Grammy and Papa came to visit at the end of July. Here are some pics from our afternoon picking blueberries. We picked a great day to go. The weather was perfect, and we ended up with a ton of berries!
Notice what a hard worker Kieron is!
Here’s what else we were up to during the month of July:
Jonathan hiked Mt. Si and watched the sunrise.
We pet sat our neighbor’s guinea pigs, Salt and Pepper. They were cute, but messy.
There was back yard sprinkler fun
Know how everyone hates going to the DOL? Next time you’re there, just be glad you’re not there with three young children in tow. I will admit, they were very well behaved (until the last minute or two), and I was fortunate to arrive when I did. Shortly after we got there, at least a dozen more people showed up. Whew!
We had lots of cute bird visitors this summer
There were playdates and water balloon fights
Some monkey business in the tree house
You can barely see him, but right in the middle is our baby bunny who was born this summer. We saw him almost every day, and enjoyed watching him grow.
Our good friends, Jen, Oliver, Bjorn & Elina visited us one more time before they left for two years in Singapore. Sniff.
This is a science project the boys did with M&M’s. When placed in water, the “M” floats off the candy.
Visit with Auntie Ashleigh = good excuse to go to Red Mill for burgers
And also to the Pacific Science Center. Our boys are scared of the butterflies!
Here are some pictures from our summer trip to Neskowin, Oregon. The past couple of years Avery and Kieron have spent a week there with Nana and Grandpa. This year we all went down for a long weekend with Nana. It was Silas’ first time in the ocean, and he loved it! We lucked out and got beautiful sunny weather. As you’ll see, we spent a lot of time digging in the sand and playing in the creek that leads out to the ocean.
Shortly after arriving, we walked out from the condo to the beach. No suits necessary. The boys peeled their clothes off and got messy in the sand and water!
I’ve been waiting a year to write this post. About this time last year, we started a big home project: painting our kitchen cabinets. Well technically, I started it. After bringing up the subject to Jonathan a few times and getting nowhere, I decided to get the ball rolling on my own. So one weekend when he took Avery and Kieron camping, I put the first coat of paint on the butler’s pantry. He couldn’t deny, it looked good. But he had opinions, and they were good ones. We should spray the kitchen cabinet doors. But by the time we got to the kitchen, the weather turned, and it was rainy and cold, difficult weather to paint in. So basically our kitchen spent the next nine months in various states of progress, and we finally finished at the end of June! It may have taken us a long time, but now that it’s over, I can say it was well worth it! I love our bright, cheerful new kitchen! The change made a world of difference, and I actually feel a little inspired to cook now! I am so thankful to Jonathan for helping me with this giant of a project!
We also made a few other improvements to the house during our first year as inhabitants. We painted living room, the boys bathroom, the art nook by the kitchen, and the front door. We added a fence, put in pavers to extend our patio, and installed a raised garden on the side yard. And of course, I’ve got a few more projects up my sleeve for the upcoming year. 😉
What started it all:
This is more or less what our kitchen looked like this past year. On the up side, it’s very convenient living without cabinet doors. Everything is easy to find and very accessible.
The fence
Trading out bark for gravel
In Early July, Kieron learned to ride a two-wheeler! I really think he’d been ready for the past few months, but he wasn’t too enthusiastic, and we didn’t want to push him. He told us this spring that he would do it when he turned four. So one day in July I mentioned to Jonathan that we should give it a shot. Jonathan took Kieron out front, and not five minutes later I got a text to come outside. And there was Kieron, riding along like it was no big deal! Bravo, Kieron! We are so proud of you!