Food, food, FOOD!  Now that I look back on these photos I took in the last week, I’m wondering how in the world I didn’t gain 10 extra pounds, because evidently I ate a lot of food ~ and really delicious food at that!  To those of you who have a sneaking suspicion that you should avoid gluten, but resist getting tested, maybe this blog post will serve to assure you that there will still be plenty to eat should you discover a Celiac diagnosis.

I celebrated my birthday this week, and it was such a fun day!  Unfortunately, Robert has not been here this week due to travels and ministry responsibilities in Texas and Oklahoma, but the kids made up for his absence by greeting me first thing in the morning with breakfast in bed:

They even remembered the “You Are Special Today” red plate and placed handmade cards with handwritten notes on my tray. All of it was delicious and such a sweet encouragement to me.

Then I indulged in some wonderfully filling spiritual food: 2 Chronicles 30 and 31 as well as Psalm 119.  It was good to read about Hezekiah inviting all of Israel to return to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and the joyful worship that it led to ~ especially after all of the evil practices his father had instituted.

At lunchtime I met my dear friend Izckra at a local cafe:

China Breakfast Tea

Turkey/Cranberry/Gouda/Apple Slice Sandwich on GF bread 

Side Salad

Sweet Fellowship and Conversation

Later, the kids drove over to the same cafe to eat GF cupcakes with me!  The boys went for the lemon variety, but Kayla and I always opt for the chocolate ones with raspberry icing ~ YUM!

 We came home for a few hours which I had determined would be for reading Les Miserables {mental food}despite the not-quite-finished Gilead sitting on my night stand.  I read until it was time to take Kayla to her acrobatics class, and then read more while waiting for her to finish. I’m sure it will take me a year or more to complete it, but I love being reminded of all of the details that the movie and musical just can not include. I also read the short biography of Victor Hugo and a timeline of his life included in the front of the book.  Whoa.  Talk about tragic and scandalous ~ affairs, secrets, betrayals, mental illness, asylums, and untimely deaths.  I think he outlived his wife, his mistress, and all of his four children.

After acrobatics we all went to another friend’s house ~ Betsy ~ my running/triathlete partner and dear sister in Christ.  Betsy made White Chicken Chili, rice, and GF cornbread.  I wish I had taken picture of that meal ~ super delicious!  Kayla provided the birthday cake ~ a double layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and all gluten free.  Didn’t she do well with the decorations, too?

Last Friday we began a six week session of snow skiing at Mt. Snow near Wilmington, VT.  The kids get an hour and a half lesson, and then we take a lunch break.  After lunch they have 2-3 hours to ski anywhere they like.  Despite losing Kayla on the mountain for 20 minutes that felt like 20 hours {Ugh!}, and a major wipe-out with a minor injury by Kory, we all had so much fun!

Today we’re off to ski again, and I spent yesterday afternoon getting some food ready for our journey.  I always feel a bit of stress about packing lunches for trips like this, wanting to make sure there will be enough for lunch and snacks, that the kids will enjoy it, and that I don’t pack the same old thing every time. Surely there’s a blog out there somewhere dedicated to relieving this very concern?! 

After a breakfast of sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos on the way up, want to know what we’re packing for lunch today? {I’m sure you’re on the edge of your seat!}

See what I mean ~ a week of food, food, food.  To be honest, it feels like my life revolves around what the next meal will be, but this week it was easy, fun, and delicious.  Maybe even more so this week, since I cooked so little of it myself!