2023 Blue Jeans Week 11

Last week was our spring break, and we really took it easy.  Mr J did not want to go anywhere. We made no big plans and just relaxed at home.  We did venture to the city one day and then Ben and I headed there for a day date for the weekend.  Did some more puzzles and played some games and made some yummy food.  It was a good break.  I told Ben Sunday night that it feels like we are at the top of a roller coaster and ready to plunge down as we start these last 8 weeks of school with a senior and track and two graduations (oldest daughter Mrs A from Law school and Mr J from high school) and end of school activities and all that involves with a senior--our LAST senior!  So, we really enjoyed a relaxing week before the crazy roller coaster ride of the next few weeks begins.  It is all good stuff, just a lot of it!  Take a look at our week...

We got a new puzzle during our last trip to the city.  It is a fun ice cream one.

Mr J and I did venture to the city one day this week to check out a potential car and then we explored a cool bridge and statue over the river.

The Keeper of the Plains statue

We always celebrate Pi Day on March 14. 3.14.  Mr J helped me make the pie to celebrate.  It was an apple crumble pie and MR J made the pi decoration to go on top.  It was yummy!  Perfect way to celebrate!

Donated blood this week.

Played some games.  This is Sushi Go Party which is one of our favorites.  We admittedly have a lot of favorites :)

This is probably our favorite puzzle that we have, and we did it this week.  A fun cereal one.  

Mr J made some macaroons to celebrate St. Patrick's day.  They were a mint chocolate chip and were amazing! Those are a tricky cookie to make, and he did a great job!  Love how he decorated them too!

Happy St. Patrick's day!  We always have a green themed dinner, and Mr J shows off his leprechaun socks that he wears every year.  Fun tradition!

Our date this week was heading up to the city early Saturday morning to attend the Temple for our church, and then we did some shopping and had lunch.  It was a great day date!  Sure love this cute guy!

 Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are safe and happy and healthy wherever you are!  Have a great week!

2023 Blue Jeans Week 10

We had a good week.  We have been doing lots of puzzles lately.  We like puzzles.  Did some yummy baking and got away for a little at the end of the week for the beginning of our spring break.  Take a look at our week....

Went over to my dear friend's house and taught her how to crochet beaded socks. I was making some for a friend who just had a baby, and she was making some for her grandbaby!  So fun!

First puzzle we did this week.  We like the White Mountain brand of puzzles like this one.

Each month I am going to try a new recipe.  This month I did Mel's Kitchen Cafe easy twisted croissant bread.  I have never done a laminated type dough that you have to make a butter packet for, but this recipe was pretty easy.

And the result was amazing!  So good!  She came out with a chocolate version that I need to try now.  So yummy!  I love bread.

New cake recipe this month too.  This is a sour dough discard chocolate bundt cake.  It was so good!  I got the recipe from Lo's Kitchen here.  I like her recipes for sour dough and using the discard.

Mr J's spring break started on Friday, so Ben took off, and we went up to the city to do something fun to celebrate.  We went to an amazing art museum, and Mr J loved this statue. 

We went to a HUGE screen to see the Ant Man and the Wasp movie.  Lots of fun!

They were having the Big 12 basketball tournament in KC while we were there.  We didn't go to any of the games, but it was fun to see all the basketball stuff and fans everywhere.  And we are excited because next year our BYU Cougars will be in the Big 12!  So we will get to watch them play!

We did this puzzle also this week which is one we really don't like because it is purposefully different than what is on the box top, so you really don't' know what exactly it is supposed to look like, so we took pictures to put in the box for next time, so we will like doing it better next time :)

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are happy and healthy and safe wherever you are!  Have a great week!

2023 Blue Jeans Week 9

Nothing too exciting this week, but it was a good week.  Take a look...

Sunday game was Cover Your Kingdom which we all love now that Miss E taught us how to play it. :) and we can even play it without her here to help us, so that is also a good thing!

I made a batch of strawberry coconut jam and some sour dough peasant bread to go with it.  Yummy!

We did one of my favorite puzzles this week.  Seeing all these books brings back lots of memories of reading to my kids when they were little.  So many good books!

Happy birthday Dr. Seuss!  Mr J read Mr Brown can Moo! to us to celebrate.  I loved reading that to the kids when they were little too.  Lots of fun sounds!

My project for March is to get my 2019 album done.  It is my last physical album with 2020 being my first all-digital printed album, so I just need to get this one done!  

Speaking of digital albums, ordered and received my physical copy of our 2022 family album.  Yeah!

For date night this week, we went to a National Geographic speaker who was a mountain climber, and we loved it!

For a scholarship, Mr J needed a picture representing what he career would be---he is thinking of accounting and finance, so we staged this.  Looks pretty good to me!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are healthy and happy and safe wherever you are!  Have a great week!

2023 Blue Jeans Week 8

We had a pretty quiet week with Mr J gone from Wednesday to Saturday for state band.  We were able to go over Saturday and see his state band concert which was amazing!  His last state band performance.  Senior year is going by so quickly.  Take a look at our week....

 Tried a new recipe this week for Shoyu Ramen which is totally out of my wheelhouse, but it wasn't hard, and everyone loved it.  There are benefits to going outside your comfort zone!

One of our dear friends was having a baby shower and requested books, so I ordered her a family classic for us.  We read this every night to the kids before they would go to bed when they were very little, and then they started learning the animal sounds as we read it each night.  Such a sweet book, and so many good memories!  So happy to share it with her and a new generation!

Went to lunch with my friend this week.  Love her.  She is so much fun.  

Quiet week at home with Mr J gone most of the week.  We had a date night and went to a classical piano concert one night, and then one night we stayed home and did a puzzle and finished our audiobook for The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.  We loved it!  

Mr J's state band concert was amazing!!!

Mr J was at state band Wednesday to Saturday with his amazing band director.  We love her!

My parents were able to come over with us and enjoy Mr J's last state band concert.  

Fun picture from Mr and Mrs A.  They went snowboarding for the first time this week. No one was injured, which was good :), and they enjoyed it, but said they prefer snow skiing. Glad they had the experience though!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are safe and happy and healthy wherever you are!  Have a great week!

 

2023 Blue Jeans Week 7

We had a good week last week. Had some exciting news for Mr J and enjoyed Valentine's Day.  Take a look at our week....

Ben doesn't do it often, but I enjoy listening to him play the piano. 

Ben reading our book to me. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.  It is the 2nd book in the Thursday Murder Club series, and it is really good and a fun read.

Doing our traditional heart shaped sugar cookies for Valentine's Day.

Some of our creative creations.  

Game this week was a classic for our family Rat-a-tat-cat

Had girls lunch out with my besties this week.  Sure love them!

My beautiful Valentine's Day flowers!

Our yummy Valentine's Day dessert---molten lava cakes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe here.  They are Ben's favorite.  So good!

And Finally!  After he applied way back in August, Mr J got his acceptance letter to BYU for the fall!  3rd generation on both sides and following his 3 sisters there.  So excited for him!!!!

Kind of a sad day Saturday as my kids went to help my mom empty out my grandparents' house.  They worked hard, and it is cleaned out and ready for the new owners.  Sad we will never be back there again.  Lots of good memories!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!  Hope you are safe and healthy and happy wherever you are!

 

2023 Blue Jeans Week 6

First off, Happy Valentine's day!  We had a good week. We had our last parent teacher conferences ever.  That was weird to think about after 4 kids and years of conferences, we are done! So many good teachers have influenced our kids' lives!  So thankful for public school teachers!  Mr J had a few days off school because of conferences, and Ben took one of those off, so we headed to the city for some fun. Take a look at our week...

For our Sunday treat Mr J made a chocolate chip cookie pizza.  Yummy!

Making Valentine's has always been a tradition at our house.  We worked on them this week to get them mailed off to our college kids and Ben's parents.

This kid got his new track shoes today.  Last track season coming up!

My February cake was a chocolate biscoff cake.  Chocolate and biscoff flavored cake, a layer of biscoff filling and chocolate and biscoff frosting.  I did this one is a sheet pan to be different.  Yummy!!

Our day in the city included ice skating.  There were not too many others there at the beginning so that was nice.  We have been coming up to the city to ice skate in February for years.  Another family tradition. 

The town was pained red in honor of the KC Chiefs and the Super Bowl coming up.  Kind of scary looking!  (And Yeah Chiefs for winning the Super Bowl!  People around us set off fireworks as soon as they won Sunday night)

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are safe and healthy and happy wherever you are!  Have a great week! 

2023 Blue Jeans Week 5

After being gone a week, re-entry can be rough.  It was a good week, though.  Nothing major.  Take a look at our week...

I got home Sunday afternoon, and it was our state's birthday.  Traditionally I always make a sunflower cake to celebrate, but that didn't happen.  Mr J helped me out, though.  He made cupcakes and frosting and had everything ready to go when I got home.  We made sunflower cupcakes instead.  Sure appreciated him taking care of that for me.  Traditions are important!

Our different versions of sunflower cupcakes.  They were yummy!

Got a new cookbook this week.  About a year ago I made my own sour dough starter and am excited to make some more yummy things with it.  

Made this recipe from my new cookbook for sour dough cinnamon chip bread.  Tasted like yummy cinnamon rolls without the frosting.  We liked it!

After being gone, I needed to spend a day cooking and baking to catch up, and my kitchen was a mess!  Lots of good things happening though!

Friday night is pizza night at our house.  Made a new sour dough pizza crust recipe from my new cookbook and a alfredo sauce with chicken and spinach pizza.  So yummy!

For date night this week we finished reading aloud the book The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.  It was a fun read.  Nice date night to cozy up on the couch with blankets and read.

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you are healthy and safe and sound wherever you are!  Have a great week!