Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade

Wow, I haven't had time to Blog lately with Brody's surgery and recovery. It's definitely had its ups and Downs but I think were past the hard times! WHEW! I am so thankful everything went okay and hes on the road to being healthy again.

The up side of all the commotion is we have been spending lots of time as a family. Tonight Devin and I tried a new strawberry lemonade recipe and he helped out a ton in the kitchen! I love nights like these when there isn't much going on and there is no hurry to get out the door to baseball or some other activity. I was truly thankful for the time with him tonight. He was so funny/bossy though.. I heard him say three times to Ted that he wasn't allowed in the kitchen before dinner was done.. I think he likes the feeling of being in charge! Despite the huge mess he makes when hes preparing food everything went wonderful and tasted amazing! Here is the recipe we used. We got it off of pinterest.

Sparkling Strawberry Lemonademakes 6-7 cups of lemonade


Strawberry Syrup

• 1 heaping cup chopped strawberries
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 2 Tbs cold water

Lemonade

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1-1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 1/2 cups cold sparkling water or seltzer

To make the strawberry syrup, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and water in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Pour through a strainer into a medium bowl to remove the seeds, pressing down to extract as much liquid as possible.

To make the lemonade, combine the hot water and sugar in a pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice, strawberry syrup, and water.

To serve, rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a glass, then dip in sugar. Fill with ice, then the lemonade. Garnish with fresh strawberries or lemon slices. Serve immediately.

 

 

I haven't used my ninja much, but the times that I have I've been very impressed how well it works.

 Devin made us fruit parfaits ( I know there beautiful.)

 Such a good helper! He didn't like squeezing the lemons because of all the cuts on his hand.



Lend a helping hand

Last night when we came home our neighbor was standing outside watching her camper being unloaded off a flat bed onto the street. Well, obviously Ted got out of the car and walked up and started conversing her with her. ( I say obviously because he is a very social man) While chatting with her he found out that she had to find a way to get it into her drive way.. this thing is huge.. If i remember correctly I think she said it weighed seven thousand pounds??? Anyways, he offered his help and our dear friend Melissa offered Ted to use her truck to back it into the drive way. I told my neighbor that Ted gets home from work around 3pm and we would talk about getting it into the driveway tomorrow.

Well, 3pm arrived and Melissa showed up with her truck and I went and knocked on her door to tell her we were ready.. She answered the door and looked at me and said "you know I love you guys right?" I brushed it off and said "Seriously, its not a big deal we like to help people out." She then said something that actually inspired me to write this blog.. with tears in her eyes she stated "I have lived here for (I think she said 30 years) and not many people are willing to help out." WOW!!! This then made me start thinking about why people who live in the same community.. same neighborhood.. same street wouldn't want to help someone out... are they afraid to offer, afraid to get rejected or just think they don't have time?? I still don't know why, but it was a huge eye opener for me and it actually makes me want to get out and help more.

I am not going to lie I sometimes see an elderly person, or a mom struggling to get her 4 kids and the groceries in the car, and the thought crosses my mind " should I help them?" Normally I don't because I am afraid they are going to take offense and snap at me and say no. From now on I am going to just ask them kindly if I can lend a hand. We don't know what everyone is going through and sometimes just a simple help loading the groceries in the car or putting their cart away might just be exactly what they need. To all my readers I hope next time you ( and so will I) see someone who could use some help you would be willing to lend a helping hand!  God Bless each and every one of you!

Hebrews 13:16

¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Little life lessons...

This morning Brody woke me up at 6:15 because he fell out of his bed. I have been exhausted from all the activities we have going on. It's been really tough to find any down time in our schedule. I used to think I wasn't going to be the type of parent who is constantly running around, but I now know I have a long journey ahead of me with these boys. Devin is in school activities, church actives, and sports... and in the fall Brody will be starting preschool. Anyways, between juggling the house hold chores, the kids schedules, church actives, being a mom and wife, and work I was not to pleased with being up that early on the only day during the week that we have nothing going on until 5 pm. I know it was not Brody's fault and it feels nice to be needed but can't a girl get some sleep?!?

So, after calming Brody down and he dragged me out of bed to get his breakfast and morning cartoon show. I was drinking my coffee and thinking about all the things I needed to get done in the house.. as I'm making a mental note of the things Brody's playroom door swings open and he is full of energy.. pulling on my pajama pants, climbing on me like I am a jungle gym, and screaming "I want to play outside." seriously.. It's only 7:00 am. My husband and I were talking on the phone and I jokingly said that I was going to drop Brody off at his work so I could get stuff done today. There is always a little truth to the joke right? Well, obviously he couldn't have our 2 year old on his construction job.. So after feeling sorry for myself that I was woken up Early and there was no possible way I was going to accomplish anything that I wanted to get done. I decided to take Brody to the store to get some more glue sticks so he could cut up used paper and glue it together ( one of his favorite things to do) On our way to the store I was talking to my friend and she decided that she would stop by for a little bit with her daughter so her and Brody could play. We finished up at the store, headed home, and waited for them to arrive. As I am sitting in my comfortable lawn chair watching Brody play I realized I was not going to get anything on my list done so I got up and started sweeping all the nasty helicopter things that blew all over the drive way. Our friends arrived, the kids played and us mom's chatted as I continued to sweep she picked up a broom and joined me.. How awesome!! We took a little break, took the kids on a bike ride, played in the pool, and ate lunch. I felt very good about getting half of the drive way done and lots of play time and burnt energy out of the way for Mr. Brody.

Right as we finished lunch and she was heading home my brother called and said he was going to be coming over in 20 minutes to hang out for a little bit. How great to have two visitors in one day. Well little did I know that I was going to be so greatly blessed with all his help. He mowed my ENTIRE lawn, helped me finish sweeping the drive way AND patio, he moved my back step and swept out all the old leaves and other miscellaneous items that accumulated over winter and spring, organized my garage, and even got in time to make water balloons with Brody and sit and chat!

 It wasn't until about 5 o'clock that I realized what happened.. I had made plans for what I thought was going to be best for me.. not for what would have been the best for my son and probably not the best way to spend this beautiful day god has blessed us with. It was a great reminder that sometimes I need to look beyond my selfish ways, take a step back and realize what is more important. I shouldn't have been so consumed in my "mental list" I had made and maybe realized that my son has been stuck indoors due to the rain for the past couple days and in 7 short days will be house bound while he recovers from his surgery.

What I never got to tell my brother ( and now he will know because I'm sure hes reading this) is that Ted and I were going to do all that yard work this weekend and now thanks to him we will have more time to spend together as a family! Thanks Dan you are the best and I am so greatful to have you in my life! Love you!

Oh, the little things!

I absolutely love being a mom.. It's so rewarding, but as I was leaving work yesterday and Brody was crying because he wasn't ready to go. I couldn't help but think about all the things I used to take for granted..

1. Getting in and out of the car without having to put/or take someone out of a car seat. ( I always tell my husband how lucky he is that he gets to go to work and ride alone in the car)

 

 

2.Being able to take a nap. I seriously couldn't tell you the last time I took a nap. When Brody takes his nap that is my time to get things done with no interruptions. The last time I actually tried to lay down I got into my bed, laid down, took a deep breath, and Brody woke up.. So I don't even mess with that anymore!

 

 

3. Going to the bathroom.. Need I say more?!

 

 

These things are just little things that don't really matter. To be honest when the kids get older and I don't have to worry about those 3 things I will probably miss it. Maybe I am the lucky one who gets to be in the car with the kids and sing songs like "baby shark" and the ABC's.

 

 

 It's also funny how it becomes so routine and when the kids aren't with you it feels so empty. On Sunday night we went to our Life group and Ted's parents had the kids (bless their hearts) The car ride was so relaxing on the way there.. I didn't have to turn around and stop a fight or pick something up on the floor that was completely out of my reach.. When we were at our friends house there were other children there and Ted kept looking around for Brody. I had to remind him twice that we didn't have any kids there. Which also meant we weren't responsible for anything that broke, if anyone was hurt, or if anyone was crying.. What a relief! Well, that only lasted so long as soon as we picked the kids up and got them into the car the chaos started right back up.. the boys were fighting over balloons that grandma had gave them, we got home and Brody threw a fit about it being too late for a snack, and we had to have a little chat with Devin about Bedtime. He decided to not go to bed and instead practiced his Kung-Fu moves and was whipping stuffed animals around his room.. Like we wouldn't notice?!?! Like I said there just small things and non of it really matters.. Some day I will get to enjoy lonely car rides, Naps, and using the bathroom in peace! As for now my time with the boys is limited so why not enjoy it while I can!

This is how I feel sometimes! Wouldn't it be nice to have 5 arms?

Father's Love

I think one of the most amazing things is watching my husband with the boys. He is such a great dad and that's one of the qualities I love most about him. Yesterday, we took Brody swimming and the pool was extremely cold but Brody could have cared less. I love that Ted jumped right in while I was being a baby about how cold it was. Watching him laugh and play with Brody was so cute I swear Brody got in and out a hundred times to jump into his daddy's arms! It made my day watching them play.

My point is not to brag about how wonderful he is, but simply to acknowledge him for how much I love and appreciate him. He works 5 days a week and I'm sure its tiring and stressful but everyday he leaves those problems at the door and always greets the kids like he hasn't seen them for a week. The kids will literally watch out the window knowing daddy is coming home to play with them.

 

One of my favorite things is when he plays with the kids outside. It is hilarious the things the kids make him do. Devin has a group of friends that come over and play kickball and they always ask Ted to play. I don't think I have ever heard him say no. Hes out there having a grand time running around like hes 10 again... its so funny watching how much the neighborhood kids think its the coolest thing that hes playing. (I'm sure this wont last long.) Something else that sticks in my mind is the kids had him on the trampoline a couple weeks ago and as I'm cooking dinner all I can see is Ted bouncing around, balls flying, and the kids laughing!

Devin does these silly things where he climbs up Teds legs and does a flip holding onto his hands. It's really cute. He also can't go to bed without giving him a hug even if that means he waits up for him to get home. He loves to help him do anything and wants to be just like him.

Brody and Ted have this game where anytime I walk into the room they hide from me. Brody full out belly laughs and thinks its the best thing! He also likes to help daddy and recently asked Ted to buy him a rake to help him with yard work. I love this because at least he will learn how to do yard work when hes young! It's a win win situation.

It is so important that children have a relationship with their fathers and I think Ted does such a great job. The love and patience he has is incredible. I am so grateful that I can count on him being a part of their lives. Thank you Ted for everything you do for our family! I know Ted isn't the only great dad out there. He has many friends who are amazing fathers and I think its so wonderful to watch all these dads be part of their children's lives! Go Dad's!!!

 Yes, Devin is Driving Ted around the yard....

Love this picture!!

10 signs your kids are growing up!

I have a 2 year old and quite possibly a 17 year old. Well, actually he is only 9 but seriously I've been noticing him do a lot of "grown up" things.

1. He orders off the adult menu.. He doesn't get full off the kid menu anymore.. That's really nice for my wallet!

2. He uses deodorant on a daily basis and smells like a man! Yes, our 9 year old feels grown up enough to have deodorant just like dad.. Although he probably does not need it.. why not start good habits now?

3. He says "I'll text you when I get there." Just makes me cringe.. heck, my mom only started texing 2 years ago.

4. When I go to take a shower he will say "Don't worry about us I got Brody." OK, I don't have anything to say about that.. I absolutely LOVE it!!

5. He will ask to do things to earn money. He is starting to realize we wont just buy him whatever and he has to earn it!

6. He uses the word "dude" on a daily basis.

7. He will ask to help cook dinner, set the table, or do dishes!!! I will enjoy this now because by the time he gets to be a teenager he is going to hate all this!

8. I can no longer spell out words to ted."should we go to the P-A-R-K?"

9. If I say "just give me 5 minutes." I really only have 5 minutes to be ready, because guess who is watching every single minute go by..?

Number 10 is my favorite. It's the whole reason that got me thinking about "signs of your kids growing up."

10. He's to big for the kiddie pool.. We had to refill the water twice today and I let him be in charge of the hose because I felt bad that there was basically no room in the pool for him.. Poor Kiddo!



Kids will always break things..

I can still hear my mom saying " I can't keep anything nice around here you guys are always breaking things." Ha ha makes me laugh because sometimes I think the things the boys do are just payback for what I did to my parents. Honestly, I can remember breaking so many  things and every time saying " I didn't mean to."

I caught myself saying exactly what my mom used to say to Ted today. For some reason the boys have been breaking EVERYTHING.. I wonder if we can go a day without having to put something on the replacement list.. We have to replace a window that Devin broke about 3 weeks ago, Brody broke a tail light on the boat trailer, Both boys have now kicked something into the regular trailer and the tire went flat twice, balls, picture frames, toys, bikes.. Seriously the list goes on. I am going crazy over here and wondering when this will end.. Probably never though because I feel like Ted breaks just as many things as the boys do.

Thankfully its nothing big (knock on wood) and they are things that we can replace. As frustrating as it is I know they boys arent doing these things on purpose. However,  I do know that I will no longer replace things that are carelessly left out and broken. Maybe that will help them take care of their belongings.

I feel much better now that I vented about it.. Im sure so many of you parents can relate!