hello.hello.hola.

Gab sent me an email the week before she came - asking for any last minute requests;  she was packing a suitcase full of treats for us.

I asked her if she could please pop into a Goodwill and pick up a coffee cup for me (it's just something the Newton ladies do)
she had already done it, of course.

I also asked her to keep an eye out for a waffle iron;
because you see . . .

Years and years ago, Joshua's mama was pregnant - bearing the love of my life;  during her pregnancy, she had a hankering for waffles, and Jim - Joshua's papa - bought her a waffle iron.
sweet, don't you think?
When Joshua and I got married - 22 years later, Ginny gave us that very same waffle iron.  We made lots and lots of waffles in the slummy apartment we called home during our our fist few years of marriage; 
Then we moved to Spain, and somewhere in the move, we lost the waffle iron.
tragic, wouldn't you say?
So here we are - ten years later, in Mexico;
and  lately, Joshua's been wanting some waffles. . . . and Gab would be here for Joshua's birthday . . . wouldn't it be nice to make waffles for Joshua's birthday breakfast?

Gabrielle did find me a waffle iron - but not at the Goodwill. When she told my mama that I was looking for a waffle iron, Mom brought out her own waffle iron (the one that has spent the last 30 years making waffles for her eight children, her overnight guests and her grandchildren) and sent it along with Gab to our mexican kitchen.
doesn't that make you smile?

welcome to our kitchen, sweet little machine.
I think we're going to be eating a lot of waffles this year.