even more summer days

even though i've started school this week, i'm going to share even more of our summer days.  you can totally feel sorry for me if you want because my family is planning all kinds of fun summer-y things to do this week.  without me.  rude.

john and i decided that since grace is about to begin first grade, she was old enough to handle a few chore and money responsibilities.  she is very excited about it.

aunt steph took grace out for a girls' night.  that was super sweet of her and grace loved it!!!

carter man really enjoys serenading crying babies.  he's pretty good at it too.

we got to play with lily (and sing to trace) at their farm.

there is beauty everywhere...sometimes, we just have to look for it.

grace has learned how to "dry" her own hair. she can put it in a ponytail too.

we grilled chicken and i made some pineapple salsa.  it was yummy!

love! love! love! this cow print!!!  i really need to live on a farm.  or at least next door to one.

we made some dee-licious reese's peanut butter cup cookies.

mmm!!!

i don't know what to say...i just smile.

grace celebrated her friend's birthday with a tea party.

those girls drank a lot of tea.  a lot!  and she drank with her pinkie up for the entire party.

we made a back to school countdown/prayer chain. 

hopefully, you're summer days are not over yet.  enjoy them while they last.  trust me. they go by fast.

we made applesauce

Grace and Carter helped me make applesauce the other day.  First, we peeled and chopped up 6 apples, but I'm pretty sure only about 5 whole apples made it in the crock pot.  There were these little hands that kept reaching up and grabbing the apple pieces.  Grace helped chop the apples and she thought she was so big...using a knife.

I bet you can't guess whose hands were stealing those apples.

Can you tell how proud she was?

Next, we added about a half a cup of sugar, a half a stick of butter, and some cinnamon.

We turned the crock pot on low and we went to the pumpkin patch.

When we got home, our house smelled soooo good!  After dinner, we ate our super yummy applesauce.  Carter LOVED it.  Grace did not. I do not like applesauce, but I love this kind...a little chunky and buttery!  Mmm!

InstaWeek

this week, i was on fall break and it was absolutely wonderful!!!

i actually cooked, every night!

we ate taco soup...mmm!

all week, grace and carter played together and they played hard!

peek-a-boo!  i see you! 

john and the kids made pancakes for breakfast!

i made cheesy chicken lasagna and it was super yummy!

i worked for about 6 hours on the paperwork for my drop-in evaluation and when i finally finished, i celebrated with my fav, a caramel apple spice!  when i clicked the submit button, i literally began dancing because my stress was gone and it feels won-der-ful!

the next day, with the weight of evaluations off my shoulders, i snuggled with my kiddos in our jammies all day!

they discovered bubble wrap...fun!

we made these cutie paper plate pumpkins.

carter followed grace around all day.  they shared the same chair at lunch time.  she couldn't even go to the potty without her little tagalong.  i'm so thankful that they love each other and that she is a great big sister! 

this little guy was absolutely horrible friday evening.  we were counting down the minutes to bedtime.  an hour and half after he was in bed, i went to check on him.  he jumped up, ready to go.  he played soccer, watched the cardinals, and was in a great mood.  he was just missing his sister, who he kept yelling for..."GAYCE!!!"

today, we went to the pumpkin patch.  it wore him out!  or maybe it was his late night up!

i know that i used way too many exclamation marks, but this was truly a super week!

fall break!

evaluations are over!

playing with my kids!

awesome!!!!!!!

Resurrection Rolls

On Easter Sunday, we made Resurrection Rolls.  This is not my original idea.  You can google this and you will find many recipes, but this is how we did it.

Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

8 large marshmallows

1/4 cup melted butter

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons white sugar


Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• On a lightly greased baking sheet separate crescent rolls into individual triangles.
• In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar.
• Dip a marshmallow into melted butter.

• Talk about how Jesus' body was prepared for the tomb.
• Roll in sugar mixture.

 

• Place marshmallow into the center of a dough triangle. 

• Carefully wrap the dough around the marshmallow. Pinch the seams together very tightly to seal in the marshmallow as it melts.
• Explain how Jesus' body was placed in the tomb.
• Place on a baking sheet.

• Repeat.
• Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Talk about how Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days.

• Explain that death could not hold Jesus in the tomb.
• Open the roll and it's empty!
• He is risen!!!

Keep in mind that a 3 year old who placed a yummy marshmallow inside the roll may be EXTREMELY disappointed when it is no longer there!  We will try again next Easter.  I think this is a neat way to keep the focus on Jesus during all the Easter morning festivities!