Water Color and Butterflies

This morning, I decided to let Katie Lee paint. She LOVED it!! She did pretty good with it. I do think that I could have just given her a paintbrush and a cup of water and that would have been just fine too.

As we walked out the front door this morning to get the mail, we noticed two butterflies on the pink bush.

One is Silver and the Other's Gold

Last night I had a bunch from school over to wish Karen good luck. She has taught at Harvest for a long time teaching 1st, 2nd, and being our Reading Coach. She is moving this year to Madison Cross Roads to teach there. We are SO going to miss her at school. Several people from school came to wish her well. (It WAS NOT a good bye party.) I think that we all had a great time catching up.




We had a money tree for her to get some new things. (Public Education has no money this year.)


SSM---These are some of my best friends from school. They were quick to let me join there group of friends. They are the BEST. I am so happy to call them friends. Some are not at our school anymore, but we still get together about every month.


Visiting with everyone.

I had planned on having the whole party outside, but it began to rain about the time the party started and continues until all went home.

I just had to put this picture of Audrey and Joyce. They are a hoot!! Audrey is my next door neighbor at school, and she keeps me laughing all of the time! I hope they got home OK. They thought that I live way out in the country.

Fruit Pizza

One of my favorite desserts for the summer is fruit pizza. It is super easy and really tasty.Yesterday I made single serving ones for our party last night. It is really pretty when you prepare it as one big pizza and then top with with fruit in a pattern.




FRUIT PIZZA

2 pkgs. cream cheese
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar (or to taste)
Pizza pan
Assorted fruit suggestions: Kiwi, strawberries, mandarin oranges, bananas, black or blue berries
Spread cookie dough over pizza pan. Cook the crust as directed on wrapper. In a bowl, microwave cream cheese until soft. Add vanilla and sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie. Cut and lay fruit in circles. Serve immediately

Tea Party

Wednesday, Katie Lee and some friends attended a tea party. Katie Lee was so excited about going. She loved the tea "water" in the tea pot. She kept saying. "more please." She got a bracelet which she was very proud to tell everyone that afternoon that it was, "purp purp" (purple) and it was from the "tea par par."

Teachers' Retreat

I spent the morning at a retreat for all of the teachers at our school. Most all of the teachers were able to attend. Before the retreat, I attended a leadership workshop for team leaders. We had a great lunch and a good motivational speaker. I even won a door prize--one month at Rivera Fitness. I am still not ready for school to start. The summer has gone by way too fast.

One Busy Weekend

Saturday afternoon, Kathryn came over. She and Zeb just got back from the week at the beach. Katie Lee was quite excited to see Aunt Kitty when she woke from her name and wanted to know if she had gotten her a "prize." She was tickled over her colorful sucker with a turtle stuffed animal on it. The sucker was "yum, yum, it good" and turtle has been added to her bedtime critter collection. Kathryn also gave me a pretty shell necklace. Aunt Kitty and Uncle Wez stayed for supper. Donnie grilled.



Sunday, we went to a shower at ASU. As we were leaving I took some pictures of Katie Lee. I did not get too many really good picture of Katie Lee, but got some really cute ones of Carmen.

Mother and her sisters went on a shopping trip Friday and Saturday. She even brought me back a prize. She gave me a menu board and a bird candle holder. Thanks Mother.

Birthday party for Anna Beth

Saturday we attended Anna Beth's 2nd birthday party. I cannot believe all of our babies are turning 2. She had her party at the duck pond. What a great day!!

Happy Birthday Anna Beth.

Playing at the park.

All the girls. (Katie Lee loved the juice the best. I think she drank 3 and had to take one home with her.)

All smiles with Kinsley.

James and Katie Lee had to sit on the table because their daddys' were.

Checking out the ducks.

Never too Young for Chores

Yesterday, I had folded yet another load of clothes. I got sidetracked before putting them all away. Katie Lee decided that she would help out and take her clothes to her bedroom. She has been putting away laundry for a long time now. She knows which drawers all of my things, Donnie's, and everything at Grammie and Poppie's house goes. I wonder how long she will keep this up with just her quarter at night before she hits Donnie up for a big allowance. HA.



I also got her a "big-girl" skirt the other day. She has never had anything denim except some overalls that she did not like to have on. She modeled it Friday night when we picked Poppie up for supper. Grammie is on a girl's trip with her sisters, so Poppie went with us.

Babysitting

Wednesday night when we got home from church, I had a message from Scott asking if Mary Kaitlyn could come over and spend the day Thursday. Of course I was happy to have her come over. I told Katie Lee and she was so excited. Thursday morning Katie Lee got up asking for "Mary." She soon got to the house. I could have just left. Besides the fact that an adult was needed, I was useless. Katie Lee had poor Mary doing everything for her. We went to Chick-fa-la for lunch. She had to sit beside "Mary" and Mary had to get her food ready. Then to Wal-Mart where Mary had to push the buggy and I was told to go away! HA Can you tell that Katie Lee is just crazy about Mary Kaitlyn? I think it is just wonderful that she loves her and her whole family so much!!!

Good Intentions

Do you ever have these great plans and the time to do it, but you just cannot get motivated to do it? Well, that is how this summer has been for me in one certian area. See before school got out, I was all motivated with the Weight Watcher thing that had been working so well for me and had big summer make over plans.

My first plan was this

Several of the ladies that I work with did it and actually competed in some races. I have always wanted to run but cannot get from one telephone pole to the other because I cannot run and breathe at the same time.

I also planned to get more

So unless you count the fried squash, fried potatoes, fried okra, and fried sweet potatoes I have cooked. Oh, don't forget the strawberries (cake mix) for the strawberry bonbons, I haven't eaten a lot of these.

After about two weeks into summer vacation I saw this on TV one morning when I should have been out running. I decided that I could do that. Kellie had it and loved it. She also has a super cute figure even after two babies. All I had to do was follow the plan for 6 weeks (which was right up until school started back) and I most likely could have been a size smaller. Well, I did it for three or four days.

Now here it is 2 weeks until I go back to school, I am nothing more than this

Wordless Wednesday

Strawberry White Chocolate Bonbons

On several different blogs, I have read this recipe. They called them cakeballs but I think I will call them bonbons. That sounds cuter than cakeballs. :) It sounded super easy and really yummy. So, yesterday, Katie Lee and I made these. They are really good. I used strawberry but you can use any flavor. I think chocolate bark would be great with this. Hope you enjoy!




Strawberry White Chocolate Bonbons

Ingredients

1 box strawberry cake mix, baked according to directions
1 tub strawberry frosting
1-1/2 bars almond bark
1 scoop Crisco (if desired)

Directions

After cake cools, crumble in a large bowl. Add entire tub of frosting, mix until evenly combined. Roll into small balls, freeze for 1-2 hours.

Melt white chocolate and Crisco either in the microwave or over a double boiler until thin. Place cakeball in white chocolate and use a spoon to pour chocolate over each cakeball until coated. Use spoon to scoop up cakeball and tap any excess chocolate on the side of the bowl. Lay on wax paper to cool and dry.

Store in the refrigerator.

Love the Country Life

Last night while Katie Lee and I were sitting in the living room, I looked out the window and saw this walking across the yard. This explains why we have only had 5 tomatoes this year too.

That time again

I cannot believe how fast the summer is passing us by. I have just one more full week of summer break before I have to go back to school. I have REALLY enjoyed my time off with Katie Lee. I miss out on so much when I am not with her all day. I do think that she is VERY attached to me this summer. Monday I worked at school all day getting my room ready. I left Katie Lee with Mother and she cried and hung on to my neck. I finally just had to let mother take her crying. Luckily she did get over it in a little while and was fine.


I had planned on working two days at school because I figured that it would take me that long to get it all together. I finished in ONE day!! Here are some pictures of what I have gotten done so far. The rest I can finish on a work day, but this will look nice for parents for parent night before school starts.

I walked into my room looking like this.

We have a jungle theme for fourth grade this year.



I also had a brand spanking new Promethean board with a laptop and projector. I am SO EXCITED about this.


I also got my class list. It has 22 kiddos on it. BIG change from the 28 that I had last year. This will be a good year.