Visitors!

Some good friends came to visit last night . . . the Rassbach's. They were on their way home from a camping trip in Northern California, and after a quick hello, they begged for showers. We talked until we were all yawning last night and had to say goodbye this morning - we sure do miss them.

Ellie is just an 8th grader and she's nearly at the top of our measuring stick. We met the Rassbach's through swimming, as Ellie was in Sten's first swimming lesson group.

Lucas and Maren played "restaurant" for hours

New (pink) Bundle to Love

Welcoming Elle Tamsyn Myers

Elle has already won the hearts of her parents, Steve and Elena. Her brothers, Levi and Luke are wondering when she'll be able to run through the sprinklers with them. Elle was born on July 14th at 8:00am and was 7lbs 12oz and 20 inches long. If you see Steve or Elena wandering the streets with a glazed look, please direct the exhausted parents to their home and kindly tuck them into bed.

What a difference a day makes

Turns out that I am married to a landscape architect and I didn't even know it. We have had this big amoeba shaped mound of red dirt in the yard and it's been just taking up space. After a few hours of labor (made a wee bit simpler with a rented trackhoe), we have a faux water feature and some interesting shapes. I've always admired these "rivers" of rock in landscaping and we have plenty of the bigger rocks on our property - so we just had to add the grasses. The grasses are so graceful as they catch the wind.

Slumber Party

Maren and her good buddy Macey. These two are the most social people in both of their families, so it is non-stop chatter when they are together.

Macey likes to get her hair done - she requested 6 ponies but we settled on 2.

Two less kids in the House

Sten and Milah are off to San Diego for the week to visit Aunt Shelly. They have non-stop activities planned. Poor Shelly always calls crying when they have to leave because they've had such a great time.

Sorry Sten, had to cut you out of this one - you looked like you were still sleeping

Glad to assist you . . .

We took a back way home and enjoyed the beautiful fields nearing harvest

So Martha -

Another summer favorite - bouquets from our flowers. I like to keep a pair of scissors in the car to grab some clippings of weeds/grasses and flowers I see beside the road.

Dig'n in the Dirt

This past Saturday, we (thanks Richard & Mary) assisted a new gardener with her flower beds. We had a blank canvas and a small area to work with, so it was a blast. One of my favorite sales of the year is a wholesale nursery in this area that opens to the public for drastically reduced prices on plants. I think I've nearly had to tie one of the children to the top of the car to get home from this sale - it is irresistable!

My car loaded with precious cargo - see, hardly any room for kids

Herb garden with a rosemary topiary

We used mostly perennials, with a few annuals thrown in for color - can't wait til it fills in. Heavy on the Russian Sage - I love that stuff

Good Morning Sunshine - peeking to see what's going on . . .

Zzzzz . . .

Finally, HOT summer days are here and that means sleeping outside. Milah tried to sleep outside last night with a friend, but Danner the dog took over her covers and her pillow. She gave up and came inside and Danner had the best sleep of his life -

They are sleeping on the deck tonight. The girls kissing their tired Dad goodnight . . . Looks like it was a painful process for Scott. As usual, Scott was the first one asleep and Maren started hollering for earplugs due to his exceptionally boisterous snoring. Milah decided that it wasn't worth fighting for covers and has come in early.

Pretending to be Maren - Maren said "See! Thumbs taste good, huh?" I think Sten's thumb probably tastes like grease/dirt/gasoline - Yuck!

Truck Update

A dream come true . . . after much sweat, scratching of heads, and an occasional throwing of tool, the truck is complete. This truck is going to be busy - washing windows for starters.

I feel that we are in the middle of a critical transplant procedure. Today, the service bed is being transferred to the "new" truck. All lines have been cut and will need to be reattached. The transplant team is dirty, tired, hot and a little on edge with anticipation.

Anxious family members

The Operating Room

The "surgeons" in their grubby scrubs

Another Swim Meet . . .

Butterfly Mi!

Birthday kids - times two!

July 11th is a happening day in this house. It happens to be the birthday of two kids in residence, and our town's festivities. We start the day with a parade . . .

Milah rode on a float with other forest service poster winners, and we end the day with fireworks, which we watch from the cemetary - the best place in town to view them.

The worst part of the parade is waiting for it to start

Sten had a party at the pond with some friends yesterday - the party started at 1:00 and the last kids went home at 10! That's called "making a day of it"

Maren chose only 1 friend - Dawson, but I suspect that will change in years to come

Finally - time to play!

We have been looking forward to spending some time at the lake and we made the best of it . . . Sten invited a friend and they perfected some moves, suffered some injuries, and were completely exhausted by today. Milah and Maren both made it up for a few seconds on the wakeboard, Maren slammed her vital thumb (yes, the one she still sucks) in the camper door, and we were joined by friends from town. One such friend was extra helpful when "docking" the boat for the evening. He threw the anchor over, just after realizing it wasn't attached to the boat. Oops! We enjoyed 4 days and now we are making our way through multiple loads of laundry.

July 11th Birthday kids - Maren (6), Sten(14), Zane(1), and Danner(3)


Getting a little help from Brother


Show us your stuff, Milah!

Making it look easy!

Hooray for Maren!

Happy 4th!

A special cake by Chef Beth - it was almost a shame to cut into this creation

I like this picture - Grandpa Weld's brother, Arnold

Grandma Patty seems to be enjoying herself

Kids, water, and sunshine - always a good combination

Great Grandma and Maren

The "Grill Team"