It's a snow day...bake something...

One day last year on a snow day Bryan said that to me. He was totally joking and so I posted it as my status on Facebook. It ruffled a few feathers. HE WAS JOKING. Flash forward to tonight. It is a very cold and snowy night. We were just hanging out by the fire and Bryan said "We should make a pie." So we did. I told him how to make crust, while I put together the filling. I think we created a beautiful blueberry pie.

 Making

 Testing ( I always make a tart from the leftover crust pieces to see if the crust is flaky)

 His is perfect.

 Baking

 Perfect.

And I added this because this is how I found him when I came home tonight. Under the volkswagon out in the shed welding. Using a log for a headrest. And he can make pie crust. Be jealous.

The Privilege of Worship...

The last weekend of every month I have stage crew. That means I am backstage with a radio and keep things running from the back. Make sure the team gets on the stage, take things on stage if need be, stuff like that. Well, this weekend I am stage crew and Bobbi is on worship team. It is such a great thing to watch your child worship. We have a monitor back there so we can see what it going on out in the auditorium and I just snapped a few shots of Bobbi leading worship. She amazes me.

I had my portrait done...

On Thursday, Amiah had to stay home from school with a temperature and sore throat. We watched a lot of movies and she drew and colored. Then I was sitting by her and she told me not to move...sit still...and this is the result...

I think little kid's drawings are some of the sweetest things ever!!

 She said, "I should use your real name, Patricia, but that is such a weird name and really Patti fits you better. So I will just put Patti Joy Clark."

Had this on my phone messages the other day...

If you know me, you know it just made me laugh.

Blue Man Group...

Last night we went to Blue Man Group at the Lied Center. All of the Merry family and the 4 of us. Before the show we ate at Spaghetti Works downtown. I haven't eaten there in ages! Bryan and I used to go there way back in the early days. Anyway, after we ate we had some time to kill so we wandered over to Starbucks to get some coffee. While we were there Brenda and Shelby used the restroom. When they came out they said to me, "That is a weird bathroom." So then I needed to use it, so I get up go around the corner and walk in to the restroom. I think "This is a weird restroom it has a urinal in it...Oooh..." Back out and into the weird WOMENS restroom. Laughter and cups of coffee later...we go over to the Lied and find our seats. 

 Thought I got Brenda in this shot too but...I guess not. I was not the best lighting for a phone picture. 

 well that's just lovely...right...

 The grand finale. 

All in all a fun night.

Calendar...

I was filling out my calendar and putting in things that I need to remember and I got to April 29 and wrote "Jayme turns 20!" and then I just said out loud to myself - 

"JAYME TURNS 20? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!"

I'm no Bakerella...but...

Having read the "Cake Pops" book I was inspired and wanted to try just messing with making some. Bobbi and Jayme were really disappointed that they had to eat cake balls, but that is another issue we can deal with later. 

About these cake balls...I actually DO like them, in small doses.

 Blue in honor of going to "Blue Man Group" tonight.

 Here is my first attempt at creating a cake pop. 

First I dipped them in the peanut butter color/flavor for a skin tone color. 

My dipping leaves something to be desired. 

Jayme and I decided they were old ladies with sagging chins. Realistic.

 Then I used chocolate dip for the hair and pink candy coated sunflower seeds for the rollers and heart candy toppings for the lips and black candy dots for the eyes. 

Not to bad for a first attempt, if I do say so. 

Bobbi thought they were too cute to eat so...

p.s. Bakerella.com is the website of the lady who wrote the book. Her stuff is amazing.

The best part of the evening was,

 having Bobbi and Jayme here for supper and hanging out.

 Bryan and Bobbi went to the Norris Basketball game and Jayme and I created. 

Found these on Monday for 80% off...

And I don't even like cake balls...

but I saw the book today and thought "I need that book, I could make those cute little cake pops. That would be fun."

OH MY WORD. They are adorable. 

I think I want to have a theme party...

Farewell POS...

Strangely enough, as long as Ashley's car (which we call "POS" because that is the letters on her license plate not because it is a POS haha wait which is it) sat in the lot next to the pickup, it didn't seem like she was really gone. But yesterday we drove it into town so that someone could drive it and see if they want to buy it. Coming home to the empty spot in the driveway just solidified it.
But on a lighter note the car left us with another funny rodent story about it. The first one being several years ago when Ashley came out to the house and said to her dad, "My fan makes so much noise when I turn it on. There is something wrong with it. It's probably all those stupid squirrels at our house storing nuts in there." Bryan says, "There's probably just a belt loose. There is no way the squirrels stored nuts in there." So...one hour later he walks into the house with her casing from around her fan and it is FULL of acorns. We laughed so hard. The squirrels had filled it up for winter. No loose belt after all. So fast forward to yesterday and Bryan is changing the spark plugs on her car because it just isn't starting. He opens the hood and all that is left of the spark plug wires is this little collection...

Now, I must warn you, if you are sensitive about nature and little animals read no further... 

Because...he realized that something rodent like was chewing the wires and began a search for it. No luck. So he shut the hood and moved the snow off the driveway, fed the horses, watered and fed the chickens, gathered the eggs and went back (because it was bugging him) to see if he could see where the rodent was getting into the engine. He opens the hood and there sitting in the engine is a bunny, just looking up at him. So...and here is where it gets gruesome...he takes a crowbar and tries to whack the bunny and only gets it on the back end. It falls down in the car so he calls Mae over to get it. She gets under the car and chases it out from there to under the little red trailer, Bryan chases it out from under the trailer (OH how I wish I knew all this was going on and had a video camera on the event) where Mae takes up the chase into the pasture. Bryan goes back to the car to close the hood and Mae comes trotting out from the pasture with the bunny (dead) in her mouth. He changed out the wires and plugs and that little POS started right up. 

Now to just get it sold for her.  

Happy Birthday...

...to Bryan! Thankful that we have celebrated over 30 birthdays together.

The dogs have the right idea...

When the view out the laundry room door is this...

Smart dogs do this...

Snow...ewww...ok it is pretty but...ewww cold!

Yesterday...

 I should be grateful it isn't like last year! 

Today it started to melt away already.

Hudson, what a cutie.

I love this about Jayme...

Reading a magazine, on her computer, with her phone and the T.V. is on. Haha 

I just love it. Can't explain it, but I love it.

Got this yesterday...

Let's see...last May I was booking hotels for Esprit Tour 2010 and contacted Holiday Inn Express Booking Corporate about a block of rooms at a Holiday Inn Express on our tour. We didn't stay there because I never heard back.
Yesterday I received this email:

Dear PATTI CLARK,
Your RFP has been turned down.

RFP Summary for: ESPRIT DE CORPS GROUP
Company Name:	ESPRIT DE CORPS GROUP	Contact Number:	402 890 0546/M
Start Date:	07/10/2010	Total Meeting Budget:
Property Name:	Holiday Inn Express Suites

Apparently I didn't get the booking I asked for.
Now, normally they aren't this bad but for some reason this one was.
And this made me laugh.

House update:

I have the roof on now and the front porch posts, rails and roof. I have also started shingling it but that has been since I took this picture. 

Yes, this is what we did...

I mean, I never even went to Norris Basketball games when I had kids in school and there I was watching a game last night. Bryan wanted to watch Dillon Bohlke play, so off we went. They played Elkhorn South and unfortunately got beat. I realized, again, how much Norris Sports are the social life of a lot of people out in our area and how really out of it I am.

She's there and safe...

Got an email from Ashley at 6:20 this morning (which would have been 1:20 p.m. for her) and they were in their temporary housing. Then at about 1:00 p.m. our time she sent me a text from her computer to my cell phone (gotta love technology!) and then we got on our Google accounts and video chatted for awhile. It was good to see her there and know she is fine. While it was -4 degrees here this morning, they were in their apartment with the patio doors open because it was so warm there...she made a good move I'd say. Tomorrow she is going to work on getting a cell phone so she can communicate with the team members there and also on getting her magic jack up and running there. That will enable her to have a (402) area code number we can call  and she can call here also. 

I am excited for her and the team as they start this great adventure. I am proud of Bobbi and Jayme and their support of Ashley and love for her. I have so many people say to me "They don't really get along that good do they?" Well, yes, yes they do. They love and appreciate each other and enjoy being together and for that I am truly grateful.

Send off...

We ended up going up to Omaha last night and staying at Double Tree Suites for the night. It just seemed like it made life easier than trying to figure out what the weather was going to be doing in the morning. It turned out to be a fun family time. We got to the airport at 8:30 a.m. and got her bags checked and then went to have some breakfast.

 Taking a picture before we all started to cry.

 The anticipation of knowing that the goodbye is coming and we can't stop it.

The standing around waiting for the goodbye.

Their plane was on time and left at 11:15 on 1-11-11. We love you, Ashley, and we will miss your presence in our daily lives. 

This was an hour on Thursday...

As well as the use of the harmonica when playing and singing got tiresome. 

In an attempt to not depress my readers...

I have been not blogging. Because my thoughts are consumed with what it will be like to not have Ashley around and in our weekly lives. (I mean I am not a depressed Debbie Downer or anything like that it's just this is huge right now) And since she has been living with us, for Bryan and I lately, it has been our daily lives and for that time we are very grateful. I am grateful that Bobbi and Jayme are still around to spend time with, cook for and talk to in person. I am blessed to have had so much time with all my girls living here. 

This is a picture from Ashley's Sushi Birthday dinner. Wow, celebrating 26 years of being a mom to some really great girls. I love that they are all such good friends.

I will miss Ashley very much, but I know she is in the very place where she should be. For that I am truly grateful.

Two words...

Sinus Infection.

I could live without ever getting another one of these. 

Ever.

That's all.

Jayme got me a project...

Jayme bought me a doll house kit for Christmas. Here is the progress from this week. I decided on "Apple Spice Red" for the color and I am painting the porch to look like tile. It is fun to work on.
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Dawn, of a new year...

Happy New Year! Why stay up to greet the new year? I'd rather be awake to watch the first sunrise.
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