Tennis Trip

This past weekend, after arriving home from California, we hit the road as a family of four to watch my little brother play tennis in Missoula. We caravanned over with my parents and stayed one night. Although it was a short trip, we were able to watch two of his matches (vs. Eastern and MSU).

On Saturday it was beautiful - and they played outside. I love the outdoor courts. They're right in the middle of campus and on a sunny day, it's a hopping place. The University of Montana beat Eastern and secured their spot as #1 in the league for the first time in many years (it's never happened in the 30 years Ethan's coach has been coaching). It was fun to be there to celebrate. Ethan has had an awesome season (he was 8-0 in conference as #5 singles for the Griz) and it was really fun to watch him play both singles and doubles.

On Sunday he played against MSU at the indoor tennis facility and we watched his doubles match before making the trek home. Here are some highlights...

One of my favorite pictures ever of the Hook boys - at a rest stop along the drive

The man of the hour

I'd say he's ready

Grampy is even more focused than Ethan, if that's humanly possible 

The cheering section

The crew (minus Jono), including Ethan's girlfriend Michael, (the nicest person on the planet)

Somebody LOVES her Uncle E!

This guy does too - he just might not completely know it yet

Go Grizzlies!!!

Ridiculous play area  -she didn't want to leave

How many Grampys slide down a tunnel slide with their granddaughters? This one does! 

At the indoor match on Sunday - Caleb adores his Grammy 

And Clara is pretty much obsessed with Michael too

She said her hair is just "like Tangled" - which is about as high a compliment as this little girl can give ;)

 And that was our weekend of tennis. We were so spoiled to watch Ethan play a couple times of week in high school. The past two years we've made it over just once a year to watch him play. Maybe we'll shoot for two times next year ;).

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?!