Random Rambles

The  snow is finally starting to melt a bit around here.  There’s no telling how long I’ll be dealing with mud instead.  I’m not sure which is worse when it comes to keeping kids and shoes and floors and cars clean…

It's everywhere!
It’s everywhere!

I’d say we had about a foot of snow but some of the craziest drifts we’ve ever had.  In our almost five years here, we’ve never had to have the neighbors rescue us but we had to call in the big dogs this time.

Thankful for such wonderful neighbors!
Thankful for such wonderful neighbors!

The high winds have blown even more snow around and our road has blown shut at least four times.  Needless to say, we finally got out today to buy groceries and run a few errands.

The kids have sure had a ball playing on the big mounds daddy made, though!

King and queen of the mountain!
King and queen of the mountain!

We also took time to make some snow ice cream!  We made a picture scavenger hunt for the kids using our cell phones.  We’d text them a picture of something in the house like this:

??
??

and they’d have to figure out where exactly it was.  There, they’d find an ingredient needed to make snow ice cream!

YUM!
YUM!
Making memories
Making memories
She LOVED it!
She LOVED it!

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You know those friends who don’t feel like friends at all?  The ones that feel like you’re long lost sisters or, at the very least, sisters of the heart?  Yeah.  Those.  I’m quite fortunate to have a few of those in my life and it saddens me that none of them live close to me.  My head and heart have yet to reconcile how the Lord can so lovingly plop someone in your life and then makes you live so far from each other…..

My friend Emily is one of those friends.  I met her at a trade show when we were in Denver and there was just that instant connection.  She is so kind and spunky, a marketing maven and an event planner extraordinaire…and she has red hair!  (Just a wee bit jealous, I am!)  She has the sweetest husband and parents and kids!  Oh, and if you wanna build a house and have it decorated to the hilt, call this girl!

We had the privilege to attend a Super Bowl party in their new digs – SO. MUCH. FUN.  Their house is BEAUTIFUL and so warm and inviting and she IS the hostess with the mostest.

She had a photo booth and games for the kids…

CUTIES!
CUTIES!
Wryder giving it a try...
Wryder giving it a try…
Sawyer's turn!
Sawyer’s turn!

We had food out the wazoo and everything was sooooo goooood!  I made a few of these guys…

Be still my sweet tooth
Be still my sweet tooth

The kids LOVED Emily and her family!

Two of the sweetest girls I know!
Two of the sweetest girls I know!

Wryder took a special liking to Papa.  They shared bowls and bowls and bowls of caramel corn and stories on the couch.

SO sweet!
SO sweet!

The night only got better with that Bronco win!  These guys had a ball and looked cute doing it!

Not sure she REALLY knew what was going on...
Not sure she REALLY knew what was going on…
But this guy did!
But this guy did!
As did this little fan!
As did this little fan!

THANK YOU, Justin and Emily for such a wonderful night!  I’m voting with the kids that we just move on down to Wild Horse, too…

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Someone has joined the thumb-sucker ranks around here.

EEP!
EEP!

We fought the battle hard with Wryder and thankfully he just sucks his thumb as he goes to sleep; not ideal, but at least it’s not all day, every day.

Sayble has surprised us.  She’s a closet thumb sucker……but it’s so. darn. cute.

Tell me that's not cute?!
Tell me that’s not cute?!

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Sawyer was looking so cute in a little outfit the other night and I wanted to snap a quick pic of her.  Of course, she pulled out all of her poses….  Good grief, I love this girl!

IMG_7221IMG_7220IMG_7219IMG_7218****************

Wrex and I have been teaching a Financial Peace University class at the local community college on Tuesday nights and it has been SO cool!  Dave Ramsey’s directives helped us get out debt and we wanted to share the wealth of knowledge we’ve amassed and give others some HOPE for their financial situations, too!

I firmly believe the Lord had us teach this so that we could further our journey to even more financial freedom, wealth building and extravagant giving.  We feel so renewed and reinvigorated regarding our finances.  Bring it on, 2016!

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For my “midnight” snack last night, I had some almonds and a fruit and veggie smoothie.  I’ll be the first to admit that it didn’t LOOK very appetizing.

Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm

I used spinach, kale, blackberries, chia seeds and a little unsweetened almond milk.  Even though it didn’t look very tasty, it really was!

Wrex humored me and took a little taste.  He choked it down but swore it wasn’t as good as the frosty he had at lunch.  Oh, to be able to eat 8,000 calories a day and still be at my fighting weight….

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Sawyer’s been wanting to sew lately, so we got out her little sewing machine yesterday and she went to town!  She made these shorts for Wryder.

:)
🙂

They ended up a little small but her decorative elements made up for it, don’t ya think?!

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This family of mine is just the bees knees.  Days with them are the best days……

Worth 1,000 Words: Our Weekend

This girl is getting GOOD at puzzles!

With her Paw Patrol trio
With her Paw Patrol trio

She takes her time and works, works, works to get them completely finished – proud of her!  Some friends of ours in Denver had given us a whole tote of kids puzzles with 25-100 pieces and she’s been plowing through them!

Both kids are still in love with their chicks!

Look, momma!
Look, momma!
Can you see him?
Can you see him?
A little gentler...
A little gentler…
Going for a ride!
Going for a ride!
Cute!
Cute!
The chic crew...
The chic crew…

They still love their grown up chickens, too!  We had ice cream for fun Friday snack and they shared with their favorite chicken, Naked.

That looks yummy...
That looks yummy…
Mind if I have a bite?
Mind if I have a bite?
Eating right off the spoon
Eating right off the spoon
She's a cute one!
She’s a cute one!

There was a lot of goat playing.  Wryder helped sister feed them on Friday.

Seriously, so cute...
Seriously, so cute…
Hold on tight!
Hold on tight!
Sawyer feeding Sven
Sawyer feeding Sven

She has done SO well and been so faithful to her chores!  After we mix the milk, she feeds them all by herself twice a day; we’re proud of her work ethic!

This weekend, she worked on breaking them to lead.  They think she’s their mom so they followed pretty willingly.

A girl and her goats
A girl and her goats
Olaf wasn't cooperating too well with Bubba...
Olaf wasn’t cooperating too well with Bubba…

Sawyer got to go to a friend’s Minnie Mouse birthday party!  She looked cute as a button!

She loves punch!
She loves punch!

The weather is supposed to be so nice all week!  This morning she said she had three things she’d like to do today…shoot her gun, burn tumbleweeds and roast marshmallows!  I love my little country girl!  I’m betting we’ll get those done!  I mean, c’mon, that sounds fun for EVERYONE!

 

Easy Peasy Chocolate Milkshake

Sawyer had the cookie bucket this week at Cubbies – always fun!  Girl’s a little picky about her snacks and sweets.  She doesn’t really care for too many sweets…not a fan of cookies or cake or pie or cupcakes, etc. so we always try to do something she likes that’s a little bit different.

This week, she suggested ice cream and since this week is CrAZy I thought that sounded like a fantastic idea!

We decided on chocolate milkshakes to be exact and fancied up the cups a little so it looked like a bonafide dessert.  Plus, who doesn’t love sprinkles?!  I had never tried the sprinkles on the rim thing but let’s just say I’m hooked!  SO easy and SO cute!

I melted a little chocolate, dipped the rim of the glass in, then dipped them in sprinkles, let them dry and voila!  CUTE vessel for chocolately goodness!

IMG_2430IMG_2428For the milkshakes, we eyeballed some vanilla ice cream, milk and chocolate syrup in the blender and mixed them until they were still a little thick, but still smooth.

We poured them in, added spoons and let the Cubbies kids (and teachers) enjoy!

10364004_10205459994610642_3205280140049613563_nPretty tasty treats – and Sawyer approved!