical dusk hour was amazing.  Malachi loved it and can’t wait to go back.  They have picnic tables, and we’re thinking maybe some Saturday morning having breakfast and watching the planes take off.

Love my boys!

Glitter Glam 2017

fdgd

Last weekend, our girls did their annual Glitter Glam night; a fun opportunity to have their hair and make-up done while hearing a message about how God sees beauty.  Allison first attended Glitter Glam when she was 3 or 4, I believe… and this was her last one!  It is so strange to have something come to an end because your kids are too old.  I am happy that she still wanted to go this year and once again have a sister’s night out.   It may be the last Glitter Glam, but I see her having sister dates for many years to come!

42 on the 24th!

Monday we celebrated Daniel’s 42nd birthday… where is time going?

I may have stuck his candle in his fresh muffin a little too soon… it promptly melted into the muffin!

Mondays are our busy co-op days, which actually turned out to be a blessing.  We dropped the kids off and then Daniel and I enjoyed some much-needed alone/ exercise time with a beautiful hike.  After days of hot sun, it was the perfect overcast morning for a hike.

I may have stopped to take too many flower pictures!

My husband loves to take the “rabbit trails,” in order to get a little extra sweaty and to “stay young.”  This particular trail proved to be quite steep, and we had to laugh at our old selves howling down with our bad knees.

Lunch… We have been wanting to do a “poke” date for quite some time, and it didn’t disappoint.  We worked up quite the appetite and I am now craving poke all the time.

After lunch, Daniel took the littles to the park, and I stayed with our big kids for their afternoon classes.

Before leaving Claremont, we hit our absolute favorite ice cream place, A La Minute.

Happy Birthday, my love!

Garden Chicken Salad

It’s happened a couple times now… I am finally able to enjoy a salad using lettuce and herbs from my garden!  For this salad from last week, I used canned chicken, mayo, lemon juice (from my garden), cilantro (fmg), assorted lettuce (fmg), avocado, green onion (fmg), and cucumbers.  Today I did another salad using my radishes and chives.  I don’t know if garden fresh really tastes better for salad, but it sure is fun!

First Swim of the Season

Oh, the summer fever… It feels like we went straight from winter to summer!  I still think the pool is freezing, but my children obviously feel otherwise.  Yesterday, while the 2 big kids went to a birthday party, the 2 littles were happily playing when Malachi slipped and cracked his chin open.  I promised the poor dude I wouldn’t post pictures.  So, at least for the next week, there will be no more swimming.  Perhaps we actually can finish the school year strong!

Mom, Look!

“Hurry… and grab your camera!”

A certain little 7-year-old was beyond thrilled to discover her cactus, “Watermelon Smoothie,” had a new blossom.  Who knew cacti had such lovely flowers?

Break and Deadlines

Last week was supposed to be our Spring Break, but we had so many little things that needed our attention that we decided to take it easy for two weeks rather than do nothing at all for one week.  That means we are on week two of “taking it easy,” but we have little deadlines every day so it doesn’t quite feel like taking it easy to me… For the kids who had no math book last week and very little math this week, life is good!  If you need us, we’ll be over here plugging away at one little deadline at a time and dreaming of summer days in the pool!

Piano Recital 2017

The girls had a lovely spring piano recital.  We switched teachers this year in order to have lessons from home, and the girls have really improved.   Great job, my sweet little ladies!

Easter Highlights 2017

Grandma and Grandpa arrived Thursday… Just in time for Easter egg dying!

Friday was Good Friday service and then In and Out…

Saturday was our big Easter dinner, since Daniel had to leave town for Easter evening.

Sunday morning, Daniel and I were able to do the sunrise service while the kids and grandparents slept in.  Ester breakfast: Easter bread, then off to church again!

After church, we had Easter basket treats and our Easter e.g. hunt before taking Daniel to the airport.  Look at the beautiful calilillies my mom brought me!

I’m so glad even my big ones still love the hunt.  This year the eggs were hidden extra well; good job, Easter bunny!

I love the fun, the traditions, the food, family… but oh, how grateful I am for our risen Savior!

Buttermint Play Dough

Some traditions never get old… like our butter mint play dough at Easter.  I thought, perhaps, the older girls would be done with it, but I am now starting to think this one will go on forever…

and I’m so glad!

Butter Mints

2/3 cups light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter—room temperature (1 stick)

2 tsp. peppermint extract

1 tsp. salt

2 pounds powdered sugar (1 bag)

food coloring

Mix all ingredients except food coloring to make your dough—I prefer to use my Kitchen-Aid because it does it quickly, but this can be mixed by hand as well.

Decide how many different colors you want and divide the dough into that number of dough balls.

Make a well in the dough with your finger and add food coloring.

Carefully knead the dough in a glass bowl (so the food coloring won’t stain it). As you slowly knead the dough, you will disperse the food coloring and, hopefully, it won’t stain your fingers.

Go slow so it doesn’t squirt out at you!

Knead until the food coloring has completely colored the dough.

Repeat for each of the dough balls/colors you would like.