Easy come, Easy go

The black spot in the tree is the swarm of honey bees.

The front yard with the tree with the honey bees (dark spot).

Sunday after mowing the lawn and saving Sabrina from her escape into the rhodies, we discovered a swarm of honey bees in a tree in our front yard. Not knowing for sure what type of bee they were, we had a neighbor who is an entomologist identify the swarm. He noted they would be gone soon. Sure enough their visit was for less than 24 hours!

Gray Hair

Usually during Sabrina's nap time is when the lawn in mowed and other household tasks are completed. Today while mowing the lawn, I noted that I was being watched by Sabrina. We had enlarged her windows but have not had a chance to enlarge the curtains so she can see out underneath the old curtains. Not only that but with the assistance of her rocking chair she can pull herself up to the window. This would normally not be a huge thing, but she managed to remove the screen from the window and was leaning out of the window when I just "happened" to walk in her room during her nap. Usually, I walk in to make sure she is still in her clothing and pull-ups. However, this time I was greeted by her naked bum in the air with her body on the window sill and her head hanging out over the shrubs.... moments like this make me gray faster and wonder if she will survive to three.

Vacation to Charleston

At Poogin's Porch in Charleston for lunch.

On a bouncing bench on the porch of Edmonston-Alston house. This house is the house where General Beauregard watched the bombing of Fr. Sumter at the start of the Civil War. The story is that there actually was a party on this porch and on some of the other porches of East Battery of the wealthy southern families. In the house was a sign document of families who backed the secession from the Union.


Near the beginning of May, we used our vacation time and airline credits to fly to Charleston and see friends and places we hadn't seen in over a year. For both of us, the highlight of the trip was spending time with friends from Daniel Island and catching up on the year's news. Apart from those visits, it was nice to take in the slower pace of a vacation and walk on our old favorite walking paths and stroll around downtown Charleston and take in the homes and imagine the history that had formed in the city. If bricks could talk....The Catholic church that just last year (2010) had its steeple put on top. The Civil War set it back and other finacial times from completing its building.

One new adventure we had was taking an eco tour to the Barrier Islands north of Island of Palms. This morning adventure was guided by a former school teacher who brought varying levels of explanations of the plant and animal life in the region. We docked for about an hour at the Atlantic side of an island which was literally eroding into the ocean. The old forest is slowly washing to sea and then the new part of the island is being deposited on the west side. On our stroll down the beach we saw tiny shelled animals (maybe small clams?) at the bases of the standing trees. Unfortunately, on this island our camera fell into the sand and then jammed up so we have limited picturesof our trip from that point on.The photo taken by timer right before the camera fell into the sand.

Photos from Father's Day

Reading about band-aides at Grandpa's house

Walking with Dad to brunch.

Lunch with Dad on Saturday!

Breakfast and snuggle time with Dad first thing in the morning.

Sabrina loved having time with Randy Father's Day! Actually, she loves every weekend he is home and snuggles with him for breakfast, lunch and any time in between. Walking down the street is much more fun holding onto Daddy's hand.

Random Easter photo with Yogurt Sister

If any alliance could be productive it the one between Sabrina and Annie. On Easter, Sabrina would find the jelly beans and then feed them to Annie. If Annie needs out, Sabrina grabs her leash and hands to an adult or she just opens the door to let Annie out for exercise. Food is also "accidentally" dropped and then Annie the clean up crew goes to work. Best of friends....a girl and her grandpa's dog.

Opening and modeling gifts-photos

Trying on Grandma Joyce's visor!

Opening the play birthday cake set.

Peter Rabbit dish set! Yeah!

Sun glasses and frog raincoat for Oregon Spring/ Summer/ Fall and Winter!

Sabrina enjoyed the process of opening her gifts this year. Each item she would play with or try on and wear a while before removing.

Belated birthday pictures

Sabrina celebrated her birthday with a tea party with all three grandparents and then a joint party with her dad, uncles and cousin.

Reading in Bed

Sabrina has taken to reading her books in our big bed.

Presidential Birthday party

We are behind in posting, but a few weekends ago we went to our nephew's presidential birthday party. Grandpa dressed up as George Washington while our nephew was Teddy R.

Happy Father's Day

This weekend has been wonderful having Sabrina hang out with Randy and after last week that is just what we all needed. During the week we had our windows replaced and stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house while our house was in transition with dangerous pieces of glass and metal around the windows before the deep vacuuming. Ironically, Sabrina found a box of stored items in the closet at the grandparents' house and cut her hands on an old Tigger watch that was in a box with broken glass over the face. Luckily, the lessons on band-aide wearing have sunk in and she allowed the bandages to stay on her fingers. In fact, the next morning she was actually drumming her fingers on every surface.

Friday, Randy showed up with twelve rhodies in the truck. After planting them on Saturday, our yard now has forty plants he has planted along the road. A great improvement to our back yard. So, needless to say, Sunday was a slow moving morning but we managed to prepare our contributions for the brunch at the grandparents' house. To work off the calories, we took the tandem out for about a fifteen mile bike ride. Unfortunately, the driving chain snapped while we were climbing the hill and almost home. This is the second time this has happened in the last mile of climbing before we reach home. Time for a new chain. The weather was a perfect 70ish and there was a nice breeze, so Randy had a great ride for Father's Day!

Major Caos

Today was a banner day... starting with being greeted by a horse flashlight that not only shines light but also neighs at 4AM.... Ending with being peed on and then washing the clothes to discover somehow I missed one of the diapers that was sent down the laundry shoot. Needless to say, it exploded in the washer and little white beads are all over the place.

Usually, this would feel like a huge mess, but today started the rip out stage on on furnace replacement project and we literally have big holes in our basement ceiling. Tomorrow has already been promised to be a loud banging day by the furnace installers. I just hope the horse flashlight stays in the barn until I am awake and all diapers stay where they should be...

To stitch or not to stitch, that is the question!

This morning Sabrina's rough week continued. First thing this morning at Grandma and Grandpa's house she tripped on her blanket and did a chin plant on the wooden stairs, busting open her chin. I did not realize she was bleeding until seeing the blood all over her blanket, pjs and my pjs. (We had slept at Grandparents' house as we went to a concert the night before and it was easier to let Sabrina sleep than to move her at midnight.) Anyhow, after the bleeding stopped and were able to clean up the chin, it did not look as bad. Thus, the debate of whether to stitch or not came into play. The neighbor who is a doctor came and inspected and said although it was a long cut, it was not deep enough for stitches. Now if Sabrina would just let us put on a bandage that would be nice!

"Kiss My Hand, please."

This week has been a tough week for Sabrina. Monday started with a trip to the doctor's office when Sabrina woke up with a whoopy cough and super high fever. The doctor thought Sabrina had liquid in her lungs, so she sent us down for x-rays. The trauma was not in the actually zapping of the x-rays but in the contraption Sabrina had to sit on and then be "viced" into place so her lungs were not blocked by her arms. "I feel your pain" was really going through my mind as our daughter cried in fear of the contraption. Needless to say, she did not have pneumonia or any other breathing disorder. So, round the clock infant drops to reduce the fever.

Yesterday the trauma was found at Grandma and Grandpa's house when she shut a kitchen door and pinched the side of her hand which bled. We tried getting a bandage on. She took it off. Grandma bandaged a bear to show bandages were not scary. She didn't buy it. I put a bandage on my hand to model wearing a bandage. She picked at the wrap but did not want anything on her own hand. Neosporin was all we could put on her wound with the help of tricky Grandpa. This morning the wound looks better and there is a curiosity to band-aids but the closest we get is kissing the hand. Sabrina plays and then suddenly realizes that her hand hurts and runs over for a kiss. Then as if magically better, she runs off to play.

Cabinet play

A couple of weeks ago, Sabrina made a kitchen discovery for us: our two corner cabinets are connected and if she goes in one door, she can pop out the other. Up until this discovery, this was the favorite place to place items: stuffed animals, milk, Mom's things. The cabinet door would be closed and then it would be forgotten where the precious items were placed. (or found when the milk started to stink!)

So, Sabrina's new indoor activity is to go in one door and hang out for a while and re-enter the world through the other. I suppose it gives her a "Narnia" experience like she going to a new world.

Knock, Knock!

The adventures of our little climber continue. Her new thing is to throw all blankets and stuff animals out of the bed and climb out of bed and jump on the soft pile to freedom in the room. The first night she did this we did not have her room door shut as we were trying to get more heat in her room at night. On that night she was able to roam around the house... In the morning, we discovered the kitchen door closed, the stair block moved and a little girl emptying all the movies in the movie cabinet downstairs. These movies were not just removed from the cabinet, but removed from the cases....tapes and DVDs! So we had a little game of match the movie with its cover!

This week's adventures have been confined to her room as we have wised up a little. However, two mornings ago I awoke at six in the morning to a slam and some knocks. She had shut herself in her closet and could not get out and so was knocking for the door to be opened! To my horror, yesterday when I opened the door after nap, Sabrina was up lying on the changing table! I hope she makes it safely to two!

Library Day

Wednesdays are library days. We go and hear stories, sing songs and network with other mom's and toddlers. It is here we met our friends Hope and Payton. Usually, we get together after story time or during the week to play. Today went to Fred Meyer's and Payton and Sabrina drove the shopping cart. It gave the moms a chance to talk without worrying about toddlers de-shelving items or running down isles.

Cold but action packed week

This week was cold...super cold by the end of it, but full of events. Tuesday, Sabrina and Julie along with Grandpa to the Newport Aquarium. Sabrina kept repeating "fish" and running from fish tank to fish tank. We think her favorite exhibit was the clear tunnel that went into a shark/ large fish exhibit with theability to see sharks/ fish through the floor, sides, and ceilings of the tube. Of course on the way home, snow flakes mixed in with the rain to give the entire trip a sense of adventure.

Wednesday, the cold adventure part of the week started with Sabrina unlocking the front door at Grandma and Grandpa's h

ouse to let Annie, their German Shepherd, out for a run in the snow. Snow must be in her top ten listing of favorite things.

Needless to say, she could not be captured but returned through the front door when she was done with her tour of the neighbor's yard.

By Thursday, the snow really fell and we actually had a chance to build a small snowman complete with fern tie, stick arms, carrot nose and red western hat! Friday, the snowman was still standing but a bit wilted. With temperatures dropping into the teens tonight, he might be with us in some form for a few days.

Elusive Belt Girl

Today we are thankful that Sabrina did not hurt herself when she wiggled out of the safety belts on her backpack. We were returning from a walk and looking at the plants in the front yard, when the backpack suddenly got lighter and the next thing we saw was Sabrina hitting the pavement on the paved walkway. Thankfully, she landed on her side and does not appear injured. Randy noted that she did not hit her head but landed mainly on her side hip. After checking her entire body over, we are sighing a huge relief as the fall was about five feet....

Tigger Dad!

Sabrina loves bouncing like Tigger. Last weekend she spent lots of time bouncing with her dad! What joy!

Grandpa visit

We went down to visit Grandpa today and helped him hang some artwork in his newly finished room. Of course, Sabrina fed Annie goldfish crackers and had to stop by the fridge for a dose of "Farmer Ted" and dancing.

Sabrina-in-a-box

Our daughter loves boxes...plastic or cardboard and any size! The other day she climbed in to a plastic laundry box with her blanket and a book and proceeded to have an excellent time reading!

Two weeks of projects...

The two week vacation Randy had we spent on projects: installing a wood stove, insulating the attic, sanding and refinishing a cutting board (with help from Julie's Dad), removing pink floral wallpaper and painting Sabrina's room blue, and installing energy efficient doors. Now it is time to clean up and rest up for the next round of projects in the future at some time.

House photos

Finally, we have a chance to post some photos of the house...

Snowy weather

With the forecast of snow tonight and freezing cold temperatures, we are thankful the wood stove is installed. Here are some photos from our house of the snow from Thanksgiving week. (can you tell we did not have internet connections for almost two months and then had computer issues for another week?)

Trying to stay warm

The last few weeks have been project orientated. Randy has insulated the attic space, installed a wood stove insert and is finishing the installation of energy efficient doors on the back of our house. The timing for these updates could not be any better as the mercury is dropping quickly and the last week has brought us both snow and ice. This morning was 26 degrees at 7:30AM. So, currently we are warm by the wood stove but a little drafty where the doors are being primed! Tuesday's forecast is for freezing fog and Wednesday's forecast is for snow! Hope we can keep warm!

Christmas Elves

Christmas day Sabrina and her cousin from Eugene were "helping" pass out gifts ...and opening them.

Church bunny

One of Grandma Judy's friends gave Sabrina a white bunny for Christmas. First of all, this bunny could not wear the dress it came in because bunnies don't wear dresses. Any attempt to put the dress back on the bunny were stopped or the dress was simply removed. When Sunday arrived, the new bunny had to go to church and then had to go to the communion up front. Needless to say, bunny is a great hit.

Old and New

We are excited to be finally connected to the internet at our home. This afternoon, I looked for photos on the computer of the family but there are none that are current... However, I found a cute one of Sabrina from this summer when we were still living in Everett. She is already getting ready for Christmas and reading a book about Santa. This was in July! The funny thing is that she really doesn't know what is going on right now but loves to play with the decorations on the tree. Her favorite is a felt Santa that Randy made when he was a boy. Santa cruises around the house with her and is found in various locations.

Connected finally

We moved several months ago and found out that getting everything up to speed takes time. For example, five weeks ago we tried to hook up our internet at the house. Needless to say, since this involved trenching in the yard and dropping lines under a road that required a permit, it took a long time. Today our long wait was over. At 6:30pm we were connected! Yeah!
Now to figure out how to download photos and post and send.