Dirt and more dirt

We survived the weekend!  It was much easier than I even expected.
The girls were so good.  The leaders were amazing.
We still have the majority of the million animal crackers!
Church was wonderful this morning.  The youth pastor did the message and shared about what the youth did this weekend.
Nothing makes you prouder than to see your kid on a video with her hair completely combed over her face, doing the "Bieber hair sling" on the big screen at church.  Nice.

When we left for church it was beautiful outside.  When we left church it was orange outside.

the picture really doesn't do it justice....is just weird. 

and because we didn't know to put the cover on the dog door when we left we came home to a coating of dirt.  Lovely.

I don't think I will ever get used to this.... it's gloomy and brown, I've already dusted once today and the wood floor in the dining room looks a little like a sand box....

Gloomy and windy worked sort of like rain on us... we've had a lazy afternoon, a short nap and I might have had one to many left over rice crispy treats.

8 teenage girls, two college leaders and a million animal crackers

We are hosting the freshman and sophomore girls from our church this weekend for Discipleship Now weekend.
We have 8 sweet sweet girls. Two precious, pretty, and Godly college girls leading the girls.
Not to mention more hair dryers, brushes, straighteners, and make up bags than I can count!

They brought plenty of snacks!

Elvis got excited when the youth minister came by and loved him... he got to show of his t.v. watching skills...

So far it hasn't been any crazier than the usual weekend... as a matter of fact I have enjoyed listing to the Bible study they are doing, enjoying getting to do my own quiet time with them and watching such sweet leaders be so loving and encouraging to the girls.  They have to come away a little better just for being around leaders that are such a good example!

And because we wouldn't want to have too much girl fun and peacefulness, we're off to the loud pizza and game place to meet the rest of the youth!

Anyone want to invest in a bakery?

I've decided I have a problem. 

A baking/cooking problem. 

So, do you think if I just bake more I could sell it?  Then I wouldn't feel so bad for wanting to bake and cook all the time! 

Maybe a sign by our street like a garage sale sign? hmmm....

Yesterday I made a batch of Cinnamon Bread for breakfasts next week...

I haven't been able to quit thinking about the Dreamy Apple Pie I made a couple of weeks ago...So, today I made two of them...

I taught Kellie how to make pie crust...

I remember my dad teaching me to make pie crust.  I thought of that today and told Kellie about... of course, I went on to realize that my dad taught me to cook several things and really was a good cook in the little time we spent together (he worked out of the country a lot when I was a kid)... and I never thought to ask where he learned to cook...

And feeding my baking problem is my sweet neighbor who has a mom and dad that have chickens and bring me eggs...

Can I tell you that getting fresh eggs makes me really happy... so happy, I want to figure out where I could have some chickens of my own... 

Just look at those eggs, they begged to be in wonderful loaf of bread...

 those sweet neighbors say they like me bringing them treats... hope they mean it because they have a pie in my oven as we speak...

Kellie got bored with pie crust and decided to bath Ellie... she was not happy...

until it was over and the crazy puppy run commenced.

Yesterday I also go to spend some time with a friend taking pictures of friends of ours...what a fun afternoon with a wonderful family...



I'm attracted to shiny things

Every ring I ever remember having has been the same size.  Forever.  Until this year...
As I was loosing weight I noticed my wedding rings getting loose but never dreamed I would really need to get them sized (since I had worn this size since I was about 12) but recently when I was doing laundry and slung my rings into the dryer I realized I was going to have to break down and take them in...

I took them in, they said they would call when they were done and 6 weeks later, after I called them a couple of times, I finally got them back...

I looked at the rings they handed me and couldn't believe that they looked brand new!

I missed you rings! 

I had worn them every day, all the time, never took them off for almost 16 years...6 weeks later I am glad to have them back...

Mike's ring does not look brand new... maybe I should get it polished... of course, I had to look for his ring to use to stand mine up in and I don't think he would notice if it was polished...

I showed him my rings and realized he had no idea they had been gone...

I explained that this was my anniversary present a few weeks early and then reminded him I would like another anniversary band for our 20th anniversary...of course that's just a dream since we'll have a kid in college by then...(excuse me, I think that is going to make me throw up a little)

But the real question is, who's hands are those?  When did I get my mother's hands and where can I take them to make them look like new???

A play date and crawfish

The friends came over for a crafty, girly, eating day....or as Mike called it, my "play date"...

I love when we have these...

We all tried the new Shellac nail stuff...  Friends who share their new goodies are the best!

We got more accomplished than usual... everyone went home with a completed project...

They are always good to tell me not to go to any trouble when we get together - but you know I love to cook, love to cook for people who like food, love love love to cook for people who will eat a little more than my picky eaters...  It's almost better than crafting...

I made Etouffee, one of my favorites that no one in my house will eat...

I had the back up sandwich fixin's for Joshlyn... I knew that Etouffee was a risky choice for her... She did try a bite before she took me up on the sandwich offer...

I made Pioneer Woman's Dreamy Apple Pie with her Hard Sauce for dessert...

I had a hard time getting the slices out neatly but it didn't matter... I think we could have all eaten it out of the pan and been just fine. 
It is not your average apple pie.  And the hard sauce, it is the perfect topping!  I'm not kidding, perfect. 

Warm pie, melting sugary buttery bourbony goodness on top.  I'll be right back, I'm going to need a little slice...

Many years ago, I walked in caught Jennifer eating some butter and sugar for an after school snack one day... who knew I should have added some bourbon and topped deserts with it!

This is my friend's daughter and she is now my favorite kid ever.  This picture was taken just after she uttered the words I only dream of hearing from my kids... "I've never been happier..."

about the same time her mother was licking her plate... Think the pie made up for lack of excitement over the lunch choice!

Here is the recipe for the Etouffee....it makes me want to lick the bowl... I can hardly wait for some left overs tomorrow!

Crawfish Etouffee

1 Stick butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp flour

1 lb crawfish tails

1 tsp Tony's (plus more to taste)

Tabasco to taste

Melt butter in skillet on medium heat, add onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Saute until softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour.  Cover and cook 10 min. stirring occasionally.  Add crawfish tails, stir, cover and cook on medium low for 5 minutes.  Add seasoning and 2 cups water, stir and let simmer.  Serve over rice and add Tabasco to taste.

(to increase amount of gravy, add water to get desired consistency)



Stuffed Waffles

I found a recipe I was wanting to try... I changed it up a little for one of our super bowl snacks...

It may be my new favorite...

Not the best picture...

Stuffed Waffles

1 pkg frozen Rhodes rolls
shredded cheese - I used mozzarella  and cheddar
chopped pepperoni
Parmesan cheese
tomato sauce for dipping

Place frozen rolls on baking tray to thaw and rise.  After rolls have risen take rolls, place on lightly floured surface and roll out into circle. Top with shredded cheese and pepperoni and top with second roll that has been rolled out, crimp edges with a fork.  Place on greased and preheated waffle iron, close waffle iron and cook till nicely browned.  Remove, sprinkle with Parmesan and slice into pieces, serve with warmed marinara or pizza sauce.

I was really excited about my sugar till you showed me the c*ndoms

Friday evening I picked Jennifer up from the airport....she finally made it to the Dallas airport and a few hours later actually made it onto a plane and arrived in Lubbock.

It was obvious pretty quickly that she had been iced in, alone, in her apartment for a little two long...she was ready for some people...luckily we are the people she picked...

We stopped by our favorite place for fondue and wine and spent a couple of hours catching up and enjoying a lot of the previously mentioned goodies...

We stopped in the drug store for a couple of needed things...to my happiness, Jennifer found a clearance section that had bags of sugar, brown sugar, and graham cracker pie shells on sale super cheap!  So, as I am checking out with my random items, she motions to the cute young man behind her and says "I dare you to ask him what he is buying"...
Well, I knew the direction this had to be going... I glance back to see his large box of Advil and his large box of condoms and then really almost couldn't finish the whole credit card thing because I was trying so hard not to laugh...   Thanks Jennifer... I really didn't need to know what the man was buying...

So, walking out, dying laughing I said "I was really excited about my sugar till you showed me the condoms"....that's when Jennifer offered up the "I'll give you a dollar to make that a blog post title..."  That will be a dollar, thank you...

We went and braved the cold to try to get a few pictures of Jennifer with Katie this time...

Look how excited Katie was...

She's so sweet we almost can't stand it...

She loves our kisses lately...are all 14 year olds like this???

but can look pretty when not being tortured with kisses...

We went and watched the geese and ducks try to walk on the ice..they were very excited about the cheese puffs we fed them...

As we left to go to church this morning we were having the biggest snow flakes I have ever seen!

these two seemed content to stay inside....

We came home and have hung out in PJ's the rest of the day...

It has been perfect...

Some good snacks

French onion soup

napping during the football game

A perfect weekend!

Winter, we're having one!

I love winter.  Love the snow.  Love a snow day better than anyone...

I really do think that my being born in Alaska must have set the tone for my love of winter...

The whole time we lived in Dallas (forever) there were only a handful of snow days...

We moved to Lubbock where everyone said "oh, you'll love it cause you'll have a lot of snow..."

Now, we had a good amount of snow last winter but before that, nada...

So, this week we have had a bit of snow, enough to make the ground pretty...

But Dallas, they are having a major snow event... like it's Canada or something...

No school for days... more snow again today when Jennifer is trying to fly out here...
And even if her flight should take off from the winter tundra that is Dallas Love Field Airport, I'm not sure that she will have a ride to the airport... My sister is pretty sure there is no way she can drive her there...

We had a little more snow overnight, but we still have school to go to and if you listen to the weather man here, we better all stock up on face moisturizer because this cold is hard on faces...

I am a little sad to see the high predicted in the 40's next week... I'm loving the winter...

But I am low on moisturizer...

Brrrrrrrrr.....

When we got up to snow and very very very cold temps this morning, the dogs peered out the dog door, saw the snow and turned around...I had to go out and call them to get them outside.  Elvis spent much of the day just looking outside...

When his favorite human went out to play in the snow he tried to eat it all for her...

Kellie tried several times to play outside but the below zero wind chill cut her fun short...

A snow day is my favorite! 

I made the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Bread.... Yum!
I'm a little sad we have to go back to school tomorrow but Kellie is really MAD about it....it's pretty funny...

Stay warm!