June & July: happenings

Welcome back! It's been a long time since you've seen us. We have been super busy working on Caleb's new company, which up to a couple weeks ago was going very well, but since everyone is trying to finish up their summer, they haven't been interested in their landscape. So anyhow, we just wanted to update you all quickly via photos.
One day we had very low tides, so we went to West Seattle to explore the tidepools for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and we discovered a lot of wildlife.

Our garden has been growing great and the kids like to help out. Fern is a great rhubarb assistant by cutting off the leaves. Having a garden is so much fun. It's nice to walk through the garden and select what you are going to eat for dinner that night.
Fern loves Daddy Daughter Dates. No sooner have they got back from one, and she starts discussing what to do for the next one. In the above picture, Caleb & Fern went out to eat at a cool eatery with couches and a record player and they played around taking fun pictures. This one turned out nice.

Sometimes when the kids are quiet, this is what is happening--what a great fort!

Other times.....

Why "chip sealed" roads really suck--Caleb watched Fern trip on her "flippers" (flip-flop sandals). She got really tore up, but Doctor Dad was able to make it all better.

When we were visiting Utah our kids had a great time playing with their cousins. Here is Fern & Sedona hiking.

For Henry Day (AKA half b-day) we gave Henry the option of going to the Children's Museum or go hiking. The choice is obvious--he chose hiking. We found a cool trail system in the Coal Creek area. It used to be a huge coal mine 100 years ago. For his bday dinner he wanted fish & chips (minus the chips of course since he is allergic to potatoes).

This is the cake he requested, with some penguin embellishments of his own.

Henry had been saving his money and working hard in order to purchase this, but thanks to Aunt Zoe & the cousins Schnebly, he got it for his birthday. It says for ages 9-12, but he's been able to do it all by himself. He has quite the technical mind. Isn't this cool?

Blueberries! The first blueberries from our bushes--wait--those are MY bushes that my thoughtful husband bought me for mother's day :) (or was it really because he wants more blueberry muffins?)

This is our favorite part about living here & about not having television. Our kids will spend hours a day out reading and playing out in the yard without problems. We feel truly blessed to be able to live in such a beautiful place & have such amazing kids.

Well, that's it for now.