secret

shhhh...here's a secret....We're going to Disney World tomorrow!  Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeen!

Pregnancy Twister

This past weekend we threw a couples shower for our friends Adam and Shalisa, an awesome couple having their first baby after 9 years of trying. I'm a horrible picture taker at these kinds of things but I did get the most important shots...

shots of us playing

PREGNANCY TWISTER

For your viewing enjoyment:

This is how the whole pregnancy thing came into play. Here Mitch, Joey and Adam are about to begin the game with a pillow tied around their middle...as if they were pregnant.

the best pose of the evening...three men doing the straddle

Please don't report this to military officials...they might get kicked out if this Obama "ask and tell" thing doesn't pass.

still hilarious

I love Steve's thigh here;)

Micahs bum and Lauras face...classic

Have You Seen This?

I know I am so completely behind but when I saw this, saw it again and cried, and then again and cried I just HAD to post it...just in case one of you hadn't seen it.

Forever Wedding Dance

...makes me want to renew my wedding vows!

Daddy's So Funny

My Bed Buddy

Last night, for the first time since her nursing days, Georgie climbed into bed with us. You know how a mother always wakes up at the slightest sound made from her child in the night? Well this was me as I listened, half awake, to tiny footsteps making their way to our bedroom. I thought it was Isaac because, for him, this would have been normal. But it was my little girl, in a pink footed nightie, reaching high to the top of our giant bed and crawling in between her father and me. "I wanna sweep wif you." "Are you scared," I asked? "yes" she said "...where's Isaac?" I went looking for him and found him asleep at the foot of their bed. Somehow Georgie had missed seeing him there. I went back to our bed, ready to tell Georgie that Isaac was in their bed and ask if she still wanted to sleep with us. I worried about rejection...I wanted her as my bed buddy. She didn't answer. She just slipped her little arm under my neck and squeezed me like a teddy bear. And I her. I stayed that way as long as possible but it wasn't too terribly long before I knew that this cuddling meant pure joy...but no sleep;) As I started to turn over, switching my hold from Georgie to my body pillow, I felt her resist. The only way I could get her to release me was to keep one of my hands holding hers. I awoke this morning with Georgies tiny hand in mine and I smiled. I smiled because we had held hands all night long. I smiled with peace at the thought that most of the time, Georgie having Isaac was enough for her. Having her own little bed with her own big brother there to protect her has offered her such security since her move from the crib that never once has she needed to crawl to Mom or Dad. And that is as it should be. When I am gone, they will have each other. I smiled with joy at the greatest job in the world...MY job! Being a mother to Isaac and little G! It's little moments like these that I hate to EVER see end! Happy bedtimes with your little ones!

p.s. She got the "demons" thing from Aunt Pam...at least that's what she told me! Thanks for the laugh Pam!

demons?

This evening the kids played outside in perfect fall weather and I lazed about in the hammock. They were searching for acorns and plucking the leaves off of some flowers I'd used for table decorations last night. I'm not sure how the conversation got started but Georgie was talking about how she loved Mommy the best in the world and Isaac was telling her that he loved everyone in the whole world. "You can love more people in the world than just Mommy, Georgie." he told her, "it's best to love everyone." At this point he walks over, climbs in the hammock to give me a hug and hands me a flower...my little hippy child! Georgie follows suit. As she leans in for the hug she says, "Did you know if you don't give Mommies hugs they turn into demons?" heh? Don't look at me, I didn't teach her that but, gosh, I hope they never grow up!

Some Halloween Cookin'

Spicy Pumpkin Casserole

This dish wormed its way into our Halloween traditions about three years ago. My Mom gave me a strictly pumpkin cookbook and this dinner was our favorite. I urge you to give it a try on Halloween night. That's when we'll be feasting on it in a little bit different form...from inside the pumpkin.

Begin your project with a 2 lb pie pumpkin, top removed, 1 lb cooked ground turkey sausage, 3 cups of cooked, brown rice and 1 cup cheese (I've used all kinds).

Scrape the insides of your pumpkin and reserve the seeds for later roasting. Place pumpkin in a 350' oven, lid on, for 1hr or until soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the bechamel sauce.

The recipe says to stir constantly. They're not telling the truth! I think almost constantly would suffice until it starts to steam and simmer. Then you should stir constantly to prevent lumps.

When the pumpkin is done roasting, scrape the soft flesh into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Begin your layering and...

Voi La!! Bubbly, cheesy deliciousness!

Spicy Pumpkin Casserole

2 lb pumpkin, washed and seeded

3 cups cooked rice

1 lb ground turkey sausage, browned

1 c Swiss cheese

1T butter

Bechamel Sauce:

2 T butter

2 T all purpose flour

1 ¼ c milk

freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 325’. Bake pumpkin until soft, about 1hr. Meanwhile, prepare the Bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

When Pumpkin is done, scoop out the flesh, mash slightly and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange alternating layers of rice, sausage, pumpkin and béchamel sauce until your dish is full. Sprinkle the top with cheese, dot with butter and cook in a 425’ oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

In actuality, our favorite way to eat this dish is inside the pumpkin itself. Instead of scraping out the pumpkin after its cooked, take it out of the oven when its still a little bit firm. Layer your rice, then sauce, then sausage and cheese inside the pumpkin, flesh intact. Repeat. Then serve the pumpkin whole, in the center of the table and scoop out bits of cooked pumpkin with each serving. It makes the perfect Halloween night dinner!

Our recent trip to Houston:

The kids and I drove down to Houston to visit Uncle Bryant for the first time in almost a year! He was back and we weren't missing it for the world! Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Consider this a plug for the Houston Childrens Museum. I used to go all the time as a child and loved it. But then they renovated it...and it is absolutely a childs dreamland. I think the creators of this place recognized, acutely, how much a child wants to have all the opportunities of adults. They promise that and more when you walk in the door, and they deliver! It was a blast.

Did you ever want to be a vet? Well, even a 3 year old can! Play with X-Rays, charts, lab coats, brushes, hairdryers, scales, kennels etc...its all here.

Want to be a chef, a waiter or a restaurant manager? You can do that too.

Or how about sit on a park bench with two snuggly grandparents?

Paint a picture of mud? That's Georgies specialty!

Isaac says this is his favorite picture. I loved it too! He sat right down and didn't hesitate for even a second to put his brush to work.

Almost all of the things we listed above cost money so you must go to the bank and withdraw some funds.

Georgie didn't want to leave the lego table in the science section. Gaga was patient enough to build tower after tower with her. Gigi's got her number!

Dad, Isaac and I became obsessed with building little vehicles that would fly in this vacuum/pipe thingy...can you tell I learned a lot!

The most memorable part of the day was watching Isaac and Georgie go through this obstacle course where, at the end, Isaac would help Georgie down..

down...

down...

down...

He felt like such a hero and she thought that he was. I went to help her after the first try because I was afraid he would drop her. They would have none of that. They felt so independent of me and for the first time, together, they didn't need Mom or Dad!! How GLORIOUS for them!!

Just a shot of my Dad and I...don't we look alike (minus my lazy eye;) I don't get many pictures of or with him. Love you, Dad.

Our visit to Houston also marked Georgies first teeth cleaning. I know what you're thinking, "who on earth posts about teeth cleanings?" Well when your Papa is the dentist, teeth cleanings are a big deal!

Georgie loved having her teeth tickled! And when my Dad is doing the job, it feels almost as gentle as a tickle! Thanks Dad!

Isaac joined the ranks as well with teeth cleaning #3!

But the real reason for our visit was this guy right here:

He came back from Singapore, India, Yemen etc. in true Bryant form,

with gifts for me and the kids. How many brothers are this thoughful?:) Here's a shot of Georgies Indian Princess dress!!

Bye Uncle Bryant, Papa, Gaga, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Reta and Grandma Nina! Thanks for spending your time with us!

Kiva: Microfinance for everyone

This is Joey following Ashley's orders. Back in July, I learned about Kiva. Wait, back up. In 2006 I read a book by Jeffrey Sachs, an economist at Columbia who had helped Bolivia and Poland with their economic difficulties. The book is The End of Poverty, and it is an ambitious tome that lays out the case for fixing the economic problems in the 3rd world that can be reasonably fixed by 2025.

An important part of fixing poverty is microfinance. Sachs is married to a pediatrician, and from her he learned the importance of differential diagnosis: identifying the various potential causes of a condition and systematically evaluating their potential contribution to the problem. Among geography, public health, access to health care, political corruption, cultural norms, and infrastructure as potential causes, he lists access to financing.

Small entrepreneurs in 3rd world countries simply don't have access to the small business financing that is needed for them to take advantage of economic opportunities and to better their station in life. In 2004, two young American people were in Uganda seeing the poverty up close and personal. They were struck by how much good could be done in helping people help themselves. If only there were a way...

And so Kiva was born. You can hand select and then lend directly to entrepreneurs in impoverished countries. Browsing Kiva is addicting. And heartbreaking. Each entrepreneur page has a picture, a brief description of their business and what the loan is for, the loan amount and terms, and information about the local field partner who handles the loan (and charges interest, which is how they pay for their operating costs).

The best part about Kiva is that they pay the loan back. I cannot emphasize this enough. This is not charity or a handout, this is enabling people to have success they could not otherwise have. This is teaching people to fish, rather than giving them a fish. I have already been partially repaid on the first loan I made and have re-lent that money to another entrepreneur.

We had Isaac pick out a person he wanted to lend money to as our family night activity. He picked a woman (mother of 2) in Bolivia who runs a "Mary Kay" type cosmetics business, selling to her friends and neighbors. She was asking for $875 to buy more inventory. We will be repaid over a 4 month term. As we are repaid, we will turn around and loan out that money again. A perpetual poverty-elimination fund. Maybe not by 2025, but every little bit helps.