A proud moment...

This afternoon I went on a walking trip with Brent's first grade class to the local library. The kids were getting rammy & we were walking in the historic part of town, where there were uneven brick sidewalks - beautiful, but tricky if you don't watch your step. Anyway, Brent was about four kids in front of me when another classmate wasn't paying attention and wiped out. One of the dad chaperones picked up the boy and everyone kept walking. Brent went up to the kid, put his arm around his shoulder and quietly asked "Are you alright Josh?" He then patted him on the back and walked next to him and chatted, noticing that the boy was embarrassed, trying to take his mind off of his fall.

Brent didn't know I saw what he did until we got back to the school & I pulled him aside to tell him how proud I was that he took the time to check on Josh. His response "What? He's my friend, I was just making sure he was OK" - like no big deal, but to me it was a big deal. Empathy is a BIG deal.

Referral anniversary

Two years ago we got THE CALL. I remember that surreal moment like it was yesterday, hearing the words "Congratulations, you have a daughter..." - then, we anxiously waited for her referral picture to come via email (I obsessively wore out the refresh button) and this is the face that took our breath away:

Two years later, cuter than ever:

How did we get so lucky?

A favorite summer dish...

OK, I'm starting a summer dish blog chain (if there's such a thing). With picnics and parties in the summer it's nice to have different dishes to bring instead of our old comfort standby's - mine being a potato or pasta salad (yummy, but boring). So I'm tagging anyone who reads & is interested in sharing. Please be sure to post on the comments that you participated because I'd hate to miss your specialty.

Below is a scrumptious salad - hope you enjoy:

Strawberry orange salad with cinnamon vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 avocado, sliced
1 (10-ounce) package romaine lettuce

Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with half of Cinnamon Vinaigrette (see recipe below), tossing to coat. Serve remaining vinaigrette with salad.

Cinnamon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup raspberry vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon hot sauce

Preparation
Combine olive oil and remaining ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously. Chill at least 2 hours. Shake well before serving.

Time to reconnect...

Wow, where to begin. School is out for me and I have the summer OFF. Woohoooo! It's been a long time coming and this semester kicked my arse. My head has been pressed up against my books so hard, I've barely come up for air. I still have the binding imprints on my forehead. 13 credits sucked up so much of my time and my house reflects it. Thankfully, I only have two semesters left of nursing school and the fun stuff starts in the fall - I'm really looking forward to maternity, pediatrics & trauma.

Thanks for all of the sweet words of sympathy when we lost our dear Jake. He is missed terribly. I still call out his name and cry when I think about not ever seeing him again. Who knew the loss of a pet would hurt so badly.

On a happier note, we now have a new member of our family - his name is Henry. He's a 10 month old one of these. Crazy? Yep. We have a neighbor who fosters these dogs & he was a little neglected by his first owner and needed a family - I just couldn't resist his sweet goofy face. He's great with the kids and is the most gentle and calm puppy I've ever been around. I've only experienced Lab pups & if you've ever read the book Marley & Me or had one, you know they are nutty puppies. Sweet, but a little crazy. Henry's only issue is chewing - shoes, toys and my vacuum cleaner (?). The best thing about Henry, other than his sweet disposition, HE DOESN'T SHED. You read that right - HE DOESN'T SHED. Coming from the mother of Jake, who had hypothyroidism and shed like he was on chemo, it's a BIG deal. When I get the chance I'll have to post pictures of the cutie pie. Jade, our other dog, was really missing Jake and has been warming up to goofy Henry.

So, as the title of this post goes, I finally have some free time and plan on reconnecting with my family, friends and neighbors. One thing I'm excited about is being able to read something for fun and I am finally able join in on Stephanie's (Written Word) book club this month.