Mexico and Teeth

We're home! We had such a great trip to Mexico; everything went so smoothly. Noah did great, the students did great, and we had a great time building two houses for two deserving families. Here are a couple pictures of our week:


Noah loved being the chauffeur:


The property before the lofthouses were built:



Unloading the houses:

Hard at work:

Overseeing the job:







Lofthouse #1 almost done:

Our team with the families we built for (the other house is to the left, not in the picture, but on the same property):

What a great week!


Also...

Noah's first tooth has finally come in (1 week short of 10 months)!! He won't let me look at it too hard, but I can definitely feel that it has broken through. The one next to it is allllmost there, I can feel that it's about to pop through. I'll see if he'll let me get a picture of it when he wakes up. :)

Happy Easter!

I hope you all had a great Easter celebrating Christ's resurrection. If the resurrection didn't happen, our faith would be useless. Easter is such a special day and each year I'm really beginning to understand and appreciate the importance of this day as it relates to my faith.

What a beautiful Easter Sunday it was here in Southern CA!! 85 degrees!! Here are some pics I took while we were out front enjoying some sun:







and finally...one of my little ham cruising around the coffee table:



Hylke, Noah and I are leaving in the morning to go down to Mexico to build houses for two families. We're taking about 23 JH students...we can't wait! Today we had lunch with some good friends and spent the rest of the day getting everything in order for our trip. I'm excited that we get to bring Noah (although logistically it's a bit more complicated ;) I'm excited to expose him to the ministry aspect of our family in all ways. Both of the families that we're building houses for have babies...I'm also excited to have Noah along for that--a connection point with the mom's. There are some things that break language barriers, babies are one. Please be praying for us...safety, good health, and great ministry! I'll post pictures when we return at the end of the week. Until then....

He is Risen!

Recipes

Hylke's assistant let me know that she's been reading my blog and likes when I post recipes. She is a newlywed and is wanting to try different recipes that are tried and true. Even with nearly 5 years of marriage under my belt, I too am always looking for new recipes...so all you blogging friends of mine, keep them coming!! :) Megan, this one is for you; I found it on the Rachel Ray website and it's an easy make for a casual night, and Hylke LOVES these sandwhiches.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

You'll need:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1 onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Hot pepper sauce
6 kaiser or French rolls, split
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1 1/2 cups). Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.

2. Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the rolls and top with the cheese.

For a fun addition I made homemade potato chips last time by slicing peeled potatoes with my KitchenAid Food Processor. The FP has a blade that slices very thin, perfect for potato chips. Just fry the sliced potatoes and season them...what a tasty side.

Oh, and last night was SO MUCH better...Noah only woke up one time...I gave him some tylenol and after some crying he was back to sleep until morning! YAY!

Banana Bread

**I have posted several times today, so be sure to check them all out!**

My friend Julie brought me the most delicious banana bread a couple weeks ago. I asked her for the recipe and she just posted it on her blog. I thought I'd post it too so you all could enjoy some yummy banana bread!

1 1/2 cp. flour
3/4 cp. sugar
1/2 cp. oil
1/3 cp. orange juice (for part of that 1/3 cp, I add a little mango juice if I have it)
2 eggs beaten well
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 ripe bananas well mashed
(I also add a little vanilla)

Mix all ingredients, adding bananas last. Pour into greased and floured pan (I make 2 small loaves with this batch, though I'm sure you could make one large one, or make muffins too). Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes until middle is set.

Thanks again for the yummy bread, Julie!

What do you think?

Make sure you read the previous 3 posts (starting with "It's 12:14am...") If you haven't visited my blog today.

Noah's Assignment

**If you have not read my previous 2 posts, read those first. :)**


This was Noah's assignment this morning:


You may not be able to read what he was writing...here's a closeup: