Friendship

One of the things that can be a struggle for singles is loneliness. There are times when I struggle with this, but I do have to say that this week was not one of those time. I am so fortunate to have such wonderful friends.

Friday night Stacey and Patty came over for dinner, a game and a movie. It was nice that their kids were taken care of and their husbands had to work, so they could come out for the night. We had a great time!!!! I had gotten my camera out intending to take pictures, but forgot to. I guess we were having too much fun.

Then on Saturday, Lynnae and I drove down to Ames to spend the afternoon and evening with a couple of camp friends. Both Annie and Sabrina had worked for me in the office at camp and now one is married and the other is getting married very soon. It was great to catch up!

Annie had the practice up do done for her wedding and we were helping her take out all the bobby pins right in the middle of Panara's.

Getting gangster lessons from Annie. :)
Who do you think makes the best gangster?
We ate supper at Hickory Park, which is one of the best places to eat. Annie and Sabrina's guys joined us for the meal and it was nice to get to know them as well.

Frozen in Grand Central Station

I just saw this on another blog and had to post it! Now that would be a cool April Fool's prank to pull off.

http://www.maniacworld.com/frozen-in-grand-central-station.html

Bowling Party

Stacey and I had a bowling party for our Jr. Girls on Saturday. We had 10 girls come and we invited Brooke (pastor's wife) along to help as well. It was a great time!!! Please continue to pray for the girls that are unsaved and for the other girls to continue to live lives that please the Lord. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

We were missing one of the girls in this picture since she had to come late.

Wow! Can you believe Brooke and Stacey would pose like this? Maybe it's because I asked them too.

After bowling, we went back to the church for pizza and games. I forgot to take pictures there...oops. Just trust me...we had a great time.

Samantha and Another Mmmm Good Recipe

The daughter of the camp director, Samantha, stayed the night with me and we decided to make some cookies. She likes my grandma's Banana Nugget Cookies. I thought you might enjoy sharing the night with us.

Samantha had never used a hand blender before, so she enjoyed getting the bananas nice and smooth.

She did a great job measuring all of the ingredients. We got a really good laugh after she measured the shortening. I have the Pampered Chef measuring cup and she asked if she could make it "poop" the Crisco into the bowl.

She got to use one of my most prized possessions. Yes, I'm in love with my Kitchen Aid mixer.

Let's scoop those babies onto the cookie sheet. I know this cookie sheet looks awful, but it's my favorite. I absolutely hate air bake cookies sheets.

Ready to bake....I can just smell them.

We played Hand & Foot while we waited. We won't mention who won. Okay, I'll be a good sport. She cleaned my clock.

Oh boy...where's the milk?

Here's the milk. Let's try these cookies out.

And the judges say...

These cookies are a winner!!!!! Now, why don't you give them a try.

Banana Nugget Cookies
1 3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips (I put in the whole bag)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 cup banana

Mix wet ingredients and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. I eat these for breakfast with a glass of milk.

Mmmm Good Recipe

I went to a friend's for supper last Saturday and she made this delicious dish. It was so good that I had to make it myself. I can't remember what she called it, but I call it yummy.

Start by browning one pound of ground beef. Drain off the grease and add one packet of taco mix (don't add the water). Then add one can of chili beans with the sauce and one can of stewed tomatoes. (I'm not a big fan of chunks of tomato, so I pureed mine.) If you want to add a little zing, put in a can of chopped green chilies.

Ready for the next step?

Crunch up some tortilla chips and put them on the bottom of your plate. Ready? Here it comes...

Go ahead...load on some of the good stuff.

Now here is where you get creative. I'm one of those picky eaters, so I just put on some lettuce, black olives and cheese. But that doesn't mean you can't add whatever you want.

Here's the final product. Dig in and enjoy! It's a great twist if you are tired of regular tacos.

Bulbous Boufat

Bekah said the last video was boring. Well, this one is the same thing, but I think it's better because it's real people with real expressions. Okay Bekah...what do you think now?

Macadamia!!!!

The Five Seasons

Yes, you read that title correctly. Here at IRBC we have five seasons and I have pictures to prove it.


We are of course most known for Summer. Then comes my favorite, Fall. Next is Winter and let's not forget Spring. But somewhere in between Winter and Spring we have another season called, Mud. That's right...mud, mud and more mud.


I took some pictures today of the snow melting creating rivers running over our dirt roads and the melting snow. The result is mud and lots of big puddles...including the lake in front of my door.

So I'm writing to say...Happy Mud!

Retreat

I have worked at the Iowa Regular Baptist Camp for 4 1/2 years now. This past weekend I was able to actually attend my first retreat here!!! Our church rented the Retreat Center for a Ladies' Retreat.

It was so much fun and just the refreshment I needed. We played games, sang and several of our ladies were chosen to give testimonies. We also had a wonderful prayer time in small groups.

The most important part for me was the testimonies. Four ladies were asked to share what God has been teaching them. Each of them touched on the fact that we must relinquish control over to God. What a great reminder!

I Need Your Help!

As most of you know, my favorite holiday is only a month away. To see how I celebrated last year, click here.

So, here is where you come in. I have no idea what to do next. It doesn't even have to be as big as last year, but I really need to do something. The guys wouldn't know what to do if they came in the office and there was no April Fool's celebration.

So please leave your ideas.