Breaking in the fire pit

After a long day of hard work yesterday, we took it easy today. We went to church and rested this afternoon. Sela has been dying to build a fire in the fire pit and make s'mores so I got all the supplies last night...... handmade marshmallows,dark chocolate and cinnamon grahams along with nitrate free turkey dogs. John lit up the fire and he and Zig keeping it going for a couple of hours. John had a special technique for everything, roasting the weenie and making s'mores. He is definitely a seasoned campfire boy. Zig even broke his no meat except fish rule and had a hot dog. I had to tell them how pure they are (at least as far as hot dogs go ;) He didn't do the s'more though....he has such restraint. I ate an extra one for him. It's dark chocolate so it can't be all bad, right?!We had sooo much fun sitting out under the stars and all of us felt so happy just watching the fire burn. It was a cool clear night so it was just perfect. We all stink like smoke but the girls were so tired they fell right asleep in their clothes. I had a twinge of "I'm going to miss this house," but I had to replace that thought quickly since we are moving in a couple of weeks. I guess we'll just have to make a fire pit at the new house. Your house always looks the best when you're about to move, that's for sure.

Who knew taking down the safety nets could be so fun!

Saturday was another huge work day as we widdled away at our huge to-do list to get the house ready to list. It is never-ending. I started taking the trampoline down and just getting the net off took a couple of hours. Then the girls wanted me to move the tramp near the rock wall so they could jump off. They must have done this all afternoon. They had so much fun.


Zig transplanted some more ferns and worked on the yard. Our new lawn was put in on Friday and it looks really nice. John did some touch up painting last night and I ran all over looking for a light fixture, a hammock and an umbrella for outside since ours blew off into the woods and snapped on a windy day. Another busy week ahead. I will be so relieved to be done with this.

We found the blueberries!

Our favorite u-pick farm is not doing blueberries this year, so today we tried a different place in Bellevue. It was great, but Nina and Rollin ate so many that Sela and I could barely keep up. Rollin did pick some on his own which was a first and we applauded hugely when he dropped them in the bucket. Then when he wasn't looking, Sela quickly threw them out along with the little rocks that came with them. When we went for our total, it was $2.43 after at least an hour of picking. We probably picked about six pints. We will definitely have to make a couple more trips there since everyone loves blueberries. The girls had a lot of fun pretending to be zebras in the brush trying to make it to the water and though Rollin tried, he could not make it through the thick grass, thankfully. After we picked, we went to a nearby park so the kids could play and have a little picnic.

Captain Bogg and Salty concert in Kirkland

This morning Mom, Moriah, and Erin left. I told mom not to wake me up because I don't like to say goodbye, especially to little Moriah. We have become so accustomed to having her around. She and Rollin are good little buddies. We will miss them tons.

I took the kids to one of the Kirkland waterfront children's concerts this morning, Captain Bogg and Salty (pirates). I had thought it would be too hard to make it to them this year with Rollin, but I decided to give it a try because it was such a nice morning. We came about 45 minutes early, got a very close parking spot and laid our blanket down in front for the concert. Then the kids ate their snacks and fed the ducks before the crowds arrived and the concert began. It worked great and Rollin sat through most of the concert and danced quite a bit, as did the girls. It wasn't stressful and I am excited we gave it a try.

Last Day with Cousin Moriah :(

If you can't find your toothbrush, check with Rollin

The Unexpected Summer.....

What a weekend we had. Usually you catch up on rest on the weekend but we all worked so hard getting the house and yard in shape. We are so excited to be moving, although we have loved it here. Luckily we aren't going far, but what a different lifestyle it will be. So long to the neighborhood, hello farm! Well, it's not a farm but we found our ideal house on 5 acres in Woodinville on Hollywood Hill. There are fruit trees and gardens, and a huge green house. Zig is beyond thrilled. He is just giddy at the thought of moving to the "country" but being close-in. He can still bike to work and we can just open our doors and let the kids run free. The girls have already been picking lots of raspberries at the house the few times we went to see it before we made an offer. There are equestrian properties all around and we can really see the kids growing up here. But, before we get too excited, we have to sell our existing home, which is why we are all exhausted. Moving is no fun with three little ones. But, the end result will be worth it. Luckily Mom is here so I have been able to pack, but she is pretty exhausted because Erin needs constant care and help with Moriah. Her morning sickness never lets up and there are many many days she never gets out of bed. Walking down the hall is a huge ordeal. Mom, Erin and Moriah are headed to Texas on Wednesday because we have to show the house and Erin is just too sick to have to leave without notice many times a day. So, our summer has definitely taken an unexpected turn, and we didn't have the perfect summer we were planning of berry picking, parks, and outdoor concerts, but life happens and is often unexpected. I know mom's trip was not at all what she expected, but it is what it is. I have learned from watching mom that a mother's work is truly never done. She is constantly giving and it makes me tired watching her. I know Zig's mom is the same way.

We are hoping to get the house ready to list in a couple of weeks. The landscaping people are coming Wednesday, painters next week, and then we should be ready. Luckily we get to move into the new place mid August so we won't have to live here and show the house as well which is so difficult with three children.

Well, that's pretty much it. Lots of yardwork, cleaning, the occasional walk with the babies, and lots of togetherness.

Fun in the Tub

Rollin taught Moriah how to drink from the faucet in the bathtub. They each got such a kick out of watching the other one drink. They laughed and laughed and laughed.

Boredom fosters creativity

If you die, I will be soooo mad at you!!!!

Zig returned from Home Depot with a forty foot ladder and big plans. I thought he was nuts, but he wanted to chop this huge limb that had come down in the November storm and stuck high in the trees threatening to fall on someone. I didn't think too much of it until I saw how incredibly high he was, standing on the very top of the 40 foot ladder holding onto the tree with one hand and sawing with the other. Nuts, I tell you. I told him he better get it down before Mom came home. Sure enough she arrived and was instantly in a panic. Sela was the only one brave enough to watch and she actually took a picture of the tree falling. To say I was relieved to see him come down from the ladder is a huge understatement.

We worked like crazy on Saturday doing yard work all day long. We made a huge fire pit from some of the trees that came down in the storm. Zig and John moved these enormous logs for a couple hours. The girls, Mom and I raked and hauled rocks and smaller logs. The firepit is awesome and Zig even planted a fern in one of the logs for fun. After that we weeded some more and took out tons of shrubs and plants. We all collapsed at the end of the day.

Tolt McDonald Park

Last week we took the kids to Tolt McDonald Park in Carnation. It was a little hectic with the babies....but Sela and Nina just loved it. Nina got scratches all over her little bottom when she had to become one with nature (no potties around). She feel completely backward down a little ravine with bushes. She didn't even cry though and only later did we notice she had scrapes all over. Three days later she developed four strange little blisters on her thigh, arm and wrist. We were totally stumped as to what they were until we remembered she probably got scraped by some poisonous plants. All is well.