Our Camping Trip to Joshua Tree

We had a great time camping at Joshua Tree National Park. With no reservations, we were worried about finding a campsite, and even more worried when all of the signs said they were full. But we took our chances and found the perfect spot at Ryan Campground. After everyone helped set up camp, we played a little and then went on the Hidden Valley hike. One mile took us an hour and a half because there were so many cool rocks to climb on. Dinner that night was super simple-sloppy joes. But learn from my mistake--don't buy the canned sloppy joe sauce. Yuck! It was easier though. I soon realized that I left some of the important food at home, but we survived. We had plenty of junk to make up for the real food. That night was very cold, and I personally didn't sleep much, but that's traditional for me the first night of camping. The next morning we had eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast. Yum! We went on a tour of Keyes Ranch, which was very interesting and we had a great tour guide. We saw an outhouse with two holes side by side? I guess you can just hang out with someone while you go through your elimination process. Later that afternoon we went on a hike to see Skull rock, which actually does look like a skull--we saw some other formations that did not look at all like their name suggested. Thanks to me, we next made the mistake of driving to the south end of the park, which was a waste of time. The only point of interest was a cool cactus patch. The whole park has the feel of a Dr. Seuss book. The kids watched Indiana Jones on the DVD player during this drive, and Amy threw up. That night we roasted hot dogs for dinner. You can see that for this trip we were very (non) gourmet! That night was WINDY! We felt like the tent was going to blow away while we slept, but we survived. This trip finally convinced me that we should fork out the money to buy a new tent.
We had such a good time and definitely want to go back. Despite a few minor injuries, the kids are anxious to do more rock climbing! Here are some pictures:

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Friday Fill-ins (#65)

Most everything is packed, the house is decent, and the kids are clean, so here I am back at the computer. Heaven forbid a Friday should go by (actually it's Thursday right now, but who's paying attention?) without doing the fill-ins.



1. Some relationships are meant to be strained, but maintained.
2. Leahy is the last concert I saw; it was supercharged with talent.
3. Spring should be not ruined by cleaning.
4. Oh no! I forgot to eat! (Yeah, right!)
5. I've recently started jogging.
6. The OK Go treadmill video never fails to make me smile. Here it is:



7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to camping, tomorrow my plans include still camping, and hopefully hiking and Sunday, I want to come home and take a shower!

Several photos and Ramblings

I don't know what I did to get the pictures on here like this, but I'll go with it. First, there's a picture of the girls with Sasha while she was with us for a few days. The girls drew pictures for her playpen and picked out a special book about dogs to read to her. All went well except for Easter Sunday, when we had Sasha out back and she did her business without us knowing, so we didn't clean it up, and my niece Stephanie stepped in it and tracked it into the house. It wasn't to bad though, and Dan handled it very well. I completely forgot to take pictures while my family was here, so just use your imagination--we ate, we talked.
The kids decorated eggs Star Wars Style this year, and we have a nice, crazy picture of them with their creations. Today, I finally cut Anna's hair for Locks of Love. It's pretty short now, but I think she looks beautiful.
I have to mention a couple of movies we watched and liked. Dan and I watched Casino Royale, which I didn't think I would like, but it was pretty good. It wasn't nearly as violent as I thought it would be (more action than violence), and the torture scene I heard about was so corny I forgot to be mortified. This Bond, Daniel Craig? was a bit strange looking but likable. The plot was engaging and not too predictable, and of course had some completely impossible scenarios, that were actually quite entertaining. We also watched Enchanted for our family movie night. Everyone liked it, even Jeremy. Cute story, fun music, some good laughs. I would have to give it an A-.
And I mentioned my excitement over a new 3 Doors Down song. Since I am supposed to be packing for a camping trip to Joshua Tree, of course I have been sitting here at the computer writing this post and looking up the song (as well as some Wicked stuff) on youtube. Not that anyone cares, but this is my blog and I have to be true to myself (read that with some melodrama), so here' s the song:



Well, I guess I had better get back to work, or maybe I should just leave the house a disaster--we won't be in it for a few days, so why bother? It's just so depressing to come home to a messy house, especially when everything is dirty from camping.

I almost forgot about Friday Fill-ins. That may take too much thinking today! Have a great weekend everyone!

Wicked

It's after 12:30 a.m., and I may not be coherent right now, but we just got back from finally seeing Wicked. And here is my eloquent review:

Wow

Right now in my melodramatic state, I am just in agony that it ended and that I can't go see it again because I'm not loaded. The above picture was my favorite part I think, with my favorite song-"Defying Gravity."

But on a high note, on the way home we heard a new Three Doors Down song, and that cheered me up a bit. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

Well, goodnight.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

It's recipe experimentation time again! It's been a while since I've had any crockpot adventures, mostly since I've been participating in a monthly dinner exchange, which sometimes feeds us for the entire month! But I also gained weight because the food was so good, so it's back to trying new healthy recipes. I'm going to try two new crockpot recipes a week, as well as two light recipes a week (from a collection of about 60 that I have scanned to the computer.) I'll probably only post the ones that taste good, (or any that have been amusing in any way.) The Chipotle Mac and Cheese is a recipe from Cooking Light that I have been meaning to try for a while. I made it last night and I loved it. But everyone else thought it was just okay, and a little too spicy for some. I will definitely make it again, even if I'm the only one who it's it. Here's a link to the recipe:

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

1. Dodge ball is so exciting!
2. Strawberry fields make me think of the book Snow Falling on Cedars. (If that's the right one I'm thinking of???)
3. The food I'm reading about in Like Water For Chocolate sounds like it would taste delicious! (Except for the ox-tail stew)
4. Why does checking things off a list make me feel so good?!
5. Stonehenge is something I've always wanted to see.
6. It's sad when I can't think of anything that's sad right now, and I know there's a lot of sad things to think of.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to not having any plans, tomorrow my plans include working on the house and Sunday, I want to go to church and have my family over for Easter!

Zapalac March Madness Photos

One More Day!

St. Patrick's Day Contest!!
Win a bag of Easter Candy!!

Listen to one of our family's favorite Irish folk tales (out of a total of five that we've ever listened to), answer the question below (email me at shelley@zapalac.net, don't answer in the comments for obvious reasons) , and you will be entered into a drawing to win a bag of candy!!

Click on this link:
Tig Tag (21 minutes)

The question is, "What does the youngest sister do with the wand before she taps her sisters on their heads?"

I will do the drawing (of so many names, I'm sure) Wednesday night, and notify the lucky winner!

P.S. - This could be a very easy FHE! There's a wee bit of a message about the power of prayer in the story.

Which Austen Heroine Are You?

I saw this and just couldn't resist!

You are Fanny Price of Mansfield Park! You are quiet, faithful, and moral, but those around you may think you priggish. You love deeply...and jealously.

Take the Quiz here!

How come no one told me I'm priggish?
A prig is "one who offends or irritates by observance of proprieties (as of speech or manners) in a pointed manner or to an obnoxious degree."

Friday Fill-ins

1. Contact may cause illness.
2. The parties hereto do mutually agree to cease all tomfoolery (My kids hate it when I use this word, so of course I say it often).
3. Disney parks are great places to read while you're waiting in line.
4. A nap sounds really good right about now!
5. I positively hate being the center of attention.
6. Steve Carell always makes me smile :-)
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to redoing our pantry and preparing to paint the kitchen, tomorrow my plans include painting the kitchen and Sunday, I want to be done with the kitchen!

Click on the flower button to play along!

Five Days 'til Saint Patrick's Day

Best Irish Album Ever:

Every single song on this album is a masterpiece:

Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With or Without You
Bullet the Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit
Mothers of the Disappeared

(I bet no one knew this, but I'm very passionate about music.)

Six Days 'til St. Patrick's Day

How to Make Tasty Irish Scones:



Sultanas are raisins--I had to look it up. I'll try making these when I nosedive on my diet, which is due to happen in 72 hours, 36 minutes, 13 seconds.

Eight Days 'Til St. Patrick's Day

I found the secret to getting lots of Ballykissangel clips is to search for "BallyK." Here are a couple of clips where Assumpta (the anti-catholic pub owner) is teaching Father Clifford how to drive so he can get his driver's license. The car he's driving is a real winner. (All three together are about 10 minutes):





And here is how his test goes:

Nine Days 'Til St. Patrick's Day

I love Irish step dancing! I even got a how-to video once by Jean Butler of Riverdance. It was very entertaining for my kids to watch me try. Besides the footwork being hard, it is very difficult to keep your upper body stiff and your arms right at your sides. Here's a clip from the experts:

Friday Fill-ins

1. Ahhhh, it's so nice to go to bed at night.
2. One of my favorite things on my desk or bureau is the computer?
3. Japanese Cherry Blossom is a scent I would probably like in a body wash.
4. The couch is my favorite place to sit and read. (Although, if I had a nice backyard and some outdoor furniture, that's where I would want to read.)
5. Ben and Jerry's "Dave Matthews Band" and "Banana Split" flavors are delicious!
6. I love to watch great dialogue in movies.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to being at Disneyland, tomorrow my plans include a huge Dodge Ball game and Sunday, I want to go to church and spend time with my family.

Countdown to St. Patricks Day

This blog was not working for a few days--how did you all survive without it? Okay, so you probably didn't notice. It was hard for me though, because I listen to my music playlist while I'm doing my morning chores. And this just shows you what an airhead I am, because it is at this moment dawning on me that I could've just gone to the Project Playlist website, where I have all of my lists saved! Oh, well, I guess I was really just looking for an excuse not to do my housework.

I was also planning an elaborate countdown to St. Patrick's Day, showcasing something that I love about Ireland each day. Aren't you all so sad that you've missed out on five whole days of Irish "crack." (I'm not a druggie, this is the Irish slang word to describe where the cool stuff is happening. Most likely I'm not using it in a sentence correctly).


Today I'll tell you about my beloved Irish television series, Ballykissangel. It's filled with quirky characters and a romantic storyline that pulls you in, regardless of the fact that the male lead is not that great looking. (Shallow of me, I know) . A young English priest moves to Ballykissangel (affectionately called "BallyK"), where he meets the eccentric people of the small rural town, including Assumpta Fitzgerald, the owner of the pub, who has very negative feelings about the church. And I'm sure you've guessed already--what hooks you is the relationship between the priest and the pub owner. Seasons 1-3 are the best, and the end of season 3 is a shocker. Unless you have any issues with a Catholic priest falling in love, this is a pretty clean series.

You Tube doesn't have a great selection to choose from. (I thought about posting my own excerpts from BallyK, but really don't have that much time on my hands.) Here's one cute video that shows some of the quirky characters, Liam and Donnell, who are the town's handymen who often don't know what they're doing, set to the music of Bob the Builder:

I'm not sure how I feel about these results, especially after looking at the picture! But I guess brown is it. Does this sound like me, and look like me?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Brown

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652