We met the king.

Last night I got a hankerin' for gyros.  It turns out that the "Gyro King" is located just three short miles from our house. So we got it together, and found the king.

Things I liked about the restaurant:

1.  Definitely qualifies as a "hole in the wall"---this means it has a gritty authenticity to it, where the message is, "Our food is so good, we don't have to care what decorates the walls or if all of the tables and chairs match, or if we get the floor swept everyday, or not.  In fact, it's so good, we can have two televisions, that's right, two, facing us behind the counter at all times so we can stay up to date with the Greek shows.  In fact, while we're taking your order and ringing it up, we'll probably keep right on watching our Greek television shows.  Don't worry, you'll get your food."   I like this very much.

2.  Because of the television watching during the order taking, they brought us two orders of baklava instead of the one we ordered.  And they were delicious.

3.  Real Greek people working (a family-including one very bored adolescent boy and one slightly less bored teenage boy) with accents so thick you can barely understand them.

4.  The patriarch of the family is the cook.  And don't expect him to smile at you, either.

5.  The food was very good.

Things I didn't like:

1. The small hair (that I chose to believe was a arm hair) I found on the edge of my hommos.

2.  The second small hair (another arm hair) I spotted on my lettuce once I was finished with my meal.  

I chose to believe Gabe when he told me not to worry because my stomach acid would destroy any hairs that I didn't see before eating.  This allowed me to eat my meal, but until I fell asleep last night I definitely felt like there was a hair stuck on the back of my throat.  There wasn't, it was all in my head, but I could have sworn it was real.  I woke up alive this morning, so it seems I'm no worse for the wear.

Did you think it would ever happen?

Helloooooooooo, everybody!!! Alrighty roo, I have about 30 minutes before going to Gabe's writing class.  What's that, you ask?  Be patient, it's all in this blog.  There's no reason you should know yet, because as you may have noticed, it's been ages since I last blogged anything very informative.

So I am currently in the very comfortable second trimester of my pregnancy.  Amen for that.  Literally overnight (a few weeks ago, now) I woke up back to (almost) my normal self.  Rather than becoming an incoherent blob around 3:00, I now make it all the way to 9 pm.  I no longer require 18 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, and standing up from the sofa does not cause me to need an immediate nap.  This is much easier to live with.  PLUS, my constant state of being is queasy?  No sir, not anymore.  After three months of it, I actually got pretty used to always feeling like if I thought about it too much I could throw up at any given moment.  So when I woke up that glorious day feeling fine again, I have to say, I was not just a little worried that something was wrong.  I've now come to accept and embrace this not nauseous feeling.

We have our next dr's appointment on Tuesday.  Say a little (or big) prayer that everything is on track and developing normally.  If we have an ultrasound, we should be able to find out the gender---but I'm not sure we'll have another u.s. until November.  Yes.  We are finding out if Bobbie is a boy or girl.  And I'm very excited to find out. I don't know how people can wait.

Since my last respectable blog, Tim and Kristi have been back to visit twice and since moved to Vancouver.  We were very happy to spend time with them in Aurora, as well as on a trip to Indiana...more on that later.

Here are Maci and Kya at Sonya and Kendal's the night we had dinner over there during T and K's first visit.  
Chrissie and Krisit:

This was FOREVER ago! For whatever reason, since I've been prego, I have taken an interest in cooking!  Who would have though?!  This was one of my first big endeavors, a wild rice and wild mushroom soup with garlic butter.  It was delicious and I was quite proud of how similar my soup looked to the picture.  At the stage of cooking skill I am currently at, I generally prefer to cook recipes that show me what the outcome should look like.  Very helpful.
Magazine photo on left, my soup on right:

Gabe is teaching his final creative writing class tonight, a requirement for grad school.  I think it's been eight weeks.  I took this on the first Wednesday.  Notice how bright it was at 7 pm.  No longer.  It's pitch black out now, and I need to leave soon.  He does a fantastic job, and even someone like me (who isn't all that interested in creative writing) has enjoyed and benefitted from his creativity and ideas.  
Daly basking:
Some student projects:

This was Tate's first birthday party.  Notice the four heads facing away from the camera in the second photo (Dylan, Maci, Kya, Conner)---all related to each other, either sibling or cousin.  Anyway, don't they all have amazing hair?  I get a little jealous every time I see them :)

This was on the last day of our family trip to Plymouth, IN.  Gabe's grandparents, Vic and MaryLou celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, and we all got to be there to share it with them.  It was a fantastic weekend.  I got to meet a lot of Gabe's relatives for the first time.   We had a really nice time.   Here is the family band, Gabe, Kristi and Janae---rocking that church youth building like it's never been rocked before.  On this last day, Gabe's cousin Kristi Kavicky put together a surprise baby shower for us, which was so thoughtful.  We felt very loved.



Here is Kristi's little boy, Jacob being rolled in a tire by his dad, Eric.  There were all sorts of giggles coming from the rolling tire.
I will post some belly progress pictures soon...

details and the poison sun

In response to Melissa's comment:

The holy undies were actually one of multiple pairs in a bag.  We also were given a mucky old toilet rug, a litter box that was NOT cleaned out, a grocery bag full of cloth and mouse poo, a foot bath...I think that covers all of the worst donations.   That being said, with everything else that was donated, we raised over $2000!  It was a big success, and despite the hellish heat, we had a really fun time.

For our dinner party I made that honey-soy sauce baked chicken I mentioned a few weeks ago, a potato salad (red wine vinegar, olive oil, green onions, red onion, garlic, red pepper, dill, fresh Italian parsley, and potatoes), a lettuce salad with cranberries and toasted almonds and feta.  Delicious cherries, bagel crisps with hummus and pesto, and trail mix for appetizers.  Three different flavored cheesecake "bites" for dessert.  Thank you Sam's Club for the frozen cheesecake bites, hummus and pesto all already prepared.   I've come a long way from the first time I hosted--- I made sesame chicken and some other Chinese dishes and was still cooking/preparing two hours after everyone had arrived.  I spent most of the night in the kitchen frantically trying to get everyone fed.  THIS time I had everything ready and wrapped and refrigerated before anyone arrived.  The chicken was in the oven and everything was ready to eat within 15 minutes of people arriving.  MUCH MUCH less stress than a year ago, or whenever it was that we first hosted.  

I have covered all of our windows downstairs with sheets to block out even more light today. Gabe and I are holed up like a couple of vampires, prepared to sleep off and on for as much of the day as we can.  We're hoping to keep out as much sun and heat as possible, while simultaneously recovering from the hectic-ness that was this weekend (which was great, but now it's DOWN TIME).

MORE Amelie, chicken, and Martha.

I never put these pictures from Amy up, but I meant to.  They're from last Wednesday at the Farmer's Market. Amy especially liked how in the second photo it looks like I'm about to joyfully smack her baby.  I wasn't really.  I would never do that.  Pictures can and do lie sometimes---if you look again, you'll see we're just giving each other "high ten".

Last night I made some VERY tasty chicken, and it was really easy.  Honey, a little soy sauce, water.  Dip chicken in mixture, pour the rest over the pan of chicken.  Bake at 475 for 30(-40) minutes.  

Well, The Today Show is about to show me how to avoid fashion disasters after the commercial, so I better go :)  ---Actually yesterday was (I think) the first time I watched morning television this summer.  I watched a little of the Today Show and most of Martha Stewart.  Martha Stewart was a first.  She might be cold and an ex-con, but that woman has some good ideas.  I'm going to watch again today, and that's it.  I will not become addicted to watching Martha in the mornings.  I can't promise anything about going to her website everyday.

good day

Yesterday I met up with Amy and Amelie at the Farmer's Market.  Here is Amelie sipping some tea like a pro.

I didn't get any pictures of it, unfortunately, but Amelie applauded and enthusiastically waved at every biker that passed our way.  She makes friends wherever she goes.

Here is the gyro we each had for lunch, and Amelie taste-testing a piece of it.

Amelie practicing her stair-climbing skills behind Cherry Creek Mall.

It was a very good day.

sushi date

Here are our some pictures from our impromptu happy hour sushi date tonight.  

It was very tasty.

...and very fun.

...and very filling (we also had miso soup and sauteed oysters and moshi (sp?) ice cream).

photos

As promised, here are the pictures I described in my previous post:

One freshly painted reddish-orange table:

Many magenta peonies lovingly delivered to me by Amy:

 

Two things you should never buy me (and probably should never buy period):

Two shots of Gabe in the shower at Lowe's:

Later this same day, I found Gabe trying out the inversion machine at Sam's Club.  He was hanging upside-down, not strapped in, on the floor model of the inversion machine.  Gabe made errands much more fun that day.  Every time I turned around he was hiding in showers, inverting himself, or who knows what else.

One little Dooly napping in the kitchen window:

A dozen, or so, overripe  bananas thawing in order for me to bake them into banana bread in order to end the two years of Gabe teasing me about putting ripe bananas in the freezer for banana bread that never seems to actually get made in order to win a fifteen minute back rub in the bet made by Gabe that this time would be no different:  (I won.)

Seven envelopes I sent to Gabe (with letters inside) while he was in Costa Rica (I found them when looking for something else):

The journal I made for Gabe before he left for Costa Rica:

Nate and Jenn got here Monday.  We've been up to Ft. Collins for the New Belgium Brewery tour, where we ran into Collin L. during the free bear tasting after the tour.  Yesterday we went on a 7+ mile hike in Eldorado Park, and then to Keri and Charlie's for dinner and a bonfire.  Today we'll be heading down to the Springs, and then they leave tomorrow afternoon.  I've got a bunch of pictures from the week, but I think I'll wait to post them until the end of their stay with us.  

p.s.  Summer vacation doesn't yet feel like it.  It seems like the weekend--but it's been really nice so far...

sushi

This is an old picture from a few months ago, but this is what I wish we were having for dinner tonight.  A couple times a year, G and I make sushi at home.  This particular time it got a little out of hand, and by the time we were finished eating we still had almost 30 pieces of sushi left.  It was sooooooo good.

I have some Memorial Day pics to put on here, but first have to locate my camera.  It may or may not be in the Knipp's car in the Springs.

Hope everyone's weekend was great!

collages and muffins

Well, I've been collaging for the last couple of days. 8th graders are currently working on a collage project, so I started doing some mini-collages myself in class. Yesterday was just a really rough day for some (hormonal) reason. I just felt really unhappy all day. Kids were fine, with about four exceptions, but I was just not myself.  At lunch Gabe had the car to take Calvin to the airport (he'll be in Nepal for 3 years and I'll link his blog to mine sometime soon), and my friend/co-worker Anne had kids in her room for lunch detention. So I walked a quarter mile, or so, to Starbucks.  It was beautiful out, and the walk was a good thing for me.  I was on the verge of tears as I walked out the door of the school.  I'm not sure why I felt SO overwhelmed and upset (well, I KNOW why, but the reasons wouldn't be enough to upset me on a normal day), but I was.  So I walked and prayed and fumed and eventually reached Starbucks.  I ate my $20 salad and drank my $12 juice and read the free newspaper.  

This combination of walking, sun, prayer and sitting in a coffee shop managed to calm me down.  By the time I got back to school, I felt slightly better.  But as soon as my 7th hour came in, I felt off again.  So while my last two classes of sixth graders learned how to draw cartoon animals from a video made in the early 1990's, I collaged. The lights were off, they were quiet and engaged, and happy to be drawing on 18" x 24" paper, so I felt less guilty for being that teacher who puts in a video to keep the kids busy on a Friday afternoon.  I really don't like doing that, but every once in awhile, it's best for all involved for me to detach from the class a little.  So while they drew horses and cats, I collaged. 

Melissa blogged yesterday about an experience she had at work.  It was a beautiful post that definitely brought tears to my eyes (especially considering they were teetering on the edge for most of the day).  Anyway,she 

wrote about comforting the mother of a 17 year old girl battling cancer.  She wrote about how precious it was to be given the opportunity to be that person for that woman on that day.  She wrote about how before every shift at the hospital she prays for God to use her to impact someone's life that day.  I used to pray for my students daily, but have done that less and less as the school year is winding down.  I've allowed myself to focus on getting this, and this, and that done (there is a LOT of "this, this, and that" everyday working in a public school) and focused less on loving my students.  The result is that I feel overwhelmed at work, resentful of students and life in general.  God gave me a sunny walk, a chance to cool down, and a reminder from an old friend that He has me where I am.  My contracted job is to teach, to grade, to attend meetings, to contribute to committees and the school, to keep records and write rubrics...but more importantly, my "job" is to love the people around me, to pour into the lives that cross 

mine, to remember how loved I am and share it. I think it's safe to say that when I am feeling overwhelmed, really I'm experiencing the consequence of jumbled priorities.  I mess this up a lot.

Thanks Melissa, for your perfectly-timed post.  It was a great reminder, and a great part of my not-so-great day.  God has given me a lot to be grateful for, especially those of you taking the time to read this.  Gabe is always so sweet when I get in these funks, and yesterday was no exception. Thank goodness I have a husband that doesn't just brush off my sadness/moodiness as PMS, but one who talks to me and hugs me and prays for me. Thank you G. Thank you everyone for your blogs, your comments on mine, phone calls, friendships, love and time. 

Since I wrote about breakfast last Saturday, here's a summary of breakfast today: I made muffins.  We don't have a muffin pan, but for some reason have multiple packs of muffin papers.  So our muffins were made in a square baking dish, hence the non-traditional shapes. Coincidentally, we just received in the mail, from my gifted chef of a mother, some of her invented recipes she's recently entered into contests.  She's that good. Enjoy the pic of my misshapen-from-a-box-muffins.  

**The recipes look great, Mom!  Can't wait to try some!

Happy week-ending all!

pancakes, pollen and paws

You CAN make buckwheat pancakes with one egg.  Yesterday's pancake-making event was my most successful to date.  I have never before managed to not ruin at least one (normally the first) pancake...until yesterday, that is.  I mixed  fresh-cut strawberries into the batter, along with a little cinnamon.  And for the last two I also mixed in white chocolate chips. To top it off we poured the homemade maple syrup G's grandpa makes and bottles. It was scrumptious.

I forgot to post a picture of the lovely sunflowers Gabe brought home for me the other evening. Since I've spent a combined total of six years working as a florist, Gabe is always a little skittish about buying me flowers.  Apparently I've given the impression that I'm picky when it comes to flowers.  I always love getting flowers, no matter what...but there are certain flowers that I personally like more than others.  Sunflowers in spring are a great pick (so are ranunculus, in case any husbands are curious :).
Below is a picture of Daly doing one of his favorite things in life.  Clean-sheet Day ignites all sorts of excitement and energy in our lil' feline.  The game begins when we "ripple" out the sheet over the mattress in order to spread it out.  As the sheet is in the air, Daly jumps with all his might up into the center.  Then the sheet falls on top of him and he assumes army-crawl position.  We poke him once or twice and he swiftly flips over onto his back, creating a tent of sorts with his four paws.  This position enables him to swipe at our pokes with cobra-like speed.  This entertains all three of us for at least a dozen minutes every time.

spring break, day 7: french toast and hiking

Gabe woke up this morning and informed me he was going to make French Toast.  I didn't know he could do that.  It smells good from where I sit right now, so my hopes are high.  I told him I didn't know he could make fr.toast and he replied, "It's not exactly that difficult."  Oh. I've never made fr.toast.

Yesterday I got a surprise call from Lexi (good friend, former matron of honor, BUSY mom of two that I hardly ever get to see).  We went to lunch and caught up for a few hours.  I love those friendships that don't require constant contact (thank goodness) in order to fall right back into a familiar place. We solved a few of the world's problems. It was a great way to spend the middle of my day.  

At three I got to go to the good 'ol "lady doctor"---not as enjoyable.  Always so awkward trying to make small talk during those check-ups.

Once I got home it wasn't long before Keri stopped over to pick up a scarf I borrowed...a while ago.  We solved some more of the world's problems and then went about our days.

I've just finished my French Toast and turkey bacon---which were both great.  Now Gabe is mocking many of the things being said on the Today Show.  It really is aimed at women more often.  I don't notice that much unless Gabe happens to be watching too. 

We're off to hike outside Boulder today.  So enjoy your Friday everybody.  I'm trying to make the last couple days of Spring Break SLOW DOWN.