snips & snails

& puppy dog tails... that's what Bumpa Ken's house is made of. Our second stop in Idaho was another backyard retreat. Granny Annie had build your own sundae supplies & weinie roasts & cartoon network aplenty. The boys instantly felt loved & spoiled. Grandpa spent Saturday crafting weapons for each of the boys while they caught toads & played basketball. It was pretty much every young boy's dream come true.

the un-plan

"That did not go as planned." Aden

I am delighting in this little comment Aden made a few weeks ago. This summer I am mastering the art the un-plan. It is mostly good, maddening for sure but a good skill to be seasoned in.

summer bliss

 We headed back to Idaho for a quick visit a couple weeks ago. Our first stop was Grandma Ellen's patio paradise. She has created such a fun space for us to relax in the Idaho sunshine.

 And the photographer for most of the afternoon?

Yep, Collin has a new interest.

the 4th

Here is a happy little photo dump from our Independence Day adventure.

Pirate's landing at Alki Beach

more on this event here.

guess what?

Nope, not pregnant with a baby girl. I can dream though. No, actually this is an overdue post on the visit we had with Andrea over the 4th of July weekend.

 We had no problem staying busy. We made cupcakes, bread, ricotta cheese, pizza, doughnuts, & many batches of ice cream. She brought up her sewing machine & helped me with the onesie dresses pictured above. (a friend just had a baby girl) She even made some costumes for the boys.

This roasted beet, bacon, & basil pizza with the homemade ricotta was by far the best pizza I have ever eaten. Yes, that good.

 We met up with Andrea's cousin & his family at an annual wooden boat festival near Lake Union. This was one of the first sunny days we have had up here that actually felt hot. The boys had a good time exploring a new hobby & we all left happy & sunburned.

Matt & Andrea have mastered the trick to eating all those goodies, they are both runners. I considered it quite a feat that I drug myself out of my food-induced coma to capture this photo.

Thank you so much Andrea. For being adventurous enough to visit, tough enough to stay the entire time, & loving enough to say you'd do it again. You are definitely one of the crew!