Dirt!

Have I explained how crazy the weather is here????  Friday afternoon a huge sandstorm blew in with the 60 mph winds while we were on our way home from school.  I had to run to the store for a few things and had dirt in my mouth and stuck to my lipstick before I could get inside.  YUCK!!!
By the time I got home there was a coating of dirt on everything in the house too! All the sand that did not stick to me or blow into the car through the vents, blew into the house through the dog door I believe.

This is the first round of sweeping - I'm still not done...
I really don't love this West Texas stuff...

We had a little Texas Hold em going on at our house this evening... Kellie and Mike play games almost everynight and poker had not been in the rotation lately, so her game wasn't as sharp as she thought... I think the words were "Flushes are stupid"...

Off to dust and sweep somemore...anyone have a sand box that needs filling?

A little early birthday treat

During spring break when my crafting friend came over, I had to think of something to make...

Katie's birthday is coming up and I thought I would make her a little goodie.  I started with a french fry box and intended for it to be more of a joke about her love of fries but then went a totally different direction... Of course, I knew going into it I would like it way more than she did...

I was going to save it for her birthday but she found it, so figured I could post about it now...

She liked it.  I think her words were "a french fry box, really mom?"  She flipped right through it and I mentioned that she didn't read everything and pull out all the cards to read them.  So, she flipped through it again.  She read some of it.  She said she loved it and thanked me and took it to her room.  It was exactly the reaction I expected, but a little ooohing and aaaahing would have been ok... guess that's why I took it and showed my friends...

That's it... just a little something...

Treasure and a really old DNA sample

I have an antique cedar chest that houses a lot of random old things... You know, the stuff you want to keep but never really need or use.
 It has a few of my baby clothes, baby books, a boomerang from Australia ( that I was only allowed to play with once due to the broken finger my mother got when she tried to catch it), some things from when we lived in other countries, some very random sports pictures Mikes insists on saving, and my mother's jewelry box, among other things...

My kids have seen all of this stuff before but since I rarely take the stuff off of the top of the cedar chest to delve into in, they act like it is finding buried treasure when I do.  Last week I was searching for something and opened up the chest of treasure.

I look over and Kellie has Mother's jewelry box open, questioning every item in it.  Any jewelry worth wearing has long since been taken out.  What is left is the same things I remember from when I snooped in it as a girl.

Yellowed, old obituaries are there - my aunt and my grandfather I believe.  A coin purse my mom had that has coins and bills from when we lived in Iran,  a few random clip on earrings with no mate,  a broken baby spoon with a hand carved ivory handle.  

And, the strangest of all the contents.  Two big curls of hair from my dad's first hair cut.  

This plain, black jewelry box was always an interesting place to me...And now to Kellie

Did I mention the biggest find - the gold chain to hold your glasses on?

She enjoyed going over every item with me piece by piece.  Oh, except for the curls.  That creeped her out.

What exactly do you do with you dad's curls from his first hair cut? I hate to throw them away after all these years but I'm pretty sure I don't need them.

I think those curls must be the family quirk that caused my mother to think she must also save hair from my first major haircut - I have a ponytail wrapped in tin foil in a box somewhere that my mom saved from when I was about 5.

  And now because of that I also have two ponytails in zip lock baggies from my girls getting rid of their ponytail for the first time...

Are my grandkids going to be going through that jewelry box one day wondering who's curls those are and why there are three ponytails?  Maybe Kellie will also explain why we still can't play with the boomerang...

What an end to spring break

It's warm and toasty inside

But on the first day of spring it's crazy outside

Katie wrote a message in the snow

I added some extra words she forgot to write...

A sad snow angel

And because what is snow in West Texas without a tumble weed blowing into the yard?

Fun jumping on the trampoline in snow.

Chili is cooking on the stove for the cold snap.  It's a new recipe.  I'll let you know how it turns out...

Enjoy your Sat. and Happy Birthday my sweet Jennifer... we wish we were with you on your birthday!

Chinese night at our house

Tonight the girls and I cooked our favorite Pei Wei foods....

Crab Wonton's

Fried Rice

Orange Chicken

And they turned out fabulous!  I've linked the recipes I used above...

 I finally found the secret to the fried rice.  You have to start with cold rice.  It made all the difference!  Mine had always been a little mushy but this time it was perfect.

'You should make this more often' was the last comment I heard.  Now we're settling in for a movie.  I'm loving all this time off together.

And on our last couple of days of spring break... they are predicting snow tonight and tomorrow.  This has been a crazy winter!

15 Years

Where has the time gone? Today is our 15th anniversary. It feels like yesterday. Really, it does.

What a great time in our life. Well, except for Mike's big glasses...
This morning I cooked brunch for everyone and as I was cleaning and sweeping the kitchen and I started thinking that 15 years ago I would have never dreamed I'd be so happy cleaning for my sweet family.

Right after this thought, Mike came in and asked what I wanted to do for our anniversary. I said 'clean the garage, change light bulbs, etc' he looked at me like I was crazy.
Who knew, 15 years later he still can't figure out my love language!

 He interpreted this as 'I'd like you to take a nap and enjoy a leisurely day' apparently since that is what he is doing.... oh, well. some things haven't changed in all those years.
We are enjoying our spring break doing nothing. It's been a treat to just get to all hang out and not have anything we have to do. It has been really good family time.


I can't wait to see what the next 15 years look like!

Monday - Spring Break

I woke up today to a loud thunder storm.  It was wonderful.  Morning coffee is always better with a good storm outside.  It's something I miss - we don't get many of them here in West Texas....

I had a friend coming over to craft.  You know, for me that is an excuse to cook a little something.
Todays menu was Hot Chicken Salad, Oriental Cole Slaw and Apple dump cake.

Hot Chicken Salad

3 Cups Cooked chicken, cubed

3 Cups chopped celery

3 cups croutons

2 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 1/4 cups toasted sliced almonds

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp dried minced onion

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups cubed cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a 13x9 pan at 350 till cheese is melted.

It was very good.  I've been picking at the hot chicken salad all day!

A little after lunch, we  realized it wasn't just raining outside, it was snowing also.  Big, huge snow flakes for an hour or two mixed with the rain.  Crazy spring break weather!!!