Beach Day!

Celebrating this guy.

And indulging this girl...







And letting me play...

Where We're at With Summer's End

Summer isn't exactly over yet, but it does seem to be winding down, and I am beginning to gird myself up for the Long Dreary Season. I have to say, though, Portland does such a wonderful job of providing opportunity to celebrate summer to the fullest, that I feel like I've had a good go of it, and maybe I can welcome Fall a little more easily.

Summer with the Mullins family is all about birthdays. Mine was a week after Amelia's, and it was interesting to turn thirty after she turned three. I had one day of celebration per decade! On the day before, we had a wonderful breakfast downtown and did a little shopping with some money for clothes I received. After I got home and was about to go to work, I found out that I must be allergic to crab-- I was violently ill for the next few hours, and will probably still turn green if anyone says "Dungeness Crab Benedict" to me again. Oh, well-- at least it wasn't my real birthday yet! The next day, we finally took a trip to the coast. I love the beach have had this ache in my soul to be near the water, and I still can't figure out why it took us two years to drive the two hours to get there. That was a lot of fun, and it was super exciting for Amelia to see the ocean for the first time. She was shivering and purple, and but still wanted to go in the water, look for seaweed and "make a sandyman." (I guess castles aren't really her thing.)
And, finally, I had a birthday party. Joy hosted, and it was out our house. We had about ten ladies over for some great food and drinks outside, and it was a lot of fun. Birthday parties don't happen every year for grownups, and it was a lot of fun to do it up a little for a big number like 30.
And we're not done yet--Jeff's birthday is on Wednesday, and we will got to the beach again for his big day. Then, we're having some friends over on Friday for a special dinner for him-- fun week!

What else?.... Well, it seems like things have changed a lot since the very beginning of summer, when we were hoping to get the heck out of here and go to Italy for a couple of years. One major high point is that my business is beginning to pick up and (hopefully) take off. I have been transitioning out of doing a lot of deep tissue and more orthopedic work, into more cranio-sacral therapy and helping people through emotional issues being held within the body. I wasn't sure how to make the change, exactly, but it is happening! I keep getting referrals for CST, and I love the work I am doing. It has been incredibly fulfilling for me, as well as energizing. I have also been devoting a lot of time to the business end of things, and although I don't enjoy that much, I have slowly been making some important headway. Hopefully I can direct you to a website soon!
Another positive for me is that I've begun hosting monthly "Ladies Nights." OK, so I've only had two, including my birthday party, but so far, so good and we have another one coming up here in two weeks. It has been a very very long time since I have been able to spend much time with other women, and I am so happy to also help make it happen for them as well. On a similar note, I have developed a couple of significant friendships with other female massage therapists who are seeking to help other women heal from emotional issues. It has been so wonderful and encouraging for me to find other people to talk to that share the same heart in their work, and of course wonderful too to be able to trade bodywork with them!

Although we have had a lot of fun things to do all summer, Amelia has really been missing preschool. (Me too!) Her social needs are much too great for me to meet, and it's incredibly inconvenient that she just doesn't like kids. She is used to adults and (understandably) prefers them, so even going to the park can be a big dud, since she won't play on the equipment if there are other children using it. Her ideal day would involve going from restaurant to store to bakery to grownup gathering.... Not happening! So, she has spent most of the last couple of months seriously disgruntled as we work on playing independently and being reasonably content at home. We are so thankful that her preschool is giving us a very generous financial aid package this year, and J's parents are contributing the rest. She has done so well there, and it is perfect to have a very organized, quiet, predictable setting for her to socialize with other (older) children in. Whew!

All of these items and more add up to a good year to come in Portland. It was looking a little bleak there for a while, and it is amazing how much can change in such a short time. Want to hear something ironic? Jeff was just offered a job in Naples, Italy. Starting in November. It has been rather painful to come to a decision on the offer (and what a generous offer it was!) but we are going to say put for another year or so. Maybe next year we'll go overseas and live out that European dream, but we'd like to really give it another go here, and see what happens. So far, so good!

Overdue: Amelia's Birthday Party Photos

OK, so this is really late, I know. I shared party pictures on Facebook, but I know there are some yet who haven't seen them. I decided that last year's party was such an easy success that I would just have the exact same one again for her this year. We invited friends for breakfast at the park, and had coffee for all of the grownups while the kids played. It was a lot of fun, and super easy. Maybe we'll do it again next year....
I made the cupcakes, cake, hard boiled eggs and fancy juice and then Joy made some awesome muffins and Amy brought strawberries. We bought some good coffee and called it breakfast. I wish I had a picture here of the lanterns hung up in the trees-- decorations for the birthday girl who was terrified of balloons!

She loves matryoshka dolls, so I put the tiny one from her set on the cake...

Something unique about Amelia is that she LOVES to anticipate an event. So we were talking about her party a month in advance. Every time I asked her what she wanted for her birthday party, she said, "A chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and a strawberry on top." I think she enjoyed all of the other aspects of the party too!The little birthday clip and apron were made by her grandma.

Enjoying her sugar high.

Little Big Girl's Big Day

Today is Amelia's birthday, so we tried to fill it with everything she loves. Firstly, we sang the happy birthday song way more times than I'm willing to admit. Then we went downtown for the morning. Our usual favorite is closed on Mondays, so we had to branch out. I am SO glad we did, because we found another really great restaurant we'd never even heard of! She had sausage and a very fancy fruit bowl for breakfast, and the staff brought out a little pancake with a candle in it. That was a fun way to get things started!

Orange juice was a treat that made her breakfast extra special, and she got to eat leftover fruit and sausage out of a cup for the rest of the morning.

Next, we took a walk around downtown and went to a big toy store to play. Amelia had a great time pushing around a stroller of stuffed animals and playing with the dress-up items. We had a little birthday money for her, and she chose an umbrella and we bought a kazoo.
More walking around town followed, and we stopped in at the Aveda store to cash in a couple of free offers we'd gotten in the mail. She applied lotions and sipped licorice tea, feeling completely indulged. On our way back to the car, we stopped at a food cart that some friends run to say hello and get some vegetable juice-- and of course they gave her a cookie for her birthday.

The highlight of the day was a ride on the Sky Tram that goes up and down the hill to OHSU. She has been talking about it since we first rode on it last fall, and I think it was as exciting as she had remembered. If it had been free, we probably would have taken the trip up and back a couple more times.

It's fun looking down into everyone's backyards.
Such great views of the city. For some reason Amelia LOVES the city. Whenever I ask her what she wants to do, she gets excited and says "Let's go downtown!!"What is that weird little puff of black smoke?

By this time we were all so tired. We came home for a "birthday nap" which she was surprisingly enthusiastic about. Then we shopped with some birthday money at Target for a watering can and some clothes for her.

We had a nice picnic dinner and ate the last of her birthday party cupcakes (birthday party pictures coming soon.) We have one of those wooden birthday rings, so we lit the candles and talked about how she is growing up and what is so exciting about being three years old. She's finally in bed, and we're ALL birthdayed out. It was so fun to devote a day to doing things she loves-- it's such a great way to celebrate who she is and how she brightens up our lives. Happy Three!

Portland, Take Two....

So, we didn't get either of the overseas jobs Jeff had applied for. The Sicily position had been given to an incumbent transferring from Turkey, and Jeff's application was submitted to Germany too late in their interview process. I am obviously disappointed, but still glad to just know what we'll be doing this Fall. When we got the news about the Sicily position, we consoled ourselves by going out for some cheap, lousy Italian food. We made a list of things we might be able to look forward to about staying here:
1. Really getting my business going (for real this time.)
2. All of the time off that Jeff's current job gives him throughout the year.
3. Amelia's preschool-- they also made us a very generous financial aid offer this year!
4. Getting out of our house and being free of a mortgage and home ownership burdens for a while.
5. Renting in a neighborhood that is better than our current one-- where I might actually feel good about going for a walk!
6. Current relationships-- especially family, and Jeff's work friends.
7. Finding a church community (again, for real this time.)

In the last couple of years, I have found the process of trying to make friends, find community, and get involved here stressful and disappointing. I'm kind of pretending that we're new here again, and this time I just don't feel the same pressure to make it happen. Only this time, we DO have a few friends. And I know my way around town. And I have my massage license. And my child is sleeping at night, and has a preschool I feel great about. Let's try this again, and I know it will be better this time around.

The "post script" here is that although we are now mentally back in Portland again, we are still working with the placement agency, for an opportunity to work for them overseas in the future. Apparently, there are positions that become available throughout the year, so we'll keep our ear to the ground for the right opportunity.

It's that time of year...

I have been thinking a lot about Amelia's third birthday, and am planning to do some posts about her. I know I will enjoy going back to these as she's older to remember what she was like at the start of each new year of her life. To get us started, here is last year's birthday post.

Oh, the things she says...

Amelia has been cracking me a up a lot lately. Although her non-stop use of the word WHY can be a little crazy-making at times, I have learned to turn the question back to her to find out her explanations of how things work and why.
A: What are you doing?
Me: I'm cleaning.
A: WHY?
Me: Why am I cleaning?
A: Because you like a [high voice] teeny tidy house.
It's true. I do like a teeny tidy house.

We pray with Amelia at dinner, before her nap and at bedtime. It's fun to hear her compose her own prayers now and then, and this was yesterday's naptime creation: "Dear Lord... The Protector, (!?) It was lovely seeing all of my friends at preschool today. Amen."

She has also started composing songs and stories... I need to be sure to write those down.

And Hold... And Hold....

Jeff had a phone interview with the folks in Sigonella this morning. This was the final interview for the position he has applied for. It was to be at six a.m.-- noon Italy time, so he got up at five to be all fed and fresh for the conversation. When he checked his email, he found that it had been pushed back to seven! Ah, well... He drove to a scenic lookout and hiked around a little while talked. He said it was a conference call with the four members of the medical team he would be working with (PTs, OTs, etc.) and that the connection was a little sketchy. That made the conversation a bit awkward, with little flow to it, but they got by. Jeff said he didn't feel like he really aced or bombed it-- it was all just fine. He found out that there are four other applicants for the position, and that it will be a few weeks before they make their decision. So we wait... and wait... and wait...

It's hard to know what to do in the meantime. Jeff will find out this week whether he will be transferred to another department in his current job, or whether he will lose his job altogether. We're voting for a transfer, of course. Even if we got a DoD job, it would be great to have some employment to fill the gap until we leave. And, of course, if we don't get the job we want, it would obviously be nice for him to still have one. Naturally, I don't feel like investing a whole lot anywhere right now. I'm unmotivated to do much for my business, to work hard at relationships at Amelia's preschool... We decided not to continue at the church we had been attending for over a year, but are not sure it's worth it to find a new one at this point. We have no idea what we'll be doing in a couple of months. My mother-in-law reminded me that this is actually true for everyone, all the time-- but that we like to think we know what is happening or where are lives are headed. On the one hand, I feel all giddy with excitement and possibility. On the other, I just want to know what to do. I am someone who loves moving forward and making progress. Now I am having to just sit and wait and enjoy the sunshine, and not be terribly productive. Of course it's a good discipline for someone like me, but it's HARD.

Just a note-- if Jeff doesn't get the position in Italy, we will apply for the one in Germany. The suspense is killing me.

I saw this picture of a tour bus today, and loved it because I totally identified.

Enough with the sadness, on with the garden report!

We did manage to pull ourselves together yesterday and do some yard work. We decided that it was very important to have a day this weekend (Jeff had four days off) that actually counted for something, so we set to it and even overdid it a bit.

I have to say that my gardening this year has been a bit half-hearted. For one thing, we worked really hard last year and spent a fair amount of money-- with poor harvest results. This was due in part to the lousy weather, with no substantial sunshine until mid-June, and also lack of experience in the Northwest. The other reason is that we don't plan to be living here much longer. Even if we don't move overseas, we plan to quit being homeowners--and regress a bit to renting and saving money. I guess I could write a whole post about that, but I don't feel like it. So anyway, it all feels a bit temporary and that automatically takes some of the gusto out of it. On the other hand, I don't have to think too hard about any choices I make, so I have decided to just have fun playing in the dirt, and whatever I get to pick and eat is a bonus.

One garden project I'm excited about is our potato box. We are doing something like this, where you build a box gradually as the potatoes grow and then you can harvest them progressively by taking the boards off of the bottom to get the bigger ones, and move up as the higher ones are the right size. I still need to start another one, and have a bag of blue potatoes that will go in there. Pictured are the eager shoots of yukon gold and baby reds-- it's almost time to add another layer.

Last year we didn't do any raised beds, and the sunniest spot in our yard was in "detox," since part of it was previously a parking spot. We planted some detoxifying plants and did some intensive treatments to help it along. Now we are putting some raised beds there, with a barrier in the bottom to keep roots in the more controlled environment of the box for a while longer. I am excited about the bean teepee, and have also planted zuchinni and watermelon along the sides to spill over onto the rest of the detoxifying plot. One more note, we have a lot of donated/ collected wood that all came to us for free to help with the chicken coop, so all of these boxes and things have not cost us a dime!


Many of the items planted last year that were disappointing in yield still produced plenty of seeds. For example we now have probably fifty fennel seedlings doing very nicely, and parsley starts scattered all over the garden. I recently planted a lot of the dill seeds I had collected last year, too. I'm happy to have these all growing with little effort and no expense. Also, the strawberry patch is going crazy, so I have high hopes in that department. Here's some of that young feathery fennel.
I'm having fun using a bunch of long sticks we have for some reason, and built a pup-tent-like trellis for cucumbers. We have some other trellisses here and there from wood cut from trees in our yard.Which brings us to the peas. They have been planted in three different plots, and we are now starting to pick them! I have been looking forward to having something available for Amelia to eat straight from the plants in the garden.Also coming along are the spring onions, lettuces and some herbs.

This year, we will actually have a little fruit from our own trees. I'm especially excited about our espallier- style apple tree grafted with four different varieties. Its branches are fully loaded with these little cuties:We also have a fig tree. I have a soft spot in my heart for fig trees, since my aunt in Whittier always had this little one in her yard that we played on and ate from. Also because the taste and texture of fresh figs is so wonderful!And we have a cherry tree with nine cherries growing. We'll try not to eat them all at once!

We have more work to do, with an empty raised bed and a freshly cleared garden bed. I have put a lot of various seeds in the ground this week, and am waiting to see what comes up. So far, radishes and dill. I'm hoping for more greens, but we do have broccoli and a few other little things growing nicely. I know this has been quite long, so thanks for sticking with me!

Sad times for the Mullins family...

OK, so it's not that bad, but still fairly lame. I picked up a virus two weeks ago that really knocked me out. Then once I started feeling just a little better, Amelia started getting sick. Last weekend I powered through a massage course and then played nurse to Amelia. She got very sick. One night in particular, she had a really high fever (I couldn't find the thermometer to quantify, but it was probably about 105) and was actually hallucinating. I don't like to give her tylenol routinely, but even after a dose her fever didn't go down for several hours. She's been staying home from school since Wednesday and is still not feeling so hot.

I started getting sick again Friday, and by the night time had a raging earache. I have had an ear infection or two in the past, but the level of pain in this one was off the charts. We ended up going to the ER that night since I just couldn't stop crying --I like to think I have a high pain tolerance, but this certainly brought me to my knees. At the ER they said they found an angry eardrum and said they couldn't do much for me at the moment-- decongestant, antibiotics, and, after I asked, pain meds. By this time it was 12:30 a.m., and we had to get the prescription filled. Luck would have it that the pharmacy we went to was running behind and we had a 40 minute wait before the Rx could be filled. My awesome neighbor friend had come over with her baby to stay at our place so Amelia could sleep while we were gone, so Jeff brought me home to relieve her, then went out to get the meds. Those helped me relax, but didn't really take care of the pain, so I didn't sleep that night. Then, I had a reaction to the pain pills that resulted in some episodes of vomitting in the morning-- perfect! I started taking a good dose of Advil and finally had the presence of mind to do a hot compress, which made the pain more manageable.

My naturopathic doctor is wonderful, and had an appt. available for me at noon. When she looked in my ear, she just kept saying "Oh dear. Oh no. Oh dear." When pressed for more descriptors, she said that I have something like a strep infection on my eardrum, that it had lots of little blisters all over it. I looked up the name of the condition and it was described as "exquisitely painful." Yes. Also something called glue ear-- fluid stuck behind my eardrum, kind of holding the eardrum back there-- not especially painful, but it makes it feel and sound like my ear is plugged, and can take a long time to resolve. She was very sympathetic and helpful, and had some good recommendations. I actually spent an hour and a half with her!

So, that was yesterday. Since then, the pain has gotten much better. And now Jeff is coughing. Amelia is still recovering, I am trying to catch up on sleep and kick this thing. We're a fun group to be around! In general, we don't catch a lot of colds and viruses. Amelia has never had an ear infection and is rarely sick. But it seems like we get all the crazy stuff-- Amelia was only sick twice last year, and both times it was with hand, foot and mouth disease. Last fall we went to the ER for Jeff. And I have stuff happen like this and broken-ribs-from-coughing-with-pneumonia-while-pregnant. Come on! At least we've had a long weekend to be miserable in, and I'm hoping for a more normal week ahead. I guess all of those projects I had planned out will just have to wait. And maybe we'll even be able to see people in a week or two...

Opportunities

As stressful as a job loss and new time of transition can be, I have been thinking a lot lately of the unique gift the unknown brings. We are at a crossroads again, and we have another chance to stop and ask ourselves what we want. To rehash or rearrange our priorities. To dream a little. While Jeff genuinely loved his job, it wasn't quite enough for us financially, and though I have been thankful to have a husband that works full time, I still want to be able to work and share the parenting a little more equally. As we look around, we are coming up with new ideas and some things that were merely on the radar two years ago have now become quite important. I have given Portland a good go, and am not too attached to living here at this point. My business is not in a place that I would lose much if we moved somewhere. And if we stay here, we have some ideas of possibilities we might still take advantage of. We are open.

One opportunity that has come up is the possibility of Jeff taking a job working for the Department of Defense, on a military base overseas. The pay and benefits would meet our needs, and I have been hankering for a good adventure. We are looking at two possible locations, one in Germany and one in Sicily. So far, I have been afraid to hope too much. When this possibility came up, I had absolutely no hesitation-- this is the perfect time to pack up and go. Of course, Sicily seems too dreamy to be real, with all of that ocean and sunshine and citrus fruits, the blend of Italian, Greek and Tunisian cultures (and the food!!)... Jeff is deep in the application process, and so far it is all looking positive. Still, I am afraid to hope too much-- I want to be content with staying here. Although I don't feel like we have built much here in the last two years (despite much effort,) and am feeling a bit discouraged in that regard. I'll keep you posted on the application process. In the meantime, you praying types can keep us in mind as we seek direction for our family and ask for contentment-- no matter where we land.

Our Family's Favorite Dinner

At least once a week, we are all very happy with what's on our dinner table. The meal feels elaborate but really was not too much work. Lots of options and colors, and we actually leave the table feeling full. It's Zataar Chicken Night! The zaatar chicken and rice are really good, but it's mostly all of the accompaniments that makes the meal so satisfying. There are so many options for what you can put out with this Middle Eastern meal: pickles or chutneys, hummus and tahini sauce, feta cheese and fresh herbs, any kind of simple vegetable, dolmas, babaganoush... My favorite is a simple herbal green salad.
This time the extras were hummus, tahini sauce, carrot-ginger pickle, and red cabbage saurkraut with dill seeds.


To make Zataar Chicken:
In a medium-sized pot, pile onions cut into thin wedges, frozen boneless chicken pieces (I use thighs,) a good chunk of butter, lots of lemon juice or sliced preserved lemons, zataar spice mixture (available at World Market or Middle Eastern grocers-- probably La Habra Ranch Market) and some water or chicken stock to keep it from going dry. Simmer on medium- low heat for 1/2 an hour or longer until the meat is easily shredded, then season with more salt, if needed.
OK, so the actual chicken dish is not very photogenic-- that is a big reason for the colorful sides!

I usually serve it with rice or quinoa to which I have added a spoonful of bacon grease, cubes of cilantro that you buy at TJ's and a squeeze of lemon-- while it's cooking. And of course you can't go wrong with steamed greens drizzled with tahini sauce.

I enjoy making homemade pickles and preserves and usually use formulas from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. I also recently made quick radish pickles from this recipe. Amelia loves them, and even likes to drink the juice out of the dish when they're gone!
What about you? What is your family happy to eat again and again?

You knew it was coming... I now present to you:
The Silver Lining

Well, the Terrible Leaking Pipe Problem is finally over with. It took about a week, and although I still haven't put everything away, our kitchen is 100% functional and a little 'purdier' than when we started.
Since our cabinets were all rotted and mildewy, we had to get rid of them. Instead of putting in more cabinets, I had the chance to do something I'd always thought about: putting our butcher block countertop on turned legs, making it look more like piece of furniture.
It was a bit of an ordeal to find what we needed, but we ended up screwing two legs together for the right height. I found a duvet cover for $10 at IKEA, and cut that up and turned it into curtains. I hope to find the right racks tonight for storage underneath. By the way, the whole fiasco ended up costing us much less than I had feared, and helped support some qualified neighbors who are currently out of work and thrilled to help.
I want to thank you all for all of your nice comments and support. The encouragement, empathy and prayers really did make me feel better throughout the whole lame ordeal. In fact, I had been wanting to do this part of the project anyway, and the upside was that I was forced into going for it. I'd like to put it out there that, should another unfortunate event such as this one happen again, forcing us into home improvements that we would otherwise never consider due to our precarious financial situation, please let it be the bathroom.

Make or Buy?

I know most of us are trying to economize on everything, especially groceries. I found a good article online about which pantry staples are actually cheaper to make, which ones we save money (not to mention the time!) on by buying instead.

Aaack!

I had been smelling mildew for a while. We couldn't find the leak, but knew it was affecting the insides of our cupboards. It got worse and worse, and started making me sick. Today is the day that someone came to take our cupboards out, dig into the wall and find the leaking pipe. It was not good, not good at all. Lots of mold and rot and bad news. I hope to have a kitchen sink back by the end of the week, water in our house by tonight. Here's a picture of where we stand:
Needless to say, I won't be cooking dinner tonight. On top of the other news, this all just feels like a bit too much for me today.

Here we go again...

Well, it was two years ago that we were living in California, looking for a job for Jeff in Oregon or Washington. We knew we'd be moving in the summer, but had no idea where. Many trips later, we packed up and moved, and Jeff finally had a job that he really loved. It has been a good two years for him, and we see that job as a big gift for our family. We got news this week that Jeff (along with many others) is going to be laid off in the next month or so.

So, here we are again, looking for a job for Jeff. Right now our financial situation is the most difficult it has been in our married life (although not terrible,) so there are a lot of unknowns for our family. I'm not super upset or anything-- it's just one of those situations where I feel very intrigued about what the future will hold, and how all the puzzles will be solved. His current job wasn't quite paying the bills, and my work situation has had many setbacks. We are still taking a loss on my business, but that is not unexpected, and I feel like I have a strong vision for where things will go. I am doing a lot of trainings this summer, and know that there is a strong need for the type of work I'll be doing-- but I certainly don't have any idea when it will begin to provide a steady income.

We're expecting a bit of a rough road ahead for the next few months as we try to navigate through this transition. Jeff feels a real sense of loss over his "dream job" and the wonderful people he has been working with. We were surprised to find ourselves the first people in our circle of friends and family to be in this situation, but are thankful to have some family around us for support. Of course, being the optimist that I am, I am imagining that Jeff could actually find a better job that will actually cover our living costs and be a blessing to us. We know that God will take care of all our needs, and are working hard to quell the anxiety that wants to win over the sense of peace and trust we have in our hearts. Of course, your prayers and thoughts would be appreciated as we launch into job search mode again.

Easter

I'm a little late on reporting about our Easter Sunday, but I actually took pictures, so there's no way I can skip posting about it.

On Saturday I got some time alone and went to the farmer's market in downtown. I was so glad that I was by myself, since it was incredibly crowded. I spent a lot of time standing still in the middle of a swarm of people waiting for someone to move so I could edge a little closer to a produce stall. Still, it was a lot of fun, and of course such a treat to get a cup of coffee and sample hazelnuts, fresh breads, chocolates and fruit. The interesting thing was that many of the hot items there were things that grow in our fairly uncultivated yard: branches of flowering quince and pear blossoms, miner's lettuce, daffodils, tips of flowering cabbage (it was nice to see that I can still use those!), pea tendrils, etc. I came away with fresh leeks, dried wild mushrooms, a variety of greens, local honey, and a gorgeous bouquet of tulips.

On Sunday morning, we got up early for a "sunrise service" at Mt. Tabor park. The emphasis was less on sunrise and more on keeping dry in the rain and mud. It was a small gathering, which was really nice. Amelia did her best to curb her natural instinct to entertain the circle of grownups around her while we prayed and sang and read. It was sweet to celebrate Christ's resurrection at the very beginning of our day, and carry that with us throughout the other parts.

We invited Jeff's sister's family over for brunch on Sunday, and I finally had a good excuse to make a quiche-- Jeff and A don't eat dairy, and A doesn't eat eggs, meanwhile, I love quiche and omelets. I went to several different stores to find a pretty ceramic pie dish, since I had given mine away. I wasted most of the afternoon on that fruitless search, but ended up using a spring form cake pan instead. It turned out looking so beautiful, I don't know if there's really a good reason to make one any other way now! Anyway, I used the leeks, mushrooms and greens from the market, and have been enjoying the leftovers heated in the oven for breakfast all week. I also made this Czech Easter Bread, and although it was very fancy, the recipe had a lot of holes in it that I had to make up for and it turned out tasty but not as beautiful as I'd hoped. Jeff's sister brought a giant spiral cut ham and some fruit salad and the seven us put a tiny dent in the food we set out. No worries though, we have been enjoying our share of the ham every day since then, and I have plans for a big pot of split pea soup.

The egg hunt was a simple affair with dyed eggs and a few odds and ends. In the future I think I'll try to always have at least three kids involved, it's just too hard not to compete and compare when there's only one other person. At the end, it was hard to get a happy picture of both of the cousins, but we know they had a great time, all told!


This is Amelia saying "Happy Easter!" Since Sunday, it has been nice to be greeted occasionally by her with "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" Indeed. How wonderful.

Who told you about that?

Amelia has been walking around rubbing a spoon on her face. "I'm shaving. I need to get all smooth for night-night time."

Taadaa!
(Alternate title: From "Yuck!" to "Wow!")

Of course I can't show you our new paint job until you fully appreciate how awful our house has been looking since we moved in. I also chose a photo with extreme weather contrast to today's glorious climate.

Seriously, who chooses peach and gray? Who?!

As most of you know, we had our house painted by the city of Portland, thanks to their lead paint abatement program. How wonderful! We just had to paint our doors and porches, they took care of the rest!

Aah, much better!

I wasn't really into bright colors when I lived in California. Somehow, enduring two long, gray winters here has completely changed that! When the weather allows, we eat most of our meals outside. Now we have a nice view!