You may or may not have noticed I changed my header picture again. Instead of one duck, there are now two. I am currently looking for some chickens to photograph.
I think I could take some awesome chicken pictures.
Don't ask me why. It's a gift I cannot explain.
RANDOMNESS #1 - The Basketball Banquet was held this past Wednesday night, and a good time was had by all.
It was the last basketball "event" for six of the chicks, so it was a little bittersweet.
Thanks to the Seniors and Coach Barnett, this team really came together as players AND friends. It was one of the sweetest seasons I've ever experienced... as a Mom of a Chick on the basketball team!
Roxie and Kelci. They've been together since 7th grade, and it appears they are going to keep on keeping on.
Kelci and Joy. (I love Joy's name. It fits her, I think. Look at that smile.)
Roxie, Caroline, Taylor and Kelci.
The Varisty Chicks!
Roxie and Sweet Taylor.
Roxie and Legs. (Chelsea No. 1.)
Roxie and Daloney. (Chelsea No. 2.)
I know what you're thinking. That is not a good print for me. This top is being retired as we speak. But other than that, it's a good picture, don't you think?
Roxie and Mikie always take a good picture... regardless of his print.
I love this picture of Roxie with the basketball court behind her.
And I'm glad The Chick still has a couple more years to play. It ain't over yet!
RANDOMNESS #2 - Amazing Race - Easter Style! - We did this in 2009 with my kids and The Cousins. It was a BIG hit, so I thought I'd repost for those of you who have tweens and teens who might want to do something fun together.
This falls under "transition traditions" for teenagers who liked hunting Easter eggs when they were younger. If your family set aside a day for traditional egg hunts, this is something new and fun to try with the now older kids in your family.
Since I have this planned for the Friday before Easter, I will give you my outline and the Monday after Easter I will tell you if it was successful... or not.
1. We are going to the Galleria after school on Friday. (My three children - ages 18, 15 and 12 and my sister's three children - ages 17, 15 and 11.)
2. The three oldest (Austin, Brad and Josh) will be on a team by themselves. Katie, Roxie and Zac will be on a team with their Aunt Bev.
3. The clues will be on a piece of paper I will have in a large manila envelope. There are two places in the Race they will receive envelopes from other people in the mall.
The following is a copy of the instructions, clues and envelopes:
Each team will have the following when the race begins... 1 manila envelope; 1 instruction sheet; 1 pen; 1 digital camera. When the race ends, each team should have all of the above, but also two envelopes (one from Auntie Anne's Pretzels and one from their Grandmother) along with a signed Easter card for their Grandmother.
Each team will start together in the same place. I will hand a large manila envelope to each team. Of the eight clues I am about to show you, Team One will be racing in order (1 - 7), and Team Two will be racing backward (7 - 1). They will not know the difference. They have the same clues, just in a different order so they won't arrive at the same destinations at the same time. This is what the sheet of paper will say when they open their manila envelope.
WELCOME TO THE AMAZING RACE - EASTER STYLE!
YOU MUST COMPLETE EACH TASK IN ORDER. NO RUNNING IS ALLOWED. THE FIRST TEAM TO REACH THE PIT STOP OF THE RACE WILL BE DECLARED THE WINNER. HOWEVER, YOU MUST HAVE ALL THE ENVELOPES YOU HAVE COLLECTED WITH YOU WHEN YOU CHECK IN OR YOU WILL SUFFER A FIVE MINUTE TIME PENALTY.
YOU WILL HAVE $15 FOR THIS LEG OF THE RACE. COUNT YOUR MONEY, AND BEGIN!
1. Find the elevators in the middle of the Food Court. Ride to the 2nd floor and back down again a total of three times. You should exit on the 1st floor. NOTE: YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE SECOND FLOOR THREE TIMES BEFORE YOU GET OFF THE ELEVATOR ON THE 1ST FLOOR.
2. Now make your way to the Book Store in the mall. Find an Easter book. Take one member's picture with the book.
3. Go to where children are having their picture made with the Easter Bunny. Take one member's picture with the Easter Bunny behind them. NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE AND HAVE YOUR PICTURE MADE WITH THE EASTER BUNNY. HE JUST HAS TO BE IN THE BACKGROUND OF YOUR PICTURE.
4. Go to Auntie Anne's Pretzel stand. Order one order of cinnamon pretzel sticks with one cup of icing and one large Coke. Don't forget napkins and three straws. Ask the clerk for your next clue after you place your order. (THE PERSON BEHIND THE COUNTER WILL HAND THEM AN ENVELOPE WHEN THEY ASK. THE ENVELOPE HAS TO BE OPENED, AND IT WILL TELL THEM TO GO TO THE FOOD COURT AND FIND THEIR GRANDMOTHER WHO IS SITTING AT ONE OF THE TABLES. THEY ARE TO SIT DOWN AND EAT THEIR PRETZEL STICKS, DRINK THEIR COKE AND THEIR GRANDMOTHER WILL HAND THEM THEIR NEXT ENVELOPE WHEN THEY FINISH.)
THE ENVELOPE HANDED TO THEM BY THEIR GRANDMOTHER WILL TELL THEM TO GO TO THE CAROUSEL. ONE PERSON HAS TO RIDE THE CAROUSEL... OR THEY CAN DO THE ROADBLOCK.
ROADBLOCK - IF ONE PERSON IS NOT WILLING TO RIDE THE CAROUSEL, THEN THE GROUP HAS TO STAND BESIDE THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAROUSEL AND WAIT UNTIL IT MAKES TWO COMPLETE RIDES. (NOW THEY LOOK BACK AT THEIR SHEET OF PAPER.)
5. Find the Gourmet Bubble Gum machines in the mall. Each person on the team must find and buy their favorite flavor. Before you move on to the next clue, EACH person must blow a bubble with their bubble gum.
6. Go to BumperNets. EACH person must play one game before moving to the next clue. It can be air hockey, pinball, pool, etc. You do not have a lot of time. REMEMBER... PLAY ONLY ONE GAME PER PERSON. (It is acceptable for air hockey to count for two members of the team. The third member of the team would need to play another game. The games can all be played at the same time.)
7. Go to the Hallmark Store and pick out an Easter card for Grandmother. Watch your money. (BE CHEAP!!!) Purchase the card. ALL three team members must sign the card with the pen in the manila envelope. Seal the card and put it in the manila envelope to give to Grandmother at the end of the race.
8. Make your way to the entrance of J. C. Penney's and look for Grandmother. This is the Pit Stop of this leg of the race. Remember, the last team to arrive may be eliminated.
Now remember, this is Team One's list. Team Two's list will begin as follows and go from 7 to 1.
1. Go to the Hallmark store and pick out an Easter card for Grandmother. Etc., etc., etc.
Each Team's number 8 on the list will be the same.
I will arrive at the Galleria early to talk to the clerk at Auntie Anne's Pretzels, and leave the envelopes.
Again, this worked out great in 2009. The kids had a blast and the adults had a pretty good time, too.
Quotable Quotes - I feel very "Billy Graham-ish" today, and I love the following quote:
"Too many women have too much leisure time for their own good. They have time for criticism, gossip, faultfinding and complaining. They have time for idle games and lay too much attention to things of the flesh. There are other women who have too little time for the enduring things of life. They are too busy flitting about doing this and that. They have great activity and much doing, but they lack time for building Christian characters. Both kinds of women... the too-idle and the too-busy need to take time for meditation and quiet repose in prayer to God. They need time to cultivate their souls that in turn they may cultivate their children's lives."
Unfortunately, I am guilty of both sides... too-idle sometimes AND too-busy other times.
However, today I am going to intentionally cultivate my soul.
I can't think of a better thing to do on Good Friday!
Blog Linkage - Do you want to smile right now? I mean, right this very minute?
Go to www.kellehampton.com and click on her March 27 post entitled "Love. That is all."
Watch the video.
Are you smiling?
I thought so!
Spaghetti Pie
This is my Pinterest recipe for the week. Or should I say, Roxie's Pinterest recipe for the week?
She made this while I piddled in the kitchen... and it was good!
You will need the following:
4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10" glass pie plate with olive oil. Cook, drain spaghetti and set aside.
2. Cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir in pasta sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook an additional 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Place spaghetti in pie plate.
4. In a small bowl, stir eggs and cottage cheese until well mixed. Spread evenly over spaghetti.
5. Spoon beef mixture over cottage cheese mixture.
6. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake 35 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Roxie and I left out the green pepper and the onion. We used Ragu Pasta Sauce (Traditional).
It was very flavorful.
It cuts just like a pie.
Not only was it delicious, but it presented well, too!
Enjoy!
Weekend Happenings
I honestly believe we are going to have a most wonderful weekend.
Mike and The Brothers are going to The White House for a steak dinner tonight, and then they are going to check out G. I. Joe starring THE ROCK!
I'm just a little envious.
Tomorrow I'm going to dye four dozen eggs for decorating Saturday night. Do not ask me who will be decorating the eggs. It may be one person or it may be five people or it may be a dozen. I know I will have the eggs and all the decorating paraphernalia available from 5:00 p.m. until midnight!
Sunday, we will attend church as The Faulkner Five. There are only two times a year we sit together in church as a family... Easter and Christmas Eve. Those are very, very special times for me as the Maternal Unit.
That being said, I'm pretty sure something will happen and some of us will end up sitting somewhere else... and I'll just have to get over it.
And we know how good I am at getting over things!
After church, we will head to Oxford for our Easter Celebration with Mike's family... which means MATTHEW AND LAUREN! I am so excited.
See. I have all the makings of a really, really good weekend.
And I'll end this little section of my blog post with the usual disclaimer...
We'll see what really happens, and I'll tell you all about it Monday morning.
Have a meaningful Easter weekend. I'll be back Monday morning with all kinds of good stuff... and pics!
Take care, and I'll talk to you next week.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
"But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:8-9.
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