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Thank you all so much for your well-wishes. This baby is a bit of a surprise, but we are all incredibly excited to welcome another wee one to our family!
We told the girls that “Mommy is going to have another baby!” and Charlotte thought for a second and said, “Tomorrow?”
Watched this movie last night, for the second time. Just as enchanting and wonderful, as I suspected it would be. Here’s my favorite song from the movie.
We’re off to the mountains of Western NC for the weekend, with friends, and are really looking forward to a change of pace and time with good friends.
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!
We’ve become coffee aficionados in the last couple of years. Some friends of ours roast beans for local purchase, and we enjoy that immensely. We received a coffee grinder as a gift for Christmas from the Merrills, and we brew using a French press.
Lisa found a Bialetti Moka Express at a thrift store recently, and I was excited to give it a try. Apparently 90% of Italian homes have a Bialetti!
After a bit of research, here’s what I did to make our espresso:
- Fill the base with cold water up to the height of the pressure release valve.
- Fill the coffee basket with coffee grinds (ground fine, but not too fine) up to the top. Arabica beans seem to be generally recommended for espresso. While you need to tamp the coffee grinds down for a commercial espresso machine, this is not the case for the Moka Express, since the water pressure effectively tamps it down for you.
- Assemble the pot tightly.
- Put the pot on the stove over medium heat for approximately five minutes. Remove the pot when the upper chamber is about half full, just before the pot begins to make gurgling noises. This took about seven minutes in my case.
- Pour the espresso into cups; a shot of espresso is roughly 1.5oz. It has higher caffeine content than ordinary coffee, but since there’s less liquid to drink your total caffeine intake is actually less than a cup of coffee.
Here’s the result of my first espresso attempt:
The Moka Express doesn’t produce crema foam on top of the espresso, so it looks like coffee. But it was much thicker than ordinary coffee, and much less bitter. We were able to drink it without adding anything, although it did taste better adding cream. Next time I think I’ll try adding sugar as well. That probably violates espresso etiquette, and I won’t try it every time, but the espresso reminded me much of delicious Turkish coffee, which is even thicker and is quite sweet. We may also try to find a milk frother, so that we can enjoy cappuccino.
Scott
A few days ago I had the wonderful opportunity to take some pictures of my good friend, Tracy. These weren’t just any pictures, though…Tracy is due with her first baby in just a couple of weeks, and we are all so very excited!
Here are a few of the best pictures.
Aren’t they sweet? Steve and Tracy are two of our favorite people.
Well, this is the week. We officially started homeschooling yesterday, and after Day 2, things are going pretty well!
Our day doesn’t really look all that different from years before, only that now “school time” is definitely more purposeful and planned on my part.
I am nervous, excited, and taking a deep breath to try this whole thing out. Homeschooling is such a big part of the vision for our family that Scott and I have, and it encompasses much more than just “school” learning. Many, many little things and moments, opportunities to teach character and a love for our home, fill our day and our hearts.
Best of all, today is a cool and rainy day (what a surprise!) so it just feels right to be starting school.
I also had about a hundred things to write about for this post, but they all seem to have gone straight out of my head. The concert we went to last night that kept us out late could have a lot to do with that, too. Maybe? But it was worth it.
Grampa and Gramma came last weekend (Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!)
and to celebrate we visited Pullen Park. What a great park!
We rode on a little train that choo-chooed us around.
Asher was fascinated, of course, and the girls were busy looking at all of the beautiful scenery.
I snuck into Asher’s room yesterday and got some shots of him sleeping. Sometimes my favorite part of the day is waking Asher up from his nap.
Don’t you love to watch your children sleeping?
After I wake him up, he usually grabs a book right away and asks me to read to him. Perfect for more snuggling.
In other news, I am pretty sure this family has gotten their package by now, so I think it’s safe to post pictures of what I made for them.
These were SO fun to make. I am enjoying embroidery more and more, and I’m scheming ways to practice more. How cute would it be to embroider a “label” on the back of a quilt, instead of using fabric pens? The possibilities are endless.
I was kissing Asher goodnight while he laid in his little bed, planting little kisses on his sweet chubby face and whispering good-night things to him.
“I love you, Asher.”
Asher: “Mmm-kem (okay).”
Me: “You’re my sweet boy.”
Asher: “Mmm-kem.”
Me: “Sleep well and I will see you in the morning.”
Asher: “Mmm-kem.”
Then he waits a moment, and whispers very quietly and very seriously: “Gobble gobble.”
That pretty much describes us right now. It is hot. Smokin’. Whew. August is the hardest month here, because most of the month is hot and dry. But this, too, shall pass and fall will be here soon. I hope.
We were sitting down to dinner a few nights ago, and Ivy suddenly exclaims, “Daddy! I have good news!!! Jesus died for our sins!”
Asher has been talking more and more. I wish I could take a little movie of all the sweet things he says, but impossible since he often doesn’t say what you want him to when prompted. He sure loves motorcycles, though, and will definitely engage in conversation about them anytime you’d like. He calls them “Cycles!!!” and it is a really big deal. We look for them everywhere we go, and he always seems to spot them before the rest of us.
For all the motorcycle tough talk though, he is still such a sweet boy. He sometimes gives spontaneous kisses, especially while snuggling, and comment, “Mmm. Dass nice!”
Charlotte had a big-girl breakfast date with Daddy this morning (Ivy came along, too). Quite the young lady, and turning four in just a few months! We can’t believe it. She’s enjoyed teaching Asher to say new words lately, and he goes right along with it, despite the mispronunciations. (Charlotte still has a hard time saying her y- and s-sounds, but we are practicing.) A few days ago, she turns to Asher and says, “Asher! Say ‘lell’?” Asher says, “Lell?” Charlotte finishes up with “Oh!” and Asher dutifully repeats her. Lellow! Which, of course, means “yellow”.
Even though it is pretty hot outside, our garden has been busy growing and bestowing wonderful gifts upon us. A few nights ago we enjoyed one of our favorite hot-summer-night-don’t-feel-like-cookin’ meals: fresh wheat bread (baked early in the morning), mozzarella (the real kind), basil from the garden, and huge red beautiful tomatoes straight from the back yard. Really good, super easy, and if you drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle some pepper on top, it’s hard to stop eating!
I know I mentioned a post or two ago that I was making a skirt for myself, and that I would post pictures. I did make a skirt, and it turned out great (I think), and I haven’t forgotten the picture. It’s just so hard to take a picture of yourself! I’ll try to get someone to get a picture soon.
Mom, does this remind you of any pictures of me when I was around this age? Or is it just my imagination?
In other news, there’s been a lot of sewing going on around here. I’ll post some pictures, but most of what’s been in the works are gifts for others, and I haven’t had a chance to get to the PO yet. This quilt was many weeks in the making, but I am happy to announce that it’s finally done! I went through quite an ordeal trying to get more super-giant rick rack from Joann’s. Argh! I wish there were more (affordable) fabric options in this area.
I love a fresh, clean quilt, clean pillows, and a good nap. Perfect.
Sorry for the slightly dark picture there. Still waiting on my new camera (just kidding, honey!).
These are little backpacks (or pack-packs, as my girls have always called them) for two special children (can’t say who!), and they are all ready to be shipped off in a couple days!
Here’s a work-in-progress that is coming together quite nicely. It’s set to be a Christmas present for this little wee fairy, and I am excited with how it’s turning out.
That’s the last picture I’m showing of it, though (hi Judi!), until it’s done.
Hope everyone’s staying cool and comfortable. Hasn’t it been a fast summer? A good summer, though.
