Significant Birthday No. 2

Sarah, the  nearly-there college graduate, and all the way there 30-year-old

Well, we set to celebrate Sarah Jeanne's long-awaited college graduation this June, only to find out we'd have to wait a bit longer. No worries -- since her big 3-0 was happening just a couple of weeks later we opted to celebrate that instead. 

Any excuse for a party, right? 

We started off with a lovely barbecue at the house of Sarah's godmother, Lori --  and not stopping there, partied into the night as well.

The obligatory milestone birthday slideshow

Jess and Louie play shuffleboard at the speakeasy

The night party was at Circa 33, a Prohibition-themed restaurant in Portland. It was tons of fun, with plenty of friends and family arriving, many that Sarah does not see often.

World Naked Bike Ride 2012

 

 

 

It was kind of Portland to arrange special entertainment for Boo's birthday -- it is a milestone birthday after all. Turn 30 in Portland and 10,000 naked people hold a parade in your honor -- didn't know that, did you?

Significant Birthday No. 1

Jess and her banner from Grandma Nana

It was Sweet 16 for our baby, Jessie, at the end of May. We celebrated the first chance we got, in early June. Family and friends were on hand to fete the day and shower Jess with silly 16-themed gifts (16 tubes of lip balm anyone?).  Aunt Tara sent the newly-minted 16-year-old an amazing set of beautiful feather earrings that the wind kept blowing in her mouth, much to our amusement and her dismay.

Many of Jess' gifts from mom and dad were Japanese (or as near as we could get)

The weekend was quite a love-fest for Jessie's new haircut, with compliments coming fast and furious from all sides -- a detail that, it's gotta be said -- makes her stepmom feel pretty smug, since she's the one who suggested the cut in the beginning (and Jess said 'no way!). 

A landmark birthday is not complete without an embarrassing slide show

Cousin Shiori (said she was doing homework...)

 Shiori and Aunt Leah had one of the most creative gifts, 16 scrabble tiles (individually wrapped) that spelled out "Sweet Sixteen Jess" in, yes, 16 letters. Although Aunt B's 16 coins that added up to 16 dollars was pretty cool, too.

Aunt B teaches Brian to play 'pickleball'

Celebrations and observations

 

Had some special days in May. We celebrated the 10th anniversary of our first date by going hiking and searching for letterboxes. It was all fun and relaxing until we went for dinner and (after dinner) realized B had forgotten his wallet and I only had a bit of cash -- no plastic.We were 30 minutes from home and I had visions of police cars and handcuffs. 

B had to ransack the car for change and we were able to pay our bill (with enough silver to fill a jam jar). No tip.

I was horrified  and embarrassed beyond belief. B kept laughing, seeing the absurdity of it all. He kept saying 'just think, you can blog about this and later it will be funny!'. 

Yeah, not laughing quite yet.

 

For Mother's Day we went for a picnic in the park, sat in the shade and played cards while TJ avoided getting his picture taken. It was lovely. Then he helped me shop for and plant flowers in the pots in my garden -- an uncommonly generous thing to do for a young man who would rather be playing video games. 

Brood Mama reports

It's been polite of everyone to refrain from asking but I know you're curious: Is she still obsessed with chickens?

Yeah, I kind of am. 

They are well on their way to 'grown-up' -- we expect to see eggs by mid-summer. We're on a slow track to building them a more permanent pen but they get by with a small dog run weekdays and on weekends we let them out into fenced areas. 

My get-four-'cause-I-want-three-and-one-is-sure-to-be-a-rooster-or-die strategy didn't work so well. All four are thriving; Everilde is most likely the Top Hen, although one of the others may challenge. They are learning to forage now; it's fun watching them check the edibility of things. They love sparkly things -- I have to watch my jewelry. 

Homesteading for Beginners

 

We headed up to the Methow in late April for a "working vacation." Our dreamily optimistic idea is that, one day, when we more money and time, we'll build a little vacation cabin on the family farm. Since we have little of either of the aforementioned, we'll have to work on the project in bits and drabs. 

So this trip we timed to help B's dad plant trees -- hundreds of them. Some were for a wildlife conservation project (and helped his irrigation project) and some were to add screening for the section we hope to build on. We planted poplar trees, we planted pine trees, we planted apple trees and plum trees. 
We felt like pioneers. 
It rained. It got hot. It rained a lot -- then it was just a soggy mess. 
We thought the pioneers must have been nuts

 

It was a busy week at "Hole in the Wall Ranch." Jan was busy helping with an election campaign for a friend, Chuck was busy with a new irrigation system and Keith was busy keeping us kids busy. 

I had never been to Methow in spring so it was a treat. It's lovely up there then, and much quieter than I'm used. to. The ranch has been tidied up tremendously so I have little old junk to photograph -- but managed to find a few things anyway.

 

Did I mentioned it rained? 

 

 

The intrepid neo-pioneers.