Our Week

We have been thoroughly enjoying our Swiss guests. Over the weekend our church was hosting a conference so the majority of our time was spent there. I had to plan meals that would be simple to put together since I needed to be at the church early each day. Friday night we enjoyed Chicken and Vegetable Tacos. Breakfasts have consisted of cold cereal, muffins and bagels. Saturday we had sandwiches for lunch and then I had made a pot of Creamy Wild Rice and Broccoli soup. We had it for a really late dinner when we got home that evening. Sunday our guests went to my in-laws for lunch as we had to be gone after church. On Monday we enjoyed waffles and sausage for breakfast. Nan made the waffles. We then took them to Multnomah Falls and despite the rain, we had a good time. For dinner I served up my yummy Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells. Yesterday found everyone simply hanging around the house. We enjoyed Taco Salad for dinner and then two other friends came over for a rip-roaring fun game of Settlers of Catan. Last night (Tuesday) I knew we were having two other guests over to play games so I grabbed some Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream from the store and pulled two jars of "Apple Pie in a Jar" off my shelf. I got this recipe from Sandy at Reluctant Entertainers. I also grabbed a box of pie crust from the refrigerator..remember...simple and easy has been my goal this last week. This was the first time I used the Apple Pie in a Jar since canning it last fall. It was a huge hit. I will be making more of this!! I did not get a picture of the pie since it was gone not long after I took it out of the oven! I think because I decided to keep things simple, I've been able to enjoy our company more. One of the gentleman said that he has really enjoyed his stay here and feels like we are family which has helped him not to miss his own family has much (he has been talking to his wife and daughter daily on Skype). That makes me feel great! Our girls have benefited greatly from our company. They have learned some new words in Swiss and have just simply loved having these folks here. Today we plan to hit downtown Portland. Well I must bring this post to an end and get a few things done. The flowers above were brought from one of our guests last night. He remembered me saying last year that I love tulips...he picked the perfect colors too. Family extends beyond just flesh and blood. It extends and includes those who become an intimate part of your life. With Joy UNquenchable,