retreating

husband and I were asked to go away to Brenham this past weekend and cook for our elders, church staff, and their spouses. what, go to Brenham?? stay in a cozy cabin, cook, and take our dog on walks all weekend? pfffft, o-KAAAYYYYYY, if you twist my arm a little more...

we had a really lovely time. our lodgings were so great, and though we actually had quite a bit to stay on top of we still had a restful, quiet weekend. we've known for awhile that we enjoy feeding others and seeing to people's comfort, and it was nice to have an opportunity to serve. plus, we learned some valuable lessons about time management and planning/cooking for a large group...

here's our cabin, called the Grand Retreat:

hot tub! we had every intention of getting in it (you could easily set the thermostat to a pregnant lady-friendly temperature), but got sidetracked and never quite made it. but you should all go and do it, like, next weekend.

the cool doors to the Retreat:

we made the walk over to the Farmhouse, there in the distance, a couple of times a day to make sure everyone had snacks to munch on between meals.

another look at the Farmhouse, which is a great place for a group of people to stay. I think it had three bedrooms, a nice sized room for hanging out, a big kitchen, tons of deck space, and another hot tub.

when he wasn't sniffing around outside, Chino spent much of his time engaged in this activity:

M working his voodoo on the breakfast... he turned 35 while we retreated, btw...

we served major meals on that bar...

and here's another shot of the greatroom/dining hall, complete with a big television and dvd player, rocking chairs galore, and a seriously awesome disco ball:

the greatroom also had a massage table in one corner and a chair with one of those Sharper Image shiatsu massagers. I enjoyed that chair very much. when we came out of the kitchen to socialize a bit, we had a great time hanging out with our elders and ministers and so appreciated the sweet and confirming things that were said to us.

while in Brenham I got my latest email update correlating my growing baby to food, and in this 18th week it said blam! is the size of a big bell pepper. we go tomorrow for our level 2 ultrasound, during which they check out the baby's organs and things to make sure everything is developing as it should. we're glad to get to see it again, but you can't help but be a little nervous and hope everything goes well. oh, and p.s. I'm feeling the little mover and shaker. VERY ODD FEELING. but once you feel it, you really want to feel it again.

I did not take the following photo and was tickled to find it on my camera... we're so thankful for these fine people and are very glad they asked us to come cook and play in the country.

I just wish they weren't so SERIOUS all the time .....read more about the retreat at Chelsie's blog!

-m.y.

cold enough

oh yes, a market day chilly enough for me to wear both my boots and my hat!! which is a good thing, because going to bed with my hair wet last night made for a messy nest this morning.




the weather has been predictably nutty for our part of the world. it's as though this region goes, 'fall shmall, we like our people perennially dewy and in shorts, yo'. all week it was pretty warm, rainy, and extremely muggy, which resulted in an explosion of mosquitoes and other bugs, as well as all sorts of vegetation. on one of my walks in the park I noticed 'shrooms dotting the lawn:



our little rose bush out back was even tricked into sprouting a couple of buds:



I don't know how farmers manage to read the weather well enough to know when to plant/harvest. seriously. this morning at t'afia, I heard a couple of them talking about getting things picked before the rain this week, and how if it's too muddy you can't do it. I like that we're getting a little more familiar with the local farmers and vendors. we picked up more of the amazing andouille from Al, the Grateful Bread guy, along with some chicken-apple-cinnamon sausage that totally tickled our tastebuds, hit the Indian and cheese booths again, and got a smattering of veggies out front. I picked up a bunch of collard greens because they looked so fresh and green, and a little lady told me how to make them flavorful... I don't know that I've actually ever tried them before and M is dubious, so I'm hoping to sell us both on them this week. I'm also looking forward to making a sauteed squash pizza with buttercup and sweet dumpling squash and fresh mozarella... and maybe another rat-tat-too-ee...

**********

our good friends the Sargents are currently exploring the New England area, and their travels reminded me of our trip to Boston a couple of years ago. we had such a good time... I really loved the wealth of things to do there, and particularly enjoyed The Freedom Trail and the opportunity to learn so much American History while getting a ton of exercise. :) here are a few pics of our time there: (I had to do a bit of internet searching to refresh myself of some names/events... I wish I'd paid more attention in History class back in the day!)

Boston Common:

the beginning of the red line that leads you on the Freedom Trail:

the Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was read aloud from the balcony to the people down below. the circle of cobblestones commemorates the Boston Massacre:

the Paul Revere statue and the Old North Church (the oldest standing church in Boston with the highest steeple), where lanterns would be lit in the tower to signal how the British were arriving... one if by land, two if by sea...

the USS Constitution... Old Ironsides herself.

I chose to look up the Charleston Navy yard, and on the bottom of the National Park Service webpage for the yard was this funny tidbit:

Did You Know?
The Internal Revenue Service used to conduct ceremonies rewarding its best collectors and other employees at Faneuil Hall? Considering that Faneuil Hall was the site of some notable tax resistance meetings before The Revolution, we must conclude that the IRS does have a sense of humor after all.

that's the Bunker Hill monument back there on top of Breed's Hill, where the Trail ends. when you're standing up there, the words 'don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes' take on a whole different meaning. (their ammunition was limited, so the Colonial militia had to wait for the British to get close enough so their defensive attacks were the most effective. the British eventually captured the Hill, but on the third try and not without suffering a lot of casualties.)

romantic street lamps.

we ended our day of historic sight-seeing at this wonderful, small, family-owned Italian restaurant. we were walking around looking for a place to eat and noticed a line out the front door of this place. a woman waiting for her table told us that we wouldn't regret the wait, and she was absolutely right.

can't wait to see your pictures, Chels! hope you guys are having a lovely time.

-m.y.

saying goodbye to florida.

we didn't schedule anything on our travel day, so we all got up and had our usual coffee and prepared for the goodbyes. mo-mo had been into M's watch during the trip, playing with it and such. so, we'd gotten her a pink and white Minnie Mouse watch of her own:




after many hugs, K, L, Mo, and T took off for Epcot. mom, daddy, M and I packed our car and drove over to Le Coq Au Vin, a local, family-owned French restaurant we'd read about online. it was such a great experience... wonderful food, fantastic service, and the perfect way to round out our time in Florida.




we arrived back in Houston with no issues, having had such a special and good vacation but happy to be back in OUR hot humidity. :) LB picked us up and took us to her house, where our animals had been enjoying their own vacation. we're so grateful for the Bells... vacation is made all the nicer when you aren't worried about your pets.

and there it is, family vacation '09. thank you, Father, for the family, the fun times, the protection, and the funds to make it happen.

-m.y.

the kingdom is, indeed, magic.

our last full day in Orlando was spent soaking up The Happiest Place on Earth... and it really is, in many ways. the castle still lights up the little girl in me and I was surprised by the nostalgia hits I got throughout the day. some of the things I enjoyed the most were the Monster's, Inc. Laugh Floor, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Mickey's PhilharMAGIC (AWESOME), the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Mad Hatter Tea Party, Peter Pan, the Electric Parade... it was all so much fun. I loved It's a Small World back in the day, and though I found the dolls to be a little creepy now Mo was totally into it. from Snow White to Aladdin, from the Carousel to the Jungle Cruise, I appreciated the time warp Disney afforded me, not to mention their attention to detail to give park-goers a wonderful time.
























and for your Monday equilibrium challenge, enjoy this little video (courtesy of the Mad-Hatter and A.K.):