William's 4th Birthday Party

Happy Birthday to William! Where have 4 years gone? Where is the birthday boy? We were thankful to have friends and family to come help us celebrate! We missed the ones that couldn't come.


We played a few games. The balloon toss and "duck duck goose" were favorites! We're going to have to play games more often. The kids took awhile to get the hang of some of them. It was very funny to watch!

Madeline and Andrew won the balloon toss...I think because they handed off their balloon instead of tossing it. :)


..some good friends...

The boys definitely out number the girls!

Finally! Getting ready to blow! He had his own personal cupcake to germify this year. Last year, he blew more than air on his cake. Eww! :)

Loving chocolate!! She's my kind of girl!
Isaac!
Us w/ William...
Opening gifts...
Auntie Leah came through, once again, w/ the favorite gift. :)



...missing mother...no longer! (it's easy to be the picture taker...and forget to hop in every now and then!)
Oh, yes, and we enjoyed fireworks by Max, Derek, and Isaac. Papa Chris bought giant sparklers. It was a fun evening! ;)

Friends...

Friendship is a blessing. You know you have good friends, when you can go a year without seeing or speaking to eachother and start where you left off. Our friends, Daniel and Faith, came to visit for most of last week. We had a great time together!




Krista, the girls, and her father-in-law, Samuel came for a visit last Thursday. I think Ellie looks more like Faith's baby, than Krista's. :)
Late night chats were fun! I think the latest we stayed up was 1 am. I'm still paying for that. :)

The kids having fun. Eva being the ringleader!

We had a picnic at the cabin. It was lots of fun. The only bummer was the full gallon of lemonade that was accidently spilled.

Sushi night! Daniel instructed us in the art of sushi-making. Yum! We called our friends, John and Christina at the last minute to come eat w/ us. The kids were in bed by 8...we had a blast!

Delish! I'm craving that now!

Potato Digging with Papa...

T-ball

Samuel has been waiting for 2 years to play T-ball. I love going because it's so funny! Here are a few pictures from the last game. Samuel and Eva had quite the crowd to cheer for them.

My Aunt Therese drove an hour to watch the game. Unfortunately she parked in the wrong spot. A fly ball from another baseball game hit the back window of her car and shattered it!

I had taken Samuel's t-shirt to a shop uptown to have his name put on the back. Well, as I'm finding out, my brain cells from having babies are not coming back. I forgot to go pick up his shirt and he had to wear a red shirt of William's. The black shorts were Isaac's old ones...size 8, I think. He was embarrassed, but willingly wore the mismatched outfit anyway. :)

I'm pretty sure my parents were the only people there cheering for a child AND a grandchild! lol!

Samuel plays t-ball more like football. (tackle whoever has the ball!)

Here's from an earlier game. Eva really improved on her hitting. Way to go Eva!

Justin missed this ballgame. It was all I could do to get out the door on time w/ the kids. (Bible Study came right after, so I had to have supper done and get all the stuff for later...) Samuel dressed himself. I love that this age is so free from caring what other people think. My kid was the only one on the field w/ orange and blue shorts and a red shirt. :)

Grandpa and Grandma are so sweet to come to all the ball games. Grandma and Mom have to take turns being the baby-entertainer/hogger. :)

Summertime Recipe

Time seems to be speeding up. Or, maybe we're just on the go more. Well, it's summertime and we're outside lots, going to T-ball games, gardening, and swimming at the pool. Food preparation time is at a minimum and I always rejoice when I find something fast, nourishing and good. So here's my simple recipe:

Taco Beans

1 lb kidney beans
1 lb black beans

Pour into a crockpot and cover with water. Turn on low and cook for 6 hrs. (time may vary)
Add in several Tbsp of taco seasoning to taste.
Serve in a tortilla and top w/ cheese, lettuce, green onions, diced peppers, taco sauce, and sour cream. Delish!

With the left over beans, you can either re-heat them for a repeat for lunch, or cook them longer and add more water to make refried beans to add to taco meat and freeze for another fast meal.

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Because I like to inform my family on how healthy they are eating, let me say that legumes contain several anticancer agents. All contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Kidney and pinto beans are high in omega 3's; chickpeas are high in omega 6's. Legumes are rich in minerals and B vitamins.

To make beans digestible, make sure they're cooked well. It's best to soak them for 12-24 hrs before you cook them. Adding 2 T of lemon juice for every 2 cups of beans. (sometimes I don't think or plan that far ahead, so I just omit that step...and they're still good)

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And another great thing is that this meal is cheap!! (esp if you're able to get most of your toppings from the garden! :)