a good day

Finally.

My headache is almost gone.... just random traces today.

And no dizziness.

Thank you Lord.

It was my first turn to cook Sunday lunch for everyone at Casa G.

I was a little nervous.

Actually, I was a lot nervous.

I know I am a pretty decent cook, but things haven't gone as well for me here in the food-prep department. Lacking certain ingredients, altitude effects, etc.

Plus, I don't cook food that is very common here.

So yah, I was nervous.

Last night I stuck a pork roast in the crock pot, Eric and I made the beginnings of a tomato and roasted red pepper salad, and I double checked my research on how to cook a good batch of rice up here (have had a few attempts - none of which resulted in a pleasant pot of the stuff).

This morning before church, Eric and I finished the salad, I checked the roast....looking and smelling good.... and set to cook the rice:

First sort of stir-fry the rice in butter or oil and a bit of seasoning, then add water - a little more than normal and cook it like usual but for a whole lot longer.

It turned out!!

That put a spring in my step and song of praise in my mouth!

The meal was turning out!!

After church, Eric and the kids headed to Casa G. and Maddy and I headed home - someone was going to pick us, and the food, up and bring us there.

At the gate of our house - before we even got to the front door -

we smelled something not so good.

We got to the door and smelled something kinda bad.

We got in the house and smelled something horrible.

I left the stove on for one of the two pots of rice.

We now had a pot of burned rice.

Very, very, very burned rice.

Auuuuughhhhhh!!!!!

In spite of this where-is-my-brain....I-could-have-burned-down-the-house situation, the meal turned out fine. It was even good.... quite tasty. We still had plenty of rice and everyone enjoyed their lunch.

Everyone enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I had many, many compliments and thank yous.

So many compliments and thank yous, actually, that I am pretty sure that the guys were coached to show their appreciation to me.....

because I was so nervous about cooking for them all.

Not that they aren't very polite and grateful guys

but seriously, it wasn't that good.

After lunch and clean up we headed out to play soccer

(no, I did not participate.... yes, Eric did).

And a good time was had by all.

I was finishing up the day, after the kids were tucked in bed, with a shower. When I was almost done, someone opened the door (with quite some effort, I might add - the thing is fitted rather snug!) and walked up to the shower.

"Mommy..... Um.... Mommy.... (thinking, thinking thinking....)

Ah, um, (more thinking, thinking)......

Princess had a bad dream."

It was Lucy.

Lucy knows that we are not too fond of the "I had a bad dream" excuse for coming out of bed - that is, not when it is five minutes after they have been tucked in.

We have explained countless times that you can't have a bad dream when you haven't been asleep.

Apparently Princess can.....

Princess is a little bitty 1.5 inch white stuffed-animal dog.

Poor princess.

So, while I stood in the shower, with Lucy holding on to Princess in the bathroom, I prayed for Princess.

I felt a little stupid that I was praying for a itty-bitty stuffy....

until God reminded me that I was really praying for my baby girl in disguise.

It was a good day.