21 Days

21 days is how long it's been since my last post. I figure if I don't start now I may not know where to start...I'm not even sure where to start now..

Our annual Sekiu fishing trip was much better this year. The downside was that the guys didn't catch any fish :( BUT,the food,the mood and the weather was great! This year's guest list included my Parents,my BFF Jessica,Trevor,Vern and I. As Vern patiently paced across the ocean at 2 mph hoping for a bite,us girls indulged in some adventurous beach therapy. It was Jessica's first time out at Sekiu,I always get a kick out of watching a "newbie" on those amazing beaches. It's hard not to want to bring home tons of treasures,especially when it's your fist time and you aren't sure how soon you'll be back! ha ha Over the years I have hauled home my share of rocks,sea glass and driftwood.
Here's a few photos of everyone enjoying the beach...

It always saddens me to leave that magical place...

Thankfully beautiful Mt Ranier is always waiting patiently to welcome us home.

On a side note..Our little Maxine is a bit demanding of my love and attention and I sympathise that the camping thing is still very new to her. She barked,howled and had a fit if I left her in the camper. So one day while I was attempting to make lunch and she was requiring my attention..I came up with a solution that worked out pretty well-

Our Maltese had become a "Bowl" dog! ha ha As long as she could see me she stayed right there all bundled up!

(Notice here that our little Princess was cold so she has on a hooded sweatshirt,a jacket and a blanket...and I wander why she acts so spoiled?! ha ha)

In other puppy news..My friend Shannon's dog Cassidy delivered 9 healthy puppies a few weeks ago! How funny that not ONE is colored like Mama!

 Here is little Trigger (the runt) smiling for the camera!

 These sweet babies are a glorious dose of puppy love and I am soaking it up while I can before they find their forever homes :) If you are interested in adopting one of these sweet babies please let me know,they are labs and will be available mid October for $250-400.

As for our home life,things are good! Trevor is still living with us and we are all getting along great! Chipper and Maxi both got shaved when we got home from Idaho due to a hair crisis (long story). We thought Maxi would look silly with short hair and actually is it super cute! I love the low maintenance of it and I know she appreciates me not having to brush and dematte her all the time. I am not sure if I have shared these photos yet but...this is what happens when the groomer has a few extra minutes to style Maxi's hair..

Here is a before shot of her napping with her favorite toy..

Our little girl turns one in a month,amazing how the time flies! She is still a puppy at heart and at 6 pounds she will stay the size of a puppy too! I am busy looking up recipes for dog cakes and treats and have decided that a small family party will be best. I got her a special pink dress with bows and sparkles for her big day,now let's hope she holds still for a few photos!

As for Vern and I,we are both back to work on some-what normal schedules and we have found a comfortable balance of work,fun and family. Here are the pizzas we made the other night...

They were DEEE-lish! Trevor's pepperoni pizza on the left and my chicken,bacon Alfredo on the right and THEN Vern cooked them on the smoker..best pizza EVER!

Vern and I have also been able to find many opportunities to escape for dinner or a romantic beach walk. We recently became Costco members and I can for see many expensive shopping trips in our future..yikes! Not because the prices aren't good but because there is SO MUCH good stuff there! We walked out shaking our heads and questioning why we hadn't joined a LONG time ago?! I don't think I should be trusted there alone with a large amount of money for a few months..you know,after the newness wears off :p

Other than all the short stories..that pretty much sums it all up. 21 days goes by so quickly when you have good company :)

Goodbye Summer

Ah it's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter and the nights feel a little cooler. This year I feel a little bittersweet frustration while saying goodbye to Summer. I'm pretty sure we had one of the coldest and wettest summers in history and now we are left hoping our veggies will ripen before the first frost.

The last few years I have gotten better and better about embracing this time of year. I have also learned that the holidays come fast and being prepared means starting early...really early. All that crafty holiday stuff that I plan to do each year and never get to,baking all those amazing recipes I have saved for a special occasion and have never tried and the shopping for clever gifts that mean a lot but hopefully cost a little...that kind of stuff needs to start now if I want to be successful. PLUS,I am planting fall bulbs in anticipation of spring flowers. Gardening in the fall?! Wooohoo! :) Surprise flowers in the Spring?! YAY!!! See,Fall isn't that bad!

So far my plans are to make caramel apples for Halloween and a Beef Wellington over the holidays(no I have never made one before). I have some great ideas for pumpkin decorating and if all goes well we will be "making" our Christmas gifts...

OH and how could I forget?!! Maxine turns one on October 25th! Since I never got around to having a baby shower, I am hoping to make her first birthday a super special day! This fur baby of ours is the sweetest and snuggliest little girl ever and she has definitely captured a huge place in our hearts and our family.

So many good things to celebrate! So few months to get it all done! Maybe 2 more weeks of shorts and tank tops and then time to drag out the sweatshirts again...or a good excuse for some shopping?......Shopping?! Oh don't get me started on that again....

Idaho Camping...In Style

Here are a few pictures of our fun time camping and catching up with old classmates in Idaho..

 

My friends got such a kick out of watching me style Maxi's hair! ha ha I think they were all shocked how much she likes it! ha ha What can I say...? She is all girl!

Here is Maxi,anxious to get her hair done when she sees me get the hair accessories..

Before-Bed Head

 Sitting patiently while I do her hair she rests her head on my leg...

Then WA LA! Pretty girl getting lovins from Mom for being such a good girl!

Day 20

Your Nicknames

"Little Billingsley"

aka-"B" "Bad B"

A nickname given to me as a child by a close family friend. I reminded him of her character "June Cleaver" as I cared for my doll babies and their every need in my own little imaginary world. To this day there are only 2 people who call me by this nickname,my brother and our family friend,

"Carebear"

I got this nickname when I was in my 20's. A friend's daughter started the nickname and it turned into a Carebear collecting craze! Because of the renewed popularity of these cute colorful bears I have noticed more and more people calling me by this nickname. I believe I have approximately 30 Carebears in my collection now :) 



Day 19

Something You Miss

Something I miss ..

Hmm..

Something I miss..?

Perhaps I am smart enough

to write a poem about this...?

I miss my Grandmother

and her silky white hair.

Her wrinkly hands

and many opinions to share.

I miss holiday traditions

with a big family.

Summer fun with my cousins

and at Christmas..

a REAL tree!

I miss that place on the river

where we spent hot summer days.

We'd party and swim

and soak up the rays.

I miss my David,

his eyes so bright and blue

He still says my favorite words,

"Mommy,I love you"

I miss that old Dodge Dart,

so many great memories with that car,

It wasn't very fast

and didn't like to go very far.

I miss a few people

I have lost along the way.

Some I think of sometimes

and others I miss every day.

I miss...

yet I trust

that things have worked out a certain way

so I can be happily living,

the life I have today

:)

Day 18

Your Favorite Place To Eat


I love food. All kinds of food. Not ALL food but even then I enjoy the food experience.

After much thought trying to pinpoint my favorite restaurant,my best food memories are at home.New recipes,techniques,ingredients,tools..it's all exciting to me. Sharing the kitchen with Vern as we dance around each other preparing meals together.

 Some nights the food isn't fancy but we meet around the table as a family just the same.I love that part too. Dinner at the table is a routine I brought back into Vern and Trevor's lives and I think they would both agree they enjoy it almost as much as I do.On these hot summer nights we have also enjoyed dinner on our new deck. Sitting around our "new" glass table enjoying Vern's latest BBQ delight.

 In our house BBQ is a common daily discussion. Dinner involves important decisions like what to rub the beef/pork/chicken etc with and what flavor of wood to smoke it in. It isn't just dinner,it's a hobby..borderline obsession at times.Thankfully Vern and I share the same love for food and cooking! He is the Master when it comes to the grills and smokers and he makes the best macaroni salad I have ever had. I on the other hand,am the Queen of sweets and home cookin.Together it makes for a thick waistline but the time spent together is well worth it! he he

I have yet to find a restaurant that meets the above standards. A place that even when the food is bad..it's pretty good. A place where you feel loved and the service is great. A place to unwind at the end of a long day with no distractions.

My favorite place to eat is home

<3

Day 17

Something You Are Looking Forward To

Our annual fishing trip to Sekiu. A place I talked about and photographed too many times to count. BUT one time a year we play host to my family and attempt to help my father get his fishing fix for the year. Oh the stories I could tell,some good..some bad..but I guess that's fishing for ya. Last year wasn't the best year for fishing....honestly it was a stressful catastrophe. I planned elaborate meals that flopped one night after the next,it rained ALL DAY and made our camp a muddy mess,the boats weren't working properly and very few fish were caught. So you may be asking yourself..what does this have to do with what I am looking forward to?
I have a hard time with failure. I love being given another chance to make things right by applying the lessons I have learned by my previous failures. So this year I am ready! I am ready to wake up the crack of dawn to assist on the boat anyway I can.I have learned to tie a "hoochie" and apparently that is a valuable skill. Basically it means tying 2 hooks on fishing line all wound up and tied in fancy knots. I need more practice but I am determined to be a good "hoochie maker" someday! ha ha I will plan and cook simple food. Take what you want,wrap it in foil and throw it on the campfire...waaaLA!I will spend a few afternoons trying to help Vern to get the boat running properly. This may mean spending a few hours circling around Lake Tapps until we run all the bad gas etc out...it's a rough life,I know :p And last but not least,there is one more thing I am looking forward to..having a good time! I have learned that it is not my responsibility to make sure that EVERYONE is happy ALL the time! I stress out trying to be "the hostess with the mostest" and forget to enjoy my vacation.
Three more weeks...and I am definitely looking forward to it :)