"To make a success of one's marriage, one must treat it as an adventure, with all the riches and difficulties that are involved in an adventure shared with another person." 

 ~Paul Tournier, "The Adventure of Living"

Being married to this guy is certainly an adventure.  We're working on our 22nd year of marriage and our 29th of being a couple.  So, when we got an Amazon gift card for our anniversary from dear friends, I found the book "Married and Still Loving It" and immediately bought it.  We're always looking for new "tools" in our marriage toolbox.

This weekend we made a flying trip to visit Aaron's dad and mom #2.  July is a month full of birthdays and anniversaries for the Choate family, and we always try to get together to celebrate.  But life got really crazy hectic for all of us in July, so the first weekend in August was the best we could do!  We're so grateful for flexible and hospitable family.

Herbs Gone Wild - Dill

My herbs are going to seed and making lovely flowers, but we are still enjoying the fresh flavors of this crazy herb abundance.  Our family is renewing visas for the Solomon Islands, and we've just finished the last physical exam and eye appointment.  One of the things we learned is that Aaron's cholesterol is high, so we're looking for ways to tailor our eating habits to his needs.  And using herbs is a bonus! (Both recipes adapted from "Taste of Home Diabetes Family Friendly Cookbook".)

Salmon with Lemon-Dill Butter

Serves two

2 salmon fillets (4 oz each)

5 teaspoons butter, melted

3/4 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

12 teaspoon snipped fresh dill

Place salmon skin side down on a broiler pan.  Combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon peel and dill.  Brush one-third of mixture over salmon.  Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 7-9 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with remaining butter mixture.

My girls are used to really fresh fish when we live in the Solomon Islands, so both of them were a little bit iffy about trying salmon from a bag that we didn't have to clean ourselves.  They loved it.  And I loved the ease of preparing this fish.

Summer Vegetable Salad

Six Servings

1 cup fresh cauliflower

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup sliced red onion

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 cup chopped zucchini

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, carrots, onion, tomatoes, and zucchini.  In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients.  Pour over vegetables and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve with a slotted spoon.

My little backyard raised bed did not produce much this summer, only this cute little purple pepper and a couple of orange "tequila sunrise peppers" you can see in the background.  We did enjoy some "blue cream berries tomatoes", but our big yellow stuffing tomatoes kept being stolen clean off the vine before they could ripen.  The lack of fruitfulness got me thinking about my life and about this quote:

If scripture teaches us anything, it is this:  God is always more concerned with the decision-maker than he is with the decision itself....For the believer wanting to know God's will for her life, the first question to pose is not "What should I do?" but "Who should I be?"  ~Jen Wilkin

Our family is about to experience some major transitions as the two older kids go off to college and Aaron begins traveling internationally.  Each day as we face multiple decisions, some seemingly insignificant and some that feel mammoth, I want the question to be, "Who do you want me to be, Lord?"  And that will bear sweet fruit.

Translation in Progress

This guy...I'm all heart eyes over him.  Aaron is the only one in the world who can read both the Lavukaleve on the left and the Greek on the right.  I love watching him get excited about getting God's Word in the heart language of our neighbors in the village.

Driving!

Olivia passed her written driver's permit test with flying colors yesterday.  One of her goals was to get her restricted driver's license while we were back in America.  We now have our third teenage driver in the house!

Blanchard Springs Caverns

We took DJ to visit one of our favorite places in Arkansas:  Blanchard Springs Caverns.

Every time we visit, I'm blown away at God's creation hidden several hundred feet underground.

My camera can't capture the majesty and scope of these beautiful rock formations, and I'm always led to worship as I gaze around the massive spaces filled with beauty.

Because it was Sarah's birthday, I snuck in birthday plates and a tablecloth, and we enjoyed a picnic in the midst of even more beauty.

Sweet Sabbath

Summer Sundays are made for going to church, cooking lunch in the crockpot (cool, easy, fast, and delicious), and enjoying beautiful flowers from the farmers' market.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

My beautiful first born turned nineteen yesterday.  She is growing into such a lovely young woman.

While looking through old pictures, I found evidence that things I find in Sarah now have been true for a long time.  She still loves to read books.

Most definitely you can still find her in the kitchen creating up a delicious storm.

And she still loves to make music.

We celebrated in our customary way:  with food and laughter.

Sarah made her own birthday cake, an incredible concoction of homemade chai cheesecake with a homemade gingersnap crust layered with chai cake and smothered in chai cream cheese icing.  With homemade chai ice cream on the side.

All of the chai spices reflected one of the influence that JBU had on her development last year.  I hear that the Missionary Kid group drinks copious amounts of chai tea.

More Adventures with DJ

We've just been enjoying one little adventure after another while DJ is here.

 Wooly Hollow gave us a great chance to enjoy the water and to grill some hamburgers.

And since DJ says she gets more "nature" in just a few days with us than she does all year long, it seemed fitting to take her to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum.

Followed by a trip to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum,

where we climbed aboard a submarine, the USS Razorback.

 The guide noticed Benjamin's orchestra t-shirt and asked what instrument Benjamin played.  Then he said he had attended Mills High School and played the cello!  I knew his teacher.  What a small world.

This was the entire galley, where the crew ate all of their meals.  Underneath those covers, the tables have checkers, chess, and backgammon boards.

We climbed back up to the outside world (wish I had thought ahead and NOT worn a dress),

and moseyed on over to the museum.

My favorite item in the museum was the USS Arkansas'  beautiful communion set donated by a church in New York.  

Beauty plus function equals perfection.

In the gift shop, we found a t-shirt that should be what each Solomon Island village team wears as we get on the boat early in the morning on our way back out to our village homes.  "I love the smell of diesel in the morning" might just become our new slogan.

After all of last summer's adventures, DJ came back for more!  

We drove straight (well, with a quick stop for coffee after her red-eye flight) to the Arkansas Archaeological Survey research station to meet Dr. Emily for a tour.

She led us through a walk through her Woodland, Mississippian, and Colonial period gardens.  My curiosity was whetted last week when I took a continuing education class about foodways in Arkansas history, and I wasn't disappointed on our tour!

I think everybody's favorite part of the tour was when we got to try throwing the atlatl.

We paused for a picnic lunch at a gorgeous overlook.  Our little Arkansas mountains are nothing compared to DJ's big California mountains, but they are beautiful and look like home to me.

After lunch, we drove over to the Rock House Cave tour at Petit Jean State Park.

The cave is beautiful all by itself, 

but when you throw in the amazing remnants of paintings done thousands of years ago, 

 then the whole thing is really spectacular!