Womanless Fashion Show

My lovely son  ;o)

It's come to my attention that some people are offended by the annual Key Club fundraiser for the March of Dimes.  To the offended I say, lighten up.  These boys weren't emotionally damaged, nor did they change their sexual orientation.  They did, however, help raise a whole lot of money for a worthy cause.

If it offends you to see a 17-year-old boy with a farmer's tan in a prom dress, don't watch.  If it offends you to hear the boy's mother cackle hysterically, don't watch.  You have been warned.  ;o)

Random photos

Moroccan chicken salad for 14  :o)

Blizzard on April 19!

Baby chicks

Family Home Evening Fun

Very frequently there is a wrestling match following Family Home Evening.  Occasionally there is a wrestling match during Family Home Evening.  Those are not as fun.  

Ignore the "wrinkle in time" that has developed in our bedroom carpet, and enjoy the skilled judo and ninja moves.  Impressive.  

Then there are the moments of near-perfect sibling harmony.  Ahhhh...

Le Menu (April 17-23)

Most of this week's menu is from the latest Good Housekeeping magazine.
Mostly because I was too lazy to come up with anything else.
And because there were purty pictures.

Click on "read more" for the recipes.

Another standstill

Our kitchen remodel has come to a halt, yet again.  It would be really easy for me to get angry, but I'm trying to stay positive and remember that it's just a "thing."

I really wish I had more progress pictures to show, or an idea of when there might be some.  In the meantime, I'll write about other stuff.  My life is full of other stuff.  ;o)

Le Menu (April 10-16)

This is another week of Our Best Bites yumminess.

As always, click on "read more" for the recipes.  :o)

Happy birthday, C!

Since November, December and February are the only months our family members don't have birthdays, birthday season is definitely upon us.  Yesterday was C's big day.  She's 6.  I always say it's hard to believe that my kids have grown so much, but I think in C's case the growth is the most dramatic.  The odd (frankly), chicken-legged, scabies-covered, screaming baby girl we had thrust into our arms one April day in Haiti has blossomed into one of the most incredible people you could ever hope to meet.  She is quirky (in a good way!), hilariously funny, bright, and a natural at dancing and singing.  People who don't know her well don't realize that she is legally blind because she lets nothing get in her way.  She is such a blessing in our lives.  Phooey on the idiot doctor who examined her upon her entrance into the US and declared her nystagmus (an involuntary side-to-side movement of her eyes, associated with her albinism) an indication that she was "mentally retarded" (his words).  I'd like him to see her now.  

Special props go to my sister who rescued me by shopping for C's gifts and by baking a replacement cake after my massive cake fail.  (Mine is in the trash.)  She got all the baking genes in the family.

Solo Boy

Yesterday was J1's Chorale concert.  It's his last.  Ever.

Sniff.

Thank goodness I have a good supply of future Chorale members.  Assuming they audition, of course.

Eat, Pray, Love

After I decided to go to my great-aunt's funeral, I realized I could turn the trip into the break I was desperate to get and spend a few days in Utah.  Initially I planned to go alone, but on a whim, I asked one of my very best friends if she could go with me.  It took some doing since she had pneumonia, we both had parent-teach conferences and various other commitments, but Wednesday morning we were on our way!  I have made the 11-hour drive to and from Salt Lake City many times, but it has never gone as quickly as it did with the two of us gabbing the whole way.  Even the long drive was wonderful.

Eat


Wednesday dinner: Tibetan food (which included the most amazing potato curry I've ever eaten)
Thursday lunch: Thai
Thursday dinner: Moroccan/Lebanese - yum!
Friday lunch:  fish tacos
Friday dinner: the best sushi EVER
Saturday lunch:  authentic, heavenly Mexican with homemade tortillas (and a waiter who told me I looked 14!)
Saturday dinner: Italian, including a giant piece of chocolate cake

Here's us at the Tibetan restaurant  You'd have car hair, too.

Pray

On Thursday morning, we went to the Salt Lake temple.  Going to the temple is always a spiritual booster shot for me, but this time we had an incredible experience.  It's too sacred to write about in a public blog, but it ranks up there with the most significant things that have ever happened to me.  

My Aunt Joyce's funeral was sweet and special.  It was wonderful to be with relatives I haven't seen in a long time and to remember my aunt and the strong and enduring person that she was.  

J and I, in front of the Conference Center.  Aren't we adorable?

Love

Does shopping count as love?  I say it does if you're shopping entirely mostly for your family.  And let's just say I did a lot of loving.  A lot.  Especially in DownEast Basics, Old Navy, and Forever 21.  Not one piece of ironstone came home with me.  The sacrifices I make for mi familia!  

How about movie-going?  There was a lot of love in The King's Speech, Adjustment Bureau, and Little Fockers.  I felt it.  

This trip recharged my batteries and was SO MUCH FUN!  I will never forget it!