Scottsdale Christian Invitational Track Meet

I am a crummy mom...I went to ONE track meet to see Allison throw a shotput. Last year, I went to ONE track meet for Nathan...the last one. Track meets are long....waaaaay long. (Can someone tell me why a guy whose ONLY job is to pull a trigger on a starting gun NEEDS a 60 minute lunch break? Come on... A Kindergarten teacher teaching 30 kids doesn't get that much time!) Lots of waiting is involved. Arizona is sunny...very sunny. Typically, sun + April + Arizona = HOT. Thus, lots of reasons NOT to attend.

However, this year...this is my LAST kid...and I really had NO excuse NOT to go: weather was sunny, but SO NOT HOT! 84 degrees in April NEVER happens!
Cool breeze too. And, there were not gonna be any preliminaries...everyone just goes, i.e. races, jumps, throws...the top 4 furthest, fastest, etc. get awards...and there were way less than 24 schools...I bet there were 8 or 10... So Dee and I ventured down to Bourgade Catholic High School (yet another reason to go...normally, it's an hour drive to Chandler for track meets.)

I was pretty far away, but the "girl in the orange shirt" invited me to come through the gate, across the track and get some closer pics. I thought she was an authority of some sort, so I did just that. Got some pretty good pics (though I hope Eve, North Pointe's awesome photographer, got some even better ones) and was really thankful that this authority had let me in. I turned around and noticed she was taking off her orange shirt, with an Estrella Mountain Track shirt underneath. She was an athlete. Oh, well...no harm. Thank you orange shirt girl!

This kid...I remember how hard Allison worked and trained for her track team experience...I have witnessed him work and exercise and work more. It was awesome to watch.



The thing about being a thrower...you are not directly competing. You don't really know how far others throw...you are more interested in how far YOU throw...Did I beat my PR? is the question I always hear. (PR= Personal Record).

He is now a provisional state qualifier...and has a meet next week to qualify for state.

I was done for the day...cool, yes, but the sun was a killer and I was baked! But it was sooo worth it!

I Was There...Well, Sort Of...

I wasn't gonna watch...I had gotten up early, thirty or so years ago, pregnant with Allison, wearing my red and white striped footy jammies and watched a princess, Diana, marry her prince, Charles. I loved every minute! So sad that marriage didn't work out. Years later, I sat up and watched, in the middle of the night, to watch that same princess' funeral. Wasn't gonna do that again!

But then, I just couldn't help myself. I got up at 1:30 A.M. (it was only an hour and a half earlier than I usually get up). I got ready and exercised as I watched.

I had no hat...but I loved all most of them.

I ran between carriage ride and kiss.

Looking at the kiss! I was so busy pic taking and looking, I didn't realize there were TWO kisses.
Yep...I am officially a NUT!

Hopefully this story will have a happier ending.

Mexican Venison Stroganoff

We have been blessed with venison...lots of venison...Friends who adore hunting, but whose wives don't adore eating, drop their "prize" at our home, often on short notice, and Dee and I spend hours cutting, chopping, and packaging the meat. I, then, get to use this. However, it's difficult to find recipes that are not stew! I have used this one many times, and they guys love it!

Mexican Venison Stroganoff

2 lb. elk or deer, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

4 cloves crushed garlic (my house LOVES garlic, so I used a whole bulb

3 T. olive oil

1 cup water

1 cup bottled chili sauce (I use Ketchup and chopped pickled jalapenos)

2 T. paprika

1/2 t. Chili powder

3 t. salt

2 T. soy sauce

2 8-oz. cans mushroom stems and pieces (I used 8 oz fresh mushrooms)

4 T. sour cream (optional...my guys don't want it.)

1 pound egg noodles, cooked according to package directions.

Brown meat cubes in olive oil.

When the meat is nearly all cooked, add the garlic.

 Drain oil. Stir in water, chili sauce/ketchup and spices, paprika, chili powder, salt, soy sauce and mushrooms.

Cook over medium heat till it boils and then reduce to low and simmer at least 1 hour, till meat gets tender.

Just before serving, stir in sour cream, if desired. Serve over egg noodles. (We had to run an errand, Dee was hungry when we got home, so I used the pasta we already had cooked in the fridge. Still tasted good!)

Easter

We continued the tradition of Dad's Devilled Eggs on Easter...he even missed PEC for this (didn't get to bed till 3 am...so I really had to twist his arm to get him to stay...;) )

No pictures of Easter at Grandma's...I was in such a hurry to get there on time that I left the camera on the counter. Picture yummy food, great people, cute kids, tons of eggs, frantic searching, tootsie rolls...I think you can imagine!

The Beginning of the End...

Guess what this is?

Nate made a special trip home (Wednesday=school, workout at gym with GCC throwing coach, track practice, home)...to drop this off: his cap and gown, and graduation announcements!!! My last kid's gonna graduate!

She Holds The Keys....

After years of hard work, months of sacrifice, weeks of waiting, days of wondering...This Morning...Kayty is NOW a Party City Keyholder! She opened the store by herself...this morning! (Morning...a miracle in and of itself!) Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drop By And Dye (and Make Rocket Fly and Fly)

Egg dying has always been a part of our Easter celebration. I remember Allison coloring eggs with sponge rollers in her hair, ready for Easter morning. We used to leave the boxes out for a "hare-y" visitor, and the kids would search early Sunday morning before church.

Since my kiddos are bigger, and MUCH busier, we now have "Drop By and Dye". The table is set up, I have a dozen eggs for each person all boiled and ready (they can bring more of their own, if they desire) and they can come whenever. This year, almost everyone came...at the same time...so we ate and dyed.

Dad started the pizza oven when Ethan and Cam said they were hungry for pizza (we don't need much of an excuse to start that oven, but it takes 3 hours of adding logs to the fire to make it just perfect). I made a layered bean dip for a snack, and so we ate dip and pizza before we dove in and dyed.

 Ethan was my hero this year...no grumbling (that I heard)...grabbed his box, dumped an egg into each of 12 cups within 10 seconds, visited a few minutes, got them all out, and had THE required photo taken...and he was free.

The women were very serious in their creations.

The boys were great dyers...

Ethan grabbed a fresh chicken egg for this pic...I swear I have a picture of him, when he was maybe three or four, with this EXACT smile!



Once they were finished, the boys took the opportunity to test out some yard sale finds: model rockets.

Ethan was "mission control"...performed the countdown ... far away...

Mom: expert photographer - got the moment of ignition.

WARNING:

If you see this, watch out!

Kayty missed the mass and dyed hers, with Mommy...

She dyed and watched Beauty And The Beast

Dad missed the fun too...he dyed his egg on Easter morning.

Thank you ALL for humoring your ol' mom and making it so much fun!