Joe the Chef!

This Christmas I gave Joe a gift of "Be the Chef" from Benihana to learn to how to cook tepannyaki style, a style of food he LOVES to eat!

They had one day of training on a Saturday, then the following week we got to enjoy all his learned skills as he prepared a meal for us. We took our fun friends Emily and Allan to help me mock, I mean, cheer on Joe as he cooked!

We had a GREAT TIME! Joe was a wonderful chef, and we've enjoyed several meals back at home utilizing the skills and recipes he learned on his adventure! And if you have any budding foodies in your family, I totally recommend this! You get the cooking lesson and dinner for 4 out of the deal!

Here's a few highlights from our evening!

Our Arkansas Adventure

This past weekend, we loaded up the family and road-tripped to Arkansas to visit our favorite misplaced friends, the Norvells.

We had a great trip up and Owen did pretty well with a few stops along the way. We so loved hanging out with our friends over the weekend. Caleb is a delight. He is so smart, curious, courteous and loving! Baby James is so healthy, easy-going and smiley! And Jon and Lydia - well, they're just two of some of my favorite people on the planet.

Of course when you get Lyd and me together, there's bound to be photos of something! So here's a few we took together.

On the way back to Texas, we stopped along side a pasture for Mr. Owen, and were delighted when the cows came by to say howdy!

A good (long) trip, and wished we could do it every weekend! We love you Norvells!

To my Pals

To my pals I hold so dear, this made me think of our relationship. Fun, irreverent and crafty!

You can grab a print here! =)

A Few Ways to Make a Difference

I love Christmas time. I don't always love the craziness that comes with it. But, I love the kindness, the giving and the cheer that usually surfaces this time of year. (I also LOVE Caramel Brulee drinks from Starbucks, but that's another story!)

This season though, I've come across two causes that have really struck a chord with me and wanted to pass along to you all, if you're looking for some place to give this Christmas. And trust, me, these will be great places to give!

1. Shiloh Restored -- Our friends Lali and Niji have started a new mission, along with everything else in their crazy-busy lives, to save baby girls in India from infanticide. They are raising money through their mission to rescue, house, educate and love on these unwanted girls. Lali and Niji also plan to move to India in the next few years to run this mission first-hand.

Lali and Niji's core belief is that each human life is of great value and all are created equal in the sight of God. The name of the rescue mission is Shiloh Restored - this name seemed fitting because the word Shiloh has its origin in Hebrew and means “God’s gift” - Join them in working to see God's Gift Restored!


2. Reece's Rainbow - Make Christmas Count for Cliff
My sweet sweet friend Lydia welcomed her second son into the world this August. Little James was born with Down Syndrome. This was a surprise to all of us. Little James is perfect in his different-ness. But what was really different, is how this opened my eyes to these special kiddos like James who need loving just like our 'perfectly normal' kiddos (whatever that means,right!)

While reading a few blogs I frequent, I came across Cliff's story and the Reece's Rainbow organization. This group helps facilitate the international adoption of children with DS or other special needs. HOW AWESOME! The blogs I was reading are teaming up to make this Christmas count for Cliff, a special little boy looking for a home. If you can, donate big or small and help this little cutie find his forever home.

May God truly bless you and your family this year. And let's help to bless so many of those out there that need a little love too!

Merry Christmas!

Beatles Mania -- in Spanx!

I had a glimpse of what it must be like for pop stars and their crazed fans. Young girls crowding together just to get a glimpse of Paul or John. The screaming, the cheering, the clapping, the sheer amount of people.

This was a Christmas gift from Lydia.

She so innocently gave me a cookbook, but what came along next was, well, read for yourself...

You see, this wasn't just your run of the mill Betty Crocker cookbook. No, this was the first ever, first edition The Pioneer Woman cookbook.

The Pioneer Woman is a wonderful 'little' blog I read almost daily. She's a self-proclaimed accidental country girl who found herself living on a family-run cattle ranch in Oklahoma with her personal Marlboro Man and 4 punks of their own.

She writes of their ranch lives, cows, silly dogs, family, photography, real-people cooking, home schooling and just fun things. I enjoy it...and well, it seems so do A LOT of other people.
As part of the release of her first cookbook, her publishers have sent her on a book tour that PW herself has deemed the "Griswold (Drummond) Family Book Trip." And while winging their way across the country, they decided to stop in at a Dallas Borders.And that's where we went!

Lyd and I put the puppy out in the cold, bundled up and headed over around 5 p.m. to get the lay of the land before she showed up at 7 p.m. for the signing. We were doing so good. All early and everything. We went to the store, asked around and received 2 pink wrist bands, and were informed we'd be called by color groups. Awesome! Let's go eat.

We hit up a great pizza place right down the way and enjoyed a personal favorite of mine, pepperoni and black olive! So, after chatting and finishing up we headed back over, thought we might grab a coffee and see what we had to see.

What we had to see were LOTS and LOTS of ladies, babies, a few stray husbands and grandads...THIS STORE WAS PACKED!!!
Oh Lordy! What have we gotten into.

Around 6:30 they started calling color groups to line up! What, you mean we don't get to hear her talk or anything? NOPE!

There were 3 groups in front of us. Each consisting of about 100 people we were told. WHAT!? And there were at least 3 groups behind us that we knew about!! So on the shy side, there were 7 hundred crazy people in that store that night!

So, we began our wait. We were standing for quite a while till we decided that was just stupid. So we sat, and waited and waited. We were rewarded with a small treat seeing Ree, PW herself, and her two cute girls released from their holding sell in the back of the store.
After that...we waited...and waited.

Lyd and I talked, enjoyed some coffees and started meeting the people around us. Niccole and Jen were two cute friends who had come together. Sydney was in front of them and later joined by her sister Sarah...and their very tired and over stimulated children. There was a very kind grandpa behind me. And these were our friend for the next 4 HOURS!
Over the next 4-plus hours:
- We found Religion. See, right there...we were camped out here for most of our time. The line did NOT move for at least two hours...maybe God was teaching us patience -- in the religion section.- We learned names, names of children, proper cloth diaper care, birthing philosophies.
(I tuned out on several occasions to save my sanity.)
- Lyd and I looked at author names and tried to come up with good baby names. Somehow Erasmus and Attilla were nixed by my good friend.
- We took turns going to the bathroom.
- We got our coffee/hot chocolate and a delightful apple tart.
- I went with Jen and Niccole to cheat and get the PW girls to sign our books so we could insure getting a t-shirt.
(Those country kids just weren't ready for our wily city ways. Just kidding, they were delightful, gracious and having way too much fun not sitting in a line.)
- We almost had a riot on hand when a woman, a Plano principle of some sort, behind us almost lost it over more yellows getting in line before us. She didn't like the Borders employee's explanation that they got their arm bands first so they could do that. Really, don't you teach this stuff in school lady? Calm down! It's ok!
- We were bombarded with children up WAY past their bed time, given coke and not completely supervised. Ugh. Take deep breaths. It's ok. But really, isn't that what dads or baby sitters are for?
When we finally did start moving, we started moving at a good pace. Around 10:45 we were in site of the table. We felt so proud. We felt so accomplished.

It was almost our turn. I handed my book over, complete with my name post-it so she'd spell it right. We waited. We met, we said it was so nice to meet you. A girl came back, crowded in and asked another question...that's fine. But then the grandpa came up before we got our picture. NOOOO. We waited this long! We're getting a picture!!!

So, I politely asked if he could wait a sec, he did (he's a nice grandpa), the Borders guy snapped a pic...we said goodbye.
That was it! Our 2-second brush with fame!

Perhaps not quite what we were expecting, but it was definitely an experience we will both never forget.

We drove home giddy and a little drunk with exhaustion. I loaded up my pal with a Dr Pepper and said good bye. I came inside to my nice warm house knowing I have a great friend, a great husband for letting me do things like this, a signed cookbook, a t-shirt and a silly story to tell!

Off to pick a recipe!


**The Spanx refers to a comment Ree makes about herself on her many public appearances.

NNO and the Return of Boxer Lady

So last night was National Night Out..and being 'good neighbors', we had to participate. This is an event for neighbors to meet each other and to kick crime out by knowing your neighbors and your surroundings.

We headed out a bit late because Joe was finally able to prepare the flower beds for his EIGHT new blueberry plants. In the meantime, he was chastised several times for not making an appearance yet! (You see, we are on the end of the alley on the end of the street where the event was being held.) But we did make it out with the pupster and met a few of our neighbors we knew and a few we didn't, including several of Ryker's neighborhood barking buddies.

As the evening was winding down, I saw a reddish dog come running along without his person. I had put up Ryker a few minutes before, because it was just getting too much for him. So, of course I was thinking this is our Houdini dog...

It wasn't, it was our neighbors from behind. She went to go sniff out a little white dog...and then...it happened. Barking, growling, biting, yelping, crying...ugh. Big Red tried to take down little white dog.

And the first one on the scene to give her two bits, yep, Boxer Lady. After talking with Big Red's owner later, it seems Boxer Lady offered her services to the little white dog's person as an eye witness to the aggressive attack. Even to go so far as to give up her own terrifying account pointing to us, as Joe tells me later.

REALLY??? Really? Why do some people always have to be up in your business when unpleasant things happen? Why do they want to continue the unpleasantness? Why not offer your assistance, see if the dogs are ok and go from there? Why is it always a jump to, "Don't worry, we'll make them pay for being horrible human beings?"

After talking with Joe later, I had to calm myself down and just remember that God charges us to love all people. Even less-than-loving neighbors.

But this National Night Out did end on a high note. We did meet a good chunk of our neighbors. We did get to see a bike cop motorcycle and fire engine up close. But the best was when one of our neighbors asked the cop to go knock on her door and interrogate her 16-yr-old about driving with too many people in the car. Oh, it was so mean, but wow, what an awesome prank. And by your own mom! Priceless!

Trip to the Golden Triangle

So last weekend, we went down to Nederland for my friend Dina's baby shower. She and her hubby are expecting their first kiddo this September.

Miss Kylee Trinity-Danell was celebrated in style on Sunday by her family and friends. Here are a few pics from the day.


Joe and I had a fun time too going down there (minus the bad motorcycle incident) and just hanging out! We met my parents in Houston, went down a stretch of I-10 I haven't been in forever and was given the warning of "look out for hogs on your way in." Ahhh, nothing says "home" like a warning for some perty redneck stuff... We ate at La Suprema and I was happy. We also made a trek to Beaumont and hit up the mall because I left our nice clothes sitting on the couch (you try getting everything ready and corralling your dog at the same time!)

Anywhoo, it was a fun trip had by all! Thanks Bordelons and Adams for hosting us! We really enjoyed our non-air matress! =)

Congratulations Jon!

Just wanted to give a shout out to Lydia's husband, Jon, who graduated from Seminary this weekend! He is officially a real live preacher. And even more exciting than that, he's done with school! (at least for a while!)

Jon, we're so proud of you and happy that you'll get to enjoy this Christmas season with your beautiful wife and the wonderful Caleb...without the worry of books!

Yea!

Evacuees, Roadtrips and Woodworking

It's been an interesting past few weeks at the O'Brien house.

We had our first ever hurricane evacuees come and stay with us at our new house, and no it wasn't my parents! It was my good friend Dina and her troop of dogs...CieCie, Jango and Frenchie. We looked like a traveling circus when we took these kids out for a walk - a little rat terrier (all of 5 lbs.), a huge great Dane (all of 150 lbs), a lovely black lab AND a Ryker dog! We at the Casa de O'Brien do not descriminate on against race, size, age or gender! No sir-ree-bob!But, we had a great week besides the ever-lurking feeling of impending doom you have when your best friend's house may be destroyed and her husband is out driving around in it because he's a sherrif! But, God took care of our nerves and our families keeping mine safe in Kingwood and Dina's relatives safe in South East Texas.

Her parents really got into the spirit of evacuation and took their little selves to Hawaii. They claim it was for their 30th anniversary, but we'll just wait and see what Mr. Jack turns in to the IRS when it comes time for deductions! =)

We enjoyed catching up, crafting, shopping, FISHING and cooking. Dina, though the circumstances were a bit stressful, I'd love to do it again! Even with all the dogs!

In the midst of that, Dina and I took a rockin' roadtrip to the hoppin' town of Buffalo! Buffalo you may ask? Yes, I like to dub it our "Ugandan Missian Adventure." But actually, it wasn't. We had a rendesvue with my parents to deliver to them one mighty large generator, 3 5-gallon gas tanks, 2 power cords and a partridge in a pear tree. You see, my poor parents had been sitting in the dark since the night of Hurricane Ike, and my mom decided she wanted to see where she was going. It was an interesting journey as we got to see tons of cars also hauling generators and gas cans south, convoys of linemen and their work trucks and tons of cop!

Our initial meet-up was supposed to be in Centerville, home of the famous Woody's Truckstop, but my dad called and they were JAMMED full...cars lining ever side of the road east and west of the highway, so that's when we decided to stop and wait in Buffalo. We waited in a 4-car-deep line to fill up our car and our three gas cans, met some other very nice evacuees and waited for my parents. All in all, a successful trip and it was fun to hang out with the parents and hear their survival story over lunch!

That about concluded our excitment. Since then, we've been filling our time with things around the house. I finished up my many sewing projects for Baby Caleb to bring to his momma's shower on Saturday and Joe and I have been working hard on our entry table. It alreay looks awesome! I can't wait for the final product!!

Our next adventures?? Dog training and marriage building classes! I'll let you know which one I use the leash in most! ;)

Colorado Adventure

Here's a few of our pictures from our Colorado Journey. We had a great time visiting with Brianna and Matt and Dutch the cat. Our time was filled with flying, foraging for food at all the Subway sandwich shops we came upon (if you say you're supposed to be open, you SHOULD BE OPEN!), hiking, catching our breath, hiking some more, baseball, waiting for the rain to stop to watch baseball, baseball, rafting, saving people from drowning, rafting again, museum fun and flying some more!

Hope you enjoy...


(all for you Jamie!)

This Time Next Week

So let me just say I am super excited about next Friday. You may ask why, other than the simple fact that it is Friday, and who doesn't like a Friday. Well, I shall tell you.

It is time for our not-so-annual Roomie Reunion!
In college I had the delightful pleasure of moving every year to a new home, but along the way I was able to find some wonderful 'bosom friends,' if I may quote the great Anne Shirley. With a the last season or two filled with weddings, babies and moves, we haven't been able to meet up as we would have liked, but that's all going to change on FRIDAY!

We're heading to Waco to rendezvous with Karen and Baby Ian and we're hitting the ground running...movies, museums, mischief and lots of Common Grounds. I'm sure there will be many a late night chat, possible hair dying, sweets devoured and wonderful time spent with wonderful friends.

RR '08 here we come!

Good Things

There are so many good things happening this week, I'd just like to share a few...

1. HOMEMADE SUGAR COOKIES
I got out an unused-to-date cookbook with so many wonderful goodies, and I just felt compelled to make these simple cookies. They should be ready in about an hour...if you'd like to sample stop on by.
2. SWIMMING
My sister is house-sitting at the 'Big House' for the last time, as the home's super nice family is moving to Minnesota, BUT we get one last weekend to feel like we are rich and enjoy a great pool and a great kitchen over the 4th weekend.3. KABOOM TOWN!
This is one of the highlights of the year for me. If you know me at all, you know I am enthralled with fireworks (and yes, fire by itself, but that's for another day). We've started up a tradition by heading up to the world headquarters of O'Brien Engineering in Addison to enjoy a bit of food, the direct overhead fly-bys of the old war planes and then the evening's fireworks. LOVE IT!!! LOVE IT!!!!!
4. DEAR FRIENDS
One of my dearest friends, Brianna and her husband Matt (soon to be a dear friend too!) are headed into Dallas this weekend. I pretty much get to share all of the above with them and hopefully a lot more. This is my first time meeting Matt as life has gotten in the way of our visiting before now, but I'm sure we'll make up for lost time, right Matt?
5. MY PUPPY
Sorry, I'm a nerd. I'm still a happy new puppy mom, even if it's been 4 months or so. Heck, after you've waited 26 years, you get to be happy for quite a while, right?

I'm going to be an aunt!

That's right.
I'm going to be an official adoptive aunt!
My bestest girl friend in the whole world (aka Lydia) is set to have a baby this coming fall!


I am so excited. Our friendship is great in so many ways because of a few things.
- We are quite random at times, with spur of the moment plans.
- We are artsy in our own ways...sadly I don't have quite the hands to get it into the world as Lydia does.
- We both have amazing husbands.
- We both like to try new things...kind of! =)

This last one comes in handy a lot when there are two of us.
- We like to experiment in the cooking department when we have time. A many fine salsa has been created with our collaborative efforts!
- She got married first, so she helped me out with things there.
- I have better directional abilities, so I try different ways and have the ability to get us out!
- Joe and I bought a house first, so we'll be so excited to help the Norvells with any questions and fix-its when it comes time
- Lyd and Jon are having a baby first. THANK GOD! So I can try out my aunty/parenting skills and joyously be able to give the lovely child back when I can take no more.

In all seriousness, I could not be happier for my two friends. What wonderful parents they will make. What wonderful memories we will make together. And what wonderful adventures await us as we all enter this crazy realm of 'parenthood'!

A great weekend!

So, I would have to say that this was one of those just plain fun weekends. We started the weekend off by dropping the honeymooners at the airport for their two-week excursion to New Zealand. (Ok, that wasn't too fun and we're insanely jealous.) But we finished the evening off with a fun dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, for which we had a gift card!

Saturday was a real fun day. We got up early, drove to a near-by park and took Ryker for a walk to the Coppell Farmers Market. We got to walk around and look at the fresh produce, meats, honey and other foods. We even ran into Joe's granddad on his way to buy some shrimp and Ryker made several friends. The morning was topped off by a great visit to the park where Joe asked me to marry him - complete with a reenactment! -- I said Yes!

THEN! We packed up and went on a trip to Fort Worth in our newly purchased summer plaid shorts! Joe and I met up with two of our great friends, Jon and Lydia at the Japanese Gardens and finished the evening off with a trip to the iconic Joe T. Garcia's.

Friends, Food and Fun. What more could a person ask for? Here's a few pics from the weekend for your enjoyment!

Woohoo for Fondue

Last night Joe and I got to enjoy the company of our friends, Lydia and Jon, over a nice hot steaming bowl of fondue! It was a great time had by all!

When thinking of fondue, my mind automatically goes to some bubbling pot of melted cheese. However there are A LOT of variations on a theme out there! Last night we partook in a dinner fondue and a dessert fondue. Our dinner fondue consisted of a doctored up beef broth that we simmered beef, chicken and veggies in for a fun and actually healthy meal. The one thing about fondue is that you can't be in a hurry for your dinner. Each skewer usually takes about 3 minutes to cook. So it's a great meal to catch up with friends and try not to injure yourself too badly with the pointy stick (we had one casualty last night!).

For dessert, we went all out - Chocolate Peanut Butter Fondue! We had apples, oranges, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and angle food cake for our dipping fare. I must say I enjoyed the bananas best, followed by a skewer of cake and strawberries! Yum!!

We really did have a fun time, and I just may have to get me a fondue pot!

Wanna try! I'm ready with skewer in hand! (figuratively, of course!)

My Best Friend's Wedding...

Well, I got to partake in one of my best friend's wedding this weekend. No I didn't try to sabotage anything; no nasty e-mails, no inhalation of helium, maybe a few annoying cousins...but...it was a lot of fun!

Congratulations Dina and Kyle!