Happy 9th Birthday to Lyndsey!!!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday Dear LYNDSEY!!!!

Happy Birthday to You!!

Hooray! Lyndsey just turned 9 !!

Oh, boy - do you think she will get what she wants?

Yep!! She did....a CORAL PINK Nintendo DS!!!

Lyndsey's day started out with her last dance competition. For her birthday she wanted her family and her BFF, Bree, to watch her dance. She did GREAT - their dance team took 1st Place!!!!

It's always great when Pappa joins in on the fun!!

He LOVES to spend time with the grandkids!!!!

The day ended with dinner at the Royal Dragon.

Ham Fried Rice, Sweet & Sour Chicken (sauce on the side..Lyndsey uses soy sauce instead)

&......her favorite......(drum roll please...) EGG DROP SOUP!!!

We then went for Hannah Montana Cake to top off the night!

We love LYNDSEY!! She is a perfect fit in the Brophy family.

She brings so much happiness into our life!!! Thank you Lyndsey - We Love You!!

What's that smell?...Dog Poop

Last night Sean was having a dream that there was a problem with all of our toilets throughout the house! He was dreaming that they were all overflowing and he was going through the house trying to figure out how to fix clogged toilets. UNFORTUNATELY - his dream was a little too real. It didn't have anything to do with anyone in our family - EXCEPT for POWDER!!!!!!! When Sean woke up in the middle of the night, he found a wonderful, special, present right by our heads in the middle of the bed, right at the top by our pillows!!! Yes, you guessed it - Powder had pooped right there in the middle of us during the night. The smell is what brought on the dream about toilets. Ahhh.....yes the joys of owning a dog. Sometimes I wonder what is going through their little (very, very little...... right now) minds.

Hmmm....how can I tell them that I have to go outside?

Hmmm...how can I show them that I am really mad at them?

Hmmmm....how can I show them that I love them and appreciate them for everything they do for me?

Hmmmm......I think I will leave them a little present.

Well, as a family, we want to thank Powder for her gracious gift to us and for the laundry that I must now do. We love Powder (we really do - just not as much right now . I'm a little ticked!)

Another New Recipe

On Sunday I was making dinner and I realized that I hadn't bought any Rhodes dough to make our monkey bread. We were having roast and potatoes and I really wanted rolls to dip in the gravy. So, I thought I would be brave and try making rolls from scratch. As I was thinking about which rolls to make I went through a few different cookbooks. I then realized that I had the Lion House cookbook. I thought if I didn't tell anyone what kind of rolls I was making they wouldn't be disappointed when they ate them. But, I was actually pretty proud of how they turned out. The other good part is they actually weren't that hard. The hardest part was rolling them into nice even circles. I think that will get easier as I practice. If you want to try some pretty good rolls try this recipe. I don't think you will be disappointed. Best of Luck!!!

Lion House Rolls
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (instant)
2 Tb. dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening (butter or margarine)
1 egg
5-5 1/2 cups flour, all purpose (bread flour can be used if you have it on hand)

Method:
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the water and the milk powder and stir so the milk dissolves. Add the yeast to this mixture then the sugar, salt, shortening, egg and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then turn to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add 2 more cups of flour then mix on low speed until the ingredients are wet, then turn mixer on medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. The dough will be getting stiff and you may need to remove the bowl from the mixer and mix in the remaining flour by hand. Add approximately 1/2 cup of flour and mix again. (This can be done by hand or mixer). The dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour). Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour approximately on tablespoon of vegetable oil all around the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough over in the bowl so it is covered with the oil. (This helps prevent the dough from drying out.) Cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size.

Sprinkle a cutting board or counter with flour and put the dough on the flour. It is now ready to roll out and cut into desired shape and size of rolls. Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls are double in size (approx. 1-1 1/2 hours). Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are browned to your satisfaction. Brush with melted butter while hot. Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen rolls.

I am One Proud Mama!!!

First of all - I am sorry that this is so long, but I am so proud of Natalie. I had to share her story about yesterday. I have to say she is ONE TOUGH NUT!!!! Yesterday we went back to the Orthopedic Surgeon to have her arm cast. As we started talking to Dr. Cook he told us that her bones were somewhat curved and twisted and that he would need to set them back into place with some twisting and squeezing. We had two options. 1 - we could go over to the hospital and they would put in an IV and then put her to sleep while he reset her arm. 2- Dr. Cook would just reset her arm in the office & the "intense"(that was the word he used) pain would only last for a couple of minutes (that is one decision I didn't like making). I talked to Natalie and she said that she didn't want ANY shot!! We explained to her that it would be very painful and she said that she still didn't want a shot. So, we decided to go with the 2nd choice. We did it in the office. Dr. Cook once more told us that there would be "weeping and wailing". Natalie had her Pappa there ready to hold her arms and I was ready to hold her legs (by this point I was already getting teary eyed). As Dr. Cook started to reset her arm Natalie just sat there. She didn't even blink an eye. Dr. Cook kept asking Natalie if she was "hurting". She said, "No- not really". He kept asking her and she continued to lay there. Not one tear, not one whine, NOTHING!!! At first I don't know if Dr. Cook thought it was working. After the cast was on she had the x-ray redone and everything was back into place. Dr. Cook said that her reaction was VERY RARE!!!!! I don't think he had ever seen that. Boy- I was so impressed!!! I must say, I really really have one tough chick!!! Natalie is doing really well. She does say that her arm still hurts every once & a while, but she is very proud of her cast. If you see her I am sure she would love it if you signed her cast!! Way to go Nat!!!!