Happiness is . . .

. . . a great pair of jeans.

Today I went shopping to pick up a few things for our vacation, and I bought some AWESOME jeans. They are better than awesome; they are the bomb diggity.

I think I just went back to 1996 with that phrase.

But they ARE the bomb diggity. Not only are they a size smaller than my other post-pregnancy jeans (yay!), but they also look great on, and they were on sale for $14.99. Oh yeah, baby. They are Gap's Boot Cut jeans, which I haven't bought since high school, which is probably the last time I said "bomb diggity."

Ruminations on Father Elijah

This post is going to be a mish mash of a bunch of things I've been wanting to blog about lately that are slightly related but a bit random. Stick with me.

I am reading Father Elijah--again. I love this novel. It is one of my favorites. I highly recommend it, and you should put it on your summer reading list. It is not a hard book to read, and you will fly through its 600 or so pages, but it definitely has some depth to it, especially of the spiritual kind. This go-round, I have been underlining some of the lines and passages that I think are especially insightful or thought-provoking, and I thought I'd share them here:

• "Obedience is the best form of poverty."
• "Obedience is the great fast."
• "He made goodness credible." [Speaking in reference to the Pope. I hope I am that kind of Christian, who makes others realize that godliness is not a pie-in-the-sky impossibility, but rather something that is real, through the help of the Holy Spirit. This reminds me of Sheldon Vanauken's comment in A Severe Mercy that he was at first impressed by Christians more than Christianity.]
• [On different types of temptation:] "The second temptation is of a more sinister nature. [It is] the temptation to hate yourself because you have not lived up to your ideal. That is pride, and it is very dangerous."
• "You are no ordinary housewife, Signora Benedetti." She looked at him. "Professore Schafer, I am of the opinion that when one gets to know a housewife, any housewife, one finds that she is never ordinary." "That is a noble sentiment." "It's also a fact."
• "I suspect that most human beings aren't really interested in the truth. They think in a chain of impressions."
  

And, lastly, the most thought-provoking passage I've run across, so far:

• "Hold the ground that has been given to you. Do not try to fight on other fronts. If you abandon the very one that has been given to you, no matter how small, the war may be lost."
  

This passage has never stood out to me before. It's the type of thing that I'd rush over, usually. However, it really caught my attention this time. It reminds me of Paul's thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10); it's as if God is saying, "I am allowing this problem in your life for a reason. Don't overlook it or try to ignore it. It is important that you work to resolve it, because you will experience spiritual growth in the process." In Paul's case, the lesson was learning that God's grace was sufficient. I think that sometimes when there is an issue in my life that is very tough, I tend to turn my head away and "fight on other fronts," instead of focusing on the problem. This passage made me think about that. You should note, however, that the context of this passage does not reflect my ruminations here; in the book, it is a random letter inserted without much contextual framework, which is perhaps why it was easy for me to adapt it to some of my recent personal thoughts.

And all this brings me to my final point. As soon as I wrote my "Journaling" post a few weeks ago (indeed, while I was writing it), I knew that I was full of hooey. At this point in my life, I do not have much of an investment in things that make me think or reflect, which in some ways is a nice respite, but is also somewhat unfortunate. This is mostly due to the fact that this is the first time in my life that I am not in school or in the workplace. In fact, I almost feel like my intelligence has been seeping away, which I know is not true. I've just been out of practice.

So maybe I will start journaling again. Or maybe I'll find something to invest myself in that requires me to stretch my brain. I'm not sure what that looks like yet, but I think I need it. However, I won't say that the period of the last six months or so, in which I didn't do much to intellectually stimulate myself, has been a total waste. I think it was probably physically and emotionally necessary, since it's quite an adjustment to bring a loveable little cry machine into your house that doesn't let you sleep all that much and try to figure out how to be the best stinkin' parent you can be. I think I'm ready, though. You may be in for more reflective posts interspersed between the recipes and pictures of Noah. :)

Mr. Smiley

Our Weekend

We've had a nice weekend! It's kind of been the essence of summer and a little like we're tourists in our own city.

On Friday, we went to a big BBQ festival downtown because there were going to be BBQ champions from all over the country there. It included a team from Texas, so we decided that even though we're going to be in Texas later this summer, we really didn't want to pass up an opportunity for some good brisket. So we went, and it was everything we thought it'd be. That was some dang good brisket, sausage, corn bread, and potato salad. The people making it were from a restaurant in Fort Worth, so it was the real deal. We also got to taste some Virginia ribs from this one team that had all these world champion signs up, and that was really good, too, but as native Texans, we prefer our brisket.

Noah, however, was most interested in the cold, wet 7-Up bottle.





Yesterday, we went with some friends into Chinatown to have dim sum. Now, Nathan and I have never had dim sum before, but we've wanted to try it. It's basically Chinese tapas. They come around with these little carts full of small plates of food. You tell them what you want, and they give you one of the little plates. The fun part is that you pretty much have no idea what you're eating, and you have no idea what it costs. You don't know what it costs because they just stamp your ticket with what they gave you, and the stamp is in Chinese. And, okay, you have SOME idea of what you're eating, because they'll tell you "pork dumpling" or something. Although at one point I was asking a lady what the difference between two dishes was, and she kept pointing from one to the other and saying something like, "Moo shoo, moo goo. Moo shoo, moo goo." Like I know the difference. I tried everything except for some really weird looking meat (I think those who tried it decided it was from a neckbone) and a really gross looking rice cake dessert (Nathan said that if I don't like the texture of the fatty bites of brisket, I should skip it). Everything else was really tasty. The whole restaurant (which was huge) was full of Asian people and MIT students.

A view of Chinatown

Our restaurant: China Pearl

Noah was most interested in the plates.

Our table, covered with dim sum.

I like this picture because of our faces--I look like I just tasted something I wasn't too crazy about, and Carey (the guy to my left), looks like he's got something un-wonderful in his mouth.

Kendra took some pictures, too, which she posted on her blog.

Today, we were just exhausted. I don't know why, except for the humidity. Have I mentioned that I hate humidity? Because I do. I pretty much despise it. It fatigues me. Here is my theory as to why, which I came up with this afternoon, as I was walking through the Target parking lot and feeling like my legs were lead: the water content in the air, like water in a pool, creates more resistance, so you are working harder to do any dang thing. In other words, when it's humid out, even breathing is more work. Amen? I hate it. And your hair looks bad.

Anyway, I just woke up exhausted and with a headache. Nathan stayed in bed, but I got up with Noah, put him down for his morning nap, and decided that I'd nap, too. He usually sleeps for 45 minutes, and I knew that when he woke up, Nathan and I would have just enough time to get ready for church. However, that kid slept for two and a half hours! So we all slept till 10:30 and missed church! Craziness. And I'm still tired because it's still humid. Yuck.

Nathan said the best things this weekend were having BBQ and dim sum (if you want to appreciate Nathan's punniness, say it like "BBQ and then some").

What happens when you get tired during tummy time:

Results?

I'm curious to know if anyone made Granny's Banana Pudding. If so, how did it turn out?

Lauren and Nate Plus . . . Not Eight

I am a little obsessed with the show "John and Kate Plus Eight," about that family with a set of twins and a set of sextuplets. Right this minute, I'm in the middle of watching a marathon on TLC, and I'm telling you, these people are amazing. Even though they can sometimes be a little rough around the edges (how could you not with eight kids?), overall, they do an amazing job of parenting.

I think I have the reaction that most parents have when watching the show: If they can do it with eight, I can do it with one.

But there is another element of the show that makes me like it. It's that I can relate. Granted, I deal with things on a smaller scale, but a lot of the issues are the same. For example, my life now revolves around my little family, and that's it. I don't spend a lot of time or energy worrying or thinking about things outside our household. My life is scheduled around meals and naps. My husband leaves for a large chunk of the day. John is really laid back, like Nathan (which causes those of us who are organized and do things right away some frustration). And I can relate to the post-pregnancy belly--although my skin didn't stretch six babies' worth, I got the same type of stretch marks.

Nathan is so funny, because he likes to watch it with me. I think the thing we enjoy the most is the dynamic between John and Kate. They are just so honest, and their brutal honesty is so funny, because a lot of the things they bring up are things we deal with or have thought about, too.

I think that before I had a baby I would have watched this show out of horrified curious fascination, but now, things are different. Funny how having a baby changes everything.

Happy Birthday, Dad! (And Happy Father's Day)

My dad's birthday was on Saturday. Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad is a great guy who works really hard. My mom always says that if you can get him to sit down, he'll fall asleep. That's practically the truth, because sitting still is just not his strong suit. He is always doing something in the house or in the garage. There is almost always a home improvement project going on; otherwise, he is shampooing the carpet or building a set for my mom's classroom or doing yard work or walking the dog. The guy is always moving. But more importantly, he is always on the lookout for what he can do to better our family's life or serve others.

Here are a few pictures. I really don't have that many to show, unfortunately; none of these are very recent.

Here we are a few years ago, back when I had long hair.

He hates smiling for pictures. But this one isn't bad, is it? :)
These are from a whale watching tour we took out of Boston Harbor a couple of years ago.

He loves being outdoors and got a kick out of the whale watching tour. We actually had an unusually successful day seeing whales that day. You can tell he's really enjoying himself in these pics:

And a belated Happy Father's Day to Dad, Papa B., and Nathan, all of whom are great dads!

Recipe: Granny's Banana Pudding

Granny's Banana Pudding

1 can condensed milk
3 cups milk
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 medium size Cool Whip
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 box Nilla Wafers
approx. 3-4 bananas

Mix milks and pudding mix in a large bowl. Whip slowly. Add vanilla. Add Cool Whip, mixing thoroughly. Make layers in the following order, ending with pudding mix or wafers: Nilla Wafers, sliced bananas, then pudding mix. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Yum!

Anyone else have a yummy summer dessert they want to share?

Minutiae

• We got cable! Not just the "basic cable," which is the local channels plus the Spanish channels. We finally got standard cable, and (and this probably doesn't need saying) I am really happy that when Project Runway starts again, I'll be able to watch it instead of losing a little bit of myself every time I see it scroll by on the TV Guide channel.
  
• I love chicken salad in the summer. I especially love it when it has red grapes and pecans in it. I made some last night, and it's making my summer, along with Snapple Diet Peach Tea, which I am drinking like no tomorrow. I seriously go through nearly half a gallon every two days.
• I have lost nearly 10 lbs.! The pregnancy weight is going away. I am really happy about that.
• It was 96 degrees here yesterday, the last day of a 4-day humid heat wave. Ick. This actually deserves a mega-Ick, because we don't have air conditioning. We do have two window units, but they're in the bedrooms, so they don't keep the whole apartment cool. It's alright, though. We're surviving. :) I just have way less motivation to get out in the heat and humidity to go for walks with Noah.
• I have one last recipe to share, and believe me, YOU WANT IT. It is my Granny's banana pudding, and it is the best banana pudding you will ever put in your mouth. However, judging from the lack of comments on my other recipes, I am wondering if all you lurkers deserve this delicious treat. I mean, will you even appreciate its wondrousness? I am not too willing to share this family specialty if it will not be heralded as the gem that it is, so you guys better make me believe that you want it. :) Leave a comment, if so.
  

Recipe: Another Easy Dinner

This one comes from Sarah Fuselier's mom, Sherry Welch, who is a great creative cook. Talk about easy! All you need for this is a microwave. It's loaded with fiber and iron, and it's also vegetarian-friendly.


Spinach and Black Bean Burritos

- 2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- bag baby spinach
- 8 flour tortillas
- shredded cheese (Pepper Jack is my favorite)
- salsa
optional items that make it even better:
- sour cream
- fresh lime juice
- cilantro

Spoon 1/4 can of black beans onto each tortilla. Top with a handful of spinach leaves (they cook down to a very small amount, so you can put a lot on), cheese, lime juice, and cilantro. Roll the tortilla up like a burrito and microwave for about a minute. Top with salsa and microwave again for 20-30 seconds. Add sour cream, if desired, and eat with a fork.

Serves four people two burritos each.

If you're Sarah, you'll also load these up with serrano peppers. She likes 'em hot. :)

Five Months Old!

Noah is five months old today!

Wouldn't you know I didn't take a picture? Well, here's one that I took a few days ago that I just hadn't posted yet:


What is new:

• He is getting very coordinated! He went through a spurt for about a week when he was noticeably more coordinated every day. He can now pick up an item if you lean him over close to it. He can also get things to his mouth with more consistency, and he has a little more control over his torso, but not much. That will come, I am sure. He can turn himself around in his little Exersaucer toy, which requires him to use his legs. He also got much more accurate at using his hands to play with the toys on it. He wants to crawl and sit up so badly! He tries so hard to push himself forward to sit, and he just can't get there, poor guy. He can, however, sit with very little support in Nathan's lap. We got a Bumbo, and I'm wondering if that is helping. And whenever he does tummy time, he wiggles those legs like crazy--he is going to love crawling when he finally figures it out. He also still loves to stand, and we've practiced "walking" across the room, with Nathan holding his hands and helping him put one foot in front of the other.
  
• Noah started waking up during the night again a few weeks ago. I had finally had enough of getting up every three hours again, and we had a cry-it-out standoff a few days ago from 1:30 to 3:00am. I won. He slept from 8 till 6 last night. VICTORY IS SWEET. However, listening to your child cry is torture. I'm getting better at it.
  
• He LOVES our cats. Whenever we sit near one, he leans over with his arms out (oh yeah, that's another new thing--he reaches for whatever he wants, which we figured out when he started reaching for me when he was hungry!). He loves to pet either of them, but especially Viola, probably because she's got such soft, long hair. Poor Viola is not exactly a smart cookie, but she learned pretty fast that those little hands clamp down into fists as soon as they get a tuft of hair. He hasn't learned yet to keep his hand flat when petting--he just grabs on. The other day, as Noah was on the floor, he grabbed the tip of Livvy's tail just as she tried to jump up on the couch. It must have been a tight grip, because she went up and snapped right back down--it was funny!
  
• He loves to hop like a frog. This is one of our new games. Nathan or I stand him up on our laps, he squats, and we lift him up in the air, as if he is hopping, and we say, "Ribbit! Ribbit!" He thinks it's the best thing.

In other big news, Noah got a new cousin today! My cousin, Julie, had a baby boy, Spencer, early this morning. He's a big kid: 8 lbs., 15 oz.! Here's a picture of him with Granny:

• 

Because Framed Brass Artwork is Just That Cool

As most of you know, Nathan is working on his Ph.D. The typical amount of time it takes for someone to finish their doctorate in Earth Science at Harvard is about five years, which means that Nathan would graduate next June, if he takes the average amount of time to finish.

If he finishes next June, that means that this is our last summer in Boston, so I have made it my mission to do all the summer New England things that we have not yet done. This means that every time I hear about a fun outing, I totally jump on it.

So today we went to a local Greek Festival at a Greek Orthodox church. Y'all, this was the real deal. It was awesome. And by that, I mean the food was awesome. Of course, they also had some serious Greek music playing--I felt like I walked into the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." And all the people working the event had Greek names and spoke with Greek accents. The signs even had Greek translations on them.

Here's a picture of our dessert bounty. Baklava, Greek coffee frappe, Greek yogurt, and some kind of fried dough dipped in honey and rolled in walnuts. (We also had gyros, but did you really want a picture of them? Didn't think so. Of course, maybe you didn't want a picture of our baklava, either....)

Nathan and Noah. I don't know if you can see it, but the signs in the background have Greek translations on them.

And I couldn't leave without getting this. It's a brass rendering of the Last Supper. HAD to have it.

TOTALLY KIDDING.
Not exactly my style.

Recipe: Your Best Salsa or Dip

Okay, now I want your best salsa and dip recipes!

I have to give a shout out to Aunt Les, where this recipe comes from. She always brings something healthy, tasty, and fresh to family gatherings, and this salsa is no exception. Enjoy!


Hill Country Salsa

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 11 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 avocado, chopped
1 lg. green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 lg. jalapeno, chopped (add another one, seeded, for more heat)
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
4 lg. tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently. Cover and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fun with the Video Camera

One of Noah's favorite games:



And I'm posting this one again because it's so cute:

Recipe: Easy Dinner

I want your easy dinner recipes! Here's one of mine. You can make everything with the low-fat versions, too. This recipe is a la April, and it only takes about 20 minutes to make. Served with a green veggie, this makes a perfect, no-brain, tasty meal. The other reason I like this recipe is because you can pretty much have the ingredients on hand at any time, so you don't have to plan ahead (no thawing, etc.). Which is great when I haven't started thinking about dinner until it's practically time to eat. Nathan loves this, and it works from a family dinner to an appetizer at a swanky party.


Creamy Chicken Stuffed Crescent Rolls
1/3 to 1/2 brick cream cheese, softened
1 can white meat chicken (on the tuna aisle)
1 Tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
salt and pepper to taste1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls

Combine first four ingredients. Unroll crescent rolls and put equal amounts of the chicken mixture at the wide end of each triangle. Roll up and bake according to package instructions.

*Variations:
- add some dried cranberries
- make a mushroom sauce (a can of cream of mushroom soup thinned with milk, for example)
- instead of chicken, use ham and a little mustard

Rice Cereal . . . Yum

So Noah has been waking up for an extra feeding at night, and for the past week, he has been insatiably hungry. This, along with a few other developmental things, is a sign that he is ready for solid food, although the pediatrician said to hold off until closer to 6 months so that his immune system is more developed (to prevent food allergies, etc.). I checked with her, though, and she said it would be okay to go ahead and try some rice cereal, so we tried it out the other night!

I'm not sure about this. I remember the last time.

Hmm.

Okay, this isn't so bad.

Contemplating the spoon.

Yummy!

These are a couple pictures of Noah and me from our Bible study group cookout on Sunday.

Recipe: Great Summer Side Dish

*For some reason, the fonts in this post are out of control. I can't seem to fix them. Sorry.*

Based on some of your blogs and some of the emails I get, I know that some of you are all about recipe exchanging. I thought I might set up a little exchange right here on the blog. How about it? Anyone interested?

I have a few recipes in different categories that are my go-to favorites, whether it's for a great summer side dish (like this one), a super easy dinner, or a great dessert. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to give you a category and a recipe. Then you give me your recipe, either by posting it in the comments or by posting it on your blog and linking to it in a comment. Be sure to tell us why it's a great dish.
*This is a great way for those lurkers out there to participate! If you're a blog regular, have never "outed" yourself, and have a favorite recipe, go ahead and join us!

The category today is "Great Summer Side Dish." Here's my first recipe:

Mixed Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I love this dish because it has lots of flavor, is totally yummy, and is easy to transport to a picnic or a cookout. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15.8-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Drain sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving oil. Place 1/4 cup reserved oil in a medium bowl. Return the remaining oil to sun-dried tomato jar; reserve for another use. Chop drained tomatoes; place in a large bowl. Add parsley and next 6 ingredients (through onion) to chopped tomatoes, and stir gently to combine.
Add vinegar and remaining ingredients to 1/4 cup reserved oil, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over bean mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

June Arbonne Specials

Hello all! Aren't you glad summer is here? I'm loving the sunny weather here in New England.

Now is the time to start thinking about sunscreen, if you haven't already. Check out the BefoRE Sun line for anti-aging sun care products. I can't live without the Lip Saver, which I use year round. And if you have children, or if your skin is very sensitive, you might also consider our ABC Baby Care Sunscreen.

Check out this month's specials:

20% Off f.y.i. Eye Shadows and Prep & Plumps
In June, get all 6 shades of the f.y.i. Arbonne EyeQ Cream Eye Shadows, a $60 value, for $48. Also, six shades of our About Face Prep & Plumps are available for only $22.40, regularly $28.

Bronzing Powder for $11.50!
This is one of my favorite products to use during the summer! I actually use it in place of blush. With every $50 f.y.i. Arbonne SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase the BefoRE Sun No Sun Intended Bronzing Powder, a $28 value, for $11.50.

Figure 8 Vanish for $34
With every $75 SRP order increment, enjoy the option to purchase the anti-cellulite Vanishing Act Set, an $85 value, for $34.


--
Lauren Benesh
Independent Consultant
Arbonne International
laurenbenesh.myarbonne.com
www.arbonne.com