All you kneed is love...

With Holly, Heather and Cathy at Saddleback today
...though sometimes it's kinda hard to go back,
I am always SO happy when I'm there...
A friend loves at ALL times. Proverbs 17:17
I LOVE these friends!

Yesterday I was thrilled to prepare my home for guests! I pulled out the couch bed and brought out my Great-Grandmother's beautiful quilt. My cousin, Robin and her son Joe came from Arizona to spend a little time with me. Joe brought his X-box and delighted in killing me most of the night. Robin, who is going through a divorce after 25 years of marriage, and I stayed up very late talking...and then got up very early and talked a lot more...
I think good friends and family can actually be better than therapy.
We met my mom for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe and Joe took about 30 pictures of us on this bench in the shot below. I'll spare you the other 29. Just know that it included multiple flowers being yanked from Mimi's garden and placed in my hair...

The HIGHLIGHT of the day was enjoying Allison singing at the noon Easter service at Saddleback! She was incredible, as usual...
Just one of the MANY reasons I'm OH so proud to be her mom!

On the way out I ran into Liz and Jan...two of the amazing women I worked with at Saddleback. It was SO good to see them and spend a little time catching up! Jan was one of the first people I EVER met when I started teaching Sunday School there in 1986! (It's remarkable that she and I still look exactly the same as we did then!)

Sometimes I forget how very much I enjoyed and how very much I miss so many aspects of my "old life." It's nice to be able to go home for a visit...and feel so welcomed and so loved.
I truly felt that today...
It was a Good Friday

BTS

Because I am working the Brunch on Sunday, my family will be coming to my home for an Easter Celebration Dinner Saturday night. I am cooking up what is starting to sound like the ultimate antithesis to Easter dinner--enchiladas and quesadillas and rice and beans. Chips and salsa and fresh guacamole and home made corn cake...and Margaritas!

Oh! and....for dessert...BTS

If you know me (outside of the virtual world), you have probably experienced this phenomenal dessert, which has always been known as "BTS" (Better Than...well, you know.) Though it is not my original creation, I have made it at least 100 times...often doubling and tripling the recipe. When I am invited to an event, I am almost always asked to bring BTS. Seriously...it's the best dessert ever!
To assure the highest quality BTS, it's imperative to make the batch a couple of days before it is to be served. This allows ample time for everything to 'soak' together. Mmmmm...
I made this fabulous batch this morning...home-made brownies (which made my house smell SO good), chocolate fudge pudding, thick cool whip and chopped up SKOR bars. Layer upon layer of INCREDIBLE flavor!
So...by dinner time on Saturday night...this should be the BEST BTS of all time. (BBTS!)
We'll letcha know...

Mostly Sunny...

and a little Elijah...

You're welcome, Courtney

A few of my (NEW) favorite things...

Hulu.com is a BRAND NEW (and FREE!) on-demand programming site. They have every show and every movie you can imagine available immediately for your viewing pleasure! There's Nanny & the Professor and the Odd Couple. Leave to Beaver and The Partridge Family, Family Guy, Family Ties and All in the Family! OK...you get it.

The folks of Real Simple have developed the PERFECT magazine. A little bit of House Beautiful, a little Consumer's Digest, a dash of Bon Appetit and a WHOLE lot of Organizational Behavior--well, a lot of organizing ideas-- which is SO up my alley! I think you'd like it too! (it's not just for girls...)


And..."Enchanted" came out on DVD today and is already one of my most favorite movies! It's so well done, incredibly original, and absolutely hilarious! I just watched it again and I must say, on top of everything else, it is definitely not bad on the eyes. Highly recommend it!
(Guys will like it too...they just won't admit it.)

Suits me to a tea

"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
-Henry David Thoreau

A little wisdom from the side of my tea box tonight...

Talk about LUCKY...

Spent the afternoon with Allison...

little time at Starbucks...little time shopping...
whole lotta time loving my daughter like nothing else in the world...

Luck is believing you're lucky...

My folks hosted a "St. Patrick's Day" dinner at their home tonight. (Have you noticed that our family celebrates EVERY single holiday with a BIG meal?)
My mom made corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots.
So yummy...
And, just a little bit of Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.
(Believe me, I know how lucky I am...)