Refreshing Kid-Friendly Summer Drinks

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from our first FREE bowling trip of the summer. Of course, Katie and Josh no longer qualify for the FREE part since they are now 16, but Roxie and Zac are still footloose and fancy FREE! We had a good day, but we definitely need a little work in the strike/spare department.

NOTE - Don't forget to register for the "How To" Birthday Party Classes (if you're interested), or tell a friend. See yesterday's post for details.

RANDOMNESS #1 - I did not like the LOST finale. I'm sorry. I did NOT. And that's all I have to say about that!

RANDOMNESS #2 - I did not mind the 24 finale. I can definitely see how the story line will go straight to a big screen movie... and I can definitely see me paying $13 (by the time they release it) to see Jack again. I'm glad he finally came to his senses, although it was too little, too late. And that's all I have to say about that!

RANDOMNESS #3 - Tonight we will head to the Alabama Theater to see Brad, my nephew, graduate from high school. The "big events" in our lives are coming fast and furious now. I've decided to categorized my life into decades. (Are you even surprised?)

From 20 to 29, it was definitely "becoming Belinda" time. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of my 20s. I was working in a job I enjoyed. I was going to church at Shades Mountain Baptist and had made friends I would love the rest of my life. I traveled a little. I met Mikie. I married Mikie. We moved away from all of the above when I was 27 and two of those years were EXTREMELY difficult (to put it mildly), but then I had Austin at 29, and that eased some of that pain. All in all, it was a good decade.

I refer to the 30 to 39 years as my Let's Have a Family Decade. I thoroughly enjoyed ALL of that decade! Babies, babies and more babies. Roxie came the month after I turned 35. Mikie and I moved to Gardendale. We made new friends, and my life was a blur of play dates, preschool, elementary school, skating, camping, biking... kids, kids, kids. It was a fantastic decade.

Turning 40 was not pleasant, but I decided not to dwell on it very long. My years from 40 to 48 (present time) have been very tumultuous... very difficult... very eye-opening. I now walk with "grief" on a daily basis on several levels. I have experienced the overwhelming grief of losing one of the people I loved most in my life... the grief of losing the "normal" of my life... the grief of having a chronically ill child... the grief experienced while going through the beginning stages of the "empty nest syndrome." I can honestly say, I have NOT enjoyed my 40s as much as my 20s and 30s. However, there has been some growth, and looking back Mike and I are able to see God's hand on so many things which have happened during this past decade.

Our family unit is very tight. (Because I actually wrote that, today you will see Roxie, Josh and Austin in a huge fist fight in public, I am sure. Roxie will be the one winning the fight!)

Mike and I are more committed to each other and our family than ever before. The "world's" statistics say the divorce rate increases from 50 percent to 70 to 80 percent when you have a child with Josh's particular illness. Mike and I turned to each other, and not away... and I give God the credit for all of that. (Because I actually wrote the following, today you will quite possibly see me and Mikie in a huge screaming match in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I will be the one winning the fight!)

And because we literally had no one else to turn to, we did what we had been taught from childhood until present... we turned to God. We had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go, you see. And when we did that, He guided our path... to the right doctors... to the right books... to each other.

And while I walk with grief in some form each and every day (it doesn't just go away after three weeks or so, you know), this has been an important decade for me. It has been illuminating.

"Gee, Belinda. You weren't this melancholy when Austin graduated last year. All of this because Brad is getting his diploma tonight?" (This is me having an imaginary conversation in my head again.)

Nope. I'm not melancholy. I'm just realizing what the remainder of my 40s will probably be and what my 50s most certainly will become. I imagine my 50s will be known as the Decade of Milestones. Graduations (many, many graduations), weddings, babies (not mine) and more showers than I can count! Not just for my guys, but for all the children I've watched grow up over the years. It will be amazing, I imagine.

I'm also thinking it may be the Decade When Gravity Finally Wins... but I'm still going to put up a mighty fight! (I've started a plastic surgery envelope, you know!)

Refreshing Kid-Friendly Summer Drinks

All of these are recipes from my FAVORITE magazine, Family Fun. I was on a smoothie kick last summer, but I'm going to give all of these a try this hot, humid summer. They just sound healthy, don't they?

Perfect Fruit Punch

You will need the following:

2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup grenadine syrup
1/4 cup lime juice
1 lemon, cut into thin slices
1 lime, cut into thin slices
3 1/2 cups club soda, chilled

1. Mix the juices and syrup in a large pitcher. Chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

2. Right before serving, add the lemon and lime slices and the club soda. Pour over ice. Makes 8 cups.

Purple Passion

You will need the following:

1 cup blackberries, plus a few for garnish
1 ice cube
2/3 cup milk, plus more if needed
1/4 cup sugar
1 or 2 drops vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream or vanilla frozen yogurt
Plain or lemon-flavored seltzer (optional)

1. Chill the berries on a plate in the freezer until firm (not frozen solid) for about 35 minutes.

2. In a blender, puree the chilled berries with the ice cube and milk. Strain the mixture into a bowl to remove the seeds. Rinse the blender and pour the mixture back in.

3. Add the sugar, the vanilla extract, and 3 to 4 big scoops of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Blend the mixture until smooth, adding more milk if it's too thick.

4. Divide the shake among three chilled glasses. If you like, stir a few tablespoons of seltzer into each for a little fizz.

5. Garnish the tops with whole berries and serve. Makes three 8-ounce servings.

Lemon Juice Juleps

You will need the following:

2 cups cold water
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/3 cup sugar
4 rinsed mint sprigs
1 quart ginger ale

1. Combine the water, lemon juice, sugar and mint sprigs in a medium glass bowl. Let the mixture set for 30 minutes.

2. Strain the liquid into a serving pitcher and pour in the ginger ale.

3. Serve over ice in tall glasses. Makes about 8 servings.

I'm trying the Lemon Juice Juleps this week. It not only sounds tasty, but very Southern, too. I'm on a big Southern kick lately! I shall drink this wearing a huge hat sitting under my magnolia tree, I think.

Have a great Tuesday. Wednesday's post will be full of Wisdom (not mine), a Seasonal Tradition and a little more Randomness. Oh, and tons of Brad pics from graduation!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda