Monday, April 28, 2008

Finding Jesus in our front yard...

This weekend was full of fun and strange happenings, so this will be a random post for sure. Maybe, I'll try the list format...

1. Emily came home from school early on Friday with pink eye. It just so happens that she's still home today with pink eye in both eyes. Poor Em...

2. Friday afternoon at work, I looked up from the playground to see 4 deer in the school's front yard. This is a very dense and developed neighborhood; however, this is not the first time that deer have been walking around as if they are right at home. Can you imagine?

3. Saturday, we spent some time cleaning up the yard and house to get ready for a realtor coming by. Our lease is coming to an end and this house is going on the market at the end of the week. While cleaning up the yard, Jason found this in the flower bed: 


I've really tried to see a sign out of this finding but haven't come up with anything profound!

4. Sunday morning, we were moving slowly and didn't make it to church. Instead, we had our first official "home church". I say we did a pretty good job considering the fact that our audience was 7, 4 and 2. We talked about the greatest commandment: love the Lord your God. We sang some songs to God about how much we love Him. We let each one of the kids pick a song to sing. It was fun, although Ben wanted to sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep". (We decided to save that one for later.) Emily picked "John 3:16" and Abby picked "Jesus Loves Me". We then went on to talk about ways that we can show God we love Him and ways that we can show our neighbors love. Please, Lord, help it to sink into those little minds...

5. After "church", we transplanted our tomato plants into pots. This was a fun time for about 30 seconds. Does anyone else dream up family projects and it doesn't always pan out the way you dream? Needless to say, we had to get the bubbles out to distract a certain little someone from dumping dirt all over the deck. We found the perfect sunny spot for the tomatoes only to have to bring them in last night because of a cold front that may bring snow this week!  (It's been in the upper 70's and sunny for the past two weeks.) Today, my heater is back on and it's 47 degrees outside...


Last day as pods


Ooo...this is fun!


Daddy's helpers


The finished product

6. Emily had a makeup piano lesson on Sunday afternoon. I was sitting on the couch during her lesson and looked down to see some white stuff on my pant leg. I uncrossed my arms and there was a green spider on my leg in the midst of weaving a web on my pants! No, I did not scream, but not because I didn't want to. Somehow, I was able to have some control.  Isn't that weird?

7. Tried a new recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Burrito Casserole
8 small (fajita-size) flour tortillas
2 cups refried beans
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1-1/2 cups store bought salsa (choose your spiciness)
Optional: 1 minced fresh jalapeno pepper
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut 5 of the flour tortillas into strips, about 1/2 inches in width and set aside. Line the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with the remaining flour tortillas. Spread an even layer of refried beans over the tortillas.  In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and beef to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes; breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. Pour off and discard any excess liquid, stir in the salsa. Spread meat mixture over the refried beans, sprinkle on optional jalapeno peppers. Top with tortilla strips and sprinkle on cheddar cheese. Bake in oven until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes and chopped avocado on the side.

8. Found these at Michael's and used a 50% off coupon. One for my kids and one for a birthday present for a friend. Total cost for both: $5.00. Awesome!



Have a great week!
 

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