All The Things

 Zackary is such a picky eater, but he does love to eat!

He especially loves to eat apple pie! I bought the apples on Saturday and made the pie on Sunday. I can't help myself. He gets so excited over a good buttery crust filled with apples.

 Because...this is obviously the correct choice of what to wear when strawberry picking.

 She dressed herself.

 Oh well....They were successful in the strawberry picking anyway!

 Mother's Day is always a treat. I love the little gifts the kids put together at school. Zackary brought him this one....

 I love it and I shall keep it forever and ever!

I decided it was about time for Zoey to learn how to brown butter. She learned much faster than I did.

 Brown butter rice krispie treats for the win! Also....I am just loving our new grocery store in town...Aldi. I can buy everything we need to make a big pan of krispie treats for less than $2.

 Last week I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies that came out completely flat! The cookies were still tasty, but I really couldn't serve them to anyone. I stuck them in the freezer and we pulled them out to make a batch of chocolate chip cookie granola! I chopped up the cookies and added them to an oatmeal cookie granola mix. I baked everything up and it turned out pretty awesome. 

We are closing in on the end of the school year. I am really looking forward to summer vacation this year. I hope we can make it a great one!

Flowers

 Tomorrow is Mother's Day!

Ty is on call all weekend. He was gone all day today, but he managed to make a quick trip to the flower store and bring these home to me in between a few of his cases. He is pretty amazing.

Cookie Monster

 Earlier this week we met up with a bunch of friends at our neighborhood park. Mia's primary teacher was there. During Christmas last year, she discovered these cookies that were immensely popular with Mia's class. She found them after Christmas on extreme discount and bought massive amounts of cookies! She had just one bag left of the holiday treats in her car. Mia was talking about how hungry she was and her teacher went and got her the bag of cookies. Mia got the whole bag! We took the pictures so that her class will know who to blame when the cookies are all gone on Sunday!

We have some awesome friends, primary teachers, etc....

Paper Bag Princess

 Zoey and I read the Paper Bag Princess.

 and then made our own paper bag princess costume.

 Zoey is all signed up to start transitional kindergarten in the fall! I can't believe she will be gone for 3.5 hours each day. I sure have enjoyed being her preschool teacher this year!

Happenings

 We had such a fun Family Home Evening on Monday night. I had white pillowcases and fabric paints. The kids each got to decorate their own pillowcase with the paints.

It was a big hit. Creativity is such a great outlet!

 Of course Ty helped out where he was needed. He really is our resident artist!

 Mia's puppy pillowcase.

 Zoey's Z going in the right direction! She almost always writes it backwards so I am happy it is beginning to turn the right way.

My mom had a birthday so we made a cake....

 Chocolate and strawberries are always a good combination.

I made peanut butter bars with chocolate chips.....no birthday or special occasion necessary. I had to sneak a taste. Peanut butter forever for always...

 On a completely different note....Ty and I were able to sit on a career panel for the young women on Wednesday night. It was so much fun! I was there representing the stay at home mom career choice! It was such a fun night. 

Tomorrow is Friday. It has been a great week. Can't wait for the weekend!

Life Lately

Ty was able to attend another Career Day at school!

The kids always feel like a superstar when their dad is in the room!

 This is the little's favorite cake. I use a white cake mix....make a big batch of buttercream frosting to spread on top...and then sprinkle with some jimmies. They can't get enough! In a 9x13 no less....no stacking required.

 Sometimes Ty works all night long and needs to come home and go to bed.

 Sometimes Zack gets together with friends. The cutest boys!

New York

 Ty and I flew to New York last week for an epic adventure without the kids! Ty's mom was nice enough to come stay with the littles. We kept tabs on them constantly! Technology is fun sometimes! We missed them, but loved seeing their cute faces and hearing their sweet voices through the phone.

Ty was in New York for a leadership conference and I tagged along. The city was amazing!

 This arch was modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in France. It stands in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.

 I spent an afternoon walking down 5th Ave. I picked up gifts for the kids!

 There was so much history! So many beautiful old church buildings.

 The Empire State Building.

 The best almond butter cups ever. I want to order them in bulk and have them always in my purse forever.

 Ty and I were able to visit the Trade Center Memorial.

 We went to the very top....102 stories up!

 This was the city view from the top.

We walked all day and figured out the subway system!

We made it to Serendipity!

 They seated us right where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale sat in the movie!

 I was so happy to be there!

 Frozen Hot Chocolate!

 Totally amazing and must be re-created at home.

 We visited a total of 3 Apple stores while in Manhattan. This one is the flagship store! Ty was at one with his people.

 We walked through Central Park to see the Manhattan temple. We felt like this was our own little part of the city.

 Then we stumbled across the Hotel Empire...the hotel owned by Chuck bass in the Gossip Girl series...not that I would know ;)

 St. Patty's Cathedral.

 It was beautiful!

 The Fat Witch bakery for famous almond brownies! (the chocolate meter on this trip was ridiculously high!)

 Outside Chelsea Market.

 Inside Grand Central.

 There was more....Rockefeller Center, Times Square, A late night dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse, shopping for baguettes at a beautiful market...it was a wonderful trip! We had a great time and we were so excited to come home to the kids. I picked up this granola for the trip home. More chocolate to end with!