Fruit "pie"

Nicole had a fabulous blog the other day about making an ice cream pie with her children. It was so cute, and it really looked like they had a lot of fun doing it together, so I decided to try it with the kiddos tonight since Craig has gone back to Orlando (we opted NOT to go with him this week.....just couldn't leave again!), and the kids were definitely needing something to do.
We started by going to the grocery store, and I let them choose the fruit that they would like to put in their pie. Fruit of choice? Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.....YUM! (Nicole did a chocolate themed pie with candy bars and cookies........might try that one next time!)
I sliced and chopped the fruit while the kids stirred the fruit into vanilla ice cream.
Yes, that is ice cream............they definitely stirred.....a lot.

The kids pressed fresh sliced strawberries against the sides of the grahm cracker crust.

We poured the ice cream/fruit mixture into the strawberry lined crust, smothered the top with marshmallows, decorated with leftover fruit, lined the edges with whipped cream, and drizzled caramel sauce over the top to give it that final touch!

I then put the pie in the freezer to get the ice cream to refreeze.

The kids were DYING for it to be dessert time, and when dinner was finally over tonight, they were able to indulge in this wonderful little experiment that they helped concoct.

I must say it was quite delightful! They loved it!

So, get creative and make one of your own! and if you do, make sure to share your results!

Tootles!

God's beautiful handiwork

Pamperingbeki is hosting a blog post about finding God's fingerprints.
On our recent missions trip to the Dominican Republic, though the country is so poor, and the living conditions unbearable, I definitely found God's beautiful handiwork amidst the poverty.
Mostly in His people. His beautiful, amazing, perfectly created people.

Where do you see His beautiful hand?

Magic.

So every time we go to Disney, I start off thinking the same thing......WHY am I here? This place costs more than a grocery bill for a whole month to get in, the lines are ridiculous, when you finally do get on a ride, it's over before you get the seat belt buckled! The smells (and no, not the good food smells, I'm talkin' about those wonderful whiffs of those waiting in line with you.....:-) are enough to keep you gagging for the next two hours, Mickey isn't anywhere to be seen, oh yeah, I forgot, you have to go to the "Judges Tent" to stand in line for half the day to be able to stand next to Mickey and get your picture made.......what's up with that anyways? The heat is unbearable, you become permanently glued to your clothes with your own sweat, and every time you want a drink to cool off, it costs another five dollars.

People are pushing and shoving, and getting sick on the Peter Pan ride, What? Yes! I said the Peter Pan ride....two rows behind me....puke everywhere.......THAT'S HOT!

Why do people come here I ask? What is so fun about this?

And then just as you are about to vow once again to never come back, out of nowhere BAM!You get sucker punched straight to the heart and reduced to a sentimental bumbling fool with what I have realized is Disney's greatest vice for bringing people back over and over again. As the darkness closes in, the music begins to play by the castle, Jiminy Cricket starts talking, and the fireworks begin, you are finally able to sit down and relax from all the rushing, and you begin to look around. Mostly at your children. You look in their dirty sweaty little faces and there you see it........in their eyes lies the MAGIC that Disney is always bragging about. Gleaming, glistening, shining, MAGIC. In that moment you glance at your husband and catch him staring at the children with a satisfying smirk on his face, and you know that he is thinking the same thing you are.......We have just made another great memory, and the looks on our children's faces make the money, smells, lines, sweat, heat, the woman puking two rows behind me,and no sign of Mickey anywhere to be seen, ALL WORTH IT!!

So alas, we will return to Mickey world again and brave the lines, odors, pushing, shoving, heat, and five dollar water bottles, because in the end it's really about the children, and their sheer and utter joy at just the mention of Disney.

Mickey, you win. Congratulations! You obviously know what you are doing. Wish I did......

Swim Swim Swim!

Here's a video of Carter and Ava swimming for my "out of town" relatives that don't get to see the kids much. A special shout out to my grandma Hixson is included in this video. We love you grandma Hixson!

I'm HOME! Can I get an AMEN???!!!

Hello all! We are HOME!! YAY!! Thanks to those of you who extended your traveling prayers for us! I am so tickled to be in my own home, I can barely stand it. ha!ha! (And the dust and floors aren't near as bad as I had envisioned!! lol!)
Anyways, just wanted to say Hi, and I will post Disney pics sometime tomorrow.
Have a fabulous Sunday!

We're off to see Mickey!

Have a great day everyone!

Lizards....

Too much randomness here...

Just got back from the pool with the kiddos.
Looks like rain maybe soon.
Feeling a bit suffocated, but hope that a date with my hubby tonight will help that.
I can't believe I haven't vacuumed my house in Atlanta in so long....I shutter to think of the yucky floors, and the dust layers.....on everything.......oh, I'm hyperventilating just thinking about it, I MUST get home soon to clean my house.
And regain some normalcy...whatever that is at this point.
Ava has learned how to swim while we have been in Florida the past two weeks, really quite good I might add.
Ready to be home. MY home. MY bed.
Never thought I'd say this, but I miss our dog Lilly.
Can't wait for my date tonight.
I have a really hard time believing that the water was only 4ft 6in at the pool today, because I could barely reach the bottom.
Maybe I'm getting shorter. Is that even possible?
I met a very nice Lady named Barbara today who talked like she had known me for years.
I love those kind of people!
I'm afraid of patio sliding doors.
I love the Lord and He loves me. I'm ready for whatever God has for myself and my family, whatever that might be, wherever that might take us. Been thinking a lot about that lately.
I'm just glad that He has promised to carry me through whatever comes my way.Our way. This brings extreme peace to my heart.
I can't believe I get to go on a date tonight. I wonder what we'll do. My choice no doubt. hmmmm.......
Carter is OBSESSED with Lizards, but you already know that. I hope it's okay that I am letting him catch all these critters around here.
Craig is still at work.....can't wait till tonight. Oh my, I just realized I am thinking about my date every other sentence. WOW! We really need a date! To talk. To reconnect. To laugh. I'm glad Craig is my husband, he is so annoyingly funny. deep down I love it. Shhhh..don't tell him that though! I like to be "irritatingly irritated" with him when he acts up. It works. For us.
People lie. Straight to your face. And then think you are stupid enough to believe them. Sad.
Carter got stung by, well, we don't exactly know WHAT stung him, we never saw anything fly off, but he definitely got stung. It hurt. He cried. A lot. I hurt when my children hurt. I can only imagine the hurt that God feels when we His children are in pain.....
Ava is conked out on the couch right now and has her mouth wide open.....too funny!
Change is good when needed.
We are going to Disney World's Magic Kingdom in the morning. The kids had a choice between Sea World, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and a water park. In the end Mickey won out. I knew he would. Kind of wish we were going to Sea World, but it's been over a year since we have had lunch with Mickey, so I guess it's time we caught up with each other.
I love blogging and the new blogging friends I have made! This a great always changing hobby to have.
I miss my friends. That is my TRUE friends. Not the ones who say they are my friends, and throw knifes at me when I turn my back. OUCH!
Carter is making a journal about his summer travels, and his grandpa is helping him write it right now. Very cute.
I wonder if I turned the alarm on at my house when we left?
My maui babe is starting to feel gross, time to get in the shower.
I wonder when Craig will get here?
Yep! change is good.
God is good.
All the time.
Period.

Get your Maui Babe on......

When I went to Hawaii years ago, I was introduced to this amzing little product called Maui Babe. It is AWESOME!
Not one to use sun oils much, my mother in law convinced me to try this one. I couldn't believe how much BROWNER I got in one day! I was hooked immediately. Unfortunately it could not be purchased in the states (yes I know that Hawaii is a state.....just not a state you can drive to!!), so when my supply ran out, I was so sad. We returned to Hawaii two years after that, and of course I stocked up, but alas, that supply ran out as well...........
So imagine my complete and utter JOY as I was walking through my all time favorite beauty supply store Ulta, and what to my eyes did I see? UH HUH........a huge display of MAUI BABE!!!! Oh yeah baby, it has ARRIVED in the good ole' U. S. of A (this side of the Pacific anyways)!! WOO HOO!! Try it once and you'll be hooked!

hmmm.......speaking of Hawaii..........??

Why "older" women shouldn't sunbathe topless....

THAT'S HOT!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Summer Favorites...

Hollie wants to know what everyone's favorite thing about summer is.

Well, I LOVE summer! What is there NOT to love? I love the scents, the sounds, the tastes, and the laziness of summer. But, MOST OF ALL I love the COLORS!! Don't you?

What's your favorite?