February in Texas

It has it's perks.

he's up

TONIGHT!

Go Kai!

look who's a big 3 year old now

We're all so in love with this girl.

Happy Chocolate Day

It's all about the food.

Chocolate Berry Crepes

1 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1. Mix first 4 ingredients in bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients with electric mixer until smooth.

2. Lightly butter small 6 inch skillet and heat over medium heat until bubbly.

3. For each crepe, pour 1/8-1/4 cup batter into skillet. Immediately rotate skillet until thin layer of batter covers bottom. Cook until lightly brown. Run spatula around edge until loose. Flip crepe and cook other side until light brown. Repeat for remaining batter.

4. Spread whipped cream down the middle of the crepe. Fill with raspberries and/or chopped strawberries. Roll, and top with melted chocolate or chocolate berry sauce*, powdered sugar, and of course, more berries.

~~~

Chocolate Berry Sauce

semi sweet ( or mik chocolate, if that's more your thing) baking chocolate or chocolate chips

raspberries and/or strawberries, pureed

milk

sugar to taste

Mix all ingredients in saucepan (eyeball all of it) and gently heat until melted and smooth.

the catch

One of my 2009 resolutions is to catch up.

Catch up on sleep, catch up on reading, catch up on cleaning, catch up on scrapbooks, catch up on home videos, and catch up on various other organization projects and craft.

And as much as I'd like to get my blog caught up on all that has already transpired in 2009, I can't. I'm throwing the last few things in our suitcase, searching for the missing snow hat, and running out the door to catch a plane. Ethan and I are taking a trip to see my sister and Carter. We are so excited. Ethan's been counting down for weeks.

Then I'll come home and catch up.

forgetting to remember

I'm not sure how this is going to actually sound outloud (so to speak) but I was visiting with some dear new friends last night. They asked me about Brazil and it brought up a lot of tender feelings that I've been thinking about recently. Although it's a world away from us now, it really wasn't all that long ago when I was thinking about things like this and experiences like this.

And I had really strong feelings about things like this.

And I said I'd never forget.

Then I came "home". To a house. With a lot more space. With a lot more yard. In a comfortable neighborhood. With a lot of things to do. And less time to think about so much of what I learned in another place and time.

So I start to forget. And it makes me angry.

Angry when I get wrapped up in my new little world. Angry when I complain. Angry when I get lazy. Angry when I get complacent. Angry when I find myself comparing my house and my "things" to the beautiful homes around me.

Despite the current state of the economy, Americans had a lot. Even Americans who don't have a lot, have...well, a lot.

I never want to forget. I never want my kids to forget.