Time to link-up to Tom’s Weekend Roundup. This week prompts are: 1. Starts with K 2. A favorite 3. Kids
Starts with “K.”
Katie starts with K and she’s knowledgeable and kind and is our third kid.
A Favorite.
The latest view from our Kid’s driveway.
Kids.
Six of our kids (our granddaughter Addy was sleeping).
Parting Shot…
Keeping up with this little Kid will keep you young or knock you out.
Happy weekend and Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all.
1. Are you currently operating at 100% capacity? If not, what % are you? What’s keeping you there?
At this stage of life I have spurts of working at different capacities. I’ve been working on one project at 100% which means my other daily operations are working at a lower capacity. I am learning more and more to appreciate the days and hours that my output is 100%.
2. Have you done your taxes? Planned/booked a summer holiday? Thought about or started your ‘spring cleaning’? Besides what’s listed here, tell us one task that needs doing before spring rolls around.
We have an appointment with a bookkeeper to do our taxes on Thursday. Spring cleaning is definitely on the schedule as we are putting our home on the market in May. Spring cleaning will probably start in April, with the most daunting project being the cleaning of our mini blinds. No Summer holiday this year as we will be using all our energy to move and adapt into our new environs. We do have a fall road trip planned in October to attend my 50 year high school reunion in Montebello, California.
3. What’s a favorite food from your part of the country?
Fish and shellfish stand out as the favorites for the Greater Seattle area. A favorite cooked in a variety of ways or smoked is Salmon. I did not grow up with much fish and it is not my favorite thing. A good barbecued Salmon is something I like. I also enjoy Penn Cove Mussels in a great sauce on occasion with a thick slice of bread that I can dip in the sauce. This next weekend the Penn Cove Musselfest in Coupeville is happening on Whidbey Island. I have to mention Dungeness Crab, too. We have Dungeness Bay, Spit and Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge in Washington State.
I’m amazed with myself that I’ve grown to enjoy a good oyster in a great sauce which would have made me gag years ago. A good piece of halibut, swordfish, or some good ole fish and chips cooked to perfection are dishes that I enjoy once in a while.
4. This isn’t a leap year, but let’s run with it anyway…look before you leap, a leap of faith, grow by leaps and bounds, leap to conclusions, leap at the opportunity…which phrase might best be applied to your life currently (or recently)? Explain.
We will be leaping at the opportunity to sell our home in a very hot market in the Seattle area and move to an area of Washington that is more affordable.
Special Side note about Leap Year: My sister Vera was born on leap year and only has her real birthday once every 4 years! We celebrate her on the 28th the other three years. Happy Birthday Vera! You are a dear sister and I appreciate you!
5. As the month draws to a close list five fun and/or fabulous things (large or small) you noticed or experienced in February.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
I’m looking forward to March. Our little granddaughter is turning one year old! Wow how fast the year has gone. She is just marching forward to her milestone! Walking, signing, lots of new teeth, eating some solids, standing up from a sitting position, climbing and learning some consequences from over reaching her limits and safety boundaries. Her Baba (me) will be enjoying a birthday in the month of March, too.
Thank you Jo, for the questions you ask for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, too, for those of you who swing by and read the answers. I appreciate you.
1. Where do you go when you need some inspiration?
It all depends…
For Life: It’s man’s chief end to glorify God… for the inspiration I need for living a life that does that, I go to a good Bible Gospel preaching church and I listen to good teachers and read books from authors who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, God’s truth.
For Cooking: I glean from the other gals from the MGCC Blog. When I have to post a new recipe I look to magazines and cooking shows for inspiration.
For decorating: Fixer Upper, magazines, Instagram and blogs.
2. What’s under your bed?
I went and looked and at this time there is nothing under my bed except for most likely dust. The guestroom beds are another story. The guestrooms have those bins that fit under beds. A ribbon bin, a gift bag and tissue bin for packaging gifts, a Christmas bin with bags etc., linens in those space saver bags, and Katie and Andrew’s collection of swords. (I also found a stack of Chinese take-out boxes) I use those to send home leftovers with our kids and company when I cook too much food.
3. Thursday, February 22nd is National Chili Day, National Margarita Day, and National Cook a Sweet Potato Day. Of the three which would you most like to celebrate? Is that likely?
Hmm…who comes up with these days? Most likely we would be celebrating having a good pot of chili. It’s really cold this week in the Seattle area and chili is always a good choice in freezing weather. What kind of chili to enjoy? We enjoy chicken, turkey or beef. Our Margarita day is Tuesday…every Tuesday. In fact, our favorite waitress at the local Mexican restaurant sees us drive up and she heads to the bar to make our Margaritas. It’s telling on my state of healthy that I’m ignoring the sweet potato.
4. What are you ‘snowed under’ with right now?
I’m snowed under with stuff. Stuff, stuff and more stuff. Many years of accumulated stuff. We’ve been in this old house since 1998 and we moved a lot of stuff to this old house. Because we are moving and contemplating the wisdom of paying too much to move all that stuff we need to serious about what we can live without.
5. Tell us three to five things that make you feel balanced?
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Speaking of snow or snowed under here are some photos of our kids in the snow from President’s weekend.
Linking up to Hodgepodge Wednesday with Jo From This Side of the Pond. She asks the questions and we answer them.
Twenty seven-ish more days until Spring and little Miss Addy’s first birthday. She’s the sweet gift of Spring to our family!
Update: I woke up to hear that Billy Graham has been ushered into heaven today. I’ll be posting a tribute to him later this week. Finally this great evangelist is in the arms of Jesus.
…enjoyment through photos. These are photos our kids took (Laura) while spending time together in snowy Colville. I loved seeing the fun in the snow and happy faces from this side of the mountains where rain persists with no snow.
I think she likes her ride.
Hey mom, why can’t I move my legs?!
Our first born with his love.
Our second born with his favorite girls.
Our youngest with her love.
All of our favorites in one photo! Thankful for each one of them.
Awesome mama and our little delightful granddaughter.
The snow angel!
The early morning snow warriors.
I’m a grateful mom and baba for this time our kids had together. Addy got re-acquainted with her aunts and uncles. Now I’m praying for safe journeys home for Josh, Laura, Andrew and Katie.
Meanwhile back at the ranch (this old house) and at Mennonite Girls Can Cook I posted a One-skillet steak meal for two. Enjoy.
Happy President’s Day!
1. Starts with “F.”
2. A Favorite.
3. Flower.
1.This is our Father with me and my sisters. We call him Pop. His health is failing fast. His future is secure, even more secure in death. His heavenly Father has prepared a place for him. He is ready to go and be with his heavenly Father. We are very thankful for a faithful father. Youngest to oldest, Lana, Ellen, Vera, Kathy, and Pop. Pop is 94 years old and could be 95 in May. He has four sons, too, my brothers who weren’t with us this day.
2. A favorite and a first. Addy felt Pacific beach sand for the first time on her bare foot at Huntington Beach, California.
3. A flower. One of my favorites, the hellebore, Lenten Rose. It always surprises me when it blooms in late January or early February just in time for Lent.
And a parting shot:
Family fun at Ola’s in Huntington Beach. Full of good food and fun.
Linking up with Tom for The Weekend Roundup “F”.
…with mist and clouds and barns! When we left Colville on December 18th for our 6 hour drive home we stopped at the top of the kids’ driveway to take our favorite view from this spot.
Here’s a close up of the barn in the previous view. It’s crumbling slowly.
It was a misty moisty morning with low lying clouds or fog which made for interesting backdrops for the barns and farms we flew by.
We were happy to have chosen this day to return home instead of Tuesday since there was a snowfall of 14 inches after we left!
On this past Saturday my Western Washington girls and my sister had a fun day in downtown Seattle. We met up for brunch/lunch and then walked to the 5th Avenue Theater for the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music. This explains the name for my combination post for the Barn Collective and life as it happened this weekend.
It really was a blast. We were given props and prompts to interact throughout the movie and it really was fun singing our hearts out. We hissed, we booed, we cheered, we bowed and of course we sang along on every song. Among our props we were given a popper that we were instructed to pop when the Captain and Maria kissed in the gazebo. So much fun especially since there was a young girl in front of us who kept us entertained with her spot on interaction throughout the show!
Linking up to The Barn Collective with Tom The Backroads Traveller.
This is one of those posts that is for my own brain to keep this past year in a kind of order. These collages are prompts for my memory.
January is the only month I’m giving a full collage to because it was filled with family events in California. Joe and Hannah’s wedding at an orchid farm in Goleta, a family baby shower for Jamie and Addy, the Getty Museum, the funeral of a best friend’s mom where I was reunited with lots of old friends and beach time with family. Vera visited the Pacific Northwest and we went to Snoqualmie Falls and the Chihuly Glass Museum.
Dear and I took some short and long road trips and had some nice walks.
Family times in Colville and in Seattle throughout the year before and after Addy was born.
Josh and Laura
Katie and Andrew
Dan and Jamie and now Dan, Jamie and Addy.
Addy May
Uncle Josh and Addy
Addy May
Mommy, Daddy and Addy
Auntie Katie and Uncle Andrew with Addy
Auntie Laura with Addy.
Gramps and Addy
Gramps, Baba and Addy
Baba and Addy
May in California for Pop’s 94th birthday, Washington tulips, cherry blossoms, Japanese Garden, Magnuson Park, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, summer visits from nieces and nephews and sisters, birthday parties, fall colors.
I’ve had some thoughts about the New Year but nothing that is worthy of sharing yet. Our first day of the New Year was slow for me and as usual Dear was busy working on our master bath remodel while I watched the Rose Parade. After the parade I tried out a new salsa recipe to post later this month and then I watched the Rose Bowl game. That game was one of the best bowl games I’ve seen in years. Hope you had a good day.
I’m experimenting and seeing if I can close comments on this post.
We had 4 days of family time living under the same roof and enjoying cooking for each other, eating together, working together, and play time, too. We had a sit down Thanksgiving meal together on Saturday evening with all the trimmings and we were stuffed.
Dan showed us the skull and antlers of the Buck he preserved from our first annual family hunting trip in October.
Dan and Jamie indulged me and let Addy have an early Christmas opening the stocking filled with little things from Gramps and Baba. We will not be with Dan, Jamie and Addy on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day this year so it was fun to enjoy this early gift giving.
The elephant was her favorite and she really wasn’t too sure about the soft dolly.
Josh and Laura flew home on Sunday and we enjoyed some family shots before they left for the airport.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
Psalm 133:1-2 (ESV)
The family selfie. We were sad that Andrew was not able to travel with us this time. A degree in Aeronautical Engineering takes lots of study and class time and his fall quarter is overloaded with classes.
Katie, Dear and I had one more evening to spend with Dan, Jamie and Daddy’s Girl.
Early on Monday morning we posed for our obligatory goodbye photos.
So thankful for this little girl and all the joy she has brought into our family dynamic.
We thought we’d have rain for our full 6 hours of travel time but thankfully we had some very short periods of sunshine breaking through and we enjoyed several rainbows on our drive home.
We spotted this rainbow passing through Ellensburg, Washington. Yep…I have a burg.
Back at the home front Dear went right into action removing the old counter tops. We are currently without counters, our cook top and our sink. Yikes. Hopefully things will get installed for sure on Wednesday so I can cook our portion of the Thanksgiving meal we are taking to our friend’s home on Thanksgiving Day. Good thing we did not plan on a Thanksgiving meal at this old house this year!
We are thankful to the God who is who was and who is to come for all he has done for us and to us during our lifetime.
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!” Revelation 1:8 (ESV)
Hope your Thanksgiving week is shaping up nicely. Are you cooking or is someone else doing the hosting and cooking? For our Canadian friends who have already enjoyed Thanksgiving, have you started your Christmas decorating?
So thankful that she remembers us when we are able to visit her and she lights up and puts her arms out for us to hold her. Her many expressions captivate us and make us smile and some make us laugh out loud. We’ve been busy the last four days and we will hit the road back west over the Cascades early tomorrow morning. We’ve enjoyed work and play together. After Josh and Laura arrived from the Spokane airport on Friday we headed to El Ranchito for an early dinner. On Saturday the guys worked on the winter wood supply and the girls prepared a Thanksgiving meal and were able to fit in a craft show and a girls lunch out with Jamie’s mom, granny and friends.
Saturday night we enjoyed turkey, yams, stuffing, homemade rolls and gravy plus homemade pies. Sunday was a more relaxed day with Dear’s Swedish pancakes for breakfast and then more work on the wood supply followed by some family photo shoots. We said goodbye to Josh and Laura and are relaxing for the evening before our trek home tomorrow and back to work for Dan.
So thankful for our time together!
On Sunday October 15th the girls headed to Knight Farm to enjoy the corn maze and pumpkin patch. The Barn built in 1907 is on the Washington State Heritage Barn Register.
With corn maze map in hand (Katie’s hand) we set off for the maze entrance.
Katie masterfully led us to each checkpoint in the maze never making a wrong turn.
Addy started out awake and soon fell fast asleep.
We started at the bottom at station #10 and ended our trek at station #1.
When we were done with the maze Addy woke up and we picked out 3 pumpkins. One for daddy, one for mommy, and one for Addy.
Yep, the cutest little pumpkin in the patch!
While in the maze I spotted these farms with barns in the distance.
The guys were done hunting on Sunday with early success bringing a buck home just after noon. Andrew had to leave us all to drive the 350 miles back to Seattle so he could be in class on Monday morning. Dear, Josh and Dan started the hard work of prepping the venison while we were away at the pumpkin patch.
I spared everyone the full image of the buck in the back of our son’s truck but you can see the antlers if you look closely. One side of the antlers look like they are growing out of Joshua’s head. Andrew left before they had the celebratory toast.
Addy with auntie Katie before we got dressed for the pumpkin patch. She was interested in the guys excitement in retelling the story of how their successful hunting morning unfolded.
Linking up with Tom for The Barn Collective and Maggie at Normandy Life for Mosaic Monday.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 