Lake Trip

Murray and I got back from Ireland Monday night and early Wednesday morning I headed to Tennessee to see my brother, sister-in-law and nephew.  I got a call from my brother about two days before we left for Ireland saying they just found out they were able to stay at his friend's lake house for the Mon-Fri after we got back.  If you remember over the last 6 months, we have had to cancel two trips to visit them in Iowa at the last minute.  There was no way I was going to miss this opportunity.  Surprisingly, the jet lag was not that bad.  One afternoon I actually managed to get all three kids to take a nap with me - small miracle - and that really helped.  

One thing I discovered on this trip is that our girls love adventure.  Sara Wells has been on the SeaDo before, but she REALLY loved it this trip.  My brother was shocked to see her temper flare up when he tried to end her turn.

And they're off...

And, Sara Wells would have nothing to do with going slow.

She had Uncle Rich zooming her around the lake.

Ella was not about to be outdone by her sister!

Look at those waves she is making!

 The kayak was another big source of entertainment for the kids.

 Parker chauffeured us around for the week.  

Another thing we could not get Sara Wells off of.

 The  cousins.  Can you tell they are related?

New Stages

We are finally back!   We got back late Monday evening and then Wednesday morning the kids and I headed to Tennessee to visit my brother and family who were visiting from Iowa.  The Ireland trip was great!  Again this year we were amazed at how the Lord continues to bring more and more families to the VBS.  This year we had over 100 kids!  And no rain.  No rain in Ireland!  It was very clear to everyone that the Lord had his hand over our week.  I am just beginning to go through all of our pictures, I will have more on our trip over the next few days.  

Tuesday night we entered into a new stage of life.  Ella lost her first tooth!  I really cannot believe that she is already loosing teeth!  It was pretty loose before we left, but stayed in until we got home (I really don't know if I could have handled her loosing her first tooth while we were gone!).  It was extremely loose all day, to the point that I was a little nervous she would swallow it.  But Ella did not really like wiggling it.  When Murray got home, he got Ella very excited about how loose her tooth was.  I think mainly because he could not bear the thought of not being with Ella when she lost her first tooth.  He not only got her excited about how close she was to loosing her tooth, he helped her out a little bit and tugged just a little bit.  From that moment on Ella did not leave her tooth alone.  

It took about three or four minutes until Ella tugged her tooth out.

 To say that she was excited is an understatement!

Look at that cute little smile.

Ella ran straight to her bed so she could go to sleep and the Tooth Fairy could come.  

 Ella put her tooth in a bag, making sure it would not get lost during the night,

then placed it perfectly under her pillow

 and waited eagerly for the Tooth Fairy.

I know that it does not seem out of the ordinary that Ella is wearing a leotard, Ella takes every opportunity to dress up.  But Tuesday Ella started gymnastics again.  We took a year off because it got too crazy trying to keep a two and a half year old and an eight month old contained during Ella's gymnastics class.  Murray and I agreed that if Ella really wanted to start back we would, but if it was something she did not miss, it was easier to do without.  About a month ago out of the blue Ella said, "Mommy, I really want to take gymnastics again."  Since that day, we have been all about gymnastics.  I have never seen Ella light up about something like she does with gymnastics.  The day we went to the gym to sign up, we watched the team practice for about 20 minutes.  Ella cried (I mean brokenhearted, really cried) for 30 minutes after we left because she did not get to stay and do gymnastics with the big girls.  I don't know how long it will last, but I think gymnastics is Ella's love.  It has been a long month waiting for gymnastics to start, but the day finally came!

And Ella is on cloud nine!  This is how we will be spending our Tuesday afternoons for the next year.  And then every free moment at home :)  It is so fun to watch your child discover what she really loves and put her whole heart into it.  We are in full gymnastics mode at the Lee House!

Soap

Just as I was trying to think of something that the kids could make for Granna for her birthday, I saw instructions on how to make soap.  The directions looked surprisingly easy and very manageable, even  with 3 small kids.  And believe it or not, it was actually just as easy as the directions made it look.

What you need:  

Soap block (Michael's)

Microwave safe bowl

Molds (I bought a few and then dug through my recycle bin.  

My favorites were actually from the yogurt cup)

Scents (I used citrus and vanilla.  They are in the same isle as the soap)

Pretty things to "float" in your soap

Ella and Miller each came up with what they wanted to put in their soap.  Ella decided on pretty flowers from around our yard to remind Granna of us at our house.  Miller decide a roach and his dinosaur would be perfect for reminding Granna of him.

Melt 4 oz of soap per bar.  I would suggest only doing one bar at a time.  

Put in microwave for 40 sec.  Stir.  Then microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until soap is completely melted.  

Add a scent (you may need a few more drops than you think, it is not quite as strong once the soap hardens).   

Pour the melted soap in mold.  

Put your choice objects in the soap (have to work kind of fast, soap starts to solidify faster than you would think).  

I wish we would have added some color to the soap, but when your work environment is this

 

you do the least amount of steps to accomplish the end goal!  Next time we will add color to our soap and wait until SW is taking a nap:)  Although she did have fun watching the flowers change colors and seeing mom very delicately deal with the roach with out gaging.

Miller's Soap

Ella's Soap

Very well received gift!

Black Eyed Pea Humus

This recipe is straight from Southern Living and is always a big hit.  Just adds a little variety from normal humus.  Here is what you need:

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained 

2 tablespoons tahini (tahini is ground sesame seeds, you can either find it with peanut butter or with the asian food)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used red pepper flakes)

3 tablespoons water

Paprika

Process first 9 ingredients in a food processor until blended, stopping to scrape down sides.  Gradually add 3 tablespoons of water for desired consistency.  Cover and chill at least an hour.  Drizzle with olive oil and paprika before serving.

I figure if the black eyed pea humus passes this picky taste tester, it is worth passing on.  It is great with pita chips, tortilla chips and vegetables.

Gotta love this cute little girl.  This is why in so many of our pictures Sara Wells hair is in her face.  I do try to keep it out of her eyes.  I fix her hair every morning.  But it is inevitable that she always reaches up and pulls it out.  Even rubber bands do not deter her.  Oh my, what are we going to do with this little mess?

Key Lime Pie

I had not intended to share this recipe until we sat down to eat it and Murray could not stop talking about it.  Yes, this is two desserts in a row that Murray has gone on and on about that are not chocolate!  I got this recipe several years ago from a friend and it really is sooo good, but I always have loved Key Lime Pie.  When Murray could not stop talking about it, I knew I had to share the recipe.  It is all homemade, but don't be intimidated, it is not hard and it is sooo worth it.  I was literally scraping the bottom of the pie dish to get every last morsel of the crust.

For the Crust:

1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (I just used one sleeve of graham crackers)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

Mix crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a medium bowls.  Press evenly into an unbuttered 9-inch pie pan.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling:

4 Large egg yolks

1 tablespoon freshly grated key lime zest (8-10 key limes), can use regular limes if you cannot find key limes 

Sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh key lime juice

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat egg yolks and lime zest on high until well mixed and slightly thickened (about 1 minute).  Add condensed milk and beat well.  Add lime juice and salt, beat again.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake about 15-17 minutes, or until the filling looks firm when gently shaken.  (I will admit, I think I overcooked mine a little bit, and it made it a little more like custard.  It was just as good, just a little different texture.)

Now here is where preference comes in.  Our family is a Cool Whip family, but if you prefer homemade whipped cream here is a good recipe:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Just before serving mix all ingredients together on high until peaks form.

This is delicious!  I hope you enjoy!

(I did use fat free sweetened condensed milk and it tasted just as good)

The Perfect Popsicle

I did it, I found the perfect summer popsicle recipe.  I know that it really is the best recipe because Murray kept going on and on and on about them.  This is the man who would rather not eat a dessert than eat a dessert with fruit in it (that includes in the garnish).  I don't know that I have ever seen him eat a popsicle (ok, maybe a bite of the kid's Otter Pops, but that is it) or express any interest in anything that resembles a popsicle.  He had one taste of Miller's popsicle and he has not stopped talking about it.  It is perfect: fresh, light, a little creamy and so refreshing!  Oh, and so easy!!!

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh strawberries

in food processor

 1/4 cup sugar

1 to 1 1/2 cups of vanilla yogurt

(I used two individual yogurt cartons) 

 A few more pulses in the food processor

Distribute evenly into popsicle molds

 Let freeze for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight) before serving

 Guaranteed satisfaction

 If this face does not say delicious, I don't know what does!

I hope these keep you cool during this last few weeks of the blazing hot summer!

Happy Birthday Granna

My mom came in town today to keep the kids while we are in Ireland (more on that later).  Since we knew she was coming soon, we held off sending birthday gifts until she was here so we could Celebrate her Birthday with her.  The kids could not wait for Granna to arrive so that we could have her birthday celebration and they could give her the presents they made and, of course, eat her chocolate birthday cake!  Somehow we managed to hold them off until after dinner.  I was shocked they did not tell her what her presents were!  

First off Granna opened her card with drawings from all the kids.  Miller is describing to Granna his flying dinosaur that he drew for her.    

Granna first received a new Ruffly Scarf and new vest (an adaptation of the Billy Cardi that has been on my side bar forever.  Side note, you should try this!  It is so easy and sooo cute!).  Anticipation built as Granna reached the bottom of the gift bag.  What could be down there that the kids were so excited about?  The kids made Granna...

Soap

made with things that would remind her of them.  What did Miller choose?

A ROACH!  It was hilarious making this soap I will say.  We watched a roach die for a day so that we could capture it and put it in our soap.  Watching to roach slowly die might have been Miller's favorite part.  I thought my mom would have a totally different reaction, throwing it down, "ewe, ewe, ewe."  But she loved it!  Did not think it was gross at all, just reminded her of her sweet little Miller.

Ella had a great time explaining to Granna exactly what went into the soap making process.  

Sara Wells was fascinated with all the flowers stuck in the soap.  

Can you tell by this picture that the birthday celebrations lasted a little past bedtime.  Sara Wells looks like she is about to fall asleep right there.  Overall, the soap was a huge hit!!!  Granna will now have soap to remind her of her grandkids for at least a year!  Happy Birthday Granna.  We love you!

After partying wrapped up Murray headed to the bedroom to pack up for our trip.  He found a few stowaways in his suitcase.

Even Sara Wells wanted to make the trip with us.

Don't be fooled though, this is not the suitcase Murray will take on our trip.  One little fact you may not know about Murray is that everything is a competition (I am sure this comes from years and years of football, and just being a guy).  The person who Murray is competing with probably has no clue that they have entered into competition with Murray and he never says anything afterward, it is just his own internal competition (chopping vegetables, folding laundry, stuffing envelopes, quickest way home...).  This has most recently manifested itself in packing.  It is now Murray's mission to always carry-on, no matter how long the trip or how far away.  He most recently carried-on for a 10 day trip to China.  But it is no longer enough for just Murray to carry-on, the real challenge is if his wife can carry-on too.  He has been talking about this all summer.  I gave him no promises.  I gave him my word that I would try, but I was not going to leave anything crucial behind just for HIS goal (which means not leaving any shoes behind).   One big motivation for me was that I did get a really cute new overnight bag that will be my "personal bag"  I packed last night and drum roll please... I will be carrying on!  Now, I do technically have two carry-ons, but I will be checking no luggage for a 2 week trip to Ireland.  This might be the proudest Murray has been of me.  

Sadly, while I am there I will not be able to post.  So, you can expect a very long post with lots of pictures.  I am actually going to take my camera this year.  Murray and I are going a few days before the rest of our team to spend time with the missionaries there and the pastor and his wife.  We will be traveling around the coast of Ireland with them visiting the towns where they hope to plant churches in the next few years.  I know it will kill me not to share pictures every day.  However, my blog is not going to be empty for the next two weeks.  I actually have a few fun recipes and tutorials lined up.  So, check in for some good eats and fun things to do with your kids!

Be back in two weeks!  Hope yall enjoy your last few weeks of summer!!!