How to make...LONG trip m y s t e r y bags!

We decided to join Daddy at his business location this week. We won't see much of him...but something is better than nothing. It's an ADVENTURE!

Nana suggested I make mystery bags for the car trip. I broke out the rainy day box (aka. the miscellaneous junk I don't have specific place for and then some...)...
...I picked out some wonderful things we haven't seen in a while...
I loaded up paper bags and initialled them. I only loaded ONE diaper box full...phew! This worked really well...and it rained almost the whole way up! Phew!
I also packed Mr. Beebalm. He talks ya know!
Here are our weeks worth of books and games. PRAY for me!!!
To read more about our family travels thus far...go where I'm Blogging Along...

GOLDEN SCOOP...ta dah! YEAH!!!

As I've mentioned before...each year there is an ice cream competition at our annual church picnic. (uh, yeah...that would make it annual...if they do it every year, right!?) We are totally tickled to have won the Golden Scoop for another year! Remember our dreams a few days ago?? Our taste testing payed off....yummo.

Here's the recipe...

Mint Chocolate Chip ala Loverbrains

6 c. 2 % organic milk
6 c. heavy cream
3 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
3 t. vanilla
3 t. peppermint
9 drops green food color
1 c. mini chips
1 c. andes mint chips

Mix all but mints in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into ice cream maker and begin freezing. Add mints in about 10 minutes. Finish freezing. Pour into container and freeze solid....well, if there's any left I mean! HA!

Enjoy!

How to eat an Ogre!

Patch Club...another year gone by!

Remember last year...when I expressed sympathy for those poor teachers?? And Emmer cried through almost every program?
This year I helped teach! AND...Emmer sang and did some of the motions this year...
AND...we added tone chimes! Time flies...*sigh*

Mama Mia and Golden Scoop Dreams...

I love Friday's...for many reasons...one of which is the homemade PIZZA!
It's so much fun...and such a good time with the kids. Generally, DadE is on his way home as we make it...and so I never have pictures...but he came home early last week...and took some special pictures for me.
Lubby tends to eat his toppings faster than he puts them on his pizza. He tries to tell me they are defective so they need to be eaten..."dis one's ripped MomE...I eat it!"
Hmmm....what are they cooking up? In the sink???
This year's ice cream competition winner?? What do you think...is it possible...two years in a row!? I've so enjoyed having the "golden scoop" on our bookshelf. Hehehe!

Zoo Day with Daddy...

We love to go to the zoo...and because we live close we go often...but it's a special day when DadE gets to go with us!
Cute, huh?
The butterfly house and gardens are GORGEOUS...and so much fun. Go early...it's not as crowded...and the zoo helpers can teach you a special lesson on butterflies and moths...
The little statues are just fascinating!
Emma's favorite zoo animal is the ZEBRA!
There was a new baby giraffe...awww!
Caleb's favorite animal is the RHINO!
The MomE and baby elephants got a drink together...very cute!
Phew...we were tired on the way home...
...it was a fun day at the zoo...with DadE too!!

Cuteness in a Chair...

They were coloring so cutely in their chairs...
...until they saw me with the camera.

What's for Dinner?

When my Loverbrains is away on business it is always hard to make dinner. I mean, I make a menu...I know what I'm making for dinner each night...but it's not as fun to make and eat with only Sweet Boobah feedback. Although, they are always hungry!

They make fabulous stews and soups...
...they discuss crucial ingredients like carrots, potatoes, onions...chicken, fish...
Emmer is a wonderful kitchen boss...and instructs her brother in the fine culinary techniques needed to make a perfect dish ala Antoine. (Have you seen that Bugs Bunny? It's classic.)
Look at those mad knife skillz! (It's a butter knife...and obviously I'm sitting right here typing this...so relax!!)

Playin' Sickies...

This morning a little sickie sweet boy has followed me EVERYWHERE begging to "Hold you, MomE"...and a little sickie sweet girl has been trying to play ALONE (she likes to be alone when she doesn't feel well)...and I am feeling strung out! So, I gave up on the house and sat down...took a few pictures...and tried to make my little blessings feel better.
Do you like his newspaper print mustache? Very handsome!!

Lightning-according to Caleb...

My sweet boy woke up to an early morning thunderstorm. He was very sleepy...and more frustrated to be awake than frightened. The lightning was intense...and as I carried him from his room to mine...he said, "No, no, no...I don't wants my picture taken!"

Hehehe...it must have made him think of the camera flash.

So there you have it...another weird thing people can tell their kids about thunderstorms...

God loves bowling up in heaven.

God is clapping His hands.

and now...God is taking your picture!

Happy Mother's Day...

Here we are in our matchy shirred dresses. Awww! You can't see the cool way I made the straps cross in the back...yeah, sort of forgot to get a picture of it.
Notice sad boy in the background. He didn't have his shoes on and we were trying to get the pictures taken quickly. He was heartbroken to be left inside. Now, looking at it...of course, it's one of those moments I wish I'd been more patient.
These we took right before we left...and it has her little matchy purse too. Aww!
We had such a good time matching. It was worth the work.

How does your garden grow?

We decided to garden via the global bucket system. It's very interesting...first you mix up your...
...dirt and manure. We have special horse manure...tomatoes like this very much!
We used the colander method found HERE...Have DadE drill tube and overflow holes...then, simply place a colander in the bottom of each bucket...line with cheese cloth....fill with dirt blend and plant.

Thanks to good friends, we have a black tomato, yellow tomato, mystery tomato (thanks Caelyn). As well as, Tiny Tim tomato, hot banana peppers and green peppers. We also have cilantro and basil...and lavender. We are hoping to add rosemary and dill (if the greenhouse gets them in soon.)
I'll be honest...setting up the siphon tubing and water sterilites and valve/float, etc. was and IS complicated. I'm still not sure if this is going to work or if we're just going to be watering them the old fashioned way...but it's a fun container method anyway.
Anyone wondering why they are over by the fence...it's pretty much my only sunny spot in the yard...soooooo....it's the garden spot. Our neighbor came out to investigate...he got a kick out of it...and wished Darren luck, whatever that's supposed to mean! Humph *smile*!