What a beautiful, lovely mess we have here.

The backyard.

Another view of the backyard.

The dark area in the middle of this picture is actually a lake of melted snow.

 

The neighbor's house.  Maybe one of these days, I should introduce myself.  On dark evenings (or mornings), I sometimes forget to close the bathroom blinds, and one of these days, they might get a "show".

The front yard, and bird bath.

The slushy, funky driveway where I got stuck a few weeks ago.

So, at this time of year, people around here rise from the dark, cold of winter and REALLY enjoy the sunshine and warmth.  I have yet to hear though, of people celebrating the actual "ick" of snow melting, mud puddles, etc.

These pictures were taken last week from my upstairs windows; you can see my reflection in the window if you look carefully at some of the pics.

Hey, I am no photographer. I just like taking pictures.  There is a difference.  

Today, there is barely any snow left in the yard.   

Maybe I should take more pictures.

After having to drive carefully (slowly, with great caution) on the roads of Winter, everyone realizes that they can drive like teenagers again (tsk, tsk), and traveling around is actually quite fun...and quick.

Living out here is like living on a whole other planet.  I'm not the only one that will tell you this.  The sun goes down later and later, and it gets dark around 11 pm now.  It will continue to get worse.  I say that (because I don't like the continual daylight) to people around here and they give me strange looks.  Seriously, it can freak a girl out when she wakes at 2:30 am to use the bathroom, and it's light outside.  I'm always on a lookout for moose at that time of night, like maybe they find it safer to come into the yard when we're supposed to be sleeping.

I mention to people that I'm leaving for a while this summer, and I tend to get the comment "But, you're leaving at the best time!".  Summer is valuable here. The beauty of it is....WOW!

As for me, I'm going to the Lower 48, where there is proper night and day.  More on that later...

Janet

Cupcakes in a Jar!

Yes M'am!  I do believe that I'll be trying these soon.

I'm so excited about this recipe!  Scream!  This summer will be one of travel, and I have lots going on at the moment, so I guess I can wait for both the jars, and the time to try it.  One of my dear friends is about to have a baby, and so I'm gonna ask her nicely to save the food jars for me...

Follow this link: Cupcakes in a Jar

Bon appetit, mes amis!

J~

Home for the Holidays...

"But, wait!", you say.  "It's April!".

This picture of Gabe and Sarah was taken when we went home to Louisiana this past Christmas.  Phillip took it with his iPhone.

I just love imagining what could be going through their little heads as they look out of that airplane window.

J~

Akiane's Painting of Jesus, and the Shroud of Turin

Happy Easter, everyone!

I'm posting a link for you today: Akiane's Jesus and the Shroud of Turin

I first saw the link about a week ago, on my old high school English teacher's FB page.  It's quite an interesting article, and included in it is a painting by child prodigy Akiane.

I find her vision of Jesus quite comforting to look at.  I just wanted to share it with you.  Maybe it will have some sort of powerful effect on you as well.

I'm in awe that a child could have such talent.  Some people live their whole lives without knowing or finding that special something that makes them who they are.  They search for it, and search for it.  She's got it.

Have a good day, okay?

J~

Pretzel Treats

Thanks to Sherri Lynn at life of a wife, I've found another recipe to try out!

life of a wife: Winner & M&M Pretzel Treats

Go to the link.  See the pictures...Don't they look GOOD?

Hmmm...when's the next baby shower, by the way?

Oooh! Easter! Maybe, for Easter...

Have a great week, everyone.

J~

Time passes by so quickly!

Birthday wishes from Ya-Ya in the "toy nook".

Loves his Star Wars!

...and his Red Velvet cake!

Gabe's 9th birthday was this week. 

On the Friday before September 11, 2001, we found out that we'd been blessed 

with a most special gift.  

We met this news with joy,
and a small fear of the unknown.

We said our prayers.

At 37 weeks gestation, he was ready to take on the world!

And ours has never been the same since.   

Happy Birthday, Jean Gabriel!  

You will never quite understand 

(maybe when/if you have kids of your own?)

how much we LOVE you!

Where is he?

This sign is just a mile or so from my house, and every time I see it, I imagine a moose to be looking both ways, waiting patiently to cross the road not far from the sign.  Maybe he'll give me a nod as I pass, and mouth something like "How ya doin', eh?".  I'm actually disappointed when I don't see him.

On a more serious note, someone in the family (not me) was recently pulled over by a state trooper not far from this sign, because the speed limit on that road is 40 mph.  If you hit a moose, it can be a pretty nasty thing indeed; for you, your car, and the animal.  The good thing though, from what I understand, is that if you do hit a moose, you or the local food bank gets a freezer full.  I think (almost positive) that it's against the law to hit one, and not salvage the meat.

And this is another reason why I like living in different parts of the world...because you learn something new everyday.

J~

Maybe I CAN scratch "Petit Fours" off of my list...

I've always loved the sight of lovely little Petit Fours at bakeries etc.,  because they look so dainty and delicious!

Some time ago, while searching for recipes on how to make my own, I came across the idea (I wish I could give credit where credit is due) to take squares of brownies, a little cupcake icing, and those cute little sugar toppings that you can find near the cake decorations in the grocery store, to make an attractive looking desert like the one above.  Last Friday, while stocking up on groceries at Sam's, I found a bulk pack of mini muffin brownies, and what you see here is what resulted.  If you think about it, the combinations are endless!

The idea that I saw in the past was a square brownie, with a beautiful purple flower sitting in the center.

I think I may even try doing something with sugar cookies in the near future.  I just love the fact that now, when bake sales etc, come up (or baby showers...), I'll have something quick, fun, and simple to make to contribute.

I also came up with this recipe just now:
Mother's Day Petit Fours

If you decide to have fun with this, I'd really like for you to email a picture of your creation to me at explorersfour@gmail.com when you get the chance to.  Like I said, there are many different creative possibilities.

Bon appetit, mes amis!

J~

PS.  I think that maybe I do need to add taking a photography class onto the list, because I'm a pathological picture taker and sometimes, relying on Picasa for editing help just isn't enough.  Those are sugar ducks sitting on top of the brownies, ya'll.

Quote for the day...

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."

 -Mother Theresa 

On the Wish List...

A weekend here:
Click on these words

When I think of "going off the grid", this is what I mean.  Just me, my camera, no watch, and a good book!

Okay...that's it. Just thought I'd let someone know.

400 Wake-ups: An Open Letter to President Obama and Congress

400 Wake-ups: An Open Letter to President Obama and Congress

"An Open Letter to President Obama and Congress: I have not been under a log...I have not been out of the country...I have simply had too mu..."

If you follow the link above, you will be brought to a most interesting post by another blogger that has some really good points. There are times that I have so many thoughts swirling around underneath all this hair, and if I try to get it down on paper, I'd only confuse myself in trying to convey it to the reader.

I'm glad that someone was able to put a bit of my thoughts into words.

I will say this:

• I never had faith in him.  I've never trusted him.  I've always seen him as too arrogant and suave.  
• We're going on our 5th major separation in 5.5 years.  I'm including training time in this.  And, a humanitarian mission.  While what my husband is doing is honorable and we are quite proud of him, it does have its effect on every member of the family.  We pay the price. (think about it)
• It's just not nice to bite the hand that feeds you.  

For the family...

We all think that our kids are cute, right?

Well, Phillip captured this on his phone. This might be something that only the grandparents can appreciate, but I think it's hilariously adorable.

(She entertained us for quite a while; there was a LOT more to it! You only got a small snippet.)

Shorts to String You Along...Episode 4

We've got lots going on right now (normal everyday living stuff), but I'm uninspired to write about it at the moment, so I'm posting a really short "short" for you.

The above video was taken at the World Eskimo Olympics 2010.  The competitions are cool, but I think my favorite part of the whole experience is watching the native dances.

 If you're ever in Fairbanks, it's a must see if you want to get some culture in the brain.

Enjoy!