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.

Random Again

This is  random stuff people, very random...

I changed our bedding to summer bedding on July 2 and we froze, as in turn on the furnace, add more blankets kind of froze.  I had gotten the duvet cover at Pottery Barn and could hardly wait to use it.  But now finally, we are just right.  Summer is here and its timing is good because I don't think we could have taken much more of the chilly, rainy marathon we were experiencing.

We're spending as much time as possible on the patio.  I always feel like I'm someplace else on a vacation when I'm out there.  Even though I'm home I can forget the list that needs to get done when I'm on the patio.

That stack of books you saw in a previous post, I've read all but one.

Today, That Sam I Am is coming home on leave.  He is ready for the patio, Mom's cooking, seeing his family and friends and most of all he is ready for some heat relief.  It's HOT in north Carolina and here it's just right.  This weekend he is going to the cabin with Max, cousins, and buddies.  I hope the cabin is still standing, they don't make the neighbors mad and that they have a good time.  I try not to think about it.  When Sam has a leave in the Summer it's their tradition and they all LOVE it.

Hubby and I are going on a little road trip with Sam too.  It's all good.  The fridge is full and I baked two batches of cookies last night.  I planned some of his favorite meals.  Can't wait!

 Welcome Home That Sam I Am!

Memos

Sometimes when pictures are being taken, not everyone gets the memo.

Memo:

1. This is the silly shot.

2. This is not a silly shot.

3. This is a show'em your guns shot.

4. This is a don't show'em your guns shot.

We are having a good time with our guys, Danny and Sam are busy visiting with everyone, eating home cooked meals and driving my car.

Everyone loves Snowflake!

Today the guys leave for a weekend on Camano Island at the cabin.

Lots of guys and diet sprite, at least thats what they are telling Mom.

I kinda want to warn the neighbors.

I kinda don't want to know.

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And today... well, when I woke up it was sunny so I planned my day.

A bike ride after the guys left, some sanding and painting, grilling with Hubby tonight, and then it got dark, foggy and poured.

So maybe, I'll just pout.

Going?

The Retreat Vintage Market is this Saturday on Camano Island. I'm thinking about taking a mini road trip to check it out. Have any of my readers gone? Is anyone going tomorrow? Does anyone want to carpool?

The Barnhouse Boys will be there...

Tentatively,

tami

Camano Island Photo Shoot

After our photo shoot with the Snapsister that is my sister

the guys started hitting rocks out into Elger Bay.

Over the years I have watched them hit rocks for hours.

It always surprises me that there are any rocks left on Camano Island.

Jodi, we love the family pics and the shots of just the boys. Thanks from all of us!

Committed or Committed

This week we had a neighborhood party at our place. We live right next door and hardly ever see our neighbors so it was nice to get together and visit. It's fun to have kids over too. Max and Ethan had some intense games of UNO.

Not sure if we are totally committed to the addition or if we should be committed for starting this project but the dig out started this week. We had to take out our leather leaf tree and that was hard for Hubby.
It's good to have Sam home and to see Blake and Jesse again too. They came for a dinner on the patio this week. I love these guys.
Danny, Sam, Max, Alex, Levi, Blake, Jesse, etc. etc. are spending the weekend at the cabin on Camano Island. A fun guys trip ... I just hope the cabin is still standing on Monday!

Happy Labor Day! We will be laboring, of course. Give thanks for your jobs this Labor Day and ask a blessing for those without. amen!

Camping @ Home

Happy Memorial Day weekend! For many years we spent this holiday weekend on Camano Island. This year Hubby is working and Tess has a ball tournament. We all have good memories of going to the cabin, but as the kids grew up it has been harder to get there for Memorial Day weekend.

So, we improvise at home. Tonight Craig and Jolene are coming over for dinner. We have a few favorite foods we still need to enjoy, even if it's at home. Teens can dine and dash.

And I felt like cooking and baking today. A lot. I made a potato casserole, baked beans, dinner rolls, cookies, s'more bars. The baked beans are the good kind, with browned hamburger and onions, crushed pineapple and brown sugar. Hubby is grilling flank steak and turkey breasts. And Jolene is bringing the Snicker's salad. No Memorial Day feast is complete without the Snicker's Salad. You'll just have to trust me on this.

Due to inclement weather baking the S'more Bars is a good alternative to huddling around a campfire. My cookie recipe is coming later this weekend.

So, even if you're stuck in the house you have something to look forward to this weekend. A new cookie recipe!

Camano Island Traditions II

When our guys are at Camano Island beach they build. On Sunday Mark and Karen came with Levi and Braden, they were immediately recruited. Vern and Shelly came on Sunday too. So, while we were visiting and enjoying the view, the guys were busy on the beach.





Sunday was another sunny day with good friends at the cabin. Traditionally on Sunday evening we BBQ burgers and hot dogs.
We brought the Wii for evenings. It is still cool in the evenings in May on the island. So, everyone comes inside.


A fun weekend and school is out June 4 for Max. Summer is coming!

Camano Island Traditions

On Friday, inbetween packing and getting ready for the weekend at the cabin on Camano Island, I saw Dr. Burden. My allergies were outta control. Of course, the sinus infection shows up and I was a mess. She fixed me right up. And I carried on.

We picked up Tyler, packed in and got there before dark and settled in for the weekend.

In the morning I got the drinks on ice, the flank steak marinating and got into the sunshine. Where I had not been since last summer. Just soaked up that long lost friend vitamin D.

On Saturday Craig, Jolene, Jordan and Morgan came for the day. Shelli and Tess showed up later. Mid afternoon Jolene, Morgan and I went on the hike around the loop. This is a nice hike along our beach to the state park beach into the park and onto a trail through the woods along the bluff back to the top where our cabin sits.
Morgan's first Memorial weekend trip to Camano Island was when she was one week old. It is a long standing tradition, Morgan is now twelve.

We visited with the guys constructing a raft along the way. What Max wants you to notice is that in every picture he and Jordan are working and Tyler, not so much. They build rafts and forts on our beach and have such a good time.


Obviously, Tyler is management material.

Jolene, Morgan and I didn't fall off the bluff but we did run into a snake on the trail. Scared us to bits!

We had a sunny, fun day with lots of laughs. Ended with our traditional dinner of steak, potatoes, Snicker's salad, Caesar salad and bread with jam.
To be continued...

Sweet? Sixteen

Remember the good old days when Max had a cowboy birthday party? Every. Single. Year.
And he wore shorts with his cowboys boots. All. The. Time.
Good memories for sure!

Happy Birthday to my baby! Max is sixteen today. I am wondering where the time went. Max arrived 3 and a half weeks early and he has pretty much been catching us off guard ever since.

We will celebrate his birthday at the cabin on Camano Island. Lots of friends, food and sunshine this weekend. The guys will be building forts and rafts down on the beach. I plan on hiking, sunning and lounging. Cooking too. We have had the same Memorial Day Weekend menu for 15 years. If there is any deviation from said menu the guys totally come apart. Wouldn't want that to happen!

Happy Memorial Day and Blessings to our military too.