Spontaneous Peace

   This past Friday was one of my favorite days in this, my favorite season. 

The day began with Adam and I eating breakfast together at Panera. They graciously sliced and toasted a piece of Autumn perfection (a pumpkin pie bagel) just for me and I, very sincerely, proclaimed "I can't believe this is happening to me!" While we ate we had time to talk, and not about work or homework or stress, just time to talk and laugh and people watch.  Then we joined some beautiful friends for lunch and talked about the joy and love they are experiencing as a baby is promising to come into their family soon. Adam and I felt so honored to be there for another piece of this baby's unfolding story. 

   Then one of the best parts occurred in the afternoon during our time of waiting. We were waiting to pick up our dog from the vet and waiting to go to Adam's brother's for dinner so we decided to revisit one of our favorite places, the Indianapolis Art Museum gardens. We grabbed a blanket and books and trekked out to a large patch of sunned, yet shaded grass were we laid out our blanket and relaxed. I had every intention of reading but I drifted to sleep under the trees that were dropping leaves into my hair and all over my book. I'm not sure if it was the slight autumn chill combined with the sun's warmth that lulled me to sleep or if it was the peace I felt being somewhere secluded and silent but I slept well. Its the kind of sleep that you wake from feeling perfectly rested and slightly warm inside with a bit of heaviness in your limbs. It was perfection, and exactly what I needed

The moments from this day were so beautiful and as I remember them I just can't help but love the story that Adam and I are telling, even in a season of stress and busyness, with small moments like these that feel surreal and untouchable. I feel so grateful for a husband who helps craft these times and who fills them with more love and brown-eyed smiles than I could have imagined. 

Make like a tree and leaf

    Today feels so much like Fall I can barely stand it...

       The windows are open in every room, sweet cinnamon pumpkin candles are burning, my Fall playlists are serenading me, and I'm wearing my favorite mustard yellow cardigan.


I love this old country house most in the Fall, its her prime.

Summer Time

   I honestly think this has been one of the most insane summers of our lives, even more than last summer (and that's saying a whole lot!). This summer Adam and I found our first ever dog and learned how to be dog owners... I took classes through a good majority of the summer, played around at water parks, saw friends from far away, went to family reunions, concerts, birthday parties, weddings, and many more. I read a lot of books in May and sewed in August... And as I look back on our calendars for the summer I think nearly every weekend was filled with places to go and people to see. Its incredible how busy the 'relaxing' part of a year can be, isn't it?

   But we enjoyed this busy season and the sweet moments it gave us. It was a summer of so much celebration and joy, a summer of gratitude and growth.

   And now I'm staring down the last week of my summer, with anticipation and excitement (and just a pinch of anxiety!). After Labor Day I'll have new classes, a new job, and I'll start seeing clients in the clinic. It's going to be another completely brand new chapter with new adventures, challenges, and causes for celebration.

Ready. Set. Go.

Herbivore

I have thoroughly enjoyed being a vegetarian (or as I like to refer to myself, a herbivore) for the last couple years and I really feel like it has helped me be more adventurous in the kinds of things I eat. Recently Adam and I have been trying to make a couple new recipes a month to find  new favorites that eventually become 'regulars'. We have tried a lot of new things and Adam has even been a fan of most of them without even adding meat! So I decided to make a list of my new top five fav's, complete with recipe (in no particular order, because I love them all equally).

1. Southwestern Pizza with black beans and corn 

On this one Adam does like to add a little seasoned chicken to his half of this pizza...to each his own!

Recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/weeknight-recipe-southwestern-147062 

2. Skillet gnocchi with chard and white beans 

Gnocchi is delicious! I first had it on our honeymoon at a restaurant in the top of the CN Tower and I fell in love. It is a little potato pasta dumpling that goes well with lots of flavors! When we were first making this one, though, we were looking at the ingredients together and kept saying "well, this will be interesting" as politely as possible...but in the end it was soooo good! So don't let the seemingly strange ingredients put you off

Recipe: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/skillet-gnocchi-with-char_n_1061875.html 

3. Vegetable Stir Fry 

We love this one so much because it is the easiest thing in the world to make! It takes a handful of minutes and basically only a couple ingredients (if you don't use meat)!

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Asian-Beef-and-Noodles

4. Pesto Risotto with Green Beans 

My sister-in-law gave me a Moosewood's cookbook with tons of great vegetarian recipes in it and this one is by far my favorite yet. Adam and I are obsessed with risotto (I have no idea why or how) and this was a perfect way to spice up our normal parmesan risotto! 

Recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=658179

5. Summer Corn Cakes 

Well, technically we haven't made this one yet, but we are supremely excited to make it soon. Adam keeps asking when its for dinner but I think he's mainly just interested because its kinda fried, haha.

Recipe: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/12345

Luxo

   I don't know how its possible that I have not written anything about the newest addition to my family....Luxo! We found him two days before Adam's birthday (thus three days before our 1 year anniversary) and we decided to officially keep him a couple weeks ago. We searched high and low for an owner but alas there was none to be found (thankfully!!!) This little guy is so much fun and everyone that meets him thinks he is absolutely adorable! I mean look at him, isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?

 
   Anyway, every time we tell people his name they always mispronounce it or ask where it came from. Well, here's the secret...it came from Pixar! For those of you who know Adam and I well, you probably aren't surprised. We love Pixar movies and the shorts! Luxo comes from Pixar's very first short entitled Luxo Jr. You might also recognize him as the cute little lamp guy at the beginning of every Pixar movie that bounces on the I in Pixar.
   Luxo fits his namesake well too because he is the bounciest, hoppiest puppy I have ever seen. When we go on walks he bounds through grass much taller than himself and searches out his-sized prey (mostly butterflies and ants). Oh, and his favorite toy is a round plastic ball that he could chase for hours by himself in the yard!

 

 We are loving having a puppy so much! Adam and I never had dogs growing up so this little guy is our first ever! He is so much fun and such a cuddler! We are so thankful that we took a wrong turn on our Friday morning walk and discovered our new friend!

Oh, and here's the Luxo short, (if you know our puppy you know he fits his name so well)!

 

June

June, June - You were quite a month.

    I cannot imagine there could be a month with more celebration, surprises, and chaos than this June. June began with me starting my first summer course - typical life stuff, right? But June quickly became not so normal as we began celebrating several birthdays back to back, found a dog on the side of the road, had a surprise party for Adam, celebrated being married for a year (!!!), and found Elle's wedding dress. And that was only the first two weeks! 

    Then we saw friends from New York we hadn't seen in a year, celebrated and basked in the joy of friend's starting new adventures, had a sleepover with Peyton and Ava, and Adam started and continued a million recording, audio, and web design projects.

   I felt like I barely had a chance to catch my breath in this extraordinary, whirlwind month but it was such a beautiful busyness....the kind that sparks important conversations, fills your heart and keeps a smile on your face.

So thanks June - you are again one of my favorite months of the year

Happy Birthday Husband

   
    Today is my husband Adam's birthday! Last year his birthday was slightly less celebrated because it was our wedding eve so this year I threw him a big surprise party! He deserves to be celebrated so much everyday and especially today! I loved seeing all of his friends and family filling him up with love at his party yesterday and I loved being around people who love Adam because we all collectively know how great he his and for a little while I'm not alone in my complete adoration of him. Honestly, I could talk about him everyday, all day forever because I think he is one of the most remarkable human beings ever.
    Adam is the kindest, most tender-hearted man I have ever met. He is patient, understanding, slow to anger - everything love is supposed to be. He is fun to be around and silly and helpful and sweet. And he is endlessly creative - so so creative. I stand in awe (and in jealousy) sometimes at how his mind works and how he can create such masterpieces in music or art or computer design stuff. Today I am so thankful for the birthdays I have had the opportunity to spend with him and also for the birthdays before I met him that made him into the remarkable man I know today. Happy Birthday Adam - you are so loved.