Spring Break was last week

We didn't do much of anything. But one day we went to the park and had a picnic. Well, we went to Sonic and McDonald's and brought the food to the park. It was warm and the sun was shining, so every other person in town had the same idea.

I had to run a few errands after we ate so the kids stayed at the park. They tried teh river but said it was COLD!

Ella must have thanked me a thousand times for taking them. She is one "full of gratitude" kid!

Fifteen candles (times two!!)

Lucy and Rachel turned fifteen yesterday.

But of course the party started over the weekend. Friday night several out of town guests arrived. At about 11:00 we loaded into the car to go to the Twilight midnight release.


Saturday morning more friends arrived and the movie was watched.

And they sighed, and shrieked and swooned.

Edward...

Carlyle...

Jacob...

and those other Cullen guys. Okay, I didn't watch. I have seen it once. (on opening night) I am all Twilighted out just from that one viewing. I also have tried to read it. UGH. Sorry, I know I am the only woman on the planet not in love with creepy Edward. But he is CREEPY!

Anyway, they watched. {{Still in their jammies.}}

Then they started preening. And curling. And trying on different outfits. Oh, yeah! It was a Bi-Stake Dance!!! (For those not in the know that means that our stake invited another stake to the dance, so we had Twice the boys, umm, kids)
Alexander, William, Harrison, Bryce. (no, Harrison did not go to the dance, he will be 14 in Sept. and then he can start going)

Here are Duck, Lucy, Victoria, Dreah, Meleah, and Meredith.


This is Meleah, Rachel, and Meredith
















Fast forward to Wednesday night. The REAL birthday.

Candles for Lucy







Candles for Rachel

cupcakes for everyone



LUCY




Rachel

St. Patrick's Day Blogging Carnival

I wanted to have the most amazing post about St. Patrick's Day since I signed up for the St. Patrick's Day blogging carnival.







But I forgot to take lots of pictures.









Again.







Until about a year ago I didn't even have a camera. I am not a picture person. I am really trying to get better so that the people who live with me that are picture people will have a few pictures. But since I got a camera for Christmas in 2007 I don't think I have printed any pictures off.

I have just blogged.

*SIGH*

But back to our big day. My bubble really burst when I found out from Jan that the "authentic Irish celebrating" that we do here is utterly American.

Did you know that rivers in Ireland are not green? Okay, I am kidding. But the wearing green to not get pinched, the leprechaun tricks, and the corned beef... All American.

Hurumphh!!! It makes me grouchy. I put a lot of effort into that stuff. Oh well.




Our day begins with the most Irish of breakfasts:

Well, I do have a can of that in my pantry and it is soooo yummy. But this is really what we (the kids) ate:

Did you know they are "mAgiCallYdEliCioUs?"





We made a very green dessert. It is called Chocolate Lime Dessert and it is one of my favorites.

Chocolate Lime Dessert

1 cup crushed chocolate cookie wafers or chocolate graham crackers

1/3 cup melted butter

1 box (4 serving size) lime jello

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup cold water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 large can evaporated milk

Combine crumbs and butter and push into 9 by 13 pan to make crust. Save about 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top. Set can of milk in freezer until icy around edges. (about the same amount of time it takes for jello to partially set)Combine jello and hot water. Stir 1 minute. Add lemon juice and sugar. Stir 1 minute. Add cold water. Put in fridge until partially set. Whisk jello until frothy. Then whip milk until stiff peaks form. fold milk into jello carefully. Pour over crust, sprinkle with extra crumbs and refrigerate. I always double the crust ingredients, but you don't have to.

And now the Soda Bread. at least THIS is Irish!! Lucy made this and it was soooo yummy!!

Soda Bread

2 Cups unbleached flour

2 Cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. soda

1 tsp salt

4 Tablespoons cold butter

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

combine flours, sugar, soda, salt. Cut in Butter. Stir in buttermilk. Knead 1 minute. Shape into disk and cut x into the top. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Look, I even did some lucky 4 leaf clover sewing. Aren't these cute? I still have 11 more cut out that need sewn. Maybe by next St. Patrick's Day!

We also played the traditional Irish game:

Guess the number of green M&Ms and win the whole jar.

So, how many do you think are in here? It is a pint jar.

Do you give up?

406!! Adrian won, but of course he shared with everyone.

Speaking of everyone, here they are. Why do I have 12 people for dinner, again? This is why every meal is an ordeal and our food bill is so big.

But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

As you can see we have a red head here, he must be Irish. And one of these kids is named Shawn. That sounds Irish.

The Tongan kid... He is Definitely NOT Irish! ha ha He is just hungry. ALL. THE. TIME. He can pack it away better than anyone I have ever met. He is a joy to cook for. One time the kids challenged him to eat a whole plate of cookies. And he just stuffed them in one after another. Boom. Boom. Boom. He ate so many so fast. He finished the plate and then goes, What where those? They were good.

He didn't even know what he was eating!! we have laughed and laughed about that!










This was after we had eaten the Corned Beef and cabbage and potatoes and carrots and onions and soda bread. I forgot to take a picture of dinner.

Sorry.

But I will tell you how I make a tasty Corned Beef.

Tasty Corned Beef

Put your Corned Beef Brisket in the crock pot. Then get about 5 cups Hot water and add about 1 Tablespoon Kosher salt, I tablespoon Peppercorns and 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spices. Mix it up and pour over beef. Cook on high about 4 or 5 hours. Then take the meat and put it on a warm plate, cover with foil and set in the oven. Pour the juice from the crock pot into a big pot on the stove, bring to a boil and add quartered potatoes and onions and carrots. Cook ten minutes and then add quarted cabbage. Cook until desired tenderness.

Tasty!






We also worked outside because it was in the 70's. Lucy even got the front porch power washed and the rest of the kids got the yard free of sticks and limbs. (no small task!! We have 12 acres, but only about 2 of it needs maintained like a yard)

And then the next morning enjoy the leftover soda bread toasted with blackberry jam!


And now I am going to go and check out everyone elses St. Patrick's Day Posts!!

book giveaway

Anne is giving another book away this week.

ANd I want this one, so no one go and enter!!

Okay, you can enter, just let me read it if you win... Is that fair?


Just CLICK HERE to get the info.

It is time for some more Scout campout pictures

This month they decided to camp in a cave. Why did they decide to do such a totally odd thing? I have no idea. I once camped in a cave when I was a Scout. It was in Wisconsin. There were several other Scout groups there. Boy and Girl Scouts.

I cannot imagine an outing like that now. They had us separated somehow, I can't remember how. It is crazy.

So the boys played in the mud. And crawled through tiny cracks in rocks.

TINY CRACKS!!!!

It is madness I tell you.

MADNESS!!!!

Here, let me show you.

First, Harrison. muddy. wet. tired. dirty.

Now, some cracks. Who was the first dodo brain to say, "Hey guys, lets see if we can fit through this tiny crack without dying!"

Here, William says follow me down here. It is muddy, slippery and dangerous. It will be great fun.

Time to cook dinner. How about a round of Spaghettios for everyone?

Excellent, some more scary skinny cracks...

Here is a confusing one.... hibernating bats with what on them? Frost? Condensation?

The morning after. Bryce, William,and Jaime.


I included this picture to show you the mouth of the cave while standing right inside. You can see the falls behind . If you saw the movie the Jungle Book these are the falls that the wolf den was in. Or behind. I don't really remember.

It was another successful, muddy, tiring, cam pout.

The Office Musical

Fun Monday

Well, I decided to join Fun Monday after several months off.

And then I forgot until just now!! Sorry. This week is hosted by:
Chocolate and Other Things

For this week's Fun Monday, tell me something fun
about your mother and/or her mother. What fun, weird, laughable memories do you have of your Mom or your Grandma?

I was thinking about the topic and thought of my Great Grandmother. I was named after my Great Grandmother, And while I didn't see her too often since she lived in California and I lived just about everywhere else, I do have a story of her that sticks with me.

My Great Grandmother was Southern. Born in West Tennessee and then they went to Texas. Her life was So different than mine, it is hard to imagine. Before my Great Grandfather died, my Great Grandmother had never written a check.

Really. Women didn't do those kinds of things. She never paid for anything. When she shopped she had the bills sent to her husband.

Can you imagine?


A totally different world than today.