Engagement Party Prep

Last month I was able to spend the week in Ohio for my mom and aunt's 60th birthday and help my cousin's get ready for my little sister's engagement party. Here are a few snaps from the party prep trying to get used to the camera I'm borrowing until I get mine fixed.

Art Museum

We haven't gotten nearly adventurous enough yet exploring the city, but this is a nice place just outside the city that's pretty and nice to walk. We spent the afternoon strolling past the boat houses and the art museum. Morgan was a bit disappointed we didn't get to go in the art museum since it was a little late, but we'll make that another trip.

Jazz

CSA goodness

The one thing I knew I'd miss the most about life in Belgium and was dead on right was the food. Not cuisine per se, but just the fresh, high quality, delicious, cheap food that isn't laced with sugar, salt, preservatives. Coffee I'm getting along with, beer I'm paying for (although I've switched more to the IPA varieties), cheese I'm mostly doing without, and veggies are coming from my CSA. Still working on the efficient usage of the whole box and certainly some weeks are better than others, but here is a sampling of some of the produce and yummy things we've made. Of course the ultimate balance is between finding the time to cook (in the heat) and will I be the only one to eat it. Usually we alternate between curried apple kale one night and mac and cheese the next and call it a compromise. The winner so far has been this week's watermelon. Morgan and I ate half of it just while chopping it up and only stopped to save some for tomorrow. Best recipe yet, the goat cheese, walnut, and beet salad from the eggsonsunday blog. (As my dear friend tells me I'm a scientist I couldn't possibly cook without a recipe...at least to start with).

New Ride

The picture doesn't do justice to how puny it looks next to the monster truck next door. Morgan helped pick it out and narrowed the color down to red. Looks pretty good in red I think. It needs a bath before some good pictures, but in case anyone was wondering...here it is.

Christmas Vacation

Continued whirlwind of good times...

POD-210: Ice Skating

Met up with an old friend, Erin, and her beautiful family for an afternoon of fun and some ice skating. Our second try skating went much better than the first. Nothing like watching friends do it an have fun to motivate a girl. Better skates and more warmth probably helped too.







It only took a few laps before Morgan didn't want her hand held anymore. Big girl!

POD-209: Brick Pile

POD-208: Easton Trains

POD-207: Owl Hat

Morgan's owl hat made by Mia and Diego's abuela while she visited from El Salvador. Gracias, Ita!

POD-206: Fountain Square

Ice skaters on Fountain Square, downtown Cincinnati

POD-205: Cousins

Morgan and Carson had a great time together this visit. She is missing him already.

POD-204: Merry Christmas Newark

Our Christmas travel plans got off to a bit of a rough start and we spent Christmas morning watching a beautiful sunrise from a hotel in Newark feeling lucky we weren't sleeping in the terminal.

POD-203: Travelling to School in Style

I had to give Morgan an early Christmas present with all the snow...this is how all the kids get to school on snowy days.




Some shots I took while driving around today so don't mind the dirty windows.