The Union began our Union

February 5th, 1995 I had the best lunch of my life!

I don't remember what I ate (it was probably bad)

but I'll NEVER forget who I sat across on that blind lunch date at the UW union

A cute math teacher and basketball coach

with the greatest smile!

16 years later he's not a teacher or a coach, but still the love of my life. I'm forever thankful for that day I went to lunch with someone I'd never even met.

I think I'll hang onto him

SNUBBED BY TODAY SHOW

So a couple of weeks ago on the Today Show they announced a Chili Cook-Off Contest. The 3 finalists get flown to New York to share their recipe on the show....

They were looking for original, creative chili recipes. I make Chili a lot and sneak in crazy things, so I thought I'd enter. Plus, it's been about 6 years since we've visited the Big Apple.

I named it "Cowboy Chili" to make it Wyoming-specific.

• COWBOY CHILI
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ of an onion chopped
• 1 small chopped green pepper
• 1 small chopped red pepper
• 1 package chili seasoning (found near taco seasoning)
• 1 small can chili beans
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes with juice
• 1 small can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 T. white vinegar
• 1 small zucchini diced
• 1 small yellow squash
• 1 cup frozen blueberries, chopped
• 1 APPLE chopped
• 1/4 cup flax seed

Cook meat, add onion and pepper saute until vegetables tender. Combine other ingredients and simmer for an hour. Or put in crock pot on low for a few hours. Easy!

BRAYLEN took some photos and even recorded a video of me making it.

So this morning they had the 3 finalists on

(it was then that I realized I had forgot about it AND that I hadn't been chosen!)

I was interested to see how original and creative their recipes were. So one gal's secret ingredient was beer, REALLY? That is original? Everyone cooks with wine and beer

(ok-- not me too often, but everyone else)

The other dude's was chicken and turkey and oyster sauce or something

(gross, but yes original).

Well this guy below made his chili with a really crazy, secret ingredient....... an APPLE

I guess he is a lot cuter than me and his "Hog Call" he did on live TV probably helped

(I guess I should have whinnied in my video)

Maybe they just didn't want to give me preferential treatment

because Ann Curry and I are BFF's.

Oh well, it's really snowy in the big APPLE right now so I really didn't want to go anyway.

"nnnaaaaayyyyy"

Off to go watch Good Morning America.

HOOPS AND MEMORIES.......

We traveled to Lusk today for the District Hoop Shoot! We were hoping for a closer venue (Cheyenne or Laramie), but it ended up that the little town of Lusk was just where we needed to be today.

Yay Bridger! He won and will be off to State in February. I guess Mom and Dad will be rebounding and counting many more free throws..........
Lusk is Dan's hometown so we stopped at the cemetery where his brother and father are laid to rest.
Braxton saw where he got his middle name.......

The kids wondered about an uncle and grandfather they never met.....

We then traveled to Lance Creek (an even tinier community outside of Lusk). We saw where Dan's father worked in the oil fields. His "home office" looked a bit different than Farm Bureau!

Then we drove to the house in the country where Dan lived from age 7 until he graduated high school....

Dan's father and his brothers were the last to occupy the house. It is now abandoned but still had a few of their old treasures inside.

This is Dan's old dresser still adorned with the "Charlie's Angels" stickers he stuck to the side of it. I guess I'm competing with Jacquelyn Smith!

One of their old chairs still sits in the living room.

This was the porch made into a "bedroom" for Dan and his brother. Dan painted his side (Carolina) Blue and his brother painted his side brown.

The bathroom still has his Dad's old scrub brush hanging in it.

"This reminds me of our place on Mammoth Court".

We drove another 2 miles to Dan's old elementary school. A one-room country school house!

Bridger saw where his Dad practiced for his Hoop Shoots!

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Let it Snow!

Thank you, winter, for waiting a little longer to come this year. November snow is a little more bearable when it hasn't been falling since September! The snow is quite pretty and gets us in the holiday spirit! I'll let you know how I feel about it in May.......Braxton is so excited about his new shovel that is just his size. He spent a lot of time outside today shoveling and said, "Mom, there is gonna be 2 Dads in the house now!

The Pommarane Family

The Witte Family

The Dorrell Family

WOW, what a FOXY family!