Ben's got a dream....he's got some dreams!!!

Just getting started!

I think he's a little up to his head....what do you think?

Happy Guy

Exhausted after wiggling out!

Ewww!!!! Need I say more?!?

Haha, Ben started telling me days before we left to go to Bear Lake that he wanted to be burried in the sand. Knowing how much the sand already sticks to you, I thought he was crazy! Regardless of what I thought, he still asked almost the moment we got there. Finally the second full day there, he talked the kids into burrying him. He loved it every bit as much as he thought he would [Grandma Carpenter on the side freaking out that he would be claustrophobic]! When we got home he told me how much fun it will be to have his own kids burry him in the sand........what a big kid!

A project here...a project there...: The latest project {China Cabinet}

Oh man am I glad to be done (well....other than a few little touch-ups)!!! This was my mom's china cabinet while I was growing up. Together my mom and I decided I could redo it and put it in my house. Great idea, right? [I'm still rethinking that one!] I spent hours on each coat and I know it's not perfect but I like it....defects and all!

I didn't think I had much to fill the cabinet with except for some fancy glasses I inherited from my Grandma Carpenter. As I was going through my cupboards I found a few more treasures that I have collected over time to add some color and variety. Brother and Sister Coats had given us a set of plates for our wedding that are kind of a red-ish orange and I love the color they add!

Out with the old, in with the new.

Well, it's more like in with the new! We have been working on our landscaping a bit more this year. We got the rest of our trees put in the back yard and added some grasses and a few burning bushes to the front flower beds. If you look at the blue arrows that zebra grass (which hides an ugly black drain post in the front) started so small and has gotten huge! I'm afraid we are going to have to watch that one a bit!

Derby in style

Okay, okay...I don't really know anything about making derby racing cars, but hey I can be creative! Ben decided to sign us up for the ward derby. The same one that he will be working during! I didn't know why he signed us up, but they brought us a kit to make a car regardless. Naturally I took it and started playing! I'm pretty sure that somewhere along the way I broke some car making rules and I have no clue how much it weighs, but it was fun anyway!

Some things you'll need to make a derby car (that's not included in the kit):
Cardboard ring box
Snaps (or buttons, but snaps are way cooler!)
Fingernail polish
Plastic hose/tubing
A knife to carve wood
Glossy paint
Painters tape
Craft glue
Q-tips
Very small paintbrushes
Scrap cardboard

Healthy Food

In attempt to eat healthier and more fiber-rich food, I decided to make some grilled salmon for lunch/ dinner. Ben comes home at 3pm and doesn't get off until 9 so he needs a good meal! I tried a new recipe (included below) and really like it! It was simple and yummy....and healthy!

Corn and Bean Salad

1 can corn (not cream style), drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well
½ red pepper, finely diced
2 Tablespoons onion, finely diced (I prefer to use red onion, but use whatever you have in the house)
2 Tablespoons Italian Salad Dressing
¼ teaspoon cumin

Early Birthday

A bowl of fresh fruit salad to go with the skewers!

This year I really wanted to get Ben a BBQ grill for his Birthday, so all of my family helped out and we got him a grill. I decided that he would really love to be able to use it now, and since his Birthday is 2/3 the way through summer that it would be an early gift! We have already used it a few times and made some amazing meals! Sunday afternoon we came home and in a short amount of time had skewers on the table. YUM!

TIA Conference

 Monday morning as I had to get ready to leave for Pocatello, I was wondering what in the heck I was thinking signing up for a week long conference at the beginning of summer! I kept thinking it was crazy and I wasn't ready to give up my summer days yet!

The conference turned out to be really helpful. The state will have new standards for the teachers to teach by in a few years, so we worked to align what we teach now with what we will have to teach then. It was a lot of work and we accomplished a lot there! I lucked out and had a great team to work with!

Every day the conference ended shortly after 3pm, so we had tons of time to hang out. A couple of us decided to go for a hike along the hills and it was beautiful!

The view from the top of the hill
looking out over Pocatello.

This is how nice it was in the mornings
walking out of the hotel.