Sarah & Sumit's Wedding Weekend

The wedding last weekend consisted of two ceremonies and a reception. The Christian ceremony was held Saturday afternoon, with cocktails and a reception afterward, and the Barat took place Sunday morning, with the Hindu ceremony occurring immediately afterward. Lunch was then served. Needless to say, we were blown away by each event.

I did not take any pictures at either ceremony (all of my energy was focused on keeping two four-year-olds quiet), but could not resist a picture or two at the more informal events. (The professional photos are on AISM Photography's Facebook page.)

Gracie approaching Sumit:



The stage at the reception, with seating for the bride and groom:



Funny faces:



Skip with the lovely Lori:



Gracie taking a dance lesson with John:



Enthusiastic dance moves from the groom and father of the bride:





Lauren with David:



The Barat:

Lindsey-Gupta nuptials

This past weekend we took a whirlwind trip to attend the wedding of Sarah and Sumit! We were so thrilled to be able to share their wonderful day, and the entire experience was so beautiful. Live the moment, right, Sarah and Sumit?

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Gupta:



Lori and David:



Amit and Shweta:



The groom's parents:



The bride's parents:



The beautiful bride dances with her father:




The bride's grandparents dancing to "Play That Funky Music".



We are still sorting through pics... more to come...

Lauren, the enforcer

So yesterday we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Afterward, we hit the indoor playground because, really, the indoor playground was the impetus for our CFA visit.

The initial crowd of children cleared out, and two younger children remained -- a boy and a girl, approximately 3 years and 18 months, respectively. At one point, the boy went back to his table, leaving his sister behind. Lauren and Gracie were playing with her, somewhat protectively. Finally, the boy returned, and was trying to coax his sister out of the play park. Apparently he resorted to pulling her by the shirt, and Lauren could tolerate the injustice no longer.

Lauren: "HEY! Stop that!"
(Skirmish continues.)

Lauren: "Leave her alone!"
(Continues.)

Lauren: "Stop pulling her shirt!"
(Girl extracts herself and leaves, returning to the table.)

Lauren: "Don't you do that anymore."
Boy: "..."

Lauren: (Through gritted teeth): "Don't let me see you do it again."
Boy: "..."

Lauren: (Placing her finger on his chest): "You're not very nice."

Naturally, we explained that the boy/girl duo were brother and sister, and that it appeared that the brother was merely following a directive from their mom. But, we praised Lauren for her instinct to help (although we coached her that "you're not very nice" is probably too strong and that "pulling her shirt is not very nice" might be better) and that assisting someone younger is very admirable, indeed.

(We are still recovering from the weekend; updates to come soon.)

Weekend

Updates to come soon about how we spent our weekend, but here is a hint.

Friday's quote

The more we live by our intellect, the less we understand the meaning of life.

-Leo Tolstoy

Zoning out

We are not a family of television viewers. In fact, the only time our television has been on in the last several weeks was for the Academy Awards.

To clarify, I am not a smug non-TV watcher. I do watch movies (preferably in theatres); I read; I spend far too much time in the Internet abyss. I am hardly in a position to judge. Since our television is rarely on, our children are not exposed to the joys of most shows and are almost incapable of sitting through a program. Most days, that suits me fine. On others? Like today, for example? It would be really nice if they could zone out on a Disney movie or two.

Trip update, final installment

Finally, we capped off our long weekend away with some good, old-fashioned go cart fun. I deferred to Skip for this activity, and the girls took turns riding with him. While waiting for Lauren's initial run to wrap, Gracie kept saying, "I want my turn... I want my turn now... I want to ride on the track!!!!"




We also took a spin in the bumper cars. I tried to be a spectator for this event, too, but eventually had to get behind the wheel. We're thinking of installing a few cars downstairs and turning our basement into a bumper car emporium. I think it would be great entertainment, post dinner party.




Grammie, who joined us for the trip, was the only one spared the amusement park/go cart/bumper car experience. She feigned tiredness and took a nap in the car while we played. Lucky duck!

Trip update, third installment

What family vacation would be complete without a trip to an amusement park? In my opinion, our trip would have been more than complete without this stop (where we also picked up a nasty stomach bug), but I was outnumbered and lost the vote.

Trip update, installment two

On our recent trip to the mountains, we hopped on the tram in search of height and snow.

Here, we passed the second car on our way up the mountain:



We had an unseasonably warm weekend, and this was the extent of the nearby snow:



This is the pulley system that operates the tram. I am hopeful that there is more sophisticated equipment behind the scenes somewhere. At least it appears industrial-looking:



A shot from the peak:



And the view on the way back down:



I could have taken the tram several more times, but did not want to appear too kid-on-an-escalator-ish.

Friday's quote

Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.

-Henry Miller

Trip update, first installment

So we had planned to take a quick trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, after Christmas. Long story short, we bumped the trip out twice, and ended up driving up last Friday and staying through Tuesday. (Skip flew out of Knoxville for work Monday.)

On our last trip, the girls' favorite activities were the pool and water slides. We explained, ad nauseum, that, because this trip is occurring during the winter months, there would be no swimming opportunities. We were blunt: the pool will be CLOSED. Still, they were outraged that our view from the balcony was the covered pool:



I know how they felt because it is precisely how I feel when my favorite lipstick has been discontinued. It is one of life's great injustices.

Since swimming was not on the table, they turned to more creative ways to amuse themselves. They climbed atop statues (see top photo) and tried to go joy-riding in a "borrowed" car:



There may or may not have been some bear wrestling:



In reality, these photos were taken last Saturday, while we were strolling through town. It was a stunning day, and we packed in a full morning, ate a fabulous lunch and spent the early afternoon leisurely walking back to our room.

Recipe of the week: Pork roast with plum sauce

How about another slow cook recipe for this week?

I cannot say it enough; the crock pot is my go-to option on dance night. When we signed up for ballet, I made a silent vow to myself that we would not succumb to the ease and convenience of take out, and I am happy to report that, with only one exception, we have avoided all drive-thru windows.

Pork Roast with Plum Sauce

1 3 1/2 - 4 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1 large onion, sliced
1 1-ounce envelope onion soup mix
1 18-ounce jar plum preserves
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
3-4 cups hot cooked rice

1) Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Set aside. In cooker, place onion. Add meat; sprinkle with onion soup mix.

2) For sauce, in a medium bowl combine plum preserves, chicken broth, Dijon mustard and tapioca. Pour over mixture in cooker.

3) Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.

4) Transfer meat and onion to a service platter. Skim fat from sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over meat and onion. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Ok, granted, this is hardly a low-cal meal, what with the 18 ounces of plum preserves, but it makes for a delicious dinner.

Away

We are currently wrapping up a much needed long weekend away and are traveling back home today. This past weekend was the third time this particular trip had been scheduled (following a cancelation due to a death in the family at Christmas and a subsequent cancelation for the happy occasion of the baptism of our niece and nephew).

The trip was worth the wait. Updates to come soon.

Trikes

Warmer days can only mean one thing: TRIKES!

Martha's kitchen rules

I quickly perused the "Martha's 50 Top Kitchen Tips" slideshow, and it left me feeling inadequate. View at your own risk.

At play

Friday's quote

Life is not easy for any of us, but what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves.

-Marie Curie

Recipe of the week: Baked Ravioli

Although we are not Italian, ravioli, spaghetti and the like are among our favorites (unfortunately, from a carb standpoint, we try to have some moderation). Oddly, ravioli -- not pizza or spaghetti -- was the first entree embraced by our children. Below is one of our favorites:

Baked Ravioli
(Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Recipe via Marthastewart.com.

Principles

Lately I have stumbled upon Tolstoy's "Rules of Life," as well these life principles.