koko's corner

Daughter Erika, husband B.J. and grandkids live in Lake Havasu AZ.

I usually visit about every other month. I make sure one of my visits falls on President’s day weekend. That’s the weekend of the Pyrotechnics Convention in Lake Havasu. The Fireworks developers show off their latest and greatest fireworks on this weekend. Fireworks are shot off every night from Fri to Sun. Many of our family members try and make it also. There are usually about 15 to 20 of us any given year. A combination of family and friends.

People trickle in on Friday and end up at Erika’s for dinner Friday night. It has become tradition that Friday night dinner is Aunt Margie’s world famous lasagna. Erika was very nervous and excited that she would be making the famous lasagna. She thought she’d be getting an old family recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation. Well, she was partly right, it’s been handed down from generation to generation in the Stouffer’s family. Yes, Aunt Margie’s world famous recipe is….Stouffer’s frozen lasagna.
It’s tough being the only “foodie” in the family.
Erika has lived away from us long enough to forget that Aunt Margie doesn’t cook.

One of the things Margie does best is being a Grandma.

I took Friday off and went over early. Erika asked me to stop by Basha’s Supermarket on my way in and pick up the famous recipe and the rest of dinner fixen’s as she was having a very busy day at work.

I have been to Basha’s several times during previous visits, but they added a very nice touchto their parking lot recently. Nice shade covers in the parking lot for the scorching summer days. This makes it so nice, no more blistering hot car door handles, and It sure helps keep the internal temperatures of the cars down.

Family started filtering in early evening. Annie, Jeff, baby and Mary Jane made a little vacation out of it and flew into Las Vegas, they came down for the weekend then went back to L.V. until Wed.

When they got their rental car they were given the worst possible directions for getting out of town. They were sent right in to the traffic for a major sporting event that was taking place that weekend. I think it was a basketball, or hockey (?) play off, whatever, they got sent smack dab into the middle of the traffic. grrrr. After a few wrong turns and several cell phone calls to Erika they got to L.H. late and just went right to the hotel. We didn’t see them until Sat Morning when we all went out for breakfast.

Back to Fri night.

The lasagna was cooked, even though it was a little extra crispy on the bottom (not burned, I don’t burn food ;-)

We had garlic bread, salad, and an array of fresh veggies, olives, marinated artichokes and pepperoncini. The pepperoncini were pretty hot. Jeremy ate one and about burned up on the spot. This of course encouraged the adults, (you know, the ones that are supposed to set a good example for the youth,) to entice him into eating another one with offers of monetary gain. He ate another whole one and earned three dollars. 

His friend Niki wanted to join in the fun, but by then the stakes were lowered so he ate a smaller one for a dollar. There were too many chili head kids there, we would have gone broke.

Margie had the brilliant idea to take a boat tour to Topoc Gorge
This is the trip we took.Margie, me, Jeremy, Annie, Jeff, Mary Jane, Paul and Erin went on the trip.It was a 3 hour tour. We thought of Gilligan’s Island but didn’t see anyone that looked like the Professor and Mary Anne on the boat, so we felt pretty safe. ;-0 

can you see the scorpion in the rock formation?

can you see the petroglyphs?

It was an amazing trip.

It was a little too long for some people. Jeff, Jeremy, Paul and Erin took a little snooze on the way back.

It’s a good thing I spent most of my time on the back deck of the boat or else we would have missed the jet skiers playing in the wake of the boat.

Saturday night dinner traditionally is Kentucky Fried Chicken, quick and easy so we can get off to the fireworks in time. I was pretty tired so I stayed home and rested. I didn’t nap on the boat like some of the others. After the fireworks everyone came back to Erika’s and hung out for a while snacked, and played Rummicube. 

Jeremy just learned how to play and won his firstgame.
 

Jarod hung out with Uncle Paul playing video games (despite the glowing eyes he is not satan spawn,)

the girls cuddled up with Erin

The rest of us visited.

 

Uncle Robert provides Sunday morning breakfast that we cook at Erika’s then everyone goes their way. I was too busy cooking to take pictures. I'm the only one in my family that sees the value of taking pictures of food, go figure. ;-) 

Erika gave Annie a quick lesson in French braiding on a surprisingly co-operative two and a half year old.

I stayed until Monday and headed home along with everyone else and their brother in their motor homes, travel trailers and toy haulers. It was pretty nice until I started back up the mountain and into one of the worst rainfalls. I pulled off at Golden Acorn Casino, no I didn’t go in and gamble, though it was tempting to stop and have a drink. I came home the old highway which was much nicer since I didn’t have to deal with the traffic and the water spray from all the trucks and motor homes. I got home about 1:00 in the afternoon which gave me time to relax, un-pack and get ready for work the next day.

I'd say a good time was had by all.