For the love of Foccacia and other stuff

My friend Amy is a very good baker. I will admit it...I had bread envy. She makes this incredible Foccacia bread that is out.of.this.world. I asked her for the recipe once and she kindly shared it with me. The only problem was that the recipe was for a bread machine and due to my intense love of carbs I think it is best if I do not ever get a bread machine. So anyhoo, feeling very adventurous today (and also procrastinating jobs that I should be tackling) I decided to find a recipe for Foccacia bread and try it. I find a number of them on the Internet and after tweaking them a little and using Amy's recipe topping, I came up with this...And it is very, very good. It is half gone already. My kids came home from school and just devoured it (don't tell them there is onion in it). Sam said, "Mom, I LOVE this bread." And Holly said, "Mom, you are amazing." Yes, she really did.
Yes mother, it I had to use YEAST and knead it and everything. Aren't you proud?
In other news...
*My brother and sister-in-law bought me this book. They know how much I hate slugs. It is very full of fun ways to kill slugs but also contains many interesting facts about slugs. Did you know they are hermaphrodites which means that they can mate with themselves?

*I am in the process of giving Sam and Katie's room a mini-makeover. So far, I've painted this cabinet...

Kind of funny...when my parents gave me this cabinet many moons ago, it was green. I painted it taupe and then red...now it's green again.
*Here's a picture of Katie praying over her hagel sandwich. This was her prayer at lunch time today: "God is great. Sleep tight. Amen."

*Here's Sam before his soccer game today...

Isn't he just the cutest? His dad FINALLY gave him a haircut the other night. He was looking pretty shaggy.
*Here's my Holly girl...

She's performed her play five times now and has eight performances left to go. She is the best unicorn I have ever seen. I am so proud of her.

*I have been doing a little planting too. It's been a very cool, rainy spring so far but we've had a couple days of sun where I just couldn't stay inside...

I love this new Hen and Chick I found...

*We are busy planning our trip here...

that we will be taking with the Beltman family. Susie found us a place to stay so now the nitty gritty planning starts - what to do and when. Please do not leave me a comment saying anything cool to do in DC. We are discovering that there are many cool things to do in DC. We already are wondering how we are going to fit everything in that we want to do in a week.

*John flew to Atlanta, Georgia last week to spend some time with this sister...

They worked on Margie's bathroom, apparently very late into the night. At one point John nearly electrocuted his sister but he came home exhausted and with a nasty cold so I guess there even.
*And finally, last week was Creative Arts Week at the kiddos school. Holly (and some friends) did a project what they learned about DNA on their California Math/Science trip...

And here is Sam with his Star War's diorama...

BTW...Sam wanted me to let everyone know that he did his diorama all by himself.