Visit with family

Family ties are precious threads

No matter where we roam.

They draw us close to those we love

And pull our hearts back home.

Jon Bratton

We had a wonderful spring break with my in-laws here.  We went shopping and I even took them to one of my favorite junk stores.  I didn't see anything I needed until my mother-in-law found a salad spinner.  It was $2 and she said she would pay half... so for $1 I couldn't resist!  That will come in handy while cleaning the garden greens.

The weather was great and in the 70's the whole time they were here.  Well, until the day the left... then it was 45!  Couldn't have planned that any better if we tried, lol.  

  Now that the girls are old enough to play cards we played every night.  That is something we look forward to even when we go home.  Last summer we set up tables in the front yard and played until the mosquitos carried us away. 

And when they leave for Kansas we long for the next time with family.  This time the wait wont be that long!  My sister is due at the end of May and the girls last day of school is early June.  So when we get the call that my sister has had little Hayden and the girls are out of school... we are on our way back home!!!

F is for Familiar... there is no place like home.

A is for always welcome, no matter how far you roam.

M is for memories, more cherished each day.

I is for inspiration given along the way.

L is for Love you feel each time you get together.

Y is for the years to come for family lasts forever.

Jon Bratton

To give you a little taste of Kansas I will leave you with a yummy recipe.  It is called Kansas Dirt Cake.  When I first moved to Kansas from California this is one of the sweets I couldn't get enough of :)

Kansas Dirt Cake

1 lg. bag Oreo cookies

2 pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

3 c. milk

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

1 lg. container cool whip

Crush cookies and put half in 9x13 pan.  Mix pudding (you can use chocolate pudding if you like) and milk.  Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar.  Mix all together with Cool Whip.  Spoon over cookie crumbs.  Put remaining crushed cookies on top and refrigerate.  Can be put in plastic flower pot with shovel or a gummie worm hanging out ;)

P.S.  All of these photos were taken on our way to Kansas in December