We did it.....

....we survived Vacation Bible School 2012!! :)


We did things a little differently at our church this year and started VBS off with a "Fun Day" for kids. A pre-registration kick-off event.  We were all so thankful the 100 degree temps didn't hit for another day or two!

Dale getting ready to play Daddy's bean bag toss.

Alan waiting his turn to go fishing.

Our boys and cousin Aaron riding the train - everyone's favorite activity of the day!

Alan choosing his face art with Mimi.

Alan & Aaron getting painted up.

Comparing face-paint. "We both got bees!"

Tyler was in on all the fun too! Face paints....

....and a snow cone! (Dale says this looks like a cup of dirt. :) )

Is it just me, or does this picture make you dizzy?

Definitely a Fun Day for everyone!

Cure Your Mama Soup

Or at least make her feel better.


My poor mama has been sick for over a week now.  A few days ago I did the only respectable daughterly thing and brought her some soup and tea.


The soup was made up out of my head using what we had on hand.  It turned out pretty good - I taste tested it!


I was hoping it would be the miracle cure my Mama needed.  While it might not have cured her I think it did both of us good to visit in the breeze of her front porch while she sipped her soup and tea.  She enjoyed it enough she insisted that I write down what I did so I could repeat it again sometime.  


So here it is, in case you - or your mama ;) - need a hearty soup.


Cure Your Mama Soup
1 celery stalk (approx 1/4 cup), finely diced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1/4 cup carrot, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, divided
1 Tb olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
3 mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp thyme
salt & pepper


In a medium saucepan over med-low heat, slowly saute celery, onion, & carrot until soft.  Add 3 of the garlic gloves, minced.  Saute another minute or two to soften garlic, careful not to brown it.  Add broth.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are very soft.  Add mushrooms (mine were a bit dried and absorbed the soup's flavor very well), thyme, and salt & pepper to taste.  Use a garlic press to crush remaining garlic clove into soup.  Simmer another 10-15 minutes.


I hear this soup is good with a fruit jar of ice-cold green tea sweetened with honey for anyone who's had a sore throat, cough or crud, but that's strictly hear-say. ;)


Do you have a go-to soup or other food when you or those you love are sick?

Because it makes me laugh:

Let's Hear It For the Boys! ~Contentment

Alternative title: The Longest Slip 'n Slide Ever


There is a lot of cool backyard water stuff to be had out there.  


Not to mention neighborhood pools and water parks to visit.


This year, though, we are going the simple route, with a humongously long piece of painter's plastic and a sprinkler:

And although this is not necessarily a trait unique to boys, I am super proud of my boys for how easy-to-please they tend to be.  


They were as happy about their cheap and homemade slip and slide as they would have been with the coolest waterworks on walmart's shelves.

Except maybe Tyler.  Have you spied him in these pictures yet?  That is where he spent the entire playtime, safely out of reach of water and brothers.


(Incidentally, our crazy dog spent the entire time hiding under the shed.  Now I know what to do if I want some peaceful time in the backyard!)

My favorite part of all, though?  The collective -and quite enthusiastic- cheer that went up when Daddy came out in his swim shorts. 


Wish I could bottle that boy-love for Daddy to open up and savor when they're grown!


Linking up with:
The MOB Society (Moms of Boys)
Let's Hear It For the Boys Linky

Summer Reading Time again!

We're all signed up...

lined up..

and ready to read!

Pussycat, Pussycat, Where have you been?

"I've been to Arkansas, to meet my new cousin!"

Friday afternoon my mom, Brooklyn & I took an impromptu trip to spend the night with my sister's family.  

Brooklyn and I got to meet Logan for the first time, and I loved getting to see my sister be "mama"!

Guard dog? Maybe!

About once a year a professional tree service comes through the neighborhood trimming branches that hang out over the street or over powerlines.


One day last week the boys spied tree service men walking up and down the street, checking things out.  I figured they'd be coming soon and gave a mental eye roll: our dumb dog goes nuts when the neighbor across the backyard fence does anything outside.  I could just imagine all the barking we (and the tree trimmers) would endure when they came around.


Sure enough we got home yesterday from a long day out to Children's and immediately noticed a few branches along the inside of the back fence.  Ahh... the tree trimmers must have come.  Dumb dog must have been barking every breath and nobody was here to stop her.  On the plus side, at least I didn't have to hear the dumb dog barking and spend that hour telling her to hush.

Turns out we got a little proof she was making her presence known.


After noticing the branches in the back, we found this note on our front door:

Ok. Lot going on here.
First of all, if you know our dog you know she is a fool with a capital F, but she isn't fierce.  At least.. we've never seen anything fierce from her.


Second, if strange men are coming in my backyard without one of us as an escort you better believe I want them to think my dog is going to bite them!


Third, tree services are just letting themselves into people's backyards when they aren't home?


Fourth, they didn't have at least a company notepad or something in the truck with them?   Really?  A torn piece of legal pad was the best they could do?


This little note is a huge boost for the dog's standing in my eyes.  She had fallen out of my favor recently.  Too much poop and foolishness.  But this note makes me smile every time I read it.  And - for now at least - dumb ol' Trisket is back in my good graces.

All's well....

Alan had his follow up appointments at Children's today.  We took the whole family along, but because of all the coughing and congestion and... well.. coughing, Alan and I took care of all the dr visiting, while Daddy hung out here and there nearby with everyone else.  We met up for a quick lunch at the "handy" hospital cafe that ended up costing us a pretty penny!

Frankly, the whole day was tiresome and stressful, largely due to the fever spike in the middle of the day.  


Mid 99s was in the plan. 101 was not.


Things turned out well though, if judging by nothing else but the fact that we are all 6 home together tonight.

We love Children's, but we love going home at the end of the day best!

School's Out!

Daddy and the boys decided to celebrate by going camping.  


He got home yesterday from his last day of work for this year.  We packed them up amid supper preparations, and after we finished eating they headed out.


I suppose one good thing about our lopsided boy/girl ratio is how light my load is when we divide up into boys and girls!

Not that my load was that light last night.  Mimi came over to keep Brooklyn and me company and we spent the entire evening cleaning and reorganizing....


...the boys' room, of all things.


And at any rate, we did enjoy each other's company, and the boys have a fresh room to play in.  Complete with no underwear under the bed and no toy cars in the underwear drawer.


Meanwhile.....

We're so thankful for the cool June nights and not-yet-scorching June days!  Here's hoping for a few more weeks of the kind of summer you can actually get out in! :)