We just got back from a fun weekend in Tucson and camping with friends at Rose Canyon Lake, on Mt. Lemmon.  I've posted some pictures - it was all the kids' first camping trip - they did great and had a really good time.  Now maybe we can start camping a bit more again, at least until the next baby comes!  :)

Last week we finished building Brie a sandbox.  I have never liked the plastic sandboxes that you get nowadays - we had thought about cordoning off part of the yard to put in a sandbox, but Josh wasn't crazy about that idea and it seemed a bit permanent to me.  So, Brie and I took a foray to Home Depot and bought wood and then Josh, Brie and I put together a new sandbox.  We played in it for a while yesterday (the weather was perfect after all the rain!) and took some pictures.  I've posted them.  I also posted a few of the garden in full force - we currently have potatoes, tomatoes, basil, lots of different lettuce varieties, carrots, strawberries, and some blueberries reaching the end of their life.  This should all last at least until we leave on our trip!

Brie moves on in 2 weeks to her 2's class - pre-preschool.  So, her program had a little celebration yesterday for all the kids moving on.  Here are some pictures of her classroom and her party.

I assume most people have probably gotten their tax stimulus by now - kind of like getting a bonus from work, but it's from the government!  How nice of them.  Now I think we're expected to spend it.  Not that JOsh and I have stopped spending at any point - I think we've been overspending the entire time I've been in school.  You kind of hate to just save away some extra $$ when you get it, though, seems so... responsible!  Seems like we should be doing something exciting with it - of course, I say that to Josh and he says "yeah, let's go to Asia this summer!"  Okay, point taken.  I am so jealous, though, of my friends who have nice cameras (Julie, Katy, and Katy's sister Teri)... the pictures on their websites and of their children are so awesome.  I wonder, though, even if I got a good camera, if I would even take time to figure it out enough to take good pictures.  :)  Anyway, I can't justify buying one now because it's not realistic to take it to a beach in Asia anyway.  Maybe we'll get one before the next baby comes in the fall.  For now, we're planning camping this coming weekend (okay, I did spend some $$ on the tent!) and mostly hiding out inside because it's supposed to be 110 today!!!  The city pools open next week, so Brie and I can get a few days of sun in before we leave on our trip.  What are YOU doing with YOUR tax stimulus?

Here's a recipe we used tonight, kind of half from something I saw online and half from my head... some of the measurements are estimations.  It was yummy and healthy - and Brie even ate some!

 

Pita Bread

Hummus (recipe below if you want to make your own)

Kalamata olives, diced

Goat cheese (we used some local chipotle flavor)

Grilled chicken

Grilled onions (optional, we didn't use this b/c I didn't think Brie would eat it)

 

First, brush the pita bread with olive oil and grill in a 400 deg oven until slightly browned and crisp.  Grill chicken and dice.

 

Spread pita with hummus, then sprinkle on toppings, cheese last.

 

Grill in 400 deg oven until cheese melted and lightly browned, approx. 10 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

 

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4-1/2 C. olive oil

1/4-1/2 C. water

2-4 garlic cloves (it tastes less garlicky if you roast the garlic first)

1/4 C. tahini

salt & ground cumin to taste

 

Blend all together until smooth - adjusting water and olive oil to your taste and to a good consistency.  Great for dip or for using on the pizza above!

 

The past couple weekends have been a bit of a bust - the hospital signed me up for a Kaplan review course for the NCLEX (nursing licensing exam), meaning I've been in class 9-5 Sat and Sun both weekends.  I wasn't one to turn down a free class that someone else would pay for... now I'm wishing I had turned it down, as I don't feel it's been all that beneficial, and it's wasted two weekends.  I do have a long trip to look forward to, though, so that makes it bearable.  And, we're planning a camping trip on Memorial Day weekend next weekend, which should be fun.  I've also been busy with a "family project" building a sandbox in the backyard for Brie - should be done in the next couple of days and I'll post pictures.  I realize I've been terrible about blogging and posting pictures lately - the pregnancy has really been kicking my butt this time around, I've been so tired.  I'm sure it doesn't help that I have a 2-year-old waking me up at 5:30 every morning "it's daytime, mommy!" and using up all my leftover energy throughout the day!  :)  I'm starting to feel better, though, which is finally nice.  Here are some funny pictures, some of Brie and some she took yesterday.  Isn't she a great photog?