Eric and I decided to experiment. We wanted to see how rock climbing with just me, him, and our 16-month-old baby, Avie, would go. We've rock climbed with Avie since he was two and a half months old, but always with friends so that one of us would be free to tend to him. Also, I had recently purchased a new climbing harness, the Black Diamond Siren, with the help of a friendly sales associate at Water Stone Outdoors in Fayetteville, W.V., during a weekend trip to the New River Gorge. The New offers world-class climbing, but our weekend involved more rain than actual rock time. We were OK with that, because we had met our good friends Kathryn and Otto from Asheville, N.C. The trip to the New gave us ample catch-up time and motivated us to get out and climb more often with Avie.   
     Thus, Eric, Avie and I set out on Friday, October 17, to try out my new harness and climb a trois. We selected a local crag providing easy top roping and a baby-friendly ten-minute approach on a well-groomed hiking trail. While Eric set up the top rope, I nursed Avie at the bottom of the rock face. I felt unusually compelled to take photos of Eric as he rappelled to the ground below, and now, after what occurred next, I'm glad that I did. 
     I was climbing first, so I tied my figure eight knot on my harness, Eric attached the rope to his belay device, we made sure Avie was in a safe area on the ground next to Eric, and I made my way up the rock. As I was nearing the top, I noticed some webbing hanging free from the anchor and wondered why Eric hadn't taken it with him. It was not dangerous or wrong -- it just seemed out of place and sloppy, something that climbers frown upon. Once I reached the top, I slapped the anchors to signal a complete climb.  At this moment, Eric called my name. "Brynn," he said in a tone saved for big news, one that incites intrigue and question. I looked in his direction, about 30 feet below me, and raised my eyebrows as if to say, "What's up?" 
     He wore an ear-to-ear grin, a feature that most attracted me to him when we first met. "Yea?" I asked with a bit of confusion. He got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" is what came next, and at that, my mind went blank, as did my face, and all I could do was stare at him. I hope I was smiling, but I was definitely staring, and then the only thing I could do next was laugh, giggle, and squeal with delight. He told me to look at the webbing hanging from the anchor, the one that I noticed to be peculiarly out of place. Dangling directly in front of my face was a beautiful ring clipped to a carabiner - how I didn't see it is beyond me! When my eyes fell upon it, I thought, "Wow! How did he know to design something like this? I love it!" I came to learn that it was his maternal grandmother's, who led an interesting, well-traveled life. She had lived in China and the Arctic Circle, and I'm eager to learn the origin and backstory of the ring, which I'm now honored to care for and wear.
     I laughed some more, unclipped the ring and held onto it with fervor and a fluttering heart. Eric lowered me to the ground. During the proposal, Avie had managed to climb atop his own rock. All smiles, we scooped him up and enjoyed a big family hug. Then Eric reminded me that I forgot to answer him. "Yes!!!" I shouted, of course. I hurried up the same climb again, cleaned up the anchors, and we hiked out, a beautiful sunset escorting us to our vehicle. 
     The next morning, I woke up and unrolled my yoga mat to begin my regular morning practice. I must have been exhausted from the excitement of our engagement, because six minutes into sun salutations, I felt I could not go on. I retreated to the bathroom, where I drew myself a bath full of the hottest possible water and essential oils and melted into it for a long time, knowing that I may be needing this kind of solace in the near future whilst wedding planning. I closed my eyes and reveled in the surprise of Eric's proposal. What a romantic, thoughtful man I can now call my fiance! 
     Afterward, I made myself a smoothie, something I do every morning. This morning was different, however. I was now someone's fiance, a great reason to celebrate! In the spirit of moving our relationship to a new level, I added an extra heaping tablespoon, in addition to my normal two, of organic raw cacao powder as well as three chunks of an 88 percent dark chocolate bar. For a week, I played around with various very chocolatey smoothie recipes to find a perfectly smooth, sweet one. Below is the recipe that won out among all the others. 
    Before you proceed with making it yourself, I'll tell you that it is rather filling and acts as a full meal for me. It refuels me after 90 minutes of power vinyasa yoga in the mornings and subsequently sustains me for three to four hours, during which time I breastfeed, run four to six miles, breastfeed, pick up and carry Avie over and over again, breastfeed, and do miscellaneous household chores. Feel free to cut ingredient measurements in half (or double them!) to suit your lifestyle and metabolic needs.    
     As a liquid base, I used banana peel tea, which my friend Elise tried for her teething and sleepless baby and recommended for mine. We've been adding it to the chamomile-lavender tea that we make for me and Avie each night, and it seems to work! It provides a hint of sweetness and promotes relaxation, something I'll be needing as a soon-to-be bride. The tea is especially beneficial for insomnia, and even though I drank this first thing in the morning, I did not find myself feeling especially sleepy - rather, I felt a steady sense of calm. With that said, I present you with a soothing chocolatey treat!

Super Green Double Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Two bananas
One avocado
1 cup diced, frozen mango, thawed
3 cups spinach
5 dates
About 2 cups (more or less, depending on your preferred thickness) of banana peel tea, chilled in the refrigerator overnight 
1 tbsp Garden of Life RAW Organic Green Super Food powder
2 tbsp raw organic cacoa powder
1 tbsp vegan mini dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp pea protein powder 

     With a go-to relaxant in the form of a smoothie under my belt, I'm ready for wedding planning to commence!  Further, seeing that Eric and I have agreed on many of the important things when it comes to our big day, we're off to a good start. A local, outdoor venue? Yes! Writing our own vows? A must. An overnighter river trip honeymoon that involves kayaking, camping and rock climbing? Absolutely! Naturally, we've disagreed on some things, too. A vegan wedding? Ha! Eric immediately shot that down - after all, no one would come! Mostly, however, we are excited to host our guests in our biggest celebration to date. We hope that our wedding manifests as a cozy dinner party, much like the ones we enjoy having in our own home, and that it's infused with laughter, live music, good food, and beloved friends and family having a good time. Now, with Avie on hip, ring on finger, and smoothie in hand, let the planning begin!

     Eric and I eagerly planted a garden together for the first time almost immediately after buying a house, which we purchased shortly after we became new parents to Avie Jennings Harder, now 15 months old. Setting forth simultaneously into three unexplored territories -- gardening, home owning, and parenting -- within a matter of eight months has quickly shifted our priorities and past times. Luckily, though, I am a Sagittarius and Eric a Pisces, both mutable astrological signs whose defining characteristics are the ability to effectively adapt and thrive on constant change with grace and ease. Yet, when I heard a mouse digging through the wood of our kitchen cabinetry at the same time that I smelled the faintness of mildew one morning during my daily 90-minute yoga practice, grace and ease escaped me. Rather, my thoughts went something like this: 
      Inhale: Do I have time to rush to the kitchen to do away with this mouse before my next vinyasa? Exhale: I may be paranoid, but based on the fact that we have found mold and mildew in the garage and every single room of our house, I think I smell it in the living room, too. Inhale: Yep, this is one persistent mouse. Exhale: I might faint on this next inhale of dank air. Inhale: Gag! OK, let me transition out of this headstand to pull the furniture away from the walls and check for what could possibly be making the air quality in here less than ideal. Exhale: Ick! There's mildew covering the entirety of our large arm chair! (I then move the heavy piece of furniture outside, fueled by adrenaline and a giant dose of irritation.) Inhale: Whew, I'm back on my mat - maybe that blissed-out yogi calm will wash over me right about now. Exhale: Perhaps the mouse will encounter some black mold and make a peaceful exit toward the white light. 
     As one can see, not all the changes associated with our new lives are enjoyable. But I appreciate the hiccups, for  they exist to keep us on our toes, ever ready for the next challenge, and, most importantly, they keep our senses of humor intact and our gratitude for the small things growing.
     In the midst of the mice, the mold, the garden, Avie, and attempting to keep some nourishing me-time with yoga, running, mountain biking and kayaking, I made a big decision. I committed to it gradually. It was a subtle shift that ultimately found a glove-like fit in my life, yet I felt apprehensive about announcing the choice to my nearest and dearest, especially Eric, who was raised in Wisconsin, the land of cheese.      
     The choice was to become vegan. The moment I decided to share this choice with Eric, my heart nervously fluttered with a feeling of sensitivity and vulnerability.  I took a deep breath and proclaimed: "I'd like to go vegan. I like how it makes me feel." His response, paired with an enthusiastic smile, was something like, "Cool, I'll totally support you!" I released my breath and wondered why I felt anxious in the first place. He always supports my wild ideas, experiments and projects, as off-the-beaten-path as they sometimes are.     
     Now, if this vegan thing is going to work, it is imperative that I up the ante on the flavor factor of our food. With Eric's support, I have taken it upon myself to cook meals so satisfying and delicious that he and Avie forget about the absent eggs, butter, cheese, and meat. Thankfully, just the other day, Eric told me how much he's been enjoying our dinners lately. Score! Still, I reassured him that if he wants a cheesy bacon omelet cooked in butter, I'll be more than happy to make it for him!   
     Why vegan? Tapping into his cynical side, Eric asked me this question at dinner one night. "Because it makes me feel good," I replied. He raised his eyebrows and gave me a sarcastic smile. Such a response may not stand up to a cross-examination of my choice, which may likely occur in the future. We agreed I should be able to eloquently articulate why I chose the vegan path. So, I came up with this: "It makes me feel good, it's fun, it commands creativity, and it's challenging." This is my go-to response for just about any of my favorite activities, from yoga to writing to running, so I figure it'll work in this case, too. It may not be as deep of a reason as some that I read on various vegan blogs, but it works for me! 
     In all seriousness, though, why vegan? I'll spare details here in telling you that Avie has suffered from infrequent bowels and constipation from the age of five months. After fixing the high-iron issue in the water at our house that caused his issue to worsen, his suffering waned slightly but not completely. He still had bleeding and writhed in pain with tears and screams at any attempt to poo. I tried many things to help him, from dietary changes, teas, massages, coconut oil suppositories, probiotics, essential oils, baths, reflexology, and Rolfing, but it wasn't until I cut out all animal products from my diet, which matters because I'm breastfeeding, and his that his condition saw vast improvements. So, in answer to the question, "why vegan?" I'll add, "because my son is now a happy, comfortable and regular pooper!" 
     Clearly, 2014 has been a year of entering the realm of new experiences, not just for me, but for my identical twin sister, Tara, too. She married Chuck Morris in July, and I was honored to be her maid-of-honor. Needless to say, Tara and I busied ourselves with brainstorming, planning, and making things happen for her big day, which was perfect and beautiful in every way. Finally, now that all the wedding hoopla has simmered down, Mr. and Mrs. Morris have had a moment to breathe, and last weekend they invited a few close friends over for their first dinner party as a married couple.  
     In addition to putting my heart and soul into keeping my man and baby happy with good eats, I wanted to do the same when it came to potluck dinner parties, a common source of camaraderie among our group of friends. Thus, the Morris get-together served as the perfect opportunity to enter my foray as a vegan at a potluck. I searched my refrigerator and pantry and came up with a Yam Chili. The dinner attendees gave it warm compliments and accolades, and Eric said it's the best chili I've ever made. Score, again!
     Below, I share with you the recipe, which is lacking in structure and exact measurements, but you get the idea. I used a slow cooker with a stovetop setting - this allowed me to saute the vegetables in the crock before adding the beans and broth. Using a frying pan and stock pot or any other combination of cookery will work, too, as long as the vegetables are cooked beforehand and the chili cooks for a long time. It pairs well with black rice, fresh cilantro and homemade guacamole.     

Yam Chili
2 pounds of red kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained after soaking in sea salt water for 12 to 24 hours 
Two large spoonfuls of coconut oil
Half of a large red onion, diced
One fresh jalapeno pepper, diced
One fresh banana pepper, diced
One-inch chunk of diced fresh ginger
About a cup of chopped leek greens (the top portion of leeks)
Ten cloves of chopped fresh garlic
Two large yams, diced
About eight or 10 cups of homemade veggie stock
2 tbsp chili powder (the chili powder I used consisted of chili peppers, cumin, garlic, oregano, and salt)
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
a few big dashes of paprika
a few turns of fresh black pepper
several dashes of oregano and chili peppers

1. Saute the onion and peppers in the coconut oil until translucent. 
2. Add the ginger, leek greens and garlic and saute for several minutes. 
3. Add the yams and cook for about five minutes. Don't worry about cooking the yams through at this step - they'll have plenty of time to soften during the slow cooking stage.  
4. Add the veggie stock, beans, and spices. Usually I like to add spices during the saute stage, but I forgot, so I added them at the end instead.
5. Set the slow cooker to cook on low for eight hours. In the final hour or two, remove the lid and stir frequently to ensure that any extra liquid cooks off and the chili thickens. 
6. Enjoy!