[ quick one on the way out the door ]

One last quick post before Mom & I head to Seattle tomorrow. I'm getting pretty excited to go...lots to look forward to...lots of things to spend money on. :)

I went to town today to take Samson to the groomer, run errands, and hang out with Jess, Em, Amy, and Delaney. I stopped by Jamie's to pick up some Girl Scout cookies that I bought from Maddie (yum!), went to Wal-Mart, Target, PetSmart, Michael's, Costco, & picked up the JM DVD's. Whew. I had to leave Samson in the car for many of the stops. After I went to Michael's, I was parched, so I stopped by Starbucks for a Caramel Frappachino. From there, I went to pick up the DVD's. I talked to the videographer for about 15 minutes and when I got back into the car, Samson had helped himself to the whipped cream in my drink. I guess he was thirsty too?!

Once I got home, I got a lot done too! 4 loads of laundry, dinner, another round of chicken in the crockpot, and some organization in the craft room. I'll have to post pics when I get back - I'm weirdly excited by the organizing I did!

Tomorrow...if you're lucky, I'll post some pics of us around and about in Seattle - IKEA, U Village, Anthropologie, Sephora, Coach Outlet, Impress, Amuse, Claim Jumpers, Melting Pot, Pike's Place Market, Starbucks, oh my! :)

Why can't spring break come more than once a year?!

[ spring break sunday ]

Today turned out to be a great day! I went to church and to lunch with the fam. Then came home and started making chicken in the crockpot. The social committee at school is planning to surprise one of the teachers with a bunch of freezer meals when we get back after Spring Break. Her husband was recently deployed with the National Guard, they just moved into a new house the week before he left, and they have three young kids. I thought freezer meals was a great idea and am so happy to participate. Except for that I don't really cook! :) ha! I did find a good recipe online (googled freezer meal recipes). I'll post it below.

Then, this afternoon, Jessica Fife and the boys came! She's throwing a baby shower for her sister-in-law and asked me to help her with a shower invitation. I did a little research online and found a cute one that I thought I could replicate. She liked it, so we made 22 of them! There is a pocket - she's going to type up the information and make a little tag to put in there. I think they turned out so cute!

Tomorrow I'm heading to town - I have a whole list of errands to run. I'm also planning on getting my passport picture taken. I have got to renew mine before it expires!!!

Then Tuesday - we're off to become Seattleites for a few days!!

Here's the recipe:

Cream Cheese Chicken
1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Life List

I've seen this on a few people's blogs or facebook's and thought it would be fun. I'm also killing time waiting for my mom to be ready for church!

I'll bold the ones I've done.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a Praying Mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from shore, of course)

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Been to the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre

20. Slept on a train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Tied a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

7 7. Broken a Bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Visited Italy

Huh...lots that I want to do. I thought I've experienced a lot in my life, but apparently not so much according to this list!!

[ spring break day #2 ]

So, yesterday, I didn't get as much done as I hoped.

Instead, I braided most of the morning, then went to Elena Grassl's baby shower, then went to Lind & Ritzville with my Mom & Grandma.

First, We visited my Grandma's brother Melvin, who recently was diagnosed with brain cancer and had surgery to remove part of the tumor. His speech was affected and he still has a hard time coming up with the right words and putting them in the right order.

Then, we went to the Rose Garden Assisted Living Facility in Ritzville to visit my Grandma's sister-in-law Iris and my aunt Kim's mom Freda. They are so funny. They live next door to each other and I told them I thought their situation was a lot like my cousin Amber - getting to live next door to her friends in the dorm. :) Neither one of them hears very well and they both have glimpses of dimentia. They were so excited to have visitors and were very proud to show us their rooms.

This is my aunt Kim and Freda.

On the way home, we stopped in Lind to visit my Grandma's brother-in-law (my Grandpa's brother), Alvin. He was in the hospital for a few days this past week for fluid on his lungs. He will be moving on Monday to the Rose Garden to join his wife, Iris. I love visiting Alvin. He reminds me so much of my Grandpa and has the same teasing, loving, caring, fiesty attitude.

So, the day didn't go how I'd planned, but I'm glad I went with my Mom & Grandma. Maybe today I'll get some things done. Tomorrow, I'm heading to Tri-Cities to run some errands, take Samson to the groomer, and have some craft time with Jessica & Amy (can't wait!).

[ super super spring break ]

YAY! I'm so glad that it's Spring Break!! I can't believe it's already Spring Break, but I'm not complaining!!

I started the break yesterday by going to the soccer game against Granger with Jennifer (and Samson). It was chilly and I'm not real sure about the rules of soccer, but it was fun to support the team. They won 4-1!!

This morning I'm vegging, watching my Saturday morning favorite - "Say Yes to the Dress." I DVR it on Friday nights, so I usually watch it Saturday morning. Love that show.

I'm working on that braided rag rug - I have been braiding braiding braiding! I can't wait to see the end result!

I've been reading "The Shack." Has anyone read this? It's a tough read for me...but I'm halfway through and it's getting better. I have to finish it now! I'm hoping to finish it this weekend, so I can move on to something else for the rest of the break.

My other goal for the break is to finish some quilting projects - well, at least quilt tops. I am close to finishing one more quilt top. I have a table runner in the works and I have a quilt & a table runner that I'm itching to start. Crossing my fingers I'll get that far this week!!!

Today - braiding, taking my sewing machine out of time out (figuring out why it's not doing what I want), finishing some projects.

[ keepin' it real ]

I stole this title from Camille Roskelley's blog - she's my current idol. Love her. I love her outlook on life and the way she talks about her kids. Of course, I wish I could sew and quilt like her and have the resources (mass amounts of fabric) available like her. I did finish another quilt top this morning - yes, that's right - this morning! We have conferences today and tomorrow, so we work from noon to 7:40pm. I really like that schedule because I can sleep in and still get things done!! I have another quilt top that I think I can finish tomorrow morning. How cool would that be?! Before you are too impressed, these two quilts plus the one I finished last week are all made from the same pattern which is very forgiving (meaning - it doesn't have to perfect!!).

Even though these conference days are long, I really enjoy them. I like how we do it (arena style in the cafeteria), so all the teachers are around the perimeter of the cafeteria, so everyone is easily accessible to the families. I like talking to the students and parents. It's just something different from the normal day to day routine. Plus it's almost Spring BREAK!

One other fun thing - we had a belated Beta St. Patrick's Day Party last night. It was a lot of fun - my friend Jessica Fife is a huge St. Patrick's Day fan and her excitement is contaigous. We also are inviting four ladies into our group, so it was their first time coming. It was a fun evening with delicious Irish food (who knew it was so good?!) and some fun games.

Tomorrow is another day of conferences. Oh - the other thing is that the seating for the conferences for the teachers is always kinda funny to watch. Usually everyone has their laptop computers and the outlets are at a premium (not many). Plus, people try to sit by their friends, of course! It's kinda funny to see the cliques around the room. Jessica Perkins & I had a great time last year in between conferences - I was making cards, she was laughing at me, and Justin Palmer was assisting my card making - we had some great conversations! Then she had to go and have Emersyn (not that I'm bitter - I LOVE Emersyn!!!). So this fall, I sat with Jessica Fife and then she had to go and have Liam (again, not that I'm bitter - I LOVE Liam, too!). So - I'm with Heidi and Justin and I'm pretty sure neither of them are having kids anytime soon, so I think I'm safe!

[ friends game show ]

After church today, the Connell UMC Youth Group sponsored a baked potato bar and Friends Game Show as a fundraiser for our mission trip. It was a great success and I think everyone really enjoyed it!

Here are some fun pictures:

Our Youth Group - missing a few of them...

These cute pirates sang and danced to the free credit report dot com commercial - changing the words to fit our goals for the mission trip & fundraising. Too fun! I'll have to get the words from them and post it - it was genius. :)

These were our good natured contestants - they were good sports! It was a very fun afternoon - lots of laughs!

The big winners - Dylan and Kyle!

[ random thoughts on a Thursday ]

Just some random thoughts today...

1. Everyone was a little on edge at school today. Pair a gang shooting in Othello last night with a text going around about a gang initiation planned at a Wal Mart (the Tri-City Herald issued a press release saying the text is a hoax and has been circulating throughout the country today). Anyway, we were on high alert this afternoon, which never hurts. The staff was instructed to all be outside after school today just in case - it was funny to hear the comments from the students. Nothing gets by them!

2. I've been reading about the series finale of ER and I'm sorry I missed it last week. It sounds like all my old friends were back. I loved ER in high school & college, but once all the originals weren't on anymore, it didn't feel like the same show. Let's be honest, once Doug & Carol moved to Seattle, I was out. :)

3. I'm feeling the urge to craft. It's seriously an urge. Like, when I'm at work - I can hardly wait to get home sometimes. But then I get home, and I can hardly wait to sit down and relax. I'm still pretty run down from last weekend, I'm afraid.

4. I have a few people on my mind lately - a kid from school that's also in the Youth Group had surgery last week and isn't recovery very well; and, also my friend's mom had a suspicious spot come up on a recent scan. Lots and lots of prayers for them.

5. Counting down the days until Spring Break! Three & a half more days with kids (we have two conference days next week). Oh - and we had WASL this week, which means three straight periods of the same class for the kids not taking the WASL. Many of the classes, especially the Spanish classes, have made food - so they've shared the leftovers in the teacher's room. I love authentic Mexican food - it's delicious!!

6. I bought the supplies to make this:

It brings back memories of my Grandma Jean's house and of my friend Kristiane. I think I remember either Kristiane or her mom Laurie making these when we were real young. Kristiane, help me out here! :) I thought this would be fun in my office when I get it finished.

7. I wore capris and flip flops to school yesterday and today. It's 60 stinking degrees here today!

8. If you're around Connell and you want an afternoon of entertainment on Sunday, come to the Connell UMC church. Our youth group is hosting a fundraiser after church to raise money for the Mission Trip. We're having a baked potato bar followed by the Friendship Game Show! It will be played like the Newlywed Game with 10 couples/pairs of friends. The kids have been working real hard on it and I think it will be a lot of fun!

[ happy st. patrick's day ]

After school today, Kate & I ran to the Tri-Cities to get supplies for the Youth Group fundraiser on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but we made it to Starbucks on the way home, so it was all worth it. :)

Chris & Candace invited Nick, Kate, & I to dinner tonight for Corned Beef & Hash (what exactly is hash?!). It was surprisingly good. I'd never had it before, but I enjoyed it! The conversation and company was wonderful. Lots of laughs with good friends.

So - Happy St. Patrick's Day. Especially to my good Irish pal, Jessica Fife. Today is basically like her Christmas! (I'm just excited to get to change my blog background!)

[ baby Audrey's Quilt ]

YAHOO! I finished my first quilt from start to finish. Whew! It is such a great feeling! I learned so much in this process and am pretty proud of myself for actually accomplishing this skill. :)

I'm even more excited to get it in the mail for baby Audrey.

Thanks Jessica for helping me tie it!