Cuba's influence

What a fun frenzyful couple of days towards the end of the week...and into the weekend.  There is no pleasure quite like that of driving down to Phoenix for a few errands. But even better was getting to see Christy Hawkins from Faith Academy days gone by.  After shopping at Sprouts and the 99 Cent Store, we met up at the Halo Halo Diner and reminisced over some Filipino yummies.  I'd known for over a year she was in Phoenix, but we were having quite the time of it finding a date and time to hook up.  She is still the nice gal I remember her being.  Our last year together was 5th grade and then she and her family went on down to Davao where she attended Faith Academy Davao.  We saw each other again our 6th grade year when both middle schools went to Outdoor Ed together out in Bataan and Corrigador Island.   So many memories from that year.  Memories I'd retreasure if only to be able to relive them a thousand times.

Michael had lost 17lb in SEVEN days by this point......!!!

After Mike interviewed Trey the four of us went to the Prescott Palace for some serious steak dinner.
It took Mike a couple days to get back on the Hcg track (^_^)

The following day, Friday,  was no day for chillaxing either.  The morning was a frenzy one in the kitchen getting the beef and chicken ropa vieja [con mangu] together for Sierra's class lunch.  Sweat, sweat and more sweat, [but fortunately none of it made it into the pot], shower, beautify and zip back into town and over to Acorn Montessori.  It was a beautifully breezy day for it too.

Sierra is far too in love with the shutter to ever shy from it

a tableful of creativity

learning how the Cubans used to make a gardening and culinary living

trying to assemble a trixy pyrimad for her class' Egypt theme

pyramid cake

Lily Leufkens

do you remember the days of getting your daily dairy fill at school?
I remember the daily mouth rinses too...

Mike sent Sierra to school to represent guess who from Cuba?

Sierra rallied friends for photo ops

After an early morning annual compliance meeting at the Prescott Primerica office, my efforts to retreat under bed covers for a little R&R catchup were squandered by long distance incoming calls...the favorite of which was from mom.  She's coming for my birthday and Thanksgiving!!!!  I then cooked a five gallon potful of chicken soup late into the night to take over to Greg and Dori's house to enjoy after church.  It was a great afternoon [with the Rosengrens included] with hot homemade chicken soup, bread from the wildflower company, Jocelyn's homemade biscuits, salad, Greg playing his guitar, me singing along, sixteen kids and the night ending over at Living Faith church for trunk or treat treats.