I Never Left.

Here we are again, the Wambeke trio staying at Grandma and Yi Prescott's house for a few days. Our tenants just moved out of our condo today (which still needs new tenants by the way), so Dan and I gave Ana to Yi and got to cleaning everything. During that time, we stole an hour or so to eat lunch at Chipotle which was glorious. To enjoy one another sans child should really be done every so often. But not so often that the child is neglected of course. Of course!

Tonight we, Dan, Grandpa, Yi and I, will sit around the t.v. and relax with a movie while Ana slumbers away peacefully in our bedroom that she shares with me and Dan.

This last year and a half, this really has become our second home. And will even become more so round abouts the time the baby is due. You see, we have heaved the idea of birthing in or around Marshall. For so many reasons. We are very set on having a Certified Midwife help with the birth. But, there are no certified midwives who will do a homebirth within three hours of our house. Not only that, but there are simply no certified midwives, even in hospitals, within an hour and a half of our house. The closest being in Sioux Falls where we never ever are. It would be a major inconvenience to drive all that way just for appointments and then the big day.

We are going to embrace all the wonderful medical options that the Twin Cities has to offer. We have decided to pick a midwife at St. Joe's in St. Paul and birth there. This, of course, means that me and Ana will be tagging along with Dan a lot so that I can go to appointments. Then, come late February (a few weeks before chummy is due), we will be staying with Yi and Grampy until the baby is born.

Like I said. Second home.

Luckily, my folks couldn't be happier. At least for now.

A few months ago, I asked my mom if she was sad when each of us kids left the house. She said that with Aaron, she wasn't too sad because he was always so independent. When Mary left, it was hard because she moved so far away and was still so attached to mom and dad."But with you," she said. "You never really left."

Should I be bothered by that? Well, I'm not. It just means that my mom and dad can be certain that I love them.

Jackpot!

We have our first egg!


After months of caring and feeding these sweet creatures Ana calls "bok bok", we have been given food. Here's a shot of Ana with said egg. She is actually smiling, but these days her posed smile looks more like a growl.

One of the great challenges, I think, of trying to eat mostly what we grow is finding tasty recipes. Well, that problem is one step closer to being solved. A few weeks back, Dan and I were enjoying coffee at a coffee shop in Montevideo with a couple of friends of ours, and the shop was selling this cool book The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook. I promply found a recipe for Corn Chowder, for which we had tasty awesome sweet corn, and got to work. And it turned out better than we expected and to be One of the Few Soups Dan Likes. I attribute it to fresh and tasty ingredients, particularly chicken stock which I hope you don't buy in a can. Homemade chicken stock makes the difference in so many recipes, not to mention the nutritional value it contributes.

Okay, enough of the food nazi. Here it is: Corn Chowder.

one small onion
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 clove minced garlic
2 diced russet potatoes
2 cups freshly shucked sweet corn (or frozen, whatever you have)
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsley (which I left out because we don't have it)

Melt the butter and saute all vegetables, except the corn and potatoes, until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle flour over the veggies and continue cooking for one minute, stirring constantly. Add corn, potatoes, and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chopped parsely. Be sure to let it dribble down your chin as you slurp it off the spoon too. It really adds.

Coudn't be happier.

Well, we're back. And I've missed the shire just as much as Dan and Ana have. As always after a long stretch of a trip: It's good to be home.

Vancouver Island didn't turn out to be the trip we expected. We had packed all our camping and hiking gear, excited at the prospect of hours upon hours of hiking in the mountains reaching spectacular views followed by cozy evenings at the campfire toasting marshmellows. This really only happened one of the 9 nights we were there. Most of our trip was spent in the never ending rain, and steady temperture of 60 degrees (at the peak of the day). Well, okay. To be fair there were a handful of sunny afternoons. We cherished those. But, there wasn't much hiking or spectacular views the rest of the time.

What we didn't know when we left the midwest, but happily found out soon after our arrival deep in the culture of the West Coast, is that we couldn't go a block without tripping on a used bookstore and adjacent coffee shop. So, what do two bibliophiles, and their bibliophile spawn, do? We take a bookstore tour of Vancouver Island is what we did. And we came home with a trove of goodies. Well, Dan came home with the trove. I only found two books, but they are REALLY GOOD BOOKS! And Ana found two REALLY GOOD BOOKS (one Richard Scary, and one Curious George. She loves that monkey.)

And, during the wettest, coldest part of our stay, we found the nicest cabin to rent right on the ocean with our very own beach. It was wonderful and warm and dry!

But the best part of the vacation was the three of us being together all of the time. It really was a blessing. Especially for Ana, who doesn't even see Daddy from Sunday nights until Wednesday mornings. Sometime during the beginning of the trip, Ana took to taking inventory of everyone present. First, she would point at Daddy and say: "Da-ey." Then she would point at me and say: "Mama." Then she would point at herself and say: "Ana!" One time she even added her bear to the list. It makes a mom's heart get all teary.

But it is good to be home. Where I can once again cook yummy home grown meals that don't cost a second mortgage. And Ana can run freely all day long instead of be tied to her car seat. And Dan can take his hands off the steering wheel and put them on a book. We are refreshed.

Here's a shot of Ana being chased in front of our cozy cabin at the ocean.

And here's one of Daddy showing Ana the fun of feet being washed by waves.

Howdy Toodles

Well you'd think I'd forgotten all about poor little Muffinshire. I assure you, I haven't. And I can't even blame it on feeling ill, because I haven't. Just plain old fashioned busy times.

So here I am, saying howdy once more. Nearly a week since the last entry. And what do I say? That you won't hear from me for another 2 weeks or so. Isn't that a fine thank you.

Ana, Dan and I are saying goodbye to the safety of home, loading up the car (we're borrowing Grandpa and Yi's Hundai Tuscon -- woo hoo!), and heading for adventure in Vancouver Island for a stretch and a snooze. We're very excited to spend some time in Seattle, Victoria, Cape Scott, Bouchard Gardens, and of course Vancouver itself. Ana will get to see the ocean for the first time. It is likely that she will be hoping to take some tide pools home. I will be helping her getting them into the trunk much to Yi's chagrin.

So, as you read this, pray for our safety and for a reasonable good time. And you will hear from us again when we return to the land of the Muffins in two weeks.

Toodles!

NFP Talk.

Once in a great while I find an article on the internet that is worth reading.

Such was the case today. I was browsing Testosterhome during some down time, and this article called It's Time to Talk Honestly About Natural Family Planning was featured.

Before Dan and I were married, we were very excited to begin practicing Natural Family Planning as it is a wonderful way to live out God's plan for our married life. Everyone we knew encouraged us, and even made some pretty outlandish promises (You will have a new honeymoon every month was the one that sticks out in my mind. Yeah, that didn't happen.) But none-the-less, we dove in head first.

That was five years ago. And while we can certainly attest that NFP is a great way to space babies naturally, we embrace it fully as an integral part of our spirituality, and I do think that we have much more open communication because of it, it isn't always the easiest thing to practice. Mostly due to our not being perfect and holy yet. And mostly during that half of the month.

And it is really good to know that we're not alone.

So, give the article a read. It's a good one.

Happy Birthday Poopsie!

Well, okay. It was on Monday, August 4th. We were in Minneapolis, and I didn't have access to this beautiful testiment to my sweetheart's beauty.

Happy Birthday Dan, my wonderful husband. You are beyond understanding, compassionate, steady, faithful, and undeniably the most handsome man this side of the Mississippi.

But we are getting old, aren't we?

Forever Formica.

Okay. Everyone be quiet and pay attention.

Those of you who have been to our house in the last year and a half, raise your hand.

If we didn't venture to the garden room during your stay, you can put your hand down.

If we didn't watch a movie during your stay, or even glance in the direction of the television, you can put your hand down.

Quiet in back.

Those of you with your hand still up, if you saw our television, why, oh why didn't you alert us to the awful blue towel that it's been sitting on since we moved here ??????

When we first arrived on the prairie those 17 months ago, we didn't know where to put the t.v. And we didn't have a half decent t.v. stand (at least one that wasn't formica. oh that beautiful fake wood.) So, we just plopped it onto this one, atop tis raggedy old blue towel, thinking it was totally temporary. Which, of course, became permanent as other things took priority.

So, fast foward to the other night as Dan and I were soaking up a little R and R, watching Lars and the Real Girl, when I realized that the television was still on the blue towel. And how many people have been here and noticed this tackiness and didn't say anything.

We do love you, everyone. But please, next time, you can tell us: Dan. Joy. You don't have to keep your t.v. on the blue towel, because nothing can scratch formica.