Lunch, funny questions, and PaPa's farm

We ate lunch with Grandy today at Red Lobster. My grandma Beej, mom, and I used to eat there each time we came home for a visit {during our 12 years in the military}. I guess Sarah eventually started eating with us, too. I always eat snow crab legs; today, Sarah also ordered a kid's portion. Boy there were a lot of shells to crack!!

In March 2007, Beej had surgery for colon cancer. The surgery and removal of cancer was successful, but during the surgery, her hernia expanded and compromised the air in her lungs...she has been in a nursing home and unable to walk ever since then. Until recently, she was also on a pureed food diet. So...today we snuck her in some coleslaw and those wonderful Cheddar Bay biscuits!

Anyway...while we were eating, Shane asked "What kind of animal does chicken come from, a pig or a cow?" We all answered "Chicken!" Shane then asked, "The bock-bock kind?"

With PaPa's farm in Burleson, the kids are immersed in a whole range of fun experiences. PaPa has many cows which he raises and then sells or butchers. He trapped three wild hogs [Bacon, Tenderloin, and Pork Chop]; we have enjoyed the meat from one-but, not sure which one. We also love to go down and pick fresh fruits & vegetables--corn, zucchini, squash, watermelon, blackberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, and mouth-watering tomatoes.

Have I mentioned that I am so glad to be back in Texas and close to family!!

Meeting Darren Sproles

One of the highlights from our vacation to San Diego was meeting Darren Sproles (#43) who is the back-up running back for the San Diego Chargers. Steve is a true COWBOYS fan, but he also watches San Diego games so that he can hear "Sproles scored a touch down." Now let me just put in here, that with tivo, Steve is able to replay these announcements over and over to make sure that each person in our family gets to hear. :) Even though his name is spelled differently, it is pronounced just like ours. Here is the process that we went through to get our picture made with him...

Day 1-- We went to the retail store and found out where the player's practice facility was located. Then we went there and met a really nice receptionist who told us that we had just missed Darren. She told us to come back the next day a little earlier.

Day 2 -- We went back to the practice place and found that Darren had not come in that day. We met another nice representative of the team that let us take pictures with the trophy case and also with a poster featuring Sproles making a great catch that were both in the lobby. At this point, we thought this was all we might get, so we were excited.

Day 3 -- We went once more to the practice field and found out from a not so nice secretary, whom was filling in for the super nice lady, that Darren was practicing, but we could not wait in the lobby for him. We could, however, wait outside in the parking lot. He also told us that Darren drove a white Chrysler...something or other...and that as long as his car was there, then we might catch him. So, outside we went to wait. We waited for 45 minutes to an hour and made friends with a guy that washes the player's cars each week. He went inside and talked to Darren and told him that there was a family visiting from Texas with the same name that would like to meet him. Not sure if he told him we were stalking him, or what, but anyway...Then the car-washer-guy came out and told us that Darren was wearing a red shirt. This helped us "pounce" on the right player. Well, as it all turned out, Darren was a very nice guy that took a picture with us. He was a little shorter than we had expected, a couple of inches shorter than my 5'9". I guess this helps him "hide" behind the big guys and then run fast in for touchdowns.

Here is a link that Steve sent me about Darren Sproles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9KxK9k6sI8&feature=related

Steve is super-excited about the fact that San Diego will be playing here in Dallas this season. Steve will be the one COWBOY fan wearing a Sproles jersey, cheering on his namesake. Luckily, the game is well into the season; hopefully, by then, Steve will have befriended those ticket holders around us well enough that they don't bludgeon him with their programs. If Steve has it his way, he will trade game tickets with those around us, so that all 4 of us can attend this game!

Garlic Lime Chicken Marinade

This was super easy, and the chicken was so moist!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice --about 2 med-sized limes
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Place chicken in a ziploc bag. Mix together soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and mustard. Pour remainder over chicken in bag. Toss to coat well.
2. Marinate in fridge 30 min or up to 4 hours. Drain chicken; discard leftover marinade. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
3. Grill chicken and enjoy!!

More Fun for Sarah

Sarah earned her first Brownie "Try-It" badge at a Girl Scout Workshop at the Young Chef's Academy in Ft. Worth. http://youngchefsacademy.com/

The badge was called "Make It - Eat It." At her cooking class they made sloppy joes, Brownie soup, baked apples, and lemonade. This was right up her alley, as she loves to help out in the kitchen. This summer, she has taken a real interest in helping her PaPa in the kitchen. He is a great chef and has a lot to teach her. He doesn't always know how to duplicate a recipe beacuse he puts a little of this and a little of that, but I think that's probably true of most cooks.

I wish I had paid more attention to the things he tried to teach me about cooking before I got married. Maybe then Steve and I would have eaten a lot fewer "out-of-the-cardboard-box" meals as newlyweds.


Yesterday, we went to Sunshine Glaze Art studio in Southlake http://sunshineglaze.com/ and made a mosaic picture frame. We went with Kate and her mom, Renee. I will take a picture of the finished product once we grout it. Sarah also went to this shop for a Girl Scout event and got to paint a ceramic kitty jewelry box.

Horsing Around

Colleyville hosts a Reading Celebration every summer to encourage kids to read. This is the 2nd time we have attended this FREE event. Lots to do...bow and arrow shooting, creating with Legos, make your own snow-cones, a mock cattle-drive {this time it got out of control, the longhorns kind of went wild. Lots of Daddys gathering up their kiddos to keep them safe. Why are men's reflexes so much faster?} sand art, balloon animals, and riding ponies.

We enjoyed the evening with our cousin's Lynnze' and Jimi who have recently moved back to Texas from Pittsburgh. Since Steve threw out his back this week and couldn't work, he went with us as well.

"Pedi" FUN!

Sarah got her first pedicure! We had gone to the gym to work out, but our trainer had something come up. There is a great nail place in same shopping center, so we both enjoyed some pamper time! I must say that Shane did great waiting--he played with his Batman and Robin toys in the big chair and got a little massage, too. We scheduled a Sweet and Sassy day for the weekend before school starts (Aug 25th) for Sarah and her good friend Kate.

American Girl Store

We went to the American Girl doll store for Sarah's 1/2 birthday. Since we happened to be in San Diego at Lego Land for Shane's, we needed to do something fun for Sarah. (Shane got a creepy looking Jabba the Hut toy for his Star Wars collection.)

Now most people think, half-birthday, what is that? Well, since both our kids have January birthdays, which is so close to Christmas, we also celebrate their halves. {Steve and his sister have Jan/Feb birthdays, so this is a tradition that Memaw started. }

Anyways...we drove to the Galleria--I am so thankful for my GPS--to shop. Sarah and Kit were very excited! Sarah had saved up $56 from her weekly allowance to spend. That is a lot of chores at 25 cents each (and she gives to church and saves for her car). Sarah picked out matching pink shirts with the American Girl star logo on them and a softball outfit for Kit since that is the sport Sarah tried this past spring. Sarah also picked out Coconut, the little white dog and Grace, Kit's Basset-Hound. I must say, I got off easy only having to buy the two t-shirts. All the items in the store are pricey, but oh-so cute! We were easily in the store 1 1/2 to 2 hours looking at all the dolls, accessories, and outfits. There is a Bistro there that you can eat at with your doll and a doll "hair-salon." We did not wait the hour for a new-do, but we can always go back, right?

I must say, I had as much fun as Sarah did on this little outing. I sure did love my Mandy and Jenny dolls growing up. Too bad there wasn't a store for them. Shane did great considering the day was focused on Sarah. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday!