Day 15: Love

I'm still surprised by how much this little animal holds my heart. 

She's my best dog friend and every day I tell her that I love her. 

And it's not just because she's beautiful, even though, she is.  I mean, look at this face!

Day 14: Grass

Our lawn isn't very pretty, but I do love our little tree, Kai. It's still pretty small. But every year, it grows a little taller, a little stronger, and a little fuller. It's fun to imagine what it will look like in twenty years.

Day 13: Mum

I, like many children, would say that there is no greater comfort food than that from the hands of my mama. She doesn't have to prepare it from scratch. Just her putting together a simple ham and cheese sandwich can do the trick. But there is nothing quite like her rice and beans. 

Over the year's I've been trying to make my own version of mami's food and other traditional Puerto Rican dishes. Afterall, I can't just drive 45 minutes to my mother's house every time I have a latin craving. Today, I tried making mofongo. The flavor profile was there but it lacked technique and fell apart - literally. But that's okay. I'll keep trying. 

Day 12: Something That Makes You Happy

I spent a good portion of the day with my favorite girl and my favorite kid. We baked a cake together. He insisted on mixing the batter himself. Then we shared the batter left on the bowl, the mixer, and the spoon. It made me happy. They make me very happy.

Day 10: A Favorite Word

This is a terrible picture for this word. However, my favorite photo of these two men is locked away in a safe. 

When I saw the phrase "a favorite word," the first word that came to mind was duty. It makes me chuckle everytime. Not because it reminds people of poop. There is something about the actual sound of the word that makes me laugh. But, I didn't know how to take a picture of duty, so I was just planning on skipping Day 10. 

Then this morning on Day 12, I thought of Timmy and his dad George. They have a sense of duty. They understand honor and respect. When the Towers fell, I was scared like most of other people. I knew this guy who wasn't the most patriotic. If another attack happened, he and his family had a plan as to how to get away safely. And if by chance, the country went to war and in some dramatic turn of events, drafted men, my friend was prepared to leave the country. I didn't want my friend to go to war or to get hurt, so I was okay with his plan. 

I can't remember how I first told Timmy about this story, but he looked at me and said, "if something happens again, I'm going to work." My stomach dropped a bit. I knew that if another attack happened or any scary crisis, my husband would not run in the opposite direction. Instead, he would head toward it and he would serve his country and his town. And so would George because Timmy gets this sense of duty, of responsibility, and honor from his dad. It scares me but it makes me even more proud. Which leads me to another favorite word of mine - Kaiser.

Day 11: Kitchen

Whenever I visit the Costa kitchen, it's always full of people and full of food. I used to lead a bible study at their home every week and every week the study ended with all of us in the kitchen, eating and laughing. I no longer lead the bible study, but they still meet. Every now and then, I join them on one of their game nights and I remember how awesome they all are. 

Day 9: Something You Do Everyday

I drink milk everyday. It's been almost a year. Usually it's part of my breakfast. But, on the odd day when I don't have milk with my breakfast, I will have it in the evening. Sometimes it's even twice a day. I don't know what's come over me; I just need some every day.

Last fall, Timmy and I went on our annual trip to Asheville, NC for the worship leaders retreat. It's a retreat center, so for three full days, I'm at the mercy of their cafeteria. Because breakfast is insanely early, Timmy and I never go. We just bring fruit and granola bars with us to hold us until lunch.

But, there is no milk available during lunch or dinner. I swore I started to twitch. I was craving milk so badly. I'd randomly say, "Mmmm, milk. I want milk." People just laughed at me. It was a long few days. I hadn't realized just how much milk I consumed and how much I needed it. As soon as I we got back home, I went straight to the kitchen and had a glass.

I have a few months until this year's retreat. Will I be able to go without milk for a few days? Will I have to come up with a alternative? Perhaps a cooler? A trip into town during break? Or will I give in and go to breakfast, just to grab a cold one?

Day 8: A Smell You Adore

Not sure if it's the combination of these products or his natural man musk, but I absolutely adore the smell of my husband when he comes out of the shower.