S'more Fun

Ha! I love making up titles for the posts. It has to be one of the most entertaining things about reading a blog.

So, as I stated before, we had friends over yesterday and had a great time. It was pretty hot, so the kids were able to play on the slide/pool toy we bought earlier in the year.

Do you see a trend here?

From there we went on to S'mores by a fire. The kids had so much fun, we may make this a weekly Sunday occurrence.

This is serious business, as you can see from Lena's face. We interrupted her to take this picture and she was not pleased.Eli was just happy to have chocolate at 8 pm!

This is Rita, the pastor's wife. Obviously very excited over S'mores.

I have another post coming soon of something that Jim won in a raffle. Have a wonderfully muggy day.

BBQ Sauce

Sorry it's been a few day. Sometimes it takes a while for anything to pop in my head to blog about. This weekend was full though, so now you get a couple new posts.

We had the McNamar family, and Zach, a friend who moved on to New York, over for dinner yesterday. We were joined by Mom and Dad and had a great time hanging out.

I made an orzo salad for the side, which is Jim's favorite, and we had wings and thighs on the grill. I had made a new sauce, and as you can see from the following pictures, it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Jim asked me to post the recipe, so here it is.

BBQ SAUCE

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons molasses

3 tablespoons mustard

1/2 cup water

A dash of Canadian Steak Seasonings

Mix all of them together well, and you have an amazingly thick and sticky sauce. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Pickle Juice

So, I hear there's a tradition of sorts being passed down in the Genest family. How did I get myself caught up with these silly people?

Jim thinks that pickle juice has the ability to thin your blood, and if you're Lebanese, or even have an iota of Lebanese in you, you must thin your blood, as your father, and your father's father, and so on, have since the beginning of time.
Mmmmmm...that's good stuff. Straight up. And of course, our children strive to be proud of their heritage. So Lena dove in first.
Not too bad. Kinda refreshing.
Javen took a huge swig...
and passed it off immediately with no negative effects.Eli was not as willing to try it. I wonder, truly wonder, why they call it pickle juice.

Would you make this face if you were drinking juice?
I was dared. I denied the dare. I will do many things, but drinking "juice" from a pickle...no thanks.

Last Day

They have flown the coop, so to speak. I'm all about chicken speak nowadays...our chicks are becoming "chicks, man" and running throughout our yard and garden all day. But back to what I was saying. Monday, the Johnson's left us to go back home. It was truly bittersweet. Our family enjoyed having the kids so much, and when Sam and Tarrah got home, it was nice to visit with them also. Knowing that these chances come once in a lifetime, I am sad that it seemed to end so quickly. But I am thankful for the time we were able to spend together. Even though most of it was with Sam beating on my kids!
Today, Thursday the 19th, is officially the last day of school for Javen and Lena. On to third and fourth grade next year. I love last days of school. Summer begins, and there are no set bedtimes, dinner at the beach happens more often, bike riding in the evenings. I may be odd, but this is the time I look forward to the most. These are the moments my kids will remember, and I intend to make the most of it.


May you see His blessings today, and look forward to more.

Update

For all of you who know Javen, you understand it has been years since he's grown. His pituitary glad is underdeveloped, and for that reason, he is on growth hormones. Well, he had an appointment with his doctor yesterday, and all the news has been good so far.
A little under 10 months ago, he started the treatment. Since then he has grown 4.2 inches! His feet went from 13.5 to size 3. His mouth has grown also. Just kidding! His doctor is very positive, and expects even more from him.
Javen has not been on any part of the height-for-age growth chart that doctors give parents to chart their kids growth. He finally clocked in at 1-5%, which means over 95% of kids his age are taller than him, but he's on the charts!
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for him. He knows is, and it gives us all comfort. Please continue to pray for his pituitary to grow, so he can go through a normal pubescent phase and continue becoming the person God has planned for him to be.
May you notice His blessings in your life today.

Double Digits Baby

That's all I've heard for the past couple of weeks. "Mom, I'm going to be double digits soon!" And he was right. I've denied it until today. But waking up this morning cemented it. Javen turns 10 today. My little man is becoming a big boy.

I'm excited to see him growing up. He has become such a wonderful young man. Polite (sometimes to a fault), kind, loving...except when he's driving his brother and sisters nuts. He passed third grade with flying colors, and is excited to learn new things. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I'll enjoy it for the time.

Happy Birthday Javen. To my first. My baby. My double digit boy.

Momma Told Me There'd be Days Like This

...she just never mentioned it would be so durn hot! My friend Meaghin came down Monday night with her two kids; Owen who is almost two, and Addison who is 3 months old. We are having a wonderful time, but Tuesday...it was 100 degrees. And humid. And we were hot. Abe and Abriella were done from a very early time. They just about wilted. We all did.

Today was much nicer, temperature in the 80's, so we're not too bad. All the kids played nicely together, and are now sleeping soundly. I hope you are enjoying your week!

And Then There Were Five

So, I have five kids this week. I am using our minivan to it's full potential, and it's fun. Lots of fun.

Jim and I went to church, played in the water, then took the kids to the beach yesterday. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm came rolling in, but we still took the opportunity to hang out and eat in the van while enjoying the coolness of the wind off of the ocean.

This morning the kids lined up at the food trough :) It's been a lot of fun so far, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. We'll be busy, but sometimes, that's when life hands you your greatest blessings.

The Time Has Come

...to eat dinner on the beach! Last night, the kids, Jim and I went to the beach with subs to enjoy the last remnant of the day. It was a little chilly when we got there, 66 degrees, but we sucked it up and promised each other we'd bring sweatshirts next time.

This, for us, is the best part of summer. The beach is deserted, the kids are relaxed, and Jim is fresh out of work. No matter what your day looked like, the ocean, it's waves, and the sun can take it all away and make it look insignificant.

If you can't tell, I dig the beach.

We met up with friends later on, and the kids played a rousing rendition of wiffle ball with Jim and Keith. Lena would throw the ball at whoever was running bases instead of chasing them. Rita and I sat around laughing and eating wonderful brownies she took.

Sounds nice huh?

Meaghin, I can't wait for a vacation with you.

Tarrah, soon...

Until next time.