Seth flew the coop last week and has since been in Lima, Peru for work. The day before he left Jackson asked if Seth was needing to go to work in Peru so he could have some peace and quiet to get some work done…this after a very stressful day of Seth attempting to telework amongst the boys. Truth is, I bet the peace and quiet have been nice!

A couple days into Seth being gone my aunt offered to come hang out and help out with the boys.  Those of you who know me well know that I am really bad at accepting help but being big pregnant and with Seth away I decided her company would be a lovely diversion to a tough week. She helped enormously with cooking meals for the freezer for upcoming days of desperation, doing homework with Jackson, helping me rearrange furniture (shhh! seth doesn’t know about this one yet), stayed with Owen during a dr’s appt for Jackson, and on and on. Seriously, she knocked my socks off. Maybe I should accept help more often. More on “Aunt Ruby” later.

So why the title about flip flops?  I went to the school to get Jackson, skipping the loading and unloading of Owen because my aunt had him, I was picking Jackson up solo. I must have had an extra spring of freedom in my step having only one child to care for and as I stepped out of the car my darn flip flop busted. Ummm, freeze. How do I pick Jackson up in front of the school with one shoe? Or do I take them both off, look silly showing up barefoot but not as silly as only one? Or do I put it on and figure out exactly how to hold my foot so it stays on temporarily? (this is impossible by the way) Oh wait, I have gum in my purse. good thinking. Quickly, I pop the gum in my mouth, get it good and ready and press it into the whole where the flip part attaches to the flop?! following me. No luck. Now had it worked there would have been the dilemma of walking to the school with the feeling of a wad of gum under my flip flop. Soooo…I decided to carry my flipping flop and that way it would be obvious to all curious minds that my shoe had just broken and I just needed to pick up my kid, for crying out loud.  I semi hid behind the bush hoping Jackson would see me before I had to tell my story. He spotted me and we darted back to the car. Feeling like 2 first graders with a shoe dilemma. When I asked about his day he told me it was terrible because his shoe laces kept coming untied and he was tripping over them. Seems it was a bad shoe day.

And then because flip flops have so much to do with freezer meals I thought I would roll this all into one post. Here are the recipes we decided to use…..

La Madeline Knock off  Tomato Basil Soup

(I use less butter and usually half and half but lots of butter and cream never killed anyone…well, it probably has but you know what I mean)

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

I added mushrooms since I had them…this is a nice break from heavy saucy pasta dishes. My sister-in-law introduced us to it!

Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Pot Pie

I skipped the homemade crust…and I used the modified version from her cookbook that includes a bit of white wine as well.

White Chicken Enchiladas

I only had one can of chili’s so we drained a can of rotel tomatoes and chili’s to make up for the rest

We also made Cinnamon rolls… but I don’t have the link for that at the moment!

The freezer is stocked…not so much for once baby arrives but more for the coming weeks when we have to keep up with soccer, school, bible study etc and I am worn out!

I promised I would hop back on and bring you some recipe ideas for meals to take to friends and family in need!  If you missed the first post you can find it here.

*Remember it doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to know if it will be their favorite, just pick something that your family will enjoy and trust that someone in the family will get nourishment from it Don’t stress about kids being picky about it, chances are if they don’t want it and are super picky mom and dad are used to accommodating. You can’t anticipate every like or dislike!*

Here are some quick and delicious meals to deliver! They all make a good size batch, heat up well the next day and  are for a variety of seasons! Remember to grad yourself some cheap foil pans and save jars so that your friends don’t have to worry about making any returns!

*rotisserie chicken, salad and bread! (you can cheat on this one and buy it all!!)

*homemade bolognese sauce  . this is our new favorite sauce! (I assumed bolognese was a jar of sauce with a lb of ground beef browned and added, you must try this sauce!!) My sister-in-law and I decided the best way to take pasta is to take a pack of pasta along that your friend can cook!  Pick something that cooks quickly like angel hair! Add a salad and some bread!

*Wegman’s Minestrone …..modify with what you have if you don’t have a Wegman’s close by!  You can prepare this in your crockpot and take it over so they can smell it cooking all day! Just leave out the spinach and beans for them to stir in in the end! My friend Rebecca brought this when Owen arrived. It has become a family favorite!

*Barefoot Contessa’s Macaroni and Cheese! This one is rich but a super yummy comfort food! Ina mixes in a variety of things to make it a main dish so you can toss in bacon or whatever sounds yummy. This heats up well as leftovers. The cheese can be pricey (if you aren’t in the land of gruyere like we are) so maybe split the recipe and take it as a side, keep the other half to feed your family. Add a salad and they are set!

*Tomato Feta Pasta Salad this one is great with grilled chicken, or even by itself with some bread! A good summer salad!

*Tomato Basil Soup, so only glance at this Le Madeline knock off and you will see it isn’t so healthy but so yummy. .I have experimented and you can use half and half and for sure less butter. I do it with half the butter and it is still plenty rich!

*Tomato Basil Pie  you might remember me putting this recipe up last summer during tomato season! This, like all these others goes great with a salad and bread!

*Quiche is another great thing to take. It is a good dinner and can double as breakfast if they have leftovers!  Here is a link for about a dozen recipes for quiche from Southern Living!   You guessed it, add fruit salad or a green salad and some kind of bread or muffins!

*Scalloped Potatoes-this one below I am actually adding the recipe instead of a link because Better Homes and Gardens doesn’t have this recipe on their website. A friend brought this for us when Owen was born and it was wonderful!  I have to mention that this friend, Tiffany, had two tiny twin babies of her own at home and whipped this up!  I was so impressed at how she juggled it all!

Oh and you can of course add dessert to any of these meals! But that has to be another post because this is getting to be too long!

So there you have it! If you get a meal from us someday it may be lacking in surprise as you now know all of our favorites!  But now if you are needing ideas you have a few that have been tried and true!  This weekend when you go grocery shopping or plan your meals think of what meal might be easy to double and do it!! Think of who you can encourage…doesn’t have to be a mom with a new baby, who do you know who is having a really crummy time?!  I forgot to mention in the last post that if you feel too shy, just deliver the meal and put it on the families doorstep and ring the bell, only make sure they are home or that it is an entry way they will find it at! Nothing like surprising them with a rotten meal a few days later when they discover it!

Who do you plan on being a help to this week?? What is your favorite recipe to deliver?

So when we arrived in Bern and began to make friends I did what I would do at home when people lost a loved one, had a baby, were having a rough week or moving. I took them food. And people thought I was so strange! But they were pleasantly surprised and gradually warmed up to the idea. It is not a custom here for sure. And it wasn’t in Bogota either. But it is something I have done because I knew no matter where you come from when you are a new mom you are tired and feeding a baby, or if you are in the middle of moving, or crisis it is such a blessing to have someone else worry about one other thing in the day!  And when most people aren’t finding time these days to cook on a good day, it is just so nice to have a home cooked meal. I don’t write about this because I invented the idea! It’s purely because others did it really well for us and made me want to do it for others!

I can remember exactly who came to visit when Jackson and Owen were born and I could probably even tell you what meal they brought. Was it because the meals were gourmet and perfectly wrapped? Nope, it was because I was in the middle of those first long days of being home with a baby and the contact with the outside world was refreshing and much needed! We lucked out and all of our friends are great cooks so the meals were all delicious!  Likewise in Bogota when I experienced a miscarriage I had 2 friends that brought a meal. It was such a blessing!

Taking a meal to someone is really super easy, although it can be intimidating. I used to try to think of what to take and felt like I had to look for a new yummy recipe or make something fancy. Often I talked myself out of taking anything at all because I just wasn’t sure they would like it or need it anyways. Then I realized I should just make what my family loves and what heats up well for leftovers. Fortunately, I have practice making our more regular recipes so then it isn’t stressful trying to learn a new gig! I usually make something that makes enough for our family and another and sometimes if I know there are multiple friends in need I try to schedule to take meals to both on one day. Because let’s face it, I have 2 busy boys and I don’t have huge chunks of time free to cook and deliver.  (I lucked out a little while back when 2 friends had babies, they lived around the corner from each other and had their babies one day apart!)

When I am taking a meal to a new mom (or friend in need) I try to…

-think about taking a comfort food but also consider that a new mom or someone recovering from surgery is likely feeling not so much like her former self. I try to take something tasty but also healthy so that she can enjoy and not feel guilty about it.

-save jars and disposable tupperware in advance so that when I deliver the food I can tell her right away that she doesn’t need to return a thing!

-always try to confirm a time and tell the mom that you will just be popping in to deliver the food so that she knows she doesn’t have to entertain you if she is exhausted. I remember appreciating the friends who could discern whether or not I needed someone to chat with or if it was feeding time and they just needed to come and go!

-ask if there are any dietary restrictions! I have a friend who is a vegetarian here so I wanted to make something for her that she could enjoy. Likewise when I had Owen I had to go dairy-free and our friends were awesome about bringing stuff they knew I could eat too!

-if your budget is tight and you want to take something pasta is cheap and easy! Or if a whole meal seems like too much make a batch of muffins or a loaf of bread. It really is the thought that counts (and the human contact) not the complexity of what you deliver!

-jot down the heating instructions…don’t bombard your friend with instructions because it is so hard to remember later!  And I also list what I have included in their meal just so they know what they are getting in to.

-If you are ever in Michael’s or target and see dollar ribbon grab a few spools. It’s amazing how cheery a ribbon can make a package!

oh, and one last thing…if someone offers you a meal, take it! Trust me. When I had Jackson I was trying to talk friends out of it. I knew it wasn’t convenient and they often had kids themselves. But you know what? It is nice for all of us to get to do something for someone else!  Give someone else the same satisfaction you can have from serving!

*And if you are still stuck deciding what on earth to take, I will be back here soon with some recipes and meal ideas!*

In the meantime, be thinking of who might need your help!

In an effort to sum up our year….here it goes. Disclaimer: if you aren’t a grandmother of our children you might just be bored to pieces. Consider yourself warned

most well read

2013 was a great year of reading for Jackson. He went from not being very interested in writing classmate names on valentine’s in feb to writing short books and loving reading! It’s been fun to watch his confidence grow. Jackson turned 6 this year and lost his first tooth. He continues to enjoy school, soccer and added choir to his list this past fall. He is sweet, energetic and has shown great maturity this year.  He loves to lead Owen in back yard expeditions and raids.  We are working through the process of learning to be a kind leader Pretty soon he’ll be smarter than me!

early bird

Owen continues to hold the award for earliest riser and show no signs of being conformed. He is up in the 5 o’ clock hour and ready for his day. Owen turned 4 this year and loves life. Unless of course he is unhappy in which case…not so much. He has grown up so much this past year. He loves being a big brother and tolerates being younger than Jackson. He holds his own and steps up to the plate to keep up with his older brother.  He enjoys doing homework along side of Jackson and has shown lots of interest in art this year.   He is still our cuddly guy and jumps at any chance for a hug or back scratch.

newest, sweetest and most high maintenance!! 

MaryAnne wins this by a landslide! This girl has stolen our hearts and rocked our world. With tears and smiles, peaceful cuddles and late night screaming she has graced our home with her presence and for that we are so very thankful.   Early on we discovered that MaryAnne had some issues with her soft spot on her head, her airway (she has laryngeal malacia) and some pretty severe reflux. We are so thankful that gradually all of these things are resolving and are looking forward to them all hopefully resolving fully with her growth and maturing.

most productive

Seth plowed through projects this year on the house. While I do get credit for growing a human, that was minimal compared to him continuing to make progress with the project list on top of keeping us afloat.  Seth continues to take his long commute in stride and jumps in when he gets home to help with the kids, house etc. He coached Jackson’s soccer team again this year and enjoyed being out on the field with the kids and parents.

most likely to fall asleep during a conversation and most recent coffee addict

that would be me. I started the year intensely studying for boards to jump back into work and ended the year with a newborn! It’s been a wild year. I spent much of the year adjusting to life juggling kiddos at home and patients at work. It was exciting in many ways to get back into the work place but also challenging to keep things going at home. Our wonderful sitter Rebekah nurtured our boys on the home front.  I had some complications with my pregnancy that caused me to end work a bit earlier than expected in late October. We rode the wild roller coaster of waiting for sister to finally arrive…not early as expected but a week late! I have been humbled by the generosity of our awesome friends here who have popped over with delicious meals and have picked up boys and have been so supportive of us in our tired, crazy transition!  The holiday season in addition to recovering from a c-section and an uncomfortable baby nearly did me in.

hottest trip

And by this I do not mean some romantic, exotic getaway :), I mean our family vacation in Texas in scorching July weather this summer for a Kolb reunion and to meet our new niece Grace!  We also got to spend some time with my grandmother!

most growth despite us

our garden was our family project of the year. It brought me great joy to see it grow, despite our experimenting! We left it for 2 weeks in July and came back to a jungle. Thankfully, it continued to thrive late into the summer. And by the end of the season when I threw in the towel from being hot and big pregnant it kept on…even when we were tomatoed out!

most likely to overthrow the parents…and gentle giants

partners in crime, double trouble, two peas in a pod, best friends and sometimes worst enemies. These guys love each other well and combine forces daily! While I find myself completely knocked over by their exuberance and combined energy it has been a pleasure watching their bond grow this year. I hope their friendship continues to grow and that they will be with each other through thick and thin. They also get the gentle giant awards this year. Their tenderness with MaryAnne is surprising to watch. While she might get suffocated or trampled by their enthusiasm she will not go unloved!

most likely to charm the teachers

Owen began preschool!

most likely to be out numbered in 2014

We celebrated our 8 year anniversary in December and in November we officially became out-numbered with the addition of a 3rd child. Pardon the grainy phone pic…it may just be the only picture of the two of us we snapped in year 8! Here’s to more pictures of us together and on dates in 2014!

most unexpected gift of 2013

MaryAnne takes the cake on this one too! We started 2013 with adoption on our hearts and minds. Little did we know that God was preparing us for a daughter!

Once again as we reflect on another year for our family we can see God’s faithfulness and provision. We are thankful for you, our friends and family and think of you all often. The Christmas cards from 2013 have been tied together with twine and it is our goal to pray for you in the coming year!