5 years

Five years ago today, Kenny and I got married on a beautiful sunny day in Sequim. We have been together for a total of 9 years, which is the number that gets me the most. We are closing in on 10 years together and I still can vividly remember seeing him for the first time walk up the steps to my place. Or the very first weekend we spent together just hanging out: I did Grad school homework and he watched sports on TV. Within days of talking to each other on the phone, to our first date and then spending the weekend together being together was just so easy, natural and normal.

Add moving in together, moving/living in San Diego together for 4 years, having a baby and one on the way, two dogs, medical ups and downs, moving back to Seattle, and buying a house, life doesn't always seem so easy any more, but we continue to get through whatever life throws our way and grow into our ever changing relationship and lives.

Here is to many more years!

Tie-Dye Fun

Our old neighbor and friend from the cul-de-sac had a tie-dye party yesterday afternoon. I can honestly say I had never done anything with tie-dye before and wasn't sure how my works of art would turn out. BUT I think they look fabulous and Shane loves his new t-shirts. He'll be growing into these shirts for years since all they had at Michael's was a youth size small. I even let Shane pick the colors (well, mostly). Each shirt is featuring a different technique (#1=stripes & #2=bulleyes).

Thanks Julie for the fun!!

CTMH August Wall Hanging Class

Join me on Tuesday, August 17th at 7pm and make these super cute and easy Wall Hangings. You get to pick your color/theme and embellish any way you like (they don't have to be purple and girly like mine). These would make a great gift or look beautiful hanging in a bedroom, living room or entry way.

Cost: $20

RSVP to me via email at jessicadbooth@hotmail.com

Wordless Wednesday

Growing Up

Yesterday Shane earned a "surprise" and he picked Space flashcards. He took them to bed super excited and called us in a million times to ask about the pictures, etc. Finally, we said pick your favorites out and we'll see you in the morning.

This morning we were looking at the flash cards and talking about each one.

Me: You could be an astronaut when you grow up.

Shane: I don't want to grow up.

Kenny: Nice answer!!

**Kenny was looking on CNN.com this morning after this "incident" and saw this article. I think Shane wasn't just saying No to being an Astronaut though, he was saying No to all occupations.

6 months!

The belly has reached 6 months today! I am more then half way to November 11th and that feels great, but now makes it seem like it is coming closer and closer, and faster and faster.

I'm feeling pretty "normal" at this point, just with an big belly to carry around. I was showing Shane a picture the other day and realized that I was 5 months pregnant with him in the picture, but you couldn't tell from what I was wearing. I told him that and he just sorta gave me a funny look. He is very obsessed with all things baby: babies in stores, babies on TV, babies in books, acting like a baby himself, and especially babies/diapers and big kids/underwear.

We finished painting, putting the crib together and arranging the babies room last weekend. I love the lavender accent walls we did. After months of living here it finally feels like a real room! It still needs some small touches here and there though to make it more personal for her when she arrives.

We were given a bag of baby girl clothes the other day. I just couldn't get over all the pink. It is such a color that you don't experience when you have a boy, that the clothes some times just overwhelm me with all the pink.

Naming has been a tough one. I can't say we have much right now. Maybe one or two on the maybe list, but that is about all. Right now in my head I call her "Tap Dancer", because all day long it feels like she is doing a tap dance in my belly with all her kicks and punches. Quite the mover she is, way more then Shane was.

Wordless Wednesday

Summer In Sequim

Shane came back from 5 days in Sequim refreshed and with a slightly better attitude. He spent a lot of time outside playing what he wanted along with a lot of attention from who ever was around (Me, Mema or Papa). I think he clocked in 3+ hours of playing with the hose. He kept telling us that he had a "job" to do and must work more. We spent some time on a couple different beaches and had a trip out in the boat to put some crab pots in the water. He can't seem to decide if he loves the boat or hates it. He says it is too loud, but when he was on it there wasn't a problem. We even made a trip into the Lavender Festival street fair Friday morning. I think the hit of that trip was the playground, not the street fair.

Kenny and I picked him up Sunday afternoon in Edmonds. He was so excited to see us and was over flowing with how much he missed us and loved us. Super sweet.

Menu Monday

We are back from our "vacation" in Sequim and weekend with out Shane. We were busy completing house projects and having some fun. Now it's back to "normal" life.

Monday -- BBQ fresh (caught by my Dad a couple days ago) salmon

Tuesday -- leftover salmon if there is enough

Wednesday -- BBQ teriyaki chicken and rice

Thursday -- leftovers

Friday -- Homemade macaroni and cheese

Saturday -- leftovers

Sunday -- Dinner Surprise

Menu Monday

Shane and I are going to go visit Mema and Papa for a few days in Sequim this week. Kenny said he was good to fend for himself, so not much of a menu plan will be happening this week. I'll probably pull a few things from the freezer that we have in there like chili or a frozen pizza for the couple days we'll be here before we leave. The Shane man gets to stay with Mema and Papa all by himself for the weekend, while I return to help Kenny finish up some house projects. Kenny and I already have some plans for a few meals out with out the Little Monster this weekend, so no cooking for me then either!!

Cooking Class

A couple months ago I signed up to take a Cooking Class offered by one of the Mom's in a moms group that I am in. The day finally arrived yesterday afternoon and it was sooooo much fun and informative.

Our menu was:
Asian Chicken Noodle Salad
Homemade Rolls
Fudge

We made just about everything at her house (except cooking the noodles and baking the rolls). When I got home I finished off the meal and we had the best dinner ever!! Kenny and Shane both really liked it as well and that is the true test of food in our house.

I loved the Asian Chicken Noodle Salad for a hot summer evening because it was served cold, was full of fresh veggies, the chicken had so much flavor and the dressing was a perfect blend of flavors. The salad also had veggies that I don't normally use (like the cabbages), but it was great to be introduced to some new tastes. Plus, the salad can really be mixed to your liking. Learning how to make homemade bread from scratch was awesome and the rolls were the best bread I have ever had. Fluffy, hot and fresh with just a touch of sweetness. Finally the fudge wasn't quite fully chilled, but that didn't stop us from enjoying it with some fresh raspberries and a little touch of whipping cream. MMMmmmmm!!!

I can't wait until next month's cooking class! Below is the salad recipe.

Asian Noodle Chicken Salad
From Della (ECM Cooking Class Mom)

1/2 napa cabbage
1/4 purple cabbage (I used a lot less of this)
Baby Spinach (added to your liking)
1/2 orange bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 English Cucumber (so much more flavor then the regular cucumber)
1 bunch cilantro (I didn't use any since Kenny HATES cilantro)
4-8 Tablespoons of toasted Sesame Seeds (I left this out and just added it to the top of my salad)

Dressing:
1 juiced lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 soy sauce
1-2 Tablespoons sesame oil
Pinch of brown sugar
grated Ginger (amount up to you)
chopped Garlic (amount also up to you)
1/2 bunch chopped cilantro (I left this out)

Chicken:
cook 5 chicken tenders in:
Sesame Oil
Olive Oil
1/2 Lemon juiced (this was the best part ever, it added so much flavor!!)

Linguine Noodles (amount up to you)

--Boil Noodles with lots of oil. Rinse with cold water and keep cold until you are ready to use them

--Toast the Sesame Seeds in 200 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

--Combine dressing together EXCEPT the cilantro. Keep cold until it's needed.

--Heat oils and lemon juice on medium heat for the chicken pieces. After it's cooked cut into small pieces.

--Chop all veggies for the salad. Add chicken and noodles. Add cilantro to dressing if you are using it. Then add dressing and Enjoy!!

The Garden

The garden is coming along and actually looks like a garden!!

In this bed we have the 2nd batch of Sugar Snap Peas I planted. So they are slightly smaller then the ones you'll see in another bed. One lonely cucumber that has turned around and is doing well now. The rest of his buddies didn't make it through all the rain and a few dog paws running through them. Then there are 6 strawberry plants that we have already eaten (well, Shane has) 5 yummy sweet juicy strawberries off of. There are more just about ready to be picked, plus a lot of green ones. I'm thinking about making this bed all strawberries next year.
Here we have 6 broccoli plants that have us stumped. They are growing well, but we can't figure out where they are actually going to be making any broccoli. We haven't seen any flowers, so I'm not sure we'll actually have any broccoli this year? Then there are 5 various cherry tomato plants that have done well bouncing back from all the rain and lack of sun. Lots of little yellow flowers on them. I can't wait for some yummy cherry tomatoes!!
This bed has 6 pumpkin plants in it. I desperately want pumpkins this fall. I hope the six that managed to come up from seeds make us proud with at least one pumpkin.
Here was have 4 lettuce plants, which is one of my favorite things about having a garden. I like using lettuce on various things, but never enough to actually buy it at the store or it goes bad before I can use it all. Now we just walk out and pick leaves here and there when we need lettuce. Then two rows of carrots that I don't think are doing as well I would like them to be. But I remembered this morning we planted multi-colored carrots so I think that may be the reason they seem to be growing so slow. Finally, two more rows of sugar snap peas. The flowers are just starting to come out on them.

Playground

We did it! Months of looking on Craigs List, talking about it, trying to decide the best way to get it.....we now have a "playground" in the backyard. A couple weeks ago I found a play structure that seemed to fit our needs: price, location, size and what kind of play items it had on it. After a lot of back and forth we rented a truck and drove to Everett to pick it up. Well, it actually took us 3 hours to take it apart first, but then we drove it back home. That was just the start of the long process. Two weeks later and a lot of hard work on Kenny's part (Shane and I helped, too), it is pretty much complete. Shane loves it and has "room to grow" with it as well.

Shane likes to call it his playground and this is what it has:
--A large fort! We envision lots of fun to take place in the years to come up there: sleep overs, camp outs, and pow-wows (No Dogs Allowed, either!!). Right now he loves to get up there and "drive the train" with the steering wheel. He makes the loudest train noises while doing it. I'm sure the neighbors LOVE that!
--A fireman's pole. He isn't quite big enough for this but some day.
--Climbing wall. Kenny thinks this part is pretty cool. Little man is still to small for it, but again some day.
--Sand box. We need more sand for it, but it's huge and he already loves going into it and driving his diggers and such around. A lot better then the little turtle we had before.
--Two places for swings. It came with two big swings, a baby swing and a teeter toter like swing. Kenny is thinking about adding one more spot on the opposite side for another swing, rope swing or tire swing to go on.
--A big long wavy slide. It's one of the few slides Shane will go on and loves.

We are very excited about this new addition to the backyard. And think we got a great deal on it. It came with 5 gallons of paint that we will eventually use to give it a fresh new look.

Taking it apart.
This is what the rock climbing wall looks like.
Putting it back together. We actually took off one section of it off to make it fit in our yard better. I thought it was on odd feature (platform like thing) anyways.
Fort portion goes up next. Having the swing part of it kept Shane happy during the week it took Kenny to get the rest of it up. He'll swing in the baby swing for as long as you'll hang around and push him.
Roof goes on! Almost done!!
A finished playground!!!

Pool Fun

We got the pool out this morning. I wasn't sure how Shane would take to it, but he really wanted to go in it. We have been to two parks this week that had water features to play in and he refused to go in them at all. I was nervous about the pool. BUT he jumped right in the pool. I asked him why he likes the pool, but didn't like the parks with the water. He said the water at the parks gets on his head and in his eyes. Guess that makes sense, except that he was splashing so much in the pool he had water in this eyes all the time. Must be a control thing. Wonder where he got that from??

I can vividly remember his first summer playing in the pool at the cul-de-sac. He couldn't get in and out himself and he preferred just sitting on the side of it putting his fingers in the water. Two years later he can step in and out of it.

He was very proud of himself every time he sat down in the water. His face would just light up. I have realized lately with his grouchy hard to please attitude, how much I love seeing him smile. I notice it so much more right now. His big smile makes those icky ugly moments easier to get through.

Water in his eyes....hmmm....may be because you keep splashing?!
Sadie even joined in on the fun by getting her paws cooled off. She hopped in and out a few times. Dodger got one paw in the water, but that was just so he could get to his ball.

4th of July

4th of July in the Northwest was cold again this year. Last year summer arrived earlier then usual. This year it pretty much was right on time days after the 4th of July. Shane spent a large portion of his afternoon in the hot tub. Not a bad place to be while it is raining and cold outside. We had a nice time visiting with Kenny's family and eating lots of food. Then we headed home to see what fireworks we could see from our new neighborhood. We kept Shane up completely against his liking. He truly just wanted to go to bed and really wanted nothing to do with the fireworks, BUT we figured he had kept us up on many occasions and it was fair just this once. We took a five minute walk from our house to where we can see Lake Washington once there we were able to see fireworks shows from Kirkland, Bellevue, Renton, Lake Union and everything in between.

Strawberry Fields

I took Dahlia and Shane to pick strawberries last week. They were great pickers and had fun finding red strawberries to pick. I picked really fast because I wasn't sure how long they would last. I got about 9lbs worth. Shane and Dahlia last about 30-40 minutes. They could have gone a little longer, but Shane had already handed over his basket and they were getting a little antsy to start hopping rows, I decided to call it quits. We went to a field in Carnation called Harvold's. It was super low key.

Menu Monday

Monday -- pulled beef sandwiches and veggies

Tuesday -- leftovers

Wednesday -- Sausage and noddles with Corn on the Cob

Thursday -- leftovers

Friday -- BBQed hamburgers

Saturday -- I'm taking a cooking class in the afternoon and I am suppose to be bringing dinner home with me....not sure what we are making yet though.

Sunday -- Surprise Night