4th Fun!

Happy 4Th of July!

Jumping out of his seat so excited to see the motorcycles with Taylor!

The gals...

Izzie and Brayden...lovin' the lollies

Watching the fireworks....

We had such a great Fourth of July! We had some good friends over for an old fashioned BBQ and fireworks with the kiddos lots a fun...Just something about a sparkler that brings back childhood memories! We attended a parade, loaded up on candy, and had a ball...followed by fireworks in the park....Gotta love the Fourth!

Side??

So, Brayden would live outside if I would let him... I always tell him to go put his shoes on and then we can go outside. The other day he was running around the house frantically trying to find his shoes which he normally does and brings them to me so I can help him put them on..... But, apparently that took too long, so he just found a pair of shoes and slapped them on....They happened to be Daddy's and 10 sizes to big....Then he asks "Side??" I just had to laugh and snap this picture.....

Desperate times call for desperate measures...No matter how the shoes fits (and on the wrong feet) Funny Kid...

That there is an R.V..... :)

That's right! Our Travlin' R.V.......

Haha! So here are the before and after pictures of our new little trailer...It was my Dads, and he most graciously made us an offer we couldn't refuse so it is ours! I couldn't help myself, it was another project...I know that I am crazy...( hey, I just like to make my surroundings fun and feel like home...even when camping ) I did a few little updates and promised Brady I wouldn't go over the top... I debated whether or not to even post, so you can all make fun all you want.. :) So...here it is....Before....Bed...

Table...

Kitchen Sink...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

After......

The cozy table.. Crazy Bed...

Where all the cookin' happens :)

Camping is an entirely different experience in our own little home away from home...

We had the opportunity to use it this past weekend with my family... We camped just above Strawberry Reservoir. It was a little chilly but nothing a fire couldn't cure. We did get rained and hailed on but that was all part of the fun. Brayden LIVED on the 4-wheelers...thank goodness there was enough of us to take turns riding with our little man! He even knows how to start the big machines all by himself...NO JOKE! Turns the key, starts the ignition...but I am glad that he still has a hard time getting it into gear... I have never seen anything like it.. This kid is 26 months old! We ate and ate, then played cards and watched a movie... What else do you do with a downpour outside?! Not o mention my Dads new trailer is to the "nines" flat screen, and surround sound, lots of beds to lay on and take a great afternoon nap! Super relaxing!! Thanks for the great time fam! Hope to do it again soon... We love ya!


Bathing the dirty little guy....

Painting with Grammy...
Nutty dog..In the charred firewood...

The boys....chopping wood for the fire!!!

Uncle B...and his girl Jess~

And I know my mom didn't take this lovely pic.... aghhhh!

Grampy..Papa..Loadin' the firewood with Brayden...The fam...Great time! :)

Great Day for Lemonade...

One of my favorite things about summer is kicking back with a cool glass of thirst quenching lemonade. Recently I have been experimenting and here are some of my favorite twists on an old classic...

~Try adding fresh berries like sliced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, even blueberries...

~Also, fresh picked mint in small sprigs is quiet refreshing and light...

~Sweet Basil is one of my favorites! It is different and can be an acquired taste...but I LOVE basil on just about anything! Lavender leaves can be popular as well, when boiling your water add the leaves to draw out the flavor, then strain the leaves and discard. Adding these fresh herbs gives it an unexpected but pleasing flavor...

~Chunks of watermelon are a great addition as well. It may sound strange but is really good. Brady works with a chef that is famous for this yummy watermelon lemonade with mint!

~And never forget to slice up good tart lemons or limes fresh from the market...While your at it, display a colorful bowl of lemons in your kitchen...There is nothing like bringing in summer with fresh lemons around!

~ Simple Goodness on a Hot Summer day~

In this months issue of Country Living my heart went pitter patter when I saw these fun GLASS JARS filled with the summertime favorite. I am obsessed with glass jars so naturally I fell in love with theses darling beauties. I am on a search for the perfect one to display the yummy refreshment....

Really with lemonade the sky is the limit... Nothing beats an ice cold glass of lemonade on a warm summer evening. Especially one that has your own personal twist...

Below is a basic lemonade recipe...give it your personal touch

~Perfect Lemonade Recipe ~

Ingredients
1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

~Method ~
1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.
Serves 6.

Ahhhhh....Enjoy!!

Proud Mama!

Today was the last day of Little Gym...I am a little sad that it is over. It has been so much fun watching Brayden learn all of the tricks and skills during these short few weeks and he has mastered them all! I always looked forward to Thursdays for a little Mama and guy time....I have to say this Mama was very proud when Brayden received his award from Miss Lyla. His face showed such excitement when he gave me his little ribbon...Awhhh, his first award :) And~ you better believe Mom put this special ribbon on display for all to see...Getting his award...he was a little shy, Mom had to give him a push...

Shootin' hoops...

On the beam...

Doing a flip on the high bar...

Monkey Boy...

The parachute, this was his favorite thing to do...

Daddy even came for the last day!

So proud of my man! Yea for Brayden!!! We are looking forward to fall already...

Ahhh..TROUBLE!!

He is making motor sounds!! Look at those lips....

So most 2 year olds like cartoons, disney movies and a good bedtime story...Not my Brayden, I think that he is an 18 year old trapped in a 2 year old body. Sure Brayden does enjoy those things but his most FAVORITE thing in the world is anything with a LOUD motor and is DANGEROUS!!! If any of you are familiar with the show Nitro Circus...it is this crazy show where these guys do wicked tricks, flips and stupid stunts on anything that has wheels...and my guy loves, loves, LOVES it! This is what Dad and Brayden watch before bedtime ( I know probably not the best thing) but he is glued to the T.V. It is the funniest thing to watch. Even when it cuts to commercial, he flips out because he thinks it's over. So we have resorted to T-Voing the show and fast forwarding thru commercials...He turns to us and laughs then says OHHHHH, claps his hands, he is sooooo excited when they do the silly stunts. But what really made me think I am in for it is when I caught him pretending he was revvin' up his motorcycle, running through the kitchen, falling and rolling over like he just crashed from one of the crazy stunts they pull... I have a strong feeling I have a future motocross junkie on my hands!

HE'S IS ONLY 2!!!! HELP ME!!! :)

One of his favorite stunts...hydroplane! He says Awhhhhh!!!

But it is fun to be able to watch this little guy be so interested in such a crazy thing...he's all BOY!

Finally Spring!

MELT MY HEART!!!

Hugs!!

Kept saying "Uh-oh"...he knows it's in the STREET...HELP!!

Grampy with the fishin' game...

Ohhh yes, the chocolate bunny....

Vrooom, yet another darling truck!

Ahh...Just woke up, nice hair huh?!

So I know that I am a little late posting my Easter pictures but, here they are...We had such a wonderful day, perfect weather and family to share it with. Brayden did get a visit from the Easter bunny three times.... :) He loved his "Buzz" kite as you can tell from his face, completely dazed by it...Baskets galore!!! We went and visited both grandparents which was a delight. And Brayden even got to feed the ducks that have found a home in my parents yard, it seemed fitting for spring! I am so glad that warmer weather has finally arrived, my guy has been patiently waiting for Mr. Sunshine to share it's rays... I am truly grateful for my little man....I love this precious boy more than anything in the world, he makes my world a beautiful warm place to be.....