My favorites on Friday

Our favorite smoothie

 

 

 

 This smoothie has been a staple around our house all summer. We have made it just about everyday with lunch. With school starting, my kids have requested that we make it as their after school snack. I love that they love it and drink it right up. I drink it up too, I really love this combo. Smoothies are always such a good way to get those fruits and veggies in especially when they just don't eat them otherwise.

There are many recipes and combos out there, but this my kids favorite and it's what we stick with.

Spinach

Frozen strawberries, peaches, mangos, and pineapple  

(sam's club sells this blend together, my kids are just not big on blueberries, raspberries, etc so this works best for us)

Vanilla yogurt

Water

Strawberry-tangerine crystal light packet-

( I just buy the target brand of this)

(this is a trick from a friend, it just sweetens it a little more and covers any spinach taste.)

We just throw it all in the Ninja- if we want it thicker we use less water or more fruit. I would make enough to fill the whole pitcher and there was never any left.

My little dancers

Hailey and Emery having been taking a little dance class this summer. My girls have never had dance before so when I found a class, that was being taught by a high school girl in our stake, I thought it would be the perfect thing for them. I could find out if they even liked dance and a it was good thing to do through the summer.

 Hailey has not been so in love with taking dance, in fact I may have bribed her with ice cream to get her to dance in the recital. But she was glad she did and wants to take dance again next summer. Emery, on the other hand, just loved it. She would have gone everyday.

Each age group learned a routine to perform at the end of the classes. My girls were so excited when the day came. We painted fingernails and toenails, made sure their hair was all done up, and even put on a little make-up for the occasion. It was little girl heaven. They both did great and it was so fun to watch them.

I have a video of the performance, but I never can get  video to upload on my blog. I will just have to keep trying and put it up later.

What's this... a new post...

My lack of blogging around here is a little embarrassing. I know it's bad when my father in law calls and says he's a little disappointed in the lack of content. We will have to hide our faces from the shame.

What can I say? It's summer and there are many reasons, but too many good excuses. The kids are always lined up for their turn on the computer and then after they are given turns the computer always seems to have problems. Crazy how that happens. I have also been terrible about taking pictures and there just hasn't been much to take pictures of. How many pictures can I take of us swimming?!

We really have been homebodies this summer and it seems when we aren't at home swimming, we have had a bunch of doctor appointments. Just not very exciting photo opportunities.

Speaking of doctor appointments, Hailey has been 3 times. She just kept getting an infection in that gland in her neck. Its like the 5th time she has ended up with a lump the size of a golf ball there. But after 2 appointments with a ENT doctor I think we have finally got it taken care of and is she is back to enjoying a normal neck size. 

I have been 2 times to a foot and ankle doctor. I was tired of feeling like an 80 year old women since they just were not healing. The doctor decided to just inject them and man it's made a big difference. 

 And the boys and Emery had their yearly physicals and required shots. Everyone is good. It just takes a lot of trips to get it all in.

Carter did cause us a little drama last week though. With their physicals, the doctor recommended that Carter and Kayden have their blood drawn for routine tests. I took them to the lab, they took both boys back at the same time, but stuck Carter first. He was a little worried about it and really doesn't like the sight of blood. They had a little trouble getting his, I am sure because he was so tense. Once they got it he got up and came right back out to the waiting room so he didn't have to watch Kayden get his done. As soon as he sat he said he was feeling sick and might throw up so I had him step outside. I turn around to check on the other kids, and when I turned back to Carter, who was leaning over a railing, I could tell his legs were buckling and he was pale as a ghost. I caught him and dragged him to the car, turned the air on, and gave him some water. In the meantime, Kayden was getting his blood drawn without any problem. I gathered them all up, drove and got some OJ for Carter and all was well. Sheesh that kid, next time we will have to be more prepared to deal with his queasiness. Everything worked out though, they are fine and I sent them both off to scout camp this morning. 

So there you have it, just simply boring around here. But we only have one more week to enjoy this boring lazy schedule so we better make the most of it. And we certainly don't want to spend any more of it at a doctor appointment.

My favorites on Friday

My new favorite toothless grin

Although I guess it's not really toothless. We noticed a couple weeks ago that all of the sudden there was a permanent tooth coming in behind Hailey's baby teeth. She was so excited and started trying to wiggle that baby tooth out. On the ride home from Utah last week, Hailey asked me if she could pull her tooth out, I didn't think she really would be able to, and sure enough she pulled it right out and handed it to me. So one tooth down, many more to go and the beginning of a forever changed smile.

Our summer trip to Utah

Every summer we make a trip to my parent's house in Payson, UT. This year we were able to coordinate with my sister and her kids, who live in Idaho, and spend a week together there. We also were able to attend my new little nieces baby blessing. So we got a little time with Corey's family as well. It all worked out great.   We never have to do much or anything too exciting for that matter, but just having a change of scenery, cooler weather, grandparents, and cousin time is all we need. It's always hard to leave it behind. 

The first day, we didn't go anywhere or even rush to get out of pajamas. The kids just had time to play together.

The next day we went bowling. It's kinda sad that we don't go more often. Although if we had a bowling center like Fat Cats we probably would. We had so much fun, especially Emery, she just loved it. She had an interesting technique too, she would push that ball down the ramp and then lean in every direction trying to get that ball to move where she wanted it all the way down the lane. Then once it hit the pins she would turn around clapping with a great big grin plastered on her face. 

 Of course, you have to get in a little time at the arcade too while we are there.

My parents live close to the mouth of Payson canyon, and it's sad to say that this trip was the first time we have ventured up there. We will definitely making that part of all our trips from now on. We took the kids on a short hike, called The Grotto, it was a perfect, small kid friendly, and mom with horrible ankles friendly hike and they all loved it.

 

At the end of the trail you end up at this small waterfall. 

 The water was pretty darn cold, but that didn't stop them from getting soaked.

Well except Emery, she liked the hike okay, but was not fond of the water at all. This was as wet as she got.

 Really was not fond of it.

We hiked back down to the car and drove the park at the base of the canyon to have a picnic and the kids played some more in the creek. And other than having to drive Emery back home for a potty break, since she was in NO way going to use the toilet in the park, it was a really fun day.  Especially since we went for ice cream cones before calling it a day.

I was able to meet up with some good high school friends for lunch, worked in a trip to Ikea, ate at Chik-fil-a, and even spent a little time on my mom's silhouette. It all made for a great week and we are missing it already.