Love & lemonade

Yesterday was the hottest day we've seen here in Belgium. We spent most of the afternoon sitting at an outdoor cafe bidding some friends farewell before they took off for a 6 week project in Thailand. It was hot. It was sunny. It felt like summer (my pink shoulders and Didz's strawberry-colored nose prove it). But when we got home, we realized we were in trouble. Our top-floor apartment was stifling. It was unbearable. So in the evening, instead of suffering inside, we went out on the back deck and sipped some cold beverages (a lemonade for me, and a beer for my man), and waited for the cool evening air to bring some relief.

While we sat there we realized, as a lot of our friends back home are congregating in Boston for a Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival this weekend, that it was four years ago at the festival in Los Angeles that we fell in love... So, dear polka-dancing Lithuanian friends, we hope you have a wonderful time dancing, singing, drinking and that some love connections are made... :)

Cheers! I sveikata! 

Reunion

Over the weekend I was reunited with Deana. There's really not much more to say...

Miss you already, D.

Lunch Date

When you live in a small town, the discovery of a new restaurant or cafe is pretty exciting. Especially when the newly opened restaurant has exposed brick walls, grows tomatoes and peppers on the windowsills, and has the most incredible lunch menu serving delicious paninis with every combination of Italian meats, cheeses, veggies and tapenades imaginable. We've been there for lunch twice now, and can't wait to go back and try their dinner offerings (we haven't looked at their dinner menu yet, but as we were leaving we witnessed the kneading and rolling out of fresh pasta dough, so chances are dinner will be fresh and delicious, too).

I might have to insist on sampling the dessert menu next time, too. You know, just to get an accurate and well-rounded feel for the place:)

Have a happy Thursday!

This week, so far, has been full of pleasant surprises... just a bunch of little things that have made me smile: A super incredible email from Allyson, a gorgeous wedding invitation from Mollie (is it weird to want to frame someone else's wedding invite?), an unexpected afternoon visit from Kirsten to bake (and eat) cookies, and the biggest doozy of a surprise.... my trouble-making, shenanigan-causing, wine-drinking, napkin-hat-wearing, boogying-down, best friend Deana writing to say her work trip in London will wrap up at the end of the week and she'll be on a train to Leuven on Friday (!!!).

These types of moments and emails and surprises remind me how awesome my friends are and how, no matter how far away we might live from one another, they're always there.

Thank you, ladies.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my favorite dance partner, and the greatest dad in the world. 

I know I'm all grown up, married, and starting a family of my own... but I'll always be your little girl. 

Myliu!

xx

A long week, and some cherries

This has been a long, strange week. The weather has been completely schizophrenic - within minutes a blue sky, sunny day clouds over and rain comes pouring down. I've gone out in sunglasses, and come home soaking wet. The sunshine makes me want to go out and enjoy the day, the rain makes me want to curl up in bed. The hormones make me crazy and emotional, and the aches and pains of pregnancy make me grouchy. Didz has been working so hard on a project due next week - but has still managed to take care of me, AND he has braved the rains to run to the store to bring home ice cream (he really is amazing...). He calms me down during my fits of anxiety (honestly, all it takes is for him to rub my belly, and tell our baby girl he loves her and my heart just melts), and he plops me down on the couch with my feet up after dinner while he does the dishes (*swoon*)... I'm so grateful for him, and I'm consciously trying not to let the fear of the unknown (all the looming uncertainties of our future) get me down. I would hate to look back on these months and wish I was more present and more positive. I'm so glad he reminds me and encourages me to smile and continue to enjoy this adventure. With Father's Day this weekend, I can't help but smile thinking what a lucky little girl our baby is to have a daddy like Didz.

Womb-er has it....

We went to the doctor yesterday, and I giggled all the way home... We are so thrilled, and so happy to share with you that....

babyDidzette's first dress

I've spent the past 24 hours daydreaming of her princess themed birthday parties and baking cookies on rainy days together... while Didz is looking forward to coaching her basketball team and taking her to baseball games (just like my dad did when I was little). We can't wait to get to know this baby gal as she grows up and explores the world. We keep wondering if she'll have blue eyes like me, or brown eyes like Didz... will she be funny like her mama or will she sing like her daddy (a little pitchy - but full of heart :)... will she be artistic or analytical... boisterous or soft-spoken... will she like chocolate or vanilla... the Lakers or the Raptors???

All we really know, is that she will be LOVED. 

Who are you, little Sprout?

With our doctor appointment just days away, I'm getting super antsy to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. Didz is convinced it's a girl. I'm undecided, but secretly hoping for a kitten....

What do you think?

Have a wonderful weekend! xo

Rainy day blues (accompanied by Otis)

Yesterday was a chilly, rainy day... the kind of day where all you can really do is put on some Otis Redding and bake a cake... and then when your husband comes home and sees the large gaping hole in the cake pan, you blame your unborn child for eating so much of it.

I hope the sun comes out from behind the clouds today, otherwise this baby will eat the other half of that cake before Didz gets home... (if you read this, honey, I promise to save you a bite). 

Happy Thursday, friends! 

Mini Weekend Bits (a day late)

I haven't been taking many pictures lately - partly because carrying the extra weight of my camera is getting more difficult with an aching back and growing belly, but also because sometimes when I'm too focused on capturing everything with the camera, I miss out on actually experiencing the moment. So this weekend, I only took a handful of pictures and saved the rest of the memories in my mind. So, dear friends, I'm sorry I can't show you the burger the size of my face I ate on Saturday when Didz and I lucked out and got a table at one of my favorite restaurants (where I've only eaten twice because getting a table without a reservation is nearly impossible), or the marching band that interrupted our meal by marching through the square playing their tubas and drums and trumpets so loud we couldn't hear ourselves think. And I'm sorry I didn't photograph the beautiful brunch set-up and glorious spread of food we prepared for 12 of our friends on Sunday, which had to be moved inside because our patio party got rained out, or the delicious rhubarb cake that got devoured throughout the course of the afternoon. And I don't have any pictures of our friends eating and drinking and laughing and talking - because I was just too in love with the moment.

The few photos I captured are below, if you'd like to see:

beach volleyball in the sunshine

making fruit salad

robbie, on his perch

didz. beer.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! June has really snuck up on us, and while we're welcoming summer, we're secretly wishing we had an extra month or two to figure out some of the looming question marks we're dealing with before Didz's graduation at the end of August. 

Ah well... C'est la vie!

Last night

Last night, with some leftover chicken I had in the fridge, I made wontons and served them with a little ginger-soy dipping sauce. It was incredibly simple (I bought the wonton wrappers at the Asian market in town and sauteed an onion, mushrooms, and a carrot that I had on hand) - but assembling them was time consuming.

After I filled, folded and sealed what felt like hundreds of wontons, I was beat. Didz, seeing that I was over it, says, "Gee, I bet you don't wonton do that anymore"....

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!