Meet Ryan

He's cute, he's tiny, he's cuddly, and I love him.

The day after Thanksgiving, Dad and I made the trek down to VA so I could meet my nephew. At 5 days old and just about 6 lbs, I think he was the tiniest person I've ever held; fit in one of my arms like a little football and in the less than 24 hours that we were there I think I saw Ryan's eyes for maybe 8 minutes total, the boy sleeps like a champ (...during the day. He still thinks he's nocturnal).

The trip was too short, but work calls. By Saturday night, in an effort to dodge Sunday traffic, we were back home. Until Christmas...

Thanksgiving with the Pops

This Thanksgiving found the Denholm family all scattered around. Brother and wife in North Carolina; brother and wife with family in Richmond; sister, husband, new baby and grandma (my mom) in Northern Virginia; which leaves me and Pops in PA to fend for ourselves.


Which actually worked out perfect. You see, this year I was planning a completely Vegan Thanksgiving and if anyone knows my Dad, he'll try just about any food (seriously). So not only did I get to spend some quality time with the Pops, I had someone to try and most-likely enjoy my animal-free meal. :)

Cheers!

The meal; you can't see everything, but we had Tofurkey and vegetables, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Stuffing, Gravy, Corn, Squash, Cranberry Sauce and Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie for dessert (all vegan! I couldn't believe it either)

My plate before...

...and after :)

I'm thankful for you, Dad, you and you're daring tastebuds.

Ryan Michael Emerick

Born on November 22, 2009 at 3:00am

to Kelly (my sister) and her husband Scott

6lbs. 13oz. and perfect.

Loving this whole Aunt thing...

Dinner Parties

They're my favorite. Absolutely love them. What better way to share community than with good food, great conversation and wonderful people?

The evolution of this dinner group is a story for the memory books. A little lengthy and possibly confusing, but stay with me here, it'll pull together.

Rewind to January 2009. I know no one in this new city I had just moved to, but ventured out with my roommate at the time, Joe, to a little hole-in-the-wall bar known as Flat Rock. Thursday night, live music, hipsters; felt like I was in Austin :). It's here that I randomly meet Todd (next to me in group picture), a mutual friend of Joe's. Todd and I realize we both love poker, start going to the weekly poker club, and become good freinds.

Through Todd I meet Matt (other boy in picture). He's great, plays live music and is about to move to New York...we're gonna miss him :(

Jump ahead 6 months to July-ish. Random Sunday night after an encouraging chat with the bff, I google churches. I look into 3 that come up and decide on one to try the following Sunday, Grace Bible Church.

Three days later, on Wednesday, I go to a running store to get fitted for shoes after my stress fractures. The store is closed because of a 'Running Club' they have on tuesdays and wednesdays. I was already in my running gear so despite my nervousness and lowsy running level, I decide to go. It's here that I meet Rachel (pictured in the white shirt.) She just started going to this new church the previous Sunday, 'it's wonderful,' she tells me...it's called Grace Bible Church.

I wept on my way home, happy tears. That God was moving in my life and he didn't have to, but he let me see it. And he didn't stop here.

I then meet Kara (not me, there's another!...only girl left in picture not named), Rachel's roommate who also goes to Grace, but it's not until September when Rachel and Kara were talking about going to see their friend 'Matt' play in Manayunk (where I live) that we realized we had these mutual friends.

It was decided a story like this calls for a dinner group...and the rest is history :)

(crazy eyes!)

This was only our second dinner (hosted at yours truly's house!), but the pot-luck style menu was that of a pro:

Split-Pea Curry Soup

Homemade Honey-Wheat Bread

Brisket

Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Honeyed Carrots

Thai Green Beans

Insane Chocolate Peanut Butter Reese's Cake

David Crowder Band

Burlington, New Jersey. Who would think a little ol' band from Waco, Texas would come all the way out to Burlington, NJ. Not I, but so glad they did.

David Crowder Band.

Came to Burlington on Thursday night so a group of us from church made the drive to catch their show. I've always heard they're a great concert, but know I'm sure of it. Such a blessing. If you ever have a chance to see them, GO, you won't regret it.

Eleven on the 11th

I've been challenged. By my sweet friend Shannon; it is as follows:
I’m commenting to challenge you to a blog throw down of sorts (if you don’t watch Food Network, this reference will be meaningless). Anyways, on November 11th I will be posting a collection of 11 random things about myself (facts, pet peeves, sayings, hobbies, hopes, dreams, etc.). I challenge (invite) you to join me in doing the same on Nov. 11th, and then we can link to each others’ blogs and it will be awesome. This is a random idea of mine, but I thought it would be fun to have some community with blog friends. I’m challenging others, and feel free to invite other to participate. So, what say you? Do you accept this challenge?


I accept. And in true Food Network fashion, "A La Blog!"

1. I'm an introvert. Almost to a T. It took me a while to admit this, I always thought it was negative. But it's not, it's me. So there you go,  and boy, it feels good!
2. I made a pact with my (boy) next door neighbor when I was 12 years old that if we both weren't married by 30, we'd marry each other...we're both almost 24 and still single. :|
3. Ever heard about the Legend of Bloody Mary? A 5th grade boy told me about it on the bus home from kindergarten when I was 5 and I'm still too afraid to look into a mirror in the dark.
4. I fear the future. That sounds funny. Not my own future (God's got that under control), but the future around me I guess. The future of America. The future of cars. The future of electronics. I feel like we're already so advanced in so many ways, it freaks me out to think about where we'll be in 10, 20, 50 years.
5. I'm listening to Christmas music right now. And not afraid to admit it.
6. People that can't finish something absolutely drive me nuts. For example: Let's say you're going to take the last handful of pretzels out of a bag, but feel bad so you put two single pretzels back in to be nice; NEWS FLASH it's not nice, it's a tease. Who really wants two pretzels? Then not only are the pretzels gone, the victim has to dispose of the bag for you too!
7. I really wish I knew how to play the guitar. The idea of just being able to grab a guitar and sing and worship with people or for people is so amazing to me.
8. I can bend my left index finger back and touch the top of my hand. But only the left.
9. Sick, my favorite sandwich to make when I was younger was mayonnaise and craft singles inside a pita pocket, in the microwave for 30 seconds...and now I'm a vegan, go figure.
10. I can't say 'pancake,' it comes out 'paincake' and 'enchilada' comes out 'ahnchilada.' I'm not sure why or when it happened, but I think it's safe to blame that one on the Mom :)
11. It's Denholm tradition that you get to pick your birthday cake, any cake, and Mom would make it. For a good 17 out of 23 birthdays I requested the same cake, Mom's Chocolate Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate icing, all from scratch, all delicious. 


So there you have it. Challenge complete.
Craving more Eleven on the 11th? Check out:
Shannon
Lauren
James
Kelli
Camille

Girl's gotta get reading!

The movie comes out in 10 DAYS and I'm only on chapter 2. There's no way I'll watch the movie before reading the book, but there's also no way I'll be able to wait past the 22nd (tops) to see the movie. 

Hence, the dilemma. 

If only work would understand me calling in sick to hole myself up in my room and read all day. I mean, after all, this is an emergency.

I cook, you eat, we serve.

This morning we had a pancake breakfast at work in an effort to raise money for Makarios in time for the holidays. It's chilly outside and work's getting busier and busier so what better way to warm up and reconnect with coworkers than through Pancakes?

So we set up shop; electric griddle, Pancake batter, butter, syrup, OJ, photo album, donation jar. And with that, the first annual 'Pancakes for Poverty' was held on November 9, 2009. Good food with great community all for a wonderful cause. Can't beat it.

The expectations for this were nonexistent since it was the first one of it's kind. But as always, the Lord completely overwhelmed me by the turnout and the outcome. Almost 30 (of my only 40) coworkers enjoyed Pancakes and we collected over $600.00!! Just typing that number overjoys me. I have no words. Just a big smile on my face and remembering:
Trust in Him and He will provide.

A good list gets me every time

I love lists. Whoever invented them is genious. I recently purchased this book, Listography: Your Life in Lists, because I thought it'd be fun, and it is. It's the bomb, actually. Not gonna lie, some of the lists are real hard to fill out, I haven't figured out yet if it's the fill-out-over-the-years or fill-out-about-your-past kind of book, but just going with the flow on that one.
Some of the topics are funny, some make me sad, and some I don't think I'm brave enough to put on paper, but all of them bring back great memories.

List Bad (stupid/silly) Things You Did as a Kid

(Age 9) No matter how careful I was, I always managed to make the worst food spills: slice of pizza face down on Mom's brand new cream-colored rug, dropped a gallon of milk that busted all over the kitchen floor (and of course underneath the refrigerator).

(Age 13) Thought I'd help Dad out and mow the lawn, but one time forgot to pay attention and ran the (again, BRAND NEW) riding mower into a tree...oops.

(Age 5) Ok, picture a department store with color-coded bins of pretty soaps in cute shapes and sizes (much like the ones to the right) all out in the open to mix-n-match your own bag of mini soaps. Now picture being five years old and seeing this...Let's just say I found out pretty quickly that they weren't candy when I bit into one.

(Age 7- 18...seriously.) Didn't your mom ever yell at your for leaving chapstick in your pants pocket and sending it through the washer (and DRYER) which is only discovered by the random grease stains on various pieces of clothing in the load? Mine did. ALOT. I think I lost a good 10-15 sticks this way. Sorry, Mom.


(Age 8ish) Never try to curl your long hair by twisting it around and around in a round brush from the tip to the root. It will get stuck. Your mom will freak out yelling you're going to have to cut it out and have a bald spot. And you will cry hysterically. But hopefully your Dad will have the patience to slowly untangle it all. Thanks, Pops. 


(Age: My Whole Life) Can't tell you how many times I fell for the "Kara, will you go upstairs and get 'such-and-such'," "Kara, clean up this game," or "Kara, do my chores for me" from my brothers...as long as they put "We'll time you!" at the end. Tell me I'm not the only one that couldn't resist a good ol' time challenge.


(Age 11) Home by myself and hungry for dinner. Favorite food: tacos. Taco shell in the toaster oven to get crispy while I heat up the fixings.  Turn my back on toaster oven and minutes later notice a bright light out of the corner of my eye. Taco shell up in huge flames in the toaster oven. 
Panic. Unplug toaster oven. Blowing out fire doesn't work. Cup of water does the trick. Inside of the toaster a little charred, but still works. Don't tell Mom.


(Age 13) Neighborhood kids and I used to skateboard down this hill by my house. I did it a few times with no problems then my fourth ride or so I started to lose my balance halfway down the hill and ended up sliding head-first down the end of the hill. I was quite cut up, but . I think Mom was more mad about the wholes in my clothes than she was worried about me. I suppose I don't blame her. Moral of the story: Don't try to skateboard when you're not a Skater. It won't be pretty. 


I'm sure this list could go on and on, and feel free to comment if you know me and have any to add (but be nice!), but I urge you in your spare time to reflect on your life in lists. It's fun and good for the soul.

I can get used to this whole World Series thing

NOTE: This was supposed to be posted yesterday...oops. Pretend it's yesterday...


My commute to work this morning was awesome. Calm, peaceful, friendly. No one speeding past me, not a single horn honked, no one cut me off, no middle fingers thrown out any windows. Someone even slowed down to let me over when I put my blinker on to change lanes rather than speed up to purposely NOT let me in.


But why was this morning different than any other morning? Why the extreme change in driving behaviors and attitudes? How come yesterday morning road rage was out of control, but today you would've thought you were in the South? (Sorry Philadelphians, had to throw that last comment in there :) )


Simple: WORLD SERIES GAME 5; Phils won, 8-6.


Maybe it's coincidence and maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm convinced otherwise. And I don't hate it.


Philadelphia Sports fans are some of the most intense fans I've ever experienced. They truly take on their sports teams as they would blood relatives and react to wins and losses like nothing I've ever seen before.


A bit overwhelming at times, yes, but when I slow down and step back for a minute, it's fascinating to witness how passionate native Philadelphians are about their sports teams, how much they love their city; this same city I spent so long trying to avoid and God spent so long pushing me back.


All to teach me a lesson from these crazy Philadelphians: To love my city. (that's weird to say, but it's growing on me) Love it like the sports fans do, love it like the natives do, love it like Jesus does.

And with that said...