Category Archives: Addyson May

All in the Family Hodgepodge

Jo From This Side of the Pond posted some questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge this week even though she has a busy houseful. She picked the appropriate theme. Thank you Jo!
1. What’s something you would say ‘runs in your family’?
Our firm foundation in Christ runs in our family.
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2. A book, song, tv show, or movie you love that is centered around family. 
Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle all 5 hours and 23 minutes of it.
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3. Family matters, family ties, family tree, family man, family fortune, black sheep of the family, family values, one big happy family…choose a ‘family phrase’ that applies to your life currently and explain. 
One big happy family. With half of us on the west side of the Cascades and half of us on the east side visits usually have us all together and we do have happy times. Our next big happy family time will be in the fall when we all gather for a family wedding in North Carolina. The 10 of us will be staying in a home we rented on Lake Hickory for 4 nights.
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4. Last thing you fixed for a big family dinner? If you’re not the cook, last thing you were served at a big family dinner? 
The last thing we served for 6 of us here in Colville was flat iron steak, baked potatoes, roasted cauliflower, corn muffins and a blueberry buckle for dessert.
Some of our family do not appreciate fish so when Josh was here a couple weeks ago we took advantage and served the 7 of us a yummy Cioppino as an appetizer full of mussels, clams, shrimp, calamari, in a flavorful broth (we bought that at Costco and just warmed it up). Then we had Tilapia, jasmine rice, salad, maybe broccoli, and good crusty bread. We had something for dessert but I can’t remember what. Whatever it was I won’t make it again since it was so unmemorable. Oye.
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5. What are three words you would use to describe your family. 
Team
Supportive
Fun
We work well together as a team to get things done and we are supportive of each other and we like to make things fun.
After all the good times we have together we also enjoy being back home alone in our own space.
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6. Insert your own random thought here.
Addy has two new experiences she’s enjoying this month. This week every evening from 6-8:30 she is attending Vacation Bible School at our church. The halls and gym are thundering with boys and girls from 3 years old to 6th grade enjoying a good time learning about the God that created them. Next year JJ will be able to join in.
The whole church is decorated in the Island theme. Very colorful!
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Addy’s also learning soccer skills on a team a couple days a week. That’s bringing back some good memories of all the soccer we enjoyed when our kids were little.
Our dear mom and pop left us with an encouragement before they died to love each other and stay together, I’ll leave that with you, too.

Hello August

The whole verse from Psalm 84:11 + verse 12 reads;

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! 

The month in-between summer and fall is upon us. Here’s hoping for fires to be put out, for some rain, for clear skies again.

Josh flew out to visit the middle of last week and both our sons enjoyed 18 holes of golf together.

We enjoyed some meals all together and Addy and JJ enjoyed every minute they had with Uncle Joshie.

Our garlic dried nicely hanging in the shop and it was time to clean them up on Saturday and share some of the bulbs with friends and family.

Hope your August is starting well.

Big Wheels

Big Wheels are celebrating their 50th anniversary and we decided it would be fun to order one for each of our grands. It was a labor of love to put them together. Dear did most of the labor. I helped with the stickers.

Fun times for years to come.

Addy and JJ on July 29th Twenty Twenty One.

Have a good Friday and weekend everyone!

Courage and Strength

Swimming lessons started this week and Addy has graduated up from the pollywogs which involves a parent to the next level. She’s getting braver everyday and is letting go of the wall. JJ is in daddy’s arms the whole time so that makes things easier.

Here the grands are doing their best impersonations of what strength and being brave looks like to encourage their Uncle Joshie with a tough task. Love all these expressions and the two different boots on JJ’s feet.

Do you need encouragement?  

Joshua 1:9 (ESV)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Water Fun

We bought this inflatable pool from Wal-Mart during our one hundred degree + temps and last week when the Colville kids came for dinner we had the Grands try it out.

The air was hot the well water was cold.

It took awhile for sister to make the commitment to step all the way in. They came out to warm up wrapped in a towel and then they would head back in for more cold fun.

The next day at the river they had more water fun.

We kept the pool up and inflated with water in it just in case the deer could use a drink and today we spied one drinking for a long while. I’ll share some deer photos on another day.

Addy and JJ started swimming lessons on Monday at the city pool.

The Fourth of July 2021

Looking back at our 4th of July celebrations starting with July of 2020.

2020

2019

Addy 2018 in her 4th of July dress. I think Auntie Katie bought this for her.

2018 (we were out of our Kenmore home and waiting to move to our Colville home)

2017 in Kenmore

2016 below

Next are photos from 2013…

2013 (I’m missing my photos from 2015 on this computer. In 2014 Dear and I were in England on the 4th of July)

On to earlier years…

Above from 2011

Above and the next few below from 2009.

Hopefully in 2022 we’ll be all decked out for another memorable 4th of July celebration.

Stars and Stripes Hodgepodge

Time to celebrate the Hodgepodge again. Jo From This Side of the Pond asks the questions and we ponder them for answers.

1. It’s been said the best things in life are free…are they?

There has been a price that has been paid for the best things in life like salvation in Jesus Christ.  We didn’t have to pay for that but Christ did and our new life in Him costs us. “Take up your cross daily and follow Him.” When we are faithful and obedient to the Word of God there will be a price to pay.

On a National note there is a cost that has been paid for our freedom. It is good to be free but we can’t forget to be grateful for the sacrifices made for our freedom.

What are some of those things? The Free Things…

*There are good things that are free like hugs, a sunset, smiles, lovely views, etc. etc.

2. Stars or stripes?
Mostly stars but I do enjoy stripes, too.
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Red, white, or blue?
How about all three…
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Apple pie or home made ice cream?
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I do enjoy ice cream but unfortunately it doesn’t like me anymore so I’ll go with apple pie!
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Do you like hotdogs?
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Yes, give me a good Hebrew National Hot Dog, Nathan’s or better yet a Chicago Dog!
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I love a good Chicago dog (see above) and all the things they put on it but can’t get one of those locally, sigh.
If so, what do you like on yours?
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I enjoy hot dog relish on mine. Side note: Hot dog relish has been scarce in my area grocery stores.
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3. One thing on your summer bucket list?
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To make it to the “Coast” for some visits.
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Any plans to make it happen soon?
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No…people are way too busy right now.
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4. What’s your summer anthem? Yes, you need to have one
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A few came to mind like Summer in the City and Schools Out for the Summer but since I don’t live in the city and I’m not in school anymore I’ll go with, You Are My Sunshine.
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5. What’s something you love about America? If you live outside of America, tell us something you love about the place you call home.
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So much to love about America if you ignore the crazy politics going on and the absurd redefinition of basic biology.
I love how you can travel from shore to shore, north and south and see so many different topographies and enjoy small and large towns, seashores and deserts, mountains and plains, regional dishes, amazing architecture, historical sites, iconic landmarks, etc. etc.
*
We are in the middle of planning a road trip from Washington State to North Carolina for a wedding in early October. So far some of the diversions along the highways we will travel will be Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Wall, Badlands, The Ark Encounter, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, A Shaker Village, Pigeon Forge, and Asheville. After the wedding, Lord willing, we plan to journey to Dallas to visit my brother’s family. We’ll go through Nashville and Memphis on our way to Dallas. From Dallas home we are waiting to see weather patterns before we make those plans.
*
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Hope you all have a good 4th of July weekend here in the States and to our Canadian neighbors, Happy Canada Day on the 1st.

Love One Another…

Uncle Joshie joined Auntie Lolo who was already in Colville for Father’s Day weekend. Addy and JJ were delighted to see him and spend time with him. Their daddy was away because of work and they really missed him. Uncle Joshie was a nice diversion.

Josh flew back home on Father’s Day. Auntie Lolo drove back home on the day of my cataract surgery. Before Lolo left she captured a lot of photos. Thank you Lolo and Joshie for all your help and love!

Collecting the eggs and enjoying garden delights picked fresh!

Addy and JJ’s daddy came home on Thursday the 24th of June and their little family is together again much to everyone’s relief.

The news around our region is the heat! We are above 100 degrees with predictions of temps getting as high as 114. Yikes. That means fire danger, too. We are more appreciative of our cooling possibilities. We are watering early in the morning and have blinds closed and curtains drawn during the day. The birds are enjoying our watering. We hope to get to more normal summertime temps in a week.

Under the Sea

Auntie LoLo came back for another week on Wednesday June 16th. Addy and JJ were happy to see her again.

On Friday a trip to Spokane to visit the small aquarium was in order.

JJ had no fear in touching some of the sea creatures but Addy decided against it.

So much to see under the sea!

Back home and the day was just right for bubbles!

So thankful that Auntie LoLo catches such great moments with her phone!

Late on Friday night Uncle Joshie flew in for Father’s Day Weekend. More photos to share from that time soon.

Things are going well with my recovery from Cataract Surgery.

For the month of June I’ve been reading the book of Romans in the Bible.

Romans 12:9-13

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Mid Week Fun

There’s no Wednesday Hodgepodge this week so I’m doing a catch up post with more photos from our fun on Friday the 4th of June.

We managed to do some weeding yesterday before things heat up again. We took out a plant that was not kid friendly, very prickly.

Our temps are heading up to the upper 80’s and onwards to the low 90’s next week so we’ll enjoy water play again when the littles come over. I bought two more of these water pumps from the Dollar Store so the adults can get into the fun, too. Our daughter in law arrives again today from the Coast to spend another week with us and with our Colville kids. Our son will fly in for the weekend. The grands will be excited to see Auntie Lolo and Uncle Joshie and we all enjoy our time with them on this side of the Cascades!