Family of the Vine

Jammin' in the New Year!!

2012-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

YES...

I have found THE perfect jam recipe!

TOMATO JAM

}cue angels singing{

This past summer, I found THIS recipe from Marisa at Food In Jars.

And let me tell you it has become a favorite of Cookie Man!

Sooo Perfect, I may change his name to

"Tomato Jam Man"!

OK...not doing any name changes...as of now,

but I will revisit the idea after another batch of this Tomato Wonder is made!!

It's great on Turkey Burgers

and the Cookie Man LOVES it in an egg burrito!

The recipe calls for every delicious morsel of the tomato to be used...

skin, seeds ...the WHOLE ENCHILADA!

Oh my!!

This spicy jam would be GREAT on my mom's enchiladas!!

*note to self...CALL YOUR MOM!!

The last couple of times I made the jam, it took me 2 hours to finely chop the tomatoes!

2 HOURS!!

I have 4 kids 5yo and under...

PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS AN EASIER WAY!!

HELLO!!!

}cue angels singing...AGAIN!{

See this...

It's my juicer!

And I LOVE IT!

I love it so much I may change my name to

"Vallima-joos"!

*wink- he he

OK...but seriously, it has revolutionized MY Tomato Jam making!

I simply juiced the 5 pounds of tomatoes then threw the pulp in the pot!!!

BAM!!

Done in 5 minutes!!

Added the ingredients!

and went from this

to this...

in 2 hours!

What can you do in the New Year to 'Lighten your load', in the kitchen or around your home?

Linking to

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T22:39:00.000-08:00

I've enjoyed the break but

I am so excited to get back to blogging!

It's 11:15pm and I just realized I didn't take a picture for the blog!

Welcome to a New Year!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

Celebrating Our 6 Year Anniversary

2011-10-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our Unity Candle

Happy 6 year wedding anniversary Cookie Man!!

To Celebrate Our Marriage - DAY 17

2011-10-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

I am still participating in the 31 Days of Love Challenge at Time-Warp Wife.

"31 Days of Love" will challenge you daily to live beyond yourself,

to put aside your preconceived ideas of what romance should look like,

and seek out true love that is sacrificial and intentional."

-Darlene Schacht

I decided to keep it private and work on it through journaling and lots of prayer.

I find it has already helped me so much as a wife.

Click on the above link and read the daily challenges!

They are amazing.

Here are some of my favorites so far:

Day 6 -Two Ways to Pursue Your Husband

Day 9- Make Every Day a "Root Canal" Day

Day 11- Just Ask Him!

Day 16- Where is my fairytale?

Fishin'

2011-10-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

~Matthew 4:19

Star Wars The Party

2011-10-12T23:03:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago

in a galaxy far, far away,

A boy was born.

His name was UNO.

This is his party.

{cue Star Wars Theme music}

Cookie Man challenged me to a budget of $60.

And I did it!

I made the invitations,but only made 6 to pass out.

I did have them printed for $1.50 total!

The kids were told to come dressed as their favorite Star Wars Character.

The party favors, the light sabers took half of the budget, $27

but I wouldn't have traded that for anything.

They were great!!

Battle on the Galactic Grass

UNO recieved his gifts from us the day of his birthday.

The gifts became part of the party decor = FREE.

Birthday Gifts = Free Decor

The Millennium Falcon was a gift from Christmas. The Helmet- a garage sale find

I normally would have made the cupcake toppers

but I saved the packaging from his gifts and

with my 1 1/2" circle cutter began to cut out the images from the packaging!

It was super simple and FREE!

Cookie Man's mom made the cupcakes = FREE!

UNO and his sisters

We ordered pizza, which was $30.

For drinks, I made Lemonade with ReaLemon Juice and Sugar, which I already had = FREE!

DOS as Princess Leia

For games/ activities, Cookie Man recorded Star Wars music and sounds on the iPad.

It definitely set the mood of the party.

Imagine kids swinging their light sabers and the light saber sound echoing in the background...AWESOMENESS... = FREE!!

Cookie Man drew the Death Star on the back wall, it was for a game that we didn't end up doing

but it looked great! Outdoor Decorations = FREE!

Kick the ball at the Storm Trooper

We had the jumper up that my sister gave me for my birthday = FREE!

Each kid also received a Jedi Training Certificate that Cookie Man found on the internet.

Cookie Man edited it in Photoshop.

(Also, there is also a typo on the certificate...Padewan instead of Padwan)

TRES... the cutest Darth Vader and her Jedi certificate

I usually get so caught up in the presentation of the party that I don't really think of cost.

I am happy Cookie Man challenged me.

It was definitely simple and stress free!

I'm not really sure where this fits in to the theme but I LOVE HIM!!

UNO had a great time with his friends...

and THAT is the most important thing!

Happy Birthday UNO!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

Star Wars Party- Party Favors

2011-10-10T21:53:00.000-07:00

When UNO finally decided on a birthday party theme,

I started searching for THE perfect take home favors.

Hello! Light Sabers!!!

I searched for ideas that ran from pool noodles, to dowels, to PVC pipe.

I chose PVC pipe.

I saw a post about making them here.

I made my adjustments to share with you.

My light sabers are 2' long... the perfect length for 5 year olds and under.

The above link has her's 3', which I think is great for older kids and adults.

I went to Home Depot to buy the supplies.

They even cut it for me.

(Thanks Adam!)

Note: It is cheaper to buy the super long pipes than to buy pre-cut ones.

For 1 Star Wars Light Saber

YOU NEED:

2'- smallest PVC pipe

2'- Pipe insulation that fits over the PVC pipe

6"- PVC pipe for insulated pipe to fit snugly inside

Grey Duct Tape

Colored "Duck" Tape

Slide the Insulation over the thinner PVC pipe

Slide the Insulated pipe into the 6" pipe

This is what your light saber looks like before taping

wrap the handle with the grey duct tape

A light saber, this is going to be.

(NOTE: Yoda would have said this to me if here were reading this post!)

Next, wrap your colored duck tape overlapping the grey at the base of the handle

YES! The force is with me!! A Light Saber!!

Honestly, it took me about 15 minutes to make one!!

Happy 5th Birthday UNO!

2011-10-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNO!!

WE LOVE YOU!

You don’t raise heroes; you raise sons.

And if you treat them like sons,

they’ll turn out to be heroes,

even if it’s just in your own eyes.

~ Walter Schirra Sr.

To Celebrate Our Marriage- DAY 2

2011-10-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

~Psalm 139: 23-24

To Celebrate Our Marriage

2011-10-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

7 years ago, September 14, I met the man God chose for me.

The weekend we met in person

On October 22, we will be celebrating our 6 year anniversary.

In Vienna on our honeymoon

My love for him grows stronger with each passing day.

YUP...this is him!

Today is the beginning of "31 Days of Love" Challenge at Time-Warp Wife.

"31 Days of Love" will challenge you daily to live beyond yourself, to put aside your preconceived ideas of what romance should look like, and seek out true love that is sacrificial and intentional."-Darlene Schacht

Join me as I fall in love, all over again,with the man of my dreams!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:1-13

Monthly Memories-September

2011-09-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

TRES and her Pig Tails

I will be adding more pictures to Monthly Memories!

I just wanted to make sure it posted today!

Happy last day of September!

A "Hunter" Baby Shower

2011-09-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

I recently helped host a baby shower for a friend.

I LOVE to entertain and have parties so of course I jumped right into the planning!

After planning a Camp Out theme...

the baby shower was eventually switched to a "Hunter" theme.

We started out with an evite with cute wording!

They're expecting a new "Hunter" for their crew
A brother for ____ & ____ and a hunting buddy for daddy too!
Let's help them prepare for a sweet baby boy
with a pair of camo pants and a pin-shooter for a toy!

Open Season starts DATE
Target time TIME
Hunting Grounds PLACE
Join the Hunt Club RSVP
Big Game Registry REGISTRY

Each hostess brought their ideas and transformed them into a beautiful celebration

for Momma and Baby Hunter!

Twig WELCOME sign

The Table Setting

Baby Shower Games

Shooting Practice

Closest to the bulls eye WINS!

Our guest of honor

Only at a "Hunting" shower

would you have a
gun and target game!

The Food
I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the food table!!

~MENU~
Pulled Pork
Rolls
Deviled Eggs
Cole Slaw
Texas Baked Beans
Fruit Salad

My plate

The Dessert Table

Chocolate Fountain with lots of goodies for dipping!

Yummy Smores Dessert

The Trail Mix Bar

Beautiful Twig Sign

Bark lined Cans were adorable for serving

~Trail Mix Bar Menu~

Granola

Craisins

M & M's

Chocolate Chips

Mixed Nuts

Dry Roasted Peanuts

Honey Goldfish

Butterscotch and White Chocolate Chips

Marshmallows

Baby Shower Inspired by Pinterest
"Hunter" Baby Shower
It's a Camp Out Baby Shower

UNO's First Soccer Game

2011-09-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

UNO had his first soccer game on Saturday, September 17!

Through AYSO, you have a 30 minute practice followed by the game.

Throwing in the ball

dribble down the field

kicking down the field

Stopping the ball

ready... set...

KICK!

IT'S GAME TIME!!

TEAM ~~SQUAT~~ HUDDLE

PROTECTING THE GOAL

REST BREAK?

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

Lunch is in the Freezer!

2011-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've always struggled waking in the morning to make breakfast for Cookie Man.

I'm always trying to come up with different ways to make sandwiches.

The funny thing is my husband is a creature of habit.

He would completely happy with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Freezing Sandwiches!

Yup!

Genius!!

I love the idea!!

I made a loaf of Ham and Cheese Sandwiches ready for George!!

You know George...

What?

Don't have one!!

It makes the best:

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!

French Toast!

Quesadillas!

OK OK... Back to freezing sandwiches!

It took me about 15 minutes to do the whole loaf!

I used 2 slices of cheese and 2-3 slices of ham per sandwich.

The bread was buttered before wrapping the sandwich up in wax paper!

Brilliant!!

12 sandwiches!

One loaf of Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches!

I let my sandwich thaw a bit before throwing it on George.

Check out this beauty!

Minus 1/4 because I forgot to take a picture before I took a bite!

I have also made PBJ's for the freezer!
They are yummy too!

Now I can set the timer for at least 5 more minutes...

YAWN!

Linking to

What kind sandwiches will you try to freeze?

UNO's First Day of Preschool

2011-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today was UNO's first day of Preschool!

He was so excited to go!

Here are some of the pictures from the "photo shoot"!

Mr. Serious

When I grow up,
I want to be...
"a 'step-in-time' dancer like Bert!"
(from Mary Poppins)
(I wrote down exactly what he said when I asked him)

Imagine a 4 year old screaming

at his friends from the car when we pull up...

um...yeah that was him!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL UNO!!

(First Day of Preschool 2010)

QUATRO's First Tooth

2011-09-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

QUATRO got his first tooth in on Sunday!

DOS' First Day of Preschool

2011-09-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

DOS had her first day of preschool today.

After two wardrobe changes, she was ready to go...

at 7:00am!!!

Her school starts at 8:30!

I pulled out my chalkboard from last year for First Day of school pictures!

I added the date this time!

(very important when you do not blog daily !)

I wrote down the first thing she said when I said,

"When I grow up I want to be..."

She proudly said,

"Mary Poppins"

Here DOS is holding the sign

the "Official" picture

Off to class with ~~Bribery~~ Chocolate Bars for her teachers!

DOS and her teacher!

Happy First Day of Preschool DOS!!

"Mint" to Be!

2011-09-06T00:34:00.000-07:00

I recently was asked to do the Bible Study for my Catholic Mommy & Me group.

I was honored to do so!

I wanted to give a little welcome gift to our moms since it was our first meeting.

I made Mint Jelly with mint from my brother in law's garden.


I used my 3" circle cutter to cut scrapbook paper to place between the seal and the ring!

They turned out great!

I used leftover shipping labels I had from my old craft booth ...ahem- about 12 years ago.

I cut coordinating scrapbook paper to cover the business name.

Good thing I saved them...
and even better that I knew where to find them!!

loop a rubber band in place of the string

I could not find a quote that would match the jelly!

I searched and searched for the perfect quote.

My mother was in town and I asked her if she had any words of wisdom

to help. She pulled out her prayer book and the scripture of the day was:

In Him all things

hold together.

~Colossians 1:17

WHAT?

Are you kidding me?

This jelly took the longest to set!

I was so worried it would be a yucky jar of syrup!

In Him all things hold together!!

Of course!!

Perfect!

It was definitely

"Mint" to be!!

Linking to

Mint Jelly Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups packed fresh mint leaves and stems
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 drop green food color
3 1/2 cups white sugar
3 fluid ounce container liquid pectin

Directions

Rinse off the mint leaves, and place them into a large saucepan. Crush with a potato masher or the bottom of a jar or glass. Add water, and bring the mint to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes. Strain, and measure out 1 2/3 cups of the mint.
Place 1 2/3 cups mint into a saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and food coloring. Mix in the sugar, and place the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, stir in the pectin. Boil the mixture for a full minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim foam off the top using a large metal spoon. Transfer the mixture to hot sterile jars, and seal.
Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

Recipe inspiration

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-09-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

{pretty}

My favorite color!

My brother in law brought me Fresh Mint from his garden.
I made 11- 4oz. jars of Mint Jam!

{happy}

My mother's hands

She is making enchiladas.
I tell you this woman is NON STOP!!
She is amazing.

LOVE.

HER.

{funny ...to me!}

7 dozen cookie balls in the freezer!!

Apparently, THIS is the only way I can keep cookies
from being eaten by a certain "Cookie Man"!

(This was my mom's idea.
Now I can make a quick dozen for playdates, bake sales, etc!!)

{real}

TRES took a picture of me!

I am constantly running around taking pictures of my kids, food, projects, etc...
It's nice that they want to take pictures of me!
This is proof that I am {real}!!

More {phfr}!

Monthly Memories- August

2011-08-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

We have had so much going on this past month

and alas no blog posts!

I promise to get caught up next month!

Just a few to get you to come back...

I will add more tomorrow!

Cloth Napkins

2011-08-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

One of the best things I have done was

switch to Cloth Napkins.

The kids were easily using up 2-3 paper napkins at meals,

although I have to admit I was too!

I found some cloth napkins at a thrift store for 50 cents each

but when they rang up at the counter they were half off!!

I called the kids to breakfast yesterday and was greeted by this!

DOS' flowers she picked at her cousin's football game

(DOS' chore at meal time is to set out the napkins)

It was such a beautiful site!

Enjoying the table set every day!

I try to make sure our meals together are not just a quick eat and go,

so we can actually savor the company and the food.

Bless us, O Lord,

and these gifts,

which we are about to receive

from Thy bounty,

through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Linking here:

Writing on the Wall

2011-08-29T23:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this great pin on Pinterest

(my new obsession!)

and knew it would be a great activity for our "outdoor chalkboard"!

I simply wrote the Alphabet on the wall at their height level,

cup of water and a paint brush and VIOLA!

DOS

TRES writing

UNO did great!

Another wonderful outdoor learning activity!

The activity can be found here at

Kingdom First Homeschool.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

A picture from my dad's wallet

Happy 40th Birthday to me!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-08-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

Tea Time!

On Thursday Afternoon we have tea! We had homemade Rose Petal Bread,
Blueberry Butter and Peach Jam

{happy}

Brothers

This is such a beautiful picture!
UNO can't wait for QUATRO to grow up so he can play with him.
Ever so often, I catch them stealing brother moments.

{funny}

UNO fell of the couch

{real}

Early Morning Creativity

I took this picture about 6:30 am.
DOS had been happily painting for about 45 minutes.

More {phfr}

Catholic ABC's ...THE BOOK!!

2011-08-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

Lacy at Catholic Icing has wrote a book!!

Catholic ABC's (The Book) - A Hands On Preschool Curriculum!

HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!

I am so excited to get this book to work along with UNO and DOS'

letter of the week at Preschool!!

Head on over to Catholic Icing to pre-order your book!!

(book art courtesy of Catholic Icing)

Slow Oven-Roasted Roma Tomatos

2011-08-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

About 4 pounds Roma Tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and salt

Oven at 200 degrees

Done in about 12 hours (over night)


All Squished into this little jar!

DELICIOUS!

More {TITUS 2} SDAY

Inspired by Food In Jars

Monthly Memories-July

2011-08-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

Our Monthly Memories

TRES' BIRTHDAY PARADE

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

STRAW RACING AFTER THE MONSOONS

PRETEND PLAY

MADE LOTS OF LEMONADE

BABY WEARING TRES

SAVING SUMMER

Blueberry Butter

WATERMELON BOX FUN

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT

The Wizard of Oz

Clothesline Chore

2011-08-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my clothesline?

The only thing it can actually hold are my dish towels.

Everyone was napping except UNO.
I asked him to please get the towels off the line.

Kids in the Kitchen

2011-07-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

More Flour or Water?

I made crepes on Friday.

The kids LOVE them.

They are time consuming and they wanted to help.

I needed to find something to occupy them

since I don't want them around an open flame.

Flour and water were the first thing to come to mind

as they are ~~cheap~~ staples in the kitchen.

I put equal amounts of flour and water in a bowl.

They quickly dove in!

I dumped it on the counter so they could knead it.

Action shot! They were moving so fast! ;)

DOS asking for more flour here.

I asked them if it felt like playdough.

I asked them if they needed more water or flour.

They figured out quickly too much water would make everything stick to their fingers.

Poor TRES. She always wanted more "agua" (water).

Kneading again.

After many trial and errors, they were very happy!

UNO, Look ma it's not sticking!

The end results!

I am actually prepping them to make tortillas-

since Wela is coming to town next month...

she may need helpers!

And they will be alot yummier than this!!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-07-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

{real}

It's been a while since I've blogged.

I didn't even start the calendar for July.

I am so out of my rhythm.

I am lost.

I am a mom.

Life goes on.

Dinner must be made.

The house must get cleaned.

Laundry washed and folded.

Kids bathed. (lol)

Owies kissed. (AND bandaged!)

We have played.

Painted.

Splashed in puddles.

Laughed.

Cried.

Slept.

July is almost gone.

More {phfr}

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-07-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

40 pounds of peaches at $ .47/pound!

beautiful color!!

Canning Peaches

{happy}

My neighbor Grace...LOVE HER...she makes me {happy}! She taught me how to can!!!

{funny}

TRES and her ~~Pacifier Replacement~~ Mater Teeth

{real}

24 half pints of peach jam and 12 quarts of peaches

= Homemade Happiness!!

More {phfr}!

2011-07-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

Thank you for my wonderful husband and the 4 beautiful flowers you have given me to nurture!

I feed and water them daily with your spirit and love!

(Please do not judge me by the actual flowers that are on the buffet...I forgot to water them and they are dead.)

Love-Vallimasoos

my Facebook status

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-07-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

I love this picture of DOS!

{happy}

water + dirt + kids = happiness!

{funny}

Owning ND and USC stuff. Football season is FUN here!!

(OMGosh! I just showed the blog world by junk drawer!!!
Its OK though because I was in the process of cleaning it out!)

{real}

Poor Poor TRES! Her pacifier IS cut!

Oh dear...now THIS is as {real} as it is going to get!!

Time to break her of it!!

Pray for us!!

Head over to Like Mother, Like Daughter for more {pretty, happy, funny, real}!

Celebrating the Fourth of July

2011-07-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Red White and Blue Pancakes!

YUM!

Apple ~~PIE~~ Cobbler!!

Happy Birthday America!!

These Boots are made for RUNNIN'

2011-07-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Well we packed up the kids and

headed off to the BIG town for the Boot Race!

Not just any Boot Race...

It was a super, fun time!

DOS and TRES getting a pep talk from Cookie Man

The kids didn't win.

Sometimes they didn't race when they WERE supposed to race...

PLAN B...pick up TRES and run!!

DOS ran the whole way!! (crying)

Daddy, you left me...

UNO "flying" in his boots!

Almost at the finish!

Good Job UNO!

other times they raced when they WEREN'T supposed to...

all in all it was a great big fiasco...

all tuckered out!

can't wait for next year!!!!

TRES turns Dos

2011-07-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

On my new bike... I'm so excited!!!

Today TRES is 2!!

We celebrated with a parade in her honor!

We called in some friends and headed to the streets.

Actually it was the Kiwanis 70th Annual Kiddie Parade...

Ready to go!!!

Ice Cream after the parade

TRES is only 2,

she didn't know the WHOLE thing wasn't just for her.

(I won't tell if you don't!)

Happy Birthday TRES!!

Our Little Princess!

We love you very much!!

today's weight today's height

28.6 lbs 34 3/4 "

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-07-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

{pretty}

Sweet TRES!

{happy}

Building a Fort

We invited some friends over for a First Day of Summer Pancake Party, the boys made this fort and were so excited!! One of the boys asked me to please not take it down, they will finish it when they come back!! (Neacole...we need another playdate...Jake needs to finish the fort!)

{funny}

Apparently, cowboy boots come with THIS attitude!

{real}

DOS needs her privacy!! She does this ALL the time...

{phfr}

Monthly Memories-June

2011-06-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my... already here again!

The end of the month comes so fast!

Here are our Monthly Memories!!

Fly an Airplane

Flying Airplanes at the park

Make Popsicles

Frozen Raspberries and Juice

Break the Raspberries apart and add juice

Beautiful and delicious!

TRES dresses herself!

Eat Homemade Ice Cream

TRES starts Ballet

QUATRO'S BAPTISM DAY

a family picture

I do have more pictures to look through...

I will update later!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-06-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

~capturing the context of contentment in everyday life~

{pretty}

Frozen grapes...a summer MUST HAVE!

{happy}

picture of all the kids...toes

{funny}

DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF A GIRL AND HER CORN!

{real}

Someday...his daddy's watch WILL fit him!

Check out other {phfr} posts HERE.

Clothesline

2011-06-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

I made one today with tree supports and rope.

It's not very long.

It's not very sturdy.

But it works...

and I love it!!

A Clothesline Poem
A clothesline was a news forecast, to neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by to spend a night or two.
For then you’d see the “fancy” sheets and towels upon the line.
You’d see the “company tablecloth” with intricate design.
The line announced a baby’s birth, from folks who lived inside
As brand-new infant clothes were hung, so carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could so readily by known;
By watching how the sizes changed, you’d know how much they’d grown!
It also told when illness struck, as extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too haphazardly were strung.
It also said, “Gone on vacation now,” when lines hung limp and bare.
It told, “We’re back!” when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon, if wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows, and looked the other way…
But clotheslines now are of the past, for dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on inside a home is anybody’s guess!
I really miss that way of life - it was a friendly sign;
When neighbors knew each other best by what hung on the line. ~Anonymous

Happy Summer!!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Cookie Man!

Cookie Man and his "crumbs"!

A truly rich man is one

whose children run into his arms

when his hands are empty.

~Author Unknown

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

2011-06-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is my first time to join

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

I decided to post about my cousins who came from North Carolina!

I'm so happy they were able to join us for QUATRO's baptism!

PRETTY

Sisters...I can't think of anything else prettier!!

HAPPY

QUATRO with his God Parents

FUNNY

#guesswhowon

REAL

Seeing the Grand Canyon for the First Time

Celebrating Pentecost

2011-06-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

50 cent "Holy Spirit" garage sale find

Quatro's Baptism Invitation (made by moi!)

Food cooked "Over Fire"

~MENU~
BBQ Ribs & Chicken
Layered Salad
Fruit Salad
Texas Baked Beans

A Family favorite

LOVE THIS SALAD!!

12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit Salad

Pentecost Cake

Large Candle in Center - represents Christ our Light, who promised to send the Holy Ghost.
12 Birthday Candles - represent the 12 Apostles and the tongues of fire.

DESSERT TABLE!

~DESSERT MENU~

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Fruits if the Spirit Cupcakes

Tongues of Fire-Hot Tamales

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels- Holy Trinity

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brownie Bites

Red Vines

Red Velvet Cake

Deliciousness!!

more YUMMY treats!

Getting Ready to blow out the candles with a "mighty wind"

Take Home Favors- Springerle Cookies printed with a Baptism Mold

An extra special reason for our Pentecost Celebration

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit,

And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Much Inspiration:

Shower of Roses

Catholic Cuisine

Catholic Icing

QUATRO's Baptism

2011-06-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

QUATRO was baptized today!

QUATRO was named after my dad and my uncle who has passed away.

We asked his daughter (my cousin) and her husband to be his God Parents and of course, they said yes.

They traveled all the way from North Carolina!

Getting dressed

I love this picture!

A picture with his God Mother

It was a beautiful mass!


Family Rosary


A Family Picture with Father Fred (compliments of a Skittles bribe, the kids...not the priest! ha)

Tea Time!!

2011-06-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

We had tea again today!

Actually , it was "Juice Time"!

And Cookie Man was home early to have snack with us!!

Cookie Man and Quatro

I put a new sheet over our snack area and

began to pull things from the yard to set the table!

Building the table

George the Monkey was even there!

Yummy snack!

Today's Menu

Cream Cheese and Raisin Finger Sandwiches

Mozzarella Cheese

Blackberries

Raspberries

Cranberry-Pomegranate Juice

Water

Quickly they scurried away!

Another tea to attend...

Sprinkler Fun...

2011-06-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

Spiderman's Version!

~~UNO~~

...uh I mean SPIDERMAN,

a sprinkler

and a screwdriver.

This sprinkler had 6 screws.

Concentration

Sprinkler head detached!

working on the weights

Weights removed!!

Putting it back together

SPIDERMAN SAVES THE DAY!!

Celebrating Ascension Thursday

2011-06-02T23:37:00.000-07:00

Inspired by

Today we had a "picnic on the hilltop" to celebrate Ascension Thursday.

The idea for a picnic was found at Shower of Roses.

OUR MENU

Chicken Macaroni Salad.

It is traditional to eat some sort of bird since Jesus "flew" to heaven.

Fruit Salad

The fruit represents Christ, the first fruit of all men.

Powdered Donuts

Symbolizing the clouds that were in the sky.

Sparkling Water

Chosen for the "rising" bubbles.

Dinner

LOOK...DONUTS!!

DOS serving fruit

It was a wonderful evening and definitely a new family tradition!

So then the Lord Jesus,

after He had spoken to them,

was taken up into heaven and

sat down at the right hand of God.

~Mark 16:19

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

Monthly Memories-May

2011-05-31T23:57:00.000-07:00

At the zoo waiting to feed the giraffes

Yes I do exist! A picture of me...FINALLY!


DOS as the Big Bad Wolf

Cute Little Toes

SPRING RECITAL

"WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS"

DOS our sweet angel

Roses from Daddy

Our Mud Pie Kitchen

Acting out the WIZARD OF OZ

DOS as Dorothy

You can read more about Monthly Memories here!

IF YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW ALONG,

LEAVE ME A COMMENT WITH YOUR LINK

...I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT ALONE!!

Outdoor Color Match

2011-05-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

This has got to be one of the best outdoor activities EVER!!

I got this idea from Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog.

On a recent trip to the hardware store, I picked up several paint chip cards.

I actually had forgotten about the paint chip cards and

one morning found them

~~in the special place where I put things and forget where they are~~

exactly where I put them!!

I literally put 3 of these together in about 2 minutes!!

On our daily walks, DOS usually lags behind and eventually jumps into the stroller.

NOT TODAY!

DOS was so excited and was riding her scooter ahead of me!

DOS

We found many colors here!

UNO deciding on the right shade of blue

TRES carrying her card and color treasures!

DOS starting at the top

Funny...this tree had never caught my eye before- SO PRETTY!

UNO said we needed to get more color cards because we didn't have a black one and a darker green.
True, we needed to get more colors that match our landscape.

I am so excited for our next "color walk"!

Kids in the Kitchen

2011-05-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

DINNER SALAD

CUTTING TOMATOES

TRES

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

UNO making sure the strawberries are good

L.O.V. E. TRES' concentration

DOS is very serious when using a knife!

This recipe was super fast and easy!

We will definitely be making these all summer!

FRUIT SALSA for our HOMEMADE CREPES

UNO cutting Mangoes

DOS' again... very serious!

Homemade Crepes and Fruit Salsa

We ended up cutting our fruit instead of following the recipe.

(I also made the Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips for snack the following day! YUM!)

The crepes still need perfecting!

I'm getting better and faster at making them!

DOS' asks for them daily! (Seriously... she does!!)

They do make a great snack anytime of the day.

I usually double the recipe and freeze the leftovers!

FRENCH BREAD

No pictures please!

Hot Bread + Butter = YUMMY SNACK

The bread was my first attempt!
It was good but I think I rushed it since it was for dinner.
Next time I'll start earlier in the day and give it enough time to rise properly.
Oh... and close the window in the kitchen!

Prepping food from our Bountiful Baskets

TRES

DOS unloading cart

Our portion of the basket we share.

The picture above does not show the apples that were eaten

or the bag of carrots that were left on the dining room table.

And the blackberries disappeared too!

SHUCKING CORN

CUTTING MUSHROOMS

Art for Our Lady: Marian Artist Trading Card Swap 2011

2011-05-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

We signed up to participate in Marian Artist Trading Card Swap at Pondered In My Heart.

This was VERY intimidating to me since I am not an artist and

I literally waited until the last minute

to get the ~~ball rolling~~ paint flinging!

The littles were excited to work with the tiny (2.5" x 3.5") cards.

We used washable paints, black marker pens, color pencils and a red bingo marker.

Some of the card titles,
I wrote down exactly what they told me:

"Mary with a Big Smile" UNO

"Mary at Jesus' Tomb" UNO
"Joseph- Mary's Husband" DOS
"Mary's Garden" DOS

UNO's cards

DOS' cards

TRES' cards

My Cards

My inspiration was Our lady of Guadalupe.

That is the name of the church I attended as a child.

My mother had aprons made for her granddaughters and

I hung up one of them for a visual.

I was afraid of how they would turn out and I stuck with what was easy and

they actually turned out better than I imagined!

I'm so excited to receive our cards but

even more excited for the kid's

reactions when their very own cards come in the mail!

Thanks so much Kimberlee for arranging the card swap and for all your time

separating, sorting, labeling, and mailing...etc. etc etc.

A River Runs Through It

2011-05-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

UNO Walking with Big Boy

Looking for the perfect spot

OK OK ... I'm exaggerating!

It's a ~~Creek~~,

Exploring

a ~~Stream~~,

TRES and Little Boy

Not sure what it is but it was cool and inviting!

Little Boy

Throwing Rocks

Of Course there were Mud Pies!! DOS' favorite!

it is in a river bed-

in our neighborhood!

It was fun!

TRES and her Muddy Feet

And we had great friends to share it with!!

Digging in the dirt

the end!

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."
- E. E. Cummings

Tea Time!!

2011-05-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today's Menu

Strawberry Cream Cheese and Raisin Finger Sandwiches

Sliced Cheese

Orange Infused Water

And one Eligible Bachelor!!

What's Up...

2011-05-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been able to blog.

Blame it on nice weather!!

We have been transforming our backyard into a ~~Mother's~~ Child's Wonderland!

All work and no play

doesn't exist here!!

{this moment}

2011-05-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo.

No words.

Capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by

Soulemama

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

...to me!

I woke up this morning to a delicious breakfast of Eggs and Pancakes.
I'm not really sure the kids understand Mother's Day.

DOS handed me my presents and said:
"Happy Mother's Day Mommy, these are from Santa Claus!"

I am blessed beyond measure to be doing what I absolutely love to do!!

Mary, Our Mother.
Pray for us.

Enjoying the Outdoors!

2011-05-03T06:32:00.000-07:00

walking the plank

our giant chalkboard

our pool!

sisters

Divine Mercy Sunday

2011-05-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Jesus, I trust in you!

Our Divine Mercy Craft

To celebrate we made
Lemon Panna Cotta with Berries

Yummy Lemon Juice

DOS helping pour

ready for the fridge

Topped with Fresh Strawberries!

Super Delicious!!

Get Recipe here!!

To read more about the story of St. Faustina and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, CLICK HERE

You can find the craft here- Catholic Icing!

Monthly Memories-April

2011-04-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

Here are our Memories!

TRES painting

Butterflies!

TRIKE-A-THON

painting with bingo markers

Palm Sunday

QUATRO's Bath time with Wela

QUATRO's Tummy Time

Inspired by my friend Kammy's blog (private)

we started doing this!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Wheat Crepes

Homemade Peach Sorbet

Walking to the Park

Dancing at the Fish Fry

UNO's Pre-school Mother's Tea

UNO and me at the tea

Building a tent in the living room

You can read more about Monthly Memories here!

IF YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW ALONG,

LEAVE ME A COMMENT WITH YOUR LINK

...I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT ALONE!!

Burned Biscuits

2011-04-30T22:36:00.000-07:00

Sent via email...from my mom.

When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner
every now and then. And I remember one night in
particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard
day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom
placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned
biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see
if anyone noticed!

Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask

me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that
night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing... never made a face nor uttered a word about it!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today... that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own."

So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.

(unknown source)

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Easter 2011

A Good Friday Conversation

2011-04-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Me:

Today is the day Jesus died for us

UNO:

I want to be Jesus.

DOS:

I want to be Mary and TRES can be Baby Jesus.

UNO:

No DOS, TRES has to be Simon.

Later...

UNO: But I don't want to be nailed to the cross!!

By Your Holy Cross...

2011-04-22T09:57:00.000-07:00


Cookie Man took this picture of Michelangelo "La Pieta" while on our honeymoon. Truly a magnificent piece of work!

Holy Thursday

2011-04-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

John 13: 1-15

Art Courtesy

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Truly...there are no words!

Spring Playdough

2011-04-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

I intentionally did not make play dough at the first of the month because I wanted to focus on the season of Lent and simplicity.

This did not mean the kidlets didn't mind.

DOS was constantly asking for play dough!

I throw away each batch at the end of the month so there really wasn't any play dough around.

So this morning, I began making the batches of play dough for Spring!

AND I LOVE EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!

I made the carrot tops from Green Pipe Cleaners

UNO played with the orange one for about an hour!

Robin Egg Blue with a Paper Bag Nest

TRES

DOS with her Garden

Homemade Playdough
1 c. flour
1/2 cup salt
1 T. cooking oil
1 T. cream of tartar
1 c. water
Food coloring of your choice
Add-ins of your choice (i.e. spices, extracts, glitter, etc.)
Stir ingredients together well. Just measure them into the saucepan you will be using to cook the dough, but mix them well before heating up the pan. Over medium heat cook the dough, stirring constantly until it forms a ball. (NOTE: When it starts to pull away from the sides somewhat and clump together and most of the "wet-looking" parts look dry, it's ready to remove from the pan.) Turn dough onto a board (or the countertop) and knead until very smooth.

Happy 84th Birthday, Pope Benedict XVI!

2011-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Prayer for the Holy Father

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to
Your shepherd, Pope Benedict, a spirit of
courage and right judgment, a spirit of
knowledge and love.
By governing with fidelity those entrusted to
his care, may he, as successor to the apostle
Peter and Vicar of Christ, build Your Church
into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace
for all the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son,Who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever. Amen.

Click here to read more about Pope Benedict XVI

Photo Courtesy

{this moment}

2011-04-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

A Friday ritual.

A single photo.

No words.

Capturing a moment from the week.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by SouleMama

Crown of Thorns from Paper Nest

2011-04-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea in a Magazine at the Dr's Office!

I thought it could also make a great visual for a Crown of Thorns.

So easy to make:

-Lunch Paper bags

-Sticks

-Tacky Glue

TRES demonstrating how to open the bag

Scrunch up the bag and make into a circle

DOS

UNO waiting on another paper bag

Now the fun part goes here...

when you dump the glue onto a paper plate

and the kidlets go psycho over glue and sticks!

Yup...you guessed right, no pictures were taken

during this process!!

Mommy's Nest

UNO's nest

DOS' nest

TRES' made with mommy's help

I think they turned out great!!

Here are our "Crown of thorns"
...watch for their transformation on Easter Morning!!

I am linking up to

Ultimate Guide for Celebrating Holy Week with kids!

Meaningful Easter: Tips, Ideas and Traditions