Summer Fun = A little more time at home and maybe being bored.

 

I'm taking the summer off!  Well, not really but I'm not planning our summer like I have years past. There are multiple reasons for this not limited to:

• My guys are getting older and don't love my planning so much.  They want to sleep in and play with their friends (in real life and on-line).  One of them actually asked me to put nothing else on the schedule for the summer than what is already there! 
• My mantra this summer is two-fold:  "Stay Home and Spend Nothing" and "Rest" (more on that in a different post a different day)
• I'm tired of planning HA!  

You can check out some past adventures here: 

All of our 2020 adventures are HERE  and all of our 2021 adventures are HERE. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure we will do some things along the way - especially things close to home and things that are easy - just not quite so much planning.  Actually, my guys are attending Worship Camp this week so that will keep them busy! 

Oh, and don't worry, if you know me at all, you know I make lists and goals and plan no matter what which I have done - but it is more for me!  Scrapbooking, organizing, reading, school planning etc.  I'm not planning the kids days quite so much . .. well except for lawn mowing both here and at my moms. 😂

The older I get, the more I enjoy summer . . .well at least until it gets as hot as the surface of the sun day after day after day - then I don't.  These nice days in June when I can have the windows open are great.  I also love the break from school and the fact that we don't have to worry about the  "clock" quite so much each day to accomplish things.  I also love the days of planning.  Once school starts in the fall, it's pretty all consuming so I don't get to plan and accomplish things quite the way I'd like! 

Also, now that we are half way through the year, I'm hoping to get photos uploaded weekly again and share our photos each week so instead of a separate post  with our summer fun as I've done in years past, I'll just share that within out "week of photos" :-) 

Weekly Worship - Ben Fuller - Who I Am (with lyrics)(2022)

I love songs that I can sing easily while washing dishes or driving or well, while doing anything and this one does not disappoint!  Plus, it's got a great message too! 

Our Week at a Glance

What a great week!  My brother was around and my guys enjoyed some time hanging out with him!  I also had the week "off" from babysitting since our friends with hanging out with family this week so it was a nice break.  Between that, our first week off of school, and my brother being here, well, it was a wonderful week! 

Monday morning we headed to McDonald's for breakfast.  

After breakfast, we headed to the movies to see Top Gun .  Wow, what an amazing movie!!  

My guys stayed at my mom's for a few nights so Darryl and I had some unexpected quiet evenings at home! 

This happened Wednesday - HOT!!!  Blah!  Joshua, Nate and I hung out at home and watched TV most of the day.  Then we headed to my mom's for an amazing dinner. 

 After dinner we played 5 Crowns.  I won't mention who won . . .oh wait, yes I will because it was ME!!  Ken was NOT the winner - he was pretty much the loser LOL  

Thursday my guys got hair cuts, Nate hung out with Ken for awhile, Joshua had drum lessons and then Joshua stayed at my moms so he and Ken could watch the basketball game.  

Finally, Friday.  Nate had Tae Kwon Do.  We all gathered at my mom's for dinner again.

It was a great week! 

Weekly Menu - Part 2 with family

 We get to enjoy another week with my brother and sister-in-law around!  Last week I didn't cook all the recipes I had planned.  As is normally the case, when family is in town, things change up!  My guys ended up staying at my mom's for a few days and Darryl worked late too.  So I will push some things ahead! 

Friday - Dinner with family!  

Saturday - Dinner with family! 

Sunday - Dinner with Family at my mom's for Father's Day - In honor of Ken and Darryl we are having Steaks, Sweet Potatoes, Fried Mushrooms, Zucchini, and a seven layered salad.  For dessert it will be fresh Michigan strawberries over vanilla ice cream.  Yum!  

Monday -Caprese Chicken Skillet, Chopped Wedge Salad, and Stuffed Mushrooms

Tuesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, leftover salad, and chips/salsa

Wednesday - Dinner with family! 

Thursday - Pork Loin, Zucchini Pie, and Macaroni Salad  

Wow, that looks like a simple recipe week! 

What We Are Eating - Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

This is a great summer recipe - perfect for at home or to take to a gathering.  I've been making this dessert for years but guess where it is from??? SkinnyTaste!!  Yep, that's how long I've been following her blog and using some of her recipes. 

This Red, White and Blueberry Trifle is super easy especially when you use the store bought angel food cake.  When I made this for our family I cut the whole recipe in half and it was the perfect amount.  It is so light and fresh and super easy to put together.  You could easily make individual portions too if you wanted to serve it that way instead. 

The full recipe can be found  HERE. 

Enjoy! 

 

The End of Another School Year

 We did it!  School is finally done and we now have a 7th and 8th grader! (What in the world!!!!)  This year was not the easiest year that's for sure but my guys still did great and managed to pull out all A's (it was questionable at the end HA!).  We have some changes in our Homeschool Plan for the coming year (more on that later - yes we are still homeschooling!) that I think we are all looking forward to but for now, we will put 6th and 7th grade to rest! 

This guy has really grown this year (not just in height either!).  He has become more independent and willing to question if he thinks he is right about something.  He's gained confidence in all areas of school but I've really seen growth in his writing skills this year.  He still would rather not do school (HA!) but is also willing to get the tasks done even when he doesn't want to.  He enjoyed History the most and Math the least and I totally understand that feeling! Onward to 8th grade! 

Nate is so easy going and just goes with the flow.  He sets goals for himself and accomplishes them.  He loves to finish ahead of schedule but also wants to achieve all A's.  He read books this year and actually almost liked it (He prefers watching the movie over reading the book!) and wrote some great papers.  He also had to record an argumentative essay which was something new!  He enjoys math unless he doesn't understand it then he doesn't . . .. until he understands it again . . and then he likes it :-)  He continues to grow in independence and is willing to ask questions to make sure he understands what he is doing.  Onward to 7th Grade! 

Weekly Worship - Ben Rector - Thank You (Official Audio)

Ben Rector is a great story teller through music.  I've heard this on the radio and it's just a great song.