6 Years Ago

Six years ago today, we closed on our very first home. And six years later, we are still here! Our 1-2 year plan in our townhome didn't quite pan out as we'd hoped, but I'm choosing to celebrate it today all the same. Truth be told, we cannot wait to find a house with the capacity for hosting, a garage, a dining room, party parking, space for vegetable beds and maybe even kids toys that are larger than a 1 foot square cube. But when that exciting time comes for us to trade our keys in for a new set, I know I will weep. So many memories have formed here!

 

Christmas' as newlyweds

 

Real wood fires (sometimes complete with s'mores!)

 

Remodeling projects

 

Countless special meals

 

Cherished visitors

 

Our first pregnancy

 

My "haven"

 

The nursery before

 

 

And then after

 

 Bringing babies home (yes he wore the same shirt both times)

And then the nursery rearranged to accommodate two!

 

The living room (read: play room)

 

 The tiny plot out back that I affectionately refer to as "my garden"

Recently, we were lamenting our decision to buy when we did, though it truly was the best and most (only actually) affordable option at the time. I left the conversation feeling very unsettled and unsure. The next day, I pulled into our parking spot at the same time as one of the neighbors. He moved in recently and we've had a number of brief interactions but nothing much beyond casual introductions and friendly greetings. Isla wanted to say hi so we stopped and chatted for a couple minutes. He was about to go inside and I returned to unload the car when he stopped and turned around. "I feel like I'm just supposed to say this to you. You know, don't you, that you guys have the best unit here? You've made the backyard into a beautiful haven. I feel like I'm supposed to tell you that you guys are going to be okay. Keep up the faith!"

 

I was nearly speechless. Never before have I felt God speak so directly to me through another human being. But the timing was incredible. I'd never discussed my faith with this neighbor before but somehow he knew and his words were just the reminder I needed in that moment. 

 

Our place is a blessing and while we are in these four walls, I hope we can continue to use it to build memories and bless others!

The Birthday Party

Remember back in August when these two precious girls had their birthdays? Their birthday post is long overdue!

We did what some might consider a horrible thing: we threw them a JOINT party. Horror of horrors! Actually, Isla was thrilled to get to have a party WITH her sister. They each got their own cake, thanks to Grandma Crozier's cakemaster skills. Isla requested another ducky cake.

And Emma got the only thing we felt we could confidently say she loved at this point in time...

Per Isla's request, the party took place at her favorite park, Juanita Beach.

Friends joined us for a picnic lunch

 And so did family

Poor Emma was feeling a bit under the weather...

 At first she wanted nothing to do with the singing and cake...until she noticed WHAT? Are those CHEERIOS on that cake!!?

Her intrigue escalated as did Isla's jealousy (see picture below right - I promise we did let her have cake too!)

 And pretty soon Emma was diving right in (but only after first devouring all the Cheerios!)

 Birthday girl!

 The girls came home with the motherload of presents! Highlights for Isla were her new carseat and water bottle. Emma loved her laughing baby doll.

 Thankful kisses!



Reading

I love reading. I forgot that fact for about 10 years due to 1) school (textbooks have a way of dulling all reading desires) and 2) children (need I say more?) but now I'm beginning to remember the thrills of starting (and sometimes even finishing!) a good book. One of my 2012 Resolutions was to read more and I wanted to keep track of what I've read, want to read, and the books I'm currently reading. So here we go!

Read
-The Hunger Games - by Suzanne Collins (audiobook)
-Catching Fire - by Suzanne Collins (read aloud with Graham)
-Mockingjay - by Suzanne Collins (read aloud with Graham)
-Real marriage: the truth about sex, friendship, and life together - by Mark Driscoll
-The Art of Racing in the Rain - by Garth Stein
-Mini Shopaholic - by Sophie Kinsella
-The Wedding - by Nicholas Sparks
-State of Wonder - by Ann Patchett
-I've Got Your Number - by Sophie Kinsella (audiobook)
-Heaven is for Real - by Todd Burpo (audiobook)
-Countless children's books

Started but Probably Won't Finish
-The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun - by Gretchen Rubin
-Blood, Bones & Butter - by Gabrielle Hamilton

Currently Reading (or waiting to resume reading once hold becomes available)
-Yes, chef: a memoir - by Marcus Samuelsson (audiobook)
-Cutting for Stone - by Abraham Verghese
-Bringing up Girls - by Dr James Dobson (audiobook)
-Recovering Calling: Helping Millennials Connect Faith & Work - by Natasha Crozier
-Colors of Hope - by Richard Dahlstrom
-The Meaning of Marriage - by Timothy Keller
-Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World - by Bob Goff

On My Reading List
-Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting - by Pamela Druckerman

Isla: 38 Months (3 yr, 2 mo)

Oh Isla Pie,

You are growing more tender and affectionate by the day! Sometimes you walk up to me and kiss my leg or when there is silence in the car, you fill it with "Mom, I love you!" You''ve caught on to my daily question "What was the best part of your day?" and have begun to ask it of me in return.

You say the funniest things:
-"No Mom. I'm not hurting her. I'm riding her! She's going reeeeeally slowly" (see picture).
-Only you would see sweet potato fries and ketchup and say "I want some carrots and hummus," mistaking them for the latter,
-Sometimes when we are driving, you hear a song on the radio and exclaim "They sing this one at Grandma and Grandpa's church!" I used to believe you until I realized you were saying it about just about every song.
-You: "It's such a beautiful day today!!" Me (looking at the totally overcast, gray sky): "Oh, so you like this kind of weather do you?" You: "Look at all the pretty colors on the trees!"
-The other day you were scared to let the ducks eat straight from your hand so you dug for any excuse not to: "But I don't want to give them my cold!"
-Me: "How was your dinner Isla?" You: "My dinner was really, really good! Why didn't I eat it?"
-Then of course the best yet: "When will it be time for the boy who loves Jesus and wants to marry me to come over?"

 

Every morning I wake to at my bedside, attempting to crawl in. You are an early riser!

You almost gave up naps this month, much to my dismay. I love you dearly but that short segment after lunch is sometimes the only moment I have to myself! For about 2 or 3 weeks, I would put you down for your nap and then hear you upstairs, opening and closing the dresser drawers, the shades, the closet door, the bedroom door.... We tried everything: taking away Ducky, removing pre-nap story priviledges but you held your ground and refused to stay in bed. I finally resorted to a stay-in-bed sticker chart and once it was filled, we took a family bus trip to downtown Kirkland to have snacks at a coffee shop and check out books from the library. 

 Your favorite songs right now are "Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man" and "I Like to Move It Move It." Sometimes we'll be in the middle of doing something and you'll stop everything and run into the living room to throw down a couple dance moves.

You picked out your own Halloween costume this year. At first you told me you wanted to be a carrot. I only wish I would have had enough time and energy to make that happen but we only had a couple hours. You did make a rather darling penguin in a pinch.

 Have you ever wondered how penguins go down giant inflatable slides?

 Now you know!

"Can you hold me?"

This morning, my three-year-old was playing busily in the living room while I cleaned up the breakfast mess. Suddenly, she came running into the kitchen pleading "Mommy, can you hold me?" She has made this request on a number of recent occasions, seemingly out of no where. I've been caught off guard as she has never been one to cuddle. But of course I took her up on the opportunity and scooped her into my arms. It lasted all of two seconds and then she was squirming to get down and be on her merry way.

Now, hours later, this scenario is striking a deep chord in me. It's dreary outside and I'm having a bad hair day (bad hair year actually, if we're being honest). There are holes in both of my socks but I have no other options because the laundry pile is a bit backed up. I'm worried about whether or not we should refinance. I'm suffering from a sleep deficit after waking up at 3 AM and finding myself unable to return to sleep. And, to top it all off, last night I paid the tuition bill for the quarter and watched as the money it took three years (3 years!) to stash away disappeared, just like that. It's just one of those days where life feels totally, completely overwhelming. I want to run and hide and resurface when life feels a bit easier.

I had a brief moment of alone time while I was driving this afternoon and so I cranked the radio, longing for God to speak to me through the music. When that left me still feeling a bit empty, I opened the Bible and hoped that I'd stumble upon a nugget to cling to and encourage me today. I'd hoped the verses I read would say just what I needed to hear to draw me out of the funk I feel today. But they didn't.

Then I had flashbacks of this morning when Isla asked "Mommy, can you hold me?" A wave of realization washed over me as I understood that I too share her desire. I want to be held. I need to be held. And, thankfully, I have a heavenly Father who wants to hold me, who is just waiting with arms open for a the asking. How do I so easily forget? He loves me desperately. He loves me deeply. And He has a wonderful plan for my family. This is where my security and rest come from when the going gets tough.

Oh how grateful am I for my sweet, sweet children who daily help point me to Jesus!

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

I made these last week after seeing them featured in my latest issue of Cooking Light Magazine. The idea of putting stir fry in a taco shell sounded sort of weird to me but I went for it anyway. (I don't like the aftermath on the kitchen floor after I serve rice to the girls so maybe this was my ticket to a cleaner kitchen?) YES! It was delicious and the whole family loved it. I used Trader's Joe's Corn and Wheat Tortillas de me Abuela (which, as a side note, are worth the splurge - $2.99 for a package of 8). I doubled the recipe but otherwise follow it as written. We like our food spicy so Graham and I scooped extra sambal oelek onto our tacos for added heat. If you're looking for something new and different, give this recipe a try!

 

Kung Pao Chicken Tacos

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 3/4 cup diagonally sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 lime wedges

Preparation

1. 1. Place chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place 1/4 cup cornstarch in a shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to cornstarch in dish, and toss chicken to thoroughly coat. Shake off excess cornstarch.
2. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add half of coated chicken; sauté for 6 minutes or until done, turning to brown. Remove chicken from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Repeat the procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and coated chicken.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, honey, and next 3 ingredients (through sambal oelek) in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Microwave at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring twice. Stir in garlic. Combine soy sauce mixture, chicken, peanuts, and celery; toss to coat chicken.
4. 4. Toast tortillas under broiler or on a griddle until lightly blistered, turning frequently. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates; divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top each taco with green onions and bell pepper strips; serve with lime wedges.

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2012



Food

I think sometimes people get the crazy idea that, since I love to cook, we eat 4-course, gourmet meals every night. And that they go on the table flawlessly and with the greatest of ease. Wrong!

Take the other night for instance. After enjoying a leisurely Fall day, that dreaded dinner hour was drawing near. Graham was home which happens ~1 night a week on average and decided to stray from the dinner I'd planned and make "simple" bacon cheeseburgers. Before we knew it, the menu had evolved and there were beets roasting in the oven, onions caramelizing on the stove, and two different preparations of parsnip and potato fries in process (one fried, one roasted - I'll let you guess who insisted on which one).

And Tupperware ALL over the kitchen floor. And one SCREAMING baby. And one incredibly whiny little girl. And a totally shattered Pyrex. And a very cranky mother who was more than annoyed that we'd chosen to make such a "simple" meal instead of what had been planned.

An hour and a half later (yes, it took that long), we sat down to half-roasted beets, crying, overtired children, and burgers that actually were quite tasty but were totally fell apart when touched. Almost every single pot and pan we own had played and role in the meal and there was not an inch of free counter space left. Dinner lasted a few short minutes before the troops began competing over who could chuck the most food onto the floor. And so went our lovely family dinner. It took me 45 minutes to clean up the aftermath.

It's life. It's real. And I will learn from it but I wouldn't change it. When Graham and I finally collapsed on the couch after the kids were in bed, we both looked at each other with smirks as we began to see the humor in what had just happened. I wondered aloud if anything else could have possibly gone wrong when it occurred to me: no one spilled their milk!

And so I'll chalk this meal up as a success.

Emma: 13 Months



My sweet second born has me totally wrapped around her little finger! When I am sitting on the floor, she often crawls up into my lap and gets in my face and says "Hi!" or "Mama!" I love her dearly and she's finding ways to communicate that the feeling is mutual. She's quirky, funny and snugly all in one cute package.

 

Her vocabulary is growing! Her word lists includes: she's added doggy, kitty (I'm told she learned this one while we were away), and mama to the mix.

She is a pro at climbing stairs and has almost mastered coming back down. She's pretty good at yelling for help if she can't figure it out (there have been a couple of occasions where she just sat at the top of the stairs squawking until I came and carried her down - did we luck out or what!?)

 

She is cruising everywhere and can stand alone for a couple of seconds (though it only happens by accident). She loves pushing our shopping cart around the living room and has progressed to walking while holding only one hand. But in the end, crawling is still her default!

Emma has also started standing in crib which is super fun. She knows how to sit back down fine when pulling up on furniture but somehow "forgets" when she is in the crib. It's been fun (read: she basically only napped for ~20 min at a time all month because she'd get "stuck" standing). She was ridiculously overtired and so was I so I put my foot down and did some sleep training after we returned from our trip. We've had a couple 2 hour naps this week (what? that's possible?) which has been wonderful!

She sleeps through the night so I count my blessings! She's an early riser but usually will go down at 7 PM and sleep until ~6:45 AM. She understands so much these days and has learned to put her binky in the bed when asked after she wakes as we are weaning down the binky usage.

 

It's looking like Emma's going to be our musician. She LOVES Graham's ukulele (she thinks it's HERS) and the other day I found her under the guest bed with just her little bum and legs sticking out, trying to retrieve it from it's storage place. She knows where we keep it! She's pretty good at picking and makes sing song sounds while she plays. I think she's been watching her sister because she's learning some dance moves too. She loves to wave her arms to music.

Remember that 2nd tooth that I said was so close to cutting through last month (our doctor said was just HOURS away on Sept 6th)? Well, it finally emerged....on Sept 29th! My kids must hold the Guinness book of world records for being the slowest teethers. But, now Emma is sporting a second pearly white on the bottom left (see above).

Emma loves to try and dress herself and now that she can reach Isla's bottom drawer, she's constantly emptying the contents all over their room, balancing socks on her head or wrapping shirts around her neck. She also really likes to help me with the laundry. She specializes in the underwear which she turns into necklaces 100% of the time.

Emma is taking whole milk wonderfully which is good because I officially weaned her at the beginning of September so she could spend a week with her grandparents!

I've been trying to teach Emma animal sounds. She's picked up on my bird noise and whenever she sees a bird in a book, she starts making this high-pitched shrieking sound. It is adorable! She continues to love to read books and her current favorites are Tails, 10 Little Monkeys  and a pet book that she got for her 1st birthday.

I just love her crazy hair! Doesn't it look like we style it in a hip pixie cut? :)