Summer Weekend #3

It was a long weekend. And the longest trip I've packed up for and taken in the last several months. We all went to my parents' house for the 4th of July.

...I didn't take a whole lot of pictures.

All you really need to see is that absolute trance Jett was in as he watched fireworks from the bedroom window. Scout hid in the corner. Jett couldn't get enough.

Aside from Scott doing work on the house that we own in central Pennsylvania (he bought it 11 years ago), the big accomplishment for me was cleaning out a bunch of my belongings I still had stored at my parents' house. Clothes, stuffed animals, random bags, books, wedding supplies...all went into bags/boxes to be donated. I think I still have one more trip to go but this was a good start (and ten years in the making). I did keep several Beanie Babies for Wells because they've never been played with really, still have the tags, and are a good assortment of different types of animals...maybe he'll like them. I DID find a skirt I bought at Aeropostale in probably 2008/2009 with the tags still on it and I'm assuming I had paid full price for it, which is unfortunate because it was $49.50. I did figure that any clothes I didn't care enough to take to Alaska with me 10 years ago probably just needed to be donated.

Also, Scout rolled in something dead two days in a row on a walk, so he had to deal with the hose twice.

Wells saw his 6 week old cousin and cried more than she did.

Also, he needs a pool...

After getting back on Sunday evening, I took my carload of donations to Goodwill, went to Walmart to pick up a grocery order (that they messed up, so it might be time to reconsider the way I rely on this method of grocery shopping), made dinner, and we watched the first episode of Billions. I was up more than once overnight with an almost-one-year old who should know better (right?) AND I woke up with a sore throat. So we'll see how much gets done today as I try to catch up on all the things. It's a busy week ahead, with someone turning 1 and all.

Truths.

I can't find my phone charger. My iPad charger works for my phone too, but I legitimately think I threw it away when I was cleaning off the counter after chopping up a bunch of vegetables last week.

I haven't read/bought a single pregnancy book. I use the What to Expect app (which I have found typos on and that annoys me because how can I trust their credibility then?) and have just done a lot of reading online. Everything else has come from doctors. Since I'm super skeptical of "how to get pregnant" books, I figured I'd just go with my gut.

I've spent the better part of the last month trying to nail down when the recycling pick-up is here. We have a trash can and a recycling can that are both picked up by the city (both have the UW logo on them, in case you doubted what I said yesterday about the university running the town). I *think* the recycling pick-up is every other Monday. We have a ton of cardboard (thank you baby gifts!) that I've painstaking cut up and broken down to the required size and I just want it to be all picked up so I can refill the can. The neighbors have theirs stuffed with styrofoam and have not cut the boxes down to the correct sizes. But I don't want to be that person.

I don't understand how people don't have baby names ready to go by the time their kid is born. You have MONTHS to think about it.

I have been terrible about checking emails ever since this whole Blogger comment debacle began back at the end of May. Since I got Disqus, I just check my posts for comments and if I get emails about anything, I always forget to respond now. I've actually been horrible about keeping up with people in the last month or so in general. I expect that this will get worse. 

I don't like Subarus. I have no real reason for it? Scott has offered, more than once, to trade in my RAV4 on a Subaru and my answer is always no. I would rather hold out for something else if we're talking about trading in a car later on and aren't ready to upgrade to something I really want at the moment.

Does anyone else just ignore text messages? I don't like this about myself but I'm really bad at checking/answering and sometimes I'm just too pre-occupied with all the other things we have going on. Like, I just can't get into a texting conversation, you know? 

I don't miss my job at all. Like, not even a little bit. I know I'll go back to teaching eventually, but it won't be in this part of the country. 

The whole state of Colorado is basically burning down, but many there are concerned about where/when/how they can light off fireworks. I will never understand the draw of fireworks. Like, I really don't get it. 

*Also, the fire that has destroyed 104 homes in the last few days was started by an illegal immigrant. That might be worth having a conversation about, right?*

Tomorrow I think I'm going to bake some cupcakes for the 4th, even though we don't have any plans. At the least, I can freeze them and have them on hand. You never know when you'd like a good frozen cupcake, right? 

The first 4-day 4th of July Weekend in which Scott has been in Colorado

I've been sticking to a M, T, TR, F posting schedule for the last month and that is 100% purposeful. I want consistency and predictability when it comes to my blog life because I know I tend to really read blogs that are consistent. I can't drum up five posts a week, but since it's a holiday week, I skipped yesterday and am doing today instead. It's obviously a calculated process. How do you come up with your own posting schedule?

Scott is never here for the 4th of July, and the army gets a 4-day weekend so it's usually completely wasted on us. We tried to pack a lot in.  (He was here the first year but we knew no one, had no friends, and we painted cabinets all weekend. I've tried to block all that out.)

Saturday, we helped friends pick up some furniture using our giant truck. Then, we bought a push-mower, had bbq for lunch, and did some outside chores around the house.  A giant storm pushed through in the evening and I professed to Scott how much I hate thunderstorms and I'm ready to move north and he thought I was crazy.

Sunday, we got up at 4am to go fishing on the South Slope of Pikes Peak. It was a 2 hour-ish drive, it was hourssss of walking through the woods, swatting bugs, and breaking a trail where there wasn't one. This is the opposite of my preferred activity. However, my battle wound of a nasty brush burn from sliding down the side of the mountain proves I was there. Also, some really terrible tan lines.

That's Pikes Peak at 14,000 ft., so our elevation wasn't much lower.

Then we ate ice cream for dinner, I took a Benedryl, and went to bed at 7pm.

Monday was VET DAY.  Scott joined for this trip. I left with a significantly lighter wallet but, hopefully, now doggy daycare can move forward. Then, we cleaned out Scott's office. Change of command is tomorrow.

Yesterday, I caught up on all of the things around the house that needed to be done..did some organizing and sorting...prepped things for the rest of the week, and then we went to my friend's house for dinner and fireworks. I made cupcakes.

I have a mile-long list of things to do today. It's already Wednesday but that means change of command and block leave is sneaking up on us a little too quickly. If that's possible. 

Hope you had a good 4th!

4th of July Food

Thank you to everyone who left a kind word on my post yesterday. I knew I would eventually have to write about everything we've been dealing with. You can only keep that all inside for so long. When I asked Scott if he cared whether I shared, he said How can people support you if you don't tell them?, which is obviously the truth. He's clearly much more open than me. Even the other night, I said something about "clearly things don't always work out" and he was all "There's a plan. Yes, they do". So any confidence I have these days can be attributed to him.

But to everyone who read my post, thank you. The support and encouragement means so much. It's very telling that I trust and love this community enough to explain things in a way that I don't always do with those I see on a daily basis.

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And now food. Lest we forget that I used to make a lot of different dishes...

Just a few ideas in case you need something for a holiday get-together. This is the list I would pull from. As it is, I'll probably just be taking dessert to a friend's house.

Black Bean Salsa, or add mango, as an appetizer I will fill up on and not eat anything else. Or maybe guacamole or guacamole with sweet corn.

Pulled Pork for a main course. With rolls and coleslaw. I need a coleslaw recipe.

Dessert...I usually come up with something for the 4th, whether Scott is here or whether we're with other people or whether I'm by myself.
Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats. These are intense.
Birthday Cake S'mores. A twist on a bonfire treat.
Lemon-Lime Coconut Bars. Refreshing.
Patriotic Sugar Cookie Pie. I had used blue frosting instead of blueberries because we were in Alaska when I came up with this because #expensive.
Reeses' Ice Cream Cake. Our favorite.

Drinks...my version of rum slush or regular cherry limeaide.  Or sangria.

What are you making for the 4th of July?

4th of July recipes! (aka sugar overload)

So it was a super busy weekend and I can say that I did not read any blogs at all on Sunday and just skimmed a few on Saturday.  I'll get back to business today as "someone" is going on a hunting trip ("Why?" is beyond me.  It's cold out there.)  However, while I catch up with blog life and write up some stuff for tomorrow, here are my recommendations for this week's holiday...


P.S.  I forgot to source my Pins yesterday.  All pictures I put on this blog, if I didn't take them and if not otherwise mentioned, come from my Pinterest page.

Looking for something yummy to make for the 4th of July?

When we go out (yes, it does happen), I automatically volunteer dessert.

Real food just doesn't appeal to me in the same way.

Here's my suggestions..

Last year, I did mini-cupcakes.  You could totally mix up the frosting to make it more patriotic. 
Chocolate Chip Mini-Cupcakes with PB Frosting

Or Strawberry Lemon Mini-Cupcakes

People will eat anything if it's a "mini".  (People are silly.  I'd rather eat a GIANT cupcake.)

Or if they can dip something into something else.
Try Cake Batter Dip.

 
Or if you have any of that rhubarb stuff lying around, Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler might be yummy (if you're not me).  I'd post the picture, but it's horrible.  I'll make it again when my parents visit and remedy that situation.

Some Sugar Cookie Fudge, mayhaps?? (Store it in the freezer.  It was my after-school snack for an entire week. *Nom, nom, nom*)

These Blueberry Cookies are ah-maz-ing.  The pictures I took of them are horrible.  But, I've been making these since I swiped the recipe from Giada in 2005.  Try them!

This Patriotic Sugar Cookie Pie is what I would make for Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans' Day, and anything else slightly patriotic.  Just so I have an excuse to eat it.

I almost forgot about these!  I spent a lot of time last summer coming up with these perfectly tart Lemon-Lime Coconut Bars.

And Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats for a low-maintenance option...

These White Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats are super-duper yummy judging by the way they disappeared from the staff lounge at school before 9am.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake is my favorite (it also needs a picture re-do).

And Funfetti Ice Cream Cupcakes would be easy if you're at a picnic with young-uns.

Oh, you don't require 18 pounds of sugar to get you through the day?

I would totally make these Ranch Seasoned Pretzels.  I won't touch ranch dressing, but I make my own dip with the packets of dry seasoning all the time.

Or Garlic and Lime Black Bean Salsa.  Yum.

I'd also suggest Guacamole, but that stuff usually doesn't make it out of the house without me eating it all.