Before we moved to Minnesota I spent an agonizing amount of time imagining who my new friends would be. Would I even have new friends? What would they look like?  Could they ever compare to and replace the friends I was leaving behind?  The answer is yes.  And no.  Just as I've learned that I love my children fully, equally and differently...I love and adore my new friends fully, equally and differently.  These women who invited me to join their lives, their play groups, book clubs and social events have completed my circle here.   I adore them, I adore their children, I adore how fully full they've made my life these past six months.  Blessed is the word that constantly comes to mind.


And did I mention one of these new friends of mine, Amber, hosted a cookie exchange party?  That's a sure way to get to my heart.  Nine women means nine different kinds of cookies.  Oh, how we've been buzzing around on a sugar high since Saturday night!


I also got to learn how to frost cookies using royal icing, and I am totally hooked.  This icing makes gorgeous cookies!  Thanks for the intro Dawn!


And I got to try an awesome new cookie recipe to bring to the party.  This one will be added into my holiday repertoire from now on.  Cherry shortbread dipped in white chocolate.  Oh my!  Although, the finished product looked a little bit like a Santa with a hat but no facial features, so I can't decide if they are cute or creepy. Thoughts?


Life is good.  God is good.  My heart is full.  I am blessed this holiday season beyond measure.

PRINT THIS RECIPE!

White Chocolate Dipped Cherry Shortbread
Adapted from BHG

Makes 30 cookies

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped finely
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar, plus 1/2 cup extra for rolling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, chopped into 1/4" pieces
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Colored sugars or nonpareils for decorating

Preheat oven to 325F.

Spread cherries on a layer of paper towels.  Place another paper towel on top and press lightly to absorb excess moisture.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt and mix briefly to combine.  Add cold butter and mix on medium-low, or use a pastry blender, until the dough resembles coarse meal.  Add cherries, 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chocolate and the almond extract.  Knead the mixture with your hands until it comes together and forms a smooth ball.

Form dough into 1 tablespoon balls and then roll in extra sugar to coat.  Place on cookie sheet approximately 2" apart.  Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in the sugar and then flatten each dough ball.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until centers are set, then set on a wire rack to cool.

Once cookies are completely cooled, melt remaining white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl by cooking for 15 second intervals and stirring after each 15 seconds until completely melted.  Dip half of each cookie into the white chocolate, then dip in colored sugar or nonpareils for decoration. Lay on parchment paper to dry and harden completely.  Then, you should definitely...

EAT IT!

We were at the Children's Museum in Madison, WI this past weekend with our dear friends the Morrisons.  One of the employees there was very enthusiastic about figuring out how old each of us were in months.  An unusual question, and one that made me feel quite a bit older than the 422 months I am (I'll do the math for you, that's 35 years and 2 months).  But you know what's not a whole lot of months?  48.  48 months is how old Anna turned this past week.  48 tiny little months is all she's lived on this planet.  Amazing.  She's only been around for 11% of my life, and truly, I barely remember life without her.

The first three years of her life she changed so dramatically in height, weight, the way she looked, her motor skills.  All very dramatic physical changes.  In this fourth year of her life, the physical changes slowed down, but her personality took off.  Watching the emotional, mental and cognitive developmental changes in her this year has awed me.

She started preschool last fall and this, I believe, created the biggest change in her.  She has always been a very cautious and watchful child.  She never jumped into situations, played with other kids in new social situations or was willing to try much of anything new.  This past year we've watched her slowly come out of her shell, make new friendships and be brave enough to try new things.  We've watched a quality of leadership emerge from this child who didn't love interacting with other children or new situations.  Its been a slow metamorphosis and one that has me brimming with pride.



Another thing that has emerged this year is a sense of humor that has us constantly rolling. She understands humor in a way that is beyond her years sometimes.  I hope this is because of the laughter in our home and the way Mace and I use humor with each other and the girls.  We do like to laugh together and try to do so on a daily basis.

Watching this relationship between Anna and Claire develop has been so cool.  Sisters.  There's nothing in the world like that bond.  Obviously, they fight and get on each others nerves and absolutely hate each other at times.  But, also, they hug and they play and they squeal and laugh.  And they love each other so very very much.  They notice when the other one is missing and call out for each other when the other is gone.  They know they're each others best friend and my heart aches with love watching them navigate this relationship that is theirs alone.



Its these little things that have surprised me the most about parenthood.  These slow, beautiful changes as I watch my child become her own person.  I love you Anna, more than I could ever put into words. My heart swells with love for you my awesome, spunky, intelligent, funny, witty, beautiful child.

We celebrated her 4th birthday with gusto and charm!  It was complete with 45 of our closest friends and relatives, a balloon animal artist, a Cinderella cake, and a very anti-climatic pull-string pinata.  It was a blast.







I cannot wait to see what this next year has in store for you Anna!  Its going to be a good one.  Happy 4th Birthday my Love.

“I’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana it is love. And it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it.”

My heart is both heavy with loss, and light with new beginnings.

The loss is heavy...it is the loss of everything I have known so intimately for almost a dozen years; most of my adult life. Heavy with the loss of family and friends that are currently in arms reach.  Heavy with the loss of community, familiarity, and love, so much love.

The lightness is in anticipation of new adventures, a new set of family and friends within arms reach, exploring new communities, and love, so much love.

We are losing so much.  We are gaining so much.  And all of it is so painful and so beautiful.  My heart is constantly wrenching between anguish and joy.

We are moving.

We are leaving the place where we met, where we fell in love, where we had our babies, where we made our home together.  We are leaving the place where Grandma and Grandpa's arms are just a short drive away.  We are leaving my best girlfriend in the world, who was there for both my babies' births and just plain there for me always. We are leaving the place where our friends are so familiar, trustworthy and loving that I can think of them only as family.

We are heading to a place that is equally full of love, familiarity and family.  We are heading back to the town I was raised in, heading back to my roots.  And, in a way, Mace's roots too.  He was born in Minnesota, although he hasn't lived there since he was five, but some of his family is there too and well, roots are roots.

One place is not better than the other, and that is what is so hard to explain to the people we are leaving behind. We've discovered though, after Claire was born, that having two kids and not having family in the immediate vicinity is hard.  Really hard.  So, we are moving toward an area that is more densely populated with our family.  A decision that was gut-wrenchingly hard to come to in so many ways, and easy and obvious in other ways.

On a deeply personal and emotional level this move is hard for me.  Montana is the place where I found myself, grew into myself, and finally fell in love with myself.  Leaving the place that has so profoundly impacted my inner-self is scary.  What if I lose that part of myself I worked a dozen years to gain?  I know that statement is oozing with silliness, but my roots have grown firmly here as well.  I am who I am today because of Missoula. The mountains have been more than just a backdrop all these years.  They've been a spiritual presence, they've been peacefulness, they have brought me fitness and health and clear mindedness. I am who I am because of the people here...Mace, my daughters, my in-laws and my friends.  And so much of that daily equation will be taken away in our move.

I imagine those holes will be patched over time and I know everything and everyone waiting for us in Minnesota will help ease these losses...

We are going to be living across the driveway from my parents.  Anna will be over the moon to see her Poppy and Gammy everyday, and after living away for so long this will be the perfect way to make up for lost time.

This will be the first time in a dozen years that me and all of my siblings will be living in the same place.  We are excited out of our minds to be so close to each other.  Sister sleepover? BAM!  Sibling dinner party?  DONE!

Anna and Claire's relationships with their cousins will be so cool to witness.  They have fun when they are together now and play as only little girls can play.  As they grow older this will only change into a solid, beautiful support for one another.

We have friends anxiously waiting our arrival.  Friends that we have worked so hard to stay in touch with over the years and that we are excited to fall back in step with.  The kind of friends that even if you don't talk for six months, you can pick up where you left off.

A bigger city and bigger population brings more opportunity.  I am looking forward to stepping toward some sort of culinary career and having the freedom and time to explore this.  We are excited to try new restaurants, wineries and breweries.  We are excited to explore new parks, new trails and new campsites.  The newness of it all is very appealing.

I cannot measure if one is a bigger loss or a greater gain, but the thing that's made leaving easier is knowing that we will always be back.  We will always have a Montana connection.  Our family is here, our friends are here, and a large part of our hearts will always be here.  How could it not?  So much has happened here and there's no way to leave such a large part of our story behind and never look back.  Oh no.  We will always come back to Montana for those long summer nights to bask with our loved ones.  And for those short winter days to ski in the quiet of the mountains and sit by the fire at night.  And to soak up the peace and the unending love and the people and all that Montana has given to us.  And always, we will walk with Montana resting snug against our hearts until we can return again, and again.

What's the Weekly Coo all about?  Find out here.

I love that I am creating a child inside my body.  That she is being nourished and grown by what seems could only be a miracle.  I mean, really? There is a human growing inside me?  How awesome is that?  Pregnancy is amazing and wonderful and a time to be cherished...and I wish I was better at cherishing it.  Because right now I am moody, and angry, and my whole body aches. These last weeks of pregnancy are awful.  I think its like that on purpose to make us actually want to give birth.  And I am there.  I really really want to give birth.  Another week and a half and I will be 37 weeks, which is considered full-term and they won't stop labor after this point, and I will be raring to get this show on the road.

Thank goodness this past week was full of distractions to pull me out of my pregnancy pity party. Really victorious, loving, exciting distractions.  Lots of cooing going on around here.

As I mentioned last week in my very first Weekly Coo, writing this blog has been an entirely new creative outlet for me.  I've discovered that I love writing, that its changed me in so many ways, that maybe I am even okay at it...so I took a brave step and submitted a piece to a local mama magazine, MAMALODE.  I didn't get my hopes up because there are some phenomenal writers featured on this site.  So, I submitted it and forgot about it. And then last Thursday I got an email that they had accepted my essay and wanted to run it this week!  I actually started crying (thank you pregnancy hormones).

Please head over to MAMALODE and check  it out...and while you're there, check out the other essays that are featured under "Stories", there is some really good stuff going on over there.  

Coo.

I got an out-of-the-blue-I-Love-You present from my sister Kellie this weekend.  There is nothing that makes me feel more giddy or special than knowing someone was thinking of me when I wasn't around.  I love being loved.  I love being kneaded (how dang cute is that anyway?!).


Coo.

I am (expectantly) huge right now.  And let me tell you, I freaking love how forgiving maternity clothes sizes are.  I noticed this week that two pairs of my maternity pants are a size 6.  My real-life size 6's I'd hardly be able to fit one swollen ankle into right now.  Thank you maternity clothes makers for making me feel a little less huge today.  I'm a dainty little size 6.

Coo.

I attended a ladies night at my friend Jen's house on Friday.  A last hurrah, a last long night out before I have a baby permanently attached to my breast for the next six months (not that I am complaining, I loved every second of nursing Anna).  We grilled pizzas and I made apple hand pies and cinnamon ice cream for dessert.


We gabbed until 11 o'clock pm when we all piled into our cars and drove sleepily and happily home. Party animals.

Coo.

Anna's favorite new hangout is the Carousel.  I am too large to ride comfortably on it right now and it gives Mace motion sickness (it is the fastest Carousel west of the Mississippi, or so they claim), so I have been bribing people to take her on it instead.  Auntie Tessa last week, Jen this week.  Any volunteers for next weekend?


We headed to Pattee Canyon for a hike afterwards and I was surprised by Anna's enthusiasm in hitting the trail.  Girlfriend loves to be outside.  Perhaps an avid hiker in our midst?


This kid makes me coo every time I look at her.

To top off our busy Saturday, Danesa texted and said "bring Anna over so you and Mace can have a date night."  I love having a best friend like her around.  She and Anna are best buds and I love watching them together.  Danesa was there when Anna came into this world, and this has sealed a mighty tight bond between the two of them.  She'll be there again when #2 graces us with her presence.  Stamped and sealed, she's part of our world forever.

My pregnancy mood swings have been sedated for the time being and life is good.  Coo.

I was a little intimidated and did crazy amounts of research and several renditions of this cake before the big day.  After my obsessive research (and a miserable attempt at camo fondant) I decided to use the VIVA paper towel method (great video tutorial here) for smoothing the icing.

For this method you need to use a crusting buttercream recipe, the one I used is below, and a roll of VIVA paper towels.  Why VIVA?  Because they do not have a pattern on them and are perfectly smooth.  I started by piping the design for the camouflage pattern onto the cake.  Then, I put the whole cake in the fridge for about an hour for the frosting to set up, or crust.  You will know that your frosting has crusted when you touch the frosting with your finger and it doesn't leave any on your finger.  It should feel slightly stiff  but it won't be hard.

Once the frosting had crusted I used a VIVA paper towel and laid it over the top of the cake and very lightly smoothed it with my finger.  (Some people use an offset spatula, but I found that my finger left a smoother finish because I could feel the bumps and lumps beneath the paper towel.)  I repeated this method working from the top to the bottom of the cake and then around the sides.  It took awhile to get the smoothness I desired, but it worked!  Don't believe it?  I didn't either at first.  Here's proof:



I was thrilled with how the cake turned out, and clearly, so was the groom!



Chocolate Crusting Buttercream Icing
Adapted from Cake Central

Makes enough to frost 2 - 8" cakes

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Crisco all-vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds (8 cups) powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

*Variation: to make a vanilla buttercream I omitted the cocoa powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) cream the butter, shortening, vanilla and salt until smooth and no lumps remain.

In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa.  Alternately, you can pulse 1/3 of each at a time in a food processor to sift and combine.

Add 1/3 of the powdered sugar mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low until combined.  Add 3 tablespoons of the cream and mix on low until combined.  Repeat with remaining powdered sugar and cream until desired consistency and sweetness is attained (you may not need all of the powdered sugar and cream, this makes a very very sweet icing).

If you want to color the icing, do this after your desired consistency is reached.  Then add a few drops of dye at a time until the icing is the color you desire, keeping in mind that it will be slightly darker once it has crusted.

If you are not using the icing right away cover with a damp paper towel and put in the fridge.  When you are ready to use it whip it with your mixer for one minute.

Ice the cake, smoothing it with an offset spatula as much as possible.  Allow to air dry or put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.  When the frosting is set (it doesn't come off on your finger when you touch it) you can use the VIVA paper towel method described above to smooth the frosting.  Once you've smoothed the cake, you can add decorations, or you can simply...

EAT IT!!

Its true.  I have officially become Foodzilla.  I couldn't help it, I just snapped. Why?  Someone  said they were bringing a store-bought grocery store cake to an event where I was planning all of the food.  Uh-uh.  That ain't happenin' sister.  EVER.  Keep that crap as far away from me as you can, or I will go all crazy Kung fu Panda on your ass.  Not cool.

I was able to smooth things over after my initial reaction: pure rage.  We talked respectfully to each other, she heard my side of the story and promised me "no store-bought grocery store cake".

GAWD!  When did I turn into such a food snob?

In all fairness, I was jointly planning this event with someone who knew nothing of my skills in the kitchen, and in the end everyone was pleased.  The food was for a good friend's bridal shower and it all went off without a hitch.  The favorite of the day?  German Chocolate Cheesecake.  Uh huh.

Me and Ashley, the bride-to-be

It fills me with unreasonable amounts of joy to plan menus, cook for hours and then watch people devour my works of "art".  And this time I got to cook and create alongside my best girlfriend, her mom and our three amigos.  It was the most fun I've had in the kitchen in a long time.  If anyone else wants to get married  I'd be happy to throw you a shower...or at least make you a bunch of food!

1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Topping:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

To make the cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on high power for 1 minute.  Stir the chocolate and if it isn't melted continue to microwave in 20 seconds increments until chocolate is smooth and melted.  Set aside to cool.

Add graham crackers to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground crumbs are formed.  Pour crumbs into a medium sized bowl.  Add pecans to processor bowl and process until finely chopped (make sure not to over-process or you will end up with pecan butter!) and add to the bowl with the graham cracker crumbs.    Add coconut to bowl, stir until well combined and then pour melted butter over the top.  Stir with spoon or using your hands until butter is thoroughly incorporated.  Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned.  Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 375F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the flour, beat well.  Add the eggs and cooled chocolate and beat until just combined.

Pour cream cheese mixture on top of the crust and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center appears to be almost set when you jiggle it.  Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

To make the Topping:  In a small saucepan, melt butter.  Add brown sugar, cream and corn syrup.  Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly.  Stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla.  Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 minutes.  Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and set aside to cool.

Using a knife, gently trace the inside of the pan to release the cheesecake from the sides, then loosen the side of the springform pan and remove it.  Spread the coconut topping over the cheesecake (the cheesecake will still be warm).  Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the coconut.  Garnish with a few whole pecans if desired.

Put the springform ring back on the cheesecake, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving and then...

Eat it!!!

Another Run for the Luck of It is here and gone.  Just like the 1st place winner that whizzed across the finish line in a blur, the day of the event snuck up on us and was gone in a flash.  A flash of over 700 PEOPLE!!

For anyone that might not know, my superstar friend Jen and I co-direct a St. Patrick's Day foot race.  The race is in its 3rd year and the first two years the event was just a 5k fun run.  This year we also added a (lucky) 7 mile distance which attracted 200 more people than last year. What a success!

Race Director Extraordinaire's!

In any event of this size, there are going to be a few hitches.  But the hitches were minor and the day was glorious!  The sun was shining, the participants were dressed in their finest St. Patrick's Day garb, the bag pipers were kilted and played jovially throughout the morning.  Yup.


We were blessed with a plethora of rock star volunteers.  Over 60 people dedicated their morning, their hearts and their voices to our event.  We never ever in a million years would have been able to pull this off without them.  Simply stated: they made this day what it was!

And our husbands....oh, did they work hard.  They spray chalked, duct taped and marked the heck out of the courses.  In the dark.  For hours.  There is a 0% chance that Jen and I would have had time to do this, so without them there wouldn't have been a race at all.  Or maybe it just would have been a mob of crazy green chaos running blindly through Missoula.  Either way, they paved an easy way for the runners to follow.


When the runners returned to the staging area they gorged themselves on corn-beef stew, soda bread and beer.  Because, seriously, who doesn't want to drink a beer at 10:00 am?  We went through 3 kegs, so I guess that answers that question.

Anna even made an appearance toting my mother & father-in-law along with her, and crossed the finish line in record time.  Go Anna!  My in-laws hung with Anna for two days and made it possible for Mace and I to run around like crazy people and get everything done.


If you want to see more awesome photos of the day check out Run Wild Missoula's Facebook page.

Oh what a day!  Oh what a day.  A huge shout-out to Jen, to our awesome hubbies, my in-laws and everyone that made this day what it was.  Thank you everyone for your cheers, your love and your patience while I dropped off the planet for a couple of weeks.  It takes a village...yes it does.

And now, I am collapsing for a day or two to get my head on straight.

So, I was a bit indulgent and bought my 1 year old an apron for Christmas. What's the big deal?  A girl can dream, right?

Oh, this girl makes my day, everyday. She's so darn cute. I think Mace and I say this at least 47 times a day. She really made my Christmas too.

Its so fun to experience everything through a child's eye again...it makes you remember just how cool life really is.  My train of thought these last couple weeks has been about slowing down and living in every moment. I watch Anna and the only thing she knows how to do is live in the moment. She doesn't have an agenda for the day, she doesn't worry about the time, she doesn't focus on how many things she needs to try and cram into her day in order to feel like she's accomplished something at the end of the day. She focuses solely on what is right in front of her. She reads a book, then she sees her piano and plays a tune, she gives me a hug, she smiles and she's off again to harass the dog and eat her lunch that she threw on the floor. She's happy and she's content.

I want to live this way. I want to focus only on those things in my present environment. I want to stare into my husband's eyes and talk about our days and not worry about cleaning up the kitchen. I want to sit on the floor and play with my daughter and not get distracted by my email or all the dog fur piling up in the corners (oh, but there's so much). This is my resolution for 2012. Slow down. Enjoy this day, this hour, this moment.

I do feel this way sometimes already.  I feel this way in the kitchen.  I never think about anything else I so urgently need to do when I am chopping vegetables or kneading dough or lovingly decorating a cake for somebody-I-love's birthday.  When I am in the kitchen I am in a world that is solely mine and I am pouring love and joy and creativity into food.  Delicious dishes that will nourish the people closest to my heart.


On Christmas Eve I made dinner for my family and dear friends and poured the love on thick.  I made a spinach and mushroom tart that my mom-in-law raved about for days.  I was proud of this meal and sat back to enjoy our evening, and basking in each moment we spent together.  I hope you were able to pour some love out in your own little way to those you adore this holiday season.  It's a few days late, but Happy New Year!



PRINT THIS RECIPE!!

Mushroom, Spinach & Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 6-8

Crust
Adapted from Simply Recipes

2 1/2 (350 grams) cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen (see note), cut into 1/2" cubes
6-8 tbsp ice water

*note: this crust turns out the best if you freeze the cut-up butter for at least 20 minutes prior to using.

Filling
1 lb (16 oz) Mushrooms, sliced (I used mini portobellos, but cremini or any field mushroom would work too)
1/2 Red onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb (16 oz) Spinach, blanched or thawed frozen, and wrung dry (see tip here)
10 oz Goat cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

To make the crust: add flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter 1/3 at a time until incorporated and it looks gravelly.  Slowly add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together when pinched.  You may not need the entire 4 tbsp.  Remove the dough from the food processor and knead gently until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball.  Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425F.  Combine mushrooms, onion and garlic and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray.  Roast mushrooms in the oven for 20 minutes, or until softened.

In a large bowl combine the hot mushrooms, spinach and 8 oz (1 cup) of goat cheese.  Stir to combine.  The hot mushrooms will aid in melting the goat cheese and will help evenly combine all the ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

On a well floured counter or pastry mat, roll the crust dough into a 14-inch circle.  Gently, fold the pastry in half and move to a pizza pan covered with parchment paper, then unfold.  Cover the dough within an inch of the edge with the mushroom and spinach mixture.  Top with the remaining 2 oz of goat cheese.  Fold the edges of the dough inwards to create a free-form tart.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and...

Eat it!!

I know, I know.  This post is almost an entire week late!  I can't help it.  I go on vacation, I get lost in my family and I always fall off the virtual world.  I checked my email one time last week.  I checked Facebook one time.  Was I in a remote area with limited access to internet? No, just lost in love, food and so thankful for my beautiful life. 

I've seen a lot of food blog posts of people sharing their holidays in pictures with a few words of explanation.  I am going to follow suit here because pictures say so much and this holiday filled my heart more than words can say.

The trip started with my best girlfriend in Minnesota.  She and her cutie picked us up at the airport and we spent the day and night with them.  I hadn't seen them since last Christmas and it was so good to just hang.



We went to visit with my Grandma Mary, Anna's middle namesake.  They are buds.




Anna got to play play play with her cousins....

She got to feed the squirrels out my parents dining room window, and spent a ton of great time with Poppy and Gammy.



I got to see my husband this week!!  We have been apart for seven weeks and I have been anticipating this reunion like nothing else.  It was a short visit, but my parents surprised us with an overnight at a B&B and dinner at a very fine restaurant, The Green Room in Stillwater, MN (I highly recommend it!).  Our 3rd anniversary was coming up and it was a perfect way to celebrate.  Oh, how grateful we are for that time together.  My parents rock!  Three more weeks and Mace is home for good.  What a novelty that will be!  Oh, and Anna got her first overnight away from mama.  We both did great.

Our 3rd Anniversary.  How'd I get so lucky?!?

We got to soak in the love from my sisters, brother and extended family.  And Anna got to soak in the love from her Daddy.