Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Family time is the BEST time!!

First off, “Thank Heaven’s for little boys”!!
I love Jade and Ethan SO much and these boys just bring sunshine to my every day and this is what they looked like Thursday after I got home from work.
I couldn’t hug and kiss them enough!

Second off, I dearly love Mr. Smith and I’m so grateful for all of his love and support, patience and
JOY and laughter
that he fills my everyday with. Life's been a little stressful and hectic lately and his smile makes any day better!!
So grateful that through thick and thin I get to spend my life and Eternity with him!

What a WEEK!
I have missed my boys SO much this week. I had to start physical therapy this week, as I have had severe arm, shoulder, elbow and wrist pain in my right arm from overusing it at my job. (Mouse arm) If my kids were in school, this wouldn’t be so bad, but it has meant that I haven’t got home until 3:30 for three days out of the week and I feel bad about not being there.

Feeling VERY grateful that my work schedule got changed a little for the summer so I can be home by 12:15 each day, feed them lunch and "chat" before I have to go to physical therapy.
***************************
Family Time...
my favorite time of the day is when we are all home together enjoying family time. Weekends are the best!
I truly savor and cherish each moment we have together and I never tire of the wonderful men in my life that I have been blessed with.

I love my family!!

We were given some rhubarb from one of our neighbors this week and I decided to make up some Rhubarb crisp.

What a coincidence...
as I was helping Tracy make Sunday afternoon pancakes for lunch I looked at the front of my recipe binder about "substitutions" and I noticed that it said if a recipe called for "half and half" you could add in 1 Tbsp of melted butter to your milk and use that to substitute for the half and half.

SO, since it has been a dreary and gray week and rained all day Sunday, we pulled out our
"Freeze and Play Ball"
,
filled the cylinder with milk, melted butter, vanilla and sugar,
filled the outer rim of the ball with ice and rock salt
and all sat on the floor and rolled the ball back and forth to each other,
while Jade's iPod and speakers provided music for us to enjoy.

We laughed and had a wonderful time trying to see if we could keep rolling the ball without letting it stop.

SO MUCH FUN and great memories!
(albeit, I probably would have never personally bought one of these...it was a gift we got at a family white elephant Christmas party a few years ago, but we sure have had many years of family fun with this).

Some photos of our FUN

and to show how easy it was to make homemade ice cream to top our warm Rhubarb Crisp .




I am always fascinated
when we make this up as it works every single time.
Next Sunday, we are going to make another batch, only we are going to put Huckleberries in it.
The kids can't wait.
Hopefully, next week we will be rolling this around on our front lawn enjoying the SUNSHINE!!

We savored and enjoyed each and every bite of this.
(although, the kids don't think Rhubarb Crisp is as yummy as Tracy and I do, but they sure gobbled up the ice cream)

Rhubarb Crisp
Crust...
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
Mix all together until well blended.

Line 9x13 pan with 4 cups of cut up rhubarb (I also added in 2 cups sliced strawberries as I have a freezer full of them).
Evenly sprinkle crust mixture on top of cut up rhubarb and
bake in 375 degree oven for 1 hour.
Delicious warm or cold and
extra delicious topped with ice cream.

Enjoy!

5 comments:

  1. You are such a loving mom. I hope your arm/shoulder/hand will feel much better soon. I love the ice cream ball. I've never seen or could imagine that - but what a fun way to have ice cream.. I love it! We are praying for sun over here too! I'm ready for summer to start with some warm weather. It's been such a wet spring and lots of scary flooding in the mountains - which will probably end up in the valley when it comes down from the mountains. It's been interesting. Lots of roads eroded and damage. It's been crazy.
    Anyway...as usual - I love your posts and lovely family. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry about your arm. Hope the PT works.
    I looked at one of those ice cream ball things and wondered how well it worked.
    Huckleberry icecream YUM.
    I hope the berries are good this year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That ice cream ball looks like fun. We made ice cream last year with some empty cannery cans - but those get extremely cold to touch.

    That's too bad about your arm - I hope the physical therapy helps soon!

    I have finally updated my blog - you'll have to check it out.

    Have a great day! yea- the sun is shining!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh no! I am so sorry about your therapy! -- Chad hurt his back over a week ago.. and he probably should be in PT.

    It's amazing how much you can take things ( like our health ) for granted until we don't have it..

    Grateful you love to be with your boys so much.. you can tell how much you love them in every post that you do.. :)

    Huckleberry crisp sounds AWESOME. I have never cared for Rhubarb.. I wonder if it's an aquired taste?

    Hope you heal quickly Kimmie.
    I'll add you to my prayers. :)
    Love ya..

    ReplyDelete