Thanksgiving in Michigan

We went to Neal and Kerrie's in Anne Arbor for Thanksgiving.  Ella kept saying "cousins" whenever she could; she was soooo excited about being around family.  

Jed did the rotisserie turkey and Cyndi did 8 hour dinner rolls that we had for a bedtime snack...long story.  

Halloween 2008

Our ward does an annual Trunk or Treat with a Chili cook-off.  Ella went as a giraffe.  I won't lie, she didn't like putting the costume on but getting the candy for free was really exciting to her.  

The Southwells went all Japanese on us and the other little girl is Livia, the 2nd cousin.

Over all it was a fun night.

No power for a week!

This is our crazy experience with the wind storm of Hurricane Ike. 

We came home from church to find trees down in our backyard.  

Ella got so used to the power being out that she went to the coolers for milk. 

Our neighbors and landlord took care of everything with their chainsaws.  We sure learned a lot about self-reliance and are investigating generators.  Sure brings a testimony of home preparedness, food storage and all else.  Luckily nothing was seriously damaged.   

Ella's 2nd birthday

This was Ella's 2nd birthday.

She really likes Winnie the Pooh, so we had a Pooh bear cake and friends over to celebrate.

Our new house

So here are the pictures of our home in Lville.  It's old and creeks and has lots of bugs and we love it!!

Recipes for everyday

This is a great, easy dinner for a weeknight off of the Kraft website. 

Ravioli Bake

1 jar Spaghetti sauce (any flavor)

1 can diced tomatoes undrained

1 10 oz can beef broth

1/4 C zesty Italian dressing

2 9oz pkgs fresh ravioli (in refrigerator section)

1 C shredded mozzarella

1-Preheat the oven to 375

2-combine sauce, tomatoes, broth and dressing in a 9x13 baking dish

3-add ravioli and mix lightly

4-Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes

5-Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, let stand 5 minutes

Serve and Enjoy!

Why is it called "Blog?"

I'm sure that there is some technical explanation but it sounds like the Princess Bride scene where Miracle Max and Inugo are deciphering what Westley(mostly dead mind you) should live for..."to blave" which of course was really "true love" and now I humbly submit that maybe it was "to blog." Or at least it seems so, since "blogging" has become the rage. Maybe Westley was beyond his time and he really knew that blogging would be the answer, the omega, in this electronic age.

And so, with that long drawn out craziness revealed I ask, why does anyone really want this funny dud to blog; a warning to the masses...something mad this way blogs.