Halloween

Much better than last year. Though Leo had no desire to put on what amounted to a dress. I think his industrial strength belt may have been too tight.

The hat was literally on for SECONDS.

Gracie literally has two fleeces on underneath her mermaid costume.

Explaining to me that she actually will be able to eat more than one piece of candy per day because he has alot of candy.

I had to hold his hands to keep the hat on for seconds.
OFF!

Pirate Prep

Pupkin Farm

Sylvie went with her class to the farm. I wasn't able to go but Julie took some great photos. I got this carhart jacket at Goodwill when Sylvie was 6 months and I have been saving it...she hates it but it looks cool. It makes her look older all of the sudden though....

Paul and Frances in Northfield MN

The perfect fall wedding. The small college town, taverns and friends,beaming love married people, parents beside themselves with joy. It was lovely.

I's married now!

Bainbridge Harvest Festival

Both kids were fighting colds and the weather was not looking good but we piled in to the new-to-us MPV and got down to the Ferry. It was so windy that you couldn't help but laugh. Once we got to the harvest festival, it started to rain that annoying rain that isn't really wet but you can't really open your eyes wide enough to see two kids running around a field filled with other kids and harvest happenings. We peeled apples, got the face painted, made leaf tiaras, jumped off hay bails and got exhausted in 1/2 an hour. We got back to Jen's new amazing forest house to dry off and calm down but I never recovered and the ride back was ridiculous - trying to keep kids, who hadn't napped, in a mini SUV for 40 minutes on a boat. Kim and I were singing Annie songs at the top of our lungs and cracking up at our misery. We sorda thought we sounded good.

Sylvie's faith in the universe is amazing

Sukkot

Lisa, Scott, Ari and Asher built a wonderful deck Sukka and we "dwelled" in it ;) Or is it dwelt?

Fresh Tomatos

Thank you Michelle for enabling me to make this soup from the seemingly hundreds of tomatoes in our garden. Also, thanks to my mom for handing over the kitchen aid which I have wanted for 6 years - just to make fresh focaccia (again, thanks to Michelle for the recipe!) super easy and so yum!

That's the money shot



We have about 6 kinds of tomatos in the garden - many of which were volunteers from last year's fallen. The little orange ones are the super sweet and made the best soup flavor!

Post Roasting - there is a little fennel and some herbs in there too.



Pre-war food mill. Another thing sluffed off my parents in the move

Yum! Spanish Blue Cheese crumbles...perfect

Teeter Totter

First Day of School

It rained on the first day of school as it had done most of the summer. In fact, there is a rumor going around that we only had 19 days of full sun this summer - ouch! The first day of school was scary and exciting - such is life.....and drama.

Happy

Sad

Wedding

Christie and Randy's wedding was lovely.

My Mom MADE this flower girl dress for Sylvie to wear in the ceremony. Sylvie was great until she saw that everyone was looking at her and then she started to back up into Christie's dress and had to be pushed down the aisle with her head down - shy. She bragged about it though and she wears the little sparkly flower girl tee shirt that christie gave her and says "I was shy"

With Cousins Eli and Ethan

That's me dragging her down the ailse

Check out groom expression vs. already married with kids' expressions.

Evan, Ethan, Noni and Leo

Gotta have an uncle Chuck speech. Ba-dum CHING!

Melissa and Albie

Molly and Melissa

Us

Tha happy couple ;)

SOAP LAKE 2007

We decided to make our annual pilgrimage to Soap Lake with the Mitchells on the weekend that coincides with the Grant County Fair. This year we all stayed on the Samis Ranch and had a glorious day of wandering in the orchards, swimming in the pond, floating down the Canal and eating with the bees. The kids barely slept because they were all excited to be in the tiny house together. The weather, which is usually deathvalley hot in August was mild and in fact, it rained our last day.
We went down to the soapy lake and finally figured out that you have to go way out to get the good mud that smells SO strong of sulphur and rub it all over yourself like the Russians do. Me and Tim did some of that - no pictures please:)
The fair is such a treat for the kids because there are cows to moo at (the total city slicker kids standing there yelling MOOOO at the cows!) , smoked turkey legs to gnaw on, ice cream and shave ice galore. The rides are rickety but rowdy and we are the only city folk in a crowd of cowboys and field workers. We caugth the tail end of a juggling show by Brothers with different Mothers which was laugh-out-loud funny.
The Samis ranch screams photo op so here are some of the favorites from the weekend.

Take me ridin' in the car car...

Leo at the Fair

Girls in the canal

Soap lake Vista

Sylvia Newton John

Vanistan

Tug-o-war

AWWWWWWWW

Zo Zo on the Yo Yo