Chores boo...Paraguay YEAH!

My apologies to all the household chores. I realize you have been piling up all around the house, and had it not been for my hero husband we would have no clean clothes to wear.

But I have an excuse!

World Cup.

It's almost over and then this house will have a wife and mother back (instead of that crazed lunatic who chews off her fingernails, jumps at every chance of goal and really believes that if she hopes strong enough Paraguay will win the Cup).

It's once every four years, I hope you understand.

Laundry is forever.

I'll be back.

Fingers crossed for Saturday! We need to beat Spain! (gulp)

Felicidades Paraguay!

Too happy for words!

Go Paraguay!!

Cabbage Salad with Oranges and Lemon

Recipe for Bread Machine Hamburger Buns found HERE.

Cabbage Salad with Oranges and Lemons (From Apples for Jam cookbook)

5 cups of finely sliced cabbage

1 tsp of salt

2 small leafy celery stalks, finely sliced

2 whole oranges (I used fresh tangerine segments)

2 small peeled, cored, chopped apples (optional)

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Dressing:

4 tbsp. of olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. of lemon juice

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. of dried oregano, crushed through your fingers

Put cabbage in large bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and cover with cold water. Let soak for about an hour to draw any acid away from cabbage. Drain, rinse, and put in large bowl with celery. Slice the orange (or tangerines) and place in bowl. Add apples and walnuts if using.

Whisk all ingredients for dressing together, then pour over cabbage. Let chill for about an hour before serving.

One rainy day

It was a rainy day in Asuncion, our stress levels were high as we rushed around town doing paperwork, buying last minute things and packing boxes for our big move. The older girls were with their Grandma and little Lexi was with us. She was tired, cold, wet, fussy and so were we.

I wasn't sure how much more I, or she, could take, but we still had one more stop. A furniture store to buy a dining room table for our new house.

We went in, we picked one out, Brian was paying and Lexi was screaming.

And then, no fewer than 5 saleswomen that worked at the store rushed to my aid. They brought me coffee, took Lexi, hummed songs to her, gave her a new dry blanket from the stock room and said we could keep it. They laid her on one of the beds in the showroom, they rubbed her little hands, and cooed at her.

Within minutes Lexi was happy again and I was able to sit down and watch total strangers love on my baby.

It was then I knew I was back home in Paraguay.

It's a special place that really is full of warm, kind, gentle people.

Why would I live anywhere else?

Mexian Pot Roast Tacos and Flour Tortillas

The pot roast was amazing.

The tortillas were....meh. (A little to thick and bready for my taste)

Still, a delicious meal all in all. And simple.

Tortillas

3 cups of flour

3 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

3 Tbsp. of oil

1 cup of water

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and oil in medium sized bowl. Add water and mix with hands. Divide into small balls, roll out thin and cook in hot ungreased skillet.

I involved the girl in this recipe and then finally sent them out! Out! OUT! of the kitchen. Sometimes my beautiful,sweet, charming, cute little girls drive me nuts. But that's okay.

Mexican Pot Roast recipe found here.

Trips.

Here's a sneak peak into our trip from Tampa to Miami. We drove 5 hours, stayed in a hotel room for three hours (last minute showering and napping), then went to the airport for our flight to Sao Paulo and ultimately, Asuncion.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:
Exhibit C:
Notice, there are suitcases and children everywhere.

No wonder my sister looks like she's going to hurt me.

(Sorry, Jewel, but I warned you.)

Interesting facts about this trip:

Abbie learned how to "go" on the road.

Elena threw up into a ziploc bag.

Lexi pooped through two diapers. (Dumb disposables.)

Jewel slept.

I ate way too much trail mix.

Brian drove.

Pretty uneventful for one of our trips. We're just glad it's over.

Easy Yummy Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup of melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour melted butter over brown sugar, and sugar. Add 2 eggs, vanilla and mix well.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in oats, raisins, and nuts (if using).

Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Hide cookies from husband before he eats 8 at one time.

(True story.)

JoJo

Meet JoJo,our new kitty.

He lets Elena carry him around the house like a purse.

He lets Abbie pull his tail,

and just the other day, I found him laying by Lexi, and in Lexi's small chubby hand a fistful of cat fur.

JoJo puts up with all this "loving" very well.

Looks like he's here to stay.

Yummy Baby

Daddy likes "sugar."

This is how you get it...

Oh, Lexi Loo Hoo.

We're so glad you're here.

Three Things

Three random characters you can find in my kitchen on any given day:

1. A West Virginia Mountaineer Cheerleader reading a book at mommy's desk.
2. A husband making Roasted Tomato Sauce.
3. Minnie Mouse with her new pet kitten.

My Mornings

This is what my mornings look like. A happy baby with a full tummy and a sleepy husband who can't believe it's time to get up...already.

I think my mornings look great.

I have to go...where??

The sheer look of terror on her face (at the very end of the clip) makes me laugh hysterically every time.

Since arriving in Paraguay Abbie has decided that it is very nice, except that it does not have enough potties.

True, Abbie, true.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

That picture has nothing to do with my post, but it's cute, so there it is. My brother and my newest daughter all dressed up on Easter Sunday. Love it.

We are home! Hooray!

I realize that everyone wants to see pictures of my house and I will show it to you, AFTER it gets painted. Right now, every other wall is either lime green or bright orange. I'm not a perfectionist, but...I prefer things to match. Maybe next month I'll give you the full tour. Hang in there.

As it stands, things are soooo good. The girls are ecstatic to be home. Poor little Abbie who was wetting the bed every single night in the U.S, has not wet the bed once since arriving in our new house. She refers to everything as hers. "My kitchen." "My bathroom." "My living room."

Elena likes the yard, her bedroom, her old toys and her closet full of clothes. (Where did all those pink dresses come from?)

Lexi is sleeping better, and has not left the house once since we arrived in our new city. She likes it better that way.

Brian and I feel relieved to have our little chicks back in their nest and are working hard every day to make this apartment OURS.

It's good to be home.