Baby, your a {firework}

Fourth of July was a little different for us this year

 usually we go to my sister's for a bar b que and then to

Oak Grove Park

we lay out a blanket for us all to watch the show

but this year

We have Keaton and Kayla

and we are doing it a little bit different ...

First we had to make a stop in Riverside to 

pick up some fireworks for the boys to shoot off, in the yard

I am never excited about this

I love watching fireworks, but hate shooting them!

... 

Then we went to Liberty's 4th Celebration

at William Jewell College

to see Kayla play in her summer community band.

we went a little early so the kids could play
on the obstacle courses and inflatables
 we also wanted to hear Saucy Jack, an 80's band.

They even got to go out on the field and play frisbee
can you see them out there?

Just before the fireworks display Kayla's band started playing

some amazing patriotic music

Kayla played the cymbals, the bass drum and the xylophone!
such a talent!


{do you see my little guys, in the background,
 with their hands over their hearts during the National Anthem
... so stinkin' cute!}

After the amazing show
we all went home and it was time for them to light some
of their own fireworks.  Ugh.

stresses me out

We had a really good time with our extra crew this year
and doing something a little different. 


 Plus, I heard Gladstone's fireworks display happen to be a dud this year.  
{so glad we missed that}

Weekend Get-Away!

what's better than a quick weekend get-away
with great friends


We packed up and headed out to the Lake of the Ozarks
to stay with Darren & Angela
in their new house!


It couldn't have been a better weekend
the weather was perfect and
the company was amazing

boating and swimming all day Saturday
and even some night life adult time without the kiddos 
{hellooo Captain Ron's rum runners}

Such a relaxing, fun weekend 
Perfect for hanging out and catching up with our friends!


{and we decided to kidnap Keaton and take him home with us, for the week}

Yummy Summer Treat

Everyone who knows me knows

that I am not the girl who is in the kitchen much

it isn't that I can't cook or bake

it's just that I don't like to

not really at all

{i wish i did}

We'll, for Father's Day/Dalton's Birthday

I decided to bring a recipie

that I saw on food website
it looks so good and seemed simple enough

I didn't tell anyone just incase it didn't work out

but guess what

it was deee-lish

everyone loved it



Sam loved it so much

he begged me to make it later that week

I decided to make it for his birthday party

and again it was a big hit

I am sharing the recipie

for family and friends that have asked

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
1 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
melted butter

2 cups cinnamon sugar

1.In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar.

Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a

large baking sheet.

4.Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes.

 Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes.

Serve with fruit salsa.

Yummy Summer Treat!

Gardening with Grandma

My mom had this great idea,

she wanted to help the boys start

their very own garden

She set up a little area in her yard

and asked the boys what they would like to grow

maybe some things that they would really like to eat

They decided on strawberries,

cauliflower, jalapeno peppers

squash and bell peppers

They all were surprisingly excited

talking about how they can't wait to watch it all grow

and to be able to pick and eat their own food.

I love this for so many reasons:

such sweet time spent learning with Grandma

so good for them to weed, water & take care of their own plants

it's super cool for them to learn to be resourceful

It's what memories are made of
Thanks for being so awesome, Mom!

Grandpa even got in on a little of the action!



Lazy Lakers

That's what we are calling ourselves

The Lazy Lakers

It's our summer book club

First book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

I thought, this just isn't my kind of read

but when it's assigned, what's a girl to do

Somehow, I got through that first chapter and then ...

I was hooked

I couldn't put it down

I can't believe how good that book was

I am so glad that I "had" to read it

Then we all get to meet at Kourtney's house

on the lake

float around on her boat

eating snacks, having a few cold drinks

and soaking up the sun with some really great gals

This is my kind of book club

Next up, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman

I hope this book is as good as the last

but I definately know ...

The book club meeting

will be!



Movie Time

Brad, Sam and I went to see

Green Lantern

at the awesome AMC Theater downtown

Wow, what a theater, we don't want to go to

a movie anywhere else again!
.

The movie was just okay

The story was predictable and the action was lacking

but still an enjoyable experience in the

huge theater with seats that shake during action scenes
.

Sam really liked it

Brad fell asleep through part of it

and I LOVED Ryan Reynolds

Parkour

Also called: free running  (the art of moving)

 is the physical discipline of training and running through urban areas while performing various gymnastic maneuvres over or on man-made obstacles such as walls and buildings.

He is taking a parkour class all summer

with Dawson and Billy

They all LOVE it

and can't wait for Wednesdays

It's the perfect gymnastic activitiy for this boy

Everywhere we go, he says,

"that looks like an awesome place to parkour!"

Wall Spins

This is his new obsession

he loves making parkour obstacles around the yard for practice

and I love anything that gets him outside and moving!