Life is made up of those ordinary and extraordinary moments. It often seems difficult to see where one leaves off and another begins, for these moments can't be compartmentalized. The simple, ordinary stuff of life frequently melds into the extraordinary, making even the most seemingly mundane oh-so-special.
These past weeks have been filled with such moments. Many seemed so ordinary when I wrote them on my calendar at the beginning of the summer. But when filled with the people, the places, and the passions we love, they became extraordinary.
Here are some snapshots of recent weeks...
A summer of baseball...three sons, one coach, six games a week, growth in leadership and sportsmanship, tournament play, a couple of championships, and a whole lotta fun!
Surprise! My husband and I surprised the boys with a new dog! Carson has been a wonderful fit for our family ~ he's quickly found a place in each of our hearts!
Once again, it's the summer of the wedding! It's our joy to be involved and participate in the weddings of so many of the young people we love! I was particularly excited when my friend asked me to cater the outdoor wedding reception they were hosting for their son and his new bride. Cooking is one of my passions, and my thoughts frequently travel to "someday" when I can pursue my dream of catering...or owning and operating a coffeehouse...or a tearooom...or all three! So I was more than happy to dream up a menu and prepare the food at the celebration for the newly married couple! I was further blessed by all those who came to my aid to help ~ those friends who stuck by me in the kitchen for 10 hours the day before and my girls from youth group who helped me prep and serve at the reception itself. What a joy to be part of the body of Christ!
The day after the wedding reception, I got to compete in our church's first ever "Iron Chef" throwdown! What a hoot! Fashioned after the popular TV series, each of the 4 teams were presented with three mystery ingredients...pork tenderloin, jicama, and coconut milk! My team (aptly named "Fly By the Seat of Our Pants"...or SOOuP for short) took 2nd place with our creation. It was a total blast!Of course, none of these events...ordinary or extraordinary...would be half as fun or meaningful without the people right beside me: my guys, the ones who make me laugh, pray for me, cheer for me, give me perspective, make me yearn for home, and make me glad to come home. Through the busyness and occasional chaos of the summer schedule, they are the ones who keep me grounded. They've made all the ordinary of summer...the biking, hiking, playing baseball and mini-golf, swimming, watching "The Cosby Show" or AFV, and eating more pizzas than we can count...seem---undoubtedly---extraordinary.
6 comments:
Nikki, I didn't realize you were so talented in the kitchen. The wedding goodies look great and I would have loved to see you compete an Iron Chef. What a cool idea and I bet it was a lot of fun. What did you create with the ingredients you had?
Bo, we did the pork tenderloin on the grill, basting it with apple balsamic vinegar. Then I made up a salsa of sorts, made with pineapple, mango, jicama, cilantro, red onion, some of that same balsamic vinegar, honey, and a pinch of salt. We placed that on a bed of spring greens and arugula. Then my friend made a coconut pudding out of the coconut milk and poured it into mini phyllo shells. :)
Fun and cool!
LOVED the reception photos..yummy and beautiful!
What a fun summer you have had! I didn't realize you had catered the reception. It looked like something I would have enjoyed.
I don't know that I could do the throwdown. Too much pressure. What you made sounds yummy. My mother-in-law makes a jicama salsa that is so good.
The Cosby Show is one of our favorites too. Of course Season 1 is the best.
Glad you have been able to make so many special memories!
It is quite amazing how ordinary can so quickly turn into extraordinary! We are blessed that way, aren't we?
And, I have to admit that I must agree with Lukie ~ Carson is not the manliest of dogs, but he sure is cute!!!
What fun! Looks like you have had a wonderful summer, Nikki. :)
By the way, my dh has been cruising your blog with me tonight...your counter will be going wild!! lol.
Much love to you~
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