This and That Thursday...

Thursday took me back to my 4-H days as Amy Lu and I had craft day!  Amy suggested it awhile back and I was instantly on board.  She had found a couple of fun projects that seemed simple enough. 

Our first project was to make coasters using scrapbook paper and tiles.  It was fairly simple and super cheap to make too.  I will definitely be making these again!  They could make a fun little gift. 

Our second craft was not quite as successful as the first one.  The idea was to make yarn balloons.  A good idea in theory, but once we got started, I was ready to be done!   I was a sticky mess from dipping the yarn in our glue solution and it wasn’t looking very pretty.  I let the project dry overnight and popped the balloon and it seems to stay in place, but rookie mistake is probably that I made it too big and should have used more yarn.

Today my life has been consumed by…summer school planning...dum, dum, dum!  I feel like my summer is officially over!  Monday is the beginning of three weeks of teaching summer school and then it’s back to school time.   I like summer school because it gets me back in the school mode but is only half days.  I don’t like that it means regular school is just around the corner.  I am still trying to figure out where summer has gone?  I have been busy planning and obsessed with some new teacher blogs I found.  I am getting some great ideas for word work activities and hopefully some other activities that will keep kids excited for summer school.  There is a lot to before Monday!

 I couldn’t resist…Bella was sleeping in between the couch cushions. 

One final picture I took tonight.  I love flowers and taking pictures of them and this one turned out awesome!

Wedding Season...

Wedding season is in full swing, but Our list of friends yet to be married is getting shorter and shorter by the month.  Last night we checked another wedding off the list at Kyle and Morgan’s wedding.  Trent was a groomsmen in the wedding so festivities started on Friday night with the rehearsal and dinner.  The dinner was at Lee’s Chicken, a hole in the wall joint in Lincoln that everyone seemed to know about but me!   The chicken was delish and the company was even better!

The guys posed happily for this picture...can you tell who is tallest?

Kalliea was sweet on Kyle...I think the feelings were mutual. 

Saturday meant wedding day!  It was a sultry July day, but I really don’t think they would have had it any other way. 

  Mr. and Mrs. Yardley…

The only unfortunate part of the day was a double booking of the party bus.  Kyle looked on like a little kid as he waited for the bus to come…more than a half hour late! 

For me, that meant more time for pictures!

It was finally time for the reception.  Pat, Kyle’s mom. made the cakes and they were fabulous!  They came in at least six different flavors and I tried two!  Lemon and orange sherbet were to die for!  I was tempted to have a third slice later in the night, but could already feel a bellyache brewing.  Another piece of cake would have surely left me miserable and regretful later in the night!    

Trent and the groom…

 Me and the groom…

Part of what I love most about weddings is getting to see friends and catching up!

Me and my man…

Congratulations again to the Yardleys!  Thanks for letting us be part of your big day!



BBQ's and Firecrackers...

I love patriotic holidays.  Partly because they fall in the summer and include great food, but mostly for what they stand for.  This 4^th of July was a fun filled, packed weekend!  It started out Sunday night at the Vests.  Of course it included a BBQ, fireworks and yard games. 

 Before yard games…all smiles…+

Jessie and I dominated in volleyball…just ask Trent and Tim…

The loot…

Coordinating their firework show to shoot off 4 at a time…

Run!

Saturday brought a hot and sunny day at the lake.  Amy invited Trent and I to her family’s cabin at South Bend.  Trent’s face lit up when I told him because his dream holiday is at the lake.  Trent mostly enjoyed the fun games that he played with the other big “kids.”  Adam also convinced Amy that a game of sand volleyball was necessary so we sunk our feet into the scorching sand and served it up.  Definitely worth it since our team won.

 Fun in the sun…

Trent and Adam demonstrating their mad catching skills off the dock…

  

 Ellie was ready for her first 4^th of July…

 Lainey oohing and ahhing at the fireworks…

Great action shot...A firecracker that goes off in water!

 The whole neighborhood was talking when a fire truck showed up at our party.  No worries, just Trent’s great uncle stopping by to let us check it out on his way to the fireworks…

 Sibling love watching the fireworks…

 An intense game of firecracker ball in progress…

The fireworks were the grand finale of a big weekend.  I love watching Trent watch fireworks because he has a huge smile on his face the whole time. He really is just a big kid at heart!

p.s.  The apple pie was a big hit...I give it an A plus!

Apple Pie on the 4th of July...

I came up with the brilliant idea to make apple pie for the 4^th of July back in June.  I have had a great recipe for 4 years and have always been too afraid to try it!  It came from Phyllis at Cheri O’s and she makes the most delicious pies.  I did not think there was any way I could even come close to making a pie as good as hers.  But on a quiet Saturday night, I took on the challenge. 

At exactly 8:51 I began preparing everything I needed.  This pie was going to be homemade down to the crust!  I made the pie crust first and then moved on to the pie filling.  I remembered different tricks that Phyllis had taught me in my many years at Cheri O’s such as rolling the flattened crust to help me lay it out in the pan.  I decided to actually make two pies since my pans were small and it would be way too much filling for just one.  That would also leave me with more to share!   By 9:53 the pies were in the oven and it was time to wait...and clean up!

 The ingredients…

 Rolling out the dough…

Pie filling in the making…

Ready to go into the oven to be baked into deliciousness!

My least favorite part…cleaning up!

Out of the oven and waiting to be cut and served with vanilla ice-cream tomorrow!

I am pretty sure that my first attempt at apple pie was a success!  Despite my worries, the recipe was actually easy as pie...pun intended!  I am anxiously waiting for tomorrow to cut into the pies and taste them so the final verdict is still out.  Stay tuned…

Water and Wine...

For someone who doesn’t like wine, I sure find myself at a lot of wine tastings!  This time it was The Too Far North Tasting Room in Fort Calhoun.  My mom had been wanting to go and we were in the neighborhood so we stopped in!  They featured all Nebraska made wines and beers in a cute little old building right on Main Street.  My mom even had memories of going there for apples when she was a little girl!  I of course took it as the perfect opportunity to snap some pictures.

While we were in the area we also had to check out the flooding.  We drove up by the OPPD Nuclear Plant and saw the water come up so close to the highway.  It is sad to think of all the people who have been displaced by the flood and everything they have lost.  The lady at the tasting room recommended a couple of good places to view the flood, Fort Atkinson State Park and from up by the water tower.  We headed to both those places and even got a little history lesson from Fort Atkinson.  Hopefully the “mighty Missouri” gets back in its banks soon.    

Another great day in the books…now onto the holiday weekend!

New Shoes...

Last week I spotted some really cute flats at Target, but decided I didn’t need them.  Truth is…I couldn’t get them off my mind all week.  I dreamt about my toes peeping out as I looked at them on Target.com.  Usually if that happens then I know I need to get them. So, Saturday was the day.  Jamie and I headed to Target after getting coffee together.  I walked to the shoe section to find the cute flats.  50% off.  In my size.  I was ecstatic as I swiped them from the shelf, tried them on and headed to the check-out.

Can’t wait to wear them somewhere other than around the apartment!

Cupcakes...

The awesome thing about great friends is that you can always pick up right where you left off.  Some of my best friends are from elementary school and we have grown up together.  We have so many memories and despite our busy schedules, we still manage to get a group together to hang out…and on this special occasion…make cupcakes!  And with two bloggers in attendance, there were plenty of pictures to be taken!

We gathered at the Lewis’ to grill out, catch up on life and make cupcakes.  Amy and Beth came up with the great idea of making cupcakes because Beth has a little cupcake making business on the side and Amy is always eager to try something new, fun and creative.  I was expecting cupcakes out of a box, but Beth is a little Martha Stewart in the making!  These cupcakes were from scratch and boy were they delicious.  Everyone had a little job in the cupcake making whether it was cracking and separating some eggs or measuring out ingredients.  Of course the real fun part of this whole activity was decorating!

Even the dogs were invited... 

Friends…

I couldn’t resist…Amanda is due in November!

The ingredients…

Hard at work…

 My Creations…

  

Joey was pooped after playing with his new friends…

The only thing missing from this great night was Trent.  Trent was ten hours away in Colorado competing in Tough Mudder…better him than me!  Lucky for him, I saved him some cupcakes.

Thank you so much to the hosts for welcoming us into their cute little home!