Yipee!!

Let the party begin!! Nana and Papa are here!

Why blog??

"We write to see life twice, once in the moment and in retrospect." --Anais Nin

Salmon and Mango??

Who knew that this duo could be so tasty? Our friends Courtney and Jeremiah introduced us to mango salsa with salmon several years ago. This has become a favorite dish in our house and I think we've even passed it on to a few others. Our boys devour it which makes it even more appealing. Don't take my word for it. You'll be missing out.
Salmon
Top with lemon juice, lemon pepper, season salt, thyme, rosemary, and a little oil to bring out the flavor of the seasonings. Grill or cook at 450 degrees until salmon easily flakes away.
Mango Salsa
1 1/2 c peeled chopped mangoes (~2)
1 med red sweet pepper (or green)
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
1 jalapeno pepper
3 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp lime peel or juice
1 T. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Serve with Salmon (of course) and jasmine rice sprinkled with a bit cheddar cheese.

For Real

I started to make my bed this morning by taking off the pillows and stacking them in the corner rocker. When I had removed them all I glanced over and paused, suddenly finding this leaning tower very amusing. It is true that all of these pillows, minus the one Travis sleeps on, have been used in recent nights in an attempt to sleep peacefully. But not for long.

Summer Salad

I am sad to see summer passing by. This is one of my favorite summer time eats. So simple!! Just throw together some fresh garden tomatoes (in this case red and yellow), fresh garden basil, and feta cheese. Top it off with a vinaigrette dressing. I like to mix vinegar, oil, garlic salt, and sugar. Then take a bite, lick your lips, and let out a sigh!! Mmm...

Waiting...

Like John Mayer we're just "waiting on the world to change".

I've been accused...

...of nesting. Psch!! Just because I decided to make cinnamon rolls for the first time ever, recover some cushions on a bench that still needs to be painted, hang and rehang several pictures on our walls, sort our toys (again), reorganize the sock basket, hem curtains, rearrange furniture, sweep out the garage, and finally move a pile of books that have been sitting in a corner of our bedroom for at least a year and a half doesn't mean...alright I'm guilty. But the cinnamon rolls, and all of their butter, were totally worth it.



Sweet Rolls or Crescents
4 c. warm milk
1 c. sugar
4 T. yeast
mix and let stand for 10 min
Add:
4 eggs
5 c. flour
beat 3-5 min
let rise 15 min
Beat down and add:
1 c. oil
4 t. salt
5 1/2-7 cups flour (or more if needed)
Add 1/2 stick butter
Let rise about 45 min
Put butter in counter, rolling pin, and hands
Roll out cover with melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar
Roll up like wrapping paper
Slice and place on pan
Let rise about 30 min
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes
Glaze
5/8 cube of soft butter
1 lb powder sugar
dash of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
stir in canned milk

Who Invited You??

I never have fun finding something like this on my kitchen floor. I decided to introduce him to the garbage disposal. He must have enjoyed it because he never came back. I really don't care too much for uninvited guests.

Sharing Pancakes

A friend shared this with me:

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

This is a familiar scenario at our house among the brothers. The boys have learned a song at church this year that I frequently use to try to illustrate the same point this mother did. It is called If the Savior Stood Beside Me.

Boring Day

Ever since Isaac started school, Theron has had a lot of down time. We try to fill the time up with good activities but this boy is wearing me out!! We had a few too many play dates for my energy level so we resorted to a car wash this time. I sat in the garage working on a sewing project while Theron cleaned the van.

I don't think the activity was quite exciting enough...until dad showed up! Travis unexpectedly came home from work early and joined in the fun with Theron. Of course, this changed everything. The duo had a great time and I have a clean van.

Surgeons in Training

Charlie wakes up every morning asking, "Daddy home?" Most mornings, of course, he is disappointed but sometimes he is thrilled to the core to find Travis still in bed. I can only assume that every boy thinks their dad is the greatest ever. Ours sure do. I have heard Travis on several occasions telling the boys that they can be surgeons if they want to but they can do anything else and that would be really great, too. Right now they don't care what he says, they want to be just like dad.

Yesterday Travis just reassured he has a spot in the super dad hall of fame when he brought home some extra hardware and told the boys all about the surgery he would do with it.

He has also been inducted into the super husband hall of fame. I am lacking a photo for proof but on Saturday I went to get my hair cut and when I returned home Travis had helped the boys set up a scavenger hunt for me. It took me all over the back yard and through the house. I finally landed at a pile of Rolos disguised as gold. We promptly gobbled it up.

Tubbin' It Up

This bubbly tub time cured Charlie of his hatred of soap. We have not had any screaming tantrums due to getting clean since this bath. (Major breakthrough.)

I thought we might loose a boy in there.

At times the bubble fight was a little out of control.

Bus Tantrum

My near nine month belly and I hauled this cute and determined tantrum thrower in from the bus stop this morning just after he woke up the entire neighborhood at 7:35am. After trying for quite a while to calm the babe down I decided it was time for a little video. The best of it was over but it is still good for a small laugh and besides my red belly makes its debut.

Catchin' Blue Gill

Theron caught his first fish ever. What a day!

Isaac couldn't get enough of fishing. He wanted to be out there every second. He caught "so many" Blue Gill.

Even Charlie gave it a whirl.

Training with the best...grandpa.

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree