Dare to Dream {Big}

flashback friday

Sometimes I forget that it was just the three of us for so long (8 years and 3 1/2 months!)  But then I look back at photos like this one and remember.  

flashback friday ~ one year ago

One year ago today, the girls took a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the weekend.  Fun times!

win dad win

love,

keaton

happy 78th birthday dad!

Dad,

Thank you for being the best dad in the whole world.  I love you so much and wish you a wonderful happy day today.

Love,

Kim

monday musings

For Today...April 13th

Outside my Window...it's a beautiful sunny day!  Rain and snow for the next three days and then sunny again.  Gotta love the roller coaster weather typical for spring.  

I am thinking...spring break was not long enough.  I'd love another 5 days off!

I am thankful...to have traveled safely to St. George, Las Vegas and home again.  Also, so thankful for my mom for watching Asia. 

I am going...to unpack all my suitcases.  Luckily, my fabulous Mom did all my laundry before we left this morning, so I can just put all the clean clothes away!!!

From the kitchen this week...I have no idea!  Cory leaves on Wednesday night for St. George, so it'll be just me and the kids this week.  Keeping it simple!

I am wearing...black sweats and fleece.

I am reading...Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

I am hoping...to get to the grocery store today.

I am creating...Easter magic for the kids this weekend.

I am hearing...Keaton is watching cartoons and Jacek is outside shooting hoops on the sport court.

Around the house...I need to empty and clean out the fridge so I can start fresh when I go grocery shopping.

One of my new favorite things...lamb chops with jalapeno mint jelly.  The Moore's invited us up to their place for Easter dinner and this is what they had as an appetizer.  I am so not a lamb person, but these were so delicious, I had three!!!  I'll post the recipe one of these days.  

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...co-oping in Kindergarten tomorrow and I have not even thought about it.  Keaton has a soccer practice tomorrow, supposedly, if it doesn't rain.  Cory leaves on Wednesday for St. George.  I'm sure Jacek will have a basketball practice or two this week and then Keaton has a soccer game on Saturday.  Light week for activities and I'm okay with that.

A picture thought I would like to share

Keaton and his cousin Kaiden enjoying Hank's swimming pool yesterday up in Springdale, Utah near Zions National Park (in the background).   It's been an Easter tradition to go to Hank and Cathy's restaurant or house for Easter Sunday for many years now.  They always treat us to the best meals and the best company.  Thank you Moore Family for hosting a spectacular Easter feast.  

spring break day 1

We left on Wednesday night after Jacek's basketball practice and were on the road at 7:00 p.m. We arrived in St. George a little after 11:00 p.m.  The next morning Cory and my dad got up early to golf. While they were golfing the kids colored Easter egss.  We have never colored eggs so early before, but since we were going to Las Vegas for the next two days that was the only time we could do it. Thankfully, Grandma had already boiled the eggs the day before.  (Thanks Grandma!!)

After breakfast, Kaiden and Hannah came over and they all colored their eggs.

Keaton was so excited to see Kaiden.  They are such good buddies.

Hannah wasn't really sure about the whole thing at first, but then she got busy and was dunking eggs in every color.

Keaton's favorite part was the little paper egg holders.

And the stickers.

He loved every minute of dying his eggs.  Grandma saved some for Jacek, but he didn't want to do it this year.  He was playing it cool.  I suppose it has something to do with liking a girl named Emily!  I found this note from her in the car.  

I told him I would always find out about everything and I proved it.  :)

Did I mention the fact that Jacek is shaving now?  I can't believe he's growing up so quickly.

And, to prove how much he's growing, here's the sacks of groceries I bought at Walmart that morning for the trip down to Vegas.   The team stayed in some condos off the strip that had kitchens, so I bought food for snacks and a couple of meals.  I brought too much, but now I know the set up of how   out-of-town tournaments work.  It was a great learning experience for both the parents and the boys.

We arrived in Vegas about 3:00 p.m.  I'm glad we didn't leave any later because the traffic was horrible the last 10 miles into the city.  They have it under construction and it took us an extra half hour while it took another family an extra two hours.  YIKES!  The coaches wanted the 14U team to go to the 17U game at 5:30.  We checked into our Desert Tides condo and can I just say ICK!  The pictures of the internet were much nicer than the actual facility.  We should have caught a clue when pets are allowed.  I had to not think about it because it would have sent me over the edge.  YES, it was that bad.  The pool was disgusting and thankfully freezing, so Keaton was only in there a few seconds.  Keaton and I hung out with Helen and RIck Van Wagner while the boys went to the game.  After the game, we piled into cars and drove another 30 minutes across town to practice at a church.  The poor 17U team was starving, so I grabbed some oranges, bananas, cheese and trail mix to hold them over until dinner.

Because of the disorganization and time restraint of the church gym, the boys only got to practice 30 minutes.  By this time, it is 9:00 p.m.  We were going to eat at a teriyaki place, but it was closed.  So, we ended up at KFC.  It was alright and the boys enjoyed it.  We get home after 10:00 and the boys get ready for bed.  Luckily, I had reserved a 3 bedroom condo because I thought either my parents or my brother would come down.  Jacek slept in our condo in a bed all to himself.  I'm glad he did because the condo next door to the other boys partied all night with really loud music and the boys didn't sleep well.  We had to get up early (6:00 a.m.) because we had an 8:00 game.  Luckily, that was 9:00 a.m. Mountain Standard body time!

sushi class

I was lucky enough to go to a sushi making class with my friend Dawn because my other friend Ruth over committed on Monday night.  (Thanks Ruth!  Thanks Dawn!)

It was so much fun and very educational.  It takes a lot of prep work and time to make sushi, but man was it worth it.  My kids love california rolls and now I think I could make them myself.  

I loved how organized the instructor was and how we were able to do most of the steps by ourselves like thinly slicing the cucumber and avocado.  We also learning how to slice our own salmon and tuna.  

We mixed up our own yummy sauces.

We prepped and cookied our own rice and then I got to mix the sushi sauce into the rice and mix it up (very gently!).  

I want one of those wooden bowls, but they are kind of pricey.  It worked really well though because you need a flat surface to gently mix the rice.  Did you know sushi rice was very fragile?  I didn't until that night.  The instructor told us this fact over and over again.  

Rice=fragile!  

Get it?  

Got it?  

Good

The first roll I made was a California Roll.  It was so yummy and easy!  Then she showed us how to scrap the tuna for the inside of other sushi rolls.

It was an awesome experience and I'm really, really glad I went.  The instructor, Marlene, was well prepared and personable.  I want to go to her restaurant and ask for the $50.00 "make-me-whatever-you-want-to-make-me" request.  

She highly recommended it!

monday musings

For Today...April 6th

Outside my Window...the sun is shining today!!!  Maybe. Maybe. Spring. Is. Coming.

I am thinking...about spring break.

I am thankful...the weather is warming up again so I can walk.

I am going...walking this morning with Ruth and Tuesday and Wednesday.

From the kitchen this week...I did try a couple of new recipes last week.  The stuffed mushrooms were a success.  The creamy mushroom and chicken soup wasn't as popular.  Not cooking much this week as we are leaving Wednesday night for St. George.

I am wearing...my walking clothes. 

I am reading...Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

I am hoping...for nice weather in St. George and Vegas.

I am creating...Easter magic for the kids this weekend.

I am hearing...Asia lick herself.  Lovely.

Around the house...getting ready for the cleaning crew tomorrow and packing up for this weekend.

One of my new favorite things...ROADTRIPS!!!!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Running lots of errands today while Keaton is in school.  Tires rotated, library, bank, post office and soccer practice at 5:30.  Then I am going to a sushi making class with Dawn Sontag tonight.  My friend Ruth signed up, but she can't go, so I'm going in her place.  Tomorrow I go on another field trip to the Sweets Candy Factory with Keaton's class.  Jacek has basketball practice Tuesday and Wednesday.  Packing up and leaving Wednesday night for St. George.  Then heading down to Las Vegas for the basketball tournament.  Jacek has 4 games on Friday.  Insanity!!!  Easter at Grandpa and Grandma's house and Keaton has been packing for three days now!!

A picture thought I would like to share

Keaton coloring Easter eggs three years ago!  

boise basketball (part i)

We started our journey at the Home Depot parking lot at 9:00 Friday morning.  Almost everyone pow-wowed here before heading Northwest to Idaho.  Even though we had had breakfast, everyone wanted something from McDonald's, so Keaton and I walked over and ordered take-out.

They were giving away free mini vanilla iced coffees.  Wish I would have taken a picture because it was in a cute little container.  Jacek had a bacon, egg and cheese mcgriddle, hash browns and oj.  Keaton had a Breakfast Happy Meal with two mcgriddles, hash browns, powerade and a toy from the new movie Monsters vs. Aliens.  Cory had a sausage mcmuffin, hash browns and oj.  I had a diet coke and then I shared my cinnamon melts with everyone.

 

I think the boys were excited and they were so cute huddled in a circle talking and ribbing each other. About a half hour later, we were on the open road.

It's a long way to Boise.  Over 350 miles.  So we were on the road for about 5 hours, but we stopped for an hour in Burley for lunch.  It was very stinky.  But this is what the boys looked like all the way up.

Jacek got the whole back seat to himself to stretch out and sleep.  Lucky Duck!!

My favorite part of driving up was texting my friend Joanne Vincent the entire way to Boise.  Her son Heath, who is Jacek's age, was playing in the same tournament.  She was cracking me up because Richard was listening to talk radio and then cowboy music which was annoying Joanne.  

They left about an hour after us, but they eventually caught up because of our lunch break.

...to be continued.