Friday Night in

Ok, I know it's been a while since I made a post, but if you lived in Fairbanks and had experienced 40 below winters......and you had beautiful 75 degree weather, with blue cloudless skies for the past week, trust me you wouldn't spend the time inside blogging either!

This is the first week of school for some of the family. David started a week ago, Jake is at his new school, Barnette Magnet, and Ben got a peek at his kindergarten classroom, while we visited with his teacher, during his testing. Her classroom is FULL with 21 students and no full-time aide. Yikers, looks like I will be doing some volunteer work in his classroom to help out. Zoe dropped in to meet her pre-school teacher at Joy, yes she's headed to Daddy's school three days a week to be in their program. Everyone has been pretty excited with new school backpacks from L.L. Bean, school shoes, and supplies. All starting out their first week with BIG smiles! School is back in session for everyone except me.....I'm feeling a little left out!

So I thought what better way to spend a Friday night, but at the house cooking out, drinking Mojitos on the deck with some great grilled food and a beautiful salad filled with bounty, collected by Jake, from our garden! I discovered this Best Ever Mojito recipe for the drinks. Unlike the perfect housewife I didn't have a drink ready to slip into my husband's hand when he arrived home from work. I just happened to go outside to play and look around in the garden and I just couldn't go back in the house, literally I couldn't go inside, it was THAT BEAUTIFUL outside! But shortly after he arrived we were ready to relax on the deck, sip our tasty drinks, and talk about his first week at school, which went VERY well!



While we swigged our beverages, David started the charcoal, and then decided to hang out in the yard tossing the football around with Jake and Zoe while we waited for the coals to get ready.



I worked on getting the corn ready, we like to shuck the corn, but you can also leave them on, rub it with a little butter and sprinkle it with Cavender's Greek Seasoning, before wrapping it in foil and setting it on the top rack to cook. I also cut up the chicken, and marinated it in some teriyaki sauce, and prepared a salad with veggies from the garden, no the cherry tomatoes aren't from our bounty, ours aren't quite ready yet.






While everything was cookin' on the grill Daddy and Jake discussed creating a new cartoon character. Jake says that I am not at liberty to revel the name, 'cause it's top secret and someone might take his idea.


Anyway, this conversation lead to drawing the character....thank goodness for the internet, David just downloaded a "How to draw a Super Hero" and the kids were all busy with their new creations, giving everyone in the family specific powers and abilities. And while the kids were busy at the table sketching, creating, and sharing their ideas, the daddy and I goofed around taking ghostly pictures by using the refection in our windows. Click the picture if you would like to see it enlarged.



And when the food was all ready, we set the picnic table outside and sat down for a much anticipated family dinner. Sometimes a Friday "night-in" can just what a busy family needs to reconnect and enjoy each other!