New Patio Benches...

Another Pinterest inspired project were these benches.  I painted the cinder blocks white and then stained the wood beams before inserting them into the cinder block holes.  I have plans to make a few cushions/pillows but for now we at least have plenty of seating when we have lots of friends over!

Homeschool Monthly Zoo Day...

This month's animal was the miniature pony.  The children first watched a short presentation on miniature horses and then took turns petting, brushing, and looking at them close up.  After class was over, we got to explore the zoo since this was our first time visiting.

Dillon Turns 11...

Dillon had a fulfilled weekend.  His birthday included the normal... his choice of meals, cake, and presents.  He had a sleepover with his friends which turned into a nap on his actual birthday with Maia!  Hehe His favorite gift seemed to be his new microscope.  He didn't want to put it away come night's end.

Great Grandma Simpson For A Visit...

Papa Made More...

The little girls were really envious of the older girl's jewelry holder, so Papa made 2 more!

Loose Tooth Causes Tears...

After losing 1 tooth in the van from daddy hitting a bump in the road, Garrison was very upset to learn his other bottom tooth was loose.  So upset, tears and fussing greeted me in the kitchen.  Poor thing was upset for hours until we got his mind distracted off this loose tooth.

Beautiful...

The sunsets are gorgeous!

Hiking With The Cundiff Family...

We had a nice picnic before heading off on our mile hike through the Constellation Trails in Prescott.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids had a blast!  Outdoor fun at its best!

Happy 14th Birthday Liliana...

The day began with her request for pancakes with buttermilk syrup.  Buttermilk syrup is really all she wanted but seeing its rather unhealthy to eat just the syrup, pancakes were added to the request.  She went off to school and was showered with plenty of birthday wishes from all her friends.  Dinner she requested Filipino food but sadly, there is no Asian market in the area.  She settled for Chinese take out.  Since Liliana isn't a fan of frosting, cake was not an option for a dessert.  Instead, one of her favorites, strawberry shortcake held the candles used to sing Happy Birthday to her.  Mocha snuck up on her lap while we sang.  She was showered with lots of gifts and she ended the night saying "I had another great birthday, thank you."  14 years old, the years are flying by.  We are enjoying watching her grow into the person she is meant to be.

Entertainment Center Turned Bunny Hutch...

It started with this post.

We went and picked it up for just $10, it was quite the bargain!

Garrison then assisted in converting it into a bunny hutch!

Meet Chewbacca...

Our newest bunny.  He's a lion head which can be a bit mean and feisty.  He is just that but one smart bunny at the same time.  He is constantly trying to escape his new cage, can't be around the other bunnies, and sometimes bites.

Happy Mother's Day To Me 2015...

Another Mother's Day came and went.  The children each decorated and wrote messages in my books they made me last year.  Marc made me 2 meals, did all the dishes, and any cleaning required so I could relax and enjoy my "day off".

In addition, Dillon made me a sweet card complete with candy!

Breakfast were there tasty strawberry crepes

Dinner was this delicious chicken seafood paella

You'll notice there is no lunch pictured.  We went to a movie and snacked at the movies so by the time we got home I wasn't really hungry.  Marc did an amazing job making me "diet friendly" food that not only met my needs but tasted delicious.  

Homeschool Lego Club And Snails...

Today, we attended the local homeschool Lego club monthly get together.  They offer the kids the opportunity for show and tell, lego play, a craft on occasion, as well as playtime outside.  The craft organizer had a delay in her shipment for a craft she had planned.  For some reason her post about the craft delay got me thinking... what if I brought a craft in it's place.  I offered her what I was thinking and she jumped at having me offer it to the club.  The original craft was a Mother's Day necklace.  Keeping with the Mother's Day theme, I picked up some "mom" picture frames (and some plain ones for multiple children families) and brought spare legos to glue on to the perimeter of the frame.  The craft was a hit.  My kids love anything craft related, add in legos and it's a huge win!

Although, the craft was a big hit... my kids found even more excitement outside where they found large amounts of snails in leaf piles.

They really enjoyed coming out of their shells when Maia was holding them!  Don't worry, they washed their hands real good multiple times!

Homemade Pretzels...

Ava's good friend Aurora spent the afternoon at our house making homemade pretzels with her.  With minimal assistance, these two bakers took over my kitchen and made perfect pretzels.

Painting...Finally...

Painting Tape Does NOT Work...

I bought this fancy expensive ($8 for a small roll) painters tape that is suppose to suction to the textured wall surface and not allow paint to leak through it.  Well as you can see from the above couple of pictures... it didn't work!  Luckily, I have a steady hand and decided to free hand it to fix it. I really like how the green makes the wall's angle stand out.