in love

my husband and i met in the spring of 1999.

the tree blossoms, bright blooming flowers and sun breaks through the clouds

remind me of our first moments together.

it was the first time i fell in love.

10 months later he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him

on top of the mountains in utah. or, rather, he proposed

and i might have been too excited with plans for us to actually say yes, but he got the idea and we called our families with the good news.

dating in the springtime and the ensuing swoon is a great way to fall in love.

being it my first spring in washington d.c. i have fallen in love again.
in love with springtime.

the dark seattle winter days seemed to never lift until june.

here, much like in utah, it is like all of the children's storybooks describe spring.

a few light showers and lots of sun breaks.

heavy jackets are packed away.

t-shirts, sunglasses, and flip flops are pulled out of the back of the closet.

can a sunny springtime make a move across country away from

family and people i love worth it?
do i even have to tell you what i think?

it can never replace the comfort of sitting at mom's counter in the kitchen talking while she makes dinner,
or watching my little boys walk through the garden with grandpa,

or laughing with you over a board game,
but the sunny spring weather does make me happy.

i'm in love...

with the cherry blossoms.

creating memories.


taking pictures.

our nations capital.

with these boys.

with his laughter.

picnics downtown.

with this house

with these stinky blossoms

that were put in an arrangement on my kitchen table.

the stink of them scared off the pesky ants

we have been trying to get rid of.

with his words.

he says, "mama"

a preview of the cherry blossom festival.
keep a bucket near by, you may get motion sickness watching it.

i am also in love with these
peanut butter cookies.

peanut butter cookies

adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

the brilliance of these cookies is that they have included

two different formats for peanuts–three if you use chunky peanut butter.

they’re crisp on the outside, and almost cakey on the inside.

bake a batch and then hide the results in the furthest and most forgettable reaches of your kitchen. you’ll thank me later.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

for sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine
preheat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

in a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. add the sugars and beat until smooth. add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate.

drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies.

bake for 10 to 12 minutes. do not overbake. cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

what are you in love with this spring?