Dance Recital 2013

Back in June the girls had their dance recital.  Both girls did great and they had lots of fun.  Kaylee was so much more confident and improved so much since last year.  She has been so excited about dance and can't wait to start again next week.  Alexa has also really enjoyed dance this past year and will be taking it again too.  She did great for her first recital!

These were actually taken during dress rehearsal because they don't let you take pictures during the actual show.
Alexa tap:

Summer Time

I am always sad to see summer go.  We are down to the last week before school starts. :(  I hope we are all ready come next Thursday morning and that I still won't be in denial that this is actually happening already.  August 8 is way too early and way too hot.  Totally don't feel ready to get back to schedules.
I have decided that next summer our family NEEDS a vacation.  We are on year two of no vacation.  Usually we at least escape to CA or something, but nothing the last two years.  Last summer Ryan was in paramedic school and this summer Ryan has been working lots of fires.  Next year......
So still in attempt to catch up on this blog here are some summer pictures:

 Lots of Popsicles a must!

Last Day for Kaylee!

Kaylee's last day was on May 23rd.  Kaylee did so good her 1st grade year and we are so proud of her!  She had such a great teacher and we are all sad she won't have her next year.  We are lucky she is one of our neighbors so we will still be able to keep in touch.   She is now reading and mostly tying her shoes.  :)  Mostly because I feel there was never a day where she could all of a sudden do it.  It has been a slow work in progress throughout the year.  Totally my fault for being so busy with baby to put in the time to teach her.  We have worked on it some this summer and she is getting better all the time.....but who really wants to wear shoes and socks in the summer.?.?  With school starting right around the corner she will be back to daily practice.  :)

Before her last day I am so glad I set out a few things the night before:

Last day for Lex!

I always like to make a big deal out of first and last days of school.  Something else fun to decorate for and celebrate!!  Way back on May 16th Lex celebrated her last day of 3's preschool.  This year was so good for her and she has come a long way!  She is already looking forward to the next school year as a big 4 year old!!  So sad to think she only has one more year at La Casa before Kindergarten.  Let's hope for a really SLOW year.

Blast from the past!

The other day Ryan found his old original Nintendo in the garage and he thought it would be fun to hook it up for the kids.  He did not even tell them about it, just went and plugged it into their little TV and started playing.  I first heard it when I was in the bathroom doing Alexa's hair.  I heard the dinging of the coins coming from Super Mario Brothers....oh the sounds from the 80's coming from my living room!  All the kids, including Ryan, have been having fun playing it. :)  So funny to think that my Dad originally brought this home to my house when I was about 7 or 8 and Kaylee is now 7.  Total blast from the past!

Banana Ice Cream

This was a little treat we heard about so we had to give it a try.  Super simple, healthy, and fun for the kids in the summer....win, win, win!

Okay....so it might get a little complicated here with all the ingredients so stay with me.  You will need........

~Bananas

Whew!!  That was tough...:) Use as many as you like, I used about 6 or 7

 Slice them up

Throw them in a plastic bag and freeze for a few hours

Place how ever many frozen bananas you want in the food processor and blend them up.

And there you have it......Banana Ice Cream!  We put strawberries on ours and mixed them in and it was so yummy and the kids loved it!  They thought it was real ice cream!

Going to a Diamondbacks game.....a different kind of view!

Nolan all ready for his first game:

 But we got to have a different kind of view then we were used to....

The view from here!  It was so fun.  My friend Mindy rented out the Diamondbacks pool for Jeremy's 40th birthday!!  Such a fun once in a lifetime opportunity!  

 Nolan did so great at the game!