Daytona Bike Week

Living near Daytona, it was fitting, especially since Gary and I had just bought a new motorcycle, that we attend in some fashion Daytona Bike week. Last year while we were here for our house closing we had Giddy with us and as a newborn we just took him along with Gary's co-worker. Giddy garnered a lot of attention.
"Training him up right."
"You brought a BABY to bike week?"
"That's how you do it."
"Oh look! a baby!"

This year we took in some of the day time fair things to see at the Speedway. And then meandered over to the beach.

There were lots of pretty bikes and a few of these sorts of oddities:

 I thought these were cool

 This was for my friend, Brenda

 We test drove a Raider, which was Gary's dream bike... after riding it we sure do think our current bike is best. He has no more romantic notions of the Raider. :)

 Our bike, however, after going to Bike week he had his eye on Mustang Seats...

 ugh V8 bikes are SO ugly and ridiculous IMHO

 that's colorful

 Parking on the main street

 The OCC Wild West bike.

 Daytona Beach

 And just for the fun of it some Temporary Tats.

 and because we are sooo refined and serious about it: monkeys

 oddities

Riding down the main street

 and off home!

Life handed me a lemon tree: I make lots of Lemonade

This is my Lemon Tree (and my cute kids playing nicely together, sometimes it happens)
I like it. We are on the end of Lemon Season. My second one here in FL. I know this tree needs pruning but I don't know when to do it, since I am still picking lemons when the blossoms come on for new ones... I will learn, until then...

I like tart lemonade, my family can't be expected to. Since we will be drinking a lot of lemonade (lemons are free after all and milk is SO not) I needed to find a reliable, consistent, easy method for storage, preservation and usage.

Juice lemons using citrus juicer. We have four ice cube trays so that's usually about 1 full basket of lemons. Ours are really big and juicy so a number may not be appropriate. Sometimes I strain out the pulp and seeds and sometimes I don't. It depends if I have time or not.

Pour juice into ice cube trays and freeze.

When frozen store 24 cubes to a ziplock freezer bag, write date, fruit (because I have juiced light grapefruit that looks like the lemons too) and whether or not it was strained.

Back into the freezer or deep freeze. When we need lemonade, it's easy.

2quart pitcher
1cup of sugar
6-7 lemon juice cubes (about 6-7 TBS)
Stir up

I can add a spritz of key lime juice or another lemon cube to mine. But this is the perfect ratio where my kids and husband like it and it is easy and consistent. And if I am putting on a meal and the pitcher is half full it's a no brainier to add a few cubes, sugar and water.

Eventually I will branch out and use my lemons for more, but this is where I am at. I have a recipe to try so that's a start. :)

When we first moved here, this sweet tree with it's tart fruit gave me something to love about being here. It was a hard transition, but as I look back on it I am grateful for the little things like the lemon tree and the big things like life's Lemons that teach me to be better, to look for the positive and acknowledge the Lord's hand in my life, to appreciate the blessings I have.

Easter Pretties

Decorating Eggs with Gary's help is SOOOO much easier and it's fun to have him around.


Here is my sweet 14 month old Giddy miracle. We are so thrilled how well he is doing. He has been spitting up though again. I assume it is a weak stomach sphincter. We'll see.

Gary got the boys matching little 3 piece suits for Easter. This is not normally a thing a guy does is it? Well, it was the first time here as far as I can remember. I mean it wasn't like I saw them, Gary pointed them out and had their sizes and everything. I was so impressed. :)

Anyway the girls saw them and Olea said, I want an Easter dress Mom. I had just bought a few yard ends in the bargain bin of this smocked fabric in different prints thinking of making Nev some light summer dresses since she hates clothes so much. When I saw the Blue Ariel Fabric, I saw potential for double use. There wasn't any in the ends bin so I had them cut me a few yards. I made a few dresses from the other prints and to test out sleeves. The girls liked them so I started on the blue Ariel fabric and had Gary pick up a few extra yards so I could make a shirt for myself. :) Girls were happy and we all were matching, seriously who doesn't love a matching family? If you don't, I don't care. :) I do.

While Gary hid the Easter eggs I took pics of the kids. I even planned ahead to Mother's and Father's Day. So I kept those under wraps but here are some pics of them.
And then the Easter hunt.
Oh so cute. I love my babies! We got a very sweet compliment today about them, one of those kinds of indirect compliments that says nice things about you and your parenting. A parent needs those every once it a while.

Teaching the kids about the resurrection of Jesus Christ again is always interesting. Olea is starting to get it more, that Easter isn't about freakish bunnies and candy and such, but about Christ and His love for us, His power and our reliance on Him.
Obviously we participate in some of the fun traditions, childhood is good that way.
I want my children to have a good childhood but the balance of true teachings and a foundation of faith.
Happy Easter!