SUMMER BREAK

Yeah!! Summer break is FINALLY here!! A two month break of making lunches and making sure backpacks are ready to go!! My kids are SO excited about the summer! We are trying to come up with fun, exciting plans and let it be relaxing at the same time!

Today was the last day of preschool for our 5 year old. Next year she will be in KINDERGARTEN!! She is so excited. When given the optiont today of going to the end of the year party with her birthday to the gymanstics training center or going to school to be with Mrs. C--she quickly said that she wanted to be with Mrs. C for her last day. That made Mrs. C's day!!

MJ, our youngest, is also very excited! She will be in Mrs. C's class next year. She will finally get to go to school with all the other kids. It is just 2 days a week but she fills like a really big girl.

LS, our oldest, got in the car today at pick-up and announced, "Well, I am a FRESHMAN now!!" I'm not so sure that I was ready to hear those words!

Teacher gifts:

I am so thankful for the teachers that teach my children. They give of themselves so much to be excellent teachers. They love Jesus with all their hearts and are such encouragers to our children. There really isn't a gift that could ever show them how grateful we are to them for the time and sacrifices they make in teaching our kids.

This year for the upper school teachers and the activity teachers in the lower school we gave a stella deora day lily and a box of oreo truffles. We put the daylily in a bright green paper bag that we had cut down with some fun scissors. Then we made a card that said, "Thanks for helping me grow this year!" We hope the teachers like them and that they will remember how much we love them when they look at the flower! We had fun making the oreo truffles--however they are very messy! I think next time I make them (I will make them again) I will use a hand mixer instead of a food processor. I think the food processor blade got too hot .

The recipe is super simple.

OREO TRUFFLES

1 package oreos (regular,mint or peanut butter), crushed

1 package cream cheese (8 oz) softened

melted chocolate (I used white chocolate for some and milk chocolate for some)

Put the cream cheese in a bowl and mix well with a hand mixer. Add crushed oreos. Mix well.

Use a small scoop (I used a small cookies scoop) Scoop a small amount and roll into a ball. Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the fridge for about 1 hour until firm.

Melt chocolate. Place an oreo truffle in the chocolate and cover completely with the chocolate. Lift out of the chocolate and place it back on the parchment lined cookie sheet.

Put back in the fridge until the chocolate sets on the truffle.

My oldest daughter thought these were really yummy. She liked them even better the next day!