The Recipe Box is Open

Since my Mom was coming over to have Barrett and I set up her blog tonight...she brought along one of her latest recipe's. These are called Kolaches...and they are a Czech fruit filled pastry that my aunt gave her the recipe for two weeks ago, when my parents were on the first leg of their worldwide travel tour.

Go Czech out her new blog. The Recipe Box.

Sneak Peak of the All New Springfield Doubletree

I was able to get a VIP tour of the all new Springfield DoubleTree Hotel that is going up at the corner of Kearney and Glenstone today. It is really nice, and they have totally remade this hotel, tons of improvements with an all new interior design and completely redesigned lobby ! I am so excited that we are going to finally have a "Nice" hotel in Springfield.
There is a state of the art lecture hall with big screen video projection...and an indoor/outdoor swim under pool with the latest in excercise equipment (what is that stuff for?). Full catering services (The lunch we had at "Gracie's Restaurant" was great...and it was nice and quiet...a perfect place for a business lunch). Soon Houlihans will be opening...
The rooms feature Wolfgang Puck...Cup at a time coffee brewing and completely redesigned bathrooms, flat screen HDTV's & super comfy (looking...I did not lay on them) beds. In addition the staff is top notch...and they have these awesome table skirts...that I had never seen before (I love them).
If you were looking for a place to have a meeting, plan an event...or throw a party. Contact my friend Lisa Johnson at ljohnson@springfielddoubletree.com or at 417-799-1115. She is the Director of Catering...and she has the experience and know how to make sure your event is a success! Plus...she's just "real good people"...if you know what I mean. Tell her Hillenblog sent you.

I think Naomi likes me better then Ninny...

Look Who made it to the Red Chair...

Cindy's parents...Charlie & Pat...

Rog & I saw this in Vegas a couple weeks ago...we could not figure out what it was...Now we know.

My Mom is starting a blog.

...and she has a great premise...She wants to post a new recipe every day...I think it is a great idea.

However we are needing a clever name.

Here are a few we have thought of:

• Talk Soup
• Stew on this...
• Food for Thought
• Hillenblog's Happy Mom
• Linda Kay Blogs Away
• The Recipe Box
• Eat this!
• Good things come to those who bake
• Scrambled Egg Blog
• 'Bringing Bake n Back...yup!
• My husband is retired...I need a hobby
• Food born happiness
• Hot Blog's & Apple Pie
• Dry Blog Food
• Canned Blog Food
• Linda Kay's Recipe a Day
  
• more...anyone...anyone...Leave a comment with your ideas...
  

Congrats Steph N Drew...

We knew you could do it!

I think I have found the next new upgrade to the house...

Make your own punch line...

A teacher in Elmira, New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Obama fans.
Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different...again.
Little Johnny said, "Because I'm not an Obama fan." The teacher asked, "Why aren't you an Obama fan?"
Johnny said, "Because I'm a Republican." The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, "Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a Republican, so I'm a Republican."

Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?"
Little Johnny replied, "That would make me a Hillary fan."

or.." If your dad was a womanizer, and your mom was a real estate swindler, what would that make you?"
Little Johnny replied, "That would make me a Chelsea fan."

OK...you get it.

Now...make up your own jokes...on the comment section.

Sovereign Hands

Clearing the Blog Backlog...

1. We have an announcement to make! this is what you look like after a single visit to the Burch's house...
2. Lucy's family is out of beds...kids sleep wherever they can.
3. Flash Forward...
4. Bill Rogers..."Hope is here!"
5. Jen Jeppsen ..."These babies are here!"
6. H.S. is a charter member and is proud to sit up there with all the rest of them.
7...maybe if I wore girls jeans...I would look this thin...Sean, the Lead Singer from TOF...drops by the red chair...
8. Don't tell...Morgan is turning 14 years old !
9. More Flash Forward...

Some of our Favorite People came for dinner...

Poquito mas foto's

If your getting tired of thise pictures...too bad. Cause I have about 1500 of them...and I think I'm going to blog them all. If you havent gathered it yet we had a great time...and and I am so glad that we started dwon this path. As many of you know, this is just the beginning of the journey with the goal to be the "install trip" in Feb or March or 2009 (dates to come) . The Lord has already blessed "Operation Security Blanket" with a publicity sponsor Security Dealer & Integrator Magazine has agreed to do a full cover feature story on the project next spring after the install is done. They also want to interview me (yikes) and do bi-monthly updates on the progress...I think that this will provide the encouragement that other industry manufacturers will need to get on board to donate equipment for this very important project. I am so stoked!

So...We need logo contestants to submit a logo...it will be published in a national magazine in addition to being used on a bunch of other collateral materials, etc. It's a resume' builder opportunity folks...any up and coming graphic artists out there?

Next steps will be creating the full equipment, supplies and tool list and then send out our first solicitation letter to our primary targets. Follow up on the letter in a week, and then repeat. Please pray that the Lord will soften the hearts of the people we contact...and they will want to get involved. I seriously thought the hardest part would be getting a magazine onboard...and they jumped at the opportunity. Maybe the whole project will be like that.

If you think you want to go on the install trip. Contact Gary Wilson at Gwilson@highstreet.org and he will put you on the list. Details will follow.

Operation Security Blanket

As many of you know...a few of us have just returned home from Guatemala on a survey trip. We are undertaking what is being called "Operation Security Blanket" which is a Missions Project in cooperation with HSBC, DMP, Atlas Security & several other security industry manufacturing companies....including one of the major security industry publications...to provide a state of the art integrated Digital Video and Intrusion System to be installed at the "Eagles Nest" Children's Home in Solola, Guatemala for our friends and founders of the Children's Home, Larry and Claire Boggs. There is a little more to read here on their blog.

I will be talking about this more...in depth in the future...and I will be talking to many of you about making the return installation trip with us in the spring of 2009. But right now...I need something else. We need a Logo. So...I am having a contest.

The Best "Operation Security Blanket" logo that we receive will be used for the project, including t-shirts, letters, a brochure, ...and I'm sure printed in a major security industry publication.

Here are the rules: It must us the words "Operation Security Blanket" within the design, it must be original, it must be professional, and I need it quickly. I need it by the end of the month, so May 1 is the deadline. Email them to me at hillenblog@gmail.com All serious entry's will be considered. I might even post all the entries on here...and take a vote. Depends on how many entries there is.

Thanks for your participation!

Team Operation Security Blanket

PS...this is a picture of Estella..and she is a beautiful and kind worker in the Children's Home...and she is learning English, and was kind enough to teach us a few new words in Espanol.

Guatemala Zip Lines

Yep...This was me...Swinging in the Breeze about 500 feet off the ground...Don't ask why the video stops so suddenly...

Human Sparkler

This was a video that Clare made a few months ago. This was built by Mike...our friend from the Coffee Shop. He did not wear it...He convinced another American to wear the Sparkler Wings. He had some minor burns...

More of Day Two...

1. Both of these vehicles were moving at the time...about 30 Mph...

3. Chad Wattson
4. This town is about 3000 feet below our balcony...and we could hit it with a golf ball....and a 2 iron.
5. New Stairs
6. Neighboring farm...
7. This town is 1500 feet below our balcony...and they started a birthday party tonight at 4:30 am with fireworks...and a live band...it is still going tonight at 10:00 pm.
8. Check the tires these giant trucks are running...
9. This is what out bathroom will look like when I get home.

Guatemala Day Two...

Guatemala Trip Day One...

1. Scott rode a motorcycle ahead of us to Escort us for the three hour ride to the Children's Home.
2. City Street Scene...
3. A bus passing a diesel truck going up hill...on a one lane road...with 300 foot ledges on the side. Note...the oncoming traffic.
4. Immediately after swerving to miss the above catastrophe...this bus decides to pass us all on the right.
5. This time were on the wrong side of the road...
6. Dinner Photo...
7. This is one Serious Margarita...
8. This is obviously not my first one...they were good...and not alcoholic...
9. Lilies everywhere...

Flash Forward...

No wonder their kids are so cute...

What happens in Vegas...

Apparently there has been some confusion about what all went on the recent Vegas trip...All I can say is that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...unless you have a digital camera along.

I have to agree with you I was shocked when I saw our CFO doing some of the things I was able to capture on film (well not really film). Also I would like to explain that is not really Elvis...it was a statue in our hotel.

Additionally I want to say that he has the most formal swimsuit I have ever seen. I guess I was the most shocked when I caught a glimpse of him on the wing of our plane, I was so glad that we were not at altitude yet...where it would have been impossible to stay out there because of the temperature (-80 C on our way home).

Additionally I would like to clear up something...This certain person did not have their picture taken in front of the Pboy store...it was a trick. I know...can you ever believe what you see here on Hillenblog? Can you believe what you see anywhere? is the real question. Here is the real image... as you can see...Rog is in the background. So how crazy could this night have really been. Well...maybe that is not such a good comparison.

Update...Images removed by request of the subject...Hillenblog

Matt & Lisa's Birthday Dinner

1. Matt took his 30 something style to a new level...on the trip down with an interesting choice in fashion eye ware...
2. We thought we were in good shape arriving at the landing in the largest limo that we could rent...
3. But as it turns out...we were still under dressed...
4. We reflected on this dilemma...
5 & 6. as we ate dinner...
7. We looked into pumping up our wardrobe...
8. but we could never really latch on to the right plan of what we wanted to do...
9. until we headed home...then we found the place we were looking for.
Unfortunately...we are all so old...that we were just too tired to stop...and headed to the house.

Yes...we did do business...and it was a GREAT show. DMP is Rockin'...look for another record breaking, bonus busting year!

All I can say is...It was an interesting time in Las Vegas this week...

Burch is 30!

Photo Op...

Your right HS...it is out of an extreme sense of duty, and responsibility that we travel these great distances to conduct business in order to advance the greater good. And...yes...Dannah...we are doing more than eating...Standby for more compromising pictures of a certain CFO...In all sorts of interesting places...

Update...Image Removed by the request of the subject...Hillenblog

Did I mention that we ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill...Two nights in a row!

A little Key Lime Pie...