• 10.29.2008 loss…and gaining a heart of wisdom.
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    Our last visit with Nai Nai in San Francisco, Fall 2006. Time stood very still for a moment tonight, as families left our house after Bible Study and children were put to bed, and I checked the messages on my phone at the end of a long day.  There was a message from my mother relaying the unexpected, but peaceful passing of my Nai Nai, my grandmother on my dad’s side, earlier this afternoon.  The news caught my breath, formed immediate acuity, and cluttered my mind with thoughts, all at the same time.  Yet it was not that I felt cheated, that gave me pause, for she had been given a much longer life than most.  Nor was it grief, as my hope lies in that her passing was a heavenly homecoming.  What caused everything to come into sharp focus in that moment was the reality that my grandmother–who fully […]

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  • 10.29.2008 Baby Shower
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    The ladies at church threw me a baby shower at my friend Gen’s, over the weekend.  It was an evening, appetizer party…yum.  And at my request, we played no games.  I’m more of a get-to-know-you, rather than a guess-this-kind-of-baby-food kinda girl.  I had a wonderful time, and was greatly blessed.  Now that I have diapers, newbie clothes, and all the essentials, we’re ready to meet this little boy! *most of my pictures did not turn out…but I thought I’d share them anyway…

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  • 10.27.2008 A Rustic Fall Dinner
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    {photo from Williams-Sonoma} We had a special group of friends over for a dinner meeting last week. As the temperature has dropped in the evenings here, it is now the perfect time for hearty, one-pot meals. On the menu was this delicious beef and stout pie I discovered in a Williams-Sonoma catalog. The pie was complemented by a cranberry-pear-pecan-and-feta salad, baked brie en croute with a cranberry-blueberry chutney, crusty bread, and mashed potatoes. Dinner was followed by an apple tart made with rum-soaked golden raisins. The meal was rustic, made only more charming by the warmth of good company. Beef and Stout Pie adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen. *This hearty beef stew is slowly simmered on the stovetop, then topped with a blue cheese pastry and finished in a hot oven. Ingredients: 7 Tbs. olive oil 1 lb. white button mushrooms, quartered 2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed Salt and […]

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  • 10.23.2008 Jokester
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    My four yr. old Liam’s acquired a new skill in telling jokes.  This talent is so befitting his personality.  He gets all of his jokes from his Grandpa, the master.  Here’s one of Liam’s favorites…check out the other post on my video pod in the sidebar!

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  • 10.22.2008 pumpkin pictures, with a dose of reality first.
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    I am really tired today.  After a fairly productive morning of homeschool, I ventured to Target for lunch with three boys and my very pregnant belly.  It was to be a special treat for all of us.  I envisioned fun times of stocking up on household supplies while sipping on Icees and munching bags of popcorn.  I pictured three happy boys and a momma glad to be out on a crisp fall day.  And yet, it was not so.  Lunch ended up mostly on my clean shirt.  Icees proved to be too much sugar.  And while the two big boys were content and obedient, little Judah made up for all the compliant toddlers in the store, and whined and fussed the entire trip around Target, crying to either get out of the cart or open all items to be purchased.  It is so hard to make a decision, compare prices, […]

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  • 10.21.2008 Busy in the Kitchen
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    Chef Judah requires himself to wear an apron and chef hat whenever he is working in the kitchen.  On the menu today: HOT chicken and fish with orange juice.  Mmmmm…He even washes his own dishes!

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  • 10.17.2008 hot…and heavy.
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    Being just about 9 months pregnant is not the time one usually strives to look hot for her husband.  I realize I speak very little about hotness at GraceLaced, but it’s about time I mention how appropriate and gracious it really is to make oneself lovely and attractive for the enjoyment of your husband.  It’s just a little humorous that I’m getting around to sharing about such a thing when I am not unlike a lightbulb, a drumstick, or perhaps a butternut squash (trying to be seasonal here). Troy said to me, the other night, as I got ready for bed: “Your belly is gorgeous.”  Somehow, the juxtaposition of the word “gorgeous” with an ever-growing, stretch-marked belly was unexpected, but inspiring.  Though I’ve been through this three other times, I still find myself feeling, on occasion, overtaken by an alien during pregnancy.  And, no matter how many times you’ve seen […]

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  • 10.17.2008 Connecting…
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    My blog has been discovered by a kind new acquaintance in the blogworld.  It is always a joy to make new connections.  Brenda, over at It’s A Beautiful Life, wrote a post about GraceLaced today. Here’s the link. Thanks, Brenda, for featuring my blog!

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