This n That

I think spring fever hit today. I have a little one running around the house in her scuba gear and she is taking a bath, now as we speak, with her swim trunks and the scuba mask on.

The girls were playing ladder golf in the yard today with underwear on their heads and one pirate hat. More proof of that spring fever!

The lakes are clear of ice! I hear this is the earliest that this has even happened according to the memory of those that have lived in these parts for quite some time. To have docks in by fishing opener is pretty rare.

We were coming home from dance tonight and Shelby was telling me about her sore spot on her head. Something clicked and I asked her if she was sure it wasn't a tick. She looked surprised and then started to get a little freaked out. She found the sore spot on her head and I examined it while we were driving down the road (really... I am a super, safe driver) and I could tell there was a tick diggin' in to her scalp. She couldn't wait to get home so I could pluck the nasty little thing off of her. It's small enough that it seems to be a deer tick. Those are the kind that carry Lyme's Disease so we'll have to watch her for the next 30 days or so for a bulls eye rash or fever.

The kids have been playing out back in the woods. Shelby made this incredibly cool Indian tp last fall that the kids play in almost every day. She and the kids have dragged many trees and bark over to make this and I am sure that is where the ticks are coming from.

We had a beautiful Easter. The weather was great, we had an awesome church service, went to a really fun egg hunt at a friend's house, and we had a super ham with fixins.

Look, no snow! Hey, Coloradoans I think we have your weather and you have ours. :)

Dan celebrated his 42nd birthday last Thursday. It was a very busy day so it wasn't all that special for him. Sorry big guy!

I guess that's it for an update. Goodbye for now!

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)

One of my favorite groups is Casting Crowns. The following link is to one of their songs that I love for this Easter season.This is not their official video... I don't think they have released it as a single yet. We sang this song last night at our Good Friday service at church.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXp6xcY5IqU


Easter blessings to you all!

What Do I Know of Holy

Sung by Addison Road

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life "its" name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

What do I know?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

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Definition of fear: reverential awe, esp. toward God.

Rollerblading fun

We've had super mild temps and our snow is a meltin'! We chipped a bit of ice off the driveway and now it's mostly clear.

We were outside Sunday afternoon and the little ones wanted to get out their Rollerblades. Here are some video clips and pictures.

Shelby was skiing with a friend for the day. She came home totally exhausted from a busy weekend. Her friend, Emily, stayed Thursday and Friday night with us because her parents were out of town and then Shelby went to her friend, Sophia's house on Saturday and didn't return until Sunday evening. So, that's the long reason why she isn't in these pictures! :)

Fried Chicken and Gravy

The other night, I made possibly the best fried chicken and gravy that I've ever made. I followed a recipe from Taste of Home - April/May 2009 issue.

My father is from the south and he taught me how to make gravy. It's not difficult but you can't rush it either. The past two times I've made gravy, I burnt it because I was trying to rush the thickening part. Doesn't work. You just have to stand there stirring it until it decides to thicken on it's own. The other part is fat. You have to have some kind of fat. I use bacon fat mostly and keep a jar of it in the fridge for this reason. Last night, I used a couple of tablespoons of the drippings from frying the chicken. I also scraped all the little "scrunchins" out of the fried chicken pan and put them in with the gravy. OMGoodness, it was heavenly!

Nothing screams comfort food to me like fried food covered in gravy! :) I guess that's why we can only enjoy it once in awhile lest we look like the broad side of a barn.

The recipe called for a whole chicken with skin on. I used chicken breasts minus the skin. It was still wonderful and I saved a few calories by omitting the skin.

In a large, resealable bag I combined these ingredients.
1 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp pepper

Add chicken a few pieces at a time and shake to coat.

In large skillet over medium high heat, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Fry chicken until browned on all sides. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken to paper towels and keep warm.

Gravy
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 c milk

Pour off the excess fat from the skillet and reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings and browned bits. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil; cook for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. (this part usually takes longer for me and once it starts to boil I turn it down a bit so I don't burn the bottom.)

We have no pictures of the food as we inhaled it as quickly as it hit the table. I fried up 3 lbs of chicken and there were no leftovers for Dan to take to work the next day. Apparently, the kids liked it too. I served fried potatoes and coleslaw with the chicken and gravy, the perfect southern meal.

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I wanted to show you this great little pitcher I bought at a silent auction last week. I served the gravy in it the other night and it looked so pretty! It's a pottery pitcher that a friend of mine made. She has her own kiln and makes some really neat pieces. It's silly how much pleasure I get out of setting a pretty table and having nice dishes and plates.

The little ones learned all about clouds, snow and ice in school yesterday. We made paper snowflakes and taped them to the front window. I forgot how fun they are to make and what great designs show up when you open up the paper.

It's time for school. I'm fighting a headache and a restless spirit today. I would like to be on the road to anywhere. It would be fun to be able to put the family in the car and go. Friends are taking their spring breaks this week so that doesn't help. Oh, well, buckle down girl. Get something done.

I'm standing here at my computer listening to my red beans and rice cook on the stove. Dan and the kiddos are all in the living room watching Canonball Run.

I worked each night this weekend. Dan and Shelby had a date night Friday night in Duluth to see one of Shelby's favorite bands - Barlow Girl. So, I checked with my boss and was able to take the three little ones with me for a sleep over at work. They thought it was the greatest thing in quite some time. I popped popcorn for them and they were able to watch real, live tv which totally captivated them.

I had a totally grateful moment - not like I'm ungrateful the rest of the time but I can have my moments. If I have to be working, how cool is it that I can do things like that when circumstances dictate it? I am still in awe of all God has done for us and how he orchestrated this job for us. It really couldn't be any better for our lives right now.

We took the kids to the sled dog races in town this weekend. It was fun to watch. After seeing the junior race that featured all girls, our eldest is trying to figure out how she can become a musher. Don't think Samson is going to qualify unless it's a quick run to his dog bowl and back to his favorite napping spot! The dogs that raced were so excited when they got to the starting line. They couldn't contain themselves and they barked constantly until the race began.



Otherwise, today has been very low key. After church, Dan started building a new sofa table/cabinet thingy for me. It will house all of our homeschool books that are being stored in laundry baskets under our current sofa table. It will be so nice to have that all behind closed doors. Each child will have their own shelf and there will be room for all our paper, pencils, scissors, glue and other paraphernalia.

It's been quite warm here - in the 30s - and sunny. Our snow is starting to melt and the kids igloo now has a big hole in the side. Our snowman from Christmas is looking a bit decrepit out there. He's lost his eyes, his nose, his corncob pipe. The only thing left on the poor, old man is his scarf. I'm hoping for more snow but we know the bitter cold of January is gone for another year. When I'm outside, the sun feels warmer and the days are getting longer!

OH MY GOSH! I am boring myself to tears here! I won't post again until I have something really good! :)

Dude Looks Like a Lady

So I made a new playlist for my ipod and included some old songs on that playlist. We have been listening to it and the little ones decided they liked Areosmith's song, "Dude Looks Like a Lady".

Tonight, Dan and I You Tubed Aerosmith's video for this song to let the kids see what they looked like. First thing out of Shelby's mouth was, "Wow, that guy has a really big mouth". Yup, Steven Tyler has a huge mouth. Second thing we realized is that this video still isn't appropriate for kids even though it's 20 or so years old!

Anyway, Kylie and Macy immediately ran upstairs to dress like rock stars and then they wanted to do a "concert" for us. Here is a video clip.