Embrace the Camera

Yesterday I packed a picnic loaded up the kids and we headed to a new park.  They ran around, climbed, swung and laughed like crazy:

 by the time we were ready to go home they were tired:

And I barely could contain any of them for a quick picture with me, but I finally captured little Smiley for a quick picture.... sort of :)

It was a fun evening together!

Peanut Butter Chicken

This chicken recipe is one of my hubby's favorites.  And, I'm pretty sure it's actual name is NOT peanut butter chicken, but (besides "yummy") that's what we call it at my house.

Ingredients:

½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup water
¼  cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
sliced green onions ~ for garnish

What to do:

1.  Stir together: peanut butter, water, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, brown sugar, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until smooth, cool.

2.  Reserve at least half of the sauce for dipping (you do not want to use this to brush onto your raw chicken).  Then, brush the rest of the sauce onto the chicken.

3.  Grill chicken on a medium hot grill for about 8 minutes, turning once.  Brush with any additional sauce while grilling.

4.  Serve with reserved sauce and sprinkle with green onions.

Mmmm Mmmm Good!

Actually, my husband likes the sauce so much by itself he loves it when I make a little extra that way he can dip his bread or whatever else he can find in it.

ENJOY!

Party on my friends, party on :)

Embrace the Camera

This week has been crazy.

I've been leading activities and games for Vacation Bible school at our church.  Between 9 and noon I get to hang out with 200 elementary kids.  Unfortunately the weather hasn't been cooperating and we've been stuck in the gym.  Big bummer, because I like to play water games :)

Anyway, between my crazy, rainy mornings and evenings stuffed full of sports I was very happy when Action's baseball game got cancelled last night due to rain.

Smiley and I took advantage of some reading and snuggle time (with glasses on and my fabulous rained on hair):

Then Sassy joined us!  Hard to believe she's smiling because about a half hour before this pic she was shrieking in pain after slamming her finger in the car door.  Let's just say, her finger is looking nasty!

And since I mentioned that Action's baseball game got rained out last night, I would also like to mention that Sassy made her fast pitch softball pitching debut in a tournament last weekend.  And yep, you guessed it, it was raining!  She did pretty well until, the game got called off due to the fact that the home plate seemed to be sitting in a wading pool.  What a sloppy mess.  (Action was actually dumping water out of his shoes ~ Yuck!)

Enjoy your day and don't forget to step out from behind the camera and enjoy the moments together!

Friday Funny

Wow, it's been quite a long time since I've posted a "Friday Funny", but here's what I found funny this week:

Let's start with dessert.

Action chose cheesecake bars:

Sassy, well, she chose pheasant jerky.

Yep.
No Joke!

Pheasant jerky, made by my hubby.

Really?

Then, she very seriously (we're talking school test serious) asked her dad this:

Dad, What can go up, but can't come down?"

Hubby..... thinking....

smoke beginning to form above his head from thinking so hard......

more thinking.....

Finally, "Hmmm, I don't know."

Sassy:

YOUR AGE!!!!

Enter hysterical fits of laughter :)  You know, fits of laughter that even if you aren't laughing, it is completely contagious and suddenly, you can't NOT laugh!

Man, that girl makes me smile!

Hope your weekend is full of laughs!

Embrace the Camera ~ Annie

"The sun'll come out tomorrow
bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
there'll  be sun....."

Yep, I'm still singing!

The other night I took my girly out on a date.

We met up with a friend and her son, went out for dinner then went to the theatre to see a production of Annie.

It was fabulous.
The set
The acting
The singing
EVERYTHING.

We had a blast and can't wait until our Mom/Daughter date!

Never forget to embrace the camera and get in the photo!
Too often us moms (dads, grandparents....etc) are the one's behind the camera taking the pictures.
I want my family to know I was there too :)
That's why I embrace the camera!

Last Day of School Tradition aka "Water Ambush"

There are about 11 kids that get on and off the school bus at the same stop as my kids.

On the last day of school when the kids exit the bus for the final time we welcome our children home and celebrate the start of summer vacation by attacking them with water.

Typically using water guns and water balloons.

Here's what you need to start your own Last day of school water attack:

• The last day of school
• Unsuspecting school children (ok, they are starting to catch on, but that doesn't make it any less fun)
• Willing adults (those that stay home and those that are able to break away from work) and siblings

• Water balloons

• Water Guns
• Buckets full of water for refilling
• A wagon to wheel items to the bus stop and to hold empty water guns, buckets and broken water balloons after the ambush

Here's what you do:

• When the bus stops and the kids start filing out of the bus, begin water ambush.  
• Continue until all (water) ammunition is used up

Warning:

• There will be lots of laughing, shouting and shrieks of happinness (or maybe shock as the cold burst of water hits you in the back)
• It is likely that the water fight will backfire a bit and the adults with this brilliant idea will be almost as wet as their children

Tip:

Bring a camera and when the kids take aim, yell "don't get me wet, I have a camera!" Although most children do not care.  Therefore, don't bring your fancy SLR, bring your basic point and shoot!

Here's where the parties are: