Schools Out Party.

Schools out for the summer!

We had a little dinner party tonight with some friends to celebrate.

It was such a beautiful night.

Truman's buddy Lance.

Thanks friends.

Beautiful Midway.

The sky has been amazing the last two days.

Picture above was taken the other day as I left the house for an evening run.

The picture below was taken the next morning as the boys and I were leaving the house to run errands.

Book Club.

We had book club last weekend but I missed it due to our camping trip.  I still read the book and I still wanted to do a little post about it.

We read Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.  It was an entertaining and interesting store.  Jeannette Walls also wrote The Glass Castle which is a fairly popular book.

Next we are reading The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty.

Love and naps.

Lucky Me!

We call these "snuggles" at our house.

Memorial Day Run.

Today the boys and I ran a 5K in memory of a family in the valley that died last year.  

We did the race with my friend Tami and her sisters and sister-in-law.

Thanks for inviting us!

The boys were great cheerleaders from the stroller.

First we walked a mile from the car to the start of the race (good warm up), then I ran while pushing the stroller for the 5K race, and then we walked the one mile back to where the car was parked.

The girls.

The kids kept asking if they could run so I let Truman and Bodie run the last little part of the race to the finish line - they loved it.

And then they ran almost the entire way (1 mile) back to the where we had parked the car.

Happy Memorial Day.

M&M's Blondies.

I have been on the search for a good blondies recipe and I think I finally found one that is worth keeping.

Enjoy!

M&M Blondies

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups M&M's (mini) plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch closely so it doesn't burn).  Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars.  With a wooden spoon stir in egg, vanilla, and salt.  Stir in flour, coconut, and M&M's until batter is blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle a few additional M&M's on top.  For slightly gooey, under-baked blondies, bake for 25 minutes.  For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes.  Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling will make cutting easier).

Makes 16 bars.

San Rafael Swell.

We have been down in Southern Utah by the San Rafael Swell for the last two days for a little campout.  It was the last time camping with McKay for two years.

Tiff and Araron.

The sun going down was so beautiful

This was worth the work (and drive) - just to see this.

Sun going down over 'family butte'

{Instagram by @mckayquinn}

Moon coming up - taken by my mom

Instead of the usual glow-sticks Tiffany gave all the kids "finger lights" - that were a HUGE hit!

I wish I would have gotten a better picture of all the kids with their colored lights on their fingers.

Infact, I wish I would have taken better/more picture period.  My brain must have not been fully functioning - we didn't get a group picture, I didn't take a picture of all the boys heading off for their hike in the morning, I didn't take a picture of McKay and all his buddies that came with us or Tiffany and Aarons friends the Lovells that came (or a picture of the combined 10 kids under the age of 10 that we had), we didn't take a family photo, I didn't take picture of the kids playing in the Muddy River -- see what I mean, my brain!!!

The amazing moon.

I wish I would have taken this picture a little earlier in the evening so you could see all the tents lined up.

Teenage tent, my parents tent, our tent, Hopkinsons and Lovells. 

Good Morning.

 Silly Bodie asleep with his head buried down in the blow-up. 

He woke up at 3 AM crying "I want some chocolate milk - and I want it warm"

Here comes the sun - picture taken facing east.

I turned around and took these pictures facing west of the sun starting to shine onto the mountains.

Cute Tiff and baby boy!

{picture by my mom}

I got to braid the hair of 7 little girls in the morning before we headed to the river.

Jean, "why do I have to get my hair done while camping?"

The Muddy River for a reason.

This is what Truman looked like when I pulled him out of the Muddy River so we could clean off and start heading home.

There is this one picture of all the hikers after hiking.

What a fun, restless, quick, southern Utah trip.

We are exhausted!

Schools Out!

This is what I found when I ran down to my car today to finish buckling the boys in.

They had dug through my purse and both found a pair of my sunglasses to wear!

They thought they were so silly.

Truman was the 'special leader' on his last day of school.  He was excited to share oreos and pink lemonade with his class.

He wanted to take Miss Camee balloons for the last day

{wish I would have gotten a picture of him with the balloons}

He is going to miss school, his friends and Miss Camee

and so am I!

7-Layer Greek Dip.

My friend Ali invited some of us over to her house this week to learn how to make her amazing 7-layers Greek dip.

This recipe is amazing!

If you like Greek food, you must try this.

7-Layer Greek Dip

Ali Terry

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon dill weed

3 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cup hummus

1 cup seeded, diced cucumbers

1 cup seeded, diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped Kalamato olives

1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 3 onions chopped)

1/2 cup fetta cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic and lemon juice until light and fluffy.  

Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish.

Spread a layer of hummus.  In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta cheese, and parsley. 

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.

Serve with pita chips, fresh veggies, and/or flatbread.

Spring Sing.

Truman had a "Spring Sing" concert at school today.

Each month during the year they had learned a song about that month, plus other songs for the holidays, about the days and month, the weather, etc.  Today they got to sing them for all the parents.

They started with the pledge of allegiance.

I had no idea he had learned the pledge of allegiance at school - impressive at age 3/4.

 He was so entertaining to watch - so animated!

{I can't remember what song this was}

Friends song.

 Miss. Camee did a little highlight on each child - she said Truman is very kind and worried about others' feelings and that he loves to sporadically give hugs to her throughout the day.

"Snap" that monkey right out of the tree --

 During one of the songs about love the kids all jumped up and ran to give Miss. Camee a hug - totally unplanned.  It brought her to tears and was really cute.  It sure shows how much these kids love her.

 Singing the good-bye song.

 And hugs for Miss. Camee at the end of every day.

 I do not know what is up with this face - but its funny.

Here are some of his projects that were hanging around school.

We all love Miss. Camee.

We will miss her.

{Bodie thinks he goes to school too!  Hopefully she will be his teacher in a few years}