Cherries!

We have been eating Rainier Cherries like crazy this week! A pastor at our church has a family cherry farm in Hood River and we were blessed to get some. They are absolutely HUGE cherries....the biggest I've ever seen. Not just one or two, here or there....all of them are simply ginormous and sweet and juicy and just plain yummy. I have about eaten my weight in fresh ones, to which my tummy is beginning to rebel....so I decided to make a cobbler with some of them. I really wanted to make a pie, but I like the dark red tart ones for that, and as my family are not pie eaters, I thought I might have a fighting chance with a cobbler. So far, no good. I few bites. Oh well, I like it! It's a bowl full of warm comforting yumminess. Even better with a big gob of vanilla bean ice cream. Did I mention that my family and I LOVE summer fruits and berries. Oh yes, we also had our first farm fresh sweet corn on the cob with dinner tonight. It's now officially summer! Next on my list is blackberry picking for jam and pie. Cant wait!

THE BEST Fresh Blueberry Muffins!

My long search is finally over! These are absolutely the best blueberry muffins!!! My neighbor stopped by and gave us a bowl full of berries he had just picked and I straightway went into the kitchen to whip up a batch of these yummy treats.

4th of July 2009

In keeping with our now ten year tradition....we headed over to Bend for the 4th of July. We are not camping anymore (hope we will get back to that soon) but we stay in the same hotel every year. It has an outdoor pool that the kids are in from the moment we get there, until we have to drag them out to go home. It has a great view of the fireworks. We actually watched the firework from the pool this year! It is a very abbreviated trip, but very worth it. We stop for a picnic lunch at Lost Prarie on the way over the mountains. We time our trip over to stop for lunch and give the kiddos a chance to get out of the car and run around in the woods. Love this tradition and the memories my kids will have!

Picnic in the Park

We took a quick pit stop from a long day of running errands to stop at the kiddos favorite park for a picnic lunch. It was a gorgeous day and it was nice to get some time out of the car.

Dazed and Confused!

My poor littlest one suffering the after effects from sedation! She kept telling me I was freeking her out and that I looked weird. She was seeing at least double and blue floaters. Trying to stand up much to soon....falling and hitter her head on the hardwood floor just trying to sit up. Stubbornly trying to get moving before she was ready. So difficult to see her that way. The light was not in her sweet brown eyes. She did so well for the dentist though and the work itself went really very quickly and easily.

She has for the most part recovered to her sweet self now that it is afternoon and is once again dancing to the music of her movie. Clarity and sparkle back in her eyes!

Chloe's Recipe

This is my daughters idea of pizza heaven! Macaroni and cheese on pizza. Crazy creative girl!

Pool Pals

These two are having SO SO much fun together in our pool! They have spent countless hours in there already and summers only just begun. Notice the green tint to the water? We had so many kids in the pool for a few days and then the rain came....the pool sat for about a week and the algae took over. That did not stop these two however. Once I got them out...I had to do a major shock treatment to get it back to normal swimming water!

Strawberry Freezer Jam Mmmmmmm

These gorgeous berries now fill my freezer as the yummiest strawberry jam!!! I'm working on getting the sticky kitchen back into order but it is well worth the messy effort. We all love this jam so so much. I had to make a PB & J already and have the request in for upside down day for dinner so we can have toast with jam. One of the glories of summer !

My Own Little Patch of Heaven

Not much..... but I can almost taste the BLT's. Tomatoes, peppers, basil, lettuce, carrots and raddish's. Yummy!!!

Last Day of School

I cant believe how much they have grown and changed this school year.

Awards Day 2009

Trin worked so hard to do her pull-ups to earn this!!! So proud of my fit little ones.



Caleb earned National Physical Fitness and Trinity was one of five to earn the Presidential Physical fitness award!!!

Zoo Trip 2009

We just had too much fun!!! Sun and fun tired them out!

Daniel Boone Biography Book Report

He got an A+......100%!!!!! Way to go sweet boy!!!

Cub Scout Rocket Launch

Soccer

Track Meet 2009

5 Things That Make Me Happy

*Sleeping in!!!!
*Hearing my kids playing together.....laughing
*The sunshine of early morning or late evening
*Something truely romantic
*My house clean

Run Forrest Run!!!

I just keep running and running! I actually have a neighbor that finds humor in counting the laps I run around the neighborhood. As I pass his house he holds up fingers for the number of the lap I'm on. Trying to be good about what I snack on and when....I know that my bikini is very quickly going to be a wardrobe staple and I refuse to hide in a sarong all summer! It is killing me not to have the candy. Does that get any easier? I sure hope so. It has been two weeks since I broke down and had some black licorice on concert night. No candy in my purse... WHAT? It is so much easier to stop smoking or drinking. This sucks! In any situation in my life can I please have the gain without the pain!

Special Day

It seems like every year I get this vivid reminder of just how special you are to me. This little angel that we celebrate is my annual reminder. You were the one who dropped everthing and came to my side, you sat up with me all night, you are the one who prayed with me when I was afraid and crying and you were one of the first lucky ones to see this tiny little girl. I will never forget that in a time of fear and need you were at my side. You have been there through so much. I have never once doubted that you were a divine placement in my life. On this day I have the special reminder of just how precious that really is to me. I do think of it on other days throughout the year, but this day is a special reminder in so many ways. I love you!

Birthday Girl!

Asian Chicken Noodle Salad

Inexpensive, easy to make and so so yummy!

Early Birthday Girl

Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes and Punch! YUMMY!