Don’t tell Mags, but some friends and I are taking her to a restaurant tonight that serves these appetizers. Those fresh lima beans? To. Die For. And I don’t even like lima beans. The heirloom tomatoes you see here have an incredible aoli underneath. And that meaty looking thing at the back? Procuitto-wrapped traviso. Yeah, we didn’t know what that was either, but it’s a red leaf chicory — unusual, and unbelievably delicious. Mags will also go hog wild for the bourbon-based cocktails. So yay for yummy birthday dinners with girlfriends!
Here’s the latest update: Things are moving right along with our adoption. The final step of the U.S. Embassy’s investigation, which is an in-person interview with a birth relative of our girls, is set for September 26. If all goes well, our clearance should come that same day, or the day after, and then it will be time for our second trip! Since that’s only two weeks away, we’re scrambling to keep up with our to-do lists. Somehow we’ll get there, I know we will, but as I gaze around our (ware)house and look at our task list, I’m not sure exactly how. One thing’s for sure: I’m getting excited and nervous about those girls coming home!
Oh, and apparently S & H liked the gift bags we sent over with some other adoptive parents. I’m hoping they understood they were from us (we included photos of them with us from our first trip), but it’s hard to know what they comprehend about what’s happening. Today we got some new photos of them, as well as their latest measurements. Plus we finally know their shoe sizes (more or less), which is good, because we need to put something on their feet when we get there.
Any exciting plans for the weekend? I’ll be spending most of my Saturday at the highest-rated winery in the region, Black Ankle Vineyard, for a work event of my husband’s. Not a bad way to spend a day, if you can’t be home rearranding rooms and sorting toddler clothes…
I found some fun links this week that I wanted to share with you:
- My former personal trainer is running across America!
- This dip had me at hello.
- Is anything wrong with your cup of Joe?
- I dream of a photography workshop like this one.
- Bringing back buttermilk.
Have a slow weekend, and see you back here on Monday!
Image: Zoe Saint-Paul
Hello, I'm Zoe Saint-Paul. I'm a writer, life coach, and new mama to twins who's trying to live "slower" in a speed-obsessed world. Here we chat about life and love, food and design, and everything in between -- all at the right pace. So grab some tea, pull up a chair, and join the conversation. Feel free to 
I didn’t sleep at all the night of our birth family visit. Such mixed emotions…wanting it to go well and feeling sad for what they had to go through. But, all went well and we got our email about 9:00 am EST on the day of the interview. Hope your’s goes just as smoothly!