Which part was more fun?

Yesterday Mark had to make a run to Portland to the Rockler store to pick up some supplies for the middle school wood shop classes he teaches. When he invited me to join him for the journey, I thought, "Hmm... of course I love any time I can spend with my sweet hubby, but how could we make this a bit more exciting?" And I came up with a plan that would involve Sarah, Chris, and Hannah. So after our wonderfully thrilling time at Rockler (Zzzzzzzz), we met up with our kiddos at Claim Jumper for great food and even better conversation. Guess which part of the day I liked best (hint: it wasn't the first stop on our itinerary).
I LOVE MY DAUGHTERS SO MUCH!

(Thanks, Sarah, for these sweet pictures!)

Ben Dorr - Celebrity Chef

Ben Dorr. Engineer at the Hyatt Grand Aspen by day (that's his work shirt above) --- Gourmet Chef by night. Little did we know that when we went to Colorado we would be treated to a meal that was comparable to anything one might find at a five-star restaurant anywhere. Ben cooked up a storm over the course of two days, and we were the recipients of his talent. All we could say was YUM! And THANKS! And WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THIS ABILITY ALL THESE YEARS?

Apparently Ben has discovered his true calling: gourmet cooking! He invited us to share a gnocchi feast he created, and it was sooooo good! It took him many hours to handmake it all, and we eagerly savored ever single bite. In the picture above, he is making a loaf of heavenly artisan bread from scratch.
Here he is brushing it with an olive oil and spice mixture prior to baking it.

He sauteed these plates of cut-up veggies along with some special sausage mixture to create an unbelievable sauce to mix with the homemade gnocchi. We were (and remain) very impressed with his culinary efforts.

Happy Chef!

Ben and Christine's dog Cody needed some speaking to at this point!

Giving the sauce a final stir.

The gnocchi await their bath in the yummy sauce.

After he completed his preparation of this extraordinary dinner, Uncle Ben took his turn with his sweet niece Adelaide. She's definitely checking him out! Some day, Adelaide, you, too, will enjoy a feast prepared by your uncle. Prepare to be amazed! Thanks, Ben, for such a fun evening.

Ayeresam's Dedication Service

On Mother's Day evening at church (last Sunday), our sweet little grandson Ayeresam was dedicated to the Lord at a special service. There were several other little ones who were also being dedicated, and each couple shared a Bible verse of their choosing as they made a public commitment to raise their precious little ones to follow Jesus Christ. We were so blessed to be among the many family members in attendance for this very special occasion.
Jake and Ayeresam were wearing their Ethiopian finery. And below is a short video clip.

Bathtime for Adelaide

It has been my joy and privilege to give Adelaide two baths while I have been in Colorado. We have learned some things from one bath to the next. Today's venture went much more smoothly than the first - Nikki added more water to the baby tub this time, so Adelaide stayed warmer and happier. And I felt much more confident handling this sweet, slippery baby. All went well. Happy times, clean baby. Hooray!
All wrapped up in her towel after her time in the tub.

Dressed and wrapped up all snuggly in a warm, fresh-from-the-dryer blanket.

All clean and tuckered out, and ready for a relaxing rest. Love you, sweet girl! Thanks for giving me the special joy of getting you all fresh and clean.

More Adelaide...

Aspen and Adelaide

This is the scene that awaited us when we arrived at the Aspen airport on Thursday evening. Welcome to winter! Very beautiful.
The real beauty, however, soon presented itself in the form of Miss Adelaide Grace Dorr.

Hannah and her sweet niece.

In Grandpa's arms.

Grandma is in heaven.

Have you ever seen anything sweeter or more precious?