Catch Up via Photo

Welcome back!  It has indeed been awhile, which means I have a lot of pictures that need sharing!  Enjoy...

I think I could stare at this all day long and be perfectly content.



They have a good spot.

 

One of three (they left us two) fire pits that will be enjoyed often (along with some s'mores, I'm sure)





Jaida getting the stick in her swimming hole





The leaves are changing!





This should be included in every Saturday afternoon, if you ask me



We have about a dozen wild turkeys that regularly make their way through our yard, along with some deer...the wildlife is so fun to watch!



Good morning, sunshine!



The happy family :)



The giant windows are my favorite



Jaida is stoked to finally have a yard to run in!



And now to go a little farther back to our SoNo days...I still want to go take more pictures around that sweet-looking little historic town...



Our walking trail by the harbor on a perfectly blue day...





There is really nothing more beautiful than when Spring starts blooming around here...



And while were at it, just a few more from our anniversary weekend in the City :) ....

Though it was no TexMex, we enjoyed some delicious Mexican food

Perfect weather for walkin the streets...

Breakfast outside our hotel...

a delicious end to a stellar weekend with my love :)

God has been too good to us!  We look forward to having you up to the new place to share in His goodness ;)

Sabotage

"Enemy-occupied territory - that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going."
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Guest Post!

As I sit on a plane headed back to Houston I am looking at several pictures of our trip to visit youngest son Adam and daughter Kelley. I love to take photographs, hoping that out of ever 100, I'll have around five that are worth the cramping of my fingers and the gyrations I put myself and my subjects through. i just noticed that although my intentions were to get that "worthy-of-enlargement" shot, my favorite frames were of people, especially the two that mean so much to Roger and I. (though I also have several poses of our grand-dog Jaida, who is always in some kind of hilarious non-motion position).

What do I see in these photos, besides wonderful memories? The things that a Mother is well qualified to store in her heart for all the days to come...the love of our children for each other, the love they have for us, the excitement of adventure in new places (and the palette-pleasers in those places), careers that promise a future and deep friendships, a home that is warm and inviting, a church where worship of the Lord is our common ground...and did I mention the landscape??? God is here.

I Corinthians 13:4-7 teaches us that love is patient, kind, never envies, boasts, or is proud. It is not rude or self-seeking, not easily angered nor keeps record of wrongs. Love protects, trusts, always hopes, and perseveres. I have witnessed these Biblical truths in our children over our time together this week...bringing me a fresh perspective in the lives of Adam and Kelley. They are more than "in a good place"; they are exactly where God wants them to be...how great is that??? How hard it has been to live apart from them, yet joy abounds from the realization that miles are only miles. Our hearts (that are home to Lord Jesus) bind us closely, and eternally.

Conclusion? Go to Connecticut, see our children as often as we can and be grateful for and in awe of the work the Lord is doing in the lives of those we love...

Until we meet again...

thanks to our guest-blogger, Beth Ellis! we loved having you two here!

At the Cross...

[Of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane] Why was he trembling in that garden, weeping and full of anguish? We can rest assured that he was not a coward about to face Roman soldiers. Instead he was a Savior about to endure divine wrath.

Listen to his words: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." The "cup" is not a reference to a wooden cross; it is a reference to divine judgment. It is the cup of God's wrath.

This is what Jesus is recoiling from in the garden. All God's holy wrath and hatred toward sin and sinners, stored up since the beginning of the world, is about to be poured out on him, and he is sweating blood at the thought of it.

What happened at the Cross was not primarily about nails being thrust into Jesus' hands and feet but about the wrath due your sin and my sin being thrust upon his soul. In that holy moment, all the righteous wrath and justice of God due us came rushing down like a torrent on Christ himself. Some say, "God looked down and could not bear to see the suffering that the soldiers were inflicting on Jesus, so he turned away." But this is not true. God turned away because he could not bear to see your sin and my sin on his Son.

One preacher described it as if you and I were standing a short hundred yards away from a dam of water ten thousand miles high and ten thousand miles wide. All of a sudden that dam was breached, and a torrential flood of water came crashing toward us. Right before it reached our feet, the ground in front of us opened up and swallowed it all. At the Cross, Christ drank the full cup of the wrath of God, and when he had downed the last drop, he turned the cup over and cried out, "It is finished."

This is the gospel. The just and loving Creator of the universe has looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear his wrath against sin on the cross and to show his power over sin in the Resurrection so that all who trust in him will be reconciled to God forever.

- an excerpt Radical, by David Platt

Happy Birthday, Dad!

...belated birthday, that is. I have been a terrible blog updater! A few weeks ago, Adam and I were able to enjoy another visit from Mom and Dad Samu, this time for Dad's birthday! We had a great time exploring our surroundings, hanging out in the City, and just enjoying the company of family.
We went into NYC on a beautifully sunny (but still a little chilly) day, and decided to make Central Park our first stop, since we only caught it at night last time. The food trucks parked on the Green made for a perfect little lunch.
Then, after taking in the beautiful surroundings of the park and wishing we could go
bouldering on all the sweet rocks (ok, maybe that was just me) we made our way through the City. We had to make a stop at FAO Schwarz to see if anything caught our eye for our little and brand new (!)nephews, but a certain someone else got a little more joy out of it than we all anticipated. Adam gave new meaning to the phrase, "like a kid in a candy store." With teddy bears as big as he is and a ginormous selection of the freshest sour gummies around, I'd say he was a
happy camper.














Next we made our way into a hat store, where our studly men strutted their stuff, and then headed towards an old pizza spot my dad had seen on TV. Patsy's Pizzeria: a New York original, producing giant, fresh, coal-fired pizzas. It was delicious, and we had no problem scarfing it down after our day of walking.

This cake, on the other hand, we did not have as much room for. For Dad's birthday we got dinner at one of our favorite Indian spots in Stamford, Tawa. Unfortunately there were no awkward belly dancers this time, but we did enjoy some delicious food, and managed to save room for homemade German chocolate cake.

Happy Birthday, Dad! So glad you guys came!

(!) And on the birthday note, congratulations to Chad and Lindsay!! We are so stoked for the arrival of our new nephew, Asher!

Butternut Squash Pizza

Adam and I are big fans of homemade pizza (who isn't?) and we claim to make a pretty mean one. We usually just focus on a crispy, slow-rise thin crust, and then pile it as high as possible with fresh veggies (along with some sausage, peperoni, and cheese for Adam). However, every once in awhile we focus in on some specific flavor combinations, and while different, they do not disappoint!

This one stemmed from my recent desire to make better use of my awesome cookbooks, instead of just reading through them like a good novel. We added the shrimp, mushrooms, and dressing of the arugula to make it a little more hearty, and it turned out delicious!

Butternut Squash Pizza
adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen

1 your favorite pizza dough recipe
1/2 medium butternut squash, chopped into 1/2" cubes
4 tsp olive oil
2 tsp thyme
3-4 oz soft goat cheese
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups baby arugula
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Toss chopped squash with a little oil, salt, pepper, and about 2/3 of the thyme. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, or until fork-tender and starting to brown. While this roasts, toss the shrimp with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and the rest of the thyme. Set aside.
Once the squash is finished, raise oven temperature to 500. Roll out your dough and place on a pizza stone or crisper that has been dusted with cornmeal. Drizzle dough with a little bit of oil and spread it across in a thin layer. Dot with pieces of squash and goat cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until crust is starting to brown, about 10 minutes, then pull out and scatter the shrimp on. Return to the oven until crust is crispy and shrimp are cooked through, about 6 more minutes.
Dress arugula with vinegar, salt, pepper, and a little drizzle of oil. Top pizza and enjoy!!

Apple Spice Cake

From the kitchen of... I have been in super "I want to bake something" mode lately, as I'm sure Adam can attest to. Maybe it is because I recently got a sweet stand mixer. Maybe because my students have been on winter break the past week, and therefore life is moving a little slower, thus giving my inner baker the chance to emerge. Whatever the reason, it brings me joy.

After rummaging around through several cookbooks (more joy), I decided upon this apple spice cake. It seemed like a good wintry dessert that wasn't going to get the kitchen too terribly messy. Plus, the bulk of the cake is deliciously spiced apples, so it falls in the relatively healthy dessert category (my favorite)!

Spiced Apple Cake
adapted from Williams-Sonoma's desserts: new healthy kitchen

3 green apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/4 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C golden raisins (which I didn't have)
2 T granulated sugar mixed with
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Whisk sugar and butter together, then add egg and continue. Stir in 2/3 of apples. Sift together flour, spices, and salt. Add to wet ingredients along with raisins, stirring until just blended. Pour into pan and smooth top. Arrange remaining apples in a pattern on

top, pressing gently down. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until golden and springy to touch, about 50 minutes. Let cake stand 10 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely.

Excellent with a dusting of powdered sugar, warmed with a scoop of fro-yo, or all by itself!

Valentine's Menus and the Last of Our Snow Days

Confession: Neither myself or Adam are really into Valentine's Day. We are absolutely in love with each other, and some might say attached at the hip, but neither of us are really "lovey dovey," if you will (though I was greeted with some gorgeous white roses :) ).

However, we do have our multiple little ways to serve each other and express our love, and one of my favorites is by cooking. We both love to cook and experience delicious food, so we generally share this joy on a daily basis, but on Monday I attempted to give it a little Valentine's flair.

il menu del giorno...

arugula salad with char-grilled calamari

barley risotto w/roasted squash and leeks

seared sea scallops

coconut vanilla cupcakes

...to be enjoyed with a glass of white wine and cold milk, of course...

It was all quite tasty, but I have to share the especially yummy and easy (no stirring for 20 minutes!) barley risotto, adapted from my new favorite cookbook, Best-Ever Book of Organic Cooking...

Barley Risotto (serves 2)

overflowing 1/2 C pearl barley

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks

2 tsp fresh thyme

2 leeks, sliced thin on the diagonal

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 rounded cup sliced mushrooms

1 carrot, grated

1/4 - 1/2 C veggie stock

Parmesan cheese (1/3 C, give or take - I go light, then top Adam's with more)

Preheat oven to 400. Toast barley in small pot over med-high heat, then add enough water to cover by about and inch. Bring to boil, then simmer, part-covered, for 35 minutes, or until tender. Drain. While this cooks, put squash on cookie sheet, toss with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and half the thyme. Roast, flipping once, until starting to brown, about 20 minutes.

Heat a little more olive oil in a large saute pan over almost-med-high heat. Saute leeks until softened. Add mushrooms and thyme and saute until lightly browned. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Stir in carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 C stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the flavor off, then add the drained barley. Cook for 5 minutes, adding more stock if needed.

Grate on some parm, maybe some toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts, and enjoy!

I had to include a couple more snow pictures (Jaida staring, longingly, at the ducks and geese that she swam through the freezing water to try to get, and Jaida climbing on her dad as he makes a snow angle in the snow that was as tall as she is) since our snow is on it's way out. I think I might be the only person in CT that is sad about this...

To Blog or not To Blog...

The easy answer to the title's query has in all cases been "not" to Blog. I blame myself...mostly because it's my fault....I told my wife I'd be the next to Blog and she called my bluff and waited me out....hence 2 1/2 months of zero blogeration. My wife's stubbornness is unrivaled...she is an immovable oak tree that even my dashing good looks and whimsical charm can't shake (most of the time). So without further ado.....BLOG:

Let us take a stroll down the last 75 days (with pictures to keep it interesting because let's be honest, I'm not that entertaining but the people in my life are very attractive and therefore fun to look at...)

November 6-8th: WURSTFEST

There are no proper ways to describe the joy of such an event. Sausage; beer; potato pancakes; fried oreos; polka music; and people dressed up in full-on vintage German garb. Classic. Wurstfest has become my college roommate's and my yearly reunion destination. An ingenious excuse for each of us to make the extra effort to see one another; even if it does mean flying in from Connecticut, California, and driving 3 hours with two kids under the age of four. These guys, their wives and children included, are some of my favorite people in the world. It is amazing to me how we can go up to a year without seeing one another, and within 10 minutes we are back in bantering stride like we were chilling at our house in College Station. I will however point out a dramatic shift in our Wurstfest tradition festivities. Last year ended with Keith, Leach, and me sipping scotch in the hot tub at 3am discussing what must of been pontifications of true brilliance. This year however may have been influenced by the presence of 5 little ones (one a new-born with an ear-infection and projectile up heaving...POOR GIRL!!). Wurstfest was attended...but during the daylight hours so the kiddos could ride the rides and we could take pictures. Home by 9pm and ready for bed by 10pm. No scotch. Does this mean we are grown ups now? Absolutely not. It does however show that the event is not what matters, but rather time together as friends. I am so thankful for them!

Thanksgiving 2010: CT Style

Kelley's parents decided to join us for Thanksgiving in the great state of CT. This was much appreciated as Kelley and I were saving our vacation days for Christmas and were in need of some family time. It also gave us a chance to show off our new diggs and some of the places we love up here. We hit the parks, NYC, and some great restaurants...covered some serious ground. Jaida was also quite appreciative of the visitors. I don't think she's ever been walked so many times in one week.

Christmas 2010: Ft Worth / Houston

10 action packed days booked in Texas (which turned into 14 days due to Snowmaggedon in the NE). Let me take this moment to thank Continental for their outstanding customer service during this fiasco. There is nothing more comforting than a recorded message that LITERALLY says we're to busy to take your call and then hangs up on you. Incredible. But I digress...

Kelley and I had the following schedule while in Texas:

• Saturday - Rehearsal Dinner for Tom & Laura
• Sunday - Wedding T&L
• Monday - Christmas #1 with the Ellis family and Chad & Lindsay's.
• Tuesday - Kelley's birthday dinner @ FOGO DE CHAO
• Wednesday - Dinner with the Hill's
• Thursday - Kelley's b-day and drive to Ft. Worth (w/ Waco stop)
• Friday - Christmas #2 with the extended Ellis family
• Saturday - Drive to Houston and Christmas #3 with the Samu clan.

Too much to go into detail on...pictures to help fill in the details:

I know what you're thinking...I look good in my one-sie. And the answer is yes; there is a butt-flap for premium convenience in addition to the incomparable comfort. This will be worn again...and again. Lucky girl Kelley.

You've been blogged.

Adam