party pictures

I slept longer than usual this morning (till almost 7:00!), after a weekend getting ready for and hosting a baby shower here at the house. My friend Jessica is due to have her second baby in August. I met her at the library, in fact the kids you see here are mostly my regular storytime gang. Over the summer many more kids come to the library, but these faithful are who I can count on almost every week. (You can see from the progression of pictures Scarlette's displeasure with the boys, who will not pose appropriately and be nice.)

We had a fun time with Nathanael and Jessi this weekend too. Geoffrey's birthday and the 4th of July is next weekend! Yihoo!!

She's a swimmer!

He's off!

Cammy has made it to Sweden!

Caleb is a water baby!

Caleb went to the aquatic center today and he LOVED it! He had so much fun splashing and jumping off the side of the pool. He was squealing with delight! Anyone who comes to visit can go swimming with Caleb too!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Pops is having his birthday on the road today, so give him a call on his cell phone this evening. I love you honey, and am planning to celebrate with you when you get home. We will have a fun time this weekend. I will plan something. I love you forever.

Well, you asked for it! Happy Father's Day!

There are lots of pictures of Dads here, but one was missing... now here is Nathanael with his little girl. We could also use a few more of the dads with babies.. if those dads could add some, we would sure like it!

more photos please!

I need more pictures from all of you! I know there are more really cute ones that I haven't seen yet!! I miss you.

Happy Father's Day!!

Even when kids are little, they know that "when Dad arrives the Fun begins!!" Not only are you fun, but you make us feel safe and strong, just by being there. We love you all to pieces!! Have a wonderful day!

Summerfest Parade 2009!

The crowd at Entiat Park celebrates the season of summer! The Library kids and I had a Creative entry in the parade.

Caleb loves Blackberries!

Caleb had Bananas with Blackberries and Mangos for breakfast and he loved it! This child eats anything! What a blessing!

I think the babies need one of these

Buona pizza fresca

This was our dinner tonight, and it was pretty dang tasty.

Pops is an artist.

He never claims it to be, but I know that Gary's work is art. I also think that everyone has that innate ability to create, and that our avenue to being happy, and feeling good is in making art. Each of you has found it in one way or another, and each will continue to discover new ways of expression. I hope that this part of us goes on and on and on. Here is the latest on the deck on the house project that seems to last into infinity. I love it!

Babies' First Camping Trip

We had so much fun this weekend camping with Ben, Amy and Neli! We went to Detroit Lake for the babies' first camping trip. It was supposed to rain all weekend, but it turned out to be beautiful. The little campers had a great time watching the ducks, getting really dirty, and enjoying the campfire. They are both such great little campers, and their parents aren't half bad either. We cooked everything over the fire and had a very relaxing weekend. We even went for a little geocaching adventure. It was pretty easy and we found it right away.

It was the perfect spot and we can't wait to do it again. Thanks guys for sharing another first with us. We love you!

ladybug picnic

It was sweet to find a ladybug working with me in the garden today. She seems to like the carrot patch.

Gossamer Collective's Opening Preview Benefit

Hey guys! I'm having a little party at my new studio space this Saturday. Cam and Gabe will be playing some music. Come visit if you can!!

Gossamer Collective's Opening Preview Benefit

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The Deck Designers

Between Pops building skills and Ruthie's creativity the details of the deck design are emerging. Cam says he likes it just the way it is, and I have to agree, the framing is a very interesting pattern. But soon it will be covered with the least expensive composite material available. My job will be to decorate with potted flowers, arrange seating and shade regions. We think that we'll move the table and chairs from the water feature patio to the deck and then we'll have the patio for an outdoor room for sleeping, etc. It should be a brelly cool place when its all widged in.

Calebs First Word

Caleb finally said his first word - and guess what it was?


Jennie has a story on her blog too - click HERE!

A dear friend

Dear family,

My friend, who I went to WWU with, Gunther Frank, went out in his sailboat on Thursday, and on the way back hit a storm which tipped the boat over. Four of his friends made it to shore, but he and one other are still missing. The coast guard searched and searched, and the boat was found, but no sign of Gunther and his friend. The search has been resumed this morning.

This is tragic news for me and for Marissa, whom he has been a really good friend to for more than ten years, and for I'm sure many other people, and his family, of course. I know that some of you guys know and like him too.

Gunther is an amazing person, someone who brings a lot of joy to many people's lives. He is a brilliant photographer and artist whose creativity and ideas are always amazing or crazy/funny. Gunther, by choice, lives in his "Charley Brown" van. He feels guilty if he isn't living in his van, because he feels tied down or like he's spending too much, or mostly, just that he's neglecting his van, which he loves and has taken apart and fixed many, many times over the years.

I was sewing at my shop all day last Sunday, and as I left, I was feeling a little lonely so I gave Marissa a call. She was hanging out with Gunther, looking for plants in the U district. I said I would love to see them, so we got some food to go from Thai Tom, then rode in Gunther's van out to the stadium at UW and rented a canoe. The three of us rowed out on to Lake Washington, and over to some marshy areas. It was a perfect day, we saw so many animals, beautiful plants and birds. We ate the good food on the canoe, and chatted and had fun. I now keep thinking about all of the nice things that Gunther said. It was like we were younger again. We spent the rest of the afternoon together, and later met with Cam and Marissa's boyfriend, Eric. Lando even got to ride in Gunther's van with us.

As I think of all of the good times with Gunther, and will be very, very sad if I'm not going to be able to hang out with him again, but I am grateful that I have known the unique and wonderful person he is, and I'm very grateful for last Sunday. At the time I was just thinking that it was a really great day, and it now seems like it was a very special gift.

I love you guys, please keep Gunther and his family and friends in your hearts.

Does baby need a gray suit?

Auntie Ru thinks so!!!

Reservations, Please!

For all of you who will be coming to Entiat over the weekend of August 15 - 16, to remember and celebrate Grandpa Fred's life at the Entiat Cemetary on that Sunday at 10:00 AM, please send me a confirmation of your plans! I hope that each of you grandchildren will think of a special memory or maybe a quality about Grandpa that you remember and is beneficial to your life, to share with all of us on that day. There will be a Military Honor Salute, so perhaps babies might need ear muffs??

We will also be attending the Saturday August 15, 2:00 PM Matinee Performance of The Pirates of Penzance at the Leavenworth Outdoor Theater, in which Aunt Ruth plays the part of Nursemaid Ruth!

I definitely need your commitment to attend this event so that I can make reservations!





Here is a synopsis of the play:

In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic was as a child apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned pirates by his nurse who, being hard of hearing, had mistaken her master's instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. Frederic, upon completing his 21st year, rejoices that he has fulfilled his indentures and is now free to return to respectable society. But it turns out that he was born on February 29 in leap year, and he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. By the end of the opera, the pirates, a Major General who knows nothing of military strategy, his large family of beautiful but unwed daugters, and the timid constabulary all contribute to a cacophony that can be silenced only by Queen Victoria's name.

If you notice any similarities, in names (Ruth! Frederic!) and in circumstance (a pilot!?, hard of hearing?!) there is a story to go with this part that Aunt Ruth tried out for that is curious and providential as well as revealing of Grandpa Fred's sense of humor!!

hazardous work area

Building things takes lots of patience
and a good amount of agility.





especially when you have to tightrope walk on skinny boards


over sharp objects!









Sooner(or later as advocates of slow design would advise) things start to take shape.







This is the skeleton of our future deck out back, and we are slowly figuring out the puzzle of pieces.

free to fountain!

Remember that free round iron disk we found at the metal recycling pit? Here it is in our yard!