May Day!

Myla wishes you all a happy month of May! Clearly she is all geared up for Cinco de Mayo a bit early. But what she should be doing is waiting at the door for May Day baskets.

Anyone remember May Day Baskets? Popping the popcorn, putting in the candy and forming some sort of pipe cleaner decoration. Then the ringing of the doorbell and tearing back to the car like you just robbed a liquor store at age ten. I almost feel like they would be more fun as an adult. Mini airplane bottles of Jack/Jose/Jameson (anything with J will do), leftover Peeps from Easter, and packs of pens since pets seem to like to hide them under every major appliance possible.....

Throwback Thursday: Remember Jezzball?

Solitaire addict at age 8. If only this would have been a sign as to what Chips Challenge would have been to me at age 15, and Jewel Quest at 25....

Dont even get me started on Nancy Drew and Minesweeper addictions....

PS. At least I hate Angry Birds.

Troublesome Trio.

This is Olivia's guilt face. It means she was doing something naughty and I totally caught her in the middle of it. Myla must be an accomplice. Normally she's the lookout, mainly cause she's the cutest and you just can't be mad at a cross-eyed kitty.

You can not hide from felines. They WILL find you. Especially when you open up the shower curtain and this is what you see staring at you....
My mother has her own troublemaker! Only she encourages it by putting my coat on the floor so that Sydney can play on it while I'm downstairs. And then when I come back up over an hour later, there is a pile of toys and a cat on top of it....

Appropriately titled, Easter!

The family gathered. The food was made. The food was demolished. Baskets were given. Chocolate was consumed. Easter success!

I might have made broccoli salad, corn pudding, carrot souffle, and Tim slow roasted the pork, but Grandma brought the chocolate pie and cheesecake!

Attendees frequently look as though they are in a food coma.....

Deep in thought.....

Or about to be consumed by the floral arrangement.


Sydney seemed to think she was the featured guest of Easter

Making appearances everywhere and with everyone!

Including his own seat at the dinner table. My mother could not spoil that cat anymore rotten!

And then of course, boys doing boy things!

Simon's Cat in 'Hop It'

January through April. The misery months!

I realized that I never posted the pictures from 2010's Christmas gift to everyone! So I'll play catch up for tonight, and then every month for the rest of the year, Ill post what lovely awesome photo dons the kitchens and living rooms and offices of our friends around the country!

January has a devil and an angel fighting over your New Years Resolutions!

Chinese New Year in February!

St Patricks Day at Disney! Nordyke Tradition!

Olivia the Easter Bunny!

Throwback Thursday: Easterific.

Easter as a little kid posed quite the cunundrum. For me, the going to church part was no biggie, that happened every weekend (and several days during the week too), but on Easter, it meant wearing a dress. Not just any dress, but a dress that you had to go do special shopping for so it was brand new for the holiday. And usually it meant there had to be a flowery hat to go with it. This is probably the only picture my mother has of me smiling in a dress before the age of 18. It just didn't coincide together, smiles and dresses. I hated them. Shopping for them was just as bad. Uncomfortable and everybody looking at you, and ugh. I just wasn't a fan.

So you sit through church in your stupid dress, sit through Sunday school, doing whatever Eastery craft they gave you to do, which when you would see it 15 years later, you would realize just how morbid all Easter crafts are from Sunday school. But then you have to go eat food with your entire family, food that as a small child, just really isnt your cup of tea. Roast? Vegetables? Sauces? Salads? Just give me a chocolate bunny and a hot dog people!

But the upside, at least in my family, was the Easter basket. As long as I can remember, so Im not sure if this was the case as a super small kiddo, but when you woke up, the Easter Bunny had delivered your basket to your room, and you could go through all the candy and small trinket gift things as soon as you woke up, giving mom and dad extra time to wake up and not be bothered by, "WAAAAKKKEEE UPPPP IM BORED!" And Easter candy is better than Halloween candy, let's be honest. Its in fun and bright colors, animal and springy shapes, and just in general more awesome. Halloween candy is the same candy you find year round, Easter candy is only found in season.

PS. Tim bought Peeps today, and they were wolfed down like they were weight loss pills given to Kirstie Alley

But yes. That's Easter. Now, I dress myself (No flower hats) and I dig the food and family time a lot more (Chunky foodie, right here!). Although I can't say I would turn down an Easter-y craft if offered...

A FULL weekend.

Things that made me happy this weekend:
New (to me) flat screen for the bedroom
Getting past a tough spot in Nancy Drew
Various items dipped in Nutella
16.5 mile run today
Sweating nine gallons during hot yoga yesterday
Delicious dill mushrooms and raisin spinach
Working on friend's birthday gifts
20 mile bike ride
French toast and eggs at Newtons with the family
Borders going out of business sale
Paying $8 for my Cipro meds
Skyline, Ninja Assassin, Gullivers Travels, and Marmaduke
Copious episodes of Ally McBeal
Baked Trevor muffins
Chipotle Burrito Bowl and cheesecake
A happy weight on the scale this morning
Relaxed muscles
A lot of Tucker Max's audio book

Things that made me unhappy:
Gas prices
Typhoid pills make me sick
Olivia broke a bowl
Tomorrow is Monday

Mind Spew.

Today's thoughts come from the fact that this is the second night in a row that Tim has worked extra late.

1) I saw Frau walking on 12th today. That woman has clearly made a deal with the devil and cheated death.

2) Sometimes its scary when I realize how little doctors know. Going to Africa takes a lot of medications. Doctor #1 gave me azithromycin, saying that cipro wasn't broad enough and wouldn't work. Doctor #2 said the exact opposite, that cipro would kill everything and the other was super restricted in working. Ugh. Although Doctor #1 also tried to give me several pointless injections as well, sooo.... Doctor #2 it is. Extra bonus points to him because he gives me Xanax.

3) I got my car back from it getting fixed. Someone backed into it and basically the entire door needed replacing, but yet, when I got it fixed, the sealing wasn't sealing, there is a GIANT portion of paint missing, and there is a grinder scratch in the back door. They've always done such a good job, way to totally slack on that one. But I should be getting my new car next week sometime. Which leads me into....

4) My dad got called by the dealer who is looking for my new car today. To explain that was supposed to be blue, is really a charcoal gray. That's fine, Charcoal is dealable. Silver is not. Not the point though. Apparently the lister of the cars for the dealership is colorblind, and basically all the cars are listed as the wrong color. You would think that they'd have someone else do that part.....

BUT THEN. I got a call back from my dad saying that this charcoal car isn't even meant for me at all. Somehow my dealer had left the other dealership (seller) with the WRONG car. The seller said gave it to them, said it was the right one, and let them take it out of the state all the way back here. Vin numbers don't match. Totally wrong car. Crazy careless much?

5) Without a diagram, its virtually impossible to explain this story in full, but I shall summarize as best as I can. Car parked in a no parking zone. And even if it was, it would be parallel parking, but the car is angle parked, halfway in the street, in the red zone, and inside is a 90 year old woman eating a sandwich without a care in the world. Like, "Oh! Im hungry for tuna melt, let me pull over RIGHT HERE" People should have to take a yearly driving test after the age of 70. Suck it up old people, it takes 15 minutes, if you can't wait that long, you shouldn't be driving anyway.

6) I am currently starting my fifth episode of the night of Ally McBeal. Something tells me at least six is likely, possibly seven.

1, 2, 3....

No throwback post this week, just three shameful admissions.

1) My evening is ending by watching an ABC Family Original Movie (My Future Boyfriend).
2) My evening started by playing my Nancy Drew computer game.
3) I have eaten too many "mini" bowls of raisins and granola this evening.

Shelf Life?

Making mac and cheese, Tim notes the brown color of the supposedly orange cheese.

Keeps making it.

Eats it.

Looks at the box, still curious about the brownish color and the slightly smokey taste.

Best if used by May 2008.

Admits that he still would have eaten it if he had known before he made it.

Kwambekenya: A Call for Help.

Spring is here! Which means it’s almost summer, and almost time for me to make yet another crazy adventure happen. This one is quite different than all of the others so far though.

Some of you may know that my mother has been lucky enough to take several mission trips over to Kwambekenya, Kenya in the past number of years, with the last one ending quite abruptly. This year she is going back to finish what she began and I have the great excitement of being able to go with her and other team members on June 23-July 2.

The team will consist of approximately 20 people, mostly from Prairie Lakes Church (PLC) in Cedar Falls. We are working through the 410 Bridge Foundation. We will not know exactly the nature of the work that we will be doing while in Kenya, but there are many different opportunities to share the ministry in all that we do to help the Kenyan community during our time there.

We could be working digging trenches for easier access to cleaner water, helping build/repair communal buildings, such as the school. Conditions are less than ideal in their part of the world, and every person that we take over to help in the labor and the planning of such things, helps expand and better what they endure every day.

As with all missions, it's unfortunately a costly endeavor to make the physical adventure happen. For each individual, between travel and living expenses, the cost is $3500, and needs to be raised in full by the end of April.

I know this isn't the best economic time to be asking for donations, but having witnessed others (mainly my own mother) who have been on this exact mission trip in the past, I have been able to see that this is a mission worth giving towards. This community has been matched with my own for a reason, and to not reach out and do my best to help further the Kenyan mission isn't an excuse of, "It's a money thing."

So I ask you to at least consider giving to the cause. Any piece helps. Whether it be $5 or $100, it gets one step closer to doing good will for these people, and the hearts of our own, the team members going with. As the trip not only changes the people of Kwambekenya, but gives a better look to those that live in the "wealth" of the United States, including myself.

Any donation you give is tax deductible. You can donate online at http://prairielakeschurch.org/give. First time online givers must create an account and then follow the directions as prompted. Once signed in, click the “Project Kenya” fund and then choose my name from the drop down menu.

Please do what you feel most comfortable with and know that I am truly thankful for everything that you have given to this journey, either through your donations and/or your prayers and thoughts.

Thank you so much for your aid and goodwill for this project!!!
Clare

Throwback Thursday: NZ & me.

As I stated below, we landed April 7 in New Zealand. For what was supposed to be a year. This throwback picture rather explains how things turned out.....

One year ago today, I moved to New Zealand. I should be getting back just now.

Things did NOT go as planned. Clearly.

Here's a crazy look: http://cuckooforkiwiland.blogspot.com/

Last Little Bits.

Serious Somber Business.

Everyone has to eat right?

Ok, you can't go on Spring Break, especially to Disney and not eat ridiculously bad for you and EXTREMELY tasty foods. And then look back and go "Oh, thats why the scale hates me this week...." So here's our reasons.