Rebecca's Joy

June warms the crusty earth with bright rays and the promise of longer days with the crescendo of the summer solstice this month. Longer days make for the perfect backdrop of icy cold waters sending shivers up our toes, sticky marshmallow fireside chats, and crisp starry nights awakening to golden summer days. Summer days often lure me to savor a slower pace. It’s true that the maddening pace of “getting things done” will always beckon my list-loving, self-starting frenzy, but I long for the peace and settled contentment of slow, simplified days and soaking up the glimmers of God’s grace. 

As a lifelong learner with a propensity for simple beauty and elegance, I am always intrigued by the expertise and experiences of others. 

Here is a short list of the things I am currently pursuing:

In The Kitchen: Recipes Tried this Month

• Blueberry Yogurt Cake: A lightly sweetened cake that reminds me of the Australian coffee cake that my mom used to make. Perfect with a cup of tea, for breakfast, or dessert. Another win for Julia’s Album! Every recipe I have tried is delicious and easily repeatable. Highly recommend checking out her recipes! 
• Smoked Pork BBQ sandwiches: We finally started smoking meat, and it is fun! We use a wood-pellet smoker, and I followed this blog’s recipe for smoking the pork and the BBQ rub. I also added a foil pan (2 because mine are not big enough) filled with approximately 2″ of water to help the meat stay tender and moist. All in all, I started it late on a Saturday afternoon, and it made an easy and delectable afternoon lunch with friends, approximately 20 hours later. 
• Blueberry/Mango Salad: Mangoes went on sale, so I dived down the mango hole to figure out what to make. This simple salad is light, refreshing, and yummy. Spinach, blueberries, mango, feta, walnuts, and a simple homemade dressing create a delicious and fun salad. I have made this twice, and am taking it to a BBQ get-together. 
• Chicken Schwarma: I grew up in Detroit near a large Arabic community (Dearborn, MI). Arabic food and hospitality are unrivaled, and I was craving some delicious shwarma, but not the appeal of a hot stovetop in summer. This chicken marinated for 24 hours in the fridge, followed by a slow grill to 165 degrees. I served it with garlic spread, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. It made great leftovers for lunch the next day (I wrapped thin slices in romaine lettuce leaves with garlic spread and homemade hummus). 
• Homemade Hummus: I have bought myself boatloads of hummus from the store, and while it is a nice dip, there’s something special about a delicious creamy homemade version. I whipped this version up, and I will say her secret ingredient: baking soda and boiling water created luxurious velvety hummus, well worth the extra effort. If you think store-bought hummus is meh, then you have to try this version! 

What I’m Reading

• ESV Study Bible: I just finished Hebrews and am in Ecclesiastes. The margins of my Bible have space to write in, and I have enjoyed researching, re-reading, and jotting down key points and ideas. 
• Really Very Crunchy, by Emily Morrow: Her rise to fame spawned from Instagram reels about crunchy moms, silky moms, and all the messy dynamics and decisions surrounding living a holistic chemical-free lifestyle. The books had a quiz, which instantly develops the idea of where you likely fall on the scale: silky, scrunchy, or crunchy. In case you didn’t know, silky means not worried about chemicals, additives, or unnatural things accepted in everyday living. Scrunchy is a mix between silky and crunchy. Concerned about overall health and well-being, but also balanced in their understanding that conventional organic milk is fine, or saying yes to their kid eating the occasional fruit snacks at a friend’s house. A crunchy lifestyle is one where less is more. The closer to nature one is to their lifestyle, the better. Think homemade remedies, all-natural fiber clothing, whole-house water filtration, and removing as many chemicals, additives, and preservatives in one’s lifestyle as much as possible. This book was full of good humor, grace, and goodwill. While Emily reveals her tendency towards a crunchy lifestyle, ultimately, life has taught her that there is no perfect lifestyle, that grace can be extended both ways and that it’s way better to laugh than to stress about unnecessary ingredients in your child’s granola bar. A light, easy, and engaging read! 
• The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown: After watching the movie for professional development, I decided to read the book. I thought the movie was touching (crying throughout), but the book takes it to a whole other level. Joe Rantz is a strong, independent college student who has made his way in the world through hard work, grit, and determination. Affected by abandonment in his past, feeling the financial crunch as America is still recovering from the Great Depression, and an underlying motto of relying on no one, Joe finds himself on an 8-man rowing team, hopeful for the paycheck, and willing to do what it takes to once again, survive. Watching him rise to the 1936 Berlin Olympics is just a fraction of the lessons, heart-touching moments, and the unlikely rise from the bottom of the barrel, to being changed forever by 8 men, and their coaches, on an 18 ft. row boat. 

Projects I’m Working On:

• Sourdough Starter: I am looking forward to baking bread, English muffins, pizza, and trying sourdough pasta (who knows if that will taste good, but why not?). 
• Homemade Vanilla Extract: I’ve made this stuff for years and years. It is so easy to make if you have never tried it before, it takes baking to a whole new level. I stuck a large jar in the basement to be pulled out around Christmas. I put mine in a large drink dispenser to easily pour it into little jars later on. 
• Decluttering: Thus far, I have worked on some projects in the office, the hallways office, and some adjuments in the basement. 
• Photo Documentation: There’s something nostalgic and heartwarming about opening up a photo album. My grandma had many that I would flip through for hours. My favorite ones usually involved family. She made an album for each of us grandchildren, and we would peruse them frequently. I have been trying to be more diligent in capturing memories with tangible photos and albums. I finished our London Album (1+ years later), and am doing some other side projects. At the very least, organizing photos into albums on my phone or in real life has caused me to go through the pictures I have, delete the repeat photos, and remember the times God has given us. 
• Health & Wellness: We joined a gym, and I am looking forward to building muscle, and endurance, and taking full advantage of the pool & sauna! We also took lots of walks and short hikes this month. 

Adoption Corner: 

• All is set with no news this month. Just waiting and praying for God’s will. 
• Boundaries in adoption often bring up concerns from family and friends, regarding how we should approach our relationship with our child’s birth family. One of the areas where we will choose discretion is talking about the child’s birth mother. It is normal to naturally be curious about the circumstances or details regarding her decision, but it is vital to keep her story sacred and to give our child the chance to know and ask their questions first, before everyone else knows their business. We continue to pray for wisdom daily, and that God’s time and execution of His will, will keep us focused and faithful serving where we are at. 

Love, 

Frank and Rebecca