Easter

Last year we didn't have Easter due to the beginnings of Covid and how freaked out everyone was because of it.  I mean we could have had it but everyone decided that they didn't want to do it so we didn't.  This was probably the second time in my whole life that I could remember that I didn't celebrate Easter.  One year it was in college and I couldn't come home because I didn't have any transportation and Easter 2020 is the second time.

This year, Kevin, Karla and Tracy weren't coming and Grandpa would come but he can't physically leave the facility he is now residing in.  He moved into Bonaventure in late February which is literally half a mile from my house on Yelm Highway.  So if something were to happen, I am nearby to help out. 

A few weeks beforehand, Ben and I were trying to find a new recipe that didn't involve making a ham for Easter dinner and came across something called Rotini Spinach and Artichoke Casserole and everyone but Jenn and Mom would eat it.  I didn't care because I wanted to do something new.  I went to the dollar store a couple times, a trip to Walmart and Fred Meyer to pick up goodies for everyone's Easter baskets and wanted to get people stuff that they would actually like and or use.  I got the Easter baskets down from Grammie and Grandpa's attic and cleaned them up and put new grass inside them on the Tuesday before Easter.  They were looking pretty good with some TLC.  They've been up in the attic for three years.  I washed all of the plastic eggs in the bath tub on Wednesday.  I filled the Easter baskets on Thursday and Friday.

Dad put money inside of the plastic eggs from Grandpa's safe (something Grammie and Grandpa did for years) and I put candy in the bigger eggs.  Grandma gave me some more eggs and candy on Saturday when I was in Rainier dumping off the recycle and working in Mom and Dad's yard.  I spent Saturday evening working on putting stuff away, vacuuming, laundry, moving tables and getting the decorations out.  I was so exhausted after helping Mom, Dad and Doug in the yard.  I was ready to go to bed.  Ben was on a 24-hour shift at the station so I talked to him for a bit before I crashed.  

Saturday evening I made a cake out of my dinosaur shaped pan I found at the Goodwill.  It was Easter Funfetti with yellow confetti frosting.

Sunday morning I got up around 9:30 and I wanted to die.  I was so sore and still kinda tired from the day before.  I think I over did it.  I ate a light breakfast and started working on the stuff I didn't get to the day before.  I wiped down all the tables, got the Easter decorations all set up but had to make sure the cats didn't bother them. 

Once Ben got up from a short nap, he got home at 8 a.m., he could help me with some stuff.  He didn't get much sleep the night before because they were busy.  I let him sleep until around 11ish.  We moved the Total Gym into the garage and helped bring in the chairs.  We put the table cloths on, he put the plates, silverware, napkins and cups on the table while I started getting the dinner ingredients out.  

I wasn't sure how long this meal would take so he helped me chop up the artichokes, the onion, the butter and the spinach was already chopped up so we didn't have to work that hard.  I got the water boiling for the noodles and off we went.  I followed the instructions word for word so we didn't mess up the meal.  We drained noodles, got the sauce mixed up, the casserole pans all greased up and we had to be creative splitting the batch into two.  We made it work.

We got the two casseroles into the oven and I proceeded to clean up some stuff in the kitchen because the mess was overwhelming.  I got the ingredients out to make Mom a mac n cheese dish because she was not going to have any of the casserole.  Jenn doesn't eat carbs and is on the Keto diet so she wasn't going to partake either.  She ended up eating most of the salad I had to go with the casseroles after everything was said and done.

Everyone arrived around 2 and Trish, Amy, Doug and Jenn were a little late...and they brought their dog, Charlie.  Ughh, he will have to stay outside.  Thank goodness it wasn't raining.  We dished up and ate food.  Everyone said the food was pretty good for it not being the traditional ham and mashed potatoes.  Best part is no one died from eating it!  Success!

Trish and Grandma helped do the dishes while Ben and I got the baskets and eggs ready to go hide.  I opened both gates and we split up the baskets and the eggs and hid them both in the front and back yard.  Some were tricky and some were very obvious.  That took us a few minutes and then we gathered up everyone into the front yard, told them the rules and boundaries and set them free to go find Easter baskets and eggs!

We pretty much grabbed them all but checked the yard one more time for overlooked eggs.  We found one that we all missed.  We went inside and went through all the eggs and baskets.

Trish finished up washing the dishes while some of us went outside to play with the dinosaur RC cars that Erika bought for Ben, Doug and Zach for Christmas.  I really thought Dad got one too but he didn't.  This was the first time we actually got to use them because it wasn't raining or dark outside.  We raced and even came up with a "soccer" type game with a tennis ball and goal.  Zach won 2-0.

Everyone got their stuff ready and leftovers (if they wanted some) and headed home for the evening.  I knew everyone would be here for at least a few hours.  They thanked me for a good time and everyone headed home.

Ben and I spent some time cleaning up and putting away decorations, tables, chairs, vacuuming, putting my work computer back together and wiping down all the counters and tables.  Ben took a short nap before his meeting at 8 in Tenino.  Meanwhile, I talked to Trish to make sure they got home okay, talked to Mom about how much we owed on our upcoming trip to Peru we didn't get to take last year because of Covid and worked on my blog, read my book and watched Chopped while I had popcorn.

This weekend was sure busy but I was glad we could get together with family and I am actively trying to succeed with keeping the Easter tradition alive even though not everyone is here with us this year.

Happy Easter everyone!  

Next Adventure:  Victor Falls and a Bike Ride in Orting

Jenn's St. Patrick's Day Birthday Party

Last year Doug and Jenn went to Vegas for her birthday before the entire world shut down because of Covid.  She did not want a birthday party so we didn't have one for her, even when they got back.  They said they had fun but it was a little weird because it was the start to the beginning of the pandemic here in the states.  I am not sure why they went but they perfectly timed it or they would have been stuck somewhere, which was similar to Mom and I's debacle with going international.  

This year, I asked Doug if she wanted one this year and he told me to ask her.  I talked to her through Facebook messenger to find out what kind of a party she wanted.  She settled on a St. Patrick's Day themed one.  We both decided that we would each make a version of Shepard's Pie, she would make soda bread and I would make a green Jell-O poke cake for dessert.  Now we had to wait until Friday.  

I spent some time in the garage going through my holiday bins.  I had no idea what kind or how much St. Patrick's Day decorations I had.  I had some but I would have to go to the dollar store to pick up a few more.  Jenn said she had a shamrock table cloth and an Irish flag I could use for decorations as well.  I told her when she finds them I can come by or she could drop them off. 

I called everyone and let them know we were having a birthday party for Jenn on Friday around 6 and it was St. Patrick's Day themed.  Everyone put it on their calendar.  I went to the dollar store on Thursday after work to pick up a few more decorations and to find something for Jenn's birthday.  I settled on a "spa day" basket and found a bunch of bath salts, masks, lotions, etc. into a green container to keep up with the theme.  On the way home I picked up the shamrock table cloth.  I did have enough stuff in the pantry for Shepard's Pie, well at least my version of it.  We called it hamburger pie at my house.  

The night before I made the cake and stuck it in the freezer.  I also set up the tables and chairs in the dining room so they would be ready to go.  I would have to decorate the day off because the kitties would destroy it.

That Friday, I worked and after lunch, Jenn stopped by to drop off the Irish flag. Once I logged off, I pu up the decorations, cleaned the bathroom, swept the floor and put some stuff away.  

About an hour before everyone was to arrive, I started the potatoes and got the hamburger, green beans and tomato soup mixed up.  I shoved it in the oven and waited until it was done.  By then, everyone started to show up.  Everyone wore something with green on it.  Jenn and Doug brought their Shepard's Pie but she forgot to make the soda bread so we didn't have any of that.  

We ate and enjoyed everyone's company.  She opened her gifts and then we ate the poke cake which turned out delicious.  

I thanked everyone for coming and people went home.  I had Ben help me pick up the garbage and throw it away, we put away all the decorations.  We put the tables and chairs back and I swept the floor.  We watched some television and we relaxed until it was time for bed.  Another birthday party in the books.  

Next Adventure:  Easter

Grandma Karen's 80th Birthday Party

As Grandma Karen's 80th approached, we really weren't sure what to do because Covid was still around and she usually wanted to go to Izzy's, like we have in the past.  This year Izzy's was permanently closed because of Covid and gathering in a restaurant was difficult...especially the wait times.  A few months ago I asked Grandma what kind of food she would like and she said KFC, so that's what the tentative plan was.

That weekend got closer and I called Mom to talk to her about it and forgot she was at Saturday sew with the sewing ladies.  Tammy overheard us talking and she and the other ladies decided they were going to do something for Grandma's 80th birthday.  She told me about the plan they had in store for her.  It was a lot better than my plan that was for sure.  It involved giving Grandma her freedom back since her van was not able to be fixed because it would cost too much money.  Dad talked to Grandpa and allowed us to fix up the Taurus that has been sitting in his yard to give to Grandma.  It was going to take a couple weeks.

Tammy was in charge of the whole thing she just wanted to know if we were on board and I told her yes, we were.  Meanwhile, Tammy and the quilting ladies raised about $500 to get it checked out, fixed, licensed and transferred the title over to her name.  She wasn't sure if they would have it done to give her at her party but they had a back up plan just in case it wouldn't be done.  She said that we were going to have her party at Sonja's in Rainier and that I would have to let everyone know where it was and what time.  We would contribute to the car fund if it goes over what they had already raised when we find out later on.  I told her I would make a cake and bring it with me. She said perfect and to see all of us on that Saturday.

I called everyone and let them know and they were on board with the idea.  I told Mom she was in charge of telling Grandma and getting her to Sonja's on time.

The night before the party, I made sure to bake the cake so it had time to cool.

That day, we got up. ate a light breakfast and got a few things done before it was time to go, you know like laundry, vacuuming etc. I frosted the cake and decorated it with green icing that said Happy Birthday Grandma.  

I put together all of the recycle and put it in the Escape.  We got ready and headed out to Rainier.  We dropped off the recycle and made it to Sonja's  15 minutes before 4.  We thought we were the only ones there but Tammy was inside decorating.  I waited until Mom and Grandma got there so we could walk in together.

I grabbed the birthday tub just incase we needed the stuff inside of it.  I did make sure I had the birthday hat.  

Erika and Zach arrived, Dad showed up and Doug and Jenn came as well.  We all sat down and ordered food and drinks.  I got the burger with Coke and Ben got the General Tso's and some water.  We chatted, hung out, ate food, sang, ate birthday cake, Grandma opened a couple gifts and Tammy presented the car gift to Grandma. 

She was very thorough with what they did start to finish.  She told her to not worry about anything and that it will be taken care of.  We just couldn't tell her when she would be getting the car because it still needed to be checked out.   She said the most important thing was that Grandma had her freedom back and she didn't have to rely on other people's schedules to take care of appointments and running errands.  

Tammy thanked everyone for coming, we paid our bills, cleaned up our stuff and we all continued on with our day.  I stopped by Mom and Dad's house to drop some stuff off and then stopped by Grandpa's house to drop a few things off and pick up the Easter baskets and assortment of plastic eggs in the attic.  We went home, watched some television, I worked on my blog and Ben got ready for his shift the next day.

**Grandma received the blue Ford Taurus on April 29th.  There was a lot that had to be done with it especially the smell, which we found out someone had left manure inside of it and it basically ruined the interior of the car.  They did manage to get most of the smell out.  Grandma drove herself to her dentist appointment that day.**

Next Adventure:  Jenn's St. Patrick's Day Birthday Party