A shout out to spring

My seed collection. A lot of these are from last year and some I just bought. Wal-Mart had a section of seeds for 20 cents. I bought a bunch of them. Mainly flowers,but they had peppers,green beans,broccoli,herbs,and lettuce.So I grabbed one of each that I liked. My raspberry bush that I had almost given up on. It didn't do well last year,mainly because of the neighbors dog. Earlier it just looked like a long dead stick of thorns. Fast forward 2 weeks and now its growing leaves. No buds yet ,but hopefully it will bloom. I guess these are the only Chicken and Hens that I get this year. I want real baby chicks. They have them at the farm store. They are so so so cute. A surprise that popped up from last year. YEAH !!!

My blueberry bushes,which are loaded with baby blueberries. This is my almost 6 foot tall blackberry bush. Loaded with little buds and a few flowers.

Chris bought me these. They smell so yummy.

This bud's for you!

The front of my house.

Some of my flowers returned from last year. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought they had died off. It's so great to see a colorful splash of color. This was a scrawny rose that I rescued last year, from one of the houses that was going to be demolished. I didn't think it would survive. It was maybe a foot long when I got it and then it went into shock. Now look at it. Its growing and thriving and full of buds. I don't know what color they are, so I can't wait for one of them to open. The buds are about the size of a corn kernel.

My boys wondering why I'm outside freezing and taking pictures. A side note you can see my car in the reflection.

I scrounged around and found some of last years seed pots and a little bit of special soil for the seeds. I originally was just going to plant the seeds in the ground,but last night I couldn't wait. I just had to do it. Earlier we had 2 weeks of mid 80's weather and wonderful days. Now the past 2 weeks we've had freezing cold weather and are lucky if it reaches 50. I know back home all of you are saying that's warmer then here. I know, I know. We were just ready for warmer weather.

Chevy meowing Hello

Bye-Bye

Just another day

We're not very exciting lately. It's been freezing cold out and raining. We did get to play a bit of football yesterday,but that's about it.We had a few neighbors out passing the ball.Tomorrow is $1 day at the bowling ally and kids are free this whole month, so more then likely we will head over there tomorrow.I have my good days and bad days at bowling. One game I beat the pants off of everyone. I made like 5 strikes and several spares. The next time we went out I keep getting gutterballs. It was totally embarrassing.

Leia's school has been going well the last few weeks. A lot less stressful.The teacher fixed our schedule (I'd been telling her from the start it was too much work for Leia) Finally she got around to looking at her schedule and now it's just right. Actually I need one more subject for her to do some days,but it's been a nice break to take it easy. She's doing fantastic,especially in math. She has the majority of her multiplication and division factors memorized. We're now doing division with remainders.Something that I thought would get her tripped up.But she's a champ and doing great.She got her report card the other day and all A's. YEAH!!!

This Friday we're having a small party for Leia. It's April Fools Day and we're having a fake Birthday get together with her homeschool friends. I am so sad to say that my best friend of our group and Leia's best friend leave in 2 weeks. A few other kids from the homeschool group will be moving as well before her birthday.So call me crazy, I figured that I would throw a cake and icecream day for all of them.I will miss Wendy and her whole family.

On that note I need to go get Leia back in bed.

huge shark

This is a basking shark that was seen off of Panama City,Fl. It's a rare shark that normally is in the Arctic waters. They only eat Plankton, so they say. You hope. I'd hate to be the guy above and find out otherwise.

Below is what I picture.This shark is a great white shark.It eats people.While silly people are jumping in to swim with the harmless basking shark, this monster is near by.

Which a 14 foot one was pulled off of the Panama City Pier about 2 yrs ago. Which they said these sharks aren't normally there either.

So the moral of the story is, enjoy the water, but don't go too far off the beach. And remember that it's their home, not ours.

Did anyone see in the news that a rare shark called the basking shark found in the Arctic was seen in Panama City,FL? They are the 2nd largest shark and are rarely seen.They reach up to 40 ft long. It showed a picture of a kayaker and this monster shark swimming toward him. They only eat plankton and are harmless, but I bet that guy was saying his prayers when he saw it coming.

small miracles

Small miracles can happen. I have been missing my wedding ring and a different ring for about 6-7 months. I have tore this house apart to look for it 3 different times.To no avail I couldn't find it. Yesterday we saw a man with a metal detector and I joked to Chris that I needed to borrow it so I could find my rings. He said those rings are long gone by now. He thought someone stole them ,even though I had told him I had seen the girls messing with my jewelery. I got after them for playing with my jewelry and I had seen them at that time.When I had left the room they must have gotten them out again. I figured they lost them. Anyway last night I prayed about finding my rings and how much they mean to me. I keep thinking it was sad that I wouldn't have our first wedding ring to pass down to Leia. This afternoon Jen and I were sitting outside and Leia was finishing up her school work. Well since the cat was away the mouse will play. So she comes to the door with this huge grin on her face. I was like are you done with school? She said nooooo, but I was playing and I found these. They were my rings. I asked her where she had found them and she found them inside one of her kid purses. It is a small miracle that they were found. About a month ago I almost donated some of those purses, because she has a ton of them.But I put them back because I know how much she loves them.I'm glad I hung on to them and that she found my rings.Small miracles do happen. It's just so amazing that we found them the day after I prayed about it.Luck I don't think so. Coincidence again I don't think so.Prayer.Deffinitly.Thank You. Amen.

SUN!!!

D sun bathing saying man I'm sure glad it's not cold anymore. I was freezing. They had fun catching the water from the sprinkler on the umbrella.

This hugging on boys is starting way too soon. But it so cute at this age.

It's hard to believe that this Saturday was in the mid 80's. We played outside most of the day. We even got a mild sunburn.

bowling

We went bowling on St.Patric's Day.

Chris and Leia tied both games.

This was a strike.

fishing trip

We went to Wateree yesterday for a spur of the minuet trip to go fishing. we brought some of our friends.The kids actually sat still for a nice while trying to fish.

The only fish we caught and Chris was the lucky angler

Beautiful sunset

http://www.airforcetimes.com/

There is an article in this military paper saying because the government can't make a budget it's possible that yesterday was our last paycheck for awhile.The government would eventually back pay us but that doesn't stop us from having to pay our bills on time. It could last a month, 6 months who knows.I'm hoping that they get things settled before April 1st and life goes on uninterrupted. We just found out about this yesterday.Has anyone else heard of this? Scroll down from the link above and the article is midway on the page. The title is Government Shutdown

Wateree Park

Views form our drive yesterday. There were so many big beautiful houses.

We went to Wateree Park yesterday just to explore it and to get out of the house. Yesterday was in the high 70's and we had heard great things about this park. It's up in Camden which is less then an hour away. It was a beautiful drive through the country. Lots of Plantation style houses and farmland. Military can rent cabins for around $75 dollars a night. Some of the bigger ones are $95 . Most of them are right on the water. You can also rent a camp sight for 10 bucks or bring your own RV. Which you can rent here at the base. I think they have a mini pop up camper you can rent for something like $40 a day. It's tiny but worth not sleeping on the ground. They also have boats to rent here.
This is what most of the cabins look like.


We walked around and took lots of pictures. We're thinking of plopping a tent down here one weekend. It was so relaxing. We'll have to do it soon before it gets to hot. Yesterday was perfect temp. Saturday nights they play an outdoor movie for the kids and Friday they have a dance and marshmellow roast for the kids.(Big kids can join too)

They also had a playground. Leia enjoyed playing while we got to sit and look at all the spectacular views.

Chicken

I have to post something that I saw on Bare Foot Catessa cooking show. I was just flipping through channels and stopped on this one because she keep saying how easy it was and how scrumptious it was. So I tried it that night. After the show was over I headed to the commissary to get the things I needed and cooked away. It was a fantastic mouth watering dinner that I must share with everyone. It will be a regular meal at our house from now on.

These are the ingredients a whole chicken,3 sprigs of fresh Rosemary,a whole onion, a whole lemon cut in 4ths,a whole garlic bulb( not just a clove the whole thing)(( I know it sounds like a lot but trust me)),melted butter on the skin,salt and pepper. First clean the chicken and remove the innards. pat dry. stuff all of the ingredients in blue inside the chicken where the innards and neck was. brush on the melted butter and salt and pepper the top. it will be cooking at 350 for 11/2 hours. before you cook it throw in some veggies.This is what I did,but you can use any of them

Carrots,onion,mushrooms ,more garlic,and, Anise (the bulb only) (that was off of the show.) I'd never had it before but she swore by it so I tried it. Fantastic I tell you It looks like a big onion with this green stalk with frilly stuff at the top. They say it tastes like licorice when raw,but when you cook it it gives everything this nice sweet taste. I loved it. She says she sometime adds potatoes,but I didn't. I had other plans for those baby's. When you are done cutting your veggies place them in the pan that your cooking your chicken in. I put a little but of olive oil on top of them and mixed them around for fear they wold stick in my pan.salt and pepper them. Wrap the whole thing in foil and forget about it for the next 11/2 hour.

As a side I had red potatoes and quartered them sprinkled a little olive oil on them salt pepper and toss them in the oven as well for about 30ish minuets.when near finished I put Parmesan cheese and a few pats of butter(very little) and cooked for another 5 ish minuets to get crispy. YUM
To top it off I made fresh home made Lemonade. I learned if you put a lemon in hot water for 10 minuets it's easier to get all of the juice out.The recipe was easy

8 cups of water,1/2 cup of lemon juice (I didn't have enough lemons so I added regular lemon juice from the bottle) and 1 cup of sugar.That's the basic recipe. On the sugar I used half powered sugar (Thanks Betty Manning for that yummy tip) and 1/2 white sugar. From squeezing the real lemons you have just enough pulp to say have mercy on me.

Laura it must be our generation thing. I say that all the time from that show. It's still on TV and Leia loves it.

I promise this was the easiest fancy dinner that I have ever made.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken

1 lg onion

1 whole garlic

1 lemon

3 Rosemary fresh sprigs

butter

salt and pepper

Veggies that I threw in it but you can use anything

Carrots

mushrooms

onion

garlic(only 2 cloves chopped fine)

anise (the white bulb only)

cover the top of the pan with foil and bake at 350 for an hour and a half.

Results

Fantastic

Uncle Jessy would say

Have Mercy!!!

Enjoy

my little bikers

Leia was so excited that Chris' bike came from Korea. She's been begging to go on a real ride. She normally zooms up and down the side walk and sometimes when I go on a walk I let her ride. but she has to stop and wait on me a lot of the time. So with Chris she got to race around the neighborhood. I figured they'd be gone for hours. 20 minuets later they both come in a huffing and a puffing saying they were hot. Leia got to ride very fast and it wore her little legs our. Bless her heart.

Bye have fun.

Part 3

Welcome Kevin who now shares Chris' Birthday. 8.2 lbs and 21 inches long. I am so happy to see you.Love your favorite Aunt Amanda I love this hat.
I am so glad that we were able to come home. I miss everyone so much.

Priceless little girls

This is Collin who is 11 weeks old.It was so nice to see almost everyone. I didn't want to leave.I had so much catching up to do visiting that I forgot to take pictures.

VACATION PICTURES PART TWO

Well this is part 2. I've been trying for an hour to post more pictures but I think my computer is having issues. So since I have a million pictures almost literaly there will be a part 3 and if it only lets me post a few at a time there will be several chapters in our vacation pictures.

Enjoying a nice day at the farm. Dad cooked BBQ for all of us. Yummy!!!
I love this excited look on Bob's face.


I love this cousin shot. It's like wrangling wild horses.



Momma hen protecting the baby

Those are some mighty big shoe's to fill Charlie. Had to go on a picnic with Kevin.

The girls goofing off.

They really know how to sit in a chair. It's just more fun the other way.OH to be a kid again.
Love you all. The Unger Family.