Why Does He Have To Go?

2006

 Why does he have to go?
This is what Gianna repeated over and over again in between tears.

Everybody was a little emotionally rough around the edges yesterday.

The Husband left for a Navajo Reservation in Arizona.  He is taking four leaders and twenty students onto this reservation for ten days to try and show what an amazing Love He has for the Navajo people - for all of us.  Bill has been on this trip since his sophomore year in high school (with a hiatus during college and during the summer of 2008).  It has been amazing to see relationships develop and lives changed over the years - with both the Navajos and our groups.

I know this trip has had a major part in shaping Bill's heart.

I know that it has grown my love for the hurting child the three years I was able to go.

Isabella and Evangeline are too young to want to understand why they go - year after year.  Espy and Gianna are slowly starting to comprehend.  I can see their thoughts rolling around -

contemplating their dad's love

for God

for themselves and their sisters

for the Navajos

 I see them thinking about His love

for me and Bill

for each of them

for the Navajo people

I'm praying they can piece it all together one day.

Until then, we play hard and love on each other until daddy gets back!

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

 Matthew 28:19 

Here I am. Send me. 

Isaiah 6:8

Daddy Daughter Date x Four

What's better than Mom getting to go out with some friends without any babies?

Going on a date with Daddy for pizza AND sno cones - without Mommy!

Field Day

Best part about Field Day?

Wearing Daddy's hats to school.

Isabella's Last Day

Last week, we celebrated Isabella's last day of preschool with a class party at a local park.  The park has a newly renovated (to us at least - we hadn't been there since they remodeled) playground overlooking a river.  The kids had lots of fun in all the different play areas.

Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Nunez were awesome and provided all of our delicious snacks.  It was a great way to close out the year.  We love our preschool, and we LOVE our teachers!  Both Espy and Gianna have had Mrs. Burke, so it's been a special treat for Isabella to have her this year.  There was a momentary cry of sadness from Isabella when we left the park, but that was quickly resolved with the promise of Chick-fil-A for lunch.

We're hoping we get someone just as wonderful as Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Nunez this coming fall!

Little Actress

 I may or may not have cried when this one walked to the stage to perform

in her kindergarten musical with all of her little classmates.

 

 She played the part of Ping Ping in a play based on the children's book Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel.  She had two lines, and I thought she delivered them flawlessly -
my unbiased opinion, of course.

 

All of the kindergarteners did a fantastic job!

Off to McPherson

You already know how we feel about you about you - no more crying!

Lots of hugs and prayers all the way to Kansas.

Miss ya already - love ya forever,

B     G

Espy     Gi     Bella     and     Evy

Not CFA (A Recipe)

The girls are in love their chicken nuggets/strips/etc.  Because of this, I'm always on the search for variations on the classic so we don't spend our lives at Chick-fil-A 

(which the girls AND Bill would do without a problem).

Because I spend just a little bit of my time here, I have plenty of recipes to pull from if I ever get the urge.  I decided to try this one tonight, and everyone approved.  It was easy, tasty -

and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Parmesan Sesame Chicken Strips

from Six Sisters' Stuff

  35 ritz crackers (butter flavor)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs worth)
1 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons ground mustard

Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place crackers in a Ziploc bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are finely crushed.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, and mustard.

In a second bowl, combine crushed crackers, sesame seeds, and Parmesan cheese.

Cut chicken lengthwise into 1/4" strips.

Dip strips into mayonnaise mixture, then into crumb mixture.

Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Serve with your favorite condiment.

Yay for getting dinner on the table despite the chaos pictured above.