I Feel So Wholesome!

In our weekly veggie box we get some unfamiliar things occasionally (so that's what a rutabaga looks like!) and this week it was "Horticultural Beans." (Catchy name, huh? Can't imagine why that one hasn't caught on...) They were super pretty, creamy white beans with lovely pink speckles...

in coordinating jackets.

Tankboy was a huge help in the shelling process...

Little did we know that the ones we snacked on raw were much more flavorful than the cooked ones. They lost their pretty pink speckles and were just sort of cooked white beans when done, ho hum!

And despite my laundry room floor looking like this at the beginning of the weekend:

...I did get in some climbing, some kayaking, a toddler's casual birthday party (to distracted for pics, sorry!), family time at the river, and a fully cooked Classic American summer meal of fried chicken, corn, and salad! AND the laundry will be totally done by this afternoon!

That's what I call a quality family time!

I Like Brown and Leafy Shapes

For those of you on the absolute edge of your seats about our home remodel (Hi Dad!) here is the equivalent of three thousand words! The fancy schmancy loo...

The mostly complete right half of the kitchen...

And the "one cabinet short" left half...


Actually since we took the pictures we got the cabinet handles on and finished that last left hand cabinet, still need touch up paint and the wood thingies on the sides of the upper cabinets. But amazingly enough we are cooking, cleaning, and eating in our kitchen! Wahoo!

And on a totally unrelated note I got a lovely henna (temporary, Dad) tattoo on my arm at our monthly women's gathering. The artiste did such a lovely job, I thought it should be saved for posterity.


Hope y'all had a lovely Father's day, I need to go scrub the Father's day camping grud off!

The First Annual Gal's Backpacking Trip!

Everyone made it through with flying colors (and one with a slight fever!) Hope your Memorial Day rocked as hard as these here ladies!

These Boots are Made for Stompin'!

I hosted our Women's Group meeting this month (along with all the other craziness going on around here). And, because I'm a geek, we had a guest instructor and commemorative tee shirts. The tee shirt graphic was done by Christopher Baldwin of Little Dee fame. He graciously donated his time and talent to what he deemed a worthy cause. Yay Christopher!

Our guest self defense instructor, Kelly, was awesome, and also donated her time. She even managed to drag a buddy along with her. Thanks Kelly and Michelle y'all rock (and kick, and punch...)!

And aside from that of course we have to give a double yay to my but kickin' women's group! Woot woot!

Just Keep Swimming...

So some of y'all have been kind enough to inquire as to the status of the house remodel. Try to bear in mind that the place will look much better without the thin veneer of power- and hand tools, and also those pesky dangling fixture-less electrical wires. First the heart of the house, the kitchen/dining space, with double doors onto the "courtyard"...
Could be nice soon, huh?

Then the wee guest room that will soon house my favorite sibling and family...
Tiny, but nice!

Then a quick glimpse at the loo...

Supposedly the tile artist will have this whipped into jaw dropping shape in two short weeks! (Watch the knees while on that imaginary potty, the door will definitely clip them if someone comes barging in!

And still in the works (perhaps in time for 90 degree weather?) The Hubsand's wool cabled sweater! Remember when I surveyed y'all as to the fate of this handknit? Well, much like the Million Dollar Man ("We can rebuild him - we have the technology!) it has been restructured for the betterment of mankind. AKA, made bigger and knit in the round (front and back at the same time).


Even Tankster agrees, "It's wool, but it sure isn't itchy!"


Now all we gotta do is keep on keeping on!

Tank Boy Time

We are still here, in a mad rush to get the house finished for the family visit that happens in two weeks, ack! I have a million and one things going on between now and then too, aside from a date with a 2 ton stack of Pergo...

In the mean time:
Jackson somehow whacked his front right tooth and broke it up above the gum line, and it has turned a lovely shade of grey. I tried to take a pic, but as you can see below, the gray does not translate.

So Tankster had his first visit to the dentist! He did great, ah'ed and grinned so the doc could get a good look. Our local doc wants us to see a pediatric doc to possibly do a pediatric root canal-ish. But then again, it isn't showing signs of swelling or infection, so it might be nothing... Keep yer fingers crossed for the nothing!

Jackson has had a myriad of kiddo get togethers. A couple of Friday's ago we went to preschool and I volunteered to set up the craft activity. We read the book The Rainbow Fish and made Rainbow Fish costumes.

If I do say so myself the kids are a-freakin-dorable.

Then we went to a bunch of birthday parties, which was pretty much seventh heaven for Tank. He got to play with a different set of toys at each house! And the goodie bags! And the candy! Eeeek! One family tried to take it easy on the candy prizes (thank gosh!) so they were heavy on balloon favors. But they got these odd balloons that I think were supposed to be "tye dyed" but really ended up looking sort of medical, and birth related...


We also were lucky enough to find a conjoined pair in our goodies, that really look rather unmentionable. So of course I had to mention them...


Anybody free to come out this weekend and lay pergo, install baseboard, build kitchen cabinets, do some patch painting, storage space diving or perhaps even a little light landscaping? We'll provide a room and the boards, ha ha ha!

Bleargh what a week.

It all started out fun at this.
There was some of this...

And then some of this...

And a big boy haircut was squeezed in...

While in Tahoe, we actually got to stay in our own house, as the renters were out of town, yay! We also got to see a very pregnant recipient of a handknit hat!

Jackson got to play with a million and one kids at the Banquet night AND the day after, so he was a happy camper.

Then we rushed home, The Hubsand ran off to work, and his sister and father arrived for a wee visit. They were here to help out since TH had to then run off to a business meeting down south for the rest of the work week. The evening Hub left, he abruptly came down what he thought was food poisoning. Whee! We carried on as usual here, Tank to daycare, Me to work, and the in-law's slaving away on the old home rebuild. (God love 'em!)

Then, what clearly was actually the stomach flu, reared its ugly head. Sis-in-law was taken down hard for a marathon intestinal workout session. Tank made it to daycare, I made it through my last work day and then I went down with (thank gawd!) a much milder case. Super ick, nonetheless! All with one bathroom, and no functioning wash machine. Whee!

Fortunately all were back to health today for a lovely easter of egg hunts and mass chocolate consumption. Lets hope next week is a wee bit mellower, at our our household and yours!