For Our Winged Friends

I don't think it's a shock, I'm not very crafty. I try. But I'm just not. Even with all my education. You know, I was supposed to go into the field of education. But well, you know. Life happens. I'm getting off topic here....

It's been so hot here. Been in the 90s for weeks! And the boys are dying to do all kinds of crazy things outside. They've hunted lizards for weeks! Literally, no lizard is safe in our yard!! They all end up in a jar. With 2 boys poking them. Staring at them. Just being curious.

Bugs get the same treatment. I find Mikey digging in the yard. And Danny standing there, with another jar. Ya, no jar is safe in our home. I do make sure, to poke holes in all the tops. I'm trying to save the creatures here. :)

With Mike being gone, fighting the wild fires, I'm all the kids have. So I've been trying extra hard. To be a good momma. We go on daily "nature walks." Early in the morning. It's the only time it's cool out. And in the evening, we head to the park. So they can play with their friends. But around the house, I'm a little at a loss. What can we do?

I found a fun project. That involves a Slinky, birdseed, and birds. Even I can manage this one! I bought all the supplies yesterday. And today, during the "peak heat hours," we're going to create some wonderful things. For our winged friends. :)

What are some of your "go-to" activities to do with your kids? Especially in the heat. We live in the desert. For about 5 months out of the year, it's tough to be outside, between 9AM and 7PM. I'd really like to hear some great ideas. I know my sons would appreciate it too!

♥Rach♥

What a Blessing!

How was everyone's Mother's Day? Our was nice. Low key. And at home. It was really nice! Both my family, and Mike's came down for a visit. Which made it an extra special weekend for us. :) If you read Monday's post, you can tell...it's getting warm around here.

Our moms cooked all the food! And it was so good. I'm still stuffed! But I wanted to contribute something too. That's when I tried a new recipe. For cheesecake cookies. Um, hello! If the name of the recipe didn't interest you, well I'm not sure what will! But they were amazing!

And we just enjoyed a lot of time, with our family. Everyone melted over Mikey and Danny...in their little suits. And Savannah, had everyone, wrapped around her little fingers. :) We don't get to see our families much. It's really unfortunate! But Mike's family lives 4 hours away. And mine, well they're a plane ride away!

It was a nice little visit. Everyone was so happy. Life was going well. And we were just enjoying life. It's nice to be spoiled by my momma, and momma-in-law! In some ways, it made me feel like a little girl again. To have my momma, make me a yummy breakfast in bed. The only difference was, I'm now nursing a sweet little girl. With 2 little guys, who couldn't decide if they wanted to eat with their momma, or daddy.

This was the kind of weekend, that we all needed! Low key. Surrounded by our loved ones. Unfortunately, before our families even left, Mike was called out to work. And with that, "Fire Season" has begun. We were all sad, to see him go. But I know, my husband is good at his job. And he enjoys it. Believe me, we're all praying. For Mike's fast, and safe return!

♥Rach♥

We NEED One!!

Not even going to lie here. It's already insanely H-O-T! The rest of the world, is excited about summer. I'm well, not so thrilled that the temps are already in the 90s. Years ago, when I was in college, it was great! Welcomed actually. But these days, with 3 kids, it's tough. My boys want to be outside. 24/7! Never mind that it's 110 degrees. They don't care!

And I feel bad. I don't want my kids to be stuck inside. Not when our summer pretty much begins in May. And ends at the end of September. I want them to enjoy the summer months. And the nice weather.

But we need some activities that will keep us cool. And I'm not just talking swimming. So I took to Pinterest for some inspiration. Look what I found!

It's a sprinkler! Made out of PVC pipe. It might have taken me a week, to track down the original post. But I did! Mike told me, that he could make one. He's calling it the "Kid Car Wash." And after Mikey happened to spot it on the computer, I was writing down the supply list. Well it is essentially set in stone! Mike can't get out of it now. :)

I do have to say, we're blessed. Not only is Mike the kind of guy, that enjoys DIY projects. But the firefighters, are always excited to help us out. Especially when it comes to our kids. So guess what's on tap, for their next day off? This bad boy! My boys are so excited! They keep calling this, the "wimmin wower." If you didn't get that, it's the swimming shower. :) How cute! This momma might even have to run through it too!

♥Rach♥

Thank You Pinterest!!

In the last few months, maybe even year, I've spent lots of time on Pinterest. No lie! There are so many GREAT ideas on there. And sometimes, you just need to "shake up" snack time. That's when you turn to Pinterest. And find something fun like these carmel dipped grapes. :)

My boys are good at eating their fruits and veggies. With little more than, some Ranch dressing to dunk their veggie sticks in. But this Momma, sometimes is looking for a sweet snack. These are the perfect little treat. Super quick to make! And so easy!

I buy some of those carmel squares. And I melt them in the microwave. Be careful not to burn the carmel. Literally, I had a whole bowl melted and ready for dunking, in 45 seconds! Then I take a toothpick, and load up about 3 grapes on it. This is where I differ from the picture. I dip all the grapes in the carmel, then quickly roll them in some crushed nuts. Because my carmel is pretty thin, it doesn't give a thick coat. And it doesn't over power the grapes.

What a fun, and unexpected treat! I made these on Friday. During the boys' nap time. It was definitely a fun treat for them, when they woke up. Not something we'll have every day, or every week. But a nice treat, to "shake things up." Have you found some fun snacks too? Things that are unexpected. I'd love to hear all about them!

♥Rach♥

What a Sweet Peach!!

I'm starting to think that God, reads my blog. That he's been listening to little 'ol me. Praying that our last baby, will be a girl. Today, I'm 20 weeks, 1 day pregnant. And we had our gender ultrasound. I wanted to be 100% sure. Being our last baby and all.

Listening to our babies' heartbeats, long before we meet them, is the most AMAZING thing in the world! I still can't believe, that Mike and I, made these gorgeous little souls. With our love. Wow! It is amazing.

With every pregnancy, I've totally embraced every second. Every small kick, movement, and even morning sickness. But there's something about this pregnancy. Maybe because I know, this baby is our last. But I've embraced every second. I'm trying to record it all. So that years from now, I'll have these little memories. Of "growing" my sweet babies.

And with our amazing appointment, came our great news! In March, we'll be welcoming a sweet little girl!! Can you believe it? Even our boys are excited. "A sisa? We gonna have a gurl? When her come home?" They are excited! We are excited!!

Before we had kids, Mike and I agreed on 2 very important things. 1. He'd name our sons. I'd name our daughters. 2. Whoever named our baby, had to pick our baby's Godparents. Oh boy! It's all on me now!! :)

Actually, I've had 2 girl names picked out. Since I was a little girl. Now I just need to decide between Georgia and Savannah. Before you think I've completely lost it, I'm originally from Georgia. And I knew, I always wanted my daughter to have a connection to my home state. Especially since now, we live in the southwest.

And Godparents...I've known for years, who'd I pick. Now, we just need to get them in 1 place, at the same time. :) I'm really excited about this too!

Oh, and since we're having a sweet girl, I want to do something a little different. Especially when it comes to her nursery. I'm thinking, I want to use the theme "Georgia Peach." I've been looking everywhere, for the perfect crib bedding. But haven't had much luck. But I am positive, that I'm going to use peach, with a little bit of pink, for our daughter's nursery.This picture, is my inspiration!

There's so much to do, in the next few months. But I'm so excited! This is going to be such a fun chapter in our lives. And our daughter, is going to completely change our home. Right now, I'm totally outnumbered! There's my hubby, our 2 sons, and our little dog. All boys!

Mike and I, are planning a little shopping trip. Probably Wednesday. I now realize, we don't really have anything for our daughter. With Danny, we had lots and lots of "hand-me-downs" from Mikey. But honestly, I think Mike is super excited! On the way back from our doctor, who is an hour away from where we live, we stopped at Target. Each of our sons got a new little car. Our daughter, her first Barbie doll! How cute! Yes, we are so excited to be adding a little girl, to our little family!

♥Rach♥

Echo the Elephant

Earlier tonight, the boys and I watched a story about Echo the Elephant. Made me cry like a big 'ol baby! Not even lying. It was part of PBS Nature. Honestly, must see TV! Now more than ever, I wish I could buy this movie.

The boys were so thrilled with all the elephants. They just loved watching them play together. And just all the interaction. Mikey was showing Danny how elephants walk around. They were just cracking up.

I was completely interested in the story line. I'm not even going to lie. It was completely an amazing evening. I was so tempted to call my local PBS channel. Just to give a donation. So I could get the DVD for our family.

Instead, I'm going to search on ebay. Hopefully I find it there. For much cheaper than the $250 that PBS was asking for. But it was definitely a fun night. And I'm looking forward to watching much more of this type of TV with my boys!

♥Rach♥