Family Night (Love is Contagious)

We usually do Family Night on Sundays, but this past Sunday was my birthday, and Derik surprised me with a birthday dinner!  So, we did Family Night tonight, and it worked out so perfectly!!  In fact, I would say this is my favorite Family Night so far!
Derik had today off, so after both kids were home from school, we started our lesson.

This week, we discussed how love can be contagious.  Abbie asked prior to our start if she could lead prayer this evening. It made my heart smile, and her prayers were incredibly precious.  We read scripture on love, and we discussed what our family would be like without love.  It helped Abbie understand why love is so important.

After listening to the song this week, we headed into the kitchen for an activity about spreading love.
Each child had a paper towel with red hearts drawn on it.  (You must use a washable marker for this.) They took turned dipping their towels into the water to SPREAD THEIR LOVE!  They loved it.

Towels are ready to go.

Abbie is first to dip.

Watching the love spread!

Brady's turn!

Brady loved watching the love spread!

On Family Night, we usually have a "talent" segment.  Each week the kids rotate performing or showing us something they want can do.  It just so happened that tonight was "Student Showcase" at Abbie's school.  We loaded Brady into the stroller and walked over to the school.  We were able to go in her classroom and see all of her artwork on display and see her journal.  We did a scavenger hunt around the school, and she earned a Homework Pass!!  We visited the Art Room, Computer Lab, a few classrooms, the Cafeteria, and the Gym.  We saw projects from many students on display, played math games, made a pop up card, and did a science experiment!  It was a lot of fun, and we all enjoyed our tour of the school.

Abbie's lamb!  She was very proud of her sentence!

Brady LOVED Abbie's class, and was reading letters and numbers off of the board!

Abbie's Pot of Gold... learning the colors of the rainbow!

Love these babies!

Brady and Paula in the computer lab.

Abbie making a pop up card with a little help from Mrs. Rader.

I think Abbie has a little crush on sweet Joshua!  

After walking home from the school, we loaded into the car, and finished Family Night with some yummy frozen yogurt!  Abbie chose the "Treat" for tonight, and her choice was perfect!

Happy Kids!

Family Night Ice Cream Treat!

"Yummy Ice Cream"!!

"Frozen Yogurt was the best idea"!!!

I love Family Night, and so does the rest of the crew!  Already looking forward to our next Family Night, which unfortunately will be in 2 weeks.  If you aren't doing Family Night... I highly recommend it!  Make it a part of your weekly routine.  It doesn't have to be complex.  It just has to be about family!

Making your Tacos a 10!

Yes, Tacos are one of the easiest dinners to make, and you may think that there is nothing that can make tacos a 10!  Maybe you love them so much already that you can't imagine them getting any better.  Or, maybe you think "it's a taco, how good can it get?"  Either way... there are 2 sure fire ways to make taco night, one of your favorite nights of the week!!!  (And while margaritas do tend to make taco night more fun, it is not one of the 2 things I am talking about!!!)

1)  Homemade Taco Seasoning may seem like something that you do not need to waste your time with, but it really is better!  Here is the simple recipe, so you can have delicious homemade taco seasoning!

Homemade Taco Seasoning
2 Tbsp Chill Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp Paprika
3 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

Use 2-3 Tbspns and 1/2-3/4 Cup Water for every pound of ground beef browned!  Let it simmer until thickened (10min), and serve.

2)  Homemade Pico De Gallo is my other taco must have!  It is so simple, and yet adds so much fresh flavor to your tacos!  I usually knock this out while the meat is simmering.  Here is my recipe, and you will be shocked at the simplicity and effectiveness of it!

Homemade Pico De Gallo
2 Roma Tomato (Diced)
2 Slices of an Onion (All rings diced)
1 Lime (Squeezed)
Cilantro (Chopped)
Optional for Spice (Chop 1 fresh jalapeño, I recommend removing seeds and membrane before chopping as it can get INCREDIBLY hot!  However, if you like to breathe fire... go nuts!)

Dice Tomato and Onion (and jalapeño), Mix with Chopped Cilantro, and squeeze lime juice over top!  That is it.   You will love it!

Heat your taco shells for 10 secs, 2 at a time in the microwave before filling with meat, shredded cheese, pico de gallo and any sauces.  Taco night is bound to be your favorite night this week!!

Enjoy