Wednesday night

We ate supper at the In n out burger place with Joanna and Jeremy before church tonight. We had a good time of fellowship and a quick supper of yummy burgers and homemade fries!

We enjoyed the service at North Valley immensely! It is alumni week at the college so we didn't get to hear Dr Trieber preach, but the service was still great!

The auditorium is gorgeous!!

After the church service we sat and talked..trying to figure out a good plan for tomorrow...not sure we ever did come up with a definite plan, but our choices are Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco or maybe the 17 mile drive or Half moon Bay...

On the way to Las Vegas

On the plane in Omaha...waiting for take off!!!

Alex loved the plane ride..it was a clear sunny day all the way to San Jose and we had fun seeing all the different terrain out the window..it went from snow covered plains and mountains to red/brown desert to GREEN California!!

We found the coolest little shop in the Las Vegas airport!! THE COFFEE BEAN!! Sound familiar???Jeff convinced me to get a couple pictures..

Inside the coffee shop...it was pretty neat. The servers all had aprons and t shirts and hats that said Coffee Bean..if they hadn't been so busy, I would have loved to have gotten a few more pictures!

Las Vegas to San Jose

We had a short layover in Vegas..the view from the windows was absolutely beautiful! I was wishing for a way to sneak outside and smell the warm sunny NOT COLD IOWA air!!! Didn't happen though!

Patiently waiting to board the plane in Vegas...when we did get on, the flight attendant spoiled Alex! He offered to let Alex do the demonstration on how to fasten your seatbelt and find the emergency exits...he said no thank you!! But since he paid attention and was polite, the flight attendant brought him all kinds of snacks and treats for the trip...we all got a bag of peanuts.....

Looking for our bags at the San Jose airport!!!

It seemed like it took forever to get our rental car...after the LONGEST morning of my life..my day started at 530 am and 8 hours later it was still morning...since we put our watches back 2 hours when we got to Vegas....

we did eventually make it to our hotel...with a few wrong turns and corrections from Miss Guide...the GPS we are using!! Now I am sitting watching Alex and Bryn swim while I get caught up on my blog addiction! I will keep you posted!

Blessings

Today is the big day..we are leaving for Omaha later today and flying out tomorrow! A dear friend gave me this little pillow many years ago and every morning as I make my bed and set it on the pillow, it reminds me of how blessed I am and how good God has been to me over the years. This morning I was thinking how blessed we are to be able to go on vacation! This is only our 3rd family vacation in all our many married years! We have taken several trips to visit family or a few weekend get aways, but only 3 other week long actual vacations...at least as far as I can remember! Please keep us in your prayers as we travel!!!

GOOD BYE IOWA!

This is where I am now.......

California here I come!

This is where we are going!! You better believe we are getting excited!!!!!

3 more days...

This is where I am now...

This is where I am going!!!!

4 more days....

We are counting down the days until we take off for sunny California..at least I HOPE it is sunny california..Wilson says it has been a little cool and rainy...we are hoping they get that out of the way before we get there!! We are flying out of Omaha Tuesday morning bright and early for a week of fun in the sun! I am hoping to be able to post from the hotel....

Happy Birthday Bryn!

Bryn is 15 years old today...sitting here this morning, I was looking for the picture below to post for today! I have so many memories flooding my mind of that special day that God sent Bryn to us! What a special girl God gave me! I always dreamed of having a daughter named Bryn...God has been so good. I looked through alot of pictures and realized how blessed we have been over the years and how many good memories we have of good times. Bryn and I have always been friends and have had soo much fun together over the years. Thank you Bryn for being such a precious daughter and keeping such a sweet spirit!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYN!!!

Bryn always used to wrinkle up her nose like that..that is one of my favorite pictures of her.

One of Bryn's birthday parties...a few years back!!

Love you Brynster!!

Valentine Cookie Bouquet

Here is my latest interest...making cookie bouquets...please don't look too closely..We mixed up, baked, cut out, frosted, decorated and arranged in just a few short hurried hours last night. I was trying to hurry and get them done to take over to Kellys for a Valentines party....but I didn't plan on taking all the kids to town to run errands and get groceries, running to get a load of hay, getting the truck stuck in the horse lot, forgetting piano lessons, running down to help out our neighbor lady or sending my artistic decorator off on a snowy night to take Bryn to her babysitting job, watching the truck slide down the steep, snowy driveway into the road with Tyler jumping out as it went...No that is definitely NOT how I planned my day when I got up yesterday morning!!!

Valentines Banquet

Jeff and I went to our church Valentines Banquet last night..We had a delicious meal and a lot of fun games and fellowship!I was asked to take all the couples pictures for the night...I have a whole new appreciation for you Sarah!! I was really nervous...Made some mistakes...but did end up with some good pictures!

In one game, the ladies all took off their shoes and put them in a pile...

The men had to run up, find their wife's shoes and put them on her feet and be the first one standing.

Here Steve and Kelly are sorting out letters from an envelope "looking for LOVE". They had to find L O V E and then be the first to spell it right up front.

a GOOD morning!

Honestly, could there be a better way to start the morning?

This morning I used my chocolate eclair coffee creamer with the dunkin donuts coffee beans...YUMMO!

Just a picture.

What's for supper?

CHILI CHICKEN W/PASTA
Ingredients
6 oz. dried Angel hair pasta
3 fresh ears of sweet corn
1/4 cup olive or cooking oil
4 small skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1-1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
3 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice
Lime halves and Snipped Fresh Parsley (optional)
Directions
1. Cook pasta and corn in lightly salted boiling water according to pasta package directions. Drain in colander and rinse with cold water until cool.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon chili powder, the salt and pepper. In a large skillet cook chicken in 1 tablespoon hot oil over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once.
3. In a screw top jar combine remaining oil, chili powder and the lime juice; shake to combine. Cut corn from cob.
4. Divide chicken, corn, tomatoes and pasta on four dinner plates. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Serve with lime and parsley.

Alex's Birthday party

Alex asked for an Adidas cake this year. He wanted his dad to draw a shoe and decorate it..he was very happy with the results!

It took him a few tries to blow out his candles this year!! Hope he didn't wish for anything special!!

Opening presents...the high light of any birthday!

Alex has been asking for a new Bible for quite a while! I finally told him that if he would read it every day for a month, I would get him one...well he took care of that at Christmas time and now ...good mother that I am ....got him one for his Birthday! Summer put his name on it for him yesterday at church. He came up to me after sunday school and said.."I LOVE my new Bible!!"