Here we go again...

I've actually been "well" enough to blog for the past several days, I just haven't sat down to write.  The last few weeks have obviously been a bit of a departure from my normal day-to-day activities, so it's taken a bit of time to get used to cleaning, cooking, etc!  We had live-in help every day for the first three weeks (thanks, Grandma!) and another friend who has been helping out since early August. 
My latest report is this... no more casts, no more braces!  It's freedom from here out!  My range-of-motion is returning, albeit a bit more slowly than I had hoped for.  My right arm, which was actually the more severe break of the two, seems to be recovering more quickly than the left.  I'm sure most of that stems from the fact that I am right-handed so I probably have more strength and flexibility there.  Slow and steady wins the race, though, right?  I am hoping that I will be able to completely straighten both arms in the next couple of weeks, which means no physical therapy.
It has been an interesting (almost) six weeks.  I have learned a lot about myself, which is always good.  When you are unable to complete the simplest of tasks ("Can you scratch my nose for me?" or "Can I have a bite of the potatoes now, please?"), you learn just how important it is to be able to ask for and accept help.  I am so blessed by how frequently I didn't even need to ask, though.  We had dozens of people who offered things before we even realized we needed them, and were willing to help in any way possible.  Okay, maybe not everyone was wanting to scratch my nose for me, but from changing Abbey's diapers to cleaning and cooking, our needs and beyond were met.  God has blessed us with an amazing community here in Germany, and I am so grateful for His provision of such wonderful friends.  I have also been blessed with an extremely patient husband who had to put up with a lot of complaining on my part, as well as taking on the role of #1 caregiver to a 14 month old and 29 year old all while being the #1 breadwinner (well, really he's the only breadwinner).  I can't imagine how tiring that must have been!  Poor thing... I don't know how he stayed so patient with me saying, "Can you please brush the back of my teeth again?  They don't feel clean..." 
Thank you all for your prayer, encouragement and kind words.  They were uplifting and so helpful in a time that was relatively difficult for all of us.  I'm so glad things seem to be getting back to nomal.  I think if there's really any lesson that can be taken from this, it is that exercise is more harmful than it is good.  Well, maybe that's not the primary lesson.  It should probably be that one should frequently check the status of one's shoelaces whilst out-and-about.  Oh, and if you're falling, tuck-and-roll.  Hmmm... maybe there are several lessons that could be learned...

Elbow Hiatus

I'm sure it probably goes without sayin, but I will be taking a bit of a break from the updates until my elbows are healed. We appreciate the support and I am sure we will have a lot of pictures and news by the time my casts come off in August!!

(For those who don't know, I broke both elbows in a running accident last Thursday and am now in full arm casts. We have lots of help and I'll be back to normal soon!)

Thanks for all the help, Stu!

Took this the day of the fated fall:

Abbey in June

My June month in review is a bit late (it's almost mid-July)... these are some pics of Abigail that didn't make it into a post (ok, some of them did, but I love them, so I'm re-posting). She's growing so quickly!

My friend's computer has had a lot more keys removed.  This always happens when we're on Skype.  The latest target has been the space bar.

Excited to be feeding herself:

I have to roll her pants a few times to keep them from falling down.  They still end up sliding down.

Instead of paying careful attention, I was taking pictures.  The cracker that is sitting in the stagnant pool of water ended up in her tummy.

Studying the stats of the German footballers:

 But we're still pulling for the USA!

I was sick of not being able to buy fresh cilantro, so I planted my own.  We'll see how it goes...

Tomato as a hair clip:

If you live somewhere that you can cycle, you should invest in a kid's bike trailer.  Even better, invest in a Chariot.  We love it!  (Taken after our ride home from church one Sunday).

Trying to find an item that rolled under the couch:

I didn't take this picture... my friend Kat did (that's her daughter).  This was Abigail's first tea party and I love this picture!

Here are my shoes, Mommy!

Abigail loves her shoes.  They represent excitement!  She will find the shoes, find mommy or daddy, hold up her feet to have her shoes put on, then find her "purse" (her Robeez shoe bag) and head to the back door to go outside.   She doesn't seem to care that it's 100F/38C degrees outside. 

She seems to have figured out the "girly" things pretty early.  In addition to her love of shoes and her Robeez purse, she has discovered how to wear her stacking rings as bracelets!

Halibut Veracruz

I'm trying to serve more fish.  Abigail likes it, and it's healthy.  The fish taste is ok, but I do like to dress it up a bit.  I made this recipe last night for dinner and it seemed to be a hit!  You could trim the oil slightly if you need to.  Oh, and I actually used cod (Kabeljau, if you're in Germany), so it's really Cod Veracruz.

Halibut Veracruz
From Guy Fieri, "Guy's Big Bite"
Servings: 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups diced tomato
1 medium jalapeno, diced (or substitute green bell pepper for less spice)
1 cup dry white wine (or substitute low-sodium chicken broth)
2 tablespoons butter
4 (8-ounce) halibut fillets
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup Spanish olives, cut into thin rounds, plus 2 tablespoons olive juice from bottle
2 medium avocados, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add tomato, jalapeno (green bell pepper) and white wine (or substitute chicken broth). Cook until wine (broth) is reduced by 2/3, about 5 to 7 minutes. While sauce is reducing, heat butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Season fish with kosher salt. When butter is melted, add halibut to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes, flip over and then transfer pan to preheated oven and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat when reduced and stir in olives and olive juice.

To serve, divide sauce equally among 4 dinner plates. Place halibut (first caramelized side up) in the center of each plate on top of the sauce. Place avocado slices on top of fish, sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro, as garnish.

(Served with Orzo with Lemon Zest and Thyme)

Summer Squash ring...

A few days ago I was cleaning up after dinner and I gave Abigail a slice of uncooked squash (probably not on the top list of "safe things to give your toddler as a toy").  She must have carried it around for at least 15 minutes.  She chewed on it so much and held it so tightly, that eventually she wore out the middle and was able to wear it as a ring.  I think my favorite part of this was that her outfit (unintentionally) matched the squash...

Ladies' Weekend!

I have the most wonderful husband.  Some of my friends and I were talking about how fun it would be to have a girls' weekend.  When I mentioned it to Stu, he said it sounded like a great idea and he would have no problems watching the little one.  I of course jumped at the chance!  So with a lasagna in the refrigerator and a 3-day menu for Stu and Abs, my friends and I headed up north to Bad Wildungen, Germany for a weekend of relaxation! 

There were 6 of us on the trip.  Most of the time we chatted and laughed and ate.  Our hotel had a spa, so there were a few treatments done, as well!

The grounds of our hotel were right next to a large forest, so we enjoyed a couple of walks on some beautiful paths.

It was quite warm out, so of course had to get some Eis! 

The last night we decided to get dressed up, because we rarely are able to enjoy a fancy night out! 

My roommate for the weekend...

A friend of ours was hosting an Independence Day party back near our hometown, so a few of us decided to head home a bit earlier to make it to part of the celebration!

Thanks, Stu!!!  I know Abbey enjoyed her Daughter-Daddy weekend!