Summer stuff

Once again I've taken forever to do a post....so this is my post to say more post to come! I'm putting it on my to- do list!

Here's some pictures pictures from our recent trip to the Cardinals game...

It was hot (104 at 7:00), but the Cards won, so it was worth it!

We finally took the boys to a Springfield Cardinals game....

Here they are with their cousin Peyton...

Austin's First Communion

 On May 5, Austin celebrated his First Communion.  We were blessed to have a lot family come up and celebrate with us...
During the mass, Austin was invited to come up to the Alter during the preparation of the gifts.  (there were 4 of them receiving First Communion that day)

 We don't get many family pictures, so I had to share this one... my dad must have said something funny...

 Andrew and Austin were excited to have their cousin's visit for the weekend....

My little boy

It was really cool, on the way home from the Mass, we saw about 6 or 7  hot air balloons in the air, and they were almost right over our house!  We stood outside and watched them for awhile...

And that evening was the super full moon... closest the moon will be in it's orbit around the earth....

Andrew's Sick Day

Anyone that knows Andrew knows he loves Egypt.... so the other week he was home sick for 3 days, and by the end of the last day he was feeling better and made his own little Egypt on a big white board we have...

 And then he did a picture of Austin...I think it looks a lot like him!

spring

Thought I would share some of the things I've been able to enjoy this week.... My beautiful tulips are blooming, they've enjoyed all the rain we had this week...

 I've never shared a recipe before, but I thought I would try something new...
So I made egg drop soup from scratch the other day... it was really easy , really good, and low in calories...

Egg Drop Soup

4 Cups chicken broth       1 Tbsp Sherry

1/8 tsp ground ginger  1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

2Tbsp fresh chives  1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

2-3 eggs

Reserve 3/4 Cup broth  and mix with cornstarch. Heat all ingredients except cornstarch mixture and eggs.  When starting to boil, add cornstarch mixture. Meanwhile beat eggs in separate bowl.  Stir soup in one direction while slowly pouring the beaten eggs in.  Let cook a couple more minutes, and then it's done!

1 Cup= 61 calories, 3.6g fat, 3.2 carbs

And the last thing I am so excited about is Dye-Free advil for kids!  We have been trying to keep the boys (especially Austin) off food dyes, and the only medicine I had found was allergy medicine.  This week the boys both had fevers and I was so excited to find this!

Piano recital

The boys had their 2nd piano recital today...I was very proud of them!  The first video is of Austin, the second of Andrew.  They also did a duet, but I will post that later. The duet they used their music, but otherwise they had to memorize their pieces...I thought they did a great job!

The boys lately

So proud of Austin... he did the 1st reading at the school mass last week....

 Andrew's basketball game...

Austin's basketball game...

New York- Rainy Wednesday, part 1

Wednesday started out drizzly...but not too cold...so we made our way down to Chelsea to go to the Doughnut Plant.  I saw this place on Food Network's "The best thing I ever ate" like two years ago and have been telling Lauren to go try this peanut butter and jelly doughnut.... so she brought us there!  And yes, it was worth the wait...homemade blackberry jam infused in a fresh yeast doughnut topped with a homemade peanut butter glaze...mmmmmmmmm....

Then we made our way down to battery park to see Lady Liberty...which was awesome...

Then we made our way down to the financial district, got to cross Wall Street....

We were headed that way to see the 9/11 memorial site... it was very peaceful, and it was a really beautiful memorial.  The most amazing thing to me was just to be there on those same streets that survivors were running down that day, to be on those same streets that were covered in dust and debris from the fallen buildings, and to understand how close together those buildings are...I have a better understanding for what that day was like there.  I will always remember how that day felt for me, but I have a different understanding for what it was like for those there.

The water poured out in lines similar to the lines the aluminum made on the twin towers, only these went downward into another pool, which poured out into another pool for which there was no bottom...as if down to infinity...

There were new buildings under construction just outside the memorial...

The rain almost made the memorial more beautiful that day...