A really good recipe!

I just had to share this delicious recipe!  Holy cow!  It's from one of my favorite blogs.    http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/search/label/Pizza   It may just go to the pizza recipes, so the one I made is Garlic-Ranch Chicken Pizza.  Keaton even took a picture of it:

And of me with it:  (he got a camera for Christmas, enough said.)

Let me know what you think!

Okay, back to it!

I just read Rebecca's blog entry about furniture, and it made me wish I could send off my husband to help her for a week or two. Because he just discovered an unknown talent: refinishing furniture. He's been wanting a desk for a while, all of his own, but $500 for a new one?!? So he remembered an old desk, that his mom used to stand on while painting (scary, considering how rickety it was), and dug it out of the barn at his old house. Here it is, or rather, was:

















 And......here it is now!! Is that impressive or what? He has been so excited about it, rightly so, and it only took him a day or two and a couple of sheets of oak. He also had a cabinet guy do the front facing of the drawer, which you can see in the last picture. I love it! I am definitely going to have to keep an eye at D.I. for possible additions to our furniture!

Good job, honey!

"Wade in the Water" by Redge

Here is a rather cruddy copy of, but nevertheless an awesome solo, by Redge. At this concert, they had the orchestra in front of the choir, and it was beautiful when they sang and played together, but not a real good view of him. (I'm pretty sure that girl right in our view would love to know she's posted on our blog.) We also passed the camera to a friend who had a little better view and missed the first....Oh well--at least you can hear him. I for one had no idea he could belt it out like this!

Moody Meadows

Don't you just miss Moody Meadows? (Well, those of you who've been there...the Bratsman clan mostly) I am not sure why we have waited for the last year or so to revisit such an awesome place. Last fall when Scott was here we went, and there is just something about it. So we gathered up some friends and headed up there on Memorial Day. The weather was beautiful, and snow was still around. It's just amazing to be in a place with so many good memories. Boy we had an awesome childhood, huh? (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) The older I get I realize how much I've always taken for granted that blessing.


















Getting there is part of the fun--The younger kids enjoying the "roller coaster roads" that Austin and Redge used to squeal over


















Shandee and her friend Adeline in a game of Uno

















We always seem to find just what we need to make some very cool bow and arrows!



















Redge and his friend Maddie




















Fireside whittling

Dan made the best ever pork ribs, and his famous dutch oven potatoes. YUM!!! And although we forgot the cache cooker, we decided around the fire was even better.

So.... next time you're in Idaho, look us up and we'll take you with us!!

We Made it through May!

Boy, it's been way too long since anything has showed up on here. That's because we have so much to tell about! May had something going pretty much every night, and hopefully we can get some highlights on here. I'm thinking, Redge's ballroom (they're really fun to watch, I promise), some of his singing, especially his solo, a piano recital, Memorial Day fun at Moody Meadows, etc. So look forward to it--I'm committing myself to doing it by mentioning it!

MY ANNIVERSARY GIFT TO DAN

Our February Getaway

Hey! I'm posting from almost sunny-but-a-little-overcast (but who cares, it's--) Hawaii! Dan and I have been here for 9 days now and can't wait to get back and see our kids, but oh we had a great time!!

So, here's what we left from, deicing the plane in Idaho Falls

And, landing in the tropics--the Honolulu airport (where else would you find a restroom sign like that?)

Highlights were the whale watch, snorkeling with turtles and lot of cool fish, swimming in a nice condo in Kona, visiting beautiful beaches:

morning walks in Mom and Dad's green neighborhood:

then eating a delicious breakfast on their very impressive and beautiful deck :

and of course playing cards, eating good stuff (a little too much crab, huh Dad?), watching movies, walking down to where the volcano is going into the ocean, and taking it EASY! Mom and Dad are such good hosts. She even made Dan homemade chicken noodle soup when he started getting a cold. We're glad to hear that Darin's family will be able to come enjoy it here. It's been wonderful. THANKS MOM and DAD!! WE LOVE YOU!