Sam and I traveled up to Alachua this week with heavy hearts to say goodbye to C.B. Freeman. I've mentioned him several times on the blog since we would always stop in to visit when we were up that way. He was a great man who will surely be missed.

Ashby Green, Sam Tripson and CB Freeman

gainesville weekend

What a great weekend! A big thank you to Mike and Cathie Ziegler for letting us stay in their beautiful Gainesville home and basically making the whole trip possible. Tailgating with a toddler was definitely a new experience, but it was such a blessing to reconnect with old friends and share places we love so dearly with Jack. Seeing him tot around the DZ and AGR houses was just too much. Thank you to all of our friends who went out of their way to come visit us. We hope to see you all again soon!

go Gators!

brothers

Finally! A play date with Emmett McCready

He loves his Aunt Nikki

Having fun on CB's farm in High Springs

butternut squash & apple soup

This is one of my favorite fall soups. I found this recipe in college, and whenever I make it I'm always reminded of carving pumpkins at the little stone cottage behind Swamp. A very happy memory amidst the drudgery of grad school. It shouldn't be hard to convince your small one to take a bite since, let's be honest, it's not much more than a glorified baby puree.  enjoy!

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

3-4 lb butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples, peeled and cored
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (or more for a thinner soup)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Preheat the oven to 425.
     Chop up the squash, onion and apple in 1-inch cubes. Place on a large baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Divide the mixture between 2 baking sheets and spread everything into a single layer. Roast for 40 minutes, occasionally stirring, until everything is very soft. (You must stir to prevent scorching)
     When the vegetables are done place them in a large soup pot and add 3 cups of chicken broth. Use an immersion blender to puree to a desired consistency. (You could also use a food processor to coarsely puree the mixture with just a bit of broth.) Over a medium-low heat, add the remaining stock depending on the desired thickness of the soup, followed by the curry powder and more salt and pepper to taste.

serves 4-6. freezes great.

Beating the Odds

We got home from Gainesville late last night.  We met with a great doctor at the UF Bone Marrow Transplant Unit who was able to break everything down in a very direct and understandable way.  Honestly, it wasn't what we were hoping to hear.  Sam has a rare form of lymphoma that is proving to be resistant to chemotherapy.  It is imperative that we find an effective type of chemo to get him into remission before we start the stem cell transplant process.  We discussed several treatment options, and he certainly didn't sugarcoat anything.  The odds aren't exactly in our favor.  We left Gainesville with heavy hearts, but very much trying to be strong for each other.  It felt so good to get home to Jack and lay out our new game plan.  Our first order of business was to throw those odds out the window.  No sense in worrying about statistics (my motto in grad school!).  There's just too much to live for.  Like this guy.

Gainesville Trip

Wednesday will be a busy day.  Sam has a CT scan and Jack has his 6 month checkup.  We'll let you all know how everything goes.  Until then, here are a few pictures from our Gainesville trip this past weekend.  It was a quick trip, and we knew we wouldn't get to see everyone so we prioritized our visits by age.  Jack did very well, though I can't say I'm looking forward to another road trip any time soon.  Traveling with an infant is exhausting.

In Alachua with CB Freeman

 Lunch with Roger and Ellen West

A quick stop by AGR

Dinner with the Burgs and Feinbergs

And the jello mold I was convinced would travel well (it didn't)