I am pouting...BIG TIME!I am supposed to be packing and getting ready to head off to Las Vegas for my sweet little granddaughter's first dance recital tomorrow morning (casino's let the community use their stages for no cost...in the morning!). I was going to be loading the car with training wheels, a bucket of wheat, a funny sit up thing we got at a yard sale, a new kitchen faucet (yard sale, too), a case of rice milk (from a sweet and dear friend who wanted to help my allergic grandson), and Grammy Bags... So, Aunt Kayty gets to drop it off on her way to Southern Utah University later in the week...and I continue to pout. (and now I'm starting to cry cuz I just miss them so much and I really really needed to read and watch them play Wii and all that other fun stuff I don't get to do) But, I would much rather sit here and pout, than dare get any of them sick...so...there, now I am smiling again...ahhhhhh happy, healthy grandbabies.
So, I have a few moments, and I'm gonna blog our Valentine's Day. My sweet mother in law has ALWAYS made Valentines Day an event, and it was no different this year. We celebrated on Sunday, the 13th...then the romantic Rices could have Monday to do something special with their "loves" (that gets a bit LOL!) Anyway...
Doesn't the table look nice!!
These are "heart beets"...she takes a beet slice, uses a heart cookie cutter, and makes this creation. Valentine's Day just wouldn't be the same without heart beats at Grandma's!
She gives everyone a little something, and, if we return the "gift bag" she will fill it next year. Well, not really, we just all joke about it!
Now you see just why I laughed at the "romantic Rice boys"...on their phones...Ethan just got a new Verizon iphone, Doran has .... oh, something not an iphone...but it is a smart phone, and least I think so.
This is our golfing nephew/cousin, Curtis. Someday, he will be on tv in a big tournament, and I will say "I knew him when..." Curtis is just such an awesome guy! He is staying with Grandma, working here in Phoenix as a landscape/construction contractor for himself, as well as with his dad. Curtis is a guy in his 20's and lived in another state most of his childhood/teenage years, and we all really didn't get to know each other very well, but you would NEVER know that by how he treats us. Every...and I mean every...time we see him, he gives you the absolute biggest hug! Now, I am really not a huggy person, per se, but you just can't NOT get a Curtis hug. He was raised by very loving and wonderful people, and it shows!!! We sooooo notice when Curtis goes back to visit his mom, or is away golfing...just not the same without a Curtis Hug!
Selfish me...I LOVE salad, and this is the most important part of MY meal. She also had delicious barbequed meatballs, her famous and never to be lived without potatoes and cheese, cauliflower and cheese sauce, rolls, and had made individual cheesecake desserts with cherry sauce as well as heart brownies. I spent my dessert time eating the Valentine M&M centerpiece...my bad...had it not been Sunday, I could have roofed three houses and mowed her acre lawn with a pair of hand clippers...
This is Nate's dear sweet friend, Jessica. We ALL love her so much!!!! She is the ONLY one that puts up with Nate, and keeps his head from getting to big! She is feisty and sweet and wonderful, and we will miss her like absolutely crazy when he goes on his church mission in a year...we are crossing our fingers that...oops, again, my bad! (There is no way this perfect angel will be able to stay a secret from all the other guys in the world while our Nate is away for two years...we could put her in a box (see Nate's birthday), but that really wouldn't be too nice...and her family would so miss her!!
Valentine's Day means Kayty had to work at Party City, but she was able to come late and share some dessert with us. Notice her tribute to Twilight...(look at the eyes...red!) Now, she swears she loves the werewolf, Jacob, but I'm seeing some definite Edward eyes here....
Now, on our Valentines Day....
The Rices are not always the most festive sort, especially on "minor holidays". Early mornings are busy here...I get Dee up, pack lunch, make breakfast, make Nate's lunch (hey people, I know he's an adult, but either I spend a couple of minutes making lunch, or 30 minutes cleaning up his mess...He's 18 now, and he will be someone elses problem to live with in a year or so!), so no pics of what I did, but Dee had heart shaped fried fresh eggs from our chickens, and I cut Nate's sandwiches in a heart shape (wrapped and put them in his lunch before he could detect...I guess his friends were somewhat amused at his crazy mom during lunch!)
Dinner: Italian Rosemary Chicken Breast, Bowtie Pasta with Parmesan (I put red dye in the pasta water) and fresh asparagus.
Awful picture I took with my heavy Nikon while he was eating and talking on the phone...hey, it's been almost 31 yrs. My hair is awful because it's Monday and the house was a mess, I had a ton of laundry and my creative writing teacher reinforced my new knowledge that I am totally not a creative writer as she stabbed my paper I was so proud of over and over and over so I had to finally come to the reality that the former perfectionist trying to reform is being assisted by the meany teacher!...uhh, sorry...lots of stress right now...anyway...
my cute centerpiece!...and by 9pm, since kids were all gone, and hubby was busy, I had our house de-valentined and newly St. Patricked....I LOVE GREEN, so I am in heaven!
