waiting on (not my) baby

Almost exactly this time last week one of my best friends was in labor.  A few of us traded phone calls back and forth.  We sent text after text that included everything we knew throughout the day.  I was five hours away, but as I paced throughout the morning, I felt as though I was pacing the halls of the hospital waiting to hear the big announcement of the baby's arrival.  

I missed the, "It's a GIRL!", but I felt it from miles away.  I had tears in my eyes as I heard of this new life entering the world and I felt an even deeper connection with Jill as she became a mother in that moment.  I have yet to meet little Francesca Ellen and I hope that she won't do to much growing in the next 10 days.  

Here Francesca's little handmade onesie - sea-themed (of course!)

 And a gift for Bean.  Gift might not be the right word.  This blanket was a gift 14 years ago when Jilly graduated from high school.  I presented her with this gift and then quickly took it back because it was unfinished.  Fourteen years later it seemed quite appropriate for her to have her blanket back.  In the time since the first presentation of this gift I have learned how to sew and added much more love to this blanket.  

I think it was worth the wait :)

This is Bean meeting Charlie for the first time.  Little did she know, but she would be greeting her own sweet baby almost exactly nine months later.  

Charlie knew!

Bon Appetit and a rewind

In the wee morning hours in those first few months of new-parenthood, my saving grace was the Food Network.  Trivial, I know, but bear with me.  When I brought Julia home from the hospital I remember thinking that I would never sleep again.  When you don't sleep for several days, even the simplest task is magnified and unreachable.  It is easy to believe (after even one sleep deprived night) that you will never be the same again.  Enter the Food Network - a channel that did not require much attention or devotion, but could keep my brain occupied through several late night feedings and inspire me beyond the tired and overwhelmed new-mother role that I was attempting to master.  It was here that I discovered a show in which an ingredient was introduced to 4 master chefs with the task of making something creative.  This seems easy if the ingredient was as basic as garlic, but no, they cook gourmet by somehow combining ostrich eggs, truffles and fruit loops.  I promised myself that when I reentered the world from my fog, I would make meager attempts at creative cooking.
Fast forward 2 years and add another child, which threw me into another short fog (much shorter!)  I just so happened upon vanilla beans in the store recently and I was suddenly inspired to embark on my own journey.  Unlike Chopped, I don't have time constraints or strict judges, which makes the following recipe a more relaxing and conquerable experience.  I found the perfect recipe in the most recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine for Master Sweet Dough.  This recipe provides the dough base and then allows you to get creative with either sticky buns, soft pretzels, a tart, or cloverleaf rolls.  I was initially going to take on the pretzel project with Julia, but the cloverleaf rolls seemed like the perfect addition to our Easter brunch and also allowed me the semi-creative excuse to utilize the vanilla bean.  Isn't that baking at it's finest? Strict directions for a sure-fired good outcome with a little room for creativity.  The following recipe is from Bon Appetit for the Master Sweet Dough.
The strawberry jam was a combination of several recipes (just boil the strawberries with sugar, simmer for an hour and add some lemon juice) - it complimented the sweetrolls perfectly.  Jam is such an easy treat.  I don't think I will ever buy store-bought jelly again!

Vanilla-Cloverleaf Sweetrolls

Ingredients

• Master Sweet Dough
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• All-purpose flour (for dusting)
• 1 tablespoon (or more) whole milk
• 2 tablespoons (rounded) sugar

• Special Equipment:

  A standard 12-cup muffin pan

Preparation

• Follow directions for Master Sweet Dough, scraping in seeds from vanilla bean as directed.
• Coat muffin pan cups with melted butter. Punch down dough; divide in half. Roll half of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch-long log (cover remaining dough with plastic wrap). Cut log into 6 equal pieces. Cut 1 piece into 3 equal pieces. Roll each third into a 1 inch ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll it in a circular motion. Place 3 balls side by side in 1 muffin cup. Repeat with remaining pieces, then with remaining half of dough.
• Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm, draft-free area until dough rises about 1 inch above rim of muffin pan, 1–1 1/2 hours.
• Arrange a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°. Brush tops of rolls with milk, then sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp. sugar.
• Bake until puffed and golden brown, 18–20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a wire rack; let cool, 10–20 minutes. Do Ahead: Let cool completely. Store airtight in freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw at room temperature. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350° oven until warm, 5–10 minutes.
  

  
  

  

  This is the best dough I've ever tasted!  Any dough that you kneed by hand and bake to completion wins bonus points.  Nothing beats homemade bread (and jam)!

  
  
  Cooking aside, the past few weeks have been packed full of fun.  I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with some  pretty amazing new and old friends and we were able to celebrate some great moments together as a family on Easter and the week before.  
  First and foremost, Charlie is now 9 months old as of the 13th.  Oh stinking Charlie, you always get me with this look:

Lately I have been saying "Noooo Charlie!" when he is doing something that he shouldn't.  For some reason, this cracks him up.  Usually he has this grin on his face at all times.  This boy has my heart.  He surely knows it too!

Charlie and Babci

Julia's imagination has kept our house full of life at all times.  She always wants to know when she can have her friends over and she has some pretty serious conversations with them on her play phone.  Here are some precious moments with her and her friends.
She and Andrew decided to play "The princess and the Lion" - one might think that the lion would be the ferocious one in this game, but who knew how submissive lions could be to this irresistible princess?

Some moments I wonder what might tame this little princess.  Her mind and her body are constantly in motion and sometimes the results are tumultuous.  Usually those moments are flavored with a bit of sweetness, which continues to keep me humble.  

Some time with her Aunt Cookie, Mimi and Papa always seem to bring out the best...

 ...(and of course, wear her out!)

Happy Easter

What is Easter?  

The promise of grace.  A real promise.  A promise unfolding with a dramatic twist.  One that came to life and gave life so that we may live.  

Wishing you the peace of this promise. 

Strawberries? yes.

In the matter of a week we went from this:

 to this:

In an effort to embrace spring in all of its glory, we grilled every night, we went for long walks, we dusted off the bubbles and the sidewalk chalk and we pretended that this was going to last forever.  Every New Englander knows to cherish the nice days when you get them.  We're never quite sure what is around the corner up here.  

Nothing says "hello summer" like strawberries.  They are not quite yet in season, but neither are the daffodils growing in our yard, so I think this recipe is fair game.  

Just a warning.  It's a good one.  A really really good one.  Thank you Pinterest!

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tb. lemon juice, divided
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
• 12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325*. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.
3. Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

And if tonight's meal is true to seasonal eating, we are going with soup.  We're bundling up again, but with so many warm days in our midst, it's not so bad.

planting season

There is nothing better than a visit from a friend.  

Last week my friend Lori came to visit and as we cooked dinner in the kitchen and listened to Rosie Thomas, it seemed as though this is how we've spent every Friday night.  It's the sign of a true friend - one who knows you without words and one who can pick up though time has brought us in many different directions.  She came a year and a half ago for her "regathering" tour.  While she was here we did little more than enjoy every moment of taking some time together.  Lori brought Julia a great big bag full of planting supplies.  On Saturday we had a morning agenda, but sometimes 2-year old don't follow an agenda (wow, amazing concept!), which was fine for Lori and I.  We decided to plant the seeds.  As we helpled Julia discover each of the supplies she needed in the planting process, I couldn't help but think of the words from the last time Lori was here: 

GATHER. Defined:- to bring together and take in from scattered places or sources.

This time.  

PLANT - to grow something from the ground. 

We have come a long way in our friendship. Though life is always evolving and we will be gathering pieces of ourselves throughout our life, there comes a time to gather what you have and plant it firm in the ground. 

I can just imagine that next up will be the HARVEST - the process or period of gathering in.   

There are so many amazing things about spring.  The promises of newness are all around and in early bloom this year.  As new buds bloom, it is a refreshing glimpse of growth in our own lives.

Thank you Lori for the planting season - the one that involves seeds and little sprouts and the bigger one of life.

Telling a story

I am not good at telling stories.  Just ask my husband.
I can start the best of them, but midway through I often get side tracked and I'm not really sure of the point anymore.  It drives most people crazy, but it's pretty consistent with my personality.  At this point in my life I am learning to embrace this quality of mine.  If a story needs to be told, I just have my husband tell it.  Apparently, Julia has inherited this same non-storytelling gene.  She has a lot to say, but the point is often lost as she becomes absorbed in her next adventure.  Sometimes I can catch her at those precious moments when everything flows and her words create this beautiful masterpiece on her view of her world, but those times are few and far between.  Most of the time I am wondering how we go from discussion of worms to "when will I ever get to go to the beach again?".  

The other day I caught her talking to herself as she was coloring at her table.  She was engaged in a very frank discussion about the specific colors that Mimi likes and how much fun they have together.  I didn't want to interrupt her, but I had this great idea...so often Julia says the greatest things about the people that she loves, but as soon as I get them on the phone, she won't talk.  I figured if I could capture her words as she drew, then we could create a cute little project together.  

This "project" was inspired by my first grade teacher - she used to take our words and create a story. She did such a good job of it that I remember feeling like I was an author.  I loved knowing that my words could create meaning to something.  So as Julia drew a picture (for whoever she chose), we decided to talk about the ways that she loves that person, what is special about them, and what reminds her of that person.  I found that we could only do a few because then it lost some of the excitement, but the ones that we did were quite cute!  

Here is one that she made for my sister:

We did a few others, but I put them in an envelope to send off before I remembered to take a picture.  The others involved crayons and some paint, but she was very specific that she wanted to tell a story with pictures/stickers for Aunt Kirstan (or Aunt Cookie as Julia calls her).

Here is what you need to replicate this on your own:

1) the ability to catch your child at a great moment (sometimes the stars have to align for this to occur)

2) paper, crayons, stickers - whatever a child needs to feel inspired

3) your undivided attention to ask some questions and/or capture their words while they draw

How easy is that?  Happy storytelling.

digging roots

Last weekend we took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family and friends.  I used to make this drive every other weekend when Charles and I were dating long distance.  What was once a non-stop route that used to be made in record time is now measured in Finding Nemo played through from start to finish three times, one or two stops that make me feel like sleuth mom as I change diapers, feed a child and fuel up and a meltdown or two as we make our final approach.  No matter how difficult the drive, the feeling as we pull in the driveway makes it all worthwhile.  

This trip was different.  It was a new start in many ways.  We met baby Henry and celebrated the upcoming arrival of baby Gessler.  We also have a new destination: my parent's new home.  Yup, they are finally in.  Their journey to this new home began right around Julia's birth as they headed back to the East coast from Sedona.  The last two years have been a test of patience, a gift of valuable time with family, and an amazing story of God's faithfulness.  While my parents didn't know their final destination, they had a vision in their hearts.  It was almost as if we could envision this place well before anyone stepped foot on these grounds.  As I watched Julia run up and down the hill and feed the horses with Papa, I couldn't help but smile.  I've had this picture in my mind for such a long time and now it is real.  

It's good to have a place to dig your roots deep again.  A place that my children will always know as a warm and inviting getaway.  A retreat for all of us, a place to shriek at the skunks in the "bamboo forest", collect carrots for the horses, take long walks in the surrounding fields, a place to watch the sunrise while gripping a cup of coffee, and to dance to Norah Jones as we make breakfast. 

Although this is not my home, it sure feels like we we belong here and every moment of this weekend was well worth the wait!

Welcome HOME Mimi and Papa!  

Welcome home!