i found a vegetarian cookbook in the cupboard

Black Bean Quesadillas

One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green or red tomato
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
12 black olives, pitted and sliced thinly
Eight 6 inch wheat or flour tortillas
4 ounces shredded jalapeno jack or mozzerella cheese
32 spinach leaves, stemmed andshredded finely
1/4 cup hot salsa

Mash the beans in a large bowl. Stir in the tomato, cilantro and olives. Spread the bean mixture evenly onto 4 tortillas (or just one, and save the rest for later). Sprinkle with the cheese, spinach and salsa. Top with remaining tortillas.

Cook them on a cast-iron griddle (or frying pan) over medium heat, trun once, until cheese melts and tortillas are crispy. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

So good.

disneyland

A few friends and I went to Disneyland last Friday night. This is a picture from the Toy Story ride, the kiddie one, where you go in a cart and try to shoot as many targets as you can. Basically an arcade game on crack. Notice the scores, mine is only so much higher because notice what she has in her hands...not a gun, but a camera. Typical Laurel.

hose 'em down

This morning I got to the Robeck's at 830 instead of the usual 930 so of course the kids were still in their PJs and just waking up. So I got them dressed and fed Caleb, and we had a pretty great day, compared to yesterday which was full of time outs and tantrums. I think the highlight was playing in the hose. See, they get all dirty and sweaty and painty and rather than try to wash them in the sink I put their swim suits on (for Caleb a Finding Nemo swim diaper) and let them run around in the backyard with the hose. Normally they play for a good 20 minutes and then theyre done but today, we must have been back there for an hour. When all was said and done I was soaked and they had wrinkly fingers. My favorite part was when I would spray Caleb and then he'd say "Ashee nooo" and then he would get the hose and spray me back. Stinker.

a new bike!

Billy and I were on our way out the door, to Albertsons, to get a cake. I opened the door and there was Ethan, holding bike. He said hi and then "I built you a bike". He built me a bike. I started jumping up and down and have gotten more excited ever since. Ethan likes to build roadbikes out of frames off of Craigslist and random parts he either has or gets hooked up with at bike shops. This one happens to be perfectly my size, (apparently Laurel was in my room the other night measuring my jeans to see how tall I was) and super light. The best part is the gold chain and handlebars to match.

open mic night

I got home tonight, from a long day with the kiddies, and needed a little alone/relax time. My roomies left so I cleaned the house a little, then i grabbed a notebook or two and drove over to Gypsy. I parked on 2nd street and walked through the little plaza in "the artists village" of Santa Ana, which is pretty great. There are fountains and twinklelight decorated trees along with the interesting people that hang out there. Tonight I walked by a window and realized it was a studio and inside there was a man with the most beautiful dreads painting on a huge canvass. I stood and watched, then tore myself away after a few minutes. Once inside Gypsy I ordered some Mango tea and sat down at a table in the corner. The only downside to this whole artisic experience was that Thursday nights happen to be open mic night....otherwise known as the night when all the guys that think theyre great get together in one room. One guy screamed about all the women in Southern California being suicidal ( I beg to differ), a man who thought he could make people laugh by talking about his girlfriend, and a woman who got up and talked about how she was a nurse and how that affects her dating relationships. I went there to enjoy a nice atmosphere...what I got was rather disturbing.

Oh well, overall it was a nice night. Next time I won't go on Thursday.

busy day

I took Caleb and Rebekah swimming today. They were excited to go in Ashees car, and when we got to the complex the gardenesque world they walked into was an exciting thing. Rebekah pointed out that my room was a mess and then we walked down to the pool. It was a good time, lots of splashing, me carrying them around in the water and laughter.

We got back to the house, changed and sat down on the couch to read a book (The Little Engine that Could) and after 10 minutes of reading Caleb was totally out. Rebekah wasnt far behind when I left. The classic sign of a good day.

Rebekah is kinda a camera diva huh?

nina

Yesterday I checked my mail and Nina's new cd was there! Check it out, her name is Nina Landis and her voice is like a knife in the hands of God. http://ninalandis.com Plus shes amazing and loves Jesus with everything she is.

girls only

Today Cristina and I took the kids to the doctor. Which included me chasing Caleb down the halls and pulling things like sticks and cotton out of his hands. I think I taught him the word "dolphin" as well, which is random for the doctors office but anyway.. We got back and he passed out from all the excitement. Rebekah and I took this as a perfect opportunity to have a great time without the little brother around "ruining everything". :)

We painted our toenails, dressed up in princess dresses and tiaras, and put on a show in the living room. She was loving every minute of it.

These are our feet, I painted her toes and then I let her do mine.

She was giggling so hard she could hardly paint mine "theyre so messy!" she said.

But, hey, shes four. She has to start somewhere.

going home..

This is the place I grew up in. This is my backyard.

There were lakes to be explored, rivers to fish in and mountains to climb.

I grew up climbing in trees and going on hikes and camping, the real way, with no showers, no bathrooms, no BBQs in a campsite. We camped with no one around us..for miles.

My playground was oak trees and moss speckled granite rocks. The air I breathed was fresh and scented with pine and dirt. The water in the winter is freezing cold (literally like 35 degrees) because it is pumped out of the river and into our house. We heat our house with the wood my dad chops up in the fall and our christmas tree, for as long as I can remember, has been gotten from the middle of the forest...dragged out by a snomobile.

Everytime I go home I forget how beautiful it really is, I have definately taken it for granted. I took our 130lb dog on a walk around the lake the other day, it was marvelous. Best part was when I bent over to get a stick out of the water, the ledge was kinda steep and all of a sudden I heard

"SPLASH!!"

I turn around and Dozer (our 130lb dog) is standing there almost completly soaked..looking at me...like I can do anything about it. Wish i would have had the camera.

a world of paint, nanners and fun

So I got up super early today, got ready and drove to the Robeck's house. I rang the doorbell and I hear, "Ashleys here!!" from an enthusiastic four year old voice. My day only got better from there. Rebecca just turned 4 and Caleb is 2 ...Thing one and thing two I will call them.

We painted flower pots today..and we'll plant bean seeds in them tomorrow. We drew on the sidewalk with chalk, rode bikes around the block, ate tasadillas an nanners (caleb translation: quesadillas, bananas and watermelon) for lunch, read books and played barbies (something i havent done since I was 7). All in all a full day.

While we were painting I was helping Rebecca paint a heart, only to look over just in time to see Caleb with the yellow open, both hands, squirting the whole thing onto his pot. perfect.

Rebecca was sitting on the sidewalk at one point when Caleb decided to let his bike go from the top of the slightly sloped driveway..it hit her right in the back. It sucks when kids cry but its amazing when they run to you and put their arms around your neck, I think maybe its a little how God feels when we need him.

Anyway..stay tuned for the chronicles of Thing 1 and Thing 2.