On A Walk

Getting fortified with blueberries before heading out...

Let's see what Daddy has been up to:


There's our house...


Looking for ladybugs:

Picking Sugar Snap peas.

I finally realized that I should probably stop shooting photos AROUND my little Papoose, and instead include her, since she's right there too...

Reaching to pick those pretty flowers!

Looking at the letters on his Mama's stepping stone.

And our growing garden from above...

Beauty Surrounds Us

Playing

Big Brother has been here!

Big enough to enjoy a basket of toys...

Heavy equipment coming through...

Learning to fly...

Don't You Wish You Were Here???

This was our breakfast today... It consisted of Matt's specialty, crepes, filled with a mixture of our cultivated blueberries and wild blackberries, blackcaps, and huckleberries. Oh, it was divine!

A Burger I Can Get Behind

Now that I see that title in type, it looks silly, but I'm keeping it!

I have never been much of a burger fan. Not a beef fan, really, in any shape or form. But being married to a meat-eater has given me the challenge of finding or creating recipes that make us both happy. So, I am thrilled each time I stumble across some method of cooking that even makes me sit up and take notice.

So, when I concocted this hamburger recipe last night (my inspiration was the overabundance of dill in my garden), and couldn't eat it fast enough, I thought it must be good enough to share. I haven't come up with a clever name yet, so bear with me...


Beth's Favorite Burger

2 pounds lean ground sirloin
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
2 heaping Tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
2 eggs
1/2 small onion, grated

Combine all ingredients, then form into patties (I got 5 out of this recipe). In order to ensure that you don't get bulgey burgers, make the center of the patties thinner than the edges. Grill on each side for 5 minutes or so, according to your preference, adding thick slices of cheddar cheese for the last 30 seconds or so. Enjoy!

A Funny

The Firstborn has a stuffy nose.

He just came running to me as I sat here at the computer and said, "Help! Help! My boogers are trapped!"


And then a little while later...

"Oh No! My boogers are running again!"

Updating...

Due to the switch-over to a new computer (lightning fried the old modem), and a nasty virus that all 4 of us are recovering from, these photos are a bit late, but well worth the wait!

Here's our Girl at 6 months old with her bear (note that she is still wanting to get that toe up in the air! a budding ballet artist, maybe?):

Sweet little Kewpie Doll:


Both kids in their "matching" outfits! My Boy looks WAY too old to still be in diapers, but he is barely 2 1/2, so cut me some slack! More on his size later...




People often mistake our Boy for a 3 or 4 year old, and seem a little confused when his behaviour doesn't match his size. So, since we hadn't had him weighed and measured for 6 months, I plopped him on the scale, and was astonished at my findings! At 2 years, 6 months, Jack weighed in at 39 pounds and stands 38 1/2 inches. The 97th percentile for both measurements, and also the size of your average 4 year old according to this website. He is a busy, busy, boy, and is still in love with his Thomas the Train, although Lightning McQueen takes a close second fiddle. He is talking like crazy, and saying quite grown-up things, like "Delicious and Refreshing!" (in reference to some cold apple juice), "For Peke's Sake!" (when something doesn't go his way), and "Good Boy, Mama!" when I successfully finish a task, such as loading the dishwasher. He makes me laugh daily.

Our Girl, at 6 months old, is very attached to her Mama, a trait that is common with baby girls at this age, according to her pediatrician. Still, I will be very happy when she finds toys more entertaining than being held in my arms! She is trying to scoot a little now, and we all hope that crawling will come soon. At her weigh in last week, she was 16 pounds 6 ounces, and 27 1/2 inches long, which put her at the 60th percentile for weight (with all of those adorable rolls and chubby thighs, I would have guessed higher!) and the 90th percentile for height. She is a sweet, if demanding baby girl, and we are looking forward to seeing what her personality develops into.

The Mattinator 8000

Did you know that I was married to MacGyver? Using just a piece of bubble gum, a paper clip, and some baling twine (okay, so that's a *slight* exaggeration), my husband made this:

The Mattinator 8000. A "green" deer repellant that really works! When the nocturnal marauders try to invade our otherwise unprotected berry patch, a sensor detects their motion, turns on a spotlight and starts up the sprinkler, thereby frightening away the would-be destroyers of our precious berries.

And here is the proof that it works.



Only a limited number of the Mattinator 8000 are available for sale. Place your reserve order now, before they are sold out! ;)

Our Cuties

Another Cake

This was an outdoor wedding in 95 degree temperatures. The cakes were really soft because of the heat and the frosting cracking and dry while at the same time being really smooshy (that will only make sense to you bakers out there). I think it turned out pretty well, considering...

Summertime at Twist Lodge

Our garden is finally growing!


We are now daily harvesting salad greens. It is amazing to me how much tastier they are than the store-bought varieties.


Come sit a spell...


Grandma's birdbath and some Bearded Iris.


My Peony is so full of blooms this year!


Our sweet-smelling honeysuckle and a little visitor.



Foxgloves growing in front of our little pumphouse with the old blue door.

July's Theme

My ebay group's theme for July is Summertyme Blues. Since everyone else was too busy, I took it uponst myself to make the banner, using my limited ability and software. I think it turned out good, considering all I did was add some text to a photo from my clipart files.


And here are two of my offerings that will be listed this month:

Teething

The Firstborn didn't get his first tooth until he was 7 months old, and I hardly even knew that he was teething.

Our Secondborn, on the other hand, has been letting me know on a daily basis that her little mouth is hurting, and I can see the swelling where her new teeth will hopefully soon make their appearance. The two of us don't want to endure for much longer!

Still, even when hurting, she is the most beautiful girl (seriously, couldn't this be a modeling shot?)...

And a little toe-chewing always helps!