Simple Joys

Today was Saturday. 

We hosted another Elder Quorum Barbecue for the church.  I made a Texas Sheet Cake, which was enjoyed (read, their eyes were huge as we brought out the biggest brownie they had ever seen!).  We also made ranch dressing (with mayo, milk and the dry powder).  AND home made root beer (thanks to Aunt Bee with sending Hires Big H root beer extract with the last "courier".)

The root beer was AWESOME!!!!  Since there is no dry ice here I thought we would just add the flavoring and some sugar to some sparkling water.  Oh no.  There is a special, special way that we learned today from a guy who served his mission in New Jersey.

You make a syrup (3 cups of sugar and 1.5 cups of water) then add 2 Tablespoons of extract and let it cool.  I made the major mistake of bringing the syrup out slightly luke warm, NOT cool.  But I made it right and put it back in the fridge.  No use in rushing something you have waited 4 months for!

Once the syrup is cooled down then you pour a little in a cup (like 1/2 inch) and then the fun.  You get to squirt seltzer water into the cup with a special squirter you would see in old movies.  How cool is that!

It was bliss in a cup.  (I don't think I would have ever said that about root beer before!)  I drank a small cup.  Then we took it to the next level.  Same steps as above THEN add some ice cream.  (yes I know you are all rolling your eyes at this point.  Oooooooooo, a root beer float, how exotic.)  But it was perfection.  It was heaven.  Everything around me stopped and I just savored the amazingness that was in that little cup.  The root beer-iness, the absolute creaminess.  It was SO worth waiting for it!



Ok, on to other news.  My next simple joy was a walk to the store with Felix.  Just Felix.  He is the cutest little kid!  (Especially when he isn't terrified that someone will hold the hand (of mine) that he wants, or take the toy he wants, or sit in the place he wants, etc.)  We skipped to the store.  He chatted about hub caps, and cars with black wheels (his favorite observation at the moment) ("Oh Look!  That car has black wheels!  That car has black AND white wheels.  That car is fancy!  That car has blue smoke!")

After two, count them, TWO succesfull errands (to the drug store, AND using an ATM!) I needed to break the 100 reals bill from the ATM and I happened to have the cutest little kid wanting some ice cream.  So I said YES!  It is a miraculous day! 

You should have seen this kid.  I let him point to the cone he wanted.  Twist.  And when I handed it to him his whole face just lit up!  Even the couple behind me in line giggled and commented on how cute he was.  These amazing blue eyes of his so big and bright and a super big smile on his face.  It was totally worth the R$2!

And then my treat came later.  Watching this kid eat an ice cream cone.  I didn't have a single other thing to do but watch this kid enjoy his ice cream.  He was his own commentator.  "Oh, that side needs a lick."  "Is that a drip?"  And I just soaked it all in (not the drips, the cuteness and all the attention I could give him).  I mean I was actually able to wipe his mouth at the very moment it got dirty.  That is unheard of.  I haven't done that for years!  I had a child with a clean mouth after (and during) ice cream!  That is the miracle of one on one time.       

And I would love to do that with each of my kids. 

Maybe this is the week for it.  Our last week before school starts again (Jan 29).  My goodness this summer as gone by fast! 

We hope you are all well.  Please feel free to email us how you are doing (sometimes blogging is a bit one sided.)