Trip Pics

We woke up at 3:15 in order to catch our 6:25am flight. That sounded like a great idea a few months ago...but we did have a wonderful day yesterday!

This was my view this morning. Ahhh...high of 72 today. 

Another view from our deck

Inside the Rocky Mountain Narional Park. 

I just might not go home...

Friday Favorites

1.  Old Navy Shorts

In my opinion, Old Navy makes a great basic short.  I have these.......in several colors.  I was in there yesterday and all their shorts were on sale for $10.  Score!  I prefer the 5 inch seam because let's face it- these thighs are not what they once were.  I also have a few shorts from JCrew but unless you find them on sale, I don't see a reason to pay more.

2.  Glow All Year by Pur Minerals

I was in Ulta several weeks ago and found this little bronzer set.  I don't like changing my foundation color just for summertime so I have found that if I can darken the color a tad with a bronzer then it will still work.  And the best part is that it's only $15.  I use this brush for application.

3.  Francesca's Boutique

Looking for a cute little boutique that offers unique clothing?  Francesca's is your place.  I am always able to find super cute tops and dresses when I go there.  I have one near my home so I don't typically order online but if you don't have one close by then online ordering might work for you!

4.  Vigoss Jeans

Several months ago I stumbled on these jeans while I was shopping in the junior section of Nordstrom.  I love, love, love them!  They are fun and funky and perfect for the weekends!

** When buying distressed jeans.....I always make sure to patch them so that the distressed part doesn't continue to tear or eventually become a huge hole.  These patches are great for that.

5.  Forever Red

Remember how I said I'm not a huge perfume person?  Well the other day we were at my sister's birthday dinner and my mom bought her some products from Bath and Body works.  I am not a huge fan of all their lotions....I do like their foamy hand soap.....but when my sister opened her gift and passed this little roll-on perfume around, we were all loving it. It's light and airy and isn't too overpowering.  I love the roll-on applicator too.

Happy Friday!

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Don't forget to enter the Pizza Hut giveaway!  You have until July 3.

Not sure how much I'll be blogging over the next week.  I plan to soak up some time with my sweet family and enjoy some cooler temps in this little place

But, if I have a decent internet connection I may blog about our trip.  Looking forward to a great week!!

Pizza Hut Giveaway!!!

*** Look for Giveaway at the bottom of this post ***

The last 3 days have been Wacky Week (like Vacation Bible School) at our church.  The boys have loved it!

I was running errands and shopping while the boys were there.  I got into my miserable car and noticed the temperature.  Ugh.  And it's not even July or August yet. I'm already soooo sick of this heat!

Yesterday, I picked the boys up from WW and got them fed real quick and we headed to the pool!

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*** Pizza Hut Giveaway ***

Prize Pack includes:

* Dragons Love Tacos book

* a red cinch bag

* $10 Pizza Hut Gift Card

If you've read my blog much then you know that I am always looking for fun/educational things for the boys to do during the summer.  Our days go much smoother if we have some organized activities planned.  As a former teacher, I also know the importance of reading during the summer and giving your child opportunities to use their brains so that they don't lose what they learned during the year.

Pizza Hut just launched a summer site called Spark Your Greatness.  The goal is to help defeat that "summer slide" that children find themselves in between "I'm bored!" and the first day of the next school year.  

The site is full of free, fun games and activities for your children to do including Read & Do activities, games, printables (including word scrambles and searches), and even featured stories.  Children will have a blast navigating through the site, unlocking items to customize their very own dragon.  Click here to get started.

Pizza Hut is going to give one of my readers a copy of Dragons Love Tacos, a red cinch bag, and a $10 Pizza Hut gift card.  How sweet is that?

You have 2 chances to enter: (make sure your email is included)

1.  Visit the Pizza Hut Book It website and register your kids.  Then come back and leave a comment to tell me that you did and tell me your favorite kind of pizza.

2.  Become a Follower of this blog.  Click "Join this Site" at the top right side of my blog.  Then leave a comment to tell me that you did. (if you are already a follower then just tell me that in your comment)

Easy Peasy!

Contest will be open until end of the day on July 3.  Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  Winner must reside in the lower 48 states of the continental USA. Good luck!

Disclosure: Pizza Hut is providing the Giveaway prize.  I was not compensated for this post and all comments and remarks are my own.

All Banged Up

I mentioned back in February that my Valentine's gift to sweet boy was the Year of Dates.  I paid for and planned a date for each month.  It's been really fun!  Our June date consisted of paintball.  I found a place in Granbury.......not far from the little getaway place my mom and stepdad have.  So, I asked my mom and Jason's mom to keep the boys so that we could have a relaxing/kid-free weekend.

All suited up and ready to go

We had a lot of fun!  However we did walk away with some bruises.  Man, I didn't realize how much it would hurt.  I have this lovely bruise on my leg that is about 6 inches across in diameter.  This was taken that day........now it's really dark/black and ugly.  I've got 3 other half dollar sized bruises on my upper legs too!  I shot him hard in the knee but the worst was the one that hit him right on top of the head.  Yep, that left a mark! :)

We enjoyed walking around the downtown square and doing some shopping.  It was so nice to enjoy a quiet lunch and dinner.......... even though I missed the boys.......they were in great hands with grandparents.

Yesterday, we went to the trampoline park.  We got there right when it opened and there was NOONE there.  They enjoyed about 45 minutes or so of having the place almost to themselves.

Gotta love the foam pit!

My friend Tammie brought her boys to jump too.  They are the same ages as Hudson and Cooper and have been friends since Hudson and Bryce were babies.

Loving our summer so far!

Friday Favorites

1.  Organix Coconut Milk Serum

Now that summer is here.....that means that the boys and I spend a lot of time outside and also at the pool.  To help keep my hair conditioned and healthy, I use Organix Coconut Milk serum.  I wash my hair after swimming and rub this serum at the roots and ends and then put it in a pony tail or bun for the rest of the night. It makes my hair really soft and it smells good too!

2.  Hydrogen Peroxide

(not specifically this brand....)

A few weeks ago, Cooper was starting to feel yucky and had a bad cough.  I mentioned this to my chiropractor and he told me to put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in his ears.  Did you know that lots of viruses enter our bodies through our ears?  I had no idea.  I tried this and it seemed to help.  He never fully got sick so I'm thinking it was a combination of this and some other natural supplements.  It's something that most of us have on hand at all times so that's a plus as well.  Give it a try next time soneone in your house feels yucky.

3.  Clarisonic Mia

I can't remember if I've included this in my FF posts before but either way......this puppy deserves some recognition.  My mom bought this for me a few years ago and at first I wasn't too excited about it.  However, the very first time I used it......I felt a HUGE difference in my skin.  In fact, a couple of weeks ago I got a facial and the lady asked me what skin care products I used.  I told her about my beloved Obagi and that I use a Clarisonic.  She said that she could tell when someone uses this.  It's definitely worth the money!

4.  Toby Mac

Anyone else out there lovin' on Toby Mac?  We sure are.  We especially love his "Steal My Show" song.

5.  Salted Caramel Cake Pop from Starbucks

So most of you know that I'm a big Starbucks fan.  I {heart}a skinny vanilla latte.  I can't tell you how many times I have stood in front of the food case and stared at all the treats/goodies and never bought a cake pop.  I actually bought my first a couple of months ago and I sort of wish I hadn't.  They are addicting.  And I'm not even a huge chocolate fan (don't even get me started on the birthday cake pop.......)

Unfortunately, sweet boy is a huge fan of chocolate.  He's had a pretty crappy week so I decided to be sweet and grab him one today when I got myself some coffee.  I mean.......I couldn't just buy one now could I?  I ate mine the minute I got it.......because cake pops just seems to taste better when paired with a hot latte.  The cake pop I'm saving for him is calling my name though!  He better get home soon or it might just disappear......

6.  Anything but Chevron

Several months ago, I professed my love for the chevron print.  I do still love it..........however, I'm so sick of it.  It's everywhere and so overused lately.  Anyone else wish it would disappear for a while?

Happy Friday!!

Camp Week!

My boys are at camp this week.  It's not a spend the night camp. It's Mon-Fri during the day......which is perfect because they get to have fun but mama also gets to have them safe and snug in their beds here at home.  They went last year and LOVED it so it was a no brainer to send them back this year.  

 Last week we made some bird feeders for our backyard.  We used plain toilet paper rolls, peanut butter and bird seed.

 They had fun spreading the peanut butter...

 .......and rolling the bird seed.

 My only mistake was that we made them the day before we left town.  I think while we were gone, a bird snatched it and flew off with them.  Next time I will probably paper clip them to the branches so that the wind won't knock them off and they won't disappear.

 Every day, we have a little quiet time over here.  This keeps mama from going crazy gives each of us a little break from each other and allows the boys to learn to entertain themselves a little bit.....which is HUGE for Cooper because he needs constant interaction.

I tell them that they can rest, read, draw or whatever they want to do.  This particular day, they each wanted a big bucket of Legos to build.  Quiet time lasts at least 30 minutes each day (this week is an exception because of camp) 

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 Our caterpillars have turned into cocoons now.  The boys are patiently waiting for the butterflies!

 We moved them from the cup into their habitat.

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Have I mentioned what a sweet boy I have?  He is so thoughtful......always bringing me pretty flowers.  I'm one lucky girl!!

Father's Day

We had a good day yesterday.....we loved on Shawn and spent most of the day in Denton so that he could spend the day with his dad.  I couldn't help but feel an even bigger void as a result of it being Father's Day.  I missed Jason.

I knew that I wanted to do something to honor/remember Jason.  It's a fine line because I don't want to take away from Shawn or to hurt his feelings......but I also believe that the boys need to celebrate Jason as well.  You can probably imagine how difficult it is to love on your current family but try your best to not forget your past.  I feel so caught in the middle sometimes.

I was scrolling through the pictures in my camera this morning and I swear it felt like I was looking at pictures of 2 different families with 2 different lives.  Some pictures were filled with a mom and a dad and 2 young boys.  All happy and smiling.  Other pictures had a mom and 2 kids.....with a faint sadness in their eyes.  Yet, I am always reminded that it's us in all of those pictures.....living such a different life from what we were just 2 years ago.

Jason's birthday fell about 5-6 weeks after he passed.  We all got together and ate dinner at one of his favorite restaurants and then decided to do a balloon release. The boys thought this was really cool and I wanted to make a tradition out of it.  Unfortunately, Jason's birthday falls very close to Thanksgiving (last year it fell on the actual day) and that can be a crazy time.  Last year we were in small town Oklahoma visiting Shawn's family and everything was closed on Thanksgiving so there was no way for us to do a balloon release.  I also realized that this is somewhat of a private thing for us.......I love Shawn's family and all but the last thing I want is to meet these people for the first time and have them witness the boys and I struggling over our loss for him.

This year I thought that maybe we could switch it to Father's Day......and make that our yearly tradition.  But like I mentioned before, I don't want to take away or ever make Shawn feel that he is living in a shadow.  I guess we will see how it goes each year and maybe tweak it from time to time.

 "Thanks for being a great dad."

 "I love you dad.  You are brave."

 "We miss you Jason."

 "We love you to heaven and back."

Not sure how long the boys will enjoy this or actually believe that the balloons make it all the way to heaven......but we will do it as long as they want to.

Today my heart feels thankful.  So thankful that the boys had such an amazing daddy.  Thankful that they have an amazing man that is willing to step in some big shoes and finish the journey.  I know that I'm blessed.  But I also know that I'm sad today.  For all of us.  And that's okay!

San Antonio with Friends

On Wednesday, the boys and I headed south to Round Rock to spend some time with my college friend, Amy.  Sweet boy was in New York all week for work and her husband happened to be in Miami for work as well.......so we figured it was a perfect time to get together and play.

We took the boys to the JW Marriott in San Antonio.  So pretty!

It was a little overcast for part of Thursday but we still got to enjoy the lazy river and pools and slides.

I lived in San Antonio for a bit when I was a kid and then also again my first year of college.  Alamo Cafe was always one of my favorite places to eat.......so I was super exited to hear that there was one about 15-20 minutes from our hotel.  So yummy!

The 3 Amigos!

Enjoying dinner

Cooper being silly with his tortillas.

Okay, so you know how I've had multiple a few small incidents where I've hurt myself.....or my car?  Well this trip would be no exception.  Let me explain......

On Thursday, I was riding a slide with the boys and it required us to sit on a tube.  The slide dumped us off into the lazy river at the end so we floated for a bit.  I was ready to get out so I got off my tube.  The current was pushing me along and all of a sudden I stumped my toe on something.  I later learned that when this lazy river was built, it didn't have much of a rapid or flow.  So a company came in and put speed bump type mounds all around the river so that it would help create more of a rapid feel.  I was taken back because I couldn't figure out what I had just hit (the lazy river at our house has big step downs every so often and I was used to that) and before I could process it, the current was taking me along and I stubbed my same toe on another speed bump.  If let out a big yelp and luckily the steps were to my left so that I could get out.  Another lady standing at the steps was irritated and told me that she had just done the same thing and had also done it the last time she was at this hotel.  

The rest of the day was a good time......my foot/toe was really sore but we kept going.  By dinner though my foot was throbbing and my toe hurt so bad.  I asked Amy if she would drop me off at the hotel entrance because I wasn't sure I could park and then walk the parking lot.  We got back to the room and I elevated it and iced it and took Advil but I was in a ton of pain.  We decided to call the front desk.  They sent an EMT to our room......who barely even looked at my foot.  He asked me some questions, took some notes and then offered to call me a cab to the emergency room.  Really?  This is a super nice hotel......not cheap.......and I was a little irritated.  I was a female, in a strange town, it was night time, we had our kids with us, it was also the same night as the big San Antonio/Miami basketball game........and he wanted to ship me off in a cab?  I said thanks but no thanks.  I could envision myself sitting in an ER with tons of stab victims and my measly hurt toe would certainly get bumped down the importance chain.  

He left and about 30 minutes later we called and asked for the night manager.  A really nice man (ended up being their head of security) came to our room and I nicely shared my experience from the lazy river and how I wasn't too happy with their protocol of putting me in a cab.  I told him that for a hotel of his level, I would expect at least a courtesy car to take me their.  He completely understood and offered to take me himself.  Conveniently, he drove me in the hotel Escalade and after a few Xrays, I learned that my big toe was not broken but just a bad contusion.  So thankful for that!!

If you know me at all then you know that this was a hard thing for me to do.  I hate to make a fuss, I hate to complain, I hate to be the center of attention......but I also didn't want to not get it checked out and then later learn that is WAS broken.  So, my friend Amy encouraged me to make the hotel aware and have it looked at.  I'm glad I did.

We got back to the hotel and he asked for a wheelchair escort back to my room.  I had declined one for the way down....I didn't want to make a fuss or freak my boys out........but apparently I took way too long on the way down so he insisted that I ride one back up.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that when he told me that he would take me, he mentioned that we would be going to a newer clinic that closed at 11 and that I needed to leave right then.  Pajamas and all.  So yes, went and got full Xrays and then was wheel chaired through a fancy hotel lobby full of Spurs fans in my pajamas.  Don't think I wasn't mortified!

I'm sure you are curious about sweet boy.  Well he was in NY like I mentioned.  I texted him Thursday night at dinner and said "I think I broke my big toe."  His response:  "are you joking?"  I can only imagine the eye rolling and head shaking that took place. :)

Very tempted to wrap my fully body in bubble wrap before I leave the house again.

Summer Fun

We are full force into summer now and having a blast so far!  Our caterpillars came in the other day and we have enjoyed watching them get big and fat.  They should be spinning cocoons soon and eventually turning into butterflies.  We did this a few years ago but Cooper was really small and didn't remember it so I thought it would something fun to do again.

Our first cooking lesson was somewhat of a success!  The boys did a good job at measuring and mixing......but the recipe wasn't so great.  I found a chocolate chip muffin recipe on Pinterest but it wasn't fabulous.  Oh well.....more cooking in our future for sure. :)

Yesterday was our first of MANY trips to the water park.  The boys love it there and it's a great way to get them outside....away from TV and video games......and make sure they are nice and worn out so that bedtime is a breeze.  I love hearing the laughter and seeing all the smiles too.

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I've had several people ask me about the busy basket contents.  Like I said, I've searched for things on Pinterest and the Internet. They are pretty simple to put together and the goal is for them to be independent activities.  I'll try to post more ideas as I make them.

This is a basic "summer memory" type game.  As long as your kids have played memory before then they should understand the concept.  If not, play with them a few times.  They can play alone or with a sibling.

Play dough and cookie cutters

 Paper airplane instructions (for my oldest)

 Fruit snack math.  I put fruit snacks in a baggie and typed up a math sheet that asked them to estimate how many were in the bag, write fractions, greater than and less than, pattern, etc.  Super easy and they loved it!

 A simple game of tic tac toe

 Making structures with marshmallows.  They really liked this as well.

We also have our Summer Bucket List activities.  We came up with 20+ things to do this summer.  

Hope everyone is having a good one so far!!