Lucky is Lucky again, c is not.

But he did leave treats.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

On a pancake kick. Breakfast.

We have been on a pancake making and tasting kick over at Cooking & Eating Through the Feed Zone. Some a success, others not so much. Check it out. This morning it is Cinnamon Almond Pancakes. Yum!

double fisted.

Happy Birthday DandyDoodle!

Happy Birthday DandyDog!

 All he could think of was the birthday cake on the plate that J was holding. We tried to put it on the stool and have them pose for a picture, but that wasn't going to happen. It would have been gone in a second.

 He loved his peanut butter, carob cake.

 His present -- carob covered peanuts. One happy, happy dog.

"Awe, comeon guys! Why can't I have a few more cakes? I guess I'll just lick the plate again and the floor then look at you with pitiful eyes and hope you give in."

होली (Holi)

Downtown Bentonville was a rainbow of color yesterday afternoon as the HANA shared their celebration of Holi with the community. The energy in the air was multiplied by dancing and music, laughter and smiles. Both, e & c, were not going to simply watch, they wanted in on the colorful game of "Happy Holi" tag.

Happy Birthday E.A.K.

You are a source of pure joy & provide us with so, so much laughter.
We love you & wish you the best day ever. 

Cooking & Eating: The Feed Zone

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Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce...Mmmmmm!

Cooking & Eating Through The Feed Zone: a family adventure

Snacks & Dinner

6 March. Nouwen. Hospitality.

6 March ~ Bread for the Journey ~ Henri J. M. Nouwen
True Hospitality
Every good relationship between two or more people, whether it is friendship, marriage, or community creates space where strangers can enter and become friends. Good relationships are hospitable. When we enter into a home and feel warmly welcomed, we will soon realize that the love among those who live in that home is what makes that welcome possible.
when there is conflict in the home, the guest is soon forced to choose sides. "Are you for him or for her?" "Do you agree with them or with us?" "Do you like him more than you do me?" These questions prevent true hospitality -- that is, an opportunity for the stranger to feel safe and discover his or her own gifts. Hospitality is more than an expression of love for the guest. It is also and foremost an expression of the love between the hosts.

dead daffodils and Dr. Suess

 These are the first daffodils from our yard. They were at the center of the table for the meals we shared last week and this week the water in a couple of the bottles has slowly grown a little murky and the petals are crisp. A visual sign of my week? Probably. (I am not sure why the nail clippers are on the table. A sign that my boys groom themselves?)

It's been a bit of a wild week and I'm not really sure why I feel like that. Uneventful, but eventful. Ever have those weeks?

• We began hosting a small group for the season of Lent. After only one night I can tell it will be different and more intimate than other small groups we have been a part of in the past. 
• That same night brought tornado warnings and concerned boys. We woke to find that the same cell which passed over our home, tore up the place we once lived. I checked on a couple of friends, thankful to learn they were not in the storms path. 
• The boys and I made it another week to the pool early and soccer practices late. My workouts have been difficult for me. Pushing me to places I didn't know were inside. Good places. I am trying to prepare mentally, as much as physically. The mental part is more difficult than the physical. Although, the physical is more painful. 
• I worked on chai.atx play two, much spicier and not as sweet and delicious with almond milk. Hoping play three will be perfect. vintage heart austin got a home. 
• We had an extra day to live this year. Did you live it well? We celebrated in the evening with laughter and toasting and a  Smörgåsbord.  I contributed truffled popcorn, cheese (moldy and not moldy), crackers & sardines. I am not kidding. I had sardines in my cabinet, not sure why, and I thought Leap Day was the perfect occasion to try them. I did and liked them. Chas asked if it was vomit in the bowl. 
• Found myself so thankful for the group girl friends I have here. So much of what I missed from our time in Indianapolis I have been given again. Thankful, so thankful. 
• Boys visited the eye doc & we had some interesting discoveries. Neither have my eagle eyes. Damn. 
• I sent 1 of my boys to school in tights and both slightly high. It's Dr. Seuss' birthday! Happy Birthday, Theodor Geisel. Like many schools today, kids get to dress up as a character from one of his books. My boys have perfect hair for Thing 1 & Thing 2. I sprayed it blue and the fumes...mygoodness! They made us all dizzy. It's not the first time we have celebrated his birthday, but the first time tights and hair color were involved. 

                                      

They wanted to go in stocking feet, but I thought that would be pressing the button a little too hard & tear up my tights. Below is the big brother neck squeeze. Love it. Love my boys. They are perfect for me.

I'm looking forward to Jonathan's arrival home today. He's been in the windy city all week. I'll bake something this afternoon to take to friends tonight. Ohh, I think these will be perfect. Better take the butter out to begin to soften. If I'm feeling adventurous in the kitchen I'll give GF a shot too. 

After a quick glance at what I've included in my week I realized I shared about our church small group, my kids inhaling hairspray fumes, used the word Damn (sorry mom) and included a link to a past post with a picture of my husband sans shirt. Nice. 

Happy Leap Day week. Happy March. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss. Happy Friday! 

Second Course.

Glasses? Or no.

cranberry almond biscotti

How will you make this day extra special? We are hoping these treats, shared with the boys teachers, make their extra morning extra special.

almost asleep-a-doodle

run, skip, eat & eat again.

Saturday is my day off from training, but it also happens to be the track sessions for the group of people with whom I occasionally train and our coaches. This past Saturday it was also the first time for the kids of Triple Threat Triathlon to meet each other, learn how to warm up, run 200 relay repeats, 400 for time & a game of tag. The coaches had as much fun as the kids and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to sip coffee and watch. 

my view. rough. 

 high knees. 

 nice form e!

 This is the group Coach Chip worked with that morning. 200 repeats, followed by a timed 400.

 cartwheels for core strength. 

 I didn't get a picture snapped while all the coaches & kids were still there, but here are a few. 

We had such great time around the table this weekend. On Saturday evening our friends Aly and Donnie and their kiddos joined us for the evening. We laughed, shared stories, talked about our past, our present and in what direction we are headed. We smiled much and I most certainly was thankful!

On Sunday we walked into church where we found a large Invisible Children display. I discovered they were staying at our church, but eating meals out.Quickly we invited them to our home for dinner. In honor of all the pots of S'ketti consumed in IL, we had a late evening S'ketti dinner. We were reminded of this evening and these moments.  I've not read much of the recent the work this organization is doing, so learning as we shared a meal was perfect.

Wishing them many joy-filled moments as they drive thousands and thousands of miles this semester. Thank you for sharing an evening with our family and sharing your story. Traveling Mercies!

bloom & savory & Jewel

Something fun is happening in our yard, blooming. Someone who lived in this house prior to us planted little gardens here and there. With the unseasonably warm weather we have had this year, flowers are pushing through the ground early. The weather has turned chilly again, we have friends who will be here to share a meal tonight & the flowers I'll set around the house will come from the lovely who planted bulbs years ago. 

 I certainly hope somehow they know their hard work is bringing much joy to our family. 

 My scone recipe has taken a savory turn...3 cheese. 

This morning is the boys first track workout with Triple Threat Triathlon, but c will be at the soccer pitch. Jewel is in town for the monthly meeting J has at his office. I read via Twitter last night that she was in Bentonville, enjoying local music. I was so pleased to know that she was not sitting in her hotel, but exploring the charm of our little NWA town. I'll make coffee and scones, sweet or savory, if you want to visit too. We have extra places where you can rest your head.

4 S's

swim.

school.

study.

soccer.

Yesterday I shared a bit about training. Here is a picture of what it looks like in the back of the car on Thursdays. I am so proud of the boys and their hard work, not letting their school work slip while they work out their little bodies. Our health is something we do not take for granted. Often we speak of the gifts God has given & continues to give to us. Our health tops the list. 

Even more than their hard work in the pool, on the road and pitch I am SO proud of them for choosing something to fast from during the season of Lent. Both have chosen fasts which will be very difficult. We attended Ash Wednesday service last night where we were reminded that this season is, yes, a season to fast, but also a season to feast. 

May we fast from the things which capture our attention, turning our hearts and minds from a focus on Christ and may we feast on the things which guide and keep our focus on Him. 

Training, Power to the She, Blonde & Lance

I am 38 days away from my race and I move between feelings of fear and excitement on a regular basis. Yesterday, excited, today scared. I know that I will be prepared physically, mentally is the question. Recently I spoke to my friend, who is also my coach,  he said I need to mentally prepare for next week. It will be the first of 2 build weeks before a taper, then the race. Already this week I have experienced the most difficult workouts I've been given, so I have no idea what next week holds. 

Sunday I rode my bike 2.5 hours, about 42 miles.  Monday I had a workout that included mile repeats. The whole workout was a 2 mile warm up, sprint a mile, walk 5 min, sprint a mile, walk 5 min, sprint a mile, walk 5 min, jog a mile. Collapse. I was very pleased that I kept all under 7 minutes, with the first 2 closer to 6:30 than 7. I talked with a friend last night who A) is awesome B) has been at the sport longer than me C) regularly finds herself at the top of the race, not AG, podium & D) has workouts with 8, not 3 mile repeats. Tuesday I has a 4300 yd swim. Today I have a reward day, run 1.5 hours. That's it. No heart rate or zone training, just run. It will be near 70 in a few hours, and I plan to enjoy all 90 minutes with a smile. Tomorrow my swim will tear me up and that is the point. If I do it correctly, I'll not be able to finish. Friday I have a big ring bike workout on my trainer. Not exactly sure what that is, but I'm sure it's no ride in the park. Saturday is my day off, phew and then Sunday kicks off that build week. And just how will I kick it off? Brick style...a 2.45 hour bike ride with intervals, followed by an out and back, negative pace hour run.

How will/do I do it? I pray and meditate as I move, which helps, but lately it's been my boys. All of them. I love it when I get to ride with J. When I'm on the trainer and want to get off early, he pushes me to continue to the end and refills my water. Last week e did hill repeats with me. DandyDog helps pace me and knowing that c ran a 6:40ish mile in PE makes me run faster. This week we started going to the pool early to swim. The boys work out, then we have breakfast, I drop them off at school and return to do my workout. While other swimmers have their bags neatly hung, we have a messy pile. It's natural (see & see). It works. We work. Me and my boys make a great team and keep each other moving. 

6:30 am e is doing a ladder workout, while c does 25's working on his stroke and breathing.

Goggles upside down is normal. 

Soccer season is back in full swing. Tournaments on the calendar and practice under the lights. 

I don't shop in little boutiques* and the most expensive outfit I'll purchase this year will be a kit. I wont get these until I wear out these and if I need these, I'll find something in my closet that works or on clearance here. I dream of a closet full of clothes from here and just inside the cabinet, where I keep worn out shoes which hold too many memories to toss, I have some inspiration from their first store campaign:  

Power to the She 

I do not often find myself at Starbucks, but the introduction of their Blonde roast captured my curiosity. A couple of weeks ago we went there instead of our usual & favorite coffee spot while the boys were at youth group. {youth group = coffee date} My order: medium Blonde, black, no room for cream & I felt funny with the words I used. Just something about ordering a blonde. And I really liked the cup. 

Oh and guess who is one of the pros racing in 38 days? Yup, Lance Armstrong! I'll be sure to give him a smile when he passes me on the run and I'm still on the bike. 

.

*Why don't I shop at boutiques? I don't really like to shop for clothing. But if I did, I'd choose boutiques. They are out of my budget. I live in NWA and well, even if I had a budget, let's face it they are not readily available. 

chai.atx play one

Near the end of last week I received an email with a challenge. Play in the kitchen with a specific result: Chai Concentrate. Biggest part of the challenge, well there are 2. First, write down the recipe. I didn't really, but I did take pictures to help & second share with others, taking note of thoughts, improvements & yield. If the final recipe is a keeper it may used in a coffee shop which will open her doors in Austin a little later this year. 

Here is the recipe for chai.atx play one:

It was good, but there will be play two later this week. Needs more pepper, less sweet, need to try with soy, coconut, cow milk. The first cup was made with almond milk. 

What I really should do is create play two and play three, bake scones and invite a few people for a tasting party. I know it certainly is more my style and if I had to guess, the way that vhatx would like to have her recipes created. mal, yes? 

His & Hers

The start of date night in.

Red Food Coloring, it continues to lunch

e has a friend over and when he walked to the table for lunch he was surprised. He looked at me and said, "Your family is so creative." I smiled and said, "Thanks. What makes you say that?" He went on to share that in their family they don't do anything to make holiday meals like Valentine's special. He thought the red sour cream & addition of Grenadine to their drinks was over the top.

I paused and thought of how I learned from the best, my Momma. Looking forward to spending a little time with her soon. Happy Valentine's Day Bodee (& Pops too)! Thanks for the bottles of food coloring and memories you created. Know that it made my days special and those moments continue for your grand kids and their friends.