What's all the buzz about?

(14 June 2010)

Brie and I were invited to join Bry
at his last recruiting event for KPMG...

a BEE'S Baseball Game.

While Bry and I chatted with one of the interns and his wife (his job is to interact with the interns/potential employees...to help with the recruiting process), Brie kept busy...

playing on the couch

looking out at the game

checking out their new little baby

and enjoying the complimentary snacks

As BUSY as Brie can be....I left the game and mentioned to Bry that it was so much fun having her with us. We love you bug :0)

As for KPMG, Bry only has ONE more day of work left. Which also means that two weeks from tomorrow we will be heading out to St. Louis. Crazy, crazy!

Humble pie.

I feel like--even though there are areas of my life that still need a lot of work and attention--that the Lord is with me and that He is helping to change my heart. The last little while I feel as if I've been in a "workshop" on humility. What a powerful and important lesson to learn. I honestly think that most of my life I have believed that being right trumped all and that admitting my weakness or fault or error would be way too humiliating and was not worth it! BUT it's SO wrong. It is a carefully-crafted lie of the adversary to keep us in his control and to keep us from progression and peace. In any case, I have had a few "labs" the last few weeks where I've been faced with the choice to be humble or to be rigid and right. Even though I was SO afraid of the pain and humiliation of admitting that I was wrong...Each time I chose humility things were resolved so quickly, my heart was light and the pain was taken away. I know that THAT is the Lord's way.

I'm grateful to be setting down the path of humility. I know that humility is the key to open so many doors. Once again, how thankful I am for the tutelage of the spirit AND for the opportunity to act, to learn and to try...try again.

Dutch Oven Dinner Début.

Grandpa & Grandma Stevenson gave each of the young married couples a Dutch Oven for Christmas. We hadn't used it yet and decided it'd be a great excuse to get siblings and cousins together. So Saturday (12 June) everyone came over to my Parents', Dutch Ovens in hand, for a day of hanging out and eating.

Have you ever seasoned a Dutch Oven before? We hadn't. It is one fill-up-your-apartment-with-yucky-burned-Cristco-smoke mess...but it was well worth it :0) Plus, Bry was a sweetie and seasoned it and took care of the smoke for me. So I really can't complain.

We decided to do scalloped potatoes...




They took longer to cook than we
had anticipated but were yummy.

While the food cooked the cousins played and the adults chowed down on appetizers and played Catch a Phrase.

(Alan & Liz preparing their Spoon Bread)

Brad was our experienced Head Chef and took
care of the cooking portion of the meal.




Spoon Bread, Carrots & Potatoes, Cherry Chocolate Cobbler
(The Scalloped Potatoes and Apple Chicken dish aren't pictured)

Fun, Fun. Now we have a seasoned
Dutch Oven, ready to go for next time.

We finally got around to buying...

...one of these...


...since we have one of these...

Yep, Brie's 18 months old (and a bit.)



And even though raising a toddler is already no cake walk, I sure love our Little Bug. She is so full of life...always on the go, loves to explore, catches on quickly, is talking more and more and brings so much joy into our home. What a cutie pie :0)

Please pass the Fromage.

At one of the Recipe Swaps, Julie, Liz and I decided it would be fun to do a fancy schmancy group date...save up and have dinner at La Caille. Then we found out how much ONE plate would cost and decided to go a different route.

Grandma Stevenson, who is an amazing hostess, warmly welcomed us into her home for a French evening (Friday, 4 June). We got all dressed up (when else would we ever have an excuse? :0)) and instead of going out each couple brought a French cheese and a portion of the meal.

We of course had to get pictures...

Prim and Proper.

Grandma had a lovely table set with for us...
china, stemware and all.

Me & Bry : Beet, Pear and Apple salad
Julie & Walt : Perrier, Peach Nectar and Grenadine Syrup
Alan & Liz : Fresh French Baguettes
Beth & Randy : French Onion Soup

To finish off the evening we headed downtown to LA GOURMANDISE for dessert.

Some stayed and some of us hit the road...so we wouldn't be stuck in traffic TOO long and could get home to our babysitters (thanks Trent & Natalie!!). In any case, I highly recommend this place if you want a large selection of French pastries.

What a delightful evening! The meal was inexpensive yet delicious and elegant. As we were leaving the house Grandma proposed that we make our French Evening an annual event. I second that :0)

The Empty Sea.

Do you ever wonder what people think---who are not familiar with some of the Church's acronyms---when they hear us say MTC? The empty sea, what? :0) It's like when I was little and thought "by this shall men know" = Shimeno = a fish :0) In any case, last Wednesday Heather entered the Missionary Training Center.

At our pizza picnic in our front room beforehand.

Lucky Liz, got to be the last one to hug her!

I felt like the paparazzi, hanging out of the car window snapping pictures with my telephoto lens as Sister Barton walked away.

P.S. I love that the drop off crew was comprised of Sisters and kids....it was Julie & Isaac, Liz & Lilli & Aliyah and me.

We already miss her, but it's all for such a wonderful cause.
Canada, here she comes! :0)