Fruit Salad

I’m trying hard to make a variety of salads this summer.  I usually just make a toss salad or this “go to” fruit salad.  For some reason this fruit salad just compliments so many meals and is light.

I was talking with a friend as I was making it tonight, and she said that I need to post it on my blog BECAUSE I haven’t shared a recipe for a while.  So here it is.  :)

My kids also like when we do salad bar dinners.  We have bacon, ham or chicken, then a variety of vegetables, hard boiled eggs, olives, and cheeses.  Of course croutons and sunflower seeds are always a treat. 

My sister, Alesha is the queen of yummy salads.  Some of her recipes are my FAVORITE salad recipes.  Anyway bring on summer, I have my salad recipes ready…..

Real Cup

Nathan and Kaylee were in the soccer Real Cup Memorial Day Weekend.  The tournament ran from Thursday thru Monday. 

All of the other kids went camping with my parents up Conejos Canyon.  Stephen and I made it a weekend in Denver with the other two.  We ate at yummy restaurants, went to the Rapid’s game, chilled and swam at the hotel, and of course watched Kaylee and Nathan do their thing. 

   

Kaylee and Nathan play so differently and are fun to watch because of their different styles of play.  Kaylee’s team killed a few of the other teams in pool play, but lost in the semi’s.  When you ask Nathan how his team did, the reply was “uh, not so well…..”  His team lost all but the last game.

 

We sure had a fun weekend with the soccer kids.  However, I really missed the other kids.  They had a great weekend with my parents though.  

Thanks again mom and dad!

Firehouse BBQ

I have been crazy busy.  May always throws me for a loop with all of the end of the school year programs, parties, concerts…  Then Memorial Day weekend came and added to the craziness. 

Jacob asked if we could sometime get Firehouse BBQ from Blackforest.  He has been craving and asking for a while now.  So today amidst the chaos when Jacob asked again, I told Kaylee to take care of lunch for the rest of the kids and took Jake to the Firehouse.  We picked up our sandwiches, and headed to the Blackforest park.

Jake is quiet, but his smile and gratitude said it all…

It was awesome to lay there, taking in the gorgeous day, and spending time with Jake.  It was perfect one on one time with him.  I need more of that with him, especially since he has so much going on this summer.

One on one dates are also the perfect time for me to escape and just relax for a moment.  :)

Sure love you Jacob!

Summer Service Ideas

I’m updating my lists and ran into this post about service ideas.

HERE

Absolutely love the ideas!  Their family brought muffins to the public librarians, left a package of diapers on a bathroom changing table, dollar bills in the toy section of the dollar store, hand written cards to a retirement center…..  just awesome ideas!  I’m so excited for summer and the opportunity to serve!

Room to Grow

I planted my tomatoes inside the end of February.  When I set them outside in April, I had an extra one.  I kept it inside with my other seedlings thinking that if one of the plants outside died, I could replace it.  Well, none of the plants died.  In fact they thrived in their wall of waters.  I still kept the extra one with the other starts that hadn’t been set out yet.

This week I finished setting and planting EVERYTHING outside and still had this one little lone plant.  I looked at it and couldn’t believe how much different it looked from the others that I had planted by seed at the SAME time.

The plants I set out in the garden were given room to grow.  They could stretch their roots as far as they cared.  They could have sunlight all day, instead of just when it was shining through the window.

Of course I marched the kids outside to show them the difference.  I talked to them about how when we stay in our little, easy world, we can’t really grow and branch out.  Our lives are stunted when we don’t stretch and push ourselves.  We can grow bigger and be better if we venture out of our sheltered space.

I just can’t believe these plants were started at the same time, and how great the difference is.  It makes me step back and look at my life.  I want to fill a garden and not just a small container.  :)

Reading

I made a goal at the first of the year to be in more photos.  Can I just say that it is VERY hard to do!  BUT I want my kids to remember me. 

I want them to remember that I too, had red hair (before it goes grey).  I want them to remember my smile before it is too filled with wrinkles.  I want them to remember that I was there in the middle of all their memories.  I want them to remember our routines, like reading stories after lunch.

 

I want them to remember how much I totally LOVE each of  them!

the Nest

I was out in the yard working with Jerrica there by my side.  We have a nest in our front pine tree, and I noticed the momma bird fly off her nest.  I thought it would be the perfect moment to lift Jerra up to peek in the nest at the baby birds.  I “was trying” to be a cute mom with Jerrica in taking time out to show her the nest.

Well, the nest was up high in the tree.  I had to lift her and balance on my toes.  Needless to say, I lost my balance and Jerrica fell into the needles of the tree.  It turned into a moment of “I don’t EVER want to look in a nest EVER again, mom!”  She got hurt and I felt awful.

We came inside and she had to have an “Injury Ball”.  That’s what she has been calling these “Energy Balls” we have been making.

I think I better stick with showing her wildflowers, instead of nests in pine trees.  :)

Kindergarten Music Program

Ashley had her music program.  It was so cute filled with different instruments and sweet voices.  Ashley was animated in ALL of her songs.  I had a lot of moms come up to me after saying what an actress she is.  Just take a look at her expressions…

   

I love to watch her perform!  I thought I had recorded her performance until I came home and realized that it was no where to be found on the SD card.  :(

Sure love my little star, and Jerrica is sure her cheerleader wherever she performs.

Coppelia Dance Recital

Ashley and Rebecca had their dance recital this weekend.  They had practiced hard at rehearsals and Ash of course was DYING to perform.  I grabbed the girls before we left to one of the rehearsals and had a quick photoshoot with them.  When I say quick, I literally mean five minute shoot because we were late.  However, I am SOOO grateful that I took those five minutes to get them in their costumes and make-up to capture this recital.

Rebecca enjoyed hanging out with her friend, Mackenzie in the dressing room.  Ashley LOVED being back there with all of the big girls.  She seemed to have “a little bit more” make-up ever time that I would see her.

 

After the performance we gave the girls their bouquets AND chocolate.  Every girl needs a little chocolate after being sucked into their costumes.  :)

Feeling Blue

Can you capture emotion in art?  I think you can after seeing Jacob’s self portrait, “Feeling Blue”. 

(The painting is HUGE! Three feet by two feet.)

I asked Jacob how on earth you convey emotion in a piece.  He talked about the eyes and mouth on a person.  He also told me that even lighting in a piece adds to the emotion.  I think he knows what he is talking about because I feel emotion looking at this piece.

But I don’t feel blue looking at this, I feel PROUD.  He really is talented!

(Ashley asked why Jacob made an Avatar person of himself :)

Spa Night

Stephen was gone last weekend.  Jacob was off to see Avengers AGAIN, but with a different group of friends.  That just left Nathan home, and he basically “hid” playing video games BECAUSE we had the Hopkin’s girls over for a Spa Sleepover.

They are such sweet girls and match up so perfectly with my girls.  We did masks, massages, foot baths, we painted finger nails, played games, and did paraffin wax on our hands.  We topped the night off with a  yummy chocolate dessert that Kaylee made….

 

Jerrica was so giddy as Kaylee did the massager on her back…..

 

Sometimes it’s hard being pretty, and other times it’s a lot of FUN!

SO DAlighted

It’s that time of year again filled with end of year teacher and coaches gifts.  It can get quite pricey with six kids, yet I do want each teacher and coach to know how much we appreciate them.  I’m actually doing something a little different for each.  Some of them are different because of what room moms are coordinating, and some are different because of what the kids want to do.

This was Ashley’s.  We did one for her teacher and one for her tutor.

I found the idea here along with the printable tag here - Tammy Mitchell Blog

 

Ashley was excited to take them to her teachers.  It is so fun to GIVE!

Everything Soccer

I have said many times that Kaylee loves soccer, but as the end of the school year approaches and stuff from school is brought home, I’m realizing that she REALLY loves it…..

Her wire sculpture from art class…

It even had red wire pulled back in a pony tail.

And then her school journal is filled with details about different games.  I just can’t believe I have a soccer girl since I am so clueless about it!

Last Saturday we went to Aurora for Nathan’s game.  He went home with a friend and we went on up to Fort Collins.  We had such a fun afternoon together.  She has such a funny little personality!  I was glad that her team won after driving that far.

This picture from the game makes me smile because all of the girls in it look like they are doing a dance….

Anyway, I sure LOVE my soccer girl!