Paper Airplanes

Aaron wanted to have a paper airplane. So Eric asked him what kind? Aaron wasn't sure so Eric made all sorts of different paper airplanes.

Eric suggested they have a champion test (since Aaron doesn't like "racing" or competing right now) so Aaron could judge which was his favorite. They tested which could do the best tricks, which flew the fastest, the hardest, & gave them super cool names like: "Super Trickster", "Vin Fiz Flyer", "Classic Cruiser", & "Super Jet". They had quite the system going and each came up with their favorite! Afterward, we strung them from the big boys bedroom ceiling so they could watch their airplanes in flight every day!

July Journaling

Legos are a regular thing around here. Almost every day Aaron is creating a new thing-a-ma-jig and having us all enraptured by his creation! Ammon's more of a "kit" Lego man & can really punch those out! Michael and Asher love playing with big boys creations. Big boys don't like that so much. So Asher and Michael have been creating towers & castles of their own with their Duplo blocks!

Some movies we saw this summer in the theater include:

survey says?!?! Our family's favorite: TOY STORY 3. If you have seen it. Go!

Something we just can't get enough of are eating Dinner outside. dinner picnics. We've done that several times this summer. Sprinklers somewhere always seem to turn on and call us to them...

one of these dinners out Eric took the boys to Subzero ice cream (cryogenics- direct contact freezing- nothing is frozen before you get there- you choose your flavors & they mix, & freeze in a matter of seconds right before your eyes!) afterward while I got a pedicure with my nieces.

We regularly bake around here. Eric is a master at it and we love to help eat, I mean, help make the treats!

The boys have their list of chores to do on cleaning day but wanted to earn extra spending money to spend on our California trip to Legoland. They did a fine job washing the car (among many other fun jobs) & had a HUGE water fight afterwards!!

Ammon found this frog a few times this summer. He became our pet frog that we knew we could count on finding under the back porch almost every day at dusk.

Eric got quite a work out with these cute weights attached to his legs.

Asher and Michael LOVE wearing hats.

I caught Asher in the Mickey Mouse hat blowing bubbles on the front porch.

SO cute!!

Asher was SOOOOooooo excited that we were getting a lawn in because that only meant one thing to him: SPRINKLERS!!! Michael & Asher were both so entranced by the machines they were using to break up the rocks in our yard to lay the sod. They watched the whole process. We had to bribe them to come in for breakfast! (notice Asher's lil tool belt- he wanted to help SO bad!!)

One day when the boys'

cousin, Kaleb, was visiting he brought his bike and Eric took the big boys (while the little ones napped) on a biking adventure! They biked all the way to the river. Because it was a super hot day, they all decided to jump in! Eric challenged the boys to whoever could bike home first would win $1! Aaron left everyone in the dust!! We had ice cream when they got back...

Asher's always asking Eric to "make a cup with your hands!" when he's thirsty.

He's always inventing new things with toys too. This latest beauty is called "a light" fashioned out of a paper lantern he found lying around and their inflatable baseball bats.

Michael and Asher LOVE building forts in the living room, bedroom, basement...wherever they find mysterious and fun at the moment! If you can't find those two, chances are their shuttling through space or fighting off monsters in their latest lil' cave.

Meet Our Family Carnival

We moved to a new neighborhood which means making new friends. Can be scary!! Instead of sitting back and waiting for invitations to come play, I decided we would be more proactive about getting to know people in our neighborhood and ward. So we blocked off the cul de sac by hanging colorful paper lanterns across both sides of the street & invited the neighborhood down to our own lil' family Carnival!

My nieces Karina & Aesha helped me pull it all together. We pulled out our family games like Bowling & Ring Toss, created a few new ones like Balloon Dart & Ball Toss Bonanza, constructed a Prize Station that Eric ran (kids won tickets at the different games they could trade in for prizes),

& even had a surprise "Ice Cream Truck" showing (Aesha & Karina made an ice cream truck out of our old moving boxes & handed out ice cream). Near the end we had a Balloon Toss game (that even the older teens in the neighborhood loved) & a Marshmallow Cheek Stuffing contest (the boy's request) that even the adults in the neighborhood really got into! gross!!

MY favorite part as we wound down was that we had set up the garage as a Drive-In Movie by setting up our TV with Pixar shorts playing. We set out old moving boxes, markers, & tape & all the kids created their own cars. Then they "drove" them into the garage where they parked & we served them popcorn & lemonade as they watched the films. It was kind of a feat for parents to get their kids out of the boxes when it was time to go: they ended up taking their "car" home with them. ;)

The next Sunday at church & all week in the safe streets of our new neighborhood the boys could go confidently and it wasn't as scary now because they had made some new fun friends.

Hiking at Mill Creek

Eric, Aesha, Ammon, & Karina

Eric's sister, Jennifer, invited us to join her & some friends for a Hike at Mill Creek. Michael was SOOoooooo sick this whole weekend. He enjoyed being outside though. He just had us hold him or lounged in the camping chairs.

Ammon found this stick. While he was hiking he stumbled and the stick prevented him from falling. He said this stick saved his life!

Uncle Russ holding babyG. He jokes around but we all know he LOVES her to pieces.

Cookies for a Badge

Ammon chose the Webelos badge "Cookie Making" to complete. We found the most fun cookie for him to make out of the "Sweet Serendipity" desserts cookbook! A HUGE GIANT SIZED Chocolate Chip Cookie. Every 10 yr old boy's dream. Brothers & Cousins got a treat from Ammon's hard work. While eating, we all joined in perfect boy style singing to rounds of "Diarrhea". The rest of the cookie dough was formed into balls & frozen for a rainy day treat.

Cooking Class

Our 7 yr old wants to be a "Chef Artist" (just like his Daddy!) when he grows up. We thought he'd love to take a cooking class this summer. After doing some research into a Father/Son cooking class we decided we would save the $100 and host a cooking class of our own. Aaron chose the menu, the students, and the teachers and we donned everyone in aprons to COOK! The kids loved it. Eric and I tag team taught mini burgers, coconut milk/pineapple smoothies (the kids FAVORITE), and learned how to make chips. For dessert we made caramel corn "ice cream cones". After the kids cooked, they fed the rest of our family.

Pink Meringue Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd

Our very favorite cupcake that we made...
(picture taken by my friend Bethany! She's so awesome.)

make it:

Makes 1 dozen

• Vegetable oil cooking spray, for baking cups
• 6 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• Gel-paste food coloring in Tulip Red (sugarcraft.com)
• 2 cups creme fraiche
• 1 container (6 ounces) raspberries, halved if large
• 
  
• 
  
• Raspberry Curd

• Makes about 1 1/2 cups

  • 1 container (6 ounces) raspberries
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt

  Directions

  Whisk all ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until slightly thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain; refrigerate until cold and thick.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line every other cup of 2 nonstick 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups; coat with cooking spray. Whisk egg whites, vinegar, vanilla, and salt with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, making sure the sugar dissolves. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in 6 drops food coloring.
2. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a plain coupler (no tip), and pipe into prepared baking cups, about 2 inches above rims, finishing with a peak in the centers. Bake, rotating halfway through, 3 to 3 hours and 20 minutes. (Cupcakes should be completely dry on the outside but still soft in the middle. A toothpick inserted horizontally at base of top should have moist but cooked crumbs attached.) Transfer cupcakes in baking cups to wire racks; let cool completely.
3. Beat creme fraiche and remaining cup sugar in a clean mixer bowl on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Carefully slice off tops of cupcakes using a serrated knife. (Run the knife just above the liner and slowly work your way to the center.) Top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons raspberry curd, a few raspberries, and 2 tablespoons creme fraiche mixture. Replace tops, and serve immediately.