Kitchie Coo

What does 60 look like?  It looks like love and joy, family, smiles and contented sighs.  It looks like laughter, good food, sunshine, and cake...of course cake.

60 looks like this...


My Momma turned 60 this January...and look what she created.  A room full of smiles, hearts full of joy.  Daughters, son, son-in-laws, granddaughters...a family that loves each other so. damn. much.


We decided to celebrate my Momma's six decades of life by meeting in Phoenix for a long weekend together.  We didn't do a whole lot, but the weekend was full.  Full of just being, together.  There is something absolutely luxurious about plunking down in one spot, surrounded by the people you love, and just  hanging.  There were no plans, no expectations and contentment was all around.

We had a birthday party on Saturday to celebrate this amazing woman who brought us all together.  We ate a huge dinner (spinach ravioli per the birthday girl's request), ate cake, opened presents and talked about how lucky we are to have this woman in our lives, and especially how much we love her.  Oh we love her!  And this is why...

Our Momma has the biggest heart of anyone I know.  She opens her heart, without judgement, to everyone she meets and allows them to linger there.  She always welcomed new faces in our home while we were growing up with open arms and a huge grin.  In fact, both the brother-in-laws said at separate times that weekend that this was the first thing they loved about her.

Our Momma is incredibly laid back, in a very relaxing sort of way.  She has planted herself in our home several times over the years, for a week or two at a time, and never has it felt like work to have her around.  It is so easy to sit with her, to laugh with her, to talk to her and just be with her.


Our Momma loves our girls to the depths of soul.  She is their Nana, and they all love each other so.  It is so beautiful to watch this relationships between them blossom and grow.  Even when it has been months since Anna has seen her Nana, she always runs to her with a huge hug and a grin as if no time has passed at all.  I am eager to see this love grow as Claire becomes more aware of the people in her world.  Nana, her Angel and her Boo...heaven.


Our Momma loves unconditionally.  Her heart is huge and her forgiveness is immediate.  If only the whole world could love like this, the earth would be peaceful.




To celebrate these 60 years was to celebrate a life full of love, joy, and family.  Happy Birthday Momma, we love you so much!!

I know, with all my heart, how lucky I am to have three sisters.  These three ladies make my heart peaceful, they make me laugh so hard it comes out silent and ends with tear-streaked cheeks.  We hold each other up, cheer each other on, love with all our might.

I got to see my itty-bitty-teeny-tiniest (okay, she's the youngest) sister, Tessa, this past weekend and my heart is so full.  I feel so at home with her, so content and happy and so me.  She seriously brings out all the good parts of me.  She is such a beautiful creature from the inside out.  Man, I wish we lived closer.

Tessa lives in San Francisco with her super awesome hubby bubby, Charlie, and their undeniably cute and witty dog Kayla.

Anna fell asleep while Tessa was carrying her around Sur La Table. About 10 minutes after we left the store we noticed she had this little treasure in her paw.  Don't worry we took it back.

Manicotti w/homemade ricotta & caesar salad w/homemade croutons

Preheat oven to 350F.  Cut baguette horizontally, but do no cut all the way through so that the sandwich is "hinged".  Slather generous amounts of apple butter onto both halves of the sandwich.  Layer brie on top and put it in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I've never had a reason to go to St. Louis, and feel fortunate that I've had the opportunity to visit not once, but twice, this fall.  The first and best reason is that I got to see my darlin' hubby.  Secondly, we got to spend an awesome two days with some of our very favorite people, the Morrisons (and their lovely French niece Iona). And we got to do these things in St. Louis which is a pretty happenin' town. 

Oh how I wish I was back in this moment! It makes my heart ache with joy and longing.

Our first day we hit up the St. Louis Zoo which is FREE and a great place for the kids to roam, run and explore.  We meandered for most of the afternoon, had a scrumptious picnic lunch provided by Hope, and finally headed back to our hotel when the littlest ones were falling asleep in our arms. 

These three...

Sunday was spent at the City Museum which is an unbelievable playground for kids and adults alike.  This is an old factory warehouse that was renovated by artists in the community.  This place can bring out the kid in anybody...This isn't usually an issue with Mace, but we all had a blast.



We had time to spare on Monday, so decided to fill our weekend to the brim and headed to the Missouri Botanical Garden.  These gardens are amazing, the weather was unbelievable for October and we had a perfect sunny day to stroll, linger, walk hand-in-hand and just be together.  




Now, the very most important item when analyzing a town, food and drink!  St. Louis has a delicious up and coming micro brewery scene and Mace and I were in heaven!  We hit up Ferguson Brewing Company on Saturday night and were not disappointed.  They had a seasonal pumpkin ale that was unlike any pumpkin ale I've ever tasted.  The nutmeg, cinnamon and clove came out so distinctly behind the pumpkin flavor that it was like drinking pumpkin pie with a chaser of really good ale.  Oh my.  We got a growler to-go after dinner and spent the rest of the evening with the Morrisons in good cheer.  (We may or may not have gone back there for lunch on Monday, and Mace may or may not have gotten another growler to-go.)  Everyone loved their meals, which almost never happens at a restaurant and it was amazingly kid-friendly.  So kid-friendly in fact that they ran out of high chairs and Emmett and Anna took turns "lapping" it for the first part of our meal.  A couple other micro breweries not to miss are Schlafly and Trailhead Brewery which also have amazing beer and food.  Really wish we'd had more time to explore more of the culinary adventures of this city, but at least I know we picked some good ones.

Monday came too fast.  There is nothing in the world I love more than being with my little family.  It will feel like a novelty when Mace is home for good and we get to adventure together every weekend.  My heart was full to bursting with love at the end of our weekend...and then actually  did burst a little bit when we had to say good-bye.  To have this love in my life is such a treasure.  Lucky me.