This has got to be my baby's favorite toy. The minute I put him in the Johnny Jump-Up, he found freedom. His legs did not stop bouncing for over 40 minutes and he squealed with delight. Now the only problem is that he no longer wants to act like a baby. He found mobility and now when I put him on the floor, he bounces his legs and scoots everywhere quite quickly. I wish I could stop time to enjoy this precious babyhood.
I love our yard. We have a number of fruit trees, enough room for gardens, room for the children to play, trees for rope swings, etc. But . . . .this area is booming with growth. The lot next to us was sold to a developer who plans to build 6 houses along our property line. I am sick. Not just any houses, but two-story houses with 6 feet in between each house. This means no more garden (houses will block direct sun), loss of privacy, etc. Sick, sick, sick. Here is said developer with 2 workers trespassing in the other neighbor's yard as they begin clearing the land. I may need to use this outlet to vent from time to time.
It's amazing that these little yellow flowers will become one of our family favorites in a couple months: tomatoes!
Here is a song my children have been listening and dancing to over and over again sung by a local group, Misty River, called Home-Grown Tomatoes.
Today, I really miss my Dad. ALS took his life over 4 years ago. What a cruel disease, robbing my kids of their grandpa.
Dh and the children made the annual trek to the local berry fields and picked 90 pounds of berries last night. The berries were $.80 per pound at the U-Pick fields. 
We were washing, stemming, preparing to freeze until 11 pm. It definitely is a mandatory family affair. Our typical Saturday morning breakfast is buttermilk waffles from The Joy of Cooking and topped with yogurt mixed with strawberries, so that is the primary purpose for the berries. We also use them for smoothies during the year.
Breakfast Berry Shortcake
1 cup oats
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar (2x)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (orange peel is great, too)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup butter
2/3 cup buttermilk or yogurt
one 8-ounce carton yogurt
2 cups berries
Heat oven to 400’. Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon peel, and baking soda; mix well. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add buttermilk; mix just until moistened. Knead on floured surface 10 times. Place on greased cookie sheet; form into 8-inch circle. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with yogurt and combined berries and 2 tablespoons sugar.
Venturing around our yard, I saw 2 objects that looked out of place near the hole my sons have been digging - you know, the hole that goes to China.
Two missing sandals - not just any play sandals, but leather Elefanten sandals. Oh joy!
Only a 40-something-year-old seasoned mom would find humor at such a scene. Looks like the shoes are posing - lol.
This day was easy - I'm partial to blues - especially deep cobalt blue. These are some of my favorite treasures: vase from the Philippines, pitcher was a gift from my daughter when she went to Portugal, cobalt pottery bowl was made by my daughter. Coffee mug was from the Philippines. Blue is serene, calm - love it!
My little guy seems to be a little stingy with his smiles. He tends to take life pretty seriously and looks stoic quite a bit, so when I get a picture like this, it melts my heart - drool and all. He's 4 months old now.
We lived in the Philippines for 2-1/2 yrs while my dh was in the Navy. When traveling the roads, it was not uncommon to see this site on the middle of a highway while vehicles were trying to travel anywhere from 20-80 mph. Pretty dangerous and scary! When I saw this at a market, I had to buy it. It's my favorite momento from the Philippines.
In honor of Color Week, here are photos of random white favorites around my abode:
Daisies have always been a favorite. They were on our wedding announcement and on our honeymoon, unbeknownst to us, our table at the little French restaurant had a vase of daisies on the table. How did they know?
This was my dream sewing machine. I waited a long time to get it. 
Flannel baby blanket made with said sewing machine.
I found this Willow Tree figurine at a yard sale. I fell in love with the simplicity of the design and what it represents. It brought tears to my eyes. I now have a handful of Willow Tree figurines. 
This is fun - I hope to keep up with Color Week.
I've been going to a gym with a friend and have finally lost 10 pounds (in 10 weeks). It's coming off slowly. It's hard work with a combination of weights, aerobics, treadmill, stationary bike, Pilates, and brisk walks and primarily trying to change my food to healthy food choices except for the occasional ice cream or chocolate splurge. I have not missed out on any desserts, but I'm not pigging out like I used to do, either. I'm one-third of the way to goal weight. It came off so much easier when I was younger.
Anyone else on the same mission? Let me know so I can cheer you on!
My husband took four of our children on a hike on a mountain at the Oregon Coast last week. This is Manzanita Bay in the backround and the Pacific Ocean on the right.
Check out the little houses dotted along the shoreline. The elevation must be pretty high. I can't wait to be able to go with them (baby is still nursing on the clock and we haven't tried bottles yet).
I love these old whiskey barrels. With our mild winters, some annuals come back to life in the spring. The burst of any colorful flowers in a barrel makes me smile. Even those who claim to kill off everything can grow a tomato plant in one of these. I can't fathom not having home-grown tomatoes in the summertime. 
With lots of abuse from children, our lawn has seen better days, so we've spent quite a lot of time reseeding this year.
What was once a 4-inch echinacea plant is now a 4-ft tall "bush". I can't wait to see how many blooms it will have. 
Tomatoes, peppers, over 90 green bean plants, cukes, summer squash, zucchini, lettuce, chives, celery planted J's garden. We are still working on 3 other smaller garden areas.
This is the table runner my daughter (19-yr old) made me, but it still needs to be quilted and binded. I have always loved Dresden plate. This is a nice variation. My daughter and I were in the Thimbleberries club at a local quilt shop a couple years ago. On impulse, we bought all the kits for the year. Turns out, there were a few projects that we didn't care for, so she used that fabric to make a design that worked for her. She put the whole thing together without a pattern.
I hadn't taught her how to applique, so she figured out her own way to sew the Dresden plate to the backing. I love the look of the stitches and the colors she chose altogether. She picked these colors so the table runner could be used for any season. I love it. I can't wait to be able to use it.
16-yr old son and father underneath the truck changing oil, etc.
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