HAPPY ANNIVERSARY KURTIS & SARAH

Happy Anniversary Kurtis and Sarah. I can't believe it's been 4 years! We love you both and wish you many more years of love and happiness.

The quality of love and the duration of a relationship are in direct proportion to the depth of the commitment by both people to making the relationship successful. Commit yourself wholeheartedly and unconditionally to the most important people in your life.
_Brian Tracy

FLAMING GORGE

Ashlee enjoying the sun and reading her book.  We both managed to get a book read and several magazines.

One night we tied our boat up and stayed in little cove.  It was much quieter than saying at the docks.
Honey and Jed waiting patiently for something a little more exciting to happen. (and neither one is very patient)

Jed, Ashlee, Honey , Mark and I went to the Gorge last Thursday and spent a few days fishing and even managed to get the dock boys to take us out water skiing and wake boarding.  Jed and Ashlee had no problem getting up even though they had been skiing or wake boarding for years.  I wasn't as lucky. I tried numerous times but never got up.  It was a major blow to my ego. (Ashlee-I guess it's not like riding a bike, once you learn, you never forget!)  Fishing kind of "sucked" according to Mark, the rest of us didn't really care if we caught any or not!  

RANDOM RECIPES

I decided I could no longer call it the recipe of the week since I have been very delinquent in my postings. I got this recipe from one of my colleagues and it is a winner!! I have made it a couple of times and I really like it. I don't put in the mandarin oranges or the water chestnuts though but I add sweet yellow, red and orange peppers. It's fun to experiment with recipes and adjust them according to your liking.

SPINACH, CHICKEN AND PASTA SALAD

16 ounces bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

DRESSING:
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce
2/3 cup white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper


1 (10-ounce) bag fesh spinach
1 (6-ounce) bag craisins
3 (11-once) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (8-ounce) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch reen onions, chopped
6 ounces honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

Blend dressing ingredients together in blender or food processor. ( I just use my mixer) Mix dressing and cooked pasta in medium bowl and marinate for at least 2 hours. Combine rest of salad ingredients in large salad bowl, add pasta and dressing and toss.

WHILE THE PARENTS ARE AWAY THE CATS WILL PLAY

It was pretty funny watching the cats the minute Kurtis and Sarah left for work. As soon as they closed the garage door Hawkeye catapults up to the top of the kitchen cabinets, Henley leaps on top of the kitchen island and Bailey settles down on arm of the sofa. Bearcat behaved himself and went to the basement to slumber the day away.

Weekend in Omaha

We went to Omaha last Thursday and came back on Sunday. Believe it or not their is a winery in Omaha. For a moment(notice I said moment) you thought you were in Napa Valley. Omaha's terrain tends to be rather flat but there was actually some rolling hills. It was an absolutely beautiful evening. The weather couldn't have better. We also managed to go out and have sushi one evening. Pat and Janine joined us so that was alot of fun.