Happily Ever After

 Blake and Grace got married on Saturday evening at Broadway Hall. It was a very beautiful setting, a meaningful ceremony, a wonderful reception, and a delicious dinner.  All of that wonderful aside the very best part was their happiness.  It was so great to see them so happy and excited about their marriage.  The other happiness is the guys being happy for Blake.  Sam and his friends have a deep friendship that goes back ten plus years.  There is so much love when the guys get together that everything is fun.  Blake and Sam both have wives that understand the importance of the friendship.  Really, it wouldn't work if the girls didn't get it.

 I may have pulled my hair out with these two yahoos a time or two but they have grown up into some really great guys.

 Blake and his mama, Leanne.

 The wives that love the guys and their friends.  I love Lily peeking out in the background.

 Jonny and Alex, part of the gang.  I wish I'd gotten a photo of all the guys.

They were lookin' fine.

 Grace with more of the guys, Dakota and Levi.

 Sam gave a toast. He is a good writer and a good speaker.  He made me proud.

 It rained on the hay so Max was able to come to the wedding.  Kassie was happy he could make it.

 And there was cake and y'all know how this mama feels about wedding cake... If there's no cake you are not really married.

Blake and Grace are really married and leaving for a honeymoon in Ireland today.

Wishing them the very best!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

The week after our family reunion in George, WA Hubby and I took a week's vacation. Danny was home visiting from Michigan.  Danny wanted to see everyone while he was home so one evening our friends met at Kulshan Brewery.  I brought chocolate salted caramel cupcakes for dessert and we all enjoyed Hot Mess food truck for dinner.  Blake and Grace are newly engaged to be married so it was fun to hear their plans and share their excitement.  Blake is my spare guy and I couldn't be happier for him and his beautiful girl.

 Sam and Danny went to Whistle Lake to jump off cliffs, Hubby and Danny went to Artist Point at Mount Baker to hike and we had a family BBQ one evening.  After a fun packed visit Danny left on Wednesday evening.  Hubby and I took Danny to Oliver's Lounge for a cocktail and to Andaluca for dinner before bringing him to Seatac to catch his red eye flight.

 The next morning Hubby and I packed Hua'kai Annie for a little road trip.  We stayed off I-5 and enjoyed a leisurely trip to Anacortes via Edison.

 We stayed at Fidalgo Bay Resort, where we had the smallest trailer in a sea of huge, deluxe rigs, where we were the youngest campers and where we didn't have to share the restrooms because everyone else had one in their motor home.  It was nice

 There is a beautiful trail leading to the bay in one direction and to town in the other direction.

After dinner I baked cookies because I wanted to try our oven in the Aloha.  It works!

 In the morning we packed up and went to stay at Camano Island.  Hubby wanted to make a few repairs to the cabin.  We hiked on the beach and in the state park.

When we got home my peaches had ripened.  On our way home from George we had stopped in Thorpe and bought 4 boxes of peaches.  I spent the next week returning to work and frantically freezing peaches and baking pies.

We had a good time with our family, road tripping and spending time with each other.  It was fun to go camping with Annie and we are excited to do more camping.

Happy Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day brunch was at our house this year.  I set the table with glassware from my Aunt Clarice, flowers like my Grandma Dykstra grew in her garden and a chenille bedspread from Grandma D.G. as a tablecloth.

 My Mom and sisters and I took our annual Mother's Day picture.

 On Mother's Day kids have their picture taken with Mom.  Partly because it's tradition, partly because who says NO to their mama on her day and partly because ISAIDSOTHAT'SWHY.

Max still argues...

 Max left to drive back to school.  Blake showed up with flowers and a sweet card; he's my extra kiddo and I'm his extra mum.  I wanted a picture with Sam, Angela and Blake.  Then the trouble was mine because I left my glasses on and everyone knows I don't wear glasses in real life.  Sigh.

 Do over.

 Jodi had better luck on her first try, probably because she's a Snapsister and her kids know to quickly get it done.

 We celebrated the May birthdays with a maple bar cake from the Lynden Dutch Bakery.

It was a sunny day, a delicious brunch, and fun time celebrating the Moms.  Hubby insisted on doing all of the  dishes while I took a nap on the patio.  Danny called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day, after working a double shift, making my day complete.

Three Out of Four

Last evening Blake, Sam and Max were home for dinner.  This doesn't happen very often anymore so Hubby and I are happy when the stars align and our guys land on the patio.

Blake isn't really ours but there was a time when he was at our place so much that he had his own pile of clean laundry lined up with everyone else's stack in the laundry room and the futon upstairs was considered his bed.

The guys have brought some very special girls to the table.  I felt so blessed last night to have my guys and sweet, sweet young women at the table.  Good food, a still and warm evening on the patio, great adult children, many laughs and good conversation made for a perfect storm for Hubby and me.

Since our guys live all over the country we treasure these storms.

I wished Danny and Jessica could have been here but three out of four is still pretty good.

Pretty good, indeed.

It's Busy Here

Yesterday  Hubby left at 3 a.m. for George, WA.  He caught a ride on a hay truck so he could ride back with Max.  I flew around the house tidying up and then went to work.  Our vehicles were scattered all over town so I walked to them and got them all home after work.

While walking I stopped at the Lynden Farmer's Market and bought some beautiful produce.

Then I got company.  Hubby's cousins, Jill and Joanie and their friend Sue were in town so we had a visit and a glass of wine on the patio.  It was fun to see them and it was the only time I sat down yesterday so that saved my bacon for what was all coming my way.

 Blake and Lily were over last night hanging out with Sam and Hawley.  Lily was here is get her picture taken by the Snapsister that is my sister, however; she wanted no part of that.  So, she played on the lawn, ate grilled burgers and strawberry pizza instead.  That made her happy, it made the guys happy too.

 Hubby and Max came home after a very long day... with our new vacation home.  The 1957 Aloha is finally here.  She needs a little work.  Hubby is figuring the restoration out, and I made a new Pinterest board of decorating ideas.  Kassie helped me with the pinterest and we found some great ideas.

I texted Kassie to come by for strawberry pizza.  She was pretty surprised to see Max.

Thank you Max for bringing it over for us!  After it was loaded, two guys stopped and wanted to buy her.  She may not look like much now but she's a hot little trailer.  And her screen door is adorable!

The guys are going to the cabin on Camano Island today, and some girls too.   

Apparently, girls are invited too this year.  I'm not sure why but it makes me feel better.

Hubby and I are getting tires for the Aloha and helping Max pack for college today.  

And I am having some patio time today.  And I mean it!

It's a Small World

About 6 years ago Sam got to know Nathan online through xbox live and WOW.  Nathan lives in Australia and is here on holiday.  It has been fun for the guys to finally meet Nathan, except for Sam.  Sam won't be home for Christmas leave before Nathan has to go back home.  It's bittersweet to have Nathan here and Sam at Fort Bragg.  I really missed Sam this week.

Blake and Nathan came for dinner this week.  I took this first picture right after I told them, "the potatoes might be HoT, or actually may be like molten lava", and Blake took a big, painful bite.

 We had to show Nathan Sam's old room where Sam had been gaming with him all those years.  The guys wear headsets and chat during the game.  It was fun for Nathan to sit where Sam has been gaming with him for all those years.

 Besides gaming Nathan has been busy finishing Uni (in Australia college or university is referred to as uni) and working full time.  He was saving up for his trip to the states.  He went to the Apple Cup, went shooting, is going to a hockey game in Canada, going to Mt. Baker to see snow for the first time and taking a train trip to San Francisco.  When Nathan gets home he has a job waiting as a chemical engineer for a mining company.

Sam hopes to go to Australia to visit Nathan after he finishes his time in the army.  It is strange to think that when I was their age there was no internet, xbox live, no cyber friendships.  Everything was IRL.

It's a cool world out there.