Dinner at Maria's with Angie and Yung Wah

Dinner at Maria's with Angie and Yung Wah.

Dinner with Grandma and Papa Mac

We went to see Grandma and Papa Mac last Sunday.  Isaac made pot-roast, potatoes, etc. and we took it up and ate with them.  The kids loved playing with Grandma's toys and looking at pictures.  It was great to be with them and I hope we didn't wear them out too much with our rowdy crowd. 

Fashion-ista

Adelaide loves to dress herself and sometimes I just am amazed at the combinations she comes up with.  Take this for instance, green crocs with purple hello kitty socks, orange shorts and a pink shirt.  Not everyone could pull it off - but she knows that you can wear anything with confidence and a smile. 

My Bakery Gourmandise = A taste and appreciation for fine food

Isaac has said more than once that when I die he will go to Gourmandise to sit on the patio, order a sandwich and remember me.  I respond, that's a good idea because after I die I will definitely be there if I have any say in it at all.  I have been frequenting my favorite cafe for as long as I can remember.  But I guess the committed relationship with Gourmandise began in 2000 when I graduated from college and moved back to SLC and lived downtown with my sister in the Covey apartments on South Temple.  I worked on 300 South and enjoyed life mostly within that 3 block radius.  Liz and I would go together a lot and we began to be friends with 2 sisters from Mexico who were waitresses there.  Well, that was 10 years ago and there is just one sister still waitressing there.  Whenever I go in she says hello and asks me how the kids are doing. 

The menu and atmosphere have changed slightly over the years, but the quality of Jean Jacques food is consistent.  Once I went there on a date with a guy who had been on his mission to France.  He knew Jean Jacques (owner and head chef and baker) and I nearly fell in love and proposed to this guy on the spot I was so impressed.  Fortunately that did not happen and now I can go there with Isaac, who may not speak French but he has grown to love the turkey bacon club. 

The perfect order for me consists of lemon rice soup (Saturdays only) with a wheat or rye roll and lots of their amazing butter.  Next comes the Greek pasta salad mixed with the green salad with French vinaigrette dressing.  And after that comes the fresh fruit - amazing blueberries, raspberries, strawberries.  Followed by a walk around the pastry counter as I pretend to contemplate something other than the choice I know I will make - a chocolate covered macaroon.  Depending on how indulgent I feel I also get a tiramisu cup to take home and eat later. 

I told Isaac this Saturday that I have no need for France.  As long as Jean Jacques is alive and well here in SLC there is nothing that France can offer me.  I've already seen their museums, beaches, churches etc.  how many times?  I don't even remember.  I was an art history major and spending time roaming around France was a large part of my life for several years.  And although France is lovely, I am perfectly content to stay here as long as Gourmandise will have me. 

Transitions

School is starting and although in my family we are all either too old or too young to buy school supplies and backpacks and go back to school this fall, we are still transitioning none-the-less.  Our babysitter for the last year, Allison, is getting married and going to the U. of U. full time this fall.  She has been great and my kids will miss her so much.  Today is their first day back at Susan's which will be fun for them as well.  (And hopefully not too awful for Susan.)  I'm hoping they behave and Asher takes a nap without too much drama. 

Randy and Allison say good-bye to Asher

In other news, I went to see "Eat Pray Love" with my mom, sister and Aunt Carol last Thursday.  I loved it.  I loved the book so much.  But it was really fun to see all those amazing places on film.  I thought to myself I would never leave Italy's food and men to go and pray all alone in India or even Bali.  But I'm glad Liz G. did because it was cool to see those other places. 

On Friday we spent the day swimming at Emily's (or Izzi's Grandma's house) as Addie says.  The kids had so much fun running and playing on the trampoline and in the pool.  I had to drag them home and they fell asleep in the car right at 5pm of course.  (The worst time for a nap). 

Saturday I went for a long long long run with my Dad in the morning.  He came up to my house and we took off South along Holladay Blvd past Tuscany and up through the Old Mill to Porcupine Grill and then South along Wasatch and looped around some neighborhoods in Sandy and then back up through Roselands and Walker Lane and Cottonwood etc.  Wow!  I could not have run a step further and when I got home and mapquested the distance it was only 18.5 miles!  I really can't imagine running another 7.7

Saturday evening we left the kids with Dani and went to Mark's B-day Party BBQ.  It was fun to relax and eat really good food and hang out and catch up with Mark a little bit. 

Sunday we went to visit Gma and Papa Mac in Ogden.  Isaac stayed home from church (with his cold) and made a roast and potatoes and everything else we needed for dinner and then we took it all to Ogden and ate with them.  It was great to visit and see them. 

Monday Sam Eads came over for dinner.  I haven't seen him since last summer in Rhode Island before he went to Afghanistan.  So much has happened since then and it was such a relief to see him and hug him in person and have him close by for just a few hours.  Of course, he can't stay for long.  It's off to Ukraine, India and Egypt...S Bogom Sammy.

A week of friends

Mini-Ukraine reunion in Alpine

We started the week by going out with our good friends Paul and Leah on Monday.  They're here visiting from Washington D.C. We sent the kids to the ward party with Gma and Babu and then went to dinner and a concert with Paul and Leah.  We had Middle Eastern food at Mazza and little did we know that it was going to be a Persian themed night, but when we got to the concert at Westminster there was a Persian folk group that played.  It was actually pretty cool to see all the different kinds of instruments.  I wish they would have had seductive women dancing in veils.  That was the only thing missing from the experience.  After the Middle Eastern group finished we got to hear Bryan play Ravel in his ensamble.  We were sitting right on the front row and it was impressive.  So not only did I get to spend time with Paul and Leah, but also Desi and Bryan and Deondra and Kevin and Kimball and Joei.  We went to Iceburg afterwards and stayed up too late and ate too much junkfood.  We miss doing that all the time with the Stones! 

Tuesday was a big day - probably my biggest day ever at work.  I presented the Heber bypass study to the UDOT Director and Deputy Director.  I was nervous, but it went well.  I had prepared well and had a professional coach and everything - so I can credit her for the fact that I didn't pass out or anything.  Anyway, it felt good to get that overwith and have my boss be happy with how it went.  I considered never coming back and just leaving on a high point because I got a final version of the Wasatch Back Emerging Area Plan back from the publishers the same day.  It's probably not going to get any better for me at UDOT. 

Thursday I dropped off my final report to Clearfield Study (whew!  also a huge relief) and went to visit Angela and Co.  She's been so nice to watch my kids whenver I've had business with Clearfield City and it's been fun to have an excuse to go that far north occassionally.  Of course only Ange could watch 5 kids 3 and under and still be sane afterwards.  It's always so fun to be together though and stare in proud amazement at the insanity that has recently come into both of our lives.  (and we thought missions were hard : )

On Friday I got to relive more Ukraine memories with mission friends.  Alyona from Kharkov came to visit and I picked her up from a friend's and we went to Alpine to swim and hang out.  Sarah Morris Crane plus children Emmett and Eliza came and Anya Baryshok and baby Mia and some of Alyona's friends, Cory and Tyrell.  It was so rewarding to see Alyona again.  She was recently baptized and 16 years old when I was there.  Now she's 24 and a returned missionary!  I hope I see her again before she goes back at the end of the month for the Kiev temple dedication. 

And Saturday (after a 14 mile run with Camille and a nap) we went to a party for Kimi and Jake at Jake's parents house.  They're here visiting from Delaware and it was so fun to see Jake again.  We've seen Kimi occassionally but Jake has been burried in "bar exam" crud and that's finally over so a party was well deserved.  Baby Ellie is so cute and I'm happy that my kids just ran and played and had a blast chasing and tormenting chickens and playing with the other kids no problem until we drug them home late at night.  Hooray for James kids who can stay out late and party.  Asher and I both seem to get cranky without a bed and binki at some point, but Adelaide and Isaac just get cuter and more charming the later it gets. 

So fun to see all these long-lost friends we love so much!

Asher at 18 months

Asher at 18 months is so much more than any mother could hope for : )  He's an amazing child in so many ways.  He reminds me a lot of my nephew Eli who was also freakishly strong and active at this age as well and with a similar angelic looking face.  (Look a little closer and you will see what they are truly capable of in that mischievous sparkle of the eyes.)  Asher likes to talk now and says all kinds of things like "I don't like it" or "stop it" or "let gooooo!"  He loves all fruit and meat.  He's not much for eating anything else.  He likes to play "outside" and ride his "truck" or jump on the trampoline.  He loves to wrestle with his sister and chase her around with the hose on the lawn. 

Adelaide turns 3!

July 17th we had 11 kids (9 friends plus my two) over to play on a slip'n'slide and kiddie pool and eat cupcakes.  It was wild.  I served a large tray of nearly 40 cupcakes and there were only about 6 left after the party.  We found them all over the lawn with the frosting licked off.  Note to self next year - instead of baking just fill up cupcake liners with frosting.

Help, I'm lost. How do I get back to Facebook from here?

I need to start a family journal.  My kids are hilarious and I'm sure I will forget one day (tomorrow) the funny things they said and did today.  So I'm going to figure out out this works and load pictures and stories - coming soon.....Is there a way I can print this out as well?