The hunt for the King of Zucchini Breads

My friend gave me a bunch of zucchini and of course my first thought is....... ahhhhh, zucchini bread.

So, I went searching for the perfect recipe. Online of course.

I found several different ones and combined different things from all three and changed some of the amounts and came up with perfection.

I know, I know.... I sound royally conceited. And just to prove it, I am about to use a phrase that my family teases me about often.

This is the best zucchini bread I have ever had!

I have come to the conclusion lately that I might come across as being a little bit full of myself and my accomplishments and I want to fix that.

Those of you who know me know that nothing I feel is in small doses or concentrations. All of my feelings are at the height of what ever the feeling is.

So, when I discover something new I am soooooo excited! And right at that moment it is the "best ever"!

So, after the ridiculously long intro......here is the recipe:

Zucchini Banana Bread

Mix until creamy:

3 eggs

1/4 C. olive oil

1/2 C. apple sauce (trust me)

1/2 C. sour cream (trust me, this is the trick)

2t. vanilla

1 2/3 C. brown sugar

Add:

2 C. grated zucchini

2 smashed bananas

Mix and then add:

2 C. white wheat flour

1 1/2 C. white flour

1 T. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

Makes 2 loaves. Spray pans and bake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes.

Pretty healthy and the kids will love it!

Enjoy!!!!

Our days these days ....

..... are gloriously filled with our DAD! And we couldn't be any happier! I forgot what life is like with him around. SERIOUSLY! I have help with kids and dishes and meal times. I am constantly telling him how grateful I am and how much I love having him around. And Isaac and Easton have died and gone to heaven!

Here are just a few of the things we have been doing lately:

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Of course with Fire Works!

What boy doesn't love fireworks!

The "light and run!"

Poppers!

We spent the night on Mt Charleston and stayed all day the next day!

Of course, when we got there I realized our camera battery was dead

so this is the only photo I got.

We went with the Brodericks and their cute girls and then several other

families came up for Friday. It was so fun! ONLY 75-80 degrees in the day

and it got down to 45 at night! Talk about paradise!

A couple of weeks ago the Dental School had a big baseball tournament.

The boys and I went to watch and sweltered in the heat!

John got on base every time and we enjoyed watching him play.

The Wolfington's were there as well and Eli ran with the boys around the bases!

I can't believe the summer is half way over! We have had so much fun and we love our daddy!

The Show is over....

Although I won't miss all the late night shows and practice and the long drive there and back.... I am so glad Isaac got to experience the THEATRE! He really had a good time and met some wonderful people! Yay for life!

Some of the kids waiting back stage.

The Lollypop Guild

The Flying Monkeys

The amazing costume!

The threatening monkey face!

Waiting to go on stage.

The Witch

Glenda

The Lion

The Tinman

The Scarecrow

Dorothy

The Bow

The Cast

THE END

P.S. Thank you to all of you who came and supported Isaac. It meant alot to him!

What goes around comes around...

I was buckling 4 kids (I had my friends 2 girls) into my van. All of them were talking to me at once and I was trying to answer everyone and get Easton in his seat. 

He was kind of dilly dallying and I asked him about 4 times to get in his seat.

Finally, with much frustration in his voice he said "MOM, I AM! BE PATIENT!"

I just started cracking up! It was like hitting the record button on myself.

P.S.

Check out my new favorite quote! I really feel like this! Isn't it clever? I laughed when I read it!

Small embellishments and big changes

I finally re-did my bathroom after 2 years!

I wish I had taken a before picture because it was HIDEOUS!

The entire tiny room was all this super dark brown....and 

I mean everywhere: ceiling and door!

I got the candle holder at Kohls for like $3 dollars!

Flowers at the dollar store!

I love the waffle curtain and got it on sale at Kohl's as well. 

And the curtain hangers were $2.50!

I LOVE IT!

My talented friend Jamie helped me cover some of my old pillows with the flowered print

Then she sewed on this ribbon on my curtains!

Thank you Jamie!

I LOVE changes!

Perspective

We have these Gospet Art Picture books.  They are mostly the same pictures as in the Gospel Art Kit; but they are bound on rings.

Isaac loves to turn the pages and just have me tell him the stories.

We got to a picture entitled: Christ and the Rich, Young Ruler.

I told Isaac that he asked Jesus how he could be saved and he had listed off all of the things he was doing.  And then Christ told him that he must forsake all his riches and follow Him. And the young ruler then says, " I can not."

I then told Isaac that we can't take ANYTHING with us when we die...... not our clothes, food, house, cars or even any of our favorite toys.   All we can take is our bodies.

Unexpectadly Isaac burst into the saddest tears I have ever seen!!!

"I can't take Boswell!!!!" He wailed!!!

I kind-of panicked and tried not to laugh and said, " I guess Heavenly Father will let you take Boswell."

Boswell is his little dog that he has had since he was 9 months old and he sleeps with it every, single night and takes her on every trip!

 Let's just say it didn't turn out quite how I expected! 

Sinking in.........

So, there are those times as a mother that are so rewarding......they really make up for all the hard, patient testing moments.

I had one last week....

Isaac and I were driving to find the theatre that he is performing in for his play. I had never been there and so I typed the address into my GPS. (Which John trusts with his life and is always telling me to use it. It's like it's this all knowing brain to him). 

So, I was good to go: so I thought..... and then the GPS wasn't right. It took me in circles and to a place where there wasn't even a road.

And, my cell phone was missing so I couldn't even call one of my friends to ask where it was. Of course we were going to be late. So I was getting frustrated and mad at the GPS and then Isaac says, "Mom, we just need to pray."

DING!!!!!

"Oh, your right Isaac! Why don't you say it since I am driving."

So here was his prayer: "Heavenly Father, please help us find the theatre..."  (So simple..)

When he finished praying he said, "Mom, you know you and I both have to believe we will find it or we won't."

MELT!!!!!

I felt prompted to just get the ladies attention next to me stopped at a light and ask her. She told me where it was and it was just right down the street. We found it and Isaac said, "I knew we would find it because we prayed."

I was pretty much in tears by now.

I have said all those things to him at one time or another.... But to see that they have sunk in and he believes it is EVERYTHING to me!

LONG OVER DUE CATCH-UP POST!

Let's start with the new and go back it time........

Here is me playing with my new camera! AMAZING!

Easton being a mean tiger.

If any of you know me, you will know I have a slight eye obsession. So what did I do first with my new camera? Take pictures of eyes!

My friend Melinda and her girls were my models.

Melinda

Jenna

Brittany

Mindy

Isaac

Easton

Me

Now for pictures from our old camera. It is almost embarrassing how bad they are!

My dear friend Emilee came to get her hair done the other day and Amy came to visit while she was here. We all lived together in Henderson when we first lived here. Here are some pictures of all the kids on the luv sac. Her  beautiful girls are Maddisen and Caitlyn. (I know I didn't spell them right. Sorry Emilee.)

Now some more pics form Disney Land!

Here are the pictures I promised of our stow-away lizard!

Playing house with Brittany under the piano!

Birthday fun with our friend Justin!

Girls Night Out during Father's and Son's!

Kari and Lindsay with baby Eden.  Melinda joined us later.

This is my friend Kari you all have heard so much about. Isn't she so beautiful! She is such a wonderful friend. I am so glad I met her at the park! We love doing stuff with her and her daughter Alli!

Eden was busy and the restaurant! Isn't she cute?

The boy's heading out for Father's and Son's!

Oh my I love these guys!!!!!

Here's the stack of note cards John had to study to know for boards! Sick huh!?!

And last, but not least:  Matt's cow giving birth!

Isn't that amazing and disgusting!?!?

THE END