Summertime: And Yummy Stuff

Summertime is so fun...especially with Michael home more! Here are some yummy things we've been eating:


1. It wouldn't be summer without our Zoku quick pop maker! I make simple ones, but of course Michael whips out the fancy, really delicious recipes.
2. Lemon lasagna tonight. A good friend brought it over a few months ago and it was awesome!
3. Nutella and strawberries! So good.
4. Nutella and graham crackers. (Those are fancy ones!)
5. Just Nutella.
6. Pineapple salsa!
7. Gyros! Lamb meat and all from the River Market.
7. And tonight Michael is whipping out those "hard to make" little French canneles in which he ordered a special pan. We decided on the mini pan, as he said in France he popped about 7 or 8 in his mouth and was quite satisfied!


And now it's time to get off of the computer and enjoy my family. The boys are playing the Gee-tar in the other room. Hensley is on my lap, gazing up at me...but I'm gazing at the computer.


Gotta run!


The Mom

Kids: Lovin' You Two

Oh, you two are cute. You know that? Tegegne, you love to kiss your little "Hens" as you recently decided to nickname her. Ababayeh and I often remind you to stop kissing her directly in the mouth, and the other day she spit up in your mouth due to your lingering kiss. As often as this gets on my nerves, I must remember the reason you love to kiss little "Hens." Because your birth mom was a kisser. Yes, when I met her, I was kissed and kissed on the cheeks. And I told her I would kiss you every day on her behalf. I am sure this is where you get your obsession with kissing. Sometimes Hensley winces upon your approach, but most of the time she likes it. 


Hensley, I love it when you finish eating and gaze up at me with the biggest smile. You are getting distracted while eating these days. You used to be all business, but now you take many breaks during your mealtimes. It's cute. You want to be in on the action. I am so glad that you love the mobile I made for you. It really has helped you to fall asleep without a peep a lot of the time. I also love that we have yet to buy you diapers! (Minus the emergency small pack when we were on vaca + thanks to the several boxes from your baby shower.) But overall, we've already saved lots of moolah using the clothies. 


Tegegne, this morning you made Taryn and I smile:
Tegegne: "Taarrryn, when are you getting marrrrieeeeddd? After my birthdayyyy?"
Taryn: "Yesssss, a few days after your birthdayyyyy!"
Tegegne: "Then Micah will live here too?!?"


And yesterday:
Tegegne: "Mommyeh, I learned a new dance move for Taryn's wedding, look!"


(So it's true that there's been a lot of fun wedding talk around here, and the big event is even on Tegegne's mind!) 


We love you, kids!

Michael: Trip to France, Part II

A true highlight of Michael's trip was his time spent with this family. The Monets. They lived just outside of Bayonne in the countryside with neighbors who had donkeys and chickens. He wrote me a message one day saying he had just spent an ideal day with these folks. Starting with hiking to Spain and eating at a Venta (small restaurant at the top of a mountain). Then a drive through the countryside, a nap, soccer with Remi and a little Ethiopian neighbor! Hot chocolate, and mountain biking with Vincent. After that they played the most fun game ever. Pelote en Trinquet (a very old Basque game like raquetball, but way more fun!)

Do you notice that this is the American and French students?

He got to see some of our favorite people in Paris. Timothee and his fiance, Anne. Timothee's family hosted us for a week in Versailles before picking up Tegegne last January. They are so much fun!

And he sat in my "dream sofa" at the Ligne Roset showroom!

And saw some lovely artwork at the Pompidou!


He had a great trip, but we are so glad he is home!

Michael: Trip to France, Part I

Michael had a wonderful time in the southwestern region of France, and part of Spain for the last two weeks. 

This was the sweet set up for a lovely evening of being "wined and dined" as the French hosts know so well.  "had a ton of duck, cheese, wine, bread, laughs..."

Michael with the lovely chaperones from his school, plus a dear French liaison on the right. 

Forty-three 6th graders from Academie Lafayette in Kansas City. Michael said they were good kids and they had lots of fun. Each child stayed with a different French host family. His highlight was seeing the American kids have to part with their host families. Many of them cried as they were so warmly hosted and loved by the French families. 

Michael continually kept "yours truly" in mind. Especially when he purchased those soft peach Anniels for me!  An Italian company that makes dance shoes...they are the softest leather and so comfortable. Thanks honey. 

Sweet Maylis, Louis, and Cyprian of Thomas and Claire that he got to spend a day at the beach with. His host family from last year that that we are now great friends with.  Thomas makes the best creme brulee, but this year he made something equally amazing that Michael will soon buy the molds for and try to make...canneles! (I could never get these right, but Michael is good at following tough recipes!)

Aren't they darling?

A Life of Love: Grandma Jody

Dear Grandma Jody,

Ever since you passed away a few days ago (Memorial Day, May 30, 21:21pm) I have been thinking of this letter I wanted to write to you. So I am finally sitting down and without hindrance I will write to you. 

Thank you Grandma. Thank you for living a life of love. Love and sacrifice. Thank you for coming in and raising my dad and his three siblings when their mother died. He was only five years old. You had two boys, had just grieved your husband's death, and moved from the city life to the country life to join Grandpa Cleve and his four children! Soon you had a baby girl with Grandpa. That made seven children that you fed and cared for the same. Being a mother now makes me think that there were times that you felt exhausted and overwhelmed with these huge life changes. My dad says he was so relieved when you came, to have a mother again that nurtured and fed him well! 

Thanks for the best ham and beans I've ever had. I loved your jello cake, no bake cookies, sheet cake, sweet tea, pickled cucumbers and onions, and haystack cookies. (You and sugar were friends!) You liked to put salt on green apples, so I did too. There was always something good to eat in your kitchen, and you'd feed anyone that walked in the door. 

Thank you for being a woman of faith in God. I learned at your visitation that you were most recently studying the book of Colossians in your Sunday School class. I learned that your favorite hymn was Holy, Holy, Holy. A song that I think you are listening to in Heaven, because don't the angels sing it all of the time? It was ironic for me to hear of that song being your favorite, because I had recently started singing it to Hensley as I rocked her to sleep. 

As tons of people walked through the line at your visitation to honor your life I couldn't help but think of your interactions with each person. Grandma, you left a legacy in your family and friends. 

I do have a few questions for you. Things that have been on my mind due to a recent book I read. So, is it true that you get wings in Heaven? And are there more colors than I can imagine? What about Jesus? Have you seen him face to face? Are you the younger version of "you" in Heaven? (If so, I'm guessing it's the you in the photo above!) Do you recognize friends and family that have gone before you? Can you "look down" from Heaven and see us on earth? (If so, I'm guessing you were so happy to have a house full of family the night of your visitation. Yep, all of us there having a feast from all of the food your friends sent over!) Anyway, I could go on and on but I'll stop. 

I love you, Grandma. Thank you for living a life of love. Being a friend to many, and a dear mother to my dad, and my sweet Grandma Jody.

Good night. 

Hensley: Giddy Giddy

Someday you will need a cute little pouch like this one...from giddy giddy...so cute, huh?

...and we should probably work on getting you a striped hat, some little blue shoes and a green skirt too!

Dancing: Just the Two of Us

With Ababayeh gone and Hensley sleeping, Tegegne and I turned the kitchen rug into a dance floor. After dinner (rendition of "the works" from Main Squeeze) and before our microwaved smores...

Yes, the video is a bit of rediculousness. You know what else is rediculous. Me. And my idea to walk the kids (in the awesome bike-trailor-turned-into-stroller) to the grocery store at high noon, aka the heat of the day. It started as a good idea, then I ran home in my Rainbows, with kids (yes one is only 3 months) and the stroller weighed down with groceries. Even ice cream. It was so hot. I'm avoiding looking at the actual temperature because I feel bad enough having my little baby out in the heat. 


Speaking of my little baby...she is "calling my name" from the other room. It must be time for her late night snack. 


Good night.


Mom

Hensley Ruth: 3 Months

Three months old! Dear baby girl, you are so cool. You love doing moves from our Itsy Bitsy Yoga book. You love being spoken to and sung to and often talk back. You love to eat and sleep and smile. You often close your eyes or tense up a bit when your brother comes in for a smackeroo on the lips. You loved the brownie that Grandpa Ben fed you this weekend. Just kidding. He asked if you could try a brownie crumble, but luckily I was there to remind him "not quite yet." Your dad couldn't get enough of seeing you on skype today.  You sleep from 9 or 10pm to 5 or 5:30am most nights. At 5:30 I put you back down and you wake again at 8:30am. Your eyes are still blue. You weigh about 13 lbs. You kick and scoot across the floor on your back. You are cuddly and cute. We love you, Hensley Ruth. 

Memorial Weekend: Family Fun

It was a full family weekend for us and this mama is pooped! Tegegne, you played with cousins non stop. (that's 17 kids ranging from 2 months to 11 yrs!) You probably ate more sugar than I want to know about. You caught a fish. You missed a nap for two days and ran around constantly. One would think that you will sleep for a week straight after that, but I am sure you will be up and running early tomorrow morning. Even though you wear me out, I sure do love you.

Everyone had so much fun with you sweet baby Hensley. You and your little cousin Orien (1.5 months younger) held hands and laid on the same blanket half of the weekend. It was ridiculously cute to see you two together. Thanks for being such a happy little girl! I love you so much.

It was nice to have a good distraction from missing Ababayeh. We got to skype with him two days ago, and I got an email that he's doing well. He surfed, hung out on the beach, went to st. jean de luz, is eating good food and wine, and reconnecting with friends that he met on last years trip.

Even though we are here with lots of family, I would not recommend this single parenthood thing. Phew, I am so glad that you two have a good daddy that will be home soon.

Good night,

Mom

Sweet Baby: Sweet Chair

Sweet baby, sweet chair huh? Michael did quite an excellent job finding one out of the six Vernon Panton S chairs that was on my wish list. Now if we can only find five more and trade them in for the beautiful glossy white ones...I have no plans to trade in the sweet baby, btw. 

photo.

  This chair is quite lovely, no? I love it in glossy white. The design of this chair is genius, I think.