Spring...

... has arrived in beautiful Trabuco Canyon. Sometime, when I need a break from the controlled chaos I call home, I go for a walk along the dirt roads that surround my house. He are justa few of the sights from one of my walks. Its so easy to count your blessings around here.

Irises: My favorite flower

The view that gives my street it's namesake.


Climbing roses

A very proud flower

Another mountainview

The quaint valley where I live.

Hansen Family Talents

I have always claimed that my family has a wide range of talents. We know that Alyssa is a ham when it comes to singing and Celie is a whizz with her infectious laugh and people skills and Jonathan can charm just about anything with his wit but I bet you didn't know that a Hansen NOSE is a tool of talent as well. Around the dinner table we discovered the Hansen nose talents. (They can do this amazing nostril feat without the aide of fingers. )

Go ahead. Try it. Inhale sharply and try to get your nostrils to close. I dare you......

Not easy. Is it?

David thinks they look like little old men.... looking at it, I'd have to agree. Jonathan, in my opinion, looks like a cabbage patch doll.

How Celie can do this with her mouth open astounds me!

Jonathan's technique includes some pretty talented lips as well.

Present For Celie

Celie hugging her birthday package she receieved in the mail today.

Dear Mommy,

Thanks for my birthday presents and my card. I love getting things in the mail. Especially from you.

Love you,

Celie

Jonny the Homemaker

Life always keeps me amused... like this afternoon when I came downstairs to find my son making jello in this beautiful outfit:

I personally like the mix of baggy jeans, skater sweatshirt, polka dots and white tassel balls!

Thank You Grandma Coleen & Grandpa Loren!

Miranda holds her birthday gift card and card from David's parents Coleen & Loren.

Dear Grandma & Grandpa,

Thank you for my birthday card and my Hannah Montana Walmart "credit card." I am looking forward to getting some Hannah Montana or Highschool Musical Music for my sisters and I to rock out to in our bedroom!

The best part about this "credit card" is- even when I have spent the money on it, I can still keep the card in my purse and use it to play pretend!

Love You!

Miranda.

Miranda's Fabulous Fourth Birthday

Birthdays are always a fun time at the Hansen house. Each birthday morning is celebrated with a birthday feast, complete with elaborate decorations, "special plates" and the birthday child's meal of choice. It has been an unspoken tradition that the morning's meal consists on donuts and chocolate milk but Miranda had her own plans for her morning. She asked, ever so sweetly the night before- "Mom, instead of donuts, do you think I can can have panty cakes?"
"Pancakes it is" I replied.

Here are the pictures from her morning's celebrations.

The first picture of the morning, Miranda poses in her birthday tiara.

Table setting: Glass slipper and all

Birthday Breakfast; Pancakes with Boysenberry Syrup and Milk in a guilded pink "Princess"glass...

She was so into her breakfast, this was the best I could get for a smile and a look. She's wearing my cooking apron around her neck at her request "because Princesses stay clean."

The Birthday Princess

Miranda spent the rest of her birthday and night with Grandma Faith who spoiled her rotten at Disneyland. She said her favorite part was the parade... where she screamed at each character until they waived at her...lol.

"Pie- Pie" Baking Adventure

Dinner time is always an adventure around the Hansen house. We do our best to eat a variety of foods at a budget friendly price. I'll have to admit, it is a hobby of mine to find different inventive meals that use our basic pantry staples that the whole family will eat. We have found a new favorite in semi home made pot pie! (miranda is convinced it is pronounced "Pie- Pie") It's beyond simple and the kids love to help make it.

Easy Hansen Semi Home Made Pot Pie:

Bisquick mix made to the biscuit directions (Single Family Batch)

Precooked: leftover chicken, turkey,ham - cubed

Frozen, Canned or Fresh Veggies (Corn, Carrots, Peas, Green beans etc)

1 family sz can of cream of chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Follow Bisquick directions for biscuits

Separate dough into 2 parts

Roll Base Crust and place in Pie tin

Mix Cream of chicken, veggies, and meat

Pour into pan

Roll Crust for top- place on top. Crease edges and add vents to the top

Place on cookie sheet on middle rack of oven for 15- 20 mins.

Enjoy.

Tah Dah..... We are very pleased with ourselves!

Very serious mixing and pouring....

Alyssa adds the cream of chicken

Celie & the can opener

Believe it or not- she can do this herself... and she insists. Lol.

Doughy Love




Miranda and Jonny roll the dough
Can you identify all the hands in this picture?

I would have the final product here.... but the kids ate it all before I could take a picture. It's that mmmm-good.