Stealth

I tried to have stealth:


But was spotted right away.


Trouble was unimpressed with my skills.


All I wanted was to see him in his pit.


Hey, Trouble!

Class field trip

Right before school got out, we took Riley's class(an their siblings) to the Jackson Zoo. The kids had a great time!


We identified lots of fun animals and did plenty of walking.






Riley called to me and said, "Look! I'm a flamingo!"


Brock was a big hit with the ladies. As always!


Before we left we went to the very small play area and went down the slide.


Brock's hair stood straight up each time. It was hilarious!


Then we had lunch at the picnic tables. Both of my kids swiped the good stuff that other folks had brought. They were unimpressed with my offerings.


And to top it all off, we rode the choo choo around the old park area of the zoo.
Riley sitting with his women.


Poor Brock was stuck with me.


We had so much fun!

Lunch

I started with the crescent rolls that come in one long sheet. I cut it into 4 pieces. I put some turkey meat (from a large turkey I had made earlier), chopped bacon, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing on each piece and folded it over. 15 minutes at 375 and we had a delicious lunch!

Haircut

It was time for a trim.


I felt called to give all this hair away instead of just trimming it. So I went in with a baggy and some short hair pictures. And out a came with an 11 inch pony tail and a new 'do!




It's taken me a month but I'm finally used to it and liking it.

Easter Bunny

BeBe and Granddaddy sent a basket for each kid and I added a bit to it. We went to church Easter morning and, while the kids were napping, the Easter Bunny came.




Mass destruction!

Easter Party

We had Riley's class party at our house. It was the best party! And there wasn't even a mess to clean up. Amazing!

First was the hunt.








Then it was time to decorate some cupcakes! Riley, instead of spreading it on his cupcake, took his spoonful of icing and put it directly in his mouth.




Games! We had bunny hop and an egg tossing game.




It was so fun!

The frog

We've got a few frogs that show up on our patio every once in a while. We played with this one for a while.


Sadly, this one didn't make it. He got a little too played with. RIP frog.

Outside play time

The weather keeps getting better and better! The 4 wheeler is definitely the favorite outside activity.





Brock hamming it up for the camera.


How cute are they?

School program

Riley's Spring program at school was too cute! He did better this time--compared to the Christmas program. Better = not yawning or picking his nose the entire time!

Heading in with his pal, Fisher.


Being spotted.


The whole school!


Everyone was precious. They sang cute songs and Riley even did the hand motions!

Lunch

Not that this is the most awesome lunch ever, but the kids liked it!

Nutella on a wheat tortilla and rolled up plus bananas on a stick!

Homemade white bread

I'd like to start by saying, "Thank you," to the King Arthur Flour Company for giving me the confidence to make my own bread. I haven't bought anything but one batch of Hawaiian Bread since I started making all the bread for my family. It's soooo much better! And the delicious smell in my house is awesome!

You're going to need:
1 cup + 2 tablespoons, to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water(depending on the amount of humidity in the air)
1 heaping tablespoon honey
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soft butter
4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk granules

Bust out your kitchen aid stand mixer. I have never kneaded anything by hand because I'm lazy so this is the only way I know how to make bread.

Mix all of the ingredients in the order listed, and mix and knead to make a smooth dough. It won't be particularly soft nor stiff; it should be smooth and feel bouncy and elastic under your hands.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl(I butter a glass bowl). Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's become quite puffy, though not necessarily doubled in size. I put the covered bowl under the lights over my stove top. They put off enough heat to help the dough rise.

Gently deflate the dough, and shape it into a fat 9" log. Place it in a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.


Cover the pan, and let the dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's crowned 1" to 1 1/2" over the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Tent it lightly with aluminum foil, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, till it's golden brown. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 195°F to 200°F. I do the 20 minutes just in case!

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out onto a rack to cool. I like to take a stick of butter and rub it over the top of the bread as soon as it's out of the oven. Why now? When completely cool, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature.

This bread is great for sandwiches, toast, or just as an afternoon snack. Delicious!

My boys

Just pictures. Because, why not?