Favorite Fridays

I've decided I am going to be a little more dedicated to my blog, and post on a little more regular basis. I know you (yes you, the one that reads my blog:)) deserve better from me, so to show my appreciation, I am going to share a few of my FAVORITE things. Let's call it....Favorite things?!? um...no! That will make me sing the song from the sound of music every time I post on Friday, and then I'll have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day, and that's just no good. So, how about "favorite Fridays"?! Is that one good? Ok, lets keep it.


For our very first ever Favorite Friday item I wanted to go with something magnificent, something whimsical, with a little fluff, and a little zing all at the same time. Last week as I was helping Dad unpack Mom's things I came across a little treasure.

Moms little green recipe box!

Now, if you were so blessed as to have known my Mom, then you know she wasn't exactly known for following a recipe....she was just too creative for that:) She did, after all, write her own recipe book! But one thing Mom always loved was Lemon! If I had to pick just one recipe that she actually followed it would be her "Luscious Lemon Bar cookie" one.

Finding this little treasure made my soul sing, and my heart happy. This little goody is written in Mom's hand writing on the back of an old, Robbin egg blue, Smith's pharmacy envelope, with Uncle Stobbes name on the front. hehehe, just so Mom, I love it! I can see her and Aunt Cleo standing in Cleo's kitchen in UT, 38 years ago, laughing, and eating "Luscious Lemon Bar cookies", and Mom grabbing the closest piece of paper saying "This is HEAVENLY! I must get the recipe!".

So, my dear friend, this recipe is passed once more:) I hope you love it.



                                                           Luscious Lemon Bar Cookies
                                                           makes 3 dozen 11/2" squares

Crust1C. soft butter
dash of salt
1/2 C. powdered sugar
2C. flour

Combine all ingredients- mix well. Press mixture into 9x13" pan. Bake at 350' for 15 min. (or until browned)

Filling
4 eggs beaten
2C. gram sugar
1/4 C. flour
6 Tbs. lemon juice

if desired, add 1C. shredded coconut (I highly recommend it). Combine flour and sugar. Mix in beaten eggs and lemon juice. pour into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350' for 25 min. Or until set. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. cut into squares, and enjoy.


*I'm heading to Utah for the weekend to visit my Judy, and I know it will be fabulous. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too:)



 Time for a good old fashion game of bowling for the Hall gang! We realized it had been over a year...maybe even two since our last bowling outing, so we had to show the kids our skills.

It didn't take long for me to realize our (Myself and the Craigsters) skills aren't so impressive these days...especially when Layla had a higher score than both of us!



That's about when I decided it was time for a little Crazy bowl! And we all (me and the one person that reads my blog) know that's something I totally rock at:)

We had the backward through, the spin toss, granny roll, granny roll backwards, left handed, boogy bowl, and eyes closed. It was epic, hahaha.

 

This round we had to do a little dance after we chucked the ball down the lane, and the kids dances were so funny. I'm glad I got them on tape:)

I LOVE laylas' dance! This little lady has got herself some moves, hahaha.
Check back in tomorrow for my FIRST EVER Fridays Fav...you are NOT going to want to miss it:)



play time

Every day after school Carter comes home and says "Mom, I would like to have------- over to play!", and I always seem to have a reason why that won't work out today..."but maybe another day" I say.
After this same conversation took place 357 times I started to feel bad, so we invited his new school buddies over today.

It is basically the first time I have invited children I don't know very well over to play with my children, and parents I don't know at all to tag along. It was the craziest thing, the way I was nervous. You know the way you feel when you're having a birthday party, and you worry no body is going to show up? That's how I was today....so weird!

Layla and I cleaned the whole entire house, swept and hosed down the back porch, cleaned up the yard, arranged the patio furniture just right, prepared fresh carrots out of the garden, grapes, crackers and cheese, punch, side walk paint and brushes, got the Geo Trax out, and waited! We waited and read, and waited and played a board game, and practiced the alphabet and waited until we heard Carter come home. The look on his face was priceless! He looked around as realization set in. He knew all this was for him, and for the magical moment, I think he might have felt the depth of my love for him.

What a day:)

The friends did come. The boys played in the castle outside, had a berry war, painted, ran, built a train track, had some snacks. At the end of the day Carter will remember all the fun he had with his friends, but mostly (I hope), the feeling of his mamas love.

This weekend I helped my Dad unpack some boxes....special boxes.

2 years ago my Mom and Dad thought they had sold their home on S. 19th Ave, so they packed almost all of their things and moved them to a storage unit until they had a new house. Sadly, the sell didn't end up working out, and they had already done all that packing.
Can you imagine? I would be livid if that happened to me! Rrarrrrr, tiger woman would make herself known.

Anyway, Mom Started getting really sick right after all that....and, you know that rest.

The boxes in storage took a big back seat to everything else (Like, they were clear back in the trunk, and the trunk popped open, and they totally came falling out of the vehicle kind of a back seat). We finally went to the storage unit a couple of weeks ago to haul some of the essentials back to Dad's house for him. I was putting some things in the closet, and saw some of Mom's clothes hanging up.

A rush of emotions over took me, and I suddenly missed her again with the same fierceness I felt the day she passed. My chest hurt, it was physical. I felt a something drip onto my hand, and realized they were my tears. However, as suddenly as the overwhelming emotions overtook me, they were replaced with deep feelings of Love. I have so much love and gratitude for my Mom, the things she went through, what she taught me, and the legacy she left.

Mom continues to play a very large role in my life. Not a day goes by that I don't think "what would Mom have said to me in this situation" or "would Mom approve of my parenting style right now?". I have flash backs of my childhood, and things she has said to me. I try to emulate her with my own children, and pray that I will do half as good of a job as her.

Love you mom.

new school year

The kids have been in school for a couple of weeks now, and we are getting into the new grove of thing. Carter is in 1st grade now = all day school 5 days a week, and layla is in pre-school = 2 hours 3 days a week. Carter feels like life is really unfair right about now, because he doesn't get to be home all day on Craigs day off, layla only has to go to school 3 days a week, and benson gets me all the time; so we have been trying to point out the advantages to him of his new school schedule. Here is what we came up with.

1. he get's to be the only kid at breakfast with me and Craig every morning, because Layla and Benson are usually still sleeping.
2. He gets to pick what treat he wants in his lunch box.
3.Chocolate milk!
4.walks home with one of his favorite friends everyday (if it's not raining, snowing, hailing, blowing, or iceing).
5. 20 exclusive minutes with Mom (me) when he gets home from school to go over homework, read, and catch up with each other.
6. and the biggest advantage to going to 1st grade....(drum roll)........The big toys!

Carter is super excited about the big toy. Last year he was on the other side of the school, and they just have an old school style playground on that side, so he's movin' up in the world.

Layla was a little nervous about that first day, but I think she has been enjoying it once the jitter bugs went away. I talked to her teacher about this next thing, and she said it didn't happen, so that makes it kind of funny. Every day when I pick her up and ask her to tell me about school she says the same thing. "my teacher was mean today. She made every one put their heads on their desk....except for me, because I was being really good." She heard Carter say that once, and I guess it made a real impression on her.

The other thing she told me about school is that she is worried she is going to get too smart, and her brain is going to get too big, and her head band won't fit anymore!

....Ya never know.


p.s. I have a new format for my blog, and I can't find spell check...which I normally rely on Heavily:)

Brains

It seems Layla has a new obsession as of late, and I have absolutly no idea where it came from. Brains. She has been heard saying things like, "let's squish that bugs brains out" or when I told her she is smart "that's because I have an extra large brain". When she got to the pit in her peach she yelled with excitment "yay, I found it's brain...but I am NOT going to eat it!". The other day we went on a little family hike on Craigs day off, and there were some tree roots visible on the trail, so she would say "there's a brain, and there's a brain, hahaha, and look guys...it's another brian." as she stomped on them with her happy little feet. I LOVE the stages children go through as they learn and grow, and the funny things they say and do. Layla is a constant stream of hilliarium (I may have just made that word up), always keeping things exciting at our home.

Bensons Birthday

My Baby turned one! He is 1!

I have been reflecting a ton the past couple of weeks. I think it's in part because Benson just turned one, part because Craig and I just had our 9th anniversary, and part because that's kinda just what I do. I've been thinking mostly about where I was emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually a year ago, and where I am now. I'll take the now...for sure.

I have three very active, happy, and healthy children. We spend our summer days riding bikes, playing in the yard, swimming, reading books together, and laughing. I have a Husband that works very hard, so I can be home with our little Chickie's. He keeps our garden/yard looking amazing (and looks so hot while he does it), is Loyal, loving, and serves the lord. I love our cute little house in our quiet old neighborhood were we all know each other. What more could a girl ask for? I thank the Lord for the trials I have been through, the lessons learned, and the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am so blessed.






Back to Benson. He is such a sweet little thing, and always tries (with success) to make us laugh. He loves his Daddy more then anyone, and thinks anything Carter does is hilarious. He loves playing peek-a-boo with Layla, but doesn't love it when she picks him up. He is master of going up stairs, but still working on the down part. Looks for every chance he can get to play in the house plants dirt, and rub it in his beautiful blond hair. His favorite food is watermelon...he thinks it's a full contact sport! Not kidding. I'm going to have to post a video of him eating a slice...fantastic. Benson has a great arm, and lets us know he is done by throwing his Binky, bottle, or food as far as he can with a solid grunt to add affect.
What a boy! I love watching him grow, and discovering who he is. Benson is a very LOVED little guy! Happy Birthday buddy.