We decided to throw you a surprise birthday party!
Surprise! (Are you surprised?)
Unfortunately, you were unable to make it. Oh well. More for us!
(Is that a fork?)
Happy Birthday, Dad. For your real birthday present, I solemnly vow to make the most of the sterling genetics you passed on--the most notable of which would be, of course, your compassion, your intelligence, and--most importantly--your sarcasm. It's too late for me, of course, except for maybe the sarcasm part, but I'll do my best to raise my younglings to follow in your footsteps. Happy Birthday and we love you, Oh Wise (Old) One.
I saw this recipe on a different blog and I just LOVE rotisserie chicken (which is usually not gluten-free) so I had to try it, right? And this recipe was eeeezy peeezy. I can't even remember why I was so nervous to work with a whole chickn. I just took the raw sucker right out of the bag and placed it on a plate in my sink:
...Okay, and I admit the way the joints moved and wriggled grossed me out a bit because it was not completely unlike the movements of a baby...anyway, just don't think about that part.
I rinsed it off with water, including inside the cavity (which was suprisingly giblet-free). Then I patted it dry...or I was supposed to, but I forgot. Oh well, I will do it next time. Next I placed it in a crock pot, breast up, on top of five balled-up pieces of tinfoil, so that the chicken did not rest on the bottom (thus allowing the air to circulate). Finally I rubbed the top skin with seasoned salt and rosemary (homemade gluten-free seasoned salt for me).
Seriously it took three minutes, tops.
Here's Lincoln, at 6:30 AM, FINISHED with all of his jobs before I even knew he was up, tinkering on the piano:
Isaac, at 6:30 AM, following Lincoln's lead...although he obviously had to change later into more weather-appropriate clothes once I saw what he had picked out to wear:
This is a photo of a photo of a painting my brother did of his three kids. I know it's kind of blurry...but isn't it amazing?
My brother, Ryan, is a year younger than me. He is possibly the nicest guy on earth (right up there with Steve, which is saying something). True story: Ryan was born 2 1/2 months early and almost didn't make it. My dad gave him a priesthood blessing, asking Heavenly Father to spare his life. At the time, my dad had a strong impression that Heavenly Father was still considering whether or not to let him live, that Ryan's spirit was so pure and good, that it might not be necessary for him to be tested. Obviously, Ryan lived. Despite that, I don't think Ryan's life has been very easy. As the result of being a preemie, he struggled with intense ADHD before there was much of an awareness about it...and since Lincoln's diagnosis of ADD, I can really relate to what my brother must have gone through. It's a daily battle for me to keep my patience with a child that needs constant reminders and prompts to do every little thing, and since my own mother did not understand Ryan's condition, there was a lot of frustration for both of them. School was not a fun experience for him, either.
Through it all, though, he remained guileless and generous to a fault. (For example, when he was a kid, he wanted to use his own birthday money to buy his siblings presents.)
It's been evident to all of us in his family how much his life has been guided by the a loving Heavenly Father. As he grew older, he found his niche in art. He ended up serving a mission, which taught him how to work efficiently and focus on the task at hand, both skills that helped him to excel in college. He ended up marrying the coolest person in the world and becoming a successful landscape architect.
In August, Ryan lost his job. His firm used to employ a hundred (plus) employees, but due to the bad economy, they gradually began to lay off many of them. Eventually, the company had to fold. Ryan was the last one they let go. They held on to him until they day they decided to shut their doors permanently.
I think about Ryan a lot. His wife is pregnant with their fourth kid and he has been tireless looking around the country for a new job, but there just isn't a demand for landscape architects while the housing market is doing so poorly.
I guess most people have a family member/friend with a similar story. It's a hard time for so many people right now.
I am amazed at my brother, though. First of all, he and his wife had previously saved two months salary and set it aside before this even happened (of course that is all gone now). But the Lord still continues to watch over and bless him. There have been countless anonymous acts of service and charity given to his family. Once they found on their doorstep several jars full of coins. When they counted all the coins, the amount totalled $600. Another time, an anonymous person left 38 pounds of ground beef. Last week there was a check in the mail for $1000. On and on and on...the stories seem to never end. None of those people even realize that some strange girl in Iowa is overwhelmed with gratitude for their sacrifices.
Anyway, I am not sure why I blogged about this, except that I think about it a lot and my brother doesn't read my blog. I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who watches out for his children in good times and bad, and I am grateful that he inspires his children to help each other.
That extends to any of you who read this, as all of you have blessed my life in some way with your acts of service, whether they have been large or small. I am grateful to all of you and wish you all the best.
The proud creators:
The finished product:
10:00 AM that morning...
(Self-dressed. Temperature outside: 3 degrees below zero.)
6:00 PM...
Bacon-wrapped, cream cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers.
I stole the idea from my uber-talented neighbor, Emily. Hers always look much prettier, like real appetizers...but the good news is it's hard to ruin the oh-so-yummy taste, even if mine do look like dead, rotting fingers...
...with cream cheese pus.
I did make lots of other yummy New Years Eve treats, but this was the only one I could eat, so it's the only one that counts. In fact, I had a few leftover ingredients today, so I decided to make them again. This time I was too impatient to wait for them to bake for 20 minutes, so I nuked them. The edges kind of exploded, but they were not bad. Not bad at all.
(I recommend baking, though, for your first time. These deserve a good first impression.)
