Random Fun

 Spiky hair after a bath...fun.

 THE. BIGGEST. FRENCH. FRY. EVER.  (at least to these boys)

 Rex was having a creative streak this weekend.  Here he is "juggling" shapes while flat on the ground.

He also made this cool person.  What will he think of next.  I wonder what he could accomplish if I actually helped him think of things to do.  I'm overwhelmed with love for his creative side this weekend.

Sleep Out

Its a sleep-out-of-your-bed kind of night.  Pleasant dreams.

Busy Little Girl

Someone (Brech Earl) gave Someone Else (Gianna Gabrielle) a package of wet wipes.  Someone Else pulled all the wet wipes out of the package while Someone laughed about it.  Nobody wanted to clean it up...so Somebody Else (Mom) cleaned it up.

Enchilada Casserole

This is a favorite recipe of ours.  It has been requested - so I thought I would post it for all.

Enchilada Casserole

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (15 oz.) can refried beans

8-10 flour tortillas

4 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and drain grease off.  Add salt, pepper, onion, and beans.  Place 1/3 cup of mixture in flour tortillas.  Roll up and place seam-side down in 9x13-inch pan.  Prepare sauce by melting butter.  Add flour, salt and pepper.  Slowly add milk and enchilada sauce (like making a white gravy).  Cook, stirring often, until boiling.  Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add cheese, stir until melted.  Pour over tortillas.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Fun to have Fun

 A little gravel, a little dirt, a happy boy!

 I took 11 pictures of Gianna and all of them turned out well.  Here are my favorites.

Branding Practice

Darren's new electric brand works great on a board.  I hope it works as well on the side of a cow.

Happy Birthday George!!

 My Stephen George turned 9 years old today.

 His gift from Rex.

 Colored pencils from Gianna.

A bug home from Blase. 

 A new fishing reel from Dad and Mom.

 Magnifying glass and fruit snacks from Brech Earl.

A small butterfly habitat and a new butterfly net from Cormac. 

And the best gift of all - a remote controlled helicopter that shoots bullets from Dad and Mom.

As you can see from Blase and Stephen's expressions - its a BIG DEAL.  BEST. PRESENT. EVER.

 Add in some Dr. Pepper, Star Wars plates, and a

 strawberry cake with chocolate frosting.

 Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday Dear Stephen George!

Happy Birthday to you!

 Nothing like a Star Wars duel after cake and ice cream to make a party a big hit! 

Stephen watched his dad fly and crash his helicopter.  

Then he watched him fly and crash the helicopter.

This repeated until Mom said it was time for supper.  

Stephen requested cheeseburgers with Ranch dressing in them.  We also had his favorite side dish - bananas with chocolate syrup.  We each had one Dr. Pepper to add to the wonderful night.  Stephen's day was pretty good as far as birthdays go.  He went to church - lucky duck.  He had cake and ice cream as soon as we got home from church.  He played outside - weather was beautiful.  He helped the neighbor weed her flower garden in exchange for letting him chase butterflies in her yard.  He also got to use some REALLY cool weeding tools.  If all it takes is cool weeding tools to get a boy to weed - I'll be investing in 5 this year.  Turning 9 years old is fun.  Maybe we should do it again tomorrow!  ;-)

Its Morning Already?

 Its morning already????

 I'm havin' a bad, bad (hair) day.

I think its cute with that hair flying every which way.

Tractor Girl

 Action shot

We love green tractors!

Happy Birthday to Me...Sorta

Yesterday was my "Dirty Tree and a Turd" birthday.  (33 1/3) We celebrated today with pizza from Santa Lucia (yum, yum) and Smirnoff Ice - mango flavor.  I guess having spent 4 years in Michigan's UP its only right that we celebrate such a fun day.  I kind of miss the Yooper way of saying things. I might have to get out the Yoopers CD one of these days.

The Start of a Garden

The boys and I started some seeds on Saturday.

Boys are willing to help with anything that involves getting dirty.

Oh oh, the start of a garden plot. I can't imagine how the pioneers plowed and planted a garden - AND managed to get anything to grow. I'm glad we live in a time that makes wholesome living so easy to accomplish.

This is a greenhouse that Darren built out of our trailer box. The trailer box had gotten wet and started to mold on the bottom. Darren decided to just reuse it for this purpose instead of attempting to fix it.

We need a couple more trays for more seeds. If any of these seeds work out we will have tomato plants to share. If they don't work out then we will be buying tomato plants already started.

Safety in the Kitchen

When Mom cooks you must be prepared.

Actually, Darren just received his new hard hat and safety vest in the mail. Stephen had to try it on for quality purposes. Can you see me now??

Pink Overalls

Thank you Uncle Dirk, Aunt Twyla, Shelby, Taylor, and Tory for the pink overalls. We haven't tried the John Deere shirt on yet.

Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom

Do you know why my parents were married on April 15th? I was always told that they got married the day after my dad's 22nd birthday because of a bet in high school. Someone bet Dad that he would be married before his 22nd birthday. He won.

Roch and Rita Bestgen wedding - April 15, 1978

St. Francis of Assisi Church

Sturgis, South Dakota

L to R - LuAnn Peterson, Sharon Bestgen, Sharon Mortensen,

Rita and Roch, Dan Bestgen, Nick Bruch, and Albert Bruch

Parents and Grandparents

back row - Howard and Kay Ingalls, Rita and Roch Bestgen, Darlene and Philip Bestgen

front row - Walter and Margery Ingalls, Ada and Sam Simons

HAPPY 34th ANNIVERSARY DAD AND MOM!

picture taken April 7, 2012 by Courtney Gebes

I wish you another 34 years of love, laughter, memories, and family togetherness. May your worries be few, your blessings be many, and your love increased. God bless you as you gracefully grow senile together. ;-)