Spring Round-up

Every year we have a Spring Round-up at school. It's where we basically have a carnival out on the playground at school. Every year I sign up to sit in the dunk tank. I love doing it!!!! I even signed up for 30 minutes instead of the 15 that all the other teachers did. Of course, I always bring along my secret weapon, the super soaker. They get me wet, they get wet. And even if they don't get me wet, they still get wet. It's soooo fun!! The kids love it too. It was actually hard to dunk anyone. You had to hit it pretty hard to make you fall. Soo....if they hit it or even didn't, they still got to come up and push the bar to dunk me. It was so cute to hear them laughing and then screaming when I sprayed them. They started getting smart....after they pushed the bar, the kids would start running away so they wouldn't get sprayed.

Me before the dunking begins

Splashing away, still before the dunking

Ahhh man, I was hoping to stay dry, not

She's about to get me wet again

Running away while I spray her

Here's a video of one of my students, Noah. He's so darn cute!! He's actually the only person while I was up there that hit the target and it made me dunk, he didn't have to push it!! I told him that he could get 10 "J" Bucks for that. That's play money I give them to buy things from the treasure basket. He was so excited about that. I just love being a teacher!!

Silly Amanda

While we were cleaning up "Blackie" and getting it ready to sell, the Potterf girls came down to visit. The littlest girl, Amanda, had this gooey stuff in her hair. Krista the oldest smelled it, as we all could from a distance, and found out that it was tooth paste. What fun!!

Who could get mad at a face like this, do you notice the chunks of hair that were cut by her sister. Silly Amanda, lucky mom!!!

Goodbye Blackie

Jake finally cleaned up his black dodge and sold it. He posted it on Craig's List on a Sunday and sold it the next day. He has another dodge so we call this one blackie because it's black. We also have a "Greenie" and sold a "Stickie" (stick shift). My husband is amazing!!! He converted this truck (diesel) into being able to use waste veggie oil. That's why he had the license plate (GRESTRK) Grease Truck. It saved us a lot of money. Jake found a newer and better truck so we sold this one. So long Blackie.

Pressure Canning Chicken

Now that I've canned pinto beans, I'm ready for chicken. It was actually easier than the beans. Maybe because I felt like I knew what I was doing this time.

I cut the chicken (thawed and no bones) into strips and put it in pint jars (it took about 2 breasts, more or less, to fill the jars 1/2 in. from the top) The jars need to be clean but not sterilized.

then I put 1/4 tsp salt into each jar, don't add any liquid, it creates it's own juices

boiled the lids for 2 minutes, cleaned the rims of the jars, and then screwed the lids on, not too tight


Can you believe that, I had to double layer with only one jar left. Seal the lid, wait for the spitting for 3 min. Put the weight on for 10 lbs of pressure (this is for Arizona desert, I don't know for other places or elevations). When it reaches 10 lbs, time it for 75 minutes. If you're doing quart jars, you need to time it for 90 minutes. Turn it off, wait till pressure reaches 0 lbs, then take lid off and remove jars. Let sit. You'll hear the lids pop when they seal.

They were still boiling in the jars

Looks like some science project, yum yum

Store in your pantry or somewhere cool and dark.

Girlie Hair/Movie Day

I went over to Valerie's house today and hung out doing girlie hairdos, watching movies and eating chocolate. What could be better?? We watches The Witches, which scared the little girls on some parts, sorry girls, my bad. We then watched the new Barbie Thumbelina, it was cute. Val has four girls and finally a baby boy. While watching the movies, we did eachother's hair.

Deandra's cute flip up do

the back view

Amanda's flip up do

back glance

Breanna's hair was a little longer, so I did something different with her hair

I call this "the web"

Krista's hair was a lot longer, so I did a hair style from another blog I visit. This is called a four-leaf clover.

Another view

Bunco/Girls Night

I hosted Bunco night at my house this month. I forgot to take pictures during the game time, so here are some after the fact. We wore PJ's and had breakfast for dinner. I fixed some yummy "Texas" french toast (really thick bread), sausage, bacon and we also had some fresh fruit. Jake ate dinner with us, but then went to Valerie's house to hang out with Tanner, her husband while she played with us.

Jamie looking so sexy

After Bunco, some of the gals stayed and played Rockband. Good times!!! I didn't go to bed until midnight.

I'm trying to sing, lalalala

There's crazy Jamie again, do you think she's camera shy?? Nah

Pinto Beans

It's Spring Break and what am I to do??? Hmmmm, relax and try pressure canning my first food. I've canned jams/jellies, peaches and pears, but never pressure canned anything. I bought this awesome heavy duty canner and now I need to use it. I went to an Enrichment Activity on how to can chicken. It was way cool! That's when I bought our canner. I decided to try something simple for my first time. So I tried pinto beans. It took a long time. I think it's because I used a portable burner instead of my glass top stove, which we aren't suppose to use because it's sooo heavy. My friend Valerie used it on her glass top and said it was fine, so I'll try it on mine when I do the chicken.

Filling the jars

now with water

Sealing it up

Finished product

It was easy. Here's the recipe. I hope it's good, haven't tried it yet. I'll probably make refried beans out of it.

Pinto Beans (per quart size jar)

1 cup dry pinto beans

1/2 clove fresh garlic (I used 1/8 tsp garlic powder)

1/8 of a small onion, chunk (I used 1 tsp dry onion)

3/4 tsp salt

Fill clean quart jars with with dry ingredients and then with water, leaving 1 inch head space at top.

Boil flat lids in water for three minutes.

Meanwhile, wipe down rims of jars with damp cloth.

Place flat lids on jars. Screw on bands.

Put in pressure canner with about 3 inches of water inside.

Seal and lock down lid, heat on high until it spits for about 5 minutes. Put weight on, 15 pounds of pressure. When the temp reaches 15 pounds, start timing for 50 minutes. Watch it, don't leave. You'll have to turn it down a little to maintain 15 lbs. When 50 min are done, turn off but wait until the pressure is 0 lbs, and then wait a few minutes more. Be careful opening the lid, you don't want to get steamed!!! It actually took me several hours to open mine. Jake had to help me when he got home. Pull out the jars. Place on a towel and let rest for like 24 hours. Don't bump or tip upside down. I heard that it's really bad to bump or disturb them. In the end, make sure the seals are all sealed and presto you are done. Store in a dark, cool place. Enjoy!!!

Why do we build temples?

I saw this video on a Families Supporting Adoption Blog. It's a great video, but couldn't get the video to post on our blog, so here's the link. Please watch it and if anyone can figure out how to post the video on blogger, please let me know.

http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages

School Workout Group

Last week I started up a workout group at work for anyone interested. I've found that I have a hard time working out when I get home from work, so I thought that maybe it would be easier if I do it right after school, at school. I had several takers, which was awesome. We start out walking and or running for 1.5 miles and then go back to the PE room and do a workout video for about an hour. I like using the P90X videos, they are a killer, but I love it!

Today was Friday and we only a few people today, thanks for working out with me ladies

I'm the one in the shorts, notice the cotton on the ground. We are partly surrounded by farm land

In the PE room doing the P90X video. We're doing the "X", a little cheesy I know, but we're having fun, and that's what it's all about, having fun with friend/co-workers while working out.

Spring is here

My grandma will be proud of me. With spring in the air, my sweet peas have started blooming like crazy!! They are beautiful and smell sooooo yummy. She always has the most beautiful sweet peas and I just had to try it on my own. It worked and I'm so happy!!!