old and new

i have stayed pretty busy since my last post. just with the usual.......playing, painting, playdates. i thought it would be nice to include random bits of myself and my family, instead of just having post after post about my fears and sadness.

last week, i made some old favorites, as well as some new, this week.

old favorites included:

lemon scented playdough *recipe to follow*
peanut butter cookies (i threw in some toasted pecans for fun)
focaccia
blueberry muffins *recipe to follow*

new faves:

curried egg salad
roasted chicken with sun dried tomato vinaigrette

all of this was for a picnic with the families of two of my dearest friends. we all met up at dabney state park this weekend. it was a first for all of us. i feel there was so much in socal that we didn't do because we thought we'd always live there. i'd hate to move away from here someday and not have taken advantage of all the nw has to offer.

it was a great spot for little kids. i don't know the technical terms but there was like a little canal area separate from the river. it was perfect for the kids to collect tadpoles and dig and splash and play. my husband also pulled our kids in an inflatable boat. it made me ridiculously nervous but they loved it and he's just such a good daddy. the whole day was a lot of work from him. from the driving, to the carrying all of our gear, pumping up the boat, pulling the kids, chasing the kids, and then breaking it all down and getting us back home. he really put in a lot of effort so that i could spend one on one time there with each of the kids and have time to talk to my girlfriends.

sssh, don't tell him how much i appreciate him though. it might go to his head and he might not put forth so much effort :)

the girls who joined us are both amazing and very special to me. andrea, i've known since 2nd grade. we grew up together, had dozens of sleepovers, shared clothes and secrets and grew apart for a good decade but we both ended up here in the nw and have been able to reconnect. it's really amazing have someone here that i share such a history with. she is a new mama and makes for a lovely family with her sweet son and partner.

then there's allegra, she's newer to me. we've been friends since our now 3 year olds, were about 4 months old. we met online as part of a group for multiracial women. i took a chance and reached out to her because she lived in my city and we just clicked. she truly is my best friend, she's the sister i never had. she's an amazing person and a phenomenal mother. i love her and her family to pieces.

these two friends first met because i had them both over one day and we all had a great time. there was no awkwardness. we just meshed and laughed and i enjoyed and appreciated being able to fully be myself in front of both of them and i know they were fully themselves with me and with one another.

old and new, in the kitchen. old and new, in my life with friendships. it's important to honor both and of all the areas that i feel need improvement within myself, i can honestly say that i am a solid friend. i simply don't find it worth it to pursue friendships that i won't sincerely cultivate. there was a time in my life where i felt less than, because i didn't build a big social circle after relocating to the nw. but today, i am so thankful for the few people that i do have here. they are priceless to me.

they both know and love my mom and have been big sources of support for me, simply be listening and caring and just being there for me emotionally.