summer and blueberry muffins

our summer has been lovely and fast...too fast. we haven't crossed off everything on our summer list, but who does? it's just fun to have some goals to try and accomplish, but of course nothing ever goes as planned, and so throw in some game changers and everything goes right out the window!

at least that's how our summer was. have you ever seen "Dan in Real Life"? it is one of my absolute FAVORITE movies of all time. at the end, dan says "prepare to be surprised." i have incorporated that into my life. my life functions much more smoothly that way, because i'm not freaking out at every bump in the road. I have learned to let go and let God. have you ever heard that saying? i love it.

 i am a control freak by nature, and so to give it up was hard, but when i realized, i never had control of anything anyway, it was a relief to let that go. now, i trust in my heavenly father and savior, jesus christ, and i choose believe that they are guiding my life for my good. anything that happens after that is what they put in my path to teach me something.

school, is about to start...and i have made a big decision...i am homeschooling my kindergartner and my second grader! i am excited, anxious and a little scared, but i feel very confident in my decision, i know it's what is right for us, and i know everything will work out.

made these with the kids this morning, they were DIVINE!
here is the recipe for these delish blueberry muffins over at blueberry octopie!

hope you have a fabulous end of summer and a fantastic start to your school year! love fall time. very much looking forward to it!

summer reading...

so slowly working down my list of summer reads, but new ones just keep creeping into my peripheral:) i am LOVING this one that I am currently reading:

Large Family Logistics: The Art and Science of Managing the Large Family by Kim Brenneman

my family qualifies with four kids and a husband, right?! but there is some seriously great advice for being organized, raising your family, and running a household no matter how big your family is! and i especially love that the author is Christian and ties everything back to scripture and Christ:)

now run to the store, library, amazon...wherever...and get this book!!

have a great weekend!

red, white and blue...

happy fourth of july everyone!! hope you have some fun plans or traditions! i'd love to hear about them!

almost a century...

yesterday, my father in law who was almost 91... passed away.
he will be greatly missed.

he has four children and seventeen grandchildren, who he absolutely adored!
he was their #1 fan
he was a wonderful father, granddad and father-in-law. he was very active in his children's and grandchildren's lives. we lived very close to him, so we were blessed to have him over a few times a week.

he came to baseball and soccer games
he loved to come to church with us, especially for the children's primary programs
he'd come over on saturdays just to hang out
he took the kids on individual dates weekly! and would usually get them some lunch, an ice cream and a toy- my kids were so spoiled, but thats ok;)
he never forgot a birthday, even mine

he was always my first visitor whenever I had a new baby
he supported school events and always encouraged the kids to try their best at school, he valued education
holidays were a sure thing; trick-or-treating at halloween, thanksgiving dinner, reading the story of christ's birth on christmas eve, easter egg hunts at easter...
he attended yearly family reunions
he was always present for baby blessings

and the kids loved to visit him at his home. he always had the best food. the good pre-packaged junk food: totinos pizzas, egg rolls, cheese blintzes, those little packaged pies, cookies and candy, lots of candy. so the kids loved to eat there. we loved to eat there. and he always gave the kids balloons. balloons will forever make me think of him.

  he always told me how much he loved my kids and what a good job i was doing as a mom and wife.

i don't know what we will do without him. it will be hard, he was the life of the party... 

this weekend we will be celebrating his life with a memorial service. it's hard to think about closing that chapter of our life. we won't see him anymore, or hear him anymore, or go visit him at his house.

he was my father-in-law, and friend.

i will miss him.

he was funny even when he didn't mean to be.

he couldn't whisper to save his life.

he was blunt and stubborn.

but he always made me feel good about myself.

he always told me i was a good mother.

that meant something.

there are so many things i wish i could have done or said before he was gone.

so for all you out there, let people know the things you appreciate about them, before you can't anymore.

i believe, with all my heart, that we will see him again. that my kids will yell "granddad!!!", and get to run into his arms and give him a hug and kiss. but until then...

we will miss you

we love you

you were a good dad and granddad.

summer gardening...

so i only have a few minutes to post today... but i wanted to share my latest project with you! i don't know if it's summer and wanting to be outside, or following the guidance our church has given us to try and be more self reliant, but this last weekend i tackled getting my garden planted and beautifying our home with flowers! and i LOVE it! i will outside everyday this summer just soaking in all my hard work!!

i don't have a lot of room for a garden so I opted for garden boxes and this book, square foot gardening, was a lifesaver!

i still want to get more of those awesome adirondack chairs, home depot here i come:)

hope you are loving summer! what are you all up to??

summer is here!!

summer is finally here! we are officially done with school! yay!! and we are celebrating with a 'doughnut party'!

here is the beginning of our summer list...

the summer 2012 list:


lemonade stand
library
trampoline sleepover
camping
movie party
bike rides
sno cones
water balloon fight
hike
swimming
museum
splash pad
zoo
make ice cream
plant flowers
fireworks
make forts
go to grandma's
write letters
make chalk paint
ice cream truck
barbeque
roast marshmallows and have smore's buffet
go to the beach
picnics
music at the park
farmers market
parades
carnival
aunt mali's wedding
and my personal favorite thing to do...
lay in my lawn chair, watching my kids play in the sprinklers while reading a book!


speaking of reading, here is what is on my summer reading list...


summer reading list:


the shoemakers wife by adriana trigiani

edenbrooke by julianne donaldson

olivia (the newport ladies book club series) by julie wright

daisy (the newport ladies book club series) by josi s. kilpack

the flight of gemma hardy by margot livesey

the peach keeper by sarah addison allen

turn of mind by alice laPlante

banana split by josi s. kilpack

(from nest of posies-doesn't it look yummy? definitely making this summer...)

summer is just around the corner...

so i got my lemonade concentrate canned! it's pretty tasty! i found the recipe over at the tasty kitchen! you could also use Ball's recipe for strawberry lemonade concentrate! i want to try that sometime...

 

also i can't believe summer is just around the corner! only two weeks of school left! yay!! i thought i'd share some of my favorite summer products...

1. Dove Limited Edition Summer Care Soap... lotus petal and sea grass scents makes it smell so yummy,  and it has extra moisturizers to "revive parched summer skin"!

2. Banana Boat After Sun Lotion...i have used this since i was a kid. after being in the sun, this feels heavenly and it smells nice too! utah has such dry air that not all moisturizers work, but this one is perfect, and you can even use it on your face!!

3. Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Sunscreen SPF 70-love this stuff! it sprays evenly, can be applied to wet skin and protects well!

                           

And with Mother's Day just around the corner, i am feeling especially grateful for the blessing of my children. and for a loving mother! thanks mom! here are some pics of my babies:)...

our journey to motherhood is different for everyone. for those who have suffered a loss of any type, and have to suffer through this holiday, my prayers are with you. you are not forgotton. thank you to all those, who have not been able to have their own children and who have loved, and mothered my children. they will be better people for it:)

happy weekend! what do you look forward to this summer??

chocolate-peanut-butter deliciousness!

ok, i have a confession to make...

when i am craving something naughty...it is usually made with chocolate OR peanut butter. but the ultimate combo of yumminess... chocolate AND peanut butter!! ahhhh! so here are some of my favorite new chocolate and pb treat recipes!

                            

first are these homemade nutter butters from cookies and cups! they are SOOOO good! the ones i made were gobbled up before they were even finished being put together!

(picture is from cookies and cups)

                           

next, are these no-bake peanut butter bars from six sisters' stuff!! (they have rad recipes! love them!) OR baker lady has a good recipe also!! and these were soooo good as well! my family gobbled a while 9x13 in a little over a day!

if you look at my pinterest food board you will see LOTS of chocolate peanut butter recipes i have yet to try;)

have a great weekend! mine will be filled with soccer games, sunshine, family, good BBQ food and my bountiful baskets!! (i got lots of fun goodies this time, including a 38 lb box of lemons which i plan on canning lemonade concentrate for SUMMER! yay! i'll share my canning adventures with you later:)

DIY upcycle in AQUA!

today i wanted to share a few easy diy projects i did over the weekend! they both involve spray paint! e-nuf said, right!?

the first project, i found on pinterest from stories of a&z, is a DIY earring upcycle. 

here's how you do it:

1. take you boring, old earrings and tape over the hooks/wire/posts.

2. spray a thin layer of primer spray paint

3. let dry

4. spray a thin layer of your color spray paint. maybe two. (the color i used was Krylon's Ocean Breeze)

5. let dry

6. when dry, remove the tape and you have an exciting, new, sassy pair of earrings!

next project...

i needed a little color by my front door. 

had a boring, white mailbox. kinda old, paint was chipping, little rusty.

primed, painted (same color) = awesome, new-to-me, mailbox!

you gotta love spray paint! the possibilities are endless!!

have a happy day!

the sunday can...

so just a quick post today. life has been crazy busy. but i wanted to share a project i recently completed, i call it 'our sunday can'!


basically, my kids were having a hard time coming up with good, Sunday activites. Sunday, or the Sabbath, is a special day for us, one that we refrain from shopping, eating out and sports. The Sabbath is the Lord's day, set apart each week for rest and worship. So I wanted to create something that would help my children know what activities they 'CAN' do on sunday:) see what i did there?
haha. moving on... here is what you do:


1. Find a container or can, or pull one out of the recycling bin!


2. Decorate it!! You can have the kids help! Be creative!

3. Come up with your own list of sunday activites for your family, or you are welcome to use my list below. Your children can help with this too!

4. Cut them out and put them in the can! And your creation is finished!!

ENJOY!


here is my list:


memorize an articles of faith

memorize a scripture

work on 'faith in god' booklet

make a 'journal jar'

write or draw in your journal

watch a family movie

make a family movie

put on a puppet show

cook- help prepare a meal or treat

be a 'reporter'- ask family members questions about their lives

make a family tree

build a fort inside using blankets, chairs, etc

make apostle flash cards

make a 'quiet book' for church

go for a walk

play quiet games

visit someone who is sick, elderly or our loved ones

read the 'ten commandments'

look through family photos- help record names, dates, and what you remember

write 10 things you are grateful for in your journal

play-doh

rest- take a little nap

listen to primary songs or hymns

read "the friend" magazine

watch a scripture movie

make a scripture movie {use legos, toys or real-live actors}

decorate tithing, savings, or mission jar

play 'go fish' or 'old maid'

sing or learn a primary song

make a flannel board

tell a flannel board story

read the scriptures/scripture stories

write a thank you letters to those who have helped you

draw pictures or write letters to family members or missionaries

help prepare family home evening

read books together while eating a big bowl of popcorn!

play 'monopoly', 'life', 'chutes and ladders', 'candy land', 'checkers', 'chess'...

play games on lds.org

spring break!

this week is spring break for us! and we are doing nothing, but relaxing, playing, and doing whatever!

we did some fun nails... my girls LOVE getting their nails done! i get all my nail ideas from pinterest and the best ideas come from the beauty department.
check out the beauty department for LOTS of fun ideas and how-to's!! (i used a smashed down tip toothpick to make these polka dots! my girls love um!)

what are you doing for spring break?! hope you have a happy spring week!

easter

ok, so, this week is going to be completely crazy for me...easter is coming up, i am hosting a baby shower (i will share more on that next week, probably:) carpooling, soccer practice and games, birthday parties, laundry, pinteresting:) yes lots and lots of stuff going on. but i wanted to share with you some fun easter crafts and goodies that i will be doing with my family this week...

so each day this week, i promised my kids a fun easter treat...
yesterday the treat was "cottontails" (powdered sugar covered doughnut holes) i got the idea from caramel potatoes

                           

                         

look how happy these girls are, as they pop little bunny tails one after another;)

today, will be 'building graham cracker peep houses', idea from kasey buick at one girl talks

tomorrow, we will be dying eggs using kool-aid, idea from pinterest

thursday, will be some version of rice krispy treats... can't decide which one to do... maybe i will do all three:)

bunny peep treat,  idea from pinterest

rainbow peep treat, idea from pinterest

easter egg treat, idea from better homes and gardens

and friday, will be chocolate nests for their peeps, idea from hostess with the mostess

go here for the chocolate pudding cup tutorial from bakerella

and for my special treat this week, i'm thinkin' maybe this from grosgrain fabulous...

and i'm definitely going to have to make these, easter deviled eggs from real mom kitchen, for my hubby after easter...he loves deviled eggs!

then on saturday, is our neighborhood easter egg hunt. it has become a tradition i love!!! we live on the best street, we feel very blessed to have such great neighbors! there have been a few traditions that have been established over the years; a summer block bbq (that has been going on for 30+years!), a little halloween carnival (games, face painting, treats), and this easter egg hunt! the neighborhood easter egg hunt means, more places to hide and find eggs, and a combined effort to supply candy and eggs makes it easier on parents:) win win! if you don't already have some traditions in your neighborhood, reach out and establish some of your own!! you make new friends and it's great fun for the kids! happy memories:)

and sunday, is easter:) during the week it's fun to talk about the easter bunny, candy and peeps. but, sunday we keep sacred, as we celebrate the true meaning behind the celebration of easter: the atonement and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

there are some wonderful bible videos here from lds.org

do you do easter baskets?!

i like mine simple; some candy or a treat, and maybe a small framed picture of Christ, and a softie or something...

peeps plush tutorial here from dandelions and lace

and then i just wanna throw in some other fun stuff:)...

some free easter printables that would be fun to frame and decorate the house

this one is from simply fresh designs

these were found by spunky junky , as well as the cute peeps banner template!

'hoppy easter' is from eighteen 25, love them!

lolly jane has this cute printable, plus a 'spring' banner tutorial!

love this easter egg printable from the ballard bunch!

you can't go wrong when you spray paint a frame and put in the simple phrase 'he is risen' as craft in a northern town did here

and what about these fun things for lunches?!

spring is officially here, cause my chickens are runnin' around, and so are my kids:)

found this at walmart! there is this special, beautiful walmart up the hill from me...it is amazing! it is like no other walmart i have ever been to! its smaller, clean and orderly, the employees are everywhere and helpful and friendly and they even smile! and then just down the hill is a regular, dirty, supersized walmart, where no employee can be found and when you do find one they can't help you.

but i just loved the mint striped cardigan!! so i bought it! just in time for my date night to see 'The Hunger Games'!! which was awesome!

here is my little easter bunny!

and my personal favorite easter candy of all time... the sweet tart jelly bean! try them if you haven't already! but maybe you shouldn't, you will be hooked!:)

happy easter! and spring! yay!