Category Archives: Cousins

FFF ~ Summer?

 

Friday already and time to look back for a week and think about blessings in your life. Thank you Susanne for the reminder to think on good things.

 

1. I’ve had the chance to enjoy summer vicariously in seeing photos like these my niece in California shared. Our daughter Katie is visiting my family and enjoying summer where the sun is shining more consistently than our area. The pictures would be bigger if I was there but remember this is a vicarious little experience with the sun and beach and summer…

2. On the same vein…I’m thankful our daughter has been able to spend time with my mother and father while she’s been in California. The girls went to my mom’s for brunch yesterday and my parents were so happy to feed them and enjoy their company. They all spent Father’s Day together around a meal, too.

 

3. I am enjoying all the birds and their songs early in the morning. I was happy to see my little hummingbird friends return just outside the window where I sit at my computer…

 

4. SOUNDERS! Last night I was at the Seattle Sounders game against the New York Red Bulls. What a great game it was. We went up by 2 goals and N.Y. tied up the game with 2 goals and we finally won with two more goals by Roger Levesque. Did I lose you? The final score was Seattle 4 ~ N.Y. 2! A happy night at the stadium.

 

5. Last Friday night Dear and I picked up a couple of long time family friends of ours who happened to be in Seattle to embark on a cruise to Alaska. We went to one of our favorite restaurants and enjoyed a rare for this year sunny evening. These gals are my brother in laws sisters and we grew up in the same Russian community in the Los Angeles area. After they married, Laura and her husband settled in Canada and Ruth and her husband settled in Michigan. It was good to see them and enjoy a good meal together.

I think I can speak for the majority of us here in the Great Northwest and say that we are really looking forward to more nights like these around here….

 

What were the highlights of your week? Are you experiencing summer yet in your neck of the woods?

Tomorrow Dear and I are headed out on a little adventure. I enjoy planning these little day trips. Hope you have a good weekend…

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

If You Steal…

…them from family is it really stealing? I right clicked on these photos my niece took while they were visiting us here in the Northwest. Thank you niece!

Dear is making his famous Swedish Pancakes for the crowd below and they were all very happy to eat them! And yes we serve them with sour cream and syrup!

 

 

Family time at Qwest Field for Seattle Sounders Soccer! Ole Ole Ole Ole!!

Our sweet little Soccer Fan!

Our beautiful daughter!

 

Dear and me enjoying dinner out with the family.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

A Hiking We Will Go…

During the time our company was here we decided we needed a heart pumping hike to take care of some of those yummy doughnuts we had been eating. We headed to St. Edwards Park and hiked down the North Trail to Lake Washington.

 

The way down was easy but it was downhill and we knew we’d have to come back uphill soon.

 

My niece Michelle and sister Lana stopped for all the obligatory Blogger shots.

 

 

Jackson needed a little piggy back ride on the steepest part coming back up the trail so daddy got double duty!

 

Thankfully the non-hikers barbecued steaks for all of us that evening.

Josh and Laura had not met little Miss Avery before this trip so they had fun getting to know her and she thought they were pretty cool.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Lavender Hills Farm

Our company split up last Friday for the day. The guys went to a Putt Putt Golf course and the girls headed to Marysville to  Lavender Hills Farm. The girls made a stop on the way to the fields.

 

Frost Doughnuts made some good business off our company. I’m not mentioning the one person who had the most Frost Doughnuts but his initials are R.A.

 

My sister Kathy with her granddaughter Avery.

 

Melissa and Avery

 

Kathy, Melissa, Avery and Kelly

 

Melissa, Avery, Michelle, Laura, and Kathy

 

Miss Avery

 

 

 

Sisters

 

 

A photo that bloggers everywhere can appreciate!

 

 

My DIL Laura and me

 

Cousins that are friends…it’s a beautiful thing.

On our way home we stopped for lunch at Three Cups of Tea in Bothell.

Hope you all have a good week ahead. I have some projects to accomplish before Dear has vacation next week.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Family Together…

can be a lot of fun!

Some fun moments captured by my DIL Laura! Thanks Laura!

 

Grand Nephew Jackson with our daughter Katie

Katie with our Grand Niece Avery

 

Love this one!!

 

Our son Josh with my brother Steve

 

Josh, our nephew Joe, and my brother Steve (Joe’s dad)

Josh and Jackson at Snoqualmie Falls

 

Joe, Ryan, Jackson, Josh, and Steve at Snoqualmie Falls

 

Jackson, Katie and Joe

 

Niece Michelle, DIL Laura, Sister Lana, daughter Katie, niece Melissa

 

 

Cousins on Whidbey Island

Our company all hail from Southern California. It was nice to have them here and show them some of our great sights. We had many good meals together. My brother Steve made omelettes to order for breakfast one day. Dear made Swedish Pancakes one day. We barbecued steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs. We had leg of lamb. My niece and her husband made an amazing Creme Brulee French Toast for my sister for her birthday. We finally made S’mores using our fire pit. I’m still recovering from all the fun. I’m thinking I might have gained one pound for each one of my company…

I continue to thank God for our extended family and the joy we have in spending time together.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Still on the Go…

…with our Southern California company.

We’ve watched some soccer and fought off mosquitoes.

We’ve picked wild Sweet Peas along the trail.

We’ve played with Jackson and Avery.

Had a train ride at Country Village in Bothell.

Dear and Katie have even had time to sit together…

Hope you all are doing well. I’ll be back in the saddle soon…

Still on the Move…

 

We’ve filled our days and nights with activity and relaxation, both. This is actually the calm before the storm before we add 8 more participants into our fun activities. We’ve headed downtown to see golden pigs and flying fish. Easy trek with adults in tow. We’ve been to soccer games and the guys went to a Mariner’s game. The girls stayed home and watched Cranford. Lots of eating and some exercise thrown in the mix.

Today Dear and I board a plane for Sacramento to attend his uncle’s funeral. He will be buried with Military Honors having served and retired from the Air Force.

We will leave our company in charge at home. You have to love company you can leave behind to fend for themselves.

While They Are Sleeping…

It’s early and my company is still asleep and since I don’t want to make a lot of noise washing the pots and pans I decided to show you who is and will be visiting us from California.

My brother Steve, his wife Kelly, and youngest son Joe arrived on Monday. Joe just graduated from high school. Joe and his 3 brothers were all home schooled and Joe is the 4th son that will attend Westmont College in Montecito (Santa Barbara) Ca. Joe just finished a week of directing their churches VBS program and he showed us some videos he and a couple of his co-workers put together on the Armor of God for VBS. We were all very impressed! (VBS is Vacation Bible School)

On Saturday my niece Michelle, her husband Ryan, Jackson and Avery arrive. It’s been a few months since we’ve seen Jack and Avery and it will be fun to see how they’ve grown.

On Thursday the 29th my sister Kathy and my niece Melissa arrive. Melissa and Michelle are sisters. I’m sure Avery and Jack will be happy to see their aunt and nana by then!

I haven’t taken one photo yet but I’m sure I’ll get my act together soon. Enjoy!

Outdoor Wednesday ~ Descanso Gardens

Last Saturday my daughter and I were in the Los Angeles area and we met some family members at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. It was a beautiful day in Southern California and not too hot. Please visit Susan at a Southern DayDreamer to see more of the great outdoors.

 

Our Daughter Katie

My niece Melissa, Katie and my sister Kathy

Niece Melissa and daughter Katie

My niece Michelle with her husband Ryan

Their son Jackson

 

Their daughter Avery

My sister Kathy and me

Kathy with her granddaughter Avery

Hope you enjoyed Descanso Gardens and I recommend a visit when you are in the Los Angeles area. I think March is one of the prettiest months there or early April.

Meeting For the First Time…

 

Katie met her cousin once removed for the first time this past Saturday at Descanso Gardens. After Avery gave Katie the initial critical look she decided this cousin was OK to be around.

Avery thought Great Aunt Ellen was OK, too, for short periods of time, if I kept moving, and there was something for her to grab, and if her mom or dad weren’t too far away…or her brother…or Nana.

We had so much fun. Isn’t that a cute skirt Avery is wearing? :0)