Jasmine rice (cooked)
milk
dried cranberries
powdered cardamom
sugar
coconut oil
crushed pecans

Stir all together and heat in a saucepan. Enjoy!

Why pecans, you ask? A big goal of ours this summer is to use the food that we have and to do less impulse grocery shopping. Well, pine nuts are expensive and not in my pantry. But I have pecans. And pecans are healthy and yummy. Plus, my father-in-law grows them in a sweet pecan orchard in Texas (just for me, I like to think).

Here’s the recipe. Lauren, I have no measurements. That’s just how I roll.

fresh basil (a sandwich baggie-full)
fresh garlic (I used 5 cloves because Jeremy is not a huge garlic fan but I like a little kick. Katie C, you will want to use more.)
olive oil
sea salt
parmesan cheese (to taste, which means I used a lot)
pecans (2 handfuls)

Throw everything in the blender with the basil on the bottom. If it doesn’t blend well, add more oil. We’ll be eating ours tonight over angel hair pasta. It would be perfect over crusty bread, too.
Happy eating!

I had been looking forward to our little vacation for MONTHS. Being pregnant has been incredible, but it has been bittersweet to be pregnant so far away from home. It has been hard not to be able to share my pregnancy with my family. I wanted to show off my belly to my sisters and have time to just talk for hours with my mamacita. And our trip did not disappoint!

Kara and I took cheesy belly pics (which will definitely not make it on the blog, but were fun to take). Evie had lots to say about her coming “girl cousin.” Dad had lots of advice (don’t take my granddaughter on an airplane, don’t microwave on plastic, get extra vitamin D). And Mom and I got to talk while everyone else was napping or jet-skiing. But the absolute BEST part of our weekend was the 1st night we got there.

I never doubt that my family loves me. That first night we were all together, they proved not only that they love me well, but that they know me well. And being known and loved, is quite simply, one of the very best feelings. Most of us had gone out to explore the grounds and let Ev roast some marshmallows at the poolside fire pit. When we returned to the condo, Amy had transformed it into… a BABY SHOWER! The place looked amazing! There was a clothesline pinned across the mantel with paperdoll baby clothes on the tiniest pastel clothespins with sweet wishes and greetings for the babe from every member of the family. Sweet things like, “Hey, baby Phillips, you may be born in Colorado, but you have to learn to crawl before you learn to climb- Joel.” Scattered across the mantel, coffee table, dining table, and bar were the cutest favors- pink M&Ms in tiny bottles, pink bubblegum cigars, lollipop pacifiers, and a purple onion (ahem, Amy? Joel?).

And then there were gifts! And oh, the gifts! This is the part where I felt really well known by my sweet family. It’s not just that they spoiled us (though they did). It was that everything they picked out for us was so personal and simply perfect. Now normally it would seem tacky to me to list gifts, like I was bragging. But these were the kind of gifts that made me teary-eyed. Each gift was so reflective of the giver and of our relationship. Joel, quirky bibliophile, found a book about knit graffiti. I love that he found me something crafty but not girly, and a little rebellious, too. (It should also be noted that he had previously gifted me THIRTY-TWO ounces of cocoa butter when he came to visit in April “for my stretch marks”- uh, thanks?). Music lover and Austin native Dad gave Jeremy a CD of classic Texas music from the likes of Willie Nelson and Jerry Jeff Walker so the babe will stay true to her roots. Jeremy was also delighted to get a gift card to REI for some pint-sized adventure gear. Katie and Evie, total book junkies, gave me a book from one of their favorite children’s book series, Sheep Blast Off! by Nancy Shaw. Apparently, Katie has noticed that I not-so-subtly eye Evie’s book collection whenever I’m home, trying to discern which books I might possibly abscond with without detection. Strategically, she is helping me start my own collection. Amy, the thoughtful planner of the group, had organized a mass family tie-dying project, and she thought of everything! She had 10 onesies in 3 different sizes plus adult-sized t-shirts, the dye kit, extra rubber bands, and even laundry detergent. The babe will be rocking those onesies; Amy’s a tie-dying genius! Kara, the fashion plate, found really cute maternity clothes. That’s right, the girl SUCCESSFULLY shopped for a pregnant lady who she had never seen pregnant. How many of you can buy maternity clothes for someone else? And did all those clothes fit perfectly? Yeah, well Kara can buy me clothes any time! There is a reason why these three girls were my maids on honor 5 years ago; they think of everything and are such good sisters!

And then there was my sweet mom, the mastermind party planner and gift giver extraordinaire. She thought of all the little details, down to gourmet cupcakes and baby shower plates and napkins.

I can’t even guess how many hours she spent planning things and shopping and sewing little pretties for the babe. She made TWO baby blankets, a light one for summer and a fleece one for winter, and every family member is embroidering their signature on the fleece blanket. I love the idea of my babe wrapped in the names of her family this winter, especially since she will have to wait 6 weeks to meet most of them at Christmas. My mom also sewed a little fleece hat and the sweetest scalloped booties. See? You would cry a little, too, I bet. Somehow my mom had managed to save 2 of my baby outfits on the sly for 30 years, and she pulled them out and wrapped them up for just this occasion. The sweet little yellow smocked dress below was my coming-home-from-the-hospital dress, complete with yellow tights and tiny hand knit sweater. And this is just what my girl will be wearing when she comes home. She also saved my first Christmas outfit- a spiffy red velvet number with “Merry Christmas” pantaloons. You’ll have to wait until Christmas to see it- it’s darling and vintage and perfect and has just a hint of elf-flair.

Not quite as sentimental, but still exceedingly thoughtful and perfectly the type of thing that Jeremy and I like, my mom found some really cute decorations for the nursery. She found these great wooden nesting owls and a charming knit mermaid we named “Shellby” (because she is conspicuously missing her shells). Since the babe will be born in chilly Denver fall, she also gave us the softest little Baby Gap outfit and really cute Mary Jane socks.

Thank you, sweet family! Jeremy and I felt extravagantly blessed by you all. It was so marvelous to celebrate the soon arrival of the newest addition to our family. Thank you for being excited with us! We love you more than a blog post can convey and are so grateful that we are family!

After Friday night, we spent the next 3 days playing in the water! There was pool lounging and pontoon boating and eating, eating, eating, then jet-skiing and fireworks and more pool water-sliding. And we did not capsize the pontoon boat. And no one caught on fire for more than 2 seconds. We consider that a successful 4th of July. The weekend ended far too quickly. The little girls and Joel had to head back to school and everyone else had to head back to jobs. And I got to head home with a sweet collection of tangible reminders of how precious my family is to me and of how well my family is going to love our little girl.

On Saturday evening I was privileged to take a long run with my friend Jon up Loch Vale Trail. I had planned this run for weeks (months?) and it was better than I dreamed. It easily tops the list as my most memorable run ever. We started at 6:00pm with just enough light to make it up and down, and with a small thunderstorm having just blown through, the other trail users were gone. Above Alberta Falls we saw one lone flyfisherman heading down. Everything was wet and lush and it was the magical time in the evening when the light is most striking. The trail itself is pristine, heading up to Alberta Falls, then up into the valley where enormous rock cliffs provide some of the best climbing anywhere. Eventually the trail cuts through dense forests on trails of cut stone and half sawn tree trunks. Coming around a bend the path dropped us alongside the quietly lapping shores of The Loch, with our final destination, the waterfall at the lip of the Lake of Glass, as a stunning backdrop. Past The Loch and just above treeline it turns to a hands and feet scramble up the side of a waterfall, where the trail essentially turns into a stream. Gaining the lip of the waterfall you suddenly find yourself in a giant basin surrounded by 13,000 foot mountains and a long view back into the valley. Jaw-dropping. It took us nearly two hours to cover the 7 miles and 2,000ft, but it flew by and faded into the background within a setting like that.

It was pure enjoyment, being physically able to move and run in such a time and place with a friend. Every turn had us smiling and uttering exclamations of amazement. The day is coming sooner than I expected where I won’t be able to do physical things like this, but I hope having done it once will be enough to sustain in me a thankful attitude towards my Maker.

“He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved…
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them…
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
They flow between the hills;
They give drink to every animal of the field;
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
The earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom have you made them all;
May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works.” – from Psalm 104

I didn’t take these photos, but collected them off of flickr (key word search “loch vale” or “lake of glass.” Unfortunately I don’t remember where all of them came from, but some of the nicer ones (and many more) are from a user here (RichsPics).

This, we are told, is the baby giving us a thumbs up. I guess she’s just letting us know things are OK down there. I also post it for all the Aggies.

And here she is stretching:

Last weekend Annie and I got to spend the weekend in southwest Colorado. It’s too bad that part of the state is so far away. So much to see and explore. Our good friends the McPheeters invited us down for the weekend to stay with them in their house in Pagosa Springs. We spent the time playing with the kids, biking, hiking, eating well, and generally enjoying the setting and the company. On Saturday morning I was heading out to the truck when I saw a bear in the front yard. He ran as soon as he heard me, but still exciting. We left Sunday afternoon and drove to Durango for dinner, then up towards Silverton to camp. We drove down a forest service road towards Lime Creek, where we came across a nice campground on the river. I promised Annie that if we camped this summer, I’d make sure we had a new tent, an air mattress and lots of pillows. So recently we bought them all. Cush. Not sure I can go back now.

Do you see the bear?

We made it into Silverton the next morning where I had been planning on a trail run. In a couple of weeks the Hardrock 100 will be run, starting and ending there in Silverton. The Hardrock 100 is the ultimate of trail races, a 100 mile foot race with a total elevation gain of 33,992 over the course of 48 hours. Beyond imagination tough. The race uses some obscure backcountry trails in places (and often no trails), so I thought it would be a good course to find something off of the beaten path. I decided to run the first leg of the race from Silverton to Cunningham Gulch and get a small taste. It was mainly an excuse to pore over topographical maps for days. I love maps. The trail starts in town at 9,310 and takes 4×4 roads up past several mines and an aerial tramway. Above treeline it switches to an old trail that goes over Little Giant at 13,000 and down a steep but awesome descent to Dives Basin, where Annie was to pick me up. Annie and I agreed on meeting on the other side of the ridge in 3 1/2 hours, but I was moving too slow to meet the cutoff. I decided turning around was better than creating panic, so I came back down. I was so close and a little disappointed, but maybe next time!

This is where I wanted to be (some photos from Blake Wood @ the Hardrock 100 web site):

And the awesome descent… next time!

And here are a few recent photos of Annie, the baby, and the house.

Jeremy, I am so thankful that you chose me! I am more in love with you than ever.
Happy anniversary, my love!
Annie
P.S. You are going to be the BEST daddy!

Our Marriage Vows

Jeremy: Annie, before God, our family, and friends, I promise to honor God first with my life and love for you. With Jesus Christ as my example, I choose to cherish you alone above everyone else in my life. I desire to celebrate with you when life is full of happiness and comfort you in my arms when life is full of pain. With the Holy Spirit as my guide, I promise to protect your heart from anything that would threaten our faith or our love for each other. I vow to lead you with the love and wisdom shown to me by my Lord, to provide for you emotionally, financially, and physically, to anticipate your needs and fill them, to always adore you as His precious daughter and as my beautiful wife. I will never divorce you physically or emotionally. I promise to be loyal to you, the love of my life, until I lay you in the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Annie: Jeremy, before God, our family, and friends, I promise to honor God first with my life and my love for you. With Jesus Christ as my example, I choose to cherish you alone above every one else in my life. I desire to celebrate with you when life is full of happiness and comfort you in my arms when life is full of pain. With the Holy Spirit as my guide, I promise to protect your heart from anything that would threaten our faith or our love for each other. I vow to always respect you with my words and my actions, to provide for you emotionally, physically, and spiritually, to keep no record of wrongs, to trust your spiritual guidance in our family, to love you unconditionally as my treasure, my husband, my friend. I will not divorce you physically or emotionally. I promise to be loyal to you the love of my life until I lay you in the arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.