Darr Family Blog – Page 150 – The place to follow the Darr Family

Is Spring On Its Way?

Weekly Happenings: We spent a lot of this past week out of doors. The weather has just been beautiful. We’ve had park play dates, friends over to play, just playing on our own in the back yard, etc. To be honest, we didn’t do much else. It’s nice to have weeks like this on occasion.

The Weekly Weather: As aforementioned, it’s been beautiful. The mornings have been kind of cool (I’ve noticed frost on the grass and rooftops) but then it would warm up throughout the day. The pollen hasn’t even been that bad (yay).

What Paul’s Been Up To: He’s been kept busy with school and work, as well as his new responsibilities as an assistant scoutmaster (mainly going to a training for it this past week).

What Sarah’s Been Up To: Not a whole lot out of the ordinary. I’ve finished a couple really good books. I kind of like being in two different book clubs. It provides a lot of suggestions for new stuff to read that I might not have normally thought of. Plus, it’s great to be able to meet up with other women to discuss the books and see different viewpoints and insights. It’s intellectually stimulating (and fun!) which is something I feel I might have needed a bit more of in my life.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: He enjoyed having several play dates and also loved being able to spend some of the money he’s been saving up (if he does well with his responsibility chart he gets a small allowance) on some toys he’s been eyeing for a while. It was a good lesson to sit down, count up his money, and separate the tithing (while giving a somewhat simplified explanation that the bishop uses the money to help people). It was also a good lesson for him to see how much certain things cost.

This Week in Pictures:

IMG_20160204_113706 — I love our back yard! I’m able to set Joseph loose while I get some stuff done inside (specifically cleaning the downstairs…I could check on him every once in awhile, and since it was so nice out, I could leave the sliding door open and hear him playing).

IMG_20160205_163530 — Another place we love: the park in our subdivision. Joseph loves to run around, but he also loves the swings and is constantly asking me for “underdogs”.

IMG_20160205_123117 — Yummy leftovers for lunch. It makes me feel kind of proud of myself when I do something like making a meal that previously seemed “too hard” from scratch.

IMG_20160202_204836 — Sometimes one needs to just kick up one’s feet and relax whilst watching one’s favorite show (Fixer Upper is filmed in Waco and is about families who buy run down houses that will be restored as part of the show).

IMG_20160205_120252 — Playing with one of his new toys, a figure from the game Terraria (similar in design to Minecraft).

IMG_20160203_200318 — Instead of setting out pajamas for Joseph to get dressed in, I’ve been letting him get them on his own…this is the result. He said he was a “cool dude bringing books to be read.”

IMG_20160203_200631 — Of course he had to do some cool poses for Daddy!

IMG_20160203_200627 — He can be such a ham sometimes!

IMG_20160203_200617 — But a loveable one, nonetheless!

Yummy Food Adventures (Amongst Other Things)

Weekly Happenings: This past week was pretty average. Aside from having the occasional play date, it was pretty much the normal activities. Yesterday Paul did go to a video games/electronics convention with friends and had a pretty great time while Joseph and I held down the fort. We did notice that the momma bird from last spring has come back to inspect her nest (glad I was too lazy to remove it). I had no idea she’d be back, but Paul said that Phoebies are one of the types that will often come back to previous nests. It would be cool to have more baby birds this spring. The “yummy food adventures” has to do with a couple of new recipes that I tried out this past week. I’ve found quite a few repeatable recipes (meaning we like the food enough to make it again) in my new cookbook and consequently we’ve been having some pretty yummy food. Oh, and Paul took the Honda to a local mechanic (he lives in our neighborhood and has a shop nearby) to try and figure out why it was so smelly…lo and behold, the gas tank was cracked, so that will be getting replaced and we’ll no longer have a smelly car and garage…yay!

The Weekly Weather: We had a few cold days which have been followed by some downright warm ones. Today’s high (as well as tomorrow’s) is supposed to be in the 80s. I guess Mother Nature forgot that it’s winter. Though, it won’t stay like this for long. We’re supposed to have another front coming through that will cool it down again.

What Paul’s Been Up To: Other than work and school, not too much. One big thing is that he was released from the Sunday School presidency and was called to be the Assistant Scout Master for our ward’s scout troop.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I’m back in the swing with students, visiting teaching stuff is choo-chooing along as usual, and I’ve started choir practice back up.

What Joseph’s Been Up To: TONS of imaginative play, playing with friends, and showing that he’s got quite the brain in his noggin. The other day, he asked if he could play Paul’s old DS. I told him he could play it for as long as I was in the shower. Without missing a beat, he told me to make sure I took a really, really long shower. Little smartie-pants!

This Week in Pictures:

IMG_20160124_182648 — Lasagna roll-ups: deemed yummy (and Joseph even ate the ground beef, which he normally only consumes when in the form of a cheeseburger).

IMG_20160125_174050 — Shells and cheese (with a homemade cheese sauce and doctored up with bacon and broccoli). Another winner!

IMG_20160126_062400 (1) — Joseph went through a couple days where he HAD to have his plastic T-Rex with him everywhere (even in bed).

IMG_20160126_185204 — A while back, I did a vinyl-on-tile project, but was unsure how to mount it. Paul made a custom frame for it (with a wood back that the tile is affixed to with liquid nails), I painted the frame, and Paul put it up for me. I love it!

IMG_20160127_194336 — When you’re about to start on some homework for one of your online courses (or are already in the midst of it; I wasn’t sure which) and your 4YO asks in a very hopeful voice for you to play catch, what choice do you have?! He loves playing games with his daddy. 🙂

IMG_20160128_122333 — Soccer goals easily double as tents.

IMG_20160128_173957 — Coconut curry chicken. The recipe in my book called for shrimp, but neither of my boys are fans (and we’re not really on a seafood budget…chicken thighs are a bit more affordable than fresh shrimp). It was another hit! Joseph gobbled his down before I was even halfway done with mine. Apparently he likes Indian flavors as much as he likes Chinese flavors and he even willingly ate the chicken (another meat that is usually only consumed if in a certain form; in this case, it normally has to be in the form of nuggets).

IMG_20160129_150137 — I used some of my scrapbooking paper that a friend gave me a while back to make some hearts to add to my decorations to make it more Valentinesey (since February is staring us down already).

IMG_20160129_150153 — I found my door hanger from a few years back and put that up…

IMG_20160129_150235 — …along with some more scrapbook paper hearts. I love having a storm door. I can put all the decorations up on the inside and they can still be visible without being exposed to the elements.

IMG_20160129_154359 — While weeding the front yard, I noticed that not only were some wildflowers still blooming (it seems like there are different ones blooming during each of the seasons), but…

IMG_20160129_153613 — …they were really, really pretty. I’m so grateful for the beautiful world that Heavenly Father has blessed us with!

IMG_20160129_185714 — He had me take the tail (leash, really) off of his puppy backpack and put it on his belt loop so that he could be Nightcrawler from X-Men.

IMG_20160129_185654 — He then proceeded to do some “awesome throwing moves”. 😀

IMG_20160130_143241 — Seriously dangerous cookies. They’re basically citrus shortbread cookies (the green things are candied cherries) and they are SO good! I’m glad that this is all that is left after sharing with friends. 😉 I made some around Christmas time but had leftover candied cherries that I didn’t want to go to waste, so I made another batch. Yum!

image (1) — Paul and a couple of friends at the video game/electronics convention yesterday. 🙂

12657909_10153876980294450_576807336281461366_o — Reliving his glory days of playing arcade games.

12593741_10153876973039450_8483507679044530002_o — “We give the experience as a whole two thumbs up!”

Just Another Week

Weekly Happenings: This past week was pretty low-key (I didn’t even take that many pictures). We just kind of plugged along, doing what we always do. There were park days, dress-up days, library days, etc. Yesterday I did take Joseph to meet up with a friend of mine from high school (and his family) who was visiting San Antonio for work (they live in Arlington, which is right in between Dallas and Fort Worth). They have two boys (8 and 6) who enjoyed playing with Joseph (and Joseph really liked that they had light saber toys that they were willing to share with him). We met up at a park, let the kids play for a bit, and then when my friend had to leave to do some work, his wife and I took the kids to eat at McDonalds.

The Weekly Weather: It’s actually been pretty consistent for a bit. Cooler, not as humid (which is nice because then it doesn’t feel so cold), sunny…but the pollen count (especially mountain cedar) has been through the roof! Poor Joseph (in spite of giving him his allergy medicine) has been affected the most by it. He was just telling me this afternoon that he couldn’t smell (translation: couldn’t breathe through his nose) and he’s got quite the cough. Poor kid.

What Paul’s Been Up To: Mainly school, taking care of things around the house, and work. A lot of work, actually. He had a couple of opportunities to work overtime (staying late one night and then working yesterday), which he took. We missed him during those extra times gone, but are grateful for his willingness to work hard to bring in a little extra money.

What Sarah’s Been Up To: I went to the meeting for one of my book clubs. I love the people I have met in book club. I probably wouldn’t have met them, had I not started going, because they are in a different area of San Antonio than my little circle of friends. It’s nice to branch out. 🙂 Other than that, my week was pretty average. I have made quite a few things out of my new cookbook for various dinners and they have all turned out pretty good. It’s fun making new things. 🙂

What Joseph’s Been Up To: One day he got to have an epic, two hour park playdate where he got to play with friends in waves as they came and left and he was still there since we didn’t have anything else to do. Yesterday, he got to go to a birthday party for one of his best buds, where he had a blast. After I picked him up from the party, we headed out to meet up with my friend…so he pretty much played outside all morning and a good chunk of the afternoon. He loved it!

This Week in Pictures:

IMG_20160117_171554 — One of the many creations that came out of my new Pioneer Woman cookbook: veggie stir fry. I cooked the veggies in a delicious, from-scratch sauce (I’m ridiculously proud of myself for being able to follow the recipe for that) and then tossed it all with spaghetti noodles. Joseph even gobbled it down (especially after I told him the zucchini was pretty much like pickles, lol).

IMG_20160118_135407 — He wanted to be a magician, but lacked a top hat, so he just flipped his cowboy hat around (so the star was not visible) and voila! Paul even found him a “wand” (a dowel from the garage). The cape was easy (a tablecloth pinned around him).

IMG_20160123_080006 — I went to get a drink of orange juice one morning and found a love note on the side. 🙂

IMG_20160122_103138 — Someone commandeered my sweatshirt. Good thing he’s cute!