{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}

Doing my first 'link up' ever! Linking up for {PHFR} over at Like Mother Like Daughter to capture some contentment in our day to day lives.

{Pretty}



Nothing says spring like a beautiful bouquet of tulips!


Even when it is 22 degrees outside and snow is covering the ground.


They brighten up the whole room!

And remind me that one day it will be spring and flowers like this will actually survive outside.


My mom generously brought them over for me (and Pat and Kateri) as 'medicine for the soul', and they are absolutely that. It is amazing how much something like this can really make a person feel better!


Both Pat and I got the dreaded stomach flu (thanks, Kateri!) earlier this week.


And it struck just in time to keep us from celebrating Mardi Gras in all its glory! But, as Pat told me last night, it did make it so much easier to fast yesterday (Ash Wednesday) then ever before!


My mom and sister Jeanne also brought us a whole load of groceries, which was an enormous godsend. Jeanne even thought of bringing extra chapstick (the amazing Burts Bees variety, I might add), which was oh so thoughtful! It has been such a blessing for us!

{Happy}

Yesterday, Pat mentioned that I should really take some pictures of the little munchkin playing with her walker. She loves this toy so much (thanks to Megan who gave it to her!) and she uses it for even more then just 'walking'.

It is a PERFECT indoor jungle gym!



Yes, even though it is not huge . . .

She will climb on it and do as many crazy stunts as possible . . .

Which she finds vastly entertaining . . .

And oh such fun!


I have no doubt that she will be a daredevil, especially if she has an audience!

{Funny}

So I decided to try to bake my own bread more often. It tastes so much better and it is nice and economical! The problem is, it is also time consuming and I still haven't been able to figure out how to work it into the day so it's not eating so much time. I have some ideas to try so we will see if it will work! I was talking all this over with my husband,

And then Pat dropped a total bombshell.

He said, "I want to learn how to make bread. Maybe I can make it on Saturday mornings."

WHAT!

(Yes! You did say that, babe! I am not making it up!)

So after I got over the initial shock, I realized I wasn't dreaming and he had just said that. So, like any good wife, I filed away his statement to bring up at the opportune moment . . .

And that moment was Saturday, the day Kateri was sick but before Pat or I had come down with anything.

We were getting low on bread, and I needed to make some more, so I brought it up to Pat to see if he wanted to make it with me, and to my surprise he said he would right then! Well, almost right then. He was doing something or other on his computer at the time.

So he started mixing ingredients and I just showed him things like what the yeast looks like when it's 'working' and the rate to add flour and how to tell when the dough is ready to rise.

I still could not get over the fact that Pat was baking bread and sadly did not take any pictures.

But my sense returned and I snapped some once he was getting the loaf pans ready!

(We ran out of Pam) See! He's baking bread and enjoying it!

After the bread rose for an hour, the next step was to 'Punch it down'. Pat didn't ask questions, and I didn't elaborate. I heard a dull thudding sound, and turned around to see this:



. . .

If you think that the blurred hand in the first picture is due solely to the poor lighting, you would be mistaken!



That bread was getting 'beaten down' like no other bread!



This is what happens to bread dough when a football/baseball player decides to make it!



So Pat divided it, and baked it, and look, it came out quite nice . . .

And quite delicious, I must add!

{Real}

In keeping with Cesar Milan's rules, we don't let Wrigley in our bedroom. Or in any other bedroom, for that matter. At least, not very often. There have been one or two rare circumstances when we have bent the rules.

Every morning, as we get ready, make the bed etc, Wrigley comes and waits for us.

She very carefully doesn't break the rules. At least in her mind, as long as her body is outside the room, she really isn't in it!

She has been a great dog, and I highly recommend anyone with a little one to get a dog. They entertain each other, and Wrigley knows to 'keep away' if Kateri is in a more dangerous mood (Kateri does weigh over twice what Wrigley weighs, so this is a good thing!). It has made my life so much easier!

Wrigley also waits at Kateri's door as we get Kateri ready for the day. Kateri is always looking for the little dog and excitedly shouts 'Da! Da!!' as soon as she sees her. 

It's the little things!