Celebration Meal

Recipe time!

 I altered this recipe for the Cod.  Mahi and Cod are both light flaky fish, so this worked out well.  I left out the buttermilk in the topping and used white wine rather than white wine vinegar.  It was delicious, but I would add more jalapeno next time - it was zesty, but not spicy!

 This is the recipe (altered slightly, again) for the Gingered Shrimp.  I used Edamame instead of snow peas and quinoa instead of cous cous.  Edamame were truer to season and fresher at our grocer, not to mention absolutely delish!  This was my favorite dish of the evening.  I didn't eat the prawns.  But the quinoa (that I cooked in mushroom broth) and mixed with the edamame and onions? WOW.  I'll be doing it as a side again soon!

 The recipe for the pear salad was not the one I have used in the past and I was a little disappointed with it, but no one else seemed to care.  Next time I'll toast the pine pine nuts with a bit of curry powder, and add a bit more mustard to the dressing.  The only thing I changed with this one was leaving the cheese on the side for the others to add for themselves (so I could still eat it)!

 Feast waiting for eaters!

We didn't get photos of the chickpea patties being made or the cucumber salsa, but here are the recipes for both of them.  I used hemp oil rather than olive in the salsa but it wasn't spicy at all, so more peppers next time.  In the patties we used Coconut aminos instead of soy, and potato chips (organic and baked - no extra oils) instead of panko.
We were all so tired that we actually didn't play a game, we watched the battle rounds for The Voice instead.  One of C's roommates had been working all day at the hospital and hadn't had time to cook  dinner, so C whisked away some of the leftovers to her (love that my girl thought to do that - such a sweet heart).
We said goodbye to C at 8, after a rousing conversation about contradictory scientific evidences out there (too heavy a subject with a full belly, a glass of wine, & heavy eyelids), and hugs & kisses & declarations of love & promises of another day soon to be together.

(bottom 5 photographs courtesy of C picking up my camera and snapping away!  Love it when someone does that!)

Family Time

Our first Memorial Day celebration with family in 5 years.  

So good to be together again.

A Very Berg (Lancette, Turner, Kahn, Paul) New Year

Every now and then we find ourselves in the middle of a story that just seems to fit.  This life often leaves me questioning whether I am in the right place, if I'm doing the right things, if I am listening closely enough to the leading of the Holy Spirit, if Jesus is truly in the midst of it all... and then pieces fall into place.

That's what happened this past year.  In July we made a trip to Moses Lake to photograph the wedding of a dear friend.  One of the young men in the wedding party sorta stole our hearts.  He was goofy but you could feel the love of God in him.  Come to find out he was from Montana too.  An hour and a half away from our home.  He was also homeschooled and loved his family beyond belief!  My girls are so much better at making friends than I am.  They had "friended" everyone on Facebook by the time we left Moses Lake so they could keep in touch.  

By August Minda had friended the entire Berg family (8 kids + mom & dad) and they were making plans to get together again.  2 of them made the trip to be with us during a garden party, and we didn't want them to leave.   Then 4 of the girls and their mimi came to be with us for a day of fun and photos.  Mimi and I got to talk and become friends - because Jesus was so apparent in her it was easy to be open and transparent. 

It was our turn to visit them.  We made the trip to Helena (a huge feat for us at this stage in our lives) over New Year's eve/day to meet the entire family and their closest friends, the Turners.  Our hearts and conversations were drawn to Jesus ~ His grace, His love, His power, His forgiveness ~ over and over. We spent New Year's eve around the fire, the dinner table, the kitchen counter, the "dance central" upper room, so aware of His presence.

The kids stayed at the Berg house ringing in the New Year with music and laughter and more conversations about Jesus.  (How much do I love that my 21, 19, & 17 year olds have found others just their ages and younger that want to talk God?!!)  James and I stayed with Nick and Sharon and rang in the New Year with snores and soft fluffy pillows.  :)

The next morning was more of the same.  Food, Jesus, communion, laughter - and relationship was firmly established.  Even for the skeptics (Neither John or James~ the dads~ were sure this weekend was going to be anything other than uncomfortable. They ended up more connected than the rest of us, I think.) 

There were tears when we left.  On both sides.

We Love these people.  How does that happen so quickly?  How do you go from barely meeting someone at a wedding to spending the weekend with their entire family and walking away as an extended part of that family?

My only answer is

Jesus.

We are in His story.  His narrative. 

He makes all the pieces come together, and we stand in wonder at it all.

 A new year rung in with new friends, some sick dance moves and a whole lot of laughter!

Thanks Remi, Mimi, Becky, John, Nick, Sharon, and, of course, Josh, Zac, Caiti, Abi, Aly, Milli, Sophi, Maddi, Josh T., Tamara, Leea and Nosh (Ryan)!! We loved every minute of our time with you.
A new tradition has begun!

Ohhhhhhhh Ya!

This years tree trimming video is edited and up on Youtube.  Be forewarned, it's 8 min.  We tried to cut it down but it was so much fun!  Turn your volume up so you don't miss the side comments!
The latest installment of Paul family merrymaking...  
(click)
Glad we had this night before the flu took my consciousness beyond oblivion for 6 straight days.  Also thankful to now be on the mend.

22

Love him like crazy

James and I celebrate 22 years of being friends and lovers, having 2 to tango, knowing one another inside-out, being each other's significant.

J's Bday Celebration

I'll still do my "Morning" post, but I wanted to commemorate J's 43rd birthday feast!  

God really blessed this man.  Living in a land locked state makes it next to impossible to get fresh, affordable seafood, let alone your favorite seafood on your special day of the year!

Costco had just received a shipment of Alaskan King Crab legs that morning that had been caught the day before.  I was waiting for the shoe to drop. There was no way, even at Costco, that they were going to be affordable.  Then the nice employee said the words $4.59#!!  He kindly showed me what 10# looked like and packaged them up for me to take home and BLOW MY HUSBAND'S SOCKS OFF!  It was his gift from all of us, along with a set of crackers and pickers to get the delectableness out of that crusty 'ole shell!  

We also had Salmon Fly Microbrew from Madison River, garlic butter, a grilled garlic artesianal loaf, and a spectacular green salad with his favorite blue cheese crumbles on the side - but J. only ate crab! :)

For dessert we headed to The Chocolate Moose for Wilcoxin's famous Montana Moose Moss cones.

We love him immensely.

Thanksgiving Eve

Tomorrow is:

friendship. togetherness. laughter.

Piled plates. delighted taste buds. full bellies. toasts.

 giggles. music. grace renewed. thankfulness unleashed. memories gathered.

~ I await it with glorious anticipation! ~

Scenes of the Day

I haven't figured out this new format that blogger loads photos in, so the scenes aren't in order...