The Baker's Menagerie: That was a whole week?

We had a blast this week. It was busy, and it was a tiny bit stressful, but it was fun. I kept us moving so that the time would pass faster as we are all getting a little homesick and anxious for a vacation!

Jared spent most of the week running around like a chicken with its head cut off at work. I dont think I heard from him much other than by text when I needed him to pick up something at the store. He did spend Friday and Saturday at Stella's house building his first pergola in her backyard. In El Paso, even if you are standing under a massive tree, there is no shade. The sun shines directly on us until it sinks below the horizon at 9:00 PM. Stella wanted some shade to combat the insanity and so we can sit outside with cold drinks and watch the kids play without being slowly roasted alive. Jared was excited to finally use some of the massive amounts of knowledge his dad passed on to him during his formative years. I was impressed that he managed to get it all done in two days, that it cost a fraction of what a professional would charge, it is still standing, it looks good, etc. I am proud of him! I cannot wait until we have our own place that we can start working in. Jared already has my planter boxes and garden sections planned out along with a potting bench and a million other little fun things. He is still working hard in school. It has gotten to the point that I look over at his homework and my eyes cross. I will never be a Java programmer.

I spent the week getting ready for my friend Molly's baby shower. I spent all of last week baking breads so this week I spent getting favors, cups, plates, etc. I went to the grocery store on a daily basis because there was always something I needed that I forgot the last trip. Molly came along a couple days and we even spent one afternoon wandering the mall. It didnt last long because my kids have been howler monkeys this week and the noise was reaching ear splitting levels. Sigh. Oh, right, the shower. So anyways, On Friday I was up at 6:00 and made all the food for the next day that I hadnt done. Jared had put a fantastic rub on a brisket and we put a smoky, beefy marinade in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the brisket moist. I popped it in the oven and cooked that bad boy for 9 hours and it was so tender and juicy and magnificent. I also made 2 types of bbq sauce, chocolate and caramel mini cheesecakes, and my family's baked beans. Jared is planning a separate food blog later this week with pics and descriptions of everything. I tell you, the food was the highlight of the party for sure. Molly might say it was the company and the presents, but I am a foodie and that comes first!

Kayla and Madison had a great week. We took them to the ice cream shop as a reward for being good girls for a whole hour. It was Maddie's first time and she was so excited to see all the different flavors and to smell the yummy waffle cones being made. Kayla scarfed down her cone in no time flat and Maddie abandoned hers to run around in circles and try to climb into the freezers. Her ice cream is still in my freezer uneaten. We also took the kids to a local splash park to get some much needed Vitamin D. The normal place we go decided to open early and already had an hour and a half wait even though we got there before they were supposed to open. So we went to another place, and though it is not nearly as big, they still have water, they have grass, and best of all, they have shade right next to the splash pool! The ground was soaked and squishy but I was more happy to be in shade. I am still trying to figure out how they managed it, because it doesnt exist anywhere else in El Paso.

For Father's Day, I honestly had nothing planned. Jared picked out his gift months ago and we had agreed that until it was paid off, we would not be purchasing anything big for gift giving holidays. I still wanted it to be special though so I told him that it was his day and we would do whatever he wanted. He looked a little scared probably because I always have errands or something to do on the weekends. He sat in bed doing homework while I made breakfast sandwiches for us all (even though the kids only ate the egg) and we got dressed to head out of the house. He decided it would be fun to watch the girls play in the splash pool while we sat and sipped cold drinks in the shade. We packed into the car, got some cold drinks and headed to the splash pool, which was closed. Oops. We headed back to main Post (Fort Bliss) and let the kids loose on the splash pad there. I am not the biggest fan of the location because Madison wants to run across the street to the playground and I have to be super careful that she doesnt sneak off and run into the road. Kayla happily played in the water and I finally picked up Maddie and held her over the spray to make sure she cooled off and then we headed inside. (Hey, it was 104 degrees by that point, I played in the water too!) Jared picked out a couple gifts for himself at the military mall and the girls and I each got a little something as well. Back home for naps. Later that afternoon he wanted to go eat at BJ's which is a restaurant that has an extensive menu, really good food and tv's everywhere. We invited Stella's family along since her hubby is at NTC and couldnt be here at least we could celebrate the holiday together. Our kids are usually best buddies and they kept each other entertained and I think our kids ate more than their parents combined because of the competition over food. Madison drank a spicy dipping sauce and stuck pasta up her nose. Quite entertaining. We finished up walking next door to Krispy Kremes because they had their "Hot NOW" sign up. We showed the kids how the donuts were made and got some hot pillowy samples and sat back as the kids used up the last of their energy. We all went to bed as soon as we got home and the kids fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

Well, a busy fun week. I am now gearing up for my next two baby showers that are in two weeks, hopefully getting in my final dentist appointment for six months and trying to find my bedroom floor. I plan on attempting some new lemon bars and orange rolls to satiate my sweet tooth. Have a fantastic week everyone!

P.S. I want to say congratulations to my brother and his lovely wife who had a new baby boy on Father's Day, very early. My brother had just gotten home from a two week business trip to Finland the day before. Little Daniel waited impatiently for Daddy who got there just in time. I cannot wait to meet this new little man!