It's starting to feel like spring around here. We planted our spinach and kale seeds last week and added three more blueberry bushes and a raspberry bush to our yard. My feeling is, if I'm going to pull weeds and do yard work, I better get to eat something afterward. The daffodils are starting to pop up too which makes me feel so cheery. We've had some lunches at our picnic table and made more trips to the park. And then the rain has encouraged some tea and cuddling up to read.

Our buddies the Thielmans came up for a visit last weekend. Their little gal is almost one and Quinn loved bringing her toys and trying to hold her hand as she practiced her walking. My dear friend Mary visited yesterday for a nice ladies lunch out and it was so good to catch up with her. We had Matt and Holly over this weekend too. They are sweet to Quinn and humor her every request. I hope Quinn will always remember her quartet bedtime serenade of "Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood". And we've just enjoyed some good fellowship with our home group and at church lately. 

My mom came up for a visit on Friday which is always a treat. She took Shinobi with her when she left so we don't have to worry about him when labor starts. And so I can actually get the house clean. At dinner, Quinn said, "Nana, I don't want you to take my doggie." and we reviewed that he was just going to have a sleepover party with Nana and Boppa until baby brother was born. Then, when he got in the car and my mom started driving away, Quinn burst into tears and started wailing, "I miss my doggie!" I totally started crying too, it was so sweet. It took a while to calm her down and until mid-morning Saturday she kept saying, "I miss Shobi". I'm glad to know she loves him so much.

The home visit went well and we were able to go to the Children's Museum for a birth center potluck. The midwives are totally celebrities to Quinn. She loved having them at our house and seeing them out in public.

This is possibly the last photo of us as a family of four. Crazy!

This post is dedicated to my sweet little companion Shinobi. I caught a bug from Jonathan and was sick Monday through Wednesday this week and Shinobi was a very cheery friend. It was nasty hot around here and he kept my spirits up during the day and took naps with me. Here he is snuggling his sister and (I think) listening to her heartbeat. He also does a good job supervising laundry drying from his beloved sunbeam. We just love him so much!

The little lady was merciful to me this week by not coming on her due date. I had such a bad sinus headache and sore throat, it would have been rough trying to do labor at the same time. But now I'm back to feeling good and the weather is back in the mid-70's so I can use the oven. I'm trying to entice her out with fresh baked zucchini bread, we'll see if it works...

I think Shinobi had a good birthday weekend. He played with his favorite dog friends, chased some birds, retrieved the ball at the park, and received extra snuggles. 

Bump Alert: below is a photo of me with the birthday boy. I'm 22 weeks! I can't believe how fast it's gone by. It seems like this past week in particular when I wake up each morning my belly is bigger than the day before.

Picks of the Week 5.20.11


Frugality as a Means of Giving - Keeper of the Home
What Jesus Left Behind - Desiring God
People Do Not Drift Toward Holiness - Desiring God


We are going to the Littau's house for dinner tonight! Shinobi is turning four on Monday, so we are going to be a bit celebratory while he plays with his dog friends. I am bringing these cupcakes, except I'm going to come up with a frosting that includes pureed strawberries, mmm. I can't believe my oldest child is growing up so fast!


Baby Girl is still kicking around and having fun. Jonathan has even felt her a couple times now :) 


Have a nice weekend!

We went to Half Moon Bay on Saturday. There was some morning fog so the beach was pretty empty, works fine for us! Shinobi had a lot of fun digging, running, and sniffing. He's still not too sure about the water though.

On Saturday night I prepped some sourdough cinnamon rolls so that I could throw them in the oven Sunday morning for breakfast to pair with some yogurt and strawberries. I wanted to test out the sweetness before adding the cream cheese frosting that the recipe suggests because Jonathan and I can get "sweeted out" pretty easily. They were delicious without any frosting at all! I'm going to have to start making these on a regular basis. A tip I should share is that it's way easier to cut the rolled up log into individual rolls if you wrap plain dental floss around the spot you want to cut and then tighten it until it slices all the way through.

Tonight, we went on a tour of Google. Our friends Josh and Kate invited us to dinner there. Their cafeteria is insane and we walked all around the campus. It was really fun to see where all the magic happens.

We've both been forcing ourselves to get back in the groove of school the past couple weeks. I'm taking two Accounting classes and Jonathan is taking a drawing class. This is the last term for both of us, I keep chanting, "I think I can, I think I can..." It will feel so good to be done!

So, not much is new for us, but Shinobi got a fun treat this week:

I try to keep up on brushing Shinobi's teeth (we pretend it's a game) but I wasn't sure if it was really doing that much good. I have given him rawhide bones in the past, but they didn't do anything except give him an upset tummy. I was reading an article the other day about dog dental health, and a veterinarian shared how his patients' overall health has improved from suggesting the owners feed their dogs raw bones. He said that dog breath is actually a sign of gingivitis and the bacteria from it can affect a lot of areas in dogs' bodies. He also brought up the point that the discomfort that gingivitis causes in the mouth and gums is something so many dogs have to bear their whole lives and it broke my heart! I found out that bones smoked at a low temperature are as beneficial as raw bones (cooked bones can splinter in their stomach, but I didn't want raw meat all over the carpet) and, lucky for me, the butcher shop near my office sells them! I made sure to ask the butcher about the source of them and the process, and he assured me that he gives them to his dog all the time. So I bought one and had them cut it in half, since Shinobi is so little. 

Oh my, he was a very happy boy! I put down a towel for him to eat it on just in case. He went off of the towel once or twice, but then I would say, "Ah ah, on your towel." And he would pick up the bone and walk back to the towel and get back to chewing. He's so smart! I don't know how he picks up on this stuff!?!

The best part though, is that all the stains on his teeth are gone and his breath smells like nothing! I'm amazed how quick his mouth improved. Guess he'll be getting these treats more often.

Our friends Kendra and Whitney visited this past Saturday and Sunday. They left Monday morning to continue South to Disneyland for a little Anniversary trip. We made sure to show off Mountain View's fine cuisine and also took them to Santana Row and Valley Fair. Kendra has incredible shopping stamina. It was great to catch up with them. I can't believe this picture was taken over three years ago, good times!

It has been boiling hot here the past couple of days. Bleh. This apartment cools down better than our last apartment, but it was still pretty miserable. Lots of homemade popsicles. The living room gets much cooler than our bedroom so we pulled the mattress out into the living room and have had a slumber party out there the past few nights. Shinobi seems to like it. Though, both mornings I woke to him sitting next to my head and staring at me. A little creepy, but cute too.

Time for Brinner and home group!

What Shinobi does while I'm studying:

We had a nice little weekend. Jeff visited us and Shinobi turned three years old. We took him to the park to play fetch Saturday and Sunday. I only have four and half (and counting) weeks left of my current Accounting class. Jonathan is almost done with Intern and then he will be starting up Advertising classes again. We are still enjoying our delicious, fresh produce from the CSA. I get to pick up a load today that will have peaches and blueberries among other things, Mmmm. And we are on target to have a fun holiday weekend in a few days.

We watched the season finale of Lost on Sunday with our friends, the Bells. Anyone out there who watched Lost might find this article interesting. The author nailed it in certain respects. But, his conclusion makes me sad for him; that the mysteries of life are unanswerable and we can only hope in the love we feel and deeds. What a joy to know that we were created and life is not about us. That what we do means nothing if it has no eternal value. Our hope is in the Lord of Heaven and Earth!

Hi. It's been a while. 

I started a new term of Accounting two weeks ago. It's been a wild term already. I'm supposed to have "daily attendance" in the online forum and there is a minimum of a chapter to read, a quiz to take, and homework to turn in every week. I'm already counting down the weeks until this term is over. Bleh.

My sister and her manfriend, Dennis, visited us for Easter weekend. They were really nice to spend time with. Much laughter and theological discussions and coffee were shared. Here's a picture of us four on a hike.

We house-sat for our buddies, Karl and Jane, this past week. They have two perky Havanese dogs (mentioned in this post from the past) that Shinobi loves to play with. It was really nice to have a change of scenery. It almost felt like a mini-vacation.

Besides that, we are just plugging away with work and life. We are so thankful for all that we have and the people in our lives.

The weather has been gorgeous lately! We have been taking advantage of it by going to the coast, planning doggie playdates, throwing the frisbee, reading on a blanket in the grass, and planting plants in the pots on our porch. My parents arrived Thursday night for a little visit and we were lucky enough to get to eat outside a lot before they left Saturday afternoon.

Jonathan kidnapped me this morning and took me to Half Moon Bay. The water was so clear I could have sworn I was in Hawaii. I think that the ocean and sand are my reset button in life.

Below is a video of Shinobi playing with his new friend Charlie. Charlie is only 4 months old and very playful. They were just starting to chase eachother so I turned on the camera, but Shinobi got camera-shy. Enjoy!

There is a fantastic little produce market that is a mere five minute walk from my work. I try to go there at least once a week during my lunch break and always end up leaving with a very heavy bag and rarely spend more than five dollars. Since this past autumn, I have been trying to buy produce that is in season more often because:

1. It is much less expensive.

2. It is much tastier.

3. It is more nutrient dense.

So, I was delighted to discover kale this week. It is very high in Vitamins K and A, as well as many other vitamins and minerals. It is a bit too bitter for my taste as a salad green, but I found two ways to sneak it into meals this week.

I attempt to get a fruit smoothie into our stomachs at least three mornings a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. My secret recipe for a smoothie is:

six or seven frozen strawberries

a third of a frozen banana

pour orange juice into the blender until it reaches the top of the strawberries and banana

6 oz. vanilla yogurt

an optional glug of flax seed oil

Blend, blend, blend

But I have heard mutterings about sneaking kale into a smoothie and husbands barely noticing it. So, I threw a leaf in on Tuesday morning and, Eureka! It worked!

I knew it was meant to be when this recipe for Tuscan Potato Soup popped up in my RSS feed. I just made it for dinner and it was so rich and savory. I'm not particularly fond of obeying recipes, so of course I made some alterations. I used pancetta instead of bacon, 2 ginormo shallots instead of an onion, and half the recommended cheese. And, I definitely used the reserve pancetta grease :)  Also, I returned the pancetta to the pot just before serving instead of using it as a garnish. It made more than enough for dinner tonight, dinner tomorrow, and two servings to be frozen for a lazy night when I don't feel like cooking. You'll have to check out the recipe to see what kale and a blender have to do with it.

Now, time to enjoy a movie with the husband and doggie!

We have caught Shinobi doing this multiple times in the past twelve hours:

We will be in a different room and walk into our bedroom to find him curled up in a ball on top of Jonathan's velvet mushroom ottoman thing (there are sentimental feelings attached to it, don't ask me). This new little trick is so ridiculously cute, to us at least, we just about die laughing. I have no idea why he started doing this!

He is almost two and a half years old and we really like this age. He has figured out ways to communicate with us and does it frequently. Last month we signed him up for his second year of visiting nursing homes as a therapy dog. We are taking him to Jane and Karl's house to play with his best buddies Lincoln and Scout on Sunday. He stayed with them while we were in Hawaii and I think it was the equivalent of a "Men's Retreat" for him because he returned to us much more dog-like. We are so glad to have him!

We made it up to Oregon for a visit this past week. We spent July 4-7 in Portland. We stayed on Matt's side of Jamie and Karly's duplex. They hosted a BBQ at their house for the Fourth of July with a bunch of friends. There was lots of good food and laughter and fireworks and Rock Band. We even stuffed a mystery firework from Mexico inside a cupcake and lit it. It made a loud boom and completely disintegrated the cupcake. We couldn't find a trace of it anywhere, but Jeff swears he tasted frosting on his lip. On Sunday, we went surfing and bodyboarding at Short Sands in Cannon Beach. I got a wetsuit for my birthday (early) so Jonathan planned a surprise trip with our friends. It was sooo fun even though it was gray and cold. On Monday, we went to breakfast with the darling Amber and Josh, hung around with friends, and then there was a big Ultimate Frisbee game that night.

Tuesday morning we headed South to Corvallis. I had lunch with Sara and spent the day with Mary. Jonathan got to catch up with Heath all day. It was great to see even more old friends! We had dinner in Eugene with Laura and Gabriel. They are such a fun couple and we are excited to have Gabriel be a part of our family now.

Wednesday was our day with the Gowins family. We went kayaking out by the coast for the first half of the day and had a BBQ for the second half of the day. Thursday was the Cunningham day with breakfast out, walking the dogs around Alton Baker Park, and relaxing a little. And Shinobi got a "summer haircut". He looks just like he did when he was a puppy :)

Friday we tried to recuperate a bit from the craziness of our trip and we went to Laura and Gabriel's wedding rehearsal and dinner. Saturday was the big day and we started early with coffee and hair appointments. Then, over to the wedding site to help set up and pose for pictures. It was a perfect, beautiful day! Everyone was so happy to be there supporting the wonderful couple! (Photos from the wedding will be in a future post.)

Sunday we drove back home to our sunny little town. We are so thankful for all the people who housed us, entertained us, and made time to see us. We really appreciate everyone we have back in Oregon and hold you all dear.

We have been married three years! It has gone by so fast! And what a blessing marriage is. There is a Swedish proverb that I think sums up how I feel about the past year:

"Shared joy is double joy, shared sorrow is half sorrow."

Even the smallest of happinesses seem so full and the lows aren't as bad when we have eachother to lean on. Our Anniversary was on Tuesday and we went to Vaso Azzurro and then went for a walk with some ice cream cones.

Here is a photo of Shinobi enjoying a sunbeam. We are so glad to have him, he is such a sweetheart.

It was another busy week. Jonathan is done with his first Advertising class and will be starting the next one in June. His intern program is almost done too.

I met up with Sakura at Ikea on Friday night. We spent almost 4 hours there! It is so huge! And they have such cheap food! And cheap everything! I managed to leave there with only the essentials: a new throw pillow, a bamboo plant for my desk at work, a cheap milk frother for our at home coffee drinks, and a candle.
This weekend the temperatures were in the 90's so we escaped the heat on Saturday by going to the beach. We checked out Pacifica for the first time. They have some really cute beaches and there were a ton of surfers out. Shinobi is turning 2 years old next weekend, but since the Andy and Mary will be visiting, we celebrated this weekend by letting him dig in the sand and chase rocks on the beach. We went to the movies/air conditioning to watch Star Trek last night with Pete and Charissa. Unfortunately/fortunately we have a heated pool so it doesn't provide much relief on days like this.

Here are some photos from Pacifica, all the little black dots are surfers:

I had a very encouraging moment today with Shinobi. We have had to miss the last couple of Nursing Home visits with Furry Friends because of schedule conflicts. When we got there today he started pulling toward the building as soon as we got out of the car and pulled us all the way up the stairs too. I'm relieved he seems to love visiting these people! We are so lucky to have such a good dog!

Below is the obligatory Easter-egg-on-the-nose-so-the-dog-looks-like-a-freaky-bird photo for my Mom. It is amazing how hard my family laughs when we do this every year. The kind of laughing where sounds don't come out anymore and tears stream down your face. Weirdos :)

It's gorgeous outside so we went to breakfast outdoors and threw the ball for Shinobi at the park and got coffee. Now I'll probably read outside and work on my tan (with sunscreen of course) while Jonathan does homework until we go to Pete and Charissa's house for dinner and fun with Nick and Stacey. Hooray for laid-back Saturdays!

Shinobi made friends with two Havanese dogs. The black one is named Scout and the white and gray one is Lincoln. Their owners, Jane and Karl, go to our church. Shinobi and Scout are about the same age and they were playing like crazy. Jane and Karl's son got a camera for Christmas and was practicing his skills on Shinobi.

Shinobi had knee surgery because he had a luxating patella. When he would run and play his knee would get stuck and it got so bad that it would get stuck even if he was just standing around. Here he is with his cast on and his cast off. Yikes!

He is healing up well and is putting pressure on it now. Now we just have to get him to be good so it can heal. He's already trying to play and be a rascal. He is extra snuggly when he doesn't feel well though.

For our October Furry Friends visit, the dogs were supposed to wear costumes. Shinobi wore a pirate costume (but refused to wear the hat). There was a bumble bee, a cop, a devil, and lots of bandanas with pumpkins and bats on them.