Happy Easter

 This year we went to the Base Easter Egg Roll.  It was not as bad as I thought it was going to be.  They had it fairly well organized, and the kids there were very good about waiting their turn and not totally cheating.  We were there for 3 hours, since they ran it by age group and broke it down a lot.  That was good, because there were manageable amounts of children grabbing eggs, but it made for a very long afternoon.

Fortunately there were other things to keep them entertained and the kids ran and played all over the big field and were happy till the very end, and then they were ready to go home.  Funnily enough, it looks like Rylee is about the only kid I got pictures of!

Hanging out with the giant inflatable bunny.

Enjoying the bounce house and even happier that she found her new BFF, Quinn to play with. 

Rylee's haul from the egg "hunt". 

Just HAD to pose at the giant anchor. 

And she was happy to take a picture with the slightly scary looking bunny. 

FYI, this is how the hunting went-  They put cones out to separate a space for eggs, then dumped a ton of eggs.  At the starting time, all the kids for that age group dashed out to grab as many eggs as they could.  It lasted less than a minute. 

We were watching 3 extra kids that day and Callie was invaluable in keeping track of them!  And in keeping them happy and entertained.

I got a boo-boo

 So I was sewing, because I like sewing.  In the process, I managed to maim myself with the seam ripper.  Yeah, I know.  It takes real talent.  And I was talented enough I needed a quick trip to Urgent Care, where I left with 3 little stitches.

What it looked like before I went in. I know, not very impressive.

What it looked like when I left. 

What it looked like 3 days later when I finally peeled off the bandage. (The other white mark is a scar from when I was 9 and.... you guessed it, I stabbed myself with a box cutter.)  The bruising was pretty amazing and is finally fading, 10 days post-stabbing.

This is 2 weeks after I maimed myself and the day after the sterry-strips came off.

I have another official teen-ager!

 Marian turned 13!  Oh my!  She had some specific things she wanted.  She wanted Chicken Enchiladas for dinner, and Strawberry Pizza Pie instead of cake.  I was happy to provide both.

Mmmmm.... Looks so yummy!

She's delighted with the food, less thrilled with the photo. 

Someone is unhappy with the pizza pie.  She (gasp!) doesn't like it! 

Pandering to the camera. 

Happy with her loot stash. 

And now she joins this kid as the ruling class of teenagers.  

FYI, we are currently in a minor skirmish over this hair.  I can live with it, Dan can't, and Joshua wants to keep his "Coiffed and crispy locks" till the weather warms up.

Happy Pi Day!

Last Monday was March 14, or 3.14, which is Pi Day!  As a pie girl, I take this day very seriously.

How seriously?

So seriously that I don't actually have any photos of the event.  But it happened!  Oh yes, it happened! I did pre-make a lot of the pies, and they were in the freezer.  I love that most of my pies freeze really well.  And while I was away in Hong Kong, Callie tried out a new pie!  She made a Butterfingers pie.  She discovered there is a learning curve, and we were able to perfect the next one for our guests.

We had an open house from 4-6pm and all were invited.  We had a full house. I even made a couple dinner pies for those who wanted to be virtuous and have a healthier option before delving into the sweets.  I started with 20 pies, and had not much left when it was over.  When we condensed the pies, it was barely a single pies worth left.  Here is what we had:

3 Toll House pies that were delivered (Dan's office, the post office, and the commissary)
2 Toll House pies (consumed by our guests)
2 Lemon Chess Pies
1 Chocolate Chess Pie
1 Chocolate Truffle Pie
1 Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffle
1 Pinkie Pie
1 Butterfinger Pie
2 Oreo Caramel Pies
2 S'mores Pies
1 Irish Meat Pie
2 Chicken Pot Pies
1 Cream Cheese Pecan
And our friends brought a Rhubarb Berry Pie to share (and it was delicious!)

This documents Callie's first ever Pie.  She made it all by herself while I was gone.  I'm so proud!!

The S'mores Pie.  This picture was taken to post on Facebook to invite our friends to stop by for pie.  And they did!

Hong Kong Trip: Saturday

Saturday morning we checked out of the hotel and went to the chapel.  I hauled my suitcase out with me, because I had to leave early.  The sessions were so wonderful, I loved them!  I had to run away at 10 and was so sad to miss the end of the speaker's presentation.  I was pleased to feel so confident as I marched to the train station and transferred trains and got on the Airport Express back to the airport. So much less anxiety when it is more familiar!

I got to the airport, but had forgotten how long it takes to get to the boarding gates, and I squandered too much time having a leisurely lunch.  I had to hustle after that.  I would have had plenty of time, but I didn't realize my plane required me to be bussed out the aircraft, so bording began 30 minutes earlier than I expected.  oops!

I got on the plane and thanked myself for getting the non-stop flight and got in to Fukuoka at 5pm. Customs and everything was easy-peasy and I took a taxi to the Shin.  Dan had thoughtfully texted me the times and platforms so I was able to catch the 5:57 bullet train home, and I was home by 8pm. Joy abounded!  Really, I was just super excited to sleep in my very own, soft bed.

Me, waiting for my Shin, and happy to be nearly home!