Happy 43rd birthday to my hubby!

Love you!!!

Mom called tonight and we stopped over there for CARROT CAKE (Greg's all-time favorite!).

Where's Joshua?!?! No school, and his best friend's birthday party was today :-) I'm sure we'll be celebrating throughout the weekend!!!

John Chapter Nine and Writing!

Joshua's and Hannah's classes led chapel this morning.  They presented the story of Jesus healing the blind man - the 6th graders narrated and the 3rd graders acted out the story.  Afterwards they sang and signed one of my favorite songs "Shout to the Lord" by Darlene Zschech. It was a great day to be "filled".
...the serious one...

...and the silly one...

After chapel they presented the writing awards!  Most of you know that Hannah LOVES to write and today was an exciting affirmation of that!  She won 1st place for poetry among 3rd/4th grade, and 2nd place for non-fiction among 3rd/4th grade! 

SO PROUD ~ look at that smile!!!

Rocket Inn Pizza!

Brian and Margie came to town last night, and brought Rocket Inn pizza with them from Indianola, Nebraska - yum! We found out about this place from my coworker who goes there a few times a year and brings back a dozen pizzas to freeze! Small world that this is the next town over from where Brian and Margie now live! It has a really unique flavor - almost smokey - I love it! It was great to have all of us together just hanging out at Dad and Mom's :-)

 

Today after church we met Mom and Margie for lunch at Olive Garden...

another one of our favorites!

Spring...

...is definitely right around the corner ~ dad and I walked this morning and then I ran errands in capris and (Rockies!) flip flops!!!! It's absolutely beautiful outside!  The kids have been chomping at the bit to get a garden put in, so today they pruned bushes and dragged it all to the side of the house!  Nothing like cheap labor!

Fat Tuesday = New Orleans Jambalaya

This was the first recipe we made when we moved into our house ~ April 5, 1994 ~ and it has stood the test of time!!! We love to make it for Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras! Gary joined us tonight for jambalaya, pickled okra, and rolls!

NEW ORLEANS JAMBALAYA

2 T butter
2 T flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, chopped (we've used orange, too)
14 oz can tomatoes
4 c chicken stock
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch allspice
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch salt
dash tabasco
4 oz uncooked rice (we use 6 oz brown)
2# uncooked shrimp
2 green onions, chopped to garnish
• Melt butter and add flour; cook on low. Add onion, garlic and pepper and cook until soft.
• Add tomatoes and juice; add stock and mix well.  Add ginger, allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, salt, and tabasco. Boil rapidly while stirring for two minutes. 
• Add rice; stir and cover. Cook 15-20 minutes until rice is tender.
• Add shrimp during last 10 minutes - cook until shrimp curl and turn pink.
• Serve and garnish with green onions.
ENJOY!!!

...fun ingredients and a special bottle of Talon wine...

...Mardi Gras beads!!!

YUMMY!!!

Two at a Time?!?!

Somehow I've managed to get caught up in two books at once - both WWII books but very different stories!  The Few spotlights a handful of American pilots who joined the Royal Air Force and its fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain.  Nazi Gold is a look into the secret vaults and numbered accounts of the Third Reich that were held in Swiss banks, along with the Swiss' reluctance to return hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from Holocaust victims after the war.  Both of them ~ incredibly difficult to put down!!!

Operation Frog!

Joshua's 6th grade science classes are all about dissection right now ~ they've done a worm, a fish, a crayfish, and today ~ a frog!  I was able to be in the lab and it was very cool!  All of the kids did amazing jobs!!!