MasterChef Cookies

One of our favorite summer shows is MasterChef.  This year we've been letting the kids watch it with us too.  The premise of the show is that home cooks compete in a culinary competition to earn the title of MasterChef and various other awesome prizes.  So today we had our own mini episode of the show.  The kids and I all made our own basic cookie dough and then got to select from the "pantry" available to create our own, one-of-a-kind cookie.  Mine had chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and a little almond extract.  Katherine added mini m&ms, yellow food coloring, cinnamon, and sprinkles on top (because they make everything more fun).  Emily used mini m&ms, cinnamon, a squeeze of chocolate syrup, and green food coloring.  Jonathan's included blue food coloring and chocolate chips.  They all turned out quite yummy.  The last part was setting them each out for Daddy to try when he gets home, just like the judges do on the show.

Another Great trip to the Fatzingers!

We took a weekend trip down to visit our good friends, the Fatzingers, again earlier in the summer.  We had a great time.  The deer literally come right up to their back door there.  Katherine loved to swing on their tree swing.  The kids played beautifully together and the adults just enjoyed catching up.  I even got to help organize a game/book cabinet...it made me really happy to do so...it's one of my quirks.  Joy fed us very, very well all weekend too.  We miss them not being closer to us, but are so thankful we get to catch up and hang out like this!

First Grade Jon

Jonathan just wrapped up first grade.  We were so grateful to have him taught by the same sweet teacher Emily had for 1st grade.  She's a jewel and Jonathan loved being in her class.  She takes photos throughout the year and posts them online for the parents to get a peek inside the kids' days at school.  It's very thoughtful and I love getting to do so.  So here are some of my favorite pictures from Jonathan's first grade year!

Reading to Mollie & Boomer

Our library has dogs come once a month that kids can sign up to read to.  We did so this past weekend.  Jonathan got to read to Mollie and Emily to Boomer.  Katherine sat by Boomer and listened.  It was something fun and different!

Ballerina Kat

Katherine just started taking ballet class back in January.  She loves, loves it & wears her ballet shoes around the house all the time.  She just had her first dance recital and did awesome.  We wondered how she might handle being on stage for the first time, but she was fearless and loved every moment of it.  She smiled through the whole thing & Joel (who was stage dad for her class) said as soon as she came off stage her first words were that she wanted to do it again.  Now that recital is over she wears her costume around the house all the time.  She even wore it on a walk around the neighborhood the other day.  The first time she tried it on at dance class she gasped and told me that she was a real ballerina.  So precious!

 Her very first dance class.

 

Backstage and all ready to go!  She kept saying how excited she was.

 

Eating up the stage!

 

Curtain call!

 

With her yellow flowers from Nana.

Fredericksburg

We recently got away to celebrate our anniversary in Fredericksburg.  It's a cute little town with a main street full of shops, art galleries, and restaurants.  We stumbled on the National Museum of the Pacific War too, having no idea it was there.  There are many wineries there too.  The scenery just outside of town is pretty.  That's where our cabin was we stayed in.  It looked out over a bunch of trees and nothing else...exactly what I wanted.  A hummingbird feeder was on the covered porch where tons of them came to eat which was a really neat treat.  There was also a restaurant right across the street from our cabin that had been voted best burger in Texas by Texas Best Burger Joint.  And...it was really, really good.  They had live music each night too which wafted over to our cabin.  I loved seeing the vast assortment of different kinds of people that came to eat there - from bikers to very nicely dressed, kids to grandparents, all walks of life - a sure sign of a place that serves really good food & is just right on atmosphere.  At night we could see a sky full of stars - something that is not the case in the big city where we live.  It was a restful, slow paced weekend and we are so glad we were able to get away and just focus on each other for a few days.

The view from the covered porch of our cabin.

 

Hummingbirds!

 

In front of where we ate the "best burger in Texas."

 

The yummy burgers.  They really were good.

 

Live music on Friday night.  They were awesome.

 

We came across this artist in the process of a new painting.  The ones on the wall behind him are his too.

 

Inside the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Virginia 2014

We drove up to Virginia over Spring Break to visit Tom & Jan, affectionately also known as Pappi & JanP.  What a wonderful trip it was!  We got to stay with some friends of theirs on the way up in Nashville.  They had 2 chickens they keep for eggs so we got to pet and feed them too.  It was a nice opener to our week.  Once in Virginia the weather was perfect the first 2 days - warm and sunny.  Their backyard opens up to tree filled beauty and a train that passes on occasion.  We spent a good part of the first day out there.  The second day we got to drive to the farm in Appomattox where Joel's Aunt & Uncle still live.  There we got to hold 11 day old puppies - so new their eyes had yet to open.  Phil let all of us have a turn driving the John Deere - with his help, of course.  There was a smaller tractor that Jon got to drive all himself too.  Which he did for at least an hour - he was in boy heaven.  Maurine had a lunch for us and graciously opened her home up and showed us around the farm.  It was a really special day.  We also got to see Anna & Adriane the last night we were there.  Adriane made a birthday cake for all 3 kiddos so they could celebrate with them in person.  We are so very glad we made the trek up it was truly a wonderful visit!   

Mary showing the kids one of her chickens.

 

In Tom & Jan's backyard - such a lovely view and a lovely day.

 

At Phil & Maurine's home holding brand new puppies - one for each kid!

 

3 generations of Harrison men in a John Deere :-)

 

Jon driving his sisters around.  He was a happy camper!

 

Family photo at the end of a perfect day.

 

Another family photo back at Tom & Jan's.

 

Getting ready to blow out the candles!