Kitchen Riches

It's been a while since I clogged your arteries, so I thought I better get caught up.

Head on over to Kitchen Riches ~ there is everything from a butter laden heart-stopping(ly good) chicken dish to pink eggs. It's ecclectic and OH SO good.

So if you want to go down HAPPY, be my guest.

*Disclaimer: I cannot be held liable for any heart attacks that might ensue following the preparations of any dishes on my recipe blog, most DEFINATELY not the Cappiello chicken.

Sunday's the Day.

Yesterday our neighbor stopped by to invite the princesses and princes of the house to a birthday party in her daughters honor this Saturday. Her daughter is two days older than Corynn, and so, her coming was a wake-up call as to my own Boo's birthday.

I didn't forget that my girl was soon going to have a birthday, mind you, I just tried to put it as far out of my head as possible. I mean, she will turn four. That just won't do! I am not ready for it. So maybe, if I don't pay attention, it won't happen?

Ri-ght.

I guess it is time to face reality that my baby is a baby no longer. She skipped from newborn to four in like a day. Not fair. I was JIPPED! Having a baby-giving birth for HOURS in excruciating pain should result in a childhood that LASTS LONGER. Geez. I am will be notifying the complaint department!

In all seriousness-since the time my belly started protruding with baby Boo, I have heard the advice of aged mothers over and over again. It was a broken record. "Enjoy these baby years-they are fleeting." "Baby years don't last long." "They grow up fast!" I was sick to death of hearing it before I even held my wee one in my arms!

Now, I am one of those broken records and even when I TRIED to slow down and truly cherish each and every moment, I look back and think. It is gone, forever, and I missed SO much! It wasn't enough! I didn't do a good enough job!

Ay yi yi.

Well, I am just gonna suck it up and pretend I am happy about it. Since the two things she has been adamently requesting for her birthday (since CHRISTMAS!) are a calf and a baby sister and I am unable to give her EITHER at this point, I guess I should go find a present for her that I CAN give her.

cave

I hate the dark. Well, I should clarify. I LOVE the dark-I HATE it when the HOUSE is dark in the middle of the day. Throw open those shutters, pull up those blinds, let the open windows' breezes float the curtains about, and let the sunshine pour in!

Personally, a bright and naturally lit house makes for a better disposition. I would happily live in a house with all white or buttercup yellow walls.

The hottest days of summer, however, forced me to shut everything in and hoard our houses coolness for as long as it would stay. I hated it. And you know what, it REALLY didn't make that much of a difference. I was still sweating like a pig and unhappy as a hornet.

It was cute though, when Corynn said "Mama! We are like bears in a cave!"

It made me smile.

For a second, anyway.

It's a hit.

And the washing machine will never be the same...

birds eye view

Not quite

I woke up early this morning, so that I might catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse-and maybe try my hand at photographing it. But, the moon was no where in sight. The clouds, I guess, decided to shield the moons magnificence. Did anyone else see it???

Needless to say, the post I had envisioned today is not going to be.

Instead, I leave you with some photos along the same line. Still God's magestic creations-just not the celestial ones. Have a good day!

alpaca

a pair

Fungus

Amongus

I know. That was queer. I will stop now.

5 years to mark

(above: Our Aunt Carol gave us five bottles of wine in celebration of the fives years we've been married...)

This weekend was Matts' and my anniversary, five years. Coincidentally, he had to return to where we used to live for a dairy seminar, and so we were able to plan a harried and full-to-brimming visit back home. No matter how long the visit is, there is never enough time to do all that we would like or see all we would like to see.

So-I was absent from blogland, living the frenzied life of a four day traveler.

With the sweet after-taste of our anniversary still looming, I find myself quite reflective of the five years of marriage past and the, Lord willing, many more to come. I wish I could expound more upon what is in my heart and on my mind this day, but the posting of all these MANY pictures has stolen away all my precious time PLUS some and so, I will have to sacrifice those thoughts and keep them for myself for today.

I will say only that these past fives years have been a wonderful surprise in so many ways and have turned out, in some ways not anything like we might have expected and yet, still in others exactly as we had hoped. The Lord has been gracious to both of us, as we have shared our lives and love these past five years, unconditionally with one another. I trust that it will be so for us in the future, as we enter a pivotal moment in our lives and in the lives of our family. This year will be one of great decision-making and will be a turning point in our lives and while we pray for wisdom and seek His guidance, I know with whole-hearted confidence, that the next fives years will undoubtedly hold the same as the first. We will find ourselves in situations we never thought possible at times and right where we knew we WOULD be, at others-but always, we will be pleasantly surprised.

Life if pleasant~ no matter what, no matter where, and no matter how-just as long as you share it with the one whom you love.

I love him so

Our five-year anniversary was marked with a child-free date: a dinner and a movie. To some who go on exotic cruises or even bed-and-breakfasts' it may seem too humble a celebration but to us, it seemed just right. Someday, when we can afford it, we will be able to whittle away money on extravagence-but for now? We are quite content to sip a shared sangria, staring into each others' eyes from across the table while sharing about our hopes for the future, reminiscing about the 'us' of so long ago, and laughing about the antics of our children. Doing those things WITHOUT the interruptions of a needy child (or two) or cutting food on plates, or giving the 'stop it now' look just ADDED to the luxury.

"Our" restaurant is a hidden treasure, tucked away from the 'city' and not on par, at all, with the food chains of today. Oh no no. No red lobster here.

It plays jazz music from way back when. Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frankie. Several songs took me back to the day of my wedding, as I remember them played then too. The rooms were dimly lit-bright enough to see across the room-but a WARM light, that cast a romantic glow to the whole place-and gives the shine in your eyes that much more depth. Victorian Queen Anne furniture fill the floor and the brick walls are graced with lovely oil paintings of ladies and gents dancing together at a ball, or enjooying a ballet or an opera. The fireplace crackles in wintertime but sat still and reserved in the humid and sticky haze of a summer thunderstorm, and yet-still, it wouldn't have been the same without it. The times we had visited before, fresh flowers graced each table. This time, they were silk. I forgive them though, because of the bruschetta.

After dinner, we went to a movie. The BOURNE ultimatum. We killed the fatted calf and got a four dollar box of butterfinger candies and a three dollar icee. Wooweee-did we ever live it large that night!

Fair thee well

Grandma and Grandpa took the children and I to the fair, while Matt was at his all-day conference. He got air-conditioning but we got animals, rides, and FUNNEL CAKE! ;-)

Notice the horses' name???

She just HAD to ride THAT one! ;-)

The best part, though, was the elephants.

These are for Annika

Upon arriving at the Owens' for a quick and much-needed visit before heading all the way home, Corynn was met by an exuberant Miss Mildred holding a quite fantastic grasshopper, newly caught, while declaring it Corynn's and I was met by the vibrant Miss Annika.

She drew me in with her dimples and with her husky, endearing voice said "Dis is for you and your children and your ba-eby", as she proudly held out a beautifully drawn picture of an elephant that her Aunt Becky (I presume) had drawn for her. It was so sweet.

She is an elephant lover from way back (well, as way back as you can get at 3 years old)...it is just part of her. So, I immediately told her about our seeing ELEPHANTS at the fair.

For her, and to thank her for sharing her treasures elephant picture with us, I post ALL of these AMAZING photographs of our elephant encounter. I hope you like them Annika...and my fingers can't wait to tickle you again when I see you again! ;-)