4th Of July weekend fun

Saturday

On Saturday Bryce came home from Scout Camp all tuckered out!

And extremely dirty....he said he showered once in 5 days...grosss!)

He was pretty excited about this purchase!

I did make the cupcakes and they turned out really really good!

So I went to go deliver them to my friend on my motorcycle....(jk...this picture's for you Maureen lol!) Took them to Don and Trudy's for a bbq and swimming.

Sunday

Sunday night after playing "The Missionary Game"...the boys went to a friends house

  and we took Sophia with us to our good friends Don and Trudy...again...they are like family:)

for some fireworks at home

Like my pretty sparklers??

If we had a daughter we would want her to be exactly like Sophia!!!

OOOOOOHHHH!!

AAAAAHHHH!!

WOW!

We loved the way the flag hung next to my white Rabbit..so pretty! ... Lookin' good Trudy;)

We had a fun 4th of July Celebration

Hope yours was fun too!

Just the 2 of us

Just Me

And Him

Without the "Nut"

or the "Show off"

for Dinner 

and a movie

at home....last night. 

(I of course fell asleep about 20 miniutes into the movie as usual)

A great way to begin the 4th of July weekend! 

 Then He got up at 5 this morning to head to Camp Lassen to pick up the "show off" and his buddies.

   

We had our usual favorite summer bbq chicken ever!

You gotta try it!

1/2  c soy sauce

1/4 c olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic (or just use garlic salt or powder, still good)

a handful of parsely flakes

3 tbsp fresh grated ginger or 3 tsp powdered ginger

Blend in a blender.

Either mainade 2-3 hours or overnight or however short or long you'd like....DELICIOUS!

you wont be dissappointed!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND!

Cupcake Flag with Blueberries and Coconut

Doesn't this look yummy, fun and festive? Think I'll try it....for the 4th. Wish me luck...looks easy enough...Here's the recipe!

Cupcakes:

2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 cup(s) granulated sugar
1 1/2 stick(s) (12 tablespoons) butter or margarine, softened
1 lemon
3 large eggs
1 cup(s) low-fat buttermilk

Frosting:
8 ounce(s) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened
1 cup(s) confectioner's sugar
1/2 pint(s) blueberries
1 pint(s) raspberries
1 cup(s) sweetened flaked coconut



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Directions

Prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 20 muffin-pan cups with cupcake liners.

On sheet of waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar and 8 tablespoons butter 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. From lemon, grate 3 teaspoons peel; reserve 1 teaspoon peel and set aside. With mixer on medium-high speed, add remaining 2 teaspoons peel to butter mixture and beat 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until blended.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. (Cupcakes can be stored, well-wrapped, at room temperature up to 2 days, or in freezer up to 1 month.)

Prepare frosting: In bowl, with mixer on low speed, blend cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon peel. Increase speed to high; beat 3 to 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy.

Spread frosting on cupcakes. Top 4 cupcakes with blueberries, 8 with raspberries, and 8 with coconut; arrange on platter to resemble American flag.

One year down

This month marks 1 year since Michael left for his mission.  The year has gone by pretty fast and so much has happened.  I don't know whether to laugh or cry.  I've been doing more of both in the past year than I have in the 20 years since Michael was born.  I read an email once from one of the Mom's from the Missionary Moms group that I belong to and she talked about how so many Mom's talk about all of the many blessings that their families received while their missionary was serving.  She on the other hand said that she had received more trials while their missionary was serving than blessings.  I thought that was interesting.  I can so relate to this Mom! I do know that it is after the trial of our faith that the blessings come. (Ether 12:6)  However, while it seems that we have been in the midst of trials since before Michael left, I have also recognized so many blessings in spiritual things.  Yesterday as we said goodbye to Bryce as he left for scout camp and thinking about all of the yw and leaders leaving for girls camp, I cried, I felt humbled and dependent so much on my Heavenly Father.  Today I woke up laughing about our situation.  I dont know why it just seemed comical to me..... It was as if the spirit was whispering...."just hang on and enjoy the ride, take it all in, and learn from the experience".  I am so thankful for this past year and all that I have learned and continue to learn.  Michael is serving his Father in Heaven so faithfully and loving every minute of it and for that I am extrememly thankful!  He is a great kid and deserves to be having the time of his life!  One year down and one more to go!

Forever Strong

So, last week Bryce and Stephen watched that movie "Forever Strong" probably 3 times.  The rest of the week Stephen went around the house doing the "Haka".  Rugby is a very popular sport in Australia and New Zealand and Michael had a companion from NZ.  The Mission President actually showed the movie "Forever Strong" to his missionaries there a while back. ( Michael has sent a few pictures of him with his tounge hanging out and he and his companion doing the "Haka").  Anyway, I decided that I should take a picture of this obsession with Stephen and send it to Michael.  So, I did. (I also took pictures of each of us making our "pukana" faces but they are pretty ugly...especially mine)  But, besides this picture of Stephen's "Haka" pose, I think the title of the movie is very appropriate for this young man. 

 Stephen is a pretty amazing 15 year old, but of course I am his mother so I am a bit biased.  He made the Varsity Football team this year and so he has been going to conditioning every morning and it's been kicking his butt.  But, as he comes home he tells funny stories about his teammates, who are mostly juniors and seniors and he has been enjoying his associations with them.  However, he is very aware that their standards are not always the same as his.  So, he finds it a welcome challenge and a responsibility to set an example of who his Heavenly Father expects him to be. 

The other day after I left for work he sent me a text to tell me he was deactivating his fb account.  I was shocked because he loved that thing and spent a good deal of time talking with friends and sharing good information.  But this is what he said to me,"I just think that spending too much time on the internet is not a good thing and it allows more chances for the adversary to creep in.  I need to use my time more wisely working on my duty to god, reading scriptures, and working on my eagle.  Satan is real and to not  always be prepared spiritually is just stupid."

Okay, so I know he is just a teenager and so much can change in the next few years, but for now i am enjoying this "Forever Strong" phase he is going thru!  I love it!

(okay, if you really BEG I just might put up the pictures I sent Michael...If I get real brave...I mean really brave.

Happy Birthday to one awesome Woman!

Today I want to wish my beautiful Mother in Law
  Delores 
a very Happy Birthday!  I love this woman!

She has taught me so much.  She raised 6 boys herself and so she knows all the ins and outs of being a mom of boys! I am so grateful to her for all she has done and continues to do for our family.  She truly is a woman of faith, dedication, strength and love.  This is my favorite picture of her with Michael and Brittani when they were just about 2 years old.  She was and still is a wonderful Grandmother.  A woman who knows what is important and how to let her family know that they are #1 in her life.  She is a great example of creating a forever family.  

Thank you Mom for who you are and all you do!  We love you dearly!

The Greatest Dad

Happy Father's Day Mike

Thank you for teaching our boys to be kind, honest, strong, loving and hard working.

Thank you for teaching them ,thru your example, to honor their priesthood and to have integrity.

Thank you for always playing with them. 

And Thank you for supporting me as their Mom!

Thank you for ALL you do for our family.

You are the Greatest Dad!

We Love You!

and the boys!