Father & Son Time

Case and Dan on the tractor!

Drivers!

Haley driving the "new" old car home from Mason City a few weeks ago.



Moriah driving the Buick home from Mason City.

Spring

I like Spring! I like Fall better, but Spring is great, too, especially with all the beautiful sunsets we've been having lately!

Meet Perry

Meet Perry, our new dog!

It's been five years since we've had a dog, and we are in a better place now to be dog owners again. So, for the past few months I've been looking at classified ads, contacting breeders, looking into different breeds, and so on, and just this weekend, it all came together.

Perry (formerly known as "Brawly") is a 10 month old American Staffordshire Terrier. He has a wonderful temperament. Although he is still a puppy, he hasn't been overly hyper. He is a big boy (about 60 pounds), and somewhat of a slobber-er.

We got him from a cute couple out of the Quad Cities who also have a 12 year old German Shepherd. They discovered that they were allergic to his saliva. And, they have a baby due in April.

So, Perry has been investigating his new digs. He's pretty happy he has four kids to love on him.

Here's hoping for a long life for our new friend, Perry! :)

Emergency

This week was crazy...crazy for Moriah.



On Monday, we went to her scheduled dentist appointment in Coralville, about an hour drive away. The intent was to have her temporary crown that she received in January 2009 after a root canal at Dr. Hansen's replaced with a permanant crown. After popping off the temporary crown, Dr Iben took some xrays and noticed something not quite right under the roots. So she called Dr Hansen to confer and he wanted to see Moriah. Well, in the meantime, over the next two days, Moriah began having a dull ache that gradually increased to a major ache, along with a low grade fever. Dr. Hansen saw her Thursday morning at 9:15, and took state-of-the-art xrays with a digital xray machine, and behold, he found a major "huge" hole under her tooth! He said he suspects that for the past three years bacteria had been graudually "eating" its way down there right down to the jawbone. And, Dr Iben might have just "stirred things up" on Monday. Well, after consultation, he suggested that tooth come out. So, by 10:30 we were across town at yet another dentist office! By noon, Moriah had had oral surgery done, complete with an IV drip.

She has several more appointments regarding this space in her mouth. She will have to see the orthodontist, and she will go back to the oral surgeon eventually to get an implant. The things these doctors can do.

Lessons from Titus

The Tuesday morning study group is going through Titus this semester. This is a compact letter, that when unpacked, is loaded with tons of truth, and practical application for living out a faith filled life.

So, wow, have I fallen short in so many areas of Christian living.

Titus tells us three reasons we should be compelled to follow the instructions regarding Biblical womanhood. First, (2:5) we don't want to dishonor the Word of God. Second, (2:8) so that others may be embarrassed...the way a child is when you point out someyhing wrong they just did, which causes them to say sorry and correct their behavior. And last, (2:10) that we may adorn the Word of God. In other words, our actions match our words. (walk the talk)

So...I am reflecting on my behavior, my beliefs, and what the Bible has to say to women. Looking forward to unwrapping more from this little letter!

Cajun chicken

Tried a new recipe from Pinterest tonight.

2 chicken breasts, cut up
4 tsp cajun seasoning
4 Tbsp butter, divided
3 cups cream (or 1 cup cream, 2 cups whole milk)
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 (or 1/2) tsp garlic powder
1 pkg penne pasta, cooked and drained
Roma tomato, diced (or a 1/2 jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
Shredded parmesan cheese
Green onions

Coat chicken with cajun seasoning, and saute in 2 T butter.
Combine 2 T butter, cream, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and garlic. Heat until bubbly.
Pour over cooked pasta, top with tomatoes, green onion, and chicken pieces and parmesan.