E. WA Summer Vacations

“Mommy, can we go swimming now?”

Our family loves to vacation in Eastern Washington because it is a lot warmer than Western Washington. Winthrop, Chelan and Leavenworth are some favorite destinations. 

Since the kids were little, swimming has been their favorite activity on vacations.

Good thing for swim diapers. Bad thing for oblivious other people who know nothing about leaking swim diapers.

Need I say more?

I can see you with the wretched, ewww! look on your face

and I can see you <MOM> covering your mouth with your hand with an all knowing look.

In fact, in this family photo, my son Isaac is wearing a swim diaper and later had to be hosed down including the walkway around the pool.

Ahhh. That’s something I don’t miss: poopy diapers AND

poopy swim diapers.

AnYwaY!

Back to family fun – yes.

The kids are 10 and 12 now and drink coffee every morning. What do you think about that?

Young Love

 In the first year of marriage, I learned not to assume that I could make, seemingly simple, household decisions on my own.

*My husband wanted the blue and white striped dinner plates and I wanted the floral design dinner plates. (We compromised on the all cream plates.)

*I wanted to store cereal boxes in one cupboard and he wanted them in a different cupboard.

*Whenever there was a furniture purchase to be made, we always fought long and hard till we compromised on something we neither liked.

In the first year of marriage:

*I realized how emotional I was and how he was so not tuned into my feelings. I realized he could not read my mind.

*I realized he would never leave me even when I was at my worst.

*and I realized there would be times when I wanted to leave him.

The Newness of setting up a house and trying out new recipes, inviting friends over, missing him and wanting to be with him all the time: these were the highlights.

Trying out new hairstyles and hair colors didn’t require asking his advice. He failed to notice my accidental grey-green hair color.

Through all the goods and the bads, one thing never changes: He always wants me to be happy. And when he is around, I’m a happier person!

Happy 15 Year Anniversary Honey!

and may the next furniture purchase be something we neither really like but something we can agree on!

Sweet Sixteen!

Best Friends and Sweet Sixteen! (Andrea & Melanie)

When I was sixteen, I had the best and worst of times and my friends and family starting seeing the best and worst of my mood swings.

Hormones and High School can get to the best of us.

just sayin’!

Spiral Beauty School Perms, excessive sun tanning, excessive crushing, excessive crying, excessive hair spray and excessive sad journal entries. Ahhhh. the good old days! Sweet Sixteen.

Did I mention excessive tartar sauce with fries at Red Robin?

Grandma with my Kids

 NOW, those were the good old days!

What do I miss about those days?

1. Choosing exactly what I wanted them to wear. and they didn’t care!

2. the Blessed Sleep for the sleep deprived

3. Dimples, no teeth. The KIDS – not ME!

4. I’m running out of things…

I guess knowing that they’ll never be little again and someday they’ll leave and then I’ll miss them.

Terribly.

anybody have a tissue?

Melanie: 3rd or 4th grade?

 Not sure exactly what grade this picture was taken. and I’m puzzled over the outfit. I usually remember my outfits and memories that go with them. Hmmm. Not this one!

My cute brother!

 These pics were all taken the same year, I believe. I’m the oldest, my brother is one year younger and my sister is 5 years younger (than me). We live very far away from each other now and get to see each other once or twice a year. One thing we all have in common: birthdays in December. My brother is a Lawyer and my sister works in an office in a hospital. I’m a stay at home Mom who gardens, junks and blogs.

My brother is very good at Scrabble and takes wonderful landscape photos and has won awards.

My sister has an avid interest in horticulture as well as a degree. She loves her cat and horses.

I’m privileged to know and love my brother and sister!

Sarah, Mel, Dan