Gini and I took our boys to the Nashville Farmer's Market and the Bicentennial Mall today. It was another beautiful day. Hot, but not humid. We walked around admiring the fresh produce, ate lunch, then played at the sprinkler park. It was perfect. I managed to get some pretty cute pictures, too.

Sprinkler Park

Ryan getting his hair wet.

Will playing in the sprinklers

Will and David

Will and Ryan finding Brentwood on the huge TN state map

Ryan was chilly in the breeze after he was wet. Check out that pouty face!

I love the expressions on their faces. They were wiped out after our big morning adventure.

Saturday night Will's baseball team had a pool party/cookout to celebrate the end of the season and to hand out the trophies and pictures. It was good to get together and visit with all these families that we have gotten to know this year. One of the families graciously offered to host the party because they have a nice backyard with a pool.

The boys having fun in the pool

Will getting his trophy

The star cookies I made were a bit hit. As you can tell by the new blog design, I am getting geared up for the 4th of July!

Boys eating their burgers and dogs

Today we celebrated Father's Day. My parents came to church with us, then everyone came back to our house for lunch. We had a great time and great food. Here are all 4 boys with Dads and Grandads! (this is the best picture we could get of 4 hungry and very hot little boys.)

The Perfect View

The boys were able to play on the Sky Fort today! The only thing lacking is the slide. JW had to go get the right bolts. (one of the many pieces of equipment missing from the box.) They were so happy to be able to swing out there today.
I was so happy to stand at my kitchen sink and watch them out the window. I have the best view out of the window above my sink. Even though my kitchen is small, has white plastic countertops and ugly brown linoleum flooring; it has a great sky light in the ceiling with awesome lighting and tons of windows. I love my kitchen even though it has a hole in the wall where the built-in microwave used to be in 1979. But, none of that stuff matters. The food I cook in that kitchen taste just as good as food I could cook in a big fancy kitchen filled with Viking appliances, granite countertops, and hardwood bamboo flooring. As I was watching them out that window this afternoon- swinging, talking, and laughing together- I wished I could bottle them up right now. Today, June 16th, 2009. Ages 3 and almost 6. Soon enough, they won't care about the Sky Fort or how many hours JW worked on it. The Sky Fort will just sit in the backyard and rot. But, for now, for today, this sunny afternoon- the view outside my imperfect kitchen window was totally perfect.

What's Cookin'?

I made this the other night for dinner and just had to share because it is so pretty and green and tasty! The perfect light summer dinner dish. (picture from Food and Wine.)

What have you been cooking lately?

Ingredients
1/2 pound penne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound thick asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups (10 ounces) shelled English peas or frozen baby peas, thawed
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and asparagus and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and boil over high heat until reduced by half and the asparagus are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the peas and cream to the skillet and boil over high heat until the sauce has thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in the penne and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, sage and the 1/2 cup of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve right away, passing additional cheese at the table.

10 Years!

John Will and I were married 10 years ago today at 12:00 noon in a little old chapel here in Nashville. It was a hot, sunny day and the entire affair was pretty close to a fairy-tale perfect wedding (thanks to my wonderful parents.)

This may be my favorite picture from the day. It was taken after we had already changed from our wedding clothes into our "going away" clothes. We are looking out the window of the limo that was taking us to the airport. We were both giddy with excitement. We were headed to Caneel Bay, St. John USVI for our honeymoon.

JW and I started dating in April, were engaged in August, and married in June. Drives home the point that when you meet the right person, you just know. The past 10 years have been fun and exciting, filled with lots of changes and joys. Will and Ryan have brought more joy than I could've ever dreamed of 10 years ago. I look forward to many more decades spent with the guy that continually awes me and makes me laugh.

Recent Read

I read this book while at the beach last week. The Ten Year Nap

by Meg Wolitzer. This is the first book I have read by this author, but I now want to read some of her other books. It was a funny, honest, and highly perceptive look at motherhood.

I am going to quote from the back cover of the book : "A ferverishly smart novel and about female ambition, motherhood, and marriage- and four friends who confront the choices they've made." I can't sum it up any better than that description. I could not identify with some of the situations because it is set in Manhatten, which is so different from my Southern suburban life. And, for some reason, I was left feeling like I should have read this book at age 43 instead of age 33. Maybe I will have to dig it out in another 10 years. I do highly recommend it to anyone of the female race, regardless of age.

Making Progress

Welcome June! I love the month of June (not as much as I love September, though.) Friday the 5th will mark the 10 year anniversary that JW and I got married. June is always a happy, sunny month that leaves you smiling all month long before the horrid heat of July and August bears down.

JW got a lot of work done on the Sky Fort this weekend thanks to great weather. It is really starting to shape up now.
The boys started swimming lessons today and it was a huge success. Will did great! Ryan had fun, but fussed a little when he had to put his head under water. Our teacher was great and I was very proud. We are thinking about joining the Y this summer so the boys can really work on their water skills.