Summer Plans

Yes, it's snowing here and so beautiful outside!!! 

But in just 30 days we'll be heading out for a few days at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado (Snow Mountain Ranch) ~ and then Moab, Utah (Moag Springs Ranch) in July!  No plane trips this year ~ just driving adventures!!!  Honestly, we've all hit the end-of-school-year dip ~ it's getting harder and harder to get things done, and that means for us parents, too :-)

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

I made these little morsels of heaven for the Spring Ball ~ they were so yummy!!!  Chocolate chip cookie dough + cheesecake = total heaven!!!  ENJOY! 

1 package Nestle refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325° F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup.

Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup.

Bake for additional an 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top each (or just a few) with a little pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.  Peel off wrapper and enjoy!

Secret Garden Ball

As part of their PE grade, our 5th and 8th graders spend one class a week during this quarter learning ballroom dance ~ waltz, swing, foxtrot, cha cha, and tango!  The Secret Garden Ball is held on Friday night with parents, grandparents and other important people invited to join in the fun!  What an awesome time for families to be together!!!  Each of the kids had a dance card with all 25 dances listed and who their partners would be - what a blast!  A DJ provided the music ranging from Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole to Santana and Taylor Swift!  I was able to dance the waltz and tango with Joshua, and Grammy Darls danced two waltzes with him!  I even got in a father/daughter waltz with Dad! 

...Joshua and his friend, Marisa...

...handsome son...

...Joshua with Grammy Darls and Boppa Tom...

...Joshua and his buds ~

Dillon, Davey, and Robert...

...Joshua and his friend, Emma ~

entrance and 1st dance partner!

...Joshua and Shayla...

...Joshua and Riley...

...Joshua and Julia...

...Joshua and Marisa...

...Joshua and Kendall...

...Joshua and Grammy Darls waltzing the night away!!!

...all of the 5th graders after a great night of dancing!!!

...we saw a lot of these by the end of the night ~

cute, lonely shoes set aside :-)

Spring is Definitely Here!!!

...baseball is underway...

...cars are getting washed
(really, any reason to play in the water!)...

...and our family tennis adventures have begun...

wheeeeeeee!!!

Welcome Spring! 

Summer is right around the corner!!!

Brownies for Brownies

The 5th grade Girl Scouts invited our Brownies and their families to a picnic last night. The older girls prepared all of the food and served, and also had fun games planned. They made the most awesome chocolate brownies for our Brownies! Fun times!!!

...wonderful hosts...

...happy guests...

Earthquake Cake

This is a super yummy cake that Kathy used to make for family birthdays - I made it for the Scouts' Arrow of Light Ceremony and it was a hit!

•  1 cup chopped pecans

•  2 cups coconut
•  1 box German chocolate cake mix – made according to package directions
•  1 stick butter, softened
•  1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
•  3½ cups powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray and flour 9x13 pan. Spread chopped pecans on the bottom of pan and then top with coconut. Prepare German chocolate cake mix and pour gently over the pecans and coconut. Mix butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Drop spoonfuls all over the cake (I only used about 2/3 of the mixture). Bake for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy!

Denver Lutheran Band Festival

...the day continues...

Joshua and the rest of the BLS band students headed over to Lutheran High School after lunch to participate in Band Fest.  It was awesome!  There were over 130 students from all over the metro Denver area and they put on a great performance tonight!  Very cool!!!

...22 clarinet players ~ wow!!!

...with Aunt Gailie, Boppa Tom, Dad, and Hannah...