So I went from being a VBS guide to ... <<>> VBS Director! :-D . I'm sharing the Director responsibilities with Kiley this year, and we're doing the Studio Go! theme. It's fashioned like a game show and looks SO much fun. Our VBS is going to be in June, and it's already March, so we've started planning!
Today, we hung out and went over all of the materials to make sure we're on the same page. We set up our first meeting at the church, called people to ask if they would participate in certain roles, and watched the Planning DVD. When I was in New York, Jonny & Chris went to Berean Christian Store and ordered some of the theme materials we would need, but Kiley and I determined the final count of prizes, goodies, and gear that we'll have to order.
I didn't realize how much work is put into VBS... but I'm more than thrilled to take on such a big responsibility. It's going to be an exciting few months coming up to the event...so be prepared for some awesome updates. :-)
<3
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Lemon Bars and Video Games :-)
Today, Jonny didn't have to go to Modesto because Eric wasn't feeling well (sorry, Eric!!!), so we went to Bakersfield instead! We had a fun day shopping at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Trader Joe's, and Guitar Center. I can't remember the last time I was in Trader Joe's...I almost forgot all of the cool stuff they sell in there!
After eating at Tahoe Joe's, we came back home and had some of the HS youth over to play video games and hang out. We couldn't get our PS3s to connect to each other, so that was a bit of a bummer, but we played CoD4 and Halo 3. I kicked butt in CoD...not so much in Halo, haha.
Since I wasn't doing very well in Halo, I decided to try my hand at cooking Lemon Bars. My Better Homes & Gardens cookbook had a recipe, so I followed it, and absolutely LOVE the results! I'm so proud of myself, haha.
The recipe is pretty easy, but I'll post it in case anyone is curious:
Lemon Bars Deluxe
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (yes, I know flour is on here twice...bear with me ;-) )
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch of foil extending over the ends of pan. In a large bowl stir together the 2 cups flour and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed just until mixture begins to cling together. Press flour mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated over about 25 minutes or until light brown.
2. In a medium bowl beat eggs with a whisk; whisk in granulated sugar and lemon juice until well mixed. Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour and the lemon peel. Pour over baked crust.
3. Bake about 20 minutes more or until edges begin to brown and center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove bars from pan, using the overlapping foil to lift bars. Place on cutting board. Sift powdered sugar ovver the top of the bars. Cut into bars. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Makes 30 bars.
Per bar: 147 cal., 7g total fat (4g sat. fat), 44mg chol., 53mg sodium, 0g fiber, 2g pro.
Delicioussssss. :-)
After eating at Tahoe Joe's, we came back home and had some of the HS youth over to play video games and hang out. We couldn't get our PS3s to connect to each other, so that was a bit of a bummer, but we played CoD4 and Halo 3. I kicked butt in CoD...not so much in Halo, haha.
Since I wasn't doing very well in Halo, I decided to try my hand at cooking Lemon Bars. My Better Homes & Gardens cookbook had a recipe, so I followed it, and absolutely LOVE the results! I'm so proud of myself, haha.
The recipe is pretty easy, but I'll post it in case anyone is curious:
Lemon Bars Deluxe
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (yes, I know flour is on here twice...bear with me ;-) )
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch of foil extending over the ends of pan. In a large bowl stir together the 2 cups flour and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Add butter and beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed just until mixture begins to cling together. Press flour mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated over about 25 minutes or until light brown.
2. In a medium bowl beat eggs with a whisk; whisk in granulated sugar and lemon juice until well mixed. Whisk in the 1/4 cup flour and the lemon peel. Pour over baked crust.
3. Bake about 20 minutes more or until edges begin to brown and center is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove bars from pan, using the overlapping foil to lift bars. Place on cutting board. Sift powdered sugar ovver the top of the bars. Cut into bars. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. Makes 30 bars.
Per bar: 147 cal., 7g total fat (4g sat. fat), 44mg chol., 53mg sodium, 0g fiber, 2g pro.
Delicioussssss. :-)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
American Idol, Basketball, & Jr. High Youth
Last night was full of excitement for us! Junior High youth group started at 5:30 and we had another incredible turn-out...two weeks in a row now. I'm so thankful that the kids are genuinely interested in coming and having fun with us, but more importantly, interested in Jesus and His teachings. Jonny and the boys had a great time playing basketball and Sandra and I had fun painting and drawing with the girls during our activity time. I wish I took pictures last night! :-( ... next week I won't be so forgetful, haha.
After youth group, we went to Cameron's (the pastor's son) basketball game. Of course, Eric & Maria were there, along with Sylvia & Kelly, and Kishna & Stephen. Earlier in the day, I told Cameron that he had to score a basket for me. He replied that he hasn't scored one all season...so I told him that it's all the more reason to score one for me, and that he had to point to me from the court if he did. Lo and behold, CAMERON SCORED HIS FIRST BASKET!!! We were so proud!! Without skipping a beat, he twirled around to face where we were all seated, and pointed right up to me like a rock star. It was so amazing! His team lost by *one* point, but that didn't matter to any of us since we were just so excited for Cameron. :-)
After the basketball game, we watched American Idol at Eric & Maria's....and I must admit, I'm completely obsessed with Idol, haha. I don't know what's with the contestants this year though, they really seem to be picking the wrong songs for their voices. Like last night for example, the first two contestants, Jasmine Murray & Matt Giraud, were two of my favorites during Hollywood Week, and they sang terribly last night. It's so unfortunate because they both have excellent voices, but were not showcased by the songs they chose. I especially felt badly for Matt Giraud...one of my mom's favorites...because he proved he could sing with his rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" in Hollywood. Even though I love Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," the song isn't meant for a blues-y singer like Matt. Very sad, but we'll see what happens. Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert rocked it out though, so I voted for them. Danny Gokey's still my favorite though... but I should shut up and stop being a super-nerd. ;-)
<3
After youth group, we went to Cameron's (the pastor's son) basketball game. Of course, Eric & Maria were there, along with Sylvia & Kelly, and Kishna & Stephen. Earlier in the day, I told Cameron that he had to score a basket for me. He replied that he hasn't scored one all season...so I told him that it's all the more reason to score one for me, and that he had to point to me from the court if he did. Lo and behold, CAMERON SCORED HIS FIRST BASKET!!! We were so proud!! Without skipping a beat, he twirled around to face where we were all seated, and pointed right up to me like a rock star. It was so amazing! His team lost by *one* point, but that didn't matter to any of us since we were just so excited for Cameron. :-)
After the basketball game, we watched American Idol at Eric & Maria's....and I must admit, I'm completely obsessed with Idol, haha. I don't know what's with the contestants this year though, they really seem to be picking the wrong songs for their voices. Like last night for example, the first two contestants, Jasmine Murray & Matt Giraud, were two of my favorites during Hollywood Week, and they sang terribly last night. It's so unfortunate because they both have excellent voices, but were not showcased by the songs they chose. I especially felt badly for Matt Giraud...one of my mom's favorites...because he proved he could sing with his rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" in Hollywood. Even though I love Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," the song isn't meant for a blues-y singer like Matt. Very sad, but we'll see what happens. Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert rocked it out though, so I voted for them. Danny Gokey's still my favorite though... but I should shut up and stop being a super-nerd. ;-)
<3
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Word Verification Woes
Blarg!! I can't comment on some blogs...so if I haven't left you a little note saying "hey, we're back on Blogger," it wasn't because I purposely neglected you! haha. I'm quite upset though...my mother-in-law posted these cute pictures which made me smile and I can't even comment on them! Rawr. If anyone can help figure out what's going on, it would be greatly appreciated. :-/
<3
<3
It's About Time...
To the many people we promised to keep in touch with, we didn't forget you! We're just... a little lazy, and for this, we apologize! :-) . We'll try our best to update this as frequently as we can.
So as of now, we're renting a farmhouse in McFarland, California! The town isn't all bad; in fact, I just had the best (and cheapest) Chinese food I've ever had right here in McFarland! Other than the Chinese food, we have a McDonalds, a Subway, two pizza places, a few gas stations, some Mexican restaurants, and a bunch of small stores.
For other cravings and random needs, there's a KMart, a Starbucks, a Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, etc..., Radio Shack, and Payless Shoe Store in Delano, which is about 5 minutes from our house. The nearest supermarket is also in Delano and it's called SaveMart, although the cheapest one is called FoodsCo (associated with Kroger for all of you Carolina people). I'd go to FoodsCo all the time if I could, but it's 25 minutes away in Bakersfield, as opposed to a 5-minute drive to Delano. With the gas money we're saving, I'm sure the few dollars equals out.
We do make that 25-minute drive to Bakersfield every Friday, which has been established as our Date Day! Date Days are devoted to shopping, eating, and having tons of fun...and have not disappointed us yet. :-) . Bakersfield isn't very close, but it isn't very far either, especially considering all of the businesses that are there. All of the major chain stores and restaurants, as well as the mall, movie theaters, and all of the fun stuff, are in Bakersfield so going there is always a fun time.
Unfortunately but expectedly, Bakersfield is missing a bunch of things that we love, among them:
The Cheesecake Factory
Bahama Breeze
New York bagels
New York pizza
DEB stores
Panera
Friendlys
White Castle
Flashback
...and our family & friends.
I realized just now that the list is actually quite small, which concludes that Bakersfield is a pretty decent town, with the exception of it missing the people we love & care about.
Anyway, I'm pleased to report that Jonny's job is going VERY well!! Currently, the Church of the Living Savior has youth programs for three different age groups: The Pioneer Club (elementary school), Junior High, and High School. Jonny's super blessed to have a group of great people to help him with those programs. We've had so much fun already, playing games with the kids and then teaching them relevant lessons. It's a blast!
Here are some pictures of the church and some of the youth programs:
... Some of the HS kids with Jonny, Cindy, & Karen
... Our Church
... Kiley & me
... Junior High Youth
... more Jr High Youth
As you can see, we love our new church family. It's so hard to move out here where there's no blood-related family, when everyone's on the whole opposite coast, but we're honestly doing just fine with the people out here. They are wonderful!
We even had our first Super Bowl party for the HS Youth and for some adults! Here are pics of that:
... evidently, we put children in dog crates. ;-)
... half the room.
...our corner in which we hid the cheesy bread from everyone (lol)... Maria (the pastor's wife), Kiley, Eric (our pastor), and the pastor's youngest son, Logan.
...relaxing on our comfy couch!
...Maria, me, Kiley, & Chris
I didn't think we could fit that many people into our house...but we did it...and BOY was it fun! :-)
Now I think you're all caught up to speed. We'll be updating soon when some more things go on in our lives, haha! :-D
<3,
Jillian
So as of now, we're renting a farmhouse in McFarland, California! The town isn't all bad; in fact, I just had the best (and cheapest) Chinese food I've ever had right here in McFarland! Other than the Chinese food, we have a McDonalds, a Subway, two pizza places, a few gas stations, some Mexican restaurants, and a bunch of small stores.
For other cravings and random needs, there's a KMart, a Starbucks, a Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, etc..., Radio Shack, and Payless Shoe Store in Delano, which is about 5 minutes from our house. The nearest supermarket is also in Delano and it's called SaveMart, although the cheapest one is called FoodsCo (associated with Kroger for all of you Carolina people). I'd go to FoodsCo all the time if I could, but it's 25 minutes away in Bakersfield, as opposed to a 5-minute drive to Delano. With the gas money we're saving, I'm sure the few dollars equals out.
We do make that 25-minute drive to Bakersfield every Friday, which has been established as our Date Day! Date Days are devoted to shopping, eating, and having tons of fun...and have not disappointed us yet. :-) . Bakersfield isn't very close, but it isn't very far either, especially considering all of the businesses that are there. All of the major chain stores and restaurants, as well as the mall, movie theaters, and all of the fun stuff, are in Bakersfield so going there is always a fun time.
Unfortunately but expectedly, Bakersfield is missing a bunch of things that we love, among them:
The Cheesecake Factory
Bahama Breeze
New York bagels
New York pizza
DEB stores
Panera
Friendlys
White Castle
Flashback
...and our family & friends.
I realized just now that the list is actually quite small, which concludes that Bakersfield is a pretty decent town, with the exception of it missing the people we love & care about.
Anyway, I'm pleased to report that Jonny's job is going VERY well!! Currently, the Church of the Living Savior has youth programs for three different age groups: The Pioneer Club (elementary school), Junior High, and High School. Jonny's super blessed to have a group of great people to help him with those programs. We've had so much fun already, playing games with the kids and then teaching them relevant lessons. It's a blast!
Here are some pictures of the church and some of the youth programs:
... Some of the HS kids with Jonny, Cindy, & Karen
... Our Church
... Kiley & me
... Junior High Youth
... more Jr High YouthAs you can see, we love our new church family. It's so hard to move out here where there's no blood-related family, when everyone's on the whole opposite coast, but we're honestly doing just fine with the people out here. They are wonderful!
We even had our first Super Bowl party for the HS Youth and for some adults! Here are pics of that:
... evidently, we put children in dog crates. ;-)
... half the room.
...our corner in which we hid the cheesy bread from everyone (lol)... Maria (the pastor's wife), Kiley, Eric (our pastor), and the pastor's youngest son, Logan.
...relaxing on our comfy couch!
...Maria, me, Kiley, & ChrisI didn't think we could fit that many people into our house...but we did it...and BOY was it fun! :-)
Now I think you're all caught up to speed. We'll be updating soon when some more things go on in our lives, haha! :-D
<3,
Jillian
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