Teacher thank you

So school is out--has been out for a week here.  So nice!  But I wanted to share our teacher 'thank you' that we do each year.  This is Mr. J's.  He just finished 2nd grade!  The top picture was taken in August on the first day of school.  The bottom was taken in May just a few days before the end of school.  He has grown, and he had such a wonderful teacher to help him do that!  

I thought his turned out really cute.  I just cut out a white foam sheet so it framed the pictures and then he could decorate it any way he wanted.  We glued it to a heavy piece of cardboard on the back.  Miss E also did a cute one for her 5th grade teacher, but she gave it to her teacher before I got a picture of it.  

Happy end of the school year!

What's up Wednesday--Garlic bread

So my mom has been making this "Gabby's Garlic bread" since I was little.  I think Gabby was a TV chef back in the 70's, but I am not sure.  Whoever Gabby is, I love though because of this bread.  It is the.best.garlic.bread.ever.  I have been eating it my whole life and can attest to that fact.  So good!

Miss E was helping me make it this week.  We were having spaghetti for dinner, and spaghetti and garlic bread just go together at our house.  

Gabby's Garlic Bread

Slice one loaf of French bread into 1" slices.

Grated Parmesan cheese

In a microwave bowl put

1/2 cup butter

2 tes green onions, chopped fine

1 tes parsley (I always use dry, but if you have fresh that is great!)

1/2 tes oregano

1/4 tes dill weed

2 garlic cloves--crushed (I just buy the big container of minced garlic and put in 1 tes of that)

Microwave (less than a minute) until butter is melted and then stir all together.  Place sliced bread onto a big aluminium foil sheet (we always have to put two sheets together by folding them in the middle)

Using a pastry brush, brush both slides of each slice of bread with the butter mix.  Spread any extra butter mix on top of bread.  Take Parmesan cheese and sprinkle in between each bread slice--like Miss E is doing above.  Wrap bread up in foil and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.  Divine--let me tell you--it is divine!  You will want to eat the whole loaf yourself!  Yum!

Enjoy!

2013 Blue Jeans Week 20

Busy last week of school.  Summer has officially started at our house!  yeah!  It was a big last week with Mother's day and all the end of school activities, field trips, and awards assemblies not to mention the huge regional track meet.  Saturday I was so totally exhausted.  We spent the day cleaning the house and working in the yard and then Ben and I finally got a date night.  So nice.  So ready for the lazy days of summer!!!  Here is a look at our crazy busy last week of school. . .

Mother's Day--church was nice, I got a new watch I had been wanting.  Ben and the kids made a yummy dinner, and I got to relax with these two cute boys and take a nice long nap.  It was a good day! 

Last field trip!!!  I went with Mr J's class to the zoo.  Lots of fun!

President's award assembly.  Miss E and her amazing teacher!  What a great year she has had!!!

End of the year band concert--Miss O's first band concert of many.  She has only been in the band about 9 weeks.  She is playing the trombone and French horn and then the piano in the jazz band.  Band parents here we come!

Miss E had her 5th grade graduation.  Man!  Her and two cute friends.  They had a blast!

Big regional track meet.  Miss A did awesome.  She beat her personal best time in the mile and got 5th by 2 seconds.  Unfortunately only the top 4 make it to state, but that is okay.  She had an amazing varsity track season as a freshman, and we are sure proud of her!  Watch out for her next year!!!

Our yearly end of school "Toyota" jump picture.  Yeah!  School's out for the summer!!!!

Thanks for visiting!  Hope you have a great week!  Visit often.  I post Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays.  

I am linking up with Kleinworth Co and The Mom Creative

Summer plans

Welcome summer!  School is officially out, and summer is officially in!!!!  I am a list person.  Post-it notes with lists on them are my friends.  I have been working on some summer lists.  Here are some things we have planned. . .

1.  Read lots of books!
2.  Make lots of lemonade
3.  Eat lots of popsicles and ice cream (DQ visits are a must)
4.  Star gaze
5.  Stay up late (occasionally)
6.  Sleep in late (often)
7.  Have picnic lunches
8.  Go to the park lots
9.  Have the kids organize their rooms (which you know they are soooo excited about--not)
10.  Count box tops (I collect these for the school, and I have thousands that need to be counted and sorted, so I am going to put the 4 extra bodies to work counting this summer)
11.  Make birthday cards (I like to have a stash of homemade birthday cards ready, and my stash is low, and my kids make great cards!)
12. Scrapbook my kids' school year
13.  Cook with my kids, try some new recipes
14.  Count my blessings each day and enjoy the summer with my kids!!!!  Realize the amazing blessing it is to have them and to be able to have this time with them because you know sometimes when they are fighting and screaming I forget that. . .

and of course there are lots more things to do, but we are only one day into this, so we are just getting started!  Let the fun begin!

Happy Summer!!!

What's up Wednesday--BBQ chicken (crock pot)

Mother's Day was a very good day.  Church was great.  I had to teach the lesson in young women's, but it went well.  We had yummy left over homemade pizza for lunch, and then I relaxed with some really cute boys (see above picture :) and took a nice long nap while everyone else made dinner.  I think we need to do that more often, not just once a year :)  So, Ben and the kids cooked dinner.  They made BBQ chicken which was appropriate for Mother's Day because it is my amazing mother-in-law's recipe, and it is so good!  No picture of the actual dinner, so take my word for it--it is super yummy, very easy, and you will definitely want to make it this week!  We serve it over rice.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

3/4 cup ketchup

2 Tbl. brown sugar

1 1/2 tes salt

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup chopped onion or 1 Tbl dehydrated dry onion

2-3 Tbl. vinegar

1 Tbl. chili powder (I never put this much in, I put in a little less, adjust to how much heat you like, this is really more sweet than spicy which is how I like anything)

1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce

Mix all the above ingredients well.  

Place 3-4 large boneless,skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with sauce.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high for about 4.  It is done when you can shred the chicken easily.  Take the chicken out and shred then put back into the sauce and stir.  Serve over rice.  

Yum!

2013 Blue Jeans week 19

Another birthday week--field trips, end of school concerts, league track meet, and just general craziness.  School is out in 4 days!!!  Yippee!  Let the summer begin!

Miss O made everyone at Sunday dinner a duck tape bracelet.  She does amazing stuff with that tape!

Miss E's birthday!  She wanted an Oreo cheesecake for her birthday cake--a child after my own heart!  

Field trip day!  Ben went with Miss E on her school field trip to the state capitol.  Fun!

Miss A's end of school choir concert.  She had a solo and did awesome!

I went to get into bed one night this week and was meet by this in my bed.  My little boy still loves his trains which makes me happy, and I don't mind having trains in my bed because it means I have a wonderful little boy in my home!

League track meet and Miss A broke 2 records, won 2 golds and a silver and helped her team place 2nd!  She is amazing! This next week is regionals, and only the top 4 make it to state, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.  She is only a freshman, so watch out!

Had a lunch date with a really cute boy today!

Miss E had a friend party for her birthday, and she wanted to take them skating.  These girls had fun!  

Thanks for visiting and hope you all have a great week!  I post Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, so visit often!

I am linking up with Kleinworth Co and The Mom Creative.

Life doesn't come with a manual, it comes with a mother

I love that quote from this video! Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women who have mothered me!  Thank you!