a love letter

while waiting for my plane back to Texas
i discovered this little love letter in my purse from my husband

Things I will miss while you're gone:
your smile
your laugh
your face
cuddling
waking up next to you
you being at freebirds waiting for me to get off
you whispering 'sushi'
you making fun of my shirts
your dramatic and entertaining exaggerations
playing games with you
your red hair
talks that we have
your presence in the room with me
sharing food with you
holding your hand while driving
you saying, 'no. no' when i tickle you.
your humor
the way you smell
the way you make me feel
what i will miss the most:
YOU. i love you.

i love when Monday's feel like Saturday's

we made omelets (mine a white-egg omelet) with onions, mushrooms, green chilies, and black beans

and spent the entire day enjoying my husband's company, laughing at silly inside jokes, holding hands,

playing scrabble outside, drinking iced milky-way hazelnut lattes,

and eating pomegranates.

today christopher opened his email
and there was a plane ticket for me
to Durango, Co!

I get to see Paige!

my flight isn't for another 2 weeks, but, i am still so excited and so thankful to be able to go and be with her during this difficult time.

oh, and i have so many ideas brewing to make the most of it!

thank you poppi!

update on paige!

last night we talked to Paige and she sounded so so much better than the first day. she actually stood up and grew about 3 inches! she is as tall as Christopher's mom now, and of course taller than me. that girl is such a trooper, the nurse came in and told her to sit up and tears just fell down her face because of the pain, so she had to lay back down again. But, being the determined lady she is, about 2 hours later she wanted to try again, and actually stood up for one whole minute! we are so proud of you Paige!

four times today, as part of her rehabilitation, she has to walk to a chair and sit down in it. before she is released from the hospital, she has to walk up and down a flight of stairs and she has to walk up and down the hall of the nurses station. Paige will be getting discharged either Monday or Tuesday, please continue to pray for healing, endurance and strength as she continues her rehabilitation, and that God would continue to use this to reveal himself to Paige and everyone else.

We Love you Paige!

Please know that you are cherished by us and that we wish from the bottom of our hearts that we could be there with you right now as you endure these things. You are always on our hearts and we are praying for you.

love,

m

bell peppers stuffed with basil cous-cous

Last Night's Dinner

ingredients:

red onion (about 1/3 cup chopped)

garlic (1-2 cloves, pressed)

fresh basil (about 6-10 leaves, we have a basil plant so leaves are HUGE, chopped)

1 box of  plain cous-cous

bell peppers (yellow, orange, green, or red - you choose!) (cut the top's off to create a little bowl)

gouda cheese (cause it's good) (would also be yummy with, pepper jack or feta, whatever you have on hand)

vegetable broth (or chicken, if that's what you use, but, i am a pretty big advocate for vegetable broth. it's good.)

olive oil

salt & pepper

preheat oven to 350 BEFORE you start cooking, that way it will be hot & ready

1. saute onion with garlic in 2tbs(about, i don't really measure) olive oil, until the onion is a tender (2-3 min)

2. pour cous-cous in with the onion and garlic and saute (1-2 min)
3. add 11/2 c of vegetable broth and bring to a boil, and then let simmer until cous-cous is tender
4. add chopped basil and grate a little bit of gouda into the couscous and stir
5. scoop cous-cous into the bell peppers, top with a couple of pieces of fresh basil, and more gouda
6. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 min (my oven cooks like superman, so they were done in 15 min)

we paired this with a huge spinach salad (with cranberries & sunflower seeds) with oil & balsamic dressing!

as of right now, little Paige,
Christopher's beautiful baby sister
who isn't little in character or courage
is having back surgery for scoliosis,

taking her s-shaped back and reconstructing it
with the use of metal rods
she was diagnosed a couple of years ago
and went through trials of different back braces
that were uncomfortable and limiting without feat
so the doctor's have decided that this is the best thing for Paige
the surgery is 4 hours long, and
she will be in ICU for 4-5 days
with months of rehabilitation to come

Paige, has a beautiful quiet soul
with more strength than most I know
a boldness to overcome obstacles
without even a hint of complaint departing her lips

this is something she has wanted for over a year
and has been a long time coming
and, we believe the goodness of the Lord,
that His hand is in this, not leaving us alone in the dark
that His light is guiding us to places of healing and
of refuge for the road ahead

so if you think of her
please say a little prayer
for a quick healing without complications or infection
and that her heart, mind, and body
would be abundant in strength
and that the peace that surpasses all understanding
would consume us all

we love you Paige and are in continuous prayer for you

love,
m