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!