The Weekend

This last weekend we enjoyed good times together with our kids.

Our kids from the east arrived shortly after 2 pm and we had a snack of Pishkey-Russian Fry bread or (Rollkuchen-Mennonite Version) and watermelon. Next up was getting our son Dan’s Blazer on a car carrier so he could take it back to his own shop in Eastern Washington. Lots of discussion went on amongst the 4 men on the best way to do things. The ladies sat on patio chairs far away from the danger and kept Reyna (Dan and Jamie’s dog) entertained. Katie ventured over to the danger to take a GoPro video of the action.

Reyna enjoyed fetch while the guys worked and then had a little rest under the apple tree.

When the vehicle was safely on the carrier and strapped down we enjoyed dinner together. Brisket off the smoker, barbecue beans, and a fresh slaw of mango, jicama, and cabbage. Apple Cake for dessert. I didn’t get a photo of Laura before she had to leave.

On Sunday Dan, Jamie, Josh and I enjoyed the Sounders game together. This was an anniversary treat for Dan from his bride of one year! It was such a good game even though we didn’t win but left with a tie.

On Monday morning more things were loaded up and Dan and Jamie carefully drove home. We picked pears off our tree for them to take home for canning. They also took the balance of our apples to prepare for canning. Reyna hopped in the back seat excited to take off with Dan and Jamie.

It was so good to see these two face to face. A happy anniversary weekend to them a month after their one year anniversary! We enjoy each of our children with their spouses. They are three very different couples with their unique qualities that blend well with each other. We love their uniqueness. We are so blessed to know that they have a common bond in the Spirit with our God and Creator. Unique but the same, bonded in the Spirit of the Lord. We thank God for his loving hand on them and pray for their marriages which are constantly under attack in our current world.

ABC Wednesday ~ B is for…

Before ABC Wednesday gets too far into this round XIV of the Alphabet I’m joining in. I’m looking forward to responding to this alphabet prompt each week to spark some creativity in the middle of the week.

B is for…

These photos were taken at Porthtowen Beach in Cornwall this past September. We were on holiday with our son and daughter in law. Click on the photo if you’d like to see a larger image. I’ll be bopping by soon to see your B’s!

Click here on ABC Wednesday XIV to join in or see more offerings. Blessings!

Our Second Adventure…

…on Katie’s birthday was a trip to the Seattle Center where the Space Needle happens to be and other attractions as well.

Our reason for braving the holiday crowds was to see Chihuly Garden and Glass. It was worth weaving about “all the humanity” to enjoy this extraordinary exhibit.

We first saw this wall of blankets that gave Chihuly inspiration for some of his creations.

This amazing piece was in the Sea inspired room.

It was impossible for me to get the full ceiling but I enjoyed capturing some sections of the ceiling.

This was a great room. “Chihuly has said that memories of his mother’s garden serve as inspiration for these “gardens of glass.” Of course I thought of our bloggy friend Pat at Mille Fiori.

I would like to come back on a day when it’s not raining to get some clearer shots of the needle above this beautiful glass flower conservatory.

We decided to go out to the glass outdoor garden in the rain. I was happy to get several shots without getting my lens wet.

We enjoyed our time here and we hurried in the rain to the parking garage to drive to our third adventure which was a stop at Massage Envy to get our hour relaxation massage along with a sugar foot scrub. Bliss!

I’m joining in with Mary for her Mosaic Monday Meme. If you click over you will see some beautiful images in Mosaic form.

Tick, tick, tick …2013 is winding down. What are your New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day plans? I’ll admit we don’t have any. Maybe I’ll come up with some inspiration on Monday…

Roses are Red…

…and so are some tulips!

There’s a new meme in blogdom hosted by The Tablescaper called Oh, the Places I’ve Been. I’m sharing more from the Skagit Tulip Festival in Washington State. The fields and garden I visited were Roozengaarde. Today it’s all about red. Yesterday I posted Tickled Pink.

It seems like red tulips might be fast bloomers. I was interested in all these spent blooms that are in the trenches.

The focus on a few of these are on the mountains in the background. It really was the first great weather day since Easter. We have a quiet weekend ahead for which I am grateful.

I’m linking up with The Tablescaper’s new meme starting April 19th. Click on image to see the rules and join the party.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ~ P. C. #5

Evening

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping mall in Italy, housed within a four-story double arcade in central Milan. The Galleria is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. This galleria is adjacent to the Cathedral in Milan.

Morning

It’s Tuesday and Dear’s last short session at the conference ends this morning. We have plans to visit the Monumental Cemetery and to check out the back of the Duomo. Later we have dinner reservations for our last evening in Milan.

Home Again…

…for a short time.

We had a good drive back and forth to the far North East of our state. We made it over Snoqualmie Pass with no restrictions both ways. We had a very nice visit with our son. I’ll be uploading my photos and sharing more about our trip tomorrow or Friday. For now I’m sharing the photos I took of my Lenten Rose this past weekend.

We are unpacking and getting ready for our next adventure at this old house. I hope to come around soon and see what you all have been up to soon!

Inspiration to Shoot…

I’m thankful today for fellow bloggers who inspire me to look at the big picture and the beauty in the details. Karen at Ocean Soul is one of those bloggers along with her co-blogger Jukavo who inspire me with their photography.

Here are some of my artsy fartsy shots from Dan’s place…

This post and the rest of my posts in the month of November will be connected to the Grace Challenge I’m participating in. Here’s a quote from my brother’s blog about grace:

“Grace may be the word that best summarizes Christianity. In English, “grace” is connected to two other important words that teach us a response to grace: Gratitude and Graciousness.

Here is how it works. First and foremost, our life, salvation and everything in between is a result of the grace of God. Every breath I take is a grace of God. I cannot be saved apart from grace. Grace emphasizes and points to God as the center. Life is all about Him. He reveals Himself to me not by force, but by grace.”

To read the whole post click here.

I want to continue being specific in my thankfulness. I’m really thankful for digital photography. Digital photography affords me failure in photo taking while at the same time giving me an incredible chance of shooting a beauty. God does the same thing for me through grace. I fail and he picks me up and He lets me try again and with His help He makes things good for me.

Hope your week has gone well. This weekend ends daylight savings. Don’t forget to fall back an hour!

Honoring Our Heritage…

…and since we are on the letter H this week for Alphabe-Thursday I decided to share. Thank you Miss Jenny for keeping us on track.

It’s hard to take a photo of photos especially when they are framed under glass. This grouping of happy photos makes me smile. It was one of those gifts that came together so well. When I saw the photo of my mother and me (photo on top) I remembered I had a similar photo with our daughter Katie (middle photo). Then I remembered I had a similar photo of Dear with his mother (bottom photo). I set out to find the right frame so I could have them all together in one grouping. A family heritage gift for Katie. Hope you are all have a harbor full of happy thoughts today. I’ll come to hover over your H posts soon…

Winter is Here…

I’m looking forward to longer days now that Winter Solstice has arrived. Sad but true, I found out the hard way that my body now rejects egg nog. Sigh***. I’ll need to replace this great treat with something that doesn’t distress.

Still experimenting with the tea strainer star effect with my camera. Thanks Vee for your added tips.

Today I’m shopping for the ingredients for our meals on the weekend. I decided on dessert for Christmas. I’m trying a Chocolate Hazelnut Tart. I don’t have a tart pan with a removable bottom so I’m headed to Sur la Table to remedy that. If it turns out well you’ll see the recipe on MGCC in the near future!

Hope you are all feeling the joy in your neck of the woods!

And That’s A Wrap!

Random Christmas week stuff…

I’m sitting with my feet up in my flannels enjoying the fact that all the presents are wrapped and under the tree.

And here’s another favorite ornament that’s been around for several years!

I still have to work on the tea strainer star technique with my camera. That great photographer Jill gave the tip to Vee and I decided to try it.

So for the rest of the week I’m planning our Christmas Eve and Christmas day menus and shopping for the ingredients. We’ve decided on Mount Rainier Chili for Christmas Eve and on Christmas we’ll have Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, roasted vegetables, and a salad with fresh beets. Dessert is still failing me. I have to come up with something that is milk and cheese free…

It’s been so much fun again to see all the great family photos we’re receiving from those we only see once a year in their Christmas greetings! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Tag Archives: Photography