I did it!!

Well, I finally got the much needed vacation I have been looking for. Last Thursday I flew down to Arizona to see my very dear friend (she is really like the sister I never had).[ --I am sure to suffer some crap (sorry) from my family, since most of them are in Arizona and I didn't see any of them. Before you start in on me...I wasn't actually in the valley.] Ok, back to my vacation. It was great! I left all my kiddos behind and her husband promised her she wouldn't have to worry about hers at all. What GREAT husbands we have!!
It was rainy the whole time I was there but it was ok. We talked and talked went to lunch and talked and talked some more, she showed me around her little town and we talked and talked some more. Who knew two women could talk so much. We also got in a lot---maybe too many if that is possible--chick flicks. I almost felt young again. Stayed up late, slept in. It was awesome.
We've decided to make in an annual event (that is if we can convince the guys). I really think getting away for awhile was extremely therapeutic. I come home with determination to be a better mom, and wife. Why wouldn't Jared want me to go right?

Last Week

Where did it go?? Things are speeding up so fast. Here is a quick run down of last weeks goings on in the Ballard house.

Monday-FHE What did we do?? Hummmm, I know we had it. McKenna also started track practice for the SF Track Club.

Tuesday-McKenna had a Hershey Track Meet (Sorry no pictures you need to have a brain to remember things like that.) I was able to watch her run two of her races. She did pretty good.

That night it was off to see Gunnar get an award for his Bass playing which we were late too and missed the blessed event. (Which is a long story and it usually ends with me in tears so I will spare both of us and just leave it at--he got the dang award)

Wednesday-Track Club practice and then off to the 4th grade program (I did have a brain that day so here are the pics).

Jared got to dance with McKenna for the first part. It was really cute. (and a little funny)

Thursday- it was a Track Club Meet. I left early to drop of Kennedy at a birthday party and then go to a quilt class (one of those things that is just for me). I got home around the same time everyone else did from the track meet.

Friday-Jared signed up to help and a field trip and couldn't go. So I got to be "Mr. Ballard". It was actually pretty fun. Then it was home and Gunnar and Jared were off to Father's and sons. McKenna went to a birthday slumber party and Kennedy had a friend over for the weekend. It is a standing tradition that we do a pamper night for the girls on Father's and sons. McKenna missed it but Kennedy was adamant that we do it. I gave the girls a pedicure and we did a hand wax. I fell a sleep on the couch about 8:30. (Pathetic)

Kennedy and her friend on the field trip.

Our hand waxing!

And of course Saturday: Yard work and Jared and I went on our date (you know the one he has planned for the next five months) We went to Thanksgiving point ate, and watched 'Monsters of the Deep' 3D. It was fun. I felt guilty doing something like that without the kids so I'll have to take them back.

I was a good week just a busy one (no bread for me this week). I have a feeling until school's out it is going to be chaos. Then when school is out just a different kind of chaos. Happy Chaosing!!

Parent Recognition

I now know why they have awards for kids. Not that they need it but we as parents need it. So we can say "Look at all that hard work I am putting in. It is actually paying off."

We've hit the teenage stuff and I am just not ready for that. Gunnar is a great kid and I love him to death. But we have started to see a shift in our once normal world. Right now it is mainly a lot of rolling his eyes at me (I now have become a parent that knows nothing). And the other big thing is the music. Can it really be called that if it is just yelling? And Saturday we were working outside and a couple of girls stopped and chatted with Gunnar for awhile. Holy Cow! I am just so not ready to be heading into this.

Where did my little blonde boy go that would crawl up on my bed, eat popcorn with me and then take a nap?

Chocolate

You know when you get that box of chocolates and you are like 'yes baby' and you debate "which one do I eat?". You have to weigh carefully the color, size, shape (you don't want to pick wrong one you know) and then you bite in only to find some orange colored filling that really should never, I repeat NEVER, be surrounded by chocolate or anything for that matter. So with a bite now out you place it back in the chocolate box--who knows someone might enjoy it--and go for a second only to find you got some other gross wanna-be chocolate. I hate that! Hopefully, I am not the only one who has experienced this. It's probably because we always go for cheap.

A couple of months ago I was feeling, uh, deprived. I needed a vacation/excitement in my life. I got to thinking about cheese. Weird I know. I got to thinking how really I am only a Colby/jack kind of girl. How I have only tasted a few cheeses out there. I was talking to Jared about it and we decided we'd try a new cheese a month. Sad, really how I am choosing to spice up my life. Cheese. *sigh* oh well. I won't bore you with the details of our cheese experiments but it has been kind of fun.

So back around to chocolates. On our third cheese I finally decided I did this with the wrong food. We should have done this with chocolates! That would have been very exciting. Especially for this 'snicker' girl.

Well, Jared (bless his little heart) remembered me saying this and for mother's day I got a box (A BIG BOX) of See's chocolates. He said that was the best he could do because when he went online to look for real, wonderful chocolate he couldn't stomach paying $100 for a small box. (Good Boy) Which is fine with me because when I open that box and decide which one to eat there is absolutely no fear of biting into anything orange or nasty tasting. It may not be some exotic chocolate but when your used to M&M's and Kisses it's pretty dang exciting!

Fun Bread

I made bread today again. This time I went for Chocolate Nut Bread. This was a first with this recipe. WAY EASY!! And really yummy!!

Gannon loved it!

A new view

I can't decide if he is doing baby yoga or the world just looks better this way. But it always makes me laugh.

Does Bread Need to Be Pretty?

I tell myself that I really need to write everyday. I mean this is suppose to be my journal. I don't really care who reads it or not. (Not that I don't care about those who read it......It was just one of those things that was suppose to be for myself.) The sad thing is I get to the end of my day and I think "Hummm what did I do today? Hummmm...there must be something" But I can't really come up with anything. Anything exciting anyway.
But since this is suppose to be my journal. If you read this I will apologize in advance for all the "Why did she post that?" moments you are sure to encounter.
Today.......hummm......just kidding.
I thought I'd do something that at the end of the day I would be like. Wow look at what I did. So I decided to make bread. Plus we are out and we needed more. It takes me a long time so I like to do it right after the kids go to school. I get out all my -uh- stuff. Gannon had just gone down so I needed to cruise. I go to get my eggs out and low and behold. I only have one! So, change of plans. I showered and went to the store. I was so speedy in Macey's that I thought I'd treat myself and go in Seagull Book. This is an area that I really think I need my head examined. Seagull is a store that you take your time. You browse. You do it at a leisurely pace. It is suppose to be a peaceful experience. So why did I decide to do it with Gannon? All he wants to do is scream (he likes the sound of his own voice), run around and pull all of the books off the shelf. So, needless to say it was a quick trip. No browsing, no leisure, no peace.
I can't make bread now and our ward is suppose to have lunch in the park so I thought "what the hay" I'll go. Well, it was fun and Gannon had fun swinging. And it was nice to be outside. But really is two people considered and activity? I stayed till I was sure Gannon was tuckered out. He started to lay down on the grass. And for him that is really something. Nap time!! Back to the bread.
The bread making was actually enjoyable. The bread was looking good. I got it all in the loaf pans and it looked pretty. I put it in a warm oven to speed up the process. (The pioneers would probably roll over in their grave). Still looked good. I took it out to heat up the oven to the right temp and put it in. Most of them ended up falling--- CRAP ON CRACKERS!!! (favorite saying from According to Jim) Now they are all ugly. Oh well. We'll still eat it.
I was a good day. Gunnar even made us all an Orange Julius. Jared and I are headed out for an evening bike ride.

Get Ready For Church!!

We have 1 o'clock church. You would think it would be easier and it would progress at a nice leisurely pace. But for some reason I am still hollering the same thing! Sunday I had a really hard time motivating McKenna. I sent her upstairs to take a shower. After 30 minutes and no noise this is what I found....She was sound asleep on the bathroom floor with her head up against the tub. Not the most comfortable position but I guess when your tired you don't really care.

Finally

I love love love to be outside. And I am loving the weather the past couple of days.

We spent a lot of time Saturday in the yard. Mowing, pulling weeds, cleaning off the patio. But it was so nice. All the kids were helping. There was truley peace in the Ballard Kingdom.

We ate dinner outside on Sunday. And of course the Sunday walk. Today Gannon and I went and played in the front yard. I just love it. I know it has been a long time coming but I am so glad for the warmer weather.

I get a little...what's the word...some might call it obsessed about our plants and trees. In the spring I have to go around and check everthing to make sure it is growing and we didn't loose anything over the winter. I am happy to report all the trees that were alive last summer (we are still sporting two dead dead dead ones in our front bed....I don't know if we are holding out for- some miracle or what) are still alive!! I love to see them all in bloom. Especially our fruit trees! Yeah! And I only lost one shrub. Jared picked it. I didn't like it. So I am not really broken up about it. But don't tell him! And no I didn't do it on purpose.