Dinner at Kobe - Mom's Birthday

We went out for a birthday dinner for my Mom at Kobe. This is the kind of place where they cook the food right at the table for you. Oooo, it was so entertaining and very yummy! Tara, Jacob, Mom, Dad, Oliver, Tanya, Barrett, and Hannah. (Jeremy and Sonya were there too, they just missed the picture)

Our Chef - look at those big flames!

My very first sushi - a Volcano Roll.

I'll have to say, it wasn't so bad. Barrett tried it too.

My honey and I

Mom and her 3 girls.

We went to Baskin Robbins for dessert. Yum!

My Valentine

I have the most wonderful valentine in the world!!! He has been my husband for the past 3 1/2 years. I could not have asked for a better man to spend the rest of my life with. The Lord knew exactly what He was doing when He put Barrett and I together.Reason I Love You, Barrett:

• Your love for the Lord


• Your strength


• Your smile


• Your devotion


• Your intelligence


• Your perfect hair


• Your wonderful voice


• Your silly jokes


• Your strong hands that hold me


• Your snuggles on the couch as we read together


• Your knowledge about so much


• Your love of desserts (and how you make me eat them with you each night)


• Your big beautiful blue eyes


• Your inspirational words


• Your curiosity of all of God's creatures - like bugs and stuff...


• Your soft lips


• Your ability to always be prepared


• Your outlook on life, even when it doesn't go your way


• Your friendliness


• Your love for movie nights on the couch with me


• Your love for my family


• Your grilling and cooking skills


• Your kisses each morning and night (and all in between)


• Your play times with our dog Java so I don't need to get on the floor and wrestle with her


• Your care and pride that you take in our home


• Your handsomeness


• Your positive attitude


• Your long walks and bike rides you take with me


• Your knowledge to always have the right thing to say


• Your gentleness


• Your love that you show to me with each new day together that the Lord brings us

The list could go on and on. Barrett, you are my dream come true! I love you lots!

Happy Valentines Day!

Okay, now for a funny story. Yesterday we celebrated Valentines by going to see a movie and then going out to Genghis Grill. If you have never been there before, go! It is wonderful and very fun experience! Anyway, before going out we exchanged valentine gifts - chocolate and cards. Along with that I pulled out these 2 cute shirts that I saw and knew I just had to get them for valentines day. One says "I love my wife." and the other says "I love my husband."

I was so excited about finding these shirts. So I pulled out these shirts for him and sure enough, guess what he pulled out to give me....you guessed it....the same 2 shirts! At least now we both know the other likes the shirt and will actually wear it. We felt a little weird going back to the store to return the duplicate shirts...like we didn't want shirts saying we loved each other. Oh well, I don't think the lady even noticed.

All Aboard the Walch Express

This is the second time that on a snow day off from school that the "Walch Express" goes around the neighborhood picking up the kiddos for a movie at Uncle Barrett and Aunt Tanya's house. Today's showing: Home Alone Lost in New York. I know it isn't Christmas anymore, but that was the only kid movie I happened to have at home and the kids like seeing the city where their Uncle Aaron lives. They enjoyed eating popcorn, fun dips, and drinking chocolate milk.

Camryn, Chandler, Dylan, and Korbin

Beautiful

Snow Scenes at the Walch's

My Snow Man

Today was another fun snow day. No, I didn't get to stay home from school today, but I still had a fun day looking out my classroom window watching the snow fall all day long. When I left for school at 6am there were the smallest snow flakes just beginning to fall. About 5 minutes later as I was driving down the road the snow flakes were more like the size of a quarter and there was a nice white blanket of white on the ground. It was amazing how quickly it could change. Barrett enjoyed a few minutes of snowballs this evening.
Java is a little confused when it comes to snow. She is never quite sure what it is.

I thought Java might get cold so I put my scarf on her to keep her toasty warm...okay, I didn't really think she would be cold. I just thought she would look cute (and she does!) For now Java can be my little (or big) doll to play dress up with. What a good sport she is!

The 1st grade teachers took a quick "field trip" outside today with all our students to explore the snow falling outside.

My little kiddos loved it!

Here they are playing at the big field outside. This picture reminds me of the movie "A Christmas Story" when the kids are outside at school when the boy gets his tongue stuck to the flag pole. Thank goodness that didn't happen today!

I know it is disappointing, but school has been cancelled for tomorrow. :-( I guess I will just have to sleep in. Oh well!!!

Super Bowl Party

We enjoyed a get together for the Super Bowl this past Sunday evening at home in our media room. I have gotten better at watching the football games with Barrett over the years (even though I still have no idea what is going on), but the super bowl is the one game of the year I for sure never want to miss...probably because of all the yummy food you get to eat. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their victory. Sorry your team didn't win, Barrett.
We look forward to the Cowboys being in the Super Bowl next year at the new stadium!
It could happen.

Pie and Prayer

Side note...For the past few years I have always carried our camera with me wherever I go. For some reason this past month the camera keeps getting left behind. I like posting pictures with my blog posts so this is why I have not posted in a while. Anyways, I'm back now...still with no new pictures.

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Last night Tara invited us over to there home for an evening of pie! She fixed my very favorite kind of pie - Mandarin Orange!!! Oh, I think I could eat one of these pies all for myself in one sitting. It is amazing! It is also the easiest pie in the world to make - no baking required.

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Mandarin Orange Pie

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 can mandarin oranges

1 carton of whipped cream

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Mix together the milk and lemon juice to make the filling. Pour filling into the pie crust. Drain the can of oranges and pour the oranges on top of the filling. Put whipped cream on top of the oranges. Top with a couple of the mandarin oranges for decoration if desired. Refrigerate for a couple hours.

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Along with our yummy pie, we also had a time of prayer. This was a very sweet time and will be a great memory. What an amazing thing to be able to get together as a family and call on the Lord, praying with expectant hearts, telling Him our hearts desire and believing that His timing and plans are always better that how we could have ever planned on our own. It is a comfort to know that the creator of the world loves us and desires for us to call out to Him in faith. How incredible, that the Lord, with so much power, longs to hear from us and is interested in hearing our thoughts, no matter how big or small they may seem.