More business casual baby clothes

This refashioned business casual ensemble was cut out before Easter but I never got around to sewing it.  I could have packed it but with all the sorting and packing I needed a bit of sewing therapy.  Henry also needed a new church outfit.  Other WIP may have to wait until we are settled in at point B. 

Lime summer slaw

I promised my sisters I'd post this before I closed up my kitchen.  This is our family's new favorite side and tortilla topper. 

1 head of green cabbage shredded

1 head of red cabbage shredded

sliced green onions

1-2 bunches of chopped cilantro

Dressing:
Juice of 4 limes
2 tsp fresh ginger grated
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS sugar
2 spoonfuls of garlic chili paste
4 TBS brown rice vinegar

keep in mind this makes a lot - I suppose this would be a double batch. Other variations would be to add carrots, sesame seeds, or fish sauce.  

Transition

Before I could get through the several piles of laundry from our National Parks trip I was once again packed up and off on another adventure of sorts, this time just with Paul and little Henry.  We spent 4 days back in MI searching for a new home.  Emily was kind and took care of not only the five other children but also our dog.  This enabled a very productive and focused search and we are now in the process of pursuing two very great options.

Transition is never easy though. A very wise woman I spoke to likened any change to what one experiences during childbirth. The transition stage of labor is where I always want to run away, give up, and ask myself "what was I thinking"?. The more I feed into these thoughts though the tougher and longer the pain. But as soon as I find the strength to stop resisting and just let it flow with slow breath the discomfort is soon over and the joy of a new baby has replaced any remembrance of pain.

Right now I'm in a transition of sorts. I feel pain for those who I will be leaving behind, I feel frustrated with stuff and clutter, and anxious about contracts and closings. To be honest I just want to hide under the covers or burrow behind my sewing machine, snap my fingers and have it all over and ourselves settled without the sweat. But this move is not going to happen without the focus of my mind and labor of my hands. It's time to take a deep breath, buy some packing tape and start cleaning into the deep dark corners of this home.

Biking Yosemite

We spent the last couple of days discovering the Yosemite Valley, it is spectacular.  There we were surrounded by waterfalls, rushing rivers, forests, meadows and boulders that reach the sky and able to enjoy it all on bikes.  

The only draw back to this park was we were are also surrounded by huge crowds of people.  But our Yurt neighbors, who were seasoned climbers and campers, reassured us one mile beyond the paved paths of the valley there is a completely different feel.

Besides biking the kids enjoyed a chilly dip in Mirror Lake, a guided nature walk with a ranger, and completing another Junior Ranger program.  This park is definitely worth revisiting.
  

Birthday brownie lava cake

My third attempt at dutch oven cooking didn't turn out as I expected but it tasted great!  It was basically just a brownie mix but the oven got tilted thus creating a half baked brownie cake with "lava" oozing from one side.  We topped it with a flaming marsh mellow for Paul to blow out and served it with a roasted marsh mellows on top of each serving. I should have just stuck a few on top during the last 2 minutes of cooking but that may have ruined my oven.

Even though the cake wasn't cooked evenly Paul noted that this year's birthday was way better than last year's.
       

Blogging from a Yurt

All of us are comfortable (only a little cold) in this 20 ft yurt.  There is no bathroom or running water and there was no time to run Clara up to the bathrooms.  Instead I convinced her to use a paper bowl as a bed pan - now that's roughing it.

Besides the bathroom situation, living in a yurt wouldn't be so bad.  I don't know if it is the shape or the lack of stuff that makes it so soothing, or maybe it's the allure of living a nomadic life because Paul is outside admiring all the neighboring  RV's, either way I'm ready to start cleaning out and hoping to execute a huge yard sale in the coming weeks.  

What we've been up to

1. Rustic cooking


2. Driving


3. Dragging the kids on hikes



4. Spotting wildlife


5. Negotiating a contract on our house