Eastern Market

Walking around Eastern Market...and starting to throw fits!

Brunch

Thankfully my friends with kids can accept last minute brunch (I call it brunch, but really it was a 9:00 breakfast!) plans. But wow, 8 adults and 5 kiddos and 1 baby and 3 on the way= chaos. But seriously, we're all use to it so no one was really bothered that we couldn't complete our conversations or had to scream to talk to one another.
However, by the end of the time, we resorted to this:

Putting them all out on the screened in deck.
The rest of the time went something like this:

And we ended our time with an opportunity for each couple to share. I'm so thankful for this community God has clearly placed in my life.

Funxion Restaurant

Every birthday in our office is celebrated by going out to lunch. The restaurant pick is our choice. My co-worker knows that our boss is vegan and that I'm dairy and gluten free (practically vegan) so she tried to pick a healthy option. We looked at Funxion's website and thought the options looked great. The pictures were colorful and it made us want to try it out. None of us will ever go back! The water glasses were pretty and made for a good picture, but the food and service was terrible.  

Have you ever laughed so hard that tears came down your eyes? I did just that- at a lunch withall my co-workers and boss. (An officer of the Senate!) We looked like little kids sitting at a tiny table with plastic chairs. We were the only ones there! (of course, to give them credit, we arrived at 2) 

Our waitress had to remove a water glass so that she could make room for the food. The food was less than par and when we asked for salt to give it a little taste, we were denied. "We don't have salt here." I couldn't help but laugh again. Funxion Restaurant is not a place to visit in DC.

Weekend Meals: Black Bean and Corn Salad

This salad is a great option for those with/without food allergies. It's easy to make as a side dish, or can be served before a meal with tortilla chips. (which are gluten free)
Mix together:
2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 red pepper cut into small pieces
1/2 red onion cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons cut fresh cilantro
1 avacado cut into small pieces
Juice of 1 lime

Let sit for 15 min and then enjoy.

Lederhosen

I don't remember what caused me to buy a pair of child's size lederhosen at a second hand store in Austria (10 years ago)...but I did and I happened to find them in a keepsake box this summer.
In honor of Mr. Wy's first German friend (my dear friend Nadine who was visiting this weekend) I thought I'd pull them out.

Every boy should own a pair!

Anxiety and Working Moms

This is Wy. This is Wy on his first and second day with our live in nanny. (who took these pics and sent them my way- of course, they made my day!) This is Wy without his mama. (who he had with him for almost a month!) While this picture makes me happy and even encourages me that Wy is happy, it also makes me sad.
I'd be remiss if I only shared the 'good' things going on in my life through my camera lens. Life's not easy, it's really complex and lately I've been so encouraged and thankful for my friends who've blogged about their real life issues. They've blogged about struggles that I've had, and that I continue to have: namely being a working mom and anxiety. As I've been learning to open up about my own life and struggles with others, I've discovered I'm not alone. So if you need some encouragement in these areas, go here:
Working Moms (for this one you will have to look at Aug 29th, specifically) and Anxiety. Thank you, Lauren and Sara for being willing to share.

Refuge From The Hurricane

We thought our power would go out during the hurricane, and it turns out that we were correct. 3 full days without electricity= let's seek refuge at my mom's.
Here's the pics to prove it:

The highlights: Wy watching Barney for the first time and Wy breaking a family heirloom. Oh yes. Thank you mom and dad for trusting us with your home :)

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Pepperoni Pizza

After going both gluten and dairy free, I never thought I'd taste 'decent' pizza. The book Cooking For Isaiah saves the day AGAIN! First of all, the author gives you a recipe to make your own flour (it's not intimidating at all) and then you make the pizza dough using your own flour fix. (the book also teaches you how to make allegry free bread) The results? Even those without allergies love it! (namely my husband)

And the next day, we tried it again, this time with store bought GF flour:

This book is a great gift for anyone with a gluten and/or dairy allergy.

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend was spent at Osprey Point Conference Center for a Faith and Law retreat. We absolutely loved our time. (almost didn't go because Wyatt was sick the day before we left) Loved the fellowship we had with other Christians and the relaxation of the time away. (mainly from the setting and scenery) It was the first time I encountered God in a long time.

Mr. Wy loved exploring the grounds...

Even though the retreat was amazing, I spent most of the time tired and not feeling so well. I think it had something to do with this:

My mom made me take two, just in case! I guess the word is out. We are expecting.