on fig pizza and sister love

So I caught a ride to Goshen with some friends, and Mr. Insanely Incredibly Capable Husband Studman stayed home with all three kiddos for four days.  That's four bedtimes all by himself.  And lots of meals.  And lots of tantrums.  I came home to happy kids, confetti all over the house and yard (ChachiBand wanted it sparkly clear how happy she was to have me home!), and get this....a clean house.  Even the kids' rooms.  I really need to go away more often.

I went to spend time with my sister's family and new to this world Zephaniah.

Just look at him.  Sigh.  Just look...

And look at this one, who suddenly seems old enough and tall enough and smart enough for college...

All four of their aunties swooped in for the weekend to teach them how to misbehave.

Talashia and I got out for the first time in seriously a decade.  And had what might be the single greatest culinary experience of my life.  

It was maybe also the amazing atmosphere and the gift certificate we were using and the sweet sweet baby we were holding and the great convo.  It was also THIS PIZZA. 

It had figs, three cheeses I can't pronounce, walnuts, pancetta, arugula and truffle oil.  Oh.my.word.

And then just to push me over the edge, I got to hold the baby and eat panna cotta with fresh dark cherries.  Seriously un-toppable.  Ever.

And now back to routine at home.  Holy moly its a lot of work around here.  I mean a lot o' work, my friends.  But also so deep to the core of me rewarding and just plain home.  

This cup, it runs over.

eggs and toast

You know what I love?

calling the school while putting together powerpoints for work while texting the sitter while eating a snickers bar for breakfast.

hugging River as he stands crying in front of me at the exact same time I'm peeing on the toilet.

doing 12 loads of laundry, and then finding one load left undone that got mixed in with the clean stuff.

loading the dishwasher, unloading the dishwasher, loading the dishwasher, unloading the dishwasher.

getting our bikes over the train tracks with Sage in the carrier and Riv on his bike.

picking up the toys while they nap because its just easier that way.

scrounging for quarters in the car console when stopping at Sonic to fulfill the cherry limeade bribe for Eva.

planning meals, grocery shopping, catching ingredients I missed, cooking the food, feeding the mouths.

searching for that lost library book.

making breakfast shakes while brewing the coffee while signing off on the homework while packing a gluten free lunch while holding Sage while talking to River while escorting Eva to the bathroom to "for the third time I'm telling you to brush your teeth".

I love it.  I can't imagine why because it is work work work to to be calm, to stay centered, to show love, to just plain get it all done and laugh it through.  Its constant.  It is work.  And I love it.

Once every so often things in my inner self threaten to come crashing down.  Like really crash and say I'm tired and someone else just do it all and no more nice mama.

That's when I call in the eggs and toast therapy.  

I make it.  I sit in the quiet.  I drink my coffee.  I cry a little.  I read a little.  I pray a little.  I ask for help. 

I get to the end of this communion of yolk and wheat and coffee, and I am ready again to do this work I love.  I really really think that being a mama and friend and wife and worker and just plain sane person is about finding these simple acts that center us, that take time, that bring us back down to center.  

I'm ever so grateful.

very hungry caterpillar

Luke and Sarah are soon welcoming a little girlie (as in any day, as in its all I can think about), and we were honored to host a shower for them!

Let's just be real, showers are a ton of work.  They are fun.  I truly loved doing it.  But just talking about it makes me tired now.  So the pictures will have to tell the story...

 No food pics....just of making it...

We had fresh vegetable pizza, strawberries, black bean and corn salsa, blue corn chips, cupcakes, and lots of candy - gummy worms, skittles, m&ms, etc.  And basil lemonade.  All recipes are on the Recipes page.

We SO cannot wait to meet you, little caterpillar!!

on babies just born

We are in l.o.v.e. love Love

with sweet sweet Kensie Lou...

The Buzz isn't pictured because he insisted, "I'm not holding a girl baby."

He did shyly change his mind long enough to hold her for a minute or two - when literally absolutely no one was looking.  I just held my breath and watched the moment instead of rushing for the camera.

Lori and Kyle, you brought one precious little girlie to this family!

"The soul is a reflection of the holy, made up of light and breath and silence and love, of everything ancient and of babies just born." - Lamott

my 5th grader

This is Katie.....she is a senior in high school....and I was her 5th grade teacher!

In OP this weekend, we went to Jose Peppers - one of our all time faves - in our old neighborhood, where I ran into her family.  It absolutely made my weekend.  She is so grown up and beautiful and kind and smart.  She's beginning college next year at Michigan State.

I can't describe how rewarding it is to see my school kids grow up.  When you show up every day to teach, you just do your very best.  And mostly you beg God to - despite all your glaring flaws and inadequacies - somehow grow the brains of your students, to let them feel deeply loved, respected for their uniqueness, inspired to love learning, and to desire to treat the world with compassion.

Thank you, Katie, for applying yourself in school and in all of life.  I don't know what the last 7 years have held for you, but its clear that you have thrived and are SO going places!!

the man

Hesston College Preschool Family Night...

It is SO REWARDING to watch The Buzz in his element.  

You know those mama worries that creep in when you let the crazies into your brain?

Sigh...

All really IS well...

He is smart.

 He is happy.

He has friends.

He does what his teacher says.

He does things his own way.  

(this is how he chose to be photographed with his chewed-up certificate)

And he is so very very loved!

this is the life

Fire in the fireplace.  

S'mores on the carpet.

Tantrum thrown by the eldest.

2 chocolate bars eaten by the youngest.

On a Tuesday night in April.

Blessed Be.

golden apple

There's going to be some bragging on this ridiculously studly man.  I cannot help myself.

Ryan received the "Golden Apple Award" at work.  

He was chosen out of a staff of over 100 people.  

He was nominated for just plain being an outstanding teacher, and for what he does with Terracycle.  

He started it at his school, and has for the past three years been using his lunch breaks to lead kids in gathering and sorting things that would normally go in the trash...chip bags, toothpaste tubes, markers, capri sun bags, etc....boxing them up and sending them to a company that turns them into treasures like pencil bags. 

They have raised over $2000 for a climbing wall for the school.

He does all that on top of leading 25 teachers on his team, and just plain teaching 6th graders to read and write. In a very challenged socio-economic school.  

We were really lucky to have all 4 of our parents at the ceremony and out to dinner afterwards.

My favorite part of the night was watching the kids watch him.

He's one of "those teachers"...

He sells packs of gum to students for cheap between classes because it gives them a positive way to interact with him in the halls.  And believe it or not, they work better with gum in their mouth.  

He invented a trading card game to motivate kids to actually enjoy learning the state standards and tracking their own progress.

He brought his students to "proficient" on the state tests.

He just earned his "English as a Second or Other Language" endorsement.

He planted a garden with his kids.

Yep, one of those.

He's leaving teaching for an office job working with efficiency at Excel - an awesome manufacturing business here in town.  He is extremely excited - its exactly what he's been wanting to do for a long time.  I'm sad that teaching as a profession is so draining on individuals and families.  Sad that so few people recognize just how agonizingly difficult the job is.  Sad that more kids won't get to have him as their teacher.  But so very very happy that he gets to make this change.

And so grateful that he was recognized for the amazing job he has done!

cheesy chicken enchiladas

Our favorite enchiladas.  Hands down.  Period.  Try no other recipe.  Ever. 

I like flour better than corn tortillas.  

And lots of filling.  

So here's the result...

2 c. shredded mexican or sharp cheddar cheese

2 grilled or baked chicken breasts, shredded (If I bake them, I rub them with a little taco seasoning first. You know, just to remind them that they were once beloved chickens.)

2 blocks of fat free cream cheese

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 can of mild enchilada sauce

1 small can of sliced black olives

8 large flour tortillas

Combine the cheese (reserve a small handful for sprinkling on top), chicken, cream cheese, and onion.  Spread evenly into the 8 tortillas and roll them up.  Place them in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.  Cover with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with reserved cheese and black olives.  Cover with foil, shiny side in, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

You know I don't eat meat, so I reserve enough filling for one enchilada before mixing in the chicken.

And you know Eva doesn't eat gluten, so for hers, I do this...

In a small greased casserole dish, layer 4 corn tortillas with the filling in between.  Top with sauce and shredded cheese.

This was the view out my kitchen window when I made them this time...."making supper" with leaves and grass and whatever else they dug up.  

You know how when we were kids, our play was "work"?  I played mom and cook and baker and teacher and nurse all the time.  I even spent my allowance on real baby food to "feed" my dolls.  And now that I'm (sigh) a grown up, I long to stop all the work and just play.    Hmmmm....a funny thing this life is.

the treasure you are

"Normal Day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.  
Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.
Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow."    - Mary Jean Iron

"I be naked!!" is her motto.  24/7.

And wear beads and eat cucumbers.  

We should all be so lucky.

our favorite picnic salad...

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of corn, drained

1 can of mild rotel

1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped

3 green onions, diced

Toss with: 

1/4 c. lime juice

1/4 c. evoo

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cilantro

My cup runneth over.  Even on a normal day.  Especially on a normal day.