Hot Dog Roast

While my babies have participated in hot dog roasts in the past, it has been a while. For me as well. But I am a roasting master and while I burn dinner every night at home, the skillz needed for cooking over an open flame have never eluded me. So I mentored and assisted and coached and eventually completely took over.

Because they never listen to me.

The following are examples of what not to do.

Don't stand up and dip only the tip of the dog into the open flame. Or the ash for that matter.





DO get low and hold the dog flat over the hot coals, turning slowly.


Jake adopted the low stance but not the patience and perseverance needed to fully cook the dog. So I took over.


And it was gooooood.




Hurray for mustard on your arm!

Golf. Sort Of.

The weather has not been awesome on this trip but every few days the sun busts through the cloud cover and I force my kids to stay outside for as long as it lasts. And they complain about it constantly. And I don't care. I wait for summer for nine months and nothing is going to convince me that we need to be inside for any reason.

GO FIND SOMETHING TO DO AND LEAVE ME TO SUNBURN IN PEACE.


Today we golfed.



Well, they golfed.



Mostly they just aerated the lawn.

Botched Back Flip

He arrived home from fishing with Peepaw about twenty minutes before we arrived home from shopping. In that time he taught himself to do front and back flips on the trampoline. He showed off for me. He was awesome. I was in the middle of commenting about getting the video camera out when he busted out one more back flip. He went up, but his legs never went over. He landed on his face and his body collapsed backward so that his butt landed on the back of his own head.

Yeah, are you picturing that?

I took off running for the trampoline because I thought he broke his neck. He stood up immediately (not broken!) but was in the middle of one of those breathless, panicked silent screams. He stumbled off the trampoline into my arms where he promptly passed out (from the prolonged silent scream).

Grandma helped me lay him down in the grass and calm him down. He started complaining of lower back pain which was weird to me because I saw how he landed. But any back pain is bad back pain and Peepaw mentioned calling the ambulance, just to be on the safe side. None of us really wanted to lift him and move him to the car to go get checked out.

So the ambulance was called, the EMTs arrived and they took excellent care of my baby.


Looks awful doesn't it? It really wasn't. This was just a precaution and he said it was mostly fun. THANK YOU LORD!





Even before we made it to the the emergency room, Jake was feeling better. They checked him out, mentioned he probably has a little muscle strain and set us free.

No more back flips on the trampoline. For now. I still kind of want to get it on video...

Man Time

Whenever we come to Seattle, Peepaw tries to do some one on one bonding with Jake. A little man time if you will. Sometimes it's tinkering in the shop, messing with wood or screws, mowing the lawn or wrapping things with bungee chords. Not sure if we ever did manage to free Peepaw's shop stool or not...

Now that Jake is a little older, Man Time is a little more serious.

The boys are going fishing.

I'm not sure who was more excited, Jake about going fishing with his Peepaw or me about going shopping without him. *shrug* We may never know.

I had a pep talk with Jake before he left, "you better do exactly as Peepaw tells you because I gave him permission to throw you overboard."

I also had a pep talk with Peepaw, "Jake is kind of a talk-your-ear-off-know-it-all, so...please don't throw him overboard."

Let's go fishing!

"Thiiiisss, is a fishing pole. NOT a light saber. Let's just make that clear right from the start."


It quickly became obvious that Jake was a better fisherman than anyone. Ever. Here's one.


Annnnd, two.


Yup, three.


Got number four on the line there. We should all take note of his very professional leg on the bench ninja fishing stance.


And since he's better at everything than everyone, Peepaw made him drive the boat back to the dock.


You can't out-fish this guy. He was made in Alaska.

Since Jake won the Catch The Most Fish Contest (everything is a contest with this kid and you never know you're even IN a contest until after he declares himself the winner) he made Peepaw buy him Oreos and a Payday. That's man lunch.

Whilst fishing, Jake mentioned to his Peepaw, while he watched Peepaw club the fish over the head, that he'd never seen anything die before. Except a bug. So he took some time to inspect the carnage by feeling the teeth and poking the eyeballs. Fascinating. Then he ate one for dinner. And he loved it.

I should also mention that Peepaw did manage to catch three fish as well. And we couldn't be prouder.

We Found...

A Merry-Go-Round at the zoo. So we rode it.

Meep Meep

Who’s Got the Keys to the Jeep?


This was Jordan’s big present this year. We actually gave it to her last week so she’d have time to play with it for a few days before we left.


Our little neighbor girl has one too!


And big brother also rolls Jeep style.

Birthday Fun

Yesterday Jordy turned six. We spent the day torturing her by not letting her open presents until dad and Jake got home from camp. Then we went to dinner at Kobe (she hated it) and home for cupcakes. I didn’t have any candles so I used matches. It was the fastest rendition of happy birthday that you have ever heard.


She wore this outfit to dinner with pink cowboy boots. Because she’s AWESOME.




Money from Grandma and Peepaw! SHOPPING!!! WOOT!!





Jake, the Master Reader, reading the card for us all.

Happy Birthday Bugaroo!

Today my sweet little Jordyroo Bugamuffin turns 6 and I’m starting to get perspective on why my dad never let me get any older than 13. Please please please stop growing up. Please please please always be innocent and little and please please please don’t ever stop living in that magical happy land that you live in. I pray every day that you never lose that perpetual ray of sunshine that beams out of you. You light up my life sweet girl!






Things I don’t ever want to forget about you...

Your eyes disappear into little arches when you smile.
Your gums take over your entire mouth and completely eclipse your little chicklet teeth when you smile.
You have lost 4 teeth, all on the bottom.
You still love sticks and straws.
This year you decided you were girly. Bring on the dresses, makeup, tutus, jewelry, and accessories.
You adore your hot pink cowboy boots.
Your favorite meal would be mac & cheese with a Costco rotisserie chicken leg and cantaloupe. And milk.
You always put your pants on backwards. ALWAYS.
You learned to ride your bike without training wheels last week and everyone was surprised you could do it. Sorry kid, but you are REALLY clumsy and helpless most of the time...
You get along really well with your baby brother, not so much with your big brother.
You want to grow your hair down to your butt and I want to cut it all off because I’m the one who has to fail miserably at “doing” it every day.
You say you want to be an artist when you grow up. I can totally picture that.
You love to dance. But you always dance with your eyes closed (why?) and then you crash and hurt yourself.
You sing like you feel it in your soul. It simultaneously brings a tear to my eye (the passion!) and doubles me over with hilarity because you are an AWFUL singer. But you feel it so hard and that is awesome.
You have already decided that someday when you are ready to be a mommy, you are going to find babies that need mommies and be their mommy...because you are too scared to poop out your own baby.
You REALLY want a baby sister. NO. Stop asking me.
You are left handed. As if you needed another excuse to not be able to do things or be messy.
Without fail, you think the letter “e” makes the sound of the letter “i"




I love you sweet girl. Happy birthday.