a weekend with friends

This past weekend we hosted our dear friends Mark, Maria, and baby Rosie for a weekend of family fun.  Having survived her first road trip brilliantly, Rosie arrived bright-eyed and full of sweet smiles.  It did not take long for our little lady and man to warm up to having a wee one around the house (here's hoping they respond as favorably come November), and were soon convinced they needed to be involved in every aspect of Rosie's care.  Note to self - teach children the art of whispering, and encourage them to use it on a frequent basis. 

Our weekend was filled with sweet and tender moments as we watched our little ones interact with Rosie and some of their favorite adults of all time, Markie and "Ria."  In addition, the gents enjoyed a few rounds of golf, while the womenfolk enjoyed the company of their children and great conversation.  Highlights of the weekend included swimming at the country club, where I happily reclined in a lawn chair with a certain slumbering angel of a baby while watching the little lady and man learn new tricks and vocabulary from Mark and Maria, dinner out at Parallax, and sharing brunch in our apartment before our guests made the six hour trip back to Chicago.

We can only imagine what the next few years will hold for our little ones as their friendships blossom.  As parents, we are sure to be outsmarted by this clever crew.  We are grateful for the friendships we share and the continued opportunity to be involved in each other's lives, celebrating all of life's seasons.



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - too much sun



lemon yogurt cake

recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa At Home

Once a week, Jeff has a late start time and we find ourselves walking to Starbucks as a family to enjoy our Cafe Americanos al fresco.  After selecting their own drinks (Organic chocolate milk for the little man, and apple juice for the little lady), they often request a slice of Starbuck's iced lemon pound cake, which is both extremely dense and sweet.  Once the thick frosting is consumed, our little ones bound off into their own world of imaginary play, which we can only hope will not bother the other patrons who are attempting to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet over their steaming cups of caffeine.  This week while flipping through the pages of various cookbooks, I came across the following recipe which highlights the sweet, citrus taste of lemon in one perfectly moist loaf.  Frankly, Starbuck's brick of lemon cake cannot hold a candle to this scrumptious lemon loaf of  goodness, which had our sweet ones licking their fingers between each bite. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 1 /3 cups sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.  Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.  Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the cake and place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.  While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice and pour over cooled cake.

*Do yourself a favor and cut an extra thick piece of cake to enjoy with your morning cup of Joe.  

on beauty

"How do I raise my daughter to know the true definition of beauty in a culture such as ours?"

In My Daughter's Beauty, Brandon Barker shares insight and Biblical advice on raising young women in today's culture.



A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - open wide



to have and to hold

Marriage is not simply the luck of the draw, or something that we get involved in which just unfolds before us like a long movie.  Good marriage, like good individual lives or good art, are conscious creations.  They are made.

Kevin and Marilyn Ryan

Last week, having just completed the book What's It Like To Be Married To Me? by Linda Dillow, I was prompted to write a marriage purpose statement, a reflective task the author presents to her readers in the first chapter.  For one who enjoys keeping a regular blog, documenting familial tales and daily anecdotes, I have never appreciated keeping a journal or writing challenges such as the one Linda proposed just thirty-four pages into her book.  So, I dismissed the challenge and focused on the content of the book.  Eight chapters later, I felt a gentle nudging from above to seriously consider putting some thoughts in writing, and two hours later I had myself a marriage purpose statement.  Thankfully, both sweet ones are enjoying regular and lengthy naps this summer, and most days I'm inclined to join them, but on this day I was grateful for the opportunity and energy to commit a few hours to the purpose of reflecting on my marriage and my role as wife. 

A Marriage Purpose Statement is your conscious creation of who you want to become.  It outlines your goals as a wife-the things you can do to become the wife you want to be.  Like a rudder on a ship, it steers your marriage boat, so that you know where you are heading.  Your personal MPS can be a letter you write yourself, a prayer, a poem, a verse, or a passage of Scripture.  It can be anything that declares your goal for your marriage.  It is a statement about what is really important to you as a wife.

from What's It Like To Be Married To Me, page 34-35

In an effort to avoid writing a fleeting statement that would soon be forgotten, or one that would ooze unwanted sappy sentiments, I settled on writing an acrostic poem using the letters of the doctor's name, selecting seven words that would represent my goals as a wife and supporting each of them with a verse from Scripture, and personal promise. 

Later that evening, in a moment of unexpected shyness, I read Jeff my marriage purpose statement.  I was thankful for the momentary hiatus of pregnancy hormones, which allowed me to read aloud my seven promises without weeping.  (Seriously, you never know what will evoke the waterworks these days.  Attempting to read anything of sentiment was a real gamble.)  It was fifteen minutes with my husband that I will never forget.  It is my hope and prayer that each time I think of his name, Jeffrey, I am reminded of the seven promises I put in writing, and had the privilege of sharing with him.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - 25 weeks

Date night with Jeff, Pablo, and the Caped Crusader.

 

 

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