Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time (a year and a half ago) we invited the new youth leaders, Jonathan and Jessie, over for Easter lunch.  And let's just say we hit it off.  We liked them.  And for some reason, they seemed to like us.   They quickly became part of everything Keena.

Grace invited them to prom photos.

Jonathan taught us how to make sushi, and do cool cup tricks.

 We went to Frank and Melissa's wedding.

They came the next Easter, with their own little Luci Bunny!

They took Sunday naps on our couch.

 

We celebrated birthdays.

 We met their families.

 They photo bombed our pics.

Their blessing became our blessing.

We cheered on different teams.

They loved our kiddos well. 

(Insert a million photos here!)

 

And to me, that's why I'll miss them most.

Yesterday they drove their U-Haul to Wisconsin.

Where I'm confident they will live happily ever after.

We love you, Griders!

So Many Recipes, So Little Time

Yesterday was a wonderful Saturday, piddling around the house, organizing, cleaning, purging.  While straightening up the kitchen, I took notice of three stacks of recipes I had hanging on the refrigerator.

I love to look at recipes online and print the ones I want to try.  The trouble is, I rarely have time to try the new ones, resorting to ones I know.  But yesterday I decided to give my refrigerator a break and make some sense of all the printed recipes.  I decided I needed to try them or pitch them.  So #1 on the list (only because I actually had all of the ingredients) was Parmesan Spinach Cups.

Chop 10-12 oz of spinach into small pieces.  I had a 40 oz. bag of spinach, so this was a guesstimate.

 

Combine 1/2 c. each Parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese

 Add 2 beaten eggs; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper

  Add to spinach, and mix well.

Spoon into greased muffin tins.  I packed it in a little.

 Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let stand in pan for 5 minutes.  

Remove to plate.  The recipe said you could sprinkle more cheese on top, but I didn't, and they don't need it.  I took one bite, and sighed.  Delish!  I am serving these as a side dish today, but they would make a great breakfast-on-the-run, or use smaller tins for a nice appetizer. 

I have 43 more recipes to try before they get the privilege of living in my recipe binder.  I think I need a bigger binder!

Summer Wedding #3

 Guestbook

 Place cards on a screen door

 This a'way.....

 ...and that a'way.

 The Lounge

Apparently these are all the rage.

 Menu on a window

 No wedding cake here, only this fabulous dessert table.

 Riverside Seating

So what do you do when you have no buildings at your wedding venue?

 You rent a bus to carry the wedding party to the ceremony.

 Listening to the Scripture reading.

 How many things strike you as a bit strange?!

 The Bridesman with the ladies

 

The new Mr. & Mrs

Emotions of Today

Having to ask someone to get out of bed three times = Exasperation

Loving on Luci for a few minutes = Delight

Working Out for the first time all week = Relief

Hugging my friend whose abusive husband died recently = Confusion

Saying good-bye to David's Chicago-bound mentor = Mourning

Talking "Rockville" with a bank customer = Reminiscent

Appreciated by co-worker = Affirmed

Hearing "2 weeks to live" for Jim's brother = Grief

 2 Overnighters with unfamiliar friends = Hesitant

Dinner/Conversation on the back porch with Jim and Andrew = Contentment

Skipping the Hawks game for a night at home =  Blissful

He's A Gem

Grace's BF left for NDSU a couple of weeks ago.  Before leaving, he left Grace a box, with six gifts and cards for her to open, one each week for the next six weeks.  The thought and preparation that went into that in itself is pretty wonderful.  But each gift has a brought a smile to my girl's face.

Yesterday her gift was this Tom's catalog...

...with this page marker and money...

 ...to buy this pair of Tom's.

 She's always wanted a pair of red Tom's.

He knows her well. 
He knows that the way to her heart, is through her feet!

Bookworm

But he who truly loves books loves all books alike, and not only this, but it grieves him that all other men do not share with him this noble passion. Verily, this is the most unselfish of loves!~Eugene Field in Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac

 My home is where my books are.~Ellen Thompson

The world is a library of strange and wonderful books, and sometimes we just need to go prowling through the stacks.~Michael Dirda

Labor Day Weekend

My Labor Day Weekend started on Thursday night, helping my Big Sky Bakery friends sell Bobcat Claws at the first ever MSU game under the lights.  First night game for the Bobcats had me under the bleachers with chocolate. 

 David and Jim had tickets to watch the game.  Bobcats win!

 Saturday found me sorting socks.  These are the unmatched ones.  Where do they go?

Sunday Jim and I had a little overnighter in Helena.  We sure got a room with a view!

 And the full view...but really, what else is there to see in Helena?!

Our hotel room curiously had a phone in the bathroom.

This should have been listed as an amenity...I guess.

Mural in downtown Helena.

 Lunch at The Staggering Ox, which was featured in the September issue of Food Network's magazine that featured one sandwich from each state.  The Ox was Montana's rep!

We couldn't resist another trip to the Gates of the Mountains for a 2-hour boat ride on the Missouri River.

 On our way back to Bozeman, we drove through Boulder, MT and stopped at the Boulder Hot Springs.  Built in 1890 it has seen better days, but I was intrigued by the 53 rocking chairs that were scattered about the enormous front porch.

It was a fabulous weekend!