EXCITING TIME OF THE YEAR!!!!

Darshia sent us the above posters. What a friend. She remembered that my boys had been collecting these posters from the Anchorage Daily News when we lived up there.

Yes, it's Iditarod time. We have a picture of the last Iditarod we attended above our computer....and this time of year always reminds me of the outing we took with Mom to the Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla. I'd post photos, but they are on another computer...one of the many crashed ones. ::snort:: We watched "Snow Dogs" last night in honor of the race.....and we've been getting daily updates from the ADN. If you're interested the official site has lots of great info.

This year's race is quite exciting. The winner is expected to reach Nome around Dawn on Wednesday.....Currently....Lance Mackey is OUT of Shaktoolik (Shak-TOO-lick), and Paul Gebhardt, Martin Buser and Jeff King are all IN Shaktoolik.

HEATHER'S CAULIFLOWER SOUP

 {OK, my photos aren't great of food - because we are always 1/2 through the meal before I remember to grab a photo ::snort:: my remarks and substitutions in the ()}

1 Tbsp oil of your choice (I use extra virgin Olive Oil)

1 small onion, chopped

1 leek, mostly white part, chopped (I used a few green onions)

4 cups cauliflower florets (about one large)

1 med. carrot, peeled & chopped
1 med. potato, peeled & chopped (I used 2)

4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on how thick you will want your soup)

Fresh ground black pepper, sea salt & cayenne pepper(I use 1/4 tsp) to taste

De added: 1 tsp thyme, 2 tsp of parsley, pinch of nutmeg and couldn't find cloves but was looking for about 1/2 tsp cloves (these are the spices I put in my homemade chicken stock and they sounded good to me LOL)

Sour Cream & fresh parsley (optional, for garnish & extra creaminess)

Saute over medium low heat, the onion & leek in oil in a large stock pot until tender & just golden.

Add cauliflower, potato, carrot, broth & seasonings & bring to a boil. Simmer until cauliflower & carrot are tender.

Either with an immersion blender or regular blender, puree mixture. Pour into bowls & serve with a small dollop of sour cream & a sprinkle of fresh parsley if you desire.

*** For a quicker, low fat version, omit oil & onions & add onion powder instead. Not quite as tasty, but still very good.***

De's notes: I've heard several say how good this soup is, and since we are fighting colds and don't want to eat it seemed like a good time to try it. I LOVE cream based soups and CHEESE in my soups...this one looks like it fits the bill, but doesn't have cream OR cheese in and was still good! LOL I added more spice. Jodi and I have talked about this and her theory is that I grew up in other cultures and so got used to other spices....more spices and different combinations than the typical American? Hmmm....maybe. I also didn't puree all the soup, because I like chunks....so I pureed about 1/2. This WAS very good! Definitely a keeper, thanks Heather.

Yippee!!! RAIN!!!!

You have to imagine a chant that goes, "Hallelujah!!! Rain at last!!!!!" when you view these photos. I think the NW genes from Mike and I are still strong in these children, regardless of where they are born and raised. True Pacific NWers LOVE the rain - and these children LOVE the rain. It's overcast and rainy today and they are even predicting severe thunder storms...the type of day that thrills our hearts! ::snort::

Yes, I went to watch what was going on when I heard the chant, ran and got the camera, and then told him "you can't be on the trampoline in the RAIN!" ::snort::
Stacia continues to get out of any type of diaper I put her in - regardless of how I affix it. She is determined to either be naked or where Zander's White Tighties...and THAT is not going over well at all. I think she is far to young to worry about training but I'm going to have to figure something out quickly! Yes, I have a photo - but no, I won't publish it on the internet.

Mad Scientist

I am finding strange little "things" all over the house as Jared works his way through Apologia's General Science. The younger ones have taken to asking, "Can we DRINK from this glass" before drinking from glasses sitting around. ::snort::

This is how WE use celery ::snort:: it sucked up the blue dye in the water

Not sure what THIS is supposed to be doing, but it's been sitting in front of my bedroom window for 2 weeks now...

The old balloon trick (they loved an excuse to have soda in the house)

I have NO CLUE why this was done

This poor plant....it was put under glass and THEN Jared read in Josh Harris' book *I Kissed Dating Goodbye* about a man that beat up his trees when they were young to make them grow strong....Jared seemed to think the point was "it worked". I suspect the point was "don't try this at home"....but he DID try it at home....with these results....I tend to think the moral of THIS picture is that we should pamper our young plants until they are big, strong, and mature or they may end up like THIS:

Shallow roots, withered vines, and no fruit....this photo could preach! ::snort::

*Sister Freaks: Stories of Women Who Gave Up Everything for God*

 by Rebecca St. James



This book is a compilation of short stories. The characters range from Joan of Arc, to a high school student in the Midwest, to a young missionary wife in Lebanon, to an Olympic athlete....all young women who boldly stand for Christ in the midst of their every day lives.

The book is set up to be a 13 week interactive devotional. Each section has 5 profiles, space for journal and questions. I simply read, thought, and prayed. I laughed and cried.

Thanks, Chris, for sending this book my way. I liked it so well and so quickly that I bought copies for each of the girls for Christmas.

These are not full-blown biographies and quite a few days I was left wanting to know more. This isn't really a negative. I gave the boys the Jesus Freaks book like this and Jared has already picked up "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand to read after having his appetite wet by the profile in Jesus Freaks. I think Jesus Freaks is an excellent choice for both genders....Sister Freaks focus' only on "every day young women".

I think Sister Freaks is encouraging to young women who may wonder if their heart and passion makes them "strange"..... Bess, this book will be on it's way to you by Tuesday - that's my goal.

Update....

Tues - Thur = flu bug.....Fri - now = cold....we're taking it easy and fighting bugs.....

Cy took the SAT yesterday. He thinks he did fine but would like to take it again in May. Sounds good to me. He's leaning towards the local university and a business degree these days. I can see him interested in business. Owning a business has been a common theme through all his life's goals from the time he was LITTLE. I told him I was all for it...that "someone in this family needed to go get a job that will MAKE MONEY so they can take care of Mike and I in our old age". ::snort:: It was a truly touching mother/son moment....honest it was. LOL

Jamin has finished re-writing his book. We made two copies for the time being...one for Mike and I and one to send to Becky. He wants to set up a focus group but his mentor thinks that he won't get honest feedback. Thinking through the next step. If he was following the CWG "program", he would be writing to publish NEXT year in the Squire program and THAT is the year that they will tell him how to find an agent etc. He also would have attended the writer's conference this year or wait to try to publish until he attends next year....but there is no way I was sending him to Co Springs to meet with publishers ALONE. He isn't keen on the idea of setting the book on a shelf until he hits the right spot in their time line. I suspect he'll do what he can alone, and if still not making headway will follow the time line as he gets to it next year.

Not sure what else we did yesterday. Slept, rested, read, slept some more.... Jamin took the younger ones to the park...I mainly slept.

Five of us are fighting colds. We opted to stay home today and fight them....smoothies filled with Vit C, lots of rest, fluids, tea tree steams etc. We should buy STOCK in Kleenex.

Playing around in the back yard....

She is SURE she can make it go....no success but that doesn't cloud her opinion of her abilities

Attacking the tree....I have no clue what the point was...T- Poisoning