Cleaning and Cooking

We decided to stay in today, but we also went to the Library to renew our cards and pick up I-Dude's prescription at CVS. At home, we totally went OT mode on cleaning and reorganizing.

Just before we got crazy on the chores, we had our own version of "McMuffin". I toasted our English muffins and I added tomatoes for a healthier add-in. We powered up with OJ, water and vitamins.

I reorganized my dishes again to accomodate the ones we found in the storage. Yes, I have more in there... I also washed dishes and cooked our meals. Mr. Man was busy going through our MBd to pick out stuff he wants to bring with him to Chicago. We found a couple of his post-mission pictures from the Philippines. Let's just say I have a gorgeous hubby... (lucky me!) :-D

The kiddos, since L-Infinity also got sick today with a cough and congestion, got to have a free day. We played a round of Rummikub and watched a music video of the Crazy Frog as well as they played a detective game on the computer.

Out of 3.5lbs of thinly sliced ribeye steaks, I was able to make three dishes that yielded 6-9 meals for us in two to three days. How much was the meat? Only $6.85! I made our staple, Bistek, a Filipino beef steak with onion in soy sauce. You eat it with freshly steamed Jasmine rice. So good!

Mr. Man also craved Beef Stroganoff, so I made that but Rachel Ray's recipe fell flat for him. He had to call his mama (so cute) to ask her recipe and we discovered that the magic ingredient was ketchup for his pallet! ;-) I quickly rewrote the recipe and filed it away in the computer for future reference.


Then, to end the day, we also decided that some Rootbeer Floats would be a great dessert since we didn't have much of those this week. I topped each pilsner with Redi-whip and a blackberry. It was a nice tang to all that sweetness!

Of course, the day wouldn't be officially over unless we prayed for all of our needs, friends and loved ones.

We had a great day today; the sun was out, mildly breezy and we had minimal errands. I'm so grateful that I have a family that love to spend time with me, love my cooking and love to tell me their thoughts and feelings. That I have one of the greatest husbands in the world. I-Dude was able to get his treatments on time, J-Pony set the two alarms in their room to go off every four hours and Mr. Man's alarms also. L-Infinity even made sure that she took medication every six hours and drank lots of water.

Like I've mentioned in our family creed, "We don't have much money or the best of everything, but our kingdom is full of love, laughter and wonderful memories." We live this way, everyday...

How was your warm Saturday?

My Beloved Grandmother

(From BuyFlowers dot com)

LUCENA C R L

(May 20, 1917 - 2005)

Beloved

paternal grandmother

and

honored matriarch

Reconnecting with Mesa Friends!

Saturday was spent getting together with friends that were close to us when we lived in Mesa, Arizona. We were so glad that most were available to see us!

First stop was at the campus housing to see my old friend, Heidi. She was my wonderful neighbor and friend even though she had her own burden to deal with. She made things bearable for me while I was there especially when she moved closer. Our children played on this Loop a lot after school. It was great seeing them all again and our children never had any awkward moments, what a memory to cherish- our girls took off to hide from the cameras like they used to do! Her MIL was visiting them as well and she remembered us. How awesome was that?

From L to R- D-Band (her oldest), T-Gamer, my own J-Pony, H-Sweetie, my I-Dude in front of his sister L-Infinity, A-Tenderheart and Heidi. E-Cutie is inside sleeping in her crib.

Here's Heidi and I. Yes, it was that bright! I couldn't blame her for shading her eyes... We saw her baby E-Cutie as well but since I didn't quite get her permission, I opted not to show it. I will send her the copies though via email...
Then we're off to the Mesa LDS Temple to get some last minute photo ops with Shelby and Michelle. Here's L-Infinity with her BFF, Shelby in front of the Christus inside the Visitor's Center. She met us for lunch at Ono's Hawaiian BBQ place in Gilbert, Ross and then drove with L to the temple with us.
Here's another and closer shot of the two of them. They make a point to see each other when they can. She visited us before for L's 16th birthday party. They had a blast!
J-Pony and I-Dude with Michelle, my "adopted" daughter. We've known Michelle since 2003 and she calls as often as she can. She met us Thursday night for dinner and stayed with the kids, Friday night for dinner at IHOP and Saturday at the temple.
Michelle and I. I love that purple top on her, but then again I love purple on most things, lol. I think it really looked great on her with those glasses, too!
Here she is in one of the exhibit rooms. The Book of Mormon exhibit. I just love her smile.
Then we all went to the park, but since she had to eat lunch and got invited to dinner, the kiddos are tired and Mr. Man too, I ended up taking pictures of birds mostly at the Riverview Fishing Park. Then we went to Fosters for dinner. As it turned out, it was also D-Swing's birthday! He is now 9! R & M Foster have known us since they moved in to our old ward in Cali back in 1999 and moved three months before we did to AZ. They lived in Mesa, we lived in Gilbert. So it was great to see D-Swing be just a growing baby in M's tummy to a nine year old boy! I think almost two years was the longest we haven't seen each other. We invited each other for the holidays, birthdays and just because dinners. There's K-Lovely, their baby daughter, she is adorable and very friendly. She got attached to J-Pony right away and was quite sad when we left. So was J...

I am so grateful for these friends that made us feel better and welcome while we were there... We missed several other people, but I know that we will come back again so we'll just make sure that we have more time to spare to see more of them...

Grad Night & FHE: Value of Education

These are from last Friday night, the 15th. We found a hotel room in Scottsdale, but the graduation commencement is in Phoenix, AZ. The graduates were asked to show up at 5:30 to register, get ready and be briefed on how the ceremony was to be conducted. So... that meant we had to leave our hotel room at 4:30PM the latest. Good thing, we found a great parking space and the ceremony was more than I could have ever imagined. It was quite surreal for me the whole time...

First off, Thursday was wrought with bad events.
~ Due to storms, we almost didn't make the first flight to Austin.
~ We barely made the next flight to Phoenix, two minutes before boarding.
~ Southwest Air lost our luggage with my grad getup in it and all of our clothes and toiletries! Got them back to Phoenix @ almost midnight; they were in LAS VEGAS!
~ I couldn't get hold of my mom all day. I was a nervous wreck!
~ Hertz surprised us with an extra $200 Pre-Auth hold on our rental car, taking all of our spending money so no flowers for me for grad night!
~ Called the Fosters to cancel on a Friday lunch since we didn't know what to do if we don't find my outfit. I couldn't walk in my commencement without them.
~ I spent the rest of the day trying to stop crying...

Good Note: Michelle got to see us and stayed with us through a late dinner and even stayed with the kids while we picked up our luggage at the airport.
My kind SIL, Maggie, kept calling me to offer help and comfort. Randy & Midori Foster had genuine sympathy when we told them and asked to be updated. My ILs told us to keep them updated and call for anything. My mom comforted me on the phone. I opened my blog early Friday and many from my tablescaping blog as well as here offered their congratulations. All helped to stop my tears. (That's why my eyes look tired and puffy)

Friday: This is just before we left...
After I tried it on. Yes, I ironed it or rather steamed it according to how our family friend Michelle and my dh, Mr. Man, recommended it. Good thing, too as I didn't bother with my HS grad gown and I wanted to look like I prepped for it.
The Orpheum Theater in Phoenix was next to none other than the PHOENIX City Hall! It was quite a surprise; a nice one since they had a park like setting between them and the kiddos got to play in the fountains and enjoyed seeing flowers and pigeons. ;-)
Here's the other side of the city hall building we faced while waiting

Here's the outside and inside of the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. None of our pictures did it justice so I'm borrowing these two to show its real beauty. (I sat in the seventh or eight row of the middle seats while the fam sat on the first set, about 9th or 10th row. We walked in the aisle between these two sets of seats then exited on the other aisle.)
This is just before the ceremony with the kiddos, but I didn't realize that I pulled my tassel to the left. A little too anxious I guess. ;-) I felt more accomplished knowing that they were all there to celebrate the day with me.
Me and Mr. Man. I didn't know if I was nervous or what, but even my smiles weren't quite cooperating. ;-) He did look great though so it saved the shot. Ok there's a nice smile, but of course the shot had to blurry. Story of my "not so" photogenic life. LOL
This is after the actual ceremony. See the relief and sheer happiness in my face. Genuine, people. Couldn't have reacted any differently... It was hot with all that people waiting to grab their grads for gifts and photo-ops. I had to wait for my fam as they were waiting for me just inside and I had no choice but to watch out for them from the outside. Good thing, I only had to wait 5 minutes before I spotted them.
Here's Mr. Man and I again... And a better smile from my tired face.
Had to share the glory...
We had to stop at this hotel both to rest my aching feet crammed in 3-in heels for 5 hours and to have another picture with my darling children.
I'm so glad that despite the bad start on Thursday, my graduation turned out amazing! More pictures of our Saturday fun tomorrow... We got to see great friends!

FHE tonight was about the value of Education.
Since GOD knows everything and we want to be like Him someday, we, too, should learn about Him, ourselves, others and the world around us. Learning is not just about going to school for 12 or more years, it should be continuous and constantly applied in righteous manner.

D&C 93:36-37: "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one."

FHE: Cinco de Mayo Dinner- Muy Sabroso!

We had a busy day yesterday and today. I needed a more dedicated baking area for the few times that I do bake since I can't stand using the table for sticky and messy batters. I'll have to show the pictures tomorrow.

Tonight, is our very first Cinco de Mayo celebration dinner. Since the kids are home from school, I needed a special dinner to distract them. So tonight became our Family Home Evening!

I made the placesetting simple but fun.

C'mon, everything's ready!
Plus, L-Infinity and Daniel are in the same Spanish class so what a great way to teach them to love what they are learning! Yes, I'm afraid they had a little too much love for the food! LOL

Want some Sangria? It's my own recipe.

Here's a seat for you.... Are you comfy?

How do you like the overall table?
The chicken enchiladas, beef and cheese taquitos, Spanish rice, and cubed beef soft tacos are on the counter.

Which one would you like to start with first?
There... Wasn't everything wonderful? You're ready for dessert already? Wow!
How about your very own piece of Ferrero Rondnoir?
Pure chocolatey goodness!

Why don't you find a spot in the couch and join the kiddos in watching-

NACHO LIBRE!

Mr. Man and I teach our children to love all people and one way to do that is through food and respect for the culture of those different from us.

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO!!!

I Never Forget a Kind Face...

First of all, I want to say that I am so bummed out that we forgot the camera in the van! (rant, rant, rant...)

Ok, now that I've blown off some steam... (lol)

I wanted to share with you a story about a couple who back in early 90s, helped me feel valued and I never, ever forgot them. We lost contact for a while, but I never forgot them.

I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a single mother to a then barely a toddler L-Infinity. Part of the "new member" welcome package was a pair of Visiting Teachers to check on me, at least, monthly and a pair of home teachers, also signed up as my monthly mentors. Well, instead of two partnerships to keep my faith going, I was given a single pair- a husband and wife; Brother and Sister Dansie. Why? Because they were the perfect pair I needed.

Sis. Dansie has a smile and a laugh that can disarm a whole military base. She can talk to you and you know she was listening. I remember first meeting with her at Mr. Man's parent's home and the whole room felt wonderful. We talked and we listened. We laughed and we cried a little (I was scared and excited at the same time being a new member of such an established denomination where everyone seemed interested in how this single mother would fare in her budding faith now with a solid compass.)

A few weeks later, her husband was assigned to be my first home teacher. Brother Dansie, in his low voice and kind attitude, came a powerful gesture of friendship and welcome. With the two of them proverbially holding me up to gain footing on this journey of undeniable truth I was in, I slowly but surely knew that my destiny lies with learning more, serving more, and loving more. Their genuine interest in my well being didn't stop with the formal release of their responsibility of me, not even their retirement induced move kept us apart. Sis. Dansie sent me birthday cards every year. The last few went missing and is mostly like sitting in the "forgotten" mail slot in some post office between us, but I've always felt their love for me.

When I married Mr. Man, it was like having two sets of in-laws. Mr. Man adored Brother Dansie and his career in Aviation Mechanics for United Airlines. Mr. Man always anchored his love of airplanes on the adventures that Bro. Dansie had and would regale me with how much he would love to do the same things, in his efforts to convince me to love it, too.

Fast forward to the last two-three years. We had to make a big decision of going back to school after Mr. Man's layoff and becoming a family of five. Even though I didn't want to marry a pilot, I knew that I had to let my dh pursue something he loved since he was faithful in pursuing everything else to put food on the table. I sat him down and said that if he was serious about going to school, I want him to go for what he loves because I want him to have a career, not a job. It turned out that he loved fiddling with the planes more than flying them! Whew! (Yes, my husband can fly planes, not any commercial jetliners, but two seaters and very small passenger planes, you bet) As if by fate, we found ourselves living in the area that when we first saw it, didn't think much of it and secretly hoped we would never need to be in. (How many times have I said that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor?)

Next thing we know Mr. Man now knows Aviation Mechanics, has a license and a certificate and is waiting to be called by US Airlines. We waited a year, but nothing. Then the same instructor who believed in him told him to apply at Southwest Airlines. (Here's the divine sense of humor kicking in) After Mr. Man got the interview call (he only waited a week), and the second interview call, and after he was offered the job as a part of the cleaning crew, US Airlines calls and offers him a job! We prayed for clarity but we knew that US Airlines messed up and that Southwest Airlines is a more viable option for us. Then we had to move again- to Texas!

Fast forward to last week, I hear the phone ring and the ID said, "M Dansie". I had to reread it three or four times before I answered the call. When she first said "hello, is this...?" I said, "yes it is and I'm grinning ear to ear because it's you Sis. Dansie..." I was literally shaking with glee and was beyond shock when she said that she was here visiting her son and his family (Chris and Lisa) for a few weeks and if we can find time to see each other. I kid you not, I almost dropped the phone! I wanted to see her that day, but with a household of eggheads, the calendar's always full. And so we found time to meet at her son's and tonight, yes, tonight, we had the long overdue visit. Just like a little kid, I made sure to be the first one to get out of the van! I even showed her my blogs! Yes, ladies, I did and she loved them! She loved the tables that I did, and as always, she was genuinely interested in me and how I've turned out. I just love her!

Brother Dansie was happy to be talking to Mr. Man about his past career and L-Infinity had a great time talking to Lisa who is probably one of the nicest ladies I've ever met! Chris and Mr. Man grew up together and as good friends. The Dansies and Mr. Man's parents are great friends.

Chris and Lisa were such gracious hosts. I wish we lived closer to them. And to think that they have been here in Texas for 10 years!

Hugging my first ever visiting and home teachers goodbye was so bittersweet... But it's like being away from your parents, it is enough that you know they love you... I wish soon will come sooner...

FHE: NHS Induction Night & TAKS

Tonight, we celebrated for two main reasons: L-Infinity's NHS Induction Night and J-Pony's TAKS testing.

When our children have something to celebrate or testing the next day, the Filipino in me comes out full force and the table ends up groaning from all the food requests and menu tweaking! I take dinner requests and find food items to surprise them with to make dinner more fun! It's my way of making sure they get the proper nutrition and be full enough to get a good night's rest! No sodas or junk food on testing times! ;-)

So here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure!

First, we dined on Shrimp with Snowpeas in White Sauce over Rice (homemade or bought?)



Then, they enjoyed a melon salad mix and this Steamed Cheese Cake Bars with diced strawberries. These yummy pastries is one of the desserts at Ono's Hawaiian BBQ in Gilbert, AZ, made in Japan.

These were made in and imported from Tokyo, Japan distributed via California!
These strawberries were freshly put out on display when we got to our fave Asian market. The containers were still cold! We grabbed two and washed them well before enjoying them with this delectable treat. It's soft and sticky but oh so yummy!


We also dined on Filipino Tocino (sweet cured meat) and oranges, bananas, apples and refreshing ice water!

Here's the podium dressed for the NHS ceremony in the auditorium. Each candle represents the attributes that NHS stands for- Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Character.


Here's the principal, Mr. Jones. Apparently, he ends up winging his speeches every year because the prior speeches by the officers end up covering what he wants to say! ;-)


My favorite part of the ceremony was when the Principal reversed the standards of NHS: Scholarship, Leadership, Service & Character to Character first because if you have character you will have the tendency to do right by people thru Service. When you serve others, Leadership follows. And when Leadership becomes part of your character thru service, Scholarship is the resulting factor since Leadership begets experience and skills leading to knowledge and intelligence. Pretty good summation of what I've always tried to instill in my children. I'm glad we went!


There's L-Infinity walking with the other inductees! The officers noted how quickly everyone got up and took their certificate. LOL. I was wondering why L was almost down the steps on the other end by the time they called her name!


Here's L-Infinity with her NHS certificate! Yay, L!!! Congratulations!


And here she is with her two church ward and school friends who were inducted last year.
Each year, to support the inductees, the members are asked to attend. What a great way to support friends!


Here she is with her guy, Daniel. I can't believe it's been three months!


And the kiddos with Mr. Man after eating slices of NHS cake and punch! I'm surprised they weren't that wired by the time we got home! Two desserts in one night! YIKES!

So goes another busy Monday and improvised FHE, but at least we had one! It was about celebrating each other's acccomplishments!

HOW WAS YOUR MONDAY?

The Cutie Crew Tours Dallas!

... with the help of the Lap Bus!

We only had four children today in Nursery but boy, were they awake! They were ready for anything and welcomed the two great ladies who helped me, Shari and Anna! (You both rock!)

They ate all the snacks, lesson, songs and games we did, but it wasn't enough. They even chased each other and screamed with delight on practically everything! You know that young children love to be entertained so I made up the Lap Bus!

Using my lap as the bus, and with some key rattle, we went to the Dallas Aquarium, Zoo, Arboretum, and even McDonald's for lunch! Anna even gave them a tour on her Lap Jeep to other various places including the library where they got books on helping to clean up the toys!

It was so much fun! I so love being in the Nursery; seeing the littlest ones learn and enjoy themselves is its own reward. Any Nursery leader can see that. I'm just grateful that I do, too!

We started the lesson with Shari reading from the scriptures after our own Cutie Crew member, Madeline said the prayer, I gave the lesson and we ended the class with Red Light/Green Light with Anna. You gotta love Nursery! The kids are just our source of energy! Yeah!

At home, we had the funnest lunch as our own Mr. Man got us laughing over how to teach our children to help me distract other shoppers to secure the great deals. His best one for 90% off deals was to have our children go up to the other women and ask, "Are you my mommy?" LOL
L-Infinity said, "I would so do that!" while laughing her head off and J-Pony said, "If she does it, I'll do it, too so mommy can get her great deals!" I-Dude said, "Me, too. No, I won't..."

There's only one other thing I'm waiting for to go down at least 60% off. I'll tell you when I get it, IF I get it. It hasn't broken over 55% off yet since I saw it after Christmas, so I'm trying to be really patient! ;-)

How was your Sunday?

FHE: King of Charades!

Another Monday, another Family Home Evening! Yay!!!

Tonight, we did Charades! Why? Because the kiddos were all sick with one thing or another: tummy bugs, colds, sore throat, and mild fever.

So all of us used I-Dude's Charades kit where the topics are pretty basic.

Well of course all four of us took the simple way for the kids to guess quickly, but not Mr. Man, he had to be the funny and creative participant!

It was his turn and got an "Object" card. It was a pencil. A pencil.

Mr. Man pauses for a little bit then proceeds to grab our cat's bed basket that has an opening that looks like the picture below, puts the opening over his head, turns it three times, then proceeds to go to our big calendar on the wall and "writes" with his head!

Do you get it? He's a pencil! But it was dull, so he "sharpened" it first! The kids and I were bustin' up laughing when he started "writing" on the calendar. LOL

How about this one?

Can you guess what the "Action" is?

See I-Dude? He looks "folded" ...

Now he looks "opened"...

Notice Mr. Man's finger, it's "traveling left to right."

Did you guess it yet?

He was "reading"!

J-Pony says, "Goodbye, everybody!"

Saturday Social

Today was spent gardening, essay writing, attending birthday parties, essay writing, eating, essay writing, showers, essay writing, seeing Monsters vs. Aliens (LOVED IT! YOU NEED TO SEE IT!), going to Jo-Ann's for some Easter clearance hunting (found a great egg dish- 70% off; yes I only grabbed one item, I've got a "wish list" of dinnerware I'm saving up for), quick soup sipping, essay writing, bedtime praying, hugging, kissing, essay writing, essay writing, essay writing, essay writing... (can you guess who did what? LOL)

So tired...

How did you spend your Saturday?

FHE: Our Home is Our Sanctuary

We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter Sunday. I can honestly say that we did. I'll have to catch you up on it on another post.

I am quite humbled that we remembered to do Family Home Evening again. We focused on being a family, being in our home and how we can keep it safe and more spiritually and physically clean.

I'm the first one to admit that we have a lot to work on when it comes to figuring out what we're going to do with the extra stuff still sitting in boxes that we love and use, just can't store anywhere, we are at a loss. We can't afford pretty containers, bigger storage or get a house, so for now, we get creative.

But our home, since Mr. Man and I were still dating, was to be a home of happy memories, kindness and love. But more than anything, we wanted a home that our children would love to be in. And so far, it is. I stumbled upon the late President Gordon B. Hinckley's conference talk on October 2002 General Conference featured in the Liahona in November 2002. He said:

"If we fail in our homes, we fail in our lives. No man is truly successful who has failed in his home. I ask you men, particularly, to pause and take stock of yourselves as husbands and fathers and heads of households. Pray for guidance, for help, for direction, and then follow the whisperings of the Spirit to guide you in the most serious of all responsibilities, for the consequences of your leadership in your home will be eternal and everlasting." (LDS.org)

We applied that statement to each of us, not just for Mr. Man. We all have a part in making our home successful and more of a sanctuary. We talked of the good things about our family and how our standards are set for our own spiritual safety.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World stands as our compass to keep improving our family life. We have it in our dining room as it is our gathering place.

Mr. Man and I made the sacrifice that I would stay home so that our children will feel safe and welcome in our home. We encourage people to come over but we do not allow bad language or inappropriate subjects in our home. We taught them tonight that protecting our home is a group effort and we need everyone to maintain the loving standards we enjoy.

When you come in our home, the first thing you see is the picture of our Savior Jesus Christ, similar to the picture at the top of this post. We never needed to explain why to those who come in our home why we chose Him to be who greets them at the front door. He is whom we chose to serve and emulate each day and though we are not perfect at it, we want others to know of WHO reigns in our home...

Getting Ready...

Easter is tomorrow and there are a lot to do for dinner and our own egg hunt, so today, we woke up, ate breakfast, and stopped at Kroger. Why, because it is our ward's Easter Egg Hunt for the Primary children. We had so much fun! Of course we did, considering since the last time we had celebrated Easter (you know with eggs and good dinner) was back in 2006. Why? Because we moved in 2007, so I started packing in early March. Last Easter, I was in school and doing midterms, so the celebration happened quick.

We cleaned our windows, vacuumed and we swept out our front step and changed out our rugs. We said NO to any TV all day tomorrow and have finished out our menu.

At the store, we picked up candies and plastic hinged eggs. We got the kids some new baskets because our Easter stuff from the past years are still buried in the storage! Now the question is, can you guess who owns which basket?

Before you guess, how about some Tea Cakes?

I got the recipe for these fat soft cookies from a fellow blogger,

Shelia of Note Songs
(you should visit her, her blog is so fun)

My kids loved these cookies, so I made enough for tomorrow's dinner, too!

Ok, here are the pictures to see who has which basket.

Are you ready?

Are you sure?

Are you done guessing?

J-Pony has the orange, and I-Dude has the green!

Did you guess right?

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!