• Family Life

    Vacation

    The younger four boys, my mom, and I took a vacation to see some family out of state. The boys were great, and we had so much fun doing many different activities. First was the splash park. We weren’t sure how the Jacob would like it. He loved it! It was really fun to watch him get soaked all while cracking up. We took a trip to the zoo on a day we thought wouldn’t be too hot……The tiger was up walking around, and the lions were both sleeping right next to the viewing glass. We got awfully sweaty, but…

  • Cooking with the Cooks

    Pancakes!

    Want your kids to be able to make their own breakfast? Want them to make YOU breakfast?! With Jeremy’s video tutorial on how to make pancakes from scratch, that’s exactly what they’ll be able to do. Yes, you’ll have to deal with some mess in the kitchen, but letting them experiment will be worth it in the long run. (Note: The way the video was edited makes it look like the sugar and baking powder are doubled. They’re not. Just add 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp baking powder.)

  • Family Life

    Road Trip!

    There is nothing quite like hitting the open road and exploring all America has to offer. My goal is to visit all 50 states. I have been to 29 so far! I’ve been to every state west of the Mississippi River, except for Alaska, Arkansas, and Louisiana. I would love to take a cruise to Alaska, but since I have a one year old, that dream will have to take a back seat. The boys are the same, except they have never been to Hawaii. This trip has been a little different, since it’s just the younger 4 boys, my…

  • Family Life

    A Little Adventure

    We live so close to so many amazing places. Yesterday, I told the boys we were getting some sandwiches and heading off to have a picnic. We were first going to find a place by the river, but there were too many bugs. So, I decided to keep driving. We found a back road that said it led to a boat ramp. We turned and found ourselves on a curvy road surrounded by forest. When the road ended, we discovered there was a really neat beach/picnic area. We opted to park above and eat at one of the picnic tables…

  • Cooking with the Cooks

    S’mores Cake

    I’ve made this cake several times. It’s really delicious and super easy to make! All you need is chocolate cake mix, graham cracker crumbles, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and a slow cooker. Yep, you get to make cake in a slow cooker!

  • School

    First Day of School

    Next month marks 20 years since I started my first year of teaching.  I’d been in many classrooms, observing for college classes and substituting, but nothing really prepares you for the first day of your first year.  No matter how organized you are, things may not go exactly the way you planned.  Do you remember the first day of your first year?  I do.  Actually, there’s just one thing I remember about that first day.  I was in my classroom, making sure everything was set.  I was nervous.  After all, I was teaching 6th grade!  I loved 6th grade, though,…