Easter Recipe

I'm stealing the idea to post this - instead of emailing it out - from my friend Amber - fellow blogger!

As requested...

Berry Delight

-Cream Mixture-
Mix together:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and then add to above ingredients:
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 c. cool whip (I used a 16 oz. tub)
1 tsp. vanilla

-Cake-
Angel Food Cake (I bought mine from the store, but you can make one)
Cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes (if you make yours it might be easier to bake them in loaf pans. I tried to find the loaves at the store, but no luck...this will make your cutting easier - this doesn't have to be exact...I ended up tairing mine at the end).

-Berries-
Mix together:
32+ oz. bag(s) of frozen unsweetened berries:
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
I found a mixed bag at HEB and bought 3 of those
8-12 oz. Berry Jam (flavor of your choice) mix with berries to thicken.
3-4 Tbs. Sugar

Layer the above 3 items in this order:
1. Cream mixture - VERY THIN layer
2. Cake - about half the cubes
3. Cream mixture - very thin, just enough to seal the cake from the berries
4. Berries - about half the mix
And repeat step 1-4. You might want to reserve just a bit of the cream mixture to dollup on the top of the dessert, but choice is yours - you can also use spray whipped cream. Add fresh berries and greenery to top, if desired.

ENJOY!

Catching Up!

Well, as you can see by the date between postings we haven't been very vigilant! During the last postings I was in Ok visiting my family. I landed Saturday night at about 8:30 and Coby left for a week of business travel to St. Louis Monday morning at 6:00 - at least that is when the flight left the airport. That week was crazy busy with at least something (more like somethingS) going on every day and night. Luckily it rained Monday, so T-Ball practice for Chaz (the first week of...)was rescheduled for Wednesday. This was good that we had Monday night "off", but that added one more thing to an already tight schedule on Wednesday. Tuesday night was the first soccer practice for Aedan. Coby is the coach (he was supposed to be the asst. coach but no one else volunteered), since he was out of town I became the coach. The kids both loved their practices!

We finished off the week with meetings for Council for St. Peter's ECDC and committee meetings and I was bad a skipped Thursday night Enrichment because something had to give. We had been away from the house most of the days and most of the nights and the kids and I needed a break. I wanted to go and from all reports it was wonderful, but just wasn't going to happen!

Coby came home late Friday night and the kids were very glad to see him on Saturday morning. This last week Coby was home and that was good because it was Spring Break for Chaz. We didn't do anything really exciting, but Friday Coby had off for Good Friday and so we took care of hair cuts, errands (Costco run) and tried to go to the Zoo. The weather was so beautiful that most of Houston had the same great idea as us and so the Zoo was so crazy we couldn't even find a parking spot! We drove around for about an hour in the traffic to try and find a spot and there were NONE (which is pretty amazing because there is lots of parking).

We were lucky to have "plan B" tucked away for just such an event. Coby and I had been talking about getting a trampoline for some time now. The kids are always jumping on the beds, ottomans, couch...whatever they can find to bounce them and I'm tired of it! The "need" a trampoline. We were actually trying to buy time by going to the zoo so that we could meet up with our friend - with the truck to transport said trampoline - and get it home. The timing was perfect. Just when we decided there was no parking, he called to say that he was ready (he was downtown Houston too). We headed up to I-10, jumped on the HOV lane and within 30 minutes we were at Sam's for the big purchase! It was home and up before sun down and the kids love it. I love it because I can tell them to head outside to jump!

We enjoyed Easter with lots of friends over to stuff our bellies and Coby left again for another week away - this time in Farmington, NM. Chaz and Aedan resumed practices after a week off and lucky me I'm the substitute coach for soccer this week. We look forward to a community garage sale this weekend and I hope to make lots of money selling our junk...it is so true...one mans junk......you finish the thought.

I hope Easter found you happy and healthy. What a blessing to remember the Atonement of Jesus Christ and to celebrate this wonderful time with so many friends. We are blessed!!

Another Day gone by

Tonight we got the actual experience of restaurant night...we went to King Burger as Chaz calls it. "They have the biggest play land you know dad, and it's on the way to my school" direct quote from our beloved 5 year old. So we go to Burger King tonight, not my choice, and I guess I am getting old because the kids in High School seem to be more punks or just really rude. We were trying to get our drinks and these kids were cutting in front of my darlings and I thought Gavin was about to go UFC on one of these kids. This one had the full peach fuzz gansta beard thing going, looked more funny than anything. Anyway, the kids were just looking at these punks and I think Aedan even said excuse me you are in my way. I totally loved it, miss priss afraid of her shadow is taking on some high school punks and Gavin was ready to strike...the whole time Chaz is getting his straw ready for beverage consumption. After all that we sat down everyone ate like champs and then played for 20 min and then we came home and took showers. All is still going well but we sure do miss having mom at home. Being a single parent is not the easiest or most fun job in the world.

While the Mom's away...

Well day two are coming to a fast close and the kids and I are still alive. Codi is at her parents' house visiting for the week. Clint was in from Korea and will soon be heading off to the deserts of Iraq. She will also be teaching a class at a women's conference on Saturday. So while mom is away the kids and I get to "party"...lots of story time and "restaurant" time...last night it was frozen pizza before the gym and tonight it was chicken nuggets and peanut butter sandwichs. I talked them out of Chick-fil-a or Whataburger. After a long days work it wasn't easy finding the energy to wrangle them in a restaurant or really even cook a good meal. The kids have been great and have behaved better than expected. What happens when Codi and I are together is a mystery. The kids pray for her each night and at meals...I am sure she will be well watched over until we pick her up on Saturday night. Then Monday morning it will be my turn to head out for the week for work only to come home for a week then travel again and come home on my birthday. Nothing like coming home to family on a birthday.