It was our turn to clean the church with some fellow ward members. I happened to pass this view as I made my way around and thought about how much I miss going here.
The Snowdrops are putting on a big push.
In addition to a cooking marathon this week, I've tried to prep a few small wool projects, on the off chance I might have a free moment when the twins are asleep. I realize that's probably a pipe dream, but I'll be prepared just in case.
The menu/cooking lists have expanded and contracted, changed and changed again,
....but I think we've got a solid plan now that I've been working through.
Sent to me from the kids and grandkids, Collin sent this one of John's little feet. That little toe......
No, we didn't see the sun until the morning of the day we left, but that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun and feeling all warm inside.
John was pretty happy with his Batman mask, and frequently spoke in a deep gravely voice imitating him.
Grandpa, the master storyteller, kept kids amused showing animal pictures and videos on his phone.
Don't let this calm smile fool you. I'm pretty sure it was the only time David stood still.
We slept in James and David's bunk beds while we were there, and John would sometimes make a morning reading visit.
I can't remember the exact circumstances of David holding my hand as we sat together. I do remember how it made me feel.
James is very, so amazingly very into Jurassic Park/World and Legos. He spends lots of time building elaborate creations, paddocks, labs, transport vehicles, and all the while this is what he hums...in between Dolby surround sound-volume velociraptor screeches. It cracks me up because my Bryce used to do the same thing, a sort of mindless humming of large orchestral works, usually from whatever movie he was interested in at the time.
My daughter-in-law, Alison, works with wood, beautifully. These little wood projects are put out by Lowe's and she picks them up for James and David to build. This one was a little wooden heart holder for a test tube-like vase. She's holding eye protection on him. My husband is so proud.
There's always time for a good game of bear trap with Grandpa.
We were there over Valentine's Day and made a batch of sugar cookies the boys helped decorate.
Let's compare John's,
...to James'. His words were something like, "It tastes crunchy...." Hmmmmmm.
And finally, Collin, John and my husband went on a little walk. This is a prime example of the scientific fact that there are water magnets built into the feet of small children. It was so good to see this little family. Hopefully, it won't be so long between visits.
My husband and I spent several days with Collin's family recently. As I mentioned, it had been more than a year since we've seen them because of the pandemic.
We bundled up and went to visit Monticello the day after we arrived, taking a shuttle for the short ride from the visitor's center to the estate itself.
James and David went with us,
and were especially enamored with the dinosaur bones on display in the entry hall.
As always in these historic places, I am amazed by the design and the ingenuity of people who lived so long ago.
Of course, the pianos were a big draw for me.
And there were 2 of them in this room.
We wandered around outside a little bit as well and came upon this little fish pond. You can just see the wheels turning in James' head, can't you? Wondering how close he can get, and if the thin layer of ice would support him.
It's a really interesting place. I've alway been amazed by the sort of Renaissance man mind of Thomas Jefferson. The calendar/clock in the front entry hall operated by weights in a lower level was fascinating, as was his ice house.
Another day we made the trek to Appomattox, where Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, ending the Civil War. We were able to tour some of the buildings including the jail, which was totally wonderful for the boys, but the actual house where the surrender was signed was closed to the public.
As it turns out, I was really glad I stuck these boots in the suitcase, along with the heaviest coat I own.
Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us much. The boys made the most of it, though. They stomped through any patch of snow or ice they could find, slipping and sliding around until they were damp and/or wet all over. This particular day came after some freezing rain had put in an appearance. All around us we could hear the cracking and popping of ice coming down off trees and buildings.
I'm in Mom Food mode and have been since we got back from visiting Collin.
This entails making all kinds of lists...meal lists, grocery lists, work lists, trying to divvy out what little time I have left before the twins get here. Initially I thought I might do what I usually do when I travel to one of my kid's homes with a new little one in residence. Besides baby cuddling and smelling their little newborn necks, I cook meals, usually making multiples that can be put in the freezer for after I leave and spend my time in baby neck withdrawal.
I've had a slight change of plans this time. Since there will be double the fun at my daughter's house, I decided to do as much cooking ahead of time as I could manage, freeing me up more for the baby cuddling part. Since she lives close enough to travel with ice chests, it should work. We've had multiple crock pots going, multiple pans baking and that will intensify this coming week as the clock ticks down. What you're seeing here is just about the easiest recipe I cook. Around here we call it Busy Day Round Steak and I can't quite believe this recipe hasn't put in an appearance here yet. The mixture you pour on top of the meat works just as well on a roast either in the crock pot or baked in the oven, and the smell is very nostalgic for me, as it's one my mother frequently made for Sunday dinner. Seriously....10 minutes max and you're on to your day with the main part of dinner done. Serve it over baked or mashed potatoes, noodles or rice, and it freezes like a dream. This is a dish that made frequent appearances in my family of carnivores.
Busy Day Round Steak
A couple of pounds of round steak--this is a recipe that works really well for some of those slightly tougher cuts of meat because it cooks low and slow.
1 can cream of whatever soup, or a homemade version if you prefer.....no one's judging you
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
About a cup chicken or beef broth--I've used both and it turns out just fine. You can add a little more depending on how much gravy you want.
Put steak in a slow cooker. Mix together soups and broth. Pour over meat. Cook on low for about 8 hours. That's it. You're done. Serves 4-6 depending on appetites
There was more lurv in the house with the arrival of these cute hearts made by Marc's wife, Rachelle. She has an Etsy shop that carries pretty things like this that she makes. I couldn't make do with just one.
This cute one is going to live in the twin's nursery.
I celebrated another trip around the sun, which my husband remembered with this bunch of pretty roses.
We spent part of the week with Collin's family back east. We hadn't seen them in over a year because of the pandemic, and since both of us are vaccinated, we took the trip. We had a fun time and there will be more stories about that next week. Really. I've sort of leaped from the travel to twin prep mode, so getting my ducks in a row took priority over blogging. If I only didn't feel like I was running from behind, life would be perfect.
Then I walked outside and saw this. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I'M NOT READY!!!! In so many assorted ways, I'm not ready. I told my daughter she had to give me at least 2 weeks to cook and freeze and cut & slash fabric. She tells me no promises, and then she jumps up and down a little bit and tells the babies to come out, to give me anxiety.
Sent to me from the kids and grandkids I got this picture of Jude his mama titled, "A boy and his horse..."
And then I got this one later the same day titled, "Just a boy in a box."
My husband took Isaac and Levi fishing at the ponds. They had a great time, although waiting for a fish to bite is sometimes really hard.
We are minimally decked out for the holiday and I'm not sure it's going to get much better than this.
I've started cutting fabric for the twin's baby quilts. I don't think they'll be done before they arrive, but I'm making a valiant effort. It's kind of a fiddly pattern.
Sent to me from the kids and grandkids this week, Gwen taught a home church lesson that involved target practice on hungry crocodiles and cheetahs.
Fortunately everyone was able to Nerf them.
From Collin's family there was some snowman building
I thought the suggestion of a snow family was pretty cute.
Marc sent this one of Jude, who was very proud of himself for getting settled on this table.
And from my daughter, this little Valentine's corner at her house. She had a Dr.'s appointment this week and the boys are both nearly 6 pounds, which means she's feeling pretty miserable. Keep in mind that her husband is 6'6". One could probably expect her children might be good-sized.
My husband and I hadn't been in to the cabin yet this winter and felt the need to go check things out...especially the amount of snow on the roof.
I was driving the rhino and stopped to take a picture back down the valley as we started out.
Everything was going pretty well until I turned off the road into the cabin driveway and got the rhino high-centered in about 3 feet of powder.
The dogs were totally unconcerned about the whole situation,
but I'd been feeling a little nauseated off and on all day and that situation wasn't getting any better.
so my husband stomped a trail into the cabin for me and then spent 2 1/2 hours digging the rhino out. I spent that time moaning next to the fire where I slept that night, and throwing up into zip-lock bags.
It snowed all morning the next day, adding 6 inches to the total and we made the discovery that there's a leak in the on-demand hot water unit attached to the well.
My very resourceful husband managed to bypass the hot water heater so we at least had running cold water. We heated water on the wood stoves for dishes and the spit bath I took to help me feel a little more normal. But that wasn't all... oh no. The solar battery system didn't hold a charge at all, so we were without power unless we ran the gas-powered generator. This necessitated so many trips back and forth to the shed by my husband.
He was the hero of the weekend. While I felt really puny for most of the time, he stomped to the shed countless times to check on things, hauled wood in for fires, cooked himself food, puzzled over the water heater problems, and brought me several ziplock bags. He's a keeper. As an aside, you can see small tracks intersecting the trail there....probably a fox or coyote.
So while it wasn't the best trip....at least it was pretty?
I promise this is the last of the amaryllis pictures. Both pots are starting to wind down.
These are a ruffly variety and so pretty with 5 or 6 blooms on each stalk. Other than spectacular blooms, nothing much exciting happened. It was mostly getting ducks in a row for weekend activities and clearing off the crafting table so I could start on baby quilts for the twins. I lead a fairly boring life now that my children have left the nest.
Sent to me from the kids and grandkids this week, I got this one of David. He told his mama that she needed to pretend to be Grandpa Honey and he was going to be an alligator that Grandpa got with his dart. My husband is totally OK being labeled Grandpa Honey.
