Haris loves to go fishing. He loves his Sponge Bob Squarepants pole. And—he loves worms. So naturally, we headed out to the lake to catch these summer moments before fall catches up with us.
So fun! Love you guys!
Category Archives: Personal
Nephew # 4 came into the world just over a week ago, and I was finally able to catch up with him at home with my camera. Look at all that hair!
After a snack break, it was back to sleep…
Big brother Dominic wanted some face time too…
In fact, he was so inspired, he picked up his own camera and played along. A quick learner, he could be heard repeating things I had said like, “Turn this way,” or “Open up your shoulder.” So funny!
Gina and Roy’s house has this huge window in the living room…. making moments like this possible.
Dom was sporting a new haircut yesterday, making him look so grown up!
So much fun! xoxoxo
Oscar is already one in a million—he was actually born on his due date. My sister Gina and her husband Roy arrived at the hospital about 5am, and Oscar arrived a mere 1.5 hours later! I can’t wait to head back over later today and get a better look at him. He was eating within 15 minutes of his first breath—incredible!
Dominic was soooooooo excited. He could be heard proudly (and repeatedly) proclaiming, “My baby brother!”
Oscar gets checked out by the pediatrician (Oscar was not too happy about having been interrupted while eating!)
This is my favorite—the look on big brother Dom’s face when he walked in the room and saw mom with baby brother Oscar. LOVE!
So glad Oscar is here! Can’t wait to get some quality snuggle time with him soon!
We’re all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Dominic’s baby brother, and having been in San Francisco all week, I was glad he didn’t show up while I was gone! As soon as I got home, I headed over to my sister’s house to hang out and squeeze in some quality Dom time before the baby comes.
When it suddenly started raining, I suggested we find Dom’s rain boots and go out to play. This is precisely why I love having the S95 in my purse—it’s on-hand and available for spontaneous moments like these!
Birthdays are a big deal when you’re a kid. We may not remember when we turned 1, but our parents probably do. Turning 5 was another milestone, and you knew you were cool when you turned double-digits.
When I turned 13 and became a teenager, I actually wrote a note to my parents apologizing in advance for whatever drama my teenage years might hold. (Who does that!?)
Turning 15 meant you got a learner’s permit (mine came with a typo that made me 24 instead).
Turning 16 meant you could finally drive without your dad in the seat next to you, grinding his teeth every time you let the clutch out too quickly (or not quickly enough). (Pst! Love you Doad! :)
Then you turn 18. 21. And—30.
Then, you just turn… wait? How old am I again? I’m lucky if I actually remember my birthday when it arrives…so to figure out how old I am, I usually have to resort to math. That—or ponder the age my siblings are, and then add the correct number of years. :)
So this year, I’ve done the match, and apparently, I just turned 32. I’m grateful for all the Facebook posts, cards, twitter/text messages, and—voice mails. Particularly these three:
My mom was the first to call today, which makes me smile. How sweet is her voice? I love her to pieces. (And now you know that my parents call me “Pumpkin.”)
This one is from my aunt. I love it when she (and the rest of my family) calls me “Kharita.” (This is, of course, in addition to “Pumpkin,” which is reserved exclusively for my parents’ use.) My aunt was followed by mi Abuela (grandmother)—who calls me Princesa (as well as “Kharita) and speaks to me in Spanish. I treasure it. She also sent me a card, like she has every year for as long as I can remember. Her handwriting is impeccable and instantly recognizable.
Then, my brother-in-law, Adis, called and put little Haris on the phone. The sound of his sweet little voice saying, “Happy birthday Khara!” made my heart melt.
That was so much fun. I’m already looking forward to 33! :)
After completing her Ph.D in Oregon (and an internship in Iowa), my sister Gina, her husband Roy, and their son Dominic are proud Lincolnites again! I stopped by to help them with the aftermath of the move, and couldn’t resist a few shots (with my beloved S95 compact camera).
Dom is at the age where in order to get him to lay down with his head on the cushion, I had to ask him not to lay his head on the cushion. Worked like a charm. I’m onto you Dom!
Dom is such an expressive little guy… he always makes me laugh. :)
After a nap, he wanted some mama-snuggle time…
So glad you guys are back!
Over the past year and a half I’ve been doing a lot more reading about food, nutrition, and how to avoid the perils of the standard American diet. My journey lead me through a string of truly life changing books (listed at the end of this post), and ultimately found me at the grocery store this Sunday with a new recipe to try. This is what I filled my cart with:
The soup I planned to make called for juicing 5 lbs of carrots (the results of which can be seen in the pitcher below) and 2 bunches of celery (instead of using vegetable broth). I’d never used our juicer before, but it was pretty darn amazing! You drop in some carrots and magically—out squirts a bunch of carrot juice! (Look out David Copperfield—I was a magician in my kitchen this weekend!)
The whole soup included the carrot/celery juice, 8 zucchini, 4 onions, 3 leeks, oyster mushrooms, split peas, lentils, kale, cashews… and some spices. I’m a huge vegetable/soup fan… but was skeptical at first (kale!?). Happily, once it cooked down, it started to smell amazing, and with 10 servings, it will last Emir and I at least a few days.
My latest book also included a recipe for a spinach/chocolate smoothie. It sounded too interesting to pass up. The ingredients are:
- 2 cups of frozen blueberries
- 1 banana
- 4 dates (pitted)
- 1/2 cup almond/soy/hemp milk
- 1 tbs ground flax seed
- 2 tbs natural/unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 oz. of spinach (This is MUCH more than you think! Roughly 3 huge fists full…)
I wasn’t sure if the drink would be blue from the berries, brown from the cocoa, or green from the spinach… but as you can see for yourself in the photo below, it’s pretty dark. It’s also—DELICIOUS!!!!! Emir and I have had it for breakfast and a night time snack every day since. We ran out of blueberries this morning and substituted half the frozen fruit with strawberries. Also good. :) Can you believe there’s 5 oz. of spinach in there? (We weighed it out on a scale… it’s quite a bit more than I would’ve guessed.)
If you’re curious and want to get started with a healthier diet, here’s the books I read (in the order I read them… which I think was helpful….)
- Skinny Bitch – Pretty extreme, great if you need a pretty stern kick in the pants to kick your bad habits :)
- In Defense of Food – Fascinating exploration of food, culture, and putting our society in perspective
- Eat to Live – A good review with some delicious recipes (like the chocolate smoothie above and the yummo cancer fighting soup)
All in all, I’ve had a ball in the kitchen while exploring healthier eating options. I’ve learned how to prepare leeks, oyster mushrooms, and have come to love tofu, dates, and even spinach for breakfast. :)
The sun is shining, my to-do list is filled with exciting things, and—I lost close to 5 lbs. If that doesn’t inspire a blog post, I don’t know what does! ;)
Have you ever had the feeling of being completely, 100% over overwhelmed with joy? Not just on your wedding day, or the day your child is born—but on an otherwise uneventful Tuesday? I find myself struck right now. I’m not sure why—it could be any number of the countless things that I am grateful for on a daily basis: my one-of-a-kind awesome family, the work I feel honored and privileged to do, the people who are part of so many different aspects of my life, and the exciting calendar of events stretching into 2012 and beyond.
My guess is that whatever it is, it probably isn’t related to the dead bird the cats dragged into the house this morning… but it could have something to do with the clean-up number I did on my inbox today, or the fact that I turned in the final version of Chapter 9 last night.
Who knows? Right now—I’m happy to just ride the wave.
I’m celebrating with a latte. Happy Tuesday everybody!
