Beach Bag Para-Professional Gift

Today was the last day of Kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year and, once again, Mrs. B. gave me a very thoughtful gift. When I count my blessings, working with her is right up there on the top of my list. She is a wonderful teacher and great example to me, as well as the children. 

Jakob is a child with special needs and was in our classroom the entire year. Mrs. B. wanted to include his name in the poem, because Jakob, like Cody, is very routine oriented. He made sure Mrs. B. and I did everything just right. That included saying "Good morning, Mrs. Lancaster!" as part of the morning calendar. 

Here's a peek inside the bag. There is a beach towel, ball, bubbles galore and a couple of drinks. Mrs. B. knows how much I love my grandsons. I probably talk about them too much, but I can't help it. They are the little loves of my life. :)

Time Capsule

On January 6, 2004, the young women from church and I put together time capsules and agreed to wait 10 years to open them. My time capsule has sat on the top shelf of my closet all of these years, with the exception of having to move it occasionally in pursue of something else, without me giving it a single thought.

A couple of weeks ago, I actually LOOKED at my time capsule and thought "Hey! I can open that thing now. It's 2014!"

Here are some things that I found inside...

Lord of the Rings was a hit in the theaters ten years ago and check out Flood Street's discount prices.

I can't figure out why I put something edible...and perishable... in my time capsule. I don't even like Mike and Ike's. Wouldn't you think I would put something I enjoy in the can, like Peanut M&M's or something? Then again, I probably wouldn't have sacrificed a perfectly good bag of Peanut M&M's. I would have chosen to eat them instead. Never mind. The more I think about it, the more I realize that putting Mike and Ike's in my time capsule made perfect sense. :)

This story was huge! I remember my daughter Katelyn, who was 12 years old at the time, calling me on my cell phone (my cell phone would have been huge as well...literally speaking) to tell me they found Elizabeth Smart. I didn't believe her. Sorry Katelyn. 

Elizabeth is an amazingly strong woman and I intend to read her book sometime.

Just in case you've forgotten #3. Here ya go... and you're welcome. :)

The time capsule included a two page questionnaire. The top question is my favorite. Back in 2004, I couldn't imagine ever being a grandma. Now, I can't imagine NOT being one.

This is what the trees in my front yard looked like in 2004.

Here's what my trees look like in 2014.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups

6 Lasagna Noodles 
Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce (see recipe here)
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese- shredded 
Mozzarella Cheese- shredded

Prepare Alfredo Sauce.

Preheat Oven to 350*. 

Pour a little Alfredo Sauce in bottom of a 9 x 9 dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil.

Cook lasagna until al dente, approximately 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Lay noodles on wax paper and blot dry with paper towels (don't skip this step or the pasta will be hard to handle). Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. 

Spread approximately one tablespoon of Alfredo Sauce and some shredded chicken over each noodle. 

Add a little bit of cheese and roll up, securing with toothpicks. 

Place roll-ups in prepared dish, seam side down, then pour the remaining Alfredo Sauce over all. If desired, sprinkle with more Italian Seasoning.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe Inspired and Adapted from Artsy Fartsy Mama .

Katelyn's Graduation Candy Gram

I'm soooo stinkin' proud of her!!