Mac and Cheese Fest

Oh boy, these little food fests are off the charts. We had four varieties to choose from and they were divine. What will we come up with next?

Ah, food coma...

A Day of Rest

So nice to have a day of rest after the last couple of work days. We have a lovely time at Fresno Sunnyside SDA Church and a restful afternoon enjoying the air conditioning. We did finally venture out for a walk along the canal. Somehow we forgot to bring a carrier for Lincoln, so Robb rigged a sheet, which served the purpose.




In the evening, we enjoyed some fresh fruit pies with whipped cream. I'm pretty sure it doesn't get much better than fresh fruit pie with whipped cream.

Beat the Heat

It was SO hot today that Robb and Ezekiel took a little break to get some shave ice. Being the awesome guys that they are, they even brought some home for me!

Lincoln Photo of the Day

Nothing. Is. Better. Than. Fresh. Raspberries.

Date Night

DATE NIGHT!!! You must excuse my use of all caps and exclamation marks, but date nights have been few and far between around here. So tonight we headed out for a night on the town (or at least dinner at Pho Sho and magazine browsing at Hastings) and the boys got to spend some time with Gabby.

Almost ready for the king to have his bath.

Gabby Snaps

Loves his bling.

Gabby made this incredible peanut butter edible play dough. I may or may not have eaten some.

A Wee Party

My dear friends put together this little birthday dinner and it was perfect in every way. Robb always claims that he doesn't do celebrations well, but I beg to differ. Thanks to all of you, I had a wonderful day.

Zeke and Oliver explore together.

Zeke gives me a hand with the candles.

The boys plundering the strawberry patch.

Checking out the tent situation. Everyone approves.

The Manly Fishing

Just after it hit the ground!

These guys are to blame for my fishing craze this season. Mark and Chris are a couple of amazing fishermen that I work with, and since I know very little on using a spinning rod, I'm soaking up everything they have to say. Thanks guys!

From the Freezer

These kids are seriously lucky to have a gal like Gabby in their lives. She made them popsicles to eat today, and were they ever a hit. I have a feeling I'm going to be getting requests for these all the time now.

A Little Indulgence

How to explain these shots... So we were celebrating Nelita's birthday with chocolate cream puffs. Zeke is still pretty early in the potty training process. He went through a whole outfit in the first few minutes that we were at the Crawfords (shirt too!?). And there he is, enjoying his dessert while lounging in his underoos.

Cookie Maker

Today Zeke and I whipped up a batch of Peanut Butter cookies. He was such a good little helper. Since he is always trying to help himself to the things on the counter, it is nice for him to have opportunities when he is actually allowed to.

He added all of the ingredients to the bowl and did a bit of stirring. Then, when it was time, it was his job to make the fork impressions on each cookie. He also wanted to be the official cookie dough tester, and was a bit dismayed when the trays went into the oven, as he thought his fun was over.

The Great Pumpkin

This fall when we visited the pumpkin patch, I happened to mention to Robb that I was going to make pumpkin pies out of whatever he selected. So, I guess it should not have surprised me that he chose the largest pumpkin he could find. And tonight was the night. Ezekiel got to help remove the goopy insides and bake the seeds. Even with our larger kettle, it took hours to get it all cooked. And it made SO much puree. Our freezer is now comfortably stocked for a long time!

Giving Thanks

Zeke patiently awaits his dinner.

Lincoln makes eyes at Jesse.

We had nearly the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. Robb and I aren't really into the traditional Thanksgiving foods, so opted for something a little different. Jesse and Rachel made all the fixings for veggie tacos and I whipped up a batch of chocolate cream puffs.

Jesse brought his photography equipment to capture some Coffee family photos. (Rachel excels as his on-site assistant, by the way.) Our rascally little Zeke was desperate to get his hands on the photo gear.

Lil' Juicer

Zeke has discovered a new passion. We let him (while heavily supervised) process tonight's batch of juice. He just couldn't get enough of the machine that munches fruits and veggies and delivers juice and pulp.

Juice Fast—Day 10

Jess: So, this was my last day of the ten day fast. In general, not too bad of an experience. Some observations:

• Anyone can do this, but some prep work helps
• Start juicing casually at first—maybe just for supper for a few weeks
• This would be ideal in the summer when there is more fresh produce available
• Try to avoid any ten days when there will be parties or events
• It is much easier to do this with a partner
• Don't drink the same juice every day, mix it up!
• Keep getting your juice, I had two days where I didn't want anything, and I think that might be a quick way to kill your metabolism
• Ease back into solids, trust me, your stomach with thank you

Energy Level: great
Pounds Lost: 6
Crankiness: none

Juice Fast—Day 9

Jess: Oddly enough, I'm feeling more tempted now than I was in the early stages of the fast. The smell of bread is overwhelming. I already have my first meal planned. And no, it isn't cheesy or creamy or buttery. It's a salad. I can't wait, and I only have one more day to go!

Energy Level: great
Pounds Lost: 5
Crankiness: a low simmer

Juice Fast—Day 8

Jess: Today we hosted a big birthday party, so there were lots of delectable temptations. I thought about ending the juice fast when I saw all of the food coming in, but since I hadn't determined to do so earlier, I thought a snap decision like that would just be giving up.There were some great fruit and veggie leftovers though, so tonight I had some especially nice varieties of juice.

Energy Level: normal
Pounds Lost: 5
Crankiness: a little

Juice Fast—Day 7

Jess: For some reason I had a hard time getting any juice down today. I had lots of tea and water, and only a few glasses of juice. I hope that is okay.

Energy Level: normal
Pounds Lost: 5
Crankiness: none

Juice Fast—Day 6

Jess: So, we had dinner plans with friends tonight. I was fine with the not eating part, but felt like a weirdo, nonetheless. I hate the idea of making a spectacle of myself, but there is no way to not explain why you aren't eating the delicious food that is in front of you.

Since Robb is off the fast I didn't want to turn down the invitation, and we had so much fun socializing that it was worth it. And when I do break this fast it will be with a huge salad. (The salad looked amazing and was ever so tempting. Even more than the brownies.)

Energy Level: normal
Pounds Lost: 4
Crankiness: none

Juice Fast—Day 5

Once completed, today marks the halfway mark.

Robb: Well I set a weight goal that I'm not supposed to go under and well... I've hit it. So, today is my last day of the fast. Am I waiting until midnight to go to sleep so I can eat something? Yes, yes I am. As for the rest of the day I think the grouch in me definitely made an appearance.
Energy Level: lagging a little
Pounds Lost: not sure but I'm at or just below 170lbs.
Crankiness: grrr to middlin

Jess: Ah-hah! So now I'm starting to get some unpleasant side effects. Maybe. I started feeling quite nauseated late last night, and it persisted all morning today. I actually felt so gross I couldn't drink any juice. And though I tried to choke down some water, I think I might be a bit dehydrated. And weirdly, my lower back is pretty sore. Again, not sure if either of these are valid side effects of a juice fast. Once the nausea finally wore off, I felt pretty good and had some juice.
Energy Level: normal
Pounds Lost: 3
Crankiness: none (really, this time it is none)