Crystal Bridges, Our First Trip.

One of my favorite parts of living in Southwest Missouri is how quickly we can make a trip to another state. Kansas in barely a 10 minute drive, Oklahoma 20/30 and Arkansas about an hour.

On Saturday we loaded up and headed to Arkansas. Our first stop was taking Russ to an AWESOME bike trail park. Instead of sitting around waiting while he rode around, the girls and I made a donut trip to Krispy Kreme. This was their first trip to Krispy Kreme (Joplin does not have one) so it was pretty exciting to watch the donut machine and even more exciting to eat donuts!

After driving around *ahem, getting lost* we found our way back to dad, thank you GPS.
Next we headed to Crystal Bridges, an amazing art museum. Let me start by saying it was more beautiful than I had imagined it would be. I could have spent an entire day there. Any picture I post will in no way do the beauty justice.
Marissa called this the Frozen tree.

Ready to go in. Did I mention there is no admission fee to visit this place?!

"Look George Washington". 

She really liked this painting and insisted on a picture in front of it.

It was a lot of fun to talk to Marissa through the gallery. I would ask her about what caught her eye, what paintings she liked best, what her favorite part about them was.

I hope our girls learn to love and appreciate the beauty of all kinds of art. 

After some art viewing we found a play area for a much needed break.

Then we headed outside to explore.

If he looked any happier he would just burst, HA! When asked about his smile he replied "I was smirking." Sure babe.

Being tickled in the park.

This was an AWESOME family outing. I absolutely can not wait to go back for another visit soon. I think a trip in the fall and again in the spring might just be needed. Sure, visiting an art gallery with a couple of young kids definitely required us bringing our A game parenting wise. But I had nothing to be afraid of, they did great.

We packed up and headed home but not before we made a pit stop.

Yes Dunkin, we are happy together. You should come to Joplin so we can spend LOTS of time doing that.

Where have you went lately?

Celebrating Ice Cream Day!

In case you didn't know yesterday was National Ice Cream Day.


One of our summer bucket list items was to make homemade ice cream and by some random coincidence this was the weekend we had planned to do that. I have no idea how I timed that so perfectly, but I did. I guess I should have just let everyone believe I really am that organized.

Friday night we planned to have some friends over for a cook out and ice cream. The girls were more than happy to help me out in the kitchen, that morning we mixed up the half and half, cream and sugar and let it cool in the fridge. (Pardon her CRAZY bed head.) 

By that afternoon we were ready to put the machine to work.

They were so helpful.

With the hard part done they sat back and waited.

And waited, and waited and waited.

Finally it was done and we stuck it in the freezer for later.

One of our favorite summer get togethers is hanging out on the patio with friends. Relaxing , eating and drinking.

After dinner and play time on the trampoline the girls were more than excited that it was time to get out the ice cream. 

Emily may have had a slight accident with the blue sprinkles, but she didn't seem to mind. 

"This ice cream is so good!'

One more thing we can mark of our Bucket List and the tastiest part of summer so far.

We weren't at all disappointed that all of the ice cream mix didn't fit in the machine, so we HAD to make ice cream again on Sunday. 

Now to head to the gym to burn off the exorbitant amount of calories I consumed this weekend.

How was your weekend?

Oh Hey Friday: Week 1

Oh Hey Friday... Always a sucker for a Friday link up.

Let's do this Friday thing {fist bump}

{ONE} The Mantle
Our mantle has been hung for about a year now. I was so excited that after living in the house for over a year the living room was FINALLY getting all pieced together. The mantle was hung and I could finish things up. The joke ends up falling on me. I literally let it all sit for a YEAR, blank walls, empty mantle. Just this week I got tired of looking at it and decided it was time to fix some things. Maybe some day (In a couple more years *wink*) I will actually take pictures of the whole room when it is finished but, it isn't done yet. For now I find myself happy at the progress I have made and knowing it is almost done. 
I was going for something, but not to busy here. I was also trying to make sure it looks like "us". I added a vase with some sticks, literally sticks. A few candle holders and some cars that the hubby made years ago. We are car people, but you will see more of that when I show you the rest of the house ;). And yes, that is a gas can in the corner.
If the mantle looks a bit non-traditional, it is. We made it out of the bathroom door of the house the tornado destroyed. The door that we were safely hidden behind. When the husband suggested it, I couldn't say no. I am still trying to decide if I want to put the door knob back on. 


{TWO} Summer Bucket List

So since I last posted this picture we have made no changes to crossing some things off our list. That should change this weekend though.
We WILL finish this list!
{Three} School

I almost cried last night when I looked and saw only three short empty weeks before the school year begins. I then took the time to plan out our day to day schedule for next year and I found that 1st grade is A LOT different than Kindergarten! Our work load this year has almost doubled.
But, on a happy note I am really excited about this year. It will be a lot more in depth and challenging which will be great for both of us!

{Four} Reminder

Such truth, in these words. Lord help me to be content in what you have given me. 

{Five} My favorite work out tanks EVER!
JC Penney's Xersion Singlet Racerback Tanks. I adore them, I own 4 of them in various colors and patterns, sadly this is not one of them.
They are the BEST, light weight, great material, good quality and cheap!

That wraps up my Friday Five!

Here is hoping for a great weekend, do you have anything special planned?

 

In Our Garden Grows...

After a life of repeated plant killing, I was very surprised to discover that I have a green thumb. I guess it happened in my late 20's. Maybe it just took years to ripen or mature. I have never been one to do very well at keeping plants alive, and if I am being honest my green thumb only seems to apply to plants that live outside. I can kill almost any houseplant within a week.

When we moved into the new house I knew that I wanted a garden. I wanted Tomatoes, peppers everything needed so I could preserve my own salsa's and sauces. It gives me such joy to go out to the garden and return to the house with arms full of fruits and veggies that I grew. If I could talk Russell into it our whole back yard would be a giant garden, maybe someday.

This year was a new adventure for me, I started my plants from seeds. I have always purchased the plants already grown. Growing from seeds promises that you know exactly what has happened to the plant and is a more cost effective way to garden. The future plan is to preserve my own seeds so I can plant next years garden with them. Now that is cost effective!
From seeds we ended up like this.

Then we planted.

One Month Later.

Today. It is a total jungle out there. The winds a few weeks did a number to the plant but they are LOADED with produce.

The cantaloupes will be ready any day now. When they grow up high over pavement one must get creative so they don't crack when they release. Here are 3 examples of my contraptions.

This guy is my biggest. Marissa keeps asking me when it will be ready.

 I have TONS of peppers. I joked on Facebook that I have peppers coming out my ears. Some days it feels like I do.

Bells, Anchos, Bananas and Jalapeno's. Nothing is really turning pretty colors yet. I blame the weird weather that this summer has brought.

Here I am growing green beans and I just planted some carrot seeds!

And finally my precious tomatoes. After weeks of wondering if they would ever ripen they finally are. I have to keep bird netting on my plants otherwise a mocking bird starts destroying things.

Todays harvest!

In the next few weeks the garden should reach it's peak and that will mean lots of work for me in the kitchen but I couldn't be more excited.

Thanks for checking out the garden with me.