Father's Day

Happy very belated Father's Day to this amazing fellow!  We are so blessed to have him in our lives.  He is honestly the best daddy and husband EVER!  He has taught me how to be a better mother, wife, friend, and person through his example and advice.  He is a great example of dreaming BIG and making BIG things happen. 

The best pictures are him playing or teaching the girls.  Derek sure loves his girls, but I am always going to be his #1 ;). Thanks for who you are Derek!  We love you!

I went on a temple trip with the youth to the Dallas Temple and it brought back so many wonderful memories and feelings being raised near a temple.  So we left at 8:30am and we didn't get home until 9:30pm.  I took for granted having the temple 5-10 minutes away.  This trip broght back so many memories on going to the temple once a week in high school and college, then working in the Provo Temple after my mission.  The temple is really a special place that is sacred and special.

It was also fun sharing this moment with these great youth!  Driving 3 1/2 hrs to the temple, 5 teenages girls was a fun time connecting and jamming to music.

Ashlyn had a great opportunity to do Zoo Camp at the local zoo.  She was able to learn, explore, and feed the zoo animals.  She had a blast and is planning on going next summer.

One Ashlyn's last day at zoo camp, the 3 youngers, Derek, and I went to the zoo and the zoo park.  It is fun to see their excitment in the little things.

This was the most exciting part despite the vib from the picture ha ha.

One incentive that we started is filling up the jar with warm fuzzy by being kind, serving, helping me out and then they can earn a lunch at Chick-fil-a.  It took them about 2 weeks to earm, but it was worth the hard work. 

On Father's Day we had a young woman, Peyton from the ward spend all day and have a sleepover at our house (her family recently moved to Dallas and she wanted to go to girls camp).  Well we had eventful day.  We had a tournament with Ladder Ball and losers had to do a challenge.  The first round Peyton and I lost so we did the cinnamon challenge.  The second round Ashlyn and Derek lost so they had to jump in the pool with their clothes on...then it turned into a swimming party!  Derek was so excited because we don't swim on Sundays, so this was a real treat for him! Happy Father's Day!

For the almost 8 years that Derek and I have been married, I have never made his childhood favorite meal Chicken and Broccolli Casserole...so I finally made it and it turned out to be a success!  EVERYONE loved it and got seconds!

Yummy!

My kids love Sid the Science Kid and the activities that we do while we watch the show.  We learned about bananas process and we made banana bread.  They love the mashing of the bananas and anticipating the delicious bread.

Recently I have been studying a lot about simplifying my life and I am soaking it up.  I recently just finished the book Essentialism (so amazing) and it is a great reminder to evaluate your life and see what is most essential to you.  I am learning how to be content with what I have.  It seems like I am always wanting something (especially when I look at social media or pinterest) so I am limiting my use and my desire to want is replaced with gratitude for what I have.  I am so blessed to have the life that I am given.  I spend so much time with Derek and my girls and that is the most important thing to me. 

This is a quote that was in the hallway at church...

First Family Pictures in TEXAS

We got our family pictures done a few months ago by one of my friends and Derek's patient.  She did a wonderful job!  We absoltely loved how the pictures turned out.

 Desi

Let the summer fun begin!

We are excited for summer! We hit it off with our new schedule: Make it Monday,  The library had a kick-off for the summer reading program, got a free book, and we decorated cookies.

This is Desi's new ccchhhheeeeeeeeessssseeeee face!

We do reading and math in the mornings and Brinley finished one of her workbooks.

Ashlyn made "her" house in the backyard.  She told me that she is allowed to come have a sleepover every night and she can be at "my" house twice a day.  

She is blessed with a great imagination!

Fun in the dirt

When I was a child I went to a babysitter named Helen (she is like a second mom to me) and during the summer we would have to watch Bill Nye the Science Guy and write in our science journal.  I have implimented something similar with the girls and we are having a blast with it. We have been watching Sid the Science Kid and in the middle of the show when they do an activity we do a similar activity and write in our science journal.  It is so fun!

We learned about nonstandard measurement and measured the paper and coffee table.  

These girls have filled up their letter with stickers by doing their homework.  They worked so hard to earn their chocolate bar.  I think we have some chocolate lovers in the house.

Take a trip Tuesday.... $1 Movie at the movie theater.

Secret Life of Pets

This girl earned her chocolate by doing mommy school and going potty in the toilet.

Wet Wednesday with Daddy.

Derek gets home at 3 o'clock on Wednesdays during the summer to spend more time with us. Of course we enjoy swimming with Daddy.

I have been wanting to get my girls involved with service.  This week we dropped off a meal for a family who recently lost a loved one. 

I am trying to learn a new skill that I have been wanting to do for awhile now....cut the girls hair.  It looks a lot harder than it is... I need a lot of practice!  I have watched a lot of youtube videos. It is great to learn while they are young, when they don't mind that it isn't perfect and hopefully will save me lots of money in the future. 

Thinking  Thursday: learning to make an orangle julius

Another memory of Helen's house is Orange Julius.  We made Orange Julius and had some popcorn! Yummy!

Movie Time

Derek and I like to do dates with the girls on Thursday nights.  We try to be consistent, but life happens sometimes.  This week Ashlyn and I went to Wendy's to get a frost (she has been begging for a couple of weeks now) and we went to the park and talked for awhile in the car.  She is so amazing!!!! I can't believe I am so blessed to have this little girl as my daughter.  As we were talking, I just felt the spirit touch my heart and remind me that this is one of your best friends! She is a talker, but she is also a wonderful listener.  She would ask me questions and we had a great conversation.  Ashlyn is so mature for her age.  Our date was very special for Ashlyn and I.

Fun Friday

We love Fridays because daddy doesn't work on Fridays and get to spend the whole day with us.  We had an eventful morning.  It started off with us running as a family (our new routine 3 times a week).


dkjalkjdlkjafjlkdjklj - running video

We went blueberry picking at a local blueberry farm.

Went to a Science Show at the library
Is it science or magic?

Then we went to the local airport and had lunch and watch the planes land and take off.

On Saturday I went on a Youth Temple Trip.  It was fun to remember so many fond memories of going to do baptisms weekly when I was a youth with my friends.  It is so easy to take the temple for granted and now that it 4 hours away I miss the temple.  It was fun to go with these girls and jam out to music on the long drive. It is so much fun to be in young womens!

Grilled Pizza for lunch after church.

My helpers!

Daddy's new workout

For our date night this week we went to one of our favorite Mexican Restaurant Herraduras and our waitor talked us getting in House Special that isn't on the menu.  It is fajatas with shrimp, chicken, steak, and cactus.  Well it turned out to be the spiciest meal ever!!!! Derek and I's mouths were on fire.  After one bit my mouth didn't turn normal for about 10-15 minutes (not exaggerating).  Well it turns out that there is a whole jalapeno in it.