Blue Jeans Week 23

I hope all you fathers had a wonderful Father's day and everyone had a great week!  Here is what we have been up to. . .

Sunday:  Father's day--Ben with all the kids and an awesome 'Dad' shelf Miss A made him.

Monday:  The kids had made this to put on the table Sunday morning.  "You 'rock' Dad"  I love it!

Tuesday:  As part of the library summer kids' program they had a special musical concert for the kids with Thad Beach.  It was really fun and my kids enjoyed it.  We love our library!

Wednesday:  A value project that Miss A has been working on with my mom--they made this awesome quilt.  Way to go Miss A!!  Lots and lots of hours in that one!

Thursday:  This is our backyard volleyball court that Ben put up last fall.  Miss A, E and Mr J and Ben were playing this evening.

Friday:  Mr J took this picture of me and I was actually scrapbooking on the kitchen table.  I was working on the kids school albums. 

Saturday:  Burn, baby burn.  One of the advantages of living in the country is burning your brush pile.  Ben burned ours Saturday and has the hose handy just in case.  The kids thought it was pretty cool, or hot :). 

Hope you all are enjoying your summer and that you have a great week!

 

Our new favorite summer drink

I have a confession to make---I love cookbooks.  Totally love them.  I collect them.  It must be a girl thing--some girls have tons of shoes, some have tons of clothes,  I have tons of cookbooks, and I am okay with that.  I got this new cookbook about a month ago, and we love it!

This is Our Best Bites:  Mormon Moms in the Kitchen by Sara Wells and Kate Jones.  And did you notice what my 9 year old did to it?  Did you notice all the little torn yellow post-it notes sticking out?  I think my daughter is taking after me.  I think she marked every other recipe.  She was just as excited as I was when it came in the mail.  Train up a child when they are young. . .

Anyway, we have tried several recipes from it in the last month, but one recipe has definitely stood out--their Brazilian Lemonade  It is amazing!  Check out the link and be prepared to LOVE it!  It is our new favorite summer drink.

Anyone else out there have a cookbook problem like me? :)

Blue Jeans Week 22

What a week, what a week.  We are loving summer here at our house, how about yours?

Sunday:  Our church's kids' magazine (The Friend) has a weekly summer reading program that we are doing on Sunday evenings.  We had a word search to do this Sunday.  Mr J wasn't too sure he liked it :)

Monday:  One of the 60 or so pictures that was a result of giving the camera to my 6 year old and his 10 year old sister for 30 minutes.  Say Cheese!!!  (so grateful for digital cameras!)

Tuesday:  Mr J and Miss O working hard on their father's day cards for Dad and grandpas.

Wednesday:  We went out to the farm of a friend because we wanted to see her baby goats.  The kids loved them.  This little white baby goat chased Miss O around and around a tree.  It was so cute!  Miss E loved holding it.

Thursday:  Had some really good car washers helping me out today. 

Friday:  Ben and the kids (mostly Ben) are making some book shelves for their bedrooms.  Our next door neighbor has the most amazing wood shop and always lets us use it and is so helpful.  Ben and Miss A check out 2 of the shelves they are working on.  They are making 3 total. 

Saturday:  It is so cute lately when Mr J goes to bed.  He brushes his teeth, says he prayers, we read a book, then it is lights out.  A few minutes after that he will call out, "Dad, aren't you going to come in for a little talk with me?"  So tonight I got a picture of their "little talk" as they were looking out his window at the fireflies.   So cute!  What a great Daddy he has!

Hope you all have a wonderful week and are enjoying your summer!

 

Happy Father's Day

I have been so blessed with such wonderful fathers in my life--my dad, Ben's dad, my grandfathers, uncles, my brothers-in-law, and my brother, but the best would have to be Ben, and I think my kids would agree.

This was on the kitchen table for him this morning. I love it!  "You 'rock' Dad."   

Yes he does.  What more can I say?

Blue Jeans Week 21

It is always so fun when family comes.  We just loved having Ben's parents here for a week.  We wish they could come every week!  We love you Grandpa and Grandma!

Sunday:  Playing Yahtzee with Grandma and Grandpa.  That is such a fun, classic game.

Monday:  Went on some fun hikes with Grandma and Grandpa and found this pretty waterfall.

Tuesday:  Grandma and Mr J.  He was excited to have Grandma help him with his piano since she was a piano teacher for years.

Wednesday:  One of our favorite summer activities--putting the sprinkler under the trampoline.   Mr J and Miss E love it!

Thursday:  Going to the library--we go to the library lots in the summer--sometimes every day.  We love the library and are going to read a ton of books this summer!

Friday:  For the last 2 weeks the girls have been participating in a children's summer theater workshop.  At the end of the 2 weeks they put on plays.  Miss E was the "meanwhile character" in her play that came out in between each scene and said, "Meanwhile" or "40 minutes later" and she did it in a very villain-like way, and she turned out to be the play's villain.  She did awesome.

Saturday:  Miss A was the narrator for her play and Miss O was the dragon--or the turtle with a shiny cape as she told me :)  So much fun!

Hope the summer is going well for all of you and that you have a great week!

 

Blue Jeans Week 20

Okay, it is getting really hot here, and I think I am ready for fall  :)  I know I am a wimp.  Here is what we have been  up to. . .

Sunday:  My teenager--talking on the phone

Monday:  Family night game--indoor balloon volleyball--the kids love it!

Tuesday:  Had a picnic lunch in our summer house and Miss E took this of Mr J eating his lunch which would be a tortilla with applesauce on it-yeah, yum, huh?

Wednesday:  Miss E got over 4 inches cut off her hair today--getting ready for the hot summer days.  It is so cute short!

Thursday:  We are so super lucky to have Grandpa and Grandma Taylor from Utah here for a week!  They got here today and brought a fun new game Bananagrams which we played tonight.

Friday:  Miss E relaxing and reading with Grandma on the front porch swing

Saturday:  We went to Oklahoma to Woolaroc which is a fun and beautiful place with a museum, hiking trails, a mountain man camp, waterfalls and lots of animals.  We had a lot of fun with Grandpa and Grandma!

Hope you are all having a good week!!

 

Summer Reading

Love summer, love reading, so the two go great together.  This is what is on my night stand and ready for my summer reading. . . .

Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachael Remen, M.D.

Coffeehouse Angel  by Suzanne Selfors

White Cat by Holly Black

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag  by Alan Bradley

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

The Thief by Megan Turner

Twilight Saga:  Official Illustrated Guide  by Stephanie Meyer

Divine Signatures  by Gerald Lund

So what is on your summer reading list???