Best Bread Ever!!!

A friend of mine gave me a start for Amish Friendship bread, so I have been following simple directions for the last 10 days. Today was the day to finish it and bake it. It is so good. Many times I thought about just tossing it, but I hated to waste it, so I kept going. It was well worth it. I have three starts now if anyone is interested let me know and you can have one.

I love the Bay!

Growing up we would go to Birch Bay quite a bit (my grandma owns a house on the water). I know that I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have. It always felt like forever to get there as a kid. Now I love it. The kids would seriously play for hours if we stayed that long. It feels so calm and peaceful there I could stay forever. Diesel is happy just running and throwing rocks. Hunter is happy looking for crabs. The girls and their rock collecting can sometimes get out of hand. I love it. I have a feeling we are going to be spending a lot of time this summer out there.

Dear Mr. Sun, if you are going to wake up my two girls at 5:30, then you darn well better stay out the rest of the day, kapish?

Preschool Graduate Next Stop Kindergarten!

Last week was Hallie and Karlee's last day of preschool. For the graduation the weather was perfect. The girls have had such a good year at preschool. I am so glad that they could do this together before Karlee goes to school. On the way home from the graduation we were turning onto our road and Karlee goes "mom I miss Ms. Mimi already" Goes to show you what a great teacher they have.

I know a place, Where the grass is really greener!

California girls, we're unforgettable,
Daisy dukes, bikinis on top!
Sunkissed skin,
So hot we'll melt your popsicle!

Well the time has finally come and a good friend is off to new adventures. She is probably arriving at her destination shortly. We will definitely miss you Vashti! You have been a great friend. Not too many other friends would watch someones kids twice so they could go to Mexico. It feels like yesterday when I met you and thought you were this quiet young woman from Everson. I gave you a job at the coffee and then at Izzys and soon got to know you better. You no longer were this quiet girl that I had first perceived. You were full of spunk and gas and I never left being with you without laughing so hard it made me cry. From Twilight movies, basketball, coffee meetings, your kill me workouts, our date at the Hearthfire, the fair, and just hanging out, I have many many good memories of you and they are all very happy ones and I thank you for that. I love how passionate you are about life. I love how excited you get about the simple things. I mean who else cries over eating crab for the first time. I didn't really think your leaving would bother me so much until I sat down to write this post and could not hold back my emotions. I am so happy that you and Marcus are together again. So here's to you Vashti I think you are pretty special and I hope you have a blast in California and never forget us rainy Washington folk.

Hallie Would Have Rocked the 80's!

No hairspray used here. This is how she woke up the other morning. She usually has crazy hair, but this goes above and beyond. She said "I think my hair is standing up". Imagine a little ratting and some aqua net or rave hairspray, give it a little bleach and she would have fit in just fine in Lynden back then.

Reason #214 I can't wait for school to be out...

I will no longer have to pack lunches :) It really does not take that long, but for some reason it is such a big pain to me. I would love for the kids to get hot lunch, but the food is disgusting. They will only for sure eat tacos or nachos. Hunter will have it more than Lexi, but even that is a rare occasion. I remember hot lunches being so good back in the olden days. We always got dessert of some sort whether it was jello with a little cool whip on it or a huge monster cookie (these were my all time favorite). From french dips to even the hamburgers everything except the hot dogs I would eat. Now when I go to have lunch at the school with the kids I won't touch most of the food it usually gives me a stomach ache. I would have the kids pack their own lunches, but jam usually makes its way to the floor, which is then stepped in and found all over my kitchen.

PS I don't think I could really come up with 214 reasons :)