What Have I Been Doing?

Boy...what a couple of weeks it has been. Sam and I have see the $1 movies every week but this past one, had friends over from the street to either play, swim or watch yet even more movies, we've gone on a couple of our "trips" and have had Vacation Bible Camp at our church this past week. WHEW! Not to mention rehearsing for Music Man. So far it's just been rehearsals on Sunday night but now that we're just a month away there will be quite a bit more. In fact this coming Monday evening we'll be running through the entire first act. It's a lot of fun!!!

Instead of writing about all of it I've done slideshows for you. I will say that the Scout Car Wash was a blast and the boys raised $420!!! I think we'll be going to the Ft. Worth Zoo this week with Rachel and her kids. Should be fun!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox photobook

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Make a Smilebox postcard

Make a Smilebox postcard

PhotoHunter - Emotions

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Sam tried to surprise me in the pool by jumping up at me....so here is his SURPRISE emotion.

Below you will see pure BLISS!!!! He was happy, laughing and just having fun.

40PC, #7

Click above it you would like to join in!

It's time for 40PC, #7. If you would like to play click on the picture above and see what it's all about! Here is this weeks picture that was taken by Pensieve herself.

Hot Buttered Corn

BBQ Chicken

Watermelon

Ice Tea

Homemade Ice Cream

Swimming Pools

Family

Friends

Parades

Fourth of July

Fireworks

These are the images of Summer!

Friday's Feast

Want more feasts? Click the button above and enjoy!

Appetizer: Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

I guess I would consider myself an optimist. You have to see the bright side in things or else things would be pretty dim.

UPDATED: Found this on another blog and thought I would share with you my results:

You Are an Optimist

You definitely see the sunny side of life, even when things aren't going so great. And while you may not be a realist, your optimism has really improved your quality of life. You have the energy to take charge, solve your problems, and enjoy life for what it is. Optimists are happier and healthier - so keep thinking positive!

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Soup: What is your favorite color of ink to write with?
Any color I can find at the time. Actually it would probably be blue.

Salad: How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?
Not often. If I do, I do it myself and lately it's been few and far between. I haven't paid for one in years.

Main Course: Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?
Yes I have. I've actually had great luck in winning online. Too many to list right now.

Dessert: In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?
The living room is where our main computer is. We also have another one in hubby's office. I keep the main one in the living room because that way I can keep an eye on everything that is going on.

Favorite Summertime Drinks

What is your favorite summertime drink??

I actually have several. Besides Ice Cold Sun Tea, Ice Cold Diet Coke, and Ice Water I really like to make the following drinks:

Cool Melon Water:

2 cups ripe watermelon (you can also use cantaloupe) peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water
Juice of one lemon

Blend all ingredients together. Transfer to tall ice-filled glasses. Serves 6

Lime Mint Slush:

1 banana, coarsely chopped
6 mint leaves
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 cup milk
1/4 cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender and process until slushy. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Pineapple Zinger:

2 cups pineapple, coarsely chopped
1 cup orange juice
1 banana, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves 3.

Citrus Cocktail:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup club soda
1/2 cup ice cubes

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and swirl to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool. In a pitcher, combine all ingredients, mixing well. Serves 3.


I haven't made these in quite some time but I may just do so some time soon. They are all so good on a hot summer day.

So what are your favorite summer drinks? Please so share!

The Blog Verbosity Test

Found this on Pensieve's blog. Seems as though I only thought I had long posts. Hers are much longer! hehehe


Created by OnePlusYou

On average, your blog posts are around 604 words in length. This is 57 percent longer than other bloggers who took this test.

PhotoHunter - Bad Hair

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I combed Sam's hair out before a hair cut last year and got a picture of him. Boy does he ever have a lot of hair!

UPDATE: Thought I would give you an idea of how "bad" his hair looked like when I combed it out....because even though he can look good no matter what his hair looks like, here is what he normally looks like (and this is while he's swimming!):

The House Smelled GOOOOOOD Today!

Since it's been so hot around here I did some baking today. I figured that since I want to keep making bread that it would just be good to heat up the house once instead of every day. So today I made three different loaves of bread: Chipolte Bread, Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bread and an Italian Loaf that we had with dinner tonight.

The bread on the left is the Oatmeal Raisin Bread and the one on the right is the Chipolte Bread.

Speaking of dinner, I put together 1/2 a pound of Penne Rigate Noodles (left over from earlier this week), Spaghetti Meat Sauce (frozen from a previous meal), medium onion diced and sauteed and an 8 oz. package of cream cheese.

After the onions were sauteed I mixed in a bowl the cream cheese and the onions until well incorporated.

I layered in a 9"x9" dish the noodles and sauce together, then a layer of the onions and cream cheese mixed together followed by another layer of the noodles and sauce.

Then baked it in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Did it at that temp and for that long because that is what my Italian bread called for and I baked them at the same time. Had both for dinner. They came out GREAT! I'll make them both again soon. And to think that the main part came mostly from leftovers. Unfortunately I forgot to take a pictures of both the main dish and the Italian Bread. Mainly because we were all so hungry and wanted to sit down and eat while it was all still hot. When I make it again I'll get some pictures.

40PC, #6

It's time for 40PC, #6. If you would like to play click on the picture above and see what it's all about! Here is this weeks picture that was taken by Pensieve herself. These are wisteria vines that were just in bloom a few weeks ago.

Twisted together but living as one,

Seems as though nothing can make them become undone.

Like friendships and family all twined together

Our lives will always touch each other.

Friday's Feast

If you would like to participate in the feast please click on the button above. You can also view others that have participated.

Appetizer: When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?

Prefer the can or a bottle but will drink it any way I can get it.

Soup: What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?

Any. I like to watch TV. But I do have a DVR and record most of the shows that we watch so that I don't have to stay up late watching them.

Salad: Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.

I really think that my son, Sam, is brilliant.

Main Course: Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?

Sure! But I don't work right now so it doesn't really apply to me.

Dessert: If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

Crafty Woman!

Weapons: needles, pins, fabric, glue, yarn, etc.

Purpose: solve all the worlds problems by doing a craft project together!

Summer Reading

Half Price Books Summer Reading Program: Feed Your Brain is another summer reading program that we are going to take part in. Sam will be able to earn a $3 gift card to use at Half Price Books every week this summer! He can either spend it when he earns it or save them up for something more expensive.

Here are some of the "rules" :

How kids 10 and under can participate: 1. Get a Feed Your Brain Reading Log at Half Price Books or CiCi’s Pizza. 2. Check off each day they read for 15 minutes or more. 3. Fill out a reading log, and have a parent or guardian sign it. 4. Bring the completed and signed log to Half Price Books or CiCi’s Pizza. 5. Get a Feed Your Brain Reading Reward: your choice of a $3 Shopping Card at Half Price Books OR a Free Kid’s Buffet at CiCi’s Pizza with the purchase of an adult buffet. 6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 every week through Saturday, August 2, 2008.

Summer Fun!

This summer I have a lot planned for Sam and I to do. As some of you remember I did the same thing last summer with a bunch of friends of his. This summer I'm offering the same thing. Lots of stuff to do for whomever wants to tag along. Here are some of the trips that I have planned:
Duck Creek Blackberry Farm
Cowtown Cattlepen Maze
Fort Worth Zoo
Dallas Zoo
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Reflections Alpaca Ranch
Fall Creek Farms
Cinemark Summer Movies
AMC Summer Movies (thanks to Rachel for finding this one!)
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden (thanks to Rachel for reminding me of this one too.)

I'm a big fan of Family Fun Magazine and have found a lot of activities for Sam (and friends) to do on any given day. Here are some of them:

One-Line Drawings
Baseball Wristband
Family Magnets
Turning My Fence Into A Chalkboard (hopefully)
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Mosaic Mirror
Sand Art
Shrinky Dinks
Monster Pals Pillows
ConSTRAWction Zone
Bloomin' Buttons
Foam Flyers
Shirts With Sole
Buoyant Buddies
Bubble Mania
Solar S'mores
Cardboard Boomerang

There will also be many lazy days spent doing nothing or at least swimming in our pool. Which of course our friends will enjoy too.

Another one of our summer activities is that all three of us are cast members of our church's summer production of Music Man. I can't wait! We had our first run through last night and I can already tell that it will be very enjoyable. This is a community production and last night during introductions we found out that there are roughly 7 different churches represented. How amazing!

So....what do you have planned for the summer????