graduation day!

Our youngest is graduating from Kindergarten tonight.

He woke us up at 6:45 this morning yelling "Graduation! Graduation! It's my graduation day!"

I love his joy and exuberance and passion for life...everything he does is with an exclamation mark!

I asked him what he wanted for graduation and he said a big chocolate cake!

So, I've been up to my elbows in chocolate today (not a bad place to be).

I have been  could eat this frosting with a spoon. :)

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 c. butter melted
2/3 c. cocoa powder
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla

mix melted butter and cocoa powder together in a big mixing bowel. gradually add the sugar and milk alternating between the two until it's a good spreading consistency.  add the vanilla.  spread over a chocolate cake to indulge your kindergarten graduate!

enjoy.

Do you have any graduates at your house this year?

amelia

finding contentment

We have been in Small Town for three years this July.

Sometimes it feels like time is just flying by...like when I think of my oldest turning 8 this summer, or my baby graduating from Kindergarten.

And sometimes it feels like time is dragging...like when Spencer and I have a conversation about living in our tiny house for TWO MORE YEARS.

I want to get my things out of storage.  I want a dinning room table and more than one usable bathroom.

I want a laundry room like this:

(Better Homes and Gardens)

But, mainly I want to find contentment with my circumstances and blessings in the everyday.

amelia

mother's day blessings

My boys had a great Mother's Day planned for me.

Peach strudel from the fayetteville farmer's market and scrambled eggs and hot coffee started my day.

Then a hike and picnic lunch with the boys.

We finished off the day with a fire and roasted marshmallows in the backyard (of course I paired my marshmallow with some dark chocolate.

(have you seen these jumbo marshmallows? So good) :)

I'm so blessed to have such a great family!

amelia

lovely date day

Yesterday Spencer and I went to a cooking class.

Before our youngest son left for school he asked if we were going on our wedding.

Uhh, you mean date?

Yes, are you going on your date today?

I could eat him up, I love him so. :)

Anyway, we went to the culinary school at Silver Dollar City (I DO hear you snickering behind your hand) :)

Before you judge...it's not all deep fried and smothered in gravy!  Check out the schedule here.

(photo credit)

After that we stopped by a gourmet food store. Yum.

Before we went into the store I asked Spencer what the limit was.  He replied:  $200?  In the form of a question.

I hate being the voice of reason.

Anyway, we foraged through the store and found enough for a lovely supper of cheese, crackers, olive tapenade, smoked salmon, wine and dark, dark chocolate.

We rounded the day out by helping the boys write a haiku for their teachers for teacher's week.

And then we planted our little vegetable garden (more on that to come).

What a great day!

amelia