September Stuff

2 Fun Things We Did While Matt and Lauren Were in NYC:   

1.  We did a lot of rollerblading!  It's slooow going for me and the little boys, but we're improving!

2.  We had playdate with our cute cousins Hudson & Journee.  These cute kids loved playing outside and were so much fun to have over.  The highlight of the night was when Owen and Journee snuck outside to dance and play in the rain; they loved it!

September Vanguard Game Night:  

We hosted the first party of the year at our home and played the "Bigger/Better" game.  The leaders like all the game/movie nights to relate to the monthly theme in some way; this month's theme was true happiness and after the scavenger hunt they spent some time discussing how the game tied into the theme.  Then they played a hilarious (and a bit crazy) pantomime game.

 Bigger is always better when it's in reference to an ice cream bar...

 The girls were doing the "cup song" while the boys tried to volley the ping pong ball back and forth.

Ode to My Blendtec:  

This appliance has surpassed my KitchenAid Mixer as my favorite/most used accessory in the kitchen.  Biffy has had a nice blender for a while and tried to convince me of their appeal.  I swore I would never be crazy enough to spend that much $$ on a blender... the less expensive ones can do the job, right?  Well, when you use them as much as I do, they just can't do the job.  After burning through 3 of the cheaper models, I eventually moved to the crazy side and bought this Blendtec last year.  I've never regretted it!  I use it at least 1-2x a day and it is hands down the most hard-core amazing piece of machinery you'll ever see.  This month, while grinding some wheat for homemade bread, I hit 1000 uses.

Below are pictures of what I make for myself almost every day; a chocolate, banana & spinach smoothie.  Some people crave diet sodas for their "happy drink" but this is what I've gotten into the habit of drinking.  It's truly become a treat that I look forward to and crave. Here's the recipe: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, fill the jar to the top with spinach, smoosh it all down with a banana, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 scoop of raw/vegan protein powder, and a bunch of ice cubes.  No sugar!  I used to use highly processed, sweetened whey protein powder but earlier this year I switched to the raw one for a bunch of reasons.  The earthy flavor did take a little getting used to but now I love it!  So healthy, so delicious, and I know it's probably so disgusting looking to some of you; don't judge until you try...

Something Better than Video Games: 
Did any of you watch "American Ninja Warrior" this summer?  It's been a family favorite of ours.  The kids have been setting up obstacle courses in the backyard and timing themselves.

Pics of Sleeping Kids are Always Cute:
When I went down to check on the kids before I headed to bed, I found Lola dead asleep in this crazy pose.  I took a picture, came upstairs to show Matt, and said, "you'll never guess the position I found Lauren asleep in..." He totally guessed!  He'd found her asleep that way in the Hyde's home.  We got a good giggle and wonder what is going on in her dreams.

Everything in our house is falling apart:
1) Our washing machine downstairs is broken and it will cost more to fix it than to buy a new one.  2) Our fridge broke and it cost $500 to fix - ugghh, I guess we won't be buying a new washing machine for a while.  3) While our fridge was out of commission (for a very long week!!) I turned on and started using the downstairs mini fridge - yeah, that's broken too.  4)  I also discovered (when I moved things into our garage freezer), that the seal on the door isn't working properly.  We've got frost up the yin-yang.  5) And the straw that broke the camel's back was that our door knobs and deadbolts in both the kitchen and garage stopped working.  Ya know, all this stuff really isn't that big of a deal... but when it all happens at once it's frustrating!  I repaired the locks and deadbolts while Matt was out of town on business and though I about cussed while doing it, I'm pretty proud of my handiwork...

Bradley is Playing Varsity Hockey:  
When did he grow up?!?  He played his first varsity hockey game this week against Bingham and Davis won 7-0!  Bradley scored a beauty of a goal, had some great moves around other players, knocked a kid off his feet with a clean check, and got knocked off his feet by an opposing player.  Fun game and as an additional bonus there was a super cute Davis coach that was some great eye candy for me. ;-)

Down Syndrome Buddy Walk: 

Saturday we drove up to Logan to join in the Buddy Walk with Jackie's family.  We had such a great time joining in on one of the Leishman's yearly traditions.  Thanks for the invite Jack - it was a wonderful day!