Why we love humidity

Curlies!

A few weeks ago while I was driving home from dropping kids off at school, a thought came to me . . . .
"I should go to the track in the mornings."
I have been twice--it works pretty well. It is an asphalt paved track at the end of the school property. A & B use it during gym class. Caitlin and Diana liked playing there--Caitlin runs almost the whole time. So far so good. I don't always go the pace I want, but sometimes I do. Diana and I sang "Once there was a snowman" and other songs as we walked together.
I took these photos on Friday after we got home from the track. It was very humid.

Other random tidbits:
Yesterday Andrew went to a birthday party at the Waco Zoo. Since Nathan didn't go with us last year, he took everyone but little E and I. They had fun and ran into our neighbors from around the corner. I enjoyed a couple hours of distraction free sewing. No finished skirt, but I do have half of this blouse made, (view A if you were wondering). I am hopeful it's wearable and photo worthy! If it is, will you vote for me in the contest I am going to enter? (More details on that when I enter).

The mama bird who built a nest in our tree in the front yard hatched her eggs this week.

Ed wins for first teeth at the youngest age. Both bottom middle teeth poked out through the gum this week. It's too early!

I substitute taught R. S. today and titled my lesson "Persist in Doing," which comes from this quote:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easy to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do has increased."
It's true.

On Monday, I helped can 14 pints of beans. 9 kidney and 5 pintos. Beautiful.

Two doors down

One of the bonuses of having lived in several homes is meeting new neighbors. We've had wonderful neighbors in all the places we've lived. Some of their names are Virginia, Gena, Vivian & Denny, Claudia, Victoria & Isaiah. My children love greeting them when they are coming or going. They've become cherished friends. 

On Saturday, my neighbor brought roses to me from her yard. As you walk up the sidewalk to her front door, you can smell the herbs growing there. She also introduced me to lemongrass and moong beans. Enjoy the beauty of her green thumb.

Waco Children's Museum

Today we had a delightful family fun day at the Waco Children's Museum.

It is a lovely red brick building on the Baylor campus. It is very large and beautiful. (I think that only Children's Museum I've been to that is bigger is in Indianapolis. . .. I haven't been to that many). As we were walking in, we saw a man whose trailer said, "Puppetry" on it. I asked him if there would be a show later in the day. He said he was performing at 1 pm. There were 3 puppet shows and we saw two of them, The Gingerbread Man and Little Red Riding Hood.

Favorite exhibits or parts of the day:

N: The tornado (pictured below), weather station, (a setup where you could pretend to do the weather report), animals and insects, and the display about mammoths found in Waco

B: One of the highlights of this museum is that they have seating areas for you to bring your own lunch. We didn't know this when we planned our day--but it worked out great. We had it all to ourselves. We had  turkey sandwiches and clementines.
I also liked the room where you could play with water and bubbles, The Gingerbread Man, and watching everyone discover. It was a perfect place for someone Caitlin's age. She spent the day saying, "Look Mom!" and laughing as she discovered something new.
Least favorite: the reptile room

A: The "science rooms." Building the arch, the holograph pendulum, pulleys, levers, and the model train set.

B: Watching the Gingerbread Man, the trains, dressing up as a pioneer
(pictured below is the holograph pendulum)

C: The train set, dressing up as a pioneer, picking up a garbage bag with a lever and pulley, Gingerbread Man

 D: Little Red Riding Hood and Gingerbread Man

p.s. This was a sponsored family fun day! Thank you sponsor, you know who you are!

Wildflower Capital

gecko frito

Found underneath Ed's bed today

Dead
Fried
Dried
Gecko

Thank goodness for the boy who found it, taking it out to the garbage can, without my asking him to do it!

He commented later, "It was really skinny and shriveled up."

(Not the first time we've found dead fried dried geckos inside).

Today in my backyard (EDITED)

I have a lovely covered patio right out my kitchen door. It is sadly underused.
This visitor might be one of the reasons why.

(Yes, this is a photo of a DEAD snake right out my back door. . . too close for comfort. The fact that he was dead doesn't make me like him any more than the live one that was in my driveway last spring).

I have a self diagnosed case of ophidiophobia, keeping me in good company with Indiana Jones. This is surely related to the greater case of herpetophobia I also suffer from. Thanks to wikipedia, I have learned the "severe emotional reaction" I had during this experience was normal for someone with my condition(s).

And thankfully, I will not be at this address in September again. But I might have to leave before the visitor's mother comes looking for him.

END OF THE STORY:
I PUT THE SNAKE IN A GARBAGE BAG THIS MORNING. HE'S BURIED IN MY GARBAGE CAN, JUST WAITING FOR HIS DRIVE TO THE DUMP. GONE . . . OUT OF MY LIFE FOREVER!
WHEW!!!

The best made plans . . . . (snow day)

Looking out my garage today we have this view.

Funny. Yesterday was the scheduled "bad weather makeup day" in case we had one.
Either it was too scheduled too early, or the storm was too late.
The kids are loving that they were released from school 2 hours early today and the arrival time tomorrow morning is 2 hours late. So happy to see snow in TX!

Merry Christmas from the Longhorn State!

I wish I were a computer genius and was able to edit the longhorn photo. When I saw it, I laughed out loud and wanted to share it with y'all. It is slightly blurry, but still funny.
"Up on the rooftop, longhorns pause  . . . "

And this one is evidence that things are bigger in TX.
Where do you think they store him during the off season?
And how do they get him up without a crane?

Merry Christmas to you and your family! We wish you the best.
Love,
the Hunts

p.s. A disclaimer . . . neither of the houses with lights is a photo of my house, but the one below is.

Evidence

that Nathan went back to Copperas Cove on Sunday to speak again. I begged him for this photo.
Imagine these prints on the streets surrounding your favorite high school. School spirit is alive and well in CC.

This time, he talked about gifts and the gift of the Atonement. His requirements for a great gift are:
1)Something you want
2)Something you need
3)Something you can use again and again.

He went with his parents to speak. The kids and I went home, after going to our own ward. My parents were here also (for Bryn's baptism), and rather than send them to the airport hungry, I wanted to make them our traditional Sunday lunch pancakes before they left. More on the baptism to come, soon.


Evidence of how I spent my day today:

47 jars, and not a single one broke! Two that failed to seal, which will become dinner tomorrow. I think they are the ones I didn't wipe very well after I transferred chicken from one jar to another.

Last week when talking to a friend she said she wanted to can chicken. If you buy 50 lbs of it at a time, you can get it for $1.50/lb at our Sam's. That's a lot of chicken, but split between 2 families of 6 people each . . . . I won't can chicken again until my zip code changes.

Her canner fits 8 pints at a time. Mine fits 16, so we did 2 batches. This is the first time I've used more than one canner at a time, I loved it!

She offered to cut the meat (my least favorite part) if we could use my stove for the canning. What a great deal. Looking forward to using chicken post baby when I am too tired to think straight.

This week

My baby dropped.
(As in, my baby is now in a lower position in my abdomen. Happy in some ways, more pressure in others. I will be waddling from now until the end of my pregnancy. 7 weeks to go and I do not usually go early, so not expecting any changes).

We hosted Cub Scouts. We are meeting in our home due to remodeling of our church building. We played "Eagle Golf" (a game with plastic cups and dried pinto beans), and talked about having courage during stressful situations: Be brave, be calm, be clear, be careful. Another new scout this week.

I worked more on the baptism dress. Hoping to finish by Tuesday pm when Thanksgiving break starts for my kids. My pace is so slow, but seeing it come together makes me think it is worth the effort.

My neighbor gave me some collard greens and mustard greens to try. I was skeptical, but really enjoyed them. I enjoyed their unique aromas, both while washing them and then boiling them.

I made this for dinner tonight: Italian Style Roast. A nice twist on the typical Sunday pot roast. I didn't follow the recipe strictly . . . too much salt and onion soup mix (my opinion), and not enough carrots. Also, I decided I needed NO NEW RECIPES. Again. I have so many recipes already!

Nathan spoke in Copperas Cove. It is a city southwest of where we live, and on the way we passed Fort Hood, the largest army base in the country, where the recent shooting happened. It is HUGE. You can't see much from the road except tons of equipment and many, many brown buildings. There was a large hill, and I asked Nathan if he thought it was man made or not. He thought not, but I think it was too tall to be natural and would have made a nice overlook point, a place from which to see the whole base.

We felt grateful for the soldiers who serve our country. Several shared their experiences during deployments in Iraq or Afghanistan. My favorite was this, shared by a soldier who’d served twice in Iraq. He said the second time was scarier than the first, but both were scary. He grew closer to Heavenly Father as he read his scriptures daily and prayed. He said something like, “I knew that I wasn’t going to make it out of there . . . so I turned everything over to the Lord. When I went out into combat with mortars falling all around me, I knew that I was going to be OK, because I had the Holy Ghost to guide me.” Thankfully the first thing he "knew" was wrong, and he did get out.

I met a sister who lives on a wheat farm near San Saba, TX. Hard Red winter wheat. I would love to go see that. She drives an hour and 15 minutes one way to church. Our drive was 45 min.

We passed the Copperas Cove High School. Home of the "Bulldawgs." Our favorite feature was the 6 foot yellow bulldawg tracks on the streets surrounding the school. We knew we were close to something big.

Andrew came home from church with these jokes:
What did Brigham Young see when he looked at his right hand?

One thumb and four fingers.


What animal can jump higher than a house?

All animals, houses can't jump.



Have a great week!

What are they waiting for?

Something I love about where we live is witnessing the southward migration of birds. Every day hundreds of birds pause on the buildings, wires, trees, and fences along our main street during the early morning and early evening hours. Nathan made this video on the way home from work today at 5:45 p.m.
We think they are grackles, but do not claim bird expertise of any kind.
ENJOY!

If you didn't watch with your volume on, you missed something and better try again.

Gatesville

Today Nathan was assigned to speak in Gatesville, a town of about 16,000, about 40 minutes from our house.

To get there we passed other small towns named Flat and Moffat, and drove by the North gate to Fort Hood, the largest army base in the USA. We crossed the Leon River, pictured below, which looked more like a lake.

We admired the practice field for the H.S. band. The Gatesville Hornets have the nicest band field either of us have ever seen--fenced in, marked astroturf and a stand for the drum major about 10 feet in the air. All the schools in Gatesville are in one central location, and the church is right across the street. Wal-Mart, the next big landmark, is less than half a mile away.


His message today was from Thomas S. Monson's talk from April Conference, "Be of Good Cheer." Nathan's thesis stated that being of good cheer will not only help us grow it will save our lives: physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Here is a section of his talk:

"Being of good cheer will save you physically. When I was growing up, my friends and I learned that we could be cheerful doing things that were difficult. When I began middle school I talked with one of the counselors at school that encouraged each student to get involved in activities outside of class. She talked to my mother and me about cross country. I grew up scouting and enjoying the outdoors so this sounded like something I would really enjoy. When I learned more about this sport I wasn’t so sure it would be fun. However, I had signed up and I was going to do it until it was over. On the first day of practice I learned we could run and laugh and enjoy one another’s company and for the next 15 years it became a regular part of my life I as ran cross country in the fall and track in the spring through middle school, high school and much of my time in college. I ran road races and fun runs in the summer and winter. We sang and laughed while running. I laughed and laughed at those practices. We stopped and went swimming in ponds or irrigation canals. We raced each other, cars, and occasionally an intimidating dog. We ran through sprinklers, up hills, in the sand, and on the asphalt and when it was over we were glad we did it. We ran cheerfully. The task of running did not change, it was and is still difficult for me, the difference is I learned, at a young age, that I can choose to be cheerful even if what I am doing is difficult and that has made a tremendous difference in the way I approach running and many other difficult chores and situations. The task in itself does not change but my approach to the task has. Vigorous exercise is important to our health and learning to be of good cheer while doing it has physically saved my life."

He choked up a little when he got to "For the next 15 years," and I did too.

Diana got to stay with us during class time and seemed OK with it, until church was over. When she realized church was over, she said to Nathan, "I forgot to go to nursery!" and cried. They didn't have any nursery children. Can you imagine?

On the way home we stopped took this photo as evidence that the Texas National Guard is alive and well, not far from our house. Across the aisle from this row of helicopters was an identical row. Andrew was SO excited to see all of these in one place.


It was a lovely day together.

88

Degrees in my town right now.

We've been enjoying some rain and cooler temps over the past few weeks. It made our grass turn green and grow again.
But today the heat is back.
Diana lay down to nap with a wet sweaty head. I'm pretty sure she'll wake up with that, too.

It's not time to put away the summer clothes yet.

Hillsboro Branch

Today was another speaking assignment for Nathan, this time a branch in Hillsboro. Once again, I forgot the camera. The most notable thing about the trip is that many of the members traveled almost as long as we did to get there. No one lived closer than 15 minutes to the church, and many lived 30 minutes to an hour drive. They came from towns called Clifton, Hubbard, Whitney, Walnut Springs, Meridian, and "towards Cleburne." Someone said their boundaries included two counties. There were about 50 people in the Sacrament meeting (too many to count, but more than last time). I love having Sacrament meeting in a room with folding chairs, even though they are more entertaining to climb in and through than a church bench. Not, me, Diana.

Sometimes I've thought that I've had to drive a long way to church. The stake center is 30 minutes from my house, but from their homes, nearly 2 hours.

They had a potluck lunch afterwards, which was a nice way to end before our drive home. The Chapel doubled as the "multipurpose" room for the lunch. I brought apples and bread. As I was cutting the apples, a man told me to throw my peels into his bucket to give to his goats when he got home. "How many?" I had to ask.
"Six," was his answer.

I was flattered when a lady I didn't know saw me picking up Diana from nursery. "You are having your second?" she asked.
"No, no . . this is my fifth," I replied.
"You don't look that old!"

I liked meeting the R. S. president. Her husband is also a member of the high council, so he was off speaking somewhere else--a 2 hour drive away. She sat next to Caitlin and snuggled with her during Sacrament meeting . . the air conditioning was a little too chilly for both of them.

In the R.S. announcements, they talked about an upcoming Enrichment in which they will teach how to make your own laundry soap. I asked for more details, and gave my email address so she would send me the "recipe." Must try it, at least once. She said she spends $12 a year on laundry soap. It could be a big $ saver. So fun to see new things and meet interesting people--and I enjoyed being with Nathan for more of our Sunday than normal.

When BBQ is the answer

If a realtor called at 4:00p.m. and wanted you to be out of your house from 5:30 to 6:30 pm what would you do?

You'd clean like mad until 5:15, and then go out to dinner.

True story
Our family
Tonight
Clem Mikeska's Famous BBQ
Delish.

Click on the link above if you want to see mugs of the famous people they've served. My favorite part was that they had a table at the back big enough for all of us, without moving chairs or putting 2 tables together. That, and the brisket.

We will treat any visitor to our home a meal at Clem's.
After all, BBQ is a TX tradition.

Family Fun Day: San Antonio

Saturday was family fun day. We left the house at 7:00am to drive to San Antonio.
The first stop was the temple, and my session was supposed to start at 9:30a.m. I missed it by a few minutes, but they had lots of "standby" people, so I did something else instead. Nathan and kids played outside, and checked out the LDS Distribution book store in the parking lot while they waited an hour for me.

When I came out, we went back in the bookstore to make a few purchases and set off to find a good picnic spot. We found a picnic table at Barbara Bush Middle School where we enjoyed sandwiches we brought from home. The weather was delightful and after Barbara B, we found a deserted park at which to play until it was Nathan's turn for the temple at 2:00pm.

San Antonio parks don't really have grass. It's weeds, dirt, and rocks. The oak trees are lovely, but grass doesn't seem to grow there in public places. We were fine without it--we played Frisbee, Nathan chase the kids, and swung on the swings. The park had 6 swings, so all of us were swinging at the same time.

While Nathan was in the temple, we checked out the "Deseret Book" type bookstore--not DB, but you know the kind of store, right? Great Harvest Bread Store (next door) was our next stop where I spent over $11 on two loaves of bread. We asked to see their wheat grinder, and since we were the only customers at the time, the worker agreed to let us. They have a separate room at the back, the size of a large bathroom with a grinder and bags of wheat. They grind 50 lb bags at a time.

We had a reservation for a hotel for Saturday evening, but couldn't check in until 3 pm. While driving, I saw a sign for the "Library" and followed it. The high school library at Ronald Reagan H.S. doubles as a public library branch, so we went in for nearly an hour. (Can you tell that TX is a Republican state?) The kids watched a video on the computer, looked at some books, and we enjoyed our air conditioned afternoon.

We left there after 3 and went to check in to the hotel, then back to pick up Nathan. Once we got him, back down the hill to the hotel, where we planned to swim. It began to rain as we unloaded our things but stopped by the time we were ready to swim. We had the pool to ourselves almost the whole time. We knew it was time to get out when the chattering teeth couldn't be stopped.

We chose this hotel for its proximity to the temple, and it has kitchenettes--so we cooked dinner. I brought the rice steamer (thanks, mom--it cooked while we swam) and we made taco salad. Quick, easy and delicious.

We headed downtown to the Riverwalk. We scored a $3 parking spot and began our long walk to the Riverwalk. We took the boat tour and enjoyed learning more about the history & architecture of the Riverwalk. Two children thanked us for taking them on the boat--they really enjoyed it. (So did the others, too).We got back to our hotel room at 10pm, it was a late night and we are all tired.


My favorite part of the Riverwalk is a large mosaic that was constructed in the 1940's (I think) by one artist. It only has 11 colors, and 9 are naturally colored stones. It is HUGE and beautiful. It is a must see if you go to San Antonio--I looked for a photo of it online, but gave up after 30 minutes of searching. This copied photo of the tour boat will have to suffice.

We drove home this morning--we made better time today, leaving at 8:45 and home at 10:45. Diana slept almost the whole way home. A great labor day weekend getaway, and we have Nathan home tomorrow, too!

Weather forecast this week, August 4-8th

Just for the record:
T 102
W 100
TH 102
F 100
SA 100
SU 100

Each night it cools off to somewhere between 76-79 degrees, but I couldn't memorize those numbers as quickly.

Favorite Part of the Day: Mexia

Today we had an enjoyable Sunday, different from our normal. Nathan had a speaking assignment in Mexia, TX, a small branch in our stake. We were encouraged to go with him when he has speaking assignments, so today we went. It took us an hour and a half to get there, and it was very small. Diana was the only child in nursery. Caitlin and Bryn had class combined with one other boy, and Andrew’s teachers were the missionaries. It brought back so memories of people and branches from my mission that I began crying with a flood of emotion. (I only served in branches on my mission, except for the 2 months of visa waiting in Las Vegas).

Today it took only two people to pass the sacrament, and was so reverent in the room. Nathan said there were 42 in Sacrament meeting. (6 of whom were us). The chapel had 4 side rooms which were open with extra seats during the sacrament meeting, but closed off and became classrooms during class time. Both the nursery and B & C’s classes were held in these. Relief Society was held in a small room as well. When I walked in, I thought out loud, “Will we all fit?” Of course, we did. I think it was 11 sisters.

I loved it and so did the kids. Both Bryn and Caitlin said their favorite part of the day was going there, and Andrew said he likes it better than our normal ward. Nathan gave a great talk about celestial marriage. The people were very friendly and welcoming, they were sad to learn we were only visitors and not moving in. More than one person told us to come back anytime, and a man tried selling Nathan some fresh eggs from his personal free range chickens. We declined, but I was envious when I saw the Elders walk off with a free dozen in their hands. But I’ve been there before, I had my turn. Someone in my mission gave me a freshly slaughtered rabbit. I promptly gave it to a sister in the ward who knew how to cook it. I couldn’t even open the package, because I didn’t know what I would do if I saw the fur. . . . I mean, really, what would YOU do?

Back to today . . . it was so hot in our car that the cheese in our sandwiches melted even though the food was in a cooler. No ice, so we could have prevented that, but we’ve had 100 degree weather all week. We saw a crop on the side of the road that we couldn’t identify, we should have asked a local. We saw two fields of it, growing about knee high with 5-6 inches of seed at the top. Nathan’s guess was tobacco, but I don’t think the leaves were big enough, however, I didn’t venture a guess. Any takers?

On the drive we also saw donkeys, goats, many horses, cattle hiding in whatever shade they could find, a Brahma bull, and several homes with plenty of dilapidated, rusty vehicles and tractors sitting outside. We saw gorgeous, sprawling new brick homes right next to worn out wood frame homes and trailers. We saw the sign on Disco 84, Open for Dancing and BYOB.” In Mexia itself we passed 5 churches and the swimming pool before arriving at our own. Aunt Lucy’s Day care, open 5:30 am to 5:30 pm. Can you believe anyone is up for day care at 5:30 am? Ugh. Makes me want to go to bed!

If I had been smart enough to take my camera, I would include a photo of the cattle lying nearly on top of each other trying to get a piece of the shade. I personally feel a 10 degree difference during the middle of the day if I am in shade or not, so you can’t blame the cattle for packing themselves in tight. Sitting between sweaty cows doesn’t sound 10 degrees cooler. I guess it is all about survival.

We left our house at 8:15am and got back at 3:15pm, so we will not be going back often. But when we do, we will welcome the opportunity for a little more Mexia.

Here's a little TX trivia for you: Mexia is pronounced Ma-HAY-ya, stress on the 2nd syllable.

P.S. I think my father in law was right, I am pretty sure it was sorghum we saw.
Click here for more info on Sorghum.

Fire Ants

While I was posting about the Father's and Sons' campout on Saturday, Diana met her match with the fire ants in our backyard. When I heard her scream, I knew it was ants. It was not the kind of cry you hear when a sibling is pestering. It was peril. Andrew knew it was peril, as well, because he ran to the front yard to get Nathan, who was mowing the lawn. By the time I arrived on the scene, only 2 ants were on her foot. I don't think she brushed any of them away either, but I am having a hard time believing two ants did this much damage. Thank goodness there weren't more.

You might have heard of the biting ant in the South, called "Fire ants." They are alive and well in my own backyard. The aisles of all the hardware stores are full of ant poison right now, and this is why. Nathan was told that cornmeal can eliminate them in a less toxic way. Our landlord had left some ant-poison in the shed, which Nathan used, and the hill where Diana was standing when bit is completely gone. We will try cornmeal on the other known hills in the yard.

MORE DETAILS IF YOU WANT THEM: On day one of ant bites, they look red and the area surrounding the "bite" begins to swell. Day two, the bite looks like a raised white head. Day three, what you see here, the white head has become a blister, that can easily break and soak a sock. The sock has been the best way to prevent direct scratching. And if you really want detail, click on the photo to enlarge.

Nathan read online about them and found out that they don't bite--it is a sting. The ant grabs on and rotates in a circle, stinging repeatedly. And you get a sore foot that itches like crazy.

This is Diana's foot today, and actually some of the swelling has gone down and we feel it is headed in the right direction. These sores take a LONG time to heal, but the swelling will be gone in another day or two. She is the only one in our family to have a major encounter with the ants, (this is her second), but most of us have been bit at least once.

I remember a TV movie where people-sized ants were taking over the world--some crazy show--why was I watching that? These little guys are the real thing.

And now, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, a few ant jokes:

What medicine would you give an ill ant?
Antibiotics!

What is smaller than an ant's dinner?
An ant's mouth!

What do you call an ant who skips school?
A truant!

MORAL: Take care of the ants in your backyard before they take care of you. Having the way to take care of them isn't enough, you have to use it.

For the Love of Texas

My mom loves Texas. Especially when it it cold in Wyoming, which is most of the year.

Last week while Nathan was out of town, she came to visit, to help me manage the chaos that is our home life. She is a precious resource--and was able to do some very fun, and some very routine things while here. First, the fun:

Mom took each of my kids on a "date." I should have taken a picture of her leaving with Andrew, Bryn, and Caitlin on their individual turns. My camera was with Nathan in Chicago.

Andrew and Grandma went to Pizza Hut. She said, "Beth, he's different when he's not around the girls." They talked and enjoyed a little pepperoni pizza with some Buffalo chicken appetizers. Since I'd been at Bryn's soccer practice with the girls, Andrew shared the leftovers for our dinner.

The next night, Bryn and Grandma went to El Chico, a mexican restaurant not far from our house. My kids get a kick out of the name, they think it is so funny to have a restaurant called, "The Boy." Bryn ate a corn dog without the corn, french fries and tortilla chips. She misplaced a crayon in the car on the way home. I couldn't understand why it was such a big deal until mom reminded me that it would melt here, very quickly. Thankfully, the crayon turned up in the driveway the next day.

And Saturday for lunch, Caitlin and Grandma went to McD's, for her first Happy Meal ever. I think it is actually the first happy meal for ANY of my children, can you believe that? We must not be real Americans, but it's true! (I'd much rather go to Wendy's!) Back to my story about Caitlin, she loved having a chance to play in the play area, and was so excited for her toy, Dr. Cockroach, and her BOX.

Diana didn't get an official date, but she did enjoy plenty of playtime with my mom--reading books, watching my mom dry her hair in the bathroom every morning, and being pushed in the swing. She has asked for you a few times for you since you left, mom.

The biggest excitement while my my was here was on Sunday, the day after my mom arrived. It was beautiful weather, so we went for a walk, right after placing 2 loaves of banana bread in the oven. We looked at Nathan's watch, and went out the door. We took our time and enjoyed a little stroll. Towards the end of the walk, someone needed the bathroom, so we gave the keys to the kids, and let them run ahead to the house. As we approached the cul de sac, however, Bryn was slowly walking back to us and said that the key broke in the door.

No garage door opener.
No hidden key.
No key in my pocket, I was wearing a skirt.
NOTHING!
We saw a neighbor, who lent us a phone book and we called a locksmith, who said it would take him 25 minutes to get there. Remember the banana bread?????? UGH. I am trying to perfect it, because mine is usually overcooked.

While waiting, Nathan removed the key with a tool from his car.

We waited patiently in the Buick and out of the Buick, remember some of us can't sit still for 25 mintues. Or 25 seconds, for that matter. "Pop A Lock" came and let us in, and we gave him a well-done slice of banana bread. I will have to try again on the banana bread another day.
(The latest in our long history of lock outs, another post for another day).

Other routine things Mom got to see: lunch with Andrew in the school cafeteria. Bryn's school program--her gym class put on a program called "March Madness." Bryn did a great job with her b-ball skills! We took her to the Rocketship park, a must see the next time you are in town, whoever you are, and an evening of Cub scouts, and Sam's Club. What more could a grandma want? How about an early morning soccer game and photos? She helped sort laundry, wash my dishes, and was able to visit a quilt store, our public library, and we had friends over for cinnamon roll baking and lunch.

She watched my kids while I went to a general practicioner for the first time in a LONG time. I had a tetanus shot, my last one was my junior year in high school, which was an even longer time ago. My doctor said, "How did you slip through for so long?" So glad I haven't met any rusty nails in the interim. I'm good now for the next 10!

She waited with them while I had my blood tests the next day, got my haircut, and went on a date with Nathan to Target. And she helped me make this:



26 pint jars of canned chicken! You don't have to spend much time in my kitchen to hear about my love of canned chicken. (Most of my readers live over a thousand miles away, anyway!). It is a staple in our house since September of 2005, when I first tried it. A friend from our IL days taught me how and I've used it ever since. My mom & Nathan stood at the counter to cut it into pieces while I worked on my class. Then, my mom and I put it jars and sealed it so it will last a year. We use it a jar or two every week, and tonight I made one of my mom's recipes, Chicken Tortellini Soup with it, which I will post another day.

Mom loves Texas, but I think she loves us even more. She's visited us in UT, MD, IL, and TX. Hopefully the next time we'll see you in Wyo!