A morning at the market

It was the perfect morning for a boat ride over to the Saturday Farmers Market. I wish I had taken more pictures of the beautiful produce...lots of good raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes, zucchini and some delicious scones.

Summer haircuts

Jim let Sean have a "faux hawk" for a few minutes before finishing the haircut. Sean decided the faux hawk was best accompanied by tough guy faces and a few poses to show off his muscles!  

Time for pie

This pie took almost all day. I could've started it the night before, however, which would've made it seem a little less complicated. There were so many steps that involved chilling from 30 min. to several hours...plus the homemade crust. And the lime curd. And the blackberry compote. (Side note: I picked up fresh blackberries at the farmers market for this...they were amazing).
I think next time I will choose a recipe that's a little bit easier. The end result was actually very nice , thanks to Jim's use of the kitchen blow torch (and his skills at helping with the meringue). But it still needs a little tweaking. And I need to get a good kitchen thermometer because this recipe uses one for at least 2 of the steps.

A little summer baseball

This time it's Jim's turn. He plays on a corporate baseball league. Sunday was a perfect night for baseball. Sean was pretty excited about watching the game and yelled out "Good job , Dad!" after he got a hit.

Bubbles!

Here's a little something we did on a lazy summer morning...bubbles! 16 cups warm water + 2 tablespoons baking powder + 1 cup dish soap (Dawn or Joy, preferably non-concentrated)=bubble liquid.
We bought a bubble wand thingy but they are very easy to make.

The bubbles were huge! I was hoping they'd actually stay intact and float around but they usually burst just as soon as they were released from the wand.   

What summer should look like!

Ironman!

Happening this Sunday...(I'm #508)

Easing in to summer

Missed

It almost feels too personal to post this here but then it doesn't feel right to continue without a pause to acknowledge the loss.
So, for now a favorite photograph...capturing happiness , which is the best way to remember.

Field trip to the farm

I went with Jackson's class to our local CSA farm today. You can either subscribe to the CSA and pick up your produce once a week or you can rent a plot and grow your own veggies. It's amazing to see what's growing even with the cool rainy weather we've had this spring. Tons of chives, broccoli, lettuce and lots of things peeking out like beets, asparagus and strawberries. The kids all planted some squash seeds and brought them home in a tiny little container.
I wish I would've taken more photos but it was freezing and windy. (I had on 4 layers and some of the kids were wearing shorts!)

Jackson's acting debut

Jackson's class put on a play last Wednesday night...he played the part of a cowpoke named Bronc. He was awesome! He did such a great job with all his lines and really got into his role. It was a fun show!

Opening Day

Notice that it was SUNNY on opening day for baseball season...not really warm, but sunny!
And , a glimpse of what Jackson and Sean came up with for all the extra packing material from a birthday box. They looked like big potatoes!
Stay tuned for a detailed review of Jackson's class play...opening is tonight at 7pm!

Wednesday

The week is already halfway done! It's still cold-ish but so far today has been relatively nice.  Rain is predicted and I'm sure it will happen at 5:15, which is when Sean has lacrosse practice. (And as an added bonus, team pictures are tonight...not sure what the back up plan is for rain).

Newly Nine

A few pics from the big day and some older ones. It's hard to believe how big he is now! It was a very happy birthday for our sweet, funny, artistic and easy going boy. We have loved watching him grow up so much in the last year but I can't help but miss the days when he was just a little guy hanging out in his pack-n-play, nibbling on his toes!

I heard a rumor that sunshine is coming our way...

...unfortunately not in time for the 60 mile bike ride I have planned for Friday!!

Another Wednesday with hail

I'm imagining myself in a place like this till we start to have reasonable weather!

Spring? Where are you?

Spring Break

We did a staycation this year and had a wonderful, relaxing week. (However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss flying off to a warm, sunny spot...next year!). The skiing was the best it's been all year. Both boys did lessons and we have found great instructors for both of them. Next year Jim and I plan to take ski lessons again or else we will be left behind by our little speed demons! Jackson had his friend Erik come up to the cabin one night. They had a great time exploring in the woods around the cabin and even found what looked like a beaver den nestled on the side of the river. It turned out to be a massive root ball from two trees that had fallen over, but it was still fun to check it out. Now we are back into our spring routine....homework, book reports, lacrosse, baseball and training for an Ironman.

Happy Birthday Sean

My little guy is seven today! Such a great day for a birthday!
The world is definitely a brighter place with Sean around!!

What we've been up to...

We've been skiing, visiting our neighbors puppies (their dog had 8 lab puppies...4 black, 4 yellow), attending both boys school conferences, reading Treasure Island, watching Willow, celebrating one birthday, getting ready for another, enjoying dinner at Laurelhurst Market and taking lots of photos of everything. Unfortunately, I have a glitch on the computer that won't allow me to post pictures right now. Stay tuned!

It must be Sunday

I never thought I'd see the day when we all sit down and read the Sunday paper together. It actually has happened....5 minutes of quiet on a Sunday morning!