Back up...

It's necessary to note that before school started full steam ahead,

we took a chance to be together up in the mountains.

 

The mountains are one of the best places to have your family gathered around you.

 

Woods Canyon Lake was our landing place this time.

It was lovely. 



Maddie's phone was put away (the battery lost it's charge - yipee!)
and so time passed while we enjoyed the finer things in life like...

paddle ball and more paddle ball. 



 

And watching the wildlife roam through the campground.

This momma elk had her baby with her but was not afraid at all to make herself at home. 

 

And building fires,

roasting marshmallows,

making s'mores (I've noted that it's not necessary to eat a s'more to enjoy a s'more.)

playing 5 fingers,

quoting Brian Regan,

staring into the blaze and getting lost in the flickers.

 

And then scurrying off inside the trailer when the rain begins to fall,

playing Mancala, 



 

playing UNO,

and playing them both again and again. 



 

And listening to the dripping rain fall on the trailer roof for most of the night.
It sounds like bacon sizzling in a frying pan.   



 

And waking up to a warm, crackling fire that our resident Fire Marshall
was all to happy to get going for us,

 

and practicing your tomahawk throw for hours on end until you are sure you can beat Brother Buck and challenge him to a contest on the next ward camp out. 

 

And don't forget the finer things like...

shooting your compound bow and being really good at it. 

 

And finding extra time to nap.

Any given spot, any given moment. 

Finding your inner Katniss and liking it! 



 and wasting away the afternoon shooting off more rounds of ammunition
than your dad thought possible. 

 

 

And then of course, there is the fine art of catching crawdads or crawfish.
(it depends on who you ask around the lake) 

 

a little left over chicken from our delicious dinner the night before and there you have it.
It requires skill to some degree. 

 

ahhh!!!  The finer things in life make me very happy : )



Going flying...

What is it about getting that picture of the kids heading out the door for their first day of school?

It just about does me in each year.

Fresh faces and fresh beginnings!

Absolutely beautiful and brave.

My sweet Senior

 My enthusiastic 8th grader

 My feisty 4th grader

I take this picture each year with a happy heart

but it's sprinkled with sadness...

because as any mom knows

when a bird learns to spread its wings

the wind will naturally take him flying!



Starting on the right note...

School starts for my family tomorrow!
Summer came and went, like always, in a flash.
We played hard at times and were lazy bums at other times.
To me that means our summer was a success : )

Sunday night we had a little back to school pow wow.
Just a family discussion about rules (the least favorite topic), schedules, goals, desires, wishes and the such.

I gave each of the kiddos a little something to hopefully get them thinking in the right direction each morning.  I realize we won't always have perfect mornings but these are great little reminders to refresh our minds, hearts and outlook.

My favorite part will come tonight when Brent will bless each of our children by Priesthood power with things like peace, strength both physically and mentally, courage, kindness, wisdom, an increased awareness of the companionship of the Holy Ghost and things specific for each child.  It fills my heart right up and I love to see my kids and their dad share this special time each year.

Whether you are a Senior, an 8th grader or a 4th grader  -  school is a pretty big deal and starting things out on the right note is always comforting.

Pinned it. Made it. Loved it.

You can find the recipe here at Closet Cooking but I'll copy it for ya 'cuz I'm nice that way!

Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos

• 1 pound white fish such as tilapia, cod, etc.
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 lime, juice and zest
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 green onion, finely sliced
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground (I left this out for no reason, I just did)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 (4 inch) corn tortillas (I used flour)
• 1 batch tomatillo pico de gallo (I didn't use this. Just 'cuz)
• 3 cups cabbage, shredded (I used lettuce 'cuz my family eats it better)
• 1 batch cilantro lime crema - see below
• 2 large avocados, sliced

1. Marinate the fish in the oil, lime juice and zest, jalapeno, garlic, green onion, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper for 10-20 minutes.
2. Grill the fish over medium-high heat until cooked, about 4-6 minutes per side. The fish will be cooked when it flakes easily and it is no longer translucent.
3. Flake the fish and serve in tortillas garnished with your favourite toppings.

Cilantro and Lime Crema

Crema filled with the freshness and brightness of summer; the perfect garnish for fish tacos. (this is a must on the tacos)

• 1/2 cup crema or sour cream (I used sour cream)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juice and zest
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1. Puree everything in a food processor (or just mix it all up with a fork)

Enjoy this one!  It's summery, bright and fresh. Brent and I put it in the repeat file. Cooper doesn't like all the stuff on it but he gobbled the marinated fish right up.  Davis and Maddie don't like fish, so they don't count : )