Five Brown Kids

Today we had a quarterly primary activity road trip to the temple. It was a great activity but very hard to organize. The temple will not send anyone out to talk to groups, the stake building next to the temple will not schedule rooms for groups not in that stake, so we just had to wing it. A little intro to the temple out on the stake center lawn, then a walk around the temple and picnic lunch at a little park just behind the church. This was the first time my boys had seen our local temple and I could tell they really liked it. On the way out Taye asked me "I wonder which temple I'll get married in?" I told him that there are 130 temples, in Japan and Nova Scotia and all over the world and any one of them would be just fine!

Let's all bid adieu to our old camera. Many years ago when we first lived in Chapel Hill Tyrone helped the Jensens get their new/old condo ready to move in. As a thank you Trevor gave us a new digital camera. It has seen us through two babies, a new house, and countless trips and outings but now at 5 1/2 years old it is an antique in the digital world. So out with the old and in with the new! Do these brown eyes melt your heart?

This is a recipe from my head. Anyone who's eaten at my house knows that I serve this alot. Add any of the following in a nice bowl: 1 can of peaches with juice, cut to bite size pieces 1 can of pears with juice, cut to bite size pieces 1 can of premade fruit sald 1 can of mandarin orange pieces 1 sliced kiwi 1 sliced banana 1 sliced apple 1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries, strawberries etc. Top with my new favorite - a few fresh mint leaves chopped. Mix and let sit while you eat the main course.

Tyrone came home from work this week with two great stories. So for those who aren't close enought to sit around and talk shop with Tyrone and hear all the grusome stuff here's some fun. One of his patients this week was an older white lady who after they took her off the vent and she could talk, started correcting the English of everyone around her. Well Tyrone speaks three languages: English, Spanish and something I'll politely call "ghetto talk". If you've ever heard him talk to his basketball buddies on the phone you'll recognize the third. Tyrone decided a bit of teasing was in order and gave this poor old lady the full force of "gt". She just laughed and said, "oh your poor wife" and Tyrone had to agree. It's not every tall, dark and handsome RN who will flirt with a 70 year old lady. No wonder his patients love him. Another day after work they had a blitz or quick training session for his unit right after his shift. They cove...

Ahh, it's finally cooling off and it's a little like heaven around here now. Spent the morning at the park with friends.

Saturday, after Maddy's fantastic birthday party , and before we picked up Justin to come hang out, we hit the big annual bugfest downtown at the science museum(sponsored by Terminex). It's crazy how huge this event is now. We went this year with only one purpose in mind- TO EAT BUGS! One of the outdoor venues was Cafe Insecta where you can expand your global horizions by eating real, tasty bug dishes. (Tyrone was thrilled to be working) The boys tried Ant Sundaes and Crickett Quesadillas. Here's how it went down. The sundaes were ice cream, caramel and a sprinkle of toasted ants on top. No sweat, both boys ate them just fine and declared the dish "tasty". The quesadilla, not so hot. Taye couldn't bring himself to taste a cooked crickett even if it was covered in cheese, and Jaxon took a bite, thought about it too long and then threw it all up! The boys are each $3.00 richer and I have these lovely photos!

Emtpy a 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries, or equal amount of mixed berries (I get a big bag from Costco with raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) in a 9x9 baking pan. Crumble together and pour over berries: 1/2 cup butter 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream. Thanks Cheryl!

Fireworks! With ashes falling down

This is a recipe from Carrie's mom and it's one of our favorites. Saute together in a soup pot: 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup diced onion one package sliced fresh mushrooms (about 1 1/2 cups) Then add: Four cubed potatoes Salt and pepper Enough water to cover it Simmer till potatoes are soft and then add: One head of chopped fresh broccoli (the more the merrier) 1 lb of velveeta cheese 1 can of evaporated milk 1 can of water Simmer without boiling until cheese incorporates. Don't count the calories! Serve with warm crunchy bread.

This is number 32 for my parents. Way to go! And getting ready for the biggest adventure of their lives.... off to Ecuador in just two months.

Many years ago, just out of college, I worked for a great software company called Novell. They had wonderful benefits, including top of the line health insurance that they paid for. We had $10 dr visit copays and everything else was covered 100%. I remember thinking, what's the big deal, health coverage here isn't much different than Canada. We had Taye when I worked there, and grand total for all my care, his birth and everything associated with it was $10. That was it. What a deal. Then I stopped working, we used BYU's insurance for a bit and then Tyrone got a job at UNC-Chapel Hill Hospitals. We had state employee health insurance then. Bigger co-pays, $350 deductible and 80/20 after that. Jaxon was a little more expensive - over a thousand dollars. But a cute kid and still a great deal. Then we moved to Raleigh, did some schooling and paid an arm and a leg for the insurance school offered. We had Scotia on that insurance. The deductible was only $100 and it was still 80...

Just call me the tourism director for Nova Scotia. But doesn't this picture make you wish you were taking a late summer vacation up North?

I'm declaring Fridays fresh and yummy. I'll try to post a new favorite recipe every week that includes at least one great fresh ingredient that makes it fabulous. Enjoy! Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore 1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked 2 tsp. oil 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 cup green, red or yellow pepper strips 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) italian stlye diced tomatoes, undrained 1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing 1/2 cup grated asiago or other yummy cheese 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil COOK pasta as directed on package. MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through. DRAIN pasta. Toss with chicken mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil. Broil quickly to melt cheese.

Justin turned five this week and started kindegarten, so I invited him over on Saturday for a day of fun. We swam and played outside and ate yummy food and decorated cupcakes for his birthday. He stayed overnight and the next morning they had breakfast cooked by Tyrone and we played at the park before I took him home. He was so sad when I dropped him off at his "pit of despair" which is what I will pleasantly call his home life. It made me wonder if a day away from it all really helps kids who live in rotten situations. Do you think once he's stretched his muscles and used his brain and run all around and tried new things and had a belly full of healthy food that it makes it even harder to bear life at home? Or maybe it gives him hope? Do you have any opinions on this?

My dad bought this big roll of contractor paper at Lowe's while he was here visiting. On rainy days we get it out to make cities and towns and big buildings. Here they are hard at work designing.