Sister Time!

My sister had a late spring break this year (she's a 6th grade teacher at a private school in Santa Ana) and we decided we needed some major sister time. It didn't take much convincing for me to decide that going to visit her in California was the best plan. It has felt like a very long winter up here (for more reasons than just weather, of course) and I jumped at the chance to take just Caleb for a week in the sunshine with my little sis.

About the time I decided to head her direction, Leah decided she needed to see our little brother, Ethan, play tennis at the University of Montana. So she flew to Spokane Thursday night, drove to Montana with our parents for a little tennis weekend, and then she came back to the Kan. We spent one day together with Clara before boarding a plane late Monday night (just Caleb, Leah and I) for the OC for the week. Whew!

It ended up working out perfectly. She got to see Ethan and my parents. And she got to see the Claranator (ie, spend the entire day with her while I packed, fought off a bad cold, took Caleb to the doctor because I was afraid he had an ear infection, and attempt to get life in order). Plus, we got to travel on the plane together, which was a nice bonus! Just a couple activities she enjoyed with the Clara girl...

Our time together in California was so great. We literally had nothing on the agenda before the trip. We just wrote a small list of a few things we wanted to do together once I got there. Like eat out at some fun places. Walk along the beach every day. Shop leisurely (I can't begin to remember the last time that happened). Get pedicures. And so that is what we did...

And I'm not joking when I say that my brain literally shut off for four days. I'm serious. I was responsible for keeping my four month old son alive and that is basically it. I never knew which direction we were traveling. I never remembered which drinking glass was mine (I swear I used about seven different glasses each day). I can't tell you where we parked. Ever. And I don't think I even lifted a finger to help Leah make dinner two nights in a row (I was nursing, I swear, and she's fast!). It was such a wonderful break. And only reminded me how much I miss my sister. I hate living far from her. HATE it. Someday we will live close, I hope.

And while I was away, Miss Clara had the time of her life. She was with her nana, grammy, and daddy. Of course she was in heaven. She did MOPS with nana. A baseball game with her grampy. And a whole "day" of kindergarten with grammy. And on Jonathan's day off work during the week, he somehow fit in a bike ride, time at Mobius, the carosel downtown, swimming at the Y, a track meet of a cousin, and dinner with grandparents. No wonder everyday life has seemed a little lame to the Clara girl ever since. Sheesh.

The pictures my mom took almost make me teary. She looks so big!

Easter Weekend

We began Easter weekend with a little getaway with some great friends (the Dordals, Randalls, Johnsons & Pickerings). Christa, Krista, Carly, Amy and I have been part of a Bible study this past year and I love each of them dearly. We gathered at a cabin in Elk, Washington of all places, with all our kiddos (13 + 3 in utero) and husbands (sans Neal who was working, sadly). It was beautiful and relaxing. And we didn't even have to drive very far!

What do 13 kids, 5 women and 4 men do in a cabin in the woods? Play outside, eat good food, watch movies, play chess, hot tub, roast s'mores, have egg hunts, nap, run 6 ridiculously hilly miles (amy & amy, at least. ugh), hit sticks against trees, color pictures, play hide and seek, attempt conversations amidst chaos, make hot cross buns (krista!), lock themselves out of bedrooms (one mysterious kid), and enjoy adult games after kids have gone to bed. Whew!

It was a fun, whirlwind couple of days! Here are a few fun pictures of the insanity:

We got home Saturday night and made a little time for egg dying.

And on Sunday I officially took the Easter Scavenger Hunt baton from my mother. Growing up, we had this fantastic hunt that led us, clue after clue, to our easter baskets full of goodies. This was the first year I attempted it with Clara. She did a great job following each direction (like "look inside Daddy's running shoe", etc) until she finally found her basket in the bath tub ;). She loved her goodies, including the movie Tangled, which is her current obsession (more on that later).

After a great Sunday worship service, we headed to the Hooks for Easter Brunch. We enjoyed a delicious meal and time with family - that was unfortunately cut a bit short because of sickness. Yuck. We all came home and spent the afternoon sleeping. Here are some pictures we snapped before leaving the Easter festivities at the Hooks.

We love easter. Candy. Dying eggs. Egg hunts. Time with family and friends. And most importantly, celebrating that Christ is RISEN! Hurrah for a wonderful weekend!

Slightly Obsessed

I don't know what exactly has prompted my recent fixation with one particular food blog. But I'm pretty much in love. I might be because:

a). I was provided a whole bunch of great meals from family and friends after Caleb was born, so I got a nice little break in the kitchen, which renewed my love of cooking.

b). I am just hungrier than usual since I've been nursing ;).

c). The author of the blog is basically me, when it comes to food (she loves cooking from scratch, eats a wide variety of food, desires to eat healthy, and loves dessert!).

d). I have a DISHWASHER, finally! Time spent in the kitchen is so much more lovely than it once was.

Whatever the reason, my husband now asks nearly every night if the new recipe in front of him is from "my friend Mel". And she is my virtual friend, that is for sure. Usually the answer is yes. I kind of feel as if I am cooking through her blog, Julie & Julia style. It's not entirely true. I have a nice collection of great recipes from a variety of places that I still use. I'm just having a great time trying new things. And I am not joking when I say I've liked everything I've made. Seriously.

So, just for fun, here is the website. And here are my top FOUR in a few categories. Try them. I dare you ;).

Main Dishes:

*Hearty Beef Stew (read the recipe through before you start. We were a good 15 minutes late for church one Sunday because of it ;))

*Baked Ziti (my favorite that I've tasted!)

*Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas (My friend Carly made this for me first and they're fabulous!)

*Basil Chicken with Coconut Curry (Jono's favorite)

Breads:

*Pumpkin Scones with Ginger (almost identical to a family recipe we've loved for years!)

*Pumpkin-Maple Hazelnut Bread (made it the night before my induction with Caleb and we had it in the hospital. With nutella, of course. A great memory!)

*Healthy Banana Oat Snack Bars (have made these 3 times!)

*Oatmeal Pancake Mix (this is the reason we're having pancakes at least 2x a week these days. So good!)

Dessert:

*Double Chocolate Mousse Torte (So rich and delicious - a special treat!)

*Chocolate Toffee Shortbread Bars (another one Carly introduced me to. Amazing.)

*Magical Layered Brownies (These have browned butter in them. Ridiculous)

*Hot Fudge Pudding Cake (So easy. And good)

I just counted. It took me way too long, while going through her recipe index. But I'm officially at 36 recipes completed, with two in the works for this coming week (Indian Butter Chicken & Brownie Mosiac Cheesecake, in case you're wondering). Sheesh. It's kind of ridiculous, really. But not that ridiculous, right?!

Road Trip

We traveled to Portland this past weekend. And it was a legitimate road trip, let me tell you. We spent over seven hours on the road both Thursday and Sunday. No, we did not attempt our Friday after work to Sunday after church shenanigans. I don't think the 48 hour Portland trips will be the norm again for a long while. Thankfully, Jonathan was able to take an extra day off work to make it happen.

We stopped quite a few times during our drive. We planned ahead for some nursing/park for Clara breaks. And I finally caved in and allowed the stop at Multnomah Falls. My husband has been dying for a rain-less daytime stop the last twelve times we've made the trek to Oregon.

Four days as a family and spent with Devin, Larissa and Everett were awesome. We had lots of down time to relax. And some great weather to play outside. We hit up the Portland zoo and lots of neighborhood parks. I had my booty seriously kicked by my brother on a hilly run around their neighborhood. We ordered in Thai and watched Parenthood. Dev & Lariss even spoiled the two of us with a little babysitting so we could shop and have lunch downtown together one day. It was such a treat! Oh yes, and we went to a great breakfast Sunday before we hit the road at the Bakery Bar (so delicious). This trip will mark the last time together as a group of seven. In less than a month we will be eight! Larissa is due on Clara's birthday will a GIRL. Hurrah for that!

Here is our time together, in pictures...

The whole weekend counted as a birthday extravaganza, I suppose. I turned the big 29 on Sunday. Of the four days it may have been the worst day to have a birthday. Driving 7+ hours and unpacking don't top my list of favorite things. But the weekend on the whole was fabulous. And the sunny day was great too. I only wish we were at home enjoying it instead of driving. We did enjoy a little bit of playing along the way, though.

And so the next twelve months mark the last in my twenties. It has been an eventful decade, let me tell you. But I'll reflect on all that next year, I suppose. And in the meantime, I'll remember to soak in the goodness of the two little ones that make up my days right now. Life is pretty great (and simple) these days. God is good.

Deja Vu

We got a box of hand-me-downs, and low and behold, we found the same monster jammies Clara wore at Caleb's age. Caleb's are just the boy version (thank goodness). So we stuck Caleb in the bumbo for the first time this week and snapped a few pictures, to compare. Here they are:

Miss Clara at 4-ish months:

Mr. Calebo at 3 1/2 months:

I'm not seeing too much resemblance between these two. Their coloring is really different, to start. As are pretty much all their other features.

I keep hearing that he looks like Jonathan. Yet everyone said Clara looked like Jonathan when she was four months too. And Clara does not look like Caleb. Hmmm. I guess I can't quite figure it out yet. It will be fun to see how both of them change over time ;).

P.S. At four months we thought Clara was a monster. I think Caleb is redefining the term.

Ski Day

Clara and her daddy enjoyed a second, spontaneous ski day today. After relaxing over our Saturday breakfast of pancakes and green OJ in honor of St. Paddy's Day, I went out the door with Caleb for a baby shower. What did Jono and Clara decide to do? Head to the ski mountain, of course. This was Clara's second day downhill skiing. And as the pictures show, she loved it. I still laugh aloud every time I see the world's smallest skis. And the poofy pink coat and too big pink pants. Add the look of pure bliss. She is clearly her father's daughter.