Instead of focusing on the unfortunate weather outside I'd like to take a moment to focus on this little nugget:

A church sign in Washburn. This is why I need to carry my camera with me at all times.

I'm feeling kind of cranky today so in hopes of cheering me up I have to post some pictures of my niece, McKenna. I finally found my memory card, in the laundry basket, so I get to upload now. Ooh, there's quite a few of them.

McKenna and Daddy, dancing.

Very excited about the oatmeal cookies they were making.

Not totally sure on this one. Gymnastics really gave her some energy. I figured it would do the opposite...I've got a lot to learn about kids.

Rolling out pizza dough, again, very excited :)

McKenna and Grandma doing some reading.

Grandma has to take her glasses off to read.

There are more, but I'm going to stop now. I was right, this did make me happier. McKenna got so used to me taking pictures while I was there she didn't even notice it after awhile. It was great spending time with them at their new house....I'll post pictures of that later too.

Well I do have pictures from my weekend at my brothers that I was going to post but of course I have the wrong memory card in my camera right now. So for now, until I'm done with work, here's a video of Mike's sister doing the polar plunge this weekend. It was a beautiful day if you felt like jumping into ice water.

Look at the little green trooper. Way to go Jen.

Mike did an awesome job capturing Tobias Funke's twin brother.

Thanks NBC. Yes, I would rather watch hours worth of HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY instead of the new episodes of The Office and 30 Rock that should be on. How did you know?!

I laugh EVERY SINGLE TIME I hear the line, "Your son Rip, is on line toot"

Isn't he pretty??

I was just relaying a story about something Mike said in his sleep and decided to make a list of a few of the gems I've heard.

Sister: "I know where the elves are" Me (awake): "What elves?" Sister: "The ones that make the cookies"

Friend Adam: "Cheap, cheap, cheap......Beautiful!" (Later found out he had been dreaming about baseball)

Mike: "Oh goooood for you!" from the infamous Christian Bale tirade.


I wish I could remember some more but this is it for now. Please share some you've heard.

Super simple (and tasty) recipe made with stuff I usually always have in the refrigerator: I love my tortillas and chicken so this is just an easy alternative to actually making enchiladas.

Super-Easy Chicken Enchilada Skillet

It was a good night for me. Want to know why? After a few month hiatus I found my knork!!! Yes, the fork and knife combined.

If you've never heard of them, you have now, I guess. I love the thing. I originally bought it b/c a relative of mine once said he had a brilliant idea to get rich. A fork and a knife combined. We all laughed at him thinking just what a disaster putting the edge of a knife inside your mouth would be and would retell the story and laugh some more.

Anyways, I was in a store one day and found it. The knork. I bought it as a joke and was going to give it away...didn't happen. I used it and loved it. The man at the store told me that I would be back for more, and that it happened to every person that bought it as a joke. He said he had many women buying them for their friends who were also mothers....cutting things with one hand and have a baby in the other. I haven't gotten any more b/c at the time you could only buy them in stores, and well the store isn't by me. I looked online tonight and to my surprise, they now sell entire flatware sets and you can buy them at target.com. (read the reviews...totally agree!) If we didn't already have a new set down in the basement I would absolutely be using my gift cards to buy these. I will, however, be buying the set of four knorks....and don't be surpised if any of you get them for gifts sometime :) They are very nicely made and do not in any way look like a novelty item. Oh and for the record, they do not slice your mouth. They come to a point on the edges that make cutting into things like pizza and waffles a breeze.

Alright, this has been one of my "favorites." Maybe I should hit the road as a knork saleswoman.

Last week one of my coworkers (Deb) told me quickly how she had to stay 45 minutes past closing time b/c someone wouldn't leave. Annoying, yes but it's happened to all of us so I didn't think anything of it. So then as I was working later in the week and I heard the bells ring so I came out of the kitchen to find a lady coming right up to me and started talking like I knew who she was. She was bringing fliers around to all the stores for an upcoming event. Well guess what, she stayed there for an hour. And even better, she's a "close-talker." No matter how much I backed up or how awkward I tried to make her feel (staring at the papers she gave me instead of looking at her) she did not get the hint. She just followed me wherever I went. In this span of time she said the words "orgasm" and "masturbation." Oh yes, she even made the noises (in reference to tasting the jam we make) leaving me very uncomfortable. I was running through my head, how can I get out of this. Why doesn't my co-worker (Donna) across the street come save me? How can I let her know I need saving!?

Finally, someone else came in the store (no, no one else came in that whole time) and she checked out and left the stuff that she bought there so she could come back and pick it up (lucky me!). I wanted to call co-worker and warn her right away that she was going to be coming into her store and to think of an escape route. Before I could call her she walked into my store. I started telling her the story and immediately she said, "oh no! Not her! She was in my store for two hours the other day. She gets right in your face and won't leave you alone! She had me backed into the corner!" As she was telling me this we saw ("walkie talkie") walk into Donna's store. I told her,I'm going to call you in four minutes. So four minutes went by I called her and she answered saying, "Oh yes, I've been waiting for your call" and told the lady she had to take the call. She left.

We later found out that this was of course the same lady that left Deb 45 minutes late and found out she was there for 3 hours. And my boss had her this week, saying " she tells personal things and she wouldn't leave!" Oh and she had Deb stay a half hour late again. You can literally say the words, "well I have to get back to work" and she will just follow you around talking nonstop. You don't even have to say a word to her. Oh and lucky Donna, she has been invited over for dinner 3 times now by her and has politely declined each time.

Anyone have any advice on how to get her out without saying "I'm calling the cops." We now live in fear that she's going to come in.

Wow that was long (if you're still with me).