Holding down the fort.

Last week Ryan was out of town for work (in sunny southern CA in fact) and I held down the fort...not very well, but I tried.  

Not sure, but I think summer is kicking my butt in the parenting department.  It feels like everyday is a battle with the kids, messes are EVERYWHERE, and I just can't keep up with anything!  I know it's bad when I lay down at night and think, "I don't think I laughed once today." Or "Did I even smile today????"  When that happens, I know I need to change my attitude quick or all my kids are going to remember is me scowling!!

Anyway, while Ryan was gone I did manage to finally fix up my bedroom....and I'm loving the way it's turning out!

I painted the room a light, airy, beachy blue...I love it!

I bought some pillows, window treatments, hung some artwork and even bought my first full size mirror to go in the corner of the room.  It's all coming together!  Next, I'm going to tackle our bathroom...it needs a major makeover!!

I was able to skip out one morning for a quick ride with a friend and another woman I'd just met.

It was wonderful and just what I needed to get though the rest of the time with Ryan being gone.

Sunday, I stuck to our routine with our Sundance Sundays and took the girls on a hike.

Just recently, I purchased everyone a camelbak (thank you REI dividends!) and it has been a complete game changer!!  Before when we hiked, Ryan and I carried the water bottles and we had to stop CONSTANTLY for kids to drink.  I'm not sure if it's because we live in a super dry area, but my kids are always thirsty!  I make sure I have a water bottle in my purse at all times when I'm on errands, because I kid you not, they think they're going to die if they don't have a drink RIGHT NOW...they're so dramatic.

But anyway, with Camelbaks it was a dream!!

They loved having control of their snacks and water and the fact that we didn't have to stop every two seconds.  I kick myself I didn't get them sooner!!

And in other news...I got my haircut yesterday.

Why do we get so attached to our hair??  You would think I was getting a limb amputated!  I mean, it's just hair!!  Turns out though, I love it...I just sometimes need a little push to do it.  Because, let's be honest, it was in bad shape!

Hope ya'll are having a fabulous week!

Weekly Race Series

A few weeks ago Morgan gave a go at mountain bike racing.

She just got a new mountain bike, but I think the real motivation was that she has a little crush on a boy who races every week...whatever it takes, right?  Ha!

Luckily, they had the beginner group do only 1/2 lap, perfect for Morgan!

I raced along with her to give her some encouragement along the way.

Sundace has quite a bit of climbing on the way out and she started to get a little discouraged, but she pushed through and even beat a few people!

I am so proud of her!

And I think her little crush was impressed.

Cooking with Kelly

So a while back I posted how we have cut back considerably on our meat consumption around here.

I also posted how I had failed miserably when I tried to cook with tofu...it was awful, and I nearly threw in the towel.  But instead I did a little research and discovered some really good techniques when cooking with tofu.  For example, always soak up all the moisture out of it before cooking with it (maybe this is common sense to most, but I had no idea).  I wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and then set a heavy pot on top of it for about 15 minutes and that does the trick.  Also, bake the tofu first...who knew?!!  I cut it up into cubes and lay it out onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper, stick it in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  This allows the edges to be slightly crispy...much better!

I found these tips on Minimalist Baker.

I also found this next recipe there as well...and I'm happy to report that it was delicious!

The only downside is it took me a while to prepare and cook, and I'm definitely not a fan of elaborate menus when cooking for a family.  But, I will do it again...it just won't be a weekly thing for sure!

 Crispy Peanut Tofu and Cauliflower Rice Stir Fry

(That's a mouth full.)

Ryan and I really liked it...the kids were kinda "meh" about it...another reason I may not be doing it too often.

Another veggie recipe that we've been enjoying is a Chickpea Sandwich.

We go to the weekly mountain bike races and I have to pack a dinner so I'm always on the hunt for something quick and easy and that packs well.  I got this from allrecipes.

Vegetarian Chickpea Sandwich Filling

You can top it with whatever: lettuce, tomatoes...or my favorite, avocado.

And I used regular white bread in the photo because it's what I had on hand at the time but normally I would use a roll, crusty bread, or even a croissant.

So yeah, I'm making progress and just wanted to share a couple wins I had.

It's the little things us moms need to celebrate, right?

Sundance Sundays

 Our Sundance Sundays are in full swing!

A couple of weeks ago both Piper and Morgan got new mountain bikes (I cannot get over how cute Piper's is) so of course they needed to try them out.  Ryan rode the trails with Haley, Morgan and Piper while Rory and I took a lift ride.

 Matching cut offs...had to get a picture.

 It was fun to see them from the lift!

Rory and I would hoot and holler and cheer them on.

 Piper took to it really well!  In fact she ended up doing the loop twice with Ryan!  The other girls decided one loop was enough and played in the river instead.

I'm just super proud they're getting out there!!

Last weekend we hit up Sundance again, but this time no riding...we lunched instead.

And of course we rode the lift.

Haley didn't make it up this last time...she's been nursing a cold she's had ever since she got back from Girl's Camp...poor thing.

Happy Tuesday ya'll!

Grandparents Visit!

To kick off summer and Memorial weekend, Ryan's mom and grandpa Ken came out for their annual Spring visit!  I was a little nervous about the weather because we had been getting so much rain, but luckily, it turned out to be beautiful!

First up...breakfast at Sundance!

What a treat!

 After filling our bellies at Sundance we headed up to Salt Lake for a bike race.

And Sunday we hit up the zoo!

After two days of driving up to Salt Lake we decided to take Memorial Day easy.

Ryan and I skipped out for a quick ride on the Murdock that morning, and then we had my brother and family over for a BBQ that evening.

The perfect weekend.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my main squeeze!!

He makes life so much fun...love him bunches!!

For the first time in a few years Ryan is actually home on his birthday...yay!

Also, Haley comes home today!!  Yippee!