February is a full month of birthdays for our family. (Darren, Kathryn and Landry, me). Throw in Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, and several other family members and friends’ birthdays, and we have a full month of celebrations, which, of course, includes cake! We celebrated Darren’s birthday last weekend, and I made two of his favorite … [Read more…]
As I’ve mentioned before, the world doesn’t need another food blog. However, my kids will need to know how to cook some of our favorites when they leave the house in just a few short years. (What?!?) And, I enjoy sharing what I know and enjoy. There are several recipes for chicken chili out there, … [Read more…]
After a short, very difficult battle with cancer, my mom went home to be with her Savior in December, 2009. When I think of my mom, besides her favorite scriptures, I think of her cooking. I remember getting off of the bus on Wednesdays, greeted with the smells of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. … [Read more…]
If you grew up in the 80’s or 90’s, you probably had a lot of chicken spaghetti. Everyone has their favorite recipe – cheddar cheese or velveeta, stovetop or oven, spicy or not…so many varieties. This week, I made meals for a couple of families who have had hospital stays. I decided to make a … [Read more…]
When I was a senior in high school, I went to my prom. This was kind of a big deal since I had never been to a dance or many school functions. My mom made my dress, which was pretty but still homemade. During the prom, there was a part of the program where the … [Read more…]
Last weekend, our family had the privilege to attend the Mercy House Gala. Darren and I attended last year; but this year, the kids insisted that they go as well. They had been counting down the weeks and days to the gala. I’m not sure it’s normal for two 15 year olds and a 10 … [Read more…]
Last week, we were able to be a part of the memorial and funeral services for Darren’s grandfather, aka Papo. (Yes, it’s spelled with an “o” and not “aw”. There’s a whole other story there.) We spent a couple of days reminiscing with Darren’s family and reflecting on life and death. For me, it was … [Read more…]
We spent the last few days of our time in Kenya on a safari! This was definitely a highlight for the family! Jonah and Landry, being boys, loved all things about seeing the animals in their natural environment, especially when they saw things like lions eating zebras and vultures eating wildebeests. Kathryn, being the Disney … [Read more…]
After driving through Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, we were introduced to two girls who are residents of Rehema House (swahili for Mercy). Our team divided into two groups and walked into the slums to the girls’ homes. After a very steep, slippery, and dirty walk, we were invited into Lavine’s home where we met her … [Read more…]
When we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday morning, July 14th, we really had no idea what to expect. We were tired from the travel but excited to see all that was planned for us. We met some of the local leaders from Mercy House and Compassion International at a local gas station for snacks. … [Read more…]