St. Patrick's Day

As a kid, Elaine and I had the pleasure of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with our step-Grandparents, Chuck and Darlyne McDowell (since removed, but they’re still our grandparents nonetheless). Every year, they hosted a traditional dinner of corn beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread. Although I wasn’t a fan of most of the cuisine, it was fun to celebrate and be part of a fun cultural holiday.

It’s been years since we’ve celebrated like I remember, but Elaine had a great idea for us to make up a batch of soda bread that day just for fun. We try to get together at least once a week for dinner, shopping or to just spend the day together- Elaine gets to play with Natalie and we get to chat about anything and everything! Since Elaine recently went out on her maternity leave and is getting very close to her due date, we’ve been laying low and just taking it easy at her place.

We had fun making the soda bread and it turned out just how I remember. While it baked, Elaine and I played with Natalie under her cousin’s jungle activity mat. Once it was done, Elaine sent me home with a whole loaf and I’ve been enjoying it for breakfast everyday since.






I don't think Natalie enjoyed our multiple attempts for a group shot with the bread using the timer on my camera... she's crying, "Enough already!"

While we were at Elaine’s house, I took some fun pregnancy pictures of her in her front yard. I plopped Natalie in her front carrier and she didn't fuss a bit! Elaine has this weed of a tree in the middle of her grass that usually looks like a dead, branchy mess (I think she said it’s a crab-apple tree). But once a year, it actually produces some beautiful pink blooms! And since it was calm and sunny out that day, I took the opportunity to snap a bunch of pictures for her.


So here's Elaine at 38 weeks! A few of them turned out really good! She makes a beautiful mommy-to-be and that little girl of hers (name still TBA) is so lucky to have Elaine as a mommy!