Food

So I don't usually blog about thoughts or memories, but I really want to write about this since it's on my mind...so here it goes.

FOOD, there are so many memories wrapped around food in my mind.  As I was making some chicken salad for me for lunch, I was flooded with emotions and thoughts and memories.  So I am going to share some of these memories...

-Chicken Salad-
When we lived in Colorado Springs, whenever Ruth Fravel would have the female youth group volunteers over for a lunch we frequently had chicken salad and strawberry's with Brianna's dressing, SO YUMMY...this week I made chicken salad and bought some strawberry's and dressing...so I will be thinking of so many of you this week, to name a few...Gentri, Ruth, Tabitha, Laura, Katie, Jenni, Susie

-Knepfla Soup-
It's a rainy dreary day here in Germany today and thinking of making some Knepfla soup...this has been a family favorite for a long time, and when I say family, I am thinking back to when I was in college living at home and would make this for me and my mom and dad.  Missing them today as I make the soup.

-Garlic Shells & Cheese-
This makes me think of my incredible sister, Raquel.  I remember sitting at her and Bryan's table in their first apartment in the DC area after they had been married for not very long.  It was one of my many visits to them while I was still single, but got the benefit of traveling so much and spending time building a deep relationship with my sister, who is now one of my best friends.

-Ham-
Since it's Easter time and thinking back to a few Easters ago when we were in Germany the first time...we were having our Easter meal with our friends, Brian & Amanda Collins.  They had baked a ham and were getting ready to serve it up.  Amanda forgot to be careful when cutting the ham and went through the foil pan, so ham juice had leaked EVERY where, including under the oven.  What a mess.  Oh and you'd think I would have learned from someone else's mistake, but no, I know I've done it before and had meat juice all over the top of my glass stove top here in Germany the second time  This might have even been when they announced to us they were pregnant with Emily.  And now this week they are celebrating the birth of their adorable son.  Congrats!

I am pretty sure I could go on and on and on about food, not just because I like food, but because I LOVE the memories food and meals create.  Oh one more from just a couple of days ago...I want my boys to have great food memories too!

The other night the boys were ready for bed, relaxing and watching a movie before bed, "Twas the Night Before Easter," the latest Veggietales Easter movie, from a couple of years ago I think.  I got this great Easter snack idea.  So I got the boys Easter baskets/buckets and got 12 plastic eggs for each of them.  Inside each egg I put different snacks (choc chips, raisins, puff corn, m & m's, etc.).  Then I delivered the baskets to them on the couch.  Gregory (and Joshua) was so excited about opening each egg to find what surprise snack they would get to eat!  When he was done with his snacks he said, YOU ARE THE BEST MOM EVER!  Talk about making me smile and thank God for him.  :-)  This is the stuff that life is made of :-)  Good stuff.