Family Vacation!

Here is a look at the fantastic vacation we had this week!

One of the first things we did was craft! Benjamin made a Super Green Lantern Batman bear. 

We also did a lot of swimming during our time away.

Of course we did have some down time...

We also enjoyed playing on the playground. Benjamin and Henry both loved swinging. In fact, it became a family event!

The water park is a pretty big attraction where we went, so we had to stop there as well!

After a long day of water, we spent a little while playing in the arcade!

I wish I had pictures for everything else we did, but I was so busy being a part of it that I forgot! Of course we rested some, played a lot, and did plenty of eating!

Looking Forward

Still to come: a look at the best shopping trip of my life and the book I read on vacation! I also want to talk a little about my birthday and the most recent Glam bag from ipsy! I have so much to catch you up on that it may take a few days until we get deep again!

Italian Tomato Parmesan Soup & Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Some days are hard to have kids. As I write this, my two year old is playing in his room after I put him to bed. In fact, I started bedtime at 8, its nearly 10 and he is still fighting. I am blaming this on the missed nap for the third day in a row. All I can say is, my children exhausted me today.

Today I cooked dinner at my parents house. I had to bring my supplies from home, which ended up with me forgetting things! Dinner was totally different from what it should have been. The soup was loosely based off this recipe for slow cooker Tomato Basil Soup. It ended up Italian Tomato Soup with no crock pot required. Let me explain. I forgot the basil, chicken broth, and crock pot! I did however remember the vegetables!

I quickened the recipe by bring the whole pot to a boil. Instead of using chicken broth I substituted for beef bullion and water. I also used whole milk rather than half and half. Otherwise, I followed the process pretty close. What can I say, I am a true Italian cook, I never measure and I work with what I have. On everyday occasions, I rarely use recipes! Remember, no basil... so thats why the name changed!

Even the none tomato eating crew seemed to enjoy the soup. It was very flavorful and I think it would be a really great base for adding all kinds of delicious things.

I followed the recipe for the Rosemary Olive Oil Bread a little more closely. I rarely bake, so I have less experience with substitution. I just didn't use basil. I also used fast acting yeast and normal flour (not whole wheat or anything). The bread is smaller than the above recipe because I am not patient and didn't let it rise long enough. Still, it was delicious! I would most definitely attempt bread again.

I would have loved to have made mozzarella grilled cheese with that bread to go with dinner. Another time, when I am more prepared!

My Outfit

I got a huge amount of compliments today, so I decided to share it with you. I am constantly amazed how many people are liking my hair! I never expected for it to be a fashion statement.

The sweater shirt is from Maurices. I love this shirt so much! I have had it since college, its been a favorite since then. The skirt is a Target design. The shoes also come from Target, many seasons ago. The biggest focus of my compliments was my earring, which I've noted before. They look like something between a feather and a leaf in pinks.

A Day In The Sun

We had lovely, almost summer weather here today. We hit 80, I know. My parents deicided to try to suffer through and not use the air conditioning and the kids were suffering. We decided to have a little fun outside!

My sweet little boy picked me a flower!

 





















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