Our House Has Arrived!

Last friday, we had the chance to finally see our new house...in pieces, however! But, it's now sitting on our property! Whoo Hoo! Finally, it seems real! It should take a few weeks to set up. I don't know when we can move in, and then there's the job of getting the moving company to bring our belongings up from California. Couldn't we just start over? I don' t know if I have the energy to unpack...!

The kids had fun running around on the foundation before the house arrived. They were disappointed when we told them that the house was going to be sitting on that spot!

Christmas was exciting for the kids. The presents were everywhere! Mom is glad the day is over. In addition to presents,Santa must have brought along the stomach flu...it has hit us all, and now 2 days after Christmas, several of us are still suffering. I guess that means we won't gain our usual holiday weight!

Winter Wonderland!

Well, November is gone and winter is here! It's been a busy few weeks, for sure! The snow really started to fall here in early December. We had non-stop snow for about 2 days straight right after my parents arrived here from Arizona. That was their initiation, I think! My parents are fully moved now and are officially living in Washington now.

Yesterday the kids got to visit Santa. This was the first time we've done this since Emma and Andrew were born. Andrew was a little shy, but the other kids warmed up to him just fine. The kids also were able to make some gingerbread houses from graham crackers and frosting. The candy we have around here would make Willy Wonka jealous! The kids are bouncing off the walls!

The kids just love the snow, and it adds some magic to the season. Grandpa worked on a sledding run behind the house here. The kids just LOVE to sled! Andrew isn't too keen, but it is great fun to watch. Andrew laughs as the other kids slide down the hill. They wear smiles from ear to ear! Bowen says sledding is his most favorite thing to do in the whole world!

Bowen had a Christmas performance last week. It was great fun to watch! All the kids took turns acting out some of the Christmas songs. The kids really did a great job!

Two week ago, we finally had groundbreaking on our property! The contractor dug the huge hole, and the next day he poured the concrete foundation. Woo-Hoo! It's been a long time in coming! We're still waiting for the well to be completed. Once the water is tested, then we're in business! I'm getting anxious to see the house and watch the finishing process!

Enjoy the pictures! Best wishes to you all, and hope to hear from you soon.

Hello November!

Shortly after my last post, I found out that I was going to be having back surgery to fix a herniated disk (some of you might remember that my back blew out last February). Well, the MRI showed that I have a significant compression to my spinal nerve, which the doctor felt should be taken care of soon. So, I am having surgery on Monday...wish me luck!

Halloween was fun...rather than doing costumes, we did face painting. Jimmy started, but the white didn't show up very well (he wanted to be a ghost), then he was getting itchy and wanted to quit the paint. Emma and Andrew were game, and I thought if I did my own face, we'd all have a little more fun! Bowen wasn't interested...just wanted the candy!!! Anyway, I think Emma looked darling (that is, before her paint got all smeared)!

Emma told me a story today..."Batman helps me...he helped me outside. He is nice, and helped me to get in this house, because I couldn't open the door." It was very cute!

Big excitement this morning. A Bald Eagle that I spotted flying up river yesterday, flew RIGHT into the tree in the back of the house...maybe 30 feet away! Stunning view, and he wasn't the least bit afraid of me being so close, trying to get a good picture! Two others were flying nearby--didn't know if they were females or just juveniles....Monte, you'll have to educate me!

Emma turned 3....had a good party with the siblings. Balloons still seem to be the most fun play thing!

The computer hasn't been cooperating, and the dial up continues to be painfully slow. I'll quit for now, and try to give you an update sometime after surgery.

Oh, just for fun, I thought I'd include a picture of Jim and I from our wedding...it's been 7 years (holy crap!), where DOES the time GO???!!!

Fall and Winter!

We could see the first bit of snow on Tyee on October first, and now at the end of the month, we've had several more dustings. The trees up and down the valley here are just beautiful! In fact, it has made me wonder why anyone goes to the east coast to see fall there when it is just as beautiful here! Fall is my favorite season, and it's delightful that we are able to experience the marked changes here--much different than the Sacramento area!

Bowen continues to go to school and really loves riding the bus. He's able to draw pictures and write the story to go along with it. He says he wants to be Barbara Park when he grows up and make books!

Jimmy is enjoying some time being the oldest around the house (while Bowen is at school). He is very interesting in doing things with his hands. He really likes to cook and peel carrots and potatoes, though he did nick his finger tip the other day. He still carries around a first aid kit filled with band-aids, and wants to be there to help anyone who might get hurt.

Emma is just growing and playing. She says, "I not a baby! I BIG GIRL!!" That is, when she isn't arguing with you as to whether she's a boy or a girl!

Andrew is doing well and has a mind of his own! He gets really mad when other kids take away his toys. He's talking quite a bit (bus, train coming!, Mommy, fire engine, airplane, helicopter). The latter two are probably his favorite things.

On the home front, we've moved forward a little bit, in that the company will begin building the house around November first. Won't take very long once they start. We're still working out the kinks in the rest of the process. I'm looking forward to when I can post pictures of the progress! Here's a general look at the floor plan (the fourth bedroom will be where the master retreat is).

That's all for now! I'll try not to wait another month before I make a post!

Great Quilt Show

This past weekend I went to a quilt show sponsored by the North Central Washington Quilt Guild at the Wenatchee Convention Center. It was a great show--many quilts and many vendors. The featured artist at this show was a woman named Ruth Geyer, who had several exquisite quilts on display. The majority of the quilts at the show were made by members of the local quilt guild (all skill levels, all ages), but there was a row and a half of space dedicated to Ruth Geyer. I walked from one end of the row that displayed her quilts. I noticed that she had some very different techniques in her quilts. They were all very beautiful. As I got around to the last of her quilts, I could hear someone complimenting Ruth on her quilts (she was out of my view at this point). Well, as I rounded the corner, I was pleasantly surprised to see a very delightful white-haired elderly woman. I was so surprised that such a delicate woman could be responsible for making these elaborate quilts! She said that it wasn't until after her 4 kids were raised and her husband had died that she started to make quilts. I didn't ask her how long she had been quilting for (could be 5 years, could be 20...who knows?), but wish I had. She was dressed very pretty and sitting next to a small end table with a small lap quilt draped over, and 2 large quilts hanging up behind her. It was such a pretty display, and with her sitting there, I thought how I'd like to have a picture of her. I asked her if I could take her picture to which she replied, "I would really rather you didn't, but feel free to take pictures of my quilts." I couldn't help but laugh! I guess I thought that being photographed with her quilts would be something she would be proud of, but she seemed very modest like that. If I had to guess her age, I'd have to guess 85...so hard to know.

One of the tasks for those attending the show was to vote for your favorites in a variety of categories. My favorite was one made by Linda Riesterer. It appeared to be hand quilted, and it was just SO beautiful.

I did joing the Guild, so I am now tasked with sewing my name tag (a small quilted patch, 3 inch x 3 inch with an apple at the center). I'm glad I joined, and it appears that I could possibly be one of the youngest in the guild.

Here are the kids with Candy, the bus driver--all the kids love seeing the bus, although Andrew wasn't too keen on being ON the bus! Candy drives Bowen home from school, and he likes her bus best because "it goes fast and it is bumpy."

FIRE! FIRE! FIER!

Yep, that's what I meant: Fier! That what Andrew screams in the morning (sometimes 5 am) when he can't find his paci-FIER! Just when I thought the house was getting quieter, my sweet baby turns into a LOUD talking toddler! Right now, Andrew is in the tub simmin' (swimming), and Emma is standing outside the tub washing his hair with the baby soap! Now she's putting soap on her belly, so now she's getting into the tub also. Chaos, but on a low level!

We've had some gorgeous sunflowers sprout here. It was interesting to see the bees collecting pollen (not the yellow-jackets that have been piling up quickly in the traps). Also, Jimmy discovered that the green beans out in the garden are a blast to pick AND they stick to his shirt! HOW FUNNY!

Yep, that's the scorpion that was in the garage...I do all my own pictures, in case you were wondering. I don't pull anything off of the internet. Above is one of my favorite pictures of the 3 kids on the tire swing.

Well, as you may have guessed, the home-building process is taking us longer than we originally hoped. Since we don't think we'll be able to move into our new house until late November, we decided to go ahead and start Bowen in school here in Entiat. This is the school that my mom attended and graduated from (still think it's cool that the graduation pictures of ALL the alumni line the hallways). Bowen loves to ride the school bus now (first couple of days were rocky). It is not difficult to get him ready in the morning. He's an eager Beaver!

A couple of weeks ago, we had a well 'guy' come and fix the problem with the well here. THAT was a learning experience for me! I'm glad I was here to see the work get done, as I'll have to go through this again out on our property in Soap Lake!

As far as the process in Soap Lake goes: The well should be drilled in about 2 weeks. I have to send a form off, plus pay a fee. THEN there are the permit things...lots of checklists, plus I need to construct a plot plan (a drawing showing where everything will be on the property--including easements and setbacks). Think of your worst homework assignment in college....that's what this feels like! PAINFULL!! Not to mention all the paperwork for the loan.... And I'm trying not to bug Jim too much about the little details--he has enough stuff to worry about! We have selected our contractor who will be building our garage, doing our septic system and also doing the foundation. Nice guy... Hope I still feel this way when it's all said and done!

Highlights of the past couple of weeks: my back went out again; well guy worked on the well here; rat smell seems to linger in the house; scorpion was found here in the garage; Bowen's school open house went really nicely; Jimmy is now pretending to be driving a 'food truck' around the house asking if we want something to eat (I call him the Schwann's Guy); Andrew is saying several words plus 3-word sentences (hamburger, yogurt, apple, monster truck); Bowen has constructed an 'animal cemetary' in the back...so far just for grasshoppers and maybe a moth or two (however, we did observe a chipmunk 'spazzing out' this morning, so maybe we'll get him in there too!), but Bowen has been making grave markers (Jim is reminded of a Vincent Price creepy movie...).

There have been several things that lend themselves to this blog, but darned if this internet dial up is PAINFULLY slow! But I hope to get the next post on here sooner.

Did I mention that I'm having a great time sending Bowen off to school? He spends about 1 hour 45 minutes on the bus (adding up to and fro) which is probably why he loves going to school so much. LONG bus ride!

That's it for now. Enjoy!

Road Trip, Part II

(Side Note: Bowen and Jimmy are now on 2 wheels!!! They are SO excited, and doing SO well!)


Well, after getting back from our CA trip on Thursday evening, we had to get ready for a trip on Friday to western Washington. My cousin was getting married that afternoon, so we got ready and headed out to Everett, WA. The wedding was beautiful, and the weather could not have been nicer. The next day, some of us went over to La Conner, WA to go to the Quilt Museum at Gaches Mansion. That was very interesting to see. The mansion was beautiful, and the display of quilts included old and new. Some quilts were double sided, which is a heck of a trick!! La Conner was a great place to visit, and I'm glad that I had a chance to go with my mom and some of my aunts. It was a nice outing, and I think it was the first time my mom and her sisters have had the chance to gather since my mom and aunt finished their cancer treatments. It was a special day, and I'm very grateful for the chance to spend the day with the girls!





After spending the day in La Conner, we drove up toward the Canadian border to spend the night at my aunt's house. It was rainy by then, which was fine since we were all tired from walking all day! It was a great chance to see my aunt's quilting frame and machine, plus and Electric Quilt program that she uses to design quilts. It was all very inspiring--so much so, that I finally took the step to order a quilt frame for myself (Little Gracie II). I haven't gotten it yet, but I'm eager to get it up and running!!!





The picture of the kids on the tire swing was taken at Smallwoods Harvest, in Peshastin, WA. One of my favorites!! And, here are the kids at Crooked River Gorge in Oregon...cool that the sun was setting when we got there.

Couple of Road Trips

Two weeks ago, last monday, I made a last minute decision to take a trip south to California. We had a great drive south and the kids did very well. There were only a few complaints along the way. All the kids had their jobs: Bowen was the navigator; Jimmy was in charge of safety; Emma was in charge of silliness; and Andrew was in charge of sleeping (which he did VERY well).

These deer ran across the road in front of me...it was a beautiful site during the daytime. Later that night as I was driving in the dark along I-97 through Oregon, more deer ran across the road in front of my car. I was darned lucky that the deer decided to move out of the way, as I had decided not to swerve to avoid hitting it.

All the kids enjoyed seeing their grandparents, and we were very busy on several outings during the time we were there. We went to the park, went to the circus, went to another park, went to Costco, went to ride on the Sunol to Niles Canyon train, and probably some things I am not remembering at the moment! As it turned out, the kids were able to see all of their cousins in California, which made me really happy. It was really fun seeing the little kids find a common bond with the older cousins by putting money into the gumball machines at the pizza parlor! (okay, I had fun doing that too!) I have a few 'charms' hanging from my purse and my cell phone.

Along the drive to and from Washington, we stopped at several Dams: Rocky Reach, Rock Island, John Day, Shasta, Bonneville, The Dalles, and Wanapum Dams. I also was able to stop at the Crooked River Gorge in Oregon, just as the sun was setting. I tried to get a picture of the kids there, but they weren't very cooperative during that stop!

As it turned out, most of the dams had little parks where the kids could stretch their legs and use the restroom. This trip was much easier on Mom--maybe the kids are getting better at doing road trips!

The kids also enjoyed visiting some family near Portland, OR...here's Emma petting the doggy. The kids are really liking any time spent with dogs and cats. It helps to bring the kids out of their shells.

Thursday evening, when we were nearly home, I had to stop for gas in Quincy, WA. That's where I heard a little noise and sensed that I was being watched....I looked down on the ground a saw the little albino praying mantis there on the curb next to the gas pump. So, you know me...had to get a good picture of it! It's getting harder to find interesting creatures to feature in the 'sitings' section! Funny--I haven't seen a praying mantis since I was a little kid...Then last Tuesday evening, my sister-in-law and her husband showed me a picture of a praying mantis that they saw in Oregon. The, low and behold, I see one in Washington!

So, I said that we made a couple of road trips....well the second trip was to a wedding in Western WA...I'll have to leave that story to my next posting...Lots more pictures to sort through!

Long Damned Dam Outing!

Today we took a pretty long day trip to see some dams that we hadn't yet taken the kids to. We left Entiat, and traveled up 97A to Wells Dam. This dam has extensive fish spawning areas and fish ladders. It also has a nice small park with restrooms and viewing area. No tours available as far as I could tell, but a nice place to stop.

Next, we continued up 97A and then headed East on 173 which eventually brought us to Chief Joseph Dam. Boy, I didn't realize how BIG this dam is! Since 9-11, security at all of the dams tightened, and it is less accessible to visitors. However, Chief Joseph Dam was offering a tour, which we made it just in time for. No cameras (damn!!!), no purses, no cell phones....the tour guide was from the Army Corps of Engineers, and she tolk us all about the dam as she drove us across the section with the turbines. As we drove, we passed several members of the Colville Indian tribe, who are the only people allowed to fish from the dam. There were about 20 tribal members fishing. Chief Joseph Dam has no fish ladder, so the salmon and any other fish going up stream are at a dead end, so to speak. To my knowledge, the Colville tribe was hurt badly when the Grand Coulee Dam was built...they relied so heavily on the fishing on the other side. Anyhow, the tour was FABULOUS at Chief Joseph Dam. The kids did pretty well, too. I did get a shot of the dam from an outside viewpoint, though no pictures are allowed to be taken inside.

Next, we headed to Grand Coulee Dam. First we stopped at a view point, and I was able to get a pretty good picture from far away. Grand Coulee is the largest concrete structure in the U.S. Very impressive to see. But, after going through the previous tour, we didn't have the energy to do much walking in the visitors center.

The other dams that we saw today are Dry Falls Dam (small dam at the base of Coulee Lake), Lake Chelan Dam (which is actually on the Chelan river, not the Columbia), and the one we see all the time: Rocky Reach Dam.

I'm glad we did the trek today...we won't need to do that again for a long while!

Bowen has taken to map reading, and he loves to pour over maps to find the dams and airports. He's reading very well, and if he's not reading a map, he's drawing one of his own!

On the home front, our house in CA has closed, and we've finally placed the order for our new house. It could take up to 17 weeks to be delivered and set up....around Thanksgiving, but with any luck it'll happen sooner. Lots of work to do in the meantime, and we're hoping to get a garage built before the home is put on the property.

I could write more about all the things we've been up to, but I'm too tired! Enjoy the pictures!

Snake Eyes

Today is the first day that the kids are to help feed the local dog, Shelby, and the local cat, Smokey. So, I took the kids over and watched as the dog and cat were fed. Afterward, I sat and watched as the kids played outside on the swing playset and in the dirt with the trucks. After about ten minutes, Bowen hollered, "snake!" so I went over to take a look. Hiding under the dump truck was a small snake....making a distinctive 'rattle' sound. I knew immediately that I had to kill this snake... Quickly looking around, I spotted a small garden shovel with a long handle. Getting into a good position, I yelled "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH OMG!" as I whacked at the snake with a small shovel! After 3 good whacks, the snake's head was 'removed' and I could relax and try to think of what to do next!

Needless to say, we didn't stay long after that! Since the dog and cat seemed extra interested in the snake parts, I felt that I had to take it all with me. Plus, (you know me!) I wanted to get some good pictures of it. So, there you have it. My first, and hopefully LAST rattle snake kill! And I like this picture of him SO much that I won't be bothered if I never get another chance like that!

Summer's Here...So is Fire Season!

We have a small troupe of chipmonks that like to steal food from the bird feeder out on the back porch. The kids have affectionally named them, "Chip-monkey Goodness", and they get rather excited when they are at the feeder in the mornings. I finally got a decent picture of one of them, so here it is.


Well, I suppose since the temperatures were up so much on the 4th of July, it shouldn't be a surprise that we have a nearby wildfire. The Easy Street fire started around 2pm on saturday, in the hills north of Wenatchee. I've heard it was started by pyrotechnics, but also heard it was someone 'breaking' the burn-ban by trying to do a controlled burn. Don't know what the truth is, but that person has been charged by the authorities. Today, I drove up highway 2 and could see the blackened hills, and it was pretty clear how close the fire came to some of the houses on the hill. There was no visible smoke today, and the spokesman on the radio says it is now 80 percent contained, and hope it'll be fully contained by tomorrow evening. So, a little excitement, but it is far enough away from us that we need not worry.





I have to say that I had such a good time going to that last quilt show (alone, mind you) that now I want to go to a show every weekend! Unfortunately, there isn't a quilt show being held every weekend....I'd be luck if I could find one per month! I have a few on a list that I plan to go to. If you know of a quilt show anywhere in Washington (shoot, even Northern Idaho), please tell me about it! I just may go!

I had a blast from the past...When I was in fifth grade camp, the counselors had us all singing a tune called "I've Got the Malathyon blues." The jist was that it was a 'bad' thing for the spraying back then. I recalled this recently, as there are a couple of guys spraying up river here to spare us the bad mosquitos. THANK GOODNESS!!!! We're quite thankful for the relief (really, it was so bad that they could drain a cow dry in about 5 minutes!). Anyhow, it made me remember back in the day when California areas were being carpet-sprayed with Malathyon (targeting the mediterrainian fruit fly) from teams of helicopters flying overhead. I can remember the rumble of the windows as the helicopters flew over. All I knew is that even though it was fun to watch the helicopters, it was bad to be outside when they flew directly over our house. One time, I got caught outside, and was so scared that I didn't know which way to run...A neighbor man ran out in the middle of the street, grabbed me under his arm, and ran us both into his house. Like he was saving me from poison...it was dramatic. Anyway, I don't know what the concentration was back then, but the spray they're using out here is quite dilute, 'not enough to kill a fly, just a mosquito!" So the kids are enjoying watching the tracter come through, spraying for mosquitos. It has helped tremendously!

Where Does the Time Go?

I can't believe that the fourth of July is just around the corner! The past few weeks have been very busy for us in the home selling/buying process. We should close both our property purchase and our CA home sale by the 12th of July. That will mark a huge hurdle for us. Shortly after that, we'll be making final decisions about the layout and look of our new home that will go on the property. It is SO exciting to know that we'll finally have the huge kitchen we've wanted, plus plenty of bedrooms for the kids and anybody who decides to visit.





Recently, we've had the excitement of eating some things from the garden (like I said before--it's not rocket science, but it's the very first garden that the kids and I have ever grown ourselves). The radishes grew pretty fast and easy, and during the past few days we've gotten enough lettuce to make a salad that the kids and I have all really enjoyed. One of the pea plants survived and it has a few pods growing on it. Several of the bean plants did well and should be ready pretty soon. The carrots are growing, but may be too close together to really get big. I guess that's what happens with the planters are all aged 5 and under!

Something very exciting that has happened here recently is the resurfacing of the main road in front of the house. It was a grand parade with a rock layer, tar sprayer and six or more bright red dump trucks. The kids were absolutely thrilled! And there was Bruce, riding on the rock layer, looking like a cowboy! The boys think Bruce has the best job on the planet!





A few times, we've gone to the local dam and the kids have had a wonderful time playing at the park there. It is such a beautiful park...the trees are gorgeous there.

Great News!

Well, were very excited to say that our offer on the 5 acres of property just outside of Ephrata has been accepted. Now comes the task of getting through to closing, getting septic & well installed, then finally a house. And all of this needs to happen before school starts in the fall! Yikes! We'll be extremely busy, but I'm looking forward to the process.

In addition, we may have a buyer for our house in California. So, by the end of July we may be closing both ends of our move! We're more than ready!

Is it Summer Yet?

We had a couple of days where the weather was 100 degrees, then it pummeted down into the mid-70's the next day! Big change, but I'm glad that we aren't in full-blown summer yet. When it was hot, the river raised up pretty high (mosquitos came along with it), but now that it has cooled down, the river has gone back down. What was interesting was seeing the kid's reaction to mosquito bites. Jimmy's arm, eye, and forehead puffed up so bad that I thought he was needing medical attention. Emma has a bite under her eye and it swelled up pretty bad, too. Thank goodness for Benedryl and Calamine lotion!





Mom and Monte drove out here, arriving this past Sunday. They mainly needed to get the trailer on the upper property in good enough condition for Monte to live in. That meant removing the rat evidence (to put it nicely) and getting the other things in order. They left this morning to head back to California, but hopefully we'll see them again soon. The kids really enjoyed seeing them both! The crazy thing about their visit was that those Grosbeak did not show up at the feeder AT ALL while mom and Monte were here. Good thing I have pictures to prove their visit!

Jimmy found a HUGE dandilion (maybe they are always this big here, but I've just never seen them), and made his wish--to be Bob the Builder! Then later that day, we saw cousin Bruce (who works for the County maintaining the road here) working out in front of the house, so Jimmy quickly dressed in his 'safety' gear, and showed Bruce how his clothes look just like Bruce's clothes. After that, Jimmy says he wants to be Bruce when he grows up! The boys LOVE that Bruce works with construction equipment.

Finally, Dad found this critter outside one evening. He says it's a gopher snake (I personally don't know). The kids are really excited about all the new animals they get a chance to see here!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a nice memorial day weekend...didn't do anything in particular. Jim was off for 4 days though, so that was nice for us all to be here continuously. Lots of American flags waving over the weekend. Another good thing to see!

We've seen a few new critters here during the past 2 weeks. I saw a Great Blue Heron near the river yesterday and we spotted a very fancy moth the other day (see sightings). I took 3 of the kids up to Silver Falls (I keep forgetting the name of it, thinking it is called 'Sacred Falls' which is in Hawaii). This time the walk was a bit easier, though I carried Andrew most of the time. I also had a coyote run across the road in front of my car as I drove down river. I thought is was a dog at first, until I got a good look at his tail. It happened too fast to get a picture!

I took advantage of the sale at JoAnn's fabrics this past weekend...bought a few quilt books that I've had my eye on. Now I don't know what to do first!

The garden has started to grow. I don't know how big anything will get (or if it will produce anything), but still glad things are happening. The weather is supposed to get into the 90's over the next few days, and the mosquito activity seems to be getting heavy in the evening.

Good Golly Grosbeaks!

Well, look who came back to see us this morning! These are Evening Grosbeak and the group seems to like going back and forth from this feeder out on the back deck to a tall tree near the river. I was able to count 19 clearly out on the tree. I couldn't get more than 11 in one picture, though. I think this shot is a nice one...

Scooter Crew!

Well, the kids are now decked out with scooter gear! This is a new challenge for them--learning some balancing skills. Bowen & Jimmy want to zoom zoom zoom, and Emma is taking it slow, but doing great so far. Jimmy is excited about all the knee and elbow pads...he's really into the 'equipment' that goes along with everything. He loves to pretend he's a worker carrying around the tools for the job. Bowen is excited to be on the move. Emma is thrilled that she's getting to do what her brothers are doing!





Andrew is really becoming a full-fledged toddler. Yeah, sure, he's been walking for six months, but he looks so much like a baby still that I forget he's growing up! He's talking more. He says 'Daddy' very clearly now. He loves his daddy! You should see Andrew's face light up when dad gets home from work! Andrew runs to dad for hugs. He's also saying 'No', 'mommy', 'Go!', and a few more things that I can't think of! And after several months without any new teeth, he has 4 eye teeth, 4 molars and the 4th bottom tooth that never seemed to want to show up. He's also getting a mind of his own...he is insisting on feeding himself yogurt--won't take anything from a spoon now if mom tries to help (you know, I dread any more mess than I already have to deal with!). So, we're getting to the power struggle part of toddlership. Here's a picture of him feeding his ice cream to the other kids... He's giving big-mouth kisses now, and also gives great hugs! He really wraps his arms around me and squeezes! Makes mommy's heart melt! Makes all the daily craziness worth it!

Anyone who has witnessed me give the kids a bath has seen the CHAOS involved (usually), but tonight things went pretty well. Got a good picture of Andrew in the tub--he's 17 months old now. Funny thing--Emma managed to dump the whole container of baby body wash into the dry tub, so everyone used the same BUBBLE water for their bath this evening...you'd better believe that water was BROWN when we were done! I guess that means the kids are really getting their fair share of outdoor time!

Jim says he saw nearly 20 grobeaks out here on the deck earlier today. Unfortunately, a bit later today, a pair of grosbeak flew at top speed right into one of the large windows here on the side of the house. Bowen saw it happen. The birds died. Such a shame... I'm glad I didn't witness it, I'd probably have flipped out.




Garden plants are growing...some of the indoor seedlings don't look too good after being transplanted outdoors, but I haven't given up on them quite yet. There are beans growing outside that look like they've gotten a good start. Time will tell!

Here's a picture of the beautiful Iris's out on the bank, with Tyee in the background. Things are getting colorful here! Until next time!


~Stacy