Meatloaf on a Bun!

I was brave and tried one new recipe for yesterday's Utah Railway party at our house - no pressure, just all of Andy's managers from URR and 2 from Wyoming were at our house with their spouses and children!

I wanted to make burgers that weren't your ordinary ground beef on a bun so I found this recipe and we really liked it.  I must admit that I forgot to add the cheese - didn't realize I forgot it until they were all made, but they still tasted good!

Here's the recipe.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat a grill for high heat.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, cheese, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, egg, onion soup mix, garlic, garlic powder, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 patties.

Grill patties for 5 minutes per side on the hot grill, or until well done. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.

The Biggest Thriller is a Caterpillar...

"...I like the way they creep!"

If you aren't blessed with a little boy who loves all things tractor, then you probably don't recognize that song from the "I Love Cat Machines" movie.  Today Riley chose to watch this movie this morning and then got inspired to color some pictures in his tractor coloring book.  Sadly, the coloring book is a John Deere book so this is what he did to make it the way he wanted the tractor to look:

He wrote CAT across the John Deere and made sure to color it YELLOW!  This one's for you Pappy!  ;)

Lord Of The Rings

Kendall has officially finished her first full year of The Little Gym.  She started the year as a Little Beast and finished as a Super Beast.  Next year she's going to enter the Funny Bugs class which is an hour long independent class.  I have talked to her her teacher about moving her into the gymnastics class they offer and she thinks after a few weeks of being in class without mom will get her ready for the gymnastics class - our future gymnast has already mastered the necessary skills to be accepted into the class early, but just needs to be able to handle going to class without mom.  She's following in her mom's footsteps with her love for tumbling and the bars!

Here is a video of what she's been able to accomplish this semester in Super Beasts.  She's got very little fear as you will notice.

For All My SAHM Friends...

This came through my email inbox today.  Even though I have seen it before, but decided it's time to share with those who haven't...

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, look ing for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?' 'Yes,' was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.

Growth...

That's the one word I would use to describe this school year.  My little boy is growing up.  He's no longer that nervous, little 6 yr. old who told me as we pulled into the school parking lot that his stomach felt funny (I told him later that's called butterflies).  He walks (usually runs) into school with his head held high, his shoulders back while yelling good morning to a friend walking in at the same time.

He loves his school, as do we.  (Bet you couldn't have guessed that by all the long hours I put in for the Jog-A-Thon, helping teach science, teaching PE classes, chaperoning field trips, attending PTL meetings, helping at lunch, etc.)  Not only do we love his school, but we really love his teacher.  She's the kind of teacher every first grader should be lucky enough to have.  She's experienced without being old-fashioned or set in her ways.  She's loving, yet firm.  She's patient, yet encourages the highest standards for behavior and academic performance.  She loves each and every one of those precious little souls who walk through her door every day.  You know that because she tells them all the time, but also in how she behaves towards them.

She knows all of Riley's strengths, weaknesses and potential.  She knows if he's being lazy or genuinely struggling with something.  She knows his little quirks and loves him in spite of them!  She has been so instrumental in helping us to help Riley at home.  She has offered great advice in a way that is loving and heartfelt.  She is an incredible teacher but more so, she's a fantastic person.  Most of you know it's hard for me to send my children off to be educated by someone else, but with Mrs. F., there are no reservations.  The lessons she's taught Riley will stay with him for years to come.  She's built his foundation (his roots) in learning and his quest for knowledge.  She's also helped to develop his character, his self-worth and his confidence in Christ.

So how do you thank someone like that?  You really can't put a price tag on that type of accomplishment.  She deserves a million dollars, but sadly that is not mine to give.  So, instead, we are giving her some plants because she loves to garden along with a special note from me about how Riley has grown and been able to bloom and one note from Riley with a picture of his favorite animal on it.

Here's our thank you gift for Riley's teacher:

The two in the red pots are going into a cute gardening bag with a letter from me and a letter from Riley for his teacher.  The one in the middle is for his teacher's aide.

You have MINT so much to us with mint tea in the pot

Thanks for all your THYME and compassion with lemon thyme in the pot

Thanks for helping me GROW

Riley's school principal, who I really enjoyed working with this year, is leaving to take another position in a Lutheran school in Colorado.  The entire Chunko family will be sad to see him and his wife leave Grace, but know that God has something awesome in store for our school (his wife was the 5th grade teacher too).  For him we got a gift card for Starbucks and have it placed inside a paper coffee sleeve and it says "Thanks A LATTE!"  

We had planned to purchase the book "Hooray for Diffendoofer Day" by Dr. Seuss, but I didn't realize B&N would have every Dr. Seuss book except that one!  That book is the last one Dr. Seuss wrote (he actually didn't get it finished) and it's about a teacher who must prove she's taught her students to think or they will be sent to Flobbertown.  

That's what I get for waiting until the last minute to go pick it up!  Oh well.  I'll save that idea for another teacher!

Can't wait for tomorrow at 11:50 when summer vacation officially starts!  Whoo Hoo!  We have so much fun stuff planned!

The Art of The Thank You

Have you ever noticed that in this day and age, the art of the "thank you" has disappeared?  When my brother and I were kids our parents drilled it through our heads that saying as well as showing thanks was important.  Whenever a relative sent us a birthday card with any amount of money in it, we were required by my parents to call that relative on the phone and thank them personally.  Sometimes that was a little uncomfortable with some of my mom's many aunts who we didn't know very well, but a necessity none the less.

I require my children to do the same.  While it may not always be an actual phone call (different time zones, etc.) but they are required to thank the person who sent them something or gave them a present.  If they don't make a phone call, they are required to write a thank you to that person.  For Kendall, her thank you's are just scribbles on the card, but it's the thought that counts.

When someone gives me something or even hands something down to me for my kids, I thank them in person and again through an email or FB post.  Just to make sure that person knows how grateful I am.  I am glad that my mom has taught me the art of the "thank you" so that I can pass it down to my children.  Whenever we leave someone's house after a visit, I make sure to write a thank you in some form to let them know I appreciated their hospitality.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect at this task and that I have never gotten busy with life and forgotten to do the extra thank you, but I try to make it a habit to do it right away...now I have to go finish writing the thank you letters to all the companies that made prize donations to the kids' school for their Jog-A-Thon!