Celebrating....Farm Style!

The Rooster decided that the best birthday party ever....would be at the farm....

fishing....

and eating steaks. With a couple of cousins and some friends we

headed to the farm for an afternoon of perfect weather and alot of fun.















It would not be a trip to the farm without and injury! PreShie stubbed her

toe on a big rock.



Lot of yummy S'Mores were enjoyed!

The afternoon ended with some fireworks.

It was the perfect party for the Little Rooster!

This Is What A Rooster Looks Like.....

On his 12th birthday!

Little Rooster has been a complete joy since the day that he joined our family! He has a smile that lights up a room and is the most kind and tender hearted boy I know.

He was the largest of all my babies....slightly under 9 lbs.

He has the most perfect dimple in his chin that his Grandpa O. placed there

as he was leaving heaven. He also has a constant twinkle in his eye...that makes you wonder

what is really going on in his head;)

This special boy has been a comfort to me in more ways than he will ever understand.

When I was in bed for three months with our Colton....he waited on me and kept

me company, and he was only 3 1/2 years old. Thankfully he let me hold him

and love him when my arms felt so empty.

He is and has been a blessing in so many ways....and I am sure he will continue to be.

(the gun was a gift from his Dad....who got it on his 12th birthday)

Grandma Vicki and Grandpa Charles (whom Riley is named for), came to see us today

to be with us this special weekend, and as soon as they arrived....literally....

they had to leave because of a family emergency. We were sooooo sad that they

had to leave, but they left the Little Rooster......

A harmonica!

And luckily for us....our contractor and dear friend....

ART

knows how to play well.

He was happy to offer some pointers and will be teaching Rooster how to play!

How fun is that?!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to

LITTLE ROOSTER!!!!

We love you!

I Think You Should Make It.......ASAP!!

I do love LEMONS!

It must be because of the wonderful Arizona citrus

I grew up with.

When you ask for LEMONS in Mecixo....
you get this.....a LIME.....it is called a Limon.
There is no such thing as a yellow LEMON in Mexico.

So, on a recent trip to Arizona I made sure to bring some back with me.
To enjoy;)!
Also for our Easter Dinner/The Boy's 16th birthday party...
I made 8..yes....EIGHT
LEMON MERINGUE PIES
This is a great recipe....You will love it!


LEMON MERINGUE PIE
1 9" pie crust, cooked and cooled
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
3 T. flour
dash of salt
1 1/2 c. hot water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
(save the egg whites of the meringue)
2 T. butter
1/2 t. lemon zest
1/3 c. lemon juice

In a sauce pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Gradually add hot water stirring constantly. Cook mixture until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Temper egg yolks, add to mixture and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Add butter, zest and lemon juice, mix well. Fill pie shell with lemon mixture. Top with meringue, be sure to seal
all edges with meringue. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

MERINGUE
Beat 3 egg whites
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cream of tarter
Begin to whip above ingredients, gradually add
6 T. sugar
Beat until stiff

They Have Always Been......

I am sure....totally sure...

they have always been TOGETHER!

They were all born within 9 months.

They don't know life without each other.


COUSINS!

FRIENDS

They LAUGH......alot!

They PLAY.......alot!


Sometimes......


They FIGHT.....not too often.....

BUT

In the end....they are

COUSINS.....SISTERS....FRIENDS

*thanks Aunt Shauna for the "photo shoot"

This One's For You Pedaling....

I thought of you when I saw this......

Advice that I think you would give.

I love your passion for politics!

The Farmer's Favorite...

FAMILY PICTURES!!!

He LOVES to take family pictures!!!

That is a total joke by the way......I don't think there is anything he dislikes

more....and WHY???? I ask???

He doesn't have to do a thing

except

SHOW UP!!!

We haven't taken a goup picture for quite some time,

only a couple were missing.

The girls;)

A glimpse into our lives;)

I love them!

Thanks Kim...you did a great job!

Seriously Ready!

........................Swine Flu....H1N1....what ever you would like to call it....
We Are Ready!
.................Of course school being closed on a national level
MEANS.....
slumber parties....fishing trips....a little tanning by the pool...
hanging out with the cousins....
You get the picture...
All done while wearing.....masks...and latex gloves.....;)

I Have Learned To Appreciate It's Beauty

Growing up the in the desert, I didn't really develop an appreciation

of the beauty that is there. In fact, I always had this

idea that "green" was better. So when I traveled to places that were

"green" I thought that they were somehow better than

where I came from.


I felt this way until I served a mission in Virginia, which by the way, I love with

all of my heart. When I returned to Arizona after my mission I found beauty

in the desert that I had never seen or appreciated before.


Now, I find myself stopping along the highway taking pictures of the incredible

beauty that is found in the Arizona desert.

With The Darlings yelling from the car...."you have got to be kidding me!"

"Why do you need sooooo many pictures of that cactus???"

But, The Farmer agreed, and since he was driving...I got to stop as much as I wanted,

to photograph the fantastic desert of Arizona.

And it was fantastic!

Dear Friends....and....Amazing Chocolate!

During Easter Break, The Farmer and I found ourselves in the San Francisco area.

Business required that we be there over night, and so we filled the trip with some great fun as

well as the necessary. The weather was wonderful, a bit cold, but still amazing.

After looking at equipment and meeting with customers, we drove to the

most delightful town, Carmel By The Sea. AMAZING!!!

Our dear dear friends, The Davidsons live in Carmel, and so this was the

perfect time to catch up and see the sights.

The Davidsons are the kind of friends that, even though you have not seen

each other for many years, you pick right up where you left off. We love them!

It was wonderful to see them and their beautiful family.

After a yummy dinner together, The Farmer and I drove to Monterey

to spend the night.



The next morning brought great sight seeing.....



Some catching up with a soul sister....

And a little planning of the next combined family vacation...

so the kids can catch up too.

Next, it was off to...


LuLa's Chocolates! This the the Davidson's business in Carmel.

Gourmet chocolate????!!! Can it get any better than that?

We really had to watch The Farmer....he was sticking his fingers in everything!;)

Can you blame him???

A wall of ribbon??? How could you not love going to work at LuLa's?

I have decided that I NEED this wall of ribbon in my house.


Every box is beautifully wrapped....if you are interested in trying a little

Lula's Chocolate....go to .....www.lulas.com...you will not be disappointed.

Then it was time to return to San Francisco to catch the plane to Phoenix.

We passed through the artichoke capitol of the world...and if you know us.....

you know that we had to stop at the local farmers market. There were the most

amazing strawberries....huge and beautiful.

Artichokes as far as the eye could see....

And fried artichoke hearts at a roadside stand....

A perfect taste of heaven for us.

WE LOVE ARTICHOKES!

It was a wonderful trip...the best part.....catching up with some great friends...

and the chocolate was worth the trip too!